Methods of contraception used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome Essay Example

Methods of contraception used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome Essay Example Methods of contraception used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome Paper Methods of contraception used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome Paper Methods of contraception used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome differed in their nature and degree of effectiveness. They ranged from scientific methods that are still used nowadays to quasi-scientific and barely effective to dangerous and futile. In ancient Egypt, females used a mixture of honey and sodium bicarbonate to irrigate their genitalia. Another invention was a tampon-like object with acid anhydride. Acid anhydride is still used as a chief component of contemporary contraceptive jellies. Manuscript titled Ebers Papyrus, from 1550 BC, contains an advice about mixing dates, acacia bark and honey into a paste to be placed the vagina. The effectiveness of this method was considerable for the reason that sugar ferments were converted into lactic acid, a spermicide (Chauhan, 2003). While some substances that were used did not have any specific qualities to have a chemical effect on the sperm, ‘the insertion of substances like honey or crocodile dung into the vagina could have effectively blocked a males semen because of its thick consistency’ (Habiger, 1998, ‘Pregnancy,’ para. 4). Barrier methods were also widespread: women in ancient Egypt used vaginal suppositories as a method of contraception (Hearthstone Communications, 2007). As for men in Ancient Egypt, in 1000 BC they used fabric condoms both to protect themselves from disease (which is believed to be the primary reason) and avoid having undesired children. Women used celery seed as an oral contraceptive, as a recipe written in the Berlin Papyrus from Egypts Nineteenth Dynasty (1300 BC) advices (Riddle, 1999). As concerns Ancient Greece, by the 2nd century CE, gynecologist Soranus developed a theory that female fertility was limited to ovulation period; however, he made an incorrect assumption that ovulation happened during menstruation, not before it. Yet the origins of the rhythm method that is still practiced nowadays and is proven to be effective (although not as effective as condoms or other newer methods) can be traced back to those times. Soranus also promoted a variety of ineffective quasi-scientific methods, such as holding the breath and drawing the body back during the intercourse to prevent the sperm from penetrating the mouth of the uterus, jumping backwards seven times after sex to dislodge the sperm by, or sitting down on bent knees to cause sneezing. Regrettably, some advices by Sofranus were not only inefficient but also detrimental to women’s health, like an advice to drink the water that blacksmiths used to cool hot metals (Nottingham, n/d). Squirting cucumber and pomegranate were other methods used, and, as recent animal tests show, they had a contraceptive effect (Riddle, 1999). While the aforementioned methods are connected to female contraception in Ancient Greece, men were also experimenting with some methods of birth control to avoid having illegitimate or undesirable children. Aristotle believed that homosexual relations could be regarded as a population control method. Two methods that are still used nowadays and can be described as having a limited degree of reliability were coitus reservatus (withholding ejaculation) and coitus interruptus (ejaculating outside the vagina) (Nottingham, n/d). Speaking of Ancient Rome, females also used a variety of ineffective methods that were, in fact, mere superstitions, like wearing a leather pouch with a cats liver on their left foot during the intercourse or spitting in the mouth of a frog three times. The Roman men wore condoms made of animal intestine (Nottingham, n/d). Both in Ancient Greece and Rome, the juice of the silphium plant was a commonly used method of oral contraception that enjoyed a certain degree of effectiveness. Women had to take it once a month. However, the plant grew in one place in Cyrene and was extinct by the 1st century CE because of over-harvesting and failure to cultivate it in other places, although attempts to do so were persistent. This plant is believed to be one of the most effective contraceptives used in the ancient times, as the contemporary research shows: ‘Modern researchers tested plants of the same genus (Ferula) and found anti-fertility effects ran in the family. Crude alcohol extracts of asafetida and a related plant (Ferula orientalis) were found to inhibit implantation of fertilized eggs in rats by 40% (asafetida) and 50% (F. orientalis)’ (Zeus, 2007, para. 5). Another method of female contraception was prolonged breast feeding, which can prevent ovulation, sometimes until a child was three years old (Nottingham, n/d). Therefore, it is possible to conclude that there was a variety of contraception methods known in the Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Some of these methods were relatively reliable and are still practiced nowadays (like the rhythm method or interrupted coitus), whilst others were based on mere superstitions and had zero effectiveness or involved practices harmful for women’s health. References Chauhan, J. History of Contraception. 2003. November 12, 2007. mcmaster.ca/health/hwc/Student%20Writers/hx_contraception.htm Habiger, P. Early History: Menstruation, Menstrual Hygiene and Womans Health in Ancient Egypt. 1998. November 12, 2007. mum.org/germnt5.htm Hearthstone Communications Ltd. Birth Control Guide. 2007. November 12, 2007. epigee.org/guide/ Nottingham, V. History of Female Contraception. N/d. November 12, 2007. medhunters.com/articles/historyOfFemaleContraception.html Nottingham, V. History of Male Contraception. N/d. November 12, 2007. medhunters.com/articles/historyOfMaleContraception.html Riddle, J. M. Eves Herbs: A History of Contraception and Abortion in the West. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999. Zeus, S. The Ancient Worlds ‘Birth Control Pill.’ 2007. November 12, 2007. sisterzeus.com/Silphio.htm

