Central and Eastern Europe Environmental Issues Essay Example for Free

Central and Eastern Europe Environmental Issues Essay Eastern Europe’s environmental problems are not as simple as they may seem on the surface. The environmental problems that face Eastern Europe are complicated by political, economic, and social implications. The current environmental problems are a bi-product of rapid industrial expansion under a socialist government. The soviet government was more concerned with surpassing the western cultures in technology and military might than the environmental damage they were doing to their country. The following paragraphs will address the current environmental problems facing Eastern Europe, the various solutions to the environmental problems, and the efforts taken to correct the environmental problems. Environmental Problems in Europe Eastern Europe during the 1980s had rapidly become the industrial giant for the Soviet Union. Massive industrial factories would be built throughout the eastern bloc of the Soviet Union and the factories used obsolete technology to provide the industrial needs of the country. The heavy industrial activity characteristic of the post-World War II period took a heavy toll on both the regions population and its environmentâ€Å"(U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Various local populations were suffering from high rates of cancer, respiratory issues, and infant mortalities. The environments in the areas around the industrial regions were also being damaged on unprecedented levels. Legacy of Pollution According to the U. S.  Environmental Protection Agency (2010), The outmoded, energy-intensive technologies were such an integral part of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS) regions economy in the post-war era not only wasted resources, but also caused severe local, regional, and trans-boundary pollution problems. Not only was the industrial technology outdated, the communication among the post-war government, local governments, and various environmental ministries was ripe with secrecy and non-communication between each other. The results would prove to be catastrophic pollution of the air, surface water, soil, ground water, marine zones, and coastal areas. Air Pollution Air pollution in Eastern Europe is the top concern because of the levels of sulfur dioxide found in all the industrial areas. High levels of sulfur dioxide exposure can lead to asthmatic children and adults, respiratory illness, decreased lung defenses, and worsening of existing cardiovascular diseases. When Sulfur Dioxide is exposed to rain it creates acid rain and raises the acidity level of everything it touches such as soil, lakes, and streams. Buildings corrode faster and there is also a reduction in visibility. Water Pollution Agricultural and industrial practices were causing large spread water pollution because of outdated waste regulation practices and no environmental regulation. According to Liroff (1990), Drinking-water supplies throughout Eastern Europe are heavily contaminated. Vast reaches of the Vistula River in Poland, which drains much of the country, are classified as unfit for use even by industry. The Baltic and Black Sea coasts are badly degraded by domestic sewage, agricultural run-off, and heavy metals and organic pollutants from industry. The Eastern Europe governments have been slow to implement solutions to purify the drinking water in the various regions. Soil Pollution Samples of produce from upper Poland have yielded 30 to 70 higher percentages of cadmium, lead, zinc and mercury then acceptable levels listed by the World Health Organization. The high percentages of these heavy materials indicate how polluted the soil is in the upper polish regions. In Hungary alone, waste generators dispose of more than 500,000 tons waste found in illegal landfills. The local government has trouble tracking any kind of waste transportation and disposal due to obsolete tracking processes, and because not all waste is indicated as waste before being disposed of. Eastern Europe is wreaked with not only environmental problems, but also with government, and local government problems also. The good news is that there are viable solutions to the environmental problems that the Eastern Europe countries are having. Viable Environmental Solutions The environmental problems that face Central and Eastern Europe are much the same as any other country in the world with one exception, the proximity of the environmental hazards. Most countries in the world deal with environmental hazards, but the hazards are spread out over different parts of the country. Central and Eastern Europe are unique when it comes to environmental disasters because Central and Eastern Europe was the industrial might behind the soviet military. For every environmental disaster Central and Eastern Europe faces, there is a viable solution thanks to modern technology and proven environmental regulations. Possible environmental solutions Because of the vast environmental disasters throughout Central and Eastern Europe there are several possible environmental solutions. The possible environmental solutions that Central and Eastern Europe are considering will be decided by the cost of the solution, ease of implementation, and consultation from environmental agencies such as the United States Environmental Agency. Even with the various economic, governmental agency communication problems, and various ecological disasters Central and Eastern Europe have a number of viable solutions. Air Pollution Solutions One of the possible remedies for air quality in Europe would be to switch to burning low sulfur coal. When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released. For that reason, coal-fired boilers are required to have control devices to reduce the amount of emissions that are released. The amount of sulfur oxides produced by power can be reduced by using coal with low amounts of sulfur present. Another possible air solution would be to use scrubbers. Scrubbers are an air pollution control system that removes pollutants from the air stream