College Students Poor Food Choices Due to Stress Essay

Some examples of uncomfortable feelings might be anxiety, depression, feeling pressured, procrastination, troubled relationships with peers, not doing well in academics, or not being economically successful. Students that live in the dorms may choose fattening foods at the cafeteria or â€Å"treat† themselves to fast food because they are emotionally unstable. Most of these college students also do not think that their new habit is a negative one. The reason why college students eat fattening, high sugar foods could be because of a mental or a biological satisfaction. This research will give an explanation for why many medicate their emotional states with food. Food choices are often made based on one’s unhappiness, angst, or trauma. College students may feel as though pleasing their mouths will please their hearts and ease their state of stress. Many will endorse preferring the taste of highly salted, high sugar content foods, while others will state that this is the food they grew up eating, and some will say this is what is most affordable and accessible. Doing anything excessive because a stressor is acting upon you damages ones psyche; when one over eats and becomes obese, their sense of your self-image is altered negatively. The Cafe with buffets, fast food restaurants, and late night pizza deliveries are just a few of the enticements that college students are facing as they adjust to their new found independence and life on their own for the first time. My freshman roommate was from Sweden; when she came to America she was considered a normal weight. However, as she was experiencing the college and had a lot of American food available she chose fast food and unhealthy foods at the cafe at school to cope with being home sick, and being stressed out about school and soccer. However, she woke up one morning and realized that her belly was much bigger than when she first came to America. She waddled over to a mirror and grabbed her stomach and said, â€Å"how come you’re stomach is not this big? We almost do the same things. † I said, â€Å"I knew it was secretly a dream of yours to be ‘thick’ so the vitamins I gave you the other night were for you to get big overnight. This just relieved the tension and she had gotten her insecurity off of her chest. However, it did not solve her psychological crisis that had triggered negative feelings about her physical appearance. The main reason why she was over eating and eating unhealthy was because she was depressed and missed home – not because she was hungry. Many college students go through the same scenario that my roommate experienced. Some students feel as though abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake will comfort them physically and mentally. This research will be done on the college students who live in the dorms at Holy Names University. The units of analysis that will be observed are poor food choices and the factors of stress. Some major influences that that affect food choice are biological determinants, economic determinants, physical determinants, social determinants, and psychological determinants. A mode of operation that can be observed is the biological purpose that food serves; to put nutrients into our body. Humans need energy and nutrients in order to survive and will respond to the feelings of hunger or satisfaction of appetite. The central nervous system is involved in controlling the balance between hunger, appetite stimulation and food intake. Palatability is proportional to the pleasure someone experiences when eating a particular food. This aspect will most likely play a huge part in the decision making process for the food choices that college students make. Palatability is dependent on the sensory properties of the food such as taste, smell, texture and appearance. Sweet and high-fat foods have an undeniable sensory appeal. It is not surprising then that food is not solely regarded as a source of nourishment but is often consumed for the pleasure value it imparts. Another mode of operation that can be observed is the psychological factors that are in play during the decision making of making proper food choices. Stress and one’s mood can modify behaviors that affect health, such as physical activity, smoking or food choice. The influence of stress on food choice is complex not least because of the various types of stress one can experience. The effect of stress on food intake depends on the individual, the stressor and the circumstances. In general, some people eat more and some eat less than normal when experiencing stress. Studies also suggest that if work stress is prolonged or frequent, then adverse dietary changes could result, increasing the possibility of weight gain and consequently cardiovascular risk. Other than causing likely psychological insecurities, obesity can bring on a plethora of health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, knee and joint problems, various types of cancer and death. Bellise 2005) This study will be nomothetic; it will be describing the study of food choices and agents of stress within the cohorts of undergraduates that live in the dorms, particularly on the C-floor level of Durocher, on the Holy Names University campus. This research will be done by using deductive reasoning. Sometimes this is called the â€Å"top-down† approach because the researcher starts at the top with a very broad spectrum, which would narrow that down into more specific hypotheses that can be tested. Stress can cause bad eating habits like impulsive eating, overeating, binge eating, or compensatory behavior. The key variables and concepts involved in this study are stress and poor food choices. One should not use food to cope with stress and other negative emotions, because afterwards he or she will feel even worse. Becoming obese not only causes many physical disadvantages, but also can create psychological insecurities that must be dealt with. I will be using the Student Stress Survey (SSS) that measures the major sources of stress among college students. Also, I will be using a Eating Habit Questionnaire (EHQ) to measure how healthy one’s choices are when they make decisions about food. Some contributing indicators for stress are: anxiety disorders, weight problems, depression, premature aging, heart disease, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, memory loss/brain fog, migraines, PMS, sleep problems, seasonal affective disorders, joint disorders, and sexual dysfunction. The peculiar thing is, that the indicators for having malnutrition are similar. However, when dealing with bad eating habits, one who isn’t getting enough food or nutrition or one that doesn’t have enough food or nutrition, can also have more serious indicators like: cancer, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, advanced aging, hormonal imbalance, and a decrease of hepatic function. The level of measurement that will be utilized during this research is mainly ordinal. This research will focus on two dimensions, food choice and level of stress. This allows the research to demonstrate how stress affects ones all around health. During this research, there will be two different types of surveys that will be combined and put into one leading scale measurement. This research will ask HNU students, qualitative questions that are open-ended, sampling questions or scenarios that make individuals contemplate about their food decisions and how it can be used to medicate depression. This is a collective case study that introduces a typology that is useful when selecting participants in multiple-case studies. This typology centers on a parallel sampling design. A parallel sampling design represents a body of sampling strategies that facilitate credible comparisons of two cases. Unfortunately, there can be a few open ended scenarios where someone could have just been eating badly for that week or some food is more convenient during a time period than another. Another thing to take into account is that perhaps some deal with stress differently than others. Part II This research will take place through the Holy Names University dorm rooms and I will be going door to door, starting with the people that live on my floor, then to the people that live above and below me in Durocher. These students are all undergraduates that are not freshmen. I will be asking as many people as I can later that night because that is when most of my peers are available to sit down and take a survey. The reliability for this experiment should be accurate because this is a replicated study of a survey and a questionnaire that have already been tested and have ways of measuring how sever ones stress is and what food choices one makes. This study has the ability to perform the exact same way every time it is being tested and it will be interpreted under the same conditions. The validity that will be focused on during this experiment is concurrent validity which measures the test against a set benchmark; higher correlated indicators prove that my test has strong criterion validity. Therefore, those who rank higher in stress levels and also rank high in eating unhealthy prove my theory true. The Survey: EHQ: Instructions: * This is not a test. There isn’t a right or wrong answer. * Read or listen to each question carefully and think about it before you choose an answer. * To choose an answer, put an X next to your choice. Choose only one answer for each question unless you are asked to choose more than one. * If you want to change an answer, erase your old answer and mark your new choice. Be sure to erase completely. * Do not skip any questions. What Gender do you fall under? ___Male ___Female Check the food in each line that you think is better for your health. 1. ___cookies OR ___an apple 3. ___chocolate cake OR ___an orange 4. ___ice cream OR __ _fresh fruit cup 5. ___whole milk OR ___low-fat or skim milk 6. ___frozen yogurt OR ___ice cream 7. ___french toast OR ___whole wheat toast . ___grilled chicken sandwich OR ___hamburger 9. ___baked potato OR ___french fries 10. ___fruit juice OR ___soda 11. ___donut OR ___bread 12. ___cold or ready-to-eat cereal OR ___eggs and bacon 13. ___green salad OR ___popcorn 14. ___raisins OR ___candy bar 15. ___pasta OR ___pizza Check the box under YES or NO to answer the following questions if you have experienced this at Holy Names University based off of the availability to the Cafeteria and a grocery store near by: In the last 2 weeks, did you ever. . . | YES| NO| 16. Eaten fruits for bereakfast? | | | 17. SSS: To determine your stress score, add up the number of points corresponding to the events you have experienced in the past 12 months. 1. Death of a close family member (100 points) 2. Death of a close friend (73 points) 3. Divorce between parents (65 points) 4. Jail term (63 points) 5. Major personal injury or illness (63 points) 6. Marriage (58 points) 7. Firing from job (50 points) 8. Failing a class (47 points) 9. Change in health of a family member (45 points) 10. Pregnancy (45 points) 11. Sex problems (44 points) 12. Serious argument with close friend (40 points) 3. Change in financial status (39 points) 14. Change in scholastic major (39 points) 15. Trouble with parents (39 points) 16. New girl-or boyfriend (37 points) 17. Increase in workload at school (37 points) 18. Outstanding personal achievement (36 points) 19. First quarter/semester in college (36 points) 20. Change in living conditions (31 points) 21. Serious argument with an instructor (30 points) 22. Lower grades t han expected (29 points) 23. Change in sleeping habits (29 points) 24. Change in social activities (29 Points) 25. Change in eating habits (28 points) 26. Chronic car trouble (26 points) 27. Change in the, number of family get-togethers (26 points) 28. Too many missed classes (25 point) 29. Change of college (24 points) 30. Dropping of more than one class (23 points) 31. Minor traffic violations (20 points) 32. Roommate problems (15 points) _________Total Points Here’s how to interpret your score. If your score is 500-645, you are at high risk for developing bad eating habits because you are more stressed. If your score is 200-350, you have a 50-50 chance of experiencing a serious effect on your health based on your level of stress. If your score is below 150, you have a less serious chance of your stress level interfering with your food decision making. Bibliography Carol Olander. Eating habit questionnaire. 1999. 3/13/13 <http://www. nncc. org/evaluation/nutrition5. html>. Dr. France Bellisle. The Determinants of Food Choice . 08/03/2013. 3/09/12 <http://www. eufic. org/article/en/expid/review-food-choice/>. Grilo, C. M. , & White, M. A. (2011). A controlled evaluation of the distress criterion for binge eating disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(4), 509-514. doi: 10. 1037/a0024259 Grossbard, J. R. , Atkins, D. C. , Geisner, I. M. , & Larimer, M. E. (2012). Does depressed mood moderate the influence of drive for thinness and muscularity on eating disorder symptoms among college men? Psychology of Men & Mascularity, doi: 10. 1037/a0028913 Mackinnon, S. P. , Sherry, S. B. , Graham, A. R. , Stewart, S. H. , Sherry, D. L. , Allen, S. L. McGrath, D. S. (2011). Reformulating and undergraduate women: A short term, three-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(4) , 630-646. doi: 10. 1037/a0025068 Morehead State University . Stress Survey. 2011. 3/12/13 <http://www2. oreheadstate. edu/leo/index. aspx? id=6299>. Stice, E. , Rohde, P. , Shaw, H. , & Marti, C. N. (2012). Efficacy trail of a selective precention program targeting both eating disorder symptoms and unhealthy weight gain among female college students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(1), 164-170. doi: 10. 1037/a0026484 Tylka, T. L. , & Kroon, V. D. (2013). The int uitive eating Scale-2: Item refinement and psychometric evaluation with college women and men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60(1), 137-153. doi: 10. 1037/a0030893;10. 1037/a0030893. supp (Supplemental)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: a Pastor’s Response to Nazism.

