Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Global Warming Will Lower Sea Levels Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Will Lower Sea Levels Essay Those who are highlighting the danger of global warming would not hesitate to relate it to a high sea level rise simply because according to their premise when there is global warming it affects both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, whereby the melting ice will eventually raise the sea level. The IPCC, the UN branch office that deals with scientific research had predicted a 20 inches sea level rise around the year 2100 and it is obvious that it has based it findings on the above assumption. Other suggestions and analysis indicate that what will in fact happen is the opposite where the global warming if it is true will either slow down the level of sea rise or will reduce it. The new analysis looks at two factual findings. The fact that the Earth temperature had risen 0. 6 degree Celsius in the last 100 years and the sea level had risen by 18 cm. What these analysts are focusing at is there is no relation between the two and especially the rise in sea level occurred independent of what happened to the temperature to a larger extent. What contributed to the rise of the seal level to 18 centimeters starts from the thermal expansion of the warming water body, especially the oceans and that contributed to 4 cm. What comes next is the melting of the so-called continental glaciers that accounted for 3. 5 cm rise level. The polar regions contributed to the lowering of the sea level simply because the warming of the temperature has evaporated more water and some of it rains in the Polar Regions adding to the amount of ice on these regions, hence there will be less water in the seas. But the findings highlight one shortcoming which is that the total amount of rise through the two activities adds up to only 20 percent of the total amount giving hint that there should be other sources contributing to the rise of the sea level other than the current global warming. What this led to was to depend on geological observations that revealed the sea level had been rising constantly for the last centuries at a rate similar to the last 100 years. Accordingly, there was sea level rise in the Little Ice Age from 1450 to 1850 indicating that if there were going to be a sea level rise it would be independent of what is happening in the environment. It was possible to arrive at such hypothesis using a data published on the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet tracing it back to the end of the last ice age. Hence, the conclusion arrived at was since there had been a 120 meters rise in sea level since the last ice age that took place 18,000 years ago, the melting is still in process and will continue to do so for the coming 7000 years independent of what is going to happen to the present day temperature. What could change this course might be the arrival of another Ice Age, which is not in the prediction. In reality it is possible to say that a global warming caused by human activity cannot contribute to the rise of sea level since the record shows the climate warmed much between 1900 and 1940 and cooled down from 1940 – 1975. The outcome was the sea level rise slowed when the temperature was warmer and it increased when it was colder. The relation here is the two components thermal expansion and glacier melting had a lesser effect on the sea rise level when compared to the ice accumulation on the Polar Regions from the rain caused from warmer weather. Hence, it is possible to make a firm conclusion that warmer air or the current global warming will not contribute to the rising level of the sea. Instead, as it was illustrated it will bring it down by simply changing the amount of water into ice and depositing it on the Polar Regions. In spite of this analysis, the findings based on computer simulation try to demonstrate that the warming of the global temperature due to human induced activities will result in raising the sea level revealing that there is something wrong with such assumption (9). Conclusion In spite of the findings from various sources accurate, satellite measurement taken have not found any trace of global warming. Weather balloons also had shown similar findings. There are indications that the temperature had been rising starting form 1880 but such rise in temperature cannot be caused by greenhouse gases that are coming into existences from human induced activity mainly centered on burning of fossil oil and through the introduction of a developed and new method of land use. The other indication that shows the findings could be wrong is most of the measurements could reflect the temperature and air condition found closer to highly populated cities. All the feared outcomes of a high temperature brought into existence because of the greenhouse effect such as heat wave, hurricanes, or epidemic disease did not occur. If there had been a temperature rise to talk about, it was observed in the nighttime and winter season. Overall, it is possible to discredit the greenhouse apocalypse outright simply because it was not accompanied with all the catastrophic disasters that were predicted and anticipated (10). Even economists are wary of all the concerns simply because there might not be a discernable effect that will materialize from postponing the reduction of the greenhouse gas by another 20 years and see what the outcome will be. One of the reasons for that is meeting the greenhouse gas reduction effort would require getting rid of a big chunk of capital goods before they complete their useful life and that might not make economical sense for something that lacks scientific proof. But there is no doubt that such plans could be part of a long term process of any undertaking and the burden could also be eased as new technologies pertaining to the warming of the globe become readily available. The Kyoto Protocol itself would cost between $7 and $12 billion annually if it is implemented, a sum everyone is not comfortable with, simply because implementing the Protocol alone would cost each household up to $2000 annually and could raise home heating cost by at least 70 percent. Since people, especially those living in the advanced regions are heavily dependant on energy for their day-to-day living, raising the cost permanently to any extent would have a devastating effect, even if energy price is already very high. The only relief is since it fluctuates consumers could stretch their earnings whenever possible. It is possible to take it a bit further and see that if the assumption that the global temperature is rising to a dangerous level is true, a simple cost introduction of raising the federal fuel economy standard from 27. 