Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Global warming - Essay Example With the influx of urbanization, pollution from engines, industries, and companies needs to be stringently regulated. Such has become an advocacy for Intergovern ­mental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and the United Na ­tions Environment Programme (UNEP) since 1988 with civil society around the globe (IPCC, 2007). The issue deserved serious concern as global temperature increased from 3 ° to 5 ° C – and might reached at 5.4 ° to 9 ° Fahrenheit in 2100. The sea level has also risen at 25 meters and is projected to reach 82† by the year 2100 (IPCC, 2007).    The rise of global temperatures brought along some drastic changes in land and oceans as thermal expands at the ocean and the rapid melting of polar and Antarctic regions (IPCC, 2007; Craven, 2012). Ecologists likewise observed that precipitation patterns are changing with disaster’s increase of numbers and intensities. Experts posit that the erratic increase of frequency, duration, and intensity of climatic outburst caused so much flooding, prolonged drought season, severe heat waves, and changes in weather patterns (IPCC, 2007; Craven, 2012). The global warming cause negative impact to agriculture too as yields became poor; more glacial retreat, reduced summer period; and brought extinction of some species (IPCC, 2007; Craven, 2012). Health experts also argued that global warming also espoused malaria and other diseases in areas where these have been quelled before (IPCC, 2007). Global warming is a consequence of both manmade actions and astronomical developments influencing the earth’s surface (Craven, 2012). In the last decades, people have increasingly devastated ecology with pollution, logging, mining, and other resource related extraction. This is further aggravated with the recent phenomenon when the sun reached its ripening period thus producing some C-flares,

Violated human dignity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Violated human dignity - Research Paper Example Technology† (Headrick, Daniel) However, the movie Idiocracy shows us a fiction of future in opposite direction that is going to decrease the quality of human life, less concerns toward intelligent and beautiful terms, and increase the number of social problems such as abandoning trash, poor security system, and hiring improper employees in extremely important field such as medical field and political field. As the movie Idiocracy sarcastically reveals the problems, we cannot deny that the problems listed above exist today. The problems can be summarized in four issues such as changes in human life style, cultural decline, corruption of morality, and materialism. The serious story begins with changes in human life style. â€Å"Lifestyle theory is composed of three interlocking models: the structural model, the functional model, and the change model.† (Walters, Glenn, P.1) A long time ago, human struggling in poor status with starvation, disease, and war has been seek for something intelligent and progressive to enhance the quality of their life. Nonetheless, people started to be interested in the opposite way, looking for satisfaction based on basic instinct when their life became wealthy and convenient. We can see the sarcastic warning from the director of Idiocracy that people could forget to develop intelligence progressive ideas; moreover, those areas would stop growing and would be even decline. To tell the truth, poetry, literature, and art were popular and developed a lot back in the day, and they really enjoyed and longed for them. Nevertheless, this generation is tamed for entertaining program, show, and unhealthy program fro m the dumping mass media. For the reason, people just want amusement and time-killing more than beautiful and intelligent delight. The changes in the future humans in Idiocracy life style caused a cultural decline. The major interests of most people would be focused on money, sex, and silly

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay Soft power was a term first coined by Joseph Nye in 1990 to recognise that nations had power resources other than the more readily conceived hard power of economic and military power. In his 2004 book Soft Power Nye attempts to expand upon the term and provide a tighter definition of soft power. His definition It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments  [1]  is general and needs substantial qualification and explanation to provide utility to statesmen and academics alike. Soft power has therefore generated significant debate as to its existence and utility. It has been argued that soft power is merely an argument for the merits of public diplomacy.  [2]  Nye himself argues that soft power is a resource that is underappreciated.  [3]  Increasingly the term soft power is being used by politicians and academics alike to portray a warmer less aggressive approach to international relations in the contemporary connected world. Eme rging powers such as China and India have been applauded for their use of soft power to attract outcomes they desire.  [4]  The US under Obama has distanced itself from President Bushs unilateral approach and has re-emphasised the utility and power of soft power to influence the world.  [5]   Despite the increased use of the term soft power, questions still remain as to the validity of soft power as an actual usable form of political power. Criticisms of soft power abound and include recognition that soft power is too fickle and generated from factors many of which are outside the direct control of a government. Soft power can have a positive effect on one group but have a polar opposite effect on another group within the same nation. Realist thinking in particular finds it difficult to reconcile so called soft power against a much more tangible hard power such as military might. But images such as a lone protester standing in front of a column of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square do have a tangible affect on how the world reacts to situations. The protester certainly had less hard power, yet world opinion was certainly not attracted to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on that day. If