Shark Finning The Most Misunderstood Animals - 1252 Words

Sharks are the most misunderstood animals in the world and are amazingly intricate animals. There are over 360 types of sharks and they live in oceans all over the world. Unfortunately, sharks have been hunted in large numbers for years and the populations have been dwindling before our eyes. Many people remain ignorant to the massive attacks on these beautiful creatures and some don’t understand the issue at hand. What is this issue? Shark finning. Shark finning is the practice of removing the shark’s fins after it has been caught in a fishery. The fins are kept and the body of the shark is typically returned to the sea, often while the shark is still alive. Unable to swim or pass water across its gills, the shark dies from suffocation, blood loss or predation by other species. Is shark finning beneficial and necessary or is it another cruel, outdated, abusive act on these majestic animals? Shark Finning is extremely unnecessary. Only 3% of the shark s body weight is t he high priced fins, while the rest of the body is often ignored and discarded. 145 countries are involved in shark fishing and the biggest fishers are Japan, Indonesia, India, Spain, Taiwan, Argentina, Mexico, Pakistan, United States, and Malaysia. (Sharksavers.) Shark finning, itself, is a cruel act of violence and malevolent behavior. After the sharks are caught, they are pulled upon the boat and their fins are forcefully sliced off while the sharks are alive. After the fishers have gotten the necessaryShow MoreRelatedSharks Are An Essential Part Of The Ocean s Ecosystem2292 Words   |  10 Pagesis frightened of? Ever since â€Å"Jaws† people have viewed Sharks as Ferocious, Dangerous Man-eating monsters out to attack anyone who dares come into the water. The truth is that one-fourth of Shark populations is endangered of going extinct. After over 450 million years on this planet, they have the possibility of extinction due to inadequate laws to protect the creatures fro m actions such as finning, bycatching, and habitat depletion. Sharks are an essential part of the ocean s ecosystem and WithoutRead MoreThe Overfishing Problem Of South Africa1992 Words   |  8 PagesSharks in South Africa South Africa is known today to have problems in their waters. Not only are they just found in their waters, but they are also found in many other familiar waters of other countries. The topic I will be discussing about is the overfishing problem in South Africa. Not just ordinary overfishing, but overfishing for sharks in particular. I decided to go with this topic because sharks are the top of the food chain and often get misunderstood. From my knowledge, I am also aware thatRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects On The Ocean2258 Words   |  10 Pagesact of fishing of sharks, whales, and blue fin tuna have depleted their once thriving numbers to now being endangered. If this illegal fishing does not stop they could all become extinct, and once they are gone what would happen to the rest of the marine life in the ocean. Sharks kill about six people a year, while 100 million sharks are being brutally slaughtered each year (Berrow). Finning is the illegal act of cutting off the fins of sharks, and then tossing the live sharks back into the ocean