they are most commonly used to help control the emissions of sulfur into our air. There are a few types of scrubber, Air scrubbers, wet scrubbers, and gas scrubbers are differentiated by the manner in which they remove gases and particulates from the air; either wet or dry. Wet scrubbers literally wash dust and particles out of the air. Exhaust air is forced into a spray chamber, where fine water particles cause the dust to drop from the air stream. The dust-laden water is then treated to remove the solid material and is often re-circulated. Dry scrubbers are used more commonly with acid gases. The pollutant is collected on or in a solid or liquid material, which is injected into the gas stream. A dry scrubber produces a dry product that must be collected downstream from this control device. Water Pollution Solutions One of the many possible water pollution solutions would be aeration. Aerating is the process to bring river water at the bottom of rivers up to the surface so that the entire river is oxygenated by the atmosphere surface to bottom. They can do this by pumping air into bodies of water at the very bottom. On the other hand Central and Eastern Europe could use more wastewater treatment plants these types of plants would drastically help the water quality in Central and Eastern Europe by removing harmful bacteria’s, animal wastes and pollutants and then recycling the clean water back into their system.. Soil Pollution Solutions There are many different types of soil pollution that hurt the environment and by treating Sewage before dumping wastes would cut back on many of the current environmental issues. Spraying pesticides may be good for the crops but it’s destroying the soil and the drain off into the water system is affected by this as well. Cutting down on the usage of fossil fuels would create less solid waste and harmful gasses that may seep into the soil. Eastern Europe needs to adapt to more of these possible solutions. Using low sulfur coals, Scrubbers and limestone in the remedies of air pollution would set a chain reaction in the environment the water would then become cleaner along with the soil. These remedies may not fix the issue completely for Eastern Europe, but it would help them greatly. Efforts to correct  Central and Eastern Europe have been left untouched since the end of the Nazi/German rule and the fall of the Great Berlin Wall on November 9th, 1989. Many of the people living in such a terrible environment still struggle every day to survive, but it is not a war against other countries it has turned into an environmental war and one that is near impossible for them to win without help. As with most all larger countries around the world Eastern and Central Europe are suffering from the same types of environmental issues but, in their case they do not have the means that we do in order to make the necessary changes that they need. Practical and low cost solutions need to be the wave of the future and used as often as possible. The problems need to be prioritized based on the highest health risk and the surrounding public will be educated and involved in its’ own environmental decision making. AIR- Airborne pollution is said to be one of the greatest environmental risks identified in the region. There is a large amount of sulfur dioxide found in the air, it comes from several different places but are byproducts of several different types of older industrial facilities like the old coal burning power plants that used to be found there (EPA). The United states are one of the few countries in which it is a law for vehicle owners to participate in an annual emissions test. The Czech government however has accelerated its’ efforts in cleaning the air pollution through it $240 million project that will assist its residents in converting homes from coal to natural gas in hopes to subsidize conversion costs (EPA). Along with this local agencies in many areas lack the equipment needed to assess and identify local problems so the Krakow Air Monitoring project. This project is under the supervision of the EPA and the Polish environmental experts are working together to identify and measure the major sources of industrial, residential and vehicle emissions testing (EPA). Along with such a huge problem facing the countries the EPA has also transferred some very low-cost techniques to help them out. Water pollution- Along with clean air there is the Krakow Water and Wastewater Improvement project, the idea here is to provide safe drinking water to city residents. Most people are drinking from contaminated drinking sources, especially those outside of the city limits. The idea here is not only to decontaminate the water before it is consumed, but to attack the problem at the source and to educate the people of the possible affects that waste dumping in unsecure facilities can have on them and their families. The Krakow project as a result installed modern ozonation and chlorination equipment that in turn disinfected the drinking water of 400,000 residents in the area. It also focused on the improvement the forming of the Raba River Watershed Association as well as focusing on the agricultural runoff into local streams and rivers (EPA). In addition to this a team of EPA, Wisconsin, and Latvian environmental managers have also come up with a solution to protect supplies of future ground water in Daugavplis, this is where the national ground water protection strategy is based. Solid and Hazardous Waste- All types of waste needs to be dumped somewhere and the most contaminated solid waste sites are often found on military bases in Eastern Europe. They can be found on active or former military base cites, these are still dumping cites. Children in these areas are affected the most and are still being diagnosed with very high blood-lead levels, due to these case studies the EPA has provided special equipment and training to local officials to assess possible impacts of lead exposure. Due to such high levels of exposure in certain areas additional support has been provided by Romanian officials to assist areas in the cleanup of contaminated