Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Reaction paper - Essay Example What is more, the Algebra Project’s exclusive approach to school restructuring deliberately builds up worthwhile student-focused models by constructing partnerships of stakeholders in the neighboring communities, especially the traditionally underserved populace. Ever since 2000, the Algebra project persistently afforded the environment in which schools, students, parents as well as communities took ownership of their own community development, mathematics education reform efforts, furthermore, made the most of local reserves, which now consist of middle and high grade schemes. In addition, the civil rights efforts in the 1960s concluded in the nationwide reaction to defend a basic right: the right to vote. Therefore, the Algebra’s Project present work looks for a nationwide response to institute a basic right: the right of each child to quality public school edification. Dr. Robert P. Moses is a renowned MacArthur Award-winning educator as well as a civil rights campaigner. Additionally, He is the Founder as well as President of the Algebra Project Inc, a nationwide nonprofit devoted to enhancing the mathematical accomplishment of traditionally underrepresented communities as well as students. In addition to that, in his youthful adult life, Dr. Moses was the director of SNCC’s Mississippi Project Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), as well as the chief coordinator for the civil rights lobby group as field secretary for the SNCC. Additionally, He was the motivation at the back the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964 in planning the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), which confronted the Mississippi regulars at the 1964 Democratic Convention. As of 1969-1976, he worked for the Ministry of Education in Tanzania, East Africa, where he served as chairperson of the math department at the school. Dr. Moses came back to the U SA in 1976 to carry on with his doctoral

Screening America in Hollywood Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Screening America in Hollywood Film - Essay Example Besides, post-war cultural changes affected the society as a whole and this is evident in the portrayal of male and female protagonists in general. Similarly, anxieties around gender identity resulted in the change in traditional gender roles, and it ended up in the formation of realistic role model for the working woman. Within this scenario, it is evident that post-war cultural changes and anxieties around gender identity forced the directors to portray the images of gender in post-war Hollywood cinema with difference. Thesis statement: The close examination of the images of gender in post-war Hollywood cinema, considering the ways in which films of this period illustrate both post-war cultural changes and anxieties around gender identity proves that post –war cultural changes resulted in the ideal image of professional male and suburban housewife, change in traditional gender roles, the image of working-class masculinity, the desire for sexual passivity, portrayal of weak male sexuality, female dissatisfaction, anxiety over changing nature of masculinity, unacceptability towards war-time masculinity, and the portrayal of gender roles as social constructions, and anxieties around gender identity resulted in the change in traditional gender identity, portrayal of tensions between male and fem ale members, changing female role (sexual freedom), conflict with disrupted gender roles, change in gender roles related to free education and loans for loans for homes and businesses, portrayal of the influence of consumerism over female gender role, the general urge to link femininity to domesticity, disrupting home life, and emergence of realistic role model for the working woman (special references to the post-WWII films related to post-war cultural changes and anxieties around gender identity). One can see that the WWII resulted in the mass migration from urban areas to suburban areas within the different states in US. To be specific, this can be

Existence of God Argumentative Paper Essay Example for Free

Existence of God Argumentative Paper Essay There are many different types of arguments for the existence of God. With each argument there is a conception presented of God. For each argument there are different approaches. I will be focusing on the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments. Teleological Arguments are known to be arguments from divine, arguing from order in the universe to the existence of God (1).With the ordering of the universe, created by an intelligent being, they hold that it is ordered towards a purpose or an end. The Cosmological Argument â€Å"is the argument that the existence of the world or universe is strong evidence for the existence of a God who created it. It is a first caused argument where the existence of the universe, the argument claims, stands in need of explanation, and the only adequate explanation of its existence is that it was created by God† (1). Behind this argument, it holds that though the universe still needs explanation for its existence, the existence of God Himself does not. In the article McCloskey is critical of these arguments for God’s existence supporting his stance by offering the problem of evil as reasoning to not believe. He believes the belief in the existence of God is not a source of strength and security (2). However, if we are to use the Cumulative Case approach we can have successive truths. This case cumulates the Cosmological, Teleological, as well as, the Moral Arguments together. It gives us the conclusion of a personal, moral, intelligent creator of the universe as the best explanation for the universe we experience (3). McCloskey maintains that the Teleological Argument is not satisfactory and that it can be rejected simply by rejecting its premise. The premise holds that there is in fact evidence of purpose and design. McCloskey says though, that there were many things that were considered evidence or proof, prior to evolution, but those very things are now not being considered as so. Thus, in order to be a proof, there has to be given indisputable examples. Given that the Teleological Argument, presenting disputable examples, says McCloskey, there is no proof. There can be no form of argument with evidence of an intellectual design and/or designer. I would have to argue with McCloskey by using the â€Å"fine-tuning argument.