“A Stranger in the Village” by Baldwin

â€Å"Stranger in the Village† by James Baldwin is about author’s experience in a small village situated in Switzerland. Baldwin writes that he is black and because of his race he villagers find him different and, thus, fascinating. He says that villagers have never seen a black man: â€Å"†¦from all available evidence no black man had ever set foot†.Therefore, they are curious about his color of a skin and it is interesting for them to find out whether black man can ever rub off. Baldwin admits that small children are afraid of him because a black man for them was something similar to devil. Actually, Baldwin is treated as an exotic rarity, though Baldwin thinks that the difference between whites and blacks doesn’t exist in American society. He doesn’t want to be regarded as rarity; instead he wants to be treated equally as human being.The author often refers to emotions when writing about conflicts which appear in the Swiss village. In partic ular, these emotions are outrage and astonishment.In such a way, the author in his essay contrasts his experience of being a black man offering an insightful critique of the history of American race relations: â€Å"What one’s imagination makes of other people is dictated, of course, by the laws of one's own personality and it is one of the ironies of black-white relations that, by means of what the white man imagines the black man to be, the black man is enabled to know who the white man is†.The author says that an air of racism will be always present in society, because he was called â€Å"le sale negre† behind his back. Furthermore, he was accused of stealing wood. Because of such treatment, Baldwin feels undeniable rage toward the villagers.Misconception of his complexion leads to misconception of his human credibility and results in perceiving as a â€Å"living wonder†.   Despite the fact that people try to eliminate racism in American society, rac ial discrimination is still alive in smaller towns and villages. He concludes that no one enjoys being considered an alien.

Changing perspectives on Othello

Depending on cultural differences and upbringing a text will have different impacts on the audience. Like any great piece of literature, William Shakespearean plays deal with timeless concerns that have the ability to be adapted and presented to remain relevant for modern audiences. Shakespearean Othello Is a Jacobean play written In a time of racist attitudes towards foreigners and sexist attitudes to women. This revenge tragedy follows the protagonist Othello, a black army general who Is manipulated by his ensign Ago.For me the way that race and color is presented in entrant to the stereotypical portrayal highlights the prejudice apparent in not only the Jacobean society but our own as well. This is portrayed through Sago's racist depiction of Othello and the opposing imagery of black and white. The play can also be viewed as having a strong feminist theme. The two heroines are portrayed as capable and steadfast individuals. Both women are the only characters that remain justified throughout in their loyalty to their husbands. My Interest In Othello Is drawn to the way that race and color is presented.Shakespeare was revolutionary in his casting of a black man to be the tragic hero and white man to be the villain. In Jacobean society and even In many societies toddy, the audience would of expected to see a black man as the felon. The setting In Cyprus Is dramatically significant as it is isolated in the wild frontiers of war. Away from the structured society of Venice social norms and hierarchy are not relevant allowing Shakespeare to place a Moor in a position of authority. This daring theme of a black man in power has remained controversial ever since and it wasn't until 1833 that a black man actually played the part.The issue of mixed race relationships was specially an issue in segregated America up until the twentieth century with Othello being played with blackjack till 1940. The unnatural war setting also enables Sago's passion to be unmasked, unregula ted by the usual constraints of society. In the exposition our first Impression of this revolutionary character Is from Ago when he disrespectfully describes Othello as â€Å"the devil†, Glenn the Impression of a beastly, barbaric man. This Is quickly contradicted when the audience Is presented with the confident and calm Othello who is clearly respected by his peers and is able to speak with grace.Othello is seen as â€Å"far more fair than black†, challenging the prejudice of the audience by demonstrating the opposite to what they expect. On the other hand Ago is a â€Å"hellish villain† portraying the stereotypical qualities that a Jacobean audience would expect from a black man. Shakespeare creates dramatic effect and reinforces the audience's perceptions of evil being dark through the opposing imagery of black verses white. Lags evil work is performed In the duologue's with Othello, which always occur at night. It is In this darkness that Othello Jealousy I s stirred and he Is taken away from the pure and white Desman.Ago Is using Adhesion's goodness, which Is portrayed as light, to be the evil and darkness that destroys them all. Unmasking himself In a soliloquy I turn her virtue into pitch, That shall enmesh them all†. This reinforces the continuing theme of light opposing dark. Lags inherent racism takes its toll on Othello and gradually he acts according to this stereotype. As the play reaches the catastrophe the noble language of Othello reverts to that of the swearing Ago. Othello becomes like his enemy, a destructive avenger. Evil has won but has to triumphed as Othello finally recognizes Lags black heart, â€Å"l†¦ Emend that deem- devil why he has thus ensnared my soul†. The struggle between light and dark, despite the tragic catastrophe, resolves and light prevails. A common feminist valuation of the play focuses on how the play portrays the strength of women. In the dominant patriarchy of Jacobean culture w omen were not free to make their own decisions. Desman is portrayed as a strong heroine with an uncommon verbal dexterity, not normally portrayed in Jacobean plays. She asserts her independence and challenges the patriarchy by scandalously eloping withOthello. Her father Abrogation is quick to pass Judgment and disown his daughter as â€Å"dead? † â€Å"Ay to me! † even before he has even seen her. A Jacobean audience would have understood the father's treatment of his daughter whereas viewers today would see this as an inherently sexist act. Ago presents the misogynistic view that a Jacobean audience would relate to, believing that a women is only meant to enhance a man's image and bring children into the would. â€Å"she that was ever fair, and never proud Had tongue at will, and yet never loud†¦ Though Sago's beliefs are extreme they represent society's expectation of the role of omen in contrast to the actions of the strong women in the play. The strength of these women can be seen through the solidity of both wives loyalty to their husbands. In the two women's duologue they talk of adultery â€Å"l would not do such a thing†¦ But for the whole world†. The only reason that they would sleep with another man would be if they were given the world so that their husbands could rule it. Adhesion's strength also amplified by the way that the play is structured.Her purity and character is Juxtaposed against how easily Othello fell under Lags malignant manipulation. She remains faithful to Othello till her last breath, not blaming her husband for her murder but â€Å"l myself†. Even though Emilie holds a very cynical view of how men portray her, most likely from her experience with Ago, â€Å"they are all but stomachs; and we all but food†. She also remains loyal to her husband stealing the handkerchief â€Å"but to please his fantasy†. Although both women are murdered and the masculine power is restored the miso gynistic men do not triumph. It is only the women who remain Justified.In conclusion there are as many views of Othello as there are responders. For me the play highlights the way that a black man is portrayed in society throughout the ages. I see this through setting, dramatic structure and the opposing imagery of light verses dark. Another common interpretation of the play is the way that the play presents women. Shakespeare creates strong, individual women who are loyal and stable throughout. Their strength is emphasized through Juxtaposition and metaphor. Like would have been revolutionary for a Jacobean audience but sadly they are still relevant today in a world still fighting for social Justice.

Wireless Networks: Free Wireless Access

The availability of free wireless access in local communities with the use of web sites that allows searches for accessibility of wires networks all over the country is the scope of this paper. The paper also provides background information about the experience of having to browse the internet with the use of free wireless access.The paper arrives at a conclusion with a commentary on the issues concerning the movement persuading the government to provide free wireless access to everyone and its possible influences and outcomes, especially to the people and the business sector. It also provides a critical analysis about the notion behind free access, or not having to pay at all, for wireless network connections.Using the three search engines, Wi-Fi Free Spot, JiWire, and HotSpot Locations, the scope of free wireless access providers can be identified. In the United States alone, there are numerous areas, town, cities or states alike, where free wireless access is available.Business es tablishments, such as restaurants, coffee houses, gasoline stations, hotels, movie theaters, etc. provides free wireless access for their customers. Areas that are open to the public, such as public libraries, airports, bus stations, post offices, parks, hospitals, museums, schools and universities, some residential areas, and even beaches, also have free access to wireless networks.Browsing through the World Wide Web with the use of a free wireless network is fast and easy.   Unlike other business establishments who provide subscriptions or payments for the use of their wireless networks, the free wireless access requires no payment at all. Despite the fact that internet usage is free of charge, it also comes with high-speed internet connectivity that would satisfy the requirements of customers who access the internet in these areas.However, accessing the wireless network for free would bring you to electronic billboards packed with numerous advertisements promoting several produ cts and merchandises. Some establishments even advertise their own products over the World Wide Web. For instance, a coffee shop would advertise their most popular or newly launched products while their customer is browsing through the internet, by posting banner advertisements, pop-up windows etc.Well-known brand name producers of personal computers and input devices, mobile phones and personal digital assistants, and such even post banner advertisements to promote their products. I am guessing that these paid advertisements provide for the payment and maintenance of free wireless networks. However, I might be thinking incorrectly.There are numerous wireless operators providing wireless network services in all areas free of charge. The advent of wireless services access began as the use of wireless technologies such as laptops, personal digital assistants, pocket personal computers, and mobile phones has become widespread not just in the country but worldwide. This served as an opp ortunity for business corporations and establishments to gain a new breed of clients, in this case, internet users and clients.The United States government’s policy to provide free wireless access to all was organized by network managements, businessmen and online clients who would want to gain access to the World Wide Web anywhere they go without having to pay anything, and business proprietors alike who were aiming to draw customers to their establishments to help increase their profit.At first, wireless access was offered with due fees that was to be paid by the customer. The free wireless access was implemented right after, when people nationwide asked for free access to networks because of its positive outcomes and benefits.However, providing free wireless access to all harbors certain issues and concerns to the minds of the people. If wireless access is free, then who is paying for it? Business corporations and establishments who advertise through the internet contribut es to free wireless access, however, to base the complimentary access tow wireless networks on paid advertisements is improbable.As city governments over the country are starting to implement the free wireless access to all policy, some people have started second-guessing the concept of free access to wireless networks. Many people say that it is not at all free because the people pay for network access through the taxes they pay to the city government.This issue takes side with the people who do not at all use wireless networks to access the internet. As this is the case, they are obligated to pay for what they are not actually using. However, the benefits of free wireless access to all policy is undeniable, as it is not only available in business establishments but in public areas as well.For instance, providing free network access services in public libraries, educational institutions and universities, and parks, would be beneficial to the learning process of students and the ped agogical techniques of educators. It also organizes and systematizes the life of a community, as it makes communication and provision of services easier. For instance, addressing concerns to the city government is made easier by communicating through the World Wide Web.The other side of free wireless access influences the business sector. As they used to believe that providing free wireless access would allow them to invite people in purchasing their products, it has only done otherwise.To illustrate, coffee shops who provide free wireless access are packed with customers each day, however, it does not hold true that they really purchase products from them. Some people only go to these establishments for the relaxing environment and the free wireless access.ReferencesCisco. (2007). City Government Improves Service and Stimulates Local Economy. RetrievedDecember 6, 2007, from Cisco Systems, Inc. Website: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns621/networking_solutions_customer_profile090 0aecd804654bd.htmlHotSpot Locations: The Wireless Directory. (2007). Retrieved December 6, 2007, from Hotspot-Locations. Website: http://www.hotspot-locations.com/JiWire. (2007). Retrieved December 6, 2007, from JiWire, Inc. Website:http://www.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htmSeltzer, L. (2005). Wireless Access: The Next Great Municipal Crisis. Retrieved December 6,2007, from Ziff Davis Enterprise, Inc. Website: HotSpot Locations: The Wireless Directory. (2007). Retrieved December 6, 2007, from Hotspot-Locations. Website: http://www.hotspot-locations.com/Wi-Fi Free Spot: The Wi-Fi-Freespot Directory. (2007). Retrieved December 6, 2007, from Wi-Fi-Freespot Directory. Website: http://www.wififreespot.com/

