Water Pollution Essay Example for Free

Water Pollution Essay Water is a necessity to life on earth. All organisms contain it, some drink it, and others inhabit it. Plants and animals require water that is moderately pure, and they cannot survive if their water is affluent with toxic chemicals and/or harmful microorganisms. If severe, water pollution can kill large numbers of fish, birds, and other animals, in some cases killing all members of a species in an affected area. Water pollution is not only hazardous to water-bond animals it also poses as threat to humans as well. The majority of water pollution occurs when people overload the water environment with wastes. Its defined as contamination of streams, lakes, underground water, bays or oceans by substances harmful to living things. Such things as oil spills, boat fumes, and dumping of trash into the oceans, lakes, and rivers are just a few of the major contributors to water pollution. Throughout the past century water pollution has become a very real problem and solution must be found. First of all, Water pollution presents problems to humans in a few ways. Water pollution makes streams, lakes, and coastal waters unpleasant to look at, to smell, and to swim in, as well as preventing us from drinking it without filtration. Fish and shellfish harvested from polluted waters may be unsafe to eat. People who ingest polluted water can become ill and if theyre exposed for a long time, may develop cancers, or have children with birth defects. There are two types of water pollution; point source and non-point source. Point sources of pollution occur when harmful substances are put directly into a body of water (such as an oil spill). A non-point source is when pollutants enter the water indirectly through environmental changes (like when fertilizer is carried into a stream by rain). The major water pollutants are chemical, biological, and physical materials that lessen the water quality. These pollutants can be separated into seven different classes: Petroleum products, pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals, hazardous materials, excess organic matter, sediment, and finally thermal pollution. The first category is petroleum products. Petroleum products include oil and chemicals from oil are used for fuel, lubrication, plastics manufacturing, and many other purposes. The petroleum products get into water by accidental spills from ships, tanker trucks, and leaky underground storage tanks. Many petroleum products are poisonous if ingested by animals and spilled oil damages the feathers of birds and the fur of animals, often causing numerous deaths among these birds, furred animals, as well as fish. The second category that pollutants can be classified as is pesticides and herbicides. These include chemicals used to kill unwanted animals and plants. An example of this may be something used to keep certain bugs off of fruits or vegetables. These pollutants may be carried into streams by rainwater. If the chemicals in these herbicides and pesticides are not biodegradable they can remain dangerous for a long period of time. When an animal eats a plant that has been treated with certain non-biodegradable chemicals, the chemicals are absorbed into their tissues or the organs. When other animals feed on a contaminated animal, the chemicals are passed up to them. As it goes up through the food chain, the chemical becomes more harmful, so animals at the top of the food chains may suffer cancers, reproductive problems, and death. This can be a very serious problem for many species of animals. The herbicides and pesticides found in some polluted waters dont simple pose a problem to animals; they can also be harmful to humans. More than 14 million Americans drink water contaminated by pesticides, and the EPA estimates that ten percent of wells contain pesticides. These Nitrates can cause a lethal form of anemia called blue baby syndrome in infants. Also there are many other humans that have allergies to these chemicals, and can cause health problems if enough of the contaminated water is digested. Other chemicals that are a problem in the pollution of water are heavy  metals. Heavy metals, such as copper, lead, mercury, and selenium, get into the water from industries, automobile exhaust, mines, and natural soil. Heavy metals also become more harmful as they follow the food chain. When they reach high levels in the body, they can be immediately poisonous, or can result in long-term health problems. They can sometimes cause diarrhea and, over time, liver and kidney damage. Children exposed to lead in water can suffer mental retardation. Fish that have been exposed to mercury can be extremely poisonous to humans if they eat the fish. The fourth classification that is known to pollute waters is hazardous materials. Included in this class are chemical wastes that are toxic, reactive, corrosive, or ignitable. If not treated or stored properly, they can pollute water supplies. Such as in other categories once the hazardous wastes reach one part of the food chain they can be passed on to the animals that depend on them for food. The fifth leading cause of water pollution is excess organic matter. Some examples of excess organic matter are fertilizers and other nutrients used to promote plant growth on farms and in gardens that may fine their way into water. At first the nutrients will help the plants and algae in the water grow, but when they die and settle underwater, microorganisms decompose them, while decomposing them the microorganisms take in oxygen that is dissolved in the water. The oxygen levels in the water may drop so low that fish and other oxygen-dependent animals in the water suffocate, and die, this happens mostly in the Midwest and other such places where there are vast amounts of farm land. Yet another principal cause of the pollution of water is sediment. Sediment is soil particles carried to a stream bed, lake, or ocean, if in large amounts, can also be a pollutant. Soil erosion can damage a stream or lake by adding too much nutrient matter. Sedimentation can also cover stream bed gravel where many fish lay their eggs. Therefore, this can greatly decrease the population of fish in future generations. This is one of the many reasons that soil erosion is trying to be prevented today. The final cause of water pollution, which is often overlooked, is known as Thermal water pollution. Thermal pollution takes place when water is taken from rivers, lakes, or the ocean to be used in factories and power plants. This water is usually returned to the source much warmer than when it was taken. Even a small temperature change in a body of water can drive away the fish and other species that were usually inhabited that particular region, and in conjunction attract other species in place of them. This develops unwanted ecosystems in areas where they should not be. Thermal pollution can speed up the biological processes in plants and animals and/or lower the oxygen level in the water. Fish and other wildlife near the discharge source, may die. So as you can see, water pollution is a very serious problem it is responsible for dramatic decreases of fish and wildlife populations in our, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Water pollutants should also be held accountable for many cases of food poisoning, especially experience in seafood. In order to solve this problem we need to learn about ways for disposing harmful household wastes so they dont end up in sewage treatment plants or landfills. In our yards, we should determine whether or not we need to add nutrients before fertilizers are applied, and look for alternatives where fertilizers may run off into surface waters. We need to preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to help prevent soil erosion. Around the house we should we need to keep litter, pet waste, leaves, and grass clippings out of gutters and storm drains, and buy as many heavily packaged foods, certain boxes, cartons, bottles, etc that are made with polluting dyes. On a more widespread note, we must be much more careful about the types of pesticides we use, how we transport oil and other harmful materials, and work as hard as we can to prevent soil erosion and excess organic matter. If everyone works together to prevent water pollution this problem can be decreased drastically, if not eliminated. We all depend on water as a part of everyday life, we simply need to make sure that we as humans dont take this for granted, and take every step possible to keep the waters on this Earth as clean as possible. Work Cited Water Pollution, http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm. Water Pollution General, http://members.tripod.com/water_pollution_hk/newpage2.htm. Water Pollution, http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/environment/water/water.html. Sources of Water Pollution, http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/waterpol3.html.

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In the book, Refusing the Favor, Deena J. Gonzalez investigates how the lives of Spanish-Mexican women in Santa Fe were affected when the United States colonized northern Mexico between the early and late 19th century. Her work focuses on the cultural contrast among the Euro-Americans and the Spanish-Mexicans in the area. Gonzalez analyzes the histories of women of the period through the lens of those who would bestow upon them "the favor" of colonialism. Hence, she indicates her position through the title of her book. She illustrates how female inhabitants of the defeated territory resisted and scorned the newly arrived powerful Anglo immigrants. She shows how women's responses to the conquest were extremely diverse and illustrates their efforts to preserve their culture. Much of her work focuses on the economic effects and cultural responses to the process of Americanization that took place in New Mexico after the United States took control of the territory. The author challenges the generally accepted history of the United States that has largely put forth that the U.S. conquest was "painless" and beneficial to Spanish-Mexicans in Santa Fe. New Mexico, long before the United States took over, always had a degree of "Spanish character". Her work focuses on Santa Fe which was one of the largest cities west of the Mississippi and oldest of all the territories of the Provincias Internas that opted to stay with Mexico in 1821. In 1846 the land was invaded and conquered by the United States. Much of her interpretation is on the lives of women in the capital city utilizing a range of sources, from travel literature, newspapers, wills, deeds, court records, Catholic Church Archives, Property Census records, and Spanish written sourc... ...zalez 72). Although about half of the Euro-American men in Santa Fe lived with Spanish-Mexican women by 1850, these unions included only several hundred of some four thousand Spanish-Mexican women and were therefore less significant from the perspective of Spanish-Mexican residents (Gonzalez 74). Gonzalez is an author with a mission: she wants to reverse traditional historiographical interpretations about the West, and specifically New Mexico. She wants to give life to the lifeless voices of women who lived in the era. It appears that Gonzalez's primary motive in writing Spanish-Mexican women into the history of U.S. conquest appears to show how the women of Santa Fe were affected and how they overcame a challenging systems which reshaped their lives. In the end, the author successfully achieves her goal of rescuing the voices of New Mexican Spanish Mexican women.

