Is Global Warming A Natural Phenomenon Environmental Sciences Essay

Is Global Warming A Natural Phenomenon Environmental Sciences Essay Is the temperature rising or is it just us? One of the most highly debated topics in todays society is global warming. Are we humans destroying the Earth we live on without knowing its devastating effects or is it the inevitable? Some say that the burden we put on the Earth is causing a rise in the greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions. Others argue that global warming is naturally occurring or it truly does not exist. How can something not exist when all the evidence points to it? Recent studies have shown that an increase in carbon dioxide concentrations and other greenhouse gases caused by human activity is warming up the planet. Researchers and scientists have been studying the climate changes from the late 1950s up till today and no findings have pointed towards anything but humans causing this disaster. A way to define global warming is through the Greenhouse Effect. The process starts with the solar radiation to the Earths surface which absorbs the rays and heats up the surface. Since the Earth does not absorb all the radiation from the sun, it is simply reflected off its surface back into space. It is here where the problem occurs. When the rays reflect off the Earths surface they are not leaving the lower atmosphere due to greenhouse gases and other emissions. This causes the infrared rays to stay inside the Earths atmosphere and cause the temperature to rise. When an infrared ray strikes a molecule like carbon dioxide or a greenhouse gas it causes the bond to vibrate and it gains kinetic energy. Now that this molecule has more kinetic energy, it can transfer it to one of the two major gases in the atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen. When the gases receive this extra energy it causes a general heating of the atmosphere. The diagram on the next page depicts how the process works. FIGURE 1: The Greenhouse Effect In the late 1950s, researchers carefully studied the amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. At that time, scientists agreed that the amount of carbon dioxide in parts per million was 315. Now today in 2008, that parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is about 385. What caused this increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases? Human activities such as fossil fuel burning, cement, production, and deforestation caused this increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. How do we know that these numbers are accurate? Scientists can measure the amount of greenhouse gases in from bubbles of air that were naturally preserved in ice in Antarctica and Greenland dating back to more than 650,000 years ago. The amount of carbon dioxide concentrations in the last 400,000 years had a cyclical pattern. The amounts would rise to just about 300 parts per million and decrease to about 200 parts per million in a 100,000 year time frame then rise a gain. Just recently the parts per million have skyrocketed. Today that number of parts per million is still increasing and is almost at 400. Why is it now that this number has increased rapidly? The population today of the entire world is booming to more than six billion people. In the United States the population is currently more than 300,000,000. No more than twenty years ago the population in 1990 was around 249,000,000. In that little of time the population grew more than 50,000,000. Now think of all the countries in the world. The population is putting the Earth at risk and this is why the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are increasing. Another argument that proves the global is heating up is evidence from the I.P.C.C. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Last year the I.P.C.C. published a six year long study on the science of global warming and picked up the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts. (Monastersky) The I.P.C.C. has gathered information from nine different global using land stations. Each of these land stations cover large regions and record the surface temperature. Each land station from around 1950 has shown an increase of land temperature from 0Â °C to 0.4Â °C. Overall, in the last century the Earths surface temperature has increased by 1.3Â °F. (Schneider) Even though this is the tiniest increase it still effects how the Earth emits radiation. The hotter the temperature of the Earths surface gets the more it needs to emit the radiation. This causes a problem because the greenhouse gases and other molecules are reflecting the rays back to the Earth and are staying in the atmosphere, once again c ausing a rise in temperature. Figure 2: Global Temperature Time Series The figure above shows the Earths surface temperature in nine different locations Now that the evidence proves the Earths surface is heating up and the atmosphere is being ruined by carbon dioxide emissions, how can we prove that humans are doing this? In a recent study from Purdue University, they named the U.S.A.s top cities for carbon dioxide emissions. A few of the top cities were Los Angeles, Chicago, Pennsylvania Carbon County, and Indiana County. From the image below, the key shows that levels with red or brown areas are top producers of carbon dioxide emissions. What makes these areas red? Studies show that the reason is the burning of fossil fuels. Examples of fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. These three sources of energy play a huge role in the world because they are used everyday in excessive amounts. When fossil fuels are burned or used they produce carbon dioxide emissions. Figure 3: Top Carbon Dioxide Emitters in the United States The figure above shows areas in the United States that emit carbon dioxide. The areas that emit the most are shown in red or brown. The Earth can only absorb so much of these emissions that eventually it cannot anymore and it causes excessive amounts in the atmosphere. How do humans burn fossil