Why Do Whales Beach Themselves

The Scientific American article â€Å"Why do whales beach themselves? † published on June 1, 2009, bring the polemic and controversial reasons about the phenomenon observed in the last years when more than Fifty-five false killer whales were stranded on a South African beach over the weekend. The scientists still do not fully understand why mass stranding happen, and if we should be worried about this event. Whales are the largest marine mammals in the world — the smallest species weigh in at several tons. When whales beach themselves, they can die simply from the crushing weight of their own bodies or from overheating due to their blubber, which is needed for insulation in cold ocean waters. Stranding are of several types, said Susan Parks, a research associate in the Environmental Acoustics program in the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State. Individual stranding often are caused by isolated incidents such as sickness, injury, or old age Said Parks, â€Å"Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the leading causes of mortality for marine mammals, many of which wash up on shore dead or injured. The tide carries these whales into shallow water, depositing them on the beach. Then there are multiple-species stranding, explained Parks. â€Å"This occurs when different species of marine mammals beach themselves at the same time and place, suggesting that they all died from the same cause,† she said. Scientists have been researching possible causes of this phenomenon. One explanation involves the whale â€Å"pod† social structure. For instance, whales that travel in pods use a â€Å"strength in numbers† survival strategy, but this can backfire when the dominant whale runs aground. According to Parks, â€Å"The rest of the pod may follow a disoriented or sick whale onto shore. † Another theory is that pods may venture too close to the beach when hunting prey or evading predators and become trapped by low tides. Weather also may play a part in beaching. Explained Parks, â€Å"In 1998, there was a major stranding on the West Coast of the United States where many different species, particularly sea lions, starved to death. † This mass stranding, she added, was thought to be caused by El Nino's effects on sea-water surface temperatures. Many marine mammals depend on plankton and kelp that thrive in cool, nutrient-rich waters. In the case of sea lions, when food is scarce, the adults wean pups earlier and leave them behind while they hunt for fish in colder waters further offshore. These young seals are often the ones that become stranded. Some theories about beaching suggest that defects in a whale's navigation system may be the cause. According to Parks, â€Å"The problem with these theories is that we don't know exactly how whales navigate. † Some species travel vast distances every year and find their way back to where they started. Right whales, for example, travel more than a thousand miles from the Gulf of Maine to the coastal waters of Florida and Georgia to give birth, and then swim back to northern waters. Said Parks, it is known that some whales use echolocation to identify objects in their environment but â€Å"it is unclear whether these species need to rely on it for navigation. † Some researchers have proposed that whales navigate by using passive listening to hear waves crashing against the coast or steer themselves via undersea topography or the angle of the sun. However, as interjected Parks, â€Å"the distance that animals can see is often very limited in the ocean, and isn't thought to be a useful for long-distance navigation. † Another navigation theory proposed recently is that whales have a bio-magnetic sense, which allows them to sense magnetic fields in the earth's crust. â€Å"This would be similar to how homing pigeons orient themselves,† explained Parks. Whales following magnetic field lines could beach themselves in areas where the field lines intersect with the coast. A study in the UK by Margaret Klinowska found a correlation between local magnetic field lines and sites where whales were stranded alive,† added Parks. However, more research is needed to solidify the connection. Several multiple-species stranding have occurred following military use of mid-frequency sonar, sparking public outcry. â€Å"One reason for the level of concern about these incidents is that they involved the rarely seen beaked whales,† explained Parks. â€Å"These whales were found beached five, sometimes 10 at a time. The problem with the sonar theory,† she added, â€Å"is that we still don't fully understand the cause and effect mechanism of how sonar might affect whales or why it might affect beaked whales in particular. † For many years, professor Chris Parsons has been tracking the patterns of mass whale stranding around the world. In his most recent paper, â€Å"Navy Sonar and Cetaceans: Just how much does the gun need to smoke before we act? † Parsons and his co-authors bring together all of the major whale and dolphin stranding in the past eight years and discuss the different kinds of species that have been affected worldwide. They also strongly argue for stricter environmental policies related to this issue. â€Å"Generally, if there is a large whale stranding, there is a military exercise in the area,† says Parsons. â€Å"Sonar is killing more whales than we know about. † Parsons is a national delegate for the International Whaling Commission’s scientific and conservation committees and on the board of directors of the marine section of the Society for Conservation Biology. He has been involved in whale and dolphin research for more than a decade and has conducted projects in South Africa, India, China and the Caribbean as well as the United Kingdom. Research into the cause of stranding is ongoing, noted Parks. Meanwhile, many coastal areas have rescue groups to find and rehabilitate these stranded mammals and to release them back into the wild. When the rehab patient weighs in at more than 40 tons, which can be a whale of a job. As the article stand, statistically, we are only able to determine the cause of a stranding in about 50 percent of all cases worldwide. In some cases, it is obvious, like a ship strike leaving an animal in poor condition. In the northeastern United States, pneumonia is a common cause of stranding. We see other diseases and trauma, such as shark attack on whales or dolphins or attacks by members of the same species. Poisonous â€Å"red tides† will also affect marine mammals. Some stranding have been speculated to be related to anomalies in the magnetic field, or from parasitic worms in the brain affecting co-ordination and balance, to whales being trapped as they follow prey inshore. There are other possible causes: Predators such as orcas or sharks may force the marine mammals inshore. In a 1993 pilot whale stranding at Golden Bay, orcas were seen patrolling outside the spit. The whales might have sought sanctuary in shallow waters because of the threat. Deep-water toothed whales with strong social bonds become stranded in a group more frequently than other species. If an individual is sick, or old and dying, the rest of the herd will come to its aid, even if they endanger themselves by venturing too close inshore. These are species that are unusual, that are beautiful, and important for the ecology of our seas. If there is an activity humans are doing precipitating these stranding we need to know about it—we need to make decisions about pollutants, shipping noise and sonar. Are we in some way contributing to declining health of critical populations, like the northern right whale? is asking the author of the article himself. More articles in the newspapers like the â€Å"Nearly 200 whales stranded on Australian beach† published on 03/01/09 in USA TODAY, or the statistics found in New Zealand where almost 9,000 whales and dolphins were stranded between 1978 and 2004 give us the idea of how serious this phenomena became . The concern is that only about a quarter of them were saved for all the whales in New Zealand. Species included Grey’s beaked whale, the Pygmy sperm whale, the sperm whale, the long-finned pilot whale, and the false killer whale (which is actually a dolphin). All the article and scientists are giving vague explanation about those events, but nobody found with certitude way the whales are stranding, which give us the uncertainty if we know well our ecosystem and its functions, and how we can avoid those tragedies.

Character Analysis: Mephistopheles

In Goethe’s Faust, Mephistopheles is presented as a servant of the Devil. His chief function is to search for corrupt men and collect their souls. Mephistopheles’ appearance to Faust signifies that Faust’s soul is in danger of damnation. Some scholars claimed that Mephistopheles, although a servant of Satan, is not entirely evil. In the third part of the play, Mephistopheles even warned Faustus not to sell his soul t Lucifer. There are indications that he even advised Faust to seek and reenter God’s favor by foregoing his unwarranted desires. In post-classical literary criticism, Mephistopheles is even depicted as a protector of souls in danger of damnation – a fallen angel who retained some good. Some scholars argued that Mephistopheles is the material manifestation of Faust’s bad conscience. He is perceived to be an angel who permitted Faust to act on endless possibilities. This limitless freedom is synonymous to a life free from God. Indeed, according to some scholars, Mephistopheles represents this limitless freedom. However, it should be noted that Mephistopheles is not merely a symbolic representation of evil. In the play, he is portrayed as a fallen angel – a servant of Satan who collects the soul of damned individuals. The traditional definition of evil is, however, retained in Mephistopheles’ character. The first scene of the play is somehow imitated from one of the most popular stories in the Bible, the story of Job. Faust is a humble teacher and doctor to the poor. He is the proof that there are still men who are truly dedicated to God. Mephistopheles approaches God and mocks Faust for his endless search for understanding. He tells God that such character is a weakness – that it is impossible to fully understand the cosmos. God allows Mephistopheles to ‘tempt’ Faust. Mephistopheles is overtly happy, presumably because he knew that he could easily sway Faust away from God. In his study table, Faust reads some commentaries on the Bible and philosophical tracts. He is deeply sad because after studying so many tracts and books, he still cannot understand the mysteries of the universe. At some point in time, he considers committing suicide. It is Easter Morning. Faust reads the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Mephistopheles then suddenly appeared disguised as a scholar. The two men talk and after which, Faust convinces him to return. . Mephistopheles then appears to Faust, this time in his true form. He offers Faust all the wonders of the world in exchange for his soul. Faust immediately agrees (believing that the soul is not immortal) on the condition that he must experience the greatest pleasure that can be possibly attained. Mephistopheles agrees. A blood pact is then signed. Note the overt traditionalism of the first chapter of the play. Contrary to post-modernist criticism of the play, Mephistopheles is depicted not only as the agent of Satan but also as the bearer of true evil. His proud stature as a fallen angel is a proof that he is fully capable of swaying men away from God. Indeed, Mephistopheles is not only Faust’s bad conscience; he is an incarnate of evil – a creature whose existence is independent from that of either Faust or his conscience.

