Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Essay Global warming pertains to the increase in temperature of the atmosphere based on the entrapment of gases that are emitted from activities on the surface of the earth. The increase in temperature is a direct result of the greenhouse effect, which involves heat that originated from the sun, which is entrapped within the atmosphere due to several factors. Scientists have determined that the atmosphere’s temperature has increased since the industrial revolution, which has maximized the use of chemicals in manufacturing various kinds of materials in industry. Global warming may result in regional changes in the weather, which will be more obvious if the weather were compared from one decade to another, and not on a daily basis. However, scientists have hypothesized that when the temperature of the surface of the earth has reached a highly critical level, such high temperature will cause severe and drastic changes to the atmosphere, affecting the oceans and will severely alter the weather patterns in a matter of years. Changes in the weather may include increasingly hot days and less cool days. The water levels will go down, exposing more land surface during the summer. Even higher latitude regions will be warmer by 40%. In addition, the amount the precipitation, be it rain or snow, will also increase, in the form of stronger storms and very intense typhoons and hurricanes. The El Nino events may also be more increase due to global warming. Global warming not only affects the weather, but it will also affect natural habitats. Higher levels of CO2 may facilitate the growth of forests, facilitating them to flourish and bloom. The warmer ocean waters will be helpful to fish and algae in the high seas. However, those organisms in higher elevations will find difficulty in surviving in warmer environments. Higher temperatures in oceans may kill corals, which are the nurseries for fishes and other aquatic organisms. For the human population, global warming may cause more incidents of infectious diseases such malaria, as well as systemic health problems such as heat stroke and respiratory diseases. Currently, the world is confused as society is ignorant of the detailed effects of global warming. Society is aware the summers are now longer and more intense and winters are envious of summer’s wrath, unleashing a fury that rivals the intensity of the heat. This is actually what global warming does. It confuses the world and now currently has also succeeded in confounding scientists. From a scientific point of view, global warming can be understood as a global environmental phenomenon which is characterized by an increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans (Smith and Reynolds, 2005). There is certainly no doubt that global warming has a very detrimental effect on the environment as it causes rising sea levels and alters the amount and pattern of precipitation that a areas all over the world get (Gregory et al. , 2002). These environmental changes are also the projected causes of other ecological changes such as increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events which in turn creates changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors (Choi and Fisher, 2003). References Choi O and Fisher A (2003): The impacts of socioeconomic development and climate change on severe weather catastrophe losses: Mid-Atlantic region (MAR) and the U. S. Climate Change Vol. 58, pp. 149. Gregory JM, Stouffer RJ and Raper SCG (2002): An observationally based estimate of the climate sensitivity. J. Climate 15(22):3117-21. Smith TM and Reynolds RW (2005): A global merged land–air–sea surface temperature reconstruction based on historical observations (1880–1997). J. Clim. 18(12): 2021-2036.

Against Making Flag Burning Illegal Essay -- Patriotism Freedom essays

Flag Burning There is a great travesty going on in America right now. Everyday, people are fighting to stop one of America’s greatest freedoms, the freedom of speech. Even this way of exercising America’s greatest amendment, freedom of speech, is not liked by all people it is still protected under our nation’s law. The act of publicly burning an American flag is something that is deemed disgraceful by many Americans, but it should not be outlawed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people are offended by the act of publicly burning an American flag and feel it should be outlawed based on the fact that it is offensive to the citizens of this country. Although this may be true, people still have the right to protest. This was upheld in a Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson, where the defendant Mr. Johnson was arrested for publicly burning a flag outside the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. After being arrested Mr. Johnson was convicted of setting fire to a flag during a protest and chanting with other protesters; â€Å"America, the red, white, and blue, we spit on you†(Texas v. Johnson). He appealed his claim to the Texas Supreme Court of Appeals where they overturned the conviction based on the fact that he was exercising his first amendment right. One of the Supreme Court justices went on to say, â€Å"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the e xpression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive o... Against Making Flag Burning Illegal Essay -- Patriotism Freedom essays Flag Burning There is a great travesty going on in America right now. Everyday, people are fighting to stop one of America’s greatest freedoms, the freedom of speech. Even this way of exercising America’s greatest amendment, freedom of speech, is not liked by all people it is still protected under our nation’s law. The act of publicly burning an American flag is something that is deemed disgraceful by many Americans, but it should not be outlawed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people are offended by the act of publicly burning an American flag and feel it should be outlawed based on the fact that it is offensive to the citizens of this country. Although this may be true, people still have the right to protest. This was upheld in a Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson, where the defendant Mr. Johnson was arrested for publicly burning a flag outside the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. After being arrested Mr. Johnson was convicted of setting fire to a flag during a protest and chanting with other protesters; â€Å"America, the red, white, and blue, we spit on you†(Texas v. Johnson). He appealed his claim to the Texas Supreme Court of Appeals where they overturned the conviction based on the fact that he was exercising his first amendment right. One of the Supreme Court justices went on to say, â€Å"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the e xpression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive o...

