Slave Acculturation Essay -- American History

Slave Acculturation The seasoning process, as applied to the treatment of plantation slaves, was designed to ensure not only that the slaves would become totally dependent upon the dictates of their owners but also to destroy the cultural links which the slaves had with their former homelands. In the West African kingdoms which provided one of the major source of slaves at the height of the triangle trade, slavery was part of the indigenous culture; however, the motivation behind African domestic slavery was for the main part political, and intricately bound up with the way in which the capture of those from neighbouring tribes would allocate bargaining power to the captors; it was not necessary to impose a process of acculturation on the slaves in order to ensure their total obedience. (Curtin p 63) However, once slavery was extended to Europe and the Americas, there was a perception amongst the white slave-owners that to allow black slaves to maintain their cultural heritage would result in the fomentation of rebellion and invalidate the psychological and physical domination which was essential if small groups of whites were to successfully control large groups of slaves.(Inikori p 22) Depriving slaves of their physical strength, except when seen as necessary to set an example, would have been counter-productive. It was the potential for labour which was highly valued on the plantations; slaves cost money and it was in the interests of the plantation owners to maintain the physical health and strength of their slaves, even when they had established a breeding program which made the slave community essentially self-perpetuating. Seasoning was therefor... ...African heritage but developed along different cultural lines and could not be said to have a direct connection with its cultural origins in the modern context of Black American society. Bibliography Curtin, Philip D. and Paul E. Lovejoy, ed. Africans in bondage: Studies in Slavery and the Slave Trade. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1986. Burnard, T & Morgan, K. (2001) The dynamics of the slave market and slave purchasing patterns in Jamaica, 1655-1788. William and Mary Quarterly 58; 1: npa. Inikori, Joseph E. and Stanley L. Engerman, eds. The Atlantic Slave Trade: Effects on Economies. Societies, and Peoples in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1992. Africa in America: Slave Acculuturation and Resistance in the American South and the British Caribbean, 1736-1831., The William and Mary Quarterly.(JSTOR)

A study of the myers-briggs types indicator (mbti)

This paper presents a study on Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a Psychology test. It provides background information on the test, Historical foundation giving a brief discussion on origin and design of Jung’s theory, personality classification of the test into different types of Extroversion/introversion (EI), Sensing/Intuition (SI), Thinking/Feeling and Judging and Perceiving.This is followed by description of the format and administration of MBTI, more so on format and type of questions. The validity and reliability of the test is also discussed on the basis of research and argument of different scholars. It further looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the test as discussed by other scholars and concludes by discussing applications of the Myer-Briggs Test Indicator in the contemporary society.INTRODUCTIONPsychology, being the study of the mind and mental processes in relation to behavior, is characterized by the prediction of an individual’s behavior based o n generalizations made from the study of other peoples’ behavior. This is on the basis that behavior can be predicted and evaluated on the foundation of research of other studies.This has given rise to branch of psychology known as psychological testing. Cooper, S.E. & Miller, J.A. (1991) defines   psychological testing as, a branch of psychology which uses a series of questions, problems, or physical responses that are designed to measure knowledge, intelligence, ability quality, truth, validity of a psychological phenomenon.Most psychological tests are based on [1]psychometrics which mainly uses educational and psychological measurements in determining knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and personality.They involve deliberate and systemized collection of samples of behavior based on observations over time. A score is assigned to an individual’s performance on a given task based on pre-designed psychological test.BackgroundThis study will seek to study the Myers-Brigg s Type Indicator (MBTI).MBTI can be defines it as: a personality test designed to identity an individual’s personality and preferences based on certain psychometrics, It a test for identifying a person’s personality type based on Carl Jung's theory of personality preferences.MBTI therefore is a personality test designed to offer assistance to an individual by identifying some significant personal preferences. It therefore offers important insights into different personalities leading to enhanced self knowledge, Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988).The test uses assorted psychometric questionnaires which are carefully formulated to measure psychological differences in individuals. Different personalities have varying preferences based on their genome and experiences from their interaction with the environment.The test was developed by Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers in the 1940s. Their aim was to make use of Jung’s theory of human personality in evaluating the personality of man. Jung’s theory, as its name suggests, was pioneered by a Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung. It classified individual’s personality types into eight types on the basis of three dichotomous variables: Extroversion Vs Introversion (E/I), Sensing Vs Intuiting (S/N), and Thinking Vs Feeling (T/F), Williamson, J. (2003).It is designed to offer a description of observable traits such as the big five personality traits Extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and [2]neuroticism. The psychological differences among individuals account for the difference in personality. The test proposes that an individual’s personality is either programmed by nature at birth. or is developed in the process of his/her interaction with the environment, Tieger, P.D. & Barron-Tieger, B.   (2001).The test is designed to measure the preferences of an individual rather than aptitude and is constructed from the four opposing traits.Every pers onality trait has an opposite pair. The aspect of [3]extraversion has a direct opposite in introversion, thinking in feeling, and judging in perceiving and sensing a in intuition. These opposing pair of traits forms the foundation of the test. It is therefore based on four bipolar discontinuous scales: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving.Introversion Vs extroversion gives an analysis of how persons direct their energy. It is a principle based on the fact that there are two worlds within an individual’s personality; the internal and the external world. The expression of either of the two worlds depends on the individual’s preference.People who are extraverted are energized and motivated by their actions hence they prefer to focus their energy on the outside world. Conversely the introverts prefer to direct their energy towards their inner being making them more conceptual and idealistic. Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988 )Sensing Vs intuition originated from the broad category of perceiving functions. The two are however not mutually exclusive as their usage is dependent on time and circumstances. These are also the foundation of human knowledge from the empiricist and rationalist’s point of view as they are the primary avenues through which information reaches the individual. Individuals acquire information either by sensing it directly from the environment by one or more of the five senses or through intuition, by the use of the mind.The preferences of individuals who rely on sensing are a presentation of facts while those who rely on intuition are likely to operate on theoretical and abstract models hence are likely to be more logical.Thinking Vs Feeling is a function based on the basic judgment of an individual. Those who prefer thinking make judgment and decisions on the basis of critical analysis of situations. Conversely, those who prefer to make judgment based on feelings base their j udgment on the emotional aspects of a situation and on the basis of personal norms and values.True to the prediction of the test, persons with different personalities tend to behave and live differently, choose different careers, perform differently in activities for example in academic and professional fields. MBTI categorizes psychological differences into 16 types from four opposing pairs namely: ISTJ, ESTJ, ENTP, INTP, ENTJ, INTJ, ENFP, ESPF, ESTJ, ISTP, ISFJ, ISFP, INFP, INFJ, ESTP,   and INTP. These rises from treating of each index as an independent preference capable of being combined with other indices.Format and AdministrationThe two most widely used versions of MBTI are the European and the North American English versions. In all the two versions, MBTI is administered by the use of MBTI forms. The instrument measures personality preferences on four scales namely: Extraversion(E)/Introversion(I), Sensing(S)/Intuition(N), Feeling(F)/Judging(J) Perceiving. Questions are al l in the form of multiple choice questions.Each question is structured in a way that presents only two options in the form of short statements and word pairs from which [4]one can only choose one of the questions. MBTI therefore uses an Item Based Forced Questionnaire Form. Its structure revolves around the identification of preferences of an individual from a presented choice of two options in every question.Reliability and Validity of MBTIReliability refer to how consistently can a test measure what it is designed to measure. Total consistency in the psychological tests are unlikely owing to the nature of personality, however there are accepted standards for variations of psychological instruments such as MBTI.According to Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988), one of the pioneer researchers into the reliability of MBTI, the reliability of MBTI meets and exceeds all the preset standards of psychological instrument. He asserts that the reliability of MBTI are either as good as or bett er than other instruments when the scores are treated as continuous scale.Furthermore the reliability in terms of preferences range between 75-90% on a test retest scale. He further asserts that, the reliability of the test across age, ethnic groups and race also vary between 60-85%. Williamson, J. (2003) gives the analysis of personality traits of the engineering students from various colleges conducted by varied researchers. It shows consistency as the score of ISTJ personality among engineering students was the highest in all studies.In the University of Tennessee Knoxville the personality scores of engineering faculty members were: ISTJ (22.6%), INTJ (17.8%), INTP (17.8 %), and ENTJ (14.3%) while that of engineering freshmen in the same university in a study conducted between 1990-1994 were: ISTJ (13.4), ESTJ (11.7), ENTP (8.8), INTP (8.8). Further research by Mc Caulley showed on the personality of Engineering students in Eight different colleges were as follows : ISTJ (16.46), ESTJ (12.75), ENTJ (9.43), INTJ (9.43), INTP (8.46),ENTP (7.43) to mention just but a few. The dominance of the ISTJ among engineering students is evident from the above studies supporting the reliability of the test.How valid is MBTI?   