Scholar, theologian, professor, pastor, visionary, double agent, conspirator, and martyr are some of the attributes associated with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The manner in which Dietrich was reared lent a hand to the path he took as a young man, his family having the means to properly educate him and his siblings gave him a thirst for knowledge. That thirst lead him to pursue an academic career as a theologian, and later his work as a theologian lead him to be a pastor. Bonhoeffer lived in the midst of a severe moral and political ineptness yet he continued to hold to the truths of Scripture while his fellow countrymen were walking the slippery slope of Nazism. The ideals Bonhoeffer held to heart were constantly under attack from the oppressive government under which he lived. The result of this oppression was at first productive in the development of Dietrich's theology and his resolve to teach the next generation of pastors to hold true to the gospel in the midst of oppression. Later this oppression led Bonhoeffer to leave Germany for the United States this trip was short lived as Dietrich soon resolved he must return to Germany upon his return he joined a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer's decision to conspire against Hitler ultimately led to his imprisonment and death. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in February 1906 to Karl Bonhoeffer and Paula von Hase Bonhoeffer. Karl Bonhoeffer was an esteemed professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Berlin and also served at Chairte Hospital in Berlin serving in the psychiatric unit. The Bonhoeffer family consisted of eight children including Dietrich, there were four boys and four girls. There were 3 older boys, Karl-Friedrich, Walter (who perished in World War 1) and Klaus. The older girls were Ursula and Christine, Dietrich had a twin sister Sabine and to complete the family was Susanne. Karl Bonhoeffer was an agnostic while Paula came from a family of theologians. â€Å"The household was not notably religious. The conventional Bible-story Christian nurture was supplied in the children's early years, the two governesses were pious young women, a simple blessing was always asked at table- and that was it. Dr. Bonhoeffer and the older children were all of scientific or legal bent; an unaggressive agnosticism prevailed among them. †[1] Coming from the environment stated above made things interesting when as a young teenager Dietrich informed his parent that he wanted to study theology. This came as a shock to his family as they thought he would pursue music due to his abundant skills in this area. His father thought the sedentary life of a pastor was not a good fit for his son, but after seeing how he lived he knew that it was the right path for him. Paula Bonhoeffer was trained as a teacher at the university and home-schooled all her children until they were ready to enter the German Gymnasium which was a college preparatory school. Dietrich started his study of theology at Tubingen at age seventeen. He excelled in his studies to the point that he finished his dissertation, titled Sanctorum Communio; â€Å"The Communion of Saints,† by the time he was twenty-one years of age. Over the next few years Dietrich would travel to Barcelona, Spain back to Berlin, and then to the United States. While in the United States he studied and taught at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He did all this traveling because he was too young to be ordained. This gave Dietrich the ability to pursue his studies more and focus his career on teaching and not pastoring a church. While in New York he made a habit of worshipping with an African-American congregation and teaching Sunday School. While in the United States he also was introduced to many ideas such as pacifism, social justice, and ecumenism. â€Å"He (Dietrich) encountered a pacifism that was rooted in the Sermon on the Mount- personified in the French theologian and friend Jean Laserre. [2] The idea of pacifism is one that Dietrich accepted whole heartedly he believed that man could not justify war. His pacifism lead to an internal struggle when the Nazis came to power and started to persecute and kill the Jews. During his years of study Bonhoeffer became acquainted with the teachings of Karl Barth. Barth and his writings influenced young Bonhoeffer to pursue theology to it's fullest and not be boxed into the lib eral theology taught at the University of Berlin. Bonhoeffer struck up a friendship with Barth that lasted until the end of his life. Dietrich would spend time with Barth at his home in Bonn and they would talk theology, they would criticize each others work and challenge each other in their views of what it means to be a Christian and a part of the church. These meetings continued even after Barth moved to Switzerland in the face of Nazi persecution. These meetings and letters helped Bonhoeffer explore his theology outside the bounds of the university. Upon returning from his year of sabbatical in New York Dietrich continued his teaching position and the University of Berlin. This was all happening about the same time Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime was slowly gaining power in the government and in popularity among the people. When Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany things were started to change but the full extent of the Nazi's plan was not yet revealed. Dietrich saw that trying times were ahead for those who were God seekers, this was due to the fact that shortly after the political election there was a call for church elections. Among the churches in Germany there were conflicts over the rise of the Nazi party. There were some pastors and Bishops who would not preach Nazi propaganda, so Hitler called for church elections to fill the offices with his supporters. There was some resistance to just letting them take over but this small remnant did not have control over the mob. With the church now under control of the Nazis, those who saw a great contradiction between Nazi Christianity and true Christianity were left with no option but the start their own church. This was allowed by the Nazis but they kept a close eye on them. This new group was called the Confessing Church they were an evangelical remnant that had not been persuaded by the masses. On the day of the church election Dietrich preached this, â€Å"of you who have lost your church, †¦ let us go together in search of the eternal church. †[3] This group of believers who opposed the Nazis were trying to speak reason and the truth of Scriptures to the German people. Dietrich was among the founding members of the Confessing Church and helped pen the Bethel Confession which was their statement of belief. He used the formation of the Confessing Church to push his passion for ecumenism among the churches. In 1933 while the Confessing Church was forming Dietrich decided to take a post in London. Some of his colleagues like Karl Barth accused him of leaving his church while it was burning, but Dietrich thought he needed some time away because his thoughts were not well received even among friends. While in London he pushed for ecumenical relationships between the churches in England and elsewhere to condemn the German Christian Movement which allowed the Nazis to take control of the church. To this end he was not very successful. He also caught the eire of church leaders in Germany who sent Theodor Heckel the foreign affairs minister to London to instruct Bonhoeffer to not engage in ecumenical activity not authorized by Berlin, a warning not heeded by young Dietrich who was just twenty-seven years of age in 1933. After two years in London Dietrich returned to Germany, the Confessing Church had lost it's momentum. The Confessing Church was still going and since it was not recognized as a state church it had to train its pastors in an underground seminary. The church invited Dietrich to lead their seminary called Finkenwalde. It was here the Dietrich wrote the books Life Together and The Cost of Discipleship. The former came from his time as the leader of Finkenwalde Seminary. The latter is a study of the Sermon on the Mount. In 1936 Dietrich was declared a pacifist and an enemy of the state by Theodor Heckel. For the next few years Dietrich lived in the community of Finkenwalde with his students and taught them monastic and communal living as they open the Scriptures together to prepare these men for the ministry in the true church that was opposing the counterfeit church of the German Christian Movement. They had a few years of great ministry that was funded by benefactors who believed in the ideals of the Confessing Church. In 1938 Bonhoeffer was banned from Berlin, two years later the Gestapo came and closed down the seminary and arrested some of its pastors. At this time Dietrich was offered a position to teach at Union Theological Seminary in New York, an offer he initially accepted. Dietrich was trying to escape in to the safety of the United States to avoid serving in the military and having to deal with living under the oppressive Nazi regime. Upon arriving in the U. S. Dietrich worked with German refugees and emigrants, a job that posed my challenges for him. Bonhoeffer wrote in the Cost of Discipleship, â€Å"'Costly grace is the sanctuary of God,' he writes. And, ‘faith is only real when there is obedience. ‘[4] These words tugged at Dietrich's heart because he knew where he should be and what God had called him to do but choose the easy road. â€Å"on June 30, 1939, Dietrich wrote these words to Paul Lehmann, ‘I can hardly find it in my heart to tell you that †¦ I have had to decide to return to Germany,'†[5] The words here seem to echo the actions of Jesus in John 4:4 â€Å"and he must needs go through Samaria† (KJV). This has the same idea as Dietrich and his return to Germany. Jesus could have gone around Samaria as all the Jews did, but he had a divine appointment with that woman at the well and the people of Samaria. Dietrich was having the same feeling that he must return to Germany but he did not have to. He was living what he had written â€Å"faith is only real when there is obedience. †[6] The following was written to Dietrich's friend Reinhold Neibuhr in a farewell note, â€Å"I have made a mistake in coming to America. I must live through this difficult period of our national history with the Christian people of Germany. I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people. †[7] This shows God's call for Dietrich to follow him. Dietrich and his friends knew he was returning to a hostile place where he would be either be drafted into the military or face severe persecution. Upon his return to Germany Dietrich made contact with his brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi who was a member of the military counterintelligence service called Abwehr. The Abwehr was the center of a small German resistance whose goal was to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the government. Dietrich was given a role as a double agent in the Abwehr in 1940, from that point he was fully integrated into what was called the German Resistance. He would have secret meetings with pastors and leaders from other countries as he pretend to be gathering information for the Nazi government, while really plotting against them. It is at this point where people have trouble following Bonhoeffer's theology and reconciling his beliefs with his actions. There are a couple of ways to deal with this portion of his life. Looking at these two seeming seemingly incompatible thought processes one could assume that Bonhoeffer had fallen off his rocker but it helps us to see how he reconciled this. Bonhoeffer precisely advocates patience when he puts forth as a concrete command of God the saying ‘resist not evil. ‘ By this he means: struggle against the enemy, but avoid idolizing him. Keep him unimportant . Failure to struggle is submission to the enemy and not to God. †[8] As Bonhoeffer looked at the situation he must resist the evil that was surrounding him, and to do that he would have to go to extreme measures and challen ge the ideals he came to hold so dear in the midst of such moral depravity. He saw resisting evil as a command in the loose sense. Dietrich wrote about a religionless Christianity in which a mature Christian steps outside the structure of the church and enters the world to enact change through the things he has been taught and learned from Scripture and the church. Woelfel writes the following about Bonhoeffer: â€Å"As the integrated man that he was Bonhoeffer pioneered ‘religionless- Christianity' indeed as well as in word. His full secular involvement in the German Resistance during the war is the supreme example, but throughout his life he was a vigorously world affirming Christian. [9] This idea of religionless Christianity lets a follower of Christ fully engage his world while leaving the confines of the church. This was one ting that Bonhoeffer had lived at as well as wrote in his final years. Many look at Bonhoeffer’s writings in Prison and his work titled Ethics and see the man who was deeply committed to his faith and also a man who was torn by what was an ethical Christian to do in the m idst of such atrocities that were being committed by the Nazis. A look back at Bonhoeffer's life brings this into full view as stated thusly, â€Å"for it was while Bonhoeffer was trying to explain his own participation in the lying and double dealing of traitors that he developed the beginnings of what has since become known as situational and contextual ethics: the right and the good and the true seen not as immutable objectives, but as qualities of any action which is appropriate to the loving will of God as the particular possibilities of the immediate situation permit. [10] The argument here is that of when one looks at the situations that they are faced with and think to themselves what is right in the eyes of God. Bonhoeffer was living and arguing that as a Christian we should act in a way that is appropriate for a Christian living in the will of God. Bonhoeffer's was face to face with one of the most reprehensible political regimes in the history of the world, you choose one of two camps, there were those who just threw up their hands an d said there is nothing I can do. The other group were those who said this is unacceptable and do whatever is in their power to fight for what is right in God's eyes. Dietrich was arrested on April 5, 1943 after the documents were discovered that he and his brother-in-law were illegally helping Jews. He would never be a free man again for his part in the German Resistance. He was imprisoned at Tegel military prison for a year and a half to await trial in that time more documents came out that pointed to Bonhoeffer as part of the conspiracy to kill Hitler. In light of this evidence he was transferred from Tegel to a house prison and eventually to Buchenwald concentration camp in February 1945. Approximately two years after his initial arrest information from the chief of Abwehr journals were read by Hitler who in a rage said that all conspirators should be killed. On April 9, 1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hung at Buchenwald concentration camp. He left behind in his legacy his letters to friends and family from prison, and his work Ethics which had yet to be published before his death. When one looks at the life and times of Dietrich Bonhoeffer they see a complex man whose thirst for knowledge and truth were fostered from a young age. As a young man he set is feet on the path of a theologian to open the Bible and pull out the truths laid there in. His study of theology was intellectual yet practical he sought to open the Scriptures and pull Jesus out of them. Bonhoeffer came of age in the pre-third Reich era, but as a young man he came face to face with the Nazis and their oppressive ways. Dietrich used this time in his life to expand his study of theology to grow more matur e in his faith to blaze a trail for himself among his peers. He fought with the social and political issues of his day and sought to fight injustice with truth and intellect but these proved to be ineffective. His work as a theologian was well known among the Confessing Church and it's followers. As Dietrich tried to fight for what was right and true he saw the moral compass of his country go askew. After he had tried all he could he became convinced that the only way to free Germany from this slippery slope was to overthrow the government by assassinating Hitler. His writings have opened the door to the study of ethics when faced with moral depravity, what it means to be and live as the church, and what it costs to follow Christ. His teachings and theology have had an impact from the time they were published into the present. His thought helped usher in a new generation of theologians and how one can see their relationship to the church, culture and community and live and teach in such a way that Christ is on display. Bibliography de Gruchy, John W. â€Å"A Concrete Ethic of the Cross: Interpreting Bonhoeffer's Ethics in North Americas Backyard,† Union Seminary Quarterly 58, no. 1-2 2004. Dramm, Sabine. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: An introduction to his thought. Translated by Thomas Rice. Peabody: Hendrickson. 2007. Ellingsen, Mark. Bonhoeffer, Racism, and a Communal Model for Healing† Journal of Church and State 43, no. 2 Spring 2001. pp 237-249. Gushee, David P. â€Å"Following Jesus to the Gallows,† Christianity Today 39 April 3, 1995 pp. 26-32. Hunt, George L. , ed. Twelve Makers of Modern Protestant Thought. New York: Association Press. 1971. Pp 93-110 Klassen, A. J. , ed. A Bonhoeffer Legac y. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing. 1981 Mehta, Ved. The New Theologian. New York: Harper Colophon, 1965. Miller, Patrick. â€Å"Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Psalms,† The Princeton Seminary Bulletin 15, no. 3 (1994): 274ff Schliesser, Christine. â€Å"Accepting Guilt for the Sake of Germany: An Analysis of Bonhoeffer's Concept of Accepting Guilt and its Implications for Bonhoeffer's Political Resistance† Union Seminary Quarterly Review 60 2006 no. 1-2. pp. 56-68 Schonherr, Albrecht. â€Å"Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Message of a Life,† Christian Century, November 27, 1985, pp. 1090-1094. Woelfel, James. Bonhoeffer's Theology: Classical and Revolutionary. Nashville: Abingdon Press. 1970. ——————————— [ 1 ]. George L. Hunt, ed. , Twelve Makers of Modern Protestant Thought (New York: Association Press 1971), 97. [ 2 ]. Sabine Dramm Dietrich Bonhoeffer: An Introduction to His Thought (Peabody, Mass Hendrickson Publishers, 2007), 9 [ 3 ]. Ibid, 157 [ 4 ]. David P. Gushee, â€Å"Following Jesus to the Gallows,† Christianity Today 39, April 3, 1995, 31. [ 5 ]. Ibid [ 6 ]. Ibid [ 7 ]. Ibid, 30 [ 8 ]. A. J. Klassen, ed. , A Bonhoeffer Legacy (Grand Rapids: William B. Erdmans Publishing, 1981) 355-356. [ 9 ]. James Woelfel, Bonhoeffer's Theology: Classical and Revolutionary, (Nashville: Abingdon Press 1970) 253. [ 10 ]. George L. Hunt, ed. , Twelve Makers of Modern Protestant Thought (New York: Association Press 1971), 107-108.