Normal Flora Essay

Normal flora are found in specific areas of the body and often depends on environmental factors such as pH, oxygen concentration, amount of moisture present, etc. Some sites in which native microbial is the skin in which you often find staphylococci, streptococci, diptheriod bacilli, yeast and fungi. You often find staphylococci, streptococci, diotheriod, spirochetes, and members of the genera Branhamella, Neisseria, and Haemophilus in the throat or the upper respiratory tract. In this exercise, we identified microorganisms that normally reside in the throat and skin and compared them using streak plate inoculations. There are several different types on plates used to identify native flora of the skin and throat. Blood agar contains mammalian blood (usually sheep or horse) and is used to isolate fastidious organisms and detect a-gemolytic acitivity and b-hemolytic activity and is specifically used to determine the presence of staphylococci and streptococci on the skin and throat. A mannitol salt agar plate is used for identifying native skin flora and is inoculated to observe the presence of staphylococci, specifically the pathogenic versus the non-pathogenic. The pathogenic causes yellow coloration of the medium surrounding the growth. A Sabouraud agar plate is also used for identifying native skin flora and detects years and molds. Yeast cells will develop colonies that are elevated, moist and glistening and mold colonies will appear as fuzzy, powdery growths. Materials: -blood agar plates -Mannitol salt agar plates -sabouraud agar plates -nutrient agar plates -2, 5mL sterile saline tubes -sterile cotton swabs Methods: Each student must take a sterile cotton swab and either swabs the back of their throat, their palm, or the bottom of their foot. After swabbing for approximately 10-15 seconds we mixed the swab in the solution of sterile saline tubes. Then we each had our own nutrient agar plate, blood agar,  mannitol salt, and sabouraud, so we labeled each and steaked them. Then we inoculated the plates and sit for approximately two days. Then we observed and recorded out findings. We noted number of colonies. CultureThroat SpecimenSkin Specimen Blood agarclear circles, many coloniesWhite, smooth colonies, many Mannitol salt No colonies, medium was red (+) small round colonies, few SabouraudNo colonies(-), few colonies, few  Nutrient broth Round/globular, few Small circular, smooth Discussion: For most of the agar plates including the mannitoal salt agar, sabouraud agar and the nutrient agar there wasn’t many microorganisms growing. We did find that microorganisms seemed to grow best on the blood agar. On the blood agar, the throat specimen appeared to have many clear colonies while the skin specimen had larder white colonies. There were no yellow colonies indicating that there was no pathogenic microbe. When looking at the other plates, we observed more colonies present when examining the skin specimen in comparison to the throat specimen. All of the colonies on the sabouraud, mannitol and nutrient agar were small, white colonies. The reason we may have observed more colonies on the skin specimen in comparison to the throat specimen could be due to the fact that the person that swabbed their throat (me) did not do it for a long enough period of time and therefore, did not observe bacteria growing on the cultures. It could also be because the agars were not the specific environment necessary for those microorganisms to survive. It would be interesting to make slides of these microorganisms to get a closer look at what they look like and be able to differentiate between them on a microscopic level.

