British Government Essay Example for Free

British Government Essay Evaluate different methods of estimating the current extinction rate. Do you think that humans will induce a mass extinction on the same scale as the Big Five? Introduction: There is consensus in the scientific community that the current massive degradation of habitat and extinction of many of the Earths biota is unprecedented and is taking place on a catastrophically short timescale. Based on extinction rates estimated to be thousands of times the background rate, figures approaching 30% extermination of all species by the mid 21st century are not unrealistic, an event comparable to some of the catastrophic mass extinction events of the past. The current rate of rainforest destruction poses a profound threat to species diversity. Likewise, the degradation of the marine ecosystems is directly evident through the denudation of species that were once dominant and integral to such ecosystems. Indeed, this colloquium is framed by a view that if the current global extinction event is of the magnitude that seems to be well indicated by the data at hand, then its effects will fundamentally reset the future evolution of the planets biota. Robert Whittaker recognized an additional kingdom for the Fungi. The resulting five-kingdom system, proposed in 1969, has become a popular standard and with some refinement is still used in many works, or forms the basis for newer multi-kingdom systems. It is based mainly on differences in nutrition: his Plantae were mostly multicellular autotrophs, his Animalia multicellular, heterotrophs and his Fungi multicellular saprotrophs. The remaining two kingdoms, Protista and Monera, included unicellular and simple cellular colonies. Extinction rates in the fossil records: The time at which an organism is classified as becoming extinct is when the youngest fossil of its form is found. It is likely that there would have been later examples of the organism present, which were simply not preserved. It is known that some genera have existed for long periods around this time without leaving any known fossil record by the phenomena of Lazarus taxa. It is believed that these organisms were simply not preserved during the time they are missing, or preserved in offshore sediments as yet undiscovered. This may also be the case with many other organisms creating the illusion they are becoming extinct before they are in reality. Ecological Evolutionary Factor affecting the past extinction: Many claim that human activity caused a large scale of plants and animals extinction. The others claim that human caused extinctions are on a similar scale to those that occurred 65 million years ago at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary eras when most species perished including the dinosaurs. This causes two distinct worries: (1) The loss of species will harm humans (2) Quite apart from any harm to humans; there is a duty to prevent ecocide. According to Peter Raven (National Academy of Science) â€Å"We are confronting an episode of species extinction greater than anything the world has experienced for the past 65 million years. Of all the global problems that confront us, this is the one that is moving the most rapidly and the one that will have the most serious consequences. And, unlike other global ecological problems, it is completely irreversible. † Different people evaluate this duty differently. Since the purpose of these pages is establish the sustainability of material progress, Ill take the view that although biodiversity is an important amenity, we are mainly concerned with the extent to which losses of diversity are a threat to human progress. One interesting fact in the article concerns the effect of an increase in temperature on the north-south range of a plant species, especially of trees. It turns out that the northern limit of a species is determined by temperature. As that limit is approached the rate of growth goes to zero. However, the rate of growth of a species does not decline as it approaches the southern limit of its range but remains stable or even increases. What determines a species’ southern boundary is competition from other species that require high temperatures. For this reason the southern boundary of a species is likely to change slowly as its territory is gradually invaded by species liking warm temperature. The invasion is likely to begin in gaps caused by logging and various kinds of die-off. According to Lord Robert May (FRS)-Chief Scientific Adviser to the British Government. â€Å"Hardly a day passes without one being told that tropical deforestation is extinguishing roughly one species every hour, or maybe even one every minute. Such guesstimates are based on approximate species-area relations, along with assessments of current rates of deforestation and guesses at the global total number of species (which range from 5 to 80 million or more. ) While such figures arguably have a purpose in capturing public attention, there is a clear and increasing need for better estimates of impending rates of extinction, based on a keener understanding of extinction rates in the recent and far past, and on the underlying ecological and evolutionary causes. † Scientists who worry about extinctions often agree that the world will reach a new equilibrium as temperature increases assuming it does. However, they worry that the rate of increase of temperature is unprecedented and that species, especially of plants, will migrate northward too slowly and become extinct. Roughly 43 percent of the earth’s terrestrial vