Insecticides Essays - Endocrine Disruptors, Biocides, Antiandrogens

Insecticides An insecticide is used to kill insects. There are many kinds of insecticides, but organic insecticides are the most commonly used (World Book, 1999). Organic insecticides are split into three different categories: Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides, organophosphate insecticides, and carbamate insecticides (World Book, 1999). In this paper, I'll explore how toxic each of these insecticides are, how they affect wildlife, humans, and the environment, and what we can do to help. WHY USE INSECTICIDES? Some insects, like white flies and mosquitoes, can carry deadly diseases that affect crops, animals and humans. Insects can cause about 5.5 billion dollars in crop and live stock losses every year. Some of the diseases they cause are Cattle Fever and Sheep Scab. The insecticides are used to kill insects and protect livestock (World Book, 1999). Insecticides can also be used on flea treatments for cats, dogs, and other animals (Ackerman, 1996). WHAT ARE ORGANIC INSECTICIDES? Organic Insecticides are the most commonly and widely used insecticides. They are synthetic substances made from carbon, hydrocarbon insecticies, organophosphate insecticides (World Book 1999). Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides, also know as "organic chlorines", contain chlorine atoms (World Book 1999). Common members of this group are Acaralate, Acarol, Aldrin, BHC, Chlordance, Chlorobenzilate, DDT, dicofol, dieldrin, endosulfan, endrin, heptachlor, kepone, lindane, methoxychlor, mirex, perthen, TDE, and toxaphene (Hamm 1982). They're persistant because after being used once, they can still affect living things for several years. This is because they don't break down chemically so they're found in soil, animal and fish tissue, plants, and water (Hamm, 1982). These, and all persistant insecticides, are trying to be replaced and restricted because they kill bird, fish, and other animals (World Book, 1999). Organophospahte Insecticides contain phosphorus atom (World Book, 1999). Common members of this group are Abate, azinphosethyl, azinphosmethyl, Bidrin, bromophos, bromophosethyl, carbophenothion, and chlorfenvinphos (Hamm, 1982). They are used on food because they don't leave harmful deposits behind (World Book, 1999). This is because the breakdown rapidly into harmless components. They also break down in the presence of water. They have less environmental danger than chlorinateed hydrocarbons which is why they've almost replaced them for side scale usage (Hamm 1982). However, they are poisoness to people. One type of organophosphate, paratheion, is used to kill mites and aphids on fruit trees and vegetables. Another kind, malathion, are less dangerous to apply, so they're widely used by farmers ( World Book, 1999). Carbonates are the last kind of organic insecticide. They are made from carbamic acid which is CO2NH3 (Hamm, 1982). They also contain one or more amino groups that are of one nitrogen atom and two hydogen atoms. They don't leave harmful deposits in food but some are harmful to warm blooded animals (World Book, 1999). Common members of this group are aldicarb, BUX, carbaryl, carbofuran, dimetilan, formetanate, methiocarb, methiocarb, methomyl, propoxur, and zectran. These are relatively new and might eventually replace organophosphates (Hamm, 1982). HOW TOXIC ARE THEY? Carbamates contain the insecticide Sevin. Sevin has a low toxicity. It is effective against many insects that are resistant to other pesticides. Caramates also include the insectide Baygon, or Propoxar. Propoxar is highly toxic and has a long residual life. It's effective against cockroaches, ticks, and other difficult insect and arachnid species (Hamm, 1982). Carbamates don't leave harmful deposits in food ( World Book, 1999). The Chlorinated Hydrocarbon contain the insecticide DDT. DDT is moderately toxic and was once one of the most widely used insecticides but are now greatly restricted because it stays in soil and in water food chans (Hamm, 1982). They also endanger animals like birds and fish and they contaminate the food that people eat. Since 1972, the U.S. Government phased out all use of DDT, but it's still used in other countries (World Book, 1999). Organophosphates and carbamates carry some of the same risks. They are both commonly used and both have a high incidence of acute toxicity in animals and humans. Both insecticides are used in flea treatments for pets. They're more dangerous than the other commonly used insecticides like pynethrins and pyrethoids. Symptoms of insecticide poisoning include: pinpoint pupils, blurred vision, tightness in chest, sweating, excessive tear production, salivation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Cardio vascular and neurological problems can also occur. Problems with the nervous system are decreased alertness, sleep disorders, memory loss, and paranoia. Long term effects can occur in the immune system, nervous system, and reproductive system. HOW CAN WE HELP? Some people are trying to change by using more natural insecticides. Once insecticide is cow urine. It's used on cotton and protects it from whiteflies. It also works as a

Creating a Fog Chamber essays

Creating a Fog Chamber essays Meteorology classically defined as the science that deals with the phenomena of the atmosphere, especially weather and weather conditions, is a fairly new science that is practiced by Meteorologists. They are people who interpret weather information from local weather observers, balloons, satellites, and weather stations around the world. In more common vernacular, a Meteorologist reads weather maps, predicts and records weather from atmospheric occurrence. The part of Meteorology that will be discussed throughout this paper are: water vapor, precipitation types, cloud types, and fog types. It is important to understand these topics in order to understand how our project, building a fog machine, works and for us to efficiently understand the principles behind building one. Water vapor is a common term that one probably understands as evaporated water. Essentially this is a correct assumption but this evaporated water makes up our atmosphere and is the most essential element to meteorology. The water vapor is evaporated from the earths surface from lakes, oceans, rivers, streams, etc. In areas of large amounts of water, it is often noticed that there is a greater occurrence of water vapor. The amount of water vapor in the air is measured in two different methods, relative humidity and dew point. The relative humidity, RH, is a percentage which incorporates the ratio of water vapor which is included in a certain amount of air/space. It is a measure of how close air is to saturation. Air gets saturated like anything else, i.e. salt and water eventually you cant dissolve any more salt into a give amount of water. One percent relative humidity would be almost completely unsaturated, versus 100 percent saturated would be completely saturated. The es stands the saturation limit, the most water that the air could hold, and the e stands for the environmental pressure in the following formula. The formula for relati...

20th Century Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

20th Century Literature - Essay Example Humans produce their environment in a creative and beautiful way whether they are free of the yoke of physical needs or encumbered by it. They creatively prepare for their future activities and work out their production on the basis of their set priorities. Humans who are liberated from downright exploitations view their â€Å"life-activity† as an object of their own free will. Social consciousness is created through the establishment of legal and political foundations that are anchored in the human efforts to produce their social life via independently and requisitely becoming a member of a particular productive force. Relations of productions basically determine the fate of an individual’s productive growth in a specific social association. An individual has an independent or â€Å"pure† self-identity which stands apart from others. Yet, this uniqueness is shattered by the emergence of classes because of the forced dominant identity fashioned for each class; this partition between the personal and class distinctiveness is the merchandise of the bourgeoisie. In V.S. Naipaul’s â€Å"A Baker’s Story†, the protagonist who described himself as an extremely black man triumphantly composed a rag-to-riches history through hard work, perseverance, optimism, and faith. Social forces around him were unfavorable to his disposition and yet he was able to transform these societal restraints to his personal growth through experience and creative planning. He did not allow external realities to hamper his original human nature which is the drive to succeed and achieve a life that is not fettered by physical needs but instead a life that is governed by self-actualization and constructive realities. History, according to Marx, is not an independent entity but rather a documentation of human struggles to realize their objectives. Prior to his success, the baker experienced an impoverished life due to his

Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Human Sexuality - Essay Example The choice of the method of contraception is a personal decision based on individual preferences for convenience and comfort, medical histories and the risks and benefits and side effects associated with each method. This calls for the personal involvement of the sexually active males and females to take the appropriate decisions keeping in mind the above stated factors. Further considerations become imperative when the contraception methods are implemented or long term. The issues like whether a couple intends to have children in future are of prime importance before opting for any specific method. Almost all the birth control methods are reversible. With the discontinued usage of the birth control technique men and women will be fertile to their normalcy and will still be able to reproduce. However in the case of surgical methods it becomes comparatively difficult to reverse the situation back to normalcy; which means that once the surgery is carried out, there are less chances for that male or female to reproduce. It is generally believed that no birth control method is 100 percent effective in the prevention of pregnancy; however it is found that some methods are found more effective then the rest. The pregnancy rates for birth control methods are known as failure rates and are generally expressed in percentage that represents the number of pregnancies expected in a group of 100 fertile women using the sole method for a period of one year. Researchers use two basic types of pregnancy rates while describing the effectiveness of a birth control method. Method effectiveness, or perfect use, is the chance of becoming pregnant when a particular method is used correctly and consistently with each act of sexual intercourse.