Ancient Chinese Philosophy: How to Live Life Essay

How do I live my life? Since the early beginnings of society people have always been concerned with our behavior in public and conduct towards others: how should I behave towards my parents, how should I treat my friends, and in what way can I best show my respect for the gods? Religion was the first form of moral code; the writers would present their ideas about truth and morality, and reinforce their opinions with omnipotent deities who would, in a way, scare believers into acting accordingly. As society began to develop and powerful empires began to expand religion was no longer a priority. Many of the rituals necessary to appease the various gods were impractical. Furthermore, skeptics and other logical thinkers began to question their existence. However, moral code still needed to be maintained—especially in the growing empires—and people began searching for other forms of guidance. Moral philosophy most likely developed for this reason; to rationally investigate the truths and principles of knowledge, behavior and conduct. Around the fifth century B. C. in China (which today is known for strict guidelines regarding respect and obedience) two great philosophers, Confucius and Lao Tzu emerged who devoted their lives to explaining how to live life virtuously, and righteously. Though the two philosophers differ extremely in the presentations of their ideas, and the ideas themselves, together they create a full and detailed moral code. Confucius, the earlier of the two philosophers, (died in 497 B. C. ) analyzes various daily situations and suggests how one should behave in them in The Analects. The Master, as his pupils call him, repeatedly mentions the importance of behaving like a gentleman. But what exactly does this entail? What does one need to do to be considered a gentleman? There are many virtues that Confucius finds essential to being a gentleman, the most critical one being benevolence, which he discusses primarily in the first four books. Benevolence in the eyes of The Master, however, is very different from our current perception; we see it as kindness and sympathy while Confucius evidently sees it as something much greater. For us today benevolence can be seen in simple acts of compassion. For example, a common act of benevolence is putting your extra change into the plastic cup of a homeless person in Washington Square Park. I see a benevolent professor as one who is respectful of his students’ other responsibilities and gives them ample time to prepare their assignments. To Confucius, this would not be enough; he describes benevolence as a quality that is very difficult to achieve; apparently, it is something that does not even seem appealing to many. According to The Master, it encompasses our values, loyalty, pride, and honesty, and it manifests itself in our relationships with friends, parents, and superiors—only one who is perfect in all these categories can be considered benevolent, and therefore a gentlemen. The idea that Confucius describes as most vital to achieving the status of gentlemen is filial piety, the reverence for ones parents. The virtuous child would give their parents no other cause for anxiety than illness, The Master says. He must never stray too far from their â€Å"fields,† and if he does, he must always make his whereabouts known. To serve one’s parents to the fullest, he must also follow their instructions (or advice) exactly, even if they might not be beneficial or even good for his well-being. This must be done without questioning them. He can try to â€Å"dissuade† his parents on to a more righteous path if it is done subtly and respectfully, but cannot blatantly point out mistakes in his parents’ suggestions. It does not stop there; the child must cover up any blunders the parents make from the eyes of the world. Whether Confucius puts filial piety on a higher level than law is unclear, and he may not have considered extreme examples. But I am. If your father, for example, would murder someone, should you take the Euthyphro approach of bringing him to justice, or should you become an accomplice in his crime by tampering with evidence, or perhaps burying the body? I doubt that any fair gentleman would ever involve himself in a crime so grave under any circumstances. When the parents begin to age the child should take note of it. The old age of your parent’s should bring you anxiety, The Master suggests. It is obvious that at some point the responsibilities of the parents and children reverse; during childhood it is children who bring stress to their parents (or in the case of perfect children, don’t), and during adulthood it is parents, and their health, who should bring stress to the children. Confucius never completely mentions but implies that as the parents’ age advances the child must make changes in his life to accommodate his parents. Perhaps, in today’s society that would mean to spend more time with them when they retire and monitor their health more often than before. The child’s obligations do not end during the lifetime of the parents; to be a good son you must live with reverence towards your parents even after their deaths. One way to do this is to not change his father’s â€Å"ways† for three years. Another is to present their spirits with offerings and sacrifices. Some of these ideas, however, leave the boundaries of respect and move towards expressions of love. You are expected to feel anxious when they are not in good health, but that can only be felt if you truly love them. And how can anyone oversee whether you are presenting their spirits with offerings? You must be truly devoted and love them to continue respecting them even after they are dead (or just very fearful of their spirits). It appears that Confucius never draws a clear line between respect and love; maybe in his view one cannot exist without the other. The respect and awe of parents from an early age shapes the child into a polite and well-rounded adult, one who is not too arrogant and knows his place in society. Whatever filial piety is, it is clear that it is only a small aspect of benevolence an insufficient virtue on the road to becoming a gentleman. But before we can even explore what qualities you need to be a gentleman, we must ask what The Master means when he says â€Å"gentleman. † There is certainly some idealism and imagination involved in his construction of the gentleman. In a way, the gentleman is a perfect and unattainable feat that everyone should strive for. Confucius advocated for respect of tradition, culture and knowledge; without showing interest in these aspects of society, all hope of becoming a gentleman is lost. A gentleman must respect and live by the traditions, but at the same time distinguish himself from everyone around him. Though Confucius advises against questioning what has already been explained and accomplished. So how does he propose to become better? His analects are somewhat contradictory: how do you have any voice if you cannot speak out against old tradition, or create new ones? At the same time, the ideal man should learn from the people around him and be open to criticism. In a society which was so concerned with accordance and conformity, however, his ideas seem reasonable. By following these traditions, you are being polite and respectful, obviously, important qualities. Perhaps his greatest explanation of the qualities necessary to be a gentleman comes in Book V, where he describes the qualities that make Tzu-ch’an a gentleman, â€Å"He was respectful in the manner he conducted himself; he was reverent in the service of his lord; in caring for the common people, he was generous and, in employing their services, he was just. † To be a gentleman, you must have compassion and generosity, qualities that I believe every human has innately; therefore, it would be possible for anyone to be a gentleman if they can harness those traits. In his description of Tzu-ch’an it appears that he had some form of authority over others, possibly a duke or a nobleman in China. It is quite possible that his descriptions of a gentleman aim to describe the ideal ruler. Indeed, all of the qualities he portrays throughout The Analects are vital in a successful ruler: leading by action, not by word (avoidance of hypocrisy), fairness and justice to subordinates, acting reasonably, and using good judgment. Confucius’ teachings are very practical not only to the common man, but to the ruler as well. It is no surprise that this ancient text is still used by today’s societies as guidelines for good leaders. Though it is unclear what exactly a gentleman is, there is an explicit moral code that Confucius believes we should live by. The philosophy recounted in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, on the other hand, is far less practical, in my opinion. His teachings are more spiritual and are harder to live by because of their vagueness and ambiguity. He created the idea of â€Å"Tao,† which is more than just a way of life, it’s even more than life itself—it is everything! Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and all other complementary opposites are Tao. It is likely that by Tao, Lao Tzu is referring to the Universe and everything it engulfs, as he is known to have theorized about the flow of nature. Lao Tzu explains how Tao should be embraced. His philosophy creates a sense of unity among humans, and encourages them to become one with their surroundings. But there are a few ideas which he must not have fully thought through. Is Tao really everything? Everything includes the good and the bad, and Tao is described as all good. Furthermore, there should be no desire to stray from Tao because of its idealism. But is it even possible to stray from Tao if it is everything? Evidently, Tao itself is an idea too complex and difficult for most people to understand, at least for me it is. For this reason (and maybe others as well), Lao Tzu created Te, which is more concrete than Tao—it is the manifestation of Tao, the person walking on the path, rather than the actual path. Through his use of Te, Lao Tzu is still able to create some moral code. By today’s standards, Lao Tzu’s philosophy is in some ways outdated and obsolete. He values inaction, and feels that everyone should be satisfied with what they know and have. To some this may seem like lack of ambition; how can a philosopher possibly be advising against ambition? But I find his advice to be pointing out the faults of over-ambition, and possibly greed. As with everything, there should be harmony, and an equal balance between ambition and satisfaction with the status quo. This is a sound suggestion because through out history we have seen overachievers fall repeatedly: Alexander the Great and his empire, the Roman Empire, the infamous Hitler and his empire as well. Maybe this is not what he intended at all; maybe he meant that lack of action is better than the wrong action. If the action we make will steer us further from the end of Tao, then it may be wiser to not act at all. Or perhaps, through inaction one can reflect and further his spirituality, and by doing so take one step closer to Tao. Maybe, it is for this reason that Lao Tzu chose to leave Taoism so open-ended—so that the reader could interpret Tao in his own way—one person’s path may be radically different from another’s. Though his value of inaction may not make sense to the modern eye, his idea of simplicity and potentiality resonate strongly with us. He compares potentiality to an uncut piece of wood. There are so many possible directions we can take with that single piece of wood—it can become anything! He suggests that a person remain this way, maintaining innocence and openness to new experiences. No matter what we may have seen or felt in the past, we should not be biased towards what the future holds. This is not easy, but is a desirable trait, and probably must be attained to achieve Tao. He also stresses the values of simplicity, which is completely necessary to follow the path. How can one possibly see the path, if he is distracted by what he does not need? Often, it is our embrace of personal possessions and wealth that hinder us from true reflection and meditation. Maybe, it is for this reason that Lao Tzu speaks out against ambition; because you will never see truth if you are blinded by desires. It is likely that Lao Tzu was in some way associated with Confucius, as there is visible influence Lao Tzu in Analects and influence of Confucius in Tao Te Ching. Confucius mentions â€Å"the Way† numerous times, but never explains what it means. Lao Tzu mentions benevolence and vaguely describes what a good ruler is, â€Å"a shadowy presence to his subjects. † Both place high importance on remaining within society’s norms, Confucius through his awe of traditions, and Lao Tzu through his inaction. Both agree that one should live by their word, and that honesty, integrity, and consideration for others desires are important. On their own, neither of the texts adequately describes a fulfilling way of life; together, with Confucius addressing practical matters and Lao Tzu focusing on the spiritual ones, a complete and detailed moral code is constructed. The way of life that these two ancient philosophers described so centuries ago still holds strong today. Though they are difficult to follow with all the temptations of modern society, and the vices of modern man, every one of us still strives to be a gentleman on the path of Tao.

Thesis proposal about antibiotic resistance pathogens in fomities Dissertation

Thesis proposal about antibiotic resistance pathogens in fomities - Dissertation Example Few pathogens exhibit resistance to antibiotics. Genes that confer resistance to drugs can however be transferred between microorganisms (Hawkey and Jones, 7). This transfer can occur through three different ways namely; transformation, transduction or by conjugation. This transfer makes many bacteria to develop resistance. Antibiotic resistance can, therefore, occur naturally. In this natural occurrence, the causative gene becomes shared between organisms in close proximity of one another (Birgit Strommenger, 3). In such occurrence, the bacteria cannot be exposed to treatment. Exposure to antibiotics at this stage can cause evolutionary stress which leads to the development of the resistant trait. Plasmids can be defined as DNA molecules separate from the chromosomal DNA with the ability to replicate on their own (Abad and R M Pintà ³, 65). Most antibiotic resistant genes reside within these plasmids. The ability of plasmids to replicate independently makes it extremely difficult t o kill the microorganisms residing in them. Some organisms possess several resistant genes. Multidrug resistant is the formal name given to such organisms. Informally, they can be referred as superbugs. Executive summary This is a research based proposal which seeks to explore into the area of antibiotic resistance by commonly found infectious bacteria. ... The factors which aid the pathogens in the spread have also been put into consideration within this proposal. Introduction The extensive use of antibiotics in modern day medical treatments has brought about many challenges into the field of medicine. Several microorganisms when exposed to these drugs develop resistance to the drug. This in turn translates to a difficult dilemma to medical practitioners. The only way to treat these infections is through exposing them to drugs. This exposure, however, makes them develop resistance to the same drugs (Hawkey, 4). This proposal explores the various pathogens which have developed this trait. The role of these pathogens in Hospital Acquired Infection and the transmission routes for the pathogens are also evaluated. Causes of antibiotic resistance Numerous reasons have been cited for the widespread resistance to antibiotics in modern medicine. The extensive use of antibiotic in modern medicine has been one of the major contributors to this e merging trend. Overreliance on antibiotic has been a leading factor to the development of multidrug resistance among pathogens (Hawkey and Jones, 7). The multidrug resistant pathogens have also become prevalent between many bacterial species which did not previously exhibit these characteristics. This can be attributed to the ability of certain bacteria to transfer the resistant gene to others. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics by both doctors and patients alike has been quoted as the major cause of drug resistance. Other factors have been the addition of antibiotics into animal feeds, and fraudulent practices among the manufacturers within the pharmaceutical industry. There is a need for the individuals

Phonemic inventories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phonemic inventories - Assignment Example or instance, you have to begin with closed lips, build up some air pressure behind that closure, and then release it in a small burst (Bischoff and Fountain 2011:4). According to Bischoff and Fountain (2011), a vowel is a sound in an oral language made by opening the vocal tract such that, no air build up occurs above the glottis. For this reason, ‘vowel sounds are typically much darker (louder) than the consonant sounds’ (Bischoff and Fountain 2011: 6). Bischoff and Fountain (2011:42) defines phonetic inventory as the set of phones that are distinctive in a given language. Phonetic inventory is not simply a collection of sounds; rather it is more of a set of phonemic distinctions (Bischoff and Fountain 2011:11). Understanding of phonemic inventory of a language helps learners of the language make complex combinations of features with ease (Bischoff and Fountain 2011:11). According to Bischoff and Fountain (2011:41), a minimal pair is a pair of words that have distinct meanings, but that differ only with respect to a single phone. (Bischoff and Fountain 2011:41) further says that the existence of a minimal pair is proof that the phonetic distinction between the differing phones is phonemic in the relevant language. Minimal pairs help us to discover which phonetic properties are distinctive, or phonemic, in a language (Bischoff and Fountain 2011:6). My illustration of the IPA article is about Bardi, a language spoken in Western Kimberly Region in Northwestern Australia (Claire et al. 2012: 334). Bardi consists of 17 consonant phonemes, twelve (12) of which are sonorant, and has no fricatives (Claire et al. 2012: 337). Bardi is important as I investigate my field language, because, itself also being in the Austronesia family, it helps me understand the corresponding use of speech sounds in Mocinese. Noticeable similarities and differences between Mocinese and Bardi exist, with regards to their consonantal arrangement. A major similarity is that, all Bardi

