Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death Essays

Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death Essays Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death Paper Why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death Paper We often recognise human beings as being distinct from other species for the ability to anticipate death. But death can simply mean ones biological termination and therefore not capture fully the philosophical questions which we associate with human existence. Critically discuss why an existentialist might prefer to speak of finitude rather than death. Mans ability to recognise death is a fundamental part of his existence; it can be said that this is what separates us from animals or mere things. The subject of death can be viewed and understood in different ways. Some may see death as the end of a story, and chose to ignore or fight against it. An Existentialist however, would prefer to incorporate death as part of their whole existence. In this essay I will discuss how an Existentialist would prefer to speak of finitude rather than death. I will look at how his understanding of existence differentiates from that of somebody who thinks of death as something to be shunned. I will attempt to analyse how this Existential outlook on human existence helps them to deal with philosophical questions of morality, guilt, and ultimately authentic existence. I will endeavour to evaluate the problems that may arise from such a view on existence, and ascertain how death factors in to the Existentialist view. Humans are finite beings. Finitude in itself enables us to account for what is creative in the capacities of the finite human creature. Heidegger calls fate the association of the two senses of finitude: as project of being and as dependence upon pregiven being. (Kerszberg 1997, p238) It can be said that there is no absolute freedom for humans, and this encompasses the tragedy of existence. One way of defining this tragedy may be seen as a clash between the aspirations of human freedom and creativity with a cosmic order that is stronger and defeats man (Macquarrie 1972, p189). Its this limitation of man combined with the tragedy that makes us human. When an Existentialist is speaking of finitude, he means that we have simply been thrown into existence and we must accept our inward awareness of our very own being. Each individual persons existence is characterised by facticity in that we have not chosen to be, but rather, we are just here. We are stuck with our particular being; our genetic and hereditary selves, our place and moment in history and society etc. We do have possibilities in life, but they are confined by the external forces acting upon us. In this sense facticity can be seen as an opposite to possibility, or rather Existence never escapes from the tension between possibility and facticity. On the one side man is open and projects his possibilities; on the other side he is closed by the factual situation in which he already finds himself. (Macquarrie 1972, p192). It may be difficult for us to view death as anything other than a simple end to ones life. This biological death may be seen as an interruption of life, but if we accept this we cannot experience existence as a whole. Martin Heidegger believed that one way of overcoming this difficulty was to shift attention from death as the once-for-all observable fact at the end of life to the existents inward awareness that his being is a being-towards-death. (Macquarrie 1973, p195). So death is something that is already possible, in fact, the most possible thing in ones existence. Heidegger relates death to care, and this incorporates the everyday being of the Dasein (my beingness). It arises from the tension between the forward thrust of possibility into the future and the facticity of the situation into which the existent is already thrown, together with falling into the world and the they. (Macquarrie 1972, p196). One aspect of this is that death can be viewed upon as a supreme possibility of human existence. All the possibilities that we see before us are laid out before death one after the other. We can only experience one thing at a time and each of these things comes before the ultimate possibility of death still a possibility even though it can be an end to others. For Heidegger, he asks that we should anticipate death and that it should be an included factor into the way we experience certain events. For this reason the Existentialist will prefer to speak of finitude rather than the basic concept of death as it allows them to become aware that existence has boundaries and thus can contemplate it as a finite whole. There is a great difference in existential attitude between the man who lives in the face of an end and the man who systematically excludes the thought of death, or seeks to do so. Macquarrie 1972, p197). This relation of death to facticity is that the possibility of death is aimed at the future; facticity involves things that have already happened this possibility of death, to the Existentialist, is a current consideration. Nobody believes that death is something that can be stopped or is something that they would want to stop living forever may be a monstrosity. Another aspect of care is the falling. This entails becoming absorb ed into the world and being overwhelmed by external forces, thus becoming a part of the they. The people who are falling have shunned the notion of death and will try to avoid it where possible. People create institutions to deal with the subject of death; funerals are big business and delay the onset of decomposition with methods such as embalming. These people try to ignore and forget about death. Heidegger claims that death, honestly accepted and anticipated, can become an integrating factor in an authentic existence. (Macquarrie 1972, p198). For some Existentialists, death is the final absurdity, just as absurd as life itself. Camus states Human