Principles of Environmental Science Essay Example for Free

Principles of Environmental Science Essay Principals of Environmental Science Joshua Hammack ENV/100 February 4, 2013 Christopher Bertram Principals of Environmental Science Environmental science is the relationship between the earth and all living things and organisms that use the earth’s resources to sustain life. Environmental science is also the ongoing study of the environment and all of its interconnected systems. The style of research performed by environmental scientists is very diverse. Also, environmental science is composed of many components such as geology, physics, social science, meteorology, and biology. Social science looks more at how humans and animals interact within the environment and the effects they have on one another. â€Å"Environmental scientists try to establish general principles about how the natural world functions. They use these principles to develop viable solutions to environmental problems—solutions that are based as much as possible on scientific knowledge† (M. C. , 2009). Technology and science affect the problems and solutions of today’s society both positively and negatively. Take for instance the invention of the car by Karl Friedrich Benz in 1885, (Bruno, 1997) while there was a demand for better transportation as people became more sophisticated and wanted to travel further than possible on a horse it created a demon for the environment to fight. Today, worldwide there are more than 1 billion passenger vehicles on the roadways, (Tencer, 2011) and with an increase in automobiles comes added pollution from oil, grease, petroleum, and rubber, but not only the cars produce pollution. The manufacturing does equal amounts of damage from steel mills, rubber plants and stamping plants. With growing population these numbers will begin to rise. At the same time the technologies that are contributing to the Worlds pollution problems are also being used to help solve the problem by creating means necessary to obtain valuable data to aid in the solution. For example studying marine life in the depths of the ocean would not be possible without using motorboats to reach these remote locations. The double edge sword being that the boat itself pollutes the water. Finding a balance between the neccessity of technology and the over consumption of technology is a slippery slope, but it is crucial to the sustainability of the environment. â€Å"Ecologist Garrett Hardin (1915–2003) is best known for his 1968 essay â€Å"The Tragedy of the Commons. † In it he contended that our inability to solve complex environmental problems is the result of a struggle between short-term individual welfare and long-term environmental sustainability, the ability to meet humanitys current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs† (M. C. , 2009). It is essential that society studies the sustainability of our resources not only so they can be preserved, but to aid in the prediction of growth and evolution. Some countries like the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe are highly developed countries that are consuming the majority of the worlds sustainable consumption. As the under developed countries such as Haiti, yemen, and Sudan begin to grow they will take on a larger share of the sustainable consumption. Without monitoring the development from an environmental point of view the worlds population could literally eat themselves out of house and home. â€Å"Those who dont know history are doomed to repeat it. † –Edmund Burke. Looking back through history the United States has not always been the best stewards to the land. In fact, through many mistakes the lessons of Mother Nature have been ingrained into our culture. The concept of conservation and preservation was brought about by a group of men in the mid 1800’s through the early 1900’s. Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901), Grover Cleveland (1837–1908), William McKinley (1843–1901), and Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) were all the first to use the Forest Reserve Act, this act was put into affect in 1881 which gave the president the authority to establish forest reserves on public, federally owned land (M. C. , 2009). Before this the lands in the western United States were falling victim to deforestation with 160 billion board foot of lumber being cut from 1860, just after the Civil War to 1900. Throughout history the government has been very proactive in establishing programs to help preserve and protect the natural resources. Until 1970, the voice of the environmentalist was nothing but a whisper that was only heard through two organizations, the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation (M. C. , 2009). When Denis Hays, a Harvard graduate student was influenced by a former Wisconsin senator to organize the first recognized Earth Day it bacame a gateway for informing the public on sustainability, consumption and what we needed to do to preserve our environment. Eventually Earth Day became a way to show people that their little contribution to reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible was magnified greatly when coupled with others efforts. â€Å"By Earth Day 1990, the movement had spread around the world, signaling the rapid growth in environmental consciousness† (M. C. , 2009). In conclusion, it is inevitable that the world as a whole will continue to grow, the population will increase, and resources will be exhuasted. It is for that reason the human race must be aware of what is coming.