The sale of Gatwick Airport Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The sale of Gatwick Airport - Case Study Example Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport in the United Kingdom, has been offered for sale by BAA, its owner following a move by the competition commission to push the Company to dispose three of its British airports due to dominance concerns of the Airline business market. Gatwick, being the country's second biggest airport, acts as a major component of the national infrastructure as well as a significant constituent of the British aviation industry. There have been misgivings through out the country's economic sector with many feeling that the airport has been flogged off with less attention to the bigger social effects.According to BBC NEWS (2008), the competition committee, which is charged with the job of ensuring and regulation the operations of airports in UK ruled that the BAA had no option but to give away three of the company's airports based in the UK to create more competition in the sector. It insisted that the organization have to sell two of the South East airports w hich comprises of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Regarding this, BAA which is possessed by Spanish company Ferrovial ruled out the sell of Heathrow and Stansted thus leaving Gatwick airport for bidding. Other airports ran by the BAA includes Glasgow, Edinburgh and Scotland based Aberdeen as well as southern England based Southampton. The competition commission has been trying to make to an end the monopolistic control on airport operations to install quality of the services offered in order to provide its clients with efficiency. As a result of this, different companies have indicated their interest in purchasing the airport that has been estimated to have a value of around $ 1.8 billion as per regulators although the price for the airport is likely to be set by the current market circumstances.. Some of the major companies who have indicated there interest in Gatwick include Manchester Airports Group Plc (MAG), Global Infrastructure partners and Lysander Gatwick Investment. Since early 1970s , the control of Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted airports has been under BAA which the competition commission blames for the insufficient competition between south-east English airports and the central Scotland based ones. As per BBC NEWS(2008), this monopoly control has resulted to low levels of service provision to passengers and airline companies and as well lower the incentives for more chances of improvement. BAA has been blamed for slow implementation of new route development plans at several airports as well as being sluggish in venturing into fresh terminals and creating more runways. This situation has been contrasted with other airports such as London city and Manchester airports which have been in the front line in implementing these changes. They have been trying to expand the facilities and services and lowering charges as well as being more responsive to the special needs of the customers. . Major Airport Operators in UK and Europe Manchester Airports Group Plc (MAG) It is the second biggest airport operator in the country and runs Manchester Airport, the third largest airport in the United Kingdom, presently handling 20 million freight passengers annually and having flights to more than 180 destinations globally with over 90 airlines. Other airports ran by the operator includes Nottingham East Midlands airport, Humberside airport and Bournemouth airport. The company also runs Borealis Capital Corporation and Manchester Pension Fund. Global Infrastructure partners Is an organization that possesses London City Airport. It has a brand value of $5.64 billion fund. It is run by professional investment executives' partners who experience direct investment to the fund. London City airport is the leading commercial airport in UK. It has ten airlines operating 32 destinations all over UK and the rest of Europe. It also connects to the rest

Contemporary Social Policy and the Welfare of Children and their Essay

Contemporary Social Policy and the Welfare of Children and their Families in the UK - Essay Example Hence, just like in the past, according to Hodgson and Spours (1999), present-day ‘childhoods’ and contemporary children are marked by a political aspect. The history of child welfare policies in the UK can be described in terms of a steady and restricted intrusion into the family as a reaction to a nation’s evolving needs and perceptions. The acceptance of particular roles and duties by the state towards child welfare, specifically with regard to health and education, has become entrenched (Great Britain Department of Health, 2006). On the contrary, the more focused policies like those involved in the criminal justice system and in the protection of children have obliged to take action in response to certain issues and problems that seem critical then, issues which mainly concern particular families and communities (Hallet & Prout, 2003), while neglecting most families and communities. Hence, this essay will also analyse the effect of the modern children’s rights movement on social policy and law involving children. New Labour: The ‘Social Investment’ Approach The concept of ‘the social investment state’ has arisen as the Third Way ideology’s normative principle and a practical response to the problems and issues of the welfare state recognised by Third Way scholars and policymakers (Lewis & Surender, 2004). The practical response and normative principle are interlocked. The community and the child are viewed as symbols of the social investment state (Lewis & Surender, 2004). Particularly, the child assumes an iconic position. Yet, it has been argued by Hendrick (2005) that the social investment’s new... This essay analyses the effect of the modern children’s rights movement on social policy and law involving children. This paper stresses that the government, in relation to the problem of Child Abuse, formed the Every Child Matters agenda, aimed at enhancing the quality of child services, but particularly children at risk. In addition to having a common focus on self-sufficiency and choice, these policies and guidelines have another common feature: they all nearly entirely overlook the requirement for defenceless children to be safeguarded from abuse (Leira & Saraceno, 2008). Similarly, the Green and White papers on child care fall short in comprising any mentions of child protection plans This report makes a conclusion that the policy responses to the mounting concerns over the rights of children and granting children ‘expression’ or ‘voice’ could have the result, expected or otherwise, of expanding the importance of the individual obligation of children as well as the duties of their parents. In encouraging children and young people to become more accountable for their own behaviours, the punishments given by adults can be viewed to be even more repressing. Paradoxically, the expansion of the concept of children’s rights could have the outcome of soliciting children into dynamically controlling their own freedom and thus exposing them to a much more advanced kind of adult control, guidance, and monitoring.

Second Writing Assignment Primary Sources Case Study

Second Writing Assignment Primary Sources - Case Study Example The speech by Beveridge represents a statement of expansion and social growth across the borders, which formed part of the American ambitions. In this speech, Beveridge asserts the notion that America is the leader of universal democracy that is entitled to benefit all mankind irrespective of where they are. He believes that united states are endowed with a mission to spread its enlightened politics, culture, economics and religion to all corners of the world whether they are willing to receive it or not. According to Beveridge, the Americans are endowed with a talent to exercise control of the world, a talent they should not hide1. Manifest Destiny is an ideology by in this speech that supports imperialism in various ways. It supports the notion of Anglo-Saxon racial superiority since Beveridge believed that his race is superior to others and should thus conquer others in the whole world. Beveridge believed that Americans were justified to displace the natives as they expand across the continent in the name of civilization. Beveridge had no soft words for his opponents. Due to this, he considered opponents of imperialism as infidels to gospel who would make America lose their territories. He argued that those against American imperialism were against the wishes of God, making him differ with his opponents who argue that continuation of American isolationist policies is inherently selfish. He urged his opponents that imperialism is a policy that enabled the Americans to preserve the spirit of their founding fathers who had restrained the wilderness. According to Paris, evident destiny delivered Beveridge with more decent and challenging reason to participate in grand activities against other territories beyond the foundation of commercial supremacy. According to Beveridge, the American-Spanish war the most holy wars ever waged by one nation against the other since it

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE PAPER Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE - Term Paper Example In the book entitled ABC’s of the Human Mind, it was revealed that â€Å"although some philosophers have cast emotions as villains that represent what is most irrational and animal in human nature, there is a strong argument for crediting the emotions with all that is worthy and wonderful about human life† (ABC’s, 1990, 168). In this regard, the objective of the essay is to describe what one hopes to gain from the course, after reading the assigned references, and how it is believed that one may be able to use the course content in one’s daily life. What One Hopes to Gain from the Course Daniel Goleman’s book entitled Emotional Intelligence proffered some insights on the part of the brain that controls emotions, and the nature and application of emotional intelligence, among others. The assigned readings discussed relevant issues on how to bring intelligence to emotions. By discussing what emotions are for, one is given the preview of determining th e role of emotions in people’s lives. I shared Goleman’s experiences of having encountered people, either directly or indirectly, whose lives were drastically transformed due to uncontrolled emotions. I believe emotions of anger are the most destructive when expressed irresponsibly and violently. It is my firmest hope that the course would provide ample opportunities to learn strategies and lessons for taming anger and other vicious emotions, such as jealousy, shame, or fear. It would also be interesting to find out if emotions are almost always manifested and expressed in a universal manner – meaning, do expressions vary from one culture to another? And how come women seem to be more comfortable with expressing their emotions than men? I was moved when I read Goleman’s prelude under Aristotle’s Challenge, to wit: â€Å"those who are at the mercy of impulse – who lack self-control – suffer a moral deficiency. The ability to control i mpulse is the base of will and character† (Goleman, 1997, xii). Accordingly, there is some ecstatic expectation to learn the rudiments of better and more effective self-control, not on a personal basis, but to share the rudiments to those in need. As one gets to observe contemporary generation’s emotional outbursts, I believe there is extreme need to focus on self-restraint and self-discipline. The problems of vices: alcohols, cigarettes, drugs, are manifestations of emotions run astray. The question that challenges us, as averred by Goleman was: â€Å"What can we change to help our children fare better in life?† (ibid, xi – xii). I hope to gain lessons, insights, guidance to direct me into transforming lives through teaching intelligence to our emotions. Applications of the Course The holistic development of a person lies not only in honing intellectual skills, knowledge and abilities on various endeavors, but more so, in learning emotional restraint and compassion. People’s lives are almost always an interplay of actions and thoughts that provoke emotions. The course would be beneficial in providing guidance to appropriate behavior. Again, as revealed by Goleman when he cited Aristotle, it takes a rare skill â€Å"to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way† (ibid, xiii). I hope by the time I finish the course, I would possess this rare skill. I see applications of emotional intelligence in various scenarios and settings where people interact. In academic institutions where professors and

The learning journal entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The learning journal entry - Essay Example The definition provided for leadership was the act of influencing others toward a goal. During the session most of the students found leaders in their parents, professors or other tutors and coaches. Through this discussion I learnt that it was important for students to have real life leaders as we can gain immense knowledge from them and their experiences will help us learn several life lessons. In addition to this I also learnt the formula for performance which was equal to ability plus motivation. Both these elements were required in order to bring out our best performance both in academics and in life. In case ability is absent, any amount of motivation will not matter; however when someone has outstanding ability but is not sufficiently motivated then their performance is bound to be affected. In order to build our ability every individual requires an aptitude or interest towards a task, and a right amount of training and resources that will improve their ability in a given task. Along with the above constant motivation will increase their desire and commitment towards the task. Motivation will help to build desire and interest towards the work and lead to goal-directed behavior. In short, when people desire something and are sufficiently motivated towards achieving it, they would automatically take all the actions that would lead them to their goal and remain committed towards it. Furthermore there are four main factors that are required for motivation namely ability, resource, information and support. For the rest of my management class I intend to be more committed and perform to the best of my ability. For instance, I should work towards understanding the content in the textbooks rather than merely memorizing them. I have come to realize that the sole purpose of education is not about getting high grades; rather it is about gaining as much knowledge as we

