5 Classic and Heartbreaking Slave Narratives

5 Classic and Heartbreaking Slave Narratives Slave narratives became an important form of literary expression before the Civil War, when about 65 memoirs by former slaves were published as books or pamphlets. The stories told by former slaves helped to stir public opinion against slavery. The Most Interesting Slave Narratives The prominent abolitionist Frederick Douglass first gained widespread public attention with the publication of his own classic slave narrative in the 1840s. His book and others provided vivid firsthand testimony about life as a slave. A slave narrative published in the early 1850s by Solomon Northup, a free black New York resident who was kidnapped into slavery, aroused outrage. Northups story has become widely known from the Oscar-winning film, 12 Years a Slave,  based on his searing account of life under the cruel slave system of Louisiana plantations. In the years following the Civil War, about 55 full-length slave narratives were published. Remarkably, two more recently-discovered slave narratives were published in November 2007. The authors listed wrote some of the most important and widely-read slave narratives. Olaudah Equiano The first noteworthy slave narrative was The Interesting Narrative of the Life of O. Equiano, or G. Vassa, the African, which was published in London in the late 1780s. The book’s author, Olaudah Equiano, had been born in present-day Nigeria in the 1740s. He was taken into slavery when he was about 11 years old. After being transported to Virginia, he was purchased by an English naval officer, given the name Gustavus Vassa, and offered the opportunity to educate himself while serving as a servant aboard ship. He was later sold to a Quaker merchant and given a chance to trade and earn his own freedom. After buying his freedom, he traveled to London, where he settled and became involved with groups seeking the abolition of the slave trade. Equiano’s book was notable because he could write about his pre-slavery childhood in West Africa, and he described the horrors of the slave trade from the perspective of one of its victims. The arguments Equiano made in his book against the slave trade were used by British reformers who eventually succeeded in ending it. Frederick Douglass The best-known and most influential book by an escaped slave was The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which was first published in 1845. Douglass had been born into slavery in 1818 on the eastern shore of Maryland, and after successfully escaping in 1838, settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. By the early 1840s, Douglass had come into contact with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and became a lecturer, educating audiences about slavery. It’s believed that Douglass wrote his autobiography partly to counter skeptics who believed he must be exaggerating details of his life. The book, featuring introductions by abolitionist leaders William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, became a sensation. It made Douglass famous, and he went on to be one of the greatest leaders of the American abolition movement. Indeed, the sudden fame was seen as a danger. Douglass traveled to the British Isles on a speaking tour in the late 1840s, partly to escape the threat of being apprehended as a fugitive slave. A decade later, the book would be enlarged as My Bondage And My Freedom. In the early 1880s, Douglass would publish an even larger autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself. Harriet Jacobs Born into slavery in North Carolina in 1813, Harriet Jacobs was taught to read and write by the woman who owned her. But when her owner died, young Jacobs was left to a relative who treated her far worse. When she was a teenager, her master made sexual advances on her. Finally, one night in 1835, she attempted to escape. The runaway didn’t get far and wound up hiding in a small attic space above the house of her grandmother, who had been set free by her master some years earlier. Incredibly, Jacobs spent seven years in hiding, and health problems caused by her constant confinement led her family to find a sea captain who would smuggle her north. Jacobs found a job as a domestic servant in New York, but life in freedom was not without dangers. There was a fear that slave catchers, empowered by the Fugitive Slave Law, might track her down. She eventually moved on to Massachusetts. In 1862, under the pen name Linda Brent, she published her memoir Incidents in the Live of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself. William Wells Brown Born into slavery in Kentucky in 1815, William Wells Brown had several masters before reaching adulthood. When he was 19, his owner made the mistake of taking him to Cincinnati in the free state of Ohio. Brown ran off and made his way to Dayton. Here, a Quaker who did not believe in slavery helped him and gave him a place to stay. By the late 1830s, he was active in the abolitionist movement and was living in Buffalo, New York. Here, his house became a station on the Underground Railroad. Brown eventually moved to Massachusetts. When he wrote a memoir, Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself, it was published by the Boston Anti-Slavery Office in 1847. The book was very popular and went through four editions in the United States. It was also published in several British editions. He traveled to England to lecture. When the Fugitive Slave Law was passed in the U.S., he chose to remain in Europe for several years, rather than risk being recaptured. While in London, Brown wrote a novel, Clotel; or the President’s Daughter. The book played upon the idea, then-current in the U.S., that Thomas Jefferson fathered a mulatto daughter who had been sold at a slave auction. After returning to America, Brown continued his abolitionist activities, and along with Frederick Douglass, helped recruit black soldiers into the Union Army during the Civil War. His desire for education continued, and he became a practicing physician in his later years. Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project In the late 1930s, as part of the Works Project Administration, field workers from the Federal Writers Project endeavored to interview elderly Americans who had lived as slaves. More than 2,300 people provided recollections, which were transcribed and preserved as typescripts. The Library of Congress hosts Born in Slavery, an online exhibit of the interviews. They are generally fairly short, and the accuracy of some of the material can be questioned, as the interviewees were recalling events from more than 70 years earlier. But some of the interviews are quite remarkable. The introduction to the collection is a good place to start exploring. Sources Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project. Library of Congress, 1936 to 1938. Brown, William Wells. Clotel; or, The Presidents Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States. Electronic Edition, University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2004. Brown, William Wells. Narrative of William W. Brown, A Fugitive Slave. Written by Himself. Electronic Edition, Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001. Douglass, Frederick. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Wilder Publications, January 22, 2008. Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. Kindle Edition. Digireads.com, April 3, 2004. Douglass, Frederick. The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region. The Library of Congress, 1849. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, November 1, 2018.

