Impacts of the Anthropocene Geological Era

Impacts of the Anthropocene Geological Era Alexandra Pearson Geography – The Anthropocene Throughout history, geological time periods have been given names to depict certain events. These time periods are named as eras, and the current geological era is known as the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is defined as the â€Å"era of man†. This era is linked to drastic environmental changes that have taken place over hundreds of years due to human activity and the increase of industrialisation and technology. Humans have changed the global environment of the earth and the effect of human impact on the earth continues to increase during this Anthropocene era. The geological era, the Anthropocene is used to describe the time human activities have impacted the global environment of the earth, it also describes how human societies have become a worldwide geophysical force (Steffen et al, 2007). The earth has gone through drastic environmental changes in the last few hundred years; this is due to human activities that have created an increasing impact on the global environment (Crutzen, 2006). Over the last three centuries, the human population and the rate of urbanisation has dramatically increased (McNiell, 2000 cited in Crutzen, 2006). The Anthropocene began approximately in the 1800s, with the introduction of industrialisation and the increased use of fossil fuels (Steffen et al, 2007). Many scientists believe that the influence of humans on the environment began towards the end of the Pleistocene era as many of the so called â€Å"megafauna† had disappeared due to the arrival of modern humans. By the 1800s, industrialisation, deforestation, agriculture and the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere had increased rapidly, and the environment began to change before the industrial revolution (Zalasiewicz et al, 2011). Scientists argue that the start of the Anthropocene era began when the Industrial Revolution took place. During the late 1700s and the early 1800s, there was a rapid increase in the usage of machinery and different industrial inventions. This was known as the Industrial Revolution, and it was the first human influence on the environmental change (Zalasiewicz et al, 2008). Many scientists believe that the Anthropocene geological era had began when the environment because of the worldwide environmental effects of the rapid increase in the human population and the development of economy (Zalasiewicz et al, 2008). The industrial revolution had caused the global environment to change significantly, carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere had increased rapidly and it was the beginning of the influence of humans on the environment. Ever since the introduction of industrial machinery in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the global environment has changed significantly. There has been a rapid increase in the human population, an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and an increase in greenhouse gases. The increase in greenhouse gas concentration has had to have serious impacts on the environment, the concentration has increased over hundreds of years, and is continuing to increase and it has lead to a number of possible extinctions of species in areas that are sensitive to climate change (Hughes, 2000). The increase of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have caused a decrease in the thickness of the ozone layer, the ozone layer’s function is to create a protective layer from the intense heat radiation from the sun around the earth. The greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide are a result in the increasing use of technology, the increasing use of machinery and the increasing use of using non renewable resources such as fossil fuels. With the decreased thickness of this layer, more of the heat radiation from the sun penetrates the earth and causes global temperature increase (Hartmann et al, 1999). According to McCarty (2002), the earth’s climate has increased by 0.5 degrees over the past one hundred years. This temperature increase can result in major global consequences; it has already lead to polar ice sheets melting and has lead to the extinction and high possibility of extinction of species that live in sensitive environments such as polar bea rs. Additional threats will appear as the climate continues to change and as the temperature continues to increase. As the human population increases, the availability of natural resources and non – renewable resources decreases. Overuse of these resources has resulted in a depletion of renewable resources (Pearce, 1988). As a result, in many developing countries, the resources have become scarce and have caused many problems globally. Due to human activities, in some countries the water and other habitats have been polluted by acid mine drainage. According to Johnson and Hallberg (2005), acid mine drainage causes environmental pollution in countries that have mining industries. Humans have had major influences on the climate change during the current geological era, the Anthropocene. As the human population, greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and temperature continues to increase, the global environmental climate will continue to change. Ice caps sheets will continue to rise as the ozone layer becomes thinner and sea levels will continue to rise, resulting in a massive loss in coastal regions, lives and species that live in the areas that are sensitive to climate change. During this geological era or epochs, most of the environmental change has been caused by some type of human activity whether it is mining, increases in industrialisation or by increased urbanisation. The introduction of modern humans and industrialisation has caused major environmental changes that are difficult to change or reverse. To slow down the rapid global environmental and climate change, the use of renewable and non – renewable resources would have to be distributed evenly, the rate at which the human population is increasing would have to decrease and the amount of energy and fossil fuels used would also have to be decreased. If humans do not change the way that they distribute resources or control how much carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere, the global environment and climate will continue to decline and further complications will appear. Therefore, the Anthropocene geological era is dominated by humans and the major environmental changes that have occurred in this era or epochs have mainly been caused by human activity such as mining, urbanisation or industrialisation. The Anthropocene era and the human activities that have taken place during this era are directly linked to the global environmental change that is seen in the world. Humans are the main cause for most of the major environmental and climate change during this era. References Crutzen, P.J. (2006). The â€Å"Anthropocene†, Earth System Science in the Anthropocene, 13-18. Hartmann, D.L., Wallace, J.M., Limpasuvan, V., Thompson, D.W.J., Holton, J.R. (1999). Can ozone depletion and global warming interact to produce rapid climate change?, Cross Mark: 97(4), 1412- 1417. Hughes, L. (2000). Biological Consequences of Global Warming: is the signal already apparent?, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 15 (2): 56 -61. Johnson, D.B., Hallberg, K.B. (2005). Acid Mine Drainage Remediation Options: a review, Science of the total environment, Elsevier: 338 (1-2): 3-14 McCarty, J.P. (2002). Ecological Consequences of Recent Climate Change, Conversation Biology: 15(2), 320 – 331. Pearce, D. (1988). The Sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries, Sustainable Environmental Management: Principles and Practice: 102- 117 Steffen, W., Crutzen, P. J., McNeill, J.R. (2007). The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming The Great Forces Of Nature, AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 36 (8): 614-621. Zalasiewicz, J., Williams, M., Haywood, A., Ellis, M. (2011). The Anthropocene: a new epoch of geological time?, Philosophical Transactions: The Royal Society Publishing. Zalasiewicz, J., Williams, M., Smith, A., Barry, T.L., Coe, A. L., Brown, P.R., Brenchley, P., Cantrill, D., Gale, A., Gibbard, P., Gregory, F. J., Hounslow, M. W., Kerr, A.C., Pearson, P., Knox, R. Powell, J., Waters, C., Marshall, J., Oates, M., Rawson,P. And Stone, P. (2008). Are we now living in the Anthropocene?, GSA Today, 18 (2): 4-8.