Ibuprofen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ibuprofen - Essay Example However, other websites say that it is 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propanoic acid, where methylpropyl is replaced with isobutyl (Broyles, 2009). First of all, Ibuprofen is a propanoic acid, which is a carboxylic acid, characterized by a –COOH tail, and is an organic hydrocarbon molecule with three carbons, which is a property of the basic propane structure. Its being a propanoic acid gives Ibuprofen its pharmacologic properties – analgesic, antipyretic and antiinflammatory – because it is its carboxylic end that reacts with the enzymes that help produce pain hormones. Moreover, Ibuprofen is a chiral or aromatic compound because of its benzene ring or phenyl group, which is attached to the second carbon. Furthermore, there is an isobutyl group, which is made up of four carbons, attached to the second carbon of the phenyl group. Ibuprofen has two optical isomers, the R- and the S+ forms, and where the S+ form has distinct pharmacologic properties and has a significant role in inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins. The R- form, on the other hand, has no anti-inflammatory effect. Nevertheless, an enzyme in the human body naturally converts R- isomers of Ibuprofen into the useful S+ forms, thus increasing the total active forms of Ibuprofen in the body (â€Å"The Structure of Ibuprofen,† 2012). According to information from the University of Oxford Department of Chemistry, Ibuprofen is â€Å"only slightly soluble in water but readily soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol† (â€Å"Ibuprofen,† University of Oxford, 2012). Other sources, however, say that Ibuprofen is insoluble in cold water (â€Å"Material Safety,† 2012). The insolubility of Ibuprofen is due to the presence of the non-polar covalent bonds present in the hydrocarbon chains, which are not soluble in polar compounds like water. In fact, this particular physical property of Ibuprofen accounts for some of its less significant pharmacologic effects. Other physical properties