Black Men And Public Spaces Essay Research

Black Men And Public Spaces Essay, Research Paper Today, when a black individual walks around at dark, they are automatically thought of as being a trouble maker. Peoples will frequently make everything possible to avoid a black individual, be it walk on the other side of the street or traverse a street at a different country. Black Men and Public Space, by Brent Staples, demonstrates merely what truly happens to a black individual when he/she is walking about at dark, or even during the center of the twenty-four hours. Staples uses personal experiences and narratives he heard about other black work forces to turn out his point. He leads off with an illustration of a adult female who was walking down a street in Chicago and Staples was walking down the same street behind her. He noticed that she kept picking up her gait of walking, finally making a slow running gait. Within seconds, she disappeared from his sight, all because he was a black adult male walking down a street at dark. It was because of this one experience that he learns of his ability to change public infinite in ugly ways. Staples describes himself as a softie who is barely able to take a knife to a natural poulet, allow entirely keep one to a individual s pharynx. Many black people today, who are merely like Staples, are mistaken for muggers, rapers, and liquidators. He realized that being perceived as unsafe is a jeopardy in itself. All he needed to make was to turn a corner into a bad state of affairs, or herd some scared, armed individual, or do an errant move at a constabulary officer, and he could weave up injury or even dead. He so moved to Brooklyn, and it is the same here as it was in Chicago. Women will non look at him when he passes by, they have their bags cleaving against their organic structures, and they forge in front as though they are playing football and are being tackled. He understands why adult females act this manner towards him. Womans are peculiarly susceptible to force and immature black work forces are the representatives of these pe rpetrators. He attributes his non-violent attitude to his childhood. In the vicinity that he grew up in, he was barely noticeable against a background of pack warfare, street knifings, and slayings. He was one of the good male childs, and he had to endure as if he was one of the bad 1s. I saw infinite tough cats locked off ; I have since buried several excessively ( Staples 153 ) . He has seen a adolescent cousin, a brother, and a friend all lowered into the land. Due to all of this, he chose to stay a shadow-timid, but a subsister. Other illustrations Staples utilizations to demo his ability to change public infinite are when he was mistaken for a burglar in his ain office. The director called the constabulary and the lone manner Staples could turn out that he in fact did work at that place was to happen person who knew him. Another clip he was killing clip before and interview and decided to travel into a jewellery shop. The proprietor excused herself, and so returned with a large Doberman pinscher ready to assail. He took a intimation, and left the shop. He besides describes a narrative he heard about another black journalist who was mistaken for the liquidator in a narrative he was covering. What is this universe coming to when a black journalist can non cover a narrative without being under intuition that he is a suspect, all because of his race? Equally chilling as this may sound, it is the truth. Be it in a large metropolis or one the size of Williamsport, these sorts of things happen. One could set this theory to the trial. Just base on a pavement for an hr or two on a busy dark, and number how many people will change their way in order to avoid contact with a black individual. One could reason that black people have the same rights as Whites do today. Yes, the fundamental law says so, but what about the right to walk down a street and non be thought of as being a liquidator or raper? Yes, black people and white people are purportedly treated every bit, but inkinesss today do non hold all the same rights as Whites do.

The Effect of Divorce on Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Effect of Divorce on Children - Essay Example However, it is only a minority of them who have long-term problems (Burke, Mclntosh and Gridley; Divorce- Effects On Children). Thus the impact can be viewed from an optimistic as well as from a pessimistic viewpoint. Optimists view divorce as an end to marital stress and problems and that both parents and children would benefit from the process as the single parent can remarry to a more suitable partner and provide a secure family to the child. Pessimists view the process as highly challenging for the single parent as it could be difficult to make the child completely understand the situation and accept another family (Evans et al). Research evidences support the pessimistic view point that states that divorce does have a negative impact on the child. The age of the children who are involved also plays a vital role when considering the actual effects of divorce. In Australia during the period 1991-2001, there has been a steady rise in the number of children going through parental di vorce. While it was 46, 700 in 1991, the number of children in 2001 was approximately 53,400 (Measures of Australia’s progress). ... Children who live in single-mother household, which is becoming more common after divorce off-late (Divorce- Effects On Children), experience difficulties in getting suitable education and work compared to children from two-parent families (Evans et al; Funder and Kinsella; Children and Divorce). This is mainly attributed to reduction of resources as a result of which children are unable to attain their full potential. Those who do not achieve good education tend to have lower self-esteem which in turn forces them to leave home which often results in quicker marriage and thus an overall lower fulfilling achievement in life (Funder and Kinsella). Thus success or failure in education tends to affects the overall quality of life of the child. Hence this is considered to be an important effect due to divorce (Evans et al). The various effects that divorce has on children are summarized below. Economic effects As it is common in many countries for children to live with their mothers after their parents divorce, there is a definite lack of resource when compared to the pre-separation situation despite assistance from fathers and other sources, according to certain reports. Lack of sufficient resources would prevent the child from developing into a more competent individual as they might not get the required educational and social exposures (Funder and Kinsella). According to a report by Evans et al, children coming form divorced families get half a year less education compared to those coming from intact families. Such an effect is mainly attributed to loss of parental guidance and emotional and economic support (Evans et al). Increase of family income through a step-father helps to stabilize the economic status; however it

48Hour Dietary Recall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

48Hour Dietary Recall - Essay Example This is due to the correlation that exists between human feeding habits and environmental safety. There is heated debate on how what we consume strains the Mother Nature. An excellent example is how meat and its ingredients affect both ones health and the environment (Darier, 1999, P.75). According to my ingestion record, it is clear that there was a balanced consumption in terms of nutrients. In addition, the meals are environmental friendly. This is especially in their preparation and disposal. The leftovers from the hotel are not disposed to a litter bin or thrown away in an open place to rot and pollute the environment. In stead, they are given to the farmer who feeds them to the pigs. If left to rot, they could pose an environmental risk through air pollution and cause diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid (Darier, 1999, P.80). In addition, I avoided packed food so as to ensure that I do not pollute the environment with wrappers. In my view, my eating habits are healthy and safe for the environment. This is because the leftovers could be put into beneficial use rather than dumping them where they could pose an environmental risk. In addition, the wastes that could be produced in the process of preparing food in the house could be used in the firm as manure (Darier, 1999, P.93). At the same time, leftovers could be preserved for consumption in the future. However, I will reduce meat and its ingredients so as to become environmental

Starbucks Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Starbucks Case Study - Essay Example The location for the first store was, in Seattle in the â€Å"touristy Pikes Place Market†. The name of the store was Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spice. The setting of the store was to quote the website â€Å"modest, hand-built nautical fixtures†. On one wall was filled with whole bean coffees while another had shelves of coffee products. Peet owned a store called Peet’s Coffee and Tea. It was in this store that Peet thought of how these three would-be founders of how to brew the coffee beans in a manner that brought out their flavour (Thompson and Gamble 1997). In the beginning, according to the official company website, the method of brewing this coffee was the European way. This method was chosen because it brought out the full flavour of the beans. In addition, the name of the company was drawn from a character in the Moby Dick who loved coffee. The company logo was in continuance of this romantic ideal which was a two-tailed mermaid encircled by the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s name (Thompson and Gamble 1997). Between 1982 and 1985, the company hired Howard Schultz as head of marketing and overseeing retail stores. By then, the company had four stores within Seattle. After a while of experience, a lot of a challenges, as well as, resistance from the top management, Schultz quit to form his own company called â€Å"II Giornale†. This was the company that in 1987 purchased Starbucks and by 1992 had established 161 stores. It was after 1992 that the company went public in a highly successful initial Public Offering (Thompson and Gamble 1997). Starbucks Culture as per Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Hofstede a Dutch social psychologist came up with four dimensions, which were later reversed upward to six (Piepenburg 2011). In his opinion, these dimensions influence human thinking, organizations and institutions in a certain, predictable manner (Piepenburg 2011). These dimensions are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/colle ctivism, and masculinity/femininity. According to Hofstede, the first dimension is Power Distance Index (PDI). In this dimension, the main focus is on how a society or organization is stratified. Equality or inequality is the major reference point of this dimension (Piepenburg 2011). Going back to the Starbucks, there is a difference in terms of the Power Distance. Under the original founding partners, the company did not seem to hold the employees in high esteem. A case in point was the request for the extension of healthcare to part time workers, which had been turned down. Under Schultz, the company took a different path. This involved extending the coverage to all employees working 20 or more hours, and it was similar to the coverage extended to the fulltime employees (Thompson and Gamble 1997).This was mainly driven by Schultz’s humble background and the desire to not let others go through what his father had to endure. Another dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance Index (U AI). This dimension is defined as the extent to which people within a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations (Thomson and Baden-Fuller 2010).Accordingly Uncertainty Avoidance Index is higher in countries that citizens are more emotional and motivated by inner nervous energy (Thomson and Baden-Fuller 2010). In this case, the UAI in the United States was lower than it was in France when Starbucks was making a foray into this country. This indicates that the general French conservative citizens preferred their traditional coffee houses to the

Bob Marleys Uprising Album Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Bob Marleys Uprising Album - Essay Example This "Bob Marley’s Uprising Album" outlines one of the most popular album of the icon of the reggae music. The album uprising was the last song released by Marley one year before his death. This album has been reported to be the most religious of all the albums that he released as it directly addresses his Rastafarian beliefs. The album as number 41 in the American billboard black album charts and number 45 in the pop music charts. In the UKO charts the album was among the top ten best songs. Could you Beloved was number 5 in the top UK singles chart. Besides talking about are religious beliefs, the album covers a number of themes. His religion affects his singing from smoking marijuana; believe in Haile Selassie and being a vegetarian. The belief that Selassie was a black prophet from Africa who set the path to righteousness and that marijuana aided in meditation and brought the user close to God. The first song â€Å"Coming from the Colds shows Marley will to continue to fight over personal and political freedom notwithstanding the views of other simple minded people. He shows that the people that serve Jah have no limits in what they can achieve in life. In the song â€Å"Zion† he continues to exhort the message of hope in the first song. The song â€Å"work† voices one of everybody’s concerns about work where he asks why people have to work very hard in order to get a reward from people who do appreciate the effort. â€Å"Pimper’s paradise† addresses the issue of prostitution where Marley ad vices a girl to sop selling her body for money. and using drug as she would end up losing her soul. He also talks about cocaine in this song as a portrayal of some of the world