Definition of and Examples of Words With a Glottal Stop

Definition of and Examples of Words With a Glottal Stop In phonetics, a glottal stop is a stop sound made by rapidly closing the vocal cords. Arthur Hughes et al. describe the glottal stop as a form of plosive  in which the closure is made by bringing the vocal folds together, as when holding ones breath (the glottis is not a speech organ, but the space between the vocal folds) (English Accents and Dialects, 2013). The term is also called a  glottal plosive. In Authority in Language (2012), James and Lesley Milroy point out that the glottal stop appears in limited phonetic contexts. For example, in many  dialects of English it  can be heard as a variant of the /t/ sound between vowels and at the ends of words, such as  metal, Latin,  bought, and cut  (but not ten, take, stop, or left). The use of the glottal stop in place of another sound is called glottalling. The glottal stop is inside us all, says David Crystal, part of our phonetic ability as human beings, waiting to be put to use. We use one every time we cough. (The Stories of English, 2004) Glottal Stop Examples and Observations Glottal stops are made quite frequently in English, although we rarely notice them because they do not make a difference in the meaning of English words...English speakers usually insert a glottal stop before initial vowels, like in the words it, ate, and ouch. If you say these words naturally, you will probably feel a catch in your throat just as you [do] in the expression uh-oh.(T. L. Cleghorn and N. M. Rugg, Comprehensive Articulatory Phonetics: A Tool for Mastering the Worlds Languages, 2nd ed., 2011) Glottalization   Glottalization is a general term for any articulation involving a simultaneous constriction, especially a glottal stop. In English, glottal stops are often used in this way to reinforce a voiceless plosive at the end of a word, as in what?(David Crystal, A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 1997) words: light, flight, put, take, make, trip, reportmultisyllabic words: stoplight, apartment, backseat, assortment, workload, upbeatphrases: right now, talk back, cook the books, hate mail, fax machine, back-breaking Uhs We often make this stop- its the sound we make when we say uh-oh. In some languages, this is a separate consonant sound, but in English, we often use it with d, t, k, g, b or p when one of those sounds happens at the end of a word or syllable...We close the vocal cords very sharply and make the air stop for just a moment. We dont let the air escape. This glottal stop is the last sound of these words: You also hear it in words and syllables that end in t a vowel n. We dont say the vowel at all, so we say the t n: button, cotton, kitten, Clinton, continent, forgotten, sentence.(Charlsie Childs, Improve Your American English Accent, 2004) Changing Pronunciations Nowadays younger speakers of many forms of British English have glottal stops at the ends of words such as cap, cat, and back. A generation or so ago speakers of BBC English would have regarded such a pronunciation as improper, almost as bad as producing a glottal stop between vowels in the London Cockney pronunciation of butter...In America, nearly everybody has a glottal stop in button and bitten.(Peter Ladefoged, Vowels and Consonants: An Introduction to the Sounds of Languages, Vol. 1, 2nd ed., 2005)

Evaluation of legal and ethical impacts on quality and access to Research Paper - 1

Evaluation of legal and ethical impacts on quality and access to patient care in managed care practices - Research Paper Example f both state and federal standards with regards to the healthcare industry and by analyzing the key trends that exist within the industry as a function of seeking to hire or contract legal expertise and advice to the requesting entity (Lynk et al 2008). Such an understanding is useful for the purpose of this proposed research due to the fact that the author hopes that by proving that a verifiable link exists between the level of legal representation within the industry and the level and quality of care provided, the researcher will be able to demonstrably prove that this is a key determinant within healthcare and its overall improvement and offerings to the end consumer; both within specialized fields such as secondary care and elsewhere. Similarly, the second work of scholarship that this brief analysis has chosen to review is that of the National Academy of Sciences, â€Å"Legal Issues in Quality of Care Oversight in the United States: Recent Developments†. As such, the piece seeks to track the level of legal changes that are manifesting themselves throughout the United States while at the same time seeking to analyze how, if at all, these changes are providing for an increase or decrease in the quality of care (Jost 2003). As a means of measuring this, the authors set out to approach the issue from both a legal requirement standpoint as well as one of economic sustainability; much the same as the one which has been utilized in the first article that has been reviewed. It is of course the intention of this author that this piece, as well as the proceeding piece will help to draw specific levels of analysis with regards to the levels that current and past legal obligations and their subsequent implementations within the field of healthcare have affected the quality of care provided. It should be further noted that the authors of these pieces have stated that the economics of further regulation and legal obligations that the current environment necessarily

Non-Profit Organization and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Non-Profit Organization and Management - Essay Example At-risk youth have lost the sense of opportunity and possibility awaiting them in adulthood due to destructive attitudes and habits, as well as repeated academic failure and, to accomplish their objectives, the youth should be nurtured and mentored in an inclusive, caring environment, which promotes personal respect. Future Hope is a programme borne as a direct response to increased numbers of youth involved in the youth justice system and school disturbances. Thus, the programme’s goal is to identify young people turbulently transitioning into being adults. The goal, despite having several focus areas, is the same and this is to empower youth to positively alter their livelihoods. Primarily focused on secondary and primary school students, Future Hope projects that 50% of the students in the system are set to join secondary school within 3 years. Because of the especially problematic nature of this age-group, mentoring at this time would be perfect timing and most effective. This paper will seek to make a business case for starting a youth mentoring program called Future Hope, aimed at youth in primary and secondary school. Taking part in youth organizations benefits the youth, as well as the community they live in. Apart from providing young people with a forum to effectively and fully deal with important issues, including education and violence, such youth organizations also benefits the youth by allowing them to be part of a group that helps them develop interpersonal and personal skills (Milton, 2011: p39). In addition, it also helps young people to gain self-esteem and self-confidence, reduce the risk that they will take part in unsafe activities like drug abuse, develop job skills, attain opportunities for leadership, avoid negative per pressure, and to develop a strong support network.

Therese Raquin Essay Example for Free

Therese Raquin Essay Therese Raquin 39 jelenamlt Simple Mayan mathematics The Mayans had a very sophisticated number system. The System was used and developed mainly for astrological purposes. It was a base 20 System, believed to be derived from ancient peoples counting on both their fingers and their toes, called the vigesimal systerry Today we use a base 10 system, the decimal system, meaning each place value Is equal to a power of 10, and in the vigesimal system each place value s equal to a power of 20. They also used separate numerals consisting of lines, dots, nd shells. So for example 26 is written with one dot in the venties place and one bar and one dot (6) in the ones place. Once comfortable with this concept Mayan addition and subtraction are easy. If you wanted to add 83 and 59 in Mayan numerals it would look something like this: A more complicated problem such as 478 9534 would look like this: Subtraction is done the exact same way as addition. Multiplication however. was done differently. It consisted of drawing lines that correspond to the number the counting up the number of crossings in each corner. It was very simple and easy to do. Say you were multiplying 12 and 11 you would draw ne line for the tens place in the 12 and two for the ones place in the 12 and then one line for the tens place of the II and one for the ones place. Count the number Of Crossing in the left corner and the number Of crossing in the right corner. Then add up the number Of Crossings in the bottom corner and the number Of crossings in the top corner and then from left to right (number Of left corner crossings, number you get when adding top and bottom corner crossings and the number Of right corner crossings) and this Will be your answer.

