Labor Relations Essays - Labour Relations, Trade Unions,

Labor Relations This paper will attempt to discuss the cost and benefit of trade unionism, as it exists in the United States. To understand the pros and cons, it is important to understand the environment in which trade unionism developed and the needs they attempted to satisfy. It will discuss the evolution of Trade Unionism through the centuries. From that understanding we can discuss the topic as it relates to our current environment. Historians agree that American Unionism started in the early 19th Century. These early organizations were formed along the lines of Craft. Daniel Mills explains, in Labor Relations, Crafts people worked for themselves, or in small shops. They were often in conflict with customers or merchants which they supplied. (35) These associations were formed to protect their craft, rather than as a collective bargaining union. In the mid 19th Century, America was in the middle of the industrial revolution. We were becoming an urban industrial society. Immigration was becoming a great source of labor supply. These large manufacturing enterprises, exploiting workers without regards to human cost, were ripe for National Union Organization. Jerry Borenstein states in his work, Unions In Transition, They were often loosely organized associations, which were quite short-lived and likely to disappear under hostile pressure from employers and government. (15) The unions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were formed largely to protect basic human dignity in the work place. Unions addressed basic concerns regarding safety issues, length of work day and wage. They were largely unsuccessful due to the public perception of unions as Socialistic as well as anti American. People viewed trade unions as being disruptive to the flow of free trade. It was only during the 1930's that trade unions, as we know them today, were created and accepted. With the passing of the Wagner Act of 1935, formal, legal protection was now afforded Trade Unions in America. Trade uni ons moved from being virtually outlawed by the US Government to being the beneficiaries of their legal protection. Morgan Reynolds tells us, in his Power and Privilege, the common definition of Labor Union in the American dictionaries is an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions, through the process of collective bargaining. ( 33 ) This definition is an all encompassing one that justifies the existence of unions. Assumptions must be made by unions and the union members that these items are not being provided for by the employer and therefore require an organization, the union, to fight for them. This definition describes a Good Guy / Bad Guy relationship between worker and Employer, that I believe is too simplistic. Both Union and Management act in a checks and balance relationship that is difficult to describe. We must take specific points of concern and describe the benefits trade unio nism brings to the table. Union Approach Wages Trade unions are filling a need of the American worker just as much today as they did 30, 50 or 70 years ago. Unions historically have represented the workers who were from manufacturing, Blue Collar, job classifications. These workers are not being paid an equitable share of the profits that corporations are making. The disparity between the union worker and the management personnel is ever growing. The AFL-CIO News dated June 28, 1996 describes an incident where Steelworkers were locked out of a Common Wealth Gas plant for turning down a contract calling for more than 50 concessions while two weeks previously management was given 3 million dollars compensation. This occurred while the company was making a record 54 million dollar profit. ( 2 ). It follows, when considering the previous statement, inequities in pay are as prevalent in 1996 as they were in 1926. Unions are needed to lessen these inequities by fighting for workers wages. In Richard Freeman's, What Do Unions Do, he states, Union membership advances pay treatment for groups that are historically the least paid. There is a wider disparity in the wages of Union vs. non Union workers among the following groups. The young, who are the lowest paid, the worker with least tenure, non whites and women. (