not hard power, what sort of power is that then? The world today is increasingly connected. Images and opinions on crises and conflict can quickly be dispersed throughout the global community. The privilege of information superiority enjoyed by the leaders of nations in the past is increasingly threatened today. The governed can now get access to events and information much quicker and much more accurately than at any other time in human history. Measures of national power have to therefore take account of how a nation is perceived by the emerging global consciousness enabled by the information age. International relations is an ever changing tapestry of competition, cooperation and conflict but increasingly the interactions between states is becoming much more personal, much more deeper and much more diverse. While interactions between states remain dominant no state, particularly democratic states, can ignore the views of its citizens and their values. Much as violence is seen as distasteful within societies, there is now a great er threshold for justification of violence between states in the mind of the global community. Actions perceived as aggressive and without sufficient justification suffer a backlash of public opinion that undermines the ability of a regime to pursue a policy. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to better define the concept of soft power as a tool of international relations and establish the critical importance of soft power within the contemporary world. The research question as such, is as follows: What is soft power and why is it important in the world today? This will be answered by firmly establishing that the foundation of all political power, international or domestic, is the will of people and that power is becoming more dissipated throughout a globalised world. To aid in the understanding of soft power a number of questions need to be addressed. First and foremost is the question of where power comes from. To understand from where political power is derived we need to investigate power from its base form in human society. By understanding the basis of political power we can begin to understand why or how the nature of power may begin to manifest itself in different ways. Soft power is different from hard power. How and why this is the case is necessary to better understand what soft power actually is. Yet power is power and therefore at some, if not all, levels hard and soft power must interact and effect each other. The question of the relationship between hard and soft power must be addressed to gain greater insight into what soft power is and how to employ it. Hard power is the more easily recognisable and traditional manifestation of national power such as armed might and economic capability. Next is the question of how do we measure soft power. National power has always been perceived within a context of raw power potential shaped and melded into international effect by a nations leaders to achieve their international objectives. Does a nation therefore have a raw soft power potential and if so how can it best be cultivated and employed? Hard power can often be perceived as finite and expendable. Once you expend a resource you no longer have it. Is this true of soft power also? Or can soft power be re-used over and over? Finally an understanding of the trends and phenomenon of the world today is fundamental to determining the importance of soft power today and into the future. The importance and relevance of soft power is growing as more of humanity becomes connected. As people become more connected so the complexity of human interaction increases. This dramatically enhanced presence everywhere on the globe has the potential to generate a surge of global opinion. Increased connectivity however does not only provide presence everywhere for opinions to form on significant world events. People can now connect with a more diverse and more numerous audience throughout the world. The international relations implications are profound. As the complexity of human interaction increases so too does the complexity of international relations and politics. LITERATURE REVIEW This paper is on soft power. However to properly ground this concept in International relations this paper will cover a number of interrelated topics. Therefore, a variety of writings, including some on International relations, International relations theory and globalisation will be used to define what soft power is. Contemporary articles and media will update current discussions on soft power and aid in determining its relevance and utility. Joseph Nyes 2004 book Soft Power is dedicated to the subject of soft power and attempts to establish firmly through contemporary examples and discussion what soft power is and how it is generated and used. Nye defines soft power as It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments.  [6]  Nye has attempted to expand upon the concept after first coining the term in 1990. In many regards he has not adequately achieved this and has in many regards muddied the waters and propogated confusion about what soft power is. Nye has not anchored this concept in any theoretical framework. Hans Morganthau book Politics Among Nations, first published in 1948 and then updated with eleven further editions up to 2005 will provide a basis for analysis of what national power is. Morganthaus chapters on political power, the struggle for power and the essence of power all provide insights into the enduring nature of power and a framework for determining what the basis of power is and therefore how relevant soft power is as a concept. Kenneth Waltzs book Realism and International Politics was published in 2008 and is a compilation of Waltzs earlier works. Waltzs works span six decades from 1959 until 2002 and will be used to provide a more contemporary understanding of international relations and a barometer to show how international relations, and more specifically political power, are evolving as the world changes. The theme of globalisation and issues associated with it is fundamental to the rising awareness and importance of soft power. Thomas Friedmans The Lexus and the Olive Tree published in 2000 provides an excellent discussion