How healthful is fish, really Can we balance mercury and omega 3 fats Essay

How healthful is fish, really Can we balance mercury and omega 3 fats - Essay Example In this respect, the level of pollution and its harmful effects on human beings as a function of the fish and seafood that we eat has perhaps been understood for a longer period of time than has the plethora of positive health effects that omega 3 can portend. Therefore, this brief analysis will consider the pros and cons of eating fish as a determinant of maintaining one’s overall health. However, rather than being a paper that is concentric on a deep and complex understanding of medical statistics and figures, the essay will seek to lay out a logical rubric, supported by medical evidence, for the reasons why the health benefits of eating omega 3 fatty acids far outweighs the overall risks of poisonous/cancerous substances that may or may not be found to a lesser or greater degree within the body of the fish or shellfish itself. In this way, it has long been understood that many types of fish and seafood act as a type of biological filtration system for the natural environmen t (Oken 1718). In this way, some (but notably not all) types of fish and/or seafood have what can only be described as unnaturally high levels of heavy metals and other types of potentially poisonous materials that have been collected in their bodies due to the types of food that is ingested as well as certain key environmental determinants. As such, as researchers have begun to understand the manner in which these creatures collect high concentrations of heavy metals and other types of potentially damaging poisons within their bodies (Rosenberg 8). Accordingly, in order to understand the ways that this effect the human being, a high number of studies have been conducted that have sought to measure and quantify and project the level to which these toxins have exhibited or will possibly exhibit in the future a negative health impact on those who regularly incorporate fish or shellfish into their diet (Marona 55). The end result of the majority of these studies have indicated that alt hough the heavy metals, to include mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and others, can have the effect of increasing one’s overall risk of developing a type of cancer, the overall statistical incidence of the increase in cancer rate is so miniscule as to not warrant a cessation of eating fish/shellfish so as to avoid the negative health consequences that are exhibited by the existence of mercury/PCBs etc (Foran 15). Such an understanding is of course at odds with some members of the medical science community that continue to put forward the idea that the existence of key poisons and heavy metals within these fish/shellfish as a function of health risk are not always exhibited within the short time span that some of these studies have taken into account (Olson 133). Naturally, when comparing the net positive of eating fish/shellfish as compared to the net health risks associated with the potential ingestion of various concentrated heavy metals and poisons, one must consi der the fact that reduction of risk with regards to the what omega 3 fatty acids provide with respect to heart health is greatly more statistically significant than the increased of risk of certain types of cancer associated with the ingestion of certain impurities. Such an important distinction is useful to note due to

Dorian Gray- the uncanny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dorian Gray- the uncanny - Essay Example it is only possible for the cynical modern man, in all his busy activity, to learn from directly experiencing the consequences of acting without thought or presuming too much thought into what should instead be an action. This is spelled out in the essay and then acted out in personified form in the novel. In relating these concepts to the world of art, it is important to remember that Wilde’s concept of art was that it should be something experienced thoughtfully as an object of pure beauty rather than an interpretation of the artist’s values – an artistic instinct fed by spiritual inspiration. â€Å"Emotion for the sake of emotion is the aim of art, and emotion for the sake of action is the aim of life, and of that practical organization of life that we call society† (Gilbert). These ideas regarding the artistic ideal are clearly spelled out through the words of Gilbert in â€Å"The Critic as Artist† and are personified in the characters of Lord H enry Wotton (instinct), Basil Hallward (conscience) and Dorian Gray (object) in The Picture of Dorian Gray. In â€Å"The Artist as Critic,† Gilbert quickly illustrates why consciously imbuing art with symbolism and other purposeful value judgments is not the most desirable action to take; that the only true art must come into existence as the result of a perfect meld between instinct and conscience. He tells Ernest that those with the best intentions may end up being proven to have instead the worst effects while those who have intended to do great harm may similarly have enormously positive results. â€Å"[Men] rage against Materialism, as they call it, forgetting that there has been no material improvement that has not spiritualized the world, and that there have been few, if any, spiritual awakenings that have not wasted the world’s faculties in barren hopes, and fruitless aspirations, and empty of trammeling creeds† (Gilbert). In making this statement, Gilbert indicates that materialism, the lifestyle

Impact of the Columbian Exchange Essay Example for Free

Impact of the Columbian Exchange Essay The Columbian exchange is the exchange of goods from the New world to the Old world and vice versa. The new world included Europe, Africa, Asia and the new world was known as The Americas. Things that were traded during this time were tomatoes, apples, potatoes, cacao, corn from the New world to Old world. Oranges, lemons, wheat, and rice were major things traded from the Old world to the new. Because of the Columbian exchange, it still affects our modern society. Like how we interact with other countries to get what we need. And trade off things that we have to benefit us. There were many things that occurred that were changed in the world due to the Columbian exchange. For example the spreading of diseases from the old world to the new world. The disease spread from one place to another during the trade was by the ships that shipped over the goods. People and animals would carry unknown diseases to The Americas to trade. Not knowing the people who were there would get exposed to the germs and get ill. Since theyve never