Colonialism in Africa

Colonialism in Africa Free Online Research Papers Colonialism and its Direct Effect on the Rise of Nationalism in African Culture In America, today, the struggles of Africans over the course of history have gone widely unnoticed, with the exception of slavery in the America. Africa is a diverse group of people of many different backgrounds and languages. This is due to the colonization of Africa by Europeans, which was followed by many struggles to regain their independence as their own people. To fully understand, a person must take a closer look at colonialism and its direct effect on the rise of Nationalism in African culture. Colonialism is defined as a policy by which a nation maintains or extends its control over foreign dependencies, or in more realistic terms an exploitation by a stronger country of weaker one; the use of the weaker countrys resources to strengthen and enrich the stronger country (dictionary.com). A broad historical understanding of direct European colonial influence on the African continent dates back at least to the spread of the Roman Empire to North Africa. The more contemporary era of European colonialism, that was consecrated by the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, was preceded by a gradual process of European expansion into Africa over roughly four-hundred and fifty years (Schraeder 50-1). Beginning in 1434, Portuguese explorers under the leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator began sailing the West African coastline with intent of spreading Christianity and to enhance Portuguese political-military power. The steady advance of Portuguese explorers marked the beginning of what is commonly called in the West the age of exploration (the charting and mapping of lands previously unknown to European powers, before the ultimate imposition of colonial rule). One of the most devastating aspects of increasing foreign influence in Africa at the end of the fifteenth century was the global perception that slavery was a legitimate and necessary tool of political-military and economic expansion (51). Many slave trade routes appeared with the overwhelming acceptance of slavery by the world outside of Africa. The most prominent was the Atlantic slave trade, also called the European slave trade, which primarily shipped slaves to the Western Hemisphere (52). The Atlantic slave trade began during the fifteenth century and was dominated by the European powers. Slaves were sought as cheap labor to work the colonial plantations in the Americas that produced a variety of products that were exported to Europe. For Africans, the slave trade era sowed the seed of nationalism as Europeans divided and separated families, taking the most able people to work in the Western Hemisphere as slaves. Taking the most abled Africans slowed development in the rest of Africa, and the slaves were kept in the poorest conditions no animal, let alone human being, should suffer through. Often many Africans chose death, by jumping in the shark infested water, rather than continue to live their lives as a slave. While the slave trade sowed the seed of nationalism, the application of the nation-state system sprouted further growth. The origins of the nation-state system lie in the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. The treaty marked the beginning of the nation-state system, in which sovereign political entities independent of any outside authorities exercised control over peoples residing in separate territories with officially marked boundaries. The imposition of the European nation-state system created a series of artificial states that, unlike their counterparts in Europe, did not evolve gradually according to the wishes of local African peoples. They instead were constructed by European authorities with little concern for local socioeconomic or political-military conditions. Another impact of colonialism was the division of African ethnic groups among numerous colonial states (62). The Somali people of the Horn of Africa are a notable example. Previously united by a common culture but lacking a centralized authority, this classically segmented political system was subjugated and divided among four imperial powers: Britain, France, Italy, and an independent Ethiopia. The problem with division of one people among many states is irredentism, or the political desire of nationalists to reunite their separated peoples in one unified nation-state (63). Another problem with the nation-state system is the opposite of the division of one people among many states. A third impact of European colonialism was the incorporation of previously separate and highly diverse African peoples in one colonial state. Britain’s creation of Nigeria illustrates this colonial practice and its consequences. Nigeria is composed of over two-hundred and fifty different ethnic groups. Only three of those ethnic groups comprises roughly sixty-six percent of the total population and primarily reside in three different areas of Nigeria (64). There are many problems associated with the collection of diverse groups that were never under the same rule until the arrival of colonialism and the nation-state system. It leads to language barriers that will slow the development of the nation-state as a whole. It causes clashes between political cultures. For example, Britain chooses a specific ethnic group residing in Nigeria to be in power. This leads to feuding among the rest of the tribes and ethnic groups because they all believe they should be the elites. The biggest impact that the nation-state system had among the African people was its division of families and friends, which is a vital in every Africans life. The nation-state system imposed boundaries right in the middle of villages, dividing the people among different countries that will have rule over them such as Britain and France. Each country kept strict control of who enters and leaves, making it hard for families and friends to stay in touch, often leading to a total loss of touch with a person’s family. Europeans often imposed their political, judicial, and police systems that were foreign to all Africans, and made them change their social structure to fit the Europeans. Instead of relying on a chief, Privy Council, council of elders, or village assembly, which is what Africans were working with at the time, they had to change their ways of life for the Europeans or face the consequences. Colonialism also imposed a system of a direct export economy. Europeans stripped the lands of Africa for their own benefit and left locals with very little to spare. The hardships that the Europeans imposed developed a sense of identity and pride throughout Africa. Nationalism is defined as a sense of collective identity in which a people perceives itself as different than (and often superior to) other peoples. Nationalism also implies the existence of a variety of shared characteristics, most notably a common language and culture, but also race and religion. The emergence of European â€Å"nations† (or cohesive group identities) generally preceded and contributed to the creation of European â€Å"states†. The result was the creation of viable nation-states that enjoyed the legitimacy of their peoples. This process was reversed in Africa. In most cases, the colonial state was created before any sense of nation existed (81). The idea of freedom, the underdevelopment of Africa, and the development of the concept of Pan-Africanism (feelings of unity) were the reasons why the seed of nationalism that was sowed and sprouted began to fully grow. Adding to the fire was the constant treatment of Africans by Europeans as inferiors, the development on African national unions, rise of Islamic movements, and the rise of the educated class. America also had a direct effect on African nationalism along with other countries that created examples for Africans to follow. In the Atlantic Charter of 1941, the agreement by Roosevelt and Churchill, promised that Africans could choose independence and self-governance. The development of aid and nationalism in Asia also encouraged Africans (in 1947 India took its independence from Britain). Also, the founding of the UN in 1945 increased the hope of all Africans for complete independence. A unique aspect of African nationalism was its inherently anti-colonial character. African nationalist movements were sharply divided on political agendas, ideological orientation, and economic programs. Regardless of their differences, however, the leaders of these movements did agree on one point: the necessity and desirability of independence from foreign control. That desire became a reality for the African leaders and people, but not all at once. There are four major waves of independence in the history of Africa (82). The first wave of independence was marked by peaceful transitions and took place during the 1950s. The wave was led by the heavily Arab-influenced North African countries. Three countries outside North Africa also obtained independence during this period followed by the former French colony of Guinea in 1958. The second wave of independence took place during the 1960s, when more than thirty African countries achieved independence. Most of these countries were former British and French colonies. All three Belgian colonies also acquired independence during this period and were joined by the Republic of Somalia. Aside from some noteworthy exceptions, most notably France’s unsuccessful attempt to defeat a pro-independence guerrilla insurgency in Algeria and the emergence of the Mau Mau guerilla insurgency in Kenya, the decolonization process of the 1960s was also largely peaceful. The departing colonial powers had already accepted the inevitability of decolonization. Questions simply remained as to when and under what conditions (83). The third wave of independence began in 1974. A military coup d’etat in Portugal, led by junior military officers, resulted in a declaration that the Portuguese government intended to grant immediate independence to the colonies in Africa. Coup plotters sought to end their stay because of poorly trained and unmotivated Portuguese military forces that repeatedly fought against highly motivated and increasingly adept African guerilla insurgencies. The violent path to independence in the former Portuguese colonies was further complicated in 1975, when Angolan guerrilla groups clashed in what would become an extended civil war over who would lead an independent Angola. The former French colonies of Comoros, Seychelles, and Djibouti, however, achieved independence under largely peaceful terms. The fourth wave of independence emerged during the 1980s. This wave was directed against the minority white-ruled regimes in Southern Africa. Since 1948, South Africa was controlled by the descendants of white settlers known as Afrikaners. This minority elite established a highly racist system in which blacks and other minorities (roughly eighty-five percent of the population) were denied political rights. The minority white-ruled regimes of Southern Africa were confronted by guerrilla organizations that enjoyed regional and international support. Military struggles were suspended after the white minority regimes agreed to negotiate transitions to black majority rule. Nelson Mandela’s emergence in 1994 as the first democratically elected leader of South Africa signaled the end of the decolonization process and the transition to the contemporary independence era. Through colonialism, which led to slavery and the application of the nation-state system, Africans developed a sense of Nationalism that sparked their movements toward independence. It is through their own will to be their own people that they achieved their current state of independence. Research Papers on Colonialism in AfricaBringing Democracy to AfricaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraQuebec and CanadaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaDefinition of Export QuotasComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHip-Hop is ArtAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Relationship between Media Coverage and Social and