† Within the universe is nothing short of precision, not only of natural laws, but the beginning stages and state of the universe. These both are pointers to an intelligent Creator. The universe is finely-tuned maintaining physical constants of nature (5).The strength of gravity should be considered. With the occurrence of the Big Bang. The gravity had to have precision because even with a little more force used on either side, it would not have occurred as the Big Bang, but the Big Crunch. Even with the slightest change in gravity, it could change the world into something completely other than what we know. That which is being offered as evidenced cannot be questioned. If we were to give to evolution as truth, there is still no grounds for believing it is true. It does nothing but in the end support the theist position, and shows that evolution needs teleology. McCloskey’s main objection to theism is the presence of evil in the world, â€Å"No being who was perfect could have created a world in which there was unavoidable suffering or in which his creatures would(and in fact could have been created so as not to) engage in morally evil acts, acts which very often result in injury to innocent persons† (1). With this problem on McCloskey’s mind, he holds it to the theists. He still wonders how the theist does not take this to mind seeing that it goes against the perfection of the divine purpose. There can be no grounds in a belief of a perfect being. Even if all reason was thrown out, he says the theist at best could only present a pool of beings full of â€Å"concern, dismay, and anxiety, rather than comfort and security† (1). There is a logical problem of evil and there is logical inconsistency when there is both the existence of God and of evil. The atheist holds that there is severe contradiction between claiming God is good, yet evil exists. Mackie, an atheist, says the contradiction does not arise immediately; to show it we need some additional premisesthese additional principles are that good is opposed to evil, in such a way that a good thing always eliminates evil as far as it can, and that there are no limits to what an omnipotent thing can do. From these it follows that a good omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely, and then the propositions that a good omnipotent thing exists, and that evil exists, are incompatible(8). There exists two kinds of evil. There is â€Å"human evil,† and â€Å"natural evil† in which atheist claim are both forms of needless suffering. The logical problem of evil claims the â€Å"tension† between simultaneously having evil in the world, while also having a perfect God. This would without a doubt be a logical contradiction according to the atheist. There is also the evidential problem of evil. With this claim, there is not contradiction, but the fact that evil exists, if give grounding evidence for being able to reject that God is all-powerful. It is a weaker version of the former, and claims that it is highly unlikely that an all-perfect God exists. Plantinga responds with trying to defend that it is reasonable to believe in God, even without evidence. His position is kn own as â€Å"Reformed Epistemology†. In order for his view to hold he would have to reject the Evidentialist Credo., which he claims rests on Classical Foundationalism. This led him to his positive view, or â€Å"Reformed Epistemology.† This holds that a belief in God is â€Å"properly basic.†Some object to these claims, saying that evil is logically required for good and is needed for us to see the good. Evil is a means and will cause good. There is given the â€Å"free will† defense that is meant to try and answer the problem of evil. Either this would come about by humans free will resulting in a greater good and that evil is ascribed the humans and not God. However, those who oppose this, bring up the issue of natural evils. Mackie stands his ground that God should have given human beings free will in such a way that we always chose the good. The atheist propose God did not create men to choose between right and wrong, and that God is morally inconsistent. In response, the free will theodicy attempts to defeat the former by claiming the suffering of the innocent is justified because of the existence of free will. We as humans have misused our free will, thus what is known as ‘moral evil.’ Other sufferings from evil come from the natural evils. While McCloskey challenges the free will defense, Plantinga proposes the law of non-contradiction. He argues for there could be logically possible affairs whereby God would be unable of creating a world of both evil and autonomous humans (9). Evans puts it simply, â€Å"It does not seem to be true that a good being always eliminates evil as far as it can. What is true, perhaps, is that good being always eliminates evil as far as it can without the loss of a greater good or the allowance of a worse evil† (1). McCloskey objects to the cosmological argument claiming, â€Å"mere existence of the world constitutes no reason for believing in such a being†(1). There has been great objection to this however because of the fact of contingent objects. God is the â€Å"first cause,† the one who began it all. Because there is not explanation for contingent beings, if God is a necessary being, He is the necessary cause of the existence of creation and we as beings. God has no cause, otherwise He would not be God. It is the very existence of the world that implies the existence of God. The â€Å"laws of nature† imply the existence of a lawgiver, God. This position was held by Aristotle, holding firmly against the possibility of infinite regress. The argument from contingency suggests that it is possible the universe might not have existed, thus needing explanation of why it does in fact exist. In essence, it must have a cause. This leads to the belief in â€Å"necessary being,â⠂¬  meaning a being that needs no explanation. The temporal cosmological argument holds that the beginning of the universe was either caused or uncaused. However, objectors to this say we cannot actually claim whether the universe â€Å"had to exist.† Also, a â€Å"necessary being† comes into question. The refuters say this line of argument does not give enough explanation of why there could not be more than one cause. There is no ground for putting God as the first cause or prime mover. Time and causality as we know it cannot be grounds for explaining the beginnings of the universe. However, those objecting to McCloskey, hold if there were a being like the universe, then he would exist in time, thus he himself came into existence. But, the ultimate cause must not have come into existence. For it to be an ultimate cause, the ultimate Creator must be outside of time. (10).What McCloskey fails to realize, is that not every argument is going to capture every aspect of God. There are many different arguments that go abo ut doing that. If God does not exist, then all has no hope of immortality. Life, the world, and everything in it is meaningless. There would be no purpose or significance to anyone or anything. This leaves us with no ultimate meaning without immorality and God. Would we be able to say there was any purpose or meaning to someone who lived just to die? To be born just to pass out of existence? Lane says that it is not just each individual person that is headed towards the grave, but the universe itself is headed for extinction. This all in all is hopeless. Dying man, in a dying world. If this is the case, the small details in life do not