Family dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family dynamics - Essay Example It is obvious that alcoholism has to be tackled in ways that are unique to each addict. While basic theories may be used to treat the underlying causes of the disease, it is necessary to address the issues that are unique to every alcohol addict in order to stem the excess use of alcohol by that particular individual. Demographics of Families affected by Alcohol In America today, there are approximately 15 men and women who are addicted to alcohol and use it on a regular basis. These alcoholics come from diverse religions and ethnic backgrounds, and can be found in all age groups. According to Babor (2010) 43% of the American population has had to deal, at some time or other, with an alcoholic within the family. Today, 18% of all American children live with an alcoholic in the family (Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2009). Of this figure, more than 55% are children who are still perceived to be dependants who rely on t heir parents for sustenance. According to Babor (2010), the consumption of excess alcohol kills more than 75,000 Americans on an annual basis. These deaths may result from binge drinking or simply continuous heavy drinking which wears down the body’s vital organs such as the liver. ... This is because there are pressures from peers that they have to deal with while also having to handle the pressure of starting new relationships as well as careers. The Effect on the Family The families of alcoholics are often greatly affected by their destructive addiction. They may have to live with the pressure of maintaining a facade of normalcy to the outside world while also having to bear the problems that the alcoholic causes. Alcoholics usually have short attention spans once they start to drink and can cause problems that they will not remember after the effect of the alcohol wear out (Joyce, 2011). The families of alcoholics may have to deal with violent behavior exhibited by the alcoholic, economic problems caused by the alcoholic’s use of family finances to support his or her problem, and low relationship satisfaction. Any children born into families where one of the parents is an alcoholic also learn quickly not to trust that parent (Joyce, 2011). Communication in such families is marked by constant criticism, blame, misplaced guilt, dissatisfaction in emotional relationships, and complaints (Babor, 2010). Chaos and conflict is common in families that have alcoholics. There is also a lot of unpredictability, and the breakdown of traditional family rituals. Physical as well as emotional abuse is also very common in such families. Theories of Alcohol Addiction There are different theories that seek to address the cause of alcoholism in people. The genetic theory holds that there are inherited mechanisms, particularly among people that had alcoholic parents, which predispose people to desiring alcohol or consuming it in excess (Hingson, Zha

Evaluating The Research Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluating The Research Process - Essay Example Thomson Medical carried out a research on childhood obesity focused with the research questions such as; what are the costs of obesity, what are the appropriate treatment patterns, what are the disparities in care and prevalent medical conditions. This study considered the following ethical issues when collecting data; consent, privacy and confidentiality. The facilitator had to obtain consent from parents and guardians by promising them that the names of the children affected was not to be revealed. Thus, the question of privacy and confidentiality was addressed from the parental consent. Obesity is considered as an epidemic in America. A research quoted in the literature review indicates that 16% of U.S children could be obese (Christofell, 2012). Further the study shows that the health problem is more prevalent to children covered by public health insurance for instance Medicaid as compared to those covered by private insurances. According to the findings, children covered by publ ic health insurance are about six times like to be treated with obesity as compared to those covered by private insurance. ... ational cost of childhood obesity is estimated to be approximately $11 billion for children with private insurance and $3 billion for those in Medicaid. In addition children covered by Medicaid are six times more likely to be diagnosed with obesity than those covered by private insurance. Obesity was also found to be a major cause of absents in schools where it was found that obese children are absent for more days than the average weight children. Among the studied population, obese children missed school for 12.2 days on average per year while those of average weight missed for an average of 10 days (Christofell, 2012). Such kind of absenteeism disrupts children learning, causes parents to miss work has accost effect to the school systems. Children diagnosed with obesity are 2 to 3 more likely to be hospitalized and children who receive public insurance are less likely to visit the doctor but they are more likely visit the hospital more often as compared to children with private in surance (Wilkins, 2011). Children treated for obesity is more likely to get a mental health disorders or joint and bone disorders than non-obese children. Treatment for these conditions can contribute to the higher medical costs than average weight children. Other conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease are likely to emerge as these children age, causing medical costs associated with obesity to continue rising. The methodology used involved an analysis examination of the subset of children treated for obesity as recorded in the national database for children with private health insurance and database of children with public insurance. The research focused on children aged 17 years and under who had received diagnosis of obesity as small fraction of the obese children because most

Mother Teresa, my hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mother Teresa, my hero - Essay Example She is my hero due to her sincere dedication to devote her life to help the poor in Calcutta. As a child, she never knew she would be a nun, but she was always fascinated with the works of missionaries. As Gutzman, Joan, a biographer who wrote about her life said, Mother Teresa is shy and quiet, a strong and independent lady. She is portrayed as someone â€Å"who is always on her own person, startlingly independent, obedient, yet challenging some preconceived notions and expectations. Her own life story includes many illustrations of her willingness to listen to and follow her own conscience, even when it seemed to contradict what was expected† (Gutzman, Joan). Mother Teresa could be regarded as a model and a moral leader because she lived a life of excellence; she motivated a lot of girls to enter into her congregation, followed her vocation, and a lot of people to support her mission. She became a model to the poor as she chose to serve the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa came from a well to do family but thru her vocation she preferred to live in simplicity and poverty. She was a nurse and a teacher who never grew tired of serving the poor. She thought of teaching the poor children from scratches. She used a stick and wrote letters from the dirt to teach children how to read.

Critically evaluate the role of CO2 as a greenhouse gas in Essay

Critically evaluate the role of CO2 as a greenhouse gas in contributing to global warming - Essay Example Carbon dioxide has internal vibrational modes since it has more than two atoms per molecule thus can absorb and radiate heat thus leading to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide also can stay in the atmosphere for many years unlike water vapor thus acts as a controlling factor of the earth’s surface temperatures (Houghton 2004). Carbon dioxide and global warming Natural gases including oil and coal in automobile engines will raise the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Pepper, Gerba and Brusseau 2006). Farming practices such use of nitrous oxide and deforestation also contributes to emission of carbon dioxide (Maslin 2002). Generally, the sun releases sunlight and heat to the earth’s surface but only 70 percent of the sunlight manages to reach the earth’s surface (Oxlade 2003). The sunlight is reflected back to the atmosphere through infrared radiation but the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reflects back the heat to the earth’s surface thus lea ding to global warming (Farrar 2008). Some of the longer wavelengths will be absorbed by the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide thus warming up the atmosphere (Oxlade 2003). The carbon dioxide will act like a mirror by reflecting back to the earth heat energy thus would otherwise be lost in the atmosphere thus leading to global warming. ... The absorption of heat depends on the spectral location (wavelength), the strength and also the shape of each particular line. Suppose the absorption line is an inverted bell-shaped line, the amplitude of the curve or the depth will be determined by the strength of the absorption line and amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere (Oxlade 2003). Negative effects of global warming One of the negative impacts of global warming is melting of the polar ice caps that will lead to rise in sea levels. According to Snow data, the absolute melting of all glaciers would raise the sea levels by 230 feet (Farrar 2008). The desalination of the seas will distort the currents that control the sea temperature. The glaciers are white in colour and usually reflect some sunlight thus cooling the earth’s surface. The melting of the ices will also endanger the habitants of some special species thus leading to their extinction (Colls 2004). The increase in global warming will contribute to intense droughts and heat waves especially in dry areas such as Africa (Farrar 2008). Global warming will also lead to warmer seas thus leading to disasters like strong hurricanes that can lead to lose of lives and property especially in coastline areas (Wang, Pereira and Hung 2004). Increase in the warming will lead to migration of insects thus leading to spread of diseases by the disease carrying insects especially in Northern countries (Williams 2002). The species in arctic areas, mountains and tropical seas will migrate thus spreading diseases (Farrar 2008). The United Kingdom reduced the six greenhouse gases covered by Kyoto protocol by 549.3 million tones of carbon dioxide in 2011. Carbon dioxide alone accounted for 84 percent of the UK greenhouse emissions in 2010. The carbon

Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Political Theory - Essay Example These leaders assume their respective positions in government for a specified period of time after which they return to their normal work never to serve the people again. During their tenure in the government, leaders in a republic should serve the interests of the people who elected them at the expense of their personal interests. In any state, republicanism emphasizes on several significant concepts that include dedication to serving the people, advantages of universal political participation, the negative effects of corruption, strict adherence to the rule of law, and the necessity to separate powers. From these concepts, the most significant value that stands apart in republicanism is political liberty. In this case, political liberty transcends the lack of government interference in private affairs to incorporate self-reliance and self-discipline as key determinants of societal wellbeing. Political liberty keeps off the government and its leadership from the private lives of its citizens. The government’s interference with the private lives of its citizens only happens when individual activities threaten the wellbeing of the entire republic. As such, the role of the government in a republic is to protect the entire republic (Duff, 2011). ... Particularly, the essay explores the extent to which Jon Locke’s social contract theory is compatible with the republican ideologies of Niccolo Machiavelli. Understanding Social Contract Social contract is a convention between humans that aims to discard the state of nature. Under this state of nature, individuals coexist peacefully without the interference by the government and its written rules and regulations. Principles of justice based on individual ability to reason efficiently guide the people’s way of life. These principles include the right to liberty and the right to live. They apply to all individuals regardless of race or ethnicity. Through reasoning, most individuals seek to follow these principles; nonetheless, the lack of written regulations results to challenges especially in the manner at which individuals solve the arising interpersonal conflicts (Maloy, 2009). In times of such conflicts, the state of nature becomes a social contract as individuals see k assistance from the state. To solve these conflicts, the state sets up rules and enforces them prompting the people to pay the state for its role in conflict resolution. In this process, the government sets up legislatures, law enforcement units, and non-partisan judicial systems to protect the right of every individual. This theory explains the processes of forming states and governments. Particularly, this theory focuses on the voluntary provision of information to the government by the people. This is because the government serves the people and it requires accurate information from the people in the process of serving them. Jon Locke’s Social Contract Theory and its Compatibility with the Republican Ideologies of Niccolo Machiavelli In this

Implication of Global Warming on Organizational Leadership Essay - 1

Implication of Global Warming on Organizational Leadership - Essay Example Although the twentieth – century is still young, recently a variety events and concerns have surfaced that pose as major challenge for contemporary business world. In recent years, climate change has developed from being a fringe concern within the corporate world, addressed primarily through a company’s corporate and social responsibility, to an increasingly central topic for strategic deliberation and decision – making by executives and investors around the globe. Climate changes issues are among the most urgent global challenges in international business arena. The international environment issue attracted much more attention from politics, civil society, the media and business because of its actual and potential impact. With wide spread industrialization, the environmental impact of fossil fuels has taken centre stage in an international debate over the phenomenon known as global warming. The global warming affects several regions of the world adversely and hence industries around the world are at a major threat from environment. The responsibilities of MNCs with regard to global warming are huge and a strategic move from leaders of international business would make much difference. The Concept of Global Warming The phrase global warming has become familiar to many people as one of the most important environmental issue of our day. Human activities of all kinds whether in industry, in the field , or concerned with transport or the home are resulting in emission of increasing quantities of gas, in particular carbon – did- oxide, into the atmosphere. Every year these emissions currently add to the carbon already present in the atmosphere carbon dioxide a further seven thousand million tones, much of which is likely to remain there for a hundred years or more.

Litmus Milk Procedural Essay Example for Free

Litmus Milk Procedural Essay Litmus milk is a complex medium that can potentially distinguish many species of bacteria. Litmus milk has several components that can be metabolized: lactose (milk sugar); casein (milk protein); and litmus (a pH indicator). If lactose is fermented, the solution should turn pink. If gas is produced during fermentation, you may be able to see bubbles or cracks in the milky medium. If lactose is not fermented and proteins are metabolized instead, the solution will become alkaline and turn blue in color. If casein is digested, the milk will coagulate to form a curd (a solid). Casein may be metabolized all the way down to individual amino acids. This process, called peptonization, results in a clear (not milky) liquid that is usually brown in color. Finally, the litmus may be reduced and become colorless. The culture will then look milk white. Materials: 1. Litmus Milk Broth 2. Bunsen Burner 3. Inoculation Loop 4. Nutrient slant 5. Goggles 6. Lab Coat 7. Incubator Procedure: 1. Get an Inoculation loop and sterilize it using the Bunsen burner. 2. Take bacteria from your nutrient slant on inoculation loop 3. Inoculate a litmus milk tube with the bacteria. 4. Incubate for 72 hours; observe results every 24 hours for 3 days.

Information About Auto Rickshaw Engineering Essay

Information About Auto Rickshaw Engineering Essay In many Asian countries rickshaw were used as a human powered mode of transport. The cycle rickshaw in which a cart is attached to a bicycle is operated by a driver. These kind of rickshaws can still be found in cities like Kolkata. A European missionary been to Japan invented the rickshaw in Japan at the end of nineteenth century, the name rickshaw was derive from the Japanese expression Ji Riki Shaw which literally means vehicle propelled by man Around 1880 the first rickshaw appeared in India on the avenues of Simla. Some 20 years later some Chinese traders who used the rickshaw to transport goods imported few of these rickshaws to Kolkata. The same Chinese people in 1914 applied for permission to use the rickshaw to carry people and in no time all over in many south East Asian metropolis rickshaws were found. Rickshaw offered a means of earning a living for peasants migrating to the big cities. No one knows exactly how many rickshaws are on the streets of Kolkata, over a million people look to the rickshaw for their daily bowl of rice. Economists have calculated that the economic value of rickshaws and their pulling is $6 million a quarter of the budget of the whole urban transport system of a city like Paris. In 1940s Vespasan auto rickshaw or the rickshaw made out of an iron body resting on three small wheels, two on the rear and one in the front, a seating for three at the rear and a small cabin in the front for the driver, were seen. These rickshaws were fitted with a 2-stroke engine and a handle for steering like a scooter instead of a steering wheel. As the man pulled rickshaw started to work on motor it was known as auto rickshaw instead of rickshaw. The auto rickshaw had become so popular as a vehicle for hire that it became one of the chief modes of transport in India, Srilanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand and many parts of Asia and Africa. But the former version of the rickshaw is still not extinct. Considering their capacity the auto rickshaw are extremely light weight , it requires only two or three person to fully lift it of the ground and it can be pushed by one person when it breaks down. The auto rickshaw has many types of models in many different countries. The older version of auto rickshaw in India had a engine designed by lambretta which consumed too much of petrol hence they were phased out and engines designed by vespa took over, the most common auto rickshaws found today in India are the Bajaj auto rickshaws. At the beginning the engine was under the seat of the driver which made the auto rickshaw very uncomfortable for the passengers as it was very noisy and it vibrated a lot. Later on the engines were modified and placed at the rear of the auto rickshaw making it less noisy, hence making the ride much more comfortable for the passengers. These auto rickshaws are mainly seen as a passenger taxi vehicle in many different cities of India having a different colour for different cities, example. In Mumbai the colours of the auto rickshaw is black for the body and yellow near the windscreen and in cities like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad its yellow for the whole vehicle. It also had a larger version which is a seven seater, which had a diesel engine but compared to the smaller three seater petrol engine auto rickshaws these larger version seven seater auto rickshaws were much more noisier and they vibrated a lot, in spite of this , these seven seater were a complete success in several towns and rural areas of India as it carried more passengers and the cost of running was low compared to the petrol engine. These auto rickshaws were also modified from a passenger taxi vehicle to a goods carrier vehicle to transport small amounts of goods within the city or to small distances. These goods carrier auto rickshaws came in both petrol and diesel engines and it also came in different models with different engine power. The passenger 2-stroke petrol engine was changed to a 4-stroke engine which was a very successful model, and later on it was changed to a CNG (compressed natural gas) engine. 1.2 : CURRENT SYSTEM There were three types of engine model in the auto rickshaw, the belt drive (BD), rear axle (RA) and the rear engine (RE) The belt drive: in the belt drive model two belts ran down the side of the auto rickshaw which made the rear wheel move, in this model the wheels were not connected by an axle, in which if one of the belt snapped out that wheel was no longer driven. The rear axle: in the rear axle model the auto rickshaw has a rear axle driven by a perpendicular cam-shaft extending from underneath the drivers seat which was very noisy and vibrated a lot. The rear engine: in the rear engine model the engine is located at the rear of the auto rickshaw over the rare axle, assessable from a rear hatch, these models are much quieter and less bumpy. All of these three models were 2-stroke engines and lacked in the fuel department. The fuel tank was not sealed with a gas pump nozzle as the thank was unpressurized, hence the gas would flow faster when the tank is full than when it was half full later on a small value was located on the gas tube to adjust the gas flow. The driver also had to mix oil with the fuel as the engine was a 2-stroke engine. There was no energy storage system in the belt drive and rear axle model auto rickshaw, hence the headlight, brake lights and the signals lights had to run through a generator directly off the engine, in which the bulbs fused very often. But the rear engine model had a 12V electronics system including a battery allowing steady lights. All the models of the auto rickshaw did not have an electric starter hence the driver had to kick start the vehicle. The kick was located on the left side of the driver as a hand lever. (www.conspirators.net/armadillo/autorickshaw.html) Out of the three models the RE model was the most successful one as its engine was at the rear of the auto rickshaw making the auto rickshaw much quieter and less bumpy than the other two models, and it also had a battery allowing steady lights. Later on the 2-stroke engine was modified and replaced with 4-stroke petrol engine fitted with a electric starter. This 4-stroke engine model was very successful as compared to the 2-stroke engine. By this time the auto rickshaw also had diesel engine which made the cost of running very low and it was used as both passenger as well as a good carrier vehicle. There were many models of the petrol as well as the diesel engines with different engine capacity as shown. Bajaj 4-stroke: Bajaj Autorickshaw 4 stroke Specifications Engine 4 stroke Cooling Type Forced Air Cooled Displacement 173cc No. of Cylinders 1 Compression Ratio MaxPower 8.17bhp Max Power RPM 5000rpm Max Torque 11.5Nm Max Torque RPM 4000rpm Ignition Type DC Carburettor Keihin M10 A Transmission Type 4 forward and one reverse Clutch Type Wet multidisc type Electrical System 12V DC Head Light 35/35 W Horn 12V DC Chassis Type Pressed steel sheets and sections Front Suspension Helical coil spring and hydraulic double acting shock absorber Rear Suspension Helical coil spring and hydraulic double acting shock absorber Front Tyre Size (4.00 8).4PR Rear Tyre Size (4.00 8).4PR Brakes Drum Fuel Tank Capacity 8 litres Reserve Capacity 1 litres Wheel Base 2000mm Ground Clearance 200mm Saddle Height 780mm Minimum Turning Radius 2.88m Curb Weight 295kg Maximum Payload 335kg Fuel Efficiency (Ideal) 33kmpl Fuel Efficiency (Highway) 32 to 35kmpl Fuel Efficiency (City) 28 to 32kmpl Max Speed 55kmph * (The above model is available in Petrol, Diesel, CNG and LPG version.) Bajaj GC 1000 : Bajaj Goods Carrier Specifications Type Four Stroke, Single Cylinder, IDI, Compression Ignition    Cooling Type Forced Air Cooled Displacement 416 cc Max Power 8.5 bhp( 5.9 kW) @ 3600 rpm Max Torque 20 Nm @ 2400 rpm Ignition Type Electric start Transmission Type 4 forward 1 reverse gear Clutch Type Single plate, dry friction type, foot operated Maximum Payload 775 Kgs. Electrical System System System 12V DC Chassis Chassis Type Semi Monologue Suspension Front Suspension Antidive leading link with helical compression spring shock absorber Rear Suspension Independent suspension with spring shock absorber Tyres Front Tyre Size 4.510,8PR Rear Tyre Size 4.510,8PR Brakes Front Brakes Hydraulic brakes with auto adjuster Rear Brakes Hydraulic brakes with auto adjuster Fuel Tank Fuel Tank Capacity 8 litres Dimensions Overall length 2960 mm Overall width 1375 mm Overall height 1810 mm Wheel Base 2025 mm Ground Clearance 170 mm Minimum Turning Radius 2.75 m GVW 990 kg Loading Tray Length (Pick up) 1500 mm Width (Pick up) 1325 mm Height (Pick up) 250 mm Length (HiDec) 1500 mm Width (HiDec) 1325 mm Height (HiDec) 1050 mm *Because of our ongoing efforts to make Bajaj vehicles even better, specifications are subject to change without prior notice * (The above model is available in Petrol, Diesel, CNG and LPG version.) Later on the petrol and diesel engines were replaced by CNG (compressed natural gas) engines having all the same features. And till today all the auto rickshaws in India run on CNG engine. 1.3 : PROBLEMS AND AIM. 1.3.1 : PROBLEMS CAUSE DUE TO AUTO RICKSHAW As we are aware that an  auto rickshaw  or  a three-wheeler  (tuk-tuk) is a small three-wheeled operated by a single individual. They are cheap and common means of public transport in urban India and other parts of Asian countries as well as in some parts of Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Peru and Gautamela. Autos run on: CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), Petrol Diesel Though Autos are cheap and common means of transport it has its own disadvantages too: 1. Traffic issues/ overcrowding Auto rickshaws have a top-speed of around 50  km/h much slower than the automobiles they share the road with. The triangular form of the vehicle makes maneuvering easy, with the single front wheel negotiating the available gap, and the rear two wheels forcing a larger space. The MMW Tuk Tuk has a top speed of around 70  mph. (Ref: MMW Tuk Tuk). Being a cheap means of transport people prefer them to taxis and other means of transport. Traffic authorities in big cities try to implement mechanisms to reduce the resulting traffic slowing, but none have proven effective due to overcrowding of Autos. 220px-Rishshaw_stand_ A typical auto stand in Goa (Wikipedia) 2. Outlook: The modern cities and roads are designed for sleeker looking public vehicles for commuting these auto rickshaws look outdated and drab and looks inferiors in front of other modern road transport vehicles. Modern city planners are looking to phase out such vehicles or promoting them to be used only in villages /outskirts of cities ANd9GcSbTNytJUyOcggJ9NdIRpcmDfmYv3ZDobxZXMFc8gxuS_jheOn6_eS3QKcH ANd9GcSJLKenN3fLi3vbPlnvwMfaNIwdJQsxKzzYKer9OGtS2qCYKqX3fg Picture: Rickshawchalleng.com ANd9GcTkCINnKj7V2mW451StC07p2wMURq9m3UvR7DC5hZvLSXKlYo9CfsygYj37KA ANd9GcTJVF153b5V1fQ81M3SsBtQimfwGjLVVsQQ5KtlyxHq3Ux_ivxpyA Ref: Cepolina.com 3. Air / Noise Pollution: Though CNG run autos are more eco- friendlier than petrol and diesel autos. However, one fact was completely ignored that is noise pollution due to gas engine. With running of so many autos on concrete road surface, because of rigidity it creates more noise. The Noise level on the road during night is much more than the specified by the The Noise Pollution Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 India. Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitrous oxide is emitted out is in abundance causing health issues. Besides Carbon, huge dust particles remains suspended in the air due to the constant movement of autos which is leading to breathlessness and various other health problems. (Ref: The Cityfix) To assess the impact caused by nearly 1, 00,000 auto rickshaws, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) monitored the atmospheric quality, at two areas in the City Railway Station and S G Halli, on the day of auto strike and the day before the strike. Central Bus Stand Majestic area has the most dense auto traffic, at any time of day, due to the presence of the railway station and KSRTC bus stand. Roughly between 30% to 40% of the Citys auto rickshaws ply here. This area has reported a steep reduction in oxides of Nitrogen, upto 58.8%, on the strike day. Impressive isnt it? A clear reduction in levels of Sulphur di oxide (SO2) and Respiratory Particulate Matter (RSPM) too were reported in both areas. Oxides of Carbon reduced by 33.3% at Majestic. It is known that most of the autos in City, roughly 65,000, are two-stroke ones and with incomplete combustion in them causes pollution. These autos are the ones which are 40% air polluters in Bangalore, according to KSPCB. (Ref: moneymint.in) 1.3.2 : Aim of the project The aim of the project is to run the auto rickshaw on a electrical motor with the help of solar energy. 