John Venn (1834 â€1923) Essay

John Venn was born in 1834, to a highly religious Christian family at Hull, England. His mother died when he was very young and father was engaged with rendering his services to the church. He graduated from the Cambridge University and in 1857 was elected as a fellow of the college. He remained a fellow for the rest of his life. From 1858 he lived at different locations and finally returned to Cambridge in 1862. For the next thirty years, Venn dedicated himself to ‘Logic’. He wrote three books on this subject. The first one was ‘the logic of chance’ in 1866, the second, ‘ symbolic logic’ in 1881, and the third, ‘ The principles of Empirical logic’, in 1889. ( Brinley Lisa ) John Venn is famous for his conception of Venn diagrams, a visual representation of mathematical logic. He introduced the concept for the first time in 1880, in a paper titled, ‘ On the diagrammatic and mechanical representation of propositions and reasonings’, which appeared in the philosophical magazine and the journal of Science, July 1980. ( Brinley Lisa ). Venn Diagrams If three discs R, S ,T are subsets of U , then the intersections of these discs and their complements divide U into 8 regions, which do not overlap. The unions give 256 combinations of the three disks R, S , T. Proper working of Venn diagrams require an order of precedence and operators to follow. This order is, AND, NOT, OR, XOR ( Or and XOR equal ). This implies that if both the operations AND and OR are included in a query, AND operation will be taken up first. This does not happen ONLY IF parenthesis are used, as Expressions in parenthesis are processed first. Venn Diagram ( Brinley Lisa ) Venn continuously kept on improving his theory of visual representation through his diagrams. He never interpreted them as an attempt to clarify, what he thought were the inconsistencies and ambiguities of Boole’s logic. Venn realized that his diagrams were not sufficiently general. So he proposed a method by which a series of circles divide a plane into many compartments so that each successive circle would intersect all the compartments. This idea was to later develop as a concept of a ‘universal set ‘. At a later stage of his life, Venn became more interested in history and made some important contribution by documenting the history of Cambridge. John Venn will always be remembered for his contribution to extension of Boole’s logic, in a visual, diagrammatic way. Venn digrams are very useful in variety of applications including set theory, probability, logic, statistics and computer science. In a recent BBC poll, John Venn emerged as the third most greatest mathematician of recent times, next only to Newton and Euler. ( John Venn ) Works – cited page 1. Brinley Lisa, Gregory Emy, Biography of John Venn 1998, Retrieved on 22 March 07 from: < http://www. andrews. edu/~ calkins/math/biograph/biovenn. htm > 1. John Venn, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 25 February 2007, Retrieved on 22 March 2007 from: < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/John_Venn>.

Poem appreciation – A Poem should not mean but be

In the poem ‘A Poem should not mean but be' the poet causes the reader to question themselves over how they read a poem, how they see it. ‘A Poem should not mean but be' the Poet here from the title is saying a poem should not be looked upon by people as just words on paper, seeing them as empty and meaningless, but experience the feeling and emotion that has been expressed in poems. A poem is a verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme. This is what the Poet is trying to get across to the reader of this poem ‘Does it work when the word happiness is pronounced?' here right from the start of the poem the Poet asks the question ‘Does it work when the word happiness is pronounced?' he is putting this question to the audience forcing them to think does it make it happen?, does it bring it to life?, happiness?. In this quote from the poem the Poet is asking the reader are they really feeling the feeling and emotion which is being expressed in poems when they read them rather than just seeing the words. ‘Never is the happiness because orgasm and orgasm are worlds apart', in this quote from the Poet it shows him expressing his view when he says ‘Never is the happiness' meaning not ever, on no occasion, at no time is it felt in the poem. The Poet uses the word orgasm to represent the strong feeling of emotional excitement which he obviously feels has been put in poems should be conveyed to the reader. The Poet does not feel that these feelings of emotional excitement expressed in Poems are being picked up by the reader, this is shown when he says ‘orgasm and orgasm are worlds apart' this shows just how often the Poet feels the readers of poems are on the same wavelength, way of thinking as the one who wrote the poem. ‘At times I see it – words that are pulled from the depths of unknowing', here the Poet is telling the reader on occasion he sees the words from Poems rely being fully felt for what he believes they should be, the true feeling and emotion ‘from the depths of the unknowing' I quote from the Poet.  Read also Critical appreciation of the poem â€Å"Old Ladies’ Home†. ‘The secret of life in a sudden line of poetry through the washed rooms of the simple senses', here the poet is once again speaking about how he feels the readers are seeing the poems. ‘The secret of life in a sudden line of poetry', here when the Poet says ‘the secret of life' he is telling us just how much feeling he thinks is put into poems. ‘The secret of life' refers to the feelings and emotions inside of the Poet who has written the poem . ‘In a sudden line of poetry', in this quote the Poet uses the word ‘sudden' to relate to the unforeseen feeling and emotion that has been put into any poem it is unforeseen by the reader because it is coming out of the Poet. ‘Through the washed rooms of the simple senses' here the Poet once again tells us how he feels readers are not feeling the fullness of poems. This quote from the Poet tells us he feels that the feeling and emotions in poems are passing through the mind, as ‘washed rooms' he refers to it in the poem. The Poet believes the reader is unaware of how to feel the of the depths of the poem by not seeing past the words on paper, using their ‘simple senses' I quote from the Poet. A Poem should not mean but be is an exceptionally well written composition which really conveys the feelings of the Poet onto the reader through by the literature used in the text. This Poem really shows the reader how much feeling and emotion is put into a poem and acknowledge the hidden depths of a poem. I found it a compelling ballad which causes much cerebration.