of globalisation and its effects on the world. Friedmans early chapters provide a good description of what globalization is and how it has arisen. Friedman also touches upon the impact of globalisation on how power is employed in the emerging world. Friedman has expanded on his previous work on globalisation with his 2006 book The World is Flat. Now in its third expanded and updated edition within three years, the publishing history of this book is testament to the increasing speed of globalisation within the world today. In this book Friedman highlights three phases of gloablisation that he terms Globilisation 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. The idea that in Globalisation 1.0 nations gloablised, Globalisation 2.0 organisations globalised and in Globalisation 3.0 that we are seeing every individual globalised is central to understanding the importance of soft power in the contemporary world. If Friedman is to be even half believed, soft power is only going to become even more critical in coming years. The relationship between globalization and international politics is further enhanced with The Globalization of World Politics, An Introduction to International Relations by John Baylis and Steve Smith, first published in 2001 and updated in 2005. While providing a comprehensive and detailed understanding of contemporary international relations overall it is striking to note that this work offers only the barest mention of the concept of soft power. Likewise Charles Kegleys 12th edition of World Politics: Trend and Transformation, published in 2009 is a comprehensive text that charts the evolution of international relations from a theoretical perspective but mentions soft power only as an aside. Malcom Gladwells now famous The Tipping Point, first published in 2000 and now in its fifteenth reprint, provides a discussion on how the little things can make a big difference in a globalised connected world. Gladwells work does not specifically deal with international politics or power but his central concept provides food for thought on why soft power is now so critical. RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH The 2003 US invasion of Iraq has highlighted both the unstoppable military might of the worlds only superpower and the limitations of operating solely in a hard power domain of international relations. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the merits or not of the decision to invade Iraq, it is clear that the US found that it suffered a significant backlash from the way in which it did approach this issue on the global stage. Understanding soft power is more critical with every passing day as the world continues to connect. The concept of soft power is fuzzy and ambiguous. Skeptics will always be found for any subject. Proponents of the concept have varying interpretations of what it actually is. Many use the term from a simplistic point of view that helps undermine the importance of soft power. Nye has done well in articulating the concept but confusion and misunderstanding persists. This paper endeavors to contribute in even the smallest measure to a better understa nding of soft power and why it is critical in the world today and into the future. METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS This research paper will focus on a theory review from the library resources available at the Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentura (MTAT), Malaysian Armed Forces Ministry of Defence, the University of Malaya, Malaysian and New Zealand Bookshops. In addition to this various journals and articles sourced from on-line databases will also be used. The intention of this paper is to bring together theoretical international power and globalisation concepts with Nyes concept of soft power, in order to provide a better understanding of soft power, its relationship to other elements of national power and its growing importance. Due to time constraints and resource limitations, research for this paper is based on a limited number of secondary sources. Some books obtained are not the most recent editions however internet resources have been used where possible to ensure ideas gained from older editions have not been superseded. CHAPTERISATION This paper is divided into five chapters. Chapter one provides an introduction to the study to be undertaken including background information and a review of the literature available in compiling this research. Chapter one also outlines the methodology undertaken in order to obtain the required information. Chapter two focuses on the theoretical concept of power. The chapter discusses power from its fundamental principles recognising that in todays world that . Chapter three introduces the concept of soft power as defined by Joeseph Nye and the transnational crime threats and regional security mechanisms within the South Pacific, describes the current security environment and a summary of transnational crime and security issues. The chapter will then discuss the factors contributing towards transnational crime in the South Pacific within the framework of political, military, societal, economic and environmental security concerns. Chapter three then discusses the regional security mechanisms by outlining the Pacific Islands Forum, The Pacific Plan, the Forum Regional Security Committee, and then concludes. Chapter four introduces the responses to threats in the South Pacific and discusses the approach being taken by regional and global governments, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies to combat transnational crime within the South Pacific region. Chapter five concludes the paper by drawing together the concepts of transnational crime and security, the transnational crime and security threats in the South Pacific and the responses to them, and concludes that in order to overcome the threats of transnational crime to a states national security, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies must understand the complexity of transnational crime, the contributing factors, the challenges associated with combating it and focus their efforts in a joint approach to address the threats to the benefit of the state, its population and the global community.