Internet Censorship Essay Example for Free

Internet Censorship Essay Introduction Censorship had always been a subject of debate among those who want media to be censored and those who feel that censorship is a violation of the freedom of speech. The internet has not escaped the issue of censorship. The internet is an information highway and no other form of media is as pervasive and far reaching. Those who favor censoring the internet feels that there should be some form of protection for minors and all people from viewing offensive materials on the internet while those who are against it believes that people should be given the right to choose what to view or not as stated in the first amendment. This paper discusses the arguments for the need to censor the internet and why it should not be censored. Background With the observed prevalence of indecent language and obscene pictures in the internet, groups and organizations have called on for the censorship of the internet. The government’s response to this call was the Communications Decency Act of 1996 which was passed into law by the United States Congress; the act would regulate the forms of speech in the internet (Wallace Mangan, 1996). The law was seen by pro-censorship groups as a way of minimizing immoral content in the internet which might have contributed to the moral degeneration of our society (Qazi, 1996). A year after, the Supreme Court ruled that the CDA was unconstitutional and in turn protected the first amendment (EPIC, 2002). The victory of the free speech proponents over the CDA was short lived, in 1998; the Child Online Protection Act was signed into law by President Clinton which in essence took after the CDA. The COPA mandated criminal penalties for commercially distributing materials harmful to minors including indecent speech (EPIC, 2004). The enactment of COPA again resulted to heated debates and protests over the unconstitutionality of the law, and the free speech protesters were not disappointed. In 2004, after a series of Supreme Court ruling against the COPA, it maintained the injunction on the enforcement of the law. Communications Decency Act of 1996 The President signed the Communications Decency Act into law in January 1996; the act criminalizes indecent speech on the internet. The act identifies that speech depicting sexual organs and acts, excretory organs and acts in a patently offensive fashion under contemporary community standards as indecent speech (Wallace Mangan, 1996). The dubious and vague definition of indecency and the standards by which a word (pure text) is judged to be obscene have made the act questionable. In fact, the CDA was met with violent reactions because it proved to be too restrictive and did not account for situations wherein sexually explicit words have to be used but has scientific, literary, artistic or political values. The act also stated that indecency will be judged based on it being patently offensive, which in practice allows a jury to judge the material as indecent based on how they feel about it, regardless of its scientific, literary or artistic value. Moreover, it also permitted the community to determine the standards by which indecency can be measured. This is unrealistic, for every community or state has its own cultural standards and asking people to use words or materials that are acceptable to each community means restricting speech to the most conservative standards. On the other hand, the Morality in Media, the National Law Center for Children and Families, the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families and the Family Research Council, who are pro-CDA argue that the CDA does not infringe upon the first amendment. The act accordingly updates and amends Federal obscenity statutes and dial-a-porn laws and that it requires adults who use patently offensive sexual expression to place blinders on their pornography. Further, they point out that what is indecent is well known to the general public and the mass media and that the court should re-interpret the law to be applied only to prurient pornography (McCullagh, 1996). The Supreme Court easily ruled that the CDA was unconstitutional due to the fact that the act tries to restrict content and this is in direct violation of the first amendment. Child Online Protection Act of 1998 The Child Online Protection Act is another effort to censor the content of the internet. It is different from the CDA in that it specifies that children should be protected from harmful language and materials made available in the internet. Thus violators will be subjected to steep fines and prison terms. As with the case with the CDA the COPA also is judged to be too restrictive. It mandates that all material or written text in the internet be acceptable to children, thus it would mean that the content of the internet is limited to children only. In this respect the act states that identifying data should be provided by adults like credit cards to determine their age, but is also discriminatory to those adults who do not have credit cards. Thus the act again is a threat to the freedom of speech that is a fundamental and basic right to each human being. The Supreme Court also finds the act unconstitutional and even after a series of appeals and injunctions; it has maintained that the act cannot be enforced into law. Meanwhile, those who endorse the COPA articulate that the act is dissimilar from the CDA because it applies to commercial pornographic sites. In an attempt to refute the arguments of those against the COPA, the pro groups reiterate that it is economically and technically feasible for the identified sites to check for the age of the surfers and that defining what is harmful to minors is not vague and complicated and can easily be implemented by the states (Macavinta, 1999). They feel that the COPA is needed at this time and age because of the necessity of protecting our children from being corrupted by harmful materials in the internet that may be a cause for abuse and exploitation (Macavinta, 1998). Conclusions Efforts to censor the internet have failed because as an interactive medium it is a vehicle for the expression of man’s freedom of speech. Any attempt by the government to restrict it is a violation of the fundamental human rights of each individual in this democratic country. But the justification for the need of a law to protect children from pornography and violent materials in any form is undeniably valid and should be also be respected. The Supreme Court has also supported the free speech groups in their fight against censorship and is undeniably a champion of the first amendment, but it does not mean that the SC do not give due importance to children’s welfare and safety but striking a balance between the freedom of speech and censorship is a difficult battle to win. Bibliography Communications Decency Act (February 2, 2002). Electronic Privacy Information Center, Retrieved April 20, 2006 from http://www. epic. org/free_speech/cda/ Internet Censorship (February 1, 2002). Electronic Privacy Information Center, RetrievedApril 20, 2006 from http://www. epic. org/free_speech/censorship/ Macavinta, C. (1998). Suit filed against CDA II, CNET News. com, Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://news. com. com/Suit+filed+against+CDA+II/2100-1023_3-217005. html? tag=st. rn Macavinta, C. (1999). DOJ to wrap up pro-COPA testimony, CNET News. com, Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://news. com. com/DOJ+to+wrap+up+pro-COPA+testimony/2100-1023_3-220574. html McCullagh, D. (1996). The CDA challenge: The battle of the briefs. Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://www. xent. com/spring96/0582. html Qazi, U. (1996). The internet censorship controversy, Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://courses. cs. vt. edu/~cs3604/lib/Censorship/notes. html#6 The Legal Challenge to the Child Online Protection Act (June 29, 2004). Electronic Privacy Information Center, Retrieved April 20, 2006 from http://www. epic. org/free_speech/copa/ Wallace, J. Mangan, M. (1996). The Internet Censorship FAQ, Retrieved April 20, 2006 from http://www. spectacle. org/freespch/faq. htm Notes: Actual Materials Cited †¢ Wallace, J. Mangan, M. (1996). The Internet Censorship FAQ, Retrieved April 20, 2006 from http://www.spectacle. org/freespch/faq. htm What threats of censorship exist for the Internet? The principal threat of Internet censorship today is the Communications Decency Act, a law passed by Congress and signed by the President in January, 1996 which would apply quite radical regulations to speech on the Internet. What is the Communications Decency Act (CDA)? The CDA criminalizes indecent speech on the Internet. One section of the CDA defines indecency as speech depicting or describing sexual or excretory acts or organs in a patently offensive fashion under contemporary community standards. Each of these clausesindecent, depicting or describing, patently offensive, and contemporary community standardshides a landmine threatening the future of freedom of speech in this country. †¢ Communications Decency Act (February 2, 2002). Electronic Privacy Information Center, Retrieved April 20, 2006 from http://www. epic. org/free_speech/cda/ In a landmark decision issued on June 26,1997, the Supreme Court held that the Communications Decency Act violated the First Amendments guarantee of freedom of speech. †¢ The Legal Challenge to the Child Online Protection Act (June 29, 2004). Electronic Privacy Information Center, Retrieved April 20, 2006 from http://www. epic. org/free_speech/copa/ In October 1998, Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), the sequel to CDA. COPA establishes criminal penalties for any commercial distribution of material harmful to minors. †¢ McCullagh, D. (1996). The CDA challenge: The battle of the briefs. Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://www. xent. com/spring96/0582. html. The arguments advanced in the brief a joint venture of Morality in Media, the National Law Center for Children and Families, the Family Research Council, Enough is Enough! , and the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families center around one concept: indecency means pornography. That idea stinks like, well, a rotten egg. Their argument, which mirrors the DoJs, goes as follows: 1. The CDA merely updates and amends Federal obscenity statutes and dial-a-porn laws. 2. All the CDA does is require adults who use patently offensive sexual expression to put electronic blinder racks in front of their pornography. 3. The test for indecency is not vague or overbroad and does not apply to serious works of literature, art, science, and politics. 4. What is indecent is well known to the public and the operators of mass communications media facilities. (If indecency is too vague, the CDA is unconstitutional. ) 5. The court has an obligation to interpret these sections narrowly. That is, the three-judge panel should *reinterpret* the CDA to affect only prurient pornography. Taylor calls this judicial narrowing, and when I spoke with him he insisted that it was what the court will do. †¢ Macavinta, C. (1998). Suit filed against CDA II, CNET News. com, Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://news. com. com/Suit+filed+against+CDA+II/2100-1023_3-217005. html? tag=st. rn The law simply extends into cyberspace laws that protect children from pornography off the Net, Shyla Welch, director of communication for Enough is Enough, which lobbied for the legislation, said today. †¢ Macavinta, C. (1999). DOJ to wrap up pro-COPA testimony, CNET News. com, Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://news.com. com/DOJ+to+wrap+up+pro-COPA+testimony/2100-1023_3-220574. html Proponents of COPA say it is different from the CDA in that it only applies to sites selling pornography. Witnesses will testify today that it is economically and technically feasible for these sites to check surfers IDs through credit cards, adult PINs, or digital signatures. Justice Department witnesses will testify that Web sites will not be harmed financially by the lawand that defining harmful to minors is not as complicated as the ACLU makes it out to be. After all, 48 states have harmful to minors laws on the books, they will argue. †¢ Qazi, U. (1996). The internet censorship controversy, Retrieved April 21, 2006 from http://courses. cs. vt. edu/~cs3604/lib/Censorship/notes. html#6 Both public and private interest groups have shown great concern for the content of material available via the Internet. They are driven by deeply rooted religious and ethical beliefs. They feel that the Internet is a medium that is being abused to allow extremists, unethical, and immoral individuals to corrupt society.