Roman Catholic Contemporary Tradition Of Moral Theology Theology Religion Essay

Roman Catholic Contemporary Tradition Of Moral Theology Theology Religion Essay An Introduction to Moral Theology was originally written in December of 1990 by William E. May. It was published by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. in 1991, just prior to the Encyclical Letter of John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, which was published in 1994. Later in 1994, May published his revised edition most likely to incorporate and respond to the clarifications provided by Veritatis Splendor. With the second edition, published in 2003, he further expanded his work and provides a very clear and thorough analysis of Christian moral theology. May maintains a strong emphasis on the Christian moral principles purported by Germain Grisez and his companion moral theologians John Finnis and Joseph Boyle. May maintains fidelity to the Roman Catholic Magisterium and offers a strong foundation that stems from his own expertise including his knowledge of bioethics. William May is definitely main-stream and possesses a sound and loyal adherence to the post Vatican II reconnection with Aquinian moral principles. If there is a criticism of Mays book, it is that he possesses such a deep and profound understanding of the evolution of modern moral theology, including the myriad of revisionist authors and their various schools of thought, that he is capable and somewhat prone to lose a novice in the complexity. His book may better serve the graduate student who possesses a core understanding of moral theology, rather than the neophyte or liberal arts undergraduate. May demonstrates repeated loyalty to the theories and teachings of Germain Grisez and often defends them in combination with John Finnis and Joseph Boyle. May, Grisez, Finnis and Boyle have also collaborated in publishing other works. May also brings other authors and theologians into his comparative analysis including: Martin Rhonheimer, Joseph Fuchs, Richard Gula, Charles Curran and Timothy OConnell among many others. May fearlessly pits their views on moral theology against Aquinas Summa , Veritatis Splendor and the documents from Vatican II, especially when sorting out the complex definitions of natural law. Although fearless in his quest for fidelity to Roman Catholic tradition and the Magisterium, he is both thorough and contextually compassionate to the opposing ideas presented by the revisionists and proportionalists, pointing out their positive contributions as well as their serious theological flaws. May is not timid and he quickly rejects their infidelity to the foundation al underpinnings of Roman Catholic theology while simultaneously attempting to understand why they have chosen a contrary stance to Aquinas, Veritatis Splendor, or similar post Vatican II magisterial interpretations. Human Dignity and Free Human Action In Mays first edition, he listed two kinds of human dignity stating, According to Catholic tradition, as found in Aquinas and in the teachings of Vatican Council II, there is a twofold dignity proper to human beings: one is intrinsic and an endowment or gift; the other is also intrinsic, but is an achievement or acquisition.  [1]  Referring to Dignitatis Humane, which was published in 1965, but more notably, citing Veritatis Splendor, May is motivated to add a third kind of human dignity in his revision that he calls, [A] purely gratuitous gift from God himself, who gives this to us when, through baptism, we are re-generated as Gods very own children and given the vocation to become holy, even as the heavenly Father is holy, and to be co-workers with Christ, his collaborators in redeeming the world. This dignity is a treasure entrusted to us, and we can lose it by freely choosing to do what is gravely evil.  [2]   In keeping with his recognized mainstream Roman Catholic theology, May incorporates John Paul IIs renewed focus on moral absolutes, together with the theological virtues presented in Veritatis Splendor, and inculcates this vision into in his two revisions. May was already a proponent of Aquinas and he spends a great deal of time, devoting an entire section of his book on natural law in Aquinas as developed in the Summa Theologiae. He contrasts Aquinas with Ulpians definitions of natural law and then focuses on Aquinas teaching of natural law in the Summa Contra Gentiles. His Revised Edition adds a section on natural law from Vatican II and then in his Second Edition he also adds sections to his book to include the theology of John Paul II as well as Martin Rhonheimer. Mays theology is strong on moral responsibility and their resulting norms. One example is how he interweaves the teaching on natural law from Aquinas with the theology expressed by Grisez, Boyle and Finnis; concluding, It is the natural law which is perfected, fulfilled, [and] completed by the evangelical law of love, of a more-than-human kind of love, the love that God himself has for us. [When we are] concerned with our life as moral persons in Christ, we shall seek to know how the evangelical law of love fulfills and completes the natural law.  [3]   As already noted, May is not shy about identifying and attacking the revisionist theologians and pitting them against Veritatis Splendor and the teachings of the Magisterium. He reviews and sheds light upon the writings of a myriad of the post-Vatican II revisionists including: Louis Janssens, Josef Fuchs, Richard Gula, Richard McCormick, Timothy E. OConnell, Franz Bà ¶ckle, Charles E. Curran, Bernard Hà ¤ring, Franz Scholz, Peter Knauer, and Bruno Schà ¼ller. May defends moral absolutes using strong and carefully documented arguments as they are described in the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church and Veritatis Splendor by John Paul II. He ultimately concludes, Revisionists, in their arguments based on the wholeness or totality of the human act, focus on the agents remote or ulterior end or further intention, i.e., on the good that the agent hopes to realize by choosing to do x here and now, or the evil that the agent hopes to avoid by choosing to do x here and now. But they fail to take seriously indeed, they even ignore the moral significance of the x that is chosen to realize this end and the fact that the agent freely wills this x as a chosen means, for it is the proximate end of his will act and the present intention that shapes his moral being. Revisionists are thus led to redescribe human actions in terms of their hoped-for results. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Secondly, it falsely redescribes actions in terms of their anticipated results and by doing so fails to reveal and at times even conceals what moral agents are in fact choosing and doing [emphasis added].  [4]   On Human Action and Virtue May provides a solid and clear understanding of human action and free choice. Mays first edition (1991) is virtually void of a discussion on the virtues. He does mention virtues and vices in his section, The Basic Understanding of Law in the Summa Theologiae, but his goal is targeted towards a discussion of goods and habits within Eternal Law and Natural Law. His revised (1994) and second (2003) editions add a section dedicated to the virtues. He reflects on Grisez, Aquinas and their discussion of virtue, but less as an instruction on the virtues and more as a response to Veritatis Splendors emphasis on the virtues and their importance and effect on free human action and formation of conscience in the moral life. May has a brief discussion on the Cardinal Virtues and specifically side-steps the Theological Virtues stating, I will not here consider his [Aquinas] teaching on the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity and his teaching that, with charity, God infuses supernatural moral virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, etc. These aspects of his teaching are well set forth by Romanus Cessario in The Moral Virtues and Theological Ethics and Virtue or the Examined Life. An excellent brief account of Thomass teaching on the virtues can be found in T. C. OBriens article on virtue in the New Catholic Encyclopedia.  [5]   Turning then to the Cardinal Virtues, May first reflects on Aquinas discussion of appetites and how they contribute to the formation of the Cardinal Virtues. May states, This text prepares the way for Aquinass division of the moral virtues perfecting the appetites into the classical cardinal virtues, namely, those of prudence (perfecting ones practical reason), justice (perfecting the appetite of the will), temperance (perfecting the concupiscible appetite), and fortitude (perfecting the irascible appetite).  [6]   In coincidence with and in defense of Germain Grisez, May sees a relationship between moral virtues and moral principles. He finds that a virtue is akin to a good habit, citing fairness and justice, and asserting that ones personality is affected by each of the commitments and moral norms practiced by that person. May states, Some today oppose a virtue-based ethics to a normative or principle-based ethics. This debate is in my opinion misplaced. The following passage from Grisez indicates the proper relationship between virtues and moral principles: What, he asks, is the connection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ between moral principles and virtues? Do we have two distinct, perhaps even competing, approaches to morality an ethics of moral truth versus an ethics of virtue? Not at all. Take the Golden Rule. One who consistently chooses fairly and works consistently to carry out such choices is a fair person a person, that is, with the virtue of fairness or justice. A virtue is nothing other than an aspect of the personality of a person integrated through commitments and other choices made in accord with relevant moral norms derived from the relevant modes of responsibility. In other words: living by the standard of fairness makes a person fair.  [7]   This assertion of May also coincides with Veritatis Splendor and how John Paul II views human acts as moral acts and how they express the morality of the individual person. John Paul II states, Human acts are moral acts because they express and determine the goodness or evil of the individual who performs them. They do not produce a change merely in the state of affairs outside of man but, to the extent that they are deliberate choices, they give moral definition to the very person who performs them, determining his profound spiritual traits.  [8]   Natural Law, Central to Mays Moral Theology William May dedicates his longest chapter (chapter 3, of 55 pages) of his second edition (2003) on natural law. He concentrates on several areas of natural law, including the teachings of Aquinas, Ulpians definition, the Summa Contra Gentiles, Vatican II, the teaching of John Paul II, and the theology of Germain Grisez, John Finnis and Joseph Boyle. He also discusses areas of agreement between Rhonheimer and Grisez, Finnis, and Boyle and then turns to areas of disagreement between them and Rhonheimer. Finally he reviews the relationship between natural law and virtue. Kevin Flannery, who reviewed Mays 1994 revision for The Thomist, agrees and comments, The core of the book is chapter two in which May discusses the natural law theory of Thomas Aquinas and its development by Grisez, Finnis and Boyle. Anyone interested in a quick, accurate introduction to natural law theory as understood in its central tradition could do no better than to read these 63 pages.  [9]   Mays incorporation of Rhonheimers position on natural law did not come until the second edition was published in 2003. The core of his use of Rhonheimer supports Grisez et al. noting that as held by Aquinas, natural law is a work of practical reason. He opposes the moralists that deny moral absolutes and accepts that natural reason naturally apprehends the goods that are to be pursued and done. As May states, Rhonheimer agrees with Grisez et al. in holding that according to Aquinas and reality our knowledge of the truths of natural law is not derived from metaphysics or anthropology or any speculative knowledge. With them, he opposes those who maintain the opposite, explicitly acknowledging his debt to Grisez on this matter.  [10]   Rhonheimer disagrees with Grisez et al. in three major areas stated succinctly by May as, (a) the distinction between the perceptive-practical and descriptive-reflexive levels of practical reason; (b) the relationship between natural law and virtue; and (c) the movement from the first or common principles of natural law to its proximate or immediate conclusions.  [11]   May also notes additional disagreement of Rhonheimer with Grisez et al. and indicates that this is his own opinion as well, noting that Rhonheimer does not show how proximate conclusions are found to be true in light of prior principles. May states, Rhonheimer does not, however, explicitly show how the primary principles of natural law serve as premises in the light of which one can show the truth of the proximate and immediate conclusions. In this, he seems to follow Aquinas himself. As we have seen, Grisez, Finnis, and Boyle argue correctly in my opinion that one must show clearly how the so-called proximate conclusions are shown to be true in the light of prior principles.  [12]   In his revised editions, May includes a concise section on the teaching of John Paul II and most importantly as it is expressed in Veritatis Splendor. May demonstrates that one of John Paul IIs main points is that, in order to respect the dignity of our neighbor, one must refrain from destroying or damaging the goods of our neighbor and even, cherish the real goods perfective in him.  [13]   In addition and in agreement with Aquinas who states, Hence it is clear that the goodness of the human will depends much more upon eternal law than upon human reason  [14]  , May emphasizes the core of John Paul IIs thoughts on natural law stating, The highest law is Gods divine, eternal law. The natural law is our human, intelligent participation in this eternal law, which we can come to know through the exercise of our practical reasoning.  [15]  May then directs his reader to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos. 1950-1960) for further clarity on eternal and natural law. Here, is where the passage referring to Leo XIII, Libertas praestantissimum, 579, is encountered in the Catechism that states, The natural law is written and engraved in the soul of each and every man, because it is human reason ordaining him to do good and forbidding him to sin But this command of human reason would not have the force of law if it were not the voice and interpreter of a higher reason to which our spirit and our freedom must be submitted.  [16]   According to Mays convincing and methodical presentations, John Paul II, the Second Vatican Council, Grisez et al., Aquinas, and May himself all agree, natural law that is perfected, fulfilled, and completed by the evangelical law of love, of a more-than-human kind of love, the love that God himself has for us.  [17]   Moral Absolutes and the Battle with the Revisionists May contested the revisionists long before the appearance of Veritatis Splendor and the re-centering of Catholic moral theology on the precepts of Aquinas. In his 1980 compilation of essays entitled Principles of Catholic Moral Life  [18]  May, together with William Cardinal Baum, compiled a series of essays that were unequivocally Thomistic and criticized the proportionalist and consequentialist thinking that had developed in several theological circles. In Mays own contribution to the volume, he provided an essay entitled, The natural law and Objective Morality: A Thomistic Perspective. He states, Today [circa 1979] a significant number of Roman Catholic moral theologians find it necessary to dissent from authoritative teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on moral questions. The Magisterium of the Church teaches that some specifiable sorts of human acts are wicked and contrary to the principles of the natural law.  [19]   According to May, the root cause of the revisionists rejection of moral absolutes stems from the Majority Report which was a document dated, (27 May 1966) of the majority theologians of the Pontifical Commission on Population, Family and Birth, in which they sought to explain why, if contraceptive intercourse is morally good, nevertheless various other masturbatory acts between spouses are not.  [20]  May, referring to Documentum Syntheticum, (in Hoyt, p. 72), further highlights the notions of the revisionist theologians of the Majority Report that state, Infertile conjugal acts constitute a totality with fertile acts and have a single moral specification [namely, the fostering of love responsibly toward generous fecundity].  [21]  May points out that the theologians of the Majority Report say, that the moral object of their act is the fostering of love responsibly toward a generous fecundity.'[They define] this [as] obviously something good, not bad. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Revisionists, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ claim that the specific moral absolutes defended in the Catholic tradition and affirmed by the magisterium isolate partial aspects of human acts and, on the basis of such isolated aspects, render decisive moral judgments about them. Their claim is that reason, objectivity, and truth require that an action be evaluated as right or wrong only as a totality that includes all the circumstances and motivations, considered in relation to all the premoral (but morally relevant) goods and bads involved in that totality.  [22]   May then goes on to show that from this line of thinking the revisionist theologians including those he names: Franz Bà ¶ckle, Charles E. Curran, Josef Fuchs, Bernard Hà ¤ring, Louis Janssens, Richard McCormick, Timothy E. OConnell, Richard Gula, Franz Scholz, and Bruno Schà ¼ller, develop the theories of proportionate good, the preference principle, and the denial of moral absolutes. Another group of theologians sometimes called the minority report theologians including Germain Girsez, John Finnis, Joseph Boyle, and others, including William May himself, hold fast to the teachings of Aquinas, and defend moral absolutes. In the 2003 second edition of his book, May also points out that in their understanding of the object of a human act, the minority report theologians coincide with both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and John Paul II in Veritatis Splendor. May clearly states, With this understanding of the object of a human act in mind, it is easy to grasp John Paul IIs conclusion, namely, that One must reject the thesis, characteristic of teleological and proportionalist theories, which holds that it is impossible to qualify as morally evil according to its species its object the deliberate choice of certain kinds of behavior or specific acts, apart from consideration of the intention for which the choice is made or the totality of the foreseeable consequences of that act for all persons concerned [no. 79; cf. no. 82].  [23]   May clearly points out that in Veritatis Splendor, John Paul II refutes the teleologisms of consequentialism and proportionalism declaring that they, are not faithful to the Churchs teaching when they believe that they can justify, as morally good, deliberate choices of kinds of behavior contrary to the commandments of the divine and natural law'(cf. no. 75).  [24]   Morality and Sin May focuses on three major areas in his discussion of sin: (1) the core meaning of sin, (2) the distinction between mortal and venial sin and the basis of this distinction, and (3) the effect of sin on our moral life.  [25]   In his discussion on the core meaning of sin, he turns first to scripture, starting with the Old Testament. According to May, The Old Testament consistently regards sin as a wicked rebellion against the Lord.  [26]  Here he reflects on the words to describe sin such as unfaithfulness, adultery, foolishness, and abomination. Referring to Sirach, May states, The consistent teaching of the Old Testament is that sin is rooted in human freedom and consists in an abuse of Gods gift of free choice.  [27]  He then turns to David and Psalm 51 and highlights what he calls a beautiful summary of sin in the Old Testament with the passage, Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions (pesha). Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity (awon), and cleanse me from my sin (hatta t)! For I know my transgressions (pesha), and my sin (hattat) is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned (hatta), and done that which is evil (ra) in thy sight (Ps 51: 1-4).  [28]   This is the source for the words used by the priest during Mass, when standing at the side of the altar, he washes his hands, saying quietly, Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  [29]   Turning to the New Testament, May finds words to describe sin like harmatia and harmatma (freely chosen deeds or to choose to miss-the-mark), anomia (lawlessness), adikia (injustice), and skotos (dimmed eyesight or blindness). For May, these words show that sin is an opposition to the truth of God, to Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life to ones fellowmen, and to the truth of being a human person.  [30]   The third area that May discusses in his section on sin is Catholic moral tradition. He reflects on aspects of St. Augustine and Aquinas as well as Gaudium et Spes, and Dignitatis Humanae. He also considers some of the active theologians and their contrary views, including Keane, Curran, Hà ¤ring, McCormick, and others. True to Mays orthodox view of divine law, he understands that God directs all of creation with charity and wisdom. In this context he concludes, [T]he highest norm of human life is the divine law eternal, objective, and universal whereby God orders, directs, and governs the entire universe and all the ways of the human community by a plan conceived in wisdom and love. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Man has been made by God to participate in this law, with the result that, under the gentle disposition of divine providence, he can come to perceive ever more increasingly the unchanging truth (Dignitatis humanae, no. 3; cf. Gaudium et spes, nos. 16-17).  [31]   May then goes on to unfold a clear and articulate discussion of mortal sin and venial sin. He uses many sources including encyclical and magisterial pronouncements, scripture, council teachings, and especially observations from John Paul II. Within this context, he carefully considers and then clearly rejects the fundamental option theories. Finally, at the end of his chapter on sin, May refers his readers directly to the Catechism of the Catholic Church where he clearly embraces its definitions of sin, including mortal and venial sin, which states, God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all (Rom 11:32). Sin is an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law (St. Augustine, Faust 22: PL 42, 418). It is an offense against God. It rises up against God in a disobedience contrary to the obedience of Christ. Sin is an act contrary to reason. It wounds mans nature and injures human solidarity. The root of all sins lies in mans heart. The kinds and the gravity of sins are determined principally by their objects. To choose deliberately-that is, both knowing it and willing it-something gravely contrary to the divine law and to the ultimate end of man is to commit a mortal sin. This destroys in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible. Unrepented, it brings eternal death. Venial sin constitutes a moral disorder that is reparable by charity, which it allows to subsist in us. The repetition of sins-even venial ones-engenders vices, among which are the capital sins.  [32]   In his latest (2003) revised edition of An Introduction to Moral Theology, May includes an appendix to his book, Christian Moral Life and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He refers his readers to the Catechism and this appendix often, pointing out that the prime source for most definitions within moral theology are best sought there. In his review of Mays book in the New Oxford Reviews, Justin Gullekson agrees with the observations above regarding Mays mainstream Roman Catholic position on sin and states, Sin and moral absolutes: These topics are taken up [by May] with gusto. The pastor, director of religious education or unsettled lay person will find Mays extensive treatment of these matters helpful, especially because he identifies certain theological positions with their corresponding expositors. This book battles the mess people make of their lives when they have been acting according to the false subjective norms of free choice (if it feels O.K., do it) and so-called conscience (if its not a sin for you, its no sin).  [33]   Jesus Christ, Our Moral Foundation May points out that Jesus Christ is central and foundational in Christian morality. He supports this with sections from Gaudium et Spes, Veritatis Splendor, scripture (especially from Pauls letters), and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. As he often does throughout his book, May then turns to articulated positions from Germain Grisez. He points to Grisezs threefold understanding of how Jesus divinizes humanity, producing union with God. The first is, our union with him in divine life as children of God, [the second is] the bodily union between Jesus and his faithful, the members of his Church [and the third is] unity between Christ and the Christian in human acts.  [34]   The sacraments, and especially the Eucharist within the Mass and Baptism are central to ones union with Christ and humanitys sharing in His sanctifying grace. The Mass is fully a participation in Christs act of salvation and Baptism is the bestowal of ones vocation to not only be within Gods family and a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, but also to assume a greater responsibility to live a moral life as a member of His Mystical Body. In alignment with Aquinas, Veritatis Splendor, and Grisez, May turns to a discussion of the beatitudes, and how they provide, modes of Christian response [to] specify ways of acting that mark a person whose will, enlivened by the love of God poured into his or her heart, is inwardly disposed to act with confidence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [35]   May turns again to Grisez. Here he enfolds the gifts of the Holy Spirit as found in Isaiah with the beatitudes producing eight modes of Christian response  [36]  as follows, 1. To expect and accept all good, including the good fruits of ones work, as Gods gift [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 2. To accept ones limited role in the Body of Christ and fulfill it [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 3. To put aside or avoid everything which is not necessary or useful in the fulfillment of ones personal vocation [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 4. To endure fearlessly whatever is necessary or useful for the fulfillment of ones personal vocation [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 5. To be merciful according to the universal and perfect measure of mercy which God has revealed in Jesus [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 6. To strive to conform ones whole self to living faith, and purge anything which does not meet this standard [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 7. To respond to evil with good, not with resistance, much less with destructive action [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] 8. To do no evil that good might come of it, but suffer evil together with Jesus in cooperation with Gods redeeming love -.  [37]   By digesting the beatitudes in this way, using Grisezs thoughts, May demonstrates how, in essence, the beatitudes are actually moral foundational norms or virtues for humanity provided directly by Christ. The Church, Teacher of the