Understanding Health Risk Calculations :: Medical Medicine

Understanding Health Risk Calculations Health risks are all around us. They are present all the time, even when we sleep. Understanding our chances of being affected by one risk or another is a little like understanding our chances of winning the lottery. Numbers are often used to describe both our health risks and our chances or probability of winning the lottery, but this is where the similarity ends. When you buy a lottery ticket, your chances of winning depend on the number of possible combinations of numbers, not on whether you pick your favorite lucky numbers. Every time you buy a ticket, day after day, you have the same chance of winning, so your chance may always be, for example, one in a million. Nothing you or anyone else can do, short of cheating, can change that chance. Your chance of getting cancer from exposure to a chemical, however, like your chance of being killed in a vehicle accident, is not as easy to understand. This is because conditions that affect your chance are always changing. In the case of a vehicle accident, the road may be slippery, you or another driver may be drunk, your car or another vehicle may get a blow out at high speed, someone may fall asleep at the wheel, someone may throw a rock from an overpass, or an airplane may fall from the sky. All of these conditions and many more affect the chance of being involved in an accident. Sometimes you can control the conditions effectively, but most of the time you can't. Your chances of getting cancer from exposure to a certain chemical also depends on different circumstances or conditions. How long and the frequency at which you are exposed to a chemical, the amount or concentration, your own personal "make up" or susceptibility, and age are only a few of the variables to be considered when calculating your risk. Some of these conditions you can control, some you cannot. When a scientist calculates risks, she or he uses different types of numbers to represent different types of risks. For the risk of someone getting cancer from exposure to a certain chemical at a certain level over the course of a lifetime, there is no way to calculate an individual's exact chance. The best that a scientist can do is to calculate the chance of cancer occurring among, say, one million people.

Participative Management and Change-Oriented Leadership Essay

Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of pain. (Ohman, A. (2000). Fear and anxiety: Evolutionary, cognitive, and clinical perspectives. In M. Lewis & J. M. Haviland-Jones (Eds. ). Handbook of emotions. (pp. 573-593). New York: The Guilford Press. A debilitating emotion that must be managed understood and embraced in a world that is fast becoming familiar with the successes enjoyed by those whose human component is its capital. When did we last take interest in knowing the expressed culture of the company, its leadership and components? What we know now is, we too must be going through this, and it is the same urge that brings us to the table to open a channel of communication that could possibly address how we can all move forward with understanding, sensitivity and optimism in creating change that will benefit both HTI and its human resource asset. More and more structured organizations find the need to shift to become a people-focused management style to improve retention and ensure that changes of any kind is managed rather more successfully. Loyalty influences retention and retention contributes to growth. As a recognized leader in the industry, our upper hand in staying on top will always be dependent on the pillars that support it. Relational leadership is a concept that is not out of reach, and as corporate leaders, it is upon us to make certain that we put in, not just the cutting edge technology ideas, or business savvy that signs contracts but the latest proven expertise in managing our human capital to keep up to the changing times, shifting lifestyles and influences there are about us. Many corporate cultures have changed the moment its leaderships changed their perspectives of how management styles/strategies, consciousness and corporate values tip the scale of profitability. Eventually, over time, loyalty not only assures retention, stability and growth for the business and the brand, its shareholders, but as well as its individual members.