How to Use If and Only If in Mathematics

How to Use 'If and Only If' in Mathematics When reading about statistics and mathematics, one phrase that regularly shows up is â€Å"if and only if.† This phrase particularly appears within statements of mathematical theorems or proofs. But what, precisely, does this statement mean? What Does If and Only If Mean in Mathematics? To understand â€Å"if and only if,† we must first know what is meant by a conditional statement. A conditional statement is one that is formed from two other statements, which we will denote by P and Q. To form a conditional statement, we could say â€Å"if P then Q.† The following are examples of this kind of statement: If it is raining outside, then I take my umbrella with me on my walk.If you study hard, then you will earn an A.If n is divisible by 4, then n is divisible by 2. Converse and Conditionals Three other statements are related to any conditional statement. These are called the converse, inverse, and the contrapositive. We form these statements by changing the order of P and Q from the original conditional and inserting the word â€Å"not† for the inverse and contrapositive. We only need to consider the converse here. This statement is obtained from the original by saying â€Å"if Q then P.† Suppose we start with the conditional â€Å"if it is raining outside, then I take my umbrella with me on my walk.† The converse of this statement is â€Å"if I take my umbrella with me on my walk, then it is raining outside.† We only need to consider this example to realize that the original conditional is not logically the same as its converse. The confusion of these two statement forms is known as a converse error. One could take an umbrella on a walk even though it may not be raining outside. For another example, we consider the conditional â€Å"If a number is divisible by 4 then it is divisible by 2.† This statement is clearly true. However, this statement’s converse â€Å"If a number is divisible by 2, then it is divisible by 4† is false. We only need to look at a number such as 6. Although 2 divides this number, 4 does not. While the original statement is true, its converse is not. Biconditional This brings us to a biconditional statement, which is also known as an if and only if statement. Certain conditional statements also have converses that are true. In this case, we may form what is known as a biconditional statement. A biconditional statement has the form: †If P then Q, and if Q then P.† Since this construction is somewhat awkward, especially when P and Q are their own logical statements, we simplify the statement of a biconditional by using the phrase if and only if. Rather than say if P then Q, and if Q then P we instead say P if and only if Q. This construction eliminates some redundancy. Statistics Example For an example of the phrase â€Å"if and only if† that involves statistics, look no further than a fact concerning the sample standard deviation. The sample standard deviation of a data set is equal to zero if and only if all of the data values are identical. We break this biconditional statement into a conditional and its converse. Then we see that this statement means both of the following: If the standard deviation is zero, then all of the data values are identical.If all of the data values are identical, then the standard deviation is equal to zero. Proof of Biconditional If we are attempting to prove a biconditional, then most of the time we end up splitting it. This makes our proof have two parts. One part we prove is â€Å"if P then Q.† The other part of the proof we need is â€Å"if Q then P.† Necessary and Sufficient Conditions Biconditional statements are related to conditions that are both necessary and sufficient. Consider the statement â€Å"if today is Easter, then tomorrow is Monday.† Today being Easter is sufficient for tomorrow to be Monday, however, it is not necessary. Today could be any Sunday other than Easter, and tomorrow would still be Monday. Abbreviation The phrase â€Å"if and only if† is used commonly enough in mathematical writing that it has its own abbreviation. Sometimes the biconditional in the statement of the phrase â€Å"if and only if† is shortened to simply â€Å"iff.† Thus the statement â€Å"P if and only if Q† becomes â€Å"P iff Q.†

Final test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final test - Essay Example The passage reveals that she accepts this fact, and decides to live the submissive role. 2. â€Å"No, dearest Georgiana†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This passage has been taken from Natalie Georgiana’s â€Å"The Birthmark†. This passage tells about Aylmer’s discontentment with the little birthmark that Georgiana had on her cheek. He believed that his wife’s beauty was imperfect due to that birthmark. This passage points out the discontentment of man, and also the imperfection of human beings. The perfect beauty of Georgiana’s was made imperfect by way of the birthmark, which implies that only God is perfect, and human beings can never become perfect. This passage also reveals that man is very thankless toward the blessings of God. No matter how much God blesses man with, he is always complaining and looking for faults instead of appreciating positive things. 3. â€Å"Live with your head†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This passage is from Ralph Ellison’s â€Å"Battle Roya l†. This passage is very significant as it portrays a very important theme: compliance. The grandfather is advising his grandson that the only way he can survive in the white-dominated society is compliance. He should never show open rebellion against the discrimination. He should pretend to be okay with the demeaning racism he would be experiencing in the future life, and should sit back and see what happens. However, the advice of the old man is based upon self-denial. The narrator wishes to be true to his self throughout, but the words of his grandfather echo in his mind and teach him treachery. 4. â€Å"She saw the man’s face†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This passage has been taken from Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find†. This passage contains the redemption and epiphany the grandmother shows for the first time in the whole story, and this is what makes this passage so significant. She used to live in her own world of selfishness and indif ference, where she is not ready to consider the importance and views of others around her. But she comes to realize this just before she is going to die. Her head gets cleared for a moment, and she understands the Misfit and his inner person. But it is too late. In short, the passage is about sudden self-realization of one’s self-centeredness. Part II- Essay Questions Q. 1: Symbol in â€Å"The Hand† Colette has not only described the spiritual dominance of the husband in the short story â€Å"The Hand†, but has also described how physically dominant was he, by giving special focus on his hands. Hand depicts power, control, masculinity, and aggression. â€Å"†¦powerful knuckles and the veins engorged by the pressure on his arm† (Colette, qtd. in Meyer 241) shows how powerful the hands of the husband are, which basically portrays the height of male dominance. The powerful hands, the hair on the arms, and the wife’s feeling of lying with an anima l, all shows the animal-like fierceness and ruthless dominance exhibited by the husband. She thinks of the hands as â€Å"apelike†, and calls them â€Å"claws†, which strengthens the symbolic meaning of hand. At one point, the wife describes hand as â€Å"offended, reared back and tensed up in the shape of a crab and waited, ready for battle† (Colette, qtd. in Meyer 242), which again depicts the animal like ferocity and domination. The man can make his hand defensive when the wife feels disgusted. This shows the level of prowess and cleverness the

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

History - Essay Example Hence, implying its recognition usually ceases when one abandons the position since the power’s basis is merely from delegation meant to oversee execution of certain responsibilities. Shihuangdis reign besides his power, which was inherent in him, he managed to unite China from diverse seven warring regions to a single state prior subdividing it again (ONeill 27). Besides, utilizing dictatorship like other rulers, for illustration, Egyptian pharaohs and Persian rulers, he was exceedingly wise and diligent in all his undertakings. This was evident especially in the way he managed to homogenize the then seven regions into one state by advocating the use of a common currency, writing and devising similar measures of scale (ONeill 35). Additionally, while still alive, he came with a plan to prepare his magnificent tomb for 36 years by compelling approximately 1,000 builders, which was not comparable with any other ruler of his time (ONeill 28). Shihuangdi’s reign, its basis was not on reverent power like other rulers who according to their subjects represented gods in their lands (ONeill 34). Hence, being the recipient of all the admiration coupled with divine obedience from the natives who used to see them as close to gods. Shihuangdi’s power was charismatic, which he earned by exemplary wisdom and diligence in the manner he executed numerous roles as a king. Shihuangdi’s autocratic rule especially on his enemies whom he wanted to bring under his power was similar to other early rulers (ONeill 35). Mainly, this technique was to conquer weak territories, which proved rebellious and could augment their military power in the future thus become a threat. Besides, Shihuangdi ensuring funeral arrangement ready for his end time, he was also eager to seek immortality, though deeply aware that was impossible (ONeill 35). This is evident especially in the way he sends trusted people to seek immortality for him in other states but fails to return