Free Hamlet Essays: The Foils :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Foils of Hamlet  Ã‚   Hamlet is a play about a young man who is seeking revenge for his father's death. In the process of doing so, different things happen and it becomes more and more of a complex plot. Throughout the play, we are introduced to many different foils. One of which is Laertes. Shakespeare chooses to portray Hamlet and Laertes differently although they are both so similar. Hamlet and Laertes are all in basically the same position. Both of their fathers have been killed and they are both looking to avenge those fathers' deaths. However, we see when we are reading that some characters are set up so that they gain more sympathy and such than others from the reader. For example, Shakespeare makes Laertes look like a "bad guy" because he wants to kill Hamlet but in essence, Hamlet is doing the same exact thing to Claudius. It is as if Shakespeare is saying that it is okay for Hamlet to kill but it isn't ok for Laertes to feel the need for revenge. Hamlet begins a soliloquy with the line, "How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge!" (Act IV, sc. IV, li. 32-33) It is like Shakespeare is trying to make it look like it is such a shame the Hamlet's plans aren't working out so well and that he isn't as stable as he wants to be. It is almost like Shakespeare wants to reader to take pity on Hamlet who is not such a genuine person. He has killed Polonius and some say he has killed Ophelia. Should people really pity him because his plans to kill his uncle aren't falling correctly into place? Shakespeare is almost trying to get the reader to do so. On the other hand, there is Laertes who is Hamlet's position. His father was killed, actually by Hamlet, and he is out to avenge that death. He is furious and passionate about it just like Hamlet is but it almost seems that when one is reading the play, they should think of Laertes as a "bad guy" and as the antagonist. Laertes says "It warms the very sickness in my heart that I shall live and tell him to his teeth, "thus did'st thou." (Act. IV sc.VII. li. 55-57) He is basically saying that he would make him so happy to kill Hamlet and to show his what he really did.