Validity refers to the degree to which a given instrument measures what it is intended to measure. Several psychological analysts have questioned the validity of the test. Tieger, P.D.& Barron-Tieger, B.   (2001), sees the validity of the test as arising from the applicability of the four preference pairs of dichotomies and the subsequent combinations of the preferences.The choice of the questions and therefore the different scales are also valid. The often cited argument is that the founders, Myers and Briggs had no scientific training on psychometric testing and therefore were at no position to prescribe a psychological test.Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988), however argue that face validity of the test is generally accepted by most research ers though the omission on neuroticism is a weakness of the test. On the construct validity, arguments have been advanced for and against the test. Statistically, the validity of the test is also put to question. With four pairs of parameters, a binomial distribution is a general expectation. However, this has never been seen in any of the dimensions. Statistical analysis of scores reveals a normal distribution just like the IQ tests. Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988),Strengths and Weaknesses of the TestTo summarize the strengths of the test, psychologists see it as covering a wide range of personality traits. This is a strong point since it examines an individual as a whole. Its reliability is also its strength. The correlation between the scores of persons with similar personalities is generally high.Strength is its face validity which is accepted by most researchers test is its internal consistency and construct validity. Its test-retest reliability also far much exceeds those o f other tests in the category. Some psychologists have however criticized the test for lacking not only in validity but also in reliability from the above discussion. The use of forced format is another weakness as seen by most researchers. One can have two of the options presented in the test questions yet he/she is only allowed to select one.Its construct validity is also one of its [5]weaknesses.Practical Applications of MBTIMBTI is one of the most important tests used in the process of career selection, Tieger, P.D. & Barron-Tieger, B.   (2001).. The 16 Myer-Briggs types have been found to effectively aid an individual’s career choice. A study conducted by Williamson, J. (2003) and citing other researchers on the personality type of engineering students showed that the majority of students were of the ISTJ type. These were people, who were introverted, had impeccable intuition, were good thinkers and Judgmental. Summary of your MBTI results It is therefore acknowledged that the MBTI score may affect your career choices, career exploration, career development, Rankings in occupational categories.MBTI is increasingly being used by companies and other employers in the recruitment of new employees. This is due to the fact that the competitiveness of an organization relies, to a large extent on the personality of its employees. MBTI is without doubt one of the most important psychological tests in use today. Its results may therefore enable man understand his strengths and weaknesses, enhance his productivity, acquire better problem solving skills, thereby improving a better informed life.REFFERENCES1. Cooper, S. E. & Miller, J.A. (1991).MBTI learning style-teaching style discongruencies. Educational and Psychological Measurement 51: 699-706.2. Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988), â€Å"Jungian Q-sorts: demonstrating construct validity for psychological type and the MBTI†, Journal of Psychological Type, Vol. 15 pp.33-45.3. Tieger, P.D. & Barron-T ieger, B.   (2001). Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secret of Personality Type. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.4. Walsh, W.B. & Holland, J.L. (1992) A theory of personality types and work environments. In Person-Environment Psychology: Models and Perspectives (ed. by W.B. Walsh et al.), pp. 35-69. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.5. Williamson, J. (2003) Instruction to the Myers-Briggs Personality Types and Holland Vocational Personality Types of Engineering Students, Journal of Engineering Education:195-203., Vol. 12 pp. 14-16.[1] Rosenak, C.M., Shontz, F.C. (1988), defines psychometrics as a branch of psychology that deals with design, administration and interpretation of quantitative psychological tests. [2] According to Coffield, F. Ecclestone, K. Hall, E. & Moseley, D (2004), this last trait is not included in the MBTI test. [3] Walsh, W.B. & Holland, J.L. (1992) state that it was thus spelt by Myers rather than the conventional extroversion. [4]Cooper, S.E. & Miller, J.A. (1991) explains that it is from this aspect that it acquired its referred to as the forced format. [5] Cooper, S. E. & Miller, J.A. (1991).From the above discussion on construct validity, it is evident that it is a weakness of the test.

