Thursday, April 2, 2020

In the sustainability project, the CERES Educational Park proposal is the better option

Introduction In the Amcor site, there is an open land on the east side used as for residential purpose. Initially, the site had vast green land with native flora and fauna. However, this is gone and little vegetation remains due to urban encroachment.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on In the sustainability project, the CERES Educational Park proposal is the better option specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The site has been earmarked for development based on either of two proposals. These two proposals are construction of medium density housing or establish an educational park. As shown in Part B of the Sustainability Project, each of these proposals has pros and cons based on economics, environment and social sectors. Nevertheless, based on analysis one of the proposals seems the better option. Context Taking carbon footprint context as the bases of deciding between the two projects proposals, (that is, the medium d ensity housing and the educational park as discussed in Part B); the former (the educational park) is the better option for implementation. The common baseline to understand the carbon footprint hinges on the amount of gaseous emissions that are relevant to climate change and linked to human productivity and consumption activities. From a broad perspective on environment sustainability, the medium density housing proposal and allied infrastructure will lead to increased carbon emissions as well as competition for resources, while, the educational park will further acts as carbon sinks (SUNY Geneseo, 2011). Scale analysis Both spatial and temporal scales are influential in arriving at the final arguement. By having the medium density housing proposal in place, this means there will drammatic rise in the number of residents occupying the available housing space. The demand for resources will also increase. This will constrain the carbon footprint per person. The amount of resources av ailable to the current residents remains significantly the same even after inclusion of the medium density housing, this will over the time develop into a supply-demand phenomenah and eventually influence the business economics of the area.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the temporal scale, waste products and the overall net carbon dioxide emissions per hectare from the residents will increase with the extra residential units causing pressure on the sustainability of the area. As discussed in Part B, the net carbon dioxide emissions is as result of consuming fossil fuels, animals, human, bacteria and water vapour (Conversations Network, 2011). Scientific facts show that the constant earth’s temperature rise (commonly known as global warming) is as a result increased release into the atmosphere of the GreenHouse gases of which carbon dioxide is a component (Wied mann and Minx, 2007). Global warming measurements are done on annual bases. In the spatial scale, the educational park proposal provides green spaces and conservation areas. This provides an ecological environment. This is because the spaces provide recreational space. As indicated in Part B, such open spaces can be for bicycle riding and walking. This is important in lowering the gaseous emissions released through transportation as well as a means of improving their physical fitness. The presence of trees and other flora in the park act as carbon sequester and carbon sinks which aid in air purification. Presence of flora will attract faunal species like birds and butter flies, which improve the natural beauty of the park (EndPoverty 2015, 2011). Systems analysis There are AMCOR sites in Australia (Amcor Limited, 2011a). At this site, the resources that are under the economic norm include the Pub and the Dan Murphy’s as well as the Commercial Office and small business. These are both spatial and temporal in scale (Embodied water of construction et al., 2004).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on In the sustainability project, the CERES Educational Park proposal is the better option specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the environment norm, the resources present in the AMCOR site include the Yarra River and the Alphington Park. These are spatial in scale. The football field, Alphington Bowls Club, Alphington Railway Station, Alphington Primary School as well as Yarralea Children’s Centre contribute to the social norm. Based on the issues mentioned under the three norms (that is, environment, economic and social), they are interlinked and contribute significantly to the carbon footprint. Role of norms Carbon footprint is the method used to quantify the total release of greenhouse gases (GHG) in carbon equivalents from a product across its life cycle from the production of raw mater ial used in its manufacture, to disposal of the finished product (Wiedmann and Minx, 2007). The environment, social and economic norms are interlinked. The consumption and productivity of factors influence these norms. The environment norms provide the ecological resources of flora and fauna. Damming rivers found within the environment can provide safe water for drinking for residents. It is also possible to initiate hydroelectric power generation at the dammed parts of rivers. This can be included in the general grid to suppliment the non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuel (Wiedmann and Minx, 2007). This improves on the carbon footprint. Similarly, open spaces in the park can be for installing solar and wind generators. These are environmentally friendly sources of renewable energy due to low air pollution resulting from them. The low carbon release and carbon sequestration can translate to a carbon offsets project and sell credits to willing buyers. This invokes the Kyot o Protocol under the clean development mechanism and specifically the carbon reduction units. The social norm is achievable in the recreational park. This is achievable through the open spaces and conservation area. This not only provides opportunity for interaction but also for leisure. This is the green space. The creation of educational park provides the opportunity to sensitize the local residents about the environment and ecosystem.