Biogeochemical Cycles Essay Example for Free

Biogeochemical Cycles Essay With environmental rhetoric gaining increasing currency in the contemporary zeitgeist, it is commonly supposed that we have a moral responsibility to protect ecosystems and conserve biodiversity, particularly from the ecologically devastating impacts of a human civilization that depends on industrial systems and the capitalization of natural resources. Simply put, conventional thinking suggests that man must protect the environment from his own destructive tendencies, and that this moral responsibility is maintained as the sole reason why governments should implement protective measures on behalf of ecosystems. However, by maintaining that moral and ethical responsibility as the reason behind conservation and biodiversity protection, we also risk overlooking the pragmatic and intelligent justification that provide strong reasons that can harness substantial political will and societal momentum to the environmental movement: That ecosystems provide a variety of services and resources ranging from pollination to water treatment, beneficial to human and non-human life, at little to no expense. (Schroeder, 2007) As Emily Goodwin maintains in a discussion of the importance of natural capital, â€Å"we need to include a very frank discussion of what we get from the Earth,† with a goal of â€Å"[maintaining] the functions and services they provide, such as flood protection, clean water, and clean air.† (Steffen, Levitt Kuck, 2008) Governments should therefore take the initiative to protect ecosystems, simply because it makes good sense to do so, regardless of whether one feels a moral obligation to the planet or one is committed a sublime ethicality in personal impacts. As Tobis (2007) observes, the drive to live sustainably, to protect natural assets and the compulsion to limit consumption, while viewed by some as a negative responsibility and one that has effectively hindered the momentum of the environmental movement, is also a set of principles that makes economic sense. Measures to protect ecosystems means that governments recognize the economic finitude of natural capital, as well as the economic boons that ecosystems naturally provide. REFERENCES Schroeder, K. (2007, August 12) â€Å"Colonizing Planet Earth.† Worldchanging. Retrieved on December 22, 2008 from: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007092.html Steffen, A; Levitt, J; Kuck, S. (2008, November 28) â€Å"The Future of Public Lands in the United States.† Worldchanging. Retrieved on December 22, 2008 from: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives//009077.html Tobis, M. (2007, April 30) â€Å"My little world (and yours, too).† Grist. Retrieved on December 22, 2008 from: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/29/195245/792

Latin American Events Analysis Essays -- Latin America Culture Movies

Latin American Events Analysis During the course of this semester, I attended many events with Latin American content. Although I both heard lectures and viewed movies, the continuity and popularity of certain recurring themes in cinema interested me the most. Among the many themes addressed, money, violence, the role and importance of women, and the evolution of government were prevalent and interconnected. Over the years, Latin America’s image has changed from a valuable source for raw goods, to a rebellious child of colonial powers, to a region struggling to cope with oppressive governments from within. At the same time that these phases have occurred, social norms have also evolved. Despite the fact that women’s roles have changed in some areas, they remain important to the society as a whole, in whatever capacity they fulfill. While nations of the region may lack ethnic, linguistic, or cultural ties, they share similar historical experiences. As such, the common use of these topics was not surp rising, because of their prominence as important topics throughout Latin American history. All of the films I saw—Cidade de Deus, La Sexta Seccià ³n, Plata Quemada, Maria, Full of Grace, and Mujeres Insumisas—feature female characters, each of whom has a different function in the individual contexts. Overall, expectations of women are high, even though the resources available to them are inadequate. Often portrayed as victims, women receive insufficient respect for all that they manage to accomplish, especially given their dismal circumstances. In the Brazilian film Cidade de Deus, Angà ©lica—the main female character—is simultaneously depicted as both powerless and powerful. She accepts gifts from Tiago, Rocket, and Benny, a... ...uments for a philharmonic band, a kitchen for the local kindergarten, a basketball court, and a church for the town. Money and poverty are obviously very prominent issues in Boqueron, as well as numerous other Latin American towns, and the men are again depicted as the breadwinners. The Latin American films that I saw this semester have many thematic ties. Among these are the importance of money, the role of women, the existence of violence, and the prevalence of corruption. The frequency of the occurrence of these topics is not coincidental, but rather a reflection of the issues and difficulties faced by many Latin American nations. Film provides a unique arena in which to address social wrongs and change, national and international dilemmas, and other topics of interest, and these movies provide connections in Latin America when they may not otherwise exist.