matter, it does not make a difference. Our behaviors, our choices do not matter. Dotoyevsky said â€Å"If there is no immortality then all things are permitted† (11). Without God, there is no accountability, morality, or sense of right and wrong. Even more so, in a universe without God, good and evil do not exist (11). However, if we were to say there were no God, we would still be without purpose because we would just be accidental. We would just be accidents of chance. The only view that can save the human race from itself is a theistic view (11). The only thing going for an atheist is living with the fact of the absurdity of life. Such a view makes it impossible to live a fulfilling, happy life. For the atheist, absurdity of life and creating meaning for one’s life is a contradiction. A major disadvantage of atheism is that no one has hope or faith for reward of good or and punishment of evil. A believer’s hope is this, Christ. Ephesians 3:11 tells us that God had a purpose I mind before He created. Man within his own voluntary will would be able to love and choose God. Nature alone points to God. Humanity and the universe itself does not have to exist. Both are not self-existent but caused. There is no explanation for their existence. Within a Christian world view, life is not meaningless and pointless ending at the grave. We have hope in the resurrection and of eternal life. God and immortality are both necessary for a meaning full life (11). Bibliography 11- Craig, William Lane. The Absurdity of Life without God. In Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, by William Lane Craig, 71-90. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008. 1-Evans, C. Stephen, and R. Zachary Manis. Philosophy of Religion: Thinking About Faith. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2009. 8- Kunkle,Brett. â€Å"The Logical Problem of Evil.† Truth Never Gets Old. April 21, 2009 2- McCloskey, H. J. On Being an Atheist. Question (1968): 63-69. 5- Biologos. â€Å"What is the â€Å"fine-tuning† of the universe, and how does it serve as a â€Å"pointer to God?† 9- http://kevinfannystevenson.blogspot.com/2012/07/on-being-theist-response-to-h-j.html 10- http://www.existence-of-god.com/first-cause-argument.html

British Standards of Sustainability

British Standards of Sustainability Abstract The following report is based on the use of British Standards to look at the impact it has on a product development process from the beginning of its lifecycle to the end when it decomposes. With the world today at the state it is, the pollution and the resources are being used up at an un-regenerate able rate. It is more important than ever to recycle and perform our manufacturing processes in an environmentally sustainable manner. Hence, the modern environmental legislations have been designed and applied in manners as such to focus on not only manufacturing process but also the end of life cycle and the recycling and upcycle options. BS8887- 1:2006 (MADE) looks at design from Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly and End of life, the key aspects this legislation will cover and target are at remanufacture, recycling and efficient and sustainable ways to proceed to the end of life of the product. The main aim of legislations as such is to become more environmentally friendly and to cre ate a more sustainable environment for the generation of tomorrow. However, there are many such legislations that every manufacturer in the region has to follow which covers areas not covered by the particular legislation mentioned above. There are many various other legislations and regulations which ensure that the rules and regulations are followed strictly and the quality of the production is maintained at an optimum with respect to production and environment. Contents Abstract ..1 Glossary: 3 Introduction: 4 Research Methodology: .4 Principle of MADE: 4 Product Design Assessment: 5 Manufacture of Design: (MADE): .. 5 Assembly (MADE): 6 Disassembly (MADE): .. 6 End of Life Processing (MADE): .. 7 Benefits of MADE: . 7 Design for the Environment (DFE): ..9 BS887 1:.. 9 BS8900: .. 9 ISO 14001: . 9 ISO 14025: .. 10 Designing a product for the environment and how it is contributing to the sustainability: .10 4 Methods to assess a product for their impacts on the environment: .12 Reference and Bibliography ..13 Glossary: PDS- Product Design specification MADE- Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly and End of life BS- British Standard PDA- Product Design Assessment DFE: Design for Environment FEA: Finite element analysis EIA: Environmental impact assessment LCA: Life cycle assessment MET: Material energy toxicity matrix EEA: Environmental performance indicator WEEE: Waste electronic and electrical equipment Introduction: The report shows how the idea of sustainability is implemented through various steps of production and manufacture with the help of the guidelines put into place by the British Standards. The main purpose behind these legislation and guidelines is to make the companies and the manufacturers aware of the harmful impacts of the manufacturing process as well as the effect of bad material selection during production and end of life cycle. The use of strict guidelines and fines to put these legislations and rules in place helps by maintaining the sustainability process of our environment as well as by funding the awareness programs and the research on new concepts and technology regarding sustainable environment. This report shows the impact of different legislations on the manufacturing process of the industrial fans and the different steps taken to make sure the process is environmentally friendly and supports the sustainability of the environment even during disassembly and end of life cycle. Another form of legislation which provides guidance for the company to perform their operation in a sustainable manner with respect to environment is ISO 14001, ISO 14001 however focuses more on efficient utilisation of water and energy usage with minimum wastage. Together these legislations and laws promotes the idea of sustainable environment and aids for its further research on sustainability and new technology to make the manufacturing process more efficient and environmentally conservative. Research Methodology: To gather the information and data required for the report two major types of sources were used: Research on the internet and through the British standard articles and awareness packets. The manufacturing process of the product is analysed and reviewed under the legislations and rules BS887 and MADE to find out the changes the law has made on the manufacturing process to adapt the process and make it more eco-friendly and sustainable. The legislations and sources for the research are mentioned in the bibliography and on appropriate sections. The company has also done various eco-friendly tests and published articles on its results which can and have been sourced and used as a part of research for the report. Principle of MADE: MADE: Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly and End of life. The principle objective of the MADE standard is to make sure the product is able to be either decomposed in an eco-friendly manner or recycled after the end of its life cycle to make sure the environment is not affected by the product. The use of MADE ensures the correct materials are selected for manufacture and the idea of eco-friendly and sustainable environment is kept in mind when choosing the material for the product with respect to the impact the use of the material will have on the environment during the its life cycle and after the end of the life cycle. As of today the materials chosen in the product we see are still not very focused on making the environment clean and conservative for the future, more than half of the product we use today are still dumped in landfills after the end of its life cycle which is harming and degrading the environment. Hence the main purpose of the MADE standard is to make the companys an d the manufacturers aware of the needs of our environment and to make sure appropriate materials are chosen for the products which can be either recycled or de-composed in a conservative manner after end of its life cycle. Product Design Assessment: The product being chosen to perform the analysis on is a normal house hold blender. The theory of MADE principles is going to be used for the analysis and to find out the effects a normal house blender has on our environment. The analysis helps us find solutions and improvements for the product to be better suited for the environment and to help maintain the sustainability of environment. The image above shows example of a common house hold blender. Manufacture of Design: (MADE): The manufacturing process of the blender consist of multiple pieces being moulded and shaped and then joined together to make the blender functional and operational. The materials in use for the manufacturing of the blender are also of various combination. However, the blender is shaped in a very simple shape which makes it fairly easier to manufacture the common house hold blender. The plastic jar of the blender is composed of a material called PP (Polypropylene Plastic) shaped and moulded through a process called injection moulding process. The moulding process is performed by heating up the material to its melting point and injecting it to a cooled die where it is cooled down and moulded to its shape. The process is a very cheap method of manufacturing which also requires very low level of energy usage. The blade of the blender on the other hand is stainless steel shaped into small sharp blade like structure which cut and blend the fruits/vegetables/ spices inserted into the jar of the blender. It is essential that the blade is made of stainless steel which has no chances of forming rust in the environment where it operates since food that we eat is being blended in the machine and hence could cause potentially illness for the user. To make sure the steel being used is stainless there should be at least 10.5% chromium in the steel, the presence of the protective iron chromium oxide allows the steel to avoid corrosions and rust. In order for the blender to be considered safe for daily house hold purposes and for it to pass the British safety standard it is vital that the blade for the blenders are of stainless steel. The manufacturing method used to produce the blades for the blenders is the Spinning method. The method is performed by using machinery which is mounted on a forming block against the stainless steel which is pressed on a forming block to rotate. The process in itself is not really expensive or energy consuming but it will be more economical and financially benefitting to produce at bulk with big batches. The graph above shows how the price is affected with the batch size and shows how ordering at bulk with big numbers is more economical. Assembly (MADE): The design of the blender is pretty simple for assembly which requires very little time and knowledge to assemble and use. After the assembly of the blade in the jar all the parts are easily accessible and well fitted to make sure the blender is accessible and easy to use able to be cleaned fitted and opened making it easier to use and clean for household use. The design and the mechanism of the parts are very simple making the parts easy to access worldwide in case it needs repair or fixing. The source of the materials are all minimalistic and easy to access making it easier to be sourced locally making it easier and cheaper to manufacture. The cardboard of the packaging is also recyclable and eco-friendly making it more sustainable friendly for the environment. Disassembly (MADE): The blender consists of various different parts, which are easily constructed and assembled. The use of simple parts makes it easy to operate and assemble the blender along its life cycle. Not only that the use of simple and easy parts makes it easy to disassemble as well helps in the end of life cycle for recycle or upcycle. The use of basic and fairly simple materials for manufacturing and assembly makes it easy to disassemble and end the life cycle in a conservative manner. End of Life Processing (MADE): Due to the presence of heavy carbon emissions and the state that our environment is in it is essential that all the manufacturers have a plan for the end of life cycle to deal with the product in an eco-friendly and conservative manner. The company and the manufacturers need to have a plan for the management of the product even after the items have been sold and passed on to the customers. It is essential for the product to be able to keep up with the customer demand and meet the standards that have been placed for the products hence the End of the life processing is one of the most important steps as well. Preserving our environment and keeping it alive for the future is one of the main issues and things we deal with today in our daily life and it is essential that we respect it in order to maintain the balance in our food chain and the environment. The use of stainless steel hence makes perfect sense as it is theoretically 100 % recyclable. Another key features which promotes the use of stainless steel is that it is very durable and has a long life of several decades. However, if the product has reached its end of lifecycle or has damages in it then it can easily be replaced and separated from its housing and framework. As stainless steel has no damaging effect when in contact with soil or water it can be easily re-moulded in different kinds of moulds to reuse and recycle. Polypropylene (PP) is another material not only being used in the manufacturing of the blender but also one of the most recycled and reused material around us today. With nearly everything around us being made of some kind of plastic it is essential we recycle these materials in order to help keep our environment clean and pollution free. All the different kinds of plastic being used in production