This paper looks at the potentially harmful plant, Datura Stramonium. This plant, otherwise known as Jimson weed, is a very harmful and life-threatening plant to humans and livestock if used inappropriately.
Abstract The writer notes that there are many harmful plants that call our biosphere home. Among all the living things on the planet, plant species are undoubtedly the most important and valuable. Unfortunately, we as humans and the ultimate consumers on the food chain must accept the bad with the good.
From the Paper "The plant, native to Asia, but also found in the West Indies, Canada, and the United States is often located on or near roadsides making it rather easy for young people to find. The Datura stramonium can be lethal when ingested, which presents a problem considering its location. One physician has commented on this issue; ?Although exposure is sometimes unintentional by gardeners or farmers, its toxic effects are seen most commonly in teens, who intentionally misuse it for its hallucinogenic and euphoric effects, while presenting with serious illness or death from its anticholinergic properties,? (Arnett). The plant has a strong history of that type of damage here in the United States."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the sustainability movement. Specifically, the paper discusses the definition of the sustainability movement, reviews examples of the movement and focuses on sustainability and natural resources. The paper reports that the sustainability movement is gaining ground in the United States and around the world. The paper goes on to discuss how, in order for the planet and her people to survive, the world's people must embrace the sustainability movement, for modern man is using up the Earth's resources at an alarming, and perhaps catastrophic rate.
Outline:
I. Introduction
a. Thesis Statement
II. Define Sustainability
a. Use national and International Definitions.
b. Also Define Sustainability and Natural Resources.
III. Describe the Sustainability Movement
a. Biodiversity
b. Ecology
c. Community
d. Commerce
e. Natural Resources
f. Biosphere IV. Biodiversity
a. Describe how Biodiversity and Sustainability Support One
Another.
b. Use "biodiversity in food" to Show How Consumers can make a
Difference When They Buy Food.
V. Sustainability and Natural Resources
a. Describe how the natural world works in relationship to
sustainability.
b. Discuss the Overfishing of the Oceans.
c. Discuss Genetic Crops
d. Discuss the Natural World and the Effects of Global Warming.
e. Discuss Other Natural Resource Issues, such as Animals
Displaced by Global Warming and Other Issues.
f. Problems
g. Application of Elements.
VI. Education and Sustainability
a. Use Goodall Institute information to show how educating
children now can create future sustainability leaders.
VII. Create new sustainability project that has to do with natural
resources. (Create a local, accepted currency.)
a. Identify and Describe Project.
b. Explain how to pitch it to community, including businesses it
would affect.
c. Problems and Solutions.
VIII. Conclusion
From the Paper "Creating the program relies on support from local businesses and banks, and thus, it would need to be "pitched" to local businesses and banks. The most difficult aspect of convincing others would be that the community currencies work, and help grow local businesses. Using models on the east coast as an example of successful programs should be an aspect of the pitch. For example, Ithaca, New York created "Ithaca Hours" which are worth $10 (the average hourly wage in Ithaca). The dollars became so popular that local credit union employees took part of their salaries in "Hours," and a newspaper grew to advertise participating businesses and offer low-cost ads for businesses who accepted the Hours. Many other communities have created their own currencies as well, and the models for these endeavors should be used to convince the local community that it can work and it can help the economy (Swann and Witt). "
Tags: Amazon, River, watershed, tropical, jungle, ecology, environment, biological, biosphere
Abstract This paper describes various types of ecosystems. The paper defines an ecosystem as all of the organisms and their physical environment that exist within a certain, specific area, including all plants, animals, water, dirt, rocks, and the surrounding air. The paper includes a discussion of a complex mature forest ecosystem.
From the Paper "The word "ecosystem" is used frequently in the popular media, and yet most people do not have a clear, working definition of an ecosystem. An ecosystem simply refers to all of the organisms and their physical environment that exist within a certain, specific area. This includes all plants, animals, and their environment, which can include water, dirt, rocks, and the air that surrounds them. For example, all of the organisms that live in a New England tide pool, plus their physical environment would make up an ecosystem. In addition, a deciduous forest and a salt pond marsh are also ecosystems."
Examines the ecological implications of the human production of energy and discusses the global rise in the earth's temperature within the biosphere because of excesses of carbon dioxide.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 7 sources, 1992, $ 63.95
From the Paper "The term "greenhouse effect" refers to the global rise in the earth's temperature within the biosphere as a result of excess man-made gases. The gas which is causing the most damage is carbon dioxide. Under normal circumstances, carbon dioxide is important for sustaining life on the planet. In the process of photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere. This cycle is essential for the maintenance of human and animal life as well as plant life. However, in order for this process to be effective, there must be a balance between the amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen that exist in the air. The problem with the greenhouse effect today is that there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This excess gas is the result of pollutants which have been caused by the ..."