insurrection is a prolonged protest against death (Macquarrie 1972, p198) So death can be viewed as the ultimate symbol of the finitude of mans existence. There are some problems that arise for the Existentialist when an existence has a lack of wholeness. As humans relate differently to time than animals or things, there are a number of tensions that arise and it is almost improbably for there not to be. A human projects himself into the future For the thing or animal, the present only is real; the past is no longer and the future is not yet, and this means in effect that they are unreal. Macquarrie 1972, p200). For humans we should try to gather the past, present and future together in a quest for wholeness. With these Existential ideas in place, we can examine the difficulties involved when discussing finitude. If somebody were to dwell on the future exclusively, then they may be in danger of being overcome by fantasy and have a fear of the past. A preoccupation with the past is just as damaging, as we may paralyse our genuine willingness. We could deny ourselves exposure to new things and changes because of our routines we have adopted. Another common imbalance would be that of the present. In this sense man can become akin to an animal or a thing because of circumstances determined for him possibly institutionalised code for example and have thus, fallen into the they. Its questions and considerations like these, which arise from speaking of finitude rather than death. The problem of guilt arises for the Existentialist where the disorder of human existence is noted. Existing is projecting oneself into the future, but there is a flaw between this and where we currently are in the present. For the Existentialist this may be seen as a flaw that allows for morality. It is similar to the idea of falling set out by Heidegger. Nietzsche described this flaw of man as the thing that makes it possible for one to become super-man, but at the same time the deterioration of man. As humans we must take responsibility for our being; we must attempt to strive for authentic experience and true self-hood. Existentialists will not agree that there is a blueprint for such an ambition. Man must decide who he will be, and more than this, each individual must decide the question for himself. In contrary to this an inauthentic existence would be one where external forces limited your creativity and ability to find ones true self. Sartre said You are free, therefore choose that is to say, invent. No rule of general morality can show you what you ought to do; no signs are vouchsafed in this world (Macquarrie 1972, p207). Some may critique this idea however as surely we would be abandoning true humanity if everybody just did their own thing. It is possible that we may already be comfortable in our current situation but we must not let our existence stagnate because of it. So, an Existentialist would prefer to speak of finitude rather than death, as it focuses on human existence as a whole, and as such, allows them to obtain authentic experience. It allows us to preserve the autonomy of existence. In striving to realise values that are truly our own we can avoid the downfalls of an inauthentic experience such as falling or our lives becoming stagnated. To ignore death or to think of it as a bad thing that should be fought against is detrimental to humanity in the eyes of an existentialist, and destroys our chances at being able to ask some of the most fundamental philosophical questions of our existence.

What Plagiarism Is and Tips on How to Elude It

What Plagiarism Is and Tips on How to Elude It Religiously Adhering To The Guidelines: How To Elude Copying In Essay So lets talk about plagiarism, the ‘killer disease that is ailing the better percentage of students’ population and making things worse, the students are not even aware of it. Universities and other educational institutions abhor plagiarism as it is not only slipping its way into students academic lives, but the students are not mindful of it. Often than not, we have received concerns and queries from people requesting that we clear some issues for them. What is plagiarism? Why is it wrong? How do I know I am copying some elses work? How can I remedy it? Luckily for you, this is our area of specialty, and we hold every answer to any question you might have. We have dissected this jargon ‘plagiarism and explain every aspect relating to it ranging from its definition and characterization to the dos and donts. Lets get dicing! Plagiarism, what does it comprise? To be able to put things into more perspective, let us begin with the definition of plagiarism. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it defines plagiarism as the act of deliberately presenting someone elses work as your own without giving them credit. Note that the definition strongly inclines towards stating the fact that plagiarism involves ‘cheating. University writing prohibits in any account should you copy an assignment from a friend, from the internet or any other study material. It is wise to first start by reviewing what is acceptable and what is not according to the university writing standards. The first outlawed behavior is copying, buying or having someone do an assignment for you. Without saying, this is wrong and I can bet when you are presenting the task to your instructor, your heart beats faster than usual as the fear of getting caught becomes imminent. This statement is not to say that you should not ask for a friends help and opinions or google some answers on the internet, but that you should write your thoughts and not those you have copied from different sources. Moving on swiftly, a fact that is elusive to many students yet frequently practiced is self-plagiarism. Tendering in an essay, dissertation or any other work you had done and submitted for another subject in another class is an offense that can land you in trouble. The most significant attributes that a university can pride itself in is quality education where students get grades that they deserve. Plagiarism puts this objective into jeopardy as it erodes the uprightness and reliability of the universitys education system. As a student, you should endeavor to avoid plagiarism as it is not only cheating, it gives you this false impression that you are performing well when in reality you might be not. It is imperative to know by heart and follow the laid set of guidelines by the university. You might be wondering why you should heed to this advice? The number of things that can go wrong if your secret gets out in the open is frightening. Let us begin with what could go wrong when you are caught cheating before guiding you on how you can evade this menace. Many universities have a protocol on the steps to follow in disciplining a student caught cheating. At the outset, the instructor checks your work and possibly as many universities now do, the instructor passes your paper through plagiarism checker applications such as Turnitin and so on. On the realization that your article does not comprise of your original work, the instructor calls you into his/her office, interrogates you after which they either award you a zero or pass on your case to the dean of students. If the situation is too complicated for the deans office, you can be called in by the principal and who wants to be called in by the principal for not so good reasons? Ignorance is no defense, always remember this as you do your assignments. The number one excuse that most students give when caught is that they were not aware they were committing a writing offense, a clichà © that needs to stop. You must know and apply the guidelines provided by the university to avoid getting yourself in such situations. Again, get conversant with your schools rules. Do not get me wrong, I am not trying to instill fear in or frighten you but open your eyes to the reality of the matter and exactly the fate you will share like many other unfortunate students have. To help you wrap your head around this issue, below is a selection of the most popular questions we get and our professional responses. Citations Unlike high school writing, university level is more demanding of quality, good writing techniques, and evidence to support your claims. In many instances, your professor or course instructor will instruct you to use peer-reviewed journal articles or research papers. The problem comes in when you use other peoples thoughts, opinions or suggestions without referencing or giving them, credit and it culminates to plagiarism. Therefore, it is important to cite every information you outsource. The essence of citations Citing is important because it indicates that you have conducted vast research on your paper and you took your time in preparing it. Instructors and professors award grades to students according to their judgment of the amount of effort, your knowledge and proficiency in a particular topic. When you reference your work, this demonstrates to the examiner that you did put in work, and therefore, you are deserving of a good grade. When and where to insert citations Ideally, you are expected to cite sources that were useful and helped you put together your paper. However, too much citation becomes plagiarism in itself as throughout the paper you will air and express the opinions and thoughts of other people. Popular phrases and expressions commonly used do not necessitate referencing. A decent paper that meets the standard requirements has minimal citations to maintain originality. How to differentiate between popular knowledge and personal thoughts To differentiate between the two, common knowledge are truths that everybody knows and do not need to refer to countercheck the information. For example, Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States of America is common knowledge known to everyone and it calls for no referencing. Personal thoughts are opinions specific to an individual which you get either from a book, research paper, bibliographies and so on. How to cite other peoples work There are some citing approaches available to writers, and they include APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association) to mention but a few. These styles have unique characteristics features exclusive to each style with some being complex while others simple to understand. Hence, it is mandatory to first acquaint yourself with the style the paper requires. If you are not certain, make a point of seeking clarification from your professor or instructor. Thanks to technology, you can access these referencing styles off of the internet, download and print them for future use. Now you know the different types of citation formats, but how do you insert the sources into your work? There are two main ways to go about this; you can either paraphrase or quote the words, phrases or sentences you have borrowed. Paraphrasing is restructuring the borrowed material and putting it across using your own words. On the other hand, quoting is lifting the material and inserting into your paper precisely the same way without changing anything, use quotation marks. Prudence should be employed when writing short notes with the probable cause of using in future assignments to avoid plagiarizing the words as you cannot find the exact paragraph or page number you derived it from the material you read. As mentioned earlier, different referencing styles demand varied formats for citing sources, especially for lengthy quotes. For example, in APA the following form should be adhered to, indention of  ½ inch from the left margin and end the phrase with a colon. Make sure you read the instructions of the paper before beginning the writing process. Rewording is the process of restating some elses speech without changing or distorting the meaning. Nevertheless, you must cite the sentences you have paraphrased lest it will be ruled out as copying. If you are citing a long phrase, the