Abstract This paper explains the dangers of sun rays and how these are a cause of skin cancer. It looks at preventative measures and precautions needed to be taken and what protection one may use. It explains the ecological cause of this rise in danger levels - the ozone layer, global warming etc.
From the Paper "Very simply, sunburn and UV light, or, more specifically, Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR), and especially UV-B radiation can damage your skin, and this damage can lead to skin cancer. There are of course other determining factors, including your heredity and the environment you live in. However, both the total amount of sun received over the years, and overexposure resulting in sunburn can cause skin cancer."
Abstract The paper investigates the practice of fuel management in areas that are under the threat of wildfire. It discusses the education of homeowners, such as an awareness of risks and knowledge of the required precautions. It looks at fuel management techniques that can reduce the risk of loss of property during a wildfire and briefly reviews the benefits of wildfire as a tool in vegetation management.
From the Paper "With the proliferation of urban areas encroaching on wilderness areas, wildfire now is a much more common threat to homes and property. "Since 1970, more than 10,000 homes and 20,000 other structures and facilities have been lost to severe wildland fire" (Editors). Drought throughout the country has dried out forests, making them much more susceptible to wildfire. Wildland fires can be caused by any number of events, some natural, and some man-made.
Lightning is a common source of fire in natural vegetation. It is a weather phenomenon that is associated with both frontal and convectional movements of air. Lightning fire depends on the presence of dry organic materials, either in dry climates or in dry seasons (Heady and Child 108)."
Abstract This paper examines the enormous environmental disaster of the Exxon Valdez oil spill into the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The paper provides the history of the Exxon Company, a detailed description of the accident and the following environmental cleanup. It describes the criminal negligence of the company and complete public relations failure.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Situation Analysis
Burning Mechanical Cleanup Chemical Dispersants
Effects on the Environment
Government Action
Exxon's Reaction
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Exxon Valdez, a tanker loaded with oil from the shipping terminal in Valdez, Alaska, ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound (in the Gulf of Alaska) at 12:04am, on March 24, 1989. At the helm was of Gregory Cousins, Third Mate, who was not licensed to pilot the ship through Prince William Sound, whose waters were considered treacherous. Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of the ship, was apparently asleep below deck. Third Mate Cousins had tried to dodge floating ice, performing a series of strange right turns. When the ship hit Bligh Reef, its hull ruptured and much of the cargo spilled. In the next few days, the oil spread rapidly, causing the deaths of thousands of sea birds, sea otters, and other wildlife. It covered the coastline with oil from the ship resulting of the wreck and eventually contamination of marine life; the fishing season in the sound was halted for several years.
Abstract The paper begins by looking at the fossil fuel problem ? the depletion of these fuels and the pollution associated with these fuels. It also looks at the problem with foreign suppliers of oil - the instability and pressures that are continually placed on political and militarily considerations in those areas. The paper then moves on to valid alternatives for fossil fuel, namely; photovoltaic technology, fuel cell technologies, use of the windmill and hydrogen power. The paper concludes by proposing solutions to the problem of fossil fuel reliance.
From the Paper "America currently relies heavily on oil, natural gas, coal, and other types of non-renewable fuels in order to maintain the energy needed to run America. The American leadership utilizes relationships with many oil-producing countries in order to keep their position of buying and selling the energy needed to suffice the American appetite. A solution to the reliance on fossil fuels must be uncovered in order for America to not be caught in an energy shortage."
From the Paper "The Endangered Species Act is an attempt by Congress to create and implement a comprehensive program aimed at addressing the concern of the extinction of plant and wildlife species. The Act currently in force is a culmination of almost a century of wildlife management. However, within that time, the various entities that find themselves concerned with the issues of plant and wildlife management have often had differing interests. Consequently, the Act has served as an area of tension between competing interests since its inception and the controversial cases to which it has given rise and its numerous amendments attest to its continuing controversy. Nonetheless, it is likely these competing interests will always cohabit with some tension."
From the Paper "Rachel Carson, in Silent Spring, portrays some of the dangerous threats posed by humanity to the environment of the earth. The book remains significant not only because it was the first work exposing such dangers to the general public, but because the dangers have multiplied and intensified due to the failure of politicians, corporations, and the public to adequately respond to the warnings of Carson.