An essay on the play Romeo and Juliet Essay

In the play we do not meet Romeo until after the fight in the street between the Montague’s and the Capulet’s, Shakespeare shows the audience the feud between the two families before he introduces the main character, Romeo. The first impressions we get of Romeo are that he is a loner and prefers to be on his own, rather then spending time with other people. Shakespeare shows this by making him seem solitary and distant, he also uses darkness to portray Romeos feelings, he does this when Montague describes Romeos actions â€Å"Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out and makes himself an artificial night†. Montague talks to Benvolio about Romeos troubles and describes his condition as an illness, Shakespeare shows this when Montague says â€Å"as willingly give the cure as known† this shows that Montague describes Romeo as being ill as he refers to a â€Å"cure† being able to help him. When Benvolio promises Montague to â€Å"know his grievance† the audience meets Romeo for the first time already with an idea about his character, that he is a loner and is depressed. When Romeo first appears he has a conversation with Benvolio, this tells the audience what is wrong with Romeo. Romeo tells Benvolio that his current state is because of unrequited love. Shakespeare shows Romeos emotions using a paradox â€Å"O brawling love, O loving hate† (the theme of love and hate is reoccurring through out the play) and â€Å"Feather of lead† these are examples of oxymoron’s (a paradox reduced to two words), they show that Romeo is in a confused and perplexed state, this could mean that Romeo does not fully understand his love for Rosaline and is bewildered by it. Romeo tells Benvolio that the love he feels for Rosaline makes him feel like some one else and he admits to loosing his grip on reality â€Å"I have lost myself; I am not here, this is not Romeo, he’s some other where. † This shows that Romeo is self absorbed and infatuated by Rosaline, this gives the idea that Romeo loves the idea of being in love. Although because his love is unrequited it makes him feel ill and depressed â€Å"sick man in sadness† this shows that Romeo is a romantic character who wants to be in love. Romeo seems to be suffering with his love for Rosaline â€Å"out of her favor I am in love† this shows that Romeo understands that Rosaline will never love him, the thought of this makes Romeo suffer which shows that his attitude to love is idealistic. Romeo seems to be enjoying the fact that he is in love and he would rather be unhappy in love then not be in love at all. Benvolio then tries to help Romeo with his feelings for Rosaline by counseling Romeo. Benvolio tells Romeo he will teach him â€Å"be ruled by me; forget to think of her† this shows that Benvolio cares about Romeo and wishes to help him, he also tries to instruct him to â€Å"examine other beauties† he says this to try an make Romeo fall in love with another person who may return his love. Romeo rejects these ideas this shows that he likes the idea of being in love and does not want to give it up. Benvolio tries to teach Romeo to forget about Rosaline by using a several proverbs â€Å"one fire burns out another’s burning† this means that he will forget all about Rosaline if he finds some one else to love. For this Romeo ridicules Benvolio by telling him simple cures for a simple wound. Romeo then goes on to describe the torment of unrequited love â€Å"shut up in prison, kept without food and whipped† this shows how Romeos unrequited love is making him feel, the pain that Romeo describes seems to have been exaggerated which shows that Romeo is obsessed by his own suffering. During their conversation one of the Capulet’s servants asks them to read out a party invitation as he cannot read. Romeo only goes to the party from heavy persuasion by Benvolio and the thought of seeing Rosaline. The thought of seeing her also cheers Romeo up. On his way to the party Romeo continues to show that his love for Rosaline is never ending, as he protests about having fun at the party because the pain from love is to much â€Å"Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling being but heavy I will bear the light† This shows that he does not want to partake in the dancing or have fun and he also refuses to be cheered up further (in the time this was written bearing the torch meant that the person would not have to dance). Romeo uses puns to describe how he feels about dancing at the party â€Å"With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead† this shows that Romeo is still showing the pain he feels. He claims that he will not be hit by cupid’s arrow which shows that he does not think he will love anyone else. When Romeo reaches the party he meets Juliet for the first time. He falls in love with her when he first lays his eyes upon her, this makes the audience feel that Romeos love for Rosaline was not true but what he feels for Juliet might be, at this point Romeo forgets all about Rosaline this shows Romeo is fickle in love. Romeo then uses images of light and dark to describe how she stands out from the rest of the people at the party â€Å"She hangs upon the cheek of night, as a rich jewel† Romeos language no longer seems forced but genuine this shows that he is a romantic person who has truly fallen in love. Romeo and Juliet share a sonnet the first time they meet, Romeo describes him self as a pilgrim worshipping a shrine which symbolizes Juliet, â€Å"this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this. My lips, two blushing pilgrims† this shows the true love that the two feel for each other. At the end of the sonnet Romeo kisses Juliet, but before they kiss again Juliet’s maid takes her away to Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother), when this happens both Romeo and Juliet realize that their families are enemies. Romeo then states that â€Å"my life is my foes debt† this shows that his life is now in Juliet’s hands and is out of his control, this again shows that Romeo is truly in love with Juliet as he is going to wait and let Juliet control him. In conclusion Shakespeare reveals Romeos attitude to love in many different ways he shows that he is ruled by his emotions and is not rational when it comes to love. He also shows that Romeo is fickle in love; he also seems to like the idea of being in love and enjoys the suffering he feels from unrequited love. He shows that Romeos love is unpredictable as he forgets about Rosaline all too quickly; this shows that Romeo may be genuinely falling in love for the first time. I think Shakespeare has portrayed Romeos character well as he shows a number of different emotions and uses different techniques portray his ideas of the character Romeo.

Should schools require their students to wear a school uniform Essay

Should schools require their students to wear a school uniform - Essay Example In this paper we will address the problems faced by schools and how they are dealing with these issues. Schools throughout the country have been experiencing discipline problems. One the one hand, a number of students have been harassed because of what they wear. It is no secret that students who cannot afford designer clothes and who do not wear the latest trends are belittled and made fun of. These students are ostracised and alienated by their peers. Additionally, they are called names because they wear second hand clothes and some experience bullying at the hands of peers that are more popular. On the other hand, a number of students who can afford expensive items have been attacked because they wear items other students covet. These students are beaten up and robbed. Another problem is that some students simply wear inappropriate clothing. How many times have we seen teenage girls wear extremely short skirts and revealing tops? How many times have we seen teenage boys wear baggy pants and exposed underwear? It has become increasingly common to see teenagers wear clothes that are too daring and clothes bearing inappropriate insignias. It is usual to see kids wear clothing bearing suggestive or offensive messages. Additionally, according to an article published by the education bug website, schools authorities have a difficult time identifying intruders who wander into school, for both students and intruders wear street clothes. This is a very serious matter, as outsiders could pose a grave threat to the students. One possible solution to these problems is to adopt school uniforms policies. According to an article published by the Education Bug website, the Long Beach Unified School District in California adopted a mandatory uniform policy in 1994, and the use of uniforms in public schools is growing, especially in elementary, middle and high school. According to the National Center of