soil, the Czech Council of Ministers even committed to assist the cleanup of future development cites by approving $40 million to get started, this is called Project Selesia. This is not the only cleanup plan in effect there is also the Solid Waste Policy Demonstration Project, this idea helps to train local communities in the proper way to carry out more effective policies of cleaning and recycling waste. Pilot programs include the construction of new sanitary landfills, the cleanup of existing landfills, curbside recycling, are probably the most important public outreach programs taking place (EPA). Technology Transfer- the EPA has also helped with the development of a geographic information system (GIS), this system helps to track different trends that occur over time. The GIS is a computer-based mapping system that over time will store and track other environmental information that identifies pollution source and tracks it over time. This system will help the public become more informed and promote better decision making (EPA). The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Manage ment Project is yet one more idea that is hoped to assist different storage areas of nuclear material in a quick-turnaround of radiochemistry data in case of any future leaks and potential disasters. To be able to assist such tracking a mobile radioecology laboratory was created by the EPA along with the United Nations Development Program and USAID, have provided the Ukraine with possibly one of the world’s best equipped mobile radiation monitoring laboratories. This lab is monitored by both the EPA project team and Ministry officials have since been conducting on-site contamination assessments of potential public health threats all around the country (EPA).

Causes Effects Of Water Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

Causes Effects Of Water Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay A recent newspaper candidate that: Resource degradation and depletion, biodiversity decline, climate change increasingly complex and incredible. It is an overview about current situation of the environment. Every year, 14 billion pounds of sewage, sludge, and garbage are dumped into the world oceans, 19 trillion gallons of waste also enter the water annually. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, developed countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United State, 45 percent of assessed and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted. Thus, we must have good solution to solve this problem because it is not only useful in one person, but also in human race. Therefore, this paper with the purpose of helping us knowledge about water pollution will discuss the importance things of this problem and give out good ideas to improve environment. B. DISCUSS OF FINDINGS I. The situation of water pollution in our daily life, especially in development countries. Nowadays, water pollution is polluted more and more seriously. It is an increasingly alarming problem, running not only our drinking supplies, but training our food supplies as well. Water pollution can be defined in several ways. It occurs when energy and other materials are released, degrading the quality of the water for other users. It includes all of the waste materials that cannot be naturally broken down by water. In other words, anything that is added to the water, above and beyond it capacity to break it down, is pollution. Pollution, in certain circumstances, can be caused by native itself, such as when water flows through soils with high activities. But more often that not, human actions are responsible for the pollutants that enter the water. The percentage of water polluted is increasing sharply. For example. In Hanoi ( Vietnam) only 5-7 percent of waste water treated before discharging to the environment, while about 500.000 cubic meters of waste water discharge directl y to the rivers without any treatment. Another fact we can clearly seen that 30 percent of Irelands river are polluted with sewage or fertilizer or the King River is Australias most polluted rivers, suffering from a severe acidic condition related to mining operations 1.000.000 marine mammals. 1 million sea birds and other aquatic live are killed due to plastic waste in water and coastal area. This is the proof proving for actions of people in the world. We are destroying our life without having aware of this problem. If we do not prevent, we will face to dangerous. II. Causes and effects of water pollution. II.1 Causes of water pollution. Sources of pollution maybe subdivided into point sources and non-point sources. Point sources are sources from which pollutants are released at one readily identifiable spot: a sewer outlet, a steel mill, a septic tank, and forth. Non-point sources are more diffuse, examples would include fertilizer runoff from farm land, acid drainage from an abandoned strip mine, or runoff of sodium or calcium chloride from road salts. On a worldwide basis, agriculture probably contributes more to water pollution than does any other single activity. In the United State, agriculture is estimated to be responsible for about two-thirds of stream pollution. Agriculture runoff carries three main types of pollutants: fertilizer, brocades and animal waste. Scientists have estimated that as many as one-third of the medium and large-size lakes in the United State have been affected by accelerated eutrophication. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United State reports that eutrophication has left 90 percent of the Black Sea with critically low oxygen levels, causing a precipitous decline in the total fish catch. The Baltic sea, too, has slow increasing symptoms of the eutrophication in the last 20 years, the global blooms are thought to be at least partially responsible for declining fish catches. The herbicides and pesticides used in agriculture are an other sources of the chemical pollution of water bodies. Runof f from farms where such biocides have been applied contaminates both ground and surface waters. Biocide contamination of groundwater exist in at least 34 states. Surveys in Minnesota and Iowa, for example, indicate that 30-60 percent of private wells may be tainted by runoff from farm herbicides and pesticides. A final agriculture source of chemical pollution is animal wastes, especially in countries where animals are raised intensively. It is estimated that animal wastes in the United State total about 15 billion tons per year, with feedlots generating about haft of the total. If not treated properly, the manure pollutes both soil and water with infectious agents and excess nutrients. Agriculture is only one of the human activities that contribute to water pollution. Others sources are industry, mining, municipalities and residences. For many years, chemical were dumped into bodies of water without concern. It makes water be more opaque and dirty. Thus, our life also become uncomfortable and inconvenient. II.2. Effects of water pollution The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what location. The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water based on ecosystems. Dead fish, dolphin, birds and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollution in their habitat. In India, water pollution due to industrial wastes and sewage has been assuming menacing proportion. Large lakes and large stretches of most of the river in India have water which is unsafe for drinking purposes. Surveys of industrialized zones show that even ground water has become unfit for drinking due to high concentration of toxic metals and chemicals along with bacteriological contamination. Sewage is also another good example of how pollution can affect us all. Sewage discharged into coastal water can wash up on beaches and cause a health hazard. People who bathe or swim in water can fall ill if they swallow polluted water. Sewage can have other harmful effects too. It can poison shellfish (such as cookies and mussels) that grow near the shore. People who eat poisoned shellfish risk sufferings from an acute and sometimes fatal illness. Pollution matter because it harms the environment on which people depend. The environment is not something distant and separate from our lives. It is not a pretty shoreline hundreds of miles from out home or a wilderness landscape that we see on TV. The environment is everything that surrounds us that gives us life and health. Destroying the environment ultimately reduces the quality of our own lives and that, most selfishly is why pollution should matter to all of us. II.3 The solution for water pollution in over the world. Dealing with water solution is something that everyone (including governments and local councils) need to get involved with. Making people aware of the problem is the first step to solving it. In the early 1990s, when suffers in Britain grew tired of catching illness from water pollution with sewage, they formed a group called Surfers Against Sewage to force government and water companies to clean up their activity. Besides, we must have clearly rules to prevent group or personal from discharging waste rubbish into the rivers, lakes, ponds, seas,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By carrying out these advices with a good attitude, we can take world away from polluting and we will have a better life. C. Conclusion From all the findings above, it is clear that water pollution is still a really huge problem. It has developed greatly over the year. There are many factors leading to this situation. However, we can do some works to help our environment, which was polluted seriously. We can do some works to help our environment, which was polluted seriously. We can take individual action like using environmentally friendly detergents, not pouring oil down drains, reducing pesticides, and so on. We can take community action, too, by helping out on beach cleans or litter picks to keep our rivers and seas that little bit cleaner. And we can take action as countries and continents to pass laws that will make pollution harder and the world less polluted. Working together, we can make pollution less of a problem, and the world will be a better place.

Dinosaurs :: essays research papers

Dinosaurs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dinosaur is the name of large extinct reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, during which they were the dominant land animals on Earth. The term was proposed as a formal zoologic name in 1842 by the British anatomist Sir Richard Owen, in reference to large fossil bones unearthed in southern England. The various kinds of dinosaurs are classified in two formal categories, the orders Saurischia and Ornithischia, within the subclass Archosauria.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first recorded dinosaur remains found consisted of a few teeth and bones. They were discovered in 1882 in Sussex, England, by an English doctor, Gideon Mantell, who named them iguanodon. About the same time, other fossil teeth and bones were found near Oxford, England, by Rev. William Buckland. These were named Megalosaurus. Thousands of specimens have since been discovered nearly worldwide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Different types of dinosaurs varied greatly in form and size, and they were adapted for diverse habitats. Their means of survival can only be identified from their fossil remains, and some identifications are in dispute. They ranged in weight from 4 to 6 lb., in the case of the compsognathus, and up to 160,000 lb., in the case of the brachiosaurus. Most dinosaurs were large, weighing more than 1,100 lb., and few weighed less than 100 lb. Most were herbivores, but some saurischians were carnivorous. The majority were four- footed but some ornithischians and all carnivores walked on their hind legs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Always classified as reptiles, dinosaurs have traditionally been assumed to have been reptilian in their physiology, cold-blooded, and ectothermic. In recent years several different lines of evidence have been interpreted as indicating that dinosaurs may have had warm blood and high rates of metabolism, comparable to