Is War Ethical Essay

The question, is war ethical, should always be the first question asked and the first question answered before engaging in such a world altering, life changing endeavor. One must be sure that purpose of war is to bring peace. â€Å"That its essential aim is always peace, so if peace is forthcoming in any guise, it is morally critical for all parties to seek a return to a permanent peace rather than a momentary lapse of war† (Moseley). Unfortunately, this is not the mindset of Falcon, one of the charters in The Sirens of Baghdad. He is militant; consumed with Thanatos and with an â€Å"appetite for destruction† (Hedges 251) towards the American troops; Falcon in the event below is determined to deceive and poison the minds of his brethren against the Americans troops. The event with Falcon takes place at the barbershop in Karfr Karam. Falcon and the elders of the town are gathered there, discussing the capture of Saddam by the American force in Iraqi. After some of the elders expressed their gratitude for the Americans capturing Saddam. Falcon takes this opportunity to place his seeds of doubt. He tries to unethically persuade his brethren. He expresses to them that the Americans had no right to go after Saddam and insists that it was the people of Iraqis responsibility. He believed it was because of every Iraqi’s cowardice that Saddam tyrannized them. He references this when he said, â€Å"People have the kings they deserve† (Khadra 32). He then expressed that Saddam may have been a monster but added that he was their monster. Falcon went on to explain that Saddam was one of them and shared their blood. He added that Saddam may have been a tyrant but he was Iraqi and therefore the Americans had no business touching or going after him. Falcon expressed that he would rather have Saddam still in power rather than the infidel American troops in Iraq. Falcon believed it was the Americans’ force, not Saddam that put Iraq in dire straits. Falcon says, â€Å"Look at what they’ve made of our country: hell on earth† (Khadra 33). Falcon’s behavior is fueled by Thanatos just as the behavior of the Islamic clerics was when they were determined to convert their countrymen into devout Muslims. â€Å"They spurned the decadence of the West including what the clerics condemned as the West’s loose sexual mores, drug use and thirst for sensual gratification†(Hedges 260). In that very moment Falcon was purposely lying to demoralize the American troops. He was trying to persuade his audience that the Americans did not come to free Iraq and bring peace. Falcon felt Saddam was an excuse to take Iraq’s resources and pillage their towns and cities. He tried to fill his audience’s minds with doubt and mistrust. He was unethically deceiving his community the same way real life insurgents behave in the Iraqi war. Tariq say’s, â€Å"More and more Iraqis were fooled by the insurgents’ propaganda, and the attacks aimed at Americans and their supporters increased. My country †¦ has suffered greatly from the insurgency, and we have lost many people who believed in the U. S. message† (Abandoned in Iraq). Falcon, just like the real insurgents in Iraq dedicated to their unethical war, chose an unethical path. He spread deceitful lies and led his brethren into the jaws of Tahantos instead of guiding them towards a life of peace and happiness. The next event in The Sirens of Baghdad is fueled by the insurgents’ use of deceitful tactics. In pursuit of their unethical war, they purposely caused innocent lives to be lost in order to create media propaganda to recruit the naive young men of Iraq. They dressed in civilian clothing and hid among the people. They used the innocent women and children for cover and human shields. â€Å"A populace†¦. held hostage by a group of ragged, starving ‘rebels,’ armed with filthy rifles and rocket launchers† (Khadra 76). Their actions and behaviors are very similar to those of the real insurgency and their unethical war in Iraq. An example of this is when they gave young school children realistic toy guns to play with at the very same check points their relatives work at with US troops. This was obviously done to cause innocent bloodshed which, in turn, will create some type of media propaganda for