Abolition of the Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abolition of the Death Penalty - Essay Example Means of capital punishment include but not limited to; hanging, crucifixion, electrocution, stoning etc. Van Den Haag gives five reasons justifying the constitutionality of the death penalty by concluding that the constitution allows for death penalty which is not the case (van den hag 128).The constitution states that â€Å"if life was to be taken away as form of punishment, then it must be in accordance with the due process of the law†, this proposition is conditional and accords the government a choice to either abolish it or effect it in light of the due process of the law. For this reason I wish to put forth arguments that would lead to the abolition of death penalty. Dissenting Van den hag argues that the death penalty acts as deterrence for future murders. Death being the most severe form of punishment is most feared and a murder would think before carrying out his intention. Previous studies have shown that quiet a number of murders were deterred since the introductio n of death sentence. However, the death sentence takes quiet a long time before it is administered and the use of alternative equally feared forms of punishments could be used instead as a form of deterrence. Deterrence has its limitations as someone already imprisoned and sentenced for death would not be afraid to kill their inmates as well as the prison guards. Death sentence can only be effective in deterring murders if it is carried out fast enough which is usually not the case. Retributive justice comes into play when an imbalance occurs in society due to a loss of life from the hands of a criminal. That balance must be restored by taking away the murderers life. Concurring In rebuttal to deterrence, the death sentence has not been proven to deter future murders. The difference between life imprisonment and death sentence is negligible. Death sentence can have the effect of brutalizing the society, which then makes it a less effective tool for deterring murder as this increases the possibility of more murder (Anckar, 2004, 189). Most murders are committed by people in altered states of mind. It might be that a person acted in moments of immense emotional imbalance due to anger or substance abuse. Also, the person committing murder does not expect to be found out. It would be suffice to say that the death sentence cannot deter such persons or drug abusing criminals from committing murder as they are not in a position to evaluate the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty itself. The death penalty has not been proven to deter more murders than life imprisonment, as most prisoners serving life imprisonment are involved in routine works and like any other prisoner, they are unlikely to commit any crime. People’s security can be guaranteed by offering life sentence without parole without having to use the death penalty (Bae,2007, 235). Long-term imprisonment being a severe punishment can deter any rational human being from committing murd er; however this is not possible as most premeditated murders involve a criminal who is planning on not getting caught or people who murdered out of sheer emotion.. Police in states with the death penalty are not safe compared to police officers in abolitionist states. Also, prison personnel and prisoners are not safe in states with the death penalty than those without. (Wolftson, 1982, 167) In rebuttal to retribution, Sanctity of life should not be compromised to death penalty. Retribution being akin to revenge should not be exercised by a civilized society. Capital punishment has so many problems and risks associated with it and the need for vengeance should not justify its existence. Sanctioning killing for revenge motives lowers the dignity of a mature society which is

Quantitative Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quantitative Decision Making - Essay Example Decision analysis also makes managers know which decisions are in favor of their companies and which can go against the benefits of the companies. â€Å"An effective decision-making process reduces the possibility of wrong choices or failures† (Ilyas). Let us take an example related to my professional field. I am a sales manager at a hardware company. The company sells all types of hardware products to the customers. A few months ago, I decided to replace all old style products with latest ones in order to achieve high levels of profits and to make the company style oriented. I had in my mind that the company’s sales could be increased by presenting the customers with new and latest styles instead of old ones. However, I did not consider the ratio of high-income people to low-income people while taking the decision. Moreover, I did not make use of six steps included in the process of quantitative decision-making. Therefore, the decision did not result in favor of the co mpany and we suffered major decrease in the profits. I think I should have done a survey of the market before taking the decision. Along with that, I should have listed all possible alternatives regarding the decision. I should also have calculated the expected profit of each combination of alternatives and outcomes.

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE - Essay Example At this stage it becomes essential to address the question of weather financial structure matter for long-run economic growth? Several economists and policy-makers have tried to answer this question and have concentrated on the relative merits of intermediary- versus market-based financial systems. The debate is more than a century old and it commenced with reference to Germany and the United Kingdom in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Dolar and Meh, 2002). Financial Data and its Importance Financial data correspond to the existing results of the company's strategy and structure. Even though analyzing financial statements can be quite complex, a general idea of a company's financial position can be determined through the use of ratio analysis. Financial performance ratios can be calculated from the balance sheet and income statement. These ratios can be classified into five different subgroups: profit ratios, liquidity ratios, activity ratios, leverage ratios, and shareholder-return ratios. These ratios should be compared with the industry average or the company's prior years of performance. Profit Ratios Profit ratios are used to calculate the efficiency with which the company uses its resources. The more efficient the company, the greater is its profitability. It is useful to compare a company's profitability against that of its major competitors in its industry. In addition, the change in a company's profit ratios over time tells whether its performance is improving or declining.

Oxford Don and Half Caste Essay Example for Free

Oxford Don and Half Caste Essay The poems, Listen Mr. Oxford Don and Half Caste were both written by John Agard, and in both of these poems, Agard challenges the status quo. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, he challenges the use of language and in Half Caste, he challenges views of ethnicity. In the poem Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard characterizes Mr. Oxford Don as the Guardian of English, and the idea of a person who uses the correct form of English. In this poem, Agard challenges the view that Standard English is the correct form of English, and other forms of English are of a lesser status. In the poem Half Caste, Agard challenges the reader prejudices towards people of mixed ethnicity. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard uses repetition of particular words and imagery to help him convey his ideas. He uses the phrase, is a dangerous one twice in the poem. He also uses sentence like, I ent have no gun to create the image of violence. Words such as, bashing and slashing are also used by Agard which suggest him being very threatening. The reason that Agard creates all these violent images is because he wants us to know that hes a peaceful man, but he can be very dangerous if people think that English has to be spoken in a particular way. Unlike Listen Mr. Oxford Don, in Half Caste Agard concentrates more on using imagery to make his point. An example of imagery used by Agard, when yu say half-caste yu mean tchaikovsky mix a black key wid a white key? Here, Agard is saying to the reader that Tchaikovsky uses both white and black notes, but no one calls him half caste because hes respected by others. Agard is asking the reader that if you can mix a black and white key, then why cant you be of mixed race? As the poem goes on, Agard carries on using examples to make his point, but this time it relates to his body. He says, why I offer yu half-a-hand an when I sleep at night I close half-a-eye. Hes saying this in a way that he can only have half a hand and half an eye because hes half caste or half made. When people call him half caste, hes offended because its like saying that hes not a complete human being, hes only half made. He wants these people to review the term half caste, and think about it before using as its the wrong term to use. Agard uses non-standard English in Listen Mr. Oxford Don. He uses a lot of double negatives for example, Me not no Oxford Don. Many of his spellings also comes from the Caribbean dialect: de, dont, ent, etc. Both double negatives and Caribbean dialect spellings are informal and non-standard. The purpose of him using these words is to show that hes against the academics because he knows that the academics would never write in a non-standard way like this. Agard also uses colloquial language, Im not a violent man Mr. Oxford Don. This type of language is used to speak not to write so its informal and non-standard. Agard uses non-standard English throughout the poem; this shows that hes unashamed to use it, and shows that hes challenging Standard English which is the accepted form of English. Alternatively, in Half Caste, non-standard English is used for different reasons. In this poem, Agard also uses words from the Caribbean dialect, for example, dem, yu, etc, but the effect of this is to show that hes not fully English and hes of a mixed race. Agard also uses the direct address; he refers to himself as I and refers to the reader as you as shown in this quotation, but yu must come back tomorrow wid de whole of yu eye an I will tell yu de other half of my story. Agard makes the reader feel as though the point is being made directly to them, and makes them feel more challenged that if they want to hear another half of his story, they need to be more open minded. Most importantly, they must not judge people because of their race. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, theres no clear structure to the poem. There is not the same number of lines in each stanza, and theres no fixed number of syllables in each line like there would be in a Standard English poem. He also doesnt use any form of punctuation, and he even adds a slash in the middle of the line: to split/ up yu syntax. This makes it even more non-standard because slash breaks the rhythm of the poem. All of these things shows the fact that he doesnt believe Standard English is the only form of English; there are other forms of English which are equally legitimate. In Half Caste, the lines throughout the poem are generally quite short, the effect of this is to make the poem go faster, and make us receive short quick messages. Agard also uses many commands, for example, Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste. The effect of this is to grab peoples attention, but its also asking the reader what do we mean when we say half caste. Do we say it because we feel prejudiced towards people of mixed ethnicity? In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, the tone starts off lightly; this is when hes talking about who he is and where hes from. As the poem goes on, he begins to talk about violence, I ent have no gun, I ent have no knife. This is when his tone starts to become quite aggressive and threatening. After this he says, I dont need no hammer to mash up your grammar, his tone becomes even more threatening because he says that he will speak whatever he wants. The word mash up implies violence, Agard is threatening to destroy the English language. Unlike Listen Mr. Oxford Don, the tone of Half Caste is lighthearted, only towards the end of the poem that the tone starts to get serious. This is when he says that we need to give people full respect if we want to understand them completely as human beings. If were categorizing them into groups, were not giving them respect. In both of the poems, Agard uses clever humor to grab our attention, but at the same to provoke our preconceptions. Both of these poems are very political, and have a social impact. In Listen Mr. Oxford Don, Agard is challenging the traditional institutions to say that theres no such thing as the correct form of English anymore. Society has moved on, and now we need to embrace other forms of English language as well because we all have different dialects, but each dialect is as valid as the other. The traditional form of English doesnt mean its more superior or more acceptable in society. In Half Caste, Agard not only wants to address the reader, hes challenging the reader into questioning their own preconceptions and prejudices. Hes also getting them to think about the implications of the words they use, because most people do not know the full meaning of it, and do not realize the weight of what theyre saying. For example, the word half caste can seriously offend the people who are of mixed ethnicity.

