Abstract
This essay looks at why life forms on Earth can live on the Earth but cannot survive on other planets. In exploring this fact, this essay discusses scientific theories about the creation of the universe, how conditions on Earth support life, and how the conditions on other planets are hostile to it.

From the Paper
"The current scientific theory about the creation of the universe states that at one time all the matter and energy in the universe was condensed in a very small and infinitely hot mass. About 10 and 15 billion years ago, a huge explosion, termed the "Big Bang", took place that sent matter and energy expanding in all directions, and the universe was born. The formation of the stars (including our sun), the galaxies, and the planets are all explained by the Big Bang theory. This hypothesis about the creation of the universe was developed following the observation by an American astronomer, Edwin Hubble, in the late 1920s that distant stars and galaxies are receding from Earth in every direction indicating that the universe was expanding."

Tags:building, blocks, liquid, water, chemicals, such, a, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen

Abstract
This essay details several ways to make our life on Earth better from an environmental point of view. It analyzes Thomas Berry's 'The Great Work', a standard work in the eyes of the ecological community discussing the progress of commerce and its relationship with the Earth. Berry encourages the work of changing the world's perspective from within by changing individuals to recognize a "new" reality actually as old as time itself. It also discusses the progress being done towards 'The Great Work' as well as other progress.

From the Paper
"Thomas Berry's The Great Work is a standard in the ecological community, albeit from what may have been at first considered an unusual source: the author, after all, is an ordained Catholic monk. Long before Berry was a religious thinker, however, he was a boy gifted with a unique insight into the world, specifically the American world around him. He has followed that vision to illuminate with a poet's lyricism the contrast between what is needed, an interdependence on the earth, versus the "dam, plow and pave" mentality he found so prevalent in this culture growing up."

Tags:ecological, Catholic, Thomas, Berry, religious, Earth, damage, commerce

Abstract
In this article, the writer compares and contrasts the character of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King with Augustus from Rita Dove's 'The Darker Face of the Earth. The analysis includes a number of aspects of Oedipus and Augustus meant to prove that both Oedipus and Augustus meet their tragic ends because their discovery that they have committed incest and patricide makes them prefer death over continuing to live.

From the Paper
"There are so many similarities and differences between Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Rita Dove's 'The Darker Face of the Earth' that it is difficult to know where to begin a comparative analysis of the two dramas. However a close reading and study of each play leads to one overriding question 'How do the strong social taboos against incest and patricide impact the protagonist of each play'. In seeking an answer to this question it becomes readily apparent ..."

Tags:murder, Oedipus, Sophocles, slavery, justice, gods, incest, Thebes, plantation, South Carolina, masters, oppression, seers

Abstract
This paper discusses James Lovelock's book, "Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth", and his scientific perspective of the earth as a self sustaining organism with all systems within the earth being part of the of the self sustaining organism that is earth itself. The paper provides a chapter by chapter review of the book that takes us from the introduction of the book, through the recognition of Gaia to the issues concerning the physical makeup of the planet.

Outline:
Introduction
In the Beginning
The Recognition of Gaia
Cybernetics
The Contemporary Atmosphere
The Sea
Gaia and Man, the Problem of Pollution
Living within Gaia
Epilogue

From the Paper
"The beginning of earth is both an indication of the instinctive or natural process by which earth came to exist, and the process by which Gaia came to fortify herself or program herself for survival. There is indeed a mechanistic undertone to this chapter, as the maintenance of the balance biosphere is a physical and incredibly complex mathematical process to scientists, but an instinctive and perfect process in nature for Gaia. The chapter builds upon the introductory premise that the perfection of earth's atmosphere as a highly unlikely occurrence, the synchronization of natural forces that gave rise to life and development of this planet. While faith-based individuals simply call this God, and science seeks to analyze and identify all the processes in evolution, Lovelock refers to it as Gaia, the notion that is earth and acts in a way that is perfect for survival and evolution, and gives rise to our complex natural evolution state of existence."

Tags:Cybernetics, sea, pollution

Abstract
The paper examines Tomas Rivera's novel "And The Earth Did Not Devour Him" and his portrayal of powerful family images. The paper also looks at "The Children Were Victims," "Christmas Eve," "Little Children Burned" and "When We Arrive" and points out the themes of families, faith, hard work, hardship in the lives of the migrant Latinos. The paper points out that Rivera doesn't tell or lecture, and that makes his work more meaningful and memorable.

From the Paper
"Tomas Rivera's stories show the reader, they do not "tell" the reader. They do not preach, but they give a voice to their characters. In a literary sense, his stories relate not only to migrant workers, but also to the underdog everywhere. The stories stand on their own but they all weave themes of humans confronting suffering and prejudice with the strength of hope, love, and family bonds. It's a terrible shame that Rivera died at such a relatively young age (48), because one can only imagine how many more wonderful stories he may have written - even though his demanding profession and his high social status as the Chancellor of the University of California at Riverside did not allow an extraordinary amount of time for serious writing."