Case Study: Impact of Mining

PFII/2007/WS. 3/7 Original: English UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS Division for Social Policy and Development Co-organizers Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Government of Khabarovsk Krai and the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT KHABAROVSK, RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUGUST 27. -29, 2007 Case Study on the Impacts of Mining and Dams on theEnvironment and Indigenous Peoples in Benguet, Cordillera, Philippines Paper by CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE I. Background Land and People of Benguet The Cordillera region in Northern Luzon, Philippines, is homeland to more than 1 million indigenous peoples belonging to at least 8 distinct ethnic groups collectively known as Igorots. Two of these ethnic groups, the Ibaloy and the Kankanaey, are found in the province of Benguet, which occupies 265,538 hectares of the Cordillera r egion’s total land area of 1. million hectares. The Ibaloy people live in the southeastern portion, occupying 8 of the province’s 13 towns. The Kankanaey, meanwhile dominate the northeast areas of Benguet. Benguet’s fertile land along the rivers and gold ore in the mountains saw the emergence of distinct villages engaged in various economic activities. Gold mining communities rose in the gold-rich areas in Itogon, while gold-trading villages were established along strategic mountain passes and trails. Rice-growing villages emerged in the river valleys.Swidden farming combined with gold panning in the streams and rivers. Land ownership among the Ibaloy and Kankanaey is traditionally recognized by prior occupation, investment of labor and permanent improvements on the land, specifically irrigation systems and retaining stonewalls of the ricefields. The community shares access rights to the forests, rivers, and creeks, and the fruits of these lands and waters are o pen to those who gathered them. [1] Entry of mining, construction of dams Mining has a long history in the Philippines.Small scale mining has been practiced by Philippine peoples for at least ten centuries, and large scale mining by foreign as well as Filipino firms for about a century. Little is known, though, about mining prior to the coming of the Spanish colonialists in the 16th century. [2] Corporate mining in Benguet started during the Spanish colonial period when Spanish businessmen secured a mining concession from the Igorots in Mancayan and launched the operations of the Sociedad Minero-Metalurgica Cantabro-Filipina de Mancayan in 1856. This mine eventually closed down.When the Americans arrived in the 1900s, they entered into contracts with local families to file legal claims to mineral-bearing land. These claims were later used by American prospectors to create the mining companies that would dominate the mining industry in Benguet. These were Benguet Corporation, Atok Bi g Wedge, Itogon-Suyoc Mines and Lepanto Consolidated. [3] In the 1950s, the Agno River in Benguet was tapped as a source of hydropower. The first dam to be built along the Agno River was the Ambuklao Dam, followed by the Binga Dam.Twelve (12) other run-of-river mini-hydros, all privately operated, were also built in other parts of Benguet. In the 1980s, widespread people’s resistance forced the Marcos government and the World Bank to give up its plans for major dam projects in the region. However, the Ramos government took advantage of the energy crisis in the 1990s and initiated with Japanese funding, the construction of the San Roque Multipurpose Project. The San Roque dam is the third dam to be built along the Agno River, located in the boundary between Benguet and Pangasinan province of Central Luzon. 4] II. Mining Operations, Dams and Impacts on the Indigenous Peoples of Benguet Mines and Dams Present in Benguet The province of Benguet has hosted 14 mining companies sinc e corporate mining started in 1903. Some of these mines have closed down while others have continued. Presently operating in Benguet are two large mines using high technology for large-scale mineral extraction. These are the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (operating for 70 years) and the Philex Mining Corporation (operating since 1955).Benguet Corporation, the oldest mining company in the country, abandoned its operations in 1997 after mining for almost a century. The abandoned open pit mine site, underground tunnels, waste dump sites, mill, diversion tunnels and tailings dams in Itogon still remain today. The company now has ongoing contract mining arrangements with small scale miners. Itogon-Suyoc mines closed down in 1997, but is now negotiating with foreign investors to reopen its mines. In addition, new mining explorations and applications are now coming into other parts of Benguet with renewed efforts by the government to invite foreign investments.These applications of v arious kinds, numbering 138, are found in all 13 municipalities of the province covering 147,618. 9 hectares or 55. 7% of the province’s total land area. This figure is aside from the area already covered by past and existing mines. Thus we have a situation where most of the total land area of Benguet is covered by past, ongoing and future mining operations. Accompanying mining operations is the construction of tailings dams needed to contain the mine wastes. These tailings dams were built across the river beds in various parts of Benguet.However, most tailings dams are not leak proof and have not been strong enough to withstand torrential currents during the typhoon season, and the major earthquake that rocked Northern Luzon in 1990. Through the years, tailings dams in Benguet have proved incapable of containing the volume of tailings that came from the mills. Time and again, these tailings have breached their dams. Benguet Corporation constructed 5 tailings dams. Lepanto ha s 5 tailings dams, 2 of which collapsed. Philex has 3 tailings dams, 2 of which collapsed in 1992 and 1994. In 2001, tailings breached another Philex dam.Itogon-Suyoc has 1 tailings dam that collapsed in 1994. Thus we have a situation where burst, broken, weak and leaking tailings dams dot the major river systems of the province – the Abra River, Agno River, Antamok River and Bued River. Another concern is the series of three mega hydroelectric dams built along the Agno River – the Ambuklao, Binga and San Roque dams – that block the river flow to generate electricity. The power generated by these dams has gone to supply the power needs of the mining companies as well as the overall power demand of the Luzon Grid.However, Ambuklao and Binga dams are dying and no longer fully operational, crippled by the voluminous silt that has accumulated in the reservoirs, upstream and beyond. The San Roque dam, which has the generating capacity of 345 megawatts, is now generat ing only 18 megawatts. Impacts of Mines and Dams The combination of mines and dams in Benguet has had devastating impacts on the environment and on the Kankanaey and Ibaloy people in the province. These impacts have not only caused serious environmental destruction and suffering for the affected communities, but have also violated the collective rights of the indigenous peoples.As proven by the experience of the Benguet indigenous peoples, large-scale corporate mining and dams destroy, pollute, disrupt agricultural economies, and displace indigenous peoples. 1. Land destruction, subsidence and water loss Corporate mining in Benguet is done by surface mining as well as underground tunneling and block caving. Also significant are other surface excavations by the mining companies for the installation of facilities, such as portals for deep mining, lumber yards, ore trains, mills, tailings ponds, power houses, mine administration offices, and employee housing. 5] Open pit mining is the most destructive as it requires removing whole mountains and excavation of deep pits. Generally, open pits need to be very big – sometimes more than 2. 5 kilometres long. In order to dig these giant holes, huge amounts of earth need to be moved, forests cleared, drainage systems diverted, and large amounts of dust let loose. According to the Benguet Corporation, â€Å"Any open-pit mining operation, by the very nature of its method, would necessarily strip away the top soil and vegetation of the land. [6] Sure enough, open-pit mining in Itogon by Benguet Corporation has removed whole mountains and entire villages from the land surface. After exhausting the gold ore, the open pit in Itogon is now abandoned as the company has shifted to other economic ventures like water privatization. Not known to many, Philex also practices open pit mining in Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet, presently affecting 98 hectares of land. The affected area is continuously expanding as the open pit mine operat ions of Philex continue. The land damage has displaced homes and communities and caused the people to lose their lands.Meanwhile, underground block-caving operations by Philex and Lepanto have induced surface subsidence and ground collapse. In Mankayan, where Lepanto is operating, the land surface in populated areas is sinking, causing damage to buildings, farms and property. In July 1999, Pablo Gomez, a villager in Mankayan, was killed when he was suddenly swept away in a landslide along with the Colalo Primary School building. 