Time :: essays research papers

Time is perhaps man's worst enemy, beside himself. For countless eons, man has tried to fight the affects of time. For time brings change. They are inevitably linked in the same cosmic chain. No matter what you do, no matter the steps you take, time will always bring change. Time can bring on many types of changes. It can bring on physical change, such as a mountain being destroyed over time by erosion. Or, it can bring on emotional and physiological change, such as an army prisoner of war in a POW camp. But bear in mind, a person's physical surroundings can also serve to speed/slow/reduce/and even counteract the change. Change is not always for the worst. Some changes can be for the better. In THE SCARLET LETTER, Nathaniel Hawthorne, shows that as time goes by, Reverend Dimmesdale changes from a strong, hearty man to a weak and sickly one, but also given enough time (and some encouragement), he re-grows to once again be a strong man, perhaps more so than he was before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As we first meet Author Dimmesdale, he was a '…young clergy man... His eloquence and religious fervor has already given the earnest of high eminence in he profession.'; (p. 62. 3rd paragraph)* The people loved and respected him. He was thought to be '…a godly pastor,';(p. 48) of Hester. But the people do not know his secret. They do not know the dark sin that he holds in the deep recesses of his heart. This causes him much pain. 'It is inconceivable, the agony whit which this public veneration tortured him! It was his genuine impulse to adore the truth, and to reckon all things shadow-like, and utterly devoid or weight or value, that had not its divine essence as the life within their life. Then, what was he? -a substance?- or the dimmest of all shadows?'; (page 131-123)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Dimmesdale does all that he can in a vain attempt to rid himself of the guilt he hides inside. He whips himself, he fasts, and he even goes to the scaffold in an endeavor to alleviate his guilt. But all attempts fail and leads to more guilt and hence more chastising.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He is not cured from his guilt until he and Hester agree to leave the colony and return to England. 'The excitement of Mr. Dimmesdale's feelings, as he returned for his interview with Hester, lent him unaccustomed physical energy, and hurried him town ward at a rapid pace.

Agricultural exploitation and human effects on the environment

Humans rely on earth's resources for a high quality of life. As the population surge continues, more food has to be produced to meet the high demands of people. However in relying on more and more resources, the population have forgotten to stop and think about the environment. The growth in human population has caused: * More waste is being produced. * More pollution is being caused. * Non-renewable energy resources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, are being used up rapidly. * Raw materials are being used up rapidly. Agricultural production has been rising over the last few decades. Production has been rising due to an increase in the development of various crops and animals, and more intensive methods of farming. New varieties if crops and farm animals have been developed by artificial selection and genetic engineering. Crops can be genetically engineered to be resistant to pests. Many foods now contain genetically modified organisms. Some humans think that these will help food production and maintain high standards of living for the population. However, there are people that believe that we have the ability to produce adequate food without genetically modified organisms. They believe that the genetically modified organisms should be researched into for long term effects on health and environment. Agriculture is becoming more and more mechanised and the conditions can be controlled much more than before. On many arable farms machines have replaced labourers almost entirely. Every stage of crop production is carried out by machines. Large amounts of pesticides are used to increase crop yield by reducing competition from weeds and minimizing losses to disease and pests. Inorganic and organic fertilisers keep mineral levels high in the soil. Without fertilisers, heavy harvesting, of most crops would deplete the soil of the minerals. A deficiency of any one mineral limits plant growth. Fertilisers can increase crop yields however above a particular level, the increase in crop yield for each unit of fertiliser used gets less. Worse to that is that if a high over use of fertiliser is used then it will result in a decrease in crop yield and also have the long lasting effect on the environment. Among the most intensive forms of farming are greenhouse cultivation of plants and factory farming of animals. Both these methods grow organisms indoor in a confined space under controlled environmental conditions. Growing plants in greenhouses allows conditions such as light intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations, and mineral levels to be controlled artificially. Many people are against factory farming due to the following reasons: * Intensive cultivation is not cost effective because it relies on the heavy use of fossil fuels * Antiobioitcs, pesticides, and growth-promoting substances may harm human health and the environment. * Excessive use of antibioticvs in farm animals is contributing to the evolution of antibiotic resistance * Intensive cultivation isn't cost effective and is damaging to the environment whereas organic farming isn't dependent on fossil fuels and is better for the environment. Land clearance for cultivation and for grazing reduces the number of habitats available. Tropical forests are cleared for timber and land use on a massive scale, destroying important habitats and making the soil unstable. Destruction of a habitat reduces variation and the gene pool. Maximum use is made of available agricultural land by intensive cultivation, including the use of nitrate fertilisers. This causes there to be soil erosion and eutrophication. Agricultural pests cause economic damage to crops and farm animals. They can have a terrible effect especially in monocultures in which only one crop is grown. These systems are simpler than natural ecosystems and usually lack the predators of pests. Also, the growing the same crop on the same land again and again may allow the pests to increase in number. Pests attack crop plants and animals – which reduces yield. They cause disease, spoil stored food, compete for resources and increase the chance of pathogenic disease. These factors have a bad effect leading to a reduced amount of food produced and a huge economic loss for farmers. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Pests for plants include weeds, insects and crop diseases à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Weeds compete with crops for water, light and ions, – reducing crop yields à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Insects damage crops – By eating leaves – photosynthesis – Tunnelling into stems – transport – Attacking roots – water uptake – Destroying buds and shoots Pesticides are poisonous chemicals used to control organisms considered to be harmful on agriculture or organisms involved in disease transmission. Pesticides should be specific, non persistent (biodegradable) and shouldn't accumulation. Pest control cannot completely remove a pest. The point is to remove enough of a pest so the farmer can get a good profit return. Pests can also be controlled chemically. This involves the use of herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides to kill the pests. The chemicals can be sprayed onto the crop, applied as powders or smokes in enclosed areas, sprayed onto animals or added to animal feed. Advantages of chemical control: * Pests are destroyed quickly and fairly cheaply * Chemicals can be applied on a small level * Doesn't need a high level of skill * Very effective means of control Disadvantages of control: * Chemicals aren't specific and can damage non target insects. With the removal of insect predators, there may be a resurgence in the pest * Pesticides contain poisonous chemicals which could enter into food chains likely to then kill birds, fish or mammals. * Pests could become resistant to pesticides. * Chemical residue could harm humans Chlorinated organic chemicals such as DDT were constant and remained in the environment for long periods, which is not what is required of a modern pesticide. However DDT was over used and this led to resistance from many species of insects. The suitable insecticide is an effective pesticide at low quantities and kills harmful insects. Another key point is that it should have no environmental effects. Researcehrs are constantly making progress on developing on new compounds. In the latest generation of insecticides, the pyrethroid has been developed from the flower of the plant named Pyrethrum. However, the effect of the natural pyrethrum was found to be short term as it was quickly broken down by sunlight. Biochemists then used the natural pyrethrum as a beginning point to develop a much safer, stable compound, suitable for insect control in field crops. Farmers should spray their crops in early morning or late evening to avoid harming passing by bees and ladybirds. Chemical pest control may involve the use of: * Herbicides – for control of weeds * Insecticides – for control of insects * Fungicides – for control of fungi * Molluscicides – for control of slugs and snails There have been many problems with insecticides since the primary idea behind insecticides was to kill all the pests possible – the effects on non-target organisms wasn't looked into, some of which are beneficial. Biological control target natural enemies to maintain the population of pest species. A beneficial organism (agent) is deployed against a harmful organism (target). The purpose is to reduce the pest population down to a level which is economically profitable. If the pest population was completely wiped out then it would have a counter effect because there would be no food for the natural predator which would soon die out. Advantages of biological pest control: * Can provide long term control if population equilibrium is reached * Even though it is expensive in the short term (introductioin), it can work out cheaper in the longer term * Unlike chemical control, it's highly specific to a pest which means less chance of having an effect on non target organisms. * No environmental contamination * It can be used in a glasshouse situation Disadvantages of biological control * Success needs deep level of skill and research. This can be expensive. * Examples which have gained success are fairly few in number * A thorough amount of knowledge is required about the life cycle. * Possibility of releasing organisms with unknown ecological effects * Consistent input is needed to maintain a population stability There are advantages