Is the War on Terrorism a War Essay Example for Free

Is the War on Terrorism a War Essay The Global War on Terrorism is a military campaign that began shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001. First used by George W. Bush, the phrase ‘war on terror’ has become to be conceptualized as a term used to signify ‘global military, political, lawful, and conceptual struggle targeting both organizations designated as terrorists and regimes accused of supporting them. † The war on terror main focus has been with Islamist militants and Al-Qaeda. The war in Afghanistan and Iraq are both considered to be part of the war on terrorism. There is much speculation on whether the war on terror is actually a war. This essay will argue that both points of view are valid. There are reasons which validate the war on terrorism as being considered an actual war such as the fact that an actual decelaration of war was waged by both the US and Al-Qaeda, it can be considered a new way of war, and that ultimately like war, terrorism is a mean to a political end. On the other side of the spectrum, it may not be considered a war because it does not have a clear end or possible victory, it does not have a confined battle space as regular wars, and it is a ‘war’ against an immaterial concept such as the wars on poverty, drugs, and crime. There is an extensive amount of literature on the subject of terrorism and especially the war on terror. Mia Bloom in ‘Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror’ examines the use strategies, successes, and failures of suicide bombing in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. She claims that in many instances the effort of Israel, Russia, and the United States have failed to deter terrorism and suicide bombings. Bloom also contemplates how terrorist groups learn from one another, and thus how they react and retaliate to counterterror tactics the financing of terrorism, and the role of suicide attacks against the backdrop of larger ethnic and political conflicts. Another current scholar writing on terrorism is Mark Juergensmeyer. Juergensmeyer studies religious terrorism more specifically. Bruce Hoffman gives a brilliant insight to terrorism and all its aspects. Hoffman describes its historical evolution and the mindset of the terrorist. He examines this invisible enemy and his tactics and motivation in a globalized world. Hoffman argues that the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers radically altered the USA’s and the Wests view on terrorism. When attempting to answer the above question it is important to clarify and define the terms. Terrorism has a vast number of definitions and varies greatly depending on who is trying to define it and from what perspective it is being defined and at which scope. For example one definition of terrorism is the FBI’s definition of it as ‘the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in further political or social objectives’. Another definition is from the Department of Defense which states it to be as ‘the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological objectives. A final example of one of the many definitions of terrorism is that of the Department of homeland Security which states it as ‘any activity that involves an act that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critic infrastructure or key resources; and†¦must also appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. ’ These definitions vary quite greatly from one to another. Any definition of terrorism suits a particular agency and how they look at the act of violence, whereas very few look at the causes for it and what its essence is. Notice the selected vocabulary for each definition will suit the type of agency’s profile. The problem with defining terrorism is one that it is a subjective thing, and two that the parties trying to define it try to include everything and nothing in it. They try to put and various different events that happened and situations as well to help define it so as to make sure that terrorism encompasses a large number of things. For example the discotheque bombing of Bali. It seems that the definitions need to include anything that attacks the west. With regards to the war on terror, is it the war on terror or terrorism? Is there really a war on terrorism and if so according to whom? The USA? Al-Qaeda? And in which theatres and locations are we talking about? The war on terror might be a war on terror in Afghanistan but not in other places. Also the title of the question is quite ambiguous because is terrorism is an act of war, or is war is an act of terrorism? Each one can be unfolded onto the other easily. It is also important to consider who is included in the war on terror, is it all terrorists groups including terrorist groups like the IRA? Or is it just limited to Islamist militant terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda? It is not always clear who are the terrorists and who are the terrorized†¦ â€Å"All politics is a struggle for power, and the ultimate kind of power is violence. † Hoffman writes that terrorism is where politics and violence intersect in the hope of delivering power. And that all terrorism involves a quest for power. Power to do many things such as to dominate, coerce, control