today are numbered 1-7 depending on the type of plastic and their properties. However, the body of the blender is made up of quite tough PP, which will require a special technique to recycle called the quaternary recycling process. To perform the process on such plastics which are being recycled it is incinerated at temperature of up to 900 to 1000 Degree Celsius. The use of the method can cut the waste plastic by around 80% and completely prevent pollutant escaping to the atmosphere as well. Common examples of recycled PP can be Battery Cables, Brushes, Bins, signal lights, etc. Hence the recycling and re use of every kind of plastic including the PP helps to keep our environment clean and make a more of a sustainable approach. Benefits of MADE: The use of the MADE theory of analysis help us to find out of the flaws present in the blender. Comparing the usage process to the manufacturing and the designing process there is lots of usage during the manufacturing phase comparatively to the very little usage of energy during the operational life of the blender. The graph above shows how it requires an excessive amount of energy during its production phase but very little during its operational and usage life cycle. By finding a more energy efficient method for production and design of the blender the company could be improving in its earning and the profit margin achieved through each sale. As mentioned above in the report the use of the recycling and upcycling process on the materials can be very helpful and cost effective when either purchasing or producing the blender. The use of recycling and eco-friendly components also help to create a good image with the customers and gain their trust. Also using less dense materials, recycle and remade parts for production may help to make a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach. Design for the Environment (DFE): Design for Environment (DFE) can be defined as process of designing to minimize the environmental impacts and ensuring products are sustainable and eco-friendly throughout the products life cycle. The main concepts and sections that are covered and assessed by the concept of DFE are: Sustainability in relation to its influence on industry Designing a product with respect to the environment and how it is contributing to the sustainability of the environment 4 Methods to assess a product for their impacts on the environment Sustainability in relation to its influence on industry: According to The Bruntland Commission, sustainability is a development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The BSIs overarching sustainability standard BS 8900 Guidance for managing sustainable development defines sustainability as an enduring, balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress. The product life cycle of the company is assessed to find out the sustainability of a company and its products. With the help of these types of assessment performed by recognised bodies like the British Standard and other companys it adds a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to its company and its products. The achievement of approval and recognition from organisations like BS8900 can lead to approval from other organisation as such which could give them further recognition and qualification in order to achieve greater vision and solidity as well as building trust and confidence for the company and its products. Having achieved the recognition from the organisations they can also benefit from less taxation, social and green branding and a higher level of understanding on recycling and the possible different ways possible to recycle. There are also many other types of UK/EU legislation and standards that can have influence on the industries improvement towards more sustainable earth: BS887 1: The specific standard BS887 1 is different from other standards because it does not teach or give instruction to the designers on how to design or seek the manufacturing process. The standard rather provides methodology for ordering the output of the process and maximises the possibility of the most efficient ways to manufacture, assemble and solve the problem of end of life for the product. The standard also focuses on the most efficient and cost effective ways to produce the design and the products. BS8900: This standard and legislation is based on the guidance provided to manage sustainable development and to make sure sustainable practise are taking place in the industry. The standard helps the company to grow and cut out un-necessary actions taking place in the company like bribery, abuse, oppression and corruptions, enabling the company to stand on integrity. ISO 14001: ISO 14001 is an environmental management system standard which fully focuses on the environment. ISO 14001 helps to promote the effective and efficient environmental management from the company. It also controls the management of energy, consumables and waste; enabling strict energy management system. This will help the company benefit from appropriate amount of energy being used for the corresponding purposes and limiting the level of carbon emissions into the atmosphere making it a more eco-friendly and sustainable company. ISO 14025: This standard addresses the procedures for creating environmental declarations and labels. This helps to make sure there are standardised logos which represent how green and eco-friendly the company or the manufacturer is. The standardised logos indicate the level of carbon footprint in a product and can help either gain the company a good image or a bad one depending on their performance and the stickers in the packaging. Designing a product for the environment and how it is contributing to the sustainability: Designing a product for the environment (DFE) process provides huge contributions towards making a business or a product highly sustainable and environmentally friendly. The objective of DFE in simple words is to reduce or prevent various different kinds of pollutions and also highlight the risks to humans and environment. DFE aims to improve products, processes and life cycle by approaching the design of the product it is also aimed to reduce the potential impacts the environment and humans may have to face or come up against. DFE applies its principles throughout the stage of its product life cycle focusing on making the steps more environmentally friendly and loss polluting hence resulting in cleaner and sustainable products. The direct result from implementation of DFE in the products life cycle can lead to prevention of various different kinds of pollution as well as reduction on the amount of toxic/ hazardous waste and chemical in the landfills. The picture above shows an example of a product life cycle which when under DFE legislation is focused in making the steps and their results more environmentally friendly and conservative. The extraction process of the raw materials is going to be the most energy consuming and time consuming process of all. This is where