birds and mammals. Evidence supporting this view includes upright posture and carriage; mammallike microscopical structure of bones; skeletal features suggestive of high activity; and specialized food-processing dentitions and low ratios of dinosaurian predators to prey animals, both suggesting high food requirements. The evidence is not conclusive--all the facts can be alternatively explained--but some dinosaurs may have been endothermic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reproductive means of most dinosaurs is as yet unknown. Fossil eggs, attributed to one of the horned dinosaurs and a sauropod, have been discovered in Mongolia and France. Fragments that are presumed to be of dinosaur eggs have also been found in Brazil, Portugal, Tanzania, and in the United States, Colorado, Montana, and Utah. In Montana, Utah, and Alberta, Canada, fossils of unhatched dinosaur eggs have been discovered. This evidence indicates egg- laying reproduction in dinosaurs, like most modern reptiles. A few scientists believe that some dinosaurs may have given birth to living young, but no

The History of Montserrat :: Essays Papers

The history of the island of Montserrat has been characterized by instability from the time of its discovery to its present-day status as a Dependent Overseas Territory of Great Britain. With a wide range of concerns regarding the issue of independence, the inhabitants of Montserrat remain unsure of their ability to maintain their own economic development and survive without financial assistance from Britain. The geography of Montserrat has consistently posed a threat to the people of the island, whose lives are largely dependent on the land they inhabit. The first Europeans to spot Montserrat did so on 10 November 1493, as Columbus’ ship sailed from Guadeloupe towards Hispaniola. Though he named the island, Columbus and the Spanish took little interest in Montserrat, and nothing more was written about the island by a European until July 1631. At that time, Amerindians were using the island, though perhaps not living there, and no Europeans had settled Montserrat. However, only two-and-a-half years later, in January 1634, another written account describes Montserrat as having been settled by Irish Catholics (Pulsipher 1986 7). The first settlers of Montserrat were most likely from St. Kitts and arrived there in 1632 (Rogozinski 75). By the 1650s, English and Anglo-Irish landowners formed the wealthy ruling class, and Irish indentured servants formed the bulk of the population (Pulsipher 1986 12). Many of the first Irish Catholic settlers came from Virginia, New England, and the British Isles (Pulsipher 1986 7). Of the white population in 1678, 70% were Irish indentured servants (Rogozinski 76). There were also several hundred African slaves living on Montserrat by 1654 (Pulsipher 1986 12). The British landowners used their servants and slaves to grow cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar (Pulsipher 1986 8). By the early 1680s, Montserrat was a â€Å"sugar island,† and by 1700 was shipping 29 million pounds of sugar to England and Wales annually (Pulsipher 1986 12). During this time there were a number of restrictive laws passed by the British government to regulate trade and exporting, particularly for the purpose of eliminating Dutch traders from interfering in their affairs. By the 1650s, the Dutch had established themselves as a source of connection between the Caribbean islands and the rest of the world and went so far as to build a number of warehouses for the protection of market-ready crops on Montserrat (Pulsipher 1986 8). The History of Montserrat :: Essays Papers The history of the island of Montserrat has been characterized by instability from the time of its discovery to its present-day status as a Dependent Overseas Territory of Great Britain. With a wide range of concerns regarding the issue of independence, the inhabitants of Montserrat remain unsure of their ability to maintain their own economic development and survive without financial assistance from Britain. The geography of Montserrat has consistently posed a threat to the people of the island, whose lives are largely dependent on the land they inhabit. The first Europeans to spot Montserrat did so on 10 November 1493, as Columbus’ ship sailed from Guadeloupe towards Hispaniola. Though he named the island, Columbus and the Spanish took little interest in Montserrat, and nothing more was written about the island by a European until July 1631. At that time, Amerindians were using the island, though perhaps not living there, and no Europeans had settled Montserrat. However, only two-and-a-half years later, in January 1634, another written account describes Montserrat as having been settled by Irish Catholics (Pulsipher 1986 7). The first settlers of Montserrat were most likely from St. Kitts and arrived there in 1632 (Rogozinski 75). By the 1650s, English and Anglo-Irish landowners formed the wealthy ruling class, and Irish indentured servants formed the bulk of the population (Pulsipher 1986 12). Many of the first Irish Catholic settlers came from Virginia, New England, and the British Isles (Pulsipher 1986 7). Of the white population in 1678, 70% were Irish indentured servants (Rogozinski 76). There were also several hundred African slaves living on Montserrat by 1654 (Pulsipher 1986 12). The British landowners used their servants and slaves to grow cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar (Pulsipher 1986 8). By the early 1680s, Montserrat was a â€Å"sugar island,† and by 1700 was shipping 29 million pounds of sugar to England and Wales annually (Pulsipher 1986 12). During this time there were a number of restrictive laws passed by the British government to regulate trade and exporting, particularly for the purpose of eliminating Dutch traders from interfering in their affairs. By the 1650s, the Dutch had established themselves as a source of connection between the Caribbean islands and the rest of the world and went so far as to build a number of warehouses for the protection of market-ready crops on Montserrat (Pulsipher 1986 8).