but ultimately to ‘effect fundamental political change. Clausewitz’s definition of war was ‘war is the continuation of Politick by other means’. In this context terrorism fits in accordance to his definition as terrorism too can be considered part of war. Terrorism can be considered a tactic or act of war, or war a tactic or act of terrorism. For example the French used torture during the Battle of Algiers, the US uses terror tactics itself such as Abu Ghraib. It is very difficult to separate war from terrorism neatly. Being a terrorist is a stepping-stone to becoming a politician. Thus because of the very ambiguous relationship and line between war and terrorism, terrorism can be considered as a new way, or military tactic of fighting war. Thus anything that tries to counter attack it can also be considered a war. Thus rending the war on terrorism a war. Terrorism is ‘a complex phenomena in which violence is used to obtain political power to readdress grievances ’ In order for one to consider the war on terrorism as an actual war, an actual statement of waging war has had to been made. This is the case with the war on terrorism. Al-Qaeda did declare war on the USA in 1998. The bush administration created the term of the ‘axis of evil’ and the USA did fight a conventional war in Iraq in 2003. The war on terrorism might not be a war in itself but it could be made up and composed by several on going wars such as Chechnya, the government of Sri Lanka versus the Tumult Tigers (which was actually the first country to successfully defeat terrorism), and Mali. There have been clear objectives set out and enemies to defeat. Although this enemy is invisible, and the way of fighting the battles are different (due to the asymmetrical aspect of the war on terror) it does not mean this is not a war. The rules have changed, the battle space as well, the way of thinking of the enemy and war has changed drastically. But it is still war. It is just a new face of war. However, the war on terrorism is hard to define as an actual ‘war’ for several reasons. One, because it seems the US and the West are just policing and engaging in nation building to promote liberal democracy. Hoffman mentions the second factor, which is vastly important in discrediting the war on terrorism as a war stating that ‘unlike traditional wars, the war on terror does not have a clear end’. This is because the victory seems unattainable. Terrorism won’t die along with the terrorist leaders. Not even when the most wanted terrorist has been killed. DCIA Leon E. Panetta stated that I dont think theres any question that when you get the number one terrorist in the world, that were a little safer today than we were when he was alive. But I also dont think we ought to kid ourselves that killing Usama Bin Ladin kills al-Qaida. Al-Qaida still remains a threat, theyre still going to try to attack our country, and I think we have to continue to be vigilant and continue the effort to ultimately defeat these guys. We damaged them, but we still have to defeat them. In order for a war to be a war, shouldn’t it have a clear end? Or at least a possible one? The war on terrorism also is discredited as being an actual war because it does not take place on a clear battle space. The director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald quoted London is not a battlefield. Those innocents who were murdered on July 7 2005 were not victims of war. And the men who killed them were not, as in their vanity they claimed on their ludicrous videos, soldiers. They were deluded, narcissistic inadequates. They were criminals. They were fantasists. We need to be very clear about this. On the streets of London, there is no such thing as a war on terror, just as there can be no such thing as a war on drugs He continues by stating that ‘the fight against terrorism on the streets of Britain is not a war. It is the prevention of crime, the enforcement of our laws and the winning of justice for those damaged by their infringement. The war on terror could simply be a war against a ‘thing’ such as the war on poverty, drugs, crime tc†¦ There is no real way to defeat, destroy and rid the planet of such immaterial concepts. The war on terrorism looked under these aspects becomes more difficult to truly accept as a war. It is difficult to answer the question if whether the war on terrorism is an actual war. It appears that there is a struggle between Al-Qaeda fighting secularism, consumerism, and immorality and the US and the We st is fighting against backwardness and against groups of people who reject western values and globalization. Is this what the real war being fought is about? Is this the actual war that is going on? There are both aspects crediting the war on terrorism as a war and others discrediting it. This question however is highly relevant and intertwines to other aspects of IR305 such as the changing nature of war (is the war on terror the new type of war? ), the different types of warfare (is the war on terror the new western way of warfare and terrorism the Arab way of warfare? ), and the topic of risk societies (are we breeding more terrorism by fighting the war on terror, thus creating more risk). All of these various aspects of IR305 are relevant to the topic of the war on terrorism.