encountered diseases from the new world before, they cant fight it off and this caused a major wipeout in The Americas to the people who had no immunity. Diseases like smallpox, measles, malaria, whooping cough were all diseases that the Native Americans living there have never encountered. Because of the rapid spreading of diseases they couldnt find out to escape in time and smallpox (killed most of the Natives population) got rid about 95% of their entire population. The remaining Native Americans would be angry by how not only did the Europeans have invaded their lands but also killed them with their deadly diseases. The Native Americans didnt have any diseases that the Europeans werent already immune to, so the spreading of new diseases wouldnt really have major concerns on the people of the Old World. This caused tension to arise between the two but to the Europeans, they had better things to worry about. Like coming up with ways to help make them more powerful through trade. They knew the Natives were no longer any threat to them. Theyve and have the technology to defeat the Natives at any given time and already have taken over the land. The Columbian exchange also played a role in resulting in the spreading of European culture. With all the trading going on more explorers from Spain come to settle on the New World to look new wealth and to spread Christianity. Eventually others from different countries from the Old World also migrated over to find job opportunities. The Europeans took this opportunity to spread their religion across the New World. They taught the people about the bible and Christianity and as more people learned about Christianity they converted. Which was the beginning of the spread of Christianity. This was a positive thing for the Europeans because they would be gaining more power over the people now that they are on their side, believing in their religion. For the native Americans this did not benefit them. Since the European culture rapidly spread throughout the new world, spread their culture was not able to be carried out to others and it slowly died down. They no longer could live the way they use to, believe in the things they did and carry on their traditions and customs. With the new shipping technology the Europeans over time advanced, let them travel and take over more lands and spread their customs and change the peoples current ways of living and convert into Christianity or they would be killed. Christianity soon traveled and spread all over the world and teachings of it changed peoples everyday life and beliefs. The way they viewed life and the things they needed to do to show their dedication to god. They now have to go to the place of worship the church. Every aspect of their lives was impacted by what they believe now. They changed the way they lived to be fit to what the bible tells them what they should do. For example the bible doesnt believe in planned parenthood and abortion so this caused a major population growth. The spreading of Christianity couldve raised competition between other religions of the expansion of each one. Slave trade also spread to the Americas from the Old World during this time. This impacted America in both a positive and negative way. The positive is that the people living in the Americas get free labor. They dont have to hire people to do field work or any manual labor work. And getting slaves for a good deal bargaining the things they already have. But because of this factor it was also the reason why the economy wasnt as high as it couldve been. Due to slavery, they were force to do many jobs so when people that were looking for jobs had limited choices to find one. There werent many job opportunities since the slaves were doing most of the work out there. The economy was effected also in negative and positive ways. The free labor the Europeans were getting from the slaves caused more food production to be made and faster to trade for more things from the Old World. Fast crops production would mean they wouldnt run out of supply and that will benefit them during trading. In the slaves perspectives, they were treated cruelly and unfairly. Forced out of the homes and family to work day and night unpaid for an unknown owner. They dont get any benefit out of this system except for the fact they are provided food and a shelter over their heads. This affected their lives in many ways. If they had children they needed to teach their children what their duties were and what they needed to do. This would change their perspectives in life and their beliefs. On why they were being placed in the Americas and question their faith in god. These questions they might have had could later influence and change the view of their religion later in their childrens lives.

Environmental Issues Of Ganga River

Environmental Issues Of Ganga River Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialization and urbanization have exposed the water resources, in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation. Many Indian rivers, including the Ganga in several stretches, particularly during lean flows, have become unfit even for bathing. Realizing that the rivers of the country were in a serious state of degradation, a beginning towards their restoration was made with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985. It was envisaged as a comprehensive programme of river conservation with the objective of improving the water quality. It was visualized that in due course, the programme would be enlarged to cover other major rivers of the country. In order to prepare such a major programme, an exhaustive study of the Ganga Basin arrived by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The study covered all aspects of rivers in the Ganga basin including water quality. The study pointed out that besides pollution from municipal and industrial wastes, non-point sources like run off from rural settlements, pesticides from agricultural fields, open defecation, dumping of carcasses significantly contribute to pollution of the river and render the water unsuitable for its intended use. Equally important is the issue of flow in the River. Dams and barrages for storing and diverting water for irrigation, domestic consumption and industry, affect the flow, particularly during dry months. This has serious implications for water quality and aquatic life in the river. The Ganga Action Plan Phase I (GAP I) was started in 1985 to improve the water quality of river Ganga to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load reaching the river. GANGA BASIN: Ganga drains a basin of extraordinary variation in