The Jewish Museum - Berlin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

The Jewish Museum - Berlin - Essay Example The Holocaust and the genocide of the Jews in the past are sensitive topics, and many Berliners as well as people from other parts of the country attribute feelings of guilt and remorse at the treatment of the Jews at the hands of the Nazi authorities. The opening of such cultural representations in Berlin thus attracted my attention. The purpose of the dissertation is to explore the Museum in relation to its architecture and its historical and cultural significance. The result of the research would be that I would be able to critically understand the dynamics and the cultural interplay of the Jewish and the non-Jewish communities. With this research I also attempt to establish the potential role that the Jews of the present Germany can play. The research has been done through resources available on the Internet as well as through books and scholarly articles. The research has extensively depended upon the research material that has been available on the Internet and through books and articles. The start of the dissertation gives an introduction of the Museum. This includes information about the Museum ranging from the number of people who visit it to the significance of the construction of a cultural representation in Berlin. The history of the Museum gives information about its history. The next section relates to the architecture of the building and explores how the architect has used architectural designs to represent the Jewish culture as well as the manifestations of the Holocaust. The sections about irony and how the architect has dealt with it discuss in detail the conflict that exists between the construction of cultural representations in a city that was once the propagator of violence against the Jews. An irony exists in the building of a museum that integrates and promotes the history of the Jews in a city that was the hub of anti-Jewish activities. The architect has taken many steps to make

White Privilege Essay Example for Free

White Privilege Essay How America came about is fascinating, and learning about immigration, rights, laws, and racism makes learning more beneficial. It helps you to understand why we, as a nation, are they way we are today, and why we will continue to be stuck in our ways. According to James Barrett and David Roediger, â€Å"The Story of Americanization is vital and compelling, but it took place in a nation also obsessed by race†¦the process of â€Å"becoming white† and â€Å"becoming American† were connected at every turn (36). † One of the most controversial topics is white privilege and discrimination. Segregation within school systems has been a dominant problem in the past and will always continue to be. Being privileged is a something that individuals should be conscious of due to their past and understand that it is a privilege to be white rather than to be discriminated against. Becoming conscious of one’s own white privilege is the first step to understand the deeper meaning of racism and discrimination. My intentions of writing this paper were to describe a situation in which I was conscious of my own white privilege. White privilege was always on my side until high school where I felt as though I was discriminated against as being a petite, white girl, from upper-class Allendale leaving me to been seen as an easy target. While at my locker one day during lunch, I was approached by two of the black students (one male and one female) and a Latino girl, and they tried to convince me something hurtful was written about me in the bathroom. Being that I am not the type to care, get involved, or respond, I turned to walk away. The Latino girl proceeded to grab my hair causing me to turn and face her and she punched me square in the face. After several minutes of back and forth wrestling and punches, the fight was broken up my teachers. It turns out that there was nothing written about me, they were just trying to get me into the bathroom to fight me, opposed to the hallway which is out in the open. All three of the students that were there were taken to the principal’s office immediately and suspended for two days whereas I got off free and I was allowed to go back to my day. During the duration of the day, one of the African American men left the principal’s office in rage and had a mission to destroy all my belongings in my locker. The boy pried open my locked and poured a bottle of soda all over my books, note books and belongings. After I reported this to our principal, he held the three students involved in the fight until one person came clean about who had been at fault for ruining my locker. It turned out, that no one admitted to it, and they were all suspended even longer than originally for not fessing up. The following week, none of the three students attended my high school anymore and I was told by my principal that they left to attend other high schools in surrounding towns. After this incident, I have never come into contact with any of them ever again. However, several of my male friends found out what happened that day and wanted nothing but to get revenge and retaliate against them and show them who runs the high school, being that whites are minority. I became very conscious of my white privilege growing up in a one-square mile suburban town of Allendale, New Jersey. My entire educational career through eighth grade consisted of white, middle-to-upper-class Americans. All the people were similar, with the same morals, values and beliefs. Everyone dressed similar and drove similar cars, partook in the same activities and hung out in specific niches. At this point in my life, I could say I could correlate my life to Peggy McIntosh’s article when she describes the matrix of white privilege; There was one main piece of cultural turf; it was my own turf, and I was among those who could the turf. I could measure up to the cultural standards and take advantage of the many options I saw around me to make what the culture would call a success of my life†¦I could think of myself as