Jesus Galilean Ministry Essay Example for Free

Jesus Galilean Ministry Essay Jesus is the one sent by God the Father from Heaven for purposes of redemption of sin and restoration of the lost glory after the downfall of mankind. The four gospel books brings it forth that He is the promised Messiah whose coming was prophesied by prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9:1-7 (Brown, 1979). He was brought up and began His ministry in Galilee which comprise of the northern regions of Palestine, Sea of Galilee and west of Jordan (Luke 4:14-15). Before he began his ministry, Jesus underwent various activities in preparation of the public launching of the ministry. Among these things include the baptism in river Jordan by the one known to be the â€Å"Voice of the one calling from the desert, prepare the way of the Lord Messiah†. It is after this baptism when the ministry of John the Baptist is no longer seen further in the bible and also the evidenced infilling of the Holy Spirit which enables Him in the execution of the God’s kingdom work (Niswonger, 1992). Jesus Ministry and God’s Kingdom When among the crowds, Jesus used parables which can be said to be wise twisted phrases of teaching but with hidden meaning like the parable of the Samaritan woman in John 4 (Funk et al, 1998). In all the parables he used, there was an intended message that he wanted drive into the followers and the crowds following him (Thomas Gundry, 1988). Healing of the Blind 0717897758 Among the many teachings offered by Jesus during the ministry is the story of the man born blind but healed on the Sabbath (John 9:1-12). From this story, it is clear that many believed that any deformity in a person was the result of a sin committed. Jesus contradicts this acutely in the story and puts it clear that this was purposeful and intended for reasons of God’s work to be seen. This healing raised a lot of concern from the Pharisees who sought an opportunity to persecute Jesus because of His teachings. The healed man openly declares Jesus as a prophet from God something which does not convince the Pharisees of the origin and mission of Jesus as one sent from the Father (God). The Pharisees go farther to enquire from the man’s parents about whether that man was their son. In fear of being chased out of the synagogues, the parents refer the Pharisees back to the man claiming that he is old enough to explain everything. It also raised a difference among the Pharisees some who claim that He is not from God because He keeps not the Sabbath while others are for the view that he is God sent because no sinner can perform the miracles and wonders he did. This serves to show God’s power and ability through the awaited messiah as well as proving the truth in Jesus’ words that He is sent from God. Jesus and Evil Spirits Demons are also seen to give into the command of the power and authority endowed in Jesus. This is depicted by the outright confession of demons in a man during a visit in the town of Capernaum by Jesus. In this case, the demons cry out in total submission to the authority of Jesus and acknowledge Him as the â€Å"Holy one of God, the Jesus of Nazareth† (Mark 1:24). Jesus is seen to command silence among the demons after which the evil spirits vigorously shake the man to the ground and depart immediately. The command by Jesus upon the evil spirits marks the separation of these spirits and the man. The crowds around also noted a difference and see the teachings of this man (Jesus) as one endowed with authority as opposes to those of the teachers of the law. This information is recorded to reach the whole Galilee as the people saw the truth accompanied with authority in work, something highly opposed by the Pharisees (Niswonger, 1992). This act thus advances the kingdom of God as one with power and authority as well as supreme to all other authorities of evil nature. The Calling of Levi The calling of Levi, a tax collector, is another story that focuses on the ministry of Jesus in the elaboration and nature of the kingdom of God. After his call, Levi follows Jesus and prepares a banquet for Him in his house. The fellow tax collectors also came to dine together with Jesus in Levis’ house. The banquet became another platform of criticism from the Pharisees who saw Him dining with tax collectors for they regarded them as outcasts and non candidates of the kingdom of God (Luke 5:27-31). In knowledge of His reason of coming to the world, Jesus answers them by telling them that it is the sick who consult a doctor and not the healthy. With this, He meant that His coming was not for the righteous and blameless but for those in darkness and wilderness of sin and iniquity (Vs 31). This indicates that Jesus came for purpose of redeeming the lost back to the kingdom of God and everyone is welcome as long as she or he is ready to follow and adhere to His commands (Thomas Gundry, 1988). Conclusion In Galilee, Jesus performed various miracles and wonders as well as teaching the crowds in the temple and synagogues (Niswonger, 1992). His ministry threatened much the Pharisees, Teachers of the law and Sadducees who had a lot of opposition. Despite all these oppositions, Jesus did not stop accomplishing the will of the one who sent Him but rather he sees this as fulfillment of the word of God (John 15:25). The crowds made a clear distinction between the Pharisees and Jesus and many are seen to follow Jesus due to the assistance, help, miracles and wonders He performed. At the end of the ministry, He assigns His disciples with one assignment â€Å"Go to the world and preach the gospel of the Lord and tell the people to denounce their evil ways and follow Gods’ righteous way. Also, they were to baptize all believers in the Trinity way† (Mathew 28:16-20).

