Impact Of Offshore Exploration And Exploitation Environmental Sciences Essay

Literally called stone oil, Petroleum is a Grecian word for petra significance stone and oleum significance oil. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines it as of course happening flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of different molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, which are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth ‘s surface. This formation beneath the Earth frequently takes topographic point over a long period of clip, say eons. It originates from the remains of antediluvian workss and animate beings ( zooplanktons and algae ) that were buried and compressed beneath 1000s of pess of claies, stones and littorals. Through the interaction of certain geologic conditions, these organic stuffs are so transformed by subsurface heat and overburden force per unit area into hydrocarbon compounds we is called crude oil ( rough oil and natural gas ) . For many centuries, crude oil resources and its byproducts have been discovered and used for assorted human activities. In the modern epoch, these resources are sought and exploited from locations that are more hard and risky to entree, including the offshore. Resources deposited in the offshore countries are no different from those found onshore as they contain the same sort of hydrocarbon substances. For illustration, a signifier of natural gas called gas hydrate is available both offshore and onshore but seaward resources are of greater involvement because of their volume and potency for future large-scale development. The ground for this increased and outstanding involvement in offshore crude oil geographic expedition and development in this present century is that many onshore crude oil resources have either been exhausted, are no longer economically executable, or are unable to be to the full developed due to limitations of national ownership or geopolitical jobs. This notwithstanding, the value of energy-rich crude oil in all of its signifiers lies in the many merchandises that can be made from it and the importance of their utilizations. Crude oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbon compounds are the bases of the fuel merchandises that are indispensable for modern manners of transit, which are preponderantly fuelled by motor gasolene, jet fuel, and Diesel fuel. Petroleum besides provides fuels for warming, industrial fabrication procedures, and the coevals of electricity. Petroleum resources can besides be converted into petrochemicals and its derived functions such as plastics, pharmaceutical ingredients and edifice stuffs, which represent other parts of the petroleum-source market. Economically, demand and supply factors drive the investings and operations that the crude oil industry makes in researching and working crude oil resources. With high crude oil monetary values in the market, the industry can afford to bring forth resources that might otherwise be uneconomic and can put in new engineerings to make resources that would otherwise be unavailable. When crude oil monetary values in the market are low, even proved militias may non be produced because the cost of development and production would non let any net income for operators. Since crude oil resources define modern trade forms, excite both international selling and the possible for war, the force per unit area to spread out resource development to the offshore countries is inevitable as this will relieve the jobs of increased planetary demand for crude oil and its byproducts, reduced supplies onshore and buffer the current lifting addition in merchandises monetary values.POTENTIAL IMPACTSFor decennaries, our oceans were protected from offshore oil boring but with the increased demand for crude oil resources globally and depletion of same onshore, attending has shifted to the offshore environment. In 2008 for case, former American president Bush, lifted a White House moratorium on offshore boring and the Congress subsequently followed by leting a Federal prohibition on boring to run out. In March 2010, the Obama disposal indicated that they would besides potentially allow boring along several once protected coastlines, mid- and south Atlantic seashore and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Barely had that been agreed upon, the black deepwater skyline oil boring runaway in April of 2010 came. This released about 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico ; fouled beaches and coastal wetlands from Louisiana to Florida ; killed birds, fishes and marine mammals ; and devastated the diversion and fishing-based economic systems of the Gulf provinces ( Ref ) . Fortunately, these hideous developments caused the Obama disposal to revoke on its earlier class and on December 1, 2012 it was announced that the East and West seashores every bit good as the eastern Gulf be continuously protected from offshore boring. Despite this recent event in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil industry and others affiliated to the industry are still clamoring for the continuance of seaward oil boring. This enlargement of development offshore, will non be without the attendant effects that the resource geographic expedition and development will hold on the Marine environment, the life signifiers that live therein and the worlds at big.BackgroundThis subheading will be a elaborate penetration into the seaward oilfield platform where the research will be carried out. It will state the twelvemonth of the oilfield ‘s find, the block or blocks where the resource is found, the existent location of the oilfield in kilometers north, E, West or South in relation to other environing oilfields and/or countries ; and the H2O deepness ( TVDSS ) at which the resource is located. Other parametric quantities will include the oilfield ‘s geologic age ( Mesozoic, Middle Jurassic or Cenozoic etc ) , the reservoir type ( sandstone or shale ) , the estimated militias ( STOIIP in MMstb unit ) and recoverable sums of militias. It will depict the seismal activity that led to the formation of t he field, the extent to which the field has been developed, grade of complexness of geological fault and its attendant construction. The quality of the reservoir, the formations with the most productive intervals or dramas, its temperature, force per unit area ( and likely force per unit area at which depletion is expected ) . The belongingss of the reserve- API gravitation in ( 0 ) , GOR in ( scf/bbl ) will besides be provided. With the increased force per unit area to beginning for options to onshore oil resources offshore, the appraisal of the inauspicious impacts of the quest for crude oil and it derivatives to run into planetary demand raises a batch of concerns such as: Environmental sensitiveness and hazards to marine ecosystems Lack of