Psychology & Religion: The Spirtual Side to Counseling Essay -- essays

Abstract: In today’s society the field of psychology and the study of religion have hardly ever set will with one another. New information is being composed about the two fields working together, this paper is a brief description of those ideas and thoughts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The psychological study of religion in the United States illustrates tensions and opportunities that exist between psychology and religion. It also demonstrates the multifaceted views taken by psychologists as they address areas of living that have personal implications. Following the early period, American psychology’s push toward behaviorism resulted in the neglect of spiritual matters. The reductionism methods of behaviorism left little room for matters of faith, or for any other theoretical constructs that were not measured directly. Consequently, psychology left religion for other topic that were considered to be more scientific and several decades of neglect ensued. Psychologist’ interest in religion resumed in the 1950’s. Gordon Allport’s (1950) attempt to describe the role of religion in people’s experience began his indelible mark on the field, and to this day his Intrinsic-Extrinsic distinction in religious motivation r emains the most influential approach in psychological studies of religion in the United States. In the years since then, several developments have combined to suggest, according to the traditional view of psychology of religion, that the fields is experiencing a resurgence of interest. These include the establishment of professional journals giving an outlet to psychological study of religion, and the apparently increasing availability of college classes focusing on psychology of religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychologists who study religion, however, address â€Å" an object whose reality can be received only in the state of faith† (p.32). the act of belief is critical to religious knowledge and experience. In psychology, skepticism is an enduring value, but in religion it is an intermediate step on the pathway to belief. This sets up a tension between psychology and religion, which results in psychologists having low rates of religious activity, when compared to other scientific and academic groups (Richards & Bergin, 1997). The methods and assumptions favored by psychology have appeared to be incompatible wi... ...terest to psychologists. It also challenges the psychologist’s ingenuity to conduct research on constructs that cannot easily be studied experimentally. At a more abstract level, the link between psychology and religion helps psychology maintain its historical connection with philosophy. As psychologist seek to employ the techniques of the natural sciences, the psychology of religion reminds us that our roots are in philosophy, and that the assumption we make regarding our subject matter have important implication for our science. Bibliography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baston, C.D. (1996) You take the high road. The International Journal for the Pyschology of Religion, 6, 159-164.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bergin, A.E. (1980). Psychotherapy and religious values. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 75-105. Hood, R. W. Jr. (1999, November). American Psychology of Religion and the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Wulff, D. W. (1998) Rethinking the rise and fall of the psychology of religion. In A.L. Molendijk and P. Pel (Eds.), Religion in the making: The emergence of the sciences of religion, (pp.181-202). .