Pv Value in a Seal Questions and Answers

Pv Value in a Seal Questions and Answers Question 1 (4 marks) List 4 important parameters (not the equation parameters) that are determined by the Pv value in a seal. The suitability of material combinations for the seal faces. The amount of heat generated at the face It also follows that at a given rotational speed An increase in shaft diameter since implies an increase in the Pv value. Assessor Feedback Question 2 (4 marks) The contact property of the interface is influenced by which component in a seal unit? What is the need for seal balance? The fluid pressure in the axial direction is the only pressure component influencing the contact property of the interface. The fluid pressure in the axial direction is the only pressure component influencing the contact property of the interface. Thus, only this component is considered for seal balance and further used to compute the resulting contact force acting on the face. Assessor Feedback Question 3(8 marks) Given the following data, calculate the face area, spring pressure and balance ratios (external and internal) of a seal, for both externally acting and internally acting pressures. Is this Balanced or Unbalanced and why? Seal face contact outer diameter, D = 61.8 mm Effective seal balance diameter, B = 52.6 mm Deal face contact inner diameter, d = 49.2 mm Spring force at working length, F =188 N Calculate the face area of the seal: Α=à Ã¢â€š ¬(D_0^2-D_1^2 )/4 Α=à Ã¢â€š ¬(à £Ã¢â€š ¬-68.2à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2-à £Ã¢â€š ¬-49.2à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2 )/4 =1098.46 à £Ã¢â€š ¬-mmà £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2 A=0.001098à £Ã¢â€š ¬- mà £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2 Calculate the spring pressure: P_sp=F_sp/A =188/0.00109846 =171148.7 à £Ã¢â€š ¬-N/à £Ã¢â€š ¬-_(m^2 ) =P_sp 0.17115 MPa Calculate the balance ratio for the external loading: B=(D_0^2-D_b^2)/(D_0^2-D_t^2 ) Α=(à £Ã¢â€š ¬-61.8à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2-à £Ã¢â€š ¬-52.6à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2)/(à £Ã¢â€š ¬-61.8à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2-à £Ã¢â€š ¬-49.2à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2 ) =1052.48/1398.6 B=0.753 (B Calculate the balance ration for the internal loading B=(D_b^2-D_t^2)/(D_0^2-D_t^2 ) Α=(à £Ã¢â€š ¬-52.6à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2-à £Ã¢â€š ¬-49.2à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2)/(à £Ã¢â€š ¬-61.8à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2-à £Ã¢â€š ¬-49.2à £Ã¢â€š ¬-^2 ) =346.12/1398.6 B=0.25 (B Assessor Feedback Question 4 (4 marks) From the following single mechanical seals, identify the 7 sealing components and other mechanical components, briefly describing their functions? 1)Mating Ring. 2)Primary Sealing Ring. 3) O-ring. 4) O-Ring. 5) Disc. 6) Spring. 7) Retainer. Fluid is to be kept from escaping where the shaft extends through the housing, especially as the shaft rotates. A ring, part 1, with an O-ring, part 4, is sealed against the housing of the container. It is called the mating ring. Another ring, part 2, with an O-ring, part 3, is mounted onto the shaft. It is called the primary sealing ring. The contacting faces of these rings are lapped flat, within light bands. Initial contact between the faces is maintained by a spring, part 6, which pushes them together. The spring reacts against a retainer, part 7 Assessor Feedback Question 5 (4 marks) What difference do you notice between the two mechanical seals shown below. Name them and describe their application. Shows of an outside balanced seal. The shaft packing is forced against the retainer, leaving an area under the seal ring exposed to stuffing box pressure. The closing force exerted by the stuffing box pressure, acting against the shoulder of the seal ring, is slightly greater than the opening force exerted by the liquid film between the faces, thereby keeping the faces in contact at all times. Inside balanced seal illustrates a conventional inside seal that has been balanced. Notice that a step in the shaft has allowed the sealing face of the mating ring to be moved radially inward without decreasing the width of the face itself. The primary sealing ring remains mounted on the original shaft diameter, which means that the closing force remains unchanged. Because we have successfully exposed more of the primary sealing ring face to hydraulic pressure working to open the seal, the design is considered balanced. Assessor Feedback Question 6 (4 marks) Name the primary sealing elements in a single mechanical seal. 1) Primary sealing surfaces. 2) Secondary sealing surfaces. 3) a means of actuation. 4) a means of drive. Assessor Feedback Question 7 (4 marks) While its accepted that solid alumina ceramic seal rings will be considerably more expensive than ceramic coated steel rings, why should they be the preferred choice between the two types of seal ring? When handling corrosive fluids at moderate pressures and velocities: alumina ceramics may be employed as thin coatings or solid rings (preferred!!) For highly corrosive fluids: high purity ceramic alumina can be used. Alumina ceramics have: Relatively low tensile strength Poor resistance to thermal shock Low thermal conductivity High elasticity modulus Assessor Feedback Question 8 (4 marks) Which dynamic secondary sealing element is the preferred type to handle axial movement? Give reasons for your answer. What type of damage does a wedge type secondary seal do to pump shafts/sleeves? Explain how this mechanism works. The pusher type of mechanical seals move axially along the rotating shaft or the sleeve to maintain the contact with the faces of the seal. This feature of these seals helps compensate for the wearing that may occur at the seal face, and wobbling due to misalignment. The pusher types of mechanical seals are used commonly, are less expensive and are easily available in the market in wide range of sizes and designs. The only disadvantage of these seals is that they tend to hang up and sometimes there is fretting of the shaft. Pusher seals utilize a dynamic secondary seal which moves axially with the major seal face. which is either an O-ring, wedge or other type of equipment, across the shaft as a means of compensation for face wear and/or shaft movement. For high temperature (up to 500 deg F) or aggressive chemicals a Teflon wedge ring may be used. Since Teflon is plastic and does not rebound like elastomer, it has to be pushed by spring force into the wedge shaped opening to maintain a seal on the shaft. Non-Pusher type or Bellow seals have no dynamic secondary seal under the movable seal ring. Check Which dynamic secondary sealing element is for axial movement. Operation does not cause shaft wear pusher type seals can handle bi-directional shaft rotation, large pressure, temperature and speed excursions. Assuming a spring-loaded Teflon wedge can also be used as a dynamic shaft seal behind the rotating primary seal ring. The spring and process pressures keep the wedge in contact with the shaft. Like chevrons and U-cups, wedges can only seal in one direction. Because of the tendency for Teflon to cold flow, almost all wedges need to be loaded by one or more springs along with the process pressure. Wedge seals often cause shaft damage by fretting. Assessor Feedback Question 9 (4 marks) What is the distinct advantage offered by a bellows seal? How can the design be improved to accommodate higher pressures? Which bellows material offers the best corrosion resistance? One of the most frequent and serious problems valves face is gland leakage, results in wasted and increased plant downtime. Apart from the high cost of energy losses, Gland leakages can also cause serious environmental, ecological and health hazards to plant workers and personnel. Leakage of sensitive material can also constitute to a fire hazard, explosion, or damage to equipment by corrosive material. Air entering the pipeline could produce inflammable explosive or poisonous mixtures. Gland packed valves often demand continual maintenance in accessibility creating particular difficulties. The bellows comply to conditions at high temperatures and are capable of withstanding over 10,000 cycles without failure. Bellow Seals are also known as Zero Leak Valves or Emission Free Valves The multi-ply bellow design is preferred for handling higher pressure fluids (generally two or three plies of the metal wall). A two ply bellow can increase its pressure rating by 80% to 100% as compared to a single ply bellow of the same thickness. Alternatively, if a single ply bellow of a thickness equivalent to a pressure rating of a two ply bellow is used, the stroke length is reduced. Thus, a multi-ply bellow design offers a distinct advantage over a single ply bellow. The stainless steel bellow material AISI 316Ti which contains Titanium to withstand high temperatures. Alternatively, Inconel 600 or Inconel 625 improve fatigue strength and corrosion resistance as compared with stainless steel bellows. Similarly, Hastalloy C-276 offers greater corrosion resistance and fatigue strength than Inconel 625. Fatigue resistance can be improved by using a multiply bellows system and reducing the stroke length; this can significantly increase the bellow service life. Assessor Feedback Question 10 (6 marks) Do a comparative analysis of inboard and outboard mounting of seals. Inside-mounted seal is the most common in the industry and the most energy-efficient when compared with other sealing methods, such as packing and seal less equipment. They are used in all industries with respect to fluid types and the seals property ranges, pressure speed, diameter and temperature. Inside seals are mounted within the equipment seal chamber the advantages of this design include: The seal can be cooled by the pumped fluid in an enlarged dead-ended chamber, by a product bypass flush or by a clean external flush. Depending on the seal chamber design, the rotary action of the seal assembly may help keep debris away from the seal faces. With proper hydraulic balancing, the product pressure helps keep the seal faces closed. Catastrophic leakage is usually avoided during seal failure. Leakage can be restricted by the stationary elements in the gland. Inside seals are available in many materials and designs. Environmental controls are easily included in the design. Centrifugal forces tend to reduce leakage. Outside seals are mounted external of the equipment housing the advantages of this design include: Outside-mounted seals can be used when the radial or axial space in the chamber is not adequate or access is not available for an inside seal installation. Installation may be easier than with an inside seal. However, most equipment designs still require à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨some disassembly. Less expensive materials may be used since à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨many components may not be exposed to the pumped product. The seal can be observed and monitored for seal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨face wear. Adjustments can be made without à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨equipment disassembly. The seal can often be backed-off for cleaning. Assessor Feedback Question 11 (8 marks) Explain the difference between static and dynamic seals? 0-rings are used for effective sealing in applications. Mostly, they are used to help repair or correct any manufacturing or installation defects seen in glands. 0-rings can be used in static as well as dynamic applications. The make of both these 0-rings will be different owing to the difference in application requirements. The following are some major differences between static and dynamic 0-rings: The material used to manufacture dynamic 0-rings should be tougher than that used to manufacture static 0-rings.This is because the dynamic 0-ring will have to undergo movement while the application is functioning. In dynamic applications, the surface finish and material of the gland should be such that it doesnt abrade the 0-ring during movement otherwise, the 0-ring could tear this is irrelevant in static applications, where the 0-ring doesnt move. 0-rings used in dynamic applications are likely to wear at a faster rate as compared to static 0-rings. This is because dynamic 0-rings are constantly moving. Hence, the interval of maintenance procedures for dynamic 0-rings should be shorter than that of static 0-rings. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢All 0-rings should be properly lubricated at all times. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Dyna mic 0-rings require more lubrication than static ones. Depending on the application, static or dynamic seals will be used. O-rings are useful in a varied number of industries and applications. They are effective across a wide range of temperatures and pressures. However, using the right 0-ring for each application will help you increase the reliability and service life of the 0-ring. You can consult with your 0-ring manufacturer on the best fit for your application Assessor Feedback Question 12 (4 marks) Why are mechanical seals preloaded? Name four of the most common types of preloading for pump seals. Depending on the application it may be necessary to have either a positive or a negative operational clearance in the bearing arrangement. In the majority of applications, the operational clearance should be positive, i.e. when in operation, the bearing should have a residual clearance, however slight. However, in many cases, machine tool spindle bearings, pinion bearings in automotive axle drives, bearing arrangements of small electric motors, or bearing arrangements for oscillating movement, where a negative operational clearance, i.e. a preload, is needed to enhance the stiffness of the bearing arrangement or to increase running accuracy. The application of a preload, e.g. by springs, is also recommended where bearings are to operate without load or under very light load and at high speeds. In these cases, the preload serves to provide a minimum load on the bearing and prevent bearing damage as a result of sliding movements of the rolling elements, Helical Compression Spring, Wave Washer Springs, Single Belleville Washer Springs, Elastomeric Preloading Assessor Feedback Question 13 (4 marks) The table below contains a list of commonly used seal materials. For the given set of temperatures in degree centigrade, indicate the suitability of these materials by marking S for suitable and LS for limited suitability of short period durations. Type of Material Temperature in  ° C 50 100 200 300 350 Natural Rubber S S LS Nitrile S S S LS Neoprene S S S LS Viton S S S S S Silicone S S S S S Fluoro-elastomer S S S S S Question 14 (4 marks) What are the characteristics that make pure carbon-graphite the most favoured material in the chemical industry? Strongly anisotropic, Greasy feel, Readily marks, High thermal conductivity, High tensile strength, Low thermal expansion coefficient, Good resistance to thermal shock. Assessor Feedback Question 15 (4 marks) Ignoring temperature limitations, what type of elastomeric material would you suggest for the following applications? Sealing for Vacuum systems Buna-N, silicone, Fluorocarbon, and Perfluorocarbon Applications Vacuum systems Polyurethane Rotary shaft seals Fluorocarbon, Polyacrylate Applications that require high tear and abrasion resistance Natural Rubber Question 16 (4 marks) Why is it difficult to achieve a perfectly uniform load distribution across the shaft circumference, when using a single coil spring? What does this condition further lead to? What are the main advantages associated with the use of multi-coil springs? Typically, a single-coil spring used for a seal head has a relatively large wire cross section and therefore provides more substance to combat corrosion from the system fluid. But it is rigid in construction because of which there is difficulty in achieving a perfectly uniform load distribution across the shaft circumference. This may in turn lead to distortion of the primary seal ring face and this is particularly critical at high rotational shaft speeds. This arrangement consists of a series of small coil springs uniformly distributed along the circumference of the seal cartridge. The chief advantage with this design is that the possibility of distortion of the primary seal ring face is minimized and this is particularly true at higher rotational speeds of the shaft. The use of multiple-coil springs makes seal design independent of seal diameter sizes. Deterioration arising from chemical corrosion can be greatly minimized by the use of stainless steel for spring manufacture. Assessor Feedback Question 17 (4 marks) What is the three-point contact method? Explain in brief, the procedure involved. Three-point contact method where three setscrews positioned at 120 ° from each other ensure squareness of the rotating face, by deforming the sleeve to the shaft OD. Another set of three setscrews also located 120 ° apart and positioned between the earlier set of screws, enable locking of the sleeve to the shaft. Assessor Feedback Question 18 (4 marks) Metal impregnations are sometimes added to graphite seal rings in order to improve their properties. Give three areas of concern when selecting these metal additions. Both the metal filler and the carbon have to be compatible to the sealed liquid. The metal will heat up and expand more rapidly than the carbon. The coefficient of friction of the metal will be higher than the parent carbon and the seal face will run hotter than if it were made just from pure carbon. Assessor Feedback Question 19 (4 marks) Outline the nature of seal malfunction that may be caused by the following: Incorrect pressure differential between inside and outside seal face sets Cavitation or vaporization of liquid between sealing faces Thermal distress of material Large bearing clearances A change in temperature. Many products solidify at temperature extremes, the product is taking a pressure drop across the seal faces and solidifying. The inner face of a back to back double seal application is not positively locked in position. A snap ring must be installed to prevent the inboard stationary face from moving towards the rotating face when the high pressure barrier fluid pressure is lost or overcome by system pressure. Erosion / Corrosion. An accelerated attack caused by a combination of corrosion and mechanical wear. Vaporization, liquid turbulence, vane passing syndrome, and suction recirculation are special cases often called cavitation. Solids in the liquid and high velocity increase the problem Heat checking is caused by thermal distress of the material resulting in small radial cracks. Scoring may be present or uneven wear with the heat checking on the high spots. Occurs typically with tungsten carbides and silicon carbides Seal drips when stationary and when the shaft is rotating. Seal may pop from flashing during operation. The tendency for a seal to wedge is enhanced by a rough surface, lack of lubrication and high reciprocating speeds. Wedging is unlikely to occur with small clearance gaps in the range of 0.0550.127mm (0.002-0.005 inch). For clearances greater than 0.25 mm (0.010 inch) the possibility of wedging always exists as the radial clearance increases, the axial clearance increases as well the more room (radial clearance), the more the elements can shift in relation to each other. With a higher clearance there is more tolerance of thermal expansion effects, differential temperature between the inner and outer faces. Assessor Feedback Question 20 (4 marks) The leakage rate in a seal while running is found to be constant. Can the reason be attributed to a damaged seal face? State three important causes for each of the below: Intermittent leakage There is a leak between the face and the holder that becomes visible only when the unit comes up to operating temperature. A bending or bent shaft is causing the seal outside diameter to contact the inside diameter of the stuffing box, or some other stationary object. The shaft/ sleeve is too large in diameter and it is restricting movement of the seal. Spring loaded dynamic elastomers such as Teflon ® wedges, U- cups, chevrons and spring loaded O-ring designs are very sensitive to this problem Constant dripping in a seal. There is damage in the O-ring groove. Maybe the O-ring was removed with a sharp metal instrument and this has caused a scratch in the O-ring groove. Leaking between the gland and the stuffing box. This leak path is very visible in most applications Leaking between the cartridge sleeve and the shaft Question 21 (6 marks) It is a requirement to identify and select a suitable mechanical seal for a given application and process. What is the nature and type of questions that you would raise, in order to help arrive at the right selection? General Selection Considerations The process of mechanical seal selection involves a thorough evaluation of many important factors that include: Shaft diameter Rotational rubbing speed in the contact faces Service temperature Process fluid pressure Physical and chemical properties of the various liquid constituents Mechanical/structural properties of the primary seal components Environmental control systems Properties and resistance characteristics of the secondary sealing components. Pressure. Assessor Feedback Question 22 (4 marks) Which of the following conditions satisfy the requirements for sealing high-speed applications? Explain in brief: Lower spring load at seal faces Increased hydraulic balance ratio Face combinations such as carbon vs. tungsten carbide Stationary seal designs Number 4. Stationary seal designs: The Internal seal configuration, with the seal heads mounted stationary and the seal seats rotating with the shaft is advantageous, especially in high-speed applications where dynamic balancing considerations demand minimum mass of the rotating parts Assessor Feedback Question 23 (6 marks) A change in pumping fluid temperature adversely affect the seals in the stuffing boxes. What are the effects and How do you control the temperature in the stuffing box and the seal? a)Many fluids are adversely affected by a change in their temperature, and when this change takes place, seal failure is almost sure to follow. The failure can take several forms: Coated hard faces can heat check (crack). Elastomers can take a compression set and crack at elevated temperature Cold temperatures can cause elastomers to harden. The liquid can crystallize, restricting seal movement and open the faces. The liquid can vaporize between the faces forcing them open. The viscosity of the fluid can change either restricting seal movement, or making the fluid less of a lubricant. The liquids corrosion rate will double with an 18 ° Fahrenheit (10 ° C) rise in temperature. The liquid can convert to a film between the sliding seal components, restricting their movements. The magnetite that forms in hot water is a good example of this. A film can form on the seal faces causing them to separate. Lapped seal faces can distort and go out of flat at elevated or cryogenic temperatures. b) A balanced mechanical seal and installed at the proper compression, is your best insurance against a significant rise in stuffing box temperature: Proper face balance. 70/ 30 is the most common to 5000 fpm. (25 Meters per sec.) Low friction face materials. Carbon/graphite vs. a silicon carbide hard face is the best. The correct spring compression to control face loading. Faces with good heat conductivity. Tungsten carbide and silicon carbide have excellent thermal conductivity compared to most other hard face materials. A small cross section carbon/ graphite face press fitted into a metal holder is better than solid carbon/ graphite for removing heat from between the lapped faces. Sometimes, that is not good enough, so occasionally youll have to come up with some additional method of controlling the temperature in the stuffing box area and between the lapped seal faces. A heating /cooling jacket, quench flush or drain connection, dual seal, heat exchanger Assessor Feedback Question 24 (4 marks) The mechanical shaft seal should be selected according to the operating conditions at the shaft seal location. What important factors must be considered when selecting a mechanical shaft seal? For a specific ap