â€Å"belong† in major ways, and of making social systems work for me. I could†¦be oblivious to anything outside of the dominant cultural forms (295). It wasn’t until high school where I thought I would potentially move out of my small town bubble. My high school is regional; students from Allendale, along with the surrounding towns of Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River and half of Saddle River attended. Being that I came from such a white school system, the thought of going onto high school and being surrounded by students of other races and ethnicities is something that never crossed my mind. I was never taught about the disadvantages of being white, but rather I learned about blacks and their disadvantages of dealing with racism. Over the years, little was taught about racism and what it stood for, instead we were just told that this is what happened to people when they were of different races and ethnicities back in the day. The article by Peggy McIntosh describes how whites are taught to think of blacks; â€Å"As a white person, I realized I had never been taught about racism as something which put others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege , which puts me at an advantage†(291). Being white was never something that I had to deal with in or outside of school, or even within my community. I wasn’t necessarily shocked to walk into high school my first day to find only a select few of Latinos and African Americans. However, these were things that I never thought about or even had to think about. The few Latinos and African Americans came from Upper Saddle River and Saddle River. I was never stereotypical of these groups of people until I was surrounded with people from towns that had engaged with these people all the way up through high school. The Latinos in my school all stuck together, as well as the three African Americans that attended my high school. I feel as though this particular situation involved me having the white privilege advantage and it seems as though my white privilege helped to get me out of trouble. I should have gotten in trouble for â€Å"self defense† and throwing punches back, but I feel as though since I had never caused problems before, and they had been the center of most of the problems I was let go with no punishment. The students that got in trouble, were seen as troublesome students because of their past, where I had a clean record with no reason to suspect I was the start of the brawl. Considering my school is mostly made up of white students and entirely white faculty, when the three students got in trouble, it was probably a stereotypical decision based on non-whites. Blacks have always endured pain and agony as, â€Å"†¦victims of discrimination, segregation, and violence, blacks in the North encountered a powerful cluster of negative racial images. These stereotypes contributed to the conditions of racial degradation and poverty, which, in turn, reinforced prejudice† (Takaki 107). This excerpt further explains that stereotypes stick and the negative racial images will forever be a part of the everyday lives of blacks. The primary reason of why the situation occurred, I believe dates back to sundown towns. Beginning in about 1890 and continuing until 1968, white Americans established thousands of towns across the United States for whites only. A ‘sundown town’ is any organized influence that, for decades, was all-white on purpose. Many towns drove out their black populations, and then posted sundown signs. Other towns passed ordinances barring African-Americans after dark or prohibiting them from owning or renting property. Evelyn Nakano Glenn helps to further explain the regulations, â€Å"White controlled municipalities passed ordinances creating racial zones. When these laws were found to be unconstitutional, whites formed neighborhood associations and turned to â€Å"private† arrangements such as economic boycotts, violence, and restrictive covenants. These restrictions deprived blacks of a central element of liberal citizenship, namely property rights† (37-38). This is proof that the African-American populations had no choice but to leave because they weren’t welcome. No one would support their businesses or wanted anything to do with them; they were literally driven out of these towns and wouldn’t stand a chance if they stayed. Being that the town of Allendale where I grew up was a sundown town, which is the most obvious explanation as to why I grew up surrounded by all whites. Moving onto high school, the other regional towns of Ho-Ho-Kus and Upper Saddle River were sundown towns as well. This plays a huge role in the situation at my high school because people of color and different races are focused on more and white students carry all the dominant privilege. If I had been a different race I think the entire situation would have never occurred because I would probably be a person that was known for affiliating with them. If I had been black, I would have probably felt like I should stick with the other three black students in the high school. The situation would have been the same if I were Latino or another race. Segregation still takes place in America and being one of only a few black families within your community will be a repetitive cycle for black families looking to move to our dominantly white community. According to Douglas Massey; â€Å"When avenues of spatial assimilation are systematically blocked my prejudice, and discrimination, however, residential segmentation increases and persists over time. New Minorities arrive in the city and settle within enclaves, but their subsequent spatial mobility is stymied, and ethnic concentrations increase†¦whereupon group members are forced to adjacent areas, thus expanding the boundaries of the enclave† (225). I feel as though since my region of New Jersey is predominantly white, what would things change now? Why would blacks and ethnic families feel inclined to move to a neighborhood where they stand out? Especially for African-American families, my town along with the surrounding towns do not sell African-American hair products in any of