71 million cubic feet of earth gave way beneath him, covering and destroying 14 hectares of farming land. [7]Aside from land subsidence, the water tables have also subsided as deep mining tunnels and drainage tunnels disrupt groundwater paths. Tunneling often leads to a long-term lowering of the water table. In 1937, a disaster hit Gumatdang, Itogon’s oldest rice-producing village. Atok-Big Wedge drove in two gigantic tunnels on opposite sides of the village, immediately draining the water from its most abundant irrigation sources. In 1962, Benguet Corporation drove in another drainage tunnel that stretched between its Kelly mine in Gumatdang and its mines in Antamok.Instead of just draining water from the mines, the tunnel drained the water from a major irrigation source, drying up ricefields. Ventilation shafts have also drawn water away from surface streams, irrigation canals, and pondfields. In addition, the felling of timber to shore up underground tunnels has denuded surrounding watersheds, aggravating water loss. [8] Not only does mining cause water subsidence, it also deprives farming communities of much-needed water. The industry requires large volumes of water for mining, milling and waste disposal.Mining companies have privatized numerous natural water sources in Itogon and Mankayan for the purpose. Now, the people in many mining-affected communities have to buy water for drinking and domestic use from outside sources through water delivery trucks, or by lining up for hours in the few remaining water sources to fill up a gallon of water. 2. Pollution of Water and Soil Open-pit and underground bulk mining by Philex in Tuba and Lepanto in Mankayan generate ore and tailings at a rate of up to 2,500 metric tons per mine per day. 9] Toxic mine tailings are usually impounded in tailings dams. However, when pressure in the tailings dams builds up, especially during times of heavy rainfall, the mining companies drain their tailings dams of water or face the risk of having the dams burst or collapse. In either case, the tailings eventually find their way out, polluting the water and silting up the rivers and adjacent lands. People of Mankayan remember the Abra River before the mine. It was deep and narrow, just 5 meters wide, full of fish and surrounded by verdant rice paddies.Now there is a wide gorge of barren land on either side of the polluted river. Fruit trees and animals have died from the poisone d water and rice crops are stunted. [10] When Lepanto started operations in 1936, the company dumped mine tailings and waste straight into the river. It was only in the 1960’s that the first tailings dam was built. The dam was abandoned after less than 10 years and the land became unsuitable for agriculture. Tailings dam 2 was constructed in the 1970s. Its collapse caused the contamination of nearby ricefields.Tailings Dam 3 and a diversion tunnel gave way in 1986 during a strong typhoon. Another spillway collapsed after a typhoon in 1993. The spilled tailings encroached on riverbanks and destroyed ricefields downstream. They also caused the riverbed to rise and the polluted water to backflow into other tributaries of the Abra River. [11] An Environmental Investigative Mission (EIM) in September 2002 indictaed that heavy metal content (lead, cadmium and copper) was elevated in the soil and waters downstream from the Lepanto mine.Water samples from the Abra River were found to have low level pH (acidic) capable of solubilizing heavy metals. One resident who used gravel taken from the Mankayan River for construction of his house reported that the steel bar reinforcements were corroded after a few months. The same EIM report revealed dissolved oxygen readings at the CIP Mill Outlet and at Tailings Dam 5A to be below 2 mg/L. Aquatic life cannot survive in conditions where dissolved oxygen is below 2 mg/L.Sulfuric acid is also believed to be the cause of the â€Å"rotten eggs† smell that residents report when mine tailings are released into the Mankayan River during heavy rainfall. Another concern is the high amount of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) found at various points of the Mankayan River downstream from Tailings Dam 5A. [12] Abandoned mine sites like Benguet Corporation and Itogon-Suyoc Mines in Itogon have long-term damaging impacts on rivers and their surrounding fields because of the build up of acidic mine wat er.Acid mine drainage comes from both surface and underground mine workings, waste rock, tailings piles and tailings ponds. [13] Pollution of this kind can continue long after a mine is closed or abandoned, and the water that leaches into the ecosystem is frequently acidic, killing rivers and posing health risks to local communities. [14] 3. Siltation Siltation of rivers is a serious problem in Benguet resulting from mining operations and dam construction. The Ambuklao and Binga dams are stark examples of the detrimental impacts of siltation and megadams on rivers.The steadily rising level of silt in the dam reservoirs and along the Agno River upstream of the dams is covering a wider and wider area around the dams and continues to destroy more and more rice fields. In the case of the Ambuklao dam, the communities of Bangao and Balacbac were located far above the predicted water level of the dam and 17 kilometers away from the predicted edge of the reservoir. These two communities ar e now inundated because of the rising water level and accumulation of silt upstream along the Agno River. Government authorities dismiss the increasing siltation as a natural phenomenon.However, the Ibaloy people know that the dams are the real culprit. The farmlands and communities were never affected by silt before the dams were built despite storms and earthquakes. The dams blocked the free flow of water and silt down to the lowlands. Silt deposits built up in the dam reservoir and blocked oncoming silt that receded backwards upstream, swamping and inundating all farmlands and communities within reach. [15] In the case of the Philex, a tailings dam collapsed in 1992, releasing some 80 million tons of tailings and causing heavy siltation in the irrigation system downstream.The company paid Php5 million to the affected farmers. Again, during a typhoon in 2001, another tailings dam of Philex collapsed. Ricefields in San Manuel and Binalonan, Pangasinan, were buried in toxic silt a m eter deep. This time, Philex refused to admit responsibility for the disaster putting the blame on nature. [16] In the case of Lepanto, the downstream impact of tailings disposal is that along a 25-kilometer stretch of the Abra River, some 465 hectares of riceland have been washed out. [17] Further, Lepanto’s claim that Tailings Dam 5A is actually helping to contain siltation is deceiving.The high level of TDS and TSS from the CIP Mill Outlet up to Tailings Dam 5A indicates that the silt originates from company operations and is not due to natural siltation. [18] 4. Serious health problems due to water, soil and air pollution Contamination of water, soil and air contributes to increased toxic build-up in people’s bodies. Asthma and other respiratory problems often affect local communities as well as mine workers. When people’s health deteriorates, their ability to work and earn money is reduced even further. The old and the young are particularly vulnerable. [19 ]In 1985, a copper ore dryer was installed by Lepanto. The copper dryer affected the 3 barangays of Paco, Colalo and Cabiten in Mankayan. Local residents complained of abnormal withering of crops, sickness and death of domestic animals and high incidence of respiratory ailments. The company was forced to close down the dryer in the face of people’s opposition. [20] The most common symptoms felt by residents of Mankayan who have inhaled chemical fumes emanating from the mine are: headache, dizziness, cough, chest pain, nasal and eye irritation. Other symptoms reported are itching of the skin, rashes and diarrhea.Some residents report that wounds take longer to heal when exposed to the water of the Abra River. Because of past adverse reactions, people avoid contact with the river water. They do not allow children to bathe in the river. Nor do they let their animals drink from it. Incidence of cancer is a cause for further study as it is among the top 3 causes of mortality in so me affected communities. [21] Women are primarily responsible for maintaining the health of the family and the community. As such, women have to carry the burden of ill health arising from environmental destruction and pollution due to mining operations.At the height of the open pit mine and mill in Itogon, some pregnant women suffered miscarriage, while others experienced diseases of the skin, respiratory tract and blood when exposed to toxic fumes emanating from the mill. The drying up of natural water sources in another contributory factor in the poor health and sanitation in the community. [22] 5. Loss of Flora, Fauna, Biodiversity, and food insecurity The drainage area of the Abra River is home to about 1689 species of plants belonging to 144 families, including 177 species of orchids in 47 genera. More than half (51. %) of the plants found within the area are classified as endemics with 60. 