Symbolism in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye Essay -- The Catch

Many novels cannot be fully understood and appreciated if only read for face value, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is no exception. The abundant use of symbolism in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is of such significance that it â€Å"proclaims itself in the very title of the novel† (Trowbridge par. 1). If the symbolism in this novel is studied closely, there should be no astonishment in learning that The Catcher in the Rye took approximately ten years to write and was originally twice its present length. J.D. Salinger uses copious amounts of symbolism in his novel to accurately convey the feelings of his main character, Holden, and, in essence, to reveal information pertaining to human sentiment. Many of these symbols contain irony, multiple meanings, and varying degrees of complexity. Through the comprehension of Salinger’s unique symbolism, however, The Catcher in the Rye can be truly understood and appreciated. The character of Holden Caulfield is a powerful symbol himself which represents people as they truly are. Holden can be related to by anyone; he is occasionally silly, irritating, thoughtless, and irresponsible. He judges others without a second thought and builds his perception of people according to the things that he deems to be â€Å"phony.† Holden Caulfield is representative of idealism. He sees the difference between what is and what ought to be and is bothered enough by this to take action. The name â€Å"Holden† can be phonetically interpreted as meaning â€Å"hold on,† but what is it that Holden is holding on to? The Catcher in the Rye is the tale, from Holden’s perspective, of the three days following his removal from his prep school, Pencey, and the wisdom that comes during his venture. One of the first enc... ...nguage Quarterly 25.4 (1964): 461. Print. Edwards, Duane. "Don't Ever Tell Anybody Anything." ELH 44.3 (1977): 554-65. JSTOR. Web. 20 Apr. 2009. Foran, Donald. "A Doubletake on Holden Caulfield." The English Journal 57.7 (1968): 977-79. JSTOR. Web. 18 Apr. 2009. Miller, Edwin. "In Memoriam: Allie Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye." EBSCOhost. 2000. Web. 22 Apr. 2009. Privitera, Lisa. "Holden’s Irony in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye." Explicator 66.4 (2008): 203-06. Print. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print. Svogun, Margaret D. "Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye." Explicator 61.2 (2003): 110. Print. Takeuchi, Yasuhiro. "Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye." Explicator 60.3 (2002): 164. Print. Trowbridge, Clinton W. "The Symbolic Structure of The Catcher in the Rye." EBSCOhost. 2000. Web. 17 Apr. 2009.