my supermarkets or pharmacies nor are there salons where African-American women can go to get their hair braided. My community has adjusted to the white population and being that my town is so small, I feel as though it would take dramatic lengths to change the way our community functions. Being white, I feel as though I benefited from the whole situation because I did not get in trouble for punching the girl back, and I did not get suspended. I was allowed to return to my day at school as though nothing happened while they were kept in the front office until school was let out and were suspended for the rest of the week (2 days). This experience made me think about my race in a different way because I had never encountered issues with non-white people, because I was never around them. Coming from a primarily white school, white students stand to make white privilege stick out like a sore thumb. It helped me to understand that white people dominated my school population and that this would have never been an issue if the school had always been made up of a majority of other races and ethnicities. It is as if the select few minorities felt as though they needed to stand up for themselves and prove that just because there are so few of them they can still â€Å"run† the school. The three students involved, I feel, chose to leave due to feeling like they were discriminated against and treated differently than other students. They could have felt mistreated or felt that being out numbered was a disadvantage for them. Moving to surrounding schools definitely made them feel like they belonged better because I know there were mixed groups of people outside of our high school district. Being that ninety-nine percent of my school was white could have made the few students feel intimidated and make the white students angrier and feel the need to gang up on them after this incident, almost to prove their white privilege. This incident correlates to issues of citizenship and my ability to participate as a full and equal member of American society because I suffered no consequences from the incident except for a bloody nose. A bloody nose is a temporarily occurrence but because of what happened, it hasn’t affected me being a full and equal member in the American society. It has however, affected the minority students at my high school, and drove them away. As described by Evelyn Glenn, â€Å"At its most general level, citizenship refers to full membership in the community in which one lives. Membership in turn implies certain†¦reciprocal duties toward the community (37). † These black students are citizens but they do not live in a community with other African-Americans reside. They can be still be involved in the community but the families as a whole might not be as eager to get involved as they are outnumbered and may feel their voices may not be heard or make a difference. There are a few potential long term consequences of white privilege for myself that will be with me as long as I live. Being that Quinnipiac University is not very diverse, but more diverse than my high school, it was difficult to get used to seeing people of color and different ethnicities every day. I do not believe growing up in an all white community has been beneficial to me, and I wish I was more natural around people of different races and ethnicities. It is unrealistic to say that I will never have to deal with this, but in the real world, and when finding a job, you will be presented with a variety of people that may even become more of friends rather than co-workers. Someone’s accent or skin color does not determine what kind of person they are, it is their personality that makes them who they are. I also believe in regards to the incident, if I had been at fault, and was suspended for my actions of self defense, I would have not been able to attend a prestigious school such as Quinnipiac. When applying for colleges, most applications ask if you have ever been suspended, such as the Quinnipiac application which asks if you have ever been suspended or missed significant time from school. I would have then had to explain the situation and how I was suspended for self defense. If colleges see that you are a troubled student, and have a record for misbehaving, they will not accept you to their school. Community colleges of lower rankings will be more willing to accept a student with a past, rather than a private school like Quinnipiac University. Discrimination and segregation still exist today. The past makes up the present so learning about what people of all races and ethnicities went through in history is important as a citizen of the United States. Everyone, in some way, or somehow, has dealt with discrimination whether it is you or friends and family. While on the other hand, it is imperative to pay attention to your privileges and understand what it means to be American. Works Cited Barrett, James E. , and David Roediger. 2005. How White People Became White. Pg. 35-40 in White Privilege: Essential Reading on the Other Side of Racism, 2nd Ed. , Paula S. Rothenberg, Ed. New York: Worth Publishers. Glenn, Evelyn, Nakano. Citizenship: Universalism and Exclusion. Pg. 18-55 in Unequal Freedom: How Race and Gender Shaped American Citizenship and Labor. Cambridge: Harvard. Massey, Douglas S. How Space Gets Raced. Rethinking the Color Line. By Charles A. Gallagher. 3rd Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 225. McIntosh, Peggy. 1997 White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Womens Studies. Pg. 290-99 in Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror. Richard Delgado Jean Stefancic, Eds. Philadephia: Temple University Press. Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York, NY: Back Bay, 1994. 108.

Types And Uses Of Fertilizers

