Treatment Of Mental Illness What Do Kate Chopin And...

Treatment of Mental Illness in the 1800’s What do Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, two authors whose works we have read, have in common? Both female authors suffered from depression during the 1880’s, their experiences with depression are seen in their literary works. After reading about the rest cure in Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and learning that Chopin used writing for solace it made me want to learn more about how people with mental illnesses were treated and their conditions in the actual institutions in the 1800’s as well as the leading figures of the asylum reform. For anyone who has watched the second season of American Horror Story, â€Å"Asylum†, they have probably questioned whether the inhumane treatment of the patients that occurred in the show actually happened. Although there is no proof for some of the events that occurred in the show, through research I learned that a journalist had actually disguised herse lf as a patient in order to learn about how they were being treated in the 1800’s. PBS, in their background of Around the World in 72 Days talks about the woman who inspired the film in their post â€Å"Nellie Bly†, explains that this journalist was actually Elizabeth Jane Cochran, whose pen name was Nellie Bly. She became a journalist after sending an angry reply to Erasmus Wilson’s column about how women belonged in the house and working women were â€Å"a monstrosity†. The newspaper was impressed with her writing and spirit and hiredShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Harriet Beecher Stowe1603 Words   |  7 Pagesdomination through their literary work. The Yellow Wallpaper is a direct reflection of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and her political view on women’s health, both mental and physical. In order to have a better understanding of The Yellow Wallpaper, it is imperative to understand the life of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In 1860, Gilman borned as Charlotte Anna Perkins in Hartford, Connecticut. Her father, Frederick Beecher Perkins abandoned the family when she was only an infant. She surrounded herself by influentialRead MoreAnalysis Of The Story Of An Hour And Charlotte Perkins Gilman s The Yellow Wallpaper908 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† are two short stories that share similar themes and ideas. The authors’ use of point of view, symbolism, and imagery are different but still convey the same basic idea. Both stories cover the theme of marriage and share the idea that marriage is oppressive. The stories focus on two wives desperate to break from the control of their husbands. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† the woman’s husband is a doctor thereforeRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin And The Yellow Wallpaper1395 Words   |  6 PagesThe Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman written in the 1890s both reflect gender roles of this time, specifically women’s roles. In these stories both of the women are oppressed by their marriages, and by the end of the stories both wish to be rid of their husbands. Also, in both of these stories these women experience mental illnesses, mainly depression. These illnesses were looked at as something minor during this time, was it because psychologistsRead More Essay on Appearance vs Reality in Yellow Wallpaper, Story of an Hour, and Lottery1166 Words   |  5 PagesThis paper discusses three short stories written to shock the reader, but each uses a different metho d to achieve its effect. While Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour uses a sudden shift in plot at the end of a short narrative, Shirley Jacksons The Lottery gives hints throughout the story preparing the reader for a shocking ending; in contrast, Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper shocks its readers through careful character development. The narrator of Gilmans 1892 short storyRead MoreFeminism : A Feminist Perspective1904 Words   |  8 PagesSince the 19th century to the present day, feminism has evolved over periods of time, shaped and molded our structure of society into what it is today. Feminism, the exploration and critique of male power that challenges traditional sex roles has always played a major role and been expressed in classic and modern literacy. From press articles, to film productions. From plays to books. Along with this, feminist literary and cultural theories were born from feminists who also challenge and analyzeRead MoreDesiree s Baby By Kate Chopin1770 Words   |  8 PagesBack in this era of time the most respectable job for a woman was to be a loving wife in her husband’s household. In the short story â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† written by Kate Chopin, we have this setting of this older woman named Madame Valmondà © is on her way to visit her adopted daughter Desiree who h as recently given birth to her son by her husband Armand Aubigny. Everything seems to be going well at the plantation due to master of the house being so thrilled about having his son being born. As time

The Effects Of Server Farms - 796 Words

After straightforward estimations, the case for scope organization soon turns out to be clear: ventures can spare many thousands, even millions sometimes, by counteracting blackouts and decommissioning underutilized equipment. The run of the mill server farm server just works at 12 to 18% of its ability which is staggeringly low, however specialized staff who are overseeing and keeping up expansive server farms are more worried about keeping the lights on than agonizing over productivity. Tossing more servers or processors at an issue is, all things considered, less demanding than the more perplexing assignment of advancing workloads over an IT bequest. Incidentally however, while most server farms keep running at woefully low†¦show more content†¦The familiar aphorism of on the off chance that it aint broke, dont settle it doesnt have any significant bearing to its universe operations. Expecting issues before they happen is a significantly more savvy choice than putting out fires after a limit occurrence. Keep away from junk in, waste out Be that as it may, achievement of the demonstrating methods will to a limited extent be down to the information inputs. An intensely improved perspective of asset request will bring about an erroneous figure or proposal. The key is to utilize an assortment of measurements to anticipate request consolidating asset measurements (CPU, Memory and Storage) with business level exchange measurements. A definitive objective is to perceive how whats happening in the business is driving asset utilization in the server farm and how moves and spikes in business action or procedure may influence it. Utilizing refined devices in a post-exceed expectations age Once the correct information accumulation methods are set up, the time has come to choose proper expository systems to understand the information. A precise anticipating calculation should represent various elements including cyclicality or regularity; and equipment or programming changes. The models should manufacture a hazard score for each virtual machine or host, foreseeing theShow MoreRelatedPlan-Do-Check-Act Cycle of Decision-Making1177 Words   |  5 Pagesis called the Do stage. The Do stage is designed to solve the problem on a small or experimental scale first. This is necessary in order to minimize the effects of the resolution so not to cause an impact on if the plan shall fail. For example, applying a patch to a server would on affect the one server instead of applying the patch to all servers. The third stage is called the Check stage. The Check stage is used to check or certify the plan is achieving the desired results. If this stage of theRead MoreVirtualization And Virtualization1328 Words   |  6 Pageselse can be evoked when theyre required. At the point when the need is gone, they can be wiped from presence, liberating the host PC to run an alternate virtual machine for another client. Combined with administration programming and tremendous server farms, this innovation permits cloud gives to procure gigantic financial matters to deal. It likewise gives cloud clients access to as much processing power as they need, at whatever point they require it. With virtualization, a client can compose applicationsRead MoreA Brief Note On Professional Research And Communication1503 Words   |  7 Pagesdiverse models and layers of deliberation. It alludes to the applications conveyed as administrations to the mass, going from the end-clients facilitating their own reports on the Internet to undertakings outsourcing their whole IT base to outside server farms. A basic case of distributed computing administration is Yahoo email or Gmail and so on. Introduction Background, context, overview Distributed computing implies that rather than all the PC equipment and programming you re utilizing sittingRead MoreEssay on Accounting Study Guide1699 Words   |  7 Pagescreated when Thailand subsidized the cost of energy to consumers to help alleviate the burden of higher energy costs? It hurt the poor and benefitted the rich. It led to less fuel being used than the amount that maximizes consumer surplus It has no effect; consumers gained a consumer surplus, but taxpayers lost the same amount because they had to finance the subsidy It encouraged the consumption of too much fuel at the expense of other goods. Explanation: Anytime a good is subsidized, its consumptionRead MoreThe Cloud Of Cloud Computing Essay1715 Words   |  7 Pages INTRODUCTION Most organization or IT associations, spend billions yearly on IT Infrastructure to make and oversee complex data frameworks. Equipment coordination, programming updating, over the top preparing of staffs consistently, server farm offices and salaries means the overabundance spending on IT Infrastructure. In today s world, associations are moving from the universe of IT Infrastructure into distributed computing which is also known as cloud computing. Cloud computing is presentlyRead MoreWeb Server Application Attacks Essay1652 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: Web Server Application Attacks Web Server Application Attacks Assignment # 1 Mariz Cebron Common web application vulnerabilities and attacks, and recommend mitigation strategies The World Wide Web has evolved into a critical delivery pipeline for institutions to interact with customers, partners and employees. Via browsers, people use web sites to send and receive information via Hypertext MarkupRead MoreDesigning A Computer Model Of A Human Body1336 Words   |  6 Pagesconcept of graphical computing, which includes features such as rubber banding of lines and the capability to create lines, corners and joints. Rendering has different uses, which includes games, computer, movies, design visualisation or TV special effect. There are two main types of rendering, which differs by their speed at which an image is generated. The two types of method are real time rendering and pre-time rendering. Real time rendering is used mostly in interactive graphics and in gamesRead MoreImpact Of The Migration Of The Excising Server And Client Operating System1671 Words   |  7 PagesTable of Contents Summary 1 Introduction 2 Impact of the migration of the excising server and client operating system to the cloud platform 3 Best practice approach for successful system migration 5 Before migration 5 During migration 6 After migration 6 Migrating user account from one user database 7 Conclusion 7 Reference 8 Summary Cloud computing turning out to be all the more broadly used, it is essential for associations to comprehend approaches to expand advantages and minimize dangers ofRead MoreShould Gamers Be Prosecuted For Virtual Stealing?1378 Words   |  6 Pagestakes place in a privately owned server known as a â€Å"world.† Players can invite other players to their worlds for fun, pranks, help, or for no reason at all, but some worlds don’t require an invitation. These public worlds are just called servers, which can be accessed by searching for their IP address, which is typically listed on a website. But people get bored doing the same thing over and over, even with various kinds of different people. So new kinds of servers had to be created. Some involveRead MoreA New Way Of Distributed Or Cloud Computing1428 Words   |  6 PagesFrequently the cloud suppliers have different backups for the data. Most third party cloud encrypt information for improved security. Likewise, recovery from catastrophes, for example, equipment failures would be much quicker and would have minimal effect on the business, because of cloud based solutions. 4.4 Automatic Software Updates Moving to distributed computing takes away the enormous expense connected with the maintenance and upgrade of software’s, renewal of licenses, upkeep of infrastructure