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Education is closely associated in determining a person’s life chances. Socioeconomic status (SES) plays a critical part in higher education today in America. Socioeconomic status (SES) refers to the ranking based on occupation, income and other social components like education. The inequality in college enrollments and degree completion has been a major concern in our society. The students’ SES seems to actuate the opportunities and the achievement they will fulfill in postsecondary school. Sociologists tend to acknowledge that social course is still an important aspect in today’s society. Also, it affects our life chances and choices. Education contributes to income attainment and occupational prestige. Moreover, there is an inequality between men and women from contrasting social backgrounds in terms of education, particularly in college. Education serves as a ladder to success and social mobility. In America, students from low socioeconomic status (SES) families have always been a part of the nation’s higher education and are few in number. Socioeconomic status has crucial effects on students and their performance in college. The subject of SES and how it affects college education has been debated for decades. The social ranking is parallel to whether one will succeed in college. SES insinuates more immense impact on low SES students than high SES students. Low SES students are deprived in schools due to the lack of academic environment and limit their chances of academic success in school. Those circumstances cause low SES schools to be low compliant and impose the notion that only determined and flexible students can avoid low academic achievement. Low SES students are said to be â€Å"similarly u... ...and men. Mention history of gender inequality: how history affect our society. â€Å"Let’s not forget about the history of Women’s Rights. Women are not mentioned in the Constitution†¦ There are natural differences in men and women; Women are viewed weaker and are expected to stay home, take care of the family. Also, might want to squeeze in a little detail about the role of Economics in our society. Accomplishment in college of students from different socioeconomic background varies. If the social deprivation decreases, low SES students should have similar experiences and accomplishments. Social backgrounds continue to negatively affect their college achievement if low SES students have different outcomes or lower achievements (Walpole viriya.net 2003). Different opportunities are brought about by differences of resources and status (Linkon diversityweb.org 2008).

Cultural competence Essay

This paper explores the Hmong people’s views toward medicine within the lens of their culture. It will take into account their history and also seek to explain the natural aversion these people have to most modern techniques in medicine. The Hmong people have a large immigrant population in the United States and represent unique challenges to most medical practitioners that can be used as a model to teach new methods of treating patients who may not understand western medicine. Understanding the Hmong is the first step in devising better techniques for nurses and other health professionals who seek to provide the best standard of care to all peoples in a safe, professional and cooperative way. Medical Views of the Hmong People: The Importance of Cross-Cultural Understanding As the United States becomes a more racially and ethnically diverse nation, health care systems and providers must adapt to be able to better care for patients’ with regard to their perspectives, values, and cultures. Failure to understand and manage social and cultural differences may have significant health consequences to the patient and could lead to ineffectual practices in the delivery of care. This is particularly significant in the treating of patients from the Hmong ethnic group. Whose cultural beliefs and practices are often opposed to the methods of modern U. S. Medicine. The Hmong people are made up of peoples from China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Indigenous to South East Asia, many of them resided in Laos until 1975 when Pathet Lao came into power and began to persecute them for their involvement (on behalf of the United States) in Vietnam. As a result of this political crackdown many Hmong fled Laos and have been accepted as refugees in many western countries including the United States. Although they are a largely diaspora population they have managed to hold onto their cultural traditions as well as assimilated (partially) to the culture s of their home countries. These traditions are passed down from elders to youth and are a strong pillar through which the Hmong are able to maintain their history and community. Currently there are 245,000 Hmong people residing in the United States, most of which live in California, Minnesota and Washington. As their numbers grow so does the importance of dynamic care practices that can better suit their medical needs. The Hmong are a primarily Shamanistic culture, with a strong reverence for ancestral spirits. Their beliefs in spirits are not regulated to simply deceased family members, but in all things both animate and inanimate. These spirits reside in a mirrored Spirit realm, where the spirits of their ancestors and also that of trees dwell. The individual is thought to have multiple spirits residing in them that regulate both the spiritual and physical health of the person. Illness is thought to come from evil spirits who attempt to harm the native spirits that reside in individual’s body. These spirits are the cause of all illness and exist in the spirit realm. It is to be noted that these spirits exist on the same plane as regular mortals, however the deity Saub made us blind to them after conflicts between the spirits and the mortals. It is only through the utilization of shamans that we may access them, and treat illness. As the malevolent spirits descend on the body, they may cause the native spirits to leave their human host, this is thought to be manifested in the physical world as serious illness. The Hmong believe that illness is intrinsically linked with a spiritual imbalance, therefore the Shaman is called upon to conduct rituals to bring back the wayward spirit and to discern the cause of