Investigating The International Strategy Of A Chosen MNE. The Essay

Investigating The International Strategy Of A Chosen MNE. The lectricit de France - Essay Example Therefore, it is vital to understand the company thoroughly and its operation in various sectors of the economy. The emerging countries such as India have become an important ground for the international business activities of the multinational corporations. However, there are certain challenges that the MNCs need to face when expanding their operation in countries like India. The market seems to be uncertain, turbulent and messy. The rapid changes taking place makes in the business environment make it even more complex, turbulent, uncertain and risky in comparison to the western countries. However, the MNCs need to consider these uncertainties as challenges and decide its strategy accordingly (Jannson, 2008). Therefore, the research paper will try to tackle the problems that can be encountered while expanding its operation in India. Various theories of international expansion will be sought in order to gain a broad view of the study. The theories will serve as a guide to complete the research paper successfully and will also provide insights into the various market entry strategies and the methods to tackle the problems that are usually encountered while entering into emerging countries such as India. ... Various suggestions will be provided to the company in light of the challenges and issues it is facing and may encounter while expanding its business in India. SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis will be conducted in order to understand the business environment in which the company operates. Therefore, the current paper investigates the efficiency of Electricite de France in France and the motives of the company for international expansion. Particularly, in addition to identifying the motives behind international expansion, the current study will try to gauge the opportunities that lie in India for any multinational enterprise. Company Background Electricite de France is a France based company. It is an integrated energy operator and is active in creation, distribution, and supply and trading of electrical energy. The generation of the energy takes place by using the nuclear technology along with the usage of thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources. Electricite De France is also e ngaged in the gas segment. The EDF group’s parent company is Electricite de France SA that operates through its subsidiaries and also includes totally owned subsidiaries such as EDEV, RTE-EDF transport, Figlec, EDF Belgium, Finelex BV and EDF UK Ltd among others. The group is present in most of the countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, United States and several other countries (Corporate information, 2011). The company was originated in the year 1946 on 8th of April when a law nationalised approximately1450 French gas and electricity creations, distribution and transmission companies. During the post war in France, it was noted that 90% of the households had proper access to the electricity and the operation of the small

Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto - Essay Example This paper purports to analyze Marx’s stances on the practical and idealist form of democracy, and the reasons the idealist form of democracy can not be established in the current social set up. He also does not uphold individualism and personal freedom (Marx), and this aspect of his manifesto will also be analyzed. The basic theme running in the background of his text, and which forms the basis of all his arguments and much discussion, is Marx’s concept that man is not genuinely free in the society (Marx). He compares the current state of man’s condition in the capitalist society with that of the feudal society in which there were hierarchical classes and divisions in the society, so that the poor and oppressed, and the workers and peasants (Marx), could not rise above their standards ever, and were stuck in a vicious circle in which they were destined to forever serve the ruling class (Marx). Although this feudal system of government and society has been change d in most of the countries of the world, it is unfortunately replaced by the capitalist government and businessmen (Marx). The concept of classes and divisions in the society still remains, the strata are just as well demarcated as they were before, the only difference is that now whereas it might appear that man is free in the society (Marx), he is basically just a customized worker for the huge industry that the capitalist has set up (Marx) in order to benefit from the hard work of his workers (Marx). Marx has identified the social strata as the bourgeoisie and the working class (Marx), with the former being the oppressor and the latter being the oppressed (Marx). He claims that unless and until the oppressed recognize that they are being oppressed, and rise above their social conditions against the ruling class, they will never be able to claim true personal freedom, and so would never be a part of democracy (Marx). True democracy is based on truly free people, who are free in th ought as well as in person, and are not bound by work and service to a ruling class. It is only when society has its foundations based on such free people that it can hope to bring in democracy and it is only then that the democracy would work. The worker is still in shackles, and although he might seem to be a freeman, he is not (Marx). Marx submits that free trade and paper currency are the bane of the society (Marx), and the chains that bind the workers. He likens society to a big factory set up by the bourgeoisie capitalist (Marx), in which he has hired an army of customized workers (Marx) to work for him around the clock in order to increase the sales, from which only the capitalist manager would benefit (Marx); the increased sales would only mean more machinery for the workers, whose working hours would be increased based on the ease that the machines bring with them (Marx). He has also identified sub-strata in the ruling class, such as the factory onlookers (Marx), the superv isors (Marx), the middlemen, and other divisions within an organization which rule over the workers (Marx). Marx does not uphold individualism and personal freedom (Marx). His concept is that individualism is the characteristic of the bourgeoisie, as he only thinks of himself and makes the workers work for his own profits and benefits (Marx). What Marx proposes is the exact opposite of this

CocoBanas cocoa beans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CocoBanas Cocoa Beans - Research Paper Example This is because Canada has lower manufacturing costs compared to America. As a matter of facts, Canada accounts for 2/3 of the total cocoa imported to America. It has been observed over the past years that many American based plants are either transferred to Canada or Mexico to lower the production costs. The cocoa product market in Canada is expected to continue growing despite increased health concerns. In 2012, the consumption of chocolate was increased by 4% and was projected to increase further in the year 2013-2014. Canadians have been known for their love of sweet foods and snacks which accounts for 24% of their overall food consumption. The growth in the industry is as a result of population growth combined with expansion into new markets.   The market is expected to continue growing at a constant value of 2% up to the year 2017. The growth trend will be defined by two factors: planned purchases by consumers as the expansion of the luxury products market ((PrideM., Hughes& Kapoor, 2012: 235). 2.2 Target Market of CocoBana and their Characteristics in Canada Chocolate consumption is higher among the females than males with 8% of males and 91% of female reported to consume chocolate products. The younger people, below the age of 35 are seen to consume more chocolate and candy compared to the older generations. This is because the youths are less concerned about their health and may not have many health complications like the older generations. Consumption of chocolate is uniform across earning levels. Despite the economic recession, people consider the consumption of chocolate as an affordable luxury. This explains why the consumption has not been affected.  

