Abstract
This paper examines the conflicting opinions surrounding the Potato Famine that destroyed Ireland's crop in the 1840's. Some issues that are discussed are: who is to blame for the catastrophe, what could have done to prevent it and just how many people were killed in the famine.

From the Paper
"In the 1840 s, a fungus, Phytophthora infestans but commonly known as the blight, attacked and destroyed most of Ireland s potato crop. That is about the only fact that scholars and citizens alike agree upon. Ever since these events, debates have raged over nearly every aspect of the tragedy. One issue, albeit a small one, is what to call the events of the 40 s. The hottest battle, as is so often the case, is over who is to blame. Most theories revolve around the British, and range from claims of incompetence to outright accusations of genocide. More modern views focus on the inefficient system of landownership and rampant overpopulation of Ireland. Beyond culpability, is the question of what could have been done to either avert the tragedy or to lessen the suffering of those involved. Even the actual number of people who died as a result of either starvation or related diseases remains a mystery to this day. Certainly, none of these questions have easy answers; however, it is important to examine conflicting points of view in order to develop a full picture of the Great Hunger and the people it has touched."

Tags:conspiracy, famine, hunger, ireland, irish, potato, devastation, Ireland, starvation

Abstract
This essay is a critical review of three chapters of an extremely sophisticated study on older American industrial cities by a researcher at the Brookings Institution. The writer maintains that the author has done a very detailed and careful economic analysis of which are the more blighted American cites, has determined the causes for this blight, and suggests ways to reverse this blight.

From the Paper
"In her report, Restoring Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities, Jennifer S. Vey of the Brookings Institute presents a detailed analysis of the very serious economic blight that many of America's cities have undergone in the last twenty years, and then offers an optimistic projection for turning the situation around. Some of the most important material in her study is contained in three of her chapters, chapters 2 ..."

Tags:cities, revitalization, blight

Abstract
This paper discusses environmental racism and reveals the nature of environmental justice and its demands. It explores the effect of pollution on low-income populations from a positive and negative perspective. It examines the disproportionate number of waste sites placed in poor and blighted neighborhoods by corporations.

From the Paper
"Environmental racism exists wherever low income or minority communities bear a disproportionate exposure to the pollutants put into the environment by major corporations. Hazardous waste sites are all too often placed in already blighted communities inhabited ..."

Tags:environmental justice, environmental racism, pollution, hazardous waste sites, minorities, low-income communities

Abstract
This paper introduces the above book , regarding his enslavement and eventual escape to freedom. Specifically, it discusses how Frederick Douglass's "Narrative" reveals the experiences and dilemmas of masculinity of enslaved black men in the early 19th century United States. It analyzes how slavery was the ultimate emasculator and how men and women suffered indignities, cruel punishments and how many lost their will to fight back against the incredible odds of their captivity. It looks at how Frederick Douglass was convinced the only thing that could keep slaves from fighting for freedom was losing their manhood and then they were doomed.

From the Paper
"Douglass did not stop urging others to revive their manhood even after he gained his freedom. In his speech of 1852, "What to the Slave is the 4th of July, he admonishes his listeners to never forget the manhood of slaves. "Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody doubts it. The slaveholders themselves acknowledge it in the enactment of laws for their government. They acknowledge it when they punish disobedience on the part of the slave." It is clear masculinity and the ability to openly declare this masculinity was a terrible burden for male slaves to bear, because it is a continual topic of discussion in slave narratives, such as Douglass'. Holding on to their masculinity was also one of the only ways slaves could maintain their dignity, especially when they were punished in front of other slaves, but it was also one way they maintained the strength and determination to gain their freedom."

Tags:manhood, slavery, freedom, blacks, captivity

Abstract
This paper discusses considerations that need to be taken into account by the cruise ship industry. It particularly discusses the Grand Turk Cruise Center. It describes the tourist's role, customer satisfaction and on and off board problems. The paper then discusses potential changes for the future and how these would impact the cruise ship industry.

Table of Contents:
The Grand Turk Cruise Center
"She's Here"
"Full Satisfaction"
Grand Turk Cruise Center
Sampling of Sights Grand Turk's Perks
II. Ideas Regarding Relationships and Environment
The Tourist Role
The Small Caribbean Islands
Stay Away
"What's new?"
Pressure to Grow On
Caribbean Tourism: A Blight or a Blessing?
On and Off Board Problems
Fragile Balances
Discharged Pollutants' Safety Status
Societal Choices
Turtles in the Turks and Caicos Islands
III. Choices for Change
Features from the Present; Traces from the Past; Signs of Future
Artificial Versus Authentic
Stiff Solutions
Hidden Costs
Looking Back for Future Inspiration

From the Paper
"Mega-ships regularly dump pollutants illegally. Cruise ships environmentally generate horrific amounts of "sewage, oily bilge water, solid waste, grey water ("down the drain" waste) and hazardous wastes," Roberts states. Waste disposal management, as well as disposal of these wastes is only sometimes enforced and most of the time improperly regulated. International environmental practices are minimal in the industry. Federal and local laws which govern waste discharges into coastal waters have not "teeth." (Roberts)"
"Cruise ships generally transport approximately 2000 passengers. The largest ship can accommodate 5000 individuals, simultaneously sailing in international waters under flags of convenience. Frequently, some crews ignore labor and international maritime standards, utilizing opportunities to abuse labor rights, as well as environmental regulations. (Roberts)"

Tags:regulations, discharges, pullution, hazardous, liner

Abstract
The author argues in this paper that one of the great moral blights on the face of Canada and the United States is their failure to act effectively in the face of the horror that Nazi Germany perpetrated against Jews before and during World War II. The author further states that both countries during this period were marked by vitriolic anti-Semitism and goes on to analyze the question of what the leaders of the United States and Canada stood for by refusing to consider the pleas of Jewish refugees for protection.