Life or death †whose decision is it anyway Free Essays

The courses of actions that were taken shall be justified through the use of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative. The categorical imperative provides that one ought to, â€Å"[a]ct only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.† There are however two formulations of the categorical imperative. We will write a custom essay sample on Life or death – whose decision is it anyway? or any similar topic only for you Order Now The above-mentioned is the first one and the second is â€Å"[a]ct in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.† Scenario 1 The primary issue at hand is whether or not it was ethical for the doctors in George Washington Hospital to insist that her baby be allowed to live despite Angela’s, her physicians’ and her family’s objections; especially when it was found that in the end, the surgery was a contributing cause to Angela’s death. Thus, the primary issue here is whether or not abortion would have been ethical given the situation. What is the best course of action to take given the situation? But even before proceeding, what exactly is the situation? The situation is the fact that Angela is faced with cancer and she has only a few days to live. Her physicians and her family wanted to preserve her life as much as they could. In addition, the surgery (cesarean section), which while gives the baby 50 to 60% chance to survive, endangers Angela’s life and withers the last few days that she has left, not to mention the fact that .   Furthermore, they estimated that there was a less than 20 percent chance that the child would be disabled.   The physicians also testified that the surgery would increase the chances of Angela Carter’s death. The best course of action taken was the course taken by the doctors in George Washington Hospital to insist that her baby be allowed to live despite Angela’s, her physicians’ and her family’s objections.. Thus, given the situation it would not have been ethical to abort the baby. This decision can be justified using Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative. The categorical imperative can be explained simply through the discussion on duties. Basically if a course of action or decision is one’s duty, then it can be willed to become a universal law. If on the other hand, a course of action is not part of one’s duty then it cannot be said to become a universal law. Given the situation above, it is the duty of Angela’s doctors to uphold the value of life. In fact as doctors, it is part of their Hippocratic Oath â€Å"[t]o practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patients, and to try to avoid harming them† and â€Å"[n]ever to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else’s interest.† However, it becomes complicated as they, in a way have to choose between Angela’s and her baby’s life. As it is their duty to protect their patients’ lives, they are now confronted with a scenario that they have to inevitably choose one of their patients’ lives. Thus, the question is can the doctors continue performing their duties without aborting the baby? Are there alternatives? Subjected to the first formulation of the categorical imperative, the action not to abort and keep the child may be regarded as a universal law and may be imposed upon any other individual who finds himself/ herself in such a situation. They may do without abortion as the same is in compliance with their duty to preserve life because there are other means by which they may still comply with their duty to Angela to protect and safeguard her life. One of these is by making sure that she is given the best possible attention during the surgery. It must be noted that Angela’s is bound to live for only a few days, no matter what the doctors do. The course of action is further affirmed and clarified as it is subjected to the second formulation. From such maxim arises the duty that human life must be protected and safeguarded because it must not be treated just as a means but always at the same time as an end. Ideally, the best course of action is to try all means possible and necessary to safeguard both Angela and her baby’s life. However, it must be noted that Angela’s life is already on the losing end and no matter what the doctors do, she was bound to die sooner rather than later. Thus, aborting the baby is but a means to making sure that Angela will live albeit for a few a days; with this fact, such course of action does not pass the second formulation of the categorical imperative. The life of the baby must be treated not just as a means but also as an end. Thus, in this case the doctors of George Washington Hospital undertook to perform the best course of action given the situation as at the end of the day, life or death is not a decision that any person can make. For that matter, no one person can ever make that decision for someone else. Scenario 4 The primary issue in this scenario was whether or not it would be ethical for the Dr. Wendy Smith to inform Jack’s father that he will die unless he gets a liver transplant. The issue arises from the fact that Jack believes that his father’s situation will worsen once the gravity of his predicament is made known to him. On the other hand, Dr. Wendy Smith believes by his sworn duty to inform the patient of what he is up against. In this situation there is a clash of duties between the duty of Jack to his father, as a son and the duty of the doctor to Jack’s father as his doctor. It is the duty of Jack to do everything in his power to make sure that the best interests of his father is upheld and taken care of. On the other hand, in addition to the above-mentioned duties of a doctor â€Å"[t]o practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patients, and to try to avoid harming them† and â€Å"[n]ever to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else’s interest,† it is also their duty â€Å"[t]o keep the good of the patient as the highest priority.† We shall now find out the resolve of the conflicting duties by subjecting them to the two formulations of the categorical imperative. With respect to Jack’s duty, it is true that the upholding the best interests of one’s parent can be willed that it should become a universal law. In addition, by upholding the best interests of one’s parent, one acts in such a way that he/she treats humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end. With respect to Dr. Wendy Smith’s duties â€Å"[t]o practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patients, and to try to avoid harming them,† â€Å"[n]ever to do deliberate harm to anyone for anyone else’s interest,† and â€Å"[t]o keep the good of the patient as the highest priority.† The same can be willed that they can become universal laws and the same are also means by which humanity is treated not just as a means but also as an end. Thus, as both were subjected to the categorical imperative and both passed the formulations, what then? It can be noted that Jack’s duty is to make sure that the best interests of his father are upheld, but how does Jack know what his best interests are? Is concealing the truth to him of his best interest? Thus, we subject this to the categorical imperative. Concealing the truth cannot be willed to become a universal law. If the same were to be allowed to become universal law then all concealments of truth in all situations not related to the situation at hand will be justified. The same is inconsistent to upholding the virtue of truth. At the same time, concealing the truth is actually a method by which one is treated as a means and not as end. This is so as concealment provides a myopic view – it is a mere means for the people around Jack’s father to avoid the issue of his impending demise for themselves rather than making sure that Jack’s father is apprised of his situation and is prepared for the worst possible ending of his situation. Thus, the best course of action to take is the action backed up by Dr. Wendy Smith’s duty as a doctor to inform the patient of his predicament no matter how grave said situation is. How to cite Life or death – whose decision is it anyway?, Essay examples