5 miles to more than 40 miles itself will be costly, since it is such kinds of drastic measures that will bring down the amount of the greenhouse effect as automobiles are the worst source of pollution. The domino effect of such measures will lead to raising the price of cars, while at the same time such cars would have to be compact reducing the safety of cars that is feared to raise the number of fatalities form where it is currently at 4000 annually. The fact that the findings are heavily dependant on observation and computer simulation makes the concern a bit groundless since carbon dioxide is not a deadly gas to have in the atmosphere after all. The reason for that is the more carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere it adds to thriving of plants that have various use for it. It is not only that if what is said about the meltdown is true that is another advantage for agriculture since there will be more land to put into agriculture that will lead to more foods in the world even if there is no proof that there is shortage of food in the regions where the land is covered with ice sheet. Other areas that would benefit from global warming are those who live in areas where the winter season is cold and long. Regions like that could enjoy longer summer seasons, which would mean longer growing period that will add to the amount of food produced. There are findings that the warmer weather is also good for the health of people in such a way that medical cost in most of the cold regions would come down and the quality life of in such regions would get enhancement. The fear centered on the rise of the sea level that would come into existence when the ice from the Polar Regions melts because of the warm climate for the most part is groundless. The reason for that is the warm weather heats the water from the sea changing it into vapor that will come down as rain. The rainfall that takes place in the Polar Regions would not find its way back into the seas, instead it would add on the amount of ice that is already in existence in the region. This process has dual advantages where the first one is it will add to the amount of ice in the Polar Regions defying the fear that the warming of the climate is causing the ice of the region to melt. Secondly, the amount of seawater will come down through the process since some of it will become ice. Hence, it is possible to say that the warming of the climate is good for the Polar Regions since they would get more ice through the natural process. That might have some disadvantages in other areas, because the melting of the ice from the Polar Regions is not without a merit. One of the merit is this particular harsh region could become more habitable where there will be more lands opened for farming, for housing, and industrial development leading to a huge economic activity that will boost the outcome in agriculture and other venues. At the same time, there is an observation concerning the opening of new routes that will be advantageous for trade as well for the tourist industry. However, one disadvantage cited was it might affect the wildlife of the region where, for example, the polar bear is on the list to become extinct at the end of this century. Since the presumption is it will take many centuries for the ice of the whole region to melt away, the only inconvenience wildlife might encounter is going farther to where the dense ice is located. This by itself is advantageous since some of the wildlife is becoming a threat by coming closer to where there are human inhabitants. Overall, since everything surrounding global warming is still a hypothesis that borders fear, where if some measure is not in place now the future could be disastrous and could become out of control, it is not possible to fully rely on the grim pictures that the alarmists are painting. The reality is life goes on normally in the regions even if a few incidents of melting ice sheets into the sea had occurred. The answer for such incidents is it is the outcome of the weather variation where in the summer time it is natural that the level of the ice could get thinner in the edge area and when the winter season is around it will again attain its thickness. The proof for this is there is not yet any documentation where because of global warming the inhabitants of the area had gained more access to land for farming or for any other purpose. The outcome is the same from observations made in other areas where none of the feared apocalyptic fears had taken place. Nevertheless, if the weather becomes warmer cold regions could rip numerous advantages that include less death toll, better health, and better living condition since the summer season is short in these regions. That alone contributes to a much shorter food growing and recreation season. Other than that, if there is call for action, there is none better than to exert more effort to come up with a concrete scientific proof in the place of the presumption that is prevalent now. What the existing finding avails for the world is there are concerned groups that are claiming that there is a global warming that is causing the sea level to rise and