various sources are either dug or mined to retrieve the natural resources for the manufacturing process hence there is going to be large amount pollution and energy usage. However, this can be countered by making use of the recycling process heavily and by designing the product to be as recyclable as possible, hence less natural resources have to be destroyed for raw materials to make the products. During the process of manufacturing the various different kinds of production methods and techniques use different levels of energy and produce different levels of waste output. With the varying level of waste and usage it is hard to maintain and control the level of wastage for the manufacturing process however if the techniques and methods of manufacturing are used at its highest efficiency level the wastage is controlled to a limit and everything is controllable and manageable to a limit. Also using less dense material and energy efficient machinery can be vital during manufacturing to control the level of pollutants produced and to conserve the environment. Also by using local sourced raw material and making use of simple designs on the product it can help by a huge margin to control the level of carbon footprints produced and pollution being caused throughout the product life cycle. Making your sources locally based allows you to control the amount of pollutants emitted during the transportation phase the shorter the journey for the transportation the less the amount of carbon footprint emitted hence it helps a great deal to be able to source locally and produce your material from raw materials around you. Also choices can be made depending on the type of transportation chosen to export / transfer your product to the market, for e.g.: Transport through sea would probably cause less pollution than if chosen to transport through air or road. The usage period of the life cycle is when the product is operational and in use by the customer or the user. This is when the actual product that has been designed and manufactured is at it life cycle in the hand of the customer. However, there are also various ways which can help to make the product more sustainable and environmentally friendly one of them being the product is designed in a manner where it can be used more than once after it life span runs out for e.g. rechargeable batteries. Recycling is the step where the finished material at the end of their life cycle has an option to either become a useless waste / a pollutant to the environment or to be reused in either the same product or any other product being manufactured by the manufacturers. However, the step of recycling as well is affected with the mixture and materials being used in the product. A product with complex mixed materials would make it harder and the process of recycling longer to making it more harmful and un-sanitary for the environment. Also a simpler plain material would make it easier as well as less energy consuming to recycle the materials compared to a complex material which would have to be separated and grouped before the recycling process is applied to it. However, there are some products which cannot be recycled and need to be buried in landfills. Unless and until the buried product fully di composes and breaks down which it take a long time to it is not a sustainable method of end of life. Therefore, especially with products which cannot be recycled and need to be buried in the ground it is essential that there is no toxic material in the product which can harm the environment and the ecosystem where they are buried. 4 Methods to assess a product for their impacts on the environment: Method Description Advantage Disadvantage 1 Environmental impact assessment (EIA) Assess the possible impacts of a product towards the environmental, social and economic effects. Clearly shows you the negative impact on environment and sustainable issues. Only partial assessment is performed. 2 Environmental Impact of Products (EIPRO) Very research based analytical approach. Extremely detailed in its finding. Data received is accurate. Solutions for present and future problems can be accessed and planned. The impact the product has on the environment can be visualised before production. Very time consuming and financially not efficient enough. 3 Life cycle assessment (LCA) Assesses all the industrial system from acquiring raw materials right through to waste disposals. The environmental impact of the process can be measured at each stage of the cycle. Excellent results of environmental impact. Good comparison of results so that decision can be made to decide which method is best for the environment. Supports business strategy and research development Extremely costly. Extremely time consuming. 4 Publicly Available Specification PAS2050 Gives methodology to measure greenhouse gas emission throughout the products life cycle Benchmark to compare it with suppliers. Good image with the customer due to eco friendliness Could have a negative affect with the customers if the product isnt really eco-friendly. Reference and Bibliography http://www.bssa.org.uk/sectors.php?id=99. Last accessed 20 March 2015. Wrap org. (May 2010). Environment assessment of consumer electronic products. Available: http://www2.wrap.org.uk/downloads/Environmental_assessment_of_consumer_electronic_products.3d08bcb8.10214.pdf. Last accessed 13 March 2015. Standard Publications à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  BS8887-1 Design for Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly and End of Life Processing à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment Standard à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   ISO 14025 -Procedure of creating environmental declarations LFA. http://www.british-gypsum.com/about-us/sustainability/life-cycle-assessments Christina Goodrick. (March 2006). Design for waste minimisation within a food blender. Available: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Science-Progress/159026488.html. Last accessed 13 March 2015. JEM. (May 2009). Adaptable design: concepts, methods, and application. Available: http://www.sustainelectronics.illinois.edu/NSFworkshop/Reading/Adaptable%20Design%20Concepts,%20Methods,%20and%20Applications.pdf. Last accessed 20 March 2015. Azom. (28 November 2012). Polypropylene (PP) (C3H6) Plastic Recycling. Available: http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=7899. Last accessed 20 March 2015. Unknown. (June 2011). Environmental aspects of stainless steel.Available:

The Consequences of Epilepsy Essay -- Epileptic Epilepsy Seizures Essa

