...What is biodiversity? Why does it change? Why is it important to conserve it? INTRODUCTION Presently these days, lots of people live in urban areas. In this case they are separated from the environment. But another important reason why humans will always depend on the environment is because our lives depend on biodiversity. Meaning that we get clothing, medicines, food and furniture from other species. Just because that people rely on biodiversity they have to conserve biodiversity and can save it for future generations (www.scienceclarified.com). But before knowing all the damage this can cause to us, firstly we should know what biodiversity is. Why does it change? Why we have to conserve biodiversity? The aim of this essay is to answer these three questions, so in this paper I will try analyze most important things about biodiversity. MAIN ARGUMENTS The definition of biodiversity has many different connotations, description of species composition interactions between organisms and their environment (Orians, G. H. 1996, p.49). But the major definition of biodiversity is: the variety of life in all its manifestations (Lecture notes). This modern definition can sound like the variety of life on earth, variety of species, and the communities in which they occur. The major elements of diversity are: genetic, taxonomic, and ecological. The first one is Genetic (populations, individuals) – individuals of the same species. It means genetic variations between individuals...
Words: 1646 - Pages: 7
...Global Warming GLOBAL WARMING: AN ESSAY. E ven among my small circle of friends, there seem to be polarized beliefs about global warming, or climate change. I sampled six months of columns and editorials in the Wall Street Journal and discovered that the universal angle of the full sample was to argue about how expensive this or that action to confront climate change might be and to imply that there was nothing profound here to justify such an expense. (I randomly looked up and read about twelve such pieces.) I was looking for data, and all I could find was this kind of polemic. On the other hand, if you read EAARTH by Bill McKibben, his argument is that the case for warming is closed, the planet has already dangerously warmed up, and the challenges now are all about how we are going to adjust to living in the new environment. Wow, is that a spread or not? Along the way, I have sampled other sources as far stretched as Wikipedia, Michael Crichton’s book, State of Fear, a recent cover story in the Economist on deforestation, googled dissenting views on global warming and processed through the many discussions I have had with people. I am in search for the common thread of sense that runs through this dialogue. Along the way, one is always trying to decipher among (1) who has facts, (2) who thinks they are conveying truth, and (3) who is interpreting their belief system as fact. Am I now the one who will call my opinion fact? I hope not. There is one saving grace to all of...
Words: 2740 - Pages: 11
...summer and fall of 1942, while Saint-Exupéry was living in Long Island, New York date of first publication · First published in English translation in 1943. The first French edition did not appear until 1946. publisher · Reynal & Hitchcock, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. (U.S. edition, both French and English); Gallimard (French edition) narrator · A pilot who crashes in the Sahara desert, where he meets the little prince. The narrator tells his story of the encounter six years after it happened. point of view · The narrator gives a first-person account, although he spends large portions of the story recounting the little prince’s own story of his travels. tone · When describing his surreal, poignant encounter with the little prince, the narrator’s tone is bittersweet. When describing the adult world, the narrator’s tone is matter-of-fact and often regretful. tense · Past settings (time) · “Six years ago,” although the current date is never specified settings (place) · The Sahara Desert and outer space protagonists · The little prince, the pilot major conflict · The childlike perspectives of the prince and, to some extent, those of the narrator are in conflict with the stifling beliefs of the adult world. rising action · After he believes he has been spurned by his rose, the prince travels to neighboring planets and eventually lands on Earth. He wanders through the desert in search of humans, and he is eventually found by the fox. climax · The fox teaches the...
Words: 7718 - Pages: 31
...the classic novel Don Quixote) draconian (from ancient-Athenian lawgiver Draco) The main function of capitals is to focus attention on particular elements within any group of people, places, or things. We can speak of a lake in the middle of the country, or we can be more specific and say Lake Michigan, which distinguishes it from every other lake on earth. Capitalization Reference List * Brand names * Companies * Days of the week and months of the year * Governmental matters Congress (but congressional), the U.S. Constitution (but constitutional), the Electoral College, Department of Agriculture. Note: Many authorities do not capitalize federal orstate unless it is part of the official title: State Water Resources Control Board, but state water board; Federal Communications Commission, but federal regulations. * Historical episodes and eras the Inquisition, the American Revolutionary War, the Great Depression * Holidays * Institutions Oxford College, the Juilliard School of Music * Manmade structures the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic * Manmade territories...