Turkish Woman Essay Example for Free

Turkish Woman Essay Being able to assist a person when in need is one of the most satisfying psychological experiences a person goes through. Human beings have a social aspect in nature which makes them want to correlate with others especially those with whom one can easily relate with because of some similar characters such as culture, class, religion and class. At the same time a being for a foreign in another country is very challenging and calls for high tolerance and perseverance of the foreigner. When a person is a foreign in another a country he/she may face hardships in terms of discrimination, legal policies, language barrier, social and economic disparities and other issues what will came about. Thus, it becomes as a welcomed relief if such an individual gets a fellow country man or woman to assist him/her to settle in the foreign land. The Turkish woman As pertaining to why the Turkish woman already in America will want to assist fellow Turkish people coming to America, there will be several reasons to explain this, are personal, social and political. Below are some of the reasons that try to explain why the Turkish woman is helping others; Alienation: This normally occurs in new Turkish people due to the assimilation difficulties that they will experience in their America as they struggle to adapt to the new country. This leads to the alienating of the new Turkish people from their culture stimulating the identity crisis within their societies. This alienation can lead social isolation that might also lead to depression through stress anger and fatigue which normally happen to detract the new Turkish people from settling in America. This case of alienation has been shown to have taken a large proportion of the new Turkish members of the society who are classified as foreigners. Thus, that is why the Turkish woman is assisting fellow Turkish people to settle and find jobs in America. Psychological Insinuation: Another reason as to why the woman is helping other Turkish people to settle in America is because of psychological insinuation. Racial disparity is said to be having psychological implication on new Turkish people coming in the American society since the Turkish are forced to participate in a particular culture in America, especially in institution such as schools and companies. This is so because; it forces them to alter to their home cultures. Through this, the new Turkish people will face a variety of conflicts giving rise to a psychological and identity problem. It is true that coming to a new country, particularly in America will highly challenge the individual. There is an increased need for a foreigner to be assisted in a new country so that he/she is able to undergo as minimal psychological insinuation. Therefore, the Turkish woman is assisting these people to able to reduce their psychological insinuation that they may go through. Avoid discrimination It is said that discrimination in any place has a diversified effects on the people being discriminated about, which normally differ with the presence of many factors including those of self attitudes and the cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. These factors target those people who are viewed as foreigners whereby a negative impact is brought, i. e. when a community fails to address the needs of its new members. This may be done when the community is formulating it’s polices that include the exclusion of minority/foreign cultures and languages which proves to lack relevance to the community. This in turn make foreigners to loose hope whereby they fail to settle and some of them may give up and opt to go their home country such issues lead to increase in difficulties for the new turkey arrival in America. However, if there are assisted by someone whom they know they easily overcome such issues. Same religious beliefs The other reason as to why culture forms a central core of the Turkish woman to help fellow Turkish people is that of religion. Religion is a system of shared beliefs and rituals concerned with the sphere of the sacred or the supernatural and it usually affects the way of living especially in another country. According to latest research ethical systems consists of moral principles that are used to shape and guide behavior and thus affects personal activities. With diversity of religion systems it becomes difficult for other people to settle successfully in another country because of the differences that are involved between religions. For example, Islam religion is viewed as with radical principles in the eyes of many western countries and many Muslims are treated with suspicion. More so in America many Muslims are being associated with terrorism activities Thus, it becomes very hard for a Turkish Muslim to get a job in America as many companies shun away from employing such people. Thus the reason why the woman is helping other fellow Turkish is because she understands their religious beliefs. What motivates the woman to do this job? Social responsibility It has been observed that human being have a social responsibility of assisting each other whenever possible. In such a case where one has already settled in a foreign land, and other countrymen come by, it becomes a social responsibility to assist them. Bearing in mind that that Turkish woman is working a certain organization, she has better information about the legal working of the American system, the social welfare system, and where job opportunities can be found. At the same time the woman has knows where civil rights movements and other social bodies can be found, which can assisted the new Turkish people who are coming in to America. Thus, this is another reason why the woman is assisting other Turkish people. Gaining political mileage Another reason why the woman is helping others may be because she wants to gain political mileage among fellow countrymen, since they will feel indebted to her inn future. At the same time she will have an upper hand in the Turkish society in America and this can help her to advance her ideology among her people. Having political advantage comes with some political powers and benefits within the society. The woman thus, by the virtual of assisting others will have some powers that she will use in promoting the Turkish people interests in America. At the same time helping others will be easily settle in America and get jobs or schools will put them in a higher economic and social status. This will help them have economic powers that can be used to assist other either in America or back home. Conclusion Helping others is an important aspect in for an individual, it is more important when it comes to foreigners being assisted in other country. The reasons why a person helps others are varied and are both personal and social and can also be political. Discrimination, language barrier, religion, social and economic disparities among the natives and the foreigners are the major challenges that a person will encounter in a foreign land. For the Turkish woman, she helps others because of varied reasons that include among others avoidance of discrimination and legal understanding of the American system.