The Consequences of Epilepsy Epilepsy: Any of various neurological disorders characterized by sudden recurring attacks of motor, sensory, or psychic malfunction with or without loss of consciousness or convulsive seizures (1). Is epilepsy a purely physical phenomenon? The question is a complicated one. Put simply, the answer should be yes. The psychological trauma sometimes caused by the seizures, however, makes the answer more complex, along with a more troubling trend. In years past epileptics were classed among the mentally ill, and received the same maltreatment as did that unfortunate group of people. Before that they were perceived as having been possessed by evil spirits. But now, in the modern world, we are free of those ignorant superstitions. Aren't we? Scientifically, epilepsy is the term under which many seizure disorders are grouped. There are four basic types of seizures: petit mal, tonic-clonic (grand mal), simple partial, and complex partial (2). While petit mal seizures consist merely of a short period of immobility and blank staring, occasionally accompanied by brief loss of awareness, tonic-clonic seizures are much more dramatic (2). Also called grand mal seizures, they involve whole-body muscle contractions, loss of consciousness, temporary cessation of breathing, and involuntary biting of the tongue or cheek (2). The simple and complex partial seizures are calmer; the simple includes muscle contractions of a specific part, abnormal sensations, nausea, sweating, flushed skin, and dilated pupils. The complex partial seizure consists of all these symptoms as well as automatism (repeated motions), inappropriate emotions, changes in personality, altered consciousness, and hallucinations o... ...ation, a page discussing the civil rights arguments put forth by various groups of people with epilepsy http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/advocacy/rights/disability.html?print=yes 9)The Epilepsy Foundation, a page dealing with the secondary problems caused by epilepsy http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/living/coping.html?print=yes 10)The World Health Organization, a webpage detailing the struggles of people with epilepsy in developing countries http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/en/ 11)The Epilepsy Foundation, a page discussing the impact of epilepsy on the mental health of the patient in both a short-term and long-term context http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/clinicalcare/treatment/mentalhealth2.html 12)The Epilepsy Foundation, an article discussing epilepsy as a cause of death http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epusa/silent.html

The Dot.Com Bubble Phenomenon: The rise and fall of the first e-stock

When the internet first made an appearance in the business world, outside of government and military use, the term dot.com was introduced. The technical term â€Å".com† is defined as a suffix used to describe a company that uses the internet as a primary or only marketplace for transfer of goods and services. It was being used as a suffix to the several existing web addresses. It only took a few months for .com websites to become the dominant form of business transaction (Simpson & Simons, 1998). The phenomenon behind this story lies in the rapid rise and fall of the dot.com companies and the players, events, and mindsets that accompanied the bubble boom and bust (Simpson & Simons, 1998). In 1995 Netscape was one of the first dot.com businesses to enter the NASDAQ Stock Exchange, an automated exchange which has, since the Dot.com power struggle, become associated primarily with technology shares. At that time the NASDAQ was still not considered a technology exchange and Netscape entered the exchange. In 2000 the NASDAQ 100 Composite index peaked at 5,132 points at more than 500% from its original level in 1995. America was in the grip of dot.com hysteria and anybody with little more than an idea could launch a web-based company and become â€Å"paper millionaires† almost overnight. It is important to note that the NASDAQ 100 Composite Index only started out at 100 points (Morrison & White, 2000). The overall mentality of the business approach of investors dramatically changed from investing through business models and principles to a â€Å"gold rush† (Senn, 2000) similar to the way things occur before the stock market closes today. Many people believed that the â€Å"new economy† businesses would become the blue-chips of the future. It is note-wor... ...orrison, M., & White, C. (August, 2000). Super.Com: An analysis of message strategies utilized in super bowl ads for dot.Com companies. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Phoenix, AZ. Mougayar, W. (1998, November 2). E-commerce? E-business? Who e-cares? Computerworld Parker, R. P., & Grove, C. B. (2000, July). Census bureau moves ahead on measuring e-business. Business Economics, 35, 63-65. Senn, J. A. (2000). Electronic commerce: Beyond the â€Å"dot com† boom. National Tax Journal, 53(3), 373-383. Simpson, G. R., & Simons, J. (1998, October 8). The dotted line: A little Internet firm got a big monopoly. The Wall Street Journal, pp. A1. White, C., & Scheb, J. (2000). The impact of media message about the Internet: Internet anxiety as a factor in the adoption process in the U.S. New Media and Society, 2(2), 181-194.

Negative effects of video games Essay

Claim: Negative effects of video games and results of overuse leading to many side effects I. Major idea: Video games promote unhealthy activity A. Opposing view: Video games may help children in following instructions, problem solving and logic Source: Raise Smart Kid. (2014). The positive and negative effects of video games. B. Refute: Children playing aggressive video games tend to have aggression programmed in their minds Counter-argument: Violent and aggressive video games users may connect violence to entertainment and pursue it as a solution in reality Source: Layton, J. (2014). Howstuffworks â€Å"do violent video games lead to real violence?†. II. Major idea: Fierce incidents are happening with children and teenagers and adolescence who have been proved to be putting a lot of hours playing video games affect. A. Opposing view: Not all incidents are connected to video games which means video games are not the sole contributor violence Source: LiveScience.com. (2014). Video games not to blame for violence. III. Major idea: Video games are bad  capable of confusing reality and fantasy for the  user A. Opposing view: Children playing video games may improve their inductive reasoning, logic and concentration in real life Source: Raise Smart Kid. (2014). The positive and negative effects of video games. Video Games Shaping the World’s Youth Humans are constantly on the pursuit of happiness, we have a habit of fulfilling this happiness with entertainment. People will do basically anything to satisfy this need, if its television, the internet or any kind of gaming, we will do it to entertain ourselves. However these come with consequences that may alter our life. While technology is evolving more and more video games are becoming more complicated, violent, and very realistic its are bad for you. Teens are caught in the middle of these new generation violent games which tend to influence them one way or another. Video games stand as natural educators; they provide a lot of practice and have rewards for success in the required action, meaning violent games include a lot of killing and being rewarded for it. These days it is hard to find a game that doesn’t contain violence, aggression or bad language. So overuse of video games is leading to mild and serious negative effects in children and adolescence. Video games promote unhealthy activity Addiction to video games really contributes to unhealthy activities. Bit by bit the gamer will stop putting hours into exercising and taking care of his priorities at his age and indulge in more and more gaming. (As cited in â€Å"The Harmful Effects of Video Games on Children†.