1.4 : objective To review the current system To replace the current system Chapter 2 : START CURREENT SYSTEM OF AUTORICKSHAW JOURNALS ARTICLES RESEARCH PARAMETRIC DESIGN INTERNET DRAFT 3D MODEL CFD FEA VALIDATE CONCLUSION END Chapter 3: LITERATURE REVIEW. 3.1: journal on solar panels on vehicles Solar panels have photovoltaic cells (PVC) which are used in solar vehicles, the suns energy is converted into electricity we can use by the help of these photovoltaic cell. Solar panels can cost upto 400$ each which is a very expensive technology. The price of the solar panels varies from panel to panel depending on how fast the panel can capture and convert the energy. In 2006 the Venturi Eclectic was presented at the paris auto show. This car used solar and wind energy but could onlt travel upto 30 miles per hour. There are many benefits of a solar vehicle, there is no noise pollution as the panels panels work silently, the energy one gets is free and has zero percent emission. The Toyota prius has a new solar roof that can power the car for at least 20 miles longer. (www.aboutmyplanet.com/alternative-energy/solar/facts-solar-powered/) Working of a solar vehicle: Solar vehicle completely depends on the energy of the sun. Unlike any other solar device the solar panels on a solar vehicle has to harness the energy from the sun. These solar panels consist of hundreds or thousands of solar cell arranged neatly ultra pure mono crystalline silicon and reach efficiencies up to 20 % ie . this percentage is converted into electricity from the total solar energy falling on the panels. The electrons are charged by the photons (light particles) when sunlight hits the solar panels, this makes the electron to move one later of the solar cell to another. Thus electrical current is produced due to the energetic movements of the electrons between the layers of the solar cell. This electric current is transferred to the battery pack when the electric motor is switched off. When the conditions are not sunny the power from the battery is used. The technology of the battery pack is similar to teh cell which powers our i-pods and cell phone made up of lithium ion c ells. Using a 220V power outlet the battery pack can be fully charged in 3 hours or a day of using only solar panels. Compared to the normal vehicles the solar vehicles have a different transmission system. Power the motor is controlled by two components called Motor controllers and Power trackers. The job of the motor controller s are to convert the DC power from the batteries or solar panels to AC electricity for the motor. By simply setting the frequency of the AC output one can manipulate the speed of the motor. The job of the power trackers is to maintain a suitable level by correcting the current when the energy is used to charge the batteries, it boost the voltage. Changes in sunlight, temperature and assorted factor makes the power output in solar panels to vary, in which necessary continuous calibration and adjustment is required, this done by the power tracker. A solar vehicles body is designed to cover three benefits to maximize energy It should be lightweight. It should have good aerodynamics. And large flat surface area for maximum number of solar panels. (www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/solar-work/) 3.2 Articles on auto rickshaws 3.2.1 Without chargers, solar rickshaws gather dust In Chandigarh the administration provided a public transport system in the form of solar rickshaws has fallen flat. These lot of first 10 eco friendly vehicles provided by the administration are now in the municipal corporation gathering dust upon them. Later on by random selection these vehicles were given to some rickshaw drivers. At various location in the city charging points were to be provided by the municipal corporation for charging these rickshaws which were not done. Disappointed by the municipal corporation these vehicles were returned back to the municipal corporation. These green rickshaws weighted about 210 kg and had a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour and had a solar battery that lasted for 6 hours or 70 km on which these rickshaws were operated. It took about 5 hours to charge these batteries with the help of charging units which had to be connected to solar panels. In order to make this scheme successful the municipal corporation has to set up charging units at different location in the city. People would also prefer these green rickshaws to some extend compared to the diesel or petrol version of the rickshaws as it addressed environment concerns. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/without-chargers-solar-rickshaws-gather-dust/articleshow/6766082.cms) 3.2.2 Solar rickshaws find no takers BANGALORE: Indias Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched a solar rickshaw with great fanfare two years ago had found no takers yet. While is causing concern a engineer from Pune claimed that his design was copied by CSIR. Solecksaw which is three wheeled, in principle can use electricity to drive the motor by converting sunlight with the help of solar panels. It was promoted as a green rickshaw as it did not contribute to global warming as it emits no gases, and was developed by a unit of CSIR which is know as Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) which is Durgapur, West Bengal. But the solecksaw has not caught on in spite of its high voltage publicity. Till now in the markets these rickshaws have not been sold on commercial basis, said the head of the manufacturing technology group at CMERI Mr. Amit Banerjee In Delhi, Durgapur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Dhanbad, and Ahmedabad, around 30 soleckshaws which were fabricated at CMERI were deployed initially for demonstration said senior adviser Mr. Himadri Maiti . He also admitted that they are not in operation currently due to various local management and administrative problems. The Central Electronics Limited did set-up some charging stations at few places but these stations are not been used to charge the soleckshaws batteries as the vehicle in those location are not operating said Mr. Himadri Maiti. At least 1000 solecksaws were to be deployed in the common wealth games village in Delhi was the plan of CSIR which was abandoned as the Games Organising Committee backed out on the proposal, on the plea of security issues, to which they had agreed initially. Mr. Himadi Maiti also said the proposal by CSIR to operate at least 10 solecksaws for delivering post under a pilot project And the CSIRs proposal to operate at least 10 soleckshaws for postal delivery under a pilot project in Rajashtans Ajmer district is still pending with the postal department, he said. 3.2.3 Web messenger drives civic campaigns for noble cause BANGALORE: Vivan Philips a post graduate student of psychology is the common mans messenger who take the common mans problems to the government by collating peoples votes on small yet crucial issues. Last year around June he launched a website www.consciousevolutionmovement.com where people can file their petitions with a big banner he was at Cubbon park for two issues ensuring wall climbers on metro rail pillars and urging manufactures to produce non-polluting auto rickshaw asking for votes. Vivian is still on the same campaign this year having some interesting observations: A majority of volunteers and voters he got for these issues are student. The wall climbers campaign got the maximum response and the introduction of non-polluting auto rickshaw or immediately even replacing them this issue was supported by many college students. Two other issues were recently added by him following the public demands, which included raising enough funds to educate every under- privileged child and mass production of solar panels by the government. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Web-messenger-drives-civic-campaigns-for-noble-cause/articleshow/5761342.cms . 3.3 Information on solar panels A solar panel is a device that collects photons of sunlight, which are very small packets of electromagnetic radiation energy, and converts them into electrical current that can be used to power electrical loads. The use of solar energy started more than 100 years back, at the beginning solar power was just used to produce steam to run some machinery. This was until the discovery by Henri Becquerel of photovoltaic effect allowed to convert solar energy (sunlight) into electrical energy. Becquerels discovery then led Charles Fritts to invent the first genuine solar cell in 1893 which was made by coating sheets of selenium with a thin layer of gold, from this arised the device we know today a solar panel. An American inventor named Russel Ohl patented the worlds first silicon solar cell in 1941. Ohls invention led to the production of the first solar panelin 1954. These new solar panels were first used in space satellites, but today solar panels and complete solar panel systems are used to power a wide variety of applications. How does an solar panel work?Solar Photovoltaic Power System Diagram Solar panels collect sunlight which is a clean renewable source of energy and convert it into electricity. This electricity can be use to run electrical loads. Solar panels are made up of many individual solar cell which are composed of layers of silicon, boron (which provides the positive charge) and phosphorous (which provides the negative charge). The photons are absorbed by the solar panels and in doing so an electric current is initiated. The resulting energy is produced from photons striking the solar panel surface which allow electrons to be knocked out of their atomic orbits and released into the electric field generated by the solar cell which then pull these free electrons into a directional current. This entire process is know as the photovoltaic effect. An average home can produce enough electricity using solar panels for all of its electrical load, as it has enough roof area for number of solar panels. As solar panels produce direct current (DC) it cannot be used to support electrical load, but with the help of an invertor that converts direct current into alternating current (AC), one can use the electricity to support electrical loads, different size of solar panel arrays meet different demanding electrical loads. The direct current produced by a solar panel which can converted into alternating current by the help of invertors can be used to power different loads in a commercial building or a house, it can also be used to power remote traffic controls, boat, vehicles, telecommunication equipments and many such machinery. Benefits of solar panels: Producing electricity using solar panels is a very practical way for many applications. This is very beneficial to people who live off-grid, off- grid means living in a location where there is no electrical supply from the main electric utility grid. Many homes and cabins in a remote areas benefits using a solar panel system, as compared to the huge fees for installing a electric utility poles from the main grid access point, solar power system is less expensive and if maintained properly can provide power for nearly three decades. The greatest benefits one can enjoy by using solar power is that it is a clean and renewable source of energy, as global climate change is the biggest problem we face today it is very important to reduce the pressure on the atmosphere from the emission of greenhouse gases. Solar panels require very less maintenances as it has no moving parts and if properly maintained can last for decades. Once the installation cost is been paid of a solar power system the electricity it produce is absolutely free for the rest of the systems lifespan that could be upto 15 20 years depending on the quality of the system, due to this one can eliminate the monthly electric bills and it can also be an additional income, because if one uses less power than the total power produced by the solar system the excess power can be sold to the electric utility company. (http://www.mrsolar.com/content/what-is-a-solar-panel.php)

