The Negative Human Effects On Marine Resources Environmental Sciences Essay

The Negative Human Effects On Marine Resources Environmental Sciences Essay What negative effects do human activities have on Marine and Coastal resources from Addington Beach to Aliwal Shoal? The coastline of South Africa stretches for 3000km of which 80% consists of sandy beaches backed by low sand dunes. The focused areas of Addington Beach through to Aliwal Shoal, which contain diversity of fish and other species (including whales, seabirds and tunas), provide opportunities for economic and social activities including development opportunities, fishing, agriculture and recreation. These resources are important as they make up a rich asset to the Southern Coastal areas of South Africa. However, Marine and Coastal resources such as these areas all along the South African coast are being affected negatively due to driving forces mostly caused by various human activities. Pressures affecting these resources include population growth and coastal human settlements, emissions to sea by shipping and sewage and the extracting of natural resources such as fishing or sea bed mining. General pressures and effects of human influences: Population growth is the biggest driving force for environmental changes of marine and coastal resources in South Africa. The increasing population is strongly dependant on production activities to increase service and manufacturing industries and therefore is increasingly dependant on ports such as Durban Harbour for the import and export of products. Demands for food, recreation and land for housing all increase the pressures on the coastal resources. Statistics state that 30% of the South African population lives along the coastline due to in-migration of those seeking jobs, people retiring and those seeking a life of better quality. Because of this increase of dependency the coastal cities have developed rapidly and are as a result having negative influences on the marine and coastal resources. Irreversible changes are occurring due to these influences such as overexploitation of resources, destruction of natural habitats and an increase of wastes and pollution which smother and kill organisms and lead to water quality deterioration. POPULATION GROWTH GRAPH/TABLE. Emissions to sea by sewage and shipping are also a huge cause of the negative effects of marine and coastal resources. Daily industrial effluents and sewage are released into the sea via discharge pipelines near Durban Harbour and by sewage pipes all alone the south coast. These emissions are not only harmful to human health but also have a devastating effect on water quality and may contaminate many organisms. FIGURE 4.8 (effluent pipelines off the South African coast after Cloete 1979) Shipping is also a serious contributor to the degrading of marine and coastal resources. South Africa is situated on one of the biggest ship transport routes of the world and Durban Harbour is one of the few ports often stopped at. Due to weather and sea conditions and the wait to be docked in the port, major marine pollution incidents take place as oil spills and waste dumping takes place. Waters are thus polluted and these wastes and pollutions are transported along the south coast, by the Aguhlus current, and infect and destroy resources along the coastlines of South Africa. The extracting of natural resources such as fishing too affects the marine and coastal resources. Both commercial and recreational fishing are primary economic activities which together can generate more than 158 000 people and R3 billion annually (CMPP, 2005). The improvement of fishing methods results in a greater number and variety of fish being caught and as a consequence of this, fish stocks are decreasing in size and several species are facing possible extinction. Other human recreational activities, besides fishing, that may negatively affect marine and coastal resources include scuba diving or yachting. TABLE OF DATA FOR FISH NUMBERS: Durban Harbour and Addington Beach: IMAGE OF POLLUTION IN DURBAN HARBOUR: Both the Durban