Global Warming and Agriculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Warming and Agriculture - Essay Example Biologists believe that the agriculture practices represent a very carefully designed natural pattern in which the production is limited by a specific amount of natural growth. If these limits were pushed too far beyond, their natural allowance then, the cycle would be destroyed leading to a decline in productivity in general. However, with the increase in global warming, and drastic undefined climate change and decrease in agricultural produce proves the dilemma that both the variables work negative to each other, (negative correlation) and shows how vulnerable the entire system is upon the external changes such as the climate. Thus, it destroys the basic concept of sustainable agriculture, as this system was supposed to have an â€Å"adaptive capacity, as the ability to adjust to climate change, to moderate potential damages, to take advantages of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences† (McCarthy et al., 2001). Climate is the most significant variable of agriculture, whose even the slightest variability has pertinent effects upon the crop produce. The climate may have a stronger impact through indirect factors such as soil, water and terrain which influence the yield are actually produces of the weather conditions, and even slight variability in it, can have a massive impact upon the crop yields, which might be positive or negative, but certainly varying the regular pattern of production. Sustainability was the idea, which wanted to enhance the economic development of the world, in lure of the future generations. The ecologists were concerned with the increasing soil erosion, water depravity and its contamination, pest attacks and their immunity to chemicals, and foremost the social and economic equity all arising t and from the lack of production and its increasing variability. Ecologists worldwide through the analysis of historical data of crop yield suggest that mankind had through decades

International trade, economic integration and international marketing Essay

International trade, economic integration and international marketing - Essay Example Today a large number of organizations carry out international marketing campaigns. This saves considerable costs as well as drives a global message. This has been supported by the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for marketing which absolutely remove the international communication barriers. However, there are also several cultural impacts of international marketing. Either a firm has to adapt itself to the culture of the various international markets or it has to make sure that the consumers worldwide are able to connect to its marketing tools. When Chevrolet launched Chevy Nova in Mexico, it was rejected because of a negative meaning in the Spanish language. The same was the case with American Motors’ Matador. Therefore, it is important to respect the culture and language of the target countries in order to make a cultural impact on them. 3. Political and Financial risks in international marketing There are considerable risks in international marke ting especially in emerging economies. The economic scenario and performance in such countries is highly unpredictable. Therefore, a company may actually spend millions of dollars in its marketing efforts but its products may simply fail because of external economic factors not under its control. Thus, market research becomes extremely important for marketing in international markets. The financial risks in international marketing & operations are also dependent upon the level of control of a firm. Therefore, a firm involved only in exporting goods or services has the minimum risk from that point of view. The barriers would be less and so will be the sunk costs. However, the low degree of control may impact effectiveness of marketing. If a firm is in joint venture with... This essay stresses that market research becomes extremely important for marketing in international markets. The financial risks in international marketing and operations are also dependent upon the level of control of a firm. A firm involved only in exporting goods or services has the minimum risk from that point of view. The barriers would be less and so will be the sunk costs. The low degree of control may impact the effectiveness of marketing. If a firm is a joint venture with a local firm, the risk increases. The risk is maximum in case of direct investment by a firm in the international markets.Strategic marketing planning deals with the overall direction of the business in line with marketing. It is the role of marketing to establish links between the business and the customers. Firms use various strategies to enter international markets. One of them is the technical innovation strategy where they exhibit technically superior products as compared to competitors in internationa l markets. Other firms may prefer a product adaptation strategy where only modifications and upgrades are made to existing products and services.This paper makes a conclusion that some firms follow availability and security strategy for entry into international markets. They do this by designing an efficient supply chain and transportation network. Many firms also follow a low pricing strategy where the aim is to penetrate the market as early as possible. Lastly, a firm may completely copy an existing product for conformity to acceptable standards.