altitude, climate, land use and cropping pattern. Ganga has been a cradle of human civilization since time immemorial. It is one of the most sacred rivers in the world and is deeply revered by the people of this country. India has 12 river basins, and 14 minor and desert river basins. Ganga river basin is the largest of these. The Ganga basin lies between East longitudes 73 °30 and 89 ° 0 and North latitudes of 22 °30 and 31 °30, covering an area of 1,086,000 sq km, extending over India, Nepal and Bangladesh. It has a catchment area of 8,61,404 sq. km in India, constituting 26% of the countrys land mass and supporting about 43% of population (448.3 million as per 2001 census). Ganga has many tributaries, both in the Himalayan region before it enters the plains at Haridwar and further downstream before its confluence with the Bay of Bengal. -May are the lean flow Months. The surface water resource Ganga has been assessed as 525 billion cubic Meters (BCM). Substantial abstraction of water for various purposes including irrigation, power Generation and drinking water has impacted the quantity of flows in the river. Some General Information about Ganga  [1]  : Here are a few basic facts about the Ganga River. This information will help you understand the Ganges at a glance. Total Length of River Ganges 2,510 Kms (1,560 miles) Average depth of Ganga River 52 Feet (maximum depth, 100 feet) Place of Origin of Ganga River Foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3,892 m Area drained by Ganges River (Ganges Plains) 1,000,000 Square Kilometres Major Tributaries of Ganges Yamuna, Son, Kosi, Gandak, Gomati, Ghaghara, Bhagirathi etc Cities on the bank of Ganges Kanpur, Soron, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ghazipur, Bhagalpur, Mirzapur, Buxar, Saidpur etc The entire stretch of river Ganga (main stem) can be viewed into three segments: A. Upper Ganga à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  294 km Gaumukh to Haridwar B. Middle Ganga à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  1082 km Haridwar to Varanasi C. Lower Ganga à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  1134 km Varanasi to Ganga Sagar Places: There are many cities which are situated on the bank of river Ganga. Focusing on the state of Uttaranchal and the cities like Haridwar and Rishikesh which are prone to pollution due to the pilgrimage. Uttaranchal became the 27th state of India on November 9, 2000. It borders Tibet in the north-east and Nepal to the south-east, while its neighboring states are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Uttaranchal is a region of outstanding natural beauty. The high Himalayan ranges and glaciers cover most of the northern parts of the state, while the lower reaches are densely forested. The unique Himalayan ecosystem plays host to a large number of animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of Indias mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttaranchal, and are fed by innumerable lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region. The tourism industry is a major contributor to the economy of Uttaranchal, with the Raj era hill-stations at Mussorie, Almora, Ranikhet and Nainital being some of the most frequented destinations. To this region also belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for almost 2000 y ears now pilgrims have been visiting the temples at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath and Kedarnath in the hope of salvation and purification from sin. Recent developments in the region include initiatives by the state government to capitalize on the burgeoning visitor trade. The state also plays host to some of the worst conceived bigdam projects in India such as the monstrously large Tehri dam on the Bhagirathi-Bhilangana Rivers  [2]  . HARIDWAR: Ancient Haridwar (the Gateway to God) is one of the seven holiest places in India, and one of the oldest living cities. For Hindus, a visit to Haridwar is believed to provide liberation from the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Haridwars main attractions are its temples (particularly Mansa Devi temple, where the wish fulfilling goddess resides), ghats (steps leading down to the river), and Ganges River. People take a holy dip and cleanse their sins. Haridwar district, covering an area of about 2360 Km with a population of 14, 44, 213, is in the western part of Uttarakhand state of India and extends from latitude 29 58 in the north to longitude 78 13 in the east with subtropical climate. It receives millions of tourists in every month, sometimes just in one day, which increases the number of automobiles of various categories up to 120 % per day RISHIKESH : Rishikesh is yet another centre of pilgrimage and tourist attraction for Indians as well as foreigners. Rishikesh is popularly known as the Yoga Capital of the World. Rishikesh is 28 kms from Haridwar on way to Badrinath and is situated at the foothills on either side of holy river Ganga and is surrounded by Shivalik ranges from three sides. Rishikesh complex consists of three distinct areas, known as Rishikesh, Muni-ki-Reti and Swargashram. The town is well known for modem and ancient Ashrams. REASON FOR THE POLLUTION:  [3]   In the upper reaches of the Ganga, numerous hydel projects threaten the rivers ecosystem. And in the plains, as the river flows through the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, a toxic mix of untreated sewage, discarded garbage, agricultural run-off and industrial waste flow unabated into it. Hindus regard the Ganga water as pure; but in reality it is pure toxic muck! So much so that one of Indias most treasured resources was also crowned one of the worlds top five most polluted rivers in 2007. The Ganga at Haridwar, where thousands of devotees take holy dip and collect water, continues to be polluted with sewage, a scientist has said, suggesting a parallel canal strategy for permanent prevention of pollution. The situation is most miserable and despite some waste water trappings through a piecemeal system of sewers, the towns sewage continues to flow almost all along the Ganga canal at Haridwar. There is zero management for solid waste which blocked many nalas, inlets/manholes resulting not only in overflow of sewage into the canal but led to most ugly and unaesthetic sites and foul smell.Nearly 89 million litres of sewage is daily disposed into Ganga from the 12 municipal towns that fall along its route till Haridwar. The amount of sewage disposed into the river increases during the Char Dham Yatra season when nearly 15 lakh pilgrims visit the state between May and October each year. According to the Ganga