its leaving. These beliefs can be in direct opposition to the belief of modern medicine, which relies heavily on scientific and empirical evidence. The simple diagnosis of illness can be greatly impeded when the patient believes that their rash comes from evil spirits as opposed to the contact of a poisonous material. Also this can breed a general distrust of western medication, when for centuries the answers to illness have always lied with the shaman and not with pills and elixirs. The language barrier also is challenging, but in a novel way, whole concepts in the Hmong culture are untranslatable, and the nuances in regional practices of the Hmong make each group individual in their phrasings and pronunciations. Even with the assistance of a native translator many concepts remain completely lost in translation, especially for American nurses who are often the first line of care for these people. Traditionally when a Hmong person becomes sick they are taken to see the community Shaman. The Shaman is considered a very important member of Hmong society as they are able to communicate and travel with spirits. They serve the role of both doctor and priest in that they care for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the person. Because of the link between spiritual and physical illness, it is held that the main means to achieve health wellness is through ritual to appease the spirits. This can be dangerous to the person as their illness may go undiagnosed and untreated as the afflicted wait for the results of the ritual to affect them. Among the largest problems with treating the Hmong is noncompliance, as their tradition may prevent them from actually utilizing the medicine given to them from western hospitals and pharmacies. The treatment of psychological disorders in the Hmong people also poses a unique challenge to western health professionals. In the Hmong tradition those with unexplained psychological illnesses such as bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, and some neurological disorders (i. e. epilepsy) are considered to be chosen to become shamans. The symptoms with these maladies are often closely associated with spiritual intervention such as: multiple personalities exhibited being the manifestation of different spirits attempting to possess the body, or epileptic seizures being a communication from spiritual forces. This has caused these disorders to be revered in the Hmong tradition and have led to many of them going undiagnosed. The usual protocol for such episodes are for the child (as these ailments often present themselves in childhood) to be blessed and sent to learn with a shaman teacher, so that they may use their gifts for the community and become a shaman themselves. As shamans are highly respected and important members of the community any attempt to stifle or diminish their gifts can be construed as going against the wishes of ancestral spirits. To have a shaman in ones family is considered one of the highest honors, thus creating a situation where the illness goes both undiagnosed and untreated. Interactions between American health professionals and the Hmong people have even been documented in the book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman where culture clashes between ignorant parents and culturally insensitive medical staff ends very tragically for a young girl diagnosed with epilepsy. The combination of the Hmong parents unwillingness to trust the medicines of the Merced doctors and doctors unwillingness to understand the culture of the Hmongs and to tailor the care of the daughter unfortunately end in the girl in a vegetative state. This book goes through the history of the Hmong and makes the reader understand the nature aversion they have to medicines. To them healing is their religion, and to these people the American method of medicine is entirely too invasive. They feel we cut and defile bodies, we take too much blood and we cause dramatic personality changes with our drugs. This failure to understand these concerns is damning for Lia Lee (the little girl) and led to both noncompliance and also fear about regarding possible surgeries for the very young child. This book is assigned reading for many medical programs and is compelling read, The importance of its theme of cultural understanding cannot be stressed enough. When Lia was brought to the emergency room for the last time, the staff at the hospital assumed that she had a big seizure because of her parent’s unwillingness to give her seizure medications that had been prescribed. They all silently agreed that it was just a matter of when. It was to the disappointment of many and a shock to Neil Ernst and his wife Peggy Philp when another neurologist who had treated Lia previously announced that it was septic shock and not under medication that had caused the â€Å"big one†. The fact that Neil Ernst did order a septic workup on Lia indicated that he was not treating her symptoms but was had used previous experience with the parent’s noncompliance as all- purpose explanation that blinded him from seeing exploring other more obvious possibilities of Lia illness. The role of the nurse as educator is paramount in these situations. A nurse when performing her role in the health care setting always has the opportunity to bridge the gap between the patient and the physcians. Anne Fadiman after researching the book for eight years ascertains that â€Å"We do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp. However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding. † In modern medicine there has been an increased prominence put in patient education and understanding. What could have saved Lia’s life is a more tailored course of treatment that both respected her families beliefs while also allowing for the benefits of modern medicine. When helping patients it is always important to respect their cultures and traditions, but it is more important to build understanding between their traditions and what will best allow them to get better. Nurses can play the greatest role in building cross-cultural trust, when they (as the first line of care) educate patients on their medications and dietary recommendations. In a more diverse America we will need more Nurses to be able to not only respect cultural boundaries, but foster cultural cooperation to better treat all patients.