More than that, however, the book is a plea to human beings to completely transform the perspective they have on their relationship with nature. To Carson, the danger is certainly posed by pesticides, by pollution, by other waste from industry and technology. However, just as important, if not more important, is the view that nature is the enemy of man, or at least a wild force which needs to be tamed in order to exploited.."
Abstract The paper shows that fuel cells offer tremendous promise and potential as an energy source. Among topics covered in this paper include: How fuel cells operate, why they are cleaner than a combustion powered engine and the research that is currently being conducted to advance this technology. The paper also lays out the roles the federal government, automakers, and oil companies are playing in investing in fuel technology. It also discusses the problems that need to be overcome in order for the use of fuel cells to meet their full potential as an energy source.
From the Paper "In summary once the fuel cell market begins to take off, the impact can snowball. Using hydrogen to combine such renewable energy sources with highly efficient fuel cell cars would impact many industries such as the automobile, oil, electricity and natural gas. Furthermore, an added benefit of fuel cell will be the elimination of carbon dioxide that are produced by gas powered engines, instead the only by product produced here would be water. In fact this water will be safe enough to drink because it will be pure. Research will continue to advance the potential of fuel cell as a dependable long term energy source."
From the Paper "AIR POLLUTION
The question of what constitutes air pollution should begin with a definition of what constitutes clean air. Even clean air contains many substances other than oxygen and nitrogen, its major constituents, including rare gases such as argon, neon, and helium, as well as ozone, carbon dioxide, radioactive materials from the earth, and various nitrogen and sulfur compounds. The air would also contain variable amounts of water vapor and many suspended solid particles and liquid substances. Suspended materials known as aerosols are defined as dust particles and condensation nuclei, the latter consisting of chloride salts, sulfuric and nitrous acids, phosphorous compounds, and many other chemical substances. These nuclei have an affinity for water and ..."
This paper discusses the conflict between preservation of wilderness and public access in Yosemite National Park: Background, development, tourism, pollution, traffic, economics and the future.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 11 sources, 1995, $ 79.95
From the Paper "The alpine Yosemite Valley is situated within California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Carved by glacial ice, the valley's towering granite walls and cascading waterfalls provide for some spectacular scenery. Such natural beauty has long been recognized as worthy of preservation. The exact form that this protection should take, however, has also been a source of ongoing controversy. The National Park Service's mission is to conserve the parks' natural and historic resources. In addition though, the service must allow for public use. This bifold agenda has often been a source of conflict. Yosemite National Park, in particular, has begun to suffer from overuse. Environmental degradation caused by overcrowding and pollution inspired the 1980 Yosemite General Management Plan."
From the Paper "Outline: The Effect of Global Warming on Storm Systems
Thesis: The emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases may eventually cause global climatic changes that result in storms of increased severity.
I. Global warming has occurred in recent decades.
A. There has been a corresponding increase in the release of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
B. These gases trap solar radiation and cause an increase in average global temperatures.
C. If current trends continue, by about the year 2030 the world's average temperature could increase by 1.3?C to 2.3?C.
II. Global warming may dramatically affect weather.
A. The impact of global climatic change on weather is ..."
Abstract This paper looks at the accomplishments of Robert Moses who was appointed Head of the Parks Commissions of New York and Long Island in 1924. The author discusses how Moses' career was long and proud, even though at various points he had several opponents.
From the Paper "?It was the scale of the thing ? nothing like this had ever been done in public recreation in America.? ?We thought he was nuts.? These were only two of the diverse reactions to the vision of Robert Moses right at the start. That vision occurred to him in the impossible years of the first decades of the 20th century, when only visionaries could have conceived of what he imagined. But today, there is no arguing the concrete fact that no man in the entire United States who had more to do with public works than he (The Atlantic Monthly 1945).
In the 1930s, 1940s and 1850s, he was king of the roads and the parks and the highways who forever transformed the urban landscape of the Big Apple through his public works projects."
Tags: new, york, long, island, park, commission, city, plan, roads, biography
This paper discusses that the work of Jane Goodall and others are discovering that primates have a higher degree of intelligence than previously known.