is contributing to the melting of the ice caps, which is the habitat of wildlife such as polar bears that are feared to become extinct in the beginning the year 2100. The other major concern is the reducing of the greenhouse gases, which has a very high price tag attached to it. The findings will have to lean fully on scientific findings that would require more funding and time, but the cost involved might not be equivalent to what businesses are fearing to incur in the coming few years simply to meet certain standards that are believed to contribute in controlling the emission of certain gases into the atmosphere. If the implemented measures are scientific it will be worth the effort, otherwise it will be a waste of resources. Currently, since there is no settled scientific proof there is a division in the public’s opinion where the number of people who do not believe in global warming is much higher, no matter how inundated they are by the media and environmental groups. This might have a serious effect simply because it is the same people who cannot be convinced about the pollution level that is prevalent who are responsible in various ways to add to the pollution problem. Educating them based on hypothesis will also make the job difficult because the message they would get from such effort would vary. Another problem cited was that the existing effort through the Kyoto Protocol is to bring down the emission level back to where it was in the 1990s a premise that does not make sense since there might not be an accurate measurement in place that shows what level the emission was before the 1990s. Such shortcomings highlight that the primary effort should focus on finding a settled scientific consensus and after that, the effort of popularizing a concept based on hypothesis might dwindle down. REFERENCE 1. Bailey, R. (2004, November). Two Sides of The global warming: Is It Proven Fact or Just Conventional Wisdom? Reason Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://www. reason. com/news/show/34939. html 2. UN Report, Global Warming Caused by Human Activity. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from www. newstarget. com/021565. html

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Almost High : My Experience At The Homecoming Dance :: essays research papers

It's Saturday night and I'm in my snug but not skin tight blue spaghetti strap floor length dark royal blue dress, all ready to go out to a very fancy restuarant. Old Country Buffet. As my friend and I climb out of my car in a classy like fashion, we realize that the line to Old COuntry Buffet is at least 50 meters long. "Oh My God." I say as my lipstick chalked lips fall to the floor. Glancing over at a fast-food pizza restaurant, my friend and I look at each other. "Uh huh." We both say. Pizza is better than some buffet anyway, I thought. About five minutes later, some friends of hours emerge from the middle of the centidpede like line and come up to us. I almost jumped in hyperness. "WHazzzzzzup?" I say in such a polite way, sticing my tougue out in my dress. My friends and I eat at the small cafe-like tables provided in the indoor mall, trying not to smear pizza all over our faces before we got to the dance. Walking across the street to the school, the caffeine from the large Coke was already racing through my blood stream. Hyper as anything and almost jumping my friends began to think I got high before the dance, like most everyone else. By the time we got to the dance in the cafeteria, the music was pumping, people dancing their butts off, and me, hyper as anything. I was anything but bored. Ready to start jumping as soon as I got there, I raced into the cafeteria and brought my friend , Jimmy , with me. I had never felt so energized at a social event. I felt as if the music was literally flowing through my veins, pulsing with every move, and I was...high. But I wasn't. I was normal but I felt like I was high. Did being high feel like this? Had I had too much caffeine? Damn! I have to suck some helium out of those floating balloons! THe thoughs would not stop racing. Although I had never been to a rave, I thought that this dance felt like one. Euphoric, and as energized as a duracell battery after about 24 hours of charging, I hadn't checked my watch for at least two hours. About an hour later, I took a break to get some soda and some fresh , dry air.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Critique: Effects of Class Size and Instruction on Kindergarten Achievement Essay

Introduction This article discusses some very important points that will affect many children as they begin the first steps of their education. It is fairly clear that the authors have done quite a bit of research on the effects of the classroom size and the achievement of kindergarten students. Both authors are affiliated with the same school, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In reviewing the article, the authors point out some important details pertaining to the quality of the teacher as well as their method of teaching in an effort to keep in line with the NCLB Act(No Child Left. Behind Act). The main aim of the authors is to prove that the size of the class may affect a student’s academic progress because there have been mixed findings in the past as to the validity of this issue. Literature Review One of the main sources used by the authors in their review of literature was an experiment done by students in Tennessee in the 1980’s called STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio). â€Å"Researchers have referred to STAR as: â€Å"one of the great experiments in education in U. S. history (Mostellar, Light, & Sachs, 1996). † The variables are mainly the  Kindergarten class size and the teacher’s instruction methods which are well defined throughout the article. Statement of Problem This research study was conducted to determine whether teacher quality is more important than class size for achievement. The