Words: 1896 - Pages: 8
...What is to blame for our ecological crisis?Estela Diferretti Professor Atterton: Philosophy 332 Thesis Essay June 1, 2013 What is to blame for our ecological crisis? Today our environment is faced with constant ecologic disasters. It’s no wonder why so many academics try to search for causes, of how mankind has destroyed the environment so drastically in such a short amount of time. In the article “The Cultural Basis for Our Environmental Crisis”, author Lewis W. Moncrief presents a compelling counter argument to author Lynn White, Jr. article “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis”. White’s claim: States Judeo-Christian traditions and technology are the sole cause for the environmental degradation that our world is currently facing. Moncrief’s claim: states Judeo-Christian traditions and technology are factors in the equation, but are not the only factors. Moncrief believes that democratization and capitalism are far greater pieces to the equation than just religion and technology. Religion and technology have vastly shaped our past and present society, but democratization and capitalism are greater factors to man’s exploitation of the earth resources and the environmental degradation. Throughout White’s essay he presents an argument stating that religion; specifically the Western Judeo-Christianity traditions and technology are the sole factors for the depletion of the earth resources and our domination mindset over the earth. White argument is broke down in several...
Words: 1276 - Pages: 6
...massive population increase, tripling in the twentieth century alone[3]. Human pressure on nature has never been so great. Such pressure has resulted in 'environmental issues', ranging from global warming and eutrophication, to the depletion of natural resources and an increase in the number of landfill sites. A distinction must be drawn between 'anthropogenically created’ environmental issues, and 'natural' ones. The extinction of most of the dinosaurs more than 65 million years ago was not caused by man, but rather an entirely natural disaster, perhaps a meteor or extreme tectonic activity. It is difficult to apply any man-made ethic to situations that are not man-made, so for the purpose of this essay, 'environmental issues' will be taken to be current issues actively cause by human beings. During the last few decades, many thinkers from different disciplines have been searching for a new ethic to confront environmental issues with - an 'environmental ethic'. Whether religious or secular in nature, this must be able to define the environment and the proper relationship that should exist between human beings and the natural world. The stance that one takes concerning environmental issues, whether from a secular or religious position, is firstly affected by what they consider to be 'rights'. Almost everybody agrees that humans have rights, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drawn up by the General Assembly of...
Words: 2417 - Pages: 10
...Free Essays Home Search Essays FAQ Contact Search: Go View Cart / Checkout Search Results Free Essays Unrated Essays Better Essays Stronger Essays Powerful Essays Term Papers Research Papers Search by keyword: wind Sort By: Go Your search returned over 400 essays for "wind" 1 2 3 4 5 Next >> These results are sorted by most relevant first (ranked search). You may also sort these by color rating or essay length. Title Length Color Rating Wind Power and Wildlife Issues in Kansas - ... Turbines can produce electricity at wind speeds as low as 9 miles per hour, reach their peak of production at 33 miles per hour, plus shut down and turn sideways at wind speeds above 56 miles per hour. An average wind speed at the site of a turbine is 20 miles per hour. Because of these features on the towers, they rank Kansas the 3rd in the US for wind energy potential. The Gray County Wind Farm in Kansas, powered by Florida Power and Light Energy, has collected data from 2001-2009 on electricity production.... [tags: kansas, wind energy, wind turbines] :: 1 Works Cited 1537 words (4.4 pages) $29.95 [preview] Analysis of Wind Turbine Designs - Abstract Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the most philanthropic men in history giving over 28 billion dollars to charity so far, states his number one wish for the world wouldn't be to rid the world of aids, vaccinate kids around the world, or feed every starving children; instead, it would be...
Words: 9531 - Pages: 39
...2009 Award Winning Essays Organized by Supported by The Goi Peace Foundation UN ESC O Japan Airlines Foreword The International Essay Contest for Young People is one of the peace education programs organized by the Goi Peace Foundation. The annual contest, which started in the year 2000, is a UNESCO/Goi Peace Foundation joint program since 2007. The United Nations has designated 2001-2010 as the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World" and 2005-2014 as the "United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development." Not only should young people benefit from these global initiatives, but they should be empowered to play a leading role in them. Each year, the essay contest adopts a theme relevant to building a Culture of Peace and a sustainable future, such as "Respect for life," "Caring for our planet," "Learning to live together," and "The role of media and ICT in building a peaceful world." The theme of the 2009 International Essay Contest for Young People was "The role of science in building a better world." Scientific progress has brought many benefits to humanity, while some applications of science have had adverse impacts. Young people were invited to express their vision for the future of science, and the kind of studies or researches they wish to engage in. 4,506 essay entries were received from as many as 134 countries. This publication contains a total of 16 essays: First Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize...