pollution control unit of Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam, Haridwar alone accounts for 37.36 million litres of the sewage that goes directly to the Ganga without getting treated in any plant. Apart from sewage disposal of half-burnt human bodies at Haridwar and hazardous medical waste from the base hospital at Srinagar due to absence of an incinerator are also adding to pollution levels in the Ganga. It is worth mentioning that despite spending over Rs. 1500 crores by the Ganga Action Plan since its inception in 1984, the river still remains polluted. The second phase of the project, which is to get over in 2008, includes setting up of sewer lines in 8 cities in Garhwal that fall on the route of the river. According to an estimate, during its 2510 kilometre-long course from Gaumukh till Bay of Bengal, nearly 1 billion litres of untreated sewage gets disposed into the river. Impact of the Pollution: We should care about the continuing environmental degradation of our oceans and coastal areas because it is detrimental to human health, economic development, climate and our planets store of biodiversity. It is interfering with the sustainability of environment and its resources. Main sources of marine pollution are atmosphere, river runoff, agriculture, livestocks, urban runoff, automobiles, land clearing, sewage outfall, industrial waste etc. Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature (a) decreases oxygen supply, and (b) affects ecosystem composition. Urban runoffstorm water discharged to surface waters from roads and parking lotscan also be a source of elevated water temperatures. When a power plant first opens or shuts down for repair or other causes, fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by the abrupt rise in water temperature known as thermal shock. Water quality is also detoriating because of pollution in river Ganga and it is affecting marine ecosystem. Elevated temperature typically decreases the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water. The decrease in levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) can harm aquatic animals such as fish, amphibians and copepods. Thermal pollution may also increase the metabolic rate of aquatic animals, as enzyme activity, resulting in these organisms consuming more food in a shorter time than if their environment were not changed. An increased metabolic rate may result in fewer resources; the more adapted organisms moving in may have an advantage over organisms that are not used to the warmer temperature. As a result one has the problem of compromising food chains of the old and new environments. Biodiversity can be decreased as a result. Three main types of inputs of pollution into the ocean are direct discharge of waste into the oceans, runoff into the waters due to rain, and pollutants that are released f rom the atmosphere. EFFECT OF POLLUTANTS ON MARINE ORGANISMS Pollutants enters into to the oceans are mostly diluted; however the organisms living in the oceans tend to concentrate the pollutants into their body by various mechanisms, like adsorption, absorption, ingestion etc. The concentration of pollutant increases with higher tropic levels, i.e. from primary producers to the tertiary consumer. The threshold limit of organisms to the pollutant concentration increase with increasing tropic levels. Various mode of pollution transport in organisms includes bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnifications. Water pollution also leads to Large scale death of aquatic and terrestrial animals, Reduced reproduction rate, Increased incidence of diseases, Imbalances created in secondary food chains, Accumulation of bioaccumulative and non-biodegradable pollutants in animal bodies, Some organochlorine pesticides (like DDT, BHC, Endrin) are known for bioaccumulative and biomagnifiable characters. Bad impact of Water Pollution on Environment and human health. The contamination of water bodies has tremendous negative impact on environment, it has ability to destroy many animal habitats, and cause irreparable damage to many ecosystems. Water pollution is not only killing millions of people around the globe each year, it is also killing millions of plants and animals that simply cannot cope with the increasing levels of water pollution caused by different chemicals and other waste. In some areas of the world water pollution issue is totally out of control, and in these areas polluted water spreads different toxins and other chemicals into environment, making it dirty, and above all unhealthy place to live in. Among the most common causes of water pollution include the pathogens, various chemicals or other contaminants as well as other thermal sources of pollution. Pathogenic causes of pollution in water are usually the bacteria as well as other microorganisms that are commonly food in the surface of the water. If their population exceeds the normal rate, then its effects would be adverse to the human health. Of course, the chemical sources of water pollution include those from detergents, disinfectants, food processing wastes and many more. Water pollution can also leads to various diseases like vomiting or diarrhea, sick stomach, skin rashes, Cancer. Legislation and Efforts to Clean Ganga River: The basic objective taken by the people was to to create mass awareness for an eco-friendly non-violent culture of development for the protection of our life-sustaining natural systems in general and of the sacred Ganga and the Himalayas in particular; on the other hand, to put moral pressure on the government, to take time-bound decisive steps to completely and permanently save the Ganga. Ganga Action Plan: The Ganga Action Plan or GAP was a program launched by Rajiv Gandhi in April 1986 in order to reduce the pollution load on the river. But the efforts to decrease the pollution level in the river became more after spending à  Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ° 901.71 Crore (~190 million USD adjusting to inflation). Therefore, this plan was withdrawn on 31 March 2000. The steering Committee of the National River Conservation Authority reviewed the progress of the GAP and necessary correction on the basis of lessons learned and experiences gained from the GAP phase; 2 schemes have been completed under this plan. A million liters of sewage is targeted to be intercepted, diverted and treated. Phase-II of the program was approved in stages from 1993 onwards, and included the following tributaries of the Ganges: Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda. National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA): NRGBA was established