Devils Highway Discussion Essay Example for Free

Devils Highway Discussion Essay Borders of income separate the walkers and the men who set them up for this journey. The walkers were made hungry for the money they saw that men like Don Moi had, but it really was an unattainable goal. Also, the income gaps between the native Mexicans and American people was different. The Mexican people were much more poor which may cause the American people to look down at them. Another border is skin color. The white Americans often have better lives than the darker skinned Mexicans, which often contributes to the income border. Like the above answer, income borders are very restrictive. Another restrictive border is skin color, perhaps lineage, and where and how we live. The only way to bridge these borders would be to not judge and love people for the way they are. These borders are not need and we would probably be happier without them. I think the villain of the story is not Mendez, but rather Don Moi, as he is the one who set it all up. He did not provide the walkers with the supplies and the trustworthy guides that they needed. I don’t think Mendez should be defended for his actions, though, because he still chose to abandon innocent men and leave them to die. Border Patrol doesn’t want to get too sucked up in it or go too far in the desert because they too have families. The smugglers have the same strugglers that the walkers do, besides the fact that they actually know where they’re going. I don’t think I would illegally cross into America for food, I would probably just steal in Mexico, but then again, I don’t quite know what it is like to be starving in your own country. I feel that as a reader, the spirits are nothing but symbolical references, but to the men, they may actually see these spirits. The heat probably does something to their heads, or maybe they are so lost up in their prayers that they begin to see these figures. Maybe, as a walker, you can’t actually see the spirits, but you can feel them. â€Å"Aliens before they ever crossed the line† probably refers to the fact that most Mexicans are judged by Americans and thought to be insects or parasites that steal American jobs. They are unwelcome and badly thought of before they even cross the physical border. It’s the same situation, but in reverse. In the 1700 and 1800’s, Irish people were very unwelcome in the United States, as they were thought to steal jobs. However, once the Civil War rolled around, the United States wanted multitudes of Irish people to come over so they could fight in the war for the Americans who didn’t want to and could pay to get out of it. I think the author approached the issuefavoring the immigrants. He doesn’t examine how to undocumented entrants affect Border Patrol, the economy, or American families. I would make it easier to gain entry, but I would want everyone to go through little booths so the entrants could at least be documented. I think the solution would work because the immigrants would not be quite as scared to deal with the government because no one could be denied entry (unless they were a criminal). This may not work because criminals could sneak past the booths. The main problem that is explored in this book is the morality of Mexican people sneaking illegally into America to feed their starving families. This is also the main principle. Is it okay for Mexicans to sneak into America if they are just earning money to feed their families? I think illegal immigration is not necessarily â€Å"bad†, but it is still illegal. The evidence provided from the book says that these men are just immigrating to feed their families and try to get a better life. I agree with the evidence, but there is also the fact that this is not the reason that everyone comes to America. There is a reason it is illegal. I don’t think that Urrea specifically points to a bad guy, but it is somewhat implied that the bad guy is Don Moi for setting the men up for this. Another bad guy could also be Mendez because abandons the men in the desert. I think that if they guides had not left the men, perhaps more of them would have survived. It would also help to have more patrol men patrolling and searching for entrants. If the Mexican government was not such a wreck I doubt there would be so many immigrants. There is not enough food or well paying jobs in Mexico for everyone there, especially the poor people. The role of unemployment, underemployment, low working wages are the true forces driving the conflict. Too many are not educated because they don’t have enough money for education, which then means they can’t get a good job to support their family. If a job is attained, it is usually for a very small wage. It is a big circle of poverty. Urrea goes into great detail to describe each member so you feel closer to them and you are able to better understand their decisions. All of the men that chose to go wanted a better life, whether it is for themselves or for a loved one. These men all acted selflessly. If I were in their situation I would try harder to look for a job in Mexico, but if I could not find one, I suppose that I would do what they did. It costs the United States and Mexican government a lot of money to deal with these illegal entrants. However, neither one of them really do anything to try to stop it. I think that this was an isolated incident, but there could be more to come in the future. If I were the leader of Mexico, I would vow to fix the state of the country and make it so that people don’t have to immigrate to other countries to find work. If I were the president, I would want to tighten down on Border Patrol so this doesn’t happen again. I like the tone the author uses. I think it fits the message that the author is trying to relay to the audience about the story. The style was alright, it was a little hard to read. There were too many details packed into single sentences. The style made the book hard to read. In my personal opinion, there were too many facts, but I can see why they were necessary. I think the simple fact that these men migrated to make theirs and their family’s lives better is what impacted me the most. It really changed my view on illegal immigration. I now don’t feel quite as harshly about it; I think the immigration laws should be revised.