citation will look something like this; authors last name (Beckham), the year the source was published (2016) or the page you got it from (p.11). The disclaimer here is that, despite the fact you reworded the phrase, a reference is needed to dodge copying accusations. Characteristics of good works cited page or footnotes The golden tenet is all the sources used in the in-text citations should appear in the reference page, works cited, bibliography, etc. depending on the formatting technique of the paper. Sources not used in the paper should never appear on the works cited page. Those sources will be stricken out as irrelevant. Use the proper layout to arrange the sources, i.e., begin with the authors surname, year, the name of the article then the name of the journal. Ask for assistance There is no shame in asking nor receiving help with your assignment. Ensure you do the assignment yourself before seeking help. Some people have raised concerns arguing that taking the paper to editors is also cheating. They insist on the later as the editors in an attempt to perfect your paper, will make changes to it, and in the end, little close none of your initial work will be traceable. Varied institutions have differing reservations. Various universities will allow you to consult a professional and even make changes to your paper as long as you come open about it and indicate on top of the article. Simultaneously, other institutions strongly forbid it as it stating it is foul play. Translation software should be a no-go zone for you as it is plagiarizing your work. The structure, meanings and meaning are altered. Aside from this, there is omission and distortion during the translation process from your mother tongue to English. The effectiveness of such software is still under contention. Is it alright to request assistance when I get stuck in my assignment? Asking for help with your homework is acceptable, and no one can fault for that. However, you would want to be careful with whom you ask for advice. Decease from consulting your friends most especially if they happen to be your classmates. Sharing ideas and possibly writing the papers together culminates into cheating as you will both present a similar flow of thoughts. The best and safe source of help will be your professor or subject instructor. An instructor will offer you shallow insight with reasonable cause. You can seek the help of professional writers who will guide you on basic rules to writing a good paper. Alternatively, you could use a prototype essay to compare and contrast with your paper. The use of a prototype does not imply that you will be plagiarizing but is it like a guiding torch, where you can draw ideas, the dos and donts and so on. Do not fall prey to the unmonitored and non-appraised content that has flooded the internet. Keenly choose reliable and peer-reviewed essays as your source to avoid being misled by low-quality papers. Tutoriage is an ideal site for finding credible standard articles. Customer satisfaction through quality papers is our primary objective, and we pride ourselves in our team of capable professionals and proficient writers. Our team of writers hails from internationally accredited universities, the likes of Oxford and Cambridge. We encourage division and specialization of labor where every writer skillfully writes on the topics he/she is most talented. This move guarantees that eminently quality papers for our clients. Our articles are specifically tailored to suit the needs of our clients with 100% ingenuity. Having a team of qualified writers like us at your corner will make your writing experience at the university not only pleasurable but insightful as well. Students are constantly encouraged to learn to work by themselves when doing their assignments. The reality however is, many students require additional assistance with their assignments and instructors can barely find time due to their busy schedules. An external trainer, like ourselves, might cost you a few more bucks but in the end, it is worth the while. We sharpen your reading and writing skills, an attribute you need to have in the competitive job market. In brief†¦ The university has your best interest at heart, and their insistence that you avoid plagiarism is not meant to make your life miserable. Aside from educating you to become an upright member of society, they are training you to value and appreciate the significance of being truthful and sincere. To learn to acknowledge the effort and input of other people and award them the befitting recognition they so deserve.

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Ethics - Essay Example That said, the main aim of this paper should be to investigate and discuss the ways that an organization can manage ethical behavior within its structure and pertinent to the larger body of stakeholders. There are types of methods or means of managing ethical behavior within an organization and its stakeholder circles. Categorized as formal and informal means, these form the mainstay of a manager’s, or management teams’ effort at introducing and managing ethical behavior within the organization (Phillips & Margolis 1999). The first or formal means of managing ethical behavior in an organization entails the results of years of research and widespread trials in the industry. These include; the core value statement, the mission statement, the code of ethics, compliance manuals, and ethics standards and indices. The second or informal means of managing ethical behavior in the organization and its wider stakeholders setting are more or less the result of years of experience in the industry and a distillate of the vast pool of experience in optimizing organizational performance through ethics. These means are; manager concern/role-modeling, candid ethical communication, et hics as a topic of employee conversation, reward and penalty systems, and communication of stories (Schnebel & Bienert 2004). In addition to the means of managing ethical behavior, the paper shall venture into other issues that are relevant to this topic. Since management ethics is a wide topic, the process might venture into issues such as codes of conduct and codes of ethics, workplace ethics theories, training and its role in the management of workplace ethics, the impact of new technology on ethical behavior, and corporate social responsibility (Solomon 2004). Formal methods of managing ethical behavior pertain to the methods individuals or organizational teams strive to improve their employees’