Monopoly essay Essay Example for Free

Monopoly essay Essay Monopoly is â€Å"a firm that can determine the market price of a good. In the extreme case, a monopoly is the only seller of a good or service. † (Miller 103) Characteristics of a Monopoly. Are that there is one single seller in the market with no competition and there are many buyers in the market. The seller controls the prices of the goods or services and is the price maker as well. The consumers do not have perfect information on the goods or services. Advantages of a Monopoly. The Monopolies avoids duplications and hence wastage of resources. Enjoys economics of scale, due to it being the only supplier of the product or service in the market, makes many profits and be used for research and development to maintain their status as a monopoly. They also use price discrimination to benefit the weaker economic section of society. To avoid competition, they can afford to invest in the latest technology and machinery. Disadvantages of a Monopoly. Monopolies have poor levels of service, there is no consumer sovereignty, the consumers are charged high prices for such low quality goods, and lack of competition could lead to low quality goods, as well as out dated goods. What is required for a monopoly to earn profits in the long run? First off, any market type can see super normal profits in the short-run. What is more important is what happens in the long-run. Pure monopolies are not the only monopoly that can make profits. Natural Monopoly or a price discriminating monopoly can make profits as well. The only difference between them is â€Å"why† they are monopolies to begin with. Oligopolies are not monopolies, although they do tend to make above normal profits. Monopolistic competition does not yield these types of profits in the long-run. Economic profit goes to zero here in the long-run because there is a lack of barriers here to prevent competition from entering (as there is with perfect competition). If a firm uses economies of scale then I would be talking about a natural monopoly (or a few firms in oligopoly depending on how large or small the minimum efficient scale is). If the MES were small, economies of scale would not be an entry barrier to competition in order to achieve positive economic profits. If the MES were large, large enough to support one firm only, that would be the definition of a natural monopoly. â€Å"In the long run, a monopolistically competitive firm adjusts plant size, or the quantity of capital, to maximize long-run profit. In addition, the entry and exit of firms into and out of a monopolistically competitive market eliminates economic profit and guarantees that each monopolistically competitive firm earns nothing more or less than a normal profit. † (http://www. amosweb. com/cgi-bin/awb_nav. pl? s=wpdc=dspk=monopolistic+competition, +long run+production+analysis). Works Cited Roger LeRoy Miller. Economics Today, Sixteenth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. , publishing as Addison-Wesley, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2006. http://www. amosweb. com/cgi-bin/awb_nav. pl? s=wpdc=dspk=monopolistic+competition,+long-run+production+analysis.

Blakes States of Mind in the Songs of Innocence and Experience :: Songs of Innocence and Experience

Blake's States of Mind in the Songs of Innocence and Experience "When you put two minds together, there is always a third mind, a third and superior mind, as an unseen collaborator." William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, "The Third Mind" We are symbol-using primates in search for an ultimate Truth. No poet has understood and exploited this idea more successfully than William Blake, and this was solely due to his mysticism, the fact that his doors of perception were cleansed. What is his world like, then? In the "Songs of Innocence and Experience" we are apparently presented with two different worlds, narrated by two different narrators. A more careful reading will present several interesting correspondences between the two. For example, the meek "Lamb" becomes the fiery "Tyger". The former appears to foster a syllogistic reasoning, a format of simple questions and easy answers in the midst of it's catatonia, we are unnerved by what we as readers bring to the text, inserting our alien (to the pastoral scene) phantoms of our experience. The latter poem, although pounding us with unanswered questions and awe-inspiring images, is, curiously, a more comfortable read in that it is a better fit into our perception. It seems that the open prairie and the dark forest belong to two entirely different worlds, but it is my belief that it is not the Lamb or the Tyger per se, that make the difference but the way they are treated, that is, narrated. Both "Chimney Sweeper" poems appear to be about the same situation. What clearly changes is the narration.