Poems By Robert Frosts Essays - Robert Frost, After Apple-Picking

Poems By Robert Frosts Robert Frost is an American poet who drew his images from the New England countryside and his language from the New England speech. His poetry was mainly about the life of the rural New Englander. Frost's focus was on everyday subject matters. A lot of his poems were concerned with how people interact with their environment, and the beauty of nature. I will be analyzing some of Frost's poems including After Apple-Picking, An Old Man's Winter Night, The Road Not Taken, Acquainted with the Night and discussing the themes apparent in each. After Apple-Picking describes how after a hard day of picking apples the speaker dreams of the activity but in his dreams these activities are blurred. This is inferred by when he says ?I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass.?1 There seemed to be a celebration of harvest as well as a longing to escape the pain of the real world. The rhythm of the poem is confusing, as there is a mixing of tones and tenses that suggest some contradictory event. As when he said ? Magnified apples appear and disappear?2 then contradicts it and says ?Of load on load of apples coming in.?3 This rhythm also suggests repetitive toil and drained energy. The theme of nature is obvious in this poem. The speaker seemed to cherish the moments spent on apple picking, but is now too tired to continue. There seemed to be a sense of him wanting to melt into the nothingness of death. The speaker becomes both mentally and physically exhausted as the apples are gathered. ? For I have had too much of apple-picking; I am overtired of the great harvest I myself desired.?4 This again brings out Frosts combination of pastoral/human and poetic work. An Old Man's Winter Night speaks of an old man dying in the winter in New England alone. Again in this poem we see nature standing and looking on. There is a sense that humans, though we live together, each is a single person who has to face issues individually. This old man seems to represent the emotion of human loneliness even though ?a light he was to no one but himself.?5 In Acquainted with the Night the speaker speaks of his or her confrontation with some type of nothingness, speaking of their being ?one acquainted with the night.?6 From the words you can tell that the speaker is experiencing some type of homelessness and loneliness from where he or she says they ?have looked down the saddest city lane.?7 You can see in the third verse of the poem that ?when far away an interrupted cry?8 did not concern him and that he was not acknowledged. When the speaker glanced at the moon it suggests to him the indifference of time proclaiming ?the time was neither wrong nor right.?9 Nothing changes because of him and time neither judged nor guided his journey. The metaphor of the night suggests loneliness and hopelessness. It implies the state of the poet, which is one of darkness itself. One of Frost's lesser known poems entitled The Road Not Taken is about the choice a lifetime. Like all of Frost's poems it is written in a plain and simple dialect. The speaker is faced with two roads in which he cannot see the end. He can and has to choose only one road. He decides to take the one that is less traveled and has less wear. Critics have interpreted the poem as an expression of regret that ones' ability to explore the different possibilities of life as being so sharply limited. This is a good point since most people are face with choices at some point in their life that they do not know the outcome to. Basically the poem is suggesting to the fact that human beings have choices and the choice one makes, whether a good one or a bad one, one has to live with the consequences. The poem would seem to suggest that before one makes a choice, one need to consider the possibilities or consequences of these choices. In other words what I'm saying is that there must be