Harbour and Addington Beach are sound examples of coastal areas that have been urbanized and as a result are polluted and negatively effected by human activity. Shipping and the wastes excreted by the industrial companies in the Durban harbour area are a huge cost to the marine and coastal resources in the area. Fish and other animals are being killed or having their habitats affected or destroyed and the general water pollution in the area has increased drastically over the past few years and as a result the water quality has rapidly decreased. FIGURE 4.10 (Isogram depicting classification of the surf-zone at 28 sampling stations) The harbour pollution caused by oil and chemical spills, organic waste dumping and general excretions by the ships docking at the harbour or waiting out at sea to be docked in port. This pollution be the harbour is affecting the resources of surrounding beaches as well, such as North Beach, South Beach, Bay of Plenty and Addington Beach who as a result of the pollution have each lost their Blue Flag status after failing water quality tests. These losses of our Blue Flag status has also had negative effects on the tourism industry but most importantly reinforces the fact that the water quality and pollution is at an unacceptable level and the surrounding litter and destruction of the coasts have too become a state of disaster. Reports about heavily polluted water flowing into the Durban Harbour via the Umhlatuzana River for periods of nine months have also surfaced in recent years. Illegal discharges of wastes and sewage are being flooded into the Durban areas and are too polluting the water badly and destroying species and habitats and are decreasing fish stocks. (Raven, 2008). A great concern about these pollutions and wastes entering the sea near the Durban harbour and other areas is that these wastes are being transported all along the coast of South Africa via the Aguhlus current right down to areas such as Aliwal Shoal. Aliwal Shoal is not only an area being affected by wastes from human urbanization but also by recreational activities and tourism sites. IMAGE OF ALGUHLAS CURRENT Aliwal Shoal: DIAGRAM OF ALIWAL SHOAL: Aliwal Shoal is 50km south of Durban, was formed by a sand dune almost 80 000 years ago and is the home of many different species of fish and other marine organisms such as sea turtles, humpback whales, dolphins and the tiger shark. Recently there has been a hard battle to preserve Aliwal Shoal and many have taken a stand to fight for the protection of the area and marine life from pollution and tourists. Due to the research that was started over 10 years ago by the Natal Sharks Board, the region of Aliwal Shoal has been threatened by environmental pollution. Divers would report on the behaviour of sand tiger sharks at monthly meetings after observing them during dives and collecting data. During the early years of research destruction of Aliwal Shoal became a large concern as the Saiccor cellulose plant, being dumped into the ocean at Umkomaas, was untreated and was polluting the waters. The matter reduced visibility and formed foam that made beaches unusable. However, a solution to this was found by the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“South Coast Marine Pipeline Forum (SCMPLF)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . The Saiccor pipelines were extended to a water treatment plant and the water quality in Aliwal started to improve. The next problem is rooted in this sudden improvement to clear water as diving tourism became very appealing to many. At certain times 20 boats can be seen on the Aliwal Shoal and some even equipped with spears for the sharks and other marine life. In 2009, a huge movement to receive the necessary protection of Aliwal Shoal from pollution and excessive diving is being driven. This unique marine region is in need of laws and regulations that protect it from any more damages to the environment that may be caused by detrimental human activities such as dumping, shipping, pollution transported from Durban Harbour and diving. (Andrew C.R, 2009).