scientific discipline on marine ecosystem as this is a field with really limited certification sing geographic expedition Built-in hazard of deepwater boring Inadequate resources for regulative inadvertence Unproved oil spill response There are serious environmental impact associated with each phase of seaward boring from geographic expedition ( location and find ) to development ( boring and production ) and marine transit. While some impacts may be unseeable to the bare eyes, there are a myriad of impacts and environmental branchings that the public must cognize about before sing offshore boring. ; and eventually the ultimate effects it will hold on the opportunities of working other marine resources that will hold small or no negative effects on the environment, the marine beings and worlds.AIMS AND OBJECTIVESBy analysis of H2O samples utilizing — — — — – setup, observation of marine life signifiers and deposits analysis for oozes of hydrocarbons in them utilizing — — — — — – equipment, this survey will: 1. Outline possible impacts of offshore crude oil geographic expedition and development 2. Chase away the legion myths that have been put forth by oil boring advocates. 3. Suggests options that will accomplish energy independency from fossil fuel 4. Analyze the effects of seaward oil boring on the opportunities of working other marine resources that will hold small or no negative effects on the Marine environment, marine beings and worlds.ActivitiesTo ease this survey and accomplish the set aims, the undermentioned activities will be carried out: Available literature on the effects of seaward oil boring will be extensively reviewed. This will organize a footing for this research Qualitative modeling to measure the direct impact of each phase of oil boring on the marine ecosystem and coastal countries Exploration of possible options to fossil fuels with really small or no hurtful effects on the environment.MethodThe information ( where available ) , samples of H2O and may be life signifiers that will be observed during this survey will be sourced from — — — — — — offshore platforms located at — — — — — — — . Besides, peoples ‘ single sentiments will be sought to find the extent to which offshore geographic expedition affects them. If decently done, this rating will be a valuable tool for avoiding possible environmental and aquatic jeopardies occasioned by ceaseless development offshore. These methods may alter depending on when this surveies will get down and the development of more powerful tools and techniques that will be more efficient, give truth and lucidity of consequences ; and besides be cost effectual.EXPECTED OUTPUTSThe universe ‘s oceans and beaches are critical recreational, economic and ecological hoarded wealths that will be polluted by an addition in offshore crude oil boring. Alternatively of recommending for transient and environmentally less harmful ways to run into the planetary demand for oil, we should seek a comprehensive and environmentally sustainable energy program that will include energy preservation and may be fuel efficiency if we must utilize fossil fuel. After the purposes and objectives that this survey sets out to accomplish has been attained, it is expected that the consequences obtained and observations made will: 1. Deter crude oil industry ‘s participants and their affiliates from offshore development. 2. Cause us to look towards developing sustainable energy solutions that includes renewable beginnings and preservation that will protect our natural resources, instead than boring for fossil fuels off our oceans. 3. Cause us to ablactate ourselves off the over-dependence on oil to salvage our environment and cut down the worsening consequence of clime alteration. 4. Save and protect our coastlines from industrialisation. 5. Chase away the assorted myths that advocates of seaward development are invariably seeking to jostle down our pharynxs. 6. Promote a rush in the figure of ocean protection protagonists.RestrictionSince the informations to be used for this work were non generated personally, some degrees of uncertainness as to the truth of the work exist. Problemn, may originate during sample Problems with package use may originate if tutorial is non given.Duration OF PROJECTAll things being equal, research undertaking continuance is expected to cross a period of three old ages, between the beginning of the work and entry of bound study. A Gantt chart, ( an illustration is shown below ) will be used to demo a dislocation of what and when an activity will be carried out. An activity, whenever completed will be struck off to give lucidity to works yet to be done.UndertakingDurationApr.MayJun.Jul.Aug.Sept.Oct.NovResearch Definition/Proposal Submission 5 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAInterim presentation/proposal defense mechanism 1 twenty-four hoursAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALiterature research and background surveies 4 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPetrel G & A ; G tutorial 1 hebdomadAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAModelling/ analyses utilizing package 3 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQuantitative modelling/ design surveies 2 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACompilation/ presentation of patterning consequences to supervisor 1 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWrite-up 3 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASubmission of bill of exchange for cogent evidence reading/supervisor ‘s sign-off 2 yearssAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlteration of study 2 hebdomadsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAApproval/submission of concluding study 3 yearssAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPresentation and oral session 1 hebdomadAAAAAAAATable 1: Example of a typical Gnatt ChartSummaryOffshore oil boring and oil spills have the possible to critically impact pristine Marine ecosystems. While there are legion environmental jobs associated with oil boring, there are besides negative economic impacts that we merely can non afford during difficult economic times. It is imperative that we switch off from an old mentality of trusting on fossil fuels. Climate alteration and other environmental jobs are non waiting for us to reconstruct our energy portfolio. Oil boring and continued usage of fossil fuels will merely worsen clime alteration, and maintain us trapped in a backward frame of head which overlooks sustainable energy and preservation. New offshore boring is non portion of the reply to sustainable energy instead the replies for sustainable energy is already gazing us right in the face. At the completion of this survey, recommendations will be suggested that will restrict or wholly extinguish the impacts of offshore geographic expedition and development.