Types And Uses Of Fertilizers Fertilizers are substances that supply plant nutrients or amend soil fertility. They are the most effective means of increasing crop production and of improving the quality of food and fodder. Fertilizers are used in order to supplement the natural nutrient supply in the soil, especially to correct the (yield-limiting) minimum factor. Fertilizers are soil amendments applied to promote plant growth; the main nutrients present in fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (the macronutrients) and other nutrients (micronutrients) are added in smaller amounts. Fertilizers are usually directly applied to soil, and also sprayed on leaves (foliar feeding). Organic fertilizers or and some mined inorganic fertilizers have been used for many centuries, whereas chemically synthesized inorganic fertilizers were only widely developed during the industrial revolution. Increased understanding and use of fertilizers were important parts of the pre-industrial British Agricultural Revolution and the industrial green revolution of the 20th century. Inorganic fertilizer use has also significantly supported global population growth it has been estimated that almost half the people on the Earth are currently fed as a result of artificial nitrogen fertilizer use. Fig 1 Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions: The three primary macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The three secondary macronutrients: calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg). and the micronutrients or trace minerals: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and selenium (Se). The macronutrients are consumed in larger quantities and are present in plant tissue in quantities from 0.2% to 4.0% (on a dry matter weight basis). There are some examples of it:- Fig 2 Fig 3 Different Types of Fertilizers Fertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plentiful plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are applied through soil for uptake by plant roots, or by applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves. They typical fertilizer provides proportions of the three major plant nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The secondary plant nutrients such as calcium, sulfur, and magnesium are also contained in fertilizers. Fertilizers can be placed into categories of organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers. Organic Fertilizers Naturally occurring fertilizers include: Manure Worm castings Peat moss Seaweed Sewage Guano Organic fertilizers are used to enrich soil through nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere by bacterial nodules on plant roots, as well as phosphorus content of soils. Processed organic materials from natural sources include compost, blood meal powdered blood, and bone (crushed ground bones) meal from organic meat production facilities, and seaweed extracts. There is more diversity with organic fertilizers, so choosing the right one is not always easy. In general organic fertilizers cannot cause plant burns, get into ground water, affect surrounding growth, and do not need as strict of watering schedules. Organic fertilizer sources:- Animals Animals:- Sourced urea , are suitable for application organic agriculture, while pure synthetic forms of urea are not. The common thread that can be seen through these examples is that organic agriculture attempts to define itself through minimal processing (in contrast to the man-made Haber process), as well as being naturally occurring or via natural biological processes such as composting. Sewage sludge use in organic agricultural operations in the U.S. has been extremely limited and rare due to USDA prohibition of the practice (due to toxic metal accumulation, among other factors). The USDA now requires 3rd-party certification of high-nitrogen liquid organic fertilizers sold in the U.S. Plant:- Cover crops are also grown to enrich soil as a green manure through nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere; as well as phosphorus (through nutrient mobilization) content of soils. Mineral:- Naturally mined powdered limestone, mined rock phosphate and sodium nitrate, are inorganic (in a chemical sense), are energetically intensive to harvest, and yet are approved for usage in organic agriculture in minimal amounts. Benefits of Organic Material By nature organic fertilizers provide increased physical and biological storage mechanisms to soils, reducing risks of over fertilization. Organic fertilizers nutrient content, solubility, and nutrient release rates are typically much lower than inorganic fertilizers. Over fertilization of a vital nutrient can be as detrimental as under fertilization to a plant. Fertilizer burn can occur when too much fertilizer is applied resulting in the drying out of roots along with damage and even death to plants. All organic fertilizers are classified as slow release fertilizers. Studies have found that organic fertilizers: Release 25% to 60% of nitrogen as inorganic. Controlled release fertilizers had a relatively constant rate of release. Soluble fertilizer released most of its nitrogen content at the first leaching. Inorganic Fertilizers: Naturally occurring inorganic fertilizers include sodium nitrate, mined rock phosphate and lime stone which is used to raise pH and calcium sources. Macronutrients and Micronutrients Fertilizers can be divided into macronutrients and micronutrients based on their concentration levels in dry plant matter. There are six macronutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (3 main primary elements), calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Macronutrient Fertilizers:- Synthesized materials are also called artificial, and may also be called straight were a product contains the three primary elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Fertilizers are named according to the content of the three elements in the fertilizer. If the main ingredient in the fertilizer is nitrogen, then the fertilizer will be described as a nitrogen fertilizer. But regardless of the name of the fertilizer they are labeled according to the amounts of each of these primary elements, by their weight. The amount of nitrogen will encourage growth of stems and leaves by promoting protein and chlorophyll. More Flowers, bigger fruits, and healthier roots will result from added phosphorus, and it will also help plants resist certain