Innovation and creativity evaluation of Apple Corporation Essay

Economic growth and development of any country depends upon a well-knit financial system. Financial system comprises, a set of sub-systems of financial institutions financial markets, financial instruments and services which help in the formation of capital. Thus a financial system provides a mechanism by which savings are transformed into investments and it can be said that financial system play an significant role in economic growth of the country by mobilizing surplus funds and utilizing them effectively for productive purpose. The financial system is characterized by the presence of integrated, organized and regulated financial markets, and institutions that meet the short term and long term financial needs of both the household and corporate sector. Both financial markets and financial institutions play an important role in the financial system by rendering various financial services to the community. They operate in close combination with each other. Financial System The word â€Å"system†, in the term â€Å"financial system†, implies a set of complex and closely connected or interlined institutions, agents, practices, markets, transactions, claims, and liabilities in the economy. The financial system is concerned about money, credit and finance-the three terms are intimately related yet are somewhat different from each other. Indian financial system consists of financial market, financial instruments and financial intermediation Role/ Functions of Financial System: A financial system performs the following functions: * It serves as a link between savers and investors. It helps in utilizing the mobilized savings of scattered savers in more efficient and effective manner. It channelises flow of saving into productive investment. * It assists in the selection of the projects to be financed and also reviews the performance of such projects periodically. * It provides payment mechanism for exchange of goods and services. * It provides a mechanism for the transfer of resources across geographic boundaries. It provides a   mechanism for managing and controlling the risk involved in mobilizing savings and allocating credit. * It promotes the process of capital formation by bringing together the supply of saving and the demand for investible funds. * It helps in lowering the cost of transaction and increase returns. Reduce cost motives people to save more. * It provides you detailed information to the operators/ players in the market such as individuals, business houses, Governments etc. Components/ Constituents of Indian Financial system: The following are the four main components of Indian Financial system 1. Financial institutions 2. Financial Markets 3. Financial Instruments/Assets/Securities 4. Financial Services. Financial institutions: Financial institutions are the intermediaries who facilitates smooth functioning of the financial system by making investors and borrowers meet. They mobilize savings of the surplus units and allocate them in productive activities promising a better rate of return. Financial institutions also provide services to entities seeking advises on various issues ranging from restructuring to diversification plans. They provide whole range of services to the entities who want to raise funds from the markets elsewhere. Financial institutions act as financial intermediaries because they act as middlemen between savers and borrowers. Were these financial institutions may be of Banking or Non-Banking institutions. Financial Markets: Finance is a prerequisite for modern business and financial institutions play a vital role in economic system. It’s through financial markets the financial system of an economy works. The main functions of financial markets are. To facilitate creation and allocation of credit and liquidity; 2. to serve as intermediaries for mobilization of savings; 3. to assist process of balanced economic growth; 4. to provide financial convenience Financial Instruments Another important constituent of financial system is financial instruments. They represent a claim against the future income and wealth of others. It will be a claim against a person or an institutions, for the payment of the some of the money at a specified future date. Financial Services: Efficiency of emerging financial system largely depends upon the quality and variety of financial services provided by financial intermediaries. The term financial services can be defined as â€Å"activites, benefits and satisfaction connected with sale of money, that offers to users and customers, financial related value†. Pre-reforms Phase Until the early 1990s, the role of the financial system in India was primarily restricted to the function of channeling resources from the surplus to deficit sectors. Whereas the financial system performed this role reasonably well, its operations came to be marked by some serious deficiencies over the years. The banking sector suffered from lack of competition, low capital base, low Productivity and high intermediation cost. After the nationalization of large banks in 1969 and 1980, the Government-owned banks dominated the banking sector. The role of technology was minimal and the quality of service was not given adequate importance. Banks also did not follow proper risk management systems and the prudential standards were weak. All these resulted in poor asset quality and low profitability. Among non-banking financial intermediaries, development finance institutions (DFIs) operated in an over-protected environment with most of the funding coming from assured sources at concessional terms. In the insurance sector, there was little competition. The mutual fund industry also suffered from lack of competition and was dominated for long by one institution, viz. , the Unit Trust of India. Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) grew rapidly, but there was no regulation of their asset side. Financial markets were characterized by control over pricing of financial assets, barriers to entry, high transaction costs and restrictions on movement of funds/participants between the market segments. This apart from inhibiting the development of the markets also affected their efficiency. Financial Sector Reforms in India It was in this backdrop that wide-ranging financial sector reforms in India were introduced as an integral part of the economic reforms initiated in the early 1990s with a view to improving the macroeconomic performance of the economy. The reforms in the financial sector focused on creating efficient and stable financial institutions and markets. The approach to financial sector reforms in India was one of gradual and non-disruptive progress through a consultative process. The Reserve Bank has been consistently working towards setting an enabling regulatory framework with prompt and effective supervision, development of technological and institutional infrastructure, as well as changing the interface with the market participants through a consultative process. Persistent efforts have been made towards adoption of international benchmarks as appropriate to Indian conditions. While certain changes in the legal infrastructure are yet to be effected, the developments so far have brought the Indian financial system closer to global standards. The reform of the interest regime constitutes an integral part of the financial sector reform. With the onset of financial sector reforms, the interest rate regime has been largely deregulated with a view towards better price discovery and efficient resource allocation. Initially, steps were taken to develop the domestic money market and freeing of the money market rates. The interest rates offered on Government securities were progressively raised so that the Government borrowing could be carried out at market-related rates. In respect of banks, a major effort was undertaken to simplify the administered structure of interest rates. Banks now have sufficient flexibility to decide their deposit and lending rate structures and manage their assets and liabilities accordingly. At present, apart from savings account and NRE deposit on the deposit side and export credit and small loans on the lending side, all other interest rates are deregulated. Indian banking system operated for a long time with high reserve requirements both in the form of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR). This was a consequence of the high fiscal deficit and a high degree of monetisation of fiscal deficit. The efforts in the recent period have been to lower both the CRR and SLR. The statutory minimum of 25 per cent for SLR has already been reached, and while the Reserve Bank continues to pursue its medium-term objective of reducing the CRR to the statutory minimum level of 3. 0 per cent, the CRR of SCBs is currently placed at 5. 0 per cent of NDTL. As part of the reforms programme, due attention has been given to diversification of ownership leading to greater market accountability and improved efficiency. Initially, there was infusion of capital by the Government in public sector banks, which was followed by expanding the capital base with equity participation by the private investors. This was followed by a reduction in the Government shareholding in public sector banks to 51 per cent. Consequently, the share of the public sector banks in the aggregate assets of the banking sector has come down from 90 per cent in 1991 to around 75 per cent in2004. With a view to enhancing efficiency and productivity through competition, guidelines were laid down for establishment of new banks in the private sector and the foreign banks have been allowed more liberal entry. Since 1993, twelve new private sector banks have been set up. As a major step towards enhancing competition in the banking sector, foreign direct investment in the private sector banks is now allowed up to 74 per cent, subject to conformity with the guidelines issued from time to time. Conclusion: The Indian financial system has undergone structural transformation over the past decade. The financial sector has acquired strength, efficiency and stability by the combined effect of competition, regulatory measures, and policy environment. While competition, consolidation and convergence have been recognized as the key drivers of the banking sector in the coming years

William Blake Songs of Innocence Experience - 1256 Words

â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† Songs of Innocence amp; Experience analysis with, William Blake In 1794 William Blake’s work was known and published as a collection of poems that were put together as one book called Songs of innocence amp; Songs of Experience. In the collection Blake titles a poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, and this one is viewed in two ways: Innocence and experience. In the book of innocence Blake shows how poor innocent children are being abused and mistreated during this time era. In Songs of innocence, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† is about the way childhood youth is destroyed, taken away or ruined by selfish mean-spirited adults. Innocence to Blake was in a way not even in existence. He always believed that the world of one’s†¦show more content†¦However, they are not his ideal target here. He suggests that it is because I am happy and dance and sing that they think they have done me no injury.(Line9-10) While no excuse is offered for the church that they have run off to the parents may not be malicious; it is possible that they are simply misguided, or perhaps self-deceiving. The sweeper clearly implies that God and his priest and king are to blame, because they make up a heaven of our misery.(Line11-12) The question that comes to mind after reading and analyzing the third stanza is one I think most would assume. How could those whom have such a ‘great standing’ in faith run off, leave a child to finish the job that has been tasked out for him/her to do; and forget them, proceeding to go give praise to God? It is clear that the parents seek acceptance from the church and if putting their child on the back burner is what it takes that is the way they are choosing. As a result, this poem accomplishes it purpose very well. In Songs of Experience, the child in â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† understands that he is a forgotten son. Another Key point that I would like to make is the comparison with Innocence and the term ‘good’, and Experience with the term ‘evilâ€⠄¢. Blake also referred to his poem, The Lamb with innocence and goodness, contrary, The Tyger with evilness and experience. This collection of poems by Blake does make one question things that they normally would not. This in depth topicShow MoreRelatedSongs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake925 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Blake writes his poems in â€Å"Songs of Innocence and of Experience† in a manner of retrospective self-analysis. Blake writes, attempting to understand the differences and paradoxes that he has observed. In his poem â€Å"The Tyger†, Blake’s artful questioning of the paradoxes in creation is exemplified. Blake poses questions that he does not answer, however his purpose is almost certainly to come to terms with creation’s idiosyncrasies, and to come to a better understanding of existence. AlthoughRead MoreWilliam Blake in Contrast of Songs of Innocence and of Experience1452 Words   |  6 PagesEN 222-Intro to British Lit. II April 21, 2012 William Blake in contrast of Songs of Innocence and of Experience William Blake, an engraver, exemplified his passion for children through his many poems. Blake lived in London most of his life and many fellow literati viewed him as eccentric. He claimed to have interactions with angels and prophets, which had a great influence on his outlook of life. Blake believed all prominent entities, those being church, state, and government had become sick withRead MoreWilliam Blake s Songs Of Innocence And Experience1268 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, printed in 1794, â€Å"represents the world as it is envisioned by what he calls ‘two contrary states of the human soul’† (Greenblatt, 1452). This collection of poetry is accompanied by pictures, which create a mutually reliant relationship that allows for complete understanding of Blake’s works. â€Å"To read a Blake poem without the pictures is to miss something important: that relationship is an aspect of the poem’s argumen t† (1452). Overall, Blake’s worksRead MoreSongs Of Innocence And Of Experience By William Blake Analysis868 Words   |  4 PagesSongs of Innocence and of Experience is the foundation of the work of one of the greatest. English poets and artists. The two sets of poems reveal what William Blake calls â€Å"the two contrary states of the human soul.† In both series, he offers clues to deeper meanings and suggests ways out of the apparent trap of selfhood, so that each reading provides greater insight and understanding, not only to the poems but also to human life. Throughout this poem, the logic of this poem favors experience ratherRead MoreAnalysis Of The Songs Of Innocence And Experience By William Blake1208 Words   |  5 Pagespoet William Blake. It was a city with no hope for poor people, and the government and church did little to help this. Among the poor were children working in slave-like conditions to feed their families and going to charity schools. Bl ake puts these children at the center of his piece to show the hypocritical nature of the church and how innocent people are suffering from it. He takes on two angles from the same topic: the event of Holy Thursday. By examining it from the lens of innocence, thenRead MoreThe Songs Of Innocence And Experience William Blake Analysis1751 Words   |  8 Pagesreligions have different gods, traditions, and ceremonies, but they all have one thing in common; people take different viewpoints of a religion to fit into their mindset. William Blake uses this idea to express how he believes people see Christianity and God. In his series named â€Å"The Songs of Innocence and Experience,† Blake creates the image of opposing views of similar situations. The poems show the views of the innocent and the experienced. The innocent takes on the roles to show how naivetyRead MoreSongs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake Essay example1126 Words   |  5 PagesUpon reading Wil liam Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, a certain parallel is easily discerned between them and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Blake, considered a radical thinker in his time, is today thought to be an important and seminal figure in the literature of the Romantic period. Being such a figure he has no doubt helped to influence many great thinkers throughout history, one of whom I believe is Carroll. There are many instances throughout Carroll’sRead MoreSongs of Good and Evil1545 Words   |  7 Pagesall describe William Blake’s life (Greenblatt, Abrams, Lynch, Stillinger). Blake was born November 28, 1757 in London, England and his artistic ability became evident in his early years. Blake had a very simple upbringing and had little education. His formal education was in art and at the age of fourteen he entered an apprenticeship with a well-known engraver who taught Blake his skills in engraving. In Blakeâ€℠¢s free time, he began reading writing poetry. At the age of twenty-one, Blake completed hisRead MoreWilliam Blake s The Tyger1132 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Blake’s â€Å"The Tyger† and Tragedies William Blake wrote a set of poems in his collection Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Some of the poems in each collection were meant to be read together to show the difference between innocence and experience. Many people question why Blake wrote a two part series to his poems and what they could actually mean. Two specific poems, â€Å"The Lamb† and â€Å"The Tyger,† were meant to be read together. â€Å"The Lamb† is a part of Blake’s Songs of Innocence andRead MoreEssay on Biography of William Blake1631 Words   |  7 Pagesinspire your work and success. William Blake was a famous artist, engraver and poet. However, it was not until 1863 that he became famous when Alexander Gilchrist published his biography(Blake, William, and Geoffrey Keynes).Blake and his poetry have been compared to Shakespeare (Kathleen Raine). As an artist Blake was equated to Michelangelo. Being born during the time of both the American and French Revolution, Willia m Blake was against both the Church and the State. Blake was a Dualist, believing the