Developing Students Creativity and Self-Expression through Crayons

Developing Students Creativity and Self-Expression through Crayons Crayons are brilliant, versatile, and economical coloring instruments that most school-age children are familiar with. Art sessions in grade school, for example, intends to nourish creativity and self-expression in children by introducing art tools and materials such as a paintbrush, scissors, paint, clay, crayons, colored papers, and others. Creative Possibilities with Crayons Crayons are used by middle-school students to draw colored shapes and in the process develop some creative skills they can use to express themselves. Students are humans with a natural desire to use their hands and materials as vehicles for artistic expression thus often welcome art creation opportunities. Activities such as â€Å"Crayon Melting† where students create a self-initiated art design using heated wax crayons and paper is a common classroom-based activity. Art classes expand student experiences through  collaboration, two-way communication, and appreciation of each student’s talent. It encourages the growth of visual awareness and skills to develop aesthetic understanding, coordination, concentration, and self-esteem. REMEMBERING OUR FIRST STAGE OF EDUCATION Similar to pencil, chalk, paint, and others, crayons provide opportunities for students to express and communicate their interpretation of the world around them. For instance, they can observe a plant, a tree, or a piece of fruit and draw an image according to their personal representation of that object.  Painting objects with crayons enable children to learn to mix colors, take responsibility for the art tool and image and develop their understanding of different media. Activities in art classes help children learn to use their imagination and express their ideas through art, sharpened their visual expression skills, create meaning by linking text and image and develop their presentation skills. Making Good Use of Quality Crayons Poor quality crayons often result in tears and frustration among young school children. This is because the resulting color of poor quality crayons is often not exact and cannot be combined to form new colors. Wax from a good quality crayons cannot be scratch off from the paper, they intermixed well with the pigment and produced with equally combined pigment and wax. Good quality crayon boxes with few colors are sufficient enough to produce colorful work of art as you can mix them to form new colors. For instance, putting a layer of yellow over a blue area will result to vivid green. Thick crayons are preferred over the thin ones as they do not break easily. Similarly, using only a few pieces of crayons encourage experimentation, creativity, and application of different crayon techniques. For example, crayon boxes with few color encourage mixing of colors to produce desired color, use of both pointed and broad crayon side, and greater use of students’ imagination. Crayons are not limited to drawing on paper as they can be used to draw images in many types of surfaces such as cardboards, paper gift boxes, food trays, sandpaper, and others with interest effect. †Crayon rubbing†, a technique to pick up the texture of a surface on paper by rubbing it with the side of a peeled crayon, is an enjoyable art class activity where students experiment and produce artworks from walls, leaves, bricks, and other surfaces. Another is â€Å"Crayon resist†, a technique that gives the feeling of a night picture by drawing a picture on paper with crayons, pressing hard and painting the surrounding area with dark-colored tempera paint diluted in water.

Benazir Bhutto - Former Prime Minister of Pakistan

Benazir Bhutto - Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was born into one of South Asias great political dynasties, Pakistans equivalent of the Nehru/Gandhi dynasty in India. Her father was president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973, and Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977; his father, in turn, was prime minister of a princely state before independence and the Partition of India. Politics in Pakistan, however, is a dangerous game. In the end, Benazir, her father, and both of her brothers would die violently. Early Life Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi, Pakistan, the first child of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Ispahani. Nusrat was from Iran, and practiced Shia Islam, while her husband (and most other Pakistanis) practiced Sunni Islam. They raised Benazir and their other children as Sunnis  but in an open-minded and non-doctrinaire fashion. The couple later would have two sons and another daughter: Murtaza (born in 1954), daughter Sanam (born in 1957), and Shahnawaz (born in 1958). As the eldest child, Benazir was expected to do very well in her studies, regardless of her gender. Benazir went to school in Karachi through high school, then attended Radcliffe College (now part of Harvard University) in the United States, where she studied comparative government. Bhutto later said that her experience in Boston reconfirmed her belief in the power of democracy. After graduating from Radcliffe in 1973, Benazir Bhutto spent several additional years studying at Oxford University in Great Britain. She took a wide variety of courses in international law and diplomacy, economics, philosophy and politics. Entry into Politics Four years into Benazirs studies in England, the Pakistani military overthrew her fathers government in a coup. The coup leader, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, imposed martial law on Pakistan and had Zulfikar Ali Bhutto arrested on trumped-up conspiracy charges. Benazir returned home, where she and her brother Murtaza worked for 18 months to rally