Knowing and believing – religious knowledge

It’s a changing world, the world of anachronism, the world to look at the future with new faith and where after every minute something or other is added in our daily list. The same is true with Knowledge, which is always changing with the change in time and with the change in the people’s attitude and behavior patterns. The knowledge is not a new concept but has been taking the world by stride since centuries but the most important crust of the knowledge is its speed. In the way the technology is changing very fast, the whole concept of imparting and gaining knowledge is also changing very fast.   There has been a considerable shift from the traditional mode of imparting knowledge to the whole new range of knowledge of inventions and studies for the growth and over all development in every sphere of socio-economic, political, religious trends etc. From agricultural to industrial and from social to religious to bestow the knowledge, there are always experts and new range of knowledge expertise in the complexities of new technologies is taking place and in this bid of newness, our desire to know more keep on increasing. There has also been complete change in the receptive capacity of the people towards this knowledge basis expertise. For e.g. Challenge and resistance to dominant technologies, some post modernists see these approaches and the knowledge revolution as more political and democratic whereas risk social theories focus upon the anxieties that are created through the plethora of information that people receive about possible dangers especially in relation to environmental degradation. This knowledge revolution has led to transformation of politics from the traditional political systems and strategies, which have proved incapable of taking contemporary risks and dangers. (Thompson & Woodward _____:122) The knowledge of experts in relation to religion has always captured and dominated the life of people since centuries. The religious minded people have always considered the religious discourse as a norm of the society and followed their traits but now comparatively less number of people are focusing their attention towards the religion and the religion tenets. The reason is simple; the increase in trend towards the knowledge of materialistic world and the worldly pleasures since industrial revolution dug its deep roots in the soil. The pursuit of the scientific journey has superceded the quest for religious knowledge, which Rubert Murdoch has amply explained in the Newsweek for 12th July 1999, Is God Dead?   In the, Open the doors — and where are the people, the study was conducted to amplify the trend of Roman Catholic Bastions in Italy and Ireland. Surveys in the United Kingdom brought out certain facts whereby 75 per cent of the people in Britain have faith in Super Natural powers, but according to the opinion polls, there has been downfall of the belief in God from 45 per cent in 1947 to 37 percent in 1987. The Mass observation survey in 1947 showed that there had been a wide spread belief in God but not among Orthodox Christian lines. (Thompson & Woodward   ________ :52) This amplifies that people are least inclined in attaining the religious knowledge. The most important reason being the explosion of the private bodies into the religion posing questions and defying the conventions of the traditional religious beliefs held by the people with utmost generosity and faith. The other most important cause is the popularity or secularization so profoundly spread by the leaders of the Modern age and basically of secular functions which were earlier performed by the welfare bodies like religious, education and state which were taken over by the state. (Thompson & Woodward _____ :44) Moreover, fun and leisure activities have profoundly replaced the organized form of religious activities. And the third reason is the change and shift of the religious thoughts towards more research and thinking over science and other related field of studies. (Thompson & Woodward _______ :44) Karen Armstrong, in one of the articles in the accompanying article to Fredrick Nietsche, says that since 1970s, religion has once again entered in the domain of the society in such a manner that was being considered as impossible. â€Å"The Iranian revolution was a grand success in the Middle East and at the same time the moral majority and the right of the Christians captured the emotions and the mood of the people endeavored to bring back God in the public life whereas ultra orthodox Jews as well as Zionists have also strived to bring religion back in the lives of Isreali people. With this it is amply true that no Government can deny religion. The assassinations of Anwar Sidat in Egypt and of Yitzhat Rabin in Isreal are reminders of lethal danger of some forms of modern faith.