1,235 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 5 sources, 2002, $ 42.95
Abstract This paper discusses recent primate studies that suggest there are more degrees of intelligence and more kinds of intelligence in the animal kingdom than was thought possible. The paper stresses that observing chimpanzees in the wild affords more opportunities to see intelligent behavior than observing them in zoos or other captive environments. The author points out that having learned that chimpanzees in the wild medicate themselves as needed, humans are learning about medications from these chimpanzees.
From the Paper "Jane Goodall has been a key figure in primate studies and helped initiate the ChimpanZoo project to compare behaviors in the wild with behaviors in captivity. Such interdisciplinary studies help researchers understand observed behaviors in both settings. Research in the wild serves to counter many of the stereotypical views of primates that people have developed form only seeing these animals in the zoo, an artificial environment which distorts some behavior."
Abstract This paper begins by defining water pollution. It explains that there are three main types - those of a chemical nature, biological nature, and physical materials that degrade water quality. Each of these three types are classified into five main categories of water pollution. The paper then explain how each of these classifications has its own set of problems and hazards and specifies its solutions.
From the Paper "Comprising over seventy percent of the Earth's surface, water is undeniably the most valuable natural resource. Life on Earth would be non-existent without water; it is essential for everything on our planet to grow. All organisms contain water; some live in it; some drink it. Plants and animals require water that is pure, and they cannot survive if their water is loaded with toxic chemicals or harmful microorganisms. Yet even though humans recognize this fact, the population has disregarded it by polluting the rivers, lakes, and oceans of the world. Consequently, we are harming our planet. In addition to organisms vanishing due to lack of non-polluted water, the drinking water has become greatly affected, as has the population's ability to use water for farming and recreational purposes. In order to combat water pollution, we must understand the causes of water pollution, and ways in which water pollution can be prevented."
Abstract This paper explains the process which occurs in the environment which makes rain forests such an important element to the balance of the earth and the air we breathe. It explains the causes and effects of deforestation and how this is developing into a worldwide concern. The paper also suggests some solutions to the potential disaster.
From the Paper "From all types of habitats on the earth, rainforest provides a perfect shelter for millions of species. The forests commonly occur in tropical countries, where annual rainfall reaches over 400 cm and some between 200 and 400 cm every year (Bryant, 2000). Frequent rainfalls, combined with the warm temperature throughout the year, provide the plants and animals good condition to grow and increase their population. Many associated species grow from the food provided by the tree, creating special multifarious communities of the tropical countries. Bryant said, about "half of all species" on earth occupies the remaining 3.6 million square miles of the rainforest left nowadays, which only counts for seven percent of the earth's land surface.
Rainforest plays an important role to create a climate and energy balance all over the earth. In "Rainforests and Global Warming" (2000), it is explained that the forest equalizes the carbon dioxide amount and the biomass of the vegetation. The world receives high capacity of carbon dioxide from volcanic activities and another human-activity related emission. The vegetations in the forest help taking up the gas and ?convert it into cellulose and release oxygen through photosynthesis.? "
Abstract This paper examines the dangers of the notorious chemical DDT and shows why it should be banned by the year 2007, as environmentalist groups have aimed to do. The paper covers issues relating to the chemical including a growing resistance to its use, effective alternatives and the extent of its environmental destruction.
From the Paper "The environmental damage that DDT causes is enough in itself to justify a total ban. DDT is a very persistent chemical and because if its molecular structure breaks down very slowly within nature. There are rough estimates that the half-life of DDT is around 12-15 years depending on the climate it is exposed to. This is partly why it is so dangerous in the environment. Another factor is that DDT is able to travel great distances, and is found every where throughout the globe. This is a strange and disturbing discovery because some places have never been sprayed before, such as Antarctica and the ocean bottoms. The spraying of DDT has unintentionally killed some main predators of the mosquito. Dragonfly larva hunt mosquito larva in puddles and stagnant ponds and also the adult dragonfly will hunt adult mosquitoes further reducing their numbers. DDT has worked in the past but as it destroyed fragile ecosystems it has now increased mosquito numbers. DDT is also the linked chemical responsible for the decline in the population of the Bald eagle and the Peregrine falcon. These two species are at the top of the food chain, thus their prey usually have been exposed to DDT."