public opinion in support of their jailed father. The Supreme Court of Pakistan, meanwhile, convicted Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of conspiracy to commit murder  and sentenced him to death by hanging. Due to their activism on behalf of their father, Benazir and Murtaza were placed under house arrest off and on. As Zulfikars designated execution date of April 4, 1979 drew closer, Benazir, her mother, and her younger siblings were all arrested and imprisoned in a police camp. Imprisonment Despite an international outcry, General Zias government hanged Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on April 4, 1979. Benazir, her brother, and her mother were in prison at the time  and were not allowed to prepare the former prime ministers body for burial in accordance with Islamic law. When Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won local elections that spring, Zia canceled national elections and sent the surviving members of the Bhutto family to prison in Larkana, about 460 kilometers (285 miles) north of Karachi. Over the next five years, Benazir Bhutto would be held either in prison or under house arrest. Her worst experience was in a desert prison at Sukkur, where she was held in solitary confinement for six months of 1981, including the worst of the summer heat. Tormented by insects, and with her hair falling out and skin peeling off from the baking temperatures, Bhutto had to be hospitalized for several months after this experience. Once Benazir was sufficiently recovered from her term at Sukkur Jail, Zias government sent her back to the Karachi Central Jail, then to Larkana once more, and back to Karachi under house arrest. Meanwhile, her mother, who had also been held at Sukkur, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Benazir herself had developed an inner ear problem that required surgery. International pressure mounted for Zia to allow them to leave Pakistan to seek medical care. Finally, after six years of moving the Bhutto family from one form of imprisonment to the next, General Zia allowed them to go into exile in order to get treatment. Exile Benazir Bhutto and her mother went to London in January of 1984 to begin their self-imposed medical exile. As soon as Benazirs ear problem was remedied, she began to publicly advocate against the Zia regime. Tragedy touched the family once more on July 18, 1985. After a family picnic, Benazirs youngest brother, the 27-year-old Shah Nawaz Bhutto, died of poisoning in his home in France. His family believed that his Afghan princess wife, Rehana, had murdered Shah Nawaz at the behest of the Zia regime; although French police held her in custody for some time, no charges were ever brought against her. Despite her grief, Benazir Bhutto continued her political involvement. She became the leader in exile of her fathers Pakistan Peoples Party. Marriage Family Life Between the assassinations of her close relatives and Benazirs own frantically busy political schedule, she had no time for dating or meeting men. In fact, by the time she entered her 30s, Benazir Bhutto had begun to assume that she would never marry; politics would be her lifes work and only love. However, her family had other ideas. An auntie advocated for a fellow Sindhi and scion of a landed family, a young man named Asif Ali Zardari. Benazir refused to even meet him at first, but after a concerted effort by her family and his, the marriage was arranged (despite Benazirs feminist qualms about arranged marriages). The marriage was a happy one, and the couple had three children - a son, Bilawal (born 1988), and two daughters, Bakhtawar (born 1990) and Aseefa (born 1993). They had hoped for a larger family, but Asif Zardari was imprisoned for seven years, so they were unable to have more children. Return and Election as Prime Minister On August 17, 1988, the Bhuttos received a favor from the heavens, as it were. A C-130 carrying General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and several of his top military commanders, along with US Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel, crashed near Bahawalpur, in the Punjab region of Pakistan. No definitive cause was ever established, although theories included sabotage, Indian missile strike, or a suicidal pilot. Simple mechanical failure seems the most likely cause, however. Zias unexpected death cleared the way for Benazir and her mother to lead the PPP to victory in the November 16, 1988 parliamentary elections. Benazir became Pakistans eleventh prime minister on December 2, 1988. Not only was she Pakistans first female Prime Minister, but also the first woman to lead a Muslim nation in modern times. She focused on social and political reforms, which rankled more traditional or Islamist politicians. Prime Minister Bhutto faced a number of international policy problems during her first tenure in office, including the Soviet and American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the resulting chaos. Bhutto reached out to India, establishing a good working relationship with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, but that initiative failed when he was voted out of office, and then assassinated by Tamil Tigers in 1991. Pakistans relationship with the United States, already strained by the situation in Afghanistan, broke altogether in 1990 over the issue of nuclear weapons. Benazir Bhutto firmly believed that Pakistan needed a credible nuclear deterrent, since India had already tested a nuclear bomb in 1974. Corruption Charges On the domestic front, Prime Minister Bhutto sought to improve human rights and the position of women in Pakistani society. She restored freedom of the press  and allowed labor unions and student groups to meet openly once again. Prime Minister Bhutto also working assiduously to weaken