fuels? Everyday activities like driving a car, using an aerosol can, working at a factory, and working at power plants. Each of these burn fossil fuels and destroys the atmosphere. Think of how many cars are on the road right now driving and burning gas. The amount of the carbon emissions coming form vehicles is overwhelming and is causing this change in climate. Finally, car manufacturers are realizing that this is becoming a huge epidemic and they are now producing hybrid vehicles and more gas efficient vehicles. Factories and power plants produce a ridiculous amount of pollution each day that is doing irreversible damage to the Earth. An argument against global warming is that it is naturally occurring. This is a possibility because no expert or researcher has completely understood the Earths cycle of ice ages and warm periods. There is a slight possibly that this could be just one of the Earths warm periods. Evidence proves otherwise. According to researchers it is nearly impossible to explain this climate change without external force. This means that something other than a natural cause is a factor in the climate change. Another counterargument against global warming is that the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are from the ocean. When researchers studied the oceans, they saw that levels of the carbon dioxide in the ocean were high like the amount in the atmosphere. If the ocean was emitting carbon dioxide then the levels in the ocean would be lower. With all the evidence, it is clear that humans are contributing to global warming. This has only become a problem now because our economy is going as well as our population. Fifty years ago, the economy was not even close to being as advanced and big as it is today. Our population is still growing and we are only taking baby steps to fix this problem. If harsh action does not take place soon we will destroy the Earth forever. The warming of the oceans and atmosphere could trigger irreversible environmental changes in coming decades. (Monastersky)

The Mission Movie Analysis

The movie The Mission (1986) staring Robert DiNiero, is set during the colonial time period and sheds light on the Jesuits and their early missions in Brazil. It shows us a timeline of the behaviors of countries such as Spain and Portugal as well as the Jesuit missions. The movie opens with a focus on an Indian village set on the top of a waterfall. This village is depicted from two separate viewpoints, as the viewer is shown a Jesuit Priest named Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) in the beginning steps of attempting to submerge into the Indian culture in hope to eventually convert them to the Jesuit faith.On the opposite end of the spectrum, men from Spain are shown entering a similar village, capturing as many Indians as possible and bringing them back to Spain to sell to others who will turn them into slaves. Each side continues these behaviors throughout the majority of the movie. Over time, you can see the growth of the relationship between the Jesuit Priests and the Indian villages . In addition to providing them with religion, parts of the Jesuits’ successes were achieved in bringing over new world practices to what one would otherwise describe as an uncivilized population.The implementation of simple things such as teaching the Indians how to build soundly structured buildings, laid the foundation of trust needed to have the Indians convert to the Jesuit faith and eventually build a large church in the center of the village. The Jesuits missions have been very successful thus far. However, political negations between Spain and Portugal deviate and the two countries form a treaty outlining an agreement for Spain to concede land to Portugal, which they will use to build their own civilizations and enslave or kill local Indian tribes as well as anyone who stands in their way.A trail is held to determine if the Spain and Portugal have to authority to destroy the sacred work of the Jesuit missions. The judge takes time to explore all the villages that the Jesuits have converted including their oldest mission known as The Great Mission of Sab Miguel. The judge is treated like royalty at every stop he makes in trying to decide but ultimately decides that the villages can be destroyed to make way for the effectiveness of the Spanish and Portuguese treaty.This is met with obvious resistance from the Indians who are overcome with feeling of betrayal from not only their God but also these foreign settlers that they let into their lives. When the Portuguese show up, the Indians are prepared for war but in the end, wooden spears are not a fair fight for guns and swords. The Indians’ villages are torched and those who were not killed were shackled, enslaved, transported back and sold. I feel that as far as movies go, this one did a very good job when is came to historical accuracies.The film makes it seem that the Indians would not have been able to survive without the help of the Jesuits and the mission, which simply is not true. The film also fails to point out the lack of freedom that the Indians had within these missions. In fact, the film at times portrays the exact opposite. Lastly, the film paints the Jesuits as innocent and the good guys throughout the film. I feel this is the most egregious inaccuracy. The Jesuits were not simply there to spread Christianity to people, but rather it was a beginning step in taking over the entire culture and land of the Indian people.I thought the movie was definitely effective. I felt that the film itself was well depicted and gave the viewer a clear understanding of not only the struggle in the area but also the political ripples it caused as it ultimately eluded to the global effect this situation had. I was pleased that things were not disproportionally exaggerated, as is the case all too often in movies; conversely, Roland Joffe does a commendable job of bringing life the words of a history textbook without compromising it’s integrity with the help of Robert D e Niro and Jeremy Irons.