Prejudice :: essays research papers

Prejudice, the act of judging someone based on outward appearance or social standing. In the 1960’s Harper Lee wrote a book called To Kill a Mockingbird, about prejudice and how hard the times were. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many examples of prejudice showing how morally wrong it was. There are several examples of prejudice in the book: Tom Robinson because he is African American, Boo Radley because of his standing in their society, and the Cunningham Family because of how poor they were. The following paragraphs will discuss these examples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom Robinson was one example of prejudice because he was African American. â€Å"‘You felt sorry for her? You felt sorry for her?’ Mr. Gilmer was ready to rise to the ceiling† (Lee, 197). This is when Tom Robinson is on trial for being falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The people thought it was not right for Tom Robinson to feel sorry for Mayella because he was black and she was white. â€Å"Tom, did you rape Mayella Ewell?† (Lee, 196) The fact that Tom was even brought on trial was an act of prejudice. In courts today the case wouldn’t even had made it to court and here they are accusing him anyways. Tom Robinson being convicted was the biggest act of prejudice in his case. There was no evidence against him to convict him with. The only reason he was convicted was because it was a white jury and he was African American. These were examples of racial prejudice which was very prevalent in those times; also common was social prejudice, as in the Cunningham’s case.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cunningham family was an example of social prejudice because they were poor. â€Å"Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham† (Lee, 20). This is when they are in class and Miss Caroline is trying to give him lunch money. Scout tells her he is poor and won’t be able to pay her back and is too proud to take it. â€Å"He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham† (Lee, 25). They invited Walter back to the house for lunch and he poured syrup all over his food and Scout gets on his case about it. Cal tells her she shouldn’t do that and she implies that it doesn’t matter what they say to him he is just a Cunningham, she is being prejudiced because she knows he is poor. Another reason people are prejudiced to the Cunninghams is because they have to pay with crops.

images of gender in the media Essay -- essays research papers

Finding a simple or concrete definition of gender maybe near impossible. Gender roles are what men and woman learn and internalize as the way they are supposed to act. These roles are commonly thought of as natural rather than a construction of culture. Gender is thought to flow from sex, rather then being a matter of what the culture does with sex. This theory is widely and exhaustively debated, according to Wood â€Å"Sex is based on biology; Gender is socially and psychologically constructed† (Wood 19). This statement suggests that culture’s discourses and ideologies form the complexities of gender and gender roles. It is easy to say that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice and boy are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails, but we are actually more intricate then that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To understand gender, it is necessary to understand the distinction between sex and gender. Sex is defined by the physical body and is characterized by the initial biological structure from birth. The characteristics of each male or female body maybe different but the make ups are the same. Gender on the other hand according to Wood is unstable; it is a category or a means by which we understand the body. The cultures ideologies and discourses surrounding us make sense of the body and determine our gender in multiple ways. It gives us a social, political, symbolic, and economic understanding of our bodies and how they are similar and dissimilar from other bodies. Because culture is a living entity and is always advancing it allows gender roles the ability to change with the culture. The idea of what a woman should be and how and what she can do has changed. Women are now able to do things such as vote and support their own families in our modern culture when in th e past it was thought to be inconsistent with the expected behaviors of the gender. Culture also varies greatly from one to another and there for so does the idea of gender throughout the world. Considering the evolution of what is considered acceptable gender behavior throughout cultures it stands as a reasonable conclusion that gender is neither based on or found in nature, but is rather constructed by its inhabitants. We are surrounded by ideologies and discursive examples that suggest how men and women should act and how they should look like in comparison to one another. Thes... ...ure is so used to seeing woman on display is what makes this ad so subversive. When you realize that the person on the screen is a man you are surprised at such image so far from the norm. The culture is not normally put in the position to view a man in a sexual way. When someone is viewed in a sexual way is it can give a sense of power to the viewer, as if the person being viewed is just a piece of meat. Seeing Joe Namath posing with pantyhose on switches the power roles, now he is on display in a sexual manner rather then a woman. The Namath ad relies on the deeply entrenched and prescribed values associated with each gender, and without the near universal understanding of masculine and feminine roles the ad would cease to make sense. The poignancy of the ad is made by displacement of character, gender, biological sex. When the ad starts at the toes of Namath (the model) the scenario is set for another image enhancing commercial for a woman’s product, but when Namath’s face appears on camera as the main and only spokesperson for the product there is an initial sense of shock and surprise that makes the message of the ad and the cognitions of the viewer converge and coalesce.

Decision In Paradise Essay example -- decision paradise Business

Decisions in Paradise As stated in Decisions in Paradise I, Kava has struggled with many obstacles that have prevented this country from becoming a beautiful and a well- known paradise attraction. At this portion of the project, AJA Consulting Firm would like to continue our vision by establishing a greater presence in Kava. Critical thinking is an important part of the decision making process which is essential to ensure decisions are well thought out and possibly prevent individuals from making bad decisions or mistakes that could be costly and in some instances, deadly. No matter what kind of decision an individual makes critical thinking is a very useful tool. Our proposal will display critical thinking skills learned and present a portion of the nine step decision- making techniques to find possible solutions to those problems and how those solutions could affect the island of Kava. At this time, the stakeholders need information to make a sound judgment concerning the project. Several tools are available to gather statistics that will assist stakeholders in determining if the project risks are worth the investment. To start, an individual would need to know who the stakeholders are. A stakeholder may be defined as an individual who perceives themselves as someone having an interest in the actions of the organization such as customers, shareholders, employees, or members of a community. By identifying the stakeholders, the project planners can study the individual or group concerns through a stakeholder analysis. De Kluyver and Pearce state that a stakeholder analysis is "the process of identifying and prioritizing key stakeholders, assessing their needs and concerns, and incorporating their ide... ...king a problem through. The individual will have self gratification knowing that a decision was not made in haste and to know that all angles and possible avenues have been explored from understanding what point he is trying to convey. Learning to think critically can help an individual avoid buying into fallacies and limited thinking. When one applies critical thinking to the decision making process, one is less likely to end up making a poor decision. References De Kluyver, C., Pearce, J. (2006) What is strategy. Strategy: A View from the Top (An Executive Perspective) (pp. 1-14). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Arts and pornography Essay