New Religious Movements Free Essays

When studied, compared, and scrutinized, every religion – though said to be basically similar in that all believe and worship a god/gods – is actually different from each other in many respects. Before tackling diversities however, it is better to start with similarities. Many people view all adherents of any religions share at the very least certain commonalities such as historical roots, practices/rituals, and doctrines. We will write a custom essay sample on New Religious Movements or any similar topic only for you Order Now In other words, to be considered religious, one must be a follower of a certain form of ritual/practice prescribed by a founder or guru, a worshiper or believer of a god – whatever or whoever that god might be. When looked at the surface, this might be true. However, looking closely and seeking out the nuances, one can find real diversities. For example, for a Jew and a Muslim, Christianity is a religion represented by Vatican and the pope as its representative. To the eyes of these two, no differences whatsoever are detected between a devout Roman Catholic and a Protestant and a Mormon. Of course when investigated, marked differences come to the surface and the initial seemingly unified similarities are gone. Actually, differences are underscored every time there occurs along the way a deviation from the fundamentals of any religion. In the history of Christianity alone, schisms are either a deviation or a return to its roots (Adherents.com, 2007). Effects of Religious Pluralism Post your response to this question: What effect do you think religious pluralism and the interfaith movement will have on the future of organized religion? Explain your answer. Religious pluralism and interfaith movement are recently advocated by proponents from different religions with certain political aims. For instance, during Holy Week in 1971, there were many demonstrations conducted by different religious groups to voice their antiwar protests. Professor Robert McAfee Brown of Stanford University was among those arrested for blocking the way to a draft board office in Berkeley, California. He said he chose to preach his sermon â€Å"not in a church but on a pavement, not with words but with a deed† (Microsoft Encarta, 2007). Though there are certain benefits to it in terms of rights, there are also disadvantages and innumerable damages that may have paved the way for further confusion in the future. In what ways has learning about world religions influenced the way you think about religion? Why is it important to learn about other peoples’ beliefs and attitudes? How will you utilize this information in the future? Knowledge of World religions Knowledge of the different religions of the world and their adherents’ beliefs and practices is necessary for a better understanding of different peoples and cultures. Religious tolerance means differently when taken in the light of this endeavor. The ability to understand world religions and appreciate people because of their different persuasions and beliefs mean a more empathic and compassionate stance towards any group, ethnic or religious assemblage. Those who differ from us will not be seen as enemies, which oftentimes have become a common experience (Adherents.com, 2007). Reference: Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2008 ; http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html;   Microsoft Encarta. 2007. How to cite New Religious Movements, Essay examples