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More With improved knowledge, the people become sensitive to the sustainability of the area and the availability of resources. Several factors contribute to the economic norm. These factors function to lower the carbon footprint per person. The utilization of infrastructure such as rail, road and air as means of transport become sources of pollution especially of greenhouse gasses. However, presence of green spaces counters through carbon sequestration. In the proposal of educational park, the amount of pollution associated with transport is signicantly low as compared to the case of having the additional medium density housing. This is because of the need to provide extra transport mean to cater for the populace increasing demand. Open spaces provide opportunity for people to use bicycles or walk. This not only becomes a means of cutting down transport costs and better their physical fitness but also improve their carbon footprint. Furthermore, the creation of more employment opportunit ies within the educational park raises the living standards of those living arround. However, this may lead to increase in spending for goods and services. There are two ecological costs with this. First, increase in consumption of resources means this will cause strain on available ecological resources. This may lead to over consumption and depletion of resources. This will consequently lower the carbon footprint per person. In a controlled environment, monitoring the consumption per person is possible as well as putting a threshold level. Secondly, solid waste and gasseous emissions rise with the consumption this may put strain on the sewerage systems and recycling units (Amcor Limited, 2011b). Livestock keeping leads to release of methane gas, but with the installation of biogas digesters, this can trap the gas, and used for cooking. The methane gas is a known greenhouse gas thus combusting it reduces global warming effects. The produce from farms provides organic food to people residing arround. This benefits the local employees and residents through consuming products from organic sales as they less rely on national and regional imports and they can get the products at a relative low price. This will increase local economy. Use of conceptual tools The presence of recreational parks is an important composite in promoting community interaction. This creates an arena for socialization and bonding. This strengthens relationship especially those people one is not familiar with. However, for this to be realised this depends on how well people utilize the facility (that is, the park). This can be assesed based on the people perception towards the facility. To realise the full functions of the parks, depends on the social interaction tools available to trigger socialisation. The presence of Yarra River and football grounds are example of social interaction tools. The maintenance activities of these recreational facilities will influence their status and this intu rn will dictate on the numbers flocking into them (Wiedmann and Minx, 2007). Thus, there is importance to maintain the beauty and attractions available at the park. This means checks be put in place to ensure the number of people residing or making their visits have insignificant impact on their activities. With the construction of the educational park, this will have little environment impact. This is in contrast to the construction of medium density housing. Initiating sensitization efforts on green living at the parks raises awareness on environment sustainability. It is possible to extend this into school going children who are educated green practices. The continuation of such practice brings up an environment conscious society (EndPoverty 2015, 2011). This has a significant positive impact on the sustainability of the site. To achieve better results in conservation of the environment spaces this is continuously repeated. The park has the potential for generating extra energy s ources. Some of these sources rely on the strategic position of the natural resources. For instance, the rivers and the open spaces in these park could be tapped for hydroelectric, solar and wind power. These sources are renewable and provide clean energy compared to the likes of fossil fuel which when combusted release greenhouse gasses. The industries and residential places running on fossil fuel are the massive polluters of greenhouse gasses (Wiedmann and Minx, 2007). The low carbon release and carbon sequestration can translate to a carbon offsets project and sell credits to willing buyers. Conclusion Based on analysis of society, environment and economics, the benefits of implementing an educational park outweigh those of medium density housing. The arguement on the carbon footprint justifies this. The carbon footprint concept is based on resources available and waste handling capacity allocated per person in the Amcor site. The carbon footprint per person is higherfor educatio nal park proposal based on green space allocation, greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste handling. References Amcor Limited. (2011a) AMCOR. Web. Available at:Â  https://www.amcor.com/ . Amcor Limited. (2011b) Australian National Packaging Covenant Web. Available at: https://www.amcor.com/about . Conversations Network. (2011) Environmental Sustainability Educational Podcasts Web. Web. Embodied water of construction ,Treloar, G. ; McCormack, M.; Palmowski, L. ; Fay, R. (2004) Embodied water of construction. In, Royal Australian Institute of Architects. BDP Environment design guide (pp.1-8). Royal Australian Institute of Architects EndPoverty 2015. (2011) Environmental Sustainability Web. Web. SUNY Geneseo. (2011) What is Environmental Sustainability? Web. Available at:Â  https://www.geneseo.edu/ Wiedmann, T and Minx, J. (2007) A Definition of ‘Carbon Footprint’. Web. Web. This report on In the sustainability project, the CERES Educational Park proposal is the better option was written and submitted by user Kale Rodriguez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Help! What Should I Write About in My College Application Essay!