by the Central Government of India, on 20 February 2009 under Section 3(3) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It also declared Ganges as the National River of India. The chair includes the Prime Minister of India and Chief Ministers of states through which the Ganges flows. In exercise of the powers conferred by subà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ sections (1) and (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central Government has constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as a planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for strengthening the collective efforts of the Central and State Government for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga. One of the important functions of the NGRBA is to prepare and implement a Ganga River Basin: Environment Management Plan (GRB EMP). A Consortium of 7 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has been given the responsibility of preparing Ganga River Basin: Environment Management Plan (GRB EMP) by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), GOI, New Delhi. Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed between 7 IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) and MoEF for this purpose on July 6, 2010. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission ( JNNURM)  [4]  : 40% of the total funds under directly or indirectly marked for river conservation, so this has become an essential avenue for corruption. Crores of rupees have gone down the drain over the past many years, but things havent changed a bit. Rather situation has further deteriorated. Instead, flood plain and river bed of majority of rivers have been sold by the governments to the private builders. Meanwhile, activists of Jal Biradari and Tarun Bharat Sangh, who had earlier rattled the Uttarakhand government and forced it to suspend its hydro-electricity projects constructed over Ganga, have now started trooping in Allahabad. Conservationists and scientists would be in the Sangam city to participate in the meet called Ganga Sammelan which was held on September 23, 2011 The call for the meet has been given by Jal Biradari, a body of river conservationists headed by Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh. The participants aim to protest against the governments move to invest thousands of crores on river conservation without disclosing its plan of action.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/images/pixel.gif Save Ganga Movement : With the help of many like-minded organizations and with the moral support from many religious leaders, spiritual and political, scientists, environmentalists, writers and social activists, initiated Save Ganga Movement against the pollution of river Ganga and its tributaries with a seminar on Ganga aur hamaaraa daayitva on 13th Nov. 1998 at Kanpur. Renowned Gandhians, Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna and Dr. Kanchanlata Sabarwal, also joined the Movement. Catastrophic Global Ecological Crisis: According to the report of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published on20th March 2007. Apart from the Ganga, the Indus, Nile, and Yangtze are among the 10 most endangered rivers of the world that are lifeline of billions of people. Global warming could cause more hunger in poor countries and extinction of many animal and plant species and melt most glaciers of the Himalayas, which is the source of the Ganga, the Indus and many other great rivers, by the2030s, according to a draft UN report published on 6th April,2007 . The thought of Gandhiji, the apostle of Truth and non-violence of our age, does provide the form and content of a non-violent culture of development in the context of our present technological age, which is the surest and perhaps the only solution to our impending catastrophic global ecological crisis. The seers and prophets of all great religions would agree with the Gandhian solution. Save Ganga Rally at Delhi (12th Nov, 2000): A fervent appeal was made to the Honble Rashtrapati for his guidance and active support in this cause. A national campaign was launched with a mass ralley in Delhi on 12th Nov. 2000, with blessings from the then Honble Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and many eminent spiritual leaders including His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchikotipuram, Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani of Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune, in which eminent persons like Shri Sundarlal Bahuguna, Smt Tara Gandhi Bhattacharyaji, Dr Kanchanlata Sabarwal, Dr Samprasad Vinod etc. participated. Save Ganga Yatra from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar (May 2002-Nov 2003): Next two years have been devoted to coordinating the Save Ganga Yatra from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar in three phases during May 2002 to Nov 2003. In the course of the Yatra, we quite successfully held 3 Save Ganga Seminars and 6 Save Ganga Meetings in which many distinguished scientists, intellectuals, social activists, social leaders, Gandhians and religious leaders participated and expressed their views. 1st National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj (1st 2nd October, 2004)  [5]  : In the National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj held on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti as a part of our Save Ganga Movement at Gandhi Darshan Samiti, Rajghat, Delhi on 1st and 2nd October 2004, a Charter of Ten Demands were unanimously accepted to be the Ten Commandmentsto save the Ganga and the Himalayas. A book entitled Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj, published by Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad and NWO, Pune was released in the workshop. Save Ganga Save Himalayas March, New Delhi (12th March, 2006): We organized a Save Ganga Save Himalayas March from Bapujis Samadhi at Raj ghat to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 12-03-2006, the 76th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra, and formally presented Our Charter of Ten Demands in the Office of our Honble Rashtrapatiji in the form of an Appeal to Save the Ganga and the Himalayas. The Yatra was organized/ supported by about 24 organizations. It was unanimously resolved to celebrate the Day of Dandi Yatra, 12th March, every year in the form a Save Ganga Save Himalaya March from Bapujis Samadhi to Rashtrapati Bhavan till the necessary steps are taken to completely and permanently save the Ganga the Himalayas. 