the ultra-conservative president of Pakistan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and his allies in the military leadership. However, Khan had veto power over parliamentary actions, which severely restricted Benazirs effectiveness on matters of political reform. In November of 1990, Khan dismissed Benazir Bhutto from the Prime Ministership and called new elections. She was charged with corruption and nepotism under the Eighth Amendment to the Pakistani Constitution; Bhutto always maintained that the charges were purely political. The conservative parliamentarian Nawaz Sharif became the new prime minister, while Benazir Bhutto was relegated to being the opposition leader for five years. When Sharif also tried to repeal the Eighth Amendment, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan used it to recall his government in 1993, just as he had done to Bhuttos government three years earlier. As a result, Bhutto and Sharif joined forces to oust President Khan in 1993. Second Term as Prime Minister In October of 1993, Benazir Bhuttos PPP got a plurality of the parliamentary seats  and formed a coalition government. Once again, Bhutto became prime minister. Her hand-picked candidate for the presidency, Farooq Leghari, took office in the place of Khan. In 1995, an alleged conspiracy to oust Bhutto in a military coup was exposed, and the leaders tried and jailed for sentences of two to fourteen years. Some observers believe that the putative coup was simply an excuse for Benazir to rid the military of some of her opponents. On the other hand, she had first-hand knowledge of the danger a military coup could pose, considering her fathers fate. Tragedy struck the Bhuttos once more on September 20, 1996, when Karachi police shot dead Benazirs surviving brother, Mir Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto. Murtaza had not gotten along well with Benazirs husband, which sparked conspiracy theories about his assassination. Even Benazir Bhuttos own mother accused the prime minister and her husband of causing Murtazas death. In 1997, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was dismissed from office once more, this time by President Leghari, whom she had supported. Again, she was charged with corruption; her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was also implicated. Leghari reportedly believed that the couple was implicated in Murtaza Bhuttos assassination. Exile Once More Benazir Bhutto stood for parliamentary elections in February of 1997  but was defeated. Meanwhile, her husband had been arrested trying to get to Dubai  and went on trial for corruption. While in prison, Zardari won a parliamentary seat. In April of 1999, both Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari were convicted of corruption  and were fined $8.6 million US each. They were both sentenced to five years in prison. However, Bhutto was already in Dubai, which refused to extradite her back to Pakistan, so only Zardari served his sentence. In 2004, after his release, he joined his wife in exile in Dubai. Return to Pakistan On October 5, 2007, General and President Pervez Musharraf granted Benazir Bhutto amnesty from all of her corruption convictions. Two weeks later, Bhutto returned to Pakistan to campaign for the 2008 elections. On the day she landed at Karachi, a suicide bomber attacked her convoy surrounded by well-wishers, killing 136 and injuring 450; Bhutto escaped unharmed. In response, Musharraf declared a state of emergency on November 3. Bhutto criticized the declaration  and called Musharraf a dictator. Five days later, Benazir Bhutto was placed under house arrest to prevent her from rallying her supporters against the state of emergency. Bhutto was freed from house arrest the following day, but the state of emergency remained in effect until December 16, 2007. In the meantime, however, Musharraf gave up his post as a general in the army, affirming his intention to rule as a civilian. The Assassination of Benazir Bhutto On December 27, 2007, Bhutto appeared at an election rally in the park known as Liaquat National Bagh in Rawalpindi. As she was leaving the rally, she stood up to wave to supporters through the sunroof of her SUV. A gunman shot her three times, and then explosives went off all around the vehicle. Twenty people died on the scene; Benazir Bhutto passed away about an hour later in the hospital. Her cause of death was not the gunshot wounds but rather blunt force head trauma. The blast of the explosions had slammed her head into the edge of the sunroof with terrible force. Benazir Bhutto died at the age of 54, leaving behind a complicated legacy. The charges of corruption leveled against her husband and herself do not seem to have been entirely invented for political reasons, despite Bhuttos assertions to the contrary in her autobiography. We may never know whether she had any fore-knowledge about her brothers assassination. In the end, though, nobody can question Benazir Bhuttos bravery. She and her family endured tremendous hardships, and whatever her faults as a leader, she genuinely did strive to improve life for the ordinary people of Pakistan. For more information about women in power in Asia, see this list of Female Heads of State. Sources Bahadur, Kalim. Democracy in Pakistan: Crises and Conflicts, New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications, 1998. Obituary: Benazir Bhutto, BBC News, Dec. 27, 2007. Bhutto, Benazir. Daughter of Destiny: An Autobiography, 2nd ed., New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Bhutto, Benazir. Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West, New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Englar, Mary. Benazir Bhutto: Pakistani Prime Minister and Activist, Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2006.