7% of all the orchids classified as such. Benguet has the highest plant species diversi ty within the river basin area compared to other provinces. The EIM conducted in September 2002 noted gross differences between the waterways located directly below the Lepanto mining operations and tributaries originating from sources elsewhere. When the company started a fishpond in March 2001, all the fingerlings died after only 4 days. Aquatic organisms like udang (shrimp) and igat (eel) are reportedly becoming rare.Residents observed fish disease and deformities, aside from a drop in the fish catch. Fishkills occur every rainy season, attributed to the release of water from the tailings dams by the company. The loss in aquatic life is a major change in the life support system of the communities who rely on the river for daily food. Not only are livelihood sources affected, but so is the general biodiversity damaged, causing breakdowns in the food web. Once-common birds and tree species have disappeared. Among the bird species reported now to be rarely seen are: pagaw, tuklaw an d kannaway.Trees such as the kamantires and burbala were also identified to be no longer in significant quantities. [23] 6. Dislocation of Indigenous People from Ancestral Land and Traditional Livelihoods Large-scale corporate mining and dams have dislocated the indigenous Kankanaey and Ibaloy people from their ancestral lands and traditional livelihoods. Dams have caused the loss of ancestral lands to inundation and siltation. Descendants of families displaced by dams have been reduced to illegal occupants in the dam’s watershed areas or settlers in land owned by others.Mining patents granted by the government to mining companies have denied indigenous communities of their rights to ownership and control over their ancestral lands and resources. In terms of livelihood, mining concessions have taken over lands used by indigenous peoples for their traditional livelihoods – ricefields, vegetable gardens, swiddens, hunting and grazing livestock. Rice fields along riverban ks have been damaged by siltation. Garden cultivators have lost their crops to surface subsidence. Traditional small scale miners have lost their pocket mines and gold panning sites to the big mines and dams.Some communities have lost entire mountainsides, burial sites and hunting grounds to ground collapse and deep open pits. Traditional fishing is no longer possible in polluted rivers, replaced by commercial fishponds in dam reservoirs. An additional impact is the violation of the collective rights of the indigenous Kankanaey and Ibaloy people of their collective rights to self-determination and cultural integrity as they are displaced from the land and community that is the basis of their continued existence and identity.III. People’s Alternatives People’s alternatives to corporate mining and dams and indigenous systems of sustainable resource utilization and management can be found in indigenous communities in the Cordillera. The Ibaloy and Kankanaey people of Beng uet continue to practice traditional small-scale mining till today. Traditional methods of pocket-mining and gold panning are crude but environment-friendly and have been passed down through generations since the 16th century.Small-scale mining is a community affair and access to resources is defined by customary laws, characterized by equitable sharing, cooperation and community solidarity. Men, women, children and the elderly each have a role to play in the extraction and processing of the ore. They extract only enough gold to meet their basic necessities and receive their share of the gold based on an equitable sharing system. However, as communities are deprived of their land and resources, these traditional small-scale mining methods and positive values are now under threat of vanishing.An alternative source of energy are microhydro dams as opposed to megadams. The experience of the micro-hydro project (MHP) of the Chapyusen Mangum-uma Organization (CMO) in the Cordillera prove s the viability of a community-based and community-owned power system to provide energy for lighting, rice milling, sugar pressing, blacksmithing and carpentry. The MHP has built up the people’s capacity to develop their own local resources while ensuring affordable access of poor households to electricity.It also became an opportunity for the people to improve their organization by participating in all phases of project implementation. The observance of ubfo or the traditional system of labor exchange in community mobilization has had a positive outcome by restoring traditional cooperative practices and the free utilization and exchange of individual skills towards a common objective. [24] IV. Recommendations The experience of the Kankanaey and Ibaloy people brings to a fore the need for changes in the development paradigm and policies affecting indigenous peoples.The following recommendations, arising from various reports and fact-finding missions, are forwarded for conside ration by the United Nations, by international financial institutions, mining and dam companies and national governments: 1. The international community should develop minimum standards for the protection of the environment and human rights that are binding on all countries and companies, based on the highest existing standards, and with effective monitoring and sanctions imposed on the offending parties, be it the national government, funding institutions, or the companies. . There exists the Akwe:Kon voluntary guidelines, developed under the Convention of Biological Diversity, for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are likely to impact on sacred sites and on lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities.These guidelines should be made binding rather than voluntary and could be adopted as a minimum standard by international financial institutions and na tional governments when implementing development projects affecting indigenous peoples. 3. Countries that are home to transnational companies should enact legislation that will require those companies to operate using the same standards wherever they operate in the world.Home countries whose nationals and corporate entities inflict damage in developing countries, particularly on indigenous peoples, should impose some form of penalty on the offending parties. 4. An international system should be created to allow complaints to be filed by affected indigenous communities against companies, governments and financial institutions whose development programs and interventions violate the rights of ownership and control by indigenous peoples over their ancestral land, territories and resources and cause serious destruction of the environment. . In the case of Benguet where the indigenous people have already suffered and will continue to suffer enormous damage to their lands and environment due to the long-term impacts of mining and dams, proper and immediate compensation and reparation should be provided to all affected people to include adequate monetary compensation, sustainable livelihood, alternative land, employment and other sources of regular income. A program for the restoration and rehabilitation of lands and waters destroyed by mines and dams should also be implemented. . Past experience has shown that no monetary compensation nor livelihood project could replace or surpass the destroyed ancestral land and traditional livelihoods of affected indigenous peoples. The solution to restoring the living quality and to stop the permanent destruction of the environment is to stop destructive large-scale corporate mining and decommission unviable tailings dams and megadams. Alternatives such as chemical-free traditional small scale mining methods and community-based microhydros need to be promoted and supported. . National legislation and policy on the liberalization of mining and the energy industry need to be reviewed and revised as these have proven detrimental to indigenous peoples in different parts of the country. A new mining policy should support the Filipino people’s efforts towards nationalist industrialization and ensure the creation of jobs, food security, a stable economy, mitigation of environmental degradation, and environmental rehabilitation. ———————– [1] Jacqueline K. Carino. Case Study. WCD. 2000 [2] APIT Tako.Mining in Philippine History [3] APIT Tako. Mining in Philippine History [4] Cordillera Peoples Alliance. December 2002. Cordillera Hydropower Projects and the Indigenous Peoples [5] APITTAKO [6] Christian Aid and PIPLinks. Breaking Promises, making profits. Mining in the Philippines. UK. Dec. 2004 [7] CA and PIPLinks [8] APIT TAKO. Mining In Philippine History: Focus On The Cordillera Experience. Paper presented to the United Nations Economic and Social Cou ncil’s Commission on Human Rights during its Transnational Extractive Industries Review.December 2001 and revised March 2002. [9] APIT Tako. [10] CA and PIPLinks. [11] Save the Abra River Movement (STARM). What is Happening to the Abra River? A Primer on the Effects of Corporate Mining on the Abra River System. September 2003. [12] STARM [13] STARM [14] CA and PIPLinks [15] Jacqueline K. Carino. A case Study of the Ibaloy People and the Agno River Basin, Province of Benguet, Philippines. Presented during the Consultation on Dams, Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Minorities. Geneva, Switzerland. August 1999) [16] Croft 17] APIT TAKO. [18] STARM [19] CA and PIPILinks [20] STARM [21] STARM [22] Jill K. Carino and Cornelia Ag-agwa. The Situation of Mining in the Cordillera Region, Philippines and its Impact on Land Rights and Indigenous Women. Paper presented during the Second International Conference on Women and Mining. Bolivia. 2000 [23] STARM. [24] Hapit, The Official Publicatio n of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance. 3rd Quarter 2005. A basic Service to the People: The Chapyusen Micro-Hydro Project ———————– [pic]