Effects Of Mangrove Destruction In Mumbai Environmental Sciences Essay

Effects Of Mangrove Destruction In Mumbai Environmental Sciences Essay Rapid expansion of urban spaces has caused pressure on fragile ecosystem of the city. Uneven growth of various regions has made migration a serious challenge. Increasing population growth of metropolitan has created concretization of island city and clearing of vital floral resources. Thousands of people from various parts of the country come to Mumbai every month. Around 43 per cent of citys population considered to be migrant. The predominant migrants are of rural origin, coming from various parts of the country, with two-third to three-fourths of all migrants belonging to this category. There are migrants from other countries as well but these have been less than one per cent since 1981 (Census; 2001). This trend migration is a Destruction of mangrove that was the habitat of several species of fishes have combined to leave the citys fisher folk of around 50,075 (Marine Fisheries Census; 2005) gasping for survival. Among various reasons economic factors have been the major cause for migration to Mumbai. About 69 per cent of males stated that employment was the main motive behind their movement. The data show that the rate of migrants in search for better employment has been higher in the late 1990s. Social reasons such as marriage and accompanying the family con stituted about 90 per cent of female migration. (Singh 2001) Population pressure is continuously increasing in the coastal area, so because of this expanding population mangrove is facing significant pressure of destruction. Mangroves have been cleared and degraded on an alarming scale during the past four decades (Valiela et al., 2001; Wilkie and Fortuna, 2003; Duke et al., 2007), yet they remain an important source of wood and food products and provide vitally important environmental services for coastal communities throughout the tropics (Balmford et al., 2002). Climate and Rainfall Kolis of Mumbai Kolis are the traditional fishing community of Mumbai and are the original inhabitants of the island city. Fishing is still the main source of their livelihood. The interesting fact is that, Mumbai is derived from the Koli word, Mumba, which means goddess of water. Several records reveal that Kolis have been found in Mumbai from early times. Dr. Gerson da Cunha in the book Origin of Mumbai describes old Mumbai as the desolate islet of the Mumbai Koli fishermen. The Kolis are reported to have occupied the land in A.D. 1138 The Koli community has several subcastes, the prominent ones are Koli kolis, Mangela Kolis, Mahadeo kolis, Suryawanshi kolis, Vaity kolis, Koli Christians. Kolis are divided into two occupational classes; Dolkars Vatsad Dolkars are usually rich compared to Vatsad among Kolis. Dolkars practice fishing on large scale Vatsads, who are a poor class of fishermen usually in the employ of the richer members of the community. Men are mostly engaged in fishing while, women take care of housing activities and selling of fish in the local market. Lot of their daily activities depend on the fishing season and tidal movement. Koli is the main language spoken by the community, Marathi is another frequently used language among Kolis. What are Mangroves? Mangroves are a group of trees, palms, shrubs, vines and ferns that share a common ability to live in waterlogged saline soil. These plants have developed unusual adaptations to the unique environmental conditions in which they are found. Mangrove can be typically refered to an individual species. Terms such as mangrove ecosystem, mangrove forest, mangrove community and mangrove swamp are used interchangeably to describe the entire mangrove community (Smithsonian Inst. 1996). There are around 80 species of mangroves found throughout the world (Saenger et al., 1983). Mostly they occur within tropical and subtropical coastal areas subjected to tidal impact. Tidal area can be interpreted to mean a shoreline inundated by the extremes of tides, or it can more widely refer to river-bank communities where tides cause some fluctuation in water level but no change in salinity (Tomlinson, 1986). There are mainly two types of mangrove; exclusive and non-exclusive. Exclusive mangroves are the largest group, comprising around 60 species (Saenger et al., 1983). These mangroves are confined to intertidal areas. Rest 20 species are referred as non-exclusive. Non-exclusive mangroves differ from the exclusive mangrove in the sense that these grow preferably in drier and more terrestrial areas. Features of Mangrove Mangrove Distribution Mangrove forests comprise up to 50 species of woody halophytes restricted to sheltered saline tidal areas, and once occupied around 75% of tropical coasts and inlets (Ellison 1997). Mangroves are the plats of tropical sheltered shores. Mangroves are found throughout the world between latitudes 32 °N and 38 °S. The upper and lower limits of this range are determined by temperature (Chapman, 1976; Tomlinson, 1986). Source: (Source: ENVIS, 2008) Mangrove Distribution in India According to the Government of India, the total area of the mangroves in India was around at 6,740 sq. Km. this covered about 7% of the world mangroves (Krishnamurthy, 1987) and about 8% of the Indian coastline (Untawale, 1987). But recent 2005 data of Survey of India, Dehradun shows an extent of 4,445 sq. km. mangrove areas in India. Out of the total acreage, 57% of the mangroves are found on the East Coast, 23% on the west coast and the remaining 20% on Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Table: State/UT wise Mangrove Cover Mangrove Cover Assessment 2001(Area in sq. km.) SL No. State/UT Dense Open Total % of Geographical Area 1 Andhra Pradesh 14 319 333 0.12 2 Goa 5 0 5 0.14 3 Gujrat 184 727 911 0.46 4 Karnataka 2 0 2 0.001 5 Maharahstra 90 28 118 0.04 6 Orissa 194 25 219 1.39 7 Tamil Nadu 10 13 23 0.02 8 West Bengal 1651 430 2081 2.34 9 Andaman and Nicobar 709 80 789 9.56 10 Pondichery 0 1 1 0.21 Total 2859 1623 4482 0.14 (Source: ENVIS, 2008) Mangrove Distribution in Maharashtra Maharashtra has 720 km long coastline, which has various characteristic features of beaches and rocky cliffs flanked by estuaries and patches of mangroves. Maharashtra coastal zone extends between the latitude 15 52N and 20 10N and longitude 72 10E and 73 10E and falls under five districts of Thane, Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Ratnagiri. The mangroves of Maharashtra are the most diverse among the west coast and according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) covered 116 sq. km in 2003. The area under mangroves in Maharashtra was 200 sq. km. in 1972-75, which reduced to 108 sq. km. in 1997. Mangroves of Mumbai Mangrove along the coast of Mumbai always faced the challenge of various anthropogenic activities over the decade. In early nineties around 37 sq.km. Of mangrove existed in Mumbai, mostly in Versova, Gorai, Mahim creek, Thane and Ghodbunder. Some sparsely covered patches of mangrove are also found in Bandra, Colaba, Mahul and Malabar Hill. The most commonly occurring species of mangrove in Mumbai is Avicennia marina, this covers the almost 60 per cent of species diversity. The characteristic feature of Avicennia marina makes it tolerable for high salinity area. This species also tolerates pollution including heavy metals such as lead, mercury and chromium. Table: Some of the commonly found mangroves in Mumbai (Source: Kulkarni, 2007) Temperature Mangroves mostly occur in areas where the average temperature of the coldest month is higher than 20 °C and the seasonal range does not exceed 10 °C. Lower temperature and frost also limits the growth and distribution of mangrove (Tomlinson, 1986). Rainfall Coastal areas which receive ample amount of rainfall, heavy runoff and seepage into the intertidal zone from the hinterland are most suitable for mangrove. These areas receive extensive sedimentation which provides huge quantity of nutrients, which in turn are favourable for mangrove growth (Tomlinson, 1986). Importance of Mangrove Multifaceted importance of mangrove has been realised in recent times but its ecological importance is known to scientific community since hundreds of years. Importance of mangrove can be broadly classified under following heads: Ecological Importance Mangroves are considered to be the most productive natural ecosystem throughout the world. Mangrove ecosystem comprise of numerous varieties of flora and fauna. Mangrove forest consist of seventy taxonomically diverse tree, shrub, palm and fern species under twenty-seven genera, twenty families, and nine orders that share a suite of convergent adaptations to saline, anoxic habitats (e.g. Tomlinson, 1986; Stewart Popp, 1987; Ball, 1988; Duke et al, 1998). Economic Importance Mangroves provide a vast range of wood and non-wood forest products which are of good economic value such as timber, fuel wood, medicine, thatch, honey, fodder, charcoal etc. Legislative Framework for Conservation and Management of Mangrove in India The Indian Forest Act, 1927: Provide protection to flora and fauna. The Indian Forest Act has been applied to the mangrove forest of the Sundarbans, which have been declared as a Reserved Area. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Provide protection to flora and fauna. Although they do not specifically mention mangroves, these acts can also apply to the conservation of the flora and fauna of mangrove ecosystem. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980: States that No forest area shall be diverted for any non-forestry purpose without prior approval of the Government of India. This act has proved very effective in preventing diversion of mangrove forest area for non-forestry purpose. Coast Guard Act, 1978: The concern for Marine and Coastal waters has led to formation of a special force, The act stipulate that Cost guard should combat oil pollution beyond 5 km in the sea and perform surveillance duty against international dumping of oil or waste by ship/tanker. The Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986: It has a crucial role in the Conservation and Management of mangrove ecosystem. It declares a Coastal Regulation Zone notified in 1991, in which industrial and other activities such as discharge of untreated water and effluents, dumping of waste and land reclamation are restricted in order to protect the Coastal environment. Condition of Mangrove in Coastal Regulation Zone It is stipulated that in case of mangrove with an area of 1000 sq.m or more, would be classified as CRZ with a buffer zone of at least 50 m Mangrove is a tropical tree growing, along the coast and requires saline water for its growth. Expert in this field say that mangrove are very important along the coast for breaking of tides and it is valuable resources having several direct uses. Hence proper the protection of mangrove is very important. (Chauhan, 2004) Prohibited Activities in the Coastal Regulation Zone (a) Setting of new industries and expansion of existing industries (except those directly related to waterfront or directly needing for shore facilities). (b) Manufacture, handling, storage or disposal of hazardous substances. (c) Setting up and expansion of fish processing units including warehousing (d) Discharge of untreated wastes and effluents from industries, cities and other human settlements. (e) Dumping of cities and town wastes for the purpose of land filling. (f) Dumping of ash or any wastes from thermal power station. (g) Land reclamation bunding or disturbing the natural course of seawater with similar obstructions except those required for control of coastal erosion. (h) Mining of sands, rocks and others sub strain materials except other minerals not available outside the CRZ areas. (i) Construction activities in ecologically sensitive areas. (j) Any construction activities between the Low Tide line and high tide line except in permitted areas. (k) Dressing or altering of sand dunes, hills natural features including landscape changes. Regulation of Permissible Activities in Coastal Regulation Zone 1. Clearance shall be given for any activities within the CRZ if it requires waterfronts and fore shore facilities. 2. The following activities will require environmental clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forest Govt. of India. a) Construction activities related to defence requirements for which fore shore facilities are required (e.g. Jetties etc.). b) Operational constructions for ports and harbours and lighthouses requiring water frontage Jetty, waves quays etc. c) Thermal Power Plants (only foreshore facilities for transport of raw materials for intake of cooling water and out fall for discharge of treated waste water). d) All other activities with investment exceeding rupees Five Crores. 3. a) The Coastal states and Union territory Administration shall prepare Coastal Zone Management Plans at the earliest and approval be taken from Central Govt. in the Ministry of Forest and Environment. b) Within the Framework of such approval plans the State Govt./U.T. Administration or local Authorities shall regulate all development and activities within the Coastal Regulation Zone. Violation of Coastal Regulation Zone has been seen in various parts of Mumbai Metropolitan region. Several environmental activists have raised the voice against these violations. Coastal area is vital to the prosperity of country and usually most productive areas, supporting a wealth of marine resources. With rapid industrialization, urbanization, resultant pollutions and depleting resources along the coast have resulted in degradation of coastal ecosystem and diminishing the living resources. Environmentally effective coastal zone management requires accurate, up to date and comprehensive scientific data on which policy decision can be used. Mangrove Destruction and its Impact Importance of mangrove has been recognised by various stakeholders of the society viz. scientists, government, local populations of biotic and socioeconomic services. Accurate estimates of global deforestation rates of mangroves are not available; its well-known environmental and socioeconomic impacts are observed and increasingly documented in coastal communities that depend directly on mangroves, and in upland communities with economic links to the coast. The primary cause of destruction throughout the world is clear cutting, illegal dumping and reclamation; these are carried for the purpose of agricultural activities, aquaculture, urban expansion, and resort development and have threatened the majority of mangrove ecosystem. This destruction exacerbating economic stress of largely low-income, fast growing local population, who are driven to exploit mangroves despite clear signs of degradation. Mangrove forests are a source of livelihood for thousands of coastal communities in developing countries worldwide; these communities traditionally harvest fish, shrimp, timber, non-timber forest Products, and fuel wood from them. The importance of the mangrove ecosystem transcends provisioning services and includes regulatory, ecological, cultural, and aesthetic services. However, these services are diminishing globally, most especially the provisioning service, and this is putting the livelihoods of coastal communities at risk and increasing their vulnerability to tropical storms and surges. These trends are the outcome of mounting anthropogenic activities such as brackish water aquaculture, mangrove forest clearing for infrastructure development and varied levels of harvesting for subsistence. Because of these pressures, mangroves in coastal tropical developing countries are being degraded; for instance, 20-30% of mangrove forests have been lost in West-Central Africa since 1980 (UNEP-WCMC, 2007). Mangrove and Fishing Linkages Between Mangrove and Fishing Fishes and invertebrates use estuarine and inshore habitats in a number of ways: some are only occasional visitors; some use them only at certain life stages, whereas others reside permanently in the estuaries (Lenanton Potter 1987, Potter et al. 1990, Potter Hyndes 1999, Whitfield 1999). There are various groups of fishes and invertebrates which show distinct association with mangrove. Fishes which are found occasionally in estuaries are termed as marine stragglers (Potter Hyndes 1999, Whitfield 1999) and these stragglers have least dependence on estuaries. There are species which uses estuaries and inshore regions for significant time period especially during juvenile stage only. In some marine species juveniles are only found in mangroves and these are termed as mangrove dependent species; e.g., banana prawn P. merguiensis (Staples et al. 1985, Vance et al. 1996). Catadromous species travel between fresh and marine water also use mangrove habitats at certain life stages