Governmental Regulation of Privacy Essay -- Expository Essays Research

Governmental Regulation of Privacy Many laws have been enacted by the government to regulate privacy. One piece of data that is used to uniquely identify people is the Social Security Number. Surveillance in the United States began mostly with the Social Security Act of 1935 when Social Security was used to track people's earnings and to pay retirement benefits. The government was the only group able to access the information. However, today the Social Security card can get someone credit cards and driver licenses enough for someone to steal an identity. The Privacy Act of 1974 created a law to help protect citizens from the government abusing its privileges. The Privacy Act requires State and Local authorities to tell the individual three things when requesting the Social Security Number. One is if the disclosure is mandatory or voluntary. Two: what is the status or other authority the Social Security Number is solicited, like what other government agencies it is being provided to? Lastly, what uses will be made of the number by the agencies? ( http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/privac...

Hamlet Revenge Essay

Many of the characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet have an unfortunate death from the results of their entire attempt to seek revenge. First Laertes ends up killing himself and Hamlet because the death of his father Polonius has maddened him, and convinced him he need to avenge Hamlet for his father.Secondly, Fortinbras is convinced he needs to take action to gain back the land that his father lost in the battle he was killed in with King Hamlet. Last, Hamlet is the one to blame for all who were woefully killed in the process of animus acts because of his procrastination to kill the murderer of his father; Claudius.Because all of these men are angered from the death of their father and feel the need to get repayment from their murderers, Hamlet is primarily a tragedy of revenge. To begin with, Hamlet is essentially a catastrophe of revenge due to Laertes acts of anger after his father’s death.After Laertes hears of his father’s death, he travels back to Denmark immed iately. At first Laertes assumes that the new king Claudius partook in the killing of his father, but later finds out the true person to blame is young Hamlet.As the king and Laertes sit down to talk, he explains to the king â€Å"Let come what comes, only I’ll be reveng’d / most thoroughly for my father† (IV. vii. 26). This is only the beginning to his talk about how he is going to avenge the man that killed his father.Laertes goes on to explain to the king just how far he would go to get repayment for the loss of his father â€Å"to cut his throat i’th church† (IV. vii. 26). For Laertes to say that he would kill a man in a church is very serious because God plays a very large role in all of their lives, and murder is already a sin, but to kill a man in a church just makes it even worse.Laertes and Claudius end up planning a very cruel way to kill Hamlet, they are going to trick Hamlet into having a duel with Laertes since he has always been jealo us of Laertes skills in duelling. To ensure the death of Hamlet, Laertes is going to poison the tip of his sword so that even if he scratches Hamlet, he will die. Thus, proving Hamlet is overall a tragedy of revenge. Secondly, Fortinbras determined mind to get back the land his father lost in battle with King Hamlet contributes to the predominant theme of tragic revenge.Fortinbras father was killed in battle fighting with King Hamlet, and lost the land that Denmark had gained. Old Fortinbras brother then took the throne, and told Young Fortinbras the he mustn’t try to get back the land that was lost. Then out of anger of the loss of his father.Fortinbras decides to take action to get the land back, so he and his soldiers peacefully travels into Denmark to discuss the land he wishes to regain. Fortinbras informs his captain soldier what to say to Hamlet when they encounter him â€Å"Tell him that by his license Fortinbras / craves the conveyance of a promis’d march / o ver his kingdom.You know the rendezvous† (IV. iv. 2-4). Fortinbras believes that it is his duty to take back the land, and the only way to do that is take it from Hamlet because Hamlets father is the one who killed his father.Fortinbras captain approaches Hamlet and informs him the reason for their visit â€Å"We go to gain a little patch of ground / that hath in it no profit but the name† (IV. iv. 18-19). This quote tells us that Fortinbras does not want to take the land to benefit him and his people, but to gain back the land that was once his fathers to uphold his name.The only way to keep his fathers name around in Fortinbras mind is to avenge Hamlet by taking the land from him. In conclusion, Fortinbras persistent mind to avenge for the land makes Hamlet mainly a calamity of revenge. Last, but certainly not least Hamlets procrastination to get revenge for his fathers murder by killing Claudius plays the biggest part in making Hamlet primarily a tragedy of revenge. Hamlets big misadventure on his way to seek vengeance starts when he meets with the ghost of his father King Hamlet.The ghost explains how his father was killed then orders Hamlet to â€Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder† (I. v. 25). After Hamlet gets these orders from the ghost he then sets his plans of revenge into gear. But Hamlet keeps stalling at every chance he gets to avenge Claudius, in the end just causing more of a catastrophe.After Hamlets encounter with Young Fortinbras he realizes that he must take action just at Fortinbras is doing, Hamlet then speaks to himself â€Å"My thoughts be bloody or nothing worth† (IV. iv. 66).From here on the only thing on Hamlets mind is how he is going to kill Claudius, but other things such as his battle with Laertes gets in the way. Before Hamlet is finally able to put an end to this crazy plan to avenge his uncle, he is poisoned by Laertes sword during their duel.But luckily for Hamlet he was able to avenge Clau dius before his own death, thus completing the task of avengement his father’s ghost has assigned to him. In conclusion Hamlets delay to kill Claudius makes Hamlet essentially a tragedy of revenge.In the end, Hamlet is predominantly a tragic misadventure of revenge. Laertes clouded mind full of anger causing him to be blind to see the outcome of his acts, Fortinbras determination to get back his lost land and uphold his father’s name, and Hamlet stalling at every opening to kill Claudius all contribute to the theme of tragic revenge. All of these men have something in common; they were all blinded by the need to avenge the murderer of their father, thus causing more and more trouble for each of them to achieve that goal.