The Emergence Of Education For Sustainable Development Education Essay

The Emergence Of Education For Sustainable Development Education Essay Education is an essential component of achieving sustainability. All over the world, societies are coming to recognize that current development trends are not sustainable, and that public awareness through education and training is a key element to moving our increasingly globalized society towards achieving sustainability. Education for sustainable development (ESD), education for sustainability (ES), and sustainability education (SE) are three terms often used synonymously and interchangeably in referencing sustainability educational programmes. ESD efforts may be named or described in a variety of ways because of language and/or cultural differences, but ESD is the terminology used most frequently at the international level and within UN documents, and is therefore the term used most throughout this document (UNESCO, 2006). All education must serve some purpose or else societies would not invest in it. ESD has the capacity to secure a more liveable world for present and future generations. The nature of ESD is oriented to giving people knowledge and skills for lifelong learning they need to help them find effective solutions to their environmental, economic, and social issues, and the effective use of technology is an essential element to increasing the efficiency of education institutions to achieve these aims (UNESCO, 2006). Diverse perspectives help societies worldwide to determine how individual issues of ESD are dealt with in individual cultures. These perspectives have significant influences on the way people live, behave, and relate to one another; and relationships to outside cultures are in a constant state of change. ESD should help us to understand ourselves as well as others better and how local sustainability issues link to the wider, global environmental view. Everyone is a stakeholder in Education for Sustainable Development; we all share in the long-term effects, both good and bad, of environmental decisions (UNESCO, 2006). Though the benefits of environment sustainability may be relatively well defined, the effective implementation of plans of action for education programmes need to take into account specific local, regional, and national contexts (Scoullos, 1998). The practise of tailoring of ESD training programmes to individual cultures is common, yet there are specific common elements that are essential to all sustainability training programmes regardless of where they are administered. Key elements of ESD programmes include the following (Tilbury and Wortman, 2004) : ESD is the primary agent of transformation towards sustainable development. The promotion of increasing the capacities of people to transform their visions for society into reality. Education fosters the values, behaviours, and lifestyles that are required for a sustainable future. Education for sustainable development is a process of learning how to make decisions that consider the long-term future of the equity, economy, and ecology of all communities. Education builds the capacity for such futures-oriented thinking. 1.4.3 Definitions Sustainable development is a challenging concept to define, especially since the field is continually evolving. The Brundtland Commission is often credited with one of the first and most commonly cited descriptions of sustainable development: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Sustainable development was at one time generally believed to have three main elements: environment, society, and economy. However, in recent years, an additional culture pillar has emerged, complimentary to the social pillar, yet a distinct consideration. These four pillars are closely interrelated with one another and are therefore not completely separate elements. The sustainability paradigm challenges the argument that environmental and social problems are an inevitable and acceptable consequence of economic development. The perspective that advocates the concept that human development and the quality of the environment are not compatible with one another is in direct opposition to the basic the principles of sustainable development (Pace, 2009). Dr A. Ghafoor Ghaznaw, former chief of UNESCOs Environmental Education Section, defined environmental education at a UNESCO consultation meeting held in Malta in 1989 as, the educational process through which is imparted to its target groups the sensitivity, awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes, commitment for actions and ethical responsibilities for the rational use of the environment and its resources and for the protection and improvement of the environment for the present and future generations (Schembri, Ventura, Calleja, 1989) . 1.4.4 Application Regardless of how life affirming the high ideals of sustainability education objectives may be, and despite the significant support and many years of effort behind the work to achieve environmental sustainability ideals, the long-term record of accomplishment in achieving any significant progress in these efforts has been reported to be disappointingly less than expected by many. Although environmental education has frequently been proposed during numerous international conferences as a key element to major strategies intended to promote environmental objectives, there has nonetheless been a significant discrepancy between the efforts spent on education and the results that have be achieved to date (Pace, 2009). Some feel that most of what needed to be said about environmental education was said in the Tbilisi Conference in 1977, and that any new elaborations are really just a repeat of the same principles under a new guise (Pace, 2010). The characteristics of and commitment towards sustainable development were reconfirmed 10 years after the Tbilisi conference at the International Congress on Environmental Education and Training in 1987 in Moscow, and again 10 years later at the International Conference on Environment and Society: Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability in 1997 at Thessaloniki. Although the recommendations and action plans proposed by the aforementioned conferences were still valid, the question arose as to whether the framework originally developed to support environmental education initiatives had instead become an standalone of irrelevant academic exercises (Pace, 2010). Part of the problem may lie in the fact that environmental education, much like the concept of sustainable development, can never arrive at a precise definition of the concept due to its evolving nature (Pace, 2010). The issue of how best to approach environmental education has been unclear. Although it has been well established that learning is not normally a linear experience, a significant number of educational programmes have adopted linear approaches. Linear approaches fail to acknowledge the fact that individuals learn in different ways and through different experiences (Pace, 2010). Moreover, although it is widely acknowledged that degradation of the environmental is firstly due t o the results of unsustainable lifestyles. Environmental education also recognises this fact and espouses the concept that the environment it is every citizens responsibility, and therefore in order to be effective, environmental education programmes should target individuals with learner centred learning. Environmental education programmes committed to promoting sustainable development require the transformation of principle theories into actions. Learner centred programmes, based on competency development prepare learners to take concrete steps towards discovering their own sustainable life patterns. Development of learner centred pedagogies designed to transform passive individuals into independent, critical-thinking lifelong learners committed to taking action is the next phase in the evolution of environmental education (Pace, 2010). 1.4.1 Historical Context The origins of Education for Sustainable Development lie in two distinct areas of interest in the United Nations: education and sustainable development. The Declaration of Human Rights stated in 1948 that, Everyone has the right to education. This right to an education was later reinforced in 1989 by the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC), which declared that primary education should be compulsory and available free to all. In 1990, the Jomtien Declaration on Education for All (EFA) declared, Basic education should be provided to all children, youth, and adults. International Development Targets (IDT) related to quality education have been also developed. The Dakar Framework for Action lists as one of its six important educational goals as the Improving all aspects of the quality of education so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved, especially, in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) also address educat ion. MDG 2 is designed to Achieve universal primary education. Furthermore, the UNGA declared the years 2003 to 2012 to be the United Nations Decade of Literacy (UNLD).The importance of education for all has clearly been repeatedly emphasised by the United Nations repeatedly over the course of its long history. Several milestones have marked the progress of sustainable development, including the landmark 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm, which led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and many other environmental protection agencies. Nations came to realize that the widespread growth of environmental degradation required international attention and collaboration rather than isolated national approaches and solutions. Within 10 years after Stockholm, the world began to realize that addressing environmental concerns separately from development needs was not an effective means to managing the welfare of the environment for human society, and by the mid 1980s the United Nations began to search for a larger strategy to address the needs of both society and the environment. This resulted in now well-known report on sustainable development from the Brundtland Commission in 1987, entitled Our Common Future. This report was endorsed a t all levels of government as an overarching framework for future development policy. During this time, the United Nations General Assembly concurrently explored a parallel concept of utilising education to support sustainable development (UNESCO, 2005). The concepts of sustainable development continued to progress with committees discussing and negotiating the terms of the 40 chapters that eventually came to know as the Agenda 21, where it was presented to the public in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The link between education and sustainability was first conceptualised in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21. Entitled Promoting Education, Public Awareness, and Training, the chapter was an enabling and implementation strategy for Education for Sustainable Development and stressed the importance of integrating education into every one of the other 40 chapters that also comprised of the Agenda 21, which was reaffirmed in each of the subsequent conventions that arose from the initial Earth Summit as (UNESCO, 2005). All nine of the major United Nations Conferences that convened in the 1990s to further address and refine sustainability issues also correspondingly identified education as a crucial elemen t to implementation (UNESCO, 2005). The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), convened in 2002, helped to deepen international commitments towards sustainable development at all levels, and it was at this the Decade of Education for Sustainable development (DESD) was proposed, thereby reaffirming education as an important and central principle to effective approaches for sustainable development strategies. That same year the Rio+20 Conference 2012 was held in Rio de Janeiro. Otherwise known as the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, and Earth Summit 2012, a draft resolution entitled The Future We Want was presented, which reaffirmed prior commitments to education by strengthening international cooperation to achieve universal access to primary education, which is considered an essential condition for achieving sustainable development, as well for the achieving internationally agreed upon development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. This draft resolution also re solved to improve the capacity of education systems to prepare students to pursue sustainable development careers, which included enhanced teacher training, curricula developed around sound sustainability principles, and more effective use of information and communication technologies to enhance learning outcomes. The document further resolved to promote Education for Sustainable Development and to integrate it more actively into education beyond the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development plans, and strongly encouraged educational institutions to teach sustainable development as an integrated component across disciplines. The importance of environmental concerns first gained international recognition with the Stockholm Declaration in 1972. It consisted of 7 proclamations and 26 principles to inspire people of the world to preserve and enhance the worlds and enhancement of the human environment. The International Workshop on Environmental Education was held shortly after Stockholm Convention at Belgrade, Serbia in 1975. The resulting Belgrade charter was the outcome of the event and built upon the Stockholm Declaration, with additional goals, objectives, and guiding principles for environmental education programmes. An important aspect to this work was the inclusion of the public as part of the defined target audience for environmental education. The worlds first intergovernmental conference on environmental education was organized by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1977, and was convened in Tbilisi, Georgia (USSR).The Tbilisi Declaration was a result of this conference, with the declaration updating and clarifying the Stockholm Declaration and the Belgrade Charter. The Tbilisi Declaration recommended that environmental education develops the necessary skills for societies to deal with environmental challenges, and promotes the attitudes and commitments required to make the most informed decisions and responsible actions towards the environment. The declaration emphasised the important roles of education to preserving the planets environment and balanced development of communities, and declared that, by its very nature, environmental education can make a powerful contribution to the renovation of the educational process. The document also recommended that environmental education should be integrated into the entire system of formal education at all levels to provide the necessary knowledge, understanding, values, and skills needed for participation in devising solutions to environmental questions. Ten years after the Tbilisi Conference, a follow-up conference was convened in Moscow, otherwise known as the Moscow Conference, to determine a specific international plan of action for environmental education and training. The Moscow Conference report was based upon input from international studies and surveys, and outlined an international strategy of action to develop environmental education and training programmes for the 1990s. The plan defined requirements for education and training programmes, and reaffirmed the Tbilisi Conferences declaration that environmental education should be made an integral part of the entire educational process and aimed at every category of the population in member states. The Rio+5 or Earth Summit+5 Conference was convened in 1997 to appraise the progress the Agenda 21 plans over the five years that had passed since its initial approval. It was determined by the assembly that progress was thus far uneven, and identified several key negative trends affecting the environment, which included continuing globalisation, widening of gaps in economic incomes, and a continuing deterioration of the global environment. This conference brought to light a new international consensus with a new vision of education that involved more public awareness and training, and conceptualised education as an essential element of sustainable development, with the support of advances in other related areas such as science, technology, and policy (UNESCO, 1997b). Twenty years after the Tbilisi Declaration and five years after the Rio Conference, a third environmental education conference was also held in 1997 at Thessaloniki, Greece. The purpose of this conference was to reiterate the important role of education and public awareness to achieving the aims of sustainability. The declaration of Thessaloniki reaffirmed commitments, recommendations, and action plans from previous conferences, yet at the same time also recognized that insufficient progress had been made in the five years since the Rio conference had concluded. Despite this disappointment however, there was a recommitment to involving national governments, civil society, the United Nations, and other international organisations to working towards the intentions of sustainability, and established a global agenda for upcoming Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) as declared by the UN. In the conference, they reaffirmed that sufficient education and public awareness should be recognised as one of the main pillars of sustainability, together with legislation, technology, and the economy. It was also recommended that special emphasis should be given to strengthen teacher training programmes and the identification and sharing of innovative practices. Support was also recommended for research in interdisciplinary teaching methodologies and assessments of the impact of relevant educational programmes (UNESCO, 1997a). 