Sand County Almanac Essays - Environmental Ethics, Aldo Leopold

Sand County Almanac Book Report: A Sand County Almanac, By Aldo Leopold Brent Dozier Although Leopold's love of great expanses of wilderness is readily apparent, his book does not cry out in defense of particular tracts of land about to go under the axe or plow, but rather deals with the minutiae, the details, of often unnoticed plants and animals, all the little things that, in our ignorance, we have left out of our managed acreages but which must be present to add up to balanced ecosystems and a sense of quality and wholeness in the landscape. Part I of A Sand County Almanac is devoted to the details of a single piece of land: Leopold's 120-acre farmed-out farmstead in central Wisconsin, abandoned as a farm years before because of the poor soil from which the sand counties took their nickname. It was at this weekend retreat, Leopold says, that we try to rebuild, with shovel and axe, what we are losing elsewhere. Month by month, Leopold leads the reader through the progression of the seasons with descriptions of such things as skunk tracks, mouse economics, the songs, habits, and attitudes of dozens of bird species, cycles of high water in the river, the timely appearance and blooming of several plants, and the joys of cutting one's own firewood. In Part II of A Sand County Almanac, titled The Quality of Landscape, Leopold takes his reader away from the farm; first into the surrounding Wisconsin countryside and then even farther, on an Illinois bus ride, a visit to the Iowa of his boyhood, on to Arizona and New Mexico where he first worked with the U.S. Forest Service, across the southern border into Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico, north to Oregon and Utah, and finally across the northern border into Manitoba, Canada. These dilemmas brought up in Part II make the Round River essays, inserted as the modern edition's Part III, titled A Taste for Country, particularly apt, because this is the section of the book that deals primarily with philosophies. It is here that Leopold states that poor land may be rich country, and vice versa. It is here that Leopold introduces the concept, radical then but widely accepted now, that the planet itself is a living organism and, through the natural cycles of earth, wind, fire and water, continually replenishes its own means of remaining alive. The human role in this Round River ecosystem is prominent, of course, and for thousands of years indigenous people depended directly on the bounty of this natural system to supply their needs of food and fiber. Although modern civilization has been forced by its increasing population to create artificial cycles, replacing elk and deer and grouse with beef and hogs and poultry, and replacing the oaks and bluestem grasses whic h fed the wild meat with corn and alfalfa. And finally, Part III contains the essay titled Goose Music, in which Leopold spells out his belief that the earth was fashioned by the Lord God, the Supreme Artist after whose works all the art of man has been initiated, and that every part of creation should therefore be held sacred. We may be able to live without the beauty of stars, sunsets, or goose music, Leopold says, but because we are unable to replace the natural things we destroy, we would be foolish to do away with something simply because we felt we did not need it. The final pages of A Sand County Almanac, Part IV, titled The Upshot, Leopold devotes to the concept of a land ethic and a plea that we adopt such an ethic into our daily lives. Leopold defines philosophical ethics as the differentiation of social from anti-social conduct for the common good of the community, and declares that a land ethic, wherein the ecologies in which we erect our developments would be considered an integral part of the community, amounts to the same thing as social ethics. A land ethic, in the author's terms, means a willing limitation on freedom of action in the struggle for survival. Leopold shows how human ethics came into being, first on a level between individuals and next on the level between individuals and their society, and states

the chippawa essays

the chippawa essays There is a river, out in the wilds of north ontario named chippawa.Dont ask what it means because no one really knows,the local natives say it predates their tribe,the most they can make of it is cheppuan (river of beaver).This area of land is about as far out in the sticks as one can go ,never populated by more than a thousand ,even in its heyday ,which is when our tale takes place.The chippawa was once an important trading post for the french coure-de bois (runners of wood)on the way to the untamed wildlands and good trappings of the north,their was at least one man a day passing through,which is why no one payed any thought to Louis dalembourd.Louis quickly destinguished himself from the other passerby by not leaving ,in fact he stayed thoughout the rest of summer and late into fall when he seemingly disappeared.Life went on as usual in the quiet little town,when suddenly the rev.Jeremiah Hakeswell (an englishman)lost a battle with the flu bug and was intered to eternal slumber at the age of 75,a ripe old age for these times.The people sent back to mother church for a replacement ,and were drop dead astonished when rev.Louis Dalembourd walks into town.Already their were rumours filling the air,because you see Louis was a renowned drunk,loudmouth, and rumoured rapist.As you can imagine Louis would take none of this and so the rumours seemingly stopped...at least out in the open.Months passed without any thing out of the ordinary when suddenly one of the choir girls was found dead ,throat slashed ,aparantly raped. As you can imagine the townspeople immediatley turned to Louis for their retribution.They dragged him from the church,tied him to a tree and called the dead girls father forward to take his vengeance.The father picked up a dull farmers scythe and lopped off Louiss manhood despite his chilling screams of anguish.The priests screams only further enraged the wron ...