Micro economic assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Micro economic - Assignment Example From the Isocost Isoquant analysis graph above, we assume that corn (C) and Oil (O) are utilized in the production of biofuels (B). Therefore, the production function for biofuels will be represented by B= f(C, O). In the graph, the prices of oil and corn have been represented by PO and PC respectively. Figure 2: Equilibrium Price and Quantity in the Market for Corn .High Isocost and Isoquant curves results when the demand of biofuels increases which results in an increase in production levels of biofuels. For the production of biofuels to be effected, corn has to be used. Since, increased biofuels demands imply increased production of biofuels, it is right to say that the demand for corn will also increase significantly. Consequently, the demand that arises from the production of biofuels and that of food consumption would be compromised as depicted in figure 2 with D2 and D1 respectively. The result ripple effect will, therefore, mean that the price of corn will increase thereby le ading to a reduction in the consumption of corn as food. Many people will, therefore, opt for alternatives or substitutes since there will be reduced food availability. An isoquant is a curve that combines factors that are employed in production to arrive at the same output level. The isoquant has no effects in the changes of input prices. Every isoquant shows an output level. Isoquants of Higher levels show high output level (Baumol and Blinder 2011). An isocost line on the other line combines various factors, which are same in cost (Baumol and Blinder 2011). That why it is a straight line. The intercepts represent the amount of units of input which can be employed when it is the only purchased factor in a budget. The slope gives the price. The higher the line means that a higher cost is incurred. Therefore, the increase in prices of corns leads to a movement of the isocost line along the x axis towards the origin. Given a constant budget the quantity of corn can only be reduced. T his will lead to a change in the isocost lines. This will further lead to a rise of isocost line along conventional axis. ii. Analyze how developments in agricultural and conversion technology might influence the impacts identified in Part A (i). To counter the effects caused by increased demand for biofuels, increased conversion technology and agricultural productivity as well as use of Agricultural biotechnology and second generation biofuels would suffice (Zilberman, et al. 2008). Changes in technology are internal or depend on the economic conditions. An economy that opts to move away from inputs that cost much can always adopt technology changes. It is a mechanism that solves the increased cost of input problems. In the situation of increased costs of corn, there can be an adoption of technology to deal with the problem. Changes in technology will lead to reduction of quantity of input that is needed and, therefore, reduce the costs that are involved. The output level will incr ease with the same cost constraint. Therefore, the supply will increase hence the demand will fall (Rubinstein 2006). iii. Analyze the effects of increased competition between participants in the oil market on the impacts identified in Part A (i). In case, there is increased competition in the market of oil ceteris paribus; the prices of oil are bound to fall. If the prices of oil fall, it means that the prices of inputs will drop as oil is the input used in production of biofuels. Therefore, using the same cost allocated for production the

Australian electronic tablet industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Australian electronic tablet industry - Essay Example Apart from assessing the demands and wants of consumer the report will analyze the porter’s five forces with respect to the electronic computer industry within the Australian market. The report will also highlight on the cultural differences between the two countries based on Hofstede’s cultural dimension model. The key finding of the report is the existence of huge demand for tablet pc in Australia and some forecasting agencies have predicted that the sales figure will be skyrocketing in the years to come. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Threat of new Entrants 5 Economies of Scale 5 Brand Loyalty 5 Capital Requirement 6 Analysis 6 Threat of substitutes products 6 Switching Cost 6 Buyer Loyalty 7 Analysis 7 Bargaining power of buyers 7 Number of customers in the market 8 Availability of Substitutes 8 Analysis 9 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 9 Degree of supplier concentration 9 Availability of substitute inputs 9 Analysis 10 Existing Rivalry 10 Industry growth rate 10 Demand for product 10 Analysis 11 Recommendations 11 Hofstede’s cultural dimension 13 Cultural dimensions of Australia and Germany 13 Difference between two cultures 14 Recommendation 14 Conclusion 14 Reference 16 Threat of new Entrants New entrants are described as the companies that are presently not competing within the given industry but has the potential to compete in the industry if chooses to do so. Economies of Scale Economies of scale are about the decrease of unit cost of production when the company starts to manufacture more. Some of the sources include a) cost reduction through mass production. b) Discount availed