Coral Reef Essay

Mr. KrupensHow Can We Preserve the World’s Coral Reefs Critical Thinking Questions and AnswersHow does the current state of the world’s coral reefs illustrate each of the six key themes of this book? Human population: With current state of coral reefs, we are definitely valuing the quality of life of a person living today because of the fact that coral reefs are indirectly, sometimes directly, destroyed by over fishing using the methods such as using dynamites or cyanides which causes corals to be destroyed and damaged. However we have to start thinking about the future generations. Sustainability: With current state of coral reefs, the persistence of these resources for future generations is more important because of the fact that coral reefs provide priceless economic benefits (worth $375 billion dollars) and it is slowly getting destroyed. Global Perspective: With current state of coral reefs, we have to value the environment of the entire planet otherwise numerous s pecies of sea organisms, such as fishes, will lose their home which may cause other predators to eventually die out too. This will cause domino effect just by coral reefs getting destroyed around the world, which will bring huge economic and environmental effect on human. Urban World: Both human creativity and persistence of certain endangered species are important because for sure human creativity can be used to save the endangered species. For example, using art to advertise- giving awareness about endangered species. Using science to create medications for endangered species. This means we can help save coral reefs by using human creativity. People and Nature: If people have altered the environment for much of the time our species has been on earth, the word â€Å"natural† can be referred to as places where it is undeveloped by human kind. For example, very deep in the ocean bottom. Science and Values: We need knowledge about our environment so human kind can last for longest period we can possibly stay on earth for, and in order to do that, we have to cooperate with our environment and we have to study our environment. What are the utilitarian, ecological, aesthetic, and moral justification for preserving coral reefs? Utilitarian justification: Coral reefs are associated to 1 million marine organisms. It  will help fisherman to be economically stable and healthy just by preserving coral reefs as well as merc hants who live off by tourists. Ecological Justification: Coral reefs are associated with 1 million marine organisms. Some of the marine organisms that are associated with coral reefs go directly to our stomach. In addition, reef fish constitute about 15% of the entire world wide catch. Aesthetic Justification: There is countless of tourists who appreciate the beauty of nature. Millions of tourists from around the world who flock to reef areas to fish, swim, dive, and enjoy their beauty. Moral Justification: Coral reefs has moral rights to not get destroyed and stay healthy because coral reefs that exist today are 5,000 to 10,000 years old. Also by taking the brunt of the force of waves, coral reefs protect coastlines from erosion, function that is estimated to be $50,000 per year, which may be more than some people’s yearly salary. They already are associated to millions of marine organisms too, so they definitely have their rights to not get destroyed or harmed. If Maitri were making his living by fishing rather than farming shrimp, how might he view the preservation of coral reefs? What ar rangements could be made to meet his needs but at the same time preserve coral reefs in his area? Maitri will definitely have positive instinct on preserving the coral reefs because coral reefs will soon provide his living. As said, coral reefs are associated with about 1 million marine organisms and 15% of the entire worldwide catch is reef fish. In order for him to meet his needs and preserve coral reefs is to limiting himself on the amount that his catching per year, but about to making living out of it. Also he should not use dynamite and cyanide methods to catch fishes. In addition, he should definitely be aware about not to destroy or pry apart the coral reefs while fishing in any methods that he choose to. What things can you do in your everyday life to contribute to the preservation of coral reefs? For me, as a student, all I can contribute to the preservation of coral reefs are to conserve water (less waste water dumped in ocean), reduce pollution (help reduce ocean warming), dispose my trash properly (no water is polluted), use only ecological or organic fertilizers (so ocean is not polluted), volunteer for a coral reef cleanup, practice safe and responsible diving and snorkeling (so no coral is harmed or destroyed), and especially spread the word.