Help! What Should I Write About in My College Application Essay! ITS NEVER TOO EARLY TO ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION If you’re finishing up your Junior year of high school, now is the time to start thinking about your college essays.   If you’re going to be a Junior and you’re reading this, its not too early.   The point is, start thinking of topics now! Why now?   Because the best college essays go through many lives before you  submit them.   You will  write, re-write, and re-write again.   Weeks might go by after a first draft, during which inspiration can hit by surprise. You want to have lots of time for your college admissions essays to percolate, to have those magic light bulb moments, or maybe even to wake up in the middle of the night from a dream and write a brilliantly creative essay (this really does happen!). If you start thinking about your essays in November, you won’t have time for the process to work on you.   Instead of waking up with inspiration, you will wake up panicked or worried that you’re on the wrong track.   You dont want that. POSSIBLE ESSAY BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS Here are the current Common Application Essay questions to start your wheels in motion! 2016-2017 Essay Prompts Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? Describe a problem youve solved or a problem youd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma   anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken  to identify a solution. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. Many schools have questions unique to them as well, so take some time to research what those might be. Regardless of the questions, as you think through what to write, it is important to think deeply about the meaning of things in your life. Determine what about your experience is unique to you. Thats what will make your story about your grandmother, trip to Israel or soccer practice different from the next essay in the pile. SIT DOWN  (OR STAND UP) AND  WRITE Don’t just think about these questions – start writing!   Designate a journal for your college essay ideas.   You will be surprised how quickly it fills up with great content.   Keep filling it up, and when you go back to what you wrote several months before, you might be happily surprised by some of your thoughts. If you’re struggling finding the right application essay topic, don’t despair.   There are professionals at The Essay Expert who will help you recognize what is special about your experiences and support you to present those experiences in words.   By working with an expert, you will end up with truly great college essays and have the best chance of getting into the college of your dreams. Save Category:College AdmissionsBy Brenda BernsteinMay 6, 2010

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Did Women Enjoy a Higher Status in Early or Late Medieval Societies Essay

Did Women Enjoy a Higher Status in Early or Late Medieval Societies - Essay Example It is important to note from the onset that the family structure in the early Middle Ages was highly patriarchal in nature in that as much as women had rights; the rights of their male counterparts superseded theirs. Bennett (2000, p.142) while quoting the great feminist historian Eileen Power states that the overall status of women during the medieval periods was one characterized with serious problems rife with a culture of misogyny. This assumes female inferiority and a social structure that invests considerable power on the life of men over that of women (Power and Postan 2012, p.22). For example in some societies like Germany and the Roman empire during the medieval times women were of little significance and were seen as objects especially in marriage and family settings. Even in marriage, the man was seen as the head of the union that authoritatively shows that the freedom of the woman both in early and late medieval period was greatly curtailed. Although the women were consid ered inferior during the Middle Ages, some possessed extraordinary power and ability to perform some of the duties and privileges reserved for men. Some of the important and revered women of the middle ages include Hildegard of Bingen, Christine de Pizan and Eleanor of Aquitaine amongst others who were very successful in one aspect of the society or the other. While there is a common belief that women possessed no rights in the Middle Ages, there are situations that show that some societies treated women well especially with the introduction of chivalry that instilled respect for women. Women’s Inheritance during the Medieval Ages Women could not administrate directly their patrimony and laws on hereditary could not favour them whatsoever due to the fact that it was assumed that the women belonged to their parents while they were nubile and to their husbands while in matrimony. Also, the women in medieval period could not divorce their husbands and were not allowed to own any property unless they were widows or inherit property from their parents if they had male siblings. As much as inheritance was greatly controlled by men in the medieval society, some women could make decisions as to the inheritance of property. Most women with vast resources chose to give their property to charities while others sponsored projects such as the construction of roads and bridges that was deemed as missionary in nature. In historical discussions, a woman by the name Frideborg a rich widow