through bulk purchase. c) Spreading fixed cost of production over volume of production. d) Same advertisement cost of large volume of production.1 Therefore Supernova limited can go for large scale production in order to grasp the cost advantage but before taking the decision they can go for a pilot test or test marketing. Brand Loyalty Brand loyalty is exhibited by consumers when they are more inclined towards the products of the established players of the industry.2Companies can create brand loyalty by using strong advertisements, superior product quality and providing after sales service. In a recent study, it has been observed that Australians do not pays extra for the sake of brand names; rather they move towards cheaper brands which offer good value for the products. Therefore, Supernova limited has to retain the loyalty by maintaining a fixed level of price and also satisfying the customer needs. 1. Gareth Jones and Charles Hill, Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach (US: Cengage Learning, 2009), 44. 2. William M. Pride and O.C. Ferrell, Marketing (US: Cengage Learning, 2011), 400. Capital Requirement Capital requirement is the amount needed for the cost of production and considering the fact that the firm is a new entrant in the market, the total cost will also include the whole set up of the company to st art its operation. The entire set up will include manufacturing in the factory, raw materials, labor charges and all other variable cost. Since the company does not have any restrictions in the financial segment they can undertake all the required operations. Analysis Since the company

Biology Essays Factors affecting mammal population in the neotropics

Biology Essays Factors affecting mammal population in the neotropics An essay on the factors affecting mammal population in the neotropics and the challenges managing these populations. Introduction The Neotropics includes Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Southern Florida and it also hold the greatest amount of standing forests. These wooded wildlands are mosaic in a variety of green that together add up to some 1.37 million acres. Mammals in these areas are affected by several factors which affect their livelihood and sustenance. As a result, any of these species are either being extinct or reduced. Mammals are described as any of a large group of warm-blooded vertebrate animals characterized by having mammary glands in the female, which is used for suckling the young. Other features includes hairs which are very reduced in some species such as whales, a middle ear formed from three small bones (ossicles), a lower jaw consisting of two bones only, seven vertebrae in the neck and no nucleus in the red blood cells. Mammals belong to the class Mammalia. They are divided into three groups. Eutherians (Placental mammals), this is where the young develop inside the mother’s body in the uterus and receives nourishment from the blood of the mother via the placenta. The Marsupials (Pouched mammlas), where the young’s are born at an early stage of development and develop futher in a pouch on the mother’s body where they are attached to and feed from a nipple and the final group being, Monotremes (Egg- laying mammlas), this is where the young hatch from an egg outside the mother’s body and then nourished with milk. The monotremes are the least evolved and have been largely displaced by more sophisticated marsupials and placentals, so they are only a few types surviving platypus and echidna. Placental mammals have spread to all parts of the globe where they have competed with marsupials; they have in general displaced the marsupial types. However, marsupials occupy many specialized niches in South America and especially Australia. There are over 4000 species of mammals, adapted to almost every way of life, with the smallest shrew weighing 2g/0.07oz and the largest the whale up to 140 tons. According to the Red list of endangered species published by the World Conservation Union for 1996, 25% of mammal species population is threatened with extinction. The Red list of endangered species is a scientific assessment of the status of the world’s animal species. Although it carries no legal force this international compilation is seen by many scientist and conservationist as a warning of global decline in the wildlife biodiversity. The report also sates that 24 of the 26 orders of mammalian species are at the brink of extinction globally with an excess of 50% of the neotropical mammalian species. A leading cause of this decline in population is due to habitat degradation and destruction which is mostly due to human population and economic development, such as, over hunting, pollution and deforestation. There is also the introduction of non native species that plays a significant threat to mammalian species survival along side climatic changes. This assignment will discuss the factors affecting mammal population in the neotropics and also I will seek to list the challenges managing these populations. Factors affecting mammals of the neotropics Humans are the chief cause of neotropical mammalian loss. They destroy the plants which provide food and also shelter for the animals and also hunt for them and utilize their meat as food and their skin for clothing. Plants are generally taxonomically diverse and omnipresent. They function as primary producers hence; they are the most critical components in the maintenance of a vibrant functional mammalian population. It provides food for almost all mammals, coverings for numerous organisms, stabilize water sheds functioning and also provide a variety of other critical ecological functions such as stabilizing the earth’s oxygen content and nitrogen fixation which are vital for the animals’ survival. Most of this destruction by humans (a mammal) occurs to clear land for agriculture and cattle grazing, even though much of the forested land is inappropriate for farming or ranching. Cutting