Global Climate Change and Climate Protection

From September 6 to 10, 1997, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) held a Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign – U.S. workshop in Atlanta, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The City of Atlanta, The Climate Institute, and The Turner Foundation. ICLEI is the international environmental agency for local governments. It believes from concrete experience that local actions can have a global impact. ICLEI was established in 1990 through a partnership of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), and the Center for Innovative Diplomacy. ICLEI's World Secretariat is in Toronto. ICLEI also has offices in Freiburg, Tokyo, Harare, Santiago, and Berkeley. ICLEI's purpose and mission are to: 1) serve as an international clearinghouse on sustainable development and environmental protection policies, programs, and techniques being implemented at the local level by local institutions; 2) initiate joint projects or campaigns among groups of local governments to research and develop new approaches to address pressing environmental and development problems; 3) organize training programs and publish reports and technical manuals on state of the art environmental management practices; and 4) serve as an advocate for local government before national and international governments, agencies, and organizations to increase their understanding and support of local environmental protection and sustainable development activities. By ICLEI's 10th anniversary in the year 2000, ICLEI aims to establish a global system to achieve, measure, and report on tangible improvements in the global environment through the cumulative local performance improvements of ICLEI's member municipalities. ICLEI members include more than 265 local governments of all sizes from around the world from 50 countries, all of whom share a common purpose: to take a leadership role in identifying and implementing innovative environmental management practices at the local level. ICLEI's CCP campaign started in 1990 and consists of about 200 cities from Abu Dhabi to West Hollywood. The cities that sign on to the CCP campaign commit to: 1) estimate their 1990 carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (CO2e) emissions, 2) develop a CCP plan to reduce their CO2e emissions by 20 percent of their 1990 emissions by the year 2020, 3) demonstrate progress towards reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, and 4) update and implement their plan. Others are becoming involved in the CCP campaign. On September 19, 1997, Ted Turner of Turner Communications announced he would contribute $1,000,000,000 to the United Nations to address the issue of global climate change. On October 6, 1997, President Clinton held a White House Summit on Global Warming to help develop U.S. policy for the planning meetings in Bonn on October 20, 1997, and for the International Meeting on Global Climate Change to be held in Kyoto in December, 1997. Climate change is now recognized as a serious global issue by thousands of environmental professionals, atmospheric scientists, government officials, medical doctors, and health and property insurance companies. Climate change is serious because its adverse human health and physical effects, if unabated, will have vast and undesirable social, economic and political impacts. Ross Gelspan, prize-winning author of The Heat Is On: The High Stakes Battle Over Earth's Threatened Climate (1997. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., New York) was the featured dinner speaker at the CCP workshop. Cause and Effects of Industrialized Climate Change Because of industrialization, the earth's surface and atmosphere is heating up to our peril as a species. The key issues in global climate change are expanding industrialization which burns carbon fuels in power plants and internal combustion vehicle engines to generate greenhouse gases beyond the capacity of the oceans and the biosphere to absorb the excess gases. These excess gases capture heat from the sun and cause global warming, increase air pollution, induce glacial and iceberg melting, sea level rising, unstable and more extreme and long-lived weather conditions, and shifting, prolonging and intensifying floods, droughts, hurricanes and El Nià ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½o episodes. These effects lead to increases in respiratory diseases, habitat alterations, destruction of forests and wetlands, agricultural shifts, coastal erosion and flooding, societal dislocations and unrest, and perhaps, the demise of democracy as governments become more authoritarian to combat the emergencies induced by climate change. What lies ahead if the developed world cannot reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and the developing world seeks to industrialize and increase its greenhouse gas emissions? Greenhouse Gases, Their Properties, Sources and Emission Rates The major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), halocarbon and related compounds (fluorocarbons CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113; hydrocholorofluorocarbons HCFC-22; hydrofluorocarbons HFCs; perfluorocarbons PFCs; and sulfur hexafluoride SF6), and the criteria pollutants — carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and non-CH4 volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) [U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration (EIA). October 1997. Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 1996 DOE/EIADOE/EIA-0573 (96). Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia or http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/frntend.html]. CO2 has a carbon equivalency of 0.273, CH4 has a higher carbon equivalency of 5.73, and N2O has an even higher carbon equivalency of 83.2. This means that CH4 has about 21 times the warming effect of CO2 and N2O has about 305 times the warming effect of CO2. SF6 has a very h igh global warming potential (GWP) of 23,900 times the effects of CO2. The currently estimated 1996 U.S. total greenhouse gas emissions are about 1,753 metric tons of carbon or carbon equivalent, or an increase of 8.3 percent over 1990 (EIA 1997). About 98.5 percent of U.S. human-made or anthropogenic CO2 emissions are caused by the combustion of fossil fuels to provide energy; U.S. anthropogenic CH4 emissions are due primarily to production and transportation of coal, natural gas and oil; anaerobic decomposition of municipal waste in landfills and raising livestock. N2O emissions are primarily from agricultural soils associated with fertilizer use, industrial process emissions, and emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon dioxide. CO2 emissions are by far the largest percentage of greenhouse gas. Caused primarily by the combustion of fossil fuels to provide energy from energy plants and internal combustion engines, anthropogenic CO2 emissions are also produced by forest, agricultural, and other fires. At 1,496 metric tons of carbon or carbon equivalent, about 85.3 percent of the currently estimated 1996 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are as CO2, based on GWP, or an increase of 8.8 percent over 1990 (EIA 1997). Methane. CH4 emissions are dwarfed by CO2 emissions (a ratio of 1 ton of CH4 for every 175 tons of CO2). Because the heat-trapping capacity of CH4 is about 21 times that of CO2, the overall effect of CH4 on global climate is significant. There is, however, substantial uncertainty in estimates of emissions from most U.S. CH4 sources, ranging from 25 percent to as high as several hundred percent. CH4 emission trends from each source tend to be more reliable than their overall estimated magnitude. At 177 metric tons of carbon or carbon equivalent, about 10.0 percent of the currently estimated 1996 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are as CH4, based on GWP, or a decrease of 2.2 percent over 1990. Nitrous oxide. Compared to CO2 or CH4, N2O is released in small quantities from anthropogenic sources; however, N2O's 100 – year global warming potential (GWP) of 305 makes it a significant contributor to atmospheric warming. Although there are many known natural and anthropogenic sources, N2O emissions have been difficult to quantify on a global scale because it has been one of the least-studied greenhouse gases. The largest source of anthropogenic N2O emissions is energy use, which includes mobile source combustion from passenger cars, buses, motorcycles, and trucks, and stationary source combustion from residential, industrial, and electric utility energy use. The second-largest source of N2O emissions is agriculture, primarily fertilizer application and a small amount released from the burning of crop residues. However, there is substantial uncertainty and debate regarding the emissions implications of use of N-based fertilizers. Models used for estimation are based on limited sources of experimental data. Another important source of N2O emissions is industrial production of adipic acid and nitric acid. At 38 metric tons of carbon or carbon equivalent, about 2.2 percent of the currently estimated 1996 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are as N2O, based on GWP, or no net change over 1990. Halocarbon and Related Compounds. CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, PFCs and other compounds that act as greenhouse gases are emitted from their use as refrigerants in cooling equipment, as solvents, or as blowing agents, or from fugitive emissions from industrial processes; these halocarbon compounds are being phased out under pollution prevention measures because they damage the stratospheric ozone layer. The best known class of synthetic greenhouse chemicals are the CFCs, particularly CFC-12 (trade name Freon -12). CFCs have many desirable features: they are relatively simple to manufacture, inert, nontoxic, and nonflammable. Because CFCs are chemically stable, they remain in the atmosphere for