who decreed that her daughter should distribute her inheritance to the poor upon her death while in the pagan Germanic society and the Old Icelandic societies, widows had more control over their own finances other women (Wicker 2012, p. 262). The fact that women were buried with their earthly belongings combined with competitive displays of wealth and abundance the women in medieval society lived in. According to Herlihy (1975, pp.1-22), the more the hopes of the woman surviving improv ed and her number of relatives improved the more her social position deteriorated. Therefore, in the early medieval property systems, women had a control over their inheritance and a role in controlling their assets. They however lost this control as the wealth trickled down generations where the control of the inheritance withered (Herlihy 1985, pp.11-13). For those women who wielded wealth and status in the medieval ages, their most important

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

New Physics and Chemistry Discovered at the CERN's Large Hadron Research Paper

New Physics and Chemistry Discovered at the CERN's Large Hadron Collider - Research Paper Example If this occurs, it will produce a material known as quark-gluon plasma, which probably made up the universe in the time following the Big Bang. Physicists are interested in this material because the expansion and cooling of the material would likely show how the particles that exist today arose out of the conditions following the Big Bang (â€Å"CERN - LHC Experiments: ALICE†) 2. ATLAS: A Toroidal LHC Apparatus, records measurements for the results of particle collisions. It tracks what particles are created and destroyed in a given collision, and the path of travel and energy for those particles (â€Å"CERN - LHC Experiments: ATLAS†). They are both considered general-purpose detectors. The experiments being performed using them focus on the search for the Higgs boson and the substance known as dark matter (â€Å"CERN - LHC Experiments: ATLAS†; â€Å"CERN - LHC Experiments: CMS†). ... 3. CMS: Compact Muon Solenoid, has the same research goals as ATLAS, but it has different technical specifications to achieve those goals, especially with regard to the design of the magnet system within the equipment (â€Å"CERN - LHC Experiments: CMS†). The CMS has been designed to detect the presence of â€Å"missing† energy, which could indicate the presence of stable but weakly-interacting particles, such as energetic neutrinos. This missing energy occurs when the particle moves in the same direction as the beam pipe and so cannot be detected; the use of the CMS helps to cover this gap and provide a more complete picture of the collision event (Pi et al. 2011) 4. LHCb: Large Hadron Collider beauty is expected to help us understand why the universe appears to be composed almost entirely of matter, but no antimatter. It specializes in investigating the slight differences between matter and antimatter by studying a type of particle called the 'beauty quark', or 'b qua rk'.† (â€Å"CERN - The LHC Experiments: LHCb†) 5. TOTEM: TOTal Elastic and diffractive cross section Measurement device is included in the experimental set-up to study the physics of the elementary particles that is always hidden to the general-purpose experiments carried in such an accelerator. It is of immense importance to measure the size of the proton and also calculate accurately the LHC's luminosity, so that the results may be utilized for calibration of the whole set-up (â€Å"CERN - LHC Experiments: TOTEM†) 6. LHCf:  Large Hadron Collider forward tries to simulate Cosmic Rays, which are the naturally occurring charged particles in Earth’s upper atmosphere, colliding with our atmosphere and resulting in stream of

Monday, January 27, 2020

Theories Of Why The Cold War Ended

Theories Of Why The Cold War Ended The Cold War was a term coined by George Orwell in 1945 that refers to the, Extended worldwide conflict between communism and capitalism that is normally taken to have begun in 1947. The end of the Cold War came about through two measures, the first being no friction remaining between the USSR and the USA and the second being the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are four main international relations theories that aim to shed light on the reasons for the Cold War coming to a halt. The first theory, put forth by liberal thinkers, examines the role of world leaders in ending the war. The second theory holds economic pressures on the USSR, due to competition with the USA, culpable for the end of the Cold War. The third theory illustrated by realists analyses the contribution of internal factors leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the final theory illustrates the peace through strength thesis  [3]  . I believe that all the theories are strongly linked with each other; h owever it was due to the decisions made by the world leaders that the Cold War ended. The theory that Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan played a central role in ending the Cold War has been put forth by Liberal theorists. President Reagan, through popular belief, is seen as the individual that accelerated the process which led to the end of the Cold War. Margaret Thatcher quoted in one of her speeches, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for fighting and winning the Cold War it is Ronald Reagan deserves the most credit  [4]  . Reagan used an upfront and confrontational method in dealing with