A Review of Zoot Suit, a Book by Luis Valdez

A Review of Zoot Suit, a Book by Luis Valdez In Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit, the zoot suit has many conspicuous and inconspicuous meanings. The zoot suit is an ostentatious outfit that many Chicano gangsters wore in order to gain recognition of the police and the people of Los Angeles. The boys’ family members believe that the zoot suit symbolizes insubordination while police offers and press view it as delinquency. The boys of the Thirty-eighth Street Gang, who admire the zoot suits, regard the zoot suit as empowering. In the play, there is a clash of opinions as to whether the zoot suit represents power or delinquency. The zoot suit helps many chicano boys of the Thirty-eighth Street Gang identify themselves with the other boys as they face discrimination and aggression from the Downey Gang and police officers. In the beginning of the play, El Pachuco, who is Henry Reyna’s alter ego, expresses his appreciation and passion for the zoot suit. He describes putting on a zoot suit, â€Å"†¦makes [Chicancos] feel real root look like a diamond, sparkling, shinning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Valdez 1.1.3). Rather than hiding, El Pachuco displays himself as if he is a radiate gem that all can fawn over because he dresses in style, and therefore should commands respect. The zoot suit gives the boys the confidence and swagger to gain esteem from their fellow boys and the Downey gang, a rival group. The boys use the zoot suit as a uniform symbolizing the ideology of a group of individuals fighting for common goal which was Chicano pride. Even more, El Pachuco, who dons the zoot suit, epitomizes the Chicano spirit because he reminds Henry Reyna to not waver from trying to gain respect from the police. In the end, El Pachuco states he is, â€Å"†¦the ideal of the original chuco was to look like a diamond to look sharp hip bonarro† (Valdez 2.6.16). Therefore, the boys looks up to Pachuco as a genuine symbol of what they are fighting for. The boys feel more formidable when the other boys put on the zoot suit because it gives a sense of brotherhood and community. In packs, the boys feel comforted by the numbers but with the zoot suit, the boys feel invincible. In the eyes of the police and the press, the zoot suit is seen as a symbol of misconduct and malice. After the police disperses the barrio dance and Sergeant Smith detains Henry and the rest of the boys who are main culprits of the Sleep Lagoon murder case, Smith interrogates the boys, and sarcastically comments, â€Å"you pachucos are regular tough guys† (Valdez 1.3.1). By sarcastically insulting the boys for being a bunch of tough guys, Smith is in actuality calling the boys weaklings and therefore, considers the zoot suit powerless and only a symbol of rebellion. Sergeant Smith believes that the zoot suit is just a mere ostentatious attire that makes the boys a target of discrimination. He goes further and declares, â€Å"I hear you pachas wear these monkey suits as a kind of armor. Is that right? How does it work? This is what you zooters need a little old-fashioned discipline (Valdez 1.4.41). Smith again uses name calling instead of properly addressing the boys. The à ¢â‚¬Å"zooter† signifies that Smith utterly shuns the zoot suit and thinks its so ridiculous that the boys wear them. He even goes as far as to question the secret powers of the zoot suit as if to play of the boys emotions and taunt the zoot suit further. Clearly, the police dont take the power of the zoot suit seriously. Even the headlines of the Los Angeles newspaper articles â€Å"Zoot-Suited Goons of Sleepy Lagoon† (Valdez 1.5.15) shows the yellow journalism uses zoot suit in a derogatory term and labeled all Mexicans as Zoot Suits. The press goes further and comments that, â€Å"the Zoot Suit Crime Wave is even beginning to push the war news off the front page† (Valdez 2.6.15) in order to reveal to the audience that wearing zoot suits and being seen in them was considered a crime and a rebellious action that cannot be ignored by even the news. The symbol of the zoot suit bring depth to the play as so many different individuals perceive the zoot suit in their own way. For the boys of the Thirty-eighth Street Gang, it defines their group and intentions. By wearing the suit, the boys make a single stance against the oppression and discrimination by the press and the police officials. However, for the press and police officials, the zoot suit only symbolizes the crime and wrongdoing. They believe that the zoot suit only affirms their beliefs that the boys are reckless. The zoot suit is truly a symbol of the disagreement of individuals within the Los Angeles community.

Intellectual Property Law (Trade marks) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual Property Law (Trade marks) - Essay Example In the absence of these marks, substandard quality or other manufacturing defects might not be traced to their manufacturer. Thus trademarks on the one hand ensure and maintain the reputation of the manufacturer and on the other hand they make the seller liable for the quality of the goods made or sold. The fundamental feature of the Trade mark law is to defend the consumer's investment in respect of the goods or services purchased, from unfair and misleading advertising by immoral competitors. Most of the courts have made it mandatory for trade marks to be non- descriptive of the goods to which they are applied. All goods and services are classified into 45 internationally recognized classes for the purpose of identifying a company's rights in respect of goods or services. As such the trademark registration will be done only for these groups. Again, the trademark application shall describe in detail as to which goods or services of a category being applied for. Thus trademark registration would disqualify applications claiming all goods in a class. Trademarks must be protected and used more frequently compared to copyrights and patents. The holder of a patent or copyright may inhibit its usage by keeping the creation for himself, where as a company obtaining a trademark and failing to use it, or failing to look after it from being used in the breach, is likely to loose the right to it. In the event of a trademarked term becoming generic out of common use or in the event of a consumer failing to recognize it as a trademark or a court ruling to that effect, makes it null and void1. The reasons for rejection or acceptance for registration of trademarks under the Trade Marks Act, 1994 and the registrability of certain type of marks are discussed here under. The smell of roses applied to Rambling Rose Dolls. In the U.K., several scent registrations have been issued as a result of the amendment to the U.K. Trademark Act in 1994. Subsequently, the registration of the smell of roses was done in respect of car tyres in the United Kingdom2. This trend is visible in other European countries also, where applications for scent marks have been filed and the OHIM has accorded permission for the registration of a mark incorporating "The Smell of Fresh Cut Grass" for tennis balls3 and similarly in the case of Benelux4. The intention is to enhance product esteem. Smell marks are registrable if they are already being used or will be used in the future as a trademark. It must be a supplementary component produced by the manufacturer and it should not be a part or arising from the goods or services or the consumer should particularly associate the smell with that product5. The public has been associating the smell of roses with car tyres and this has b een registered so the third clause of registrability is inapplicable to rambling dolls. Registrability of the exterior form of a tin of baked beans produced by Gusto Ltd. The canister of beans in this case, is similar to that used by another prominent manufacturer which though not registered as a trademark was being used for 30 years. This shape will be provided legal protection on the basis of reputation or goodwill. The efforts of a competitor to use a name similar to that being used by a small business which had been doing business from many years without a registered trademark will be