† (Thompson & Woodward _______ :44). Though this statement is a proven fact that it is the knowledge for religion that is gaining momentum in almost all over the world but when it comes to Science, the knowledge for religious quest takes a back seat. The simplest reason is that the religious knowledge is only based on faith and as said by Ken Thompson & Kate Woodward â€Å"Truths Believed†; on the other hand the scientific knowledge is based on the investigations, discoveries and research. To reveal and prove the authenticity and belief in their respective domains, there was a public controversy in the nineteenth century. In the debate that followed in 1860 at Oxford, scientist T.H Huxley said that, â€Å"I would rather be descended from an Ape than a bishop†. (Thompson & Woodward _______ :45) But not all scientists disagreed with the evolution of God. Charles Darwin in his â€Å"Origin of Species† in 1859 has faith in the God but not in the religion. (Thompson & Woodward _______ :45) The diversities in the scientific world like in Natural Sciences, there is a common belief among many that Science are related to religion. For e.g. Teil Hard De Chardin, a Jesuit priest and Paleontologist, in 1950s integrated biological and spiritual evolution in a theory of cosmogenesis, which was the blend of science, theology and poetry. Social Scientists tried to take a middle path emphasizing on the fact that without religious beliefs, there is no spiritual growth and satisfaction but they too defy the orthodox religious tenets believing in the religious thoughts and ideologies. Gender also plays the most important role in posing the question regarding the aspect whether the knowledge of experts in the religious tenets became more or less important in the contemporary society or not? People also tend to believe that Science has provided us with various answers to the questions but there is no answer as far as questions on morality and emotional aspects of our lives are concerned. This has been answered in the New Age beliefs in which large and large number of people are turning their faith towards spiritual powers like in alternative medicines and green issues to meditation and therapy as a form of ancient knowledge like Alchemy, astrology, myth, dream work, Earth mysteries, Fang Sui. (Thompson & Woodward ______:62) Some believe that these new age beliefs are taking secular dimensions and have taken shape after the combination of scientific and pseudo scientific ideas and provides moral meaning to our lives, but the science and scientists have no answer to moral meaning. As a result, gap is always left between new age phenomenon on spirituality and scientific thoughts and knowledge. It is amply true that though Science is posing challenge to the religion and religious tenets yet the religious knowledge is still finding its place in this modernization and high technological world though the essence and the way of the religious teachings is changing with the change in time. Religious knowledge has been imparted to the public in totally different way and in different form than the scientific knowledge. Religion is a revelatory knowledge whereas Science is an empirical proof and this makes religion more challenging while confronting this scientific knowledge. In the United Kingdom itself, the change in the form and status of religious knowledge has produced uncertainties and different new opportunities. Women are defying the age-old religious conventions of patriarchal hierarchies to produce their own concept of spirituality. Then the muti-faith societies are opening new chapters to define their own religious thoughts and conceptions on spirituality. Over and above, the new age knowledge is also raising questions on established religious norms; Gender and ethnicity are also shaping the religious thoughts and perspectives. (Thompson & Woodward ______ :72) The effects of these new approaches are being seen and felt everywhere and in every sphere of our lives. Whenever we are confronted with any issue to find out truth, we are embroiled with different aspects towards the true knowledge. We have diverted from factual realization towards feelings. In this sense, it is amply true that though importance is being given to the knowledge of experts in the contemporary world but the trend, form and way of thinking have changed. Reference List Surname, Initial(s). Date. Title. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher Thompson K. & Woodward K. ______ Knowing and Believing: Religious Knowledge.         