Death Of A Salesman Literary Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 896 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/05/30 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Death Of A Salesman Essay Did you like this example? Death of a Salesman Literary Analysis What would someone expect to be the outcome of a man who has given his passionate worship to the goddess of success sold out in the American promise of equality of opportunity for anyone to achieve the highest possible financial and material comfort? Such is the man, an aging father clinging on to the assurance of the reward of customer charming, who Arthur Miller depicts in his play, Death of a Salesman. A look into the character of Willy Loman reveals a disenchanted dreamer with an illusion, routinely vexed by his non-fulfilment, and once when confronted with the utter bankruptcy of his aspirations, cannot stand himself anymore.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Death Of A Salesman: Literary Analysis" essay for you Create order While the American Dream lays its groundwork of success on hard work, Willy tailored his version of the dream based on observation of his brothers success. Ben had left for Alaska, a wilderness in Africa where he lucked into a lot of wealth by discovering a diamond mine. Willy concluded that to be successful, a man needed to be charismatic and that a well-liked and personally attractive person is the sole guarantee of business success, a notion that set him up for failure. His dream, to become a great man, profoundly admired and revered by others, is one he holds throughout his life, and choosing the work of a salesman as a means to achieve it, he devotedly focuses on charming his way to success despite the fact that there are other role models in society who have realistically achieved their financial success through hard work. Charley is Willys next door neighbor who runs a successful business with his son Bernard, himself a successful attorney. Even though Willy admirers his success, he is jealous and dismisses him that hes liked, but hes not well liked. Willys sons admiration of Bernard who is headed to the Supreme Court to argue a case is another of Willys objects of frustration. Failing to recognize that charm alone without the knowledge and hard work would not guarantee success, Willy holds on tightly to his job despite working solely on commission, and so strong is his delusion that when he is fired from the job, he turns down a job offer just to retain his pride. Striving to cope with his frustrations, he finds opportunity in his son Biff to further his ambition for success by having him fulfill the dream on his behalf, a move that draws his other son Happy into the ordeal in his quest to attain his fathers attention and approval. A football star in high school with a scholarship to play football in college, Biff greatly appealed to his fathers distorted perception that being liked is the qualification for success, so much that he failed to emphasize the importance of education to his sons, consequently causing Biff to flunk a semester of math without the credits which he wouldnt make it to college. Overlooking Biffs enlightenment, he imposes his inflated ambitions on his sons, aspirations Biff does not wish to pursue and one that Happy only tries to embody just to receive the acknowledgment of his father, who sees no potential in him. In spite of Biff having talent in his athleticism, he finds himself discouraged due to feelings that he is disappointing his father and letting down his expectations. Further increasing the dysfunction in the family, Happy in his bid to attain his fathers favor ends up becoming like his father. He assimilates the faulty perspective of his father concerning the world and success, placing value on wealth and popularity over integrity, dignity, and education, and eventually, he ends up truly unhappy. Linda is Willys loving and devoted wife who is more realistic and sees through her husbands deluded dreams and failures enduringly. Her standing by him throughout the play wins the admiration of his sons who at one time confess to not being able to find a marriageable woman like their mother. This emphasizes the betrayal Biff feels when he catches his father cheating on his mother with another woman. He decides not to attend summer school to secure his math credits which would have enabled him to go to college. He flees from his father, moving to the west where he is not able to keep his jobs at farms as he had developed a tendency to steal. Frustrations mount in Willys family who enters into suicidal attempts. He inhales gas and purposely gets himself into car accidents. Biffs return from the West, though striking a reconciliatory note with his father, exposes the deteriorating flawed character of his father. His short-temper leads any conversation into altercation leaving no model example for his sons, and when he eventually learns that Biff still loves him, he makes the final step of taking his life so that Biff can receive the life insurance money and invest in his future. Arthur Millers portrayal of the struggle Willy goes through in his acceptance of the falsehood of his distorted version of the American dream, and his failure to realize Biffs disinterest in it shows not only the flaws in material wealth illusion but also the important notion that individuals measure success differently. Where one individual finds contentment in career development, the other measure success in wealth and respect. Material wealth is not guaranteed to happiness, and hot pursuit of financial success can lead to destruction.