Human Resource (Supporting Organizational Strategies) Assignment

Human Resource (Supporting Organizational Strategies) - Assignment Example American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have taken different approaches to the way each organization handled on-time flights. The culture he describes in American Airlines is one of fear, promoting blame amongst the employees. Leaders demand to know who is responsible for the problem, focusing on accountability instead of the true causes (Pfeffer, 2005). On the other hand, Southwest Airlines is described as breeding a culture of accountability, but from a different perspective than that of American Airlines. Rather than focusing on the individual or group of people who have caused the delay, they make it a point to promote the fact that delays are everyone’s responsible; supporting the mind-set that the organization is a team. Thus, Pfeffer (2005) describes Southwest Airlines as having greater success in its approach, working to find solutions rather than the person or department to blame the problem on. Managing a company’s culture has been proven to be at the root of its successes, and failures (Pfeffer, 2005). While accountability is extremely important in business, who is being held accountable is even more critical. As can be seen in the American Airlines example discussed, the blame-game can transform a well-meaning system into a useless chain of finger-pointing in a hurry. Then, the focus is on finding out who is responsible for the problem, rather than how it happened, to try and avoid it in the future; hence, Pfeffer’s emphasis on changing leader mind-sets to change the culture. key source of competitive advantage,† there is another responsibility, just as crucial to overall business success, that Human Resources (HR) must consider (Pfeffer, 2005, p. 127). Pfeffer (2005) suggests the diagnosis of changes to be made in regard to the mind-set of an organization is one of the most important, yet most underestimated tasks the HR team will

Climate Change Impacts on Indigenous People Research Paper

Climate Change Impacts on Indigenous People - Research Paper Example According to archaeologists, food storage is widespread and sharing or reciprocity is integral to survival during climate change and catastrophes (Cherrington 18). Nevertheless, a great deal of what populations have created in reaction to catastrophe has also been quite unsound. Social and environmental pressures lead to a huge number of deaths and conflicts. Destruction of ancient civilizations is more widespread than survival. These are vicious and potent lessons to reflect on as individuals and/or groups try to learn from indigenous communities about climate change. Across the globe, agriculture was cultivated at the conclusion of the final ice age, at the advent of the Holocene roughly 11,500 years ago (Geoffrey 18). There have been significant alterations in hydrological processes and in intense weather episodes as well, and changes in temperature throughout the Holocene. The ‘Anthropocene’ theory states that human activities, mostly agriculture and deforestation, l ed to rise in carbon dioxide over the last eight thousand years and rise in methane gas over the last five thousand years (Geoffrey 18). If this hypothesis is true, there are significant repercussions for human-made climate change. Measurements of climate change have coherently revealed and verified that the Earth’s climate is shifting. As reported in the latest statements of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is clear and indisputable proof that the climate of the world is warming and that this is almost certainly caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) provoked by human beings (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs 95). Human activity has weakened the environmental strength of the planet by exploiting the atmosphere as a cesspool for GHGs. Climate change is an adverse reaction presently felt in the world as an outcome of the increase in greenhouse gas production and discharges as a result of burning of fossil fue ls, mostly for transportation and industrial operations. Due to this ‘smoke’ emitted from machines and automobiles, carbon dioxide gas is accumulated in the atmosphere and raises the intensity of heat in the planet (Chavez & Tauli-Corpuz 39-42). This occurrence is known as the ‘greenhouse effect’. Since the 19th century, global temperatures have risen by roughly 0.74%. A further increase in temperature is expected and indigenous peoples will be more seriously affected than other populations. The effect of climate change involves (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs 95): diminishing polar sea ice and rising of sea levels, threatening low-lying coastal areas, notably many small islands in the Pacific; greater exposure to natural disasters, such as floods, and to frequent and intense extreme weather events; degradation of wetlands due to changing freeze-thaw cycles; glacial melts in high-altitude regions and subsequent inundations of valleys and hill areas; increased fires in tropical rainforests; changes in precipitation and desertification. Even though climate change is an occurrence that affects the entire world, affecting all peoples and places, different environments and areas are affected quite differently. Indigenous peoples are by now coping with effects of climate change in their everyday lives. Changes due to climate change, such as weakening of

Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Research Paper

Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Research Paper Example It is important to consider the roles of the females in her life as well as those of the males. She seems to gather her greatest resources from the female society of relatives and friends, and she likewise strengthens her strong female affinities as a result of the negative relationships and experiences she finds in most of the male characters. Knowledge is passed to Maya through the female mother figures in her life; this includes her mother, her grandmothers, and Mrs. Flowers. Her first and foremost female relationship, as depicted in Caged Bird, with her paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, whom Maya and her brother Bailey call Momma. The young siblings are shipped to Momma, in Stamps, Arkansas, by their parents. It is she who raises them during their early childhood years in this rural southern setting of the early 1930's. Momma is known as a good-looking woman, but Maya sees her through different eyes. "I