Ethical and Social Issues Information

Question: Discuss about the Ethical and Social Issues Information. Answer: Introduction: Since the last quarter of last century, at least, the world has witnessed a significant increase in both the development and use of what is known as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This development, initiated mainly in industrialized countries, has gradually covered the entire globe. It has also been well-known that the changes brought about by the use of ICT tend to produce new forms of work, communication, learning and interaction; Words, digital culture affects practically all people (regardless of age, gender or field of work) in all the different dimensions of daily life. Courtney had to create an interface that helps in identifying the educational challenges of the indigenous people (Bloom, 2013). It has been called Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to devices such as computers, multimedia, networks, cell phones, or any other designed to create, store, exchange and process information based on microelectronics, information technology and commun ication networks. One way of solving this problem has led, in the educational field, to implement different strategies to incorporate the use of ICT in the teaching-learning process. Content and compliance with codes of ethics, we see how ICT professionals and companies in the world of ICTs are developing code of ethics to ensure ethical conduct in their associates or in their organizations. This is a constant challenge. Unfortunately, many professional associations and companies believe that their task ends when they succeed in presenting a well-developed code of ethics in their own country and in the eyes of the international community as responsible and concerned organizations (Halimahton Shaari, 2009).However, today there are serious attempts to show professional associations that it is necessary to actively and continuously support their partners in their desire to act fairly in their profession. The ethical performance in the use of information technology and communication, it is recommended the appropriate use of computer products avoiding the harm and annoyance towards other people, which may even occur involuntarily. Computer programs are protected on t he same terms as in literary areas. Such protection extends both in operational programs and in application programs, whether in the form of source code or object code. Computer hacking in computer terms means being in front of the PC for very long periods of time having an unauthorized use or access of networked computer systems (Kizza, 2007). Recommendation to Ethical Issues in ICT Equally, this dynamic development of digital culture has also influenced the educational field. And while everyone agrees on the advantages that such technology brings to the teaching-learning process, there is no agreement on how best to implement ICT in education. Such an implementation would involve the resolution of issues such as the integration and adaptation of ICTs with existing curricula, as well as the structuring of digital literacy programs for both teachers and students (Langdon et al., 2012). In particular, the analysis of this set of problems will be the objective of the present work. Hacking issues can only be solved through employing systems that are hack-proof. Designing a system for the people that is simple and user-friendly is also a great way of protecting the system. Lastly, employing tech- savvy people to operate and educate the people like Courtney. References Bloom, G. (2013). Transforming health markets in Asia and Africa. London [u.a.]: Routledge. Halimahton Shaari, (2009). Issues in media and communication. Shah Aalam: Pusat Penerbitan Univ. (UPENA). Kizza, J. (2007). Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. 1st ed. London: Springer. Langdon, P., Clarkson, J., Robinson, P., Lazar, J. and Heylighen, A. (2012). Designing Inclusive Systems. London: Springer London. Quigley, M. (2011). ICT ethics and security in the 21st century. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