Abstract This research explores the twin problems of deforestation and agricultural growth in the Brazilian rain forest. The research sets forth the ecological context in which these issues have arisen, as well as ways in which the problems have affected the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of the region. It then discusses the range of past and projected responses to the problem with a view toward forecasting possible lines of development and resolution.
From the Paper "Such issues have been at work in Brazil for decades. As early as the 1950s and 1960s, partly in cooperation with UNESCO, Brazil's government undertook economic-development projects in Brazil, in Amazonia (Amazon, 1967) and in another major rain forest system called the Atlantic Forest. Such aggressive industrial development occurred in the latter region over the years that the great mass of the Atlantic Forest has all but disappeared. Only remainder patches of unspoiled lush vegetation survive in the current period, from the million-kilometer area of former times (Dean, 1997)."
Tags: Amazonia, UN, environment, Roraima, tapper, World, Bank
Abstract This essay will examine the relationship between technology and the body in two works: Phyllis Gotlieb's Sunburst and Robert Charles Wilson's BIOS. It will be argued that in both texts the relationship between technology and the body is defined in terms of the paradigms of the periods in which they were written.
Abstract This paper examines the changing context of sacred geography amongst Native Americans. It argues that Native Americans perceived of the biosphere as being sacred. This was inconceivable to the colonizers and remains a component of efforts at post-colonial analysis.
Abstract This paper examines the history of the Classic Mayas. Topics addressed are: 1) The Classic Period and Urban Centralization, 2) The Region and the Mayan Biosphere, 3) Surviving the Rain Forests, 4) History and Religion, 5) Religion and Agriculture, 6) Urbanization, and 7) Horizons.
Abstract This paper discusses the expected changes in climate and the ensuing affects on world agriculture. The paper claims that it is critically important to research climatic change since it affects everything on earth: man, beast, fish, fowl and organism. It also explains how climatic changes will affect the water temperature and the quality of the air.
From the Paper "Climatologists now have stated it is with the realm of "certain probability" that humans absolutely have induced global climatic disturbances resulting in a complete change in current conditions. Furthermore, the affect that has been projected for human health is one stated to be of a nature that is diverse, "unpredictable in magnitude" and slow in emerging. Specifically stated is that the "Adverse effects are likely to outweigh beneficial effect substantially" (McMichaels, et al eds., 2004) However the changes that may be witnessed sooner rather than later are those experienced from the affects of agricultural production difficulties and disasters and mass failure of crops due to unforeseen tragedy and destruction within the earth's biosphere. "
Abstract The paper explains that before landing on the moon, scientists feared that the astronauts manning a space craft might die and that there was a possibility of lunar microbes causing an epidemic if they found their way into the earth's biosphere. The writer explains that despite this great risk, the Soviets and Americans continued the race to space. The paper suggests reasons for this race to have continued and the writer posits that the only reason for doing so was for one of these nations to prove the dominance of their way of life over the other country's way of life. The writer states that the United States won the race to the moon, and also dominance of the planet, and that the Soviet Union broke apart while America prospered. In conclusion, the writer questions whether the exploration of space will wane without competition and posits that it may become a mission not of fostering competition between nations, but inspiring cooperation.
From the Paper "While the moon does not have anything to due with proving either of these ways of life superior to the other per se, the conquest of the moon was an important symbolic victory. There was a definite feeling that whoever managed to land on the moon first would prove to be the "superior" society. Astronaut Eugene Cernan clearly illustrates this anxiety to prove America's dominance of the Earth through space travel in his book The Last Man on the Moon. He starts his book recalling the occasion when he and two fellow astronauts were in the middle of testing a space craft when they were interrupted by an important phone call. Interruptions of these tests were rare since they were so difficult to set-up, so terminating the test must mean something very wrong had happened. One of the first thoughts Cernan remembers having when they were called out of their craft was "...maybe it was our worst nightmare come true, and the Russians were on their way to the Moon" (Cernan 5). That turned out not to be the case: in fact, the phone call was to inform them of the deaths of three other American astronauts in an electrical fire while testing another spacecraft. Cernan, of course, was devastated by the loss of his friends and colleagues, but nevertheless, he apparently viewed the idea of the Russians reaching the moon as his "worst nightmare." He writes that after the funerals, he worried that the American space program might be scrapped forever. "From this point on," he writes, "the dream of sending men into orbit and beyond would be viewed through the prism of the sacrifice demanded. It was a dangerous enterprise and we all now clearly understood what President Kennedy meant when he said our country had accepted this challenge not because it was easy, but because it was hard" (Cernan 13). Why, after such a tragedy, was Cernan's first fear that the Russians might beat the Americans to the moon? And why, after the funerals, did he and his fellow astronauts become even more determined to risk their lives for what was, for all practical purposes, a mostly symbolic victory? Risking so much to do something "because it was hard" really isn't a satisfactory answer."