their cause. Specialist Raven Jenks says, â€Å"It’s to train the kids to use real weapons, and also to provoke us into killing civilians† (Iraq’s young Blood). The insurgency uses this unethical tactic to create media propaganda of war. This is for the sole purpose of causing despair and rage within the people of Iraq to brainwash them and turn them against the forces that are sent to help. In the event described below, Yassen is one of the first young men in the Sirens of Baghdad to be won over by this unethical war tactic. The event takes place in the cafe in Kafr Karma. Seeds of doubt and deception have already reached the minds of Kafr Karma’s youth about American troops. Before departing for Bagdad, Sayed, Falcon’s son, purposely left a parting gift of a television for Kafr Karam’s youth at the cafe. He did this in hopes the youth would not forget his message and â€Å"that the young men of Kafra Karam would not lose sight of their country’s tragic reality† (Khadra 74). Along with the seeds of doubt and deception already planted within the young men’s minds, this gift â€Å"proved to be a poisoned chalice† (Khadra 83). It served its purpose well. The youth were griped with the images of war and enraged by the lost of innocent blood shed of their people. They began to sway to the side of the insurgency unethical war; â€Å"applauding successful ambushes and deploring skirmishes that went wrong† (Khadra 84). The young men of Kafr Karam were growing closer to Thanatos everyday and the temptation to â€Å"honor false covenants †¦. and gender† (Hedges 250),such as Saddam, was taking affect. Fully aware of the unethical wrongs Saddam committed, the youth still began to further familiarize themselves with him. Their initial delight for his capture turned to frustration. One of the youth, Yaseen, felt the publicity portraying the capture of Saddam portrayed him as a rat; dirty, confused, unshaven, and exposed to the cameras of the world. Yassen took offense to this and announced â€Å"by humiliating him like that, they were holding up every Arab in the world to public opprobrium† (Khadra 84). Yassen was clearly won over by the insurgency’s propaganda and unethical chose to aid in spreading its lies and deceit. The insurgency’s seed of doubt and deception enforced by their media propaganda enforced their campaign for the loyalty (Hedges 250) and paid off. The insurgency gained a new recruit from Kafr Karam to join their unethical war. The final event described below from The Sirens of Baghdad is a fictional example of the ultimate insanity of the insurgency’s unethical war. The Iraqi insurgency preys on the young men and boys who have been submerse in violence; â€Å"the closest analogy may be to the Taliban in Afghanistan. They offer these orphans of war a different kind of family structure cemented by the bonds of Islam†(Iraq’s Young Blood). These young Iraqis want to belong but more importantly crave purpose. Their minds are impressionable, easy to manipulate and brainwash. Making them the perfect candidates to turn into suicidal human weapons. The event described below from The Sirens of Baghdad bear witness to this product of unethical war. The main character (the narrator) turns himself into human weapon. The final event takes place in Beirut, Lebanon. The narrator has been groomed by his cousin Sayed (a member of the insurgency) since his arrival in Baghdad form Kafr Karam. The narrator, who has longed to become a suicide bomber, now receives his chance. Fully aware of his cousin’s fate, Sayed still makes the unethical decision to offer the narrator the mission. Sayed says, â€Å"you wanted some action†¦. Well, the miracle has taken place†¦. mission is now possible† (Khadra 236). The narrator accepts the unethical mission. Delighted, but aware of the possibility the narrator may change his mind before the mission, Sayed makes the unethical discussion to manipulate his young cousin once again. He says, â€Å"Kafr Karam, the forgotten, will take its place in history† (Khadra 237). Those words send the narrator into a state of purpose and honor. This is evident when he says, â€Å"He had lifted me up into the ranks of those who are revered† (Khadra 237). The narrator has made the unethical choice to become a human weapon.