2nd National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj (1st 3rd October, 2006): The 2nd National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj was held on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti as a part of our Save Ganga Movement from 1st to 3rd October 2006 at Haridwar, Uttaranchal to discuss further deeply on various major issues concerning protection of the Ganga and the Himalayas as well as to create public awareness about it. As a part of the workshop a seminar Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj was held at M.C. Mehta Environmental Foundation, Eco Ashram at Haridwar on 1st and 2nd October 2006 and a Save Ganga Save Himalayas Public Meeting was held at Har Ki Paudi, Haridwar on 3 rd October2006. Save Ganga Save Himalayas March, New Delhi (12th March, 2007): A march was organized ; 2nd Save Ganga Save Himalayas March from Bapujis Samadhi at Rajghat to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 12-03-2007, the 77th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra in the Centinary year of his Satyagrah in South Africa and presented the Charter of Ten Demands in the form of an appeal to Save the Ganga the Himalayas. Save Ganga Save Himalayas March, New Delhi (12th March, 2008): Celebrated the 78th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra in the form of a Save Ganga Save Himalayas March from Bapujis Samadhi at Rajghat to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 12-03-2008 . Save Ganga Save Himalayas Meeting-cum-Panel Discussion, New Delhi (12th March, 2010): We celebrated the 80th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra in the form of a Save Ganga Save Himalayas Meeting- cum- Panel Discussion at Gandhi Darsan, Rajghat, New Delhi on 12thMarch, 2010. There was an essential agreement on the following two points: The highly earth quake prone, eco-fragile Uttarkhand region of the Ganga Basin must be declared Ecological Fragile and its rivers wild river and all steps must be taken to protect them and the natural eco-systems they support 2. Since our rivers are the source of drinking water for crores of our common people and also for the animals and STPs cannot convert sewage into potable water, industrial effluents and hospital wastes treated or untreated and also sewage from the cities and towns treated or untreated, must not be allowed to enter into the rivers: sewers must be separated from rivers and sewage must be converted into valuable natural manure for organic farming, producing electricity in the process wherever possible. The main objective of Save Ganga Save Himalayas Yatra from Badrinath to Rameshwar is to bring together under one roof various like-minded eminent persons from different streams of life and like-minded religious leaders religious institutions of different faiths, Gandhian leaders Gandhian institutions, social activists NGOs, etc. to devote to the cause of creating (1) The mass-awareness necessary to save the Ganga, symbolizing all rivers and water bodies, and the Giriraj Himalaya, symbolizing all mountains, forests and wildlife (2) The mass-awareness necessary to create a Gandhian Non-violent Culture of Development, which is the surest and perhaps the only solution to our impending catastrophic Global Ecological Crisis, through Save Ganga Save Himalayas Meetings/ Seminars/ Workshops, etc to be held in various major cities/ pilgrimage centers of our country in the course of the Yatra. It is deeply satisfying that our Save Ganga Movement has succeeded to a great extent to bring under one umbrella various like-minded eminent scientists, social workers and organizations, Gandhians, spiritual leaders and organizations to work together for the absolutely non-controversial noble cause of Saving the Ganga and the Himalayas. Supreme Court of India: The Supreme Court has been working on the closure and relocation of many of the industrial plants along the Ganges and in 2010 the government declared the stretch of river between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi an eco-sensitive zone. Nigamanand: In early 2011, a Hindu seer named Swami Nigamananda Saraswati fasted unto death, protesting against illegal mining happening in the district of Haridwar (in Uttarakhand) resulting in pollution. Following his death in June 2011, his Ashram leader Swami Shivananda fasted for 11 days starting on November 25, 2011, taking his movement forward. Finally, the Uttarkhand government released an order to ban illegal mining all over Haridwar district. According to administration officials, quarrying in the Ganges would now be studied by a special committee which would assess its environmental impacts the river and its nearby areas. Prof. G. D. Agrawal: Noted environmental activist, Prof. G. D. Agrawal sat for fast unto death on 15 January 2012. Due to support from other social activists like Anna Hazare, the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh agreed to Prof. Agrawals demands. Accordingly, he called for a National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA) meeting and urged the authorities to utilize the 2,600 crore (~520M USD) sanctioned for creating sewer networks, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets and development of river fronts. Failure of Ganga Action Plan: It is truly deeply anguishing that we have failed to make the Ganga free from pollution in spite of our central government launching the Ganga Action Plan in 1985, and spending hundreds of crores of rupees for this purpose, even though we know that the Ganga is the lifeline of our crores of people and crores of our people consider her to be their divine mother, and our experts claim that we have the necessary knowledge, skill and wealth to make the Ganga and her tributaries completely pollution free within 4-5 years. GAP suffered from the following limitations  [6]  : Only a part of the pollution load of the river could be tackled. GAP concentrated on improving the water quality of Ganga, in terms of organic pollution and dissolved oxygen. Only the wastewater of towns flowing through the drains to the river was targeted. Connections of household toilets to the sewer system, solid waste management, and some other vital aspects of municipal activities, which impinge on the water quality were not addressed. The issue of ensuring environmental flows in the river was not attended to. This has become increasingly important in view of the competing demands on the Ganga water for drinking, irrigation and power generation. Adopting more efficient water conservation practices could have reduced the need for abstraction of water from Ganga. Problems of land acquisition, court cases, contractual issues and inadequate capacities in the local