Evolution of building materials free essay sample

In chapter 12 we explore the artistic development in Architecture. When conceptualizing a building architects incorporate three things: function, form, and structure. Function is how the building will be used, form is how the building looks, and structures is how the building remains standing. Architects need to design structures that hold up under any combination of three physical forces; compression, tension, and bending. To days architects have a plethora of materials at their isposal, they benefit from the evolution of materials and have the opportunity to use them how they wish, but it has not always been this way. Primitive buildings were built using dry masonry, which is a simple technique of stacking stones in a consistent pattern without using any mortar. Buildings such as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, and the Great Zimbabwe(190) in East Africa are perfect examples of this type of masonry. In both of these structures the stones are dressed meaning they are cut or shaped before use. We will write a custom essay sample on Evolution of building materials or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Post and beam and arch structure systems were used predominately before the wentieth century, in places like Greece, Rome, and Egypt. The form on post-and- beam structures has to due with the materials used. Stone beams have to be shorter and thicker because stone is brittle and not flexible. Wood however is more flexible so they can be thiner and longer in turn they can be use to create a more open interior space. Arch structure uses stone in a semi-circle atop two columns or piers, bigger versions of columns, creating a Round Arch. There is a stone placed center that hold the arch together known as a keystone. When a round arc is extend in a epth dimension, the effect is known as a Barrel Vault. When two Barrel Vaults intersect the point of intersection creates a Groin Vault. These types of structures were used by early civilizations of western Asia and the Mediterranean area for underground drains and tombs. Romans were the first to use the technique aboveground and there were able to use it to build things like the Roman Coliseum and the Pont du Gard(192), the aqueduct, which was both a bridges for travel as well as a bridge for water. When an arch is rotated 180 degrees it forms a dome, that is sed in to create huge interior space. Gothic style architecture introduced a new type of arch, a pointed arch which allowed for wider bases and a more pointed arc, but is uses no keystone. The absence of the keystone creates a weak structure that could not hold up under the tension force. The create the flying buttress, which is a support placed at a 90 degree angle to the arch and holds the structure in place. The next major step in the evolution of Architecture was truss and balloon frame architecture. Trusses are triangular framework use to span air support, such as a russ of house roof, or one used as a side of a bridge. Balloon framing refers to the use the replacement of thick timbers with thin studs held together by only nails, at first though of as flimsy and weak, but is used today in housing development. The evolution ot metals in the architectural world nave been immense. T development of cast iron allowed for buildings to be put up very quickly, because it is stinger that wood or stone and can span greater distances, The Crystal Place was built in only six months and covered 19 acres of land, it was a marvel of the building world. Next Came Steel and reinforced concrete buildings. The strength of steel frames and the recent invention of the elevator allowed for the first conceptualized and built skyscrapers. This resulted in the International Style meaning the use of modern material like glass, steel, and concrete to create these types of structures. Domino Construction System, were six supports made of steel are placed in concrete slabs, alleviates the need for support walls, opening the door to building for rooms for how they need to be used, and the ability to make walls almost completely out of lass known as curtain walls. Carbon fiber is the latest material to surface, not yet used for building, it is extremely light, and very strong. Architects are now conceptualizing how they might be able to use this material in the future. Carbon fiber has the potential to revolutionize the building world. Many building now days are trying to reach a harmony with nature in both design and energy efficiency. Buildings like Guggenheim Museum Bilbao(200) are putting in to practice the ever changing face of nature in the design of the buildings. Green uildings are springing up everywhere either new construction or renovating existing buildings to make them energy efficient and revolutionary at the same time. They evolution of building materials and design allow for architects of today the opportunity to implement beauty in their designs. The ability to incorporate any material from stone steel and glass concrete and wood into a building has resulted in some of the worlds most beautiful and elegant structures dating back to completely stone building, to todays hi rise structures, architecture is a beautiful thing.