All About Red Maple Trees and Where to Plant Them

All About Red Maple Trees and Where to Plant Them Red maple is the state tree of Rhode Island and its Autumn Blaze cultivar was selected 2003 Tree of the Year by the Society of Municipal Arborists. Red maple is one of the first trees to show off red flowers in the spring and displays a most magnificent scarlet fall color. Red maple is a fast grower without the bad habits of fast growers. It quickly makes shade without the compromise of becoming brittle and messy. The most endearing ornamental characteristic of red maple is fall color including red, orange, or yellow which  sometimes on the same tree. The color display is long lasting over several weeks and often one of the first trees to color up in autumn. This maple puts on one of the most brilliant displays of any tree in the landscape with a great variety of  fall colors with variable intensities. Nursery developed cultivars are more consistently colored. Habit and Range Red maple transplants easily at any age, has an oval shape and is a fast grower with strong wood and grows into a medium-large tree of about 40 to 70. The red maple occupies one of the largest eastern north-south ranges in North America- from Canada to the tip of Florida. The tree is very tolerant and grows in nearly any condition. These trees are often much shorter in the southern part of its range unless growing next to a stream or on a wet site. This maple tree is far superior to its Acer cousins silver maple and boxelder and just as fast growing. Still, when planting the species  Acer rubrum, you would benefit by  selecting only varieties which have been grown from seed sources in your area and this maple may not do well in the southernmost USDA Plant Zone 9. The beginning of  leaf buds, red flowers, and unfolding fruits indicate that spring has arrived. The seeds of red maple are quite popular with squirrels and birds. This tree can sometimes be  confused with red-leaved cultivars of Norway maple. Strong Cultivars Here are some of the best cultivars of  red maple: Armstrong: Grows in all 50 states, has attractive silver-gray bark, columnar  in shape, spectacular  red to orange to yellow leaf color.Bowhall:  Grows in all 50 states,  somewhat pyramidal shape, very similar to Norway maple, red to orange to yellow leaf display.Autumn Blaze: Plant zones 4-8, hybrid of silver maple and red maple. Identification of Red Maple The leaves: deciduous, opposite, long-petioled, blades 6-10 cm long and usually about as wide, with 3 shallow short-pointed lobes, sometimes with two smaller lobes near the base, dull green and smooth above, lighter green or silvery beneath and more or less hairy. The flowers: pink to dark red, about 3 mm long, the male flowers are fascicled and the female flowers are in drooping racemes. The flowers are functionally male or female, and individual trees may be all male or all female or some trees may have both types, each type on a separate branch (the species technically polygamodioecious), or the flowers may be functionally bisexual. Fruits: winged nutlets (samaras) in a pair, 2-2.5 cm long, clustered on long stalks, red to red-brown. The common name is in reference to the red twigs, buds, flowers, and fall leaves.   From the  USDA/NRCS Plant Guide Expert Comments It is a tree for all seasons that develops into an attractive yard specimen under a great range of soil and climatic conditions. -Guy Sternberg, Native Trees for North American LandscapesThe red, red maple. Native to the wet soils of Americas eastern half, it has become one of the Nations favorite- if not the hardiest- street trees. -Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree BookReddish flowers appear in early spring and are followed by red fruit. The smooth gray bark is quite attractive, particularly on young plants. -Michael Dirr, Dirrs Hardy Trees and Shrubs P

Expectations

Expectations are crucial in determining the success of government policy on unemployment and inflation. Whatever people expect to happen, their actions will tend to make it happen. At the time that economic agents-households, firms, the government make choices, they are generally uncertain about the future. Assumptions about how these agents form expectations for the future shape the properties of any dynamic economic model. Great debates have gone on among economists and psychologists in recent years over the ways that economic agents actually formulate their expectations about their future and the ways that macroeconomists should assume they do this in their theoretical models. To make economic decisions in an uncertain environment agents must forecast such variables as future rates of inflation, tax rates, government subsidy schemes and regulations. A business firm contemplating an investment needs to know the future path of income that will result from the investment. However future earnings can be estimated only with considerable uncertainty. If there is a boom in the future, then the future earnings may be high and vice versa. But the actual exact future state of the economy is virtually unknowable. This is why households and firms have to formulate some expectations about the future in order to make choices. Indeed, they must often cope with complex assessments of the relative likelihood of many different possible events- the educated guesses that households have to make about the future value of income for example. >From a macroeconomic perspective expectation may well determine beliefs such as that an expansion of money supply will merely lead to inflation (the monetarist position), then it will. Firms and workers will adjust their prices and wages upwards. Firms will make no plans to expand output and will make no plans to expand output and will not take on any more labour. If, however, people believe that an expansion o...