diseases. Potassium thickens stems and leaves by fostering protein development, meaning the vegetables would prefer a different potassium ratio than flowers or fruit plants would. Benefits of inorganic fertilizers Synthetic fertilizers are commonly used to treat fields used for growing maize, followed by barley, sorghum, rapeseed, soy and sunflower. One study has shown that application of nitrogen fertilizer on off-season cover crops can increase the biomass (and subsequent green manure value) of these crops, while having a beneficial effect on soil nitrogen levels for the main crop planted during the summer season. Nutrients in soil develop in symbiosis, which can be thrown out of balance with high concentrations of fertilizers. The interconnectedness and complexity of this soil food web means any appraisal of soil function must necessarily take into account interactions with the living communities that exist within the soil. Stability of the system is reduced by the use of nitrogen-containing inorganic and organic fertilizers, which cause soil acidification. Problem with inorganic fertilizers Trace mineral depletion:- Many inorganic fertilizers may not replace trace mineral elements in the soil which become gradually depleted by crops. This depletion has been linked to studies which have shown a marked fall (up to 75%) in the quantities of such minerals present in fruit and vegetables. In Western Australia deficiencies of zinc, copper, manganese, iron and molybdenum were identified as limiting the growth of broad-acre crops and pastures in the 1940s and 1950s. Soils in Western Australia are very old, highly weathered and deficient in many of the major nutrients and trace elements. Since this time these trace elements are routinely added to inorganic fertilizers used in agriculture in this state. Over fertilization:- Over-fertilization of a vital nutrient can be as detrimental as under fertilization. Fertilizer burn can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in a drying out of the roots and damage or even death of the plant. Burning of plants High energy consumption:- The production of synthetic ammonia currently consumes about 5% of global natural gas consumption, which is somewhat fewer than 2% of world energy productions. Natural gas is overwhelmingly used for the production of ammonia, but other energy sources, together with a hydrogen source, can be used for the production of nitrogen compounds suitable for fertilizers. The cost of natural gas makes up about 90% of the cost of producing ammonia. The increase in price of natural gases over the past decade, along with other factors such as increasing demand, has contributed to an increase in fertilizer price. Long-Term Sustainability:- Inorganic fertilizers are now produced in ways which theoretically cannot be continued indefinitely. Potassium and phosphorus come from mines (or saline lakes such as the Dead Sea) and such resources are limited. More effective fertilizer utilization practices may, however, decrease present usage from mines. Improved knowledge of crop production practices can potentially decrease fertilizer usage of P and K without reducing the critical need to improve and increase crop yields. Atmospheric (unfixed) nitrogen is effectively unlimited (forming over 70% of the atmospheric gases), but this is not in a form useful to plants. To make nitrogen accessible to plants requires nitrogen fixation (conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to a plant-accessible form). Artificial nitrogen fertilizers are typically synthesized using fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal, which are limited resources. In lieu of converting natural gas to syngas for use in the Haber process, it is also possible to convert renewable biomass to syngas (or wood gas) to supply the necessary energy for the process, though the amount of land and resources (ironically often including fertilizer) necessary for such a project may be prohibitive (see Energy conservation in the United States). Applications of fertilizer There are so many fields where fertilizer is used in high proportion. Agriculture is the one of field among them. There is some region where fertilizer is used:- Broadcast:- Broadcasting consists of uniformly distributing dry or liquid materials over the soil surface, usually before sowing. The fertilizer maybe incorporated into the soil mechanically, or left on the surface to be washed in by rainfall or irrigation. Incorporation into the AP horizon can be by harrow (2-3 cm depth), a cultivator (4-6 cm depth) or by plough (incorporation to plough depth). Broadcasting is the simplest and cheapest method and is best suited for high-speed operations and heavy application rates, especially before planting. Side or top dressing:- Fertilizer is side or top-dressed when it is applied after the crop has emerged, and/or when the dose is split for two or more applications. Split applications can be beneficial in some cases, especially for annual crops with a long growing period. Split application of KCl is also recommended for crops growing on low CEC soils, where K can be lost by leaching K following high rainfall or excess irrigation. Soybean responded significantly up to 50 kg K ha-1 when applied half at planting and half at flower initiation, or applying one third at planting, one third at flower initiation and one third at pod development. Splitting the K application is also used in orchards and for other perennial crops, especially for alfalfa and grasses. In trials in a Commercial field of Lucerne, the largest yields, up to 3.15 t ha-1 in 26 days, were on plots treated with 948 kg K ha-1 as KCl in 3 applications. In areas of Cl deficient soils, top-dressed applications of KCl for autumn sown small grains ma y be more effective than preplant applications because of the potential for Cl leaching from the root zone due to rainfall. Foliar application: Foliar application involves the use of KCl in solution. It results in fast K absorption and utilization and has the advantage of quickly correcting deficiencies diagnosed by observation or foliar analysis. Other