High Wire Essay

The living standards of an individual in any country depend on numerous factors. The economic conditions of that country, is one of the most important factor which influences the lives of the people living and working in the country. The changes in the economic conditions of country have a huge impact on the lives of people, as they affect their earning and spending capacity. One such country which is experiencing massive changes in its economy is America. America was regarded as a country where one can achieve his/her dream of an affluent and prosperous lifestyle but the recent economic situation in America tells another story. The book â€Å"High Wire: The Precarious Financial Lives of American Families† by Peter Gosselin deals with the economy of America and the changes it has undergone since 1970s. The author brings forth the affects of these changes on the financial lives of Americans. The changes in the economic policies of America have led to a situation in America where Americans are being deprived of financial security. Through his book, Gosselin throws light on the financial life of Americans which is becoming more and more insecure, owing to the shift of risk from the employers to employees, from the insurance companies to their clients and from the federal government to the American people. Financial Lives In the book â€Å"High Wire: The Precarious Financial Lives of American Families† by Peter Gosselin, the author focuses on the financial lives of Americans in the present times. He begins his book by pointing out the difference in the economic conditions in America and the financial lives of its people in the past and in the present times. In the period that followed World War II, Americans led a life of prosperity and affluence, owing to the favorable economic conditions in their country. â€Å"The first is that for most of the past quarter century, the United States has enjoyed the return of a resilient and growing prosperity that once seemed lost. † (Gosselin 1). But in present times, the financial lives of Americans have been affected by the changing economic scenario in their country. Even if they are leading a life of prosperity, they are insecure regarding their financial lives. â€Å"The second fact is that many of us, even the affluent among us -those with family income running into the hundreds dollars-have arrived at the new century increasingly uneasy, with a gnawing sense that our circumstances are changing in ways that leave us less secure. † (Gosselin 2). The lack of security is having a huge impact on the lives of Americans. After citing the economic situation, in which the Americans are leading their lives, the author goes on to analyze the reasons for this insecurity that is gripping Americans. The foremost reason he mentions in his book is related to the new economic policies which places the risk on the individuals instead of government. â€Å"In its place, wrapped in the economic doctrine of free markets and the moral precept of personal responsibility, stands a new first principle: Each of us is now expected to forge our own future, free to rise or fall as our talents or luck may dictate. † (Gosselin 4). In support of his claim, Gosselin provides numerous examples which prove the shift of risk from government, employers and insurance companies to the people. Insurance companies are taking advantage of the new economic policies and reducing the payments which are claimed by their clients. In such circumstances, American people are forced to bear their medical expenses, without any substantial support from their insurance companies. The concept that individuals or companies are responsible for their own financial conditions has led to the collapse of even big companies. â€Å"Within days, in September 2008, another investment bank, Lehman Brothers, was on the brink collapse†¦.. But Paulson under intense political pressure from Conservative Republicans in Washington to invoke moral hazard and let the company fail†. (Inside The Meltdown). Another factor that has greatly influenced the financial lives of Americans is the effect a job loss has on the work life of an individual. The unemployment benefits that a worker receives after a job have reduced drastically in the comparison to the times before a couple of decades ago. The author also brings forth the fact that a job loss leads to a greater drop in wages in present times. A worker, who has lost his job, is compelled to work on fewer wages on his next job, thereby leading to a drastic reduction in his/her spending capacity. Effects on Individuals The effects of the drastic changes in the socio-economic policies of America on individuals working and leading their lives in America are presented by Gosselin. He writes in his book that in present times, American people are more concerned about the problems they will face in their financial lives than the national problems. â€Å"Indeed, it has not been public events that sometimes awaken us and leave us tossing in bed. Instead, fleetingly, but recurrently, we have been night stalked by questions about our private lives. † (Gosselin 2). They are worried about their medical expenses, the cost of education of their children, the impact a job loss would have on their family. The author cites the examples of some individuals in his book to bring forth the impact the changed rules in American economy is having on American people. He writes about real people whose financial lives have been largely impacted owing to the new economic policies in their country. Individuals like Debra Potter had to bear the medical expenses on their own, as their insurance companies, taking advantage of the new economic policies, refused to pay them the proper amount of benefits liable to them. People received benefits from their insurance companies but they were insufficient enough to cover their medical expenses. A job loss turned the life of an individual upside down, like Coss who had to manage with meager unemployment benefits after losing his job as the Vice President of a reputed bank. â€Å"As Coss-tall, taciturn, with short-cropped almost military, hair- recounted what it was like to go from earning several thousand dollars a week to collecting a few hundred in unemployment benefits. † (Gosselin 6). With the aid of statistics, Gosselin proves his claim about the growing insecurity among the Americans regarding their financial lives. The changed economic conditions has created such a situation in America where financial lives of its people lack the security which is needed to stabilize them when they are effected by a job loss, medical expenses or college education. The government is not providing a security net where people can cope with the changes that new economic policies are having on their financial lives. People have to deal with these changes on their own. â€Å"Instead of joining together to solve problems, that affect the whole society, the heralds of the new approach say, more responsibility should be placed on individuals and families.† (Gosselin 5). Even though the number of people whose financial lives have changed owing to the new economic situation is less, these effected people are less likely to return to their former financial positions. â€Å"As with so much else about the present economy, the dangers are like rifle shots, hitting fewer targets but doing more lasting damage. † (Gosselin 54). The financial lives of Americans are being influenced by a number of factors. Through this book, Gosselin brings forth these factors and the impacts these factors are having on the way the Americans are managing their work lives and family expenses. Conclusion The author has put forth the current economic situation and the impact it is having on the financial lives of Americans in his book â€Å"High Wire: The Precarious Financial Lives of American Families†. Being an economics reporter, the author has succeeded in presenting the real picture of American economy and the insecurity experienced by American people regarding their financial lives. His book differs from other books written on this topic, for Gosselin has presented an accurate depiction of American economy in present times. He also brings forth the reasons which have led to insecure financial lives for the Americans. He holds the government and the companies responsible for this situation in America. But he fails to consider the other factors that are influencing the economic situation in America. He focuses only on the economic policies of American government and American companies, and ignores the impact of other countries on the American economy. The book has aided me in understanding the present economic condition of America and the risk its people are facing regarding their financial lives. It also made me aware of the negative impact the new policies are having on American economy. My thinking that the new economic policies were assisting in the economic development of the America was proved wrong after reading this book. The book can be helpful for economists as well as the common people of America, for it will inform them about the reasons for their insecure financial lives, and this information will assist them in voting for appropriate candidate during the Presidential elections.