To what extent does education and improved documentation impact Annotated Bibliography

To what extent does education and improved documentation impact hospitals compliance - Annotated Bibliography Example The involvement, intended to enhance antidepressant prescription compliance and usage of behavioral healthcare services, achieved a modest effect on usage of psychotherapy in conjunction with antidepressant medications and on uniformity of antidepressant medication usage. Moreover, intervention patients on combination medication were more prone to remain on antidepressant pills into the continuation period of treatment. This article documents a study that was aimed at evaluating compliance to radiation therapy for medical patients with higher level HNSCC at a metropolitan tertiary-care county healthcare facility. The study was conducted using retrospective review method. Data was retrieved from the charts of one-hundred and thirty six successive patients who had received prior advice to undertake chemo-radiotherapy for recently detected HNSCC from 2004 to 2006. Demographic data and information regarding tumors was gathered, as well as compliance of patients to radiation treatment. Duration of treatment, total dose, and hypothetical "loss of loco-regional control" was computed and benchmark compliance data were retrieved from select journals. Fifty-five of the participants did not start treatment or relocated to other health facilities. Twenty-five percent of the remaining patients had improper general treatment paths. Fifty-nine percent of the patients obtained below the useful dose due to missed t reatment days while sixty-three percent of patients had more than ten-percent computed loss in loco-regional control. Multivariate and univariate analysis did not produce any extrapolated value for node status, gender, stage, ethnicity, or primary site on compliance. Patient and tumor traits assessed in this study do not forecast compliance. The study recommended that future research evaluate interventions to enhance compliance and measurement of its effect on survival. This article is about a report on methodical review looking into research

Hospitals and Medicine in the American Civil War 1861-1865 Research Paper

Hospitals and Medicine in the American Civil War 1861-1865 - Research Paper Example Many women volunteered to become nurses during the civil war, which was an indication of their strength to care for the men who were out fighting. In the military hospitals, the duties of the nurses were usually domestic. They prepared and served meals, making sure that they accommodated every patient’s diet. The doctors were the determinants whether a patient was to receive a low, half or full diet. Nurses had to maintain track of every patient’s meal. In addition, nurses were supposed to supply linens and clothing to the soldiers. The nurses participated in surgeries by providing emotional support to the soldiers during the surgery process. They participated in talking, writing and reading for the soldiers in order to give them emotional support. In most hospitals, the nurses were sisters, who came from different religious orders. Civil war nurses used to wear dark colors, usually black or brown color, which was a requirement by the government. The dresses were design ed to serve the function and were not meant for fashion. During the civil war, the hospitals were under staffed. Physicians had a variety of medications at their reach to treat injured and sick soldiers. Some of the medications that they used are used even today. Many medications were effective but crude; others had a placebo effect only. Anesthetics were commonly used during the civil war and mostly in amputations. ... The hospitals did not have well trained doctors since during that period; there were no medical schools to train the doctors. The few doctors who had acquired medical knowledge were not adequately trained to perform most of the required performance for treatment. In the hospitals, there were no antibiotics because, at the time, medical technology had not developed. Doctors relied mostly on herbal medicine in prescribing treatments. The doctors did not sterilize or clean wounds during medication. The hospitals were mainly not housed, and most of the treatments and services were provided outside. The nurses, who worked with the doctors, were also untrained and were mainly sisters professing different religions. Most of the nurses worked under volunteer ship. Doctors treated patients on the ground without worrying about the dirty condition or the environment. Most people developed infections after surgery, and this condition was referred as surgical fever. Hospital systems, which provid e hospital care to the patients, had not been developed. X-rays, blood typing and modern health tests and procedures did not exist. Before the civil war, there were no military hospitals. When the civil war broke, it was deemed necessary to have hospitals where soldiers and other patients received treatments. During the time, many buildings and institutions were converted in to hospitals. Some of the major hospitals during the time were Campbell Hospital, Armory Square Hospital, Harewood Hospital and Reynolds Barracks Hospital. These hospitals received many patients despite, the problems that they faced. Surgery was the commonest treatment for wounds, despite the low chance for survival. Before the civil war, the number of doctors who had ever performed