Implications of the Bertrand Model

In 1893 French economist Joseph Bertrand developed his Bertrand model of competition from his review of Antoine Cournots study of a Spring Water duopoly. His criticism lay with how firms in oligopolies compete. In his model firms compete with prices rather than Cornots quantities. (REFERENCE TO SPANISH JOURNAL) The model consists of two firms who set prices simultaneously and independently (HUGH GRAVIELLE AND AY REES, MICROECONOMICES), jean tiral explains this as when one firm sets its price it is ignorant to its rival’s price, rather it â€Å"anticipates† what they will charge. It is assumed products are homogeneous and perfect substitutes (ECCSTRAT) and due to the nature of the product the firm supplying output at the lowest price will gain the entire market demand. (GB! ) This firm will have to supply all the forthcoming demand at the price they have set; gb1 from this an important assumption of the model is that there are no capacity constraints, that both firms have the same marginal cost, which remains constant, and that demand is liner. GB2 As stated, the entire market demand for homogeneous products will go to the firm offering the lowest price, although if both firms were to sell at the same price â€Å"a sharing rule must be assumed† GB2. Using an example from the ((((((( lets suppose the market demand for a homogeneous product is given by, Q = 120-p (where Q is quantity demanded and p is price charged). The marginal cost (MC) for both producers is, C=$30, and both producers sell output at p=c=$30. The demand for each producer is Q=0. 5*120-p=45. Lets say producer A increased their price to c=$31, the entire market demand would transfer to producer B who would now have a demand function of Qb=120-c=90, while producer A would have zero demand. However if producer A had reduced their price to c=$29, they would capture the entire market demand through charging the lowest cost, however they would make a $1 loss in each product sold. From this, the Nash equilibrium for the Bertrand model lies where P=MC, with demand so heavily influenced by price producers do not want to be undercut by rivals. With P=MC no rival will undercut as zero profits are preferable to negative profits, and any firm trying to charge above the MC and make positive profits will receive no sales. The suggestion is the addition of one firm restores perfect market competition (Jean Tirole, 1998), moving the market form monopoly power and profits (maximum inefficiency) to perfectly competitive (maximum efficiency). It had been deemed a paradox as it is difficult to believe that two firms in a duopolistic market can make zero profits. We are able to resolve Bertrand’s paradox through relaxing and of the three integral assumptions of the model (intro to industrial org l. M. B Cabrail). In order to analyse its practical relevance and its implications, this essay will now give examples of where the paradox can be deconstructed. The first example of a solution comes from a combination of two assumptions, the first is the absence of capacity constraints, and the second firms make decisions independently. In the model whichever firm firm is charging the lowest price will receive the entire market demand, and is â€Å"expected to supply all forthcoming demand at the price it has set† (old xavior). There are few situations in the real world where one firm could satisfy the demand of the whole market. Using the previous example, producer B gained the entire market demand (Q=120-$30=90). Let’s assume producer B has a capacity constraint below 90 units. There is now a proportion of the market that can only be satisfied by producer A, who can use monopoly power and make positive profits as the only producer. (managerial Economics a strategic approach). This example shows how with the inclusion of a common real world problem, Bertrand’s proposed equilibrium of price equal to marginal cost is deconstructed. A second implication of capacity constraints is their effect on collision between firms. Collusion reduces market competiveness, firms tactically agree to set prices above particular levels and to not to engage in price wars,(REF). A positive relationship between excess capacity and collusion was identified by David and Deneckere, who found excess capacity is a â€Å"prerequisite for stable collusion† while it provides a â€Å"stronger bargaining position within cartels† (QUOTE TO JOURNALS THAT ARE ON JUIBILEE AND WOLF). These effects have been see in oil cartel OPEC, which has existed since the second world war and where the largest producer, Saudi Arabia can flood the market if small producers â€Å"cheat† on their quotas. (paul Pijush). Through years of controlling supply and therefore price the carte will receive one trillion dollars in revenues this year, (Wall street post). The prisoners dilemma is â€Å"a particular game between two captured prisoners that illustrates why cooperation is difficult to maintain even when mutually beneficial† (REF). It helps to demonstrate the logic behind Bertrand’s Paradox. Both firms would benefit from charging a price higher than marginal cost, however at this level both firms have an incentive to undercut one another. (managerial economics). If the rules of the game can be changed each agent would receive a higher revenue payoff. (Global Business Mike W peng). Two companies who saw this were General Electric (GE) and Westinghouse. In the early 1960s these two companies controlled over 98% of the US market for large turbine generators. Prior to purchase, electric utilities would negotiate with GE and Westinghouse who, as in Bertrand competition, competed on price. Government owned utilities accounted for twenty five percent of the market share and by law had to purchase from the cheapest provider and publish the price. The two firms generated low profit, as Bertrand competition predicts, until GE ‘changed the rules of the game’ by introducing a price book. The process effectively set a higher market price and guaranteed higher profits, the price publishing behaviour continued successfully until 1975 when the US Department of Justice investigated the industry. Price books were ruled to breach anti-competition laws and the firms were fined. The book, Technology and Transformation in the American Electric Utility Industry by Richard F. Hirsh goes into this example in much greater depth. This is an important example as it demonstrates that Bertrand competition can exist in the real world. However the assumption of zero profits, or in the example, low profits encourages companies to collude to set higher prices and make positive profits. The Bertrand model also assumes that with the entrant of a second firm into the market, and the subsequent Nash equilibrium, price equal to marginal cost, removes the need for policy makers to intervene. However form the previous example this is obviously false as policy makers did have to intervene and sanctions were made. To stress this point, another example; Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet moved powers of oil price fixation to the Oil Companies Advisory Committee in 2001, through flawed polices profits of the duopolists Pakistan State Oil and Shell Pakistan increased by 232% between 2001 to 2005. which lead to further state involvement to enforce price restrictions and encourage competition. (competition reporter. 25,05,2009). In the Bertrand model we assumed that both firms had the same costs of production which remain constant. It is an extreme assumption that two firms would incur exactly the same costs when producing their products, let us now assume that one firm had a cost advantage, i. e. firm A can produce marginally less expensively that firm B (cA

How Powerful Do You Find Atticus Finch’s Closing Speech?