Effects of Atmospheric Instability on the Anthrosphere :: Geology

EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY ON THE ANTHROSPHERE INTRODUCTION The atmosphere rises to 500 km above Earth's surface. The atmosphere is divided into four parts based on temperature change in relation to change in altitude. The four parts are the: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere. This paper will be discussing instability in the Troposphere, the lowest level, since it is where the Earth's weather takes place. Tropospheric instability often times yields severe weather, such as tornadoes. A Tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendent from a cumulonimbus cloud. A tornado's fierce winds have the ability to severely impact the lives of humans by: turning innocent stationary objects into flying missiles, collapsing buildings, and even throwing people hundreds of yards. One researcher summarized tornadoes well when he said "Tornadoes are one of the World's strongest forces, and they will not stop at anything that will get in their way!"(Elias Demakes). FORMATION OF SEVERE WEATHER HOW: Atmospheric instability is the result of air rising in a cloud that is warmer than its surroundings. The heat released by the condensation within the cloud allows the rising air to maintain its relative warmth in comparison to its surroundings. This is characteristic of a supercell, the strongest type of thunderstorm (Supercell). Supercells occur when the warm updraft moves through an overlying stable layer and continues upward into a zone of cool dry air. This process produces fierce vortex motions, a pre-requisite for tornadoes. WHERE: Tornadoes can occur anywhere as long as the conditions are favorable. However, the United States is host to more tornadoes than any other country. And within the United States, geographically, the western plains has the highest frequency of tornado occurences. The western plains has so many that it has become known as "Tornado Valley". One reason that this area receives so much tornadic activity is because here, the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico converges with the cool dry air from the north. This creates the unstable atmosphere necessary for the formation of a tornado. WHEN: Tornadoes can occur on any day of the year at any hour. However, tornadoes occur most frequently in the spring.

Black Slave Owners in the South Essay

As with the accounts by Nichols (1863), when people think of the slavery period in American history, it is normally assumed that the slave owner was white and the slave black. This was true in many cases but the number of free black slave owners was actually higher than most people realize. Black slave owner usually treated family members and friends much better than the other slaves they might own. But even being a family member did not raise the slave above being a commodity. According to Lightner and Ragan (2005), even the black slave owners could not free their slaves so even the ones who purchased family members had to list them as slave purchase. For example, a husband who was born or had managed to become free might buy his wife from the white person who owned her. The husband would thereafter possess his spouse as a slave, not because he wished to keep her in bondage but because the laws of the slave states often made manumission difficult or impossible. Slaves were an investment to their owners and this included the owners who were black themselves. Slavery was inhuman and oppressive but only when it affected a loved one, otherwise, it was a profitable endeavor. According to the 1830 census, roughly 65% of black slave owners bought the slaves for financial reasons with only 8% buying strictly family members and close friends to ensure good treatment and better lives. The 1830 census also named the number of slaves owned by blacks as 10,000 in 4 different states. In 1811, a free black woman named Philis Wells received a $900 loan from Peter Desportes, She got the loan by using her black slave, Mark, as collateral. This was not an uncommon practice. Many black slave owners put up slaves against loans they requested. Mulattos were considered the â€Å"black elite† because of their light complexion and meshed with the whites as much as possible. Treating a slave as anything but a slave would mark you as unworthy to mix with the whites or to enjoy the finer privileges society offered. According to Koger (1985)many other free blacks purchased slaves to use as apprentices for their trade. Moses Brown purchased a young boy for around $300. Moses was a barber by trade and trained the boy to following his footsteps. By the next year, the boy was working as a full barber in Moses shop. Camilla Johnson was a free black pastry cook. She purchased a mulatto name Diana and with Diana’s light coloring, was able to use her as a server at the parties she catered. Freed blacks quickly found that purchasing slaves to train meant an increase in the profits of the business. As Johnson and Roark (1985) explain â€Å"†¦while the mulattos could mix more easily with white society without many questions, darker skinned free blacks had a harder time†. Richard Edward DeReef was one of the richest free black men in Charleston, SC. He owned real