Trifles By Susan Glaspell - 1000 Words

In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the author presents a predominant theme of women and femininity. This theme reflects upon the underlying message of the play, that women are not treated fairly and are not seen in the same light as men. Susan Glaspell demonstrates the common assumptions made by men towards women in terms of roles and degrading their value/insight. Throughout the play, Glaspell provides many instances to where a woman’s value or insight is degraded. Hale demonstrates this by presuming that if he had â€Å"went to the house and talked about it before [John’s] wife, [that he] didnt know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John (Glaspell 762). Evidently, we can see how Hale belittles Mrs. Wright. More so†¦show more content†¦Oftentimes the role of women is depicted in a house setting. Therefore hearing Dirty towels!† (Glaspell 764) and being recognized as â€Å"not much of a housekeeper (Glaspell 764) is simply not acceptable yet illustrates the idea that women have a duty to keep the house clean. Mrs. Hale is then depicted as loyal to [her] sex (Glaspell 764) because she challenges the idea that women have to keep everything sanitary by exclaiming that Those towels get dirty awful quick. Mens hands arent always as clean as they might be (Glaspell 764). Seemingly judging a woman’s competence based on her housekeeping skills does not determine her full persona. Since the housekeeping duties remain primarily on a woman’s shoulders. The concept of building a family is also added to their plates as well. By way of illustration, when Mrs. Hale continues to bicker with the county attorney she takes notice that Mrs. Wright’s farmhouse never seemed a very cheerful place (Glaspell 764). The county attorney then seeks to comment on Mrs. Hales observation by agreeing that No--its not cheerful. I shouldnt say she had the homemaking instinct (Glaspell 764). Undoubtedly, the county attorney reveals that it is the womens expertise to have a homemaking instinct (Glaspell 764). Moreover, that their role is to build a family physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Mrs. Hale disputes this view because Well, [she] dont know as Wright had,Show MoreRelatedTrifles, By Susan Glaspell Essay2136 Words   |  9 Pagesprimarily of a domestic nature. Trifles by Susan Glaspell indicates that a man’s perspective is entirely different from a woman’s. The one-act play, Trifles, is a murder mystery which examines the lives of rural, middle-aged, married, women characters through gender relationships, power between the sexes, and the nature of truth. The play, written in the early 1900s, long before the women’s movement and while men considered women their possessions. In the story of Trifles, it is easy to recognize theRead MoreTrifles by Susan Glaspell1158 Words   |  5 PagesAnalytical Essay on Drama Trifles by Susan Glaspell Heidi Barnard South University Trifles’ By Susan Glaspell I believe had several small defining moments leading to the one larger defining moment, which brings together all of them together. The defining moment is the discovery of the dead bird hidden in the pretty red box, this leads back to smaller points such as her sewing and the bird cage. â€Å" Here’s some red. I expect this has got sewing things in it. (Brings out a fancy box.) What aRead MoreTrifles by Susan Glaspell604 Words   |  2 Pages Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a one-act play that explores the theme of the gender roles and social positions of men and women in early twentieth-century America. The play is loosely based on the true event of the murder of John Hossack which Glaspell reported on while working as a news journalist in Iowa. Years later, she used her experiences and observations to create the play. Trifles is about solving the murder case of farmer John Wright. While Mr. Wright was asleep in the night, someoneRead MoreT rifles, By Susan Glaspell1034 Words   |  5 Pagessay goes. The 1912 play Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, who was inspired to write this play from a story she covered as a reporter. A murder case is being held and authorities are getting down to it suspecting a woman of killing her husband in his sleep. The character Mrs. Hale who is neighbors and friends with Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife and Mrs. Wright, the woman accused of the murder of her Husband, Mr. Wright. The character Mrs. Hale, in the Susan Glaspell s play Trifles, is displayed as a empoweringRead MoreTrifles, By Susan Glaspell Essay1469 Words   |  6 PagesSusan Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles is based on the murder investigation of John Wright. Minnie Wright’s isolation and the death of her canary are the major factors that led to the murder of her husband. Glaspell stresses the perceived supremacy of males when investigating the murder by giving the men lead roles in the investigation and by m aking fun of the â€Å"trifles† that the women are choosing to observe. It is ironic because the ordinary items observed by the women were thought of as â€Å"trifles†Read MoreTrifles : Susan Glaspell s Trifles940 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is a trifle? A trifle is something that has little to no importance (dictionary.com). For instance, the color of your nails would be considered a trifle. In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, women are criticized and made fun of by men because of the little things they worry about, such as the color of their nails or their hair. This exhibits the gender role difference portrayed during the play’s time period. The central conflict is what the plot is centered around. In Trifles, the central conflictRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1507 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Trifles† is a one act play written by Susan Glaspell in 1916, which was first performed on August 8th by the Provincetown Players in Provincetown, Massachusetts at the Wharf Theater. The