hundreds or thousands of years. These synthetic molecules absorb reflected infrared radiation at wavelengths that would otherwise be largely unabsorbed, and they are potent greenhouse gases, with a direct radiative forcing effect hundreds or thousands of times greater than that of CO2. Though molecule for molecule, CFCs absorb many hundreds of times more infrared radiation than carbon dioxide, their net warming effect is reduced because of their effect on ozone. Ozone (O3), beneficial in the stratosphere for its ability to absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation, is also a potent greenhouse gas. While the direct effect of CFCs is a warming potential far greater than that of CO2, their indirect effect on ozone reduces their net radiative forcing effects by half. SF6 is used as an insulator for circuit breakers switchgear and other electrical equipment; it also occurs as a fugitive emission from certain semiconductor manufacturing processes. At 42 metric tons of carbon or carbon equivalent, about 2.4 percent of the curr ently estimated 1996 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are as HFCs, PFCs and SF6, based on GWP, or an increase of 68 percent over 1990. Criteria Pollutants. CO, NOx, and NMVOCs are reactive gases, which usually decay quickly in the atmosphere. Most CO emissions result from incomplete oxidation during combustion of fuels used for transportation. NOx emissions are related to air-fuel mixes and combustion temperatures during the burning of fuels evenly split between transportation and stationary sources. NMVOCs are a main component in the chemical and physical atmospheric reactions that form ozone and other photochemical oxidants. About half of the NMVOC emissions come from solvent-related industrial processes and most of the remaining emissions are from combustion of transportation fuels. Climate Protection Strategies The remedial strategies all have unintended consequences. These strategies are 1) greenhouse gas source reduction (Gelspan, 1997; ICLEI, September 1997, web page at http://www.iclei.org); 2) ocean modification to absorb more greenhouse gases (Joos, F., J.L. Sarmiento and U. Siegenthaler. 1991. Estimates of the effect of Southern Ocean iron fertilization on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Nature, Vol. 349, No. 6312, p. 772-774); and 3) forest, wetland, and agricultural practices to sequester more gaseous CO2 (Hodges, Carl N., T. Lewis Thompson, James L. Riley and Edward P. Glenn. November 1993. Reversing the Flow: Water and Nutrients from the Sea to the Land. Ambio, A Journal of the Human Environment, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Vol. 22, No. 7, p. 483-496). The most likely success strategy is greenhouse gas source reduction. Greenhouse gas source reduction activities include: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Replace greenhouse gas generating activities such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas burning power plants with non-CO2 emitting power plants like nuclear, solar, wind, wave, hydraulic, and geothermal. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Reduce the amount of paper and other carbon-rich discards that go to landfills, which generate CH4 by source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting and/or mulching of organic discards. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Control industrial plant greenhouse gas emissions. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Prevent and control forest and agricultural fires that generate CO2. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Replace internal combustion vehicle, tools, and power sources with electrical, compressed natural gas , and hydrogen sources. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Recover greenhouse gases, such as from landfills, for reuse and treatment prior to release to the atmosphere. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Improve the greenhouse gas sequestering mechanisms of the vegetative cover by restoring and enhancing landscape trees, forests, wetlands, gardens, and agricultural practices. Do we have a reason to be optimistic? We have reason to be cautiously optimistic about climate protection. Human history is full of examples where we learned from our mistakes, misfortunes, or undesirable trends. The agricultural revolution of the 18th century, the discovery of bacteria in the 19th, and the invention of vaccines in the 20th are some of the examples of what humanity can achieve when challenged with a seemingly unsolvable problem. True, we must overcome several hurdles, the resistance of political and profit-centered structures which have short-term benefits in an economy based on carbon fuels. But these barriers can be overcome in the 21st century through education and promotion, successful cases, and the inherently superior economics of a sustainable and renewable energy and resource based society. We will need political leadership at all levels to make it happen.