Water Conservation Essay Example for Free

Water Conservation Essay Will there be enough water for a more crowded world? The adult human uses on average about 100 gallons of water a day. Only about 2.5% of earth’s water is fresh and only 1% is actually attainable for usage. The available water on earth has not changed. The same water we have today has been recycled for millions of years, we are not gaining any more. The time to do something is now. In this essay I would like to remark on the past, present, and future of water conservation. We use much more water today than we ever did in the past. With new technologies and fashions, we use more and more water every year. Not only do we have luxuries that we didn’t have a hundred years ago, our world population has more than tripled since then. Yet our supply of water is not changing. Water has gone through the same replenishing cycle since our world began, and we are using more then ever. Now is the time to make sure we conserve. We have an obligation to our future. With world population growing at the rate it is, we must take precautions that those ahead of us don’t suffer because of our negligence. Water is life; the number one necessity for survival. Not only must we conserve now to prevent future problems, we need to teach the coming generations the importance of our water, that they in turn can make sure nothing will ever happen to bring about disaster in the form of water shortage. As we can see, water conservation is a much larger issue now than it ever was in the past. What we do now makes a difference. We must do all we can to make sure our future is safe. Water conservation is a practice in which people, companies, and governments attempt to reduce their water usage. The goal of water conservation may be to address an ongoing water shortage, or to make lifestyle modifications to be more environmentally friendly. In the late 20th century, water emerged as a major issue, especially in the developing world, where many people lack access to safe drinking water, and the issue of water conservation began to attract a great deal of attention. One of the most obvious reasons to practice water conservation is in a situation where water supplies are limited. An ongoing drought can restrict supply, as can a change in water policy, especially in an area where people are dependent on water from other places. Desert regions, for example, rely on water which is shipped, trucked, or moved through aqueducts, so distant policy decisions can directly impact the amount of water which can be accessed in these areas. Water conservation may also be practiced in response to rising water prices. The cost of water is usually contingent on how easy it is to access, how far it must be transported to reach the end consumer, and how much it needs to be processed in order to be rendered safe. Water treatment can get extremely expensive, causing water prices to rise, and water prices also grow when water supplies are tight. From an economic standpoint, water conservation keeps water bills down to a manageable level, and it frees up water for other uses. Some people encourage the practice of water conservation because they would like to promote the sustainable use of water. While water is a renewable resource in a sense, every time fresh potable water is used, it takes a long time for that water to re-enter the water supply, as it may become contaminated by chemicals, bio hazardous materials, and so forth, requiring extensive cleanup before it can be re-used. Using water for things like gardens, car washing, and industrial production may be frowned upon in some communities where people would prefer to reduce the overall amount of water they use so that clean water will be available to future generations and other regions of the world. A water conservation order may be issued to oblige citizens to conserve water in some communities. Conservation orders are often issued when water supplies are low, and officials are worried about running out. They may also be used to mandate water conservation for environmental reasons. Typically, water conservation orders restrict water use by setting rules about how and when water can be used.