Competitive Markets and Marketing Strategies Essay

Competitive Markets and Marketing Strategies - Essay Example This positioning strategy helps the customers to have product within their minds. To address the target market Scion creates customers' trust to make them willingly follow the company. The goal of the company "is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level" (Breaking, Fully Integrated Scion, 2005). Another peculiarity of Scion is that the product design is its own form of positioning. Scion design identifies the brand and a model as a symbol of a youth hippie culture (). This method is an effective strategy for communicating with the audience who consider themselves members of a particular group, "generation Y". Finding that today's youth are different, the new product is designed for those young people who love speed and luxury. Even "if they can't afford luxury, they'll take luxury touches" (Woodyard, n.d.). The car combines the features of "tasteful design and exemplary fit make tC almost seem Lexus-like" (Healey, 2004). Positioning based on design represents an act of personal pleasure, reflect the owner's actual or ideal image. For instance, xA has "the 1.5-liter, four cylinder engine is rated at 108 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 rpm.

Aluminium Presentation Essay Example for Free

Aluminium Presentation Essay Ive done my presentation on Aluminium and will be talking to you about its properties, where its found and its uses and why its the best material for these purposes. Aluminium. Chemical symbol Al. Atomic weight approx 27 Atomic number 13 and electronic configuration 2-8-3. Appearance- pure aluminium is a shiny silvery white material. Down to the molecular level aluminium has a polycrystalline structure where the metal has cooled from different areas of the material where. Where these areas meet are called the grain boundary. This structure gives aluminium its many properties. Density The first thing you notice about aluminium is its relatively lightweight. It has a density of 2,7g/mm3. This is about 1/3 the weight of a piece of steel the same size. Resists Corrosion like many other metals aluminium is very reactive in air and thus a fine layer of aluminium oxide is created on the surface. This provides provides a highly effective barrier to the ravages of air, temperature, moisture and chemical attack. 0.000000635cm Highly reflective Free electrons in the metal absorb the light energy then immediately re emit it.emits 90* of the light that it absorbs. This would not happen if free electrons wernt present. Ductile Aluminium can be bent and shaped extremely easily. This is because of it polycrystalline structure. Along the grain boundaries of the material dislocations in the atoms occur. It is the movement of these dislocations that makes this metal very ductile. This is good for shaping aluminium but very bad for its strength. Strength like many other of aluminiums properties it depends on the purity of the material 99.996 per cent pure aluminium has a tensile strength of about 49 megapascals (MPa), Unlike materials such as steel, aluminium gets stronger as temperature drops. rising to 700 MPa following alloying and suitable heat treatment. Conductance aluminium is one of the best conductors of electricity. Because it is a metal it ontains almost a soup of free flowing electrons which make it very easy for a current to flow through it. Aluminium itself conducts about 63% of that of copper of the same mass. Aluminium is also a great conductor of heat conducting about 220 Watts Occurance Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earths crust. Only the non metal elements oxygen and silicon are more abundant. The largest deposits of aluminium are found in Australia, Guinea and West Indies. Aluminium does not occur in its pure form but as either an aluminium silicate or as bauxite which consists of aluminium oxide and commonly iron oxide also. As seen in the picture the aluminium ore is a redish colour this is caused by the iron ore mix. Bauxite is produced through chemical weathering of rocks in tropical climate. Extraction The method now used for aluminiums commercial production is the electrolysis. An iron pot, lined with carbon, is charged with cryolite and heated to about 800à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C by the electric current. For the electrolysis, a bundle of carbon rods is used as the anode, while the pot itself forms the cathode. The oxygen liberated combines with the carbon of the anode to form carbon dioxide, while the aluminium falls to the bottom of the vessel. More alumina is added and the process continued, the molten metal being drawn off from time to time. Uses Aircrafts Mainly because of its lightweight. This feature is utilized by aircraft and can cut the weight down by up to 5 tonnes. This means planes can fly fast and be more economical. This also applies to all transportation allowing increased loading capacity also. Usually it isnt actually pure aluminium because of its poor strength but instead alloys of aluminium which can be as strong as 700 Mpa. Buildings Aluminium is used in construction mainly because of its corrosion resistance. Its is also a very easy material to shaped and mould making it ideal for the uses in construction Electrics Aluminium is a very economical material as an electric conductor and is widely utilized in power transmission cables. Aluminium only has 60% conductivity of copper but weighs a 1/3 as much making it ideal for large power cables. Heat aluminium is about 3 times as thermal conductive as steel. This feature is used in cooking utensils, engines, air conditioners and it is also being used in energy saving equipment such as solar cells. Reflective Because aluminium is reflective of most electric, heat and light waves it is being more commonly used in the insulation of homes. Harsh conditions Unlike steel which gets brittle in cold conditions aluminium get stronger making it the perfect material to use in harsh conditions. Aluminium is now being used on snow-mobiles Cans aluminium is a non toxic material, smooth, easily washable and is hygienic because no germs an grow on it. Also because malleability it can be shaped into any shaped or form making it ideal for packaging Because of aluminiums low melting point approx 600 C it is the ideal material in this age of energy and resource saving to recycle.