hypothesis is explicitly stated in this article and gave sufficient understanding of the specific variables that were to be studied in the article. An example of the hypothesis would be â€Å"teachers may teach differently in larger and smaller classes, Experimental Design 3 some instructional practices may be more effective than others in a smaller class, students may  behave differently in larger and smaller classes†. (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 291-293) The authors have made a very convincing argument concerning the stated hypothesis because they used reading and math data collected from children’s classroom experience, classroom size and their teacher’s instructional methods to come up with their definitive conclusion. Methodology The kindergarten class size was measured from a sample of 21,260 children that were enrolled in approximately 1,000 kindergarten programs. It also consisted of children from various racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as socio-economic backgrounds. Some of the children studied were from private kindergartens and others were from public school kindergartens (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 293-294). Data was collected twice throughout the year, during the spring and the fall. Most of the authors mentioned used data that was supplied at the beginning and at the end of the student’s kindergarten year. The parents were asked questions concerning their socio-economic background. In determining the student’s cognitive achievement, information was gathered from the children using a one-on-one computer assisted interview. Data in the areas of reading, math and general knowledge was used to assess the students. In evaluating the teachers, they were interviewed in the fall and in the spring of a particular kindergarten year (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 291-293). There was some concern about the validity of the study because there were some limitations on how the data was gathered from the teachers. There were questions as well as interviews which investigated the teacher’s instructional methods because it captured more of what a teacher’s intentions were as opposed to the teacher’s accomplishments through the year. Experimental Design 4 The authors had a few limitations but if they wanted to use the descriptive method to demonstrate whether or not the quality of a teachers’ instructional method versus the size of the class played a larger part in a kindergartner’s achievement, it was a necessary step (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 296-297). Results The researchers presented very descriptive statistics for all the student levels and class level variables that were used in the analysis. There were descriptive statistics presented for large and small classes. The researchers weighed the statistics at the student level but not at the class levels but they used descriptive statistics for both the original and the mean-imputed variable (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 299-306). Discussion The researchers have offered no evidence that the class size affects reading or math achievements for kindergarten. The major findings were that class size does not affect the achievement of kindergarteners on an average nor does it affect any particular group of students. The researcher’s findings for the class size differ from those of Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio). It was not determined whether the same teachers use different instructional methods in classes of different sizes (Milesi & Gamoran, 2006, pp. 299-309). Experimental Design 5 References Mosteller, F. , Light, R. J. & Sachs. J. A. (1996). Sustained injury in education: Lesson from skilled grouping and class size. Harvard Educational Review, 66, 797-842. Retrieved on February 17, 2011 from ERIC. Milesi, C. , Gamoran, A (2006). Effects of Class Size and Instruction on Kindergarten Achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 28:4, 287-313. Retrieved on March 17, 2010 from http://eepa. aera. net.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Police Brutality In Modern America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1246 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/04/08 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Police Brutality Essay Did you like this example? A hoodie, Arizona ice tea and skittles. That was the spark that spawn into a flustering fire. On February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida seventeen year old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Police Brutality In Modern America" essay for you Create order The murderer, George Zimmerman. The verdict, not guilty. As the story got out and emotions ran high, people all around the country took to social media in opinions and views. Sympathy goes out to the family of victim, questions to the judicial system and historys dark past seeming to reoccur. Black Lives Matter. As time carries on the shooting of unarmed African Americans become more frequent and not from people on the street, but from our protection system. Police brutality and corruption exposure has flared all over the United States. As more unarmed shootings occur, Black Lives Matters began to turn into more than just a hashtag. Police brutality has influenced the Black Lives Matter movement in results of protest, injustice and psychological trauma. As Black Lives Matters grows as a movement, so does the mortality rate of unarmed African Americans being shot. According to the article This is How Many People Police Have Killed So Far in 2016, by Celisa Calacal published on July 5, 2016. 