down of the plant removes most of the nutrients from the ecosystem, leaving soil tha t will only be able to support intensive agriculture for a couple of seasons. Over the past decade, Large-scale forest fires, timber extraction by local and foreign companies, mining, the building of dams, and population growth have also made significant contributions to forest loss in the neotropics. Population growth and economic expansion have led to the construction of new roads and buildings that both physically and ecologically fragment the forest, reducing its vitality. The now plantless lands or once forested areas are subsequently being used for the construction of homes, and consequently animals are being forced to migrate form these areas resulting in reduction in the species population. Habitat fragmentation could result in the loss and strain on the mammalian population. Some animals can benefit from the fragments of land while others may not. Depending on the size of the island patches large animals like jaguars can find it very difficult to obtain sufficient food for their survival. Many mammals such as manatees, cows, pigs, and sheep just to name a few are hunted and used by humans for food purposes. In addition to be hunted for food purposes some animals are hunted primarily for clothing and ornamental purposes. Wildlife trade also reduces the population or destroys the habitat of many neotropical mammals. Wild life trade is the third largest illegal trade in the world and it has an estimate of $1 billion on the Brazilian market alone. It affects most of the species that are officially listed as endangered species. As it relates to Brazil wildlife animals are officially being held in captivity including the threatened species such as the golden lion tamarin and the capuchin monkeys. Over the years, penalties have been enforced on poachers and people who obtain the wild animals. Mammals that are being taken out of their natural habitat are being trained and used as game animals for exhibition and economical purposes. Neotropical environments are also threatened by intensifying and poorly planned developments. Such development has resulted in ecosystem devastation. Pollution of rivers, beaches and other water beds by industrial, municipal and human waste has resulted in the loss or illness of many aquatic mammals such as dolphins. In the most industrialized country, Brazil, pollution in the area has often resulted in acid rain over the forest remnants. Fires such as campfires and accidental forest fires play a critical role in the depletion of the species. Noise pollution also plays a part in the disturbance of mammals’ population especially underwater noise pollution which is a disturbing problem that is quickly degrading the ocean life. This type of pollution can be described in many ways, simply because the ocean is filled to the brim with loud noises coming from various sources for example, military sonar, used for defensive and research purposes, fishing boats, merchant ships, research vessels, and oil rigs. Some of these noises are as a result of human activity. The increase of noise in the ocean has adverse effects on marine mammals in almost every aspect of their life, one of which is their behaviour. In order to communicate with each other, many species of whales depend on hearing calls from other whales. These calls can easily be hidden behind acoustic masking from sounds in the same frequency ranges. For example, the calls of baleen whales (humpback, blue, fin, and grey whales) are frequencies that range from 20 to 500 Hz. Sonar and even natural sources frequencies of sounds can mask the calls of whales and other marine mammals and significantly alter their natural behaviors. This noise can also cover other behaviors such as dolphin special echolocation skills used for navigational purposes, foraging for food, and communication within the specific group members. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more The building of roads and other building can divide biomes and isolate many animals in the neotropics through the clearing of trees. Road traffic also causes pollution and also kills many of the animals. Many highways and buildings have been built without necessary environmental impact reports, and many are left unfinished, leaving neighboring areas vulnerable to severe erosion, that can have negative outcome on the animals’ survival. Climatic changes can also have impacts on the species population. High environmental temperatures can lessen male fertility by damaging or killing sperm, While, it can also trigger blood flow changes that reduce the flow of blood to the uterine tract, damaging or killing developing embryos in females thus lowering, their fertility rate. All the above factors can have and is having a great impact on the neotropical mammal population. Challenges managing the factors affecting the neotropic mammal population Although neotropical mammals, are faced with many challenges in dealing with their continuous existence, various managing schemes are being put in place to prevent these hazardous impacts to control their population. Conservation projects have being established in selected areas in an attempt to reverse the trend in declining population sizes. These projects play a vital part in the development of ecotourism in almost all parts of the neotropics and also the protection and conservation of various animal species. In terms of ecotourism development, tourists will have to pay to visit areas with interesting natural and cultural features. Conservationists from the various projects can also work along with local communities to educate people about the value of the wildlife in the area, to eliminate illegal hunting and to assist communities in developing farming and logging methods that are habitat and also animal friendly. The implementation of national parks and other private organizations can also play a part in conservation activities that can help to