Rainforest Preservation

Rainforest Tribe Awareness Rainforests have been on this planet for four hundred million years. They help out the earth by producing oxygen and disposing of carbon dioxide for our planet. By sucking up all of the carbon dioxide, the pollution on the planet is a lot lower than what it could be. The rainforests help maintain a balanced climate and without them global warming would increase. They hold many species of plants and animals and by destroying them we are killing possible cures to diseases as well as endangered animals we never knew existed.Companies and corporations, however, are taking down these rainforests at the rate of six thousand acres a day. At a progression like that how are we supposed to keep rainforests alive on this planet? The companies use the extra space from the newly harvested trees for cattle farms. Shockingly, the trees taken from the rainforest are mostly sold to the United Sates for hard wood flooring. Probably the most startling part about destroying ra inforests, however, is that we are killing the native and primitive tribes that still exist there.The indigenous tribes of the Amazon Rainforest have lived there since ancient times and are the most primitive group of people still alive in the twenty first century. Normal traditional tribes say to preserve the nature that’s in the forest and learn from what it has to teach us. Is desolating the rainforests and taking the native tribes land and using it as flooring in our homes ethical? I believe that something so unique and special needs to be preserved and cherished and not used for something so impractical.Even though rainforests are harvested for lumber and turned into cattle fields which can make an abundance of money, rainforests should not be destroyed because of the people that are living in them will die and suffer which is not tolerable because they are human beings as well and we can learn a lot from them about archaic times. First, Indians definitely want to mainta in their isolation from the real world, especially the tribes in Peru. When civilized people try to communicate with them I can imagine that they become seriously confused. They’ve never seen cameras, hiking boots or backpacks.Some tribes have never even heard the English language before. For these groups of Indians to survive in future generations, the Peruvian Government needs to stop the logging and destruction of the land that is on the Indians property. If this continues and the rainforest in Peru becomes completely annihilated, then chances are we are also wiping out the Indian tribes. Leaving these Indians in isolation seems like the best idea to me. As of right now, the tribes live as if it were the primitive days when cave men were just starting to evolve.Some tribes are so primitive that they still only use sticks and rocks as there tools to make everything with. For example, instead of wearing brand name material clothes they make all of it themselves, including to ols, baskets and so on just out of leaves, sticks and straw. They are very slow evolving tribes. Some only just discovered the wheel which is amazing and is proof to how primitive they are. They are so old fashioned that they don’t even have a number system besides one and two. Time is another fascinating item in indigenous Indian history. Their sense of time is extremely close to civilized nations.As of today, even the United States uses the Mayan calendar up to a point. It’s interesting to see how different cultures evolve and how some became highly advanced while others still live in the stone ages. â€Å"The men make bow and arrow, used for hunting and protection against threats to their people (Section 2 Freddy). † Since there is no such thing as a hospital for them, the rainforest is their main medical cabinet. They use whatever they can in the rainforest to survive. Also, many people are beginning to mention how the problem and the solution to rainforest destruction are both economic.The Rainforest is being destroyed for things like timber, cattle, and agriculture, but those things cannot sustain people for very long, so there is no point in taking them anyway. By destroying the rainforest it is affecting the people who live there. Other people make comments like â€Å"if the Government is giving a good reason not to destroy the rainforest then it could be saved, but as of right now it looks like we are on a road of destruction (Section 1 Company Information). † The local tribes of the rainforest harvest medicinal plants, fruits, nuts and oils and sell them to local places for some money.By destroying the rainforest you are in turn hurting the people that thrive off of it. If we continue to destroy the rainforest we may destroy an extremely important plant that the tribes use to cure an illness. We still need to find the cure for AIDS, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease. â€Å"Scientists predict that since t he number of acres lost is so huge that around 130 species of plants and animals become extinct every single day. This means that we have probably already lost cures to diseases and illness’s (Section 1 Company Information). A tribe called the Yanomami smoke a hallucinogenic drug called yopo. Yopo is made up of leaves and vines and grinded together to be smoked. â€Å"Smoking it is painful at first until the hallucinogen kicks in (Hands around the World). † The Yanomami make up dances to what they are seeing and believe it is the spirit world. Dancing and rituals are very important to the Yanomami. They dance about their past, future, and to tell stories. How these people are more in touch with nature instead of electronics, like most civilized groups of people are baffles me.In the 1990’s, there was a survival campaign after half a tribe of Nahua indigenous Indians were wiped out due to Peru continuously going into the rainforest for oil exploration, logging, a nd natural resource extraction. Thankfully, the campaign seemed to work quite well. However, since the campaign, the Indians are safe and away from people. As long as the government recognizes that they have to help these people by stopping the destruction of rainforests then everything should work out in the end. Jeff Tollefson is a reporter for the Nature Magazine.He travels around to different places including rainforests to report to people about what is going on there. On several occasions, Tollefson has visited the Amazon Rainforest to report on it. When he first visited it he reported on deforestation. He concluded that â€Å"deforestation causes fifteen percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and seventy five percent of Brazil's (Section Deforestation). † Fortunately, a new law came around that says that land owners have to keep forest on eighty percent of the land. They will however, give exemptions to smaller land owners.Jeff adds that â€Å"if people donâ€℠¢t obey the law that there may be a new wave of deforestation (Section Law). † This could definitely lead to future problems, for example, killing off native tribes that live around the area that is being destroyed. Luckily, Brazil has begun a new Forest Code which now is being enforced very strictly. According to the new and updated code, trees can’t be cut down on property that is owned by the government. This is going to be very helpful for any tribe living in the forest, as long as the code is followed. Nevertheless, people are still not obeying it, which is unfortunate.Keeping people from cutting down Amazon Rainforest trees should become one of Brazil’s main goals. If they can accomplish that then we can keep tribes, plants, and animals from going extinct and lower greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. As of right now, Brazil is working on a plan to keep the Amazon Rainforest safe and out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, Brazil, along with fifteen other countries have been given proposals and ideas by people who want to keep the rainforest from being destroyed, however, these proposals contradict what Brazil is already doing. Brazil is becoming an economic superpower by harvesting lumber and timber from the forests’ (Rhett Butler). † They are in between deciding whether they should stop cutting down trees all together or not. A professor at University of Colorado named William Boyd said that â€Å"Brazil is not interested in giving industrialized countries cheap carbon credits from protecting the Amazon if they are not going to stop building coal-fired power plants (Rhett Butler). † Boyd works for REDD, a company that is cutting down the Amazon trees.REDD says that they are aware that by cutting down these trees my pose a possible threat to a climate change. Brazil did release a plan recently to reduce deforestation emissions by seventy percent. The plan went into affected in 1996 and stopped in 2005. To f und this program the President of Brazil planned on using donations from people and companies. So far the plan has worked really well. â€Å"Emissions are down from over half of what they were (Rhett Butler). † This means that deforestation is getting reduced some as well. Since emissions are down, tribes in the forest will not be suffering as much as they used to.Amazingly, the Amazon Rainforest used to have many Indians and tribes, but unfortunately due to colonization, diseases, and forced labor these tribes have been diminished from what they used to be. There are around two hundred indigenous tribes are still left in the Amazon Rainforest, with one hundred and eighty of them speaking a different language. Despite their differences, most of these tribes come together every year in the summer to celebrate their dead in a festival called the Kuarap. During this festival the Indians dance, practice rituals and games.Depending on the tribe leader, some outsiders are allowed t o view this amazing festival. The Kuarup is held within the rainforest, so if the rainforest is gone where are they supposed to have it? Something that is so sacred to these people could just vanish in an instant if we keep demolishing the rainforest. Fortunately, the indigenous tribe’s numbers are increasing slightly. Recent studies have shown that this is because the Brazilian Government has issued a single policy that states to just leave the tribes alone as they wish. Apparently it seems to be helping since their numbers are cumulating.The Brazilian Government is deciding on whether to set up an Indigenous Protected Area in which all the tribes can live without having to deal with outsiders. This brings up the question, is that a good idea? Having all the tribes in a confined space could cause problems between them due to territory and things like that. Also, many of the tribes are dangerous and will attack if they feel threatened by an outsider. â€Å"The population wit hin an Indian tribe can vary from two hundred to thirty thousand†, which just shows that you do not want to mess with a large group. The Indians are not afraid to kidnap if they have to.And this has happened before. There is a novel called Yanoa? ma: The Narrative of a White Girl Kidnapped by Amazonian Indians. This book is a story of a girl, Helena Valero, that got kidnapped by the Yanoama Indians who live in the Amazon rainforest. â€Å"The girl was captured when she was twelve because she and her father were attacked by the Indians (Valero pg 23). † They accidentally came upon a large group and took Helena as almost a â€Å"prize won† of some sorts. Throughout the book Helena goes through some extremely tough times in which she would sometimes rather die than be stuck in her hard situation.Once she got the chance, however, Helena escaped. She decided, however, not to go back to civilization since it had been such a long amount of time. â€Å"She lived by hers elf in the forest for seven months before she came across another tribe where she met her first husband Fusiwe†, who was the leader of the tribe. After a good amount of time had passed, Helena had a few sons with Fusiwe, but â€Å"their love was cut short because Fusiwe died. † A fellow tribe member wanted his leader position and was faster and stronger than him so murdered him.After his death her life was under threat because the new tribe leader believed that her sons would grow up and take advantage of their father’s old position. Once again poor Helena had to leave her home and find somewhere else. Luckily she was accepted quickly into another tribe who was more peaceful then the last. She remarried and had another two children. This time however, her new husband mistreated her so she decided to move back with society. After moving back with the civilized people â€Å"no one took care of her because of how changed and different she was. She may have had whit e skin on the outside, but her behavior was nowhere near acceptable to other people. Since she was in this situation she would starve a lot of the time because she had no money to buy food for herself. Eventually, Helena came to the conclusion that living with the Indians would be better then living with the society, so she decided to head back into the jungle to find her old tribe. â€Å"After forty years of living with them, she became old and blind. † Helena became very respected by her fellow Indians once she was in her older years. Her journey was unbelievable and made her a strong person.Helena came to love the rainforest and made the right decision by going back. Protecting the rainforest may not have been one of her goals; however she did protect it without noticing. By getting kidnapped this made others daunted and distressed to go back into the rainforest. Since no one was setting foot in the forest it was untouched for awhile, keeping it safe. As of right now, howe ver, it seems there are many ways to get into the forest without people knowing. For example, some products made out of the rainforest wood are pointless little gift boxes that can easily be lost or stolen.There’s websites up at this very moment that are selling patio furniture and arbours, which keep you from the shade. I find this extremely ironic because don’t rainforest trees already keep you from the shade? So why cut them down? There is a brighter side to this entire situation. Of course since it costs big bucks to get these trees brought into the United States, selling them at high prices isn’t a problem. This is helpful because this means that only rich folk with lots of money and no respect for the Earth will buy anything like arbours or patio furniture made of rainforest wood.In fact the process of cutting down rainforests isn’t pretty either. Bulldozing down all those trees won’t help anything. I believe that there is a solution to cutti ng down trees and harming the nature and people who live there. As of now to help the rainforest you can donate, join a group or even a campaign to try and help out. One of the biggest and first campaigns to â€Å"Save the Rainforest† was done in the nineties and was because of the fast food place, Burger King. The man Paul Chandler was one of the main credible men for this campaign.Burger King was importing beef from tropical areas and once the news found out it was all over. â€Å"Sales drastically dropped and Burger King cancelled thirty-five million dollars worth of beef contracts (Section About RAN). † By getting the media involved people began to notice the rainforest again. More protests started and other fast food restaurants were checked to see where their beef was coming from. This was a huge step in starting to help rainforests and soon another huge step will come. Paul is visiting Brazil and is against all the logging that they are doing and is attempting t o start another campaign.Preserving the rainforest is one of the most important things we can do. Since the Amazon Rainforest is so far away, helping it from the United States does seem problematic. However, I think there are a few solutions to helping it. On my own time, I decided to help my community pick up liter along the highway. Picking up liter along a highway was quite an experience. I ended up picking up liter with my church because they have a community service program. I decided to work with this church because I used to go to it all the time when I lived at home with my parents.My supervisor was my Pastor John Buchner. I asked him what he thought of me doing this to help the tribes in the Amazon Rainforest and his response was â€Å"I think it’s a great idea to do something like this to help, not only your community but also the rainforest. It’s spreading awareness about an issue that I had never really considered. † Littering our planet with McDonal d’s bags and beer cans isn’t the right thing to do. I believe that littering is an effective way to help clean the environment because it makes our planet cleaner and not looking so trashy.Although, if everyone did their own part in the first place and just didn’t liter at all, then we wouldn’t have to worry about littering, however this is not a realistic option. We will just have to pick up the liter that we see around. I have learned that many inconsiderate people liter and they don’t think about how it’s harming the Earth. Likewise, many people are killing the rainforest which is harming the Earth more than people realize. If we continue littering like this our planet will be destroyed, including the rainforests.Future generations are going to pay for the inconsiderate people who have been littering. I feel like it’s easy to not liter. All you need to do is find a trashcan. A few things came to my attention while on this experienc e. For example, once everyone realizes what they have done to the planet it will most likely be too late to fix things, just like once the rainforest is gone it will be too late to fix things. Rainforests have been on this planet for four hundred million years. They support the life that lives on this planet we call home.By destroying and obliterating hundreds of thousands of acres a day of rainforests, we are killing things we have yet to discover and that’s just a shame. Animals, plants and people all live on this planet together and rainforests support all of them by providing oxygen, food, shelter, medicine and many other things. Rainforest’s hold keys to many ancient civilizations because of all the tribes that still live within the forests. We can learn many things from these civilizations and that’s why I think they should be protected and saved because if we don’t attempt to save them now then they will be gone when we need them most.Overall, I be lieve that there are multiple ways to save the rainforest tribes from becoming obliterated. We still have so much to learn from them about our past so we need to preserve them for as long as we can. The newly updated forest code which prevents people from cutting down government owned rainforest property is going to keep tribes safe, together and out of harm’s way. When civilized people come onto indigenous Indian land, the Indians get afraid and attack them because of how past intruders have treated them. At least this new code will help keep the Indians alive for a longer period of time.Instead of buying rainforest hardwood floors from the United States, people should donate that money to organizations like REDD and RAN that will actually use that money to help save the tribes in the rainforest. We need to fight for these rainforests because they have so much to teach us. Helena, the girl captured by the Yanomami tribe, left the rainforest only to decide that she missed it and wanted to go back. However, if we kill off the last of the rainforest and its people then there is no going back and no second chances. This would be devastation to our planet.If suddenly twenty percent of the world’s oxygen was gone then the existence of many things would disappear around the world. Plus, the rainforest produces many medicines for ill people. There are still a number of plants that have not been discovered in the rainforest and maybe one of those plants will cure cancer. Keeping the rainforest and the indigenous people who live there alive is an amazing goal and not possible to do on my own. If we want to keep the people who live in the rainforests alive, then were going to all have to work together to keep our planet healthy and help people understand why we need them so badly.Work Cited Butler, Rhett A. â€Å"Brazil's Plan to save the Amazon Rainforest. † Conservation and Environmental Science News. 2 June 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Compa ny Information. † Wealth of the Rainforest. Carson City, NV, 1996. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. . Freddy. â€Å"Tribes of the Amazon Rainforest. † HotelClub Hotel and Travel Blog. 20 Sept. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Our Mission and History. † Rainforest Action Network.Web. 11 Apr. 2012. . Valero, Helena, and Ettore Biocca. Yanoa? ma: The Narrative of a White Girl Kidnapped by Amazonian Indians. New York: Dutton, 1970. Print. â€Å"Hands Around the World. † Native American Indian Cultures. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. . Tollefson, Jeff. â€Å"Paying to Save the Rainforests. † University of Northern Colorado Libraries The Source Catalog. Nature Publishing Group. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. http://0- search. proquest. com. source. unco. edu/docview/204495428/abstract>.