The Maya Calendar

The Maya Calendar What is the Maya Calendar? The Maya, whose culture in Central America and southern Mexico peaked around 800 A.D. before going into steep decline, had an advanced calendar system that incorporated the movement of the sun, moon and planets. For the Maya, time was cyclical and repeated itself, making certain days or months lucky or unlucky for certain things, like agriculture or fertility. The Maya calendar reset in December of 2012, inspiring many to see the date as an end-of-days prophecy. The Maya Concept of Time: To the Maya, time was cyclical: it would repeat itself and certain days had characteristics. This notion of cyclical as opposed to lineal time is not unknown to us: for example, many people consider Mondays to be â€Å"bad† days and Fridays to be â€Å"good† days (unless they fall on the thirteenth of the month, in which case they are unlucky). The Maya took the concept further: although we consider months and weeks to be cyclical, but years to be lineal, they considered all time as cyclical and certain days could â€Å"return† centuries later. The Maya were aware that a solar year was roughly 365 days long and they referred to it as a â€Å"haab.† They divided a haab into 20 â€Å"months† (to the Maya, â€Å"uinal†) of 18 days each: to this was added 5 days annually for a total of 365. These five days, called â€Å"wayeb,† were added at the end of the year and were considered very unlucky. The Calendar Round: The earliest Maya Calendars (dating from the preclassic Maya era, or about 100 A.D.) are referred to as the Calendar Round. The Calendar Round was actually two calendars that overlapped one another. The first calendar was the Tzolkin cycle, which consisted of 260 days, which roughly corresponds to the time of human gestation as well as the Maya agricultural cycle. Early Mayan astronomers used the 260 day calendar to record the movements of the planets, sun and moon: it was a very sacred calendar. When used consecutively with the standard 365 day haab calendar, the two would align every 52 years. The Maya Long Count Calendar: The Maya developed another calendar, better suited for measuring longer periods of time. The Maya Long Count used only the haab or 365 day calendar. A date was given in terms of Baktuns (periods of 400 years) followed by Katuns (periods of 20 years) followed by Tuns (years) followed by Uinals (periods of 20 days) and ending with the Kins (number of days 1-19). If you added all of those numbers up, you would get the number of days that had passed since the starting point of Maya time, which was sometime between August 11 and September 8, 3114 B.C. (the exact date is subject to some debate). These dates are usually expressed as a series of numbers like so: 12.17.15.4.13 November 15, 1968, for example. Thats 12x400 years, 17x20 years, 15 years, 4x20 days plus eleven days since the beginning of Maya time. 2012 and The End of Maya Time: Baktuns - periods of 400 years - are counted on a base-13 cycle. On December 20, 2012, the Maya Long Count Date was 12.19.19.19.19. When one day was then added, the entire calendar reset to 0. The thirteenth Baktun since the beginning of Maya time therefore came to an end on December 21, 2012. This of course led to much speculation about dramatic changes: some predictions for the end of the Maya Long Count Calendar included the end of the world, a new age of consciousness, a reversal of the Earths magnetic poles, the arrival of the Messiah, etc. Needless to say, none of those things happened. In any event, historical Maya records do not indicate that they gave much thought to what would happen at the end of the calendar. Sources: Burland, Cottie with Irene Nicholson and Harold Osborne. Mythology of the Americas. London: Hamlyn, 1970. McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004.

Top 10 Medical Careers That Dont Require a Graduate Degree

Top 10 Medical Careers That Dont Require a Graduate Degree according to the experts over at bestmedicaldegrees.com, there are at least 30 promising career options for people  with an interest in a medical profession but without the time or resources for medical school. here are the top 10 highest paying careers that require a bachelor’s degree and either on-the-job training or professional certifications. take a look at the list and see which one will be right for you!10. dietician and nutritionist ($55k)professional dieticians and nutritionists are required to have bachelor’s degrees in nutrition science and will need some kind of partnership or mentoring from physicians or fellow dieticians. these partnerships allow access to patients so dns can practice the development and implementation of schedules and lifestyle plans. they may also work in hospitals, care facilities, or other clinic or gym settings where they can work directly with clients.9. cytotechnologist ($61k)with a  bachelor’s  degree and graduation fr om an accredited cytotechnology program, certified cytotechs work in laboratories where they research cells and cellular anomalies to contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and illnesses.8. medical sonographer ($64k)sonographers operate imaging equipment during diagnostic appointments or assist physicians and surgeons during procedures. you’ll need an associate’s degree and a professional certification.7. registered nurse ($68k)rns must be licensed to practice in hospital and physicians’ offices, but many schools are moving from a two-year diploma to a two-year associate degree or a bachelor’s of science in nursing. many medical institutions are reporting a shortage of nurses, so the job prospects are promising.6. nuclear medicine technologist ($70k)an associate or bachelor’s degree in nuclear medicine technology prepares you to operate scanners and administer drugs to assist in a diagnosis or treatment of various ailments.5. radiati on therapist ($75k)â€Å"rad techs† are responsible for administering radiation treatments, most often for cancer patients, and working alongside radiation oncologists and radiation physicists. jobs may be available in hospitals, cancer centers, and outpatient clinic settings.4. biomedical engineer ($86k)biomedical engineering is a relatively recently established field that involves the research and development of diagnostic medical technology, including imaging equipment, prostheses, and pharmaceuticals. a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and professional training on the job is necessary to secure a position in medical equipment manufacturing, hospital, or university settings.3. physician assistant ($90k)â€Å"pas† work closely with physicians to diagnose and treat patients; you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field like nursing and an accredited physician assistant educational program. this in-depth but highly supervised work may also help you discover whether you want to pursue a degree in medicine further down the road.2. cardiovascular perfusionist ($94k)a cardiovascular perfusionist is responsible for maintaining heart and lung functions during surgery, monitoring blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and blood gasses. many work in operating rooms or intensive care units and have completed perfusion training programs in addition to a bachelor’s degree in health studies.1.   medical and health services manager/administrator ($40-110k)if you like a demanding environment and excel under pressure, a position as a medical and health services manager/administrator may be for you! administrators are expected to stay up-to-date on relevant policies and laws, technological changes, and the daily operations of physicians’ offices, hospitals and clinics.