saw only her power and strength. She was taller than any woman in my personal world, and her hands were so large they could span my head from ear to ear" (46). Momma had been married three times. She had two sons, one of whom is Maya's father, Bailey, Sr. Maya accepts Momma as a mother figure and role model. She teaches Maya through her words and through her actions. Maya learns from Momma how racism plays a part in their lives and how to handle and recognize it (47). An important tribute in the book to Momma's strength is how she deals with the "powhitetrash" girls who come up to the store and taunt her. They mock her stance and her facial expressions, and then one girl does a handstand, and in so doing reveals her lack of undergarments. Momma stands her ground in the face of this insult, and though seemingly powerless, she finds her strength within her will. She wills herself to rise above the whole scene. Not unlike her slave ancestors, she sings and hums in the face of adversity (32,33) Momma tells Maya to wash the tears from her face. And as Maya complies she observes, ''Whatever the contest had been out front, I knew Momma had won" (33). Already, the author recognizes the power, strength, and spirit of her grandmother and appreciates her life and teachings. "Her world was bordered on all sides with work, duty, religion and 'her place.' I do n't think she ever knew that a deep-brooding love hung over everything she touched" (57). In her work, "The Grandmother in African and African/American Literature," Mildred Hill-Lubin discusses Grandmother Henderson and others like her. Hill-Lubin calls these women the "sheroes" of the time (p. 266). She talks about how the African family has suffered under the burden of slavery and colonialism. However, she feels that the reason for its perseverance and survival is the grandmother. The grandmother's role, function and importance can be traced to the revered status, position, and responsibilities which elders hold in West African society (Hill-Lubin 258). The grandmother often maintained a household which consisted of her unmarried or married children and of her grandchildren; in this way the resources were pooled. The 1930's was a period of rough times, and there wasn't enough money for individuals to live separately. Consequently, some would strike out on their own, as did Maya's parents, and the childrearing was left to the grandmother. She had to be tough and strong in order to pull things together in so many ways for the entire family' Both of Maya's grandmothers are "strong, independent, skillful women who are able to manage their

The Identifying Factor Of Azotobacter

The Identifying Factor Of Azotobacter It is all too easy to forget about the soil microorganisms that are so crucial to the health of the flora and fauna of an ecosystem. When speaking of soil microorganisms, this classification can be further broken down into three subcategories: fungi, protista and bacteria, with bacteria making up the largest portion of the microorganisms (Boyle et al., 2007, Pelczar et al. 1993). These soil microorganisms play a central role to the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients such as, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur; elements which are detrimental for the growth and life of organisms (Bastida et al., 2007). In addition to their role in nutrient cycling, soil microorganisms largely contribute to soil structures by breaking down and decomposing organic matters, and are also an important food source for other organisms such as earth worms and amoebae (Bastida et al., 2007). Considering the impact of soil microorganisms on the environment and ecosystem, it is easy to see how soil microorganisms also impact human lifestyle and economy. In recent times, a flood of research has been conducted on the importance of microorganisms on agriculture, with interests in the ability of nitrogen fixing bacteria to substitute for nitrogenous fertilizers (Cakmacki et al. 2006). This lab focused on the bacterial portion of soil microorganisms, specifically, the isolation and identification of a single bacterium from a local soil sample using a number of aseptic laboratory techniques and Bergeys Manual of Systemic Bacteriology (1984). Materials and Methods The following methods were taken from the Biology 203 Lab Manual (Robertson 2008). Two soil samples were taken, the first from forest soil and the second, a coarse woody debris, from compost. These two samples were serially diluted to make solutions from 10E-2 to 10E-7, and from each sample pour plates, slants, streak plates and broths were inoculated using aseptic technique. The colony morphologies were observed and recorded and each plate was enumerated. From these samples 4 bacteria were chosen and subcultured onto streak plates and slants. After preparing and Gram Staining the slides the cell morphologies of the bacteria were observed and noted. The colonies were again subcultured onto streak plates and tested for the ability to hydrolyze starch by adding Iodine. The colonies were also cultured into Sulfide, Indole and Motility (SIM) deeps to test for the presences of the Sulfur cycle and motility. In addition Peptone broths were inoculated and the cultures were tested for ammoni fication. Ammonium sulfate broths and nitrite broths were inoculated and nitrification was tested for as well denitrification was tested for by inoculating nitrate broths. Aerobic respiration was confirmed when catalase tests were carried out by adding H2O2 to a sample of bacterium. Finally cultures were individually exposed to each of several different temperatures, salinities and levels of pH in order to determine their optimal environmental conditions. A single colony of bacteria was chosen to be identified: bacteria 1 from soil sample 2. Results The colony morphology can be described as a glistening opaque white color with a flat and irregular shape. The growth was smooth and soft. The diameter of the colony approximated 15mm. Under 1000x magnification it was revealed that the cells were bacilli, singlet and had a diameter of approximately 2ÃŽ ¼m. The cells stained Gram negative. Table 1: Summary of Results for Unidentified Bacterium 1 of Soil Sample 2 Test Result Starch Hydrolysis Positive H2S reduction Negative Motility Negative Aerobic or Anaerobic Aerobic Ammonification Positive Denitrification (NO3- to NO2-) Negative Nitrification (NH3/NH4+ to NO2-) Positive Nitrification (NH3/NH4+ to NO3-) Positive Catalase Positive Optimal temperature 22Â °C Optimal pH 5 Optimal salt concentration 0% The