How to Write a Good Philosophy Essay

How to Write a Good Philosophy Essay How to Write a Good Philosophy Essay A powerful philosophy essay begins with choosing a proper topic and general outlining. If you are not limited in the topic selection by your tutor, you are free to choose any topic that is interesting to you. This will allow for deep exploration into the details of the topic as well as viewing the topic from different angles. The main thing with philosophy essay writing is creating the dialectical connection between an argument against an issue and clear evidence for it. Thus, once you are ready with your topic, you may begin searching for a reasonable argument and providing the grounds for it. In addition, composing an outline is helpful at the initial stage of the writing process. An outline will help you trace important aspects about the subject and sift through trivial ones. After composing the outline (or draft) of your philosophy essay, you will need to proceed with the main stage of the writing procedure – filling in the appropriate content. You will need to find the most persuasive and logical reasons to support your argument. A poorly worded argument is no good to your philosophy essay. There is also one thing about the writing process that you need to bear in mind. While presenting the argument, your first task is to avoid coming across as if your point of view was the only one possible. You are to write straightforward and clearly, but do allow your readers to hold their own opinions. The audience is free to accept your position or reject it, once it is expressed in your essay. Philosophy essay writing skills include careful consideration and thorough analysis skills that are to be mastered gradually. The best way to become good at writing excellent philosophy essays is continually practicing. The style and structure of the philosophy essay are also of great importance. Try to use your own style of narration and independent way of thinking, while composing the philosophy essay. This will help you avoid clichà ©s and overused phrases in the essay. A simple and obvious structure will make your essay even more effective. In addition, try reading the completed essay to your parents or friends; they will point out its drawbacks and express their feedback which can be really helpful for you. As soon as the essay writing process is finished, you will need to spend additional time on the paper proofreading and editing. You should do your best to â€Å"polish† the essay and eliminate grammar, punctuation, and style mistakes as well as possible misprints. In this case, your philosophy essay will be academically sound and professional, and this makes a favorable impression on the readers. Do you need Philosophy essay help from professionals? Just try our custom essay writing company now.