advantages are low application rates, and uniform distribution of fertilizer. However, foliar fertilization is supplementary to and cannot replace the basal fertilization. Foliar application should be done during periods of low temperature and relatively high humidity, such in the early morning or late evening. Otherwise the salts may cause leaf burning and necrosis especially when applied in concentrations above those recommended. Because of its osmotic action, KCl applied on leaves is not well tolerated by plants and so is not usually used for foliar application. Nevertheless, it can be beneficial in some cases. Rice:- A foliar application of 10 kg KCl m-3 to rice at panicle initiation, boot leaf and 50% flowering stages, both in the monsoon and winter seasons, significantly increased seed yield and improved quality (seed germination and 100-seed weight). Splitting a total of 95 kg ha-1 of KCl to rice, a third at sowing in soil, a third as a foliar spray at flag leaf stage and a third as foliar spray at grain development, gave larger yields than a soil application all at sowing .A foliar spray applying 3.9 kg K ha-1 (as 10 kg KCl m-3) three times at one week intervals from full head of rice cv. Environmental effects of fertilizer use Water Eutrophication:- The nitrogen-rich compounds found in fertilizer run-off is the primary cause of a serious depletion of oxygen in many parts of the ocean, especially in coastal zones; the resulting lack of dissolved oxygen is greatly reducing the ability of these areas to sustain oceanic fauna.Visually, water may become cloudy and discolored (green, yellow, brown, or red). About half of all the lakes in the United States are now eutrophic, while the number of oceanic dead zones near inhabited coastlines are increasing. As of 2006, the application of nitrogen fertilizer is being increasingly controlled in Britain and the United States. If Eutrophication can be reversed, it may take decades before the accumulated nitrates in groundwater can be broken down by natural processes. High application rates of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers in order to maximize crop yields, combined with the high solubilitys of these fertilizers leads to increased runoff into surface water as well as leaching into groundwater. The use of ammonium nitrate in inorganic fertilizers is particularly damaging, as plants absorb ammonium ions preferentially over nitrate ions, while excess nitrate ions which are not absorbed dissolve (by rain or irrigation) into runoff or groundwater. Fig 10 Soil acidification: Nitrogen-containing inorganic and organic fertilizers can cause soil acidification when added. This may lead to decreases in nutrient availability which may be offset by liming. Heavy metal accumulation:- The concentration of up to 100 mg/kg of cadmium in phosphate minerals (for example, minerals from Nauru and the Christmas islands)increases the contamination of soil with cadmium, for example in New Zealand. Uranium is another example of a contaminant often found in phosphate fertilizers (at levels from 7 to 100 pCi/g). Eventually these heavy metals can build up to unacceptable levels and build up in vegetable produce. (See cadmium poisoning) Average annual intake of uranium by adults is estimated to be about 0.5 mg (500 ÃŽÂ ¼g) from ingestion of food and water and 0.6 ÃŽÂ ¼g from breathing air. Steel industry wastes, recycled into fertilizers for their high levels of zinc (essential to plant growth), wastes can include the following toxic metals: lead arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel. The most common toxic elements in this type of fertilizer are mercury, lead, and arsenic. Concerns have been raised concerning fish meal mercury content by at least one source in Spain. Also, highly radioactive Polonium-210 contained in phosphate fertilizers is absorbed by the roots of plants and stored in its tissues; tobacco derived from plants fertilized by rock phosphates contains Polonium-210 which emits alpha radiation estimated to cause about 11,700 lung cancer deaths each year worldwide. For these reasons, it is recommended that nutrient budgeting, through careful observation and monitoring of crops, take place to mitigate the effects of excess fertilizer application. Atmospheric effects:- Methane emissions from crop fields (notably rice paddy fields) are increased by the application of ammonium-based fertilizers; these emissions contribute greatly to global climate change as methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Through the increasing use of nitrogen fertilizer, which is added at a rate of 1 billion tons per year presently to the already existing amount of reactive nitrogen, nitrous oxide (N2O) has become the third most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane. It has a global warming potential 296 times larger than an equal mass of carbon dioxide and it also contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. Storage and application of some nitrogen fertilizers in some weather or soil conditions can cause emissions of the potent greenhouse gas-nitrous oxide. Ammonia gas (NH3) may be emitted following application of inorganic fertilizers and/or manures and slurries. The use of fertilizers on a global scale emits significant quantities of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Emissions come about through the use of: animal manures and urea, which release methane, nitrous oxide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide in varying quantities depending on their form (solid or liquid) and management (collection, storage, spreading) fertilizers that use nitric acid or ammonium bicarbonate, the production and application of which results in emissions of nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide, ammonia and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By changing processes and procedures, it is possible to mitigate some, but not all, of these effects on anthropogenic climate change.