Being Single

Being  single doesn't necessarily mean you're available. Sometimes you have to put up a sign that says, â€Å"Do Not Disturb† on your heart. | If  you aren't happy being single you will never be happy in a relationship. Get your own life and love it first, then share it. If  you're single, focus on being a better you instead of looking for someone better than your ex. A better you will attract a better next. Being  single doesn't necessarily mean one is not wanted. In many cases it means that one knows what they want and if they can't find that someone special then they'll remain single forever because they're OK and happy with who they are and just want that someone special to complete them and take their happiness a higher level. â€Å"Being single† is a term used to describe the state of a person being single and not committed. A single person unlike a committed person is not involved in any relationship. A single person has a multitude of friends and acquaintances and enjoys his single status. Being single is a privilege for many, since they are free to live life individually, without the pressures and expectations that are often associated with a committed relationship. Life is truly an unpredictable affair and you have no idea about how it can change at any point of time. So, people some people prefer being single rather than getting committed to someone. Dealing with relationships and making them successful is not everyone’s cup of tea. Relationships require emotional investment, as well as a lot of time to make things work. So, staying single is what people prefer usually. Stephanie Mills had once remarked, â€Å"I enjoy being single, but I loved being married. †

Atlantic Charter and Its Affect in Wwii Essay

The Atlantic Charter was an incredibly important policy that would have an impact on the entire world from the moment it was drafted by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt in August of 1941 to the present day and beyond. The two men met in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, hence the name Atlantic Charter, during World War 2. While it is called the Atlantic Charter, it was technically a joint declaration by the two world leaders and as such not a formal legal document. A few months later the Charter would be agreed upon by all the Allied Nations. It was important both for the specifics included in the document as well as the symbolism of Roosevelt producing the Charter with Churchill. It was more of a set of goals than a specific blueprint and it contained 8 key principles: 1. Renunciation of territorial aggression 2. Opposition to territorial changes without consent of the peoples concerned 3. Support for the right of people to choose their own government 4. Access to raw materials for all nations 5. Support of efforts to improve the economic condition of people throughout the world 6. Freedom from fear and want 7. Freedom of the seas 8. Disarmament of aggressors The Atlantic Charter was completely opposite the actions of the Axis Powers, who were expanding their territory and conquering territory all across the world. The principles set out in the Atlantic Charter would provide a basis for international cooperation and international law. It would also provide a foundation for important economic agreements throughout the world that were strong enough to withstand times when countries might oppose each other on one matter but still need to trade. It would also help in creating boundaries and dealing with the aftermath of the war. From the start of the war in Europe, the United States had maintained a neutral stance. While Franklin D. Roosevelt himself was openly sympathic to the Allies, the American public was opposed to getting involved in a war in Europe. In order to support the Allies without violating neutrality Roosevelt redefined the actual neutrality act in the United States. Roosevelt sympathized in particular with Britain, who was having an increasingly difficult time dealing with the Germans. A few months before the Atlantic Charter was written, Roosevelt had gotten an important piece of legislation through congress that allowed the United States to give material support to Britain without charging them for it, called the Lend-Lease Act. This had greatly pleased Winston Churchill, the co-author of the Atlantic Charter, because while he appreciated the support of the US, he needed help in the war. The Atlantic Charter provided the philosophical foundation for the Allies in World War 2 and a blueprint for the post-war world. The principles outlined in the Atlantic Charter are still important in the interactions of nations to this day.