Environmental Impact And Pollution Control In Kenya Environmental Sciences Essay

Environmental Impact And Pollution Control In Kenya Environmental Sciences Essay Currently the Kenyan household sector is completely dependent on kerosene and charcoal and in rare cases on solar power. Use of kerosene and firewood are inefficient use of fuel in Kenya. They are already high in scarcity value and expensive thus a cheaper and cleaner option is necessary. The proposed project activity is a biomass based power project. These categories of projects do require an environmental impact analysis to be performed under the existing NEMA regulations and obtain environment license. The operation of the power plant produces emissions, waste water and solid wastes such as boiler ash. Impact of release of pollutants is planned as follows to minimize the impact. Turbo Generator and Auxiliaries: The system consists of one multistage steam turbine coupled with an electric generator, air cooled condenser, air ejector system for air cooled condenser, condensate pumps, lubricating oil and governing oil system. Controls and instrumentation are provided as per the needs. The proposed biomass based power plant, will have one no. 10.0 MW turbo generator. The turbine is provided with devices to safeguard against over speed, low steam inlet pressure, high axial movement of the shaft, low lube oil pressure, high condenser vacuum, excessive vibration etc. Power generation will be 10.0 MW during the operation. The Auxiliary power (Home load) demand will be 0.9 MW. The balance power 9.1 MW will be exported to KPLC grid. Emergency Power System consists of 1 No. DG Set of 250 kVA is provided to make available emergency power supply to the station in case of black out. The total requirement of raw water for this unit will be 256 KLD. The entire raw water requirement for the unit will be met from dug well and bore well inside and outside the factory premises. This will ensure that the natural water catchment areas are preserved and the underground water is used instead. The acidic effluents generated during regeneration of caution and mixed bed exchangers and alkaline effluents generated during regeneration of anions and mixed bed exchangers of dematerialized water plant will be led into a neutralization pit. These effluents are self neutralizing but provisions will be made for final pH adjustment before disposal. Wastewater Generation S. No Particulars Wastewater Generated m3/hr Method of Treatment 1 Sewage 2.0 Septic tank with Dispersion trench 2 Softener regeneration DM Plant 0.3 Neutralization tank 3 Filter back wash/ R.O reject 0.55 Waste Water Storage Tank 4 Boiler blow down 2.46 5 Cooling tower blow down 1.159 Since, the small quantity of wastewater will be generated from domestic usages, the chances of contamination of soil will be nil. Wastewater drained from the treatment plant is pumped to a neutralization pit to maintain PH as prescribed by Pollution Control norms. The blow down water from boiler will be mixed with cooling tower to bring down the temperature to ambient level. The sewage from the various power plant buildings will be taken to a common septic tank through trenches for safer disposal. The water used in the surface condenser will be cooled in a cooling tower. Blow down from the cooling tower will be trenched out and finally conveyed to the effluent pit. The vacant area in the industry will be used for tree plantation to improve the surrounding environment of the industry. Ash The main solid waste from the proposed Power Plant will be ash (Fly ash and Bottom ash) by the combustion of fuel in boiler which will be around 35 tons/day which includes the bottom ash, ash collected in the ESP ash hoppers. The boiler will be sized to produce 45 tph steam under normal conditions. The proposed boiler will be primarily bio-mass fired single-drum, vertical type balanced draft with a furnace having traveling grate type furnace. The boiler will consist of air pre-heater, economizer, evaporators, super-heaters, fuel firing equipment, integral piping, flue gas ducting with expansion joints, supporting structures, platforms and walkways, etc. The firing system consists of a traveling grate, air plenum, regulating dampers and ash discharges valve. The traveling grate is driven by a hydraulic arrangement and the tie bars of the traveling grates are made of cast iron, to withstand the heat from the burning. The combustion air to the grate is supplied from the bottom plenum hoppers and the air is controlled by the air dampers. The discharge end of the grate discharges the ash into a water impounded hopper. The shifting are collected in the plenum hopper and discharged by an air lock valve. Based on preliminary estimates, the maximum annual generation of ash from boiler operation is 2.5 tons/hr, based on 100 percent Prosopis juliflora firing. Fly ash constitutes the major part, accounting for 75% of total generation, the balance being bottom ash. The fly ash will be utilized for land filling, Brick making or Cement blending, for road building material and for farmers, who can use the ash as manure for the crops, and also through dense phase pneumatic handling system with fly ash silos which have a capacity to store 1 week generati on of ash. The ash will be transported through trucks and the roads will be asphalted within the plant area. Environmental pollution and control Noise Noise Level Survey: The foremost objective of noise monitoring in the study area is to evaluate the baseline noise and assess the impact of the total noise expected to be generated by proposed project. The details of the expected noise monitoring locations as per studies on other similar projects are that noise levels during day time were found to be in the range 52.6 48.3 dB. The maximum noise level was observed to be 52.6 dB at the Nalli, India and a minimum of 48.3 dB was observed at Alavattam, India. Noise levels observed to fall in the range 48.6- 46.5 dB during the night time. A maximum of 48.6 dB was observed at the Nalli, India and a minimum of 46.5 dB at Alavattam, India. Equipment will conform to noise levels prescribed by regulatory authorities. Adequate noise control measures will be provided to satisfy the ambient noise level standards prescribed by NEMA. Noise absorbing materials will be used in the construction of roofs, walls, floors and in the generators. Provision of acoustic enclosures to noise generating equipments like pumps will be installed; major noise-producing equipments such as turbo generator compressors are to be provided with suitable noise abatements. Provision of thick greenbelt to attenuate the noise levels will be made. Safety equipment for noise like ear muffs and other protective devises will be provided to the staff working near noise generation source. The pollution control measures planned for the plant will ensure that it has the least adverse impact on the environment. Air The project is techno economically viable, based on the various technical and financial analyses for generating power using bio-mass. During the growth of plants, CO2 in the air is absorbed through photosynthesis. The same quantity of CO2 will be released on burning, and will be again absorbed while growing (juliflora plants). Branches of juliflora will be cut, leaving the stem for the future growth. Although there will be some emissions from the burning process itself, the project will earn substantial carbon credits as the complete carbon cycle is calculated from the oxygen generated by the Prosopis while it is growing until it is finally burned. In this way the process is neutral and qualifies for carbon credit from the developed countries. Incidentally this is revenue for the biomass power generation plant. The quantity of CO2 for a 10 MW power plant is around 51,500tonnes/year. Please advice on the highlighted part. Biomass energy generation, if done in a sustainable fashion, would greatly reduce emissions of greenhouses gases. The amount of carbon dioxide released when biomass is burned is very nearly the same as the amount required to replenish the plants grown to produce the biomass. Thus, in a sustainable fuel cycle, there will be no net emissions of carbon dioxide, although some fossil-fuel inputs will be required for planting, harvesting, transporting, and processing biomass. Efficient cultivation and conversion processes will used and the resulting emissions will be small (around 20% of the emissions created by fossil fuels alone). Also if the energy needed to produce and process biomass comes from renewable sources in the first place, then the net contribution to global warming will be zero. Draft System and Electro-Static Precipitator: The boiler will be equipped with one number of forced draft fan, secondary air (SA) fan and induced draft fan. The FD SA fans will supply the required combustion air to the boiler. The flue gases generated in the boiler will be evacuated by the ID fan and the capacity and head of FD fan will be selected considering maximum air that would be required for the fuel firing modes. In the same way, ID fan will also be selected based on the maximum flue gas generated in any of the fuel firing modes under consideration. The boiler is connected to an electro-static precipitator, which will remove the dust and ash particles from the flue gas, before the ID fan could handle it. The efficiency of the precipitator will be 99.9% and the dust concentration at the outlet of the ESP will be less than 100.0 mg/Nm3. Control of ground level concentration of SO2 emitted will be achieved by providing a stack at sufficient height of 65 m for dispersion. The unit will install an electrostatic precipitator at the exit of boilers so as to limit the suspended particulate matter and achieve the standards prescribed by NEMA. Electrostatic precipitator of 99.9% efficiency will be installed to limit the SPM concentrations below100 mg/Nm3. A stack of 55-m height will be provided for wider dispersion of gaseous emissions. Avoidance of methane emissions due to decay and de-gradation of the biomass waste is also necessary. The company intends to lay out an approach of CO2 neutrality in production and utilization of bio- mass for heat and power generation as well as avoiding CO2 emissions from the fossil fuels for the corresponding requirement. A combustion technology route is selected for the power plant, where bio-mass is burnt as fuel in a steam generator to produce high pressure steam which is then expanded in a steam turbine to generate power. This will in effect neutralize the CO2 emissions. The design of fuel handling system, involving biomass fuels is based on the estimated quantities of annual fuel requirements. Fuels will be received at the site by road. Adequate road facilities will be provided to handle the road-bound vehicles on a daily peak basis. The fuels arriving at site by different types of vehicles such as trucks, tractor trailers etc. will be weighed on a pit less type electronic road weighbridge provided in the plant premises. The CO2 emissions from these transport vehicles will be