United arab emirates stand agaisnt ISIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United arab emirates stand agaisnt ISIS - Essay Example The nation registered a strong condemnation for the terrorist acts and gross human rights violations committed by ISIS (Khaleej Times 1). This included a range of heinous crimes against humanity committed by ISIS like the beheading and killing of Western hostages, genocide of ethnic and religious minorities, violation of political and human rights by ISIS in the territories under its domain and its overall ideology of violence, intolerance and radicalization of Islam. In multiple official communiquà ©s made by the UAE, both to the regional and global media, the Emirate officially labelled and categorized ISIS to be a threat to humanity, a big challenge to regional peace and stability, and a cause of concern that warrants collective international action and commitment (Khaleej Times 1). The UAE also made proactive efforts to muster and influence the international community against the grave threat posed by ISIS, by sponsoring a range of regional meets and opinion making efforts. This included hosting International Centre of Excellence against Violent Extremism and organizing a â€Å"Muslim Council of Elders â€Å"comprising of reputed scholars from many Muslim nations, with the objective of combating the ideological sway commanded by ISIS in the region for the time (Khaleej Times 1). In addition, the UAE pledged an unconditional and committed support to the Western efforts to fight ISIS. UAE is amongst the group of Middle East nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan who are actively participating in the airstrikes against ISIS, led by the US and other Western powers (Khan 1). The UAE also expressed a strong support for the UN Security Council Resolution 2170 aimed at galvanizing international efforts against the war on ISIS (Khaleej Times 1). In addition the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking to it that

The Non Dredged Reclamation Method

The Non Dredged Reclamation Method With the rapid economic and population growth, various economic, social, housing and transport needs of the community are increasing, resulting in increasing demand for land supply. Due to the limited land supply, reclamation is commonly used to tackle the problem in Hong Kong. However, reclamation does not only contribute to the economic development but also the environmental degradation. In this essay, problems caused by reclamation and possible solutions will be discussed. As mentioned in Environmental Impact Assessment Report (2001), dredging, disposal of marine mud and bulk filling activities may give rise to many potential impacts on water quality. Firstly, solids may be suspended in the water column. Secondly, as mud waves and turbulent flow will be generated, by disturbance, organic and inorganic substances e.g. ammonia, heavy metals and sulphides may be released into the water column. Thirdly, during the compacting and settling process in site formation, contaminants and leachate may be given out from pore water and sediments respectively. As a result, the marine water quality will be deteriorated. 2.2 Marine ecosystem According to Chan (2000), dredging and disposal of waste involved in reclamation will bring adverse effects to the marine ecosystem. Firstly, removal of sediment may lead to the loss of habitat. Secondly, marine organisms may entrain during dredging. Thirdly, dissolved oxygen will be depleted and nutrients will be released into the water. In particular, if there is a significant rise in the nutrient level, algal productivity will increase which may result in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“red tidesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . 2.3 Air quality The problem of air pollution will arise during the operation period of reclamation as a large amount of dust will be emitted where the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“dustà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  here refers to general suspended particulates. Among various kinds of origins of air pollution, earthmoving (loading, unloading and bulldozing), haul road traffic on unpaved roads and wind erosion of the open site area lower the air quality the most (Chan, 2000). Solutions 3.1 The non-dredged reclamation method Traditionally, the soft marine mud in the seabed is replaced by sand fill to make a strong foundation for seawall construction. Dredging and disposing of marine mud are thus involved. As the dredging process in reclamation is the fundamental cause for the environmental impacts mentioned above, the non-dredged reclamation method is advocated for the future reclamation projects. Making reference to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong Kong Projects (2011), this reclamation method does not require dredging the soft marine mud in the seabed before backfilling. Instead, inert construction and demolition material is used to fill many large interlocked steel cells. The steel cells will then sink in the water and stay on the alluvium, forming the perimeter wall. (Items, 2011) As found in Items (2011), the non-dredge reclamation has many benefits over the conventional dredge seawall construction method. For instance, dredging and dumping of marine mud can be almost completely avoided. Also, only 30% of the original suspended particles will be released during reclamation and only half of the backfilling material will be needed. Thus the construction marine traffic can be decreased by about 50%. It can be concluded that the non-dredge reclamation method will bring less environmental impacts and therefore it is a better choice for reclamation. 3.2 Development of underground space Enhanced use of underground space is an effective and feasible alternative to increase land supply as Hong Kong is mountainous and abundant with strong volcanic and granitic rocks. This geographic characteristic favours the development of underground space in Hong Kong. Rock caverns can be developed for various land uses such as crematorium, substation, sewage treatment facilities etc (Hong Kong Underground Space Study Executive Summary, 2009). While both measures can relieve the problem of lack of available land, developing underground space has some advantages over reclamation. For example, some undesirable uses like refuse collection point can be built underground so that the impacts on the residents living nearby can be minimised. Moreover, developing underground space does not cause much pollution or take away natural resources, which means that the natural environment can be preserved. Conclusion Though reclamation can provide for the requirements of the economic development, the conventional reclamation method causes water pollution, air pollution and adversely affects the marine ecosystem, which is not an ideal act for the society. In order to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation, the non-dredged reclamation method should be adopted for future reclamation projects as it is more environmentally friendly. In addition to reclamation, development of underground space should be considered which can act as an alternative to increase land supply and reserve our valuable harbour.