and disadvantages of both chemical and biological control. Integrated pest management is the merging of the two methods. It is seen as a very effective way of tackling pests. This is achieved by: * Varying cultivation techniques * Use of biological agents * Minimal and well-targeted use of highly selective pesticides. Deforestation is having a effect on the environment. They are being cut down for reasons such as: * Sale of valueable timber * Freeing of land * Clearing land for roads The trees are being cut down at a much faster rate than they can regenerate. The consequences of deforestation are: * Soil erosion – digging and ploughing loosen up the topsoil, which is aiding in the process of soil erosion. * The removal of vegetation affects the regional climate mainly by reducing rainfall which increases speed of desertification. * Deforestation of the watershed causes lowland flooding. The removal of vegetation on the higher slopes of valleys consequents in heavy rain sweeping exposed soil to the floods below. On the lower slopes, plants and leaf litter would act as a sponge and soak up water gradually released into the soil. Instead, due to the absence of plants, only evaporation occurs. This is generally slower than transpiration in returning water vapour to the atmosphere, so soil conditions become wetter. * Climate change – A reduction in the level of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as there is less global synthesis. This leads to global warming. Cutting down forests hasn't much effect on global carbon dioxide levels however since forests burn rapidly releasing lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which assists in acid rain and helps towards global warming. Destruction of natural habitats leads to reduction in biodiversity. It is estimated that around 50% of the earth's species live in the rainforests even though rain forests only take up around 10% of the earth's land. If natural habitats are exploited then it could make them become extinct. This may lead to a loss in medical properties of some tropical plants which haven't been looked into. Agricultural is way of combating deforestation. Possible solutions to problems of deforestation: * Managed forests involving the sustainable replanting and regeneration. * Providing protected areas to preserve species. There have been dramatic increases in the intensity and efficiency of commercial methods. This has meant that over-fishing is happening in many areas of the world. Fish are a renewable source. Over-fishing results in a depletion of younger fish, so that the breeding stock can't maintain previous population levels. If the rate at which they are removed exceeds that at which they have been produced, their supply is disappearing. Fishing isn't examined for possible negative issues. In a fish farm, fish are replaced by artificial breeding. However in the ocean, fish are taken out of the sea from humans with no aim to replace them by breeding. Over fishing often causes both a fall in the number of fish and a change in population structure: young smaller fish may become increasingly common as fishing fleets try to maintain the size of the fish they catch. Catching large numbers of small fish before they spawn can seriously reduce their ability of their species to reproduce. This could lead to a terrible fall in the local population of smaller fish. However fishing is likely to halt due to economic reasons, fishing is likely to stop before it can cause extinction. International agreements have been gained on control like: * Enforcing exclusion zones * Imposing quotas * Restricting the mesh size of nets – bigger nets may allow juvenile fish to escape and reproduce. * Having closed seasons for fishing

Stalin s Five Year Plan - 1661 Words

Section A: Plan of Investigation The primary focus of this investigation is to asses did Stalin’s Five Year Plans have a positive impact on The Soviet Union’s economy and industry beginning 1928 and leading up to 1941. This topic was chosen to discuss the economical and industrial effects before and after Stalin’s Five Year Plan, this was interesting to study because Stalin introduced the first plan in 1928 after Lenin’s regime ended, and its success in achieving its goals was declared ahead of its time, in 1932. The first scope of this investigation will look into how job opportunities were before Stalin’s Five Year Plans and if Stalin’s Plan had a positive or negative affect on it afterwards. The second scope of this investigation will assess the industrialization before and after Stalin’s overtaking. The method that will be used to conduct this investigation is websites, books based off the history of the twentieth-century in Russia that looks into the political, social, and economic success and failures. Section B: Summary of Evidence SCOPE: Job opportunities before and after Stalin’s Five Year Plan Before In 1914 peasant farmers grew food for themselves, the gov would take any of the extra food. (War Communism 4) Those who worked in factories and mining dropped by 50%, unemployment was very high. (War Communism 4) Workers started to demand higher wages, more food and the return of workers control of industry. (War Communism 4) Workers would receive theShow MoreRelatedStalin s Five Year Plan1774 Words   |  8 Pagessystem that creates a society where property is shared by everyone with equity. In order to make this society reality, Stalin had to advance Russia’s industrialization and create an efficient agriculture for economic support. To launch this