?No-one ever asks ‘When does art become realistic? ‘, or ‘When does art become abstract? ‘, or ‘When does art become literary? ‘, although questions like these make as much sense because art can be all or any of these things. This is because we can usually distinguish an abstract work from a realistic or literary one, whereas what pornography is, is unclear in the minds of most people. Pornography derives from two Greek words: porne, which means harlot, and graphos, which refers to writing; however, we use the term today to describe much more than stories about prostitutes. And when we use it, it is as more than the definition of a class of writing and visual art: it has an ethical (usually pejorative) connotation also. And, like most ethical and aesthetic terms, its use is intensely personal. Just as beautiful really means no more than ‘I like it (although I cannot clearly explain why)’, pornographic means ‘I find this offensive (although I cannot really explain why)’. There is no generally agreed meaning for either of these terms – which bedevils our discussion of both. Art exists in many different forms. Sculpture, paintings, graphics, drawings and such are part of the visual art. Dance, film, music and theater, as well as literature, are also forms of art. Throughout the years, art has, in all of its forms, interpreted, presented, or made allusion to nudity. Many famous masterpieces or important art represent nude people, and sometimes even persons making love; yet, it is recognized as beautiful art by many people. What difference is there, if any, in the interpretation and importance that we humans give to nude art and pornography? So it leads to my first knowledge issue: When does art become pornography? Here is a real life example. As we all know, our school invites some nude models for art class, they expose their nude bodies to the art students. I am not sure if it is the reason why many guys take art. Do you think it is art, nasty art, performance art or pornography? Art, nudity and pornography are different, and every individual’s sense perception of what these are will also be different. The area of knowledge of art is one of the most subjective of all the areas of knowledge, which explains why persons interpret it differently. Nudity may or may not be included in the AoK of Art, but it is a part of many art pieces. Nudity is present in many forms, for example, the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo Buonarroti. This 5. 17 meter tall statue represents the biblical King David, nude, and it is recognized by many as a masterpiece, and some even consider it a symbol of the defense of civil rights. Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo Da Vinci, is the drawing of a nude man, legs and arms stretched. Michelangelo did not limit himself to sculpting nude man, but also painted many important figures nude on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, such as Adam, Eve, Jesus, and others. All these art pieces, famous and important, widely recognized masterpieces include nudity. Of course, the importance and recognition of these art pieces is debatable and can be argued, but many people and important art communities consider them to be masterpieces. These art pieces illustrate both, men and women, sometimes together, other times separated, but share many things in common. All of these art pieces include nudity, and are recognized by many as important art. But then, when does art become pornography? Is it just like crossing a line, on one side its art and the closer you get to that line, it becomes less art until you cross that line and it becomes pornography? If that is the case, what if you stand on the line, would it be neither art nor pornography, or both? Every single person can interpret it as they want, but as I see it, many factors affect the decision of whether it is art or pornography. I see it as a line, on one side it is art, and on the other it is pornography, because I don’t think that an art piece can be both art and pornography at the same time for a single person. I emphasize on the fact that it is for a single person, as this is very subjective. Although this is very subjective, as mentioned before, it is also very cultural. In most of Western Europe, nudity is seen in a very different way than in the Middle East, due to cultural and historical differences. In the Middle East, for example, Muslim women must wear the burkha, while in Western Europe there are many semi-nudist or nudist beaches that anyone, regardless of age and gender, can enjoy. This, however, does not justify or imply anything else than the fact that there are higher chances for western Europeans to have higher limits and Middle Eastern people to have lower. It only means higher chances, because as mentioned before, although culture is a factor that affects where the individual puts the limit, it still is subjective, based on beliefs, ideals, past experiences, and many other factors. The Ways of Knowing apply to this judgment or decision of whether it is art or pornography in different ways for each individual. Sense perception, which includes the five senses, is the main element that allows the interpreter to perceive the art piece, whether it is through hearing, seeing, or touching. The other two senses, smelling and tasting, are not as relevant for the interpretation of the forms of art mentioned earlier. With the three senses mentioned (sight, hear and touch), a person can interpret a work of art and decide what it is, give an interpretation, a symbol, a meaning to it. Then, through emotions, the person can associate feelings and ideas to the work of art. If the person feels shocked or offended (emotions) from seeing (sense perception) a nude sculpture, he or she might decide it is pornography. Finally language is very important as it is one of the most important filters affecting the decision between art and pornography. The simple definitions of what is art and what is pornography are evidences of the implications of language. Art can be defined as â€Å"the quality, production, expression or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance† in other words, something exceptional according to a set of principles (decided by a majority of people). According to this definition, the masterpieces mentioned before are still art. Pornography is more difficult to define. The first definition (from dictionary. com) describes pornography as â€Å"obscene writings, drawings, photographs especially those having little or no artistic merit†. The definition states â€Å"obscene† materials, but obscenity is very subjective and varies from person to person, just like the limit at which art becomes pornography. The second part of the definition is very interesting, and I would agree with it: materials with â€Å"little or no artistic merit† so that would mean that is not exceptional according to the set of principles previously mentioned, which again supports the idea that it’s subjective. Another definition of pornography (from The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition) states it is â€Å"sexually explicit [material] whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal†. This definition is more ambiguous then the first mentioned. According to this definition, two factors are needed in order for something to be pornography: it needs to be sexually explicit, and it needs to primarily cause sexual arousal. The problem with this definition is that anything containing nudity is sexually explicit, so all the masterpieces mentioned above have at least the first factor needed to be considered pornography (according to this definition). The second part of the definition is very subjective, because we cannot know what the purpose of the nude sculpture, drawing or painting was unless the author tells us. To conclude, in my personal point of view, art cannot â€Å"become† pornography, it is either born as art, or born as pornography, and this depends on each individual’s interpretation of the material in question. Not only the visual arts, but other forms of arts, especially Medias, have many influences on young people. Anyone who watches television, goes to the movies, or picks up a magazine today knows sex is prominent across all media. Discussions regarding the early sexualization of children and young people are an increasingly hot topic with celebrities and politicians alike having something to say. An analysis of use of the term sexualisation published on the Global Media Insight blogspot showed that in early 2010 use of the term ‘sexualisation’ in both mainstream and social media more than doubled (fig. 1). This is not to say that the concerns behind the idea of sexualised childhood are new ones; it does however suggest that this is a concept which is increasingly in the collective public consciousness. Although the effects of sexual content have received little attention from researchers in the 1980s, there are strong theoretical reasons to believe that media may play an especially important role in the socialization of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior. These were well summarized by Elizabeth Roberts (1982): â€Å"(1) the adult nature of most programming children watch; (2) children’s limited access to or experience with countervailing information or ideas; (3) the ‘realism’ with which roles, relationships, and lifestyles are portrayed; and (4) the overwhelming consistency of the messages about sexuality that are communicated† (Roberts, 1982, p. 209). Each of these points is even more pertinent in 1998 than in 1982. Children watch a great deal of adult programming, and there has been a steady increase in the frequency and explicitness of sexual content on broadcast television. Young people have access to a much wider range of video content as well as to other entertainment media than they did in the early 1980s. Movies Adolescents see movies in theaters, and the same movies are soon available on pay TV channels and video tape. Many of these movies are â€Å"R-rated. † They contain more frequent and more explicit portrayals of sexual behavior than broadcast TV – an average of 17. 5 per film in one analysis (Greenberg, Siemicki, Dorfman, Heeter, Stanley, Soderman, &Linsangan, 1993). Like TV, the most frequent sexual activity shown is unmarried sexual intercourse. Sex is often in the context of profanity, alcohol and drug use, and nudity. Not only have the movies, music world confronted similar problem as well. Let’s see a real example. Modern music is becoming increasingly pornographic. It is not about being old-fashioned. It’s about keeping values that are important in the modern world. We can’t watch modern stars like Britney Spears or Lady Gaga with a two-year-old. 99 percent of the charts in R&B and 99 percent of that is soft pornography. Children and young people are being forced to grow up too young. A researcher named Larson (1995) used an experience sampling technique to analyze the relationship between emotional states and the use of television and other media. He argues that adolescents experience increased emotionality and that such emotionality may be related to increased use of music because â€Å"it both speaks to adolescents’ personal issues and helps them create a separate experiential space at home†¦ music is also important to adolescents because it helps define their public self outside the family†. Private, solitary use of both music and television use by adolescents is important in providing them an opportunity to deal with the stress and emotionality of this stage of development. Young people select media which entertain them, contribute to their identity formation, help them cope with their problems and emotional mood states, and form the basis of their selection into youth subcultures. Today’s generation of youth has easier access to sexual content. From television, movies, magazines, and advertisements (billboards, print, and electronic), to music (on radio and in music videos) and the Internet, youth who are interested in nudity, sexual role models, romance and depictions of sex and intercourse, have a range of media options readily available. Media provide perhaps the least embarrassing way to get information about sex and romance.

David Abram Ecology of Magic

Humans are born from and return to earth at death; human beings and nature are bound up each other. Yet, the technological modern world has shaped humans to be oblivious of nature and the ethnocentrism has positioned human beings above all other things. Nature has become resources for people and nothing more than that. David Abram, the author of the Ecology of magic, travels into the wild, traditional land in search of the relation between magic and nature; the meaning nature holds in the traditional cultures. Abram intends to communicate his realization of the magical awareness of the countless nonhuman entities and the necessity of the balance between the human communities and the nature to the readers, hoping the Western technologized people to regard nature with respect and wonder. The perceptional differences Westerners and the traditional people hold in regard of nature should be transcended to achieve equilibrium and consequently bring about a healthier society. What is it that Abram experiences in the traditional land of Indonesia? Abram is also one of the Westerners who lived all his life in the modern technological world; he once was a person who did not know the true value of nature. However, in the traditional, oral land, the author succeeds in overcoming the perceptional differences and realizes the importance nature holds in his life. During the travel, Abram purposefully encounters and befriends the traditional magicians or sorcerers with his sleight of hand magic that buys interest from them. As the author states, â€Å"For magicians – whether modern entertainers or indigenous tribal sorcerers – have in common the fact that they work with the malleable texture of perception† (Abram, 3), the common ground of ‘working with the malleable texture of perception’ has let Abram to look more closely into the activities the magicians perform in the traditional oral land. As Abram works his hands to trick the audience, thereby working with the perceptions of the audiences, the magicians engage in shedding the accepted perceptual logic to enter into relation with other entities. The primary objective of the magicians, at first, seems to be healers as they participate in treating the sicknesses; however, Abram learns that the magicians hold a more important role in the human communities. They act as the intermediaries between the human world and the nature. The diseases that circulate the village originate from the imbalance between the nature and the human world and the magicians work with the primary cause of the sicknesses. The basic concept of treating the illnesses differs from the Western doctors who perform surgeries as the magicians, living at the periphery of the human communities, sought to communicate with the nature, consequently striving to achieve equilibrium. The prayers, praises and the propitiations given to the nature in return for the nourishment and sustenance it provides to human communities do not seem forthright at first, even to Abram; the magician’s primary role only seems as formal traditions that hold no meaning for the villagers who only yearn for visual and direct treatment of the diseases. Yet, as Abram suggests, â€Å"†¦and it was only gradually that I became aware of this more subtle dimension of the native magician’s craft† (8), while living in the remote traditional land and experiencing the diverse, rather different performances, the author was able to notice and learn seeing and hearing things in different manners. ‘To see and hear in a manner I never had before’ (15) was not something that Abram learnt with his head, but rather a feeling obtained with his skin. By shifting out human’s awareness to other various nonhuman beings and thinking in the perspective of those intelligences’ (7), Abram was able to hold respect and awe for nature and realize the importance of the balance. Just by staring into the spiders, the birds, the river and the wind, Abram was able to communicate with these nonhuman entities and see the importance these beings hold in human beings’ daily lives. The basis of the perceptional difference lies in the mere difference in how the traditional and the Westerners regard the relation between magic and nature. In the Western world, magic is defined as the ability to alter one’s consciousness at will. The magicians perform hand tricks to startle the senses and free the audience from the outdated and restricted thoughts by inspiring awe and surprises within the individuals. This is the common image that we bring up when thinking of the word magic and magician. Westerners find no relation between magic and nature as the two are thought as two distinct concepts. However, people of the oral, traditional land conjure up different idea in regard of magic and nature. The two are correlated concepts as magic can be defined as â€Å"humans experience their own consciousness as simply one form of awareness among many others† (7). Magic is shifting out one’s consciousness to put it in others shoes. The others indicate the many beings regarded to have intelligence, the components of nature. By thinking in the perspective of other nonhuman entities, as Abram succeeded in doing in the traditional land, the magicians communicate with the nature. As the author mentions, â€Å"Countless anthropologists have managed to overlook the ecological dimension of the shaman’s craft, while writing at great length of the shaman’s rapport with supernatural entities† (6), the Western people simply fail to recognize the relationship between nature and magic because they have been raised to think of what is beyond human’s will as the â€Å"supernatural† rather than in the dimensions of nature. Human beings, in the technological, modern world, stands above all other things as the ethnocentrism has shaped people to think in human-based terms; the surrounding environment, including the rocks, mountains, and the animals, have been placed there for human use and nothing more than that. They are entities with no senses, no thoughts, and no feelings. Humans are the only beings with intelligence. The busy daily lives formed due to the advanced technology have shaped people to simply deny the existence of other entities and perceive things other than humans as non-meaningful. Abram, too, adjusts to the modern world and returns to his original life as a Westerner who fails to regard nature with respect when he goes back to his homeland from Indonesia. Despite all the feelings and knowledge gained in the traditional land, because of the technology and the ethnocentrism Abram fails to continue his communication with the nature. Yet, the importance of respect for nature and the balance between nature and human beings should be comprehended by the modern society people. As the author has witnessed, â€Å"The sad results of our interactions with the rest of nature were being reported in every newspaper – from the depletion of topsoil due to industrial farming techniques to the fouling of groundwater by industrial wastes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (20), the damages spurred on the nature due to human’s endless desires result in dire situations of extinction of animals and the rapid destruction of the tropical forests. The broken equilibrium causes diseases to circulate the society. Constant advancements in technology do not work out to correct the damages done to human beings and the nature. What should be taken for human use should be compensated for to the nature; balance is the most fundamental way to end the vicious cycle that constantly damages both human beings and the nature. Modern people should not disregard the relation between magic and nature. Understanding the importance nature holds for human beings would arouse the magical forces of the equilibrium.