bodies/implementing agencies came in the way of speedy implementation. Tree cover in the Ganga basin has reduced considerably and land use pattern has changed leading to soil erosion. Sediment yield and its deposit on the river bed were also not monitored. Pollution load from non-point sources was addressed marginally. No attention was paid to run-off from agricultural fields, which brings non biodegradable Pesticides into the river. Measures necessary for the prevention of pollution of the river water while planning New settlements or expansion of the present ones were not considered. Watershed development as well as groundwater and surface water interaction were not covered. Only Class-I towns on the banks of rivers were taken up. Thus a large number of urban settlements remained outside the purview of the Plan. Pollution from rural sector was not addressed. Several parameters such as heavy metals, pesticides, nitrogen and phosphorous were not monitored. These parameters have become important with increased industrialization and urbanization. Suggestions and Recommendations: Gangotri Valley to be viewed as a place of pilgrim tourism and spiritual activities. All Commercial activities in the vicinity of Gangotri (say within 500 m) to be transformed into eco friendly activities. Plan for environment protection and preservation of natural and pristine conditions (e.g. hotel culture to be changed to hut culture; severe restrictions on overnight stay of tourists, promotion of pilgrim tourism than commercial tourism, facilitating Pad Yatra, encouraging use of locally available materials, provision for segregated collection of entire solid waste of all kinds, entirely eliminating disposal of any kind of waste from anthropogenic sources in the valley, complete recycle/reuse and conversion into acceptable products of wastes generated; sanitation and bathing facilities with no direct/indirect discharge into river valley, control of noise and artificial lighting, etc.). Harshil to be developed as nature friendly, zero waste terminal pilgrim tourist spot with facilities of ashrams, guest houses, parking, internet, etc. Environmental Flow (E Flow) to be estimated at various places, particularly for those stretches where river flow has been modified. Flo

US Involvelment in Latin America :: essays research papers

US Involvelment in Latin America During Teddy Roosevelt’s Time US primary concern in Latin America was to maintain political stability in order to protect ourselves as well as our business and trade interests. To accomplish this, the Monroe doctrine was expanded to include the Roosevelt Corollary. The Roosevelt Corollary said that the United States would intervene in the internal affairs of Latin America through Military and Diplomatic actions in order to protect political stability and American interests. This policy was established without input from Latin American countries and put the US into the role of international police to maintain peace and order in the Western Hemisphere. Teddy Roosevelt’s philosophy was to â€Å"speak softly but carry a big stick† We also used â€Å"dollar diplomacy† which was the practice of replacing European loans with American ones in Latin America but then used military force to keep our investments safe. Some examples of â€Å"the big stick in action† are: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Cuba wanted its independence and we had promised they could be, we required the Platt Amendment in their constitution, which said that we could intervene in Cuba anytime to protect life, liberty or property. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Spanish American War, we took control of Puerto Rico and ruled it like a territory. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Haiti had a violent coup in 1915, Wilson sent the Marines occupy it and build roads, hospitals and schools etc. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Mexican Revolution, we sent troops into Northern Mexico in order to catch Villa. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Teddy Roosevelt wanted to build the Panama Canal, Panama was part of Colombia. Colombia refused to sign a treaty with the US allowing us to build the canal because they wanted more money. Roosevelt encouraged Panamanian leaders to revolt and sent a battleship to help them. Once Panama was separate, they signed a treaty with the US agreeing to let us build the canal. Roosevelt actually created a country. US Involvelment in Latin America :: essays research papers US Involvelment in Latin America During Teddy Roosevelt’s Time US primary concern in Latin America was to maintain political stability in order to protect ourselves as well as our business and trade interests. To accomplish this, the Monroe doctrine was expanded to include the Roosevelt Corollary. The Roosevelt Corollary said that the United States would intervene in the internal affairs of Latin America through Military and Diplomatic actions in order to protect political stability and American interests. This policy was established without input from Latin American countries and put the US into the role of international police to maintain peace and order in the Western Hemisphere. Teddy Roosevelt’s philosophy was to â€Å"speak softly but carry a big stick† We also used â€Å"dollar diplomacy† which was the practice of replacing European loans with American ones in Latin America but then used military force to keep our investments safe. Some examples of â€Å"the big stick in action† are: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Cuba wanted its independence and we had promised they could be, we required the Platt Amendment in their constitution, which said that we could intervene in Cuba anytime to protect life, liberty or property. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Spanish American War, we took control of Puerto Rico and ruled it like a territory. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Haiti had a violent coup in 1915, Wilson sent the Marines occupy it and build roads, hospitals and schools etc. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Mexican Revolution, we sent troops into Northern Mexico in order to catch Villa. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Teddy Roosevelt wanted to build the Panama Canal, Panama was part of Colombia. Colombia refused to sign a treaty with the US allowing us to build the canal because they wanted more money. Roosevelt encouraged Panamanian leaders to revolt and sent a battleship to help them. Once Panama was separate, they signed a treaty with the US agreeing to let us build the canal. Roosevelt actually created a country.

