Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Threats To Coral Reefs Environmental Sciences Essay

Threats To Coral Reefs Environmental Sciences Essay Coral reefs deal with many threats, from both nature and man. Coral reefs have become the home for over twenty five percent of the marine life in the ocean and theyre the largest living structures on earth (Coral Reefs and CO2). Also, reefs provide food for about 500 million people around the world (Connor). Coral reefs require balanced water chemistry for growth as well as balanced light, temperature, and nutrient levels. Any changes to these can affect the survival of the coral and potentially kill them (Sandhyarani). Ten percent of the tropical reefs in the world have already been lost and the reefs that remain show signs of deterioration and possible loss (Coral Reefs and CO2). Twenty percent of the worlds reefs have been destroyed and show no immediate prospects of recovery, Clive Wilkinson, World Wildlife Fund. The two main threats that reefs deal with come from humans (anthropogenic) and natural events. Consequently, global warming may now have the most devastating affect on coral reefs from humans. Global warming can be caused by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (Coral Reefs in Danger). An increase in ocean temperature is a direct affect of global warming and extremely dangerous to corals and the organisms that call the coral home. The warming can cause coral bleaching, when coral polyps drop the algae that live on them leaving behind the bright white color of the corals skeleton (Thompson). This algae provides the coral with eighty percent of its energy, making the algae critical to the corals existence (Threats). Coral life depends on algae, but too much can also have a negative effect. Pollution has become one of the leading human threats to coral, resulting from runoff, sewage, oils, chemicals, fertilizers, and radioactive wastes getting into the ocean (Kaku). These chemicals can increase the nutrient levels in the ocean waters a nd cause algae blooms and growth of other marine organisms that can compete with coral for space. Pollution can also lead to light deprivation and will ultimately starve a coral, which depends upon its symbiotic algae to produce food photosynthetically (NOAA CoRIS). Pollution can be linked to coral diseases as well; due to the poor water quality that pollution produces. If an oil spill occurs coral spawning, the oil can destroy the egg and sperm of the coral polyp as it floats near the surface before it can ever fertilize and settle (NOAA). Destructive fishing methods are another human related threat to coral reefs. Blast fishing, the most destructive to reefs, kills not only the objective fish but also reef animals and the reefs themselves (Thompson). Cyanide fishing, which involves the release of cyanide into the ocean to stun fish, can kill the coral polyps and corrupt the entire reef (NOAA). Coral mining can also be extremely devastating for corals, the coral is mainly used for construction purposes and can be obtained fifty percent cheaper than rock from a quarry (NOAA). Furthermore, natural threats are also dangerous the coral reefs. Coral diseases are the most common natural threat. Diseases can be caused by humans but they mainly derive from natural biological stresses such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. They can also occur as a result of non-biological stresses such as increased sea surface temperature or ultraviolet radiation (NOAA). Nevertheless, they have the same impact no matter the cause and the main diseases include black band disease, white band disease, white plague, and white pox. Slowly over time, these progress to expand across the coral eating away at the corals tissue and leaving behind its white skeleton unprotected (NOAA). The waves that result from hurricanes and cyclones can break apart branches of coral and coral heads, scattering the fragments and leaving no chance for the coral to recover (McGinley). Tidal emersions, which leave corals exposed for long periods of time during low tide, can cause the coral to overheat and dry out the essential coral tissues (NOAA). Predation from fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs, snails, and starfish can destroy reefs in some cases by eating the soft tissues of coral polyps (NOAA). Humans remain the largest threat to coral survival but natural events can still be devastative. Pollution, overfishing, and overuse have put many of our unique reefs at risk. Their disappearance would destroy the habitat of countless species. It would unravel the web of marine life that holds the potential for new chemicals, new medicines, unlocking new mysteries. It would have a devastating effect on the coastal communities from Cairns to Key West, Florida communities whose livelihood depends upon the reefs.President Bill Clinton

Monday, January 20, 2020

Islams Appeal Essay -- Islam Middle East Islamic Essays History

Islam's Appeal Islam revolutionized the way people thought in the Middle-East. The Prophet spewed forth â€Å"The Word of God† (Cleveland 8) amid reflection, whether his own or that of God, concerning â€Å"the problems which afflicted Meccan society† (8). The subsequent production of the Quran fostered discipline and promoted spiritual growth. Mohammad, under the banner of Islam, united nomadic, feuding tribes in the barren plains of Arabia. The Seal of Prophets brought new rights to women and renewed a commitment to aid the destitute. All Muhammad’s revelations brought welcome change. One thousand years later, the message has not changed in any significant respect. One-time innovation was Islam’s blessing- but is now its curse. In my opinion, steadfast refusal of the ulama reduces the overall appeal of Islam. Sometime in the tenth century, the ulama shut the door on modernization by halting the modification of the shari’ah. Beforehand, the academic community was able to make additions to Islamic law through consensus, or ijma (30). Some three hundred years after the foundation of t...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Consider the contribution creative development Essay