Theology critical exegesis on Luke 102537. 'The Parable of the Good Essay

Theology critical exegesis on Luke 102537. 'The Parable of the Good Samaritan' - Essay Example First, the answer to the lawyer's question might be found in the Bible. Second, every person has different perception of what he reads and should find the answer to this question on his own. Thus, in this short reply Jesus has said that the way to salvation was already delivered to people and it is their responsibility to find it. Verses 27 and 28 are the summary of the right way of living "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself". This answer did not satisfy the lawyer and he further asked who can be considered the neighbor and received the reply. Verse 30-35 are the story of how the certain man was beaten by robbers and left half dead on the road. The priest has seen him but passed by. The same has done the Levite. Nevertheless, when the Samaritan saw this beaten man, he was moved with compassion and took care of him. After finishing this story, Jesus has asked the lawyer for his opinion who proved to be the neighbor for the beaten man and the lawyer replied that he was the one who showed mercy. Jesus noted, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10: 37). Jesus did not reply directly to the asked question, but showed the example of what he meant. The golden rule of treating others, as you want to be treated can be also applied here. Traditionally pa Literal Analysis Traditionally parables and narratives are understood differently by different people, however, the meaning of the Parable of Good Samaritan is understood universally. Referring to the story, the man was walking on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho which is surrounded by the cliffs on both sides. Moreover, it descended over 3000 feet in only ten miles and was dangerous to walk at any time. Thus, it can be that the parable is not fictitious and is made up based on the real situation. Probably Jesus himself has walked this road with the disciples, even though it is very unlikely that the priest or the Levite would travel this road alone taking into account the numerous robbers living in the caves (Brown 1990). Historically, Jews and Samaritans were enemies and not a single Jew would allow the Samaritan to help him even in such extreme situations. Maybe, with this parable Jesus wanted to say that the salvation is not granted to selected groups of people and despite of other ethnic origin they are all equal in the eyes of God. Further, these verses are showing that division of people based on their origin is false in essence. The priest and Levite being considered closer to God did not help the person who was in need of assistance, while the Samaritan who was hated by Jews took care of the beaten man. Unfortunately, very little has been written about the historical relationship between Jesus and Samaritans. First, Samaritans could be defined in terms of geography - they lived in the region called Samaria. Second, Samaritans could be defined in terms of ethnic origin - they were the mixed group of people and had non-Jewish blood. Third, Samaritans can be defined in terms of their religion - they were the Semites who worshiped Yahweh (Brown 1990). Despite of the definition Jesus assumed, it is clear that Samaritans were not welcomed by the Jews of that time. Even though the focus of the

Martin Luther King Jr,s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Critical Essay

Martin Luther King Jr,s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Critical Analysis - Essay Example King attempts to persuade his readers that his position is valid. King defends his stand in the Birmingham Campaign by making skilful use of the rhetorical techniques of ethos, logos and pathos. King begins his letter by using the persuasive technique of ethos to establish his authority and his credentials. He asserts his position as the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which is affiliated with the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR). By categorically stating, â€Å"(I) am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here,† (King, 6), King makes it clear that his presence in Birmingham is at the express invitation of the ACMHR, and is eminently justified. He establishes his credibility as a spokesman for the protestors, and his right to participate in the campaign. King effectively foils his critics’ bid to depict him as an outsider. By acknowledging his critics to be â€Å"men of genuine goodwi ll† (King, 6), and demonstrating his willingness to give their views patient consideration, King enhances his own good-will and position as a fair-minded person. King emphasizes the common ground held by him and his critics. By addressing his letter to his â€Å"Dear fellow clergyman,† King emphasizes their shared religious calling. His repeated allusions to Christian belief and personalities, including his references to the Apostles and Christ, serve to reiterate his commitment to the church and vouch for his good moral character. He categorically states that his primary identity is that of â€Å"a minister of the gospel, who loves the church† (King, 13). Again, he declares that he is â€Å"the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers† (King, 14). King unequivocally tells his critics that he is one of them. Having established his credentials through ethos, King goes on to use logos to convince his readers as to the reasonableness of his stand . His defense of direct-action is a remarkable study in logic. First, King justifies his form of protest by arguing that â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action† (King, 7). He then takes up each of these steps in turn and provides evidence to support his direct-action program. First, he calls attention to the fact that â€Å"Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States† (King, 7). Second, he details the failed negotiation process. Thirdly, he gives an account of the preparation for non-violent protest. Finally, he justifies direct action, by eloquently describing it as â€Å"the need for nonviolent gadflies† to goad the authorities to negotiation (King, 8). Again, King logically supports his defiance of the laws by distinguishing between â€Å"two types of laws: just and unjust† (King, 9). He cleverly equates the segregation statute with unjust laws and puts the moral law of the Church above it. This effectively absolves him of any transgression of the law. King links his civil disobedience to that of the Christian martyrs, to Socrates, the American fight for independence and the anti-Gestapo resistance. These analogies support his logic and enable King to defend his argument. There can be no doubt that King is a past master in