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), obesity rates for adults have doubled and the rates for children have tripled since 1980. Although we must admit that we cannot blame this fact on video games alone, however it isn’t just a coincidence that these rates are during the same years the market for video games began to boom†. Not to mention video-induced seizures; which are relatively common in children with past experiences with this condition. Additionally, although not as major, postural disorders may happen from all the time put into gaming, which turn into a problem into that persons future. Confusing Reality and Fantasy Our brain is like clay; we mold it and evolve it by the stimulus we give it. So if we expose our brains to constant fantasy, role-playing, and game violence it will definitely be embedded in the way we see the outside world. Today’s video gamers are so instilled in their games that they may even mistake fantasy with reality and vice versa. (As cited in John Walker’s ‘Fantasy and Reality: Can Gamers Tell?’) â€Å"Repeating a task many times in a game means your brain flickers on the idea of doing it in real life†. In my experience, I have seen many of friends get so attached and obsessive about a game that everything they talk about is connected to it. Adventure games that have many cut scenes and events happening have a habit of blurring out the users mind and making him/her eager to finish it as soon as possible. When I play a new game on my PlayStation I get so excited that I spend hours and hours without budging from my place, I obsess about it an d it becomes all I think about in reality. As a person gets addicted and plays hours consecutively he/she will eventually skip anything that comes their way to play another hour, it may lead to sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation is a serious problem since almost anything we do in our lives requires a certain amount of concentration. Without concentration, the simplest achievements could turn into a complicated situation. Children and adolescence will start falling back in their school work, missing deadlines, and might even end up failing a certain subject. A decline in school achievements is inevitable since the main focus of the child is now their favorite video game. Author Andrea Norcia stated in her article (as cited in Parents and Teachers: The  Impact of Video Games) ‘students who play excessive video games are more likely to be more aggressive, more prone to confrontation with their teachers and may engage fights with their peers. Although some scientific tests done on gamers suggesting and enhancement in cognitive abilities and the capability to concentrate, other studies showed that games are harmful to the mind, can help children’s attention issues and damage long term concentration spans. Violent Incidents Regarding Video Games Violence is the main theme of many video games if not most, if you succeed in killing perfectly you will eventually receive awards and in the end finishing the game wanting so much more. Teens averaging 13 hours per week of continuous video games are really expected to display many aggressive behaviors. Game designers might or might not intend these large effects but both ways the children are caught in between. Basically violent games demonstrate aggressive behavior on repeat; humans tend to take in information clearer in a repetitive and continuous lesson. It’s not a surprise youths exhibit more aggressive behaviors and attitudes. Decrease in empathy for victims lead to a higher possibility of people to become more violent individuals. Aggressive delinquency is very common among students who play intense video games since authority is absent in video games, meaning a player is not punished for his action as in real life. Several incidents that were reported in the United Sta tes have been linked one way or another with the overuse of video games effecting teen’s minds. As Julia Layton specified in her article, â€Å"On April 20, 1999, two seniors walked into their Colorado high school carrying assault rifles, and they opened fire. They shot dozens of people, killing 12 students and one teacher, and the nation was floored. School shootings had happened before, but this was a new scope of carnage, and in the ensuing search for answers it came out the shooters had spent a lot of time playing violent video games.† (As cited in ‘Do Violent Video Games Lead to Real Violence?’). These incidents are the fatal ones, ones that hit from nowhere and cause great damage, and it is this problem that leads us to dig more and more about what these aggressive and violent games are doing to young minds. The miracle and importance of life is now taken for granted thanks to games which render the idea of someone losing his/her life and making a fun and entertaining storyline filled with aggression and gore. Video game users are more likely to feature hostile and aggressive behavior to others, exhibiting actions such as bullying, gender and other kinds of stereotyping, and reduction of understanding others. While not all incidents of violence are directly connected to video games, it is definitely worth taking a way one factor of violence and especially this factor since it starts so soon in children and teens. The disruption of the mind of players is numerous. Some video games teach the wrong values and undermine the worth of a person’s life being taken; which consequently takes a toll on teens and give them tenancies to deal aggressively in minor conflicts. Conclusion To conclude, video games have had a reputation of negative effects such as obesity, lack of social skills, addiction, aggressive and violent behavior, sleep deprivation, increase in possibility of hurting others, confusion between reality and fantasy, decline in academic achievements, and picking up bad language. To enhance the positive effects of video games while reducing the negative effects, we must limit the hours we play, and also take good care in choosing the right games for the right age groups. The content of the game is the major issue. Reports of Bullying, 1999-2005 (Rate per 1,000 Students) References Education.com. (2013). Negative potential of video games | education.com. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.education.com/reference/article/negative-potential-video-games/ [Accessed: 16 Dec 2013]. OverBlog. (2013). The harmful effects of video