Make Hot Maple Syrup Ice Cream - Molecular Gastronomy

Make Hot Maple Syrup Ice Cream - Molecular Gastronomy Who says ice cream is a dish best served cold? Maybe you should try it hot. Heres a molecular gastronomy project that applies science to make hot ice cream. The key ingredient is methylcellulose, a polymer  that gels when its heated rather than chilled. Try hot maple ice cream on in an ice cream cone or perhaps top your waffles with it. Hot Maple Syrup Ice Cream Ingredients 150 grams (1-1/4 cup)  plain yogurt115 grams (1/2 cup) cream cheese50 milliliters (3-1/2 tablespoons)  maple syrup75 milliliters (5 tablespoons)  water20 grams (5 teaspoons)  sugar6 grams (2-1/4 teaspoons)  methylcellulose powder (Methocel food gum, SGA 150) If youre not a fan of maple syrup, make chocolate ice cream by using chocolate syrup instead of maple syrup. You could use other syrup flavors if you prefer. Lets Make Hot Ice Cream! In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cream cheese, and maple syrup. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil.Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the methylcellulose powder. Mix in the powder until the mixture is smooth.Whisk the two mixtures together until they are fully blended. This is your ice cream mixture.Refrigerate the ice cream at least 2-3 hours.When you are ready to serve the ice cream bring a pot of water to a simmer.Use an ice cream scoop to drop spoonfuls of the ice cream mixture into the hot water. You can drop multiple scoops into the pot, as long as there is room for them to remain separate.Let each scoop of ice cream simmer for 1-2 minutes.Use a slotted spoon or ladle to remove each maple syrup ice cream scoop. Drizzle on maple syrup, if you like. Enjoy it while its hot since this ice cream melts as it cools, rather than as it heats up. Do you want to try another molecular gastronomy project? How about making powdered olive oil.

Pharaoh Thutmose III and the Battle of Megiddo

Pharaoh Thutmose III and the Battle of Megiddo The Battle of Megiddo is the first battle that was recorded in detail and for posterity. Pharaoh Thutmose IIIs military scribe inscribed it in hieroglyphs at Thutmoses temple at Karnak, Thebes (now Luxor). Not only is this the first extant, detailed battle description, but it is the first written reference to the religiously important Megiddo: Megiddo is also known as Armageddon. The Ancient City of Megiddo Historically, Megiddo was an important city because it overlooked the route from Egypt through Syria to Mesopotamia. If an enemy of Egypt controlled Megiddo, it could block the pharaoh from reaching the rest of his empire. In approximately 1479 B.C., Thutmose III, pharaoh of Egypt, led an expedition against the prince of Kadesh who was in Megiddo. The prince of Kadesh (which is on the River Orontes), backed by the king of Mitanni, made a coalition with the heads of Egypts vassal cities of northern Palestine and Syria. Kadesh was in charge. After forming the coalition, the cities openly rebelled against Egypt. In retaliation, Thutmose III attacked. The Egyptians March on Megiddo In the 23rd year of his reign, Thutmose III went to the plains of Megiddo where the prince of Kadesh and his Syrian allies were stationed. The Egyptians marched to the bank of Lake Kaina (Kina), south of Megiddo. They made Megiddo their military base. For the military encounter, the Pharaoh led from the front, brave and impressive in his gilded chariot. He stood in the center between the two wings of his army. The southern wing was on the banks of the Kaina and the northern wing to the northwest of the town of Megiddo. The Asian coalition blocked Thutmoses path. Thutmose charged. The enemy quickly gave way, fled from their chariots, and ran to the Megiddo fortress where their fellows pulled them up the walls to safety. (Remember, this is all from the perspective of the Egyptian scribe writing it to glorify his pharaoh.) The prince of Kadesh escaped from the vicinity. The Egyptians Plunder Megiddo The Egyptians could have pushed on to Lebanon to deal with the other rebels, but instead stayed outside the walls at Megiddo for the sake of plunder. What they had taken from the battlefield may have whetted their appetite. Outside, on the plains, there was plenty to forage, but the people within the fortress were unprepared for a siege. After a few weeks, they surrendered. The neighboring chiefs, not including the prince of Kadesh, who had left after the battle, submitted themselves to Thutmose, offering valuables, including princely sons as hostages. The Egyptian troops entered the fortress at Megiddo to plunder. They took almost a thousand chariots, including the princes, more than 2000 horses, thousands of other animals, millions of bushels of grain, an impressive pile of armor, and thousands of captives. The Egyptians next went north where they captured 3 Lebanese fortresses, Inunamu, Anaugas, and Hurankal. Sources A History of the Ancient Egyptians, by James Henry Breasted. New York: 1908. Charles Scribners Sons.Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents Volume II The Eighteenth Dynasty, by James Henry Breasted. Chicago: 1906. The University of Chicago Press., by Joyce A. TyldesleyHistory of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Vol. IV. by G. Maspero. London: Grolier Society: 1903-1904.A Gate Inscription from Karnak and Egyptian Involvement in Western Asia during the Early 18th Dynasty, by Donald B. Redford. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 99, No. 2. (Apr. - Jun. 1979), pp. 270-287.The Battle of Megiddo, by R. O. Faulkner. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 28. (Dec. 1942), pp. 2-15.The Egyptian Empire in Palestine: A Reassessment, by James M. Weinstein. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 241. (Winter, 1981), pp. 1-28.