Words: 13935 - Pages: 56
...promote transformational ideas in educational practice,” (Henderson, 2004). This high praise begs the question: why is The Lorax so successful at reaching out to the child reader? This essay will indentify the use of certain literary characteristics that Seuss incorporated in The Lorax, which stemmed from successful environmental children’s literature from the late seventeenth century to the twentieth century. It will establish the success of each work due to the theme or agenda it had that reflected the social and environmental issues of its time, and will then establish to what extent Seuss’s The Lorax stands as a strong example for ecocritics and educators alike, of an environmental children’s story and its impact on the child reader. To further understand the position of this paper, it is important to identify the nature of ecocentricism and the development of the interdisciplinary field. Ecocentricism is an ethical practice that “decenters humanity’s importance in nonhuman nature and nature writing and instead explores the complex interrelationships between the human and the nonhuman,” (Buell, 2011). The practice, in the last twenty years, has become a field of inquiry in response to “growing academic concern about the response of literature and literary theory to the global crisis of environmental degradation,” (Sigler, 1994). Using an ecocentric lens, this essay explores the characteristics and social and environmental agendas that children’s literature has had from the...
Words: 3013 - Pages: 13
...People against the Earth: Cycle of melting of ice caps in the environment It is very shocking to see how many people do not have the knowledge or the interest to educate themselves about one of the biggest issues of the Earth. There are many articles about the climate change in general, but this essay will answer a question what are the effects of melting ice caps on climate change? Firstly what is global warming and what is climate change? Global warming is just the Earth’s rising surface temperature and climate change is a bigger category and global warming is one part of its category. In another words global warming is one issue of a much larger problem of human caused climate change. Both of them are a commonly talked about issue among scientists since it causes many changes in the environment including the melting of ices which has an effect on all parts of the world. Because of the sea level rising there are, even if it is not a rapid increase, many devastating effects on land habitants, and also there is a threat of the next ice age. Firstly the melting of polar ice caps can affect countries, as continents. A lot of parts of the “now known” continents would totally disappear under the ocean; which would mean that people that live there now, would lose their homes and the number of people per square foot would rise rapidly. The sunk parts of the countries would affects also the fauna and flora. It is clear that many species are dying out now and also...
Words: 4018 - Pages: 17
...Permaculture: An Old School, New Age Society What I knew: Prior to embarking on this research essay I had no familiarity with the term “permaculture”. Originally I was going to write on hydroponics but then I chose to go towards a much broader topic know as self-sufficient homesteading. I have always been one who took pride in repurposing what others deemed as “useless junk”. When I was younger I built a blacksmithing forge out of nothing more than a rusty brake drum, black iron pipe and an old blender fan. From that I pounded demented railroad spikes and horse shoes into beautiful works of art such as picture frames, coat racks, and knives. I have been hooked ever since finding ways to not only live, but thrive off the land by working in harmony with it. Tapping sugar maples to make my own syrup, hunting and trapping for food, clothing and income, and creating a hydroponic tower to produce my own fruits and vegetables. My goal has always been to live on my own terms and provide myself with all my needs through ingenuity and hard work instead of using currency. I had heard of self-sustainable living and that was what I was aiming for until I came upon the term “Permaculture” while surfing through some articles. It means living in a manner in which you coincide with nature and use it as a model to create sustainable cycles in which you can nourish yourself and the environment around you in a positive manner...
Words: 1919 - Pages: 8
...King 12 March 2012 The Search for Earth-like Planets December 5, 2011 must have been an exciting day for astronomers all over the world as NASA announced to the public the discovery of an Earth-like planet potentially able to support life. The planet, 2.4 times the size of the Earth, is six hundred light-years away in what astronomers call the “Goldilocks Zone”, an area in which a planet has an ideal temperature because of its distance from a star. It orbits around a star similar to the sun of the Earth, and the temperature of its surface is habitable at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists are hopeful that this planet might possess water and land, but they are not sure as of the moment if the majority of it is made up of solid, liquid or gas (Bloxham). Kepler 22-b is just one of the extrasolar planets observed by NASA that has a probability to be inhabited by extraterrestrial life forms. Since 1960, NASA has funded different exobiology projects, including Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), in hopes that astronomers can find evidences of life in outer space. Thinking that extraterrestrials would likely leave something behind to signal other intelligent beings during their exploration, astronomers of SETI previously tried to detect interstellar probes to be able send messages back to them, but until now, none have been discovered. Despite this, scientists working on SETI have not given up, focusing more on searching for Earth-like planets in different galaxies....