194 Black Americans have been killed by police so far this year, at a rate of 4.86 deaths per million. (Calacal). Two years later according to the Washington Post fatal force database, there have been 857 people shot and killed by the police as of October 1st at 5:21pm. Out of those 857 killings, 289 of them were unarmed African Americans. Police brutality is a rising problem in the Black Lives Matter movement, and though there other many factors, this has become a key subject in change. With the fatal shootings, a lot of people apart of the movement have taken this problems to the street. Protest happening nationwide in reverence of the fallen and hunger for change. As stated in the Free Speech and Protest article by Liberty-Human- Rights.org. The right to free speech and protest along with the right to form and join association or groups, are found in Articles 10 and 11 of the Humans Rights Act. But many protest have been shut down or turned violent, as tension runs high and rights are violated. A bond that has become broken between the people and the police. As A Solution to this problem protesters must stay calm and become less violent. Though adrenaline is running and anger is high, protesters must stay calm and not let these factors over take them. Freedom of speech is protected, but with exceptions. Make a difference with protest, not make situations worse. Following the shooting and riots of police officers in Dallas, Texas. Police chief David Brown states in his press conference Become part of the solution, were hiring. States the article Dallas Police Chief t o Protests by Keri Blankinger (Blankinger). Also coming to the police chiefs and having a formal agreement for the protest. Racial Injustice also plays a big role in the Black Lives Matter Movement. With a history of the justice system corrupted in cases affecting the African American American community in fairness and justice. An example is the University of Missouri Hunger Strike. African Americans teens were being threatened and harassed, as they informed the university president and nothing was done. The Universitys football team and others then began to do a hunger strike for change as two days after the strike the university President Tim Wolfe resigned. According to the news media outlets, police brutality looks the same today as it did in the 1960s. The harsh treatment towards African Americans from government officials was not uncommon then and it is not unheard of now. Today, many cases of gross murders and vicious brutality are taking place on camera. Even with solid evidence, the cry for justice by all American citizens is still not loud enough ( Blake). Huffington Posts Sharon Blake stated in her article Racial Injustice; Is America Ignoring the Truth. Other injustices include long run things such as housing. Alex Midrigal uncovers acts in his article article that made housing more complicated for African Americans. He states One of the most heinous of these policies was introduced by the creation of the Federal Housing Administration in 1934, and lasted until 1968. Otherwise celebrated for making homeownership accessible to white people by guaranteeing their loans, the FHA explicitly refused to back loans to black people or even other people who lived near black people. As TNC puts it, Redlining destroyed the possibility of investment wherever black people lived ( Midrigal). Injustices that must be addressed and changed. A solution to these injustices are petitions and laws. Things as taking solution to our judicial courts for these acts to be overturned and revised. These injustices are intolerable and unacceptable, rather it is social or any other category. By having these laws overturned, a difference can be made. And re-evalua ting who is also in power, and getting people in power that are in favor of change. Trauma is inevitable. With access to modern day technology such as social media, things such as police brutality are now exposed. Social Media is a big part of the Black Lives Matters movement, as that is how it started. There are many pros to this but also cons. Since social media is open to everyone around the world, all can see. That ranges from a child browsing on their mothers phone to a grandfather trying to keep up with what is trending. Post Traumatic stress disorder can stem from many things, and is not always visible. In these past years with all the shootings, racial profiling and harassment of African American many have come across this problem. Dr. Robert T. Carter states in his article of research that In 2001, the US Surgeon General issued a report about the status of mental health with respect to racial and ethnic minority groups, which stated that ethnic and racial disparities were likely due to racism and discrimination.1 Empiric investigations have linked racism to poor mental health and have shown that racism is stressful and compromises the mental health of persons of color ( Carter). Racial based traumatic stress is a problem that is just now getting recognized, and research is now happening. That in itself is one step forward to creating a solid solution. The Black Lives Matter movement is a movement that has literally came to life. From a hashtag to having stations international in the fight for equality and justice. Police brutality has influenced the Black Lives Matter movement in results of protest, injustice and psychological trauma. Moving forward with solutions to these problems such as making agreement with the police before peaceful protest, getting laws removed that are biased and prejudiced and continuing to research are all steps that can be made for change and hopefully solving these dilemmas completely. If these problems are not resolved there is a fear of violence and racial tension. With the history of African -Americans in America and all the factors of the past from slavery to Jim Crow laws what lies ahead is unpredictable. As a nation these problems must be executed as time starts to dwindle and patience runs this. But one must recognize they are in darkness to reach the light. The past can not be altered and this n ation can not take back time and all that has happened, but change can be made and wrongs can be made right. You can not control the wind, but you can control the sail.