1.4.2 The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) Following the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, and based upon recommendations from chapter 36 of the Agenda 21 document, the United Nations declared 2005 to 2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) in 2002. During the decade declared by the UN, many goals have been set forth in conjunction with strategies towards outcomes that are intended affect millions of people from communities all over the world for many years to come through inspiring all individuals at all levels of society to contribute to helping to make sustainable development a realistic reality. Planned outcomes during the Decade include raising public awareness, updating educational systems, and the integration of ESD into all elements of developmental planning (The United Nations, 2010). The DESD is also linked to other international educational priorities as well. The United Nations has launched four global initiatives since 2000, all of which focus on education. The four initiatives are the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Education for All (EFA), the United Nations Literacy Decade, and the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. UNESCO is the coordinating agency for three of the four goals. While the initiatives are unique in certain respects, what they all have in common is a commitment to education and an emphasis on the importance of the participatory role of each individual in education and sustainable development (UNESCO, 2009). The Fourth International Conference on Environmental Education, also referred to as the Tbilisi+30, was held at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ahmedabad, India in 2007. During the conference, several work group sessions were convened, along with special sessions for solely for government agencies. The conference was intended to promote a vision that education that prevents and resolves conflicts, and to provide assistance in building partnerships and facilitating shared experiences and a collective knowledgebase required to refine a vision of sustainability that expands its practice globally, and reaffirm that education is a crucial element to bringing about the global transitions required to make sustainability a realistic reality (UNESCO, UNEP Govt. of India, 2007) . Environmental education supports education for sustainable development, and encourages a shift from viewing education as a delivery mechanism, to a lifelong, holistic, and all-inclusive process (UNESCO, UNEP Govt. of India, 2007) . The following is a list of Working Group Session Reports Recommendations and Workshop Presentations available from the Tbilisi+30 Conference: Reorienting Formal Education towards ESD (Strategies, Pedagogy, and Assessment). Teacher Education: A crucial contribution to the UNDESD. Supporting Sustainable Development through Open and Distance Learning, including Technology Mediated Open and Distance Education (TechMODE). Education for Innovation and Technology. Integrating Values of Sustainability into education. Monitoring and Evaluating Progress during the UN DESD. Education for Sustainable Consumption through the DESD. The World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development was held in Bonn, Germany, in 2009. The conference was organised by UNESCO, the German Ministry of Education and Research, and the German Commission for UNESCO. The World Conference on ESD marked the beginning of the second half of the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. The purpose of the conference was to discuss and exchange best practices on Education for Sustainable Development from all world regions. The conference had four objectives: To highlight the relevance of ESD to all of education. To promote international exchange on ESD, especially between the North and the South. To carry out a stocktaking of the implementation of the UN Decade. To develop strategies for the way ahead. Strategies were developed during the conference to highlight key focus areas in order to put knowledge into action and promote further progress of ESD in the following five years remaining of the Decade. Post-conference strategies included: Re-orienting education and training to address sustainability concerns. Building and sharing knowledge, and generating new knowledge through research. Advocating for ESD through increasing awareness and understanding of sustainability, and reinforcing/enhancing synergies between different education and development initiatives. Extending and strengthening ESD partnerships. As the global coordinator of the DESD, UNESCOs role is to facilitate new partnerships and encourage exchange between Member States on ESD, share best practices, encourage monitoring and evaluation efforts, encourage development of ESD research agendas, and provide strategic guidance. Many activities have been undertaken by a broad range of stakeholders since the start of the DESD, including setting up National Committees, establishing networks, developing and disseminating education materials, identifying and highlighting good practices, and arranging meetings to encourage international exchange (UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, 2009). Although much work remains to be done before ESD completely occupies a central place in educational and learning processes in order to realise its full potential to improve the quality of education as a whole, there has been notable progress since the beginning of the Decade in 2005. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was a key outcome from the Rio Earth Summit held in 1992. A review halfway through the DESD indicated that the need for ESD had become well established in national policy frameworks and that national ESD coordinating agencies had been created almost 100 countries across all UN regions (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . Networks and organisations both within and outside the UN system have been established globally to encourage and support increasing ESD in schools, universities, and communities, and in the process, ESD has gained international recognition as an education relevant to addressing todays Sustainable Development challenges, (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . More recent reports indicated that there is been an increased recognition that environmental challenges cannot be solved exclusively through technological advances and new policy frameworks, in order to achieve sustainable success efforts must be accompanied by changes in mind-sets, values, and lifestyles of societies (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . ESD is being increasingly viewed as a means to renew teaching and learning in ways that allow schools and communities to more effectively address the challenges sustainable development and the environment. In some parts of the world, ESD has been a part of a co-evolution of teaching methods and has arguably become a catalyst for educational change and innovation (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . There has been a shift from viewing ESD as something to add-on to education to ESD as a mechanism for rethinking education and learning (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012). Sustainability challenges require more integrative and exploratory forms of learning. As a result, the boundaries between schools, universities, and communities are increasingly blurring in many areas of the world now due to a number of recent trends, including increased focuses on lifelong learning; globalization; and ICT facilitated social networking education. These boundary-crossing phenomena are resulting in a reconfiguration of formal, informal, and non-formal learning processes, and changing the roles and relationships stakeholders Earlier in the Decade the emphasis was on finding a niche among education institutions, whereas today ESD is viewed more as a potential umbrella for all educations (including global citizenship education) concerned with the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants (UNE SCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012). Despite all the positive progress being made however, there are new challenges to resolve. For instance, the E in ESD is conceptualized in different ways depending on the availability of individual societies for participation, self-determination, and autonomous thinking (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012). Local situations may vary in these respects globally, which often leads to different interpretations and implementations of ESD. Within more restrictive environments, more transmission-oriented pedagogies are more likely, with a strong emphasis forms of instruction centred around knowledge transfer, and in more open environments, ESD is more typically characterized by higher levels of participation, self-determination, autonomous thinking, and knowledge co-creation. The latter versions of ESD require alternative forms of teaching and learning, and higher levels of stakeholder interaction. 1.5 Applying TEL Concepts in ESD Contexts 1.5.1 Uptake Extent of Use The eMerge One-to-One Laptop Learning Project was initiated by the Government of Albertas Ministry of Education to explore the effectiveness of wireless computing for learning and teaching. The project was anticipated to affect 2,502 students, 173 teachers, and 47 administrators within 50 schools in the 20 Alberta jurisdictions. Data collected during the course of the research period supported the following findings (Government of Alberta, 2010): By the end of Year Three there was a significant shift in participating classrooms toward 21st Century Learning skills, with students in the project significantly increasing their readiness to thrive in a complex, global, high-tech society. The educators involved in the progress have made steady progress over the course of three year in their proficiency with technology and 21st Century Learning, and in the process, increased the frequency at which technology was used to keep students engaged in deep, complex, authentic, and relevant learning activities. The eMerge project included a range of professional development models. One of the most highly valued by teachers was the community of practice that linked teachers to one another. There were also key shifts with students in their independence in learning and increased collaboration with other students. Teachers and administrators developed a deeper understanding of and commitment to the vision for 21st Century learning. Over the course of the first three years of the eMerge, the perception of teachers on the relevance of the 21st Century Skills shifted from valuing productivity to placing more value on the use of skills in critical thinking, creativity, and ethical use. European Schoolnet is a not-for-profit organisation comprised of 30 Ministries of Education in Europe. The organisation is dedicated to supporting collaboration and networking among schools in Europe using new technologies, and contributing to the development of technology-enhanced learning in schools. In 15 years since its founding, European Schoolnet has become one of the key organisations involved in transforming teaching and learning at schools in Europe using the integration of ICT into learning and teaching (European Schoolnet, 2011). European Schoolnet provides services through its partnerships with ministries of Education and the European Commission. The services offered to schools provide opportunities for teachers to become actively involved in exploring how ICT can enhance the teaching and learning experience. Recent initiatives have focused on raising awareness among teachers of the benefits of school collaboration activities for both the pupils learning and the teachers own professional development (European Schoolnet, 2011). European Schoolnet is currently facilitating several project initiatives. The Scientix project is a European Schoolnet initiative that provides a web-based information platform for science education in Europe to disseminate knowledge and share best practices in science education. The Scientix web portal is available in six European languages and targets anyone involved in science and maths education, from policy-makers to science education teachers. The Spice project, funded by the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning programme, collects, analyses, shares innovative pedagogical practices focused on inquiry-based learning and improving student interest in the sciences (European Schoolnet, 2011). eTwinning is an online community for schools in Europe that provides a host of online educational tools for teachers from participating countries to locate potential school partnerships, arrange virtual meetings, exchange best practice ideas, and opportunities learn together with on line-based projects. An eTwinning project allows at least two schools from at least two different European countries create a project and use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to carry out their work (eTwinning, 2011). The We teach together eTwinning project is a partnership between schools in the Czech Republic and Portugal that incorporated the integration of the school subjects of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Education. This project brought teachers and classrooms together to teach topic of photosynthesis. The primary objective of the project was to facilitate a teaching practice in an unusual way that would enhance the motivation of students to learn otherwise less popular