Consider the contribution creative development may make to the education of young children, illustrating your discussion with explicit examples of an activity/activities you planned in nursery and making clear reference to the Early Learning Goals.  Critically analyse at least one activity giving attention to content, organisation, your role, the appropriateness of the activity and the quality of children’s experience in relation to your planned intentions. You should make clear and explicit reference to the response of at least one child if possible, identifying targets for their future needs. Contents  Essay p 2-6  According to HMI (DES 1985:17, cited in Rodger 1999, p. 128) creative development is concerned with,  Ã¢â‚¬  the capacity to respond emotionally and intellectually to sensory experience: the awareness of degrees of quality; and the appreciation of beauty and fitness for purpose.†Ã‚  Creativity allows children and adults to express ideas and feelings in a personal and unique way. Although being creative can be seen as a uniquely human characteristic, if children are to develop their abilities in this area they must be provided with the opportunities that allow them to explore and experiment helping them to gain confidence to express their ideas in a way which is uniquely their own. This is facilitated in the nursery classroom where a rich and stimulating environment is provided helping children to generate and develop their creative ideas supported by sensitive and responsive adults. The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000) states how creative development contributes to the education of young children.  Ã¢â‚¬  Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding.† (p. 116)  Creative development covers variety of different subjects, including art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. For the purpose of this essay I will be looking at the subject of art, and two art (creative) activities planned and taught whilst on placement in a nursery setting. Peter (1996) stated that in order for teachers to plan appropriate art experiences, contributing to the education of young children, they need to be able to identify the general stage of development in art, that their pupils are at. Peter suggested that there are four stages of development in art, the Scribbling Stage that occurs between the ages of six months and four, the Pre-Schematic/ Symbolic Stage between the ages of four and seven, the Schematic/ Emerging Analytic Stage that occurs between the ages of seven an nine and the Stage of Visual Realism/ Analytic Stage that occurs between the ages of nine and twelve. As we are focussing on art in the early years the stage of most relevance is the Scribbling Stage from six months to four years. The Scribbling Stage is the earliest form of artistic expression and is usually characterised by mark making which becomes more controlled as the child develops. At the beginning of this stage scribbling is random and is done with either hand and their concentration span is short. The value to the child is having the tactile experience and practicing the physical action from the shoulder. As the child develops the scribbling becomes more controlled and a ‘grasp and push’ action is used, rather than a whole arm movement. As children use smaller actions they begin to use a variety of marks, such as straight lines and curves when drawing and painting. When printmaking children will manipulate materials that will make impressions, make marks with body parts and print with objects and found sources. When making collages children will often observe and spread glue on to a surface and place prepared items in an irregular arrangement. Children in this stage are also developing sculpture and 3D skills, manipulating rigid and malleable materials, moulding simple shapes and sticking found objects together. As children’s learning and skills develop they move through the stages, but to ensure children are motivated a balance is needed between familiar activities in which they express themselves confidently and new activities to present them with fresh challenges.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Differences Between Semantics and General Semantics

General semantics is a discipline and/or methodology intended to improve the ways people interact with their environment and with one another, especially through training in the critical use of words and other symbols. The term general semantics was  introduced by Alfred Korzybski in the book  Science and Sanity  (1933). In his Handbook of Semiotics (1995),  Winfried Nà ¶th observes that General Semantics is based on the assumption that historical languages are only inadequate tools for the cognition of reality, are misleading in verbal communication, and may have negative effects on our nervous systems. Semantics vs. General Semantics According to Kodish and Kodish General semantics provides a general theory of evaluation. We can consider what we mean when we refer to this system by comparing it with semantics as people usually use the term. Semantics involves the study of language meanings. For example, when were interested in the word unicorn, what dictionaries say it means and its history of meanings, and what it might refer to, we are involved in semantics. General semantics involves such language concerns, but also involves much broader issues. Using general semantics, were concerned with understanding how we evaluate, with the inner life of each individual, with how each of us experiences and makes sense of our experiences, with how we use language and how language uses us. While were interested in what the word unicorn refers to and how a dictionary might define it, we have more interest in the person using the word, with the kind of evaluating that might lead people to look for unicorns in their back yards. Do they think that they have found some? Do they re-evaluate their search when they dont find any? Do they investigate how they came to be looking for unicorns? How are they experiencing the search? How do they talk about it? How are they experiencing the process of evaluating what has happened? General semantics involves an interrelated set of elements, which, taken together, can help us answer these and similar questions. (Susan Presby Kodish and Bruce I. Kodish, Drive Yourself Sane: Using the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics, 2nd ed. Extensional Publishing, 2001) Korzybski on General Semantics General Semantics turned out to be an empirical natural science of non-elementalistic evaluation, which takes into account the living individual, not divorcing him from his reactions altogether, nor from his neuro-linguistic and neuro-semantic environments, but allocating him in a plenum of some values, no matter what (Alfred Korzybski, preface to the third edition of Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics, 1947).Alfred Korzybski (1879-1950), the founder of general semantics, maintained that the structural assumptions implicit in language are of necessity reflected in behavior. . . . Korzybski believed that if, through general semantics, people generally could be trained in the orientations of science in the handling of all their problems (instead of just some of them), many social and personal problems now deemed to be insoluble would prove to be soluble. There is a messianic flavor to Korzybskis writings--a fact which led to the dismis sal of his views in some academic circles. (S.I. Hayakawa, The Use and Misuse of Language. Harper Row, 1962)