Why Erlitou Is Known as the Bronze Age Capital of China

Why Erlitou Is Known as the Bronze Age Capital of China Erlitou is a very large Bronze Age site located in the Yilou basin of the Yellow River, about 10 kilometers southwest of Yanshi City in Henan Province of China. Erlitou has long been associated with the Xia or early Shang Dynasty but can be more neutrally known as the type site of the Erlitou culture. Erlitou was occupied between about 3500-1250 BCE. During its heyday (ca 1900-1600 BC) the city included an area of almost 300 hectares, with deposits in some places up to 4 meters deep. Palatial buildings, royal tombs, bronze foundries, paved roads, and rammed earth foundations attest to the complexity and importance of this early central place. The earliest occupations at Erlitou date to the Neolithic Yangshao culture [3500-3000 BCE], and Longshan culture [3000-2500 BCE] followed by a 600 year period of abandonment. The Erlitou settlement began about 1900 BCE. The city rose steadily in importance, becoming the primary center in the region by about 1800 BCE. During the Erligang period [1600-1250 BCE], the city decreased in importance and was abandoned. Erlitou Characteristics Erlitou has eight identified palaces,  large-scale buildings with elite architecture and artifacts, three of which have been fully excavated, the most recent in 2003. Excavations indicate that the city was planned with specialized buildings, a ceremonial area, attached workshops, and a central palatial complex enclosing two rammed-earth foundation palaces. Elite burials were placed within the courtyards of these palaces  accompanied by grave goods such as bronzes, jades, turquoise, and lacquer wares. Other tombs were discovered scattered throughout the site rather than in a cemetery precinct. Erlitou also had a planned grid of roads. An intact section of parallel wagon tracks, 1 meter wide and 5 meters long, is the earliest known evidence of a wagon in China. Other parts of the city contain the remains of smaller dwellings, craft workshops, pottery kilns, and tombs. Important craft areas include a bronze casting foundry and a turquoise workshop. Erlitou is known for its bronzes: the earliest bronze vessels cast in China were made in the foundries at Erlitou. The first bronze vessels were made expressly for the ritual consumption of wine, which was probably based on rice or wild grape. Is Erlitou Xia or Shang? Scholarly debate continues concerning whether Erlitou is best considered Xia or Shang Dynasty. In fact, Erlitou is central to the discussion concerning whether the Xia dynasty exists at all. The earliest known bronzes in China were cast in Erlitou and its complexity argues that it had a state level of organization. Xia is listed in Zhou dynasty records as being the first of the bronze age societies, but scholars are divided as to whether this culture existed as a separate entity from the earliest Shang or was a political fiction created by the Zhou dynasty leaders to cement their control. Erlitou was first discovered in 1959 and has been excavated for decades. Source: Allan, Sarah 2007 Erlitou and the Formation of Chinese Civilization: Toward a New Paradigm. The Journal of Asian Studies 66:461-496. Liu, Li, and Hong Xu 2007 Rethinking Erlitou: legend, history and Chinese archaeology. Antiquity 81:886–901. Yuan, Jing and Rowan Flad 2005 New zooarchaeological evidence for changes in Shang Dynasty animal sacrifice. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 24(3):252-270. Yang, Xiaoneng. 2004. Erlitou Site at Yanshi. Entry 43 in Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. Yale University Press, New Haven.