Gender Differences In Aspects Of English Language Use

Gender Differences In Aspects Of English Language Use Language is largely influenced by socialization, shaped by conditioning and constant reinforcement. When parents speak to children they address boys and girls in different ways. In general, girls are treated more gently and spoken to more softly. Boys are encouraged to play roughly, to make a noise and to be expressive, but not to cry. Girls are encouraged to be less rowdy and may cry but not shout. They are discouraged from expressing anger. For boys, behavioural expectations are reinforced with expressions like You throw like a girl, and Big boys dont cry. As children develop, these differences begin to show more clearly in language. They become part of the communication style that is there for life. According to Mayor, B (1996, page 64), as they mature girls and boys increasingly differentiate their language use to reflect their gender roles. Girls use more indirect language than boys, and are more likely to modify their speech styles in varying contexts. Studies of childrens play behaviour demonstrate that boys are competitive and confrontational, and concentrate on the physical world, whereas girls are indirect, collaborative and are interested in motives and feelings. (Maybin, 1996 page 19). Generally speaking, boys and men are assertive, independent and objective. Girls and women are submissive, dependent and subjective. Of course, there is a wide range of communication styles and practices within each gender group, with most men and women using various conversation styles depending on the purpose and context, and also whether they are in single sex groups. In mixed company women usually talk less than men, and are more polite. They are less competitive and try to bring others into the conversation. This could be because women are brought up to be deferential to men. They are more hesitant and indirect, use more tag questions (isnt it? dont you think?), more polite forms (could you possibly?) and generally weaker vocabulary (words like lovely and Oh dear). (Maybin, 1996 page 19). Men on the other hand, interrupt more and give less feedback and support. In situations that require formal conversation, such as at conferences, business meetings, or other mixed-gender gatherings, men tend to initiate more of the interaction. Those who talk most are perceived to be leaders. (Coates, 1998, p.469). Amongst themselves, women tend to talk more. They show more concern for the relational aspects of conversation. In exclusively male groups, men tend to focus more on activities than on conversation (Coates, 1998, p.216). Of course, these are generalised descriptions of behaviour, and both sexes are able to modify their styles depending on the context. Maybin (1996, page 19) quotes a study of courtroom language in which high-status, expert female witnesses used masculine speaking styles, whilst lower status male witnesses used female style features. Dr. John Gray (author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) says that women communicate for different reasons than men do. When men talk about problems, they are looking for solutions, whereas when women discuss problems they are sharing their feelings, because they find this therapeutic. In this context what women would like from men is empathy, and not solutions. The table on the following page shows clear differences in communication styles between men and women. Men Women They try to solve problems and troubles They try to match troubles by relating similar negative experiences They have a more analytical approach to problems They have a more emotional approach to problems They are less likely to ask for help. They try to figure things out on their own They are more likely to ask for help and accept it They are more task-oriented (i.e., What is everyone going to do?) They are more maintenance-oriented (i.e., Is everyone all right?) They appear less intuitive and less aware of details They appear more intuitive and more aware of details They have more difficulty in expressing intimate feelings They have less difficulty in expressing intimate feelings They are more apt to yell, shout and swear to release anger They are more apt to cry to release anger They talk more about what they did, where they went and less about relationships with others They talk more about how they feel and more about relationships with others They tend to take verbal rejection less personally They tend to take verbal rejection more personally (Glass, L. (1995) page 49). English has a natural gender, unlike many other languages. (Of course, it was not always so; before 1154, Old English nouns still used the Anglo-Saxon derived genders. (Bryson, B, 1990, page 49)). This means that words like woman, cow, ewe, are feminine because of their biological sex. In the same way, bull, boy and tomcat are masculine. This natural gender refers only to animals and not to objects. Historically, certain professions acquired genders: doctors, lawyers, politicians, engineers, architects and ministers were invariably male. Nurses, nannies and typists tended to be female. Nowadays, all of these professions are correctly gender-free. There are also words with male endings such as chairman, postman and fireman, which now have alternatives: chairperson, postal worker and fire-fighter. Regarding creative writing, women authors have tended to be under represented in most selections of literary texts. Writers such as the Brontà « sisters and Mary Anne Evans had to adopt male noms de plume (respectively Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, and George Elliot) even to get published. Apart from this gender based discrimination, there is also a strong feeling amongst many writers that the written, literary language itself was for so long a male preserve, that woman writers need their own idiom. In Thomas Hardys Far from the Madding Crowd, the heroine Bathsheba explains that It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs (Quoted in Menham, R. 1995, page 136). Menham also quotes from Virginia Wolf, who appeals for a new kind of writing that will take the natural shape of a womans thought without crushing or distorting it. In A room of Ones Own she says that the resources of the English language would be much put to t he stretch, and whole flights of words would need to wing their way illegitimately into existence in order for female sensibility to be adequately explored. She also associates maleness with a sterile rationalism and the aims of control and regulation, and femaleness with a fertile indiscipline, spontaneity, plenitude, a creative irrationalism. (Menham, R (1995) page 137). Referring to the work of French theorist Hà ©là ¨ne Cixous, Menham feels that her celebration of womans writing effects a great historical reversal of the traditional strengths and weaknesses of male and female language-use. It gives a positive value to precisely those qualities that men have always derogated in women: hysteria, lack of force, sensitivity. (Menham, R (1995) page 138.) In conclusion, there is no doubt that there are differences in English language use, both in speech and writing, based on gender. Most of these seem to be as a result of socialisation from an early age. The different, traditional gender roles and expectations coloured the way children were raised and educated, and in many respects these influences are still in place. Hopefully, as modern societies eliminate the largely artificial stereotypes of gender based roles and behaviours, we will all be able to experience, and articulate, the full panoply of human emotional and intellectual experience, regardless of gender.