Overpopulation destroying the environment Essay

â€Å"The destruction of the natural world we see across the globe today is ‘fallout’ from the human population explosion that has occurred over the course of the last 50 years. The world is at a critical juncture. While birth rates have fallen in many countries and regions, demographic momentum means we are now adding a record number of people to the world’s population every year. At current birth rates the population of the world will double in the next 50 years. If that happens, countless creatures already pushed to the edge, may pass into extinction. † The new century is marked by alarming environmental threats such water shortages, soil exhaustion, loss of forests, air and water pollution in many parts of the world. The challenge to developed countries is to raise the people’s standard of living without sacrificing the environment. Most developed economies currently consume resources much faster than they can regenerate. This is caused by rapid population growth. The bigger the population is, the bigger the demand for food and water. It was also noted that the more populous the place is, the more waste is produced. The exponential growth in the earth’s population as well as the associated developments resulted in the overcrowding of vulnerable areas thus the occurrence of extreme natural disasters. In many countries the number of births is more than the number of deaths causing overpopulation. Environment is getting worse in the last decade over 12 million people each year were killed due to unclean water and nearly 3 million were killed due to air pollution. Heavy metals and other contaminants also cause widespread health problems. According to studies conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the food supplies produced are no longer enough to meet the need in 64 countries. Population pressures have degraded some 2 billion hectares of arable land — an area the size of Canada and the U. S. The supply of freshwater is finite, but demand is soaring as population grows. By 2025, when world population is projected to be 8 billion, 48 countries containing 3 billion people will face shortages. Currently, 434 million people face either water stress or scarcity. Depending on future rates of population growth, between 2. 6 billion and 3. billion people may be living in either water-scarce or water-stressed conditions by 2025. For tens of millions of people in the Middle East and in much of Africa today, the lack of available fresh water is a chronic concern that is growing more acute and more widespread. The problem is worse than it often appears on the ground, because much of the fresh water now used in water-scarce regions comes from deep aquifers that are not being refreshed by the natural water cycle. In most of the countries where water shortage is severe and worsening, high rates of population growth exacerbate the declining availability of renewable fresh water. While 25 countries currently experience either water stress or scarcity, between 36 and 40 countries are projected to face similar conditions by 2025 Ocean fisheries are being overexploited, and fish catches are down due to high population densities and urban development. Nearly half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost, and each year another 16 million hectares are cut, bulldozed, or burned. Forests provide over US$400 billion to the world economy annually and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Yet, current demand for forest products may exceed the limit of sustainable consumption by 25%. Human activities are pushing many thousands of plant and animal species into extinction. Two of every three species is estimated to be in decline. The earth’s surface is warming due to greenhouse gas emissions, largely from burning fossil fuels. If the global temperature rises as projected, sea levels would rise by several meters, causing widespread flooding as seen in the last few years in different parts of the world especially Asia. Global warming also could cause droughts and disrupt agriculture. How people preserve or abuse the environment could largely determine whether living standards improve or deteriorate. Growing human numbers, urban expansion, and resource exploitation do not bode well for the future. Without practicing sustainable development, humanity faces a deteriorating environment and may even invite ecological disaster. Many steps toward sustainability can be taken today. These include: using energy more efficiently, managing cities better, phasing out subsidies that encourage waste but the best way to sustainability is to stabilize the population. Environmentalists and economists increasingly agree that efforts to protect the environment and to achieve better living standards can be closely linked and are mutually reinforcing. Slowing the increase in population, especially in the face of rising per capita demand for natural resources, can take pressure off the environment and buy time to improve living standards on a sustainable basis. Changes in population size, age, and distribution affect issues ranging from food security to climate change. Population variables interact with consumption patterns, technologies, and political and economic structures to influence environmental change. This interaction helps explain why environmental conditions can deteriorate even as the growth of population slows. Despite slowing growth, world population still gains nearly 80 million people each year, parceling land, fresh water, and other finite resources among more people. A new Germany is added annually, a new Los Angeles monthly. How this increase in population size affects specific environmental problems is impossible to say precisely. Too many factors interact, and much depends on the time frame under consideration. Obviously, trends such as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and climate are closely related to the fact that human population expanded from mere millions in prehistoric times to nearly 6 billion today. There is an urgent call today to stabilize population in order to make sure that the generation after us will have enough to sustain them. We need to do everything in our power to conserve energy and resources. Overpopulation has a tremendous environmental impact caused by high consumption levels, environmental destruction, and poverty.

Switching schools Essays - 49ers Fans, Random Girls, Free Essays

Switching schools Essays - 49ers Fans, Random Girls, Free Essays Switching schools Changing schools is difficult for anyone. Especially when someone is half way through high school and is leaving all of his childhood friends behind. I?m not a very social person unless I?m with people that I?m comfortable with. When I moved schools it was one of the hardest things I ever did. The first two years of high school were incredible. I was having fun with my friends, having a good time and just being young. We would hang out after school play video games; sometimes we would take cracks at each other. For example we would make fun of each other because I?m a Raiders fan and most of my friends are 49ers fans. Other times when somebody in my group of friends was single we would find random girls for them to date. It wasn?t always a plan to move schools mid-way through high school it just happened. I had always thought I was going to graduate with my childhood friends. The hardest part about this whole experience was leaving my life behind and starting a whole new one. When I first got to Oakmont I didn?t know anyone except for my brother and sister. But nobody hangs out with their siblings unless they?re at home. I was alone for a while, I was real quiet I kept to myself. I did talk to people but I couldn?t call them my friends. People would even try to start conversations with me but I would just be shy and I wouldn?t talk much. Per example this girl started talking about one of my favorite TV shows, Doctor Who, but I was too shy to say anything back to her. It was then I realized I needed to come out of my shell and be social and force myself to talk to people as weird as it sounds. I learned to be more social with people. Now I?m a senior I may not be graduating with my childhood friends but I?m graduating with my Oakmont friends and that?s ok. Do I wish I had stayed at Foothill? When I think about it sometimes I think I would?ve been happier. But then I think of all the friends and experiences I have had and that makes it okay. All in all it was a good run and I wouldn?t change anything about it.