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Varfà ¶r blev det egentligen krig 1914? Inte sedan fransk-tyska kriget 1871 hade det fà ¶rekommit strider i Và ¤steuropa. Efter 41 à ¥r av fred hade en hel generation vuxit upp utan egna erfarenheter av krig. Och det fanns starka krafter fà ¶r en fortsatt fred. Men samtidigt fanns det ocksà ¥ mycket som talade fà ¶r en à ¶kad krigsrisk i Europa. Wienkongressen, 1815 Under Wienkongressen konstruerades ett Europa med ett antal jà ¤mbà ¶rdiga là ¤nder. Tanken var att det skulle gà ¤lla nà ¥gon slags balans mellan dem. Alltsà ¥ att inget land dominerade mer à ¤n ett annat. Man kan sà ¤ga att under 1900-talets bà ¶rjan fungerade Europa lite som motsatsen till just denna jà ¤mbà ¶rdiga uppdelning. Là ¤nderna bà ¶rjade konkurrera mer och mer med varandra. Det de fokuserade pà ¥ var sin egen makt, sina kolonier och sin egen industri. Milità ¤ra maktblock och svag demokrati De stà ¶rsta là ¤nderna i Europa vid den hà ¤r tiden var Storbritannien, Tyskland, Ryssland, Frankrike och Ãâ€"sterrike-Ungern. Storbritannien som var mer fà ¶r sig sjà ¤lv dà ¥ det à ¤r ett à ¶-rike hade inte sà ¥ stort intresse av politiken i Europa under bà ¶rjan av 1900-talet. I Frankrike fanns det en là ¤ngtan efter hà ¤mnd dà ¥ Tyskland hade besegrat de i krig 1870-71. Det krig som ledde till Tyskland enandes. Frankrike tvingades erkà ¤nna sig besegrat och ge upp delar av sitt land. Att hà ¤mnas mot tyskarna och ta tillbaka sina territorier var en stor anledning till att fransmà ¤nnen gav sig in i fà ¶rsta và ¤rldskriget. Det rà ¥dde oro i Ãâ€"sterrike-Ungern dà ¥ var ett mycket stort land som innefattade mà ¥nga av dagens Europeiska là ¤nder. Det fanns olika nationaliteter, sprà ¥k och kulturer inom landet. Pà ¥ grund av de nationalistiska tankarna sà ¥ ansà ¥g dessa regioner att de borde bli sjà ¤lvstà ¤ndiga. Ryssland hade en liknande situation. Utà ¶ver det ... ... là ¤mna det ryska kejsardà ¶met. Mest oroligt var det pà ¥ Balkanhalvà ¶n. Bland serberna i Bosnien à ¶kade kravet pà ¥ att fà ¥ là ¤mna Ãâ€"sterrike och là ¥ta landet ingà ¥ i ett nytt Stor-Serbien. Imperialism och kapprustning De europeiska stormakterna tà ¤vlade sedan là ¤nge om att erà ¶vra kolonier i bland annat Afrika. Storbritannien, Frankrike och Tyskland hade de stà ¶rsta imperierna. Fà ¶r att skydda kolonierna och handeln à ¶ver haven skaffade de imperialistiska staterna stora krigsfartyg. Storbritanniens flotta var và ¤rldens mà ¤ktigast, men Tyskland byggde sà ¥ mà ¥nga och stora krigsskepp att britternas position som ledande sjà ¶makt var hotad. Den brittiska regeringen satsade dà ¤rfà ¶r à ¤nnu mera pengar pà ¥ à ¤nnu stà ¶rre fartyg. Kapprustningen var i full gà ¥ng. Mà ¥nga andra là ¤nder drogs snart in i denna kamp. Fà ¶r varje à ¥r som gick krà ¤vde milità ¤rledningarna stà ¶rre och bà ¤ttre kanoner, och fler soldater

INTB

A consumer's utility function is = XSL/eye/4, where x is the quantity of good x consumed and y is the quantity of good y consumed. The prices of the two goods are pix and pay, and the marginal utilities of the goods are Mix = (1 /4)x-3/eye/4 and MI-Jay = (3/4)xx/ay-1 ‘4. A) Derive the consumers demand for good x. B) Discuss the concept of elasticity, with reference to the demand you derived in (a), and contrasting linear and constant elasticity demands. 4. You have been asked to analyze the market for steel.From public sources, you are able to find that last years price for steel was $20 per ton. At this price, 100 million tons were sold on the world market. From trade association data, you are able to obtain estimates for the own price elasticity of demand and supply on the world market as 0. 5 for supply and -0. 25 for demand, respectively. Suppose you know that demand and supply equations in the market are linear. Solve for the equations of demand and supply in this market. INTO 334 By arrival luxuries (L).The consumer's tastes are represented by the utility function IS=FL. Food 2. Let income be I = 80, Pix=4, Pay= 1, and utility U = xx (with marginal utility MIX = y and MI-Jay = x). B) Now, let the price of x fall to 1 and the income fall to 50. Otherwise, there is no utility function is IS(x,y) = XSL /eye/4, where x is the quantity of good x consumed and y the marginal utilities of the goods are MIX = (1 /4)x-3/eye/4 and MI-Jay = (3/4)xx/ay-114. A) Derive the consumer's demand for good x. Able to find that last year's price for steel was $20 per ton. At this price, 100 million

Harrison Bergeron Essay Essay Example

Harrison Bergeron Essay Essay Example Harrison Bergeron Essay Essay Harrison Bergeron Essay Essay Kurt Vonnegut’s short narrative â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is about a futuristic society where beauty is destroyed to make equality. It centers around the highest functionary. suitably named. the General Handicapper. His lone function to to seek out and happen to people who are skilled. reasonably. or good at athleticss and forced them to conceal off these endowments through masks and delaies. It is through basic literary elements that Vonnegut creates and develops the subject that general conformance leads to the distortion of humanity. The short narrative begins in the hereafter. â€Å"The twelvemonth was 2081† and Vonnegut instantly puts out the benefits of this futuristic society. saying â€Å"everybody was eventually equal† and non merely equal â€Å"before God† but in â€Å"every way† possible ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 7 ) . Vonnegut’s description foreshadows what is to come in the novel and surely this forced equality can merely take to a unsafe and potentially lifelessly stoping. Conformity and the effects of uniformity is a common subject in the majority of scientific discipline fiction literature and Vonnegut’s short narratives are no different. : However. in â€Å"Harrison Bergergon† non merely the subject of uniformity is explore but besides the depriving off of humanity. This short narrative. the authorities forces everyone to be equal –â€Å"nobody was smarter than anybody else. Cipher was better looking than anybody else. Cipher was stronger or quicker than anybody else. † ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 7 ) . Government agents force people who are beautiful to have on ugly masks and