The Detrimental Effects of Deforestation Essay -- Environment Environm

The Detrimental Effects of Deforestation Deforestation has been around for many years. Before America was discovered, fuelwood was the main source of energy, so many trees were being cut down all over Europe to provide energy for the inhabitants. Even still today, 2000 million people in low income countries still rely on wood for cooking and heating (Causes, 1). The rate at which we are loosing our world’s forests is steadily increasing. During the 1980’s, worldwide deforestation rates were at 15 million hectares per year for tropical forests alone (WRM, 1). This compares with 11.3 million hectares that were lost annually during the 70’s- a 50 percent increase (The Problems, 1). And as one might expect, this trend is being continued into the 90’s, as in most parts of the world, the rate of deforestation accelerated during this decade (WRM, 1). There are billions of people living on this earth and we all use paper and wood. So why do we need to concern ourselves with deforestation? I would like to point out several reasons why I feel that deforestation is a problem that we need to work towards correcting. First of all, the effects of deforestation are felt in the atmosphere. Trees soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that we can breath clean, healthy air. If trees help us breathe, then why are we cutting so many of them down? Besides, forests help stabilize the climate. Cutting down forests releases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, causing 25% of the net warming effect on this planet (Durning, 21). Forests provide us with beauty as well. Deforestation takes away some of the beauty of our great country and world. There is nothing I enjoy more than driving through a forest and feeling pride to liv... ...Guide To Working with the Public. Timber Press: Forest Grove, Oregon 1977. Paper Recycling. http://www.org.gov.tw/english.now/hpr.htm. The Challenge of Sustainable Forest Management. Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations: Rome 1993. The Committee for National Arbor Day. http://www.nationalarborday.org/426a.htm. The Problems of Forest Loss. http://www.wri.org/biodiv/intl-ll.html. World Resources Institute, 1998. Thomson, M. and Warburton, M. "Uncertainty on a Himalayan Scale." Deforestation: Social Dynamics in Watersheds and Mountain Ecosystems. Routledge: London 1988:1-13. WRM. World Rainforest Movement. http://www.wrm.org.uv.english/u.causes/. Wadsworth, Frank H. Forest Production for Tropical America. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook. December, 1997. Why Recycle? http://www.wvwc.net/recycle/why.html. Wesleyan Recycling Program. Â  