From the Paper
"Within the government of Canada after the Liberal's accession to power in 1935, the Immigration Branch had been shuttled into the Department of Miner and Resources, under minister Frederick Charles Blair. The Immigration Branch was nominally headed by Thomas Creara, but effectively Blair gave the commands to Creara, and Blair was a rule-bound bureaucrat who firmly believed in protecting Canada from refugees, a group that to him meant Jews. (Abella & Troper, 7-8) Blair was anti-Semitic, a man of almost unbounded contempt for Jews, although he insisted in remarkable self-serving statements that he was innocent of all such sentiments and that his refusal to accommodate refugees was actually favorable to Jews, since they would only be despised by the Canadian populace (Abella & Troper, 8-9)."

Tags:anti-Semitic world war II, immigration Roosevelt Nazi

Abstract
This paper discusses the problem of urban blight and what must be done to make a city livable. The paper discusses the concept of 'New Urbanism', a plan endorsed by enlightened planners that emphasizes the "human scale" of all its undertakings. The paper explains that 'New Urbanism" embodies the idea that people must not feel squeezed-out by overly large buildings and that a community must address the diversity of real-life human beings. The paper further discusses the significant role that both architecture and art play in making a city livable and likeable and explains that the more human the urban space, the more inviting, and invigorating it will be.

From the Paper
"Huge numbers of economically-disadvantaged families can overwhelm any community. The problem is made worse by the lack of any coherent plan; any attempt to use the gift of modern technology to alleviate these deplorable conditions. We tend to believe that urban blight is inevitable - the price we pay for living in such a high-tech, fast-paced society. Yet we need not be slaves of our technology. Technology can help us to beautify our environment, help us to create livable urban spaces that we can all enjoy."

Tags:suburban, sprawl, aesthetics, every, day, life, corporate, greed, government, beaurocracy

Abstract
This essay looks at the policies implemented by Robert Peel and Lord Russell during the first years of the Irish famine. The author examines the differences between the two policies and comments on whether they were the right policies to solve the problem of the potato blight and the onset of famine. This essay covers the period of 1845 - 1847.

From the Paper
"If there were a big difference in the policies of the two governments then it would have to be over the issue of grain and food supply to the people. It was Peel who bought 100,000 of Indian Corn to put into the Irish market in order to keep food prices down, the Russell government sold its grain at market prices in order to keep the merchants and traders happy. It did keep a control on the access to the grain depots, but it was more aware and responsive to the growing problems, the Peel government was more sympathetic towards the plight of the people. It is regarded by historians that the Robert Peel government came out of the famine crisis rather better than expected, unfortunately for Lord Russell's Whig government it increased the expectation on them. So maybe fortune favored Peel, in that he started off at the beginning of the famine, when things hadn't got as bad as they would under the Whig government."

Tags:britain, ireland, politics, potato, peel, russell, lord, tory, whig

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the Great Irish Famine and explains the extensive personal suffering endured by the civilians. It provides a political background and events leading up to the famine as well as demographic, social and political consequences thereof.

From the paper:

"In researching this topic, I discovered that the Great Famine in Ireland was identified by several designations: the Irish Potato Famine, the Great Hunger, the Great Famine, and the Great Starvation. Although its title cannot depict the true nature of the suffering, the language used to describe this period will vary by the speaker. For example, those who describe the famine with innocuous images often refer to it as the Irish Potato Famine. This title brings to mind weather, nature, and blight, the result of acts of God. The Great Hunger and The Great Famine conjures a more realistic perception of suffering and death. However, some refer to it as The Great Starvation to convey the belief that the Irish suffered and starved in the midst of surplus; that the famine was a ?symbol of the exploitation of a whole nation by its oppressors.?"

Tags:government, British, hunger, starvation, suffering, death, exploitation, potato, politics, workhouses, poverty

Abstract
This paper discusses the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1849 which stemmed from a then unknown fungus disease, phytophtora infestans, which ruined most of the Irish potato crops in 1845 and 1846. It looks at how British policy toward the relief of the misery and suffering caused by the potato blights was hamstrung by a rigid, narrow and basically inhuman economic doctrine which served the interests of the governing classes in Great Britain at the expense of the starving and diseased masses of Ireland afflicted as a result of the Famine.

Outline
Introduction and Summary Conclusions
Development of the Potato Monoculture and Obstacles to Reform
Peel's Response to the Famine, 1845-46
Failures of the Whigs after Mid-1846
British Society and Irish Relief
Upper and Middle Class Arrogance and Indifference
Overall Assessment
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The first potato blight which struck the harvest of 1845 caught political leaders and government officials by surprise because previous potato crop failures had been localized, and, according to Percival, "the potato crop had never failed for two years running" (42). Ireland had been relatively prosperous in the late 18th century. It benefited from the strong demand and high prices for agricultural products during the Napoleonic wars. However, according to Whelan, after 1815, "agricultural prices halved" and "the linen industry was dislocated by the advent of factory-spinning and weaving" (25). Almost all of Ireland other than Ulster remained agricultural. In 1801, Parliament at Westminster destroyed the last vestige of Irish autonomy by abolishing the Irish Parliament under the Act of Union. "

Tags:potato, whigs, peel, agricultural, products