e.g., barramundi Lates calcarifer (Russell Garrett 1983). Some species spend their entire life cycle in estuaries and are termed as true estuarine species. The importance of mangrove for sustaining production of fishery in coastal ecosystem is a widely held paradigm that mangroves act as important nursery sites for fisheries species. The function of mangroves as nursery sites is widely accepted (e.g., Blaber 2000, Kathiresan Bingham 2001) and this paradigm is used for important management decisions on habitat conservation and restoration of mangrove (Beck et al. 2001). There are also theories that states; area of mangrove habitat in an estuary translates to the secondary production and catch of commercial fisheries (Baran 1999). There are clear cases of example which depict the correlation between the magnitude of commercial finfish catches and the extent of mangroves. For example, in the Philippines, a positive, but weak, correlation was found between mangrove area and the catch of four families of commercial fish (Paw Chua 1991). Freshwater Mangrove Marine Freshwater Mangrove Marine Figure Number of fish and shrimp species occurring in freshwater, marine and mangrove ecosystem showing higher species diversity in the mangroves (Islam Haque 2005). Mangrove as nursery site for fishes: Mangroves and estuaries share characteristic features such as shallow water, reduced wave action, high organic content in the sediment, high primary production and protection from predators, which may all contribute to their role as nurseries. Nursery areas for fishes have been regarded as any areas inhabited by the juveniles, often with the adults living in separate habitats. But, this definition of nursery is challenged by Beck et al, (2001); he proposes a different picture of fish nurseries a habitat is a nursery for juveniles of a particular species if its contribution per unit area to the production of individuals that recruit to adult populations is greater, on average, than production from other habitats in which juveniles occur. According to this definition nursery is that part of habitat area of juvenile which are most productive in terms of supply of recruits to adult populations and, therefore, to fisheries. Based on the reproductive pattern and its association with the mangrove fishes can be classified into following four categories: a) Regular spawners The spawning activity of the species occurs regularly in the mangrove. The species are not necessarily resident in the region, but they always use it to spawn. e.g. S. rastrifer, B. Ronchus b) Occasional spawners The spawning activity in the mangrove is merely occasional. This region can be used to spawn, but there is no evidence that a great number of individuals in this group of species use it. These species are not as abundant in the mangrove as those of regular spawners. e.g. C. parallelus, C. edentulus c) Matures in system The spawning activity of the species does not occur in the mangrove, but this region is frequented regularly during the final phase of maturation. e.g. I. Parvipinnis d) Do not mature in system The spawning activity does not occur in the mangrove, and the gonadal maturation, if present, does not occur in many individual. e.g. P. corvinaeformis, P. brasiliensis The exact role of mangroves as nurseries are not well understood but a number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain this role (Robertson Blaber 1992, Blaber 2000). The three main hypotheses are that mangroves provide juveniles with (1) Refuge from predators Numerous piscivorous fish enter mangrove during the high tide period (Blaber et al. 1989, Vance et al. 1996) thus smaller fishes escape their predators by entering in mangrove. This is attributed by various factors structural complexity of submerged vegetation, shallow water and turbidity can give significant refuges from predators, especially for small, mobile animals (Robertson Duke 1987, Robertson Blaber 1992). Mangroves provide the protection from prey by structural complexity as mangrove habitat is very complex structurally because of pneumatophores and fallen debris (leaves, branches and logs), prop roots, buttresses and branches. These structures provide protection in various ways: by reducing prey visibility, by lowering encounter rate of prey and predator, and by limiting the ability of predator to search for and capture prey (Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck et al. 1999). Shallow water condition does not favour the entry of large predators thus providing another form of refuse for small fishes and crustaceans (Boesch Turner 1984, Blaber 2000). It has been observed at various places that small fishes and prawns moved into more shallow waters while larger predatory fishes remained in deeper water at the fringes of the mangroves. High turbidity and shade beneath the mangrove canopy decreases the underwater visibility. The turbid and shaded water often found around mangroves may therefore provide an additional refuge from visual predators (Blaber Blaber 1980, Whitfield 1999). Juvenile fishes get attracted to turbid areas and may use the turbidity gradient to locate nursery areas. Abundances of some fish species have been found to be higher in areas of higher turbidity (Blaber 2000). Figure: Conceptual schematic diagram of the nutrient and energy fluxes in self-sustained mangrove ecosystem and the interaction of mangrove with adjacent freshwater and offshore marine ecosystem. (Source: Islam Haque, 2005) (2) Abundance of food Nutrient content and primary productivity are usually very high in mangrove area and food availability is more for fishes and crustaceans than any other coastal habitats. Nutrient comes to the mangrove system from upstream and from seaward and they are concentrated in mangrove area by trapping. Primary productivity in the mangrove forest itself attributed to several sources including epiphytes, phytoplankton, mangrove trees, and benthic microalgae (Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck 1999). Various fishes consume most of their feed when they come to the mangrove area. Primary productivity in mangrove forest forms the basis of a food web supplying abundant and varied trophic resources to higher consumers (Baran Hambrey 1998). Mangrove forest produce litter throughput the year, they have the ability to produce large quantities of litter, ranging from 10,000 to 14,000 kg dry weight/ ha/ year (Hamilton and Snedaker, 1984). Most creatures are unable to assimilate this directly and require bacterial enrichment before consumption. However, sesarmid crabs can directly consume mangrove litter and/or store 30-80% of the litterfall (Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck 1999). These crabs are eaten by fishes, creating a pathway for mangrove nutrients to enter food webs. (3) Shelter from physical disturbances Mangrove habitat is the area of low current, where impact of coastal tide gets reduced. This provides the small juvenile fishes benign physical environment to settle. Mangrove presence increases the residence time of water, especially in flat, wide mangroves with complex waterways (Wolanski Ridd 1986). The juveniles of few species of crustaceans, such as banana prawns Penaeus merguiensis and P. indicus ), are found exclusively in mangrove ecosystem (Staples et al. 1985, Vance et al. 1998, Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck et al. 2002) and are described as highly mangrove-dependent. It has been established from various studies that about two third of worlds fish and shellfish harvest are directly linked to estuarine habitat (Robertson Blaber 1992). Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck (1999) listed the proportion of mangrove-related species in fisheries in various parts of the world: Geographical Location % of fishes dependent on mangrove Fiji 60 Florida 80 India 60 Eastern Australia 70 Malacca Strait 49 Southeast Asian countries Fish 30 (Prawn 100%) Malaysia 32 Philippines 72 Products of Mangrove Ecosystem (Source: Saenger et al, 1983) Mangroves of Mumbai Mangrove Destruction Various studies confirm the destruction of mangrove throughout the globe and in particular have focused on estimating the total area cleared, rate of clearing, loss of sediments and erosion (Hatcher et al. 1989, Valiela et al. 2001, Alongi 2002). Figure: Proportion of existing global mangrove areas and areas in the South and Southeast Asia (Source: Islam Haque, 2005)