Thermal Physics :: essays research papers

Thermal Physics – 340  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exam #1 Due Monday, February 18th, at the start of class As discussed in class, submission of your solutions to this exam will indicate that you have not communicated with others concerning this exam. You may use reference texts and other information at your disposal. Do all problems separately on clean white standard 8.5† X 11† photocopier paper (no notebook paper or scratch paper). Write on only one side of the paper (I don’t do double sided). Staple the entire solution set in the upper left hand corner (no binders or clips). Don’t turn in pages where you have scratched out or erased excessively, re-write the pages cleanly and neatly. All problems are equally weighted. Assume we are working with â€Å"normal† pressures and temperatures with ideal gases unless noted otherwise. Make sure you list all assumptions that you use (symmetry, isotropy, binomial expansion, etc.). 1. A container has one wall which contains many small holes, and outside the container is vacuum. If the container is filled with He at pressure Po, it is found that after one hour the pressure inside the container is Po/2. The container is now filled with an equal number of He and Ne atoms to a total pressure of Po. (a). Calculate the ratio of the number of Ne to He atoms left in the container after one hour. (b). Would this problem be more difficult if the atoms were initially C and H? Explain from two standpoints, the realistic standpoint and the physics-land standpoint. The latter explanation should invoke the assumptions made in the ideal gas model, the former something you know about chemistry. (c). Explain why such a container might be useful in the case of isotopes, especially a series of such containers set up so that what comes out of the first goes into the second and so on. 2. A He and H atom collide elastically in a head-on collision. (a). If they have the same kinetic energy (KE) to begin with, which one gains KE? Answer this by calculating the amount gained and lost for both, relative to their initial value. (b). Suppose the atoms had the same mass but different kinetic energies? Do not do a detailed calculation here, but instead make a physical argument as to why the â€Å"slower† thus â€Å"cooler† atoms would slow down the faster, hotter atoms. This is one process for the moderation of hot neutrons in a nuclear fission reactor by the water used as its coolant. Thermal Physics :: essays research papers Thermal Physics – 340  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exam #1 Due Monday, February 18th, at the start of class As discussed in class, submission of your solutions to this exam will indicate that you have not communicated with others concerning this exam. You may use reference texts and other information at your disposal. Do all problems separately on clean white standard 8.5† X 11† photocopier paper (no notebook paper or scratch paper). Write on only one side of the paper (I don’t do double sided). Staple the entire solution set in the upper left hand corner (no binders or clips). Don’t turn in pages where you have scratched out or erased excessively, re-write the pages cleanly and neatly. All problems are equally weighted. Assume we are working with â€Å"normal† pressures and temperatures with ideal gases unless noted otherwise. Make sure you list all assumptions that you use (symmetry, isotropy, binomial expansion, etc.). 1. A container has one wall which contains many small holes, and outside the container is vacuum. If the container is filled with He at pressure Po, it is found that after one hour the pressure inside the container is Po/2. The container is now filled with an equal number of He and Ne atoms to a total pressure of Po. (a). Calculate the ratio of the number of Ne to He atoms left in the container after one hour. (b). Would this problem be more difficult if the atoms were initially C and H? Explain from two standpoints, the realistic standpoint and the physics-land standpoint. The latter explanation should invoke the assumptions made in the ideal gas model, the former something you know about chemistry. (c). Explain why such a container might be useful in the case of isotopes, especially a series of such containers set up so that what comes out of the first goes into the second and so on. 2. A He and H atom collide elastically in a head-on collision. (a). If they have the same kinetic energy (KE) to begin with, which one gains KE? Answer this by calculating the amount gained and lost for both, relative to their initial value. (b). Suppose the atoms had the same mass but different kinetic energies? Do not do a detailed calculation here, but instead make a physical argument as to why the â€Å"slower† thus â€Å"cooler† atoms would slow down the faster, hotter atoms. This is one process for the moderation of hot neutrons in a nuclear fission reactor by the water used as its coolant.