Abstract This paper discusses the effects of volcanic eruptions and what would happen if there were extended periods of volcanic activity. It explores the effects on the climate, the environment and on health. The paper also researches volcanic activity and its effects on the geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
From the Paper "The consequences of prolonged volcanic activity are mainly due to its effects on climate change, although there are some more immediate effects. For instance, volcanic ash and clouds are a hindrance to pilots and in the past years close to jet aircraft have ..."
Abstract This paper reviews the impact that global warming has on human communities and ecosystems, and how it represents a great challenge for the entire planet. The paper reports that specialists recommend we try to find alternative sources of energy, and meanwhile, use less of the fossil-fuel energy. The paper further discusses the Kyoto Protocol.
Outline:
Abstract
Historical Perspectives of the Problem
The Impacts on and Responses of Humans or other living organisms to the Environmental Variation
Changes in the Ecosystem and Biosphere Structure
Ecosystem Dynamics Relative to Repair and Restoration
Economic Costs and Social Costs of the Ecological/Environmental Impact
Prevention and Public Awareness Effort Aimed at the Problem
Conclusion
From the Paper "Another issue is represented by the more and more often natural disasters like storms, floods and hurricanes that damage and even destroy people's establishments. The regions most vulnerable to sea-level rise are river deltas such as the Nile delta in Egypt, the Ganges in Bangladesh, the Yangtze and Hwang Ho in China, the Mekong and also the United States that could loose 8000 square miles (20,000 km2) of land, valued at about $650 billion, and 30-80% of its coastal wetlands . Insurance companies are also affected by the natural disasters that come along and in order to avoid bankruptcy they try to develop new strategies on the market and diminish the risks."
Abstract The papers discusses Canada's environmental land use plan known as the Niagara Escarpment biosphere reserve and details the seven designated areas in the plan. The paper continues with the plans and objectives to be achieved for these particular areas and addresses the necessity for protecting the environment and agricultural areas.
From the Paper "The core and buffer areas cover 92 percent of the area, and the transition areas are where more intense development is allowed for another 8 percent of the area. The objectives of the Plan are noted in the legislation passed to facilitate it:
(a) to protect unique ecologic and historic areas;
(b) to maintain and enhance the quality and character of natural streams and water supplies;
(c) to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation;
(d) to maintain and enhance the open landscape, allowing for compatible farming or forestry and for preserving the natural scenery;
(e) to make all new development compatible with the purpose of this Act;
(f) to provide for adequate public access to the Niagara Escarpment; and
(g) to support municipalities within the Niagara Escarpment Planning Area as they exercise their planning functions as conferred upon them by the Planning Act. "
Abstract The paper describes community interactions between and among species that affects their continued viability. The paper then discusses how human activity and population growth alters global resources and other fundamental ecological elements of the biosphere far beyond the ability of any other species. The paper paints a picture of how humans contribute to the depletion, destruction, erosion and other dramatic changes to the ecological environment that are detrimental to nonhuman species, as well as to future generations of human beings.
Outline:
Population Growth, the Environment, and Community Interactions
The Effects of Human Activity on the Environment
From the Paper "In principle, the relationship between population size and the environment is very simple and equally direct. Living organisms consume natural resources to provide for their energy needs. The specific mechanism through which they accomplish this vary substantially: some organisms consume other living organisms; some consume only other organisms' waste products, or scavenge their left-over consumables; still others manufacture their energy by synthesizing energy from sunlight and elements occurring naturally in the gaseous atmosphere."
Abstract This paper discusses Garret Hardin's essay, "The Tragedy of the Commons," in which he discusses how people can use resources for their individual ends and often without restriction, resulting in the depletion and eventual elimination of these very resources. It discusses the effects of the depletion of resources on the natural environment.
From the Paper "Climate change, being a problem of global scope demands a fundamental re-ordering of normal human priorities. The simple syllogism of individual freedom versus physical well-being must be put aside in favor of far larger and far more profound realizations. The continued existence of material and physical prosperity depends on the continued usability of resources. These resources will become partially or wholly unavailable for continued human use if they are destroyed by climate change. Individual nations must begin to see the big picture, to react to a far-ranging problem as if it is something that affects multiple aspects of human existence and multiple generations of women and men. An alternative way of looking at the problem of global warming would be for the causes themselves of climate change to be seen as common property. Emissions, for example, could be controlled through an emissions credit trading programming under which nations that pollute less than others could give their credits to countries that pollute more heavily (Stewart, and Wiener 2004). An allowable average of emissions could be set against which credits would be issued. Eventually as societies work toward tighter emissions controls these standards could be amended, thus furthering the goal of largely eliminating climate changing pollution."