Physics and Computer Games :: Physics Computers Science Video Games

Computer games have steadily become a form of mainstream entertainment ever since Pong was released back in 1958. Today, it is hard to find an electronics department in any store that doesn't carry some sort of computer game. "Big deal," you say, "Everyone knows about computer games. What does they have to do with physics?" Well, the technology for creating more powerful software is constantly advancing, and since games are a form of software, they too become more and more advanced. As games become more advanced, game developers aim to create games that offer a more realistic experience. The technology has advanced to such a stage that making the games look real is no problem, but making a truly immersive experience is something different. That's where physics comes in. Well, to answer that, you have to have a basic understanding of physics. Physics is the study of matter and energy, and how the two interact with each other. Things such as gravity, sound and light - all involve physics. As you might have noticed, gravity, sound and light are things we encounter quite frequently in our day to day routines. Game developers, in their goal to create a believable, realistic world for the gamer to immerse themselves in, know that in order to do so their game needs to incorporate the laws of physics. After all, their games wouldn't be very realistic if players kept floating away every time they tried to make their character jump or dodge around. Gravity is only a small part of the realism experience. Developers have to incorporate as many laws of physics as they can in order to make their game truly realistic. Collisions play a big part in any game - it wouldn't be very believeable to allow players to move through walls or objects. Some games take the collision and elasticity elements further, and create extremely elaborate physics engines that can handle, say, two cars colliding, and produce a believeable outcome to the collision. Games like F1 Championship Racing and GTA3 have excellent physics engines that feature some really impressive automobile simulations. Many old games simply use gravity and collision detection in their games, but more recent games involve much more complicated physics applications. So How Do They Do It? Game developers use physics engines to simulate the physics effects in their games. What's a physics engine? A physics engine is a specialized piece of software specifically designed to integrate the laws of physics into a game. Physics and Computer Games :: Physics Computers Science Video Games Computer games have steadily become a form of mainstream entertainment ever since Pong was released back in 1958. Today, it is hard to find an electronics department in any store that doesn't carry some sort of computer game. "Big deal," you say, "Everyone knows about computer games. What does they have to do with physics?" Well, the technology for creating more powerful software is constantly advancing, and since games are a form of software, they too become more and more advanced. As games become more advanced, game developers aim to create games that offer a more realistic experience. The technology has advanced to such a stage that making the games look real is no problem, but making a truly immersive experience is something different. That's where physics comes in. Well, to answer that, you have to have a basic understanding of physics. Physics is the study of matter and energy, and how the two interact with each other. Things such as gravity, sound and light - all involve physics. As you might have noticed, gravity, sound and light are things we encounter quite frequently in our day to day routines. Game developers, in their goal to create a believable, realistic world for the gamer to immerse themselves in, know that in order to do so their game needs to incorporate the laws of physics. After all, their games wouldn't be very realistic if players kept floating away every time they tried to make their character jump or dodge around. Gravity is only a small part of the realism experience. Developers have to incorporate as many laws of physics as they can in order to make their game truly realistic. Collisions play a big part in any game - it wouldn't be very believeable to allow players to move through walls or objects. Some games take the collision and elasticity elements further, and create extremely elaborate physics engines that can handle, say, two cars colliding, and produce a believeable outcome to the collision. Games like F1 Championship Racing and GTA3 have excellent physics engines that feature some really impressive automobile simulations. Many old games simply use gravity and collision detection in their games, but more recent games involve much more complicated physics applications. So How Do They Do It? Game developers use physics engines to simulate the physics effects in their games. What's a physics engine? A physics engine is a specialized piece of software specifically designed to integrate the laws of physics into a game.

Gods VS Mortals :: essays research papers

â€Å"There is only one way: Destroy them all." Lucan's burning eyes moved slowly from one god to the next, hoping his harsh decree had convinced more of them to take his side. It had seemed like an eternity (which it very well could have been) since all the gods had gathered together like this. â€Å"This can not be the way, I still believe this would be an over reaction.† Ranna said, waving her hand as if to throw away Lucan's idea. â€Å"What the mortals need is our guidance.† â€Å"You cannot be seriously talking about the, elves† Lucan scowled â€Å"How can you be so passionate about the race that yellowed your fields, up rosed and murdered your followers, even attacked you! There is nothing in their heart but the love for wealth and power.† She glared back at him. â€Å"That is your doings at work, Lucan. It was only when they broke on to the Flats of Power that you stopped enjoying their growing domination of Nithra.† â€Å"We all agree mortals have gone too far," Srill interrupted, knowing there was a need to interrupt before the argument went on further. "But the answer isn't to wipe away all of our work. It is only a few races that have gone this far. Perhaps a select cleansing instead of complete destruction." Rook shook his head. "I have to agree with Lucan on this matter. Wiping them out is the only way." "The answer is obvious," interrupted Cazil. "If my power was allowed to grow, the mortals would be in no position to challenge us. Fear will keep them in line, it always should have." Kara roared. "Absurd! It's proven that apart any one of us can be overcome by the mortals. It is our neglect that has brought this upon us. The solution must be one that we can all agree on." "can you be too blind?" Lucan growled. "How can you not see that the mortals must be punished?" "You ignore their honor," Marr countered. "They earned the right to exist. "Right to exist?" Innok cackled. "Leave them to their selfs and they will destroy themselves in greed and hate. We should not kill them, but step to the side and let them waste them selfs." "We don't have that kind of time," Ro speaks. "The planes are already weak, some have already been completely erased, our powers have grown too weary to hold them. We must strike back while we still can.

Agriculture in the Amazon Rainforest Essay

Throughout a hundred centuries people have worked hard to sustain productive agriculture and dense human populations. Certain forms of agriculture are possible, and should be considered sustainable, for the economic development of tropical rainforests. For thousands of years humans have created a disturbance in the rainforests by creating areas of concentrated diversity of species within the landscape. The Indigenous people of the Amazon fostered palm forests, groves of Brazil nuts and fruit trees, and vine forests near ancient Amazonian settlements. Environmentalists could argue that rainforests can be â€Å"saved† by through the restriction of economic growth, but it is vital to realize that the local communities will not approve parks and reserves, as it is in their interest to conserve the rainforest. The shifted cultivator who forces small farmers into the forest to begin new farmlands causes about 60% of deforestation in Amazon. Researchers have warned if we continue to change the use of the land it can affect the region’s climate, and the absorption of carbon dioxide in the Amazon. By converting forests into cropland there is a pronounced ecological and climate impact than land conversions because it involves the complete removal of land biomass, including tree trunks, stumps and woody roots. † (Mike Bettwy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center). A better approach to addressing the increasing problem of deforestation in the Amazon is to follow the methods that have been used by indigenous forest dwellers for thousands of years. Many cleared forest areas used for agriculture can be salvaged by cultivation techniques. Annual crops, pasture land, are some examples of what can be done to increase agricultural productivity and to reduce the destruction in many rainforests. Effects of human population on the Ecosystem Over 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has been destroyed, in addition to the Amazon Rainforest is gone forever. Unfortunately with human population, the Amazon Rainforest has had effects with loss and harm to the population of wild species. A lot of the land is being clear for cattle ranches, mining operations, logging and subsistence agriculture. According to Raintree (1996) â€Å"Experts estimates that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists. If this was happening in 1996, we can only imagine that in 2012 it is so much worst. Sustainability and Conservation Overpopulation causes many problems to the Amazon rainforest. More than 20% of Earths oxygen is produced in this area. As the area is reduced more carbon dioxide will be found the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is important to this issue because plants need it to give off oxygen, which humans need to survive, not only for oxygen but also for food and nutrition for out health. Carbon dioxide is not necessarily a bad thing unless a large amount pollutes the air we need to breathe. Not only can overpopulation of the Amazon affect the air we breathe, but it will also affect the wildlife, water, and food we need to survive. There are over 200 species of trees in on hectare of the Amazon. This is important because there are so many possible cures for life threatening diseases. The Amazon is home to mare species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. Some interesting animals live in the Amazon and a lot of them are very rare. For example, a new species of freshwater fish, brown-spider monkey and a frog called â€Å"cowboy frog†, were some of the amazing animals discovered in the Amazon. The animals found in the Amazon are endless. It is amazing the new discoveries that have happened over the years and the new ones to come. The animals in the Amazon have live there longer that humans have lived on this planet. The Amazon is one of the largest natural resources and with overpopulation more and more rainforest are becoming non-existent.