eradicate and protect the neotropical animals who lives are at stake. In addition to the development in ecotourism, the establishment of protected areas can also play a part in protecting the species diversity. Protected areas establishment will tend to have important economic as well as social function in conserving biodiversity. Captive breeding is another managing scheme which can help with this. It focuses on the reproduction of rare animals in captivity. The legal practice of captive breeding increases the population of many endangered species world wide. Species that are being held captive in this way can serve as a demographic and genetic reservoir for the species. Examples of few neotropical mammals held captive are the golden lion tamarin the capuchin monkeys, seals manatees and wildcats such as jaguar. A penalty of a fixed amount should be enforced to the various people of the different regions who practice the illegal capturing and use of the animals in the wild for their own purposes such as exploitation and over hunting. In 1975, the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) treaty prohibited international trade on most wild cats and was dramatically effective in curtailing trade of jaguar skins. In closing it can be noted that a wise approach towards the neotropical regions can be of great importance in the conservation of the animals species diversity. Although many of these approach are being taken by humans (a mammal), much more measures should be put in place try and curb this situation, because they are some heartless people who are still practicing these unlawful activities and should be punished for their heartless actions. With this in place there will be a rich mammalian population not only in the neotropical regions but also other parts of the world. References Lindley, David (1998) Webster’s New World Dictionary of Science, Helicon Publishing Limited Whitmore, T.C. (1998) An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests, Second Edition Oxford University Press New York www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/cerrado/biodiversity.xml date accessed 2008-02-26 http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/aar.cfm?id=conservation date accessed 2008-02-26

The Good Earth: Summary Essay -- essays research papers

The Good Earth: Summary Wang Lung was the son of a peasant farmer. When it came for him to marry, his father chose a slave girl from the house of Hwang who was hardworking. O- lan, Wang Lung's wife was a good wife for Wang Lung. She did not waste anything, and made items such as shoes for the family so Wang Lung could save his money for other things.. She worked endlessly for Wang Lung and his father, and even helped Wang Lung plow the field. One day while helping on the field, O-lan went inside and bore their first child. Luckily, it was a boy. Girls at that time were always slaves, or married to other family's sons. They named him Nung Wen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before leaving the house of Hwang earlier, O-lan promised to bring their first child to pay respects to the house. That year, the harvest was good, so Wang Lung bought new clothes for O-lan, the baby, and himself. After paying their respects, Wang Lung made a deal with the house of Hwang and bought a plot of good land just outside the house. One year later, another boy was born and was named Nung En.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wang Lung's third child was a disaster. Not only was it a girl, but she was born retarded. That summer, a drought hit the area where Wang Lung lived, and it did not rain for months. There was little harvest, and soon all of the wheat was gone. Starving, Wang Lung had his ox killed for food, but could not bear to watch because the beast had been so faithful to him. Not having any money, Wang Lung sold the furniture in his house for a few silver pieces. His fourth child was born in the drought, and was born dead. The family was forced to move South to find food, so with the money he made from selling the furniture, Wang Lung paid train fare to go down south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the train, Wang Lung spent some more money to buy material so they could build a hut when they reached the city. At the city, they built their hut, and discovered a kitchen where for almost no money at all, a person could eat all of the rice they wanted. Wang Lung bought enough rice for his family, and they ate it heartily. Now, Wang Lung needed money again, so the next day he rented a ricksha to transport the rich around the city for money, and O-lan and the children begged for money. After paying the rent for the ricksha, Wang Lung did not make a lot, but it was enough to sup... ...e opium, and began to annoy Wang Lung's older son's wife by talking dirty and walking around with his robe open. Seeing this, Nung Wen became very angry and Wang Lung rented a portion of the house of Hwang. The uncle and his wife were left in the country with their opium, and the uncle's son left to join the army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Ching died, Wang Lung stopped farming and rented out his land, hoping that his youngest son would tend the land, but when he took a girl that his youngest son liked, his youngest son ran away from home and joined the army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Wang Lung's death came near, he moved back to the country to be with his land. He brought only his slave Pear Blossom, that his youngest son loved, and his first daughter that was simple. One day as he was looking at the fields with his sons, he heard them talking about how they were going to spend their inheritance and what they would do with the money they would make from selling the land. Wang Lung cried out that they must never sell the land because only with land could they be sure of earning a living. But Wang Lung did not see his sons look at each other over his head and grin.