Great Barrier Reef :: essays research papers

One topic that came to mind while researching this paper was the Great Barrier Reef, which I had wanted to research for my presentation, but information was more abundant for the topic I did choose. The size of the reef and its tourist potential are great in their respective ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reef is the largest of its kind extending 2300 km along the North East Coast of Australia from Cape York to the northern part of South Queensland. Most may believe that the reef alone is one large organism, but is amazingly a network of roughly 2900 individual reefs to form one large reef that is roughly the size of the U.K.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The remains of what are called polyps form the reef. New polyps grow everyday, which means that the reef is growing still today. The dead polyps form the white structures of the reef while the live polyps give it its color. For the reef to survive, the waters around it must be greater than 18 degrees Centigrade, the sunlight must be able to penetrate the water, and the water must be clean and salty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I stated previously, this is the most extensive reef system anywhere in the world. It is also the largest structure that is made completely of living organisms. It is the breeding area of a number of marine life and endangered species. The humpback whale travels here from the Antarctic to give birth to their young. Also, six of the seven species of sea turtle travel here to breed on the reef.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The entire ref is a marine park with zones that have different uses of water activities with the exception of fishing or collecting. These activities extend to the actual life in the reef. The corals are an animal in the jellyfish family, but they contain a solid limestone skeleton. During the day, the coral put themselves into the form of the skeleton to camouflage as a rock to hide from their predators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plants of the reef are not very visible, but are important food to the life that lives on and around the reef. They produce sugars through photosynthesis, which the coral absorb for up to 90% of their food. The corals provide shelter for the plants and are a good source of carbon dioxide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are also over 1500 different kinds of fish that call the reef home, and each had their own job to keep the reef healthy.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Blithedale Romance Essay -- Nathaniel Hawtho

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Blithedale Romance In the penultimate chapter of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Blithedale Romance, Coverdale offers a â€Å"moral† at the end of the narrative that specifically addresses Hollingsworth’s philanthropic and personal failures: "†¦admitting what is called philanthropy, when adopted as a profession, to be often useful by its energetic impulse to society at large, it is perilous to the individual whose ruling passion, in one exclusive channel, it thus becomes. It ruins, or is fearfully apt to ruin, the heart, the rich juices of which God never meant should be pressed violently out and distilled into alcoholic liquor by an unnatural process, but should render life sweet, bland, and gently beneficent, and insensibly influence over other hearts and other lives to the same blessed end." (348) Coverdale’s â€Å"moral,† which implicates all of the reformers, including both Hollingsworth and himself, implies that an Edenic world created by individuals unwilling to acknowledge a deterministic universe ultimately proves destructive, both to the self and to others. It not only proves fatal for the individual—as evidenced in Hollingsworth’s â€Å"ruling passion,† Coverdale’s disillusionment, and Zenobia’s suicide—but it also proves fatal to the community, composed of â€Å"rich juices† symbolically depicted throughout the novel as fruit, specifically grapes and wine, that represent its members and their desires. When â€Å"pressed violently,† these â€Å"ruling passion[s]† follow an â€Å"unnatural process† that cannot accommodate a â€Å"life sweet, bland, and gently beneficent,† or one that accepts a predetermined course not governed by individual human will. Coverdale’s journey, a journey not only temporally taken through seasons ... ...to establish community in a predetermined world. The latter painting only results in isolation, in the â€Å"death-in-life† state even Coverdale cannot escape at the end. The â€Å"bubbled† world encapsulated in the revelers’ painting offers a momentarily glimpse into the ending Hawthorne does not give the romance. Rather, he leaves us with the last painting’s lesson, the â€Å"broken bubble† that not only describes Blithedale, Hollingsworth, and Zenobia, it also describes Coverdale, who sits in judgement on others, even in his memory, and leaves himself, like the â€Å"New England toper,† in isolation. If, in Hawthorne’s view, we should accept a predetermined course, acknowledging that we have no free will and no possibility for a Paradisiacal world devoid of corruption, then we should also learn to share together in a communal spirit that ultimately defeats absolutism and isolation.