completing college the easy way :: essays research papers

Completing our education is a goal many of us share. Finding the time to juggle classes, family life and a job seems to be the hard part. In today’s growing corporate world, more and more people are expanding their education. Searching to obtain a higher level of education, online classes seem to be the wave of the future. The growths in the technology field make achieving our goals seem almost too easy to be true.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Traditional schools offer many learning opportunities, not only to the young, but also to the adults looking to move forward with their careers. Many adults head off to college, hoping to reach personal goals by obtaining a higher level of education. With this goal in mind, many are looking for job opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Higher levels of learning bring an achievement of not only personal goals, but also many gain financial opportunities that come with having a degree. Organizations are hiring individuals with educational backgrounds, to benefit their company. Having a high school degree in these changing times is not a big enough asset anymore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Online learning is quickly becoming the wave of the future. Many traditional colleges are quickly adding online courses to keep in demand. Modern technology enables us to receive our education with out leaving our home or jobs. Today’s computers are holding large amounts of information making, those days of lugging books back and forth to the library a thing of the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Completing our jobs, taking care of families and now attending classes via the Internet makes college more acceptable to many individuals. Attending a class when it is convenient to ones schedule is creating an environment of educated adults who are benefiting the companies they work for.

Employee Recognition Programs Essay

All business entities, big or small, have human resource. Commonly known as employees, these people are an organization’s most valuable asset. These are individuals within the firm who serve as the organization’s human capital and work toward achieving the goals of the company. Without human workforce, establishments will not be able to perform its day-to-day operations. Even if an organization is not labor intensive, it is incontestable that a firm still needs human resource to manage and look over its undertakings, and continuously thrust the company towards proper administration, profitability and success. The improvements and changes in the industry and economy besides increased awareness of employees as a valuable resource has changed the focus from controlling to managing this resource† (Purdy, 2007). As more and more organizations rely on human workforce, there is now the need to manage the most dynamic resource of a company, who are its employees. Recruiting the right kind of employees and training them to become productive are not only the seeming obligation of a company. But more importantly, keeping these employees motivated will not only enhance them personally but will encourage high performance, which will benefit the organization as well. â€Å"Employee morale within an organization has a direct impact on the satisfaction level of its customers and the company’s ultimate success† (Fretwell, 2002, p. 1). For that reason, companies perform different kinds of employee recognition programs that will significantly improve employee morale. One very important detail to remember is that the leader of the organization must have the ability to identify and recognize decline in employee morale, factors causing such, and acceptance of this condition. After which, there are many feasible areas to work on to be able to work out and tidy up the problem. It is very crucial to start with the management. One of the most important steps is to correspond. Communication is always important in maintaining a smooth professional relationship between employees and the management. Encourage the employees to come forward with issues, suggestions, conflicts, complaints, and feedbacks. Listen carefully; do not leave the employees hanging. This way, management will be able to know clearly what factors are causing the employees to perform in such a way that disintegrates their work. Also, they will be able to know the multiple viewpoints of the employees, which if properly attended to, may have the effect of high morale. This method has always been simple and costs nothing at all! Plus it provides a powerful solution to morale problems. Once the leaders know the problem, it is easier to find probable solutions and ways of improving the esteem of the employees. Make sure the employees have a clear understanding of their professional goals within the organization. Keep them up to date about the business, making them feel more involved. Encourage creativity and be consistent in the administration of rules and policies. This way, the employees will not feel they are being treated with prejudice once they get penalized for mistakes. Make them understand what they are going through. However, sometimes, letting the employees do they own work is what they need. They want to feel they are trusted to get their work done. Teambuilding can also help eliminate negative feelings and actions by fostering respect among employees. The power to make decisions help employees realize their importance to the company, and this increases the esteem of the employees. Also, in order to get work done, and done right, the leaders of the organization need to give the employees the skills and tools for them to complete their tasks. This includes giving them support and the training that they need in order to improve or hone their abilities. Management must also identify and nurture those people who perform well and must groom them for leadership roles. At the same time, it has to identify and help the average performers to improve themselves and their productivity. Acknowledging the work of the employees always gives them a reason to work harder and become recognized, making them even more enhanced and productive. Simple awards may do, like what establishments often offer, like â€Å"Employee of the Month† awards may be a step towards recognizing the employees’ hard work. Moreover, giving promotions to excellent and highly improved workers enable them to boost their confidence in terms of their work and push them to work even harder. Provide a better working environment by assuring the safety of the employees while at the workplace. This gives them the guarantee that they are well taken care of by the management. Higher financial remunerations, bonuses and benefits promote the value of loyalty from the employees to the organization. With better compensation, employees are able to give high regard for their work and tend to become satisfied of what they are doing and whom they are working for. Develop incentive programs that improve both employee attitude and attendance rates. Most often, lack of incentive is the reason why employees do not get motivated to work. Examples of this programs include â€Å"the ability to cash-in unused sick days at the end of a specific period, allowing employees to leave early one Friday per month of perfect attendance, bonus pay for periods of perfect attendance, and gifts such as savings bonds or gift cards for periods of perfect attendance† (Bushman, 2007, p. 4). Most importantly, beyond putting into primary importance the achievement of success and profitability is the need to take care of the organization’s people. If the employees believe that their bosses do not care either about the task or them, then they will not care either. And naturally, the company and its operations will suffer. Building morale in an organization may not be as hard as one thinks The key to motivating employees is having them feel valued and appreciated by their superiors and within the company that they working hard for. It requires for each and every employee to feel a sense of achievement in career, a sense of belonging at the workplace, a sense of contribution to the organization, and a sense of appreciation for their involvement in the pursuance of the organization’s goals to achieve high employee morale, and eventually higher productivity and overall success.