How to Use the French Expression Nest-ce Pas

How to Use the French Expression Nest-ce Pas The French expression  nest-ce  pas (pronounced nes-pah) is what grammarians call a tag question. Its a word or short phrase that is tagged on to the end of a statemen, to turn it into a yes-or-no question. It is a  question  added to a  declarative sentence to engage, verify, or confirm. Question tags use the auxiliary verb in the opposite form of the sentence itself. If a sentence is negative, the question tag takes the positive form of the auxiliary verb and vice versa. Most of the time, nest-ce  pas is used in conversation when the speaker, who already expects a certain response, asks a question mainly as a rhetorical device. Literally translated,  nest-ce pas  means is it not, though most speakers understand it to mean isnt it? or arent you? In English, tag questions often consist of the specific verb from the statement combined with not. In French, the verb is irrelevant; the tag question is just nest-ce pas. English tag questions right? and no? are similar in usage to nest-ce pas, though not in register. They are informal, whereas nest-ce pas  is formal. The informal French tag question equivalent is non?   Heres a quick review of principle tenses, the auxiliary form they take, and an example of a positive and a negative question tag for each tense. Examples and Usage Vous à ªtes prà ªt, nest-ce pas? –  Youre ready, arent you?Elle est belle, nest-ce pas? –  Shes beautiful, isnt she?Nous devons partir bientà ´t, nest-ce pas? –  We have to leave soon, dont we?Il a fait ses devoirs, nest-ce pas? –  He did his homework, didnt he?Ils peuvent nous accompagner, nest-ce pas? –  They can come with us, cant they? More French Resources Expressions with à ªtreExpressions with pasMost common French phrasesQuestions in French

The calculations for the capital gains tax Case Study

The calculations for the capital gains tax - Case Study Example The calculations for the capital gains tax are shown in the appendix. From the calculations it may be observed that it is advisable to sell off the business building before 05th April 2008 as you can avail the indexation allowance and taper relief which are no more available. It may be noted that the indexation and taper relief are the allowanced granted by the government to provide for the increase in the asset value due to inflation (Chris Horne). In case you decide to sell of the property after 05th April 2008 you many have to pay higher CGT of 18,000. However in the case of the personal paintings since they have been acquired only in the year 2005 they do not stand eligible for any allowances and the capital gains will simply be the difference between the sale proceeds and the cost. Hence in this case it is advisable to sell the paintings after 05th April 2008 as the CGT on the chargeable gains can be paid at lower tax rate of 18 percent. Income from employment is subjected to income tax as well as Class 1 National Insurance Contributions NIC). Payment of the Tax and NIC are normally undertaken by the employer through the PAYE system. However the employee who has other incomes subjected to tax and whose tax is not fully paid by the employer may complete a tax return and pay the NIC. Contributions to NIC are being made by both the employer and employee. The employee has to make contributions to NIC at 11percent or 9.4 percent between the primary threshold limit and the upper earnings limit. A charge of 1 percent is payable for earnings above the upper earnings limit. No NIC is payable by the employee or employer on the earnings up to the primary threshold limit. Depending on whether the employee is within the State Second Pension (S2P) or whether he has contracted out using a final salary (FS) or money purchase scheme (MP) the rates of NIC payable on earnings are determined. Particulars Contracted in Within S2P Contracted Out Other than S2P Primary Threshold to Upper Earning Limit 11.0% 9.4% Above Upper Earning Limit 1.0% 1.0% As per the calculations shown in the appended income statement assuming that you have contracted out of the state pension scheme, you may have to contribute 9.4 percent of 23,760 i.e. 2233.44 towards the National Insurance Contribution. Additional Tax Burden on Cigarettes and Wines We understand that you and your wife are both heavy smokers and drinkers. Beware that the budget for the year 2008 has put additional tax burden on the cigarettes, wine, and beer to the extent of 0.14p on a bottle of wine, 0.4p on a pint of beer and 0.11p on a pack of cigarettes and to this extent the cost of these items would go up. We do hope you will revise your consumption of these items in view of increased burden on your income. Other Tax Credits The budget for the year 2008 has made the following changes in other Tax Credits for which you are entitled. Tax Credits 2007-08 2008-09 Child Tax Credit - Family Element 1,845 2,085 Working Tax Credit - Basic 1,730 1,800 Married Couple Allowance 2,440 2,540 We have provided