An Education and History Boys Comparative Film Essay Essay

Through the analysis of where an education originates, The History Boys and An Education have two vastly contradictory viewpoints. The History Boys demonstrates both academic education and an education on life gained within school grounds. An Education, however, illustrates a young Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan) as she gains her education far from her school environment – despite much attempted intervention. In both The History Boys and An Education the teachers play an integral role in shaping the educational path for our protagonists. Hector (Richard Griffiths) bases his teachings on the principle of educating the boys in regard to life and not purely academic learning. When the viewers are first introduced to Hector, they are made aware of the high regard with which the boys view him. During the scene when the boys celebrate their final marks, they bow down to Hector as if they are not worthy. If the manner in which Hector teaches the boys is considered, it becomes evident that he understands the idea of literature perhaps having an impact on his students later in life – â€Å"all knowledge is precious whether or not it serves the slightest human purpose†. He seems to be concerned with how the boys utilise their learning within everyday life; how they apply ideas and philosophies concealed in knowledge at a standard worthy of Oxford and Cambridge. Within Hector’s classroom, there are many literary references present on the walls – more than once the viewer’s eyes are drawn to a photograph of W H Auden – who can be considered similar to Hector in that both had homosexual inclinations. During the boys’ outing to an old monastery, Hector advises the boys on knowledge, and the transfer thereof, with the words, â€Å"pass it on†. In this, he is able to teach the boys a lesson more important than any taught in the classroom. In An Education, Miss Stubbs as well as the Headmistress (Emma Thompson) allude to an education coming from within a school and being purely academically centred. The Headmistress reminds Jenny that neither herself nor Miss Stubbs would be where they are if it were not for their decent school and university education. Miss Stubbs admits to Jenny that she attended Cambridge – only to be offended by Jenny, who could no longer see the benefit of an academic education. Within Miss Stubbs’s classroom, we are  able to see that the walls are fairly empty and her desk uncluttered. This stands in contrast with the Hector’s vibrant classroom. In the opening scene of An Education the camera tracks the movement of the overlays into Miss Stubbs’s classroom and to a group of girls who look stricken with boredom and later on read with that same unenthusiastic demeanour. Continually throughout the movie, we are reminded of the popular 1960s belief that education meant almost everything if one was to attend a prestigious university and find a job that provided a salary, but that was not necessarily fulfilling. The History Boys proves to the viewers that life lessons can be and are taught within school parameters. Although much of the focus is centred on the Ox-Bridge examinations, Hector and Irwin, specifically, are able to teach the boys life lessons over and above the syllabus. Hector teaches the boys the importance of knowledge, even if it has no obvious use. To Hector, language, literature and music are to be considered in high regard with the intent of creating a cultured being rather than one only able to regurgitate useless ‘gobbets’, as referred to by Irwin. The question, â€Å"how does History happen?† is asked more than once throughout the film’s duration. As the film progresses, the answer emerges – history is merely one thing after another. When the boys are confronted with Hector’s death, they are able to realise how fleeting life is. Death calls for introspection and a deeper consideration of what it is in life that is truly important. Hector is able to teach the boys that education is indispensable in whichever form and from whichever source it comes, which, as well as the idea that one must pass knowledge along, is a most crucial aspect to the film. In An Education, it is clear that Jenny receives her education outside of school parameters – despite the objections posed by Miss Stubbs and the Headmistress. Although Jenny is a dedicated student, who in the beginning tries to gain her education within school and from her teachers, she inevitably gains it from her relationship with David (Peter Sarsgaard). During the opening scene, the students dancing with books on their head appeals to the formal environment they attended school in. David was able to show Jenny the other side of this spectrum – he introduced her to art,  music, wine and lavish restaurants. David travelled to Oxford and Paris with Jenny, where everything was tinted with a blue haze and made to seem flawless. He provided her with a life where she could speak French and surround herself with art and culture; the life she had so longed for. However, when Jenny discovered that David was a married man, she was also able to learn that a lifestyle such as the one David and his friends led often hid many secrets. He was a dishonest man – and it taught Jenny that trust should not just be given, but rather earned. When she visits Miss Stubbs, her words, â€Å"I feel old, but not so wise† prove that when one is young, they can so easily be deceived by materialism and the idea of love – a lesson no school would be able to teach. Both The History Boys and An Education demonstrate how education has no set definition. It can be defined as learning fact, or as learning about life. Both also prove to us that education does not have to come from an educational institute and its employees. Life can sometimes prove more educational than the classroom.

The Clash Of Zionism And Arab Nationalism Essay - 1846 Words

Introduction to Middle East Politics Midterm Essay Minahil Tauseef Clash of Nationalisms The clash of Zionism and Arab nationalism has led to the longest running conflict in the history of the world that shapes the politics of the Middle East to this day. The roots of the modern Arab–Israeli conflict can be found in the rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism towards the end of the 19th century. The source of the conflict is territorial claims over a small piece of land that is the historical homeland for two different nationalities. Palestine has historically held great significance for the Jews. Zionism transformed that religious attachment and made it into a basis for a claim onnational grounds that this is their national home. This set them in potential conflict with another nationality, the Arabs, who seePalestine as historically and currently belonging to the Arabs, and in the Pan-Islamic context, as Muslim lands. Over the course of this paper, I will talk about why the Arab-Israeli conflict was inevitable and why these two ideologies were fated to clash. In order to understand the clash, we must first understand the importance of the region that has been the focus of two conflicting territorial claims. The Jewish claim to the state of Israel is rooted in the nearly six-thousand-year old belief of Jews that Israel is the homeland promised to them by God in the Torah. Jewish history has been a continuous cycle of exile and return to the â€Å"promised land†. The desire toShow MoreRelatedThe Rise Of Zionism And Arab Nationalism1407 Words   |  6 PagesThe rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism in the nineteenth century triggered major political tensions in the region of Palestine. The conflict among the Zionists and Arab Nationalists is primarily due to the politics of territory and is essentially not comprised of religious opposition. In fact, before the advent of Zionism and Arab Nationalism, Jews and Palestinians shared a local identity due to mutual tolerances. This identity, which took precedence over religion, created a viv acious communityRead MoreThe Historical Context Of Palestine1532 Words   |  7 Pagesnation, which is to be discussed later in detail, as it falls into the category of religion. As Islam expanded rampantly in the years 630-730 A.D., Jerusalem and Palestine were incorporated into Islamic rule, exposing Jews to the Arab rule as well as initiating the clash of religions that thrives to the present day. In A.D. 691, Dome of the Rock, a Muslim temple memorating Muhammad s ascension to heaven was built upon the ruins of the Jewish Temple, thus provoking the latter on the religious groundsRead MoreThe Conflict Between Palestinian Arabs And Jews2267 Words   |  10 PagesThe conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Jews is a phenomenon that stems from the struggle over land defined exclusively as a â€Å"Holy Land† by both groups. Their competing claim to this territory and the constant struggle for exclusive political control has created irreconcilable differences. Jewish claim over the land is based on a covenant made between God and Abraham and the need for haven from the growing anti-Semitism in Europe. Palestinian Arabs claims to the land are based on the ir continuous