Project Definition essays

Project Definition essays Located at the heart of Beulah Bog County and established in 1990, Exodus Twp. currently has a population of three hundred. The township is faced with the problem of enticing businesses and residents to their locale. Previous residents and businesses vacated their homes and store fronts due to high taxes and crime rates. Since the current Administration has been in office the crime rates have dropped to acceptable levels and the operating budget has been streamlined in addition to being balanced enabling the Trustees to reduce taxes. The Board of Trustees, Perkins, Hardy and Markham, want to reach prospective businesses and residents through the Internet, but do not have a web page for the township. With the absence of any Intra/Internet in place, the new Trustees cannot efficiently develop or support a web page. Once this web page is implemented, prospective residents and businesses can make contact with the Trustees and voice their concerns and opinions of current policies and prac tices. They will also have twenty-four hours access to their representatives and services. The objective of the township is to have this web page operational by the beginning of the next physical year, November 2002. The Township Trustees are setting aside $10,000 dollars for the development of the web page. Once the web page has been designed and implemented the townships Data-Processing Unit will be responsible for the maintenance. The township is faced with the risks of this project not being completed within set budget limits and time frame. They are also faced with the possibility that the web page will not draw the potential businesses and residents to their location. The purpose of the Exodus Township web-page is to attract people to the fine living available in their community. It should also attract businesses as well. ...

Convicting Raskolnikov Dostoevskys Views On Criminal Justice Essays

Convicting Raskolnikov Dostoevskys Views On Criminal Justice Essays Convicting Raskolnikov Dostoevsky's views on Criminal Justice At the close of Crime and Punishment, Raskolinkov is convicted of Murder and sentenced to seven years in Siberian prison. Yet even before the character was conceived, Fyodor Dostoevsky had already convicted Raskolinkov in his mind (Frank, Dostoevsky 101). Crime and Punishment is the final chapter in Dostoevsky's journey toward understanding the forces that drive man to sin, suffering, and grace. Using ideas developed in Notes from Underground and episodes of his life recorded in Memoirs of the House of the Dead, Dostoevsky puts forth in Crime in Punishment a stern defense of natural law and an irrefutable volume of evidence condemning Raskolnikov's actions (Bloom, Notes 25). Central to the prosecution of any crime, murder in particular, is the idea of motive. Not only must the prosecutor prove the actus rectus or "guilty act," but also that the criminal possessed the mens rea or "guilty mind" (Schmalleger 77). The pages of Crime and Punishment and the philosophies of Dostoevsky provide ample proof of both. The first is easy; Dostoevsky forces the reader to watch firsthand as Raskolnikov "took the axe all the way out, swung it with both hands, scarcely aware of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically, brought the butt-end down on her head" (Crime and Punishment 76). There is no doubt Raskolnikov caused the death of Alena Ivanovna and, later, Lizaveta, but whether he possessed the mens rea is another matter entirely. By emphasizing the depersonalization Raskolnikov experiences during the murder, the fact that he was "scarcely aware of himself" and acted "almost mechanically" the sympathetic reader might conclude that some unknown fo! rce of nature, and not the person Raskolnikov, is to blame for the death of the usurer and her sister (Nutall 160). Dostoevsky's answer to this is contained not in Crime and Punishment, but rather in an earlier work, Notes from Underground. The entire story of the Underground Man was intended to parody the works of Nicolai G. Chernyshevsky, and thereby prove that man's actions are the result of his own free-will. The idea that man is alone responsible for his actions is central to proving that Raskolnikov is really to blame for his crime. For under the Chernyshevsky-embraced doctrine of scientific determinism, Raskolnikov cannot be held accountable for his actions. Rather, scientific determinism holds that whatever actions men take are inevitable and unalterable because they are "totally determined by the laws of nature." The Underground man was created by Dostoevsky as a man who accepts without question scientific determinismhe is a projection of Chernyshevsky's theories at their most extreme. The result is not the utopian vision of Chernyshevsky, but rather an antisocial animal that is barely recognizable as human (Frank "Nihilism" 37). The reason, according to Dostoevsky, for the problems of the Underground Man, is that he is incapable of any moral action because he lives in a world devoid of blame. At one point, the Underground man imagines forgiving someone for having slapped him in the face; but he cannot. Although the human side of the Underground man realizes that it is moral to forgive, determinism convinces him that "the man who would have slapped my face would most probably have done it in obedience to the laws of nature" (Notes from Underground 45). And so he cannot blame the other for slapping him because nature is really to blame (Frank "Nihilism" 50). But, as the Underground Man points out "even if it is the law of nature, it hurts all the same." According to Dostoevsky, blame is central to humanity. We must accept the responsibility and the consequences of our actions, since we alone determine what they are (Frank "Nihilism" 56). So, Raskolnikov cannot blame fate for his misfortune. But what can! he blame? Why, then did Raskolnikov, a "handsome young man," well educated, devoted to his family, choose to kill a defenseless old woman? Like the main character of Notes from Underground, Raskolinkov finds himself torn between reason and objective morality (Jackson 150). In an essay written six months prior to the start of the novel entitled "On Crime" Raskolnikov lays down the foundation of his rational justification for murder. "On Crime" describes a world split into two groups of