In a final bid to secure freedom for Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch uses several linguistic tools in his last speech to the jury to attempt to sway their opinions of Tom’s guilt in the crime. Emotive language is used in Atticus’s speech to create a powerful effect in his audience. He first uses to make people feel sorry for Mayella Ewell: ‘She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance’. Use of the word ‘victim’ is effective in building pity for Mayella, as it implies that she is not at fault for her misfortunes and is instead the poor unfortunate soul suffering due to circumstances that she could not control. This pity is then used as a way for the jurors to feel a connection with Tom, who, as Atticus points out, is ‘a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman’. By reminding the jurors that Tom is not so different from them, in that they all pity Mayella, Atticus relates them with Tom. Pity for Tom is also evoked, as Atticus reminds the jurors that Tom was merely ‘a quiet, respectable, humble Negro’. Words such as ‘humble’ builds up an image of an unassuming man and plants a little seed of doubt about Tom’s guilt in the minds of the jurors. Atticus also tries to lead the jury to feel pity for Tom by putting a little emphasis on Tom’s plight: ‘[Tom] has had to put his word against two white people’s. In that time of racial prejudice, for Tom to contradict any white person was a desperate path, as black people are usually assumed to be in the wrong automatically, and therefore, through reminding the jurors of Tom’s testimony, Atticus is attempting to bring forth pity for Tom. The tone of the statement also suggests that such a drastic action was not by choice; with the phrase ‘h as had to’, Atticus is insinuating that it was Tom’s last resort, that Tom was forced by the circumstances to challenge the Ewells’s testimonies. The evidence is presented to the jury in a clear manner: ‘There is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left†¦ and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses – his right hand. ’ Here, Atticus is very definite on the evidence and leaves no room for ambiguity; he emphasises the fact that Tom had only one functional hand, his right. The effect of this observation is powerful, because it forces the jury to take a moment and reconsider; Atticus’s statement clearly outlines that Mayella was beaten by a left-hander, a feat impossible for the crippled Tom, therefore reinforcing an earlier assertion by Atticus: ‘The defendant is not guilty, but someone in this court-room is. ’ The tone in this allegation adds a little dramatic tension to the atmosphere of the courtroom and helps Atticus gain the interest and attention of the audience as they wait to hear to whom Atticus has assigned the guilt. The tone of Atticus’s speech also brings in another persuasive element. An example of this is seen when Atticus disdains the assumption that all black people are liars and immoral beings not to be trusted around white women: ‘Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. ’ The words of this statement suggest a rather forceful tone as Atticus asserts that to stereotype is wrong. Through the use of inclusive phrases, such as ‘we know’, Atticus is also able to evoke a slight feeling of shame in the jurors as he indirectly reprimands their prejudice by implying that they ought to have known that their generalisation of black people was simply not true. Atticus tries further to break this long-ingrained prejudice by telling his audience that they are all the same: ‘You know the truth and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women – black and white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this court-room who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman with desire. ’ With this proclamation, Atticus is able to show that Tom is no different in character to anyone else and that the jury should not allow racist perceptions to influence their verdict and cause them to judge Tom basing their opinions on how likely they think those of his race are to commit this terrible offense. Atticus later augments his plea by noting that ideally, justice is blind: ‘But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal†¦ The institution, gentlemen, is a court†¦ in our courts, all men are created equal. ’ Atticus is beseeching the jurors to look upon the case with an unprejudiced eye, reminding all that everyone deserves justice, regardless of skin colour. His point, that ‘all men are created equal’, is also repeated, to emphasise that a jury, or indeed, anyone at all, should not judge based on race, but on the truth. Personally, I find Atticus’s speech extremely powerful in that it is deeply convincing. The manipulation and use of the words is also incredibly effective, causing the audience to feel exactly as intended and by the end of the speech, one could hardly doubt that Tom was truly innocent of the heinous crime of which he was accused.