results of the remainder of the tests biochemical and environmental are summarized by Table 1. It was concluded based on the Iodine and starch reaction that this bacterium hydrolyzed starch as a source of Carbon. The Sulfur cycle did not occur as there was no black precipitate from the combination of Iron and hydrogen sulfide found in the SIM deeps. The SIM deeps did reveal that these bacteria were non-motile, growing only on the stab line. The proteins in the peptone broth were degraded to ammonia signifying that this bacterium is an ammonifer. Nitrification was also confirmed with the bacteria oxidizing the NH3 and NH4+ in the broths to NO2- and NO3. Denitrification however, did not occur; NO3 was not reduced. The addition of H2O2 led to bubbling as it reacted with catalase present in the cells. Optimal environmental conditions were found to be 22Â °C, pH of 5 and 0% salinity. Between the temperatures of 4, 15, 22 and 54Â °C, growth was strongest at 22Â °C, then 15 and wea kest at 37 and 4Â °C . Growth at pH was only slightly stronger than at pH 7 but substantially stronger than at pH 3 and 9 (refer to table 2). Growth in salinity was best at 0% and decreased with .05%, 2% and 5% respectively. Table 2: Growth of bacterium 1 at various pH based on absorbance levels at 580nm pH Bacterial Growth 3 .227 5 .692 7 .510 9 .147 Discussion Each of these steps aided in the possible identification of the bacterium as Azobacteraceae Azotobacter a genera of bacteria found in soil, water and roots (Bergeys Manual, 1984). Due to the thinner layer of peptidoglycan surrounded by a phospholipid outer membrane as opposed to a thick external layer of peptidoglycan this bacterium stained Gram negative (Prescot, Harley and Klein 2005). Of vital importance for identification was the presence of catalase, an enzyme present in aerobic bacteria that breaks down the toxic byproduct of electron transport: H2O2 (Wang et al. 2008). The search to identify Bacterium 1 began with these two broad criteria: Gram negative and aerobic respiration. This particular bacterium was non-motile, the bacterium grew only along the stab line in the SIM deep rather than spreading throughout the medium. This turned out to be an important factor while identifying as it as Azotobacter which contains both motile and non-motile bacteria (Bergeys Manual, 1984). T hese three qualities alone pointed in the direction of Azotobacter; the biochemical and environmental tests served to confirm that Bacterium 1 was indeed Azotobacter by matching the characteristics of this particular genera to the bacterium. Nitrification was a common characteristic between the two and was confirmed to occur in Bacterium 1 when the ammonia broth was oxidized to nitrite and nitrite was oxidized to nitrate (Bergeys Manual, 1984). Denitrification however, did not occur the nitrate was left intact and un-reduced. Ammonification, the breakdown of nitrogen containing compounds to ammonia, was also a common characteristic of Bacterium 1 and Azotobacter (Bergeys Manual, 1984, Roberts, 2008). Although the test for motility in the SIM deep was positive, the sulfur cycle test in the SIM had a negative result. The sulfur containing compounds were not reduced by the bacterium to produce H2S and, this result even as a negative, was an important factor in identification because Azotobacter also does not reduce sulfur (Bergeys Manual, 1984, Roberts, 2008). Bergeys Manual (1984) classifies Azotobacter as a heterotroph and, similarly Bacterium 1 was identified as a heterotroph when Iodine was added to the streak plate con taining starch and no color change occurred in the area under and around the colony. This was an indication of the bacterium breaking down and metabolizing the starch. Finally, the optimal environmental conditions of both Bacterium 1 and Azotobactera were found to be very similar. The optimal conditions were stated as: pH of 4.8 8.5, temperature of 15 37ËÅ ¡C and low salinity (Bergeys Manual, 1984). Bacterium 1 had very similar environmental conditions of: pH of 5, 22ËÅ ¡C and salinity of 0% NaCl. Considering the nitrifying and ammonifiying qualities of the Azotobacter, this bacterium plays an important role in the nitrogen cycle by breaking down proteins and converting the nitrogen into a form that can then be used by other organisms (Butenschoen, Marhan and Scheu, 2007, Cakmakci et al. 2006). Azotobacter, as one of the more common nitrifying soil microbes, is known to produce a great amount of usable Nitrogen, and therefore is closely linked to plant growth and health (Cakmakci et al. 2006, Prescot, Harley and Klein 2005). Interestingly, although many nitrifying organisms hold a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, providing Nitrogen in exchange for nutrients, Azotobacter, in particular, does not (Prescot, Harley and Klein 2005). Azotobacter also carries out starch hydrolysis, and therefore aids in the decomposition of organic matter in soil and the mineralization process (Smith and Smith, 2001). The identification of Bacterium 1 as Azobacteraceae Azotobacter is not definite and several other tests would have required in order to prove this statement as true. One test which would have been very helpful would have been a test for cyst formation; a key characteristic of the Azotobacter (Bergeys Manual, 1984, Prescot, Harley and Klein 2005). The Azotobacter are not rhizobacteria and therefore it would have been appropriate if there were some way of observing the bacteria in their natural habitat. In addition, the tests that were carried out had limitations to the amount of information that could have been gleaned from the results. The nitrification, ammonification, and denitrification tests were based on a simple color change, and there was no way of telling the process by which these functions, if present, occurred, nor were the tests specific to the concentration of the compounds present. All of these tests and techniques could also have been subjected to error, for example, m easurement errors under the microscope, errors in serial dilutions and even, contamination of cultures. From a simple compost soil sample it was possible to isolate and subculture a single bacterium species. Using various biochemical tests such as, tests for nitrification, ammonification, denitrification and the sulfur cycle, it was possible to determine the characteristic metabolic functions of the organism. These results, in addition to observation of cell and colony morphology, especially Gram staining, enabled the identification of the bacterium as Azobacteraceae Azotobacter.