A Closer Look at Alice Munros Short Story Runaway

A Closer Look at Alice Munros Short Story Runaway Runaway,  by the Nobel Prize-winning Canadian author Alice Munro, tells the story of a young woman who refuses a chance to escape a bad marriage. The story debuted in the August 11, 2003,  issue of The New Yorker. It also appeared in Munros 2004 collection by the same name. You can ​read the story for free on The New Yorkers website. Multiple Runaways Runaway people, animals, and emotions abound in the story. The wife, Carla, is twice a runaway. When she was 18 and college-bound, she ran off to marry her husband, Clark, against her parents  wishes and has been estranged from them since. And now, getting on a bus to Toronto, she runs away a second time- this time from Clark. Carlas beloved white goat, Flora, also appears to be a runaway, having inexplicably disappeared shortly before the start of the story. (By the end of the story, though, it seems likely that Clark has been trying to get rid of the goat all along.) If we think of runaway  as meaning out of control  (as in runaway train),  other examples come to mind in the story. First, there is Sylvia Jamiesons runaway emotional attachment to Carla (what Sylvias friends describe dismissively as an inevitable crush on a girl). There is also Sylvias runaway involvement in Carlas life, pushing her along a path that Sylvia imagines is best for Carla, but which she is, perhaps, not ready for or doesnt really want. Clark and Carlas marriage seems to be following a runaway trajectory. Finally, there is Clarks runaway temper, carefully documented early in the story, that threatens to become truly dangerous when he goes to Sylvias house in the night to confront her about encouraging Carlas departure. Parallels Between Goat and Girl Munro describes the goats behavior in ways that mirror Carlas relationship with Clark. She writes: At first she had been Clark’s pet entirely, following him everywhere, dancing for his attention. She was as quick and graceful and provocative as a kitten, and her resemblance to a guileless girl in love had made them both laugh. When Carla first left home, she behaved much in the starry-eyed manner of the goat. She was filled with giddy delight  in her pursuit of a more authentic kind of life  with Clark. She was impressed by his good looks, his colorful employment history, and everything about him that ignored her. Clarks repeated suggestion that Flora might have just gone off to find herself a billy  obviously parallels Carlas running away from her parents to marry Clark. Whats especially troubling about this parallel is that the first time Flora disappears, she is lost but still alive. The second time she disappears, it seems almost certain that Clark has killed her. This suggests that Carla is going to be in a much more dangerous position for having returned to Clark. As the goat matured, she changed alliances. Munro writes, But as she grew older she seemed to attach herself to Carla, and in this attachment, she was suddenly much wiser, less skittish- she seemed capable, instead, of a subdued and ironic sort of humor. If Clark has, in fact, killed the goat (and it seems likely he has),  it is symbolic of his commitment to killing off any of Carlas impulses to think or act independently- to be anything but the guileless girl in love  who married him. Carla’s Responsibility Though Clark is clearly presented as a murderous, stultifying force, the story also places some of the responsibility for Carlas situation on Carla herself. Consider the way Flora allows Clark to pet her, even though he may have been responsible for her original disappearance and is probably about to kill her. When Sylvia tries to pet her, Flora puts her head down as if to butt. Goats are unpredictable,  Clark tells Sylvia. They can seem tame but they’re not really. Not after they grow up.  His words seem to apply to Carla, as well. She has behaved unpredictably, siding with Clark, who was causing her distress, and butting  Sylvia by exiting the bus and forgoing the escape Sylvia has offered. For Sylvia, Carla is a girl who needs guidance and saving, and it is hard for her to imagine that Carlas choice to return to Clark was the choice of an adult woman. Is she grown up?  Sylvia asks Clark about the goat. She looks so small. Clarks answer is ambiguous: She’s as big as she’s ever going to get.  This suggests that Carlas being grown up  might not look like Sylvias definition of grown up.  Eventually, Sylvia comes to see Clarks point. Her letter of apology to Carla even explains that she made the mistake of thinking somehow that Carlas freedom and happiness were the same thing. Clarks Pet Entirely On first reading, you might expect that just as the goat shifted alliances from Clark to Carla, Carla, too, might have changed alliances, believing more in herself and less in Clark. Its certainly what Sylvia Jamieson believes. And its what common sense would dictate, given the way Clark treats Carla. But Carla defines herself entirely in terms of Clark. Munro writes: While she was running away from him- now- Clark still kept his place in her life. But when she was finished running away, when she just went on, what would she put in his place? What else- who else- could ever be so vivid a challenge? And it is this challenge that Carla preserves by holding out against the temptation  to walk to the edge of the woods- to the place where she saw the buzzards- and confirm that Flora was killed there. She doesnt want to know.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT assignments 1-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT assignments 1-4 - Essay Example It is an indispensable tool for the economists, investors and analysts to measure the well-being of an economy. Real GDP is different from nominal GDP as it takes into account the inflation, thus producing a better scale of measurement. 2) Define and indicate the significance of the LIBOR. What was the LIBOR at the time you completed the assignment? LIBOR is the London Interbank Offered Rate and it is the rate at which the most creditworthy banks lend funds to each other. It is considered as a benchmark rate in the major countries of the world such as US, UK and Canada. LIBOR is considered as of paramount importance in the corporate world because when the LIBOR increases it creates a financial panic, which tightens the flow of credit and erodes the trust between the banks for their ability to pay each other. In addition to that, all the credit loans such as credit card, mortgages and student loans are dependent on LIBOR therefore it has a direct impact on the consumers. It is estimat ed that $360 trillion of international financial products are based on LIBOR (Reynolds, 2010). Current LIBOR LIBOR 1-Month 3-Months 6 Months 0.26% 0.31% 0.46% Source: LIBOR, other interest rate indexes (Bankrate.com) 3) Define and indicate the significance of the prime rate.

Infant Mortality in African American Group Essay

Infant Mortality in African American Group - Essay Example This finding means that the effect of prenatal care against no prenatal care on infant mortality rates within the first year of life is not different in African American women who have delivered live infants (Minnesota Department of Health, 2013).A study done by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) revealed that infant mortality has reduced in the United States because of the decline in neonatal deaths associated with low birth weight. The report states that prenatal smoking contributes to low birth weight that in turn leads to increased infant mortality. No matter the group involved, the report observes that intensive prenatal care helps to reduce infant mortality rates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).Abusalah (2012) agrees with the above study by stating that low birth weight is a critical factor related to infant mortality rates. Pollution from things such as smoking of various tobacco products and exposure to wood fuel smoke causes many women to gi ve birth to low weight infants whose life is at risk especially during their first year of life. As such, Abusalah (2012) states, â€Å"Health professionals who provide prenatal care have a critical role to play in raising awareness of harms from environmental smoke exposure, especially in low income communities† (Abusalah, 2012).   This shows that prenatal care goes a long way in helping reduce infant mortality. Therefore, African American mothers who are provided with better prenatal care could experience lower infant mortality.