Marketing plan development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing plan development - Essay Example Also there is still perception among some of the customers that fast-food are rich in fat and are not healthy. As far as specific is concerned, sandwiches are treated as the most favorite as it holds over 30 % of the market share. Research has shown that, people mainly love sandwiches due to the trend of short lunch breaks triggering the demand for light snacks and lunches. At this point of time Hotdog doesn’t top the menu list of the people of UK when it comes to Fast Foods (Mintzberg and Quinn, 1996, p. 67). After analyzing the market scenario, business and product life cycle it is believed that out of the four probable strategies market development strategy could be best suited. Market development strategy is used when an existing product is launched in a new market. The risk factor in this case is medium. It is suggested that American Hot Dog Cart should focus on designing an efficient distribution network and repositioning strategy. One of the most famous ways to expand market reach is to setup franchisee network. Most of the major food chains follow this strategy. As mentioned in before, fast foods especially non vegetarian fast foods are still perceived as high-fat unhealthy products. This something the American Hot Dog has to change. Certain degree of augmentation can help the company in creating product differentiation. For example providing salads along with hot-dog can help the company successfully reposition the product. Also social media channels can be used to directly engag e with the customers. Social media can be used to show the target customers the way the food is being made. The main USP of the marketing campaign is the healthy ingredients and low fat content to change the perception (Palepu and Bernad, 2007, p. 65). Out of the four strategies Cost Leadership seems best suited for American Hot Dog Cart. The UK fast food market is a broad one. Hence the company may use the industry

Science Fiction Genre Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Science Fiction Genre - Movie Review Example With the advancements in genetic engineering there is a possibility of human beings becoming super humans. We have seen mutant characters like Wolverine, Professor Xavier, Jean Grey, etc., of the famous animated series 'X-Men' in comics or television but within a century or two they are going to become a reality and one day as it was depicted in the comics' humans and mutants may fight with each other for their rights. Since there is always insecurity among the countries worldwide genetic engineering is going to be their ultimate weapon against the enemies. Welcome to the world of science fiction that seems to be realistic but in reality it's only a fiction that takes reader or viewer into an imaginary world. Based on these science fiction stories movies are made, and the producers invest millions of dollars and willing to take any financial risk to make the movie a big hit. Terminator trilogy and Blade runner are some of the movies that fall into this science fiction category. These movies are made with huge investments from the producers to make the movies a box office hit in every possible way. Almost every science fiction movie is an action-oriented thriller and lots of killing and other kind of bloodshed scenes is shot and picturised. Terminator trilogy and Blade runner are no exception. They are totally action packed movies with lots of fighting and killing. Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines comprises Terminator trilogy. Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day was written and directed by James Cameron. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was directed by Jonathan Mostow. Hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in 20 years in making this trilogy. The trilogy is about saving John Connor who becomes the future leader of human resistence forces against the machines. The movie Terminator revolves around the character named Sarah Connor who would become mother of John Connor. This movie is about saving Sarah Connor. http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/14/A70-7230 The above poster is from Terminator movie, in which the cyborg played by Arnold Schwarzenegger is holding a pistol. The above poster gives a message to the viewers of being stylish and looking cool and making a fashion statement. Making a fashion statement is not at all inappropriate but the way in which it was photographed was unacceptable. Young adults and especially children are easily attracted when they see their favorite stars in these photographs. To imitate their favorite actors they act like the stars by holding toy pistols and playing with them. Thus from young age itself unknowingly we were engaging a relationship between children and arms. Generally movies are made to have a positive impact on the society and make them think how they can improve the living standards of normal human being. In this movie the character Sarah Connor was being relentlessy being hunted down by a killing machine that kills every women in the town who share Connor's name. In one of the scenes adesk seargent doesn't allow the cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to see Sarah, after the cyborg says his famous phrase "I'll be back" comes back to the seargent in a car and crushes him to death. When scenes like these are shown how come any could see a science