Should America Provide Universal Health Care Taking a look at the Research Paper

Should America Provide Universal Health Care Taking a look at the Affordable Health Care Law 3 side to the issu - Research Paper Example Now, all of a sudden, panic has set across the entire nation and there is constant uproar from the citizens of US to bring about a positive change to the Health care system. The US government got its act together and in March, 2010, passed the Affordable Health Care Act, signed by President Barrack Obama. The response of the country to this law has been mixed. This section of the report discusses about the people who support the law and the reasons they provide for their stand. What is Affordable Health Care Act? The primary focus of this health care act is to account the health insurance companies for the maximum of the medical expenditures spent by their customers. The previous health reform acts were complained of having higher costs and hence this act intended to lower those prices and at the same time improve the quality of the treatment meted out to the citizens. (Detmer, 2010). The major provisions of this act were: To push most of the health expenditure to the insurance organ ization itself To improve the coverage prospects of citizens with their already existing plans. To give a better coverage of the prescription drugs which were lacking in previous health laws Medicare’s trust fund support has been extended up to 12 years Who supports it? The major support for this health care act was from President Obama and his administrators. The democrats are also on the same boat with Obama, supporting the law and its implications. Other social organizations like Plan Parenthood, Health & Human Services have offered their support to this law. (Novelli, 2009). In addition, there has been consistent support from attorney generals of several states including the state politicians. Why do they support it? According to the President, the health care act ensembles, â€Å"the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care.† (Stolberg&Pear, 2010). He is of the opinion that this law is what several generation s of American people were looking for to vitalize their life with a new sense of hope. He is also establishes the point that this bill would bring out the economic inequalities present in the US society, the first of its kind since its inception in the society, three decades back. Apart from the proposed health benefits the act has to offer, on the political front, it is an important bill for strengthening the president’s rule over country. Its success, on the political front would put Obama’s administration on a better perspective among the opposition party as well as to the people of America. Organizations like Plan Parenthood, Health & Human Services are of the opinion that the law would make way for an affordable prescription drugs and it would make the services to be person centered approach where the required doctors could be seen from a single place instead of running around several places to meet separate doctors. Canada offers one good example for a health car e system that has been universal in its approach, providing health care to all its citizens in an efficient way. It works in such a way that the public funds act as the major sponsors for the health care system, with minor contributions from the private sector. (Maddox, 2010). Several politicians, statespersons and attorney generals are of the view that this act has set US in the right course of action to provide a universal health care syste

The Nature and Role of Originality in Scientific Progress Term Paper

The Nature and Role of Originality in Scientific Progress - Term Paper Example At the same time, originality is not a quality that rigidly means that no one has ever performed that research before, indeed John Stuart Mill’s thesis, On Liberty, for the most part is actually a break-down of an ancestor’s work while Mill only interjects a few new thoughts. Although John Stuart Mill was not 100% original, he is still considered an original in his field because of a few breakthrough philosophies in economics: non-competing groups, joint products, alternative costs, the economics of the firm, supply and demand and Say’s law. These novel ideas although not entirely new are attributed to Mill because of his command of language and his analytic work. Originality is a measurement for scientific progress only if the originality accomplishes three things: it discovers a novelty or innovative piece of information; it adds more information to a theory, thus improving on it, or it can negate the truth of a widely-held belief. In all, originality has to ch arter man toward development and truth. Another criteria to evaluate the efficiency of originality is the closer investigation and refinement of theories already engineered. The purpose of originality is to necessary clash with an existing order since each new idea has to continually challenge man to question, revise and reform theories and accepted truths. Originality is not synonymous with development, however, it is positive because it carries a power that can revolutionize, shake and remake – a characteristic much needed in science. Also a risk that must be taken is the infiltration of error in the name of originality. â€Å"The Wealth of Nations (1776) is an intellectual watershed. Adam Smith’s System of Natural Liberty (Laissez Faire) represents a sharp break with the past with respect to the relations of citizens to government and the economy.† Composed by Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations is a historical text which advances the idea of capitalism and lai ssez-faire liberalism. Both philosophies manage to lay the groundwork for America’s government and economy. Adam Smith tends to revive a liberalism of a country’s local economy and the international market. Preceding capitalism and laissez-faire liberalism is a restrictive and imperialistic order controlled by the State. Smith stands out as a great economist since â€Å"great economists are those who influence the profession as a whole, and this they can do only if their doctrines do not involve too great a change from the views and knowledge of †¦the science† (Stigler 3). Smith blazes a trail in the field of economics advocating capitalism and laissez faire liberalism. His views are widely accepted because they fall in line with the predominant socio-political climate in America during the proclamation of independence and promote the interests of equality, meritocracy and industry in a society damaged by aristocratic prejudice and royalist oppression. Smit h’s view is to encourage a liberalization of the world market with no barriers to trade. Instead of an insular, local market, Smith lives and writes The Enlightenment period of world history during which the light of reason shines. Absolute control is no longer pleasing to the enlightened ear. Instead, independence obtains wide currency. In view of the change in American government from monarchy to democracy, Smith sees the need to break away from the old order of transacting business. The year is 1776 in which the rays of the Enlightenment burst forth; as a result, thinkers are developing new