Negative Commercial Influences on Scientific Research Essay

Nowadays, it’s a trend that almost everything is related to the commerce, and so do the scientific research, because the society would like to value the research results. To some extend, scientific research is not only a pure research in the labs or universities, but also a business sometimes. As a result, the commercial influences on the scientific research are so obvious that change the ways that researchers do or the universities behave. Among these effects, negative commercial influences have become more and more clearly. On the one hand, because of the profits, some researchers begin to focus more on the researching speed rather than the quality. In order to succeed quickly, some researchers hope to get a good experiment results as soon as possible. In this case, they may fail easily or receive worse consequences. On the other hand, it has led to some wrong purposes to sell out science to commerce. A new report from the organization Scientists for Global Responsibility looks at the bad impact on five commercial areas which includes pharmaceuticals, tobacco, oil and gas, defence and biotech. [1] From the perspective of the defence, in the theory, it’s normal and reasonable for a country to develop the scientific researches on the countries’ defense. But in fact, with the overwhelming attentions on new military technology and the huge financial support, the research has changed the original pure goals into developing military hardware, even resulting in the competitions among different countries. When it comes to biotech, before the emergence of biotech, business and science operated in largely separate spheres.[2] Whereas, there is also a marriage between the commercial support and scientific researches at present. And sometimes, this kind of â€Å"marriage† may cause big faults that can do harm to human being’s health because of some misleading messages in the biotech area. Admittedly, the cooperation between the commerce and the scientific research has bring some positive effects. First of all, with more financial investments, researchers can have enough money to purchase some advanced equipments so that they can do the experiments they’re willing to trying. Second, the cooperation can help scientists put their researching results in the labs into the real world. If the invents display on the table in the  labs or museum, they’re just the dead thing. But if the invents can be used in the daily life or put into the customers’ market, they may bring something new to make the lives more convenient. However, because of the commercial influences, science has lost the freedom and the time to carry out research as thoroughly and as painstakingly as it should.[3] Generally speaking, commerce has brought both the positive and negative effects on the scientific researches. Even though the cooperation activate research or facilitate people’s life, the negative influences have caused more and more parent shortcomings. So reform is needed to improve the cooperation. References [1]Adapted from Parkinson,S,&Langley,C.(2009).Stop selling out science to commerce.New Scientist,204(2733),32-33. [2]John slaght, ISLC, University of Reading, UK, based primarily on Ho&Saunders(2001) and Pisano(2006). [3]John slaght, ISLC, University of Reading, UK, based primarily on Ho&Saunders(2001) and Pisano(2006).

Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” Analysis Essay

Many of Ray Bradbury’s novels tend to focus around the idea that humans downfall will be due to the increased attention to technology and machines are incapable of human emotion. Unlike most short stories, â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains† does not have any human characters. It is just an automated house. The house performs a routine, similar to a human’s. It makes pancakes, cleans itself, reads poems in the study and more. But for whom? The family that used to live in the house, and the surrounding area, has been wiped out by a nuclear blast. The house does not realize and continues as if nothing is wrong. As the story draws to a close, a tree limb breaks through a window, beginning a chain reaction and starts a fire inside the house. The house desperately tries to save itself, but fails. Ray Bradbury’s â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains† presents many themes, including that human values are becoming lost, arguing that people cannot control their out come; however, the greatest truth presented is that nature will live on without humans and humanity. Throughout the short story, the idea that human values are becoming lost is prominent. Human feelings, such as sorrow and joy, are only possessed by humans. At the beginning, the only surviving member of the family, the dog, walks into the house extremely sick with radiation poisoning. The dog has tracked in mud and the robotic mice that clean the house are not happy about it. Behind the dog â€Å"whirred angry mice, angry at having to pick up mud, angry at the inconvenience† (Bradbury 2). Instead of feeling sympathy and compassion for the dog, the robotic mice are â€Å"annoyed† at the mess he’s made. Say a human were in the house, they would find treatment for the dog or at least feel sympathy for the dog’s situation. However since the mice are robotic, they are incapable of feeling these emotions. They are simply â€Å"angry† at having to pick up the mess, and shortly after, the dogs corpse. In an essay by Jennifer Hicks, the author discusses the different images in â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains† and their negative connections. In the story,  everything is computerized, including the kitchen appliances. She discusses a â€Å"stove that cooks by itself, a miracle we all might want, unfortunately creates ‘toast that was like stone’† (Hicks 236). The stove makes the majority of the food in the house for the family. But unfortunately, it lacks the ability to cook the toast to perfection; it is programmed to make it hard as a rock. People are able to cook their own toast to the way they want it. As the story draws to a close, a fire breaks loose in the house and burns everything in its path. The narrator describes the fire as â€Å"†¦crackl[ing] up the stairs† and â€Å"†¦feeding on Picasso’s and Matisse’s† (Bradbury 3). Picasso and Matisse have produced some of the most valued masterpieces that have ever b een created and the fire just burns them away. Machines and robots are not human and therefore cannot posses human qualities. Ray Bradbury suggests that when humans try to change nature, they will meet similar outcomes just like when they try to change their fate. While the house is going through its daily routine, the narrator stops to describe the setting. He describes the house standing â€Å"alone in a city of rubble and ash†¦[and the] one house left standing† (Bradbury 1). From the excerpt, it can be determined that a nuclear explosion has occurred and the entire city has been reduced to â€Å"rubble and ash†. The nuclear bomb was originally developed to protect the people of the United States. Bradbury is telling the readers that what humans create to â€Å"protect† themselves will ultimately bring their downfall. As the story progresses, the narrator describes the incinerator in the cellar. Bradbury compares the â€Å"sighing of an incinerator which sat like evil Baal in dark corner† (Bradbury 2). The incinerator in the cellar is compared to Baal, a false god created by humans. In this situation, Baal is a symbol for human’s creations and their stupidity. Therefore, he represents any other technology in the house. According to the Bible, anyone who worships a false god will be condemned to an eternity in Hell. Since the people in the house relied on technology for every aspect of their life, they were â€Å"worshipping† the technology and ultimately met their demise. Robert Peltier discusses the dangers of technology presented by Bradbury and how humans need to base their lives on arts and humanities rather than technology and objects humans create. Peltier states that â€Å"of  course, Bradbury is really asking us to make judgments about our own lives and the monsters we create to make our lives easier†¦and to make us feel safe in a world where we are destroying nature with our greed and arrogance† (Peltier 237). The â€Å"monsters† Peltier is referring to, are the machines humans use on a daily basis. These demons ultimately bring the downfall of the people, and very possibly the entire world. As humans try to change their existence in an attempt to make their lives longer or more prosperous, they inadvertently make their lives shorter. When humans attempt to play God and change their fate, sooner or later they will bring about their own demise. The most prominent theme throughout â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains† is that nature will live on without humans. In the story, there are no humans and nature moves on as if they were never even there. In the middle of the story, the house reads a poem that speaks of nature and war. It reads, â€Å" And not one will know of the war, not one/Will care at last when it is done† (Bradbury 3). Similar to the story, a catastrophic disaster has struck and humanity has been wiped off the face of the Earth, but nature lives on and does not care that humans no longer exist. This is an example of irony because a similar tragedy has afflicted Allendale. Donna Haisty discusses the multiple themes presented in the short story. She discusses how Bradbury â€Å"illustrates humankind’s powerlessness in the face of natural forces† (Haisty 3). As the story draws to a close, a tree branch crashes through a window, spilling a bottle of cleaning solvent, which ignites a fire. The fire, being a force of nature, is unconquerable by the mechanized house, a human creation. The house symbolizes humans and their trifling creations while the fire symbolizes the unconquerable quality of nature. When the new day breaks, Bradbury describes it as Dawn showing â€Å"faintly in the east†¦even as the sun rose to shine upon the heaped rubble and steam† (Bradbury 4). After the fire completely destroys the house, the sun rises to a new day. A rising sun is archetypal for rebirth and in this situation; it is rebirth for the world after the attack. Instead of being a rainy and gloomy day, the morning is bright and joyful. Throughout the story, it is evident that humanity is not necessary for the world to exist. Through the duration of â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains† the themes of human values being lost due to  humans trying to change their outcome and the idea that nature will live on without humans is very prominent. It must not be forgotten that hu man values can never be programmed into a machine; humans cannot change their outcomes, lest they should bring their doom nearer, and that nature has no regard for trivial things such as humans. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains.† http://www.elizabethskadden.com/files/therewillcomesoftrainsbradbury.pdf. n.p. n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Haisty, Donna B. â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains.† Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6. Apr. 2014. Hicks, Jennifer. â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains.† Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 234-6. Print. Peltier, Robert. â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains.† Short Stories For Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 236-8. Print.

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