author, Susan Glaspell, was born on July 1, 1876 in Davenport, Iowa. Over her lifetime she had become proficient in many different professions: Playwright, Actress, Novelist, and Journalist. For her works, she won an American Pulitzer Prize in 1931. The Provincetown Players was founded by Susan Glaspell and herRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1732 Words   |  7 PagesSusan Glaspell (1876-1948) was an American-born Pulitzer Prize winning writer of both plays and fiction. Glaspell came from humble beginnings and went on to study at Drake University and the University of Chicago. Much of Glaspell s work dealt with the relationships between men and women and the negative effects they have on women. In Glaspell s play Trifles, it is revealed that the operations of patriarchy are just an illusion that men have created to make themselves feel superior to womenRead MoreTrifles by Susan Glaspell Essay1253 Words   |  6 Pages Susan Glaspell’s most memorable one-act play, Trifles (1916) was based on murder trial case that happened in the 1900’s. Glaspell worked as a reporter, where she appointed a report of a murder case. It was about a farmer, John Hossack who was killed while he was asleep in bed one night. His wife claimed that she was asleep next to him when the attack occurred. No one believed in her statement, she was arrested and was charged on first degree murder. In Trifles, the play takes place at an abandonRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1205 Words   |  5 Pagesreporters, Susan Glaspell, decided to write a literary version of this investigation and â€Å"Trifles† came to be. Susan Glaspell is a feminist writer from Davenport, Iowa who started off writing for a newspaper called Des Moines Daily News. Later on her literary career she left the journalism industry and founded a theatrical organization called ‘Provincetown Players’ on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In Trifles, Glaspell covers issues regarding female oppression and patriarchal domination. Susan Glaspell’s

An Importance of Policemen - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 674 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/04/05 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Police Brutality Essay Did you like this example? Policemen are important for our society and community. These are the people who follow rules and helps in regulating them. They have the power and the right to take action when a member of the society does not follow the rules or abide them. The job of a policeman is dangerous and these people must take decisions before they think. Some decisions could lead to a bad result and but mostly they are done to protect the citizens. Over the past 26 years the criminal rates has lowered more than half of what it was on 1991 and the policemen are the reason behind it. Police brutality may not be done purposely but to protect other citizens. Police take actions when the victim opposes or when he or she does not cooperate with the police. Physical actions can also be taken when the officers feel like they are being threatened by the individual. In many cases of police brutality, the problem is not of the police but of the victim if you think deeply. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An Importance of Policemen" essay for you Create order For example, the South Carolina student who was dragged by a policeman from her classroom. Before using this action, the teacher and the administrators asked her to leave the room multiple times but she never listened. When the cop came to remove her from the room, she refused and fought back. This is when he had to use his power to make her leave the room. This would have never happened if she obeyed her teachers and authorities in the first place. This girl was a troublemaker and was not obedient, so she faced the consequences for her actions. This police officer did what he had to do and what he was trained to do. The policemen cannot be blamed for every cases because behind many of these cases there might be hidden truths which no one would believe due to lack of evidence. Police brutality must be stopped as soon as possible because innocent citizens who are deserved to live die. These people and their families had dreams and careers which are taken away in minutes just because they oppose or violate any rules. Even though police officers have the right to take an action, it must be the right one and must be done according to how they were trained instead of abusing their power. Latino and black teenagers get harassed and beaten down everyday by the police for no reason and in most cases the city officials stand with the police due to lack of proper evidence. People must not feel scared to walk around or go to a park thinking that they might get interrogated by a police officer or get shot because a police officer is having a bad day. The rise of police brutality could seriously hard the economy or the country in the future and this is not want a country want so they have to take the initiative to stop it. Even if every individuals are morally different they must be treated in the same way unless they are proven guilty to a crime. Every citizen have rights and when a person ask for their rights they must not be shot dead. Police brutality affects the peace and harmony of a nation. As a result to my research i would like to conclude by saying that Police brutality is a choice and if every police men decides not to cause any harm physically or verbally without any reason, this can be stopped. Police must not stop a person and question because of the color of his skin. Police officers must think better and must be more professional instead of acting like a person with no moral values. They must value the life of the person and also have no right to kill anyone. Every individual is important to the society and they must be respected in the same way unless there are different other reasons. The officials must take the decisions quick before it gets too late or it could lead to more deaths .