Dryland production systems in Africa Essay Example

Dryland production systems in Africa Essay Example Dryland production systems in Africa Essay Dryland production systems in Africa Essay How useful is the concept of desertification to understanding the sustainability of dryland production systems in Africa? Man is both the cause and victim of desertification; a process which is continuing or even accelerating in Africa. action is needed now to alleviate the plight of the large populations affected. If these people are not helped, they will exert more pressure over a weak natural system. Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues (1986: p15, 111) Desertification is perhaps the best example of a set of ideas about the environment that emerge in a situation of scientific uncertainty and then prove persistent in the face of gradually accumulating evidence that they are not well founded. Swift (1996: p73) At the interface of environment and society relations, the productive use of African drylands has been both a source and testing ground for the theory and practice of key environmental issues. Dryland areas are characterised by aridity and the variability of precipitation, with growing periods of 75 to 179 days a year (Mortimore, 1998). Often perceived to be on the brink of sustainability, analysis of drylands has variously drawn upon Malthusian ideas of carrying capacity, Hardins (1968) idea of the tragedy of the commons in terms of property rights and land tenure, and broader themes such as the colonial mindset and native irrationality, post-colonialism and development (Mortimore, 1998). Desertification has been the dominant conceptualisation through which these ideas have been reformulated and refracted in dryland regions, leading to its consecration in international law as a discrete chapter of Agenda 21 (Adams, 2003). Although the process of desertification has been the subject of over eighty years of scientific research and policy intervention, it remains hotly contested (Thomas, 1997). The term was coined by Aubreville in 1949, yet over 100 definitions have since been published (Glanz Orlovsky, 1985). In 1995, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) defined desertification as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. The evolution of the concept of desertification, however, embodies much more than any definition of its process. By identifying and delimiting an environmental problem, the term has been used to legitimate the study and identification of its causes, the attribution of blame and the need for policy intervention to remedy its effects. Therefore, as the term of choice in most discussions of dryland sustainability, it is critical that desertification presents an accurate and useful method to conceptualise ecosystem change. In the last decade, there have been a number of calls to debunk the myth of desertification and to expose the winners and losers in its narrative (Thomas Middleton, 1994; Swift, 1996). In the context of such claims, the extent to which desertification can inform our knowledge of dryland production systems and their sustainability will be examined in this essay. The validity and utility of any concept may be considered to rest upon mutual understanding of its meaning and the accuracy of its description and explanation of process. Judged against these criteria, I will argue that desertification (and the narrative that has built up around it) is unhelpful in explaining the sustainability of dryland production systems for three interrelated reasons. Firstly, at an abstract and theoretical level it is poorly conceptualized and ill-defined, mixing symptoms and causes in continually shifting boundaries of what processes it does and does not include. Secondly, the scientific work that has been used to support the concept has serious flaws and has failed to adequately represent the problem of sustainability in dryland areas. And lastly, the narrative has effectively blocked more accurate and progressive understandings of dryland sustainability. It will then we suggested that although desertification does not serve as a particularly useful lens to continue to analyse dryland sustainability, a knowledge of its history may yet prove useful in illuminating the relationship between science, policy and action. At an abstract level, the definition of desertification offers a number of problems for clear and objective understanding. Firstly, rather than a unitary process in itself, desertification is an amalgam of drought, desiccation and degradation which are three interrelated but discrete phenomena (Warren, 1996). Each of these has different causes and feedback mechanisms but has a similar outcome, and therefore desertification creates operational difficulties for assessment and subsequent intervention (ibid. , 1996). Pinpointing the exact cause of similar short-term physical manifestation is important to provide an effective solution (Warren Khogali, 1992). The inclusion of a subjective causal element such as human pressure in the definition also leads to problems delimiting the identification of desertification from its measurement (Mortimore, 1998). For example, in its attempts to map desertification hazards in 1977, UNEP added the parameter of high human and animal pressure to a map of aridity (ibid, 1989). However the duality of human action and natural changes is not necessarily so distinct and defined, and this obscures the mutual constitution of the two (Thomas, 1997). Secondly, and possibly as a result of this complexity of process, a definition of desertification has been problematic (ibid. , 1997). As noted earlier, there are more than 100 published definitions of desertification, which variously include or exclude the range of ecological processes within its boundaries (Glanz Orlovsky, 1985; Swift, 1996). Mainguet (1991) has argued that the term has been rendered obsolete by the extent of the confusion over its meaning. At a purely conceptual level therefore, the usefulness of the desertification may be severely compromised by the ambiguity over its definition, and within this the inclusion of both causal mechanisms and identification factors. Possibility related to the problem of definition of desertification, the theory and evidence used to support the concept has also been questioned (Mortimore, 1998). In this section the accuracy of the received narrative will be shown to have been challenged on three bases, the physical form of its occurrence, the processes that lie behind this form and the structural mechanisms that account for the continuation of these processes. The history of the narrative has been comprehensively reviewed by Swift (1996). Analysis of the process (without reference to the term) of desertification began in earnest in the late 1920s and 1930s, following a period of severe drought in the Sahel. One of the most influential writers on the subject was Stebbing, a forester who carried out fieldwork in the British and French colonies of West Africa in 1934. Stebbing asserted that the Sahara was moving southwards and estimated that this had occurred at a rate of 1km / yr for the previous three centuries (Stebbing, 1937 cited in Swift, 1996). Desiccation was ascribed as the process responsible for this change, with the increase in the use of indigenous agricultural land use through population pressure as the structural mechanism (ibid, 1937). This process was thought to have a subsequent feedback effect on rainfall, making it more intermittent (ibid, 1937). Although Stamp (1940) raised the severe shortcomings of Stebbings research, a number of elements of his argument can be traced in current consideration of desertification. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the desertification issue was revived, once again following a period of intense drought (Swift, 1996). The work of Lamprey (1975) and Ibrahim (1984) proved particularly important during this period, despite seriously flawed data analysis (ibid, 1996). Lamprey used ground surveys and aerial reconnaissance to compare contemporary boundaries on Kordofan and Darfur with those of a 1958 botanical survey. However, this distinction did not take account of the fact that the contemporary data was taken in a series of exceptionally dry years, whilst that 1958 represented a relatively wet period in the Sahel (Mortimore, 1998). In terms of the physical manifestation of this process, Lamprey (1975) concluded that ecological boundaries were shifting southwards and that sand was encroaching and threatening farmland. The work of Ibrahim (1984), based on observations in Darfur, Sudan over the period of 1976 1982, supported Lampreys conclusions and suggested that desertification had claimed over 650,000 kmi of productive land in the previous fifty years. In both of these studies, man was seen as the cause of desertification, with the rate of the process controlled by the increase in population pressure. Actions such as excessive use of agriculture in unsustainable areas, extensive pastoralism and high herd numbers and the indiscriminate collection of firewood were suggested as the triggers for this process (Swift, 1995). In combination the ideas of Stebbing (1937), Lamprey (1975) and Ibrahim (1984) became the scientific basis of a received narrative in terms of the form, process and causation of desertification. These ideas were reflected in policy circles, culminating in the UN Convention on Desertification in 1977. The main elements of the desertification concept may be thus identified as the expansion of the desert at a measurable rate, with desiccation is main process of this change and that man (driven by population pressure) is its agent. A Malthusian spiral of population growth, resource mismanagement, environmental degradation and a reduced carrying capacity may then be extrapolated (Mortimore, 1998). Many aspects of this conception have been the subject of critique.