Tags:Latinos, Chicanos, migrants, family, hardship, faith

Abstract
This paper examines the functional, operative and practical aspects of "Stomp" (a physical theatre and musical performance) and "Live Earth Concert" (a series of worldwide concerts held on the same day). It explains and compares different facets of these two performances, including the venue; atmosphere; musical aspects; lighting and sound enforcement. The writer reflects on the overall performances and notes that most people who attended both performances enjoyed "Stomp" (the relatively low budget unique creation) more. The writer concludes that both events were worth the price of the tickets, as "Live Earth Concert" was a great opportunity to see several artists performing on one stage and "Stomp" was a purely entertaining and exclusive show.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Introduction
Concert Summaries
Venue
The Performances
Sound and Acoustics
Music Aspects
Instruments and Equipment
Stage Lighting
Conclusion

From the Paper
"A concert or as some colloquially call it a 'gig' or 'show' is a performance, that has music as the central entertaining premise. The performers and entertainers such as solo artists or bands, aim to generate a vigour, power and energy that in a sentence leave their audiences in rapturous admiration and awe at the vertical depth and wide coverage that they are able to generate in just a short space of time. The musical masterpiece 'Stomp' which is currently being staged at Vaudeville Theatre in London; and the benevolent global 'Live Earth Concert', which was held on the 7th of July 2007 and had Wembley Stadium London as one of its many venues; model two such concert performances."

Tags:musicals, theatre, entertainment, culture, music, stage, dance

Abstract
This paper gives a detailed examination of the classification, environment, feeding habits and life cycle of the majestic whale shark. Initially, the author tries to debunk myths about sharks, basing them on folklore and cinematic portrayals of sharks. Then, the paper continues by giving an in-depth description the discovery of the whale shark and different aspects of its life and habitat. In particular, the author brings to light the debate over the whale shark's reproductive life. The paper concludes with a discussion of the whale shark's only predator, man, and how continued hunting of this creature puts its numbers at risk.

From the Paper
"The first Whale shark was discovered and described by a man named Andrew Smith back in 1828. The shark was caught in Table Bay, South Africa by harpoon and made its historical debut into marine classification and taxonomy. Whale sharks are also commonly referred to as "basking sharks". In the kingdom Animalia, from the phylum Chordata, which means to possess a spinal chord, there are two classes for spinal chord fish. One is called Chondrichthyes, and the other is called Osteichthyes."

Tags:Whale Shark, Carpet Sharks, Elasmobranchii, Shark, Ocean

Abstract
The following paper will look at what causes earthquakes to occur. To answer this question, the next several pages will look at the tectonic phenomena which lie at the root of seismic disturbances; in so doing, it will become clear that the brittle nature of the earth's crust is a hugely important consideration when it comes to explaining why earthquakes suddenly spring out of nowhere. Among the fascinating items which will be discussed are the different types of plate activities which trigger earthquakes and the process of subduction which is, at this very moment, setting the stage for the huge area just off from the west coast of the United States otherwise known as the Cascadia zone. The paper will then conclude by describing some interesting features of earthquakes in general - chiefly the actions of their 'waves' as the quake lives out its life - and end with a brief conclusion that shows appropriate reverence for the power of these deadly natural disasters.

From the Paper
Environmental Studies and Ecology: What Makes the Earth Tremble? The following paper will look at what causes earthquakes to occur. To answer this question, the next several pages will look at the tectonic phenomena which lie at the root of seismic disturbances; in so doing, it will become clear that the brittle nature of the earth's crust is a hugely important consideration when it comes to explaining why earthquakes suddenly spring out of nowhere. Among the fascinating items which will be discussed are the different types of plate activities which trigger earthquakes and the process of subduction which is, at this very moment, setting the stage for the huge area just off from the west coast of the

Tags:ecology, environmental, earth

Abstract
This paper discusses the theory put together by James Lovelock about a living earth. This is called the Gaia theory and considers the earth to be a living entity - almost a physiological being. It will always make corrections to regulate itself and try to survive in order to combat things like greenhouse gases and other environmental harms. The start of this type of theory started over 200 years ago.

From the Paper
Gaia - The Living Earth James Lovelock's Gaia theory (or hypothesis) is based on the assumption that the Earth is one living organism that regulates itself to keep things in balance. Upon first examination, it may seem like this was proposed by a new-age thinking green scientist. On the contrary, James Lovelock has many views that would shock some and are sometimes contrary to some of the more popular "green" ideas. He claims that "life regulates the Earth's atmosphere and climate to keep it habitable. It's as simple as that" (McKie, pg. 61). While some of the ideas he presents are revolutionary, others are strikingly similar to common sense and sound science. Overall,

Tags:gaia, earth, evolution

Abstract
The paper describes the popular image of Los Angeles and Southern California as a warm weather paradise where people are more casual, laid-back and largely willing to get along. The paper reveals that the reality is somewhat different, for the region has areas of poverty, annual forest fires and periodic earthquakes as well as times of drought and seasons of flood. The paper looks at seven literary passages and one song that challenge the image of paradise, where the writers of these works seeing a population steeped in boredom, fearful of earthquakes and living with high rates of crime.

From the Paper
"After referring to California as the land of sunshine and oranges, Nathanael West writes, "Once there, they discover that sunshine isn't enough. They get tired of organs, even of avocado pears and passion fruit. Nothing happens. They don't know what to do with their time. (West 192)" This passage also conveys the idea that the population of Southern California consists largely of immigrants from other parts of the country people who aspired to be in California and then are bored by what they find. The growth in the region has always fed this image, though naive-born Californians are everywhere just the same. The passage also suggests that people are often dissatisfied when they get what they think they want."

Tags:boredom, crime, drought, flood, poverty, earthquakes, congestion, sunshine