Introduction to Law Contract Essay Example

Introduction to Law Contract Essay Example Introduction to Law Contract Essay Introduction to Law Contract Essay Essay Topic: The Social Contract Public, private, private members and hybrid bills are all forms of what eventually becomes primary legislation also referred to as an Act of Parliament. Like many proposed laws and law changes primary legislation starts life as a white paper, this is a statement of policy from the government. These white papers are often subject to scrutiny in the House of Commons before being introduced as a bill at the first reading. Once the bill has been introduced it will pass through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords for consideration. At the second reading it is open to debate but cannot be amended. If the bill is passed at this stage it then moves through a number of committees in the House of Commons whole house, standing and select committee. At these committees the bill can be debated and amended before moving onto the report and third reading stages. If approved at both of these stages the bill will then be presented to the Queen for Royal Assent. This is the final stage of law making and Royal Assent confirms the bill as an Act of Parliament and at this stage it becomes statute. Judges are required to apply primary legislation in court cases without exception, but can use their interpretation of the legislation where applicable. Delegated legislation is a term used to describe laws and regulations made by authorised bodies or persons such as ministers or local authorities using powers bestowed on it by an Act of Parliament. Each item of delegated legislation is usually known as a statutory instrument but the Queen by Order in Council can make some delegated legislation. This is often the case in time of emergency i.e. to impose sanctions. Byelaws are made by delegated legislation but generally operate only in the locality of their creation. Delegated legislations can be challenged either in court through judicial review or as part of the defence. One of the reasons to challenge may be because the legislation is deemed to be ultra vires, or beyond the powers of the body or institution that passed the legislation originally. Judicial precedent is the process by which judges can use the decisions of previous cases as the authority for the basis of their decision, as long as there is sufficient likeness in the facts. There are some key principles that should be followed when using judicial precedent. All courts are bound to follow the decisions of a higher court. This is known as stare decisis to stand by the decided. The binding principle of judicial precedent is ratio decidendi the reason of the decision. This is a statement by the judge of the legal principles being applied in the case and it is only this statement that gives ratio decidendi. If there has been no previous precedent set then a judge may declare the law and an original precedent is set. This may then be used in later cases as the precedent. Legislation formed in the European Community comes in the form of regulations and directives made by the Council of Ministers of the EU made up of government ministers from member states or the Commission, which is made up of senior officials from the member states. EU Legislation focuses on a wide range of issues such as trade, agriculture, social policy, employment and the environment. European Union legislation drawn up by a member of the European Parliament and is proposed by the Commission before being discussed and voted on by the Parliamentary committee. Sensitive issues such as agriculture, social policy and taxation need to be agreed unanimously by the Council of Ministers in order to be passed but a system known as Quality Majority Voting is used to decide the majority of issues. Each member state has an allocation of votes according to its size and population. As long as at least half of the member states and at least half of the EU population are in agreement, the legislation can be passed. Issues decided by unanimity do not need to be agreed by the European Parliament but its advice can be sought and in some instances the legislation cannot be passed until the advice or opinion of the Parliament has been sought. The European Communities Act 1972 gives the UK governing party the ability to change existing legislation to reflect new European legislation. All of the forms of law previously mentioned are intrinsically linked in various ways. When a judge is presiding over a case in a UK court he must absolutely abide by primary legislation as this the highest form of law in the land. Coupled with this he must consider delegated legislation but the ability to challenge is available if the legislation is considered to be outside the jurisdiction of the body or institution that created the legislation in the first place. This is known as ultra vires. Depending on the level of the courts hierarchy at which the case is being heard, judicial precedent can come into effect if the material facts of the case being heard are close enough to that of a previous case in which a judgement has been set. An inferior court in the hierarchy must abide by the decision made previously if it was made in a superior court. Alternatively, if the precedent was set in an inferior court to the current one, the judge may make a new decision and this becomes the new precedent for future use. The European Communities Act 1972 gives the UK government the ability to change existing legislation to reflect new European legislation or to ensure that any areas of incompatibility are aligned. This effectively means that all European regulations and directives can be considered in a UK court of law and so sit alongside all UK legislation. Distinguish between an offer and an invitation to treat. An offer can be described as a statement by which the offeror (person making the offer) promises to be bound so long as the terms of the offer are accepted by the offeree (person accepting the offer). When an individual or a company makes an offer it can be made to another individual, a group of persons or to absolutely anyone in the world (Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co Ltd (1893)). In simple terms, an offer is predominantly in the form of a question Will you buy this item for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½xx? A positive decision made by an individual to pay the stated price for the item results in an acceptance of the offer and therefore a contract is formed. However, this is not always the case. In some cases an offer is preceded by an invitation to treat. An invitation to treat is the initial stage at which an individual or a company (invitor) indicate that they are willing to enter into a contract or agreement but that the terms of that contract or are yet to be determined. Some of the ways in which the invitor can invite offers include:- 1. Displays of goods in stores this merely shows what items are available and on which offers can be made (Pharmaceutical Society of GB v Boots Cash Chemists Ltd (1952)). 2. Advertising the advert is acting as a shop window to all intents and purposes. As the advertiser may only have a finite amount of stock they could only possibly have intended the advert to be an invitation to treat (Partridge v Crittenden (1968)). Where the advertiser is making a promise, such as a reward, this could be classed as a unilateral agreement and therefore distinguished as an offer as no further negotiation is intended (Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co Ltd (1893)). 3. Tenders a tender is an invitation to provide goods or services for a price. The person or persons inviting the tenders will then choose a bid that suits their requirements. Until the person inviting the tender has made a decision to accept a tender there is no contract formed (Spencer v Harding (1870)). 4. Auctions the lots or items displayed are the invitation to treat. Any bids made by individuals or companies are offers and the auctioneer may decide to accept or reject such offers (Payne v Cave (1789)). In summary, an offer is a promise by an offeree to enter into a binding agreement, assuming all terms specified by the offeror are accepted. An invitation to treat is the stage prior to an offer in most cases and simply shows willingness by the invitor that they are prepared to enter into negotiations, which may or may not lead to an offer and subsequent acceptance. When two parties have come to a contract or rather what appears, on the face of it, to be a contract the fact that one party is mistaken as to the identity of another does not mean that there is no contract, or that the contract is a nullity and void from the beginning, per Lord Denning MR in Lewis v Averay (1972). How far is the above statement a true reflection of the law? In order to claim a case of mistaken identity there must be at least one of two principles proven. Firstly, the party alleging the mistake must show that he has confused the other party with someone else. In addition, he must be able to show that he had a reason to wish to deal with the intended person. Secondly, the party alleging the mistake must be able to show that he had made reasonable attempts to establish the identity of the party with whom they were intending to form a contract. For a contract to be voided void ab initio, from the beginning, it must be rescinded before the rogue passes the property on to a third party. If this is not the case then the rogue has good title to the property and can pass on the property with good title. In the case of Lewis v Averay (1972) the identity of the rogue was not apparent until after the attempted cashing of the cheque so the rogue had good title throughout the transaction (Phillips v Brooks (1919). The only way Lewis could have voided the transaction would have been to inform the police that the fraud had taken place prior to the goods being passed on and that would have rendered the contract voided. Had Lewis taken further steps at the outset to establish the identity of the rogue he may have been successful in his claim (Ingram v Little (1960)). According to Lord Denning MR in Lewis v Averay (1972), Mr Lewis was only questioning the creditworthiness of the rogue when asking him for identification and therefore the contract was already formed and valid. Receipts had been written and exchanged, along with the cheque. The issue of the identity of the rogue only came to light when Lewis tried to cash the cheque. Because the contract was not voided prior to the property changing hands, the third party (in this case Averay) has acquired good title to the property (Phillips v Brooks (1919)). Had the rogue not sold the property on to a third party the contract would have been between the rogue and Lewis so therefore the contract would have been voidable for fraudulent misrepresentation (Lake v Simmons (1927)). This area of the law is subject to debate among many judges but they all do seem to agree that the case of mistaken identity is classed as a unilateral mistake and the effect on the contract is to void it. However, this only true when the person who makes the mistake was actually intending to form a contract with a specific person and for a specific reason (Cundy v Lindsay (1878)). When the person makes a mistake about the identity of the person in his presence (whether misrepresented or not) but was willing to form a contract with the person in his presence, then the law states that the contract is valid (Phillips v Brookes (1919) Lewis v Averay (1972)).

Information System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information System - Research Paper Example However, the use information systems have been made more interesting with the emergence of social media platforms. These platforms include the facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, and instagram (Hu, et al., 2014). Social media as a whole has played a significant role in revolutionalising marketing strategies; however, instagram has the edge because of features and the ease that one can apply the platform in building the business (Das and Sahoo, 2014). Unlike other social media platforms, the Instagram adopts a unique way of telling stories. The platform uses pictures to convey the message (McCune, 2011). The use of pictures can be tailored to have captions that resonate with the message in the picture. The Instagram has a business blog that offers guidelines on how to use the platform for building business (Das and Sahoo, 2014). This business platform is called Instagram for business and appears as shown in the diagram below (figure 1). The instagram for business is an application that provides easy ways of enabling people exploit the platform to build their business. The strategies have to follow the simple steps that the application provides. It is such a simple way of enhancing business because the user does not have to have many years of experience in using the application to make the most from the application. Building a business brand will require massive following or better the interaction with a massive number of target customers. The best way to popularise a brand is by getting a gauge viewership. This can be a huge task especially when a created post does not have a large following (Aric, 2009). Therefore, the best way of beginning is to cultivate a following. There are several tips that can help an individual attain these objectives. The best way is to connect friends from other social media platforms like facebook and twitter (Das and Sahoo, 2014). This is the easiest way

How does the loss of Kates parents affect Kates values and faith Essay

How does the loss of Kates parents affect Kates values and faith - Essay Example However, this passion for learning is matched by an equally strong iron clad sense of duty. This is the conflict that plays out in Kate’s brother Matt’s life where his sense of duty clashes with his love of learning and aborts his plans in the academic field. As a result, it is Kate who goes on to acquire the learning and become a biologist at Toronto – it is Kate who has the chance to spread her wings and leave Crow Lake, which leaves her with a strong feeling of guilt, since it was her brother Matt who should have been the one to achieve that. It was her brother Matt who was the real scholar of the family, who had a bright future before him as an academic, however the death of their parents forces him to take up farming jobs that ultimately makes him sacrifice his literary aspirations in order to end up becoming a menial farmer. While learning has been the valued goal in the family, the death of their parents is a tragic event for the four brothers and sisters. It is especially difficult for Kate to reconcile her bitterness and inner trauma at the death of her parents, because she feels that it is the direct cause that brought hardship on the family and made it difficult for Matt to be able to pursue his education. The suddenness of the event is a feature that adds to the trauma and shock that Kate feels at the death of her parents. She provides a foretaste of the ominous nature of the day as follows:â€Å"But for our family, there was an event that summer catastrophic enough to be the start of practically everything.† (Lawson 6). This catastrophic event she refers to is none other than her parents’ death, which ironically occurs just after the family has received some glad news. The eldest brother Luke has been accepted as a teacher at a nearby town and this is not only a joyful event but also a surprising one, because it is Matt who is the intelligent one of the family, acknowledged as the one to follow in the footsteps of