estate and had achieved a small fortune. Due to his dark complexion, however, he would have been shunned by the â€Å"black elite† except for his claim of Native American Indian blood. If one claimed Native American blood, many times the complexion was accepted as an indication of this lineage. This did not help the slaves to ascend their station but it was a large help to those free blacks who wished to be part of the mainstream society, accumulate wealth and maintain slaves of their own. In South Carolina in 1860, William Ellison was the largest black slave owner in the state. He had been born into slavery and once freed had begun to accumulate his own slaves. By 1960 he owned 63 slaves, not including the ones owned by his son. According to Grooms (1997) â€Å"Ellison’s major source of income came from his being a â€Å"slave breeder†. Slave breeding was looked upon with disgust and the laws of most southern states forbad the sale of slaves under the age of twelve†, but Ellis made a fortune selling slaves of all ages including babies. Grooms (1997) also states that the majority of black slave owners raised sugar cane and lived in Louisiana. There were a few black slave owners who owned sugar cane plantations. C. Richards and her son P. C. Richards were black slave owners who had 152 slaves working the sugar cane plantation they owned. A large majority of black slave owners were female. This was due to the fact that more female slaves were set free than males. History has shown us that a race enslaving its own people has gone on throughout history, but black slave owners are virtually unheard of in the common histories. Questions for Discussion †¢ Why would someone who had been a former slave and was well aware of the conditions slaves endured justify owning slaves themselves? †¢ Why were the majority of freed slaves’ women? †¢ Why were black slave owners overlooked throughout much of the history of the slave period? References Grooms, R. 1997 Dixie’s Censored Subject: Black Slaveowners, Retrieved January 23, 2007 From the Barnes Review. Website: http://www. americancivilwar. com/authors/black_slaveowner. htm Johnson, M and Roark, J 1985 Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company,Inc. Koger, L. 1985 Black Slaveowners: Free Black Slave Masters in South Carolina, 1790-1860. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company Lightner, D. L. , & Ragan, A. M. (2005). Were African American Slaveholders Benevolent or Exploitative? A Quantitative Approach. Journal of Southern History Nichols, C. H. (1963). Many Thousand Gone: The Ex-Slaves’ Account of Their Bondage and Freedom. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Criminal Investigation (Arson) Essay

What are the similarities and differences between an arson investigation and a bombing investigation? Arson is the intentionally setting of fires to property, persons, and vehicles. Bombing can be defined as the offense of using a projectile, or explosive weapon to cause alarm, panic, danger, or death. There are many similarities and differences between the investigation of a bombing and the investigation of arson. The similarities to conducting an investigation for arson or bombing is as follows: 1) secures the scene upon arrival, have authorities evacuate the area and keep people from contaminating the crime scene further. 2) Notify the proper authorities or investigators to respond to the scene. 3) Begin the process of eliminating any accidental possibilities. 4) Begin to observe the structure, person, or object damaged by the fire or explosion and attempt to locate the point of origin. 5) Observe if any physical issues caused the damage. 6) Begin to collect and process the evidence. 7) Back track and make sure all information is taken and processed before leaving the scene. Be sure during the entire investigation we are using our senses and interviewing any credible witnesses. There are numerous differences when investigating an arson or bombing. Normally a bombing situation is going to be more chaotic, and have the possible for more causalities. During a bombing investigation, many other agencies including federal, local, and state agencies will deploy teams and personnel to assist. Bomb dogs and Bomb technicians will arrive on scene and control the security cordons for the scene. Many different groups and personnel will have certain jobs and duties to perform in order for the scene to become clear. During any bombing investigation a secondary (explosive) device needs to be discovered before any time of physical investigation can begin. After the scene is cleared a further investigation can began. During an arson investigation, the local Arson investigator will normally control the scene upon arrival and complete the arson investigation. Very  seldom do federal authorities become involved unless the arson occurs to federal property. Generally Arson investigations are not a chaotic and time sensitive as the bombing investigation. Arson investigations are filed through police and the fire department at most agencies. As shown there are many similarities and differences between an Arson investigation and a Bombing investigation. Both investigations are important and represent direct threats to our country, citizens and property.