people who are thin are forced to transport around weights. The end of all this control is to do certain that everyone has the same disability. the same characteristics. and the same feelings. Even odder is that smart people were forced to have on wirelesss which interfered with there encephalon functional making a human society where everyone was every bit stupid. By extinguishing the the issues. which modern society still deals with. of racism. sexism. and favoritism based on expressions. Vonnegut’s future society should be healthy and happy because everyone is the same. However. in the chase of equality the loss of humanity took topographic point. Humanity is based on the thought of independency and individuality. The featured supporter of this short narrative and namesake is Harrison Bergeron. He is a bright and friendly male child who has the most despised qualities in his society. He is intelligent. handsome. tall. and strong. Due to Harrision’s characteristics he is required to make several things to counterbalance for all his good quality. He is capable to wireless noises which stops his concentration and focal point. He has to transport 100s of lbs of excess weight. He besides have to have on Sun spectacless which gives him a caput and he has to undergo surgery garrison Os make him ugly. While expecting his surgery he escapes and takes over a intelligence station. On air he takes off his disabilities and is revealed to society. When enters the station he is looks â€Å"like a walking debris pace. † required to have on â€Å"a ruddy gum elastic ball for a olfactory organ. maintain his superciliums shaved off. and cover his even white dentitions with black caps at snaggle-tooth random† ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 21 ) . He besides meets up with a danseuse and she excessively casts off her imposed disablements. When the twosome dances they shrug off the jurisprudence of gravitation and the Torahs of gesture as good. † jumping to snog the thirty-foot ceiling until eventually â€Å"they remained suspended in air inches below the ceiling. and they kissed each other for a long. long clip. † It is so that Glampers enters with her shotgun† ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 22 ) . Unfortunately both are killed by the General Handicapper. As a bomber secret plan his parents are watching the intelligence station but one time everything is said and done they can non retrieve what has happened due their forced disabilities. Irony is another literary device that Vonnegut uses in this short narrative. Vonnegut remarks on the look-ism which is evident in American society. Vonnegut even appears misanthropic about what passes every bit mean in America. â€Å"Hazel had a absolutely mean intelligence. which meant she couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts† ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 20 ) . The observation on the danseuse continues the undercutting wit: â€Å"They weren’t truly really good–no better than anybody else would hold been. anyway† ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 20 ) . Heavy sarcasm emerges in the drudgery Hazel’s losing the point. as when she sympathizes with the bumbling announcer for seeking â€Å"real hard† to make his best or suggests George might take some of his weights in the eventides. Intensifying the sarcasm she says. â€Å"‘I think I’d make a good Handicapper General. ‘ ‘Good as anybody else. ’ said George. † The scope of sounds and the amusing ferociousness of their consequence provides another beginning of comedy. One of George’s winces prompts Hazel to inquire the cause. â€Å"Sounded like person hitting a milk bottle with a cock. † he replies. Another sounds like a 21 gun salutation that leaves George â€Å"white and trembling† and leaves two of the danseuse on the floor seizing their temples. The concluding 1 is a absorbing gun. â€Å"Gee–I could state that one was a doozy. † said Hazel. â€Å"You can state that once more. † said George. â€Å"Gee–† said Hazel–â€Å"I could state that one was a doozy. † ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 41 ) Hazel’s stupid behaviour and mentality symbolizes the dumbing down of America. In add-on the telecasting is every bit symbolic. When this book was written. the telecasting was now found in every place throughout the state. It became the manner that people communicated and received intelligence. Reading. literature. and human interaction decreased and was replaced by the mindless yak of telecasting shows and governmentally run intelligence broadcasts. Hazel’s antipathy to the old yearss when she could be made to experience like â€Å"something the cat dragged in† ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 22 ) evidently is non really persuasive The narrative in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is besides interesting. This is because the narrative is 3rd individual. as if individual is looking back on the events that merely happened. Third individual omnipresent is an interesting pick for narrative because it allows the reader into the heads of all characters. For illustration Vonnegut reminds the readers. in 3rd individual narration Cipher can be in any manner superior to anybody else. as guaranteed by â€Å"the 211th. 212th. and 213th Amendments to the Constitution. and to the ageless watchfulness of the agents of the United States Handicapper General† ( Vonnegut. 1968. p. 20 ) . In peculiar. the motives of each character which inspire their actions and words. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is a really alone short narrative because Vonnegut manipulates basic literary elements and creates a sarcasm of American ideals and social norms. Vonnegut is able excessively. in a lingua and cheek mode. demo how the authorities can make a society which lacks humanity. A authorities that is left uncontrolled can exercise such great power that it can destruct what makes human alone animals on this planet. In making so. people become mindless and vulnerable to the governmental propaganda that tells the citizens of a society that these regulations are for their ain good.