system, he had to eliminate any pretext the peasantry had of independence and a culture of their own. For the success of his five- year plan, the peasants would have to cooperate and collectivize. The peasants did not want to share their land; they did not wantRead MoreStalin S Five Year Plan Speech2022 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Primary Source for 04/28/2010, Joseph Stalin: Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death in 1924. In 1928 Stalin began the First Five-Year Plan, an ambitious attempt to quickly modernize the Soviet economy. In the speech below, given in 1933 to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Stalin explained the goals and results of the Five-Year Plan. The fundamental task of the Five-Year Plan was to convert the U.S.S.R. from an agrarian and weak country, dependentRead MoreThe First Of Joseph Stalin s Five Year Plans1172 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1928, the first of Joseph Stalin’s Five Year Plans, a series of nation-wide centralized economic plans for the Soviet Union, imposed communal farming on its citizens, Herbert Hoover, running on a platform of continued peace and prosperity, was elected 31st President of the United States, (â€Å"News and Events of 1928†) and Jan Tschichold, a bold, self-confident, young, typographer from Germany, published Die Neue Typographie (The New Typography), a radical new view of type and design. At first glanceRead MoreStalin And The Soviet Union1336 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Stalin the prominent leader of the Soviet Union had a vision to transform the Soviet Union into an industrialized economy. Through the works of Stalin he implemented â€Å"The Five Year Plan† which inclu ded methods and goals that were very important in the arrival of his goal. Though, hard labor, terror, struggle, and work was put on the peasants and kulak class that was key in Stalin’s plans to achieve a Communist society. Through the utilization of terror and repression, Stalin’s Five Year PlanRead MoreJoseph Stalin s Impact On The World1508 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents Joseph Stalin in the real world and he was really important during these events. Joseph Stalin is the one who had the most impact on these series of events that happened. Stalin was a very important man in the world either for good things he did or bad things he did, but he is still very famous and popular for what he has left behind. He was really important because he helped rebel against Nicholas II and made a lot of good things happen to the Russian Empire. Stalin industrialized theRead MoreExplain the Methods Taken by Stalin to Transform the Soviet Union in the Period 1924-19391491 Words    |  6 Pages‘’Explain the methods taken by Stalin to transform the Soviet Union in the period 1924-1939’’ Commencing from the year 1924 and ending in 1939, Stalin undertook many methods to change the Soviet Union socially and economically. Socially, he developed a ‘cult of personality’, which portrayed Stalin as an all knowing and powerful figure, consequently ensuring his position as leader of the communist party and justifying many of his policies and actions. However, to maintain his position as dictatorRead MoreTo What Extent Was Stalin Truly Marxist?1656 Words   |  7 PagesIn order to answer the question To what extent was Stalin truly Marxist? one must first define the term ‘Marxism’ and establish a success criteria which can be used in the assessment of Stalin and his policies. The term ‘Marxism’ is defined as ‘the system of economic and political thought developed by Karl Marx, along with Friedrich Engels, especially the doctrine that the state throughout history has been a device for the exploitation of the masses by a dominant c lass, that class struggle hasRead MoreStalin s Plan For Communism1210 Words   |  5 Pagesthe idea of freedom. Joseph Stalin had a plan to make Russia the super power of the world but ultimately failed because communism never works. Stalin released new ideas that he thought would help improve the economy but never actually did. From the time that Stalin came into power in 1924, up until his death in 1953 he transformed Russia’s previously more week society into an active military and industrial superpower striking fear and terror into its citizens. Stalin did play a huge role in defeatingRead MoreThe Great Purge And Was A Social Policy Of Stalin1422 Words   |  6 PagesStalin is a name everyone probably has heard at some point, most likely in a history class that you have long forgotten now. However people tend to not know that during his time as Premier of the Soviet Union he killed more people than Hitler did. This could have been through his policies or his Five year p lans. Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953 when he died. In that 24 year span he killed an estimated 50 million people (Haines) and this doesn t include the lives lost in WW2Read MoreThe Russian Revolution s Influence On Joseph Stalin1436 Words   |  6 PagesSerene Singh Psarakis SL History G1 5 November 2014 The Russian Revolution’s Influence on Joseph Stalin Joseph Stalin greatly influenced Russia and the international community in the years 1924 through 1932. His rise to this power can be explained by the Russian Revolutionary experience that allowed him to gain influence in Russia. Although historians often refer to Stalin as a ruthless, mindless dictator, he redirected the Russian Revolution to later present economic development and opportunity