the, the evil empire  [5]  . Reagans aim was to win the arms race against the USSR in order to restore US supremacy in the global society. Furthermore Reagan increased the military to a scale that is unrivalled in U.S. history. In 1982 defence spending rose by 13% and then 8% in each successive year; Reagan also poured millions of dollars into the development of the nuclear stealth bomber trident submarine. Thirdly Reagan issued the Reagan Doctrine which stated that assistance would be sent to any anti-communist insurgents and governments. This build up of arms and effort to halt soviet influence in the third world was used to put pressure on the USSR. This pressure forced Gorbachev to address the Politburo on a change of strategy, regarding the United States, and also hold talks with Reagan in Geneva and Reykjavik. Gorbachev realised that the USSR could not keep up with the United States and therefore in order to maintain Soviet security, Gorbachev decided to desert the arms race and instead focus on reforming the Soviet economy. This Soviet policy was known as Perestroika  [6]  . Additionally Gorbachev recognized that soviet control over the empire in Eastern Europe was costing immense amounts of money each year (approx. $40 billion  [7]  ). Thus he put an end to the Brezhnev doctrine, which meant that countries could now leave the Warsaw Pact without any repercussions from the Soviet Union. Consequentially the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the USSRs power and inf luence, was torn down by unopposed protesters. Gorbachev intended to reform communism but he could not hide from the fact that the USSR simply could not compete with the USA on economic and military grounds. Thus when no hostility remained between the two super powers due to the reasons stated above, the Cold War came to an end. As a result of the actions on the part of Reagan and Gorbachev the Cold War came to an end. Economic issues areseen as a core factor in ending the Cold War. The Soviet Union entered the 1990s with the possibility of economic collapse around every corner. This fear of economic collapse paired with the steadily declining economy is posed as another theory as to why the Cold War ended. The burden imposed upon the Soviet Union due to hegemonic competition with the USA had escalated to a level at which the USSR could no longer compete. Reagans Strategic Defence Initiative caused the USA to take a lead in the arms race thus leaving Gorbachev and the USSR with limited options. As mentioned above, Gorbachev saw a great need to reform the Soviet economy. This was because the immense military spending, of the Soviet Union, was resting on the back of a broken economy. Secondly the United States was benefitting immensely from its imperialist expansion whereas the Soviet Union was making catastrophic losses with its expansion causing a economic deficit. As the USSR could not produce as many goods and therefore Soviet exports, to Eastern Europe, began to rapidly decline and the reliance on imports began to increase; this led to a trade deficit in the economy. Additionally all consumer products, such as clothes and shoes, produced within the Soviet Union were being sent to the army which forced consumers to rely on imports for their daily needs. Hence the pressures of the market economy continued mounting on the Soviet Union. Gorbachev realized that the race against the United States simply wasnt worth continuing and consequently chose to negotiate terms of a peace settlement with the USA. It is clear that there are several links present between the two theories discussed to this point; therefore it can be argued that the economic factors led world leaders to end the Cold War. Internal factors, especially public opinion, had a major contribution to the end of the Cold War. The internal factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and ultimately the end of the Cold War, were largely due to Gorbachevs actions. When Gorbachev came to power in March 1985  [8]  his first orders of business were accepting the realities of the atrocities against the public under Stalin and addressing the widespread corruption of several Soviet leaders. This acceptance of problems led to the alienation of the public and thus caused the government to lose legitimacy. Furthermore the disastrous war in Afghanistan, which was draining the soviet economy and causing social unrest, led the public to lose faith in their government. They felt as though the Soviet Union would not develop a strong economic foundation under Gorbachev and thus wouldnt be able to compete with the USA. Several historians believe that Gorbachev unleashed too many reforms at inappropriate timings whi ch opened a floodgate that ended in the collapse of the USSR. The most relevant reform in this context is glasnost  [9]  which gave Soviet citizens freedom of speech and expression. The Soviet public began openly criticizing the government, issues of economic backwardness, inefficiency and shortages were openly discussed. The message from the Soviet public was clear, they wanted change. Historian Dr. Crockett once said, Once given rein, the direction of the newly released force of public opinion could not necessarily be controlled  [10]  . This quote clearly illustrates the immense amounts of damage the glasnost policy had on the Soviet government. It can be said that once the Soviet government had lost the support of their public they could no longer afford to focus all their