Impact of nitrogen and phosphorous inputs on water quality Essay

Both Nitrogen and Phosphorous are necessary in agriculture for a farmer to achieve optimum yields in most crops, they have to use fertilizer which often contains either nitrogen or phosphorous. Despite their importance, these elements in excess can affect the environment adversely. Eutrophication is enhanced when nitrogen and phosphorous are in excess in surface waters and where nitrogen is in excess in ground water. (www. soil. ncsu. edu/) Nitrogen makes up about 78 percent of the gases in the atmosphere. A major constituent of proteins it is abundant in most living things. Nitrogen gas (N2), nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2) and ammonia NH3 are the common forms in which in organic nitrogen exists. Organic nitrogen exists in proteins. (http://kywater. org/). Compounds that contain nitrogen are found in water bodies such as reservoirs, streams and rivers. There are various routes by which nitrogen enters water bodies. These include wastewater (municipal and industrial), animal wastes such as bird wastes and wastes of fish, septic tanks and runoff from fields and lawns that have been fertilized. In certain parts of the United States, especially the northeast, some forms of nitrogen are deposited through acid rain (Baird, 1990). Nitrites are then converted to nitrates by bacteria, a process that uses up oxygen. (http://kywater. org). Surface and subsurface drainage are some of the ways through which nitrogen from fertilizers enter streams. When there is heavy rainfall following surface application of nitrogen fertilizers, most of the nitrogen is lost and even more is lost if the area is sloppy. When the fertilizer is mixed with soil the runoff is decreased. However, the loss of nitrogen becomes substantial when heavy rainfall causes soil erosion and movement of debris. The highly soluble nature of nitrogen makes it be absorbed easily into the soil when it rains heavily. Findings from research studies show that leaching does contribute to the presence of nitrates in groundwater. This however does not cause much contamination since the concentrations of nitrogen do not reach high enough levels. The crop uses up to 50 percent of the applied nitrogen leaving about 30 percent to 50 percent available for leaching. This, from a study done on North Carolina soils leads to leaching to a level of only two feet where there was 3 inches of percolated water (Baird, 1990). Eutrophication is a slow process whereby streams and lakes are enriched with natural nutrients. This process leads to the accelerated ‘aging’ of lakes and reservoirs. Eutrophication generally means excess growth of algae. The growth and decomposition of algae causes depletion of oxygen available in water. Nitrogen has a fertilizing effect in algae and other plankton which are food to other organisms in water such as fish and invertebrates. Overproduction and decomposition of these plankton uses up oxygen, meaning that other oxygen-dependent animals have inadequate oxygen which leads to their death. (http://kywater. org/). In addition to using up oxygen excessively, the overgrowth of algae and other plankton can lead to clogging up of water systems such that water flow is inhibited. This is especially common at points of water intakes. A lot of sea plants also block light from reaching the deeper waters (http://ga. water. usgs. gov/). This has the effect of compromising respiration for aquatic invertebrates and fish, making the death of animals and plant inevitable. High concentrations of nitrites produce a condition called brown blood disease which is fatal to fish. (http://kywater. org/). Eventually diversity of animal and plant life is lost. The death of fish results in offensive odours, and affects the water such that it cannot be used for recreative purposes like swimming, boating and fishing. Mueller and Helsel conducted a study of 12,000 ground water samples and approximately 22,000 samples of surface water at over 300 sites. The samples were collected within NAWQA study units. They report that the concentrations of nutrients in water have a close relationship to how land is used upstream or in the area that overlies a ground water aquifer. According to the analysis there were higher concentrations of nitrates in groundwater than surface water bodies. The regions with the highest concentration were the Northeast, the Great Plains and areas along the West Coast (Mueller and Helsel, 1996). Agricultural areas have a higher likelihood of having water with increased concentrations of nitrates. Research shows that public-supply wells and domestic supply wells outside areas where land is used for agriculture generally have lower concentrations of nitrates compared to wells in agricultural areas. On the other hand, urban areas have higher concentrations of Ammonia and phosphorous in surface water (Mueller and Helsel, 196). For water to be considered safe for domestic water supply, nitrates or nitrite level should be below 10mg/L. (United States Public Health Service). Nitrites undergo a direct reaction with haemoglobin in humans and warm-blooded animals leading to the formation of methemoglobin. This compound leads to decreased ability of red cells to transport oxygen. The most affected by this inability are infants less than three months because the babies develop methemoglobinaemia (blue baby disease. (http://kywater. org/ww/ramp/rmnox. htm). Due to this reason, when nitrates levels exceed 1. 0mg/L, the water should not be used to feed babies. In older people high nitrate levels cause disturbances in the digestion system. (http://kywater. org/). Phosphorous is a naturally occurring element that can be found in rocks and mineral deposits. Phosphate ions are soluble in water and are released when rock undergoes the weathering process. Phosphates have three forms of existence, metaphosphate, orthophosphate and organic phosphate. Orthophosphate is mainly produced by natural processed but there are man-made sources that produce orthophosphate. These include untreated sewage and partially treated sewage, use of certain fertilizers and runoff from sites where the main land use is agriculture. Metaphosphate or polyphosphate are used in treatment of detergents and boiler waters. When in water metaphosphate changes to orthophosphate and it can be used up by plants in this form. Organic phosphate occurs tied to organic material like plant tissue or waste solids. When decomposition occurs organic phosphate is converted to orthophosphate (www. water-research. net/phosphate. htm). Phosphorous is necessary for animal and plant growth and acts as a growth limiting nutrient in lake ecosystems. Well-oxygenated waters have low amounts of phosphates. Phosphate undergoes a complex process of uptake and mineralization to be retained in the soil, unlike the nitrogen cycle which is simpler. Soluble phosphate is incorporated by plants and animals in their biological systems to form compounds like ATP, DNA and RNA. ATP is necessary for energy production via the Kreb’s cycle while DNA and RNA have genetic importance. Phosphorous is therefore necessary for photosynthesis to occur (www. water-research. net/) Phosphates enhance growth of aquatic plants which are the food source for other organisms. Increased production of plankton result in an initial increase in population of fish and the entire biological system of the water body. This however has an adverse effect because as the phosphate levels build-up the process by which the water ecosystem is aging is speeded up leading to an imbalance of nutrients where production begins to exceed consumption. Phosphates like nitrates also cause eutrophication resulting in more plants than can be consumed by the system. The result is anoxic waters, presence of algal blooms that are toxic and a reduction in biodiversity as well as destruction of food supply and habitat. (www. water-research. net) Eutrophication is an issue that compromises water quality and has received much attention since 1980 when there was extensive occurrence of blue-green algae in fresh water systems. These blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) sometimes produce toxins that cause harm to human beings and farm animals. Poor conditions resulting from eutrophication have been noted in eastern North Carolina in the Chowan, Neuse and Pamlico River systems (Baird, 1990). Water that has very high levels of phosphates causes digestive problems to people. The negative effect of high levels of phosphate then is more indirect to humans but has a bigger impact because by altering the environment and destroying habitats the destruction caused is much harder to reverse. A compound like nitrates dissolves in water and moves in water in surface streams and ground water. Most forms of phosphorous, however, are transported together with soil that has undergone erosion especially when runoff is high flowing precipitation and irrigation. This is because instead of dissolving they attach themselves to soil particles. As such phosphorous is more likely to contaminate surface water rather than ground water (USGS, Circular1225, 2007). Findings from a USGS report indicate that phosphorous has a greater effect in causing eutrophication with 0.1mg/L of phosphorous being sufficient to cause excessive growth of aquatic plants (USGS, Circular 1225, 2007). In urban areas, the most significant point sources are urban streams which have discharged from wastewater treatment plants. A report of the US Geological service indicates that the streams in the semiarid western and south-western cities coupled with those in urban areas on the East had high levels of phosphorous (USGS, Circular1225). Recent research shows that phosphorous can travel with ground-water flows. The study was conducted in Cape Cod, Massachusetts where there has been contamination of the groundwater with phosphorous, an unlikely thing since most scientists generally believe that phosphorous is not transferable via groundwater (McCob et al, 2003; Stollenwerk, 1996). The main factors influencing vulnerability to contamination are the type of soils and slope of land. These two factors determine how fast and how much runoff there will be. Areas with steep slopes, poorly drained clay soils and little vegetation have higher likelihood of contamination of their surface waters. In urban centres, pavements and drains made of tile cause acceleration of flow of streams. Ground water on the other hand has a high chance of contamination if the soils drain well and the subsurface material is highly permeable. Some practices of crop-management designed to decrease sediment flow may increase infiltration leading to greater contamination of groundwater (USGS, Circular, 1225). To reduce the impact of phosphorous and nitrogen in water quality, strategies need to be employed that reduce the use of chemicals and alter transportation of the hydrologic system (USGS). In planning these strategies consideration of watersheds, patterns of land use and the differences in vulnerability to contamination in various areas should be foremost to ensure that whatever interventions are put in place are effective. 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