Plastic Pollution, Recycling Annotated Bibliography

Plastic Pollution, Recycling - Annotated Bibliography Example There are also various chapters, in the end, that discuss the recycling of the plastics, as well as thermal treatment. Newly found technologies that have been adopted in plastic manufacturing to alleviate the environmental cost thereof, have also been discussed in the book. This book is very relevant to the research, as it not only discusses the manufacturing of plastics, but also the problems caused to the environment by their use, as well as the methods in which they are recycled and manufactured, with a discussion of how to minimize the environmental cost. Curlee, Randall T., Haber, Sujit, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Plastic Wastes: Management, Control, Recycling and Disposal (Pollution Technology Review). Norwich, NY: William Andrew, 1992. Print. The main subject of this book is the plastic wastes that are most common in the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). This book also discusses the industrial plastic wastes. What makes this book stand apart from the rest is the fact that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also took part in it actively and is credited amongst the authors. The authors not only discuss the usual topics of the wastes produced, their amount and the environmental effects or costs of such wastes and their recycling, but also takes such factors into account as the cost of the recycling the technology needed for recycling and, what is even more interesting, it touches upon the factor of energy in this regard; how much energy is needed to recycle and how much energy is utilized and if it is efficient to recycle in the present scenario. This book is very relevant to the research as it discusses various relevant topics, not only is it directly linked with discussing the pollution that plastics caused, but it talks about the various recycling costs. The book can be utilized while researching for a cost effective recycling process as well as a guide for the present costs