resources on external conflicts and were forced to reallocate their resources to solve internal conflicts. Ultimately the turn of public opinion in the Soviet Union caused it to crumble, thus leading t o the end of the Cold War. The peace through strength thesis is, a doctrine, issued by Ronald Reagan, that military strength and a system of alliances is primary or necessary for peace  [11]  . This theory is predominantly a realist one. In previous paragraphs the build up of the United States military has already been covered in great depth therefore this paragraph will focus on the role of the wests military alliances. Heading into the 1990s the west had built up a solid network of alliances. The USA attracted economically disadvantaged countries by offering them aid and arms in return for alliance. Furthermore the USA took a leading role in creating the North Atlantic Trade Organisation (NATO) whose primary purpose was collective defence in response to an external attack and in the case of the Cold War it also served to contain communism. The countries allied to the West, encircled the USSR in a cordon sanitaire which is defined as a quarantine line  [12]  . The system of alliances additionally serv ed to deter the Soviet Union from creating conflict. These systems of alliances have proven to be successful due to the fact that there has not been a World War since April 4, 1949  [13]  , when the treaty was signed. In 1989 George Bush said, Containment worked because our alliances were and are strong  [14]  . It can be argued that the wests persistent efforts to quarantine the spread of Communism paired with their massive alliance system, served to overwhelm the Soviet Union forcing them to accept peace rather than risk a third world war. One can argue that the economic backwardness, public opinion and the peace through strength thesis are the factors that led to end of the Cold war and ultimately the collapse of the Soviet Union. However I believe that these three theories are weak on their own and must therefore rely on the all encompassing theory of world leaders to find their foundation. It was Reagans confrontational methods that led Gorbachev to sign peace agreements with the United States and it was Gorbachevs reforms that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Thus on both fronts the Cold War ended largely due to the involvement of world leaders. I believe the liberal argument of world leaders ending the Cold War is the most convincing and is the locomotive that drives all the remaining theories.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Eulogy for Son :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Son William was a very special person. His good qualities are endless. Since he was just a child, I always remember William sticking up for the family. When his sister, Lisa, was a baby, William would sit outside her room with a mask and cape on ready to rescue her in case she started crying. And, if William’s father or I were making too much noise, he was always quick to fly downstairs and tell us to keep quiet so not to disturb his little sister. That’s just the kind of person William was. He was a hero to all of us. As I look out into the crowd, I can’t help but see just how many lives William has touched. As a psychiatrist, but more importantly as a friend, William was able to come to the aid of those in need. He was a shoulder to lean on, always willing to lend a hand to help someone out, always willing to listen to someone’s problems and take the time to help resolve them. It would take me an eternity to list off all the special ways William has made a difference in my life. Whenever I was upset, whenever I needed someone, William’s sense of humor cheered me right up. No one can feel sad when William is around. I’ll always remember William as a person who was constantly finding humor in life no matter what the occasion. He was so full of life. It’s hard to imagine how I’m going to go a day without speaking to him because he’d call me every single day. I know he was a very busy man, but he would never forget to take the time to call me to see how I was. It’s the little things like that I’ll never forget about him. Although William’s death was sudden and came as a shock to all of us, I know in my heart he would not want for us to spend forever grieving. Rather, William would want us all to remember our favorite moments we spent with him. So, if you would all just take a quick minute or two to think about a happy time shared with him†¦ William’s life was far too brief, but he was able to accomplish many things.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay

Some people believe the history of corrections shows continuous movement toward more humane treatment of prisoners as society has progressed. In the beginning punishments for prisoners were considered a corporal punishment which was whipping, beheading, dismembering, torture or even death. There was fines, dispersion of property were common which was more common than the physical torture. Execution was the economic and corporal punishment as the estate was forfeited. The economic and physical sanctions have given way of imprisonment less depreciation in the liberty of parole and probation. When there are thousands of crimes incarcerated throughout the United States, the ethical treatment of prisoner’s rights must be analyzed. Throughout the years many modifications have been made to accommodate inmates and preserve their basic