Words: 7781 - Pages: 32
...EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES Year 3 Term 2 Essay Project for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics with Theoretical Physics Ho Yin Desmond YUEN Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom Submitted Version: Summer Term, 4th May 2015 ABSTRACT The objective in studying exoplanet atmospheres is to understand their atmospheric composition and properties, thus, to deduce the planets’ habitability. Favoured by their close proximity, studying the atmospheres within our own Solar System and seeking for resemblance is a fundamental first step before we proceed off to extra-solar systems. While the ultimate goal of detecting a true Earth twin is some time off, we are busy trying to understand the atmospheres of hot Jupiters and hot Neptunes through observing primary and secondary transits of these exoplanets. During the past decade, conflicting observations between ground- and space-based facilities, different methods of data treatment, and resolving limitations of measuring instruments have been a source of debate in the astronomy community. Controversies over the atmospheres of two of the most extensively studied exoplanets, HD 189733b and GJ 436b, are discussed here. Through a series of investigation and evaluation, the hot Jupiter, HD 189733b, is believed to possess a carbon-monoxide-rich atmosphere with a sodium-abundant troposphere, topped with high-altitude haze. The hot Neptune...
Words: 9549 - Pages: 39
...NATURE OF MAN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE IN 10 MODULES E. Kolawole Ogundowole, Ph.D., D.Sc. Professor & Head of Philosophy Department University of Lagos. Akoka, Lagos. Nigeria Correct Counsels Limited Research. Counselling. Publishing. Book Supply First published 2003 Correct Counsels Ltd. P. O. Box 53 Akoka, Lagos. C E. Kolawole Ogundowole, 2003 ISBN: 978 -37004 - 0 – 5 This book is copyright. All rights reserved under the Copyright La Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. Printed in Nigeria by: Mustard Press Enterprises 16, Ogundola Street Sungas-BAriga. PREFACE A few words about the overall objectives of the course is appropriate as a starting point. Historically, philosophy was the first form of theoretical knowledge. As a rational theoretical tool of comprehending the world, philosophy arose in ancient Greece in stiff battle with mythology and religious consciousness. It came out to lay the foundation for the evolvement of scientific consciousness and the emergence and development of the sciences - Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc. In an environment rife with various and varying superstitions and myths, the study of the History of Science and Philosophy of Science becomes crucial, lest science itself falls within the ambit of mythology and superstition and becomes another form of myth even in the hands of the tutored. The study of the History of Science...
Words: 54229 - Pages: 217
...HIST Y AN PHILO PHY TORY ND P OSOP Y OF S ENCE SCIE E COMM MON CO OURSE IN ENG E GLISH BBA (I Seme A ester) BA/BS (IV Se Sc emester) 2011 A dmission onwards o UNIV VERSI ITY OF CAL F LICUT SC CHOOL OF DI L ISTANC EDU CE UCATIO ON Calicut Universi P.O. M ity Malappur ram, Kera India 673 635 ala, a 106 School of Distance Education UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION BBA (I Semester) BA/BSc (IV Semester) Common Course in English 2011 Admission onwards HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE MODULE I & II Prepared by : House No. 21 “Pranaam” Keltron Nagar, Kolazhi, Thrissur Ms. GAYATHRI MENON .K MODULE III & IV Prepared by: Ms. SWAPNA M.S. Department of English K. K. T. M. Govt. College Pullut, Thrissur Dr. Anitha Ramesh K Associate Professor Department of English ZG College, Calicut © Reserved 2 Scrutinised by : Layout: Computer Section, SDE History and Philosophy of Science School of Distance Education Contents MODULE I ANCIENT HISTORY OF SCIENCE 1. Introduction 2. Origins of Scientific Enquiry 3. European Origins of Science 4. Contributions of Early India 5. Science in China 6. The role of Arabs in the History of Science MODULE 2 7. Science in the Middle Ages MODULE 3 MODERN SCIENCE 8. Newton and After 9. The Advancing Frontiers: Modern Medicine to Nanotechnology MODULE 4 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 10. Basic concepts in the Philosophy of Science 11. Some Issues in the Philosophy...
Words: 34637 - Pages: 139