Summary of Deconstructing America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of Deconstructing America - Essay Example It is a nation without moorings, with no common heritage, no common language, and nothing to bind as a nation or as a cohesive cultural and social force. Respect for diversity is good, when it does not reach the extremes. There must be something tangible that holds American people together. Americans must develop the capacity to foresee the common good, not what is good from the viewpoints of Democrats and Republicans, according to Buchanan. With the increasing diversity, America has become the â€Å"melting pot.† Buchanan forecasts a deteriorating social order and demise of the identity of the country in due course. â€Å"Melting pot,† is on the verge of becoming myth, and forces of diversity can cause problems within the nation and tear the nation apart, according to Buchanan. He does not like of diversity. According to him, more diversity means, inviting dangers to the unity and integrity of the country. This is in complete contrast to the popular viewpoint that diversity is very important to America as it gives the opportunity to learn from each other. Religion, color and ethnicity are not the compartmentalizing forces. With imaginative and purposeful administration and by honest implementation of the laws, they can as well be the forces of unity and love between the communities. No immigrant will try to deconstruct the nation, as no one is interested in working against one’s own interest. Bucha nan believes firmly that diversity will destroy America. He does not favor the state identity and advocates that national identity must supersede it for the survival of the country. He strongly indicts those who take pride in asserting that America is a multicultural, multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual nation and therefore she is great. Buchanan argues, â€Å"Our day of reckoning is at hand. Time to mind our own business. Time to lay down the burden and come home. Time to put America first.†(263) He has no hesitation

Slaves no more Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slaves no more - Essay Example The feeling of the black and white communities in the Richmond area and in other southern states of the USA is captured by this essay (Guelzo 36). Moreover, the essay captures the confusion of the black people concerning their freedom. For instance, one black slave commented that they had celebrated the Emancipation about twelve times yet they still worked for the white folks. The essay explores the domination of the white people in the actions and thoughts of the black slaves in Richmond. In this essay the author tries to argue that although the Negroes feel that they are free they still feel that this may not be true. The confusion created by the American Emancipation Declaration creates a panic for all residents in Richmond. For instance, a black nanny who was working for a white master is overjoyed with the Emancipation news. However, she is still afraid of her master and when she disobeys her master she is disciplined by her grandmother. In most instances, the author advances the argument that the Emancipation agreement brought about a feeling of freedom to blacks (Woog 88). Nevertheless, blacks in Richmond and other places such as Yorktown feel that they are not absolutely free. Fear still prevailed among the black community in Richmond and they only felt free when the American soldiers were around them. The author tries to bring out the irony brought about the freedom enjoyed by the blacks under the Emancipation Declaration. Even though, black people in Richmon d felt free when the declaration was declared they felt insecure and confused after the Yankees left their town (McComb 54). In my own view I think this essay tries to capture the first moments that occurred after the Emancipation Declaration followed by its implementation by the American forces then. Black slavery in the United States was savagery and thus it had to be ended by the government of the USA. The Emancipation Declaration in my own view gave blacks the strength and heart