human rights. Have we as a society done enough regarding the ethical treatment of prisoners or have we made their lives in prison too easy that it is no longer a punishment for them? There are many people in the United States who have strong feelings of what is right and wrong and fall on both sides of this question. Utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members Mosser (2010). Through the utilitarian view the argument could be made that these prisoners are being treated to good and not good enough. Utilitarianism gives an understandable, theoretical foundation for moral decision making. Prior to coming to a decision upon a course of action, the utilitarian is asked to consider its effects on the entire population over an infinite period of time Mosser (2010). One problem with this method of decision-making is that many people might not agree with the premise that maximization of happiness should be the basis for morality. An example of this is an eye for an eye; if you kill someone in my family then I will have your life. In earlier history like the cowboy era this is how criminals were treated. Now, this is no longer accepted in our society. Our society’s ethical values have changed. For hundreds of years, prisoners had no rights. That is until 1909 when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that although convicts have lost their freedom; they do have civil rights Davenport (2009). During this era, institutions were legally immune in state and federal courts from lawsuits, also called the hands-off doctrine, wardens ran their facilities as they felt necessary and were not held accountable for the conditions that existed in their facility Davenport (2009). Prisoners were beaten regularly and denied the basics such as food, medical care, and protection from staff or other inmates. These types of incidents continued for many of years. In the 1960’s several legal avenues opened for prisoners. Prisoners would now have the ability to have their grievances heard in state and federal courts. One of the major changes that enabled this is the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment; another is the civil rights provisions of Section 1983 of Title 42 of the U. S. Code Davenport (2009). The Eighth Amendment asserts that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted Davenport (2009). The cruel and unusual punishment clause was not intended for prisoners; rather the focus was on punishment outside the law. The clause also did not apply to state prisoners. The Supreme Court heard very few cases in this era. In the 1960’s, the Supreme Court began to incorporate the Bill of Rights to state laws. This meant the cruel and unusual punishment clause now included prisons and prisoners. Prisoner’s then began to file suits to change the way prisons operated, citing cruel and unusual punishment, inadequate healthcare, demanding more access to courts and due process. People who are employed in the justice system have to exhibit strength of mind and body to prove they are worthy to be in charge of those who may be a danger to society. This fact alone places these individuals in a position of power, and without a personal and professional code of ethics to live by; this power could be taken out of context. This could lead to damage within the system, as well as out on the street. For these people must make moral decisions everyday. A personal set of ethics can often be hard to define. Ethics are not on a person’s mind as they make various choices throughout the day. When a person sub-consciously makes one judgment or another, they are not aware that ethics plays a role in the decisions that are made. In examining ethical egoism and utilitarianism my personal view is definitely closer to utilitarianism than ethical egoism. Utilitarianism is an exceedingly, even extremely demanding moral view for most people. If we have a duty to always bring about the best outcome, than any time we can increase the well-being of others, we have a moral duty to do so. I believe it is morally better to help the most people at a time than to serve the self interest of one person. The thousands of crimes incarcerated throughout the United States had their day in court and are now housed in a penal institution to serve out their sentence. As a society we have passed ethical laws to protect the prisoners against harm from others and to make sure they are treated with respect. Through the eyes of utilitarianism arguments are made that these prisoners are being treated to good by some and not good enough by others. Regardless of which theories or ethical beliefs a person chooses to believe in they must follow the law or they could end up as a prisoner in the United States. Those in the justice system sworn to protect prisoners can not choose to follow their own beliefs but they must follow the laws and regulation set forth before them. Ethics as a form of intellectual inquiry does not provide answers to moral questions. People with beliefs about right and wrong do. Societies are built upon those beliefs. As we have analyzed the ethical treatment of prisoners with theories of ethics we can argue that society’s views of right and wrong coincide with reality, are representative of the objective moral order, and encompass the will of the people with regards to their treatment. Davenport, A. U. (2009). Basic criminal law: the constitution, procedure, and crimes (2nd Ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Pearson