subsequently absorbed by the juliflora plants. Conveyor belt will be closed to prevent dust generation and water sprinkling system will be provided at the material handling and storage yard so as to satisfy the Ambient Air Quality/emission standards prescribed by NEMA. Well maintained greenbelt covering 25 %of the land area will be provided to arrest the fugitive emissions. Soil It has been observed that the pH of the soil ranged from 6.6 -6.7 indicating that the soils are acidic to slightly alkaline. Soils are mainly clay loams with alluvial deposits derived from tertiary / quaternary volcanic and pyroclastic rock sediments that have been weathered and eroded from the uplands. They contain high levels of P, K, Ca and Mg and low levels of N and C. The soil from the study area shows moderate to good fertility. By carrying out a replantation of the Prosopis on the cleared land then the soil fertility will be improved and maintained. Although energy crops will be grown without pesticide and fertilizer, large-scale energy farming could nevertheless lead to increases in chemical use simply because more land would be under cultivation. Soils could be depleted of organic content and nutrients unless care is taken to leave enough wastes behind. These concerns point up the need for regulation and monitoring of energy crop development and waste use. Ecology The major environmental impact of biomass energy may be that of loss of biodiversity. Transforming natural ecosystems into energy plantations with a very small number of crops, as few as one, can drastically reduce the biodiversity of a region. There are no wild life sanctuaries/parks within 20 km radius of the project site. Also because of the denuded land, wildlife is quite scarce with the most common animals being the ostrich and dik dik. However snakes are in abundance. The records of Forest Department of Kenya did not indicate presence of any high endemic or vulnerable species in this area. The natural plants which are mainly shrubs and acacia trees will not be affected by the projects routine. The out growers will be trained on how to identify and avoid these natural plant species. Please advice if this part is adequately addressed. This will lead to increasing the amount of forest wood harvested for energy and could provide an incentive for the forest-products industry to manage its resources more efficiently, and thus improve forest health. But it could also provide an excuse to exploit forests in an unsustainable fashion. Biomass energy production involves annual harvests or periodic removals of trees from the land. These harvests and removals will be at levels that are sustainable, i.e., surety that current use does not deplete the lands ability to meet future needs, and also be done in ways that dont degrade other important indicators of sustainability. Because biomass markets may involve new or additional removals of trees, we will be careful to minimize impacts from whatever additional demands biomass growth or harvesting makes on the land. Unfortunately, commercial forests have not always been soundly managed, and many people view with alarm the prospect of increased wood cutting. Their concerns can be met by tighter government controls on forestry practices and by following the principles of excellent forestry. If such principles are applied, it should be possible to extract energy from forests indefinitely. Greenbelt Development Greenbelt will be developed inside the factory premises covering a total area of about 10.5 acres. The unit will also develop the nearby area around the industry for greenbelt. The inter-spaces will be laid with shrubs. The inter-space between trees planted will be about 5m. It is proposed to double the tree density in future in accordance to the factory requirements. Socio Economic One other side effect of growing trees for energy is that it will benefit soil quality and farm economies. Energy crops will provide a steady supplemental income for farmers in off-seasons and allow them to work unused land without requiring much additional equipment. Moreover, energy crops will be used to stabilize cropland or rangeland prone to erosion and flooding. Trees will be grown for several years before being harvested, and their roots and leaf litter will help stabilize the soil. The planting of coppicing, or self-regenerating, varieties will minimize the need for disruptive tilling and planting. This project does not involve any displacement of local people. Employment opportunities will be improved in the nearby villages because of this proposed unit and this will provide indirect employment opportunities for more than 1000 families. Safety PPEs -Operation and Maintenance The following measures will be provided to ensure safety of the workers; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industrial safety helmets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Crash helmets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Face shield à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Welders equipment for eye and face protection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cylindrical type earplug à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ear muffs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Canister gas mask à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Self contained breathing apparatus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Leather apron à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Boiler suit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Safety belt /line mans safety belt à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Leather hand gloves à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Canvas cum leather hand gloves with leather palm à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lead hand glove à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Electrically tested electrical resistance hand gloves and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industrial safety shoes with steel toe. Environment, Safety and Health Monitoring Programme The Environment, Safety and Health-Monitoring Programme in the factory will be as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monthly Monitoring of Stack Emissions SPM, RSPM, SO2, NOX à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Daily Monitoring of Water and Treated Water pH, TDS, TSS, COD à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monitoring of Ambient Air SPM, RSPM, SO2, NOX CO, Noise and Work Place Air à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Occupational Safety à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Occupational Health Budgetary allocation for Environmental Management Category Capital Investment Annual Operating Costs (KES in 000) Air Pollution Management 125 1 Water and Wastewater Management 50 2 Solid Waste Management 50 5 Greenbelt 5 1 Environmental Monitoring and Training 5 1 Total 235 10 Please advice on this table. Is it necessary and are the figures almost correct. Other impact of growing Prosopis Juliflora and using it to generate energy include; Fossil fuel cogeneration and carbon mitigation will be encouraged. The furnace and boiler will have to be especially modified to be able to generate steam at the high temperatures necessary for making the plant more energy efficient. Sustainability of a biomass power plant will generally depend on the participation of the beneficiaries in terms of increased environmental awareness by distinguishing biomass power and conventional grid power. During the field survey it was found out that very little environmental concerns exist among the villagers. This is not to mean that they are ignorant of the negative impacts of deforestation, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity but that they are aware and are willing to address these impacts accordingly. They are also willing to share the responsibility to plant more trees in their land to counter effect the negative impact that the power plant may generate and to maintain the sustainability. The key to successful biomass power development is to use the resources efficiently in modern conversion systems that maximize the energy produced and minimize the byproducts of the conversion processes. In modern times, the combination of improved technological efficiencies, scientific advances, increased environmental-awareness and environmental protection regulations have turned biomass conversion into a cleaner, more efficient process. In view of the above,the following activities along the biomass value chain will require consideration in an EIA: à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ any activity or structure out of character with its surrounding; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ major changes in land use; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ all roads in scenic, wooded or mountainous areas and wetlands; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ railway lines; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ oil and gas pipelines; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ water transport; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ river diversions and water transfer between catchments; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ drilling for the purpose of utilizing ground water resources; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ timber harvesting; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ clearance of forest areas; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ reforestation and afforestation; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ large-scale agriculture; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ use of pesticides, including aerial spraying; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ introduction of new crops; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ use of fertilizers; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ irrigation; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ fertilizer manufacture or processing; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ oil refineries and petro-chemical works; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ chemical works and process plants; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ bulk grain processing plants; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ management of hydrocarbons including the storage of natural gas and combustible or explosive fuels; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ waste disposal, including: sites for solid waste disposal; sites for hazardous waste disposal; sewage disposal works; works involving major atmospheric emissions; works emitting offensive odors. As required for implementation of the project activity, project participants have studied the possibility of environmental impacts and conclude that no negative impacts are possible due to the project activity. In fact, the project activity contributes to minimize the environmental pollution due to fossil fuel based electricity generation.