Making the Climb :: Personal Narrative Hiking Essays

Making the Climb The alarm clock rang and I forced myself out of bed. I took a shower, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth--all my other normal morning routines. But that day was not normal at all. I was going to do something with my English class that I never thought I would do. I was going to hike up Poly Canyon. With a horrible night’s sleep and a sore throat, I was not in the mood to undergo a â€Å"moderately strenuous† hike, but I pushed myself to get ready. Once the entire class had assembled, we made our way to the Poly Canyon gate where we would meet Professor Marx. The overcast sky and moist air were usual characteristics of San Luis Obispo mornings. I was not yet accustomed to this: I never dared to go outside before eight o’clock in the morning. The rest of the class shared my irritation over the fact that it was freezing and very early. After passing by dormitories and the Cerro Vista Apartments, we reached the meeting place where I could just make out the sight of Mr. Marx. Unlike the rest of us, he was bright eyed and ready to begin the walk. Silence swept over the entire group as we began our trek. Nothing could be heard except the crunch of gravel underneath our feet and the occasional explanatory interjections by our professor regarding the surrounding plants and rocks. Huge formations of serpentinite created a wall on one side of the trail, and on the other side the mountains were covered in blankets of coastal scrub. After a few minutes every bush and rock looked the same to me and I could not identify with Mr. Marx’s admiration for the beauty of that area. Even with the surprising deer sightings and geological features around me, I could only think about the end of the hike. Twenty minutes into the walk on the tan graveled road, something caught my eye. A tall antique-looking arch of rocks faced us. Its looming frame forced us to crane our stiff necks to view it. The very top was wearing thin and looked as if it was going to collapse in on itself. The arch was the entrance to a path lined with a low rock wall on either side. The mist created a moist refrigerator-like atmosphere; we gladly sat down on the walls to take a break. Making the Climb :: Personal Narrative Hiking Essays Making the Climb The alarm clock rang and I forced myself out of bed. I took a shower, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth--all my other normal morning routines. But that day was not normal at all. I was going to do something with my English class that I never thought I would do. I was going to hike up Poly Canyon. With a horrible night’s sleep and a sore throat, I was not in the mood to undergo a â€Å"moderately strenuous† hike, but I pushed myself to get ready. Once the entire class had assembled, we made our way to the Poly Canyon gate where we would meet Professor Marx. The overcast sky and moist air were usual characteristics of San Luis Obispo mornings. I was not yet accustomed to this: I never dared to go outside before eight o’clock in the morning. The rest of the class shared my irritation over the fact that it was freezing and very early. After passing by dormitories and the Cerro Vista Apartments, we reached the meeting place where I could just make out the sight of Mr. Marx. Unlike the rest of us, he was bright eyed and ready to begin the walk. Silence swept over the entire group as we began our trek. Nothing could be heard except the crunch of gravel underneath our feet and the occasional explanatory interjections by our professor regarding the surrounding plants and rocks. Huge formations of serpentinite created a wall on one side of the trail, and on the other side the mountains were covered in blankets of coastal scrub. After a few minutes every bush and rock looked the same to me and I could not identify with Mr. Marx’s admiration for the beauty of that area. Even with the surprising deer sightings and geological features around me, I could only think about the end of the hike. Twenty minutes into the walk on the tan graveled road, something caught my eye. A tall antique-looking arch of rocks faced us. Its looming frame forced us to crane our stiff necks to view it. The very top was wearing thin and looked as if it was going to collapse in on itself. The arch was the entrance to a path lined with a low rock wall on either side. The mist created a moist refrigerator-like atmosphere; we gladly sat down on the walls to take a break.

Environmental Issue Essay

The current concern of our environmentalist nowadays is how to bring back the bountiful natural resources of our venue of living before. This is just a dream but this can be true because nowadays everything is possible. It is, indeed, a great challenge of this environmentalist to provide solutions of the problems manifested in our environment. Before presenting my arguments, I would like first to secure the parameters of this debate. I limit this debate to one of the hottest issues in the environment which is Air Pollution. Air Pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organism. Looking at the status quo, it is obscene that there are a lot of sources that made our air contaminated. First point, I content that the severity of catastrophe happened in our environment deeply rooted from anthropogenic sources (human activity) such as â€Å"Stationary Sources† as smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing facilities and municipal waste incinerators. â€Å"Mobile Sources† as motor vehicles, aircraft etc., marine Vessels such as container ship or cruise ships and related port air pollution, burning wood, fireplace, stoves, furnaces, fumes from hair spray, varnish, paint, aerosol spray and other solvent, oil refining and industrial activity in general. These things respond the question of why our air is being contaminated. Second point, I would like also to argue that the government plays a vital role in protecting our environment. The government has the prowess to make some possible and practical solutions of environmental problems. They have enough budgets to initiate some activity and project that would cater the protection and preservation of our natural resources. To sum up my arguments, first the main problem is the human activity that deteriorates our environment and second is the irresponsible action of the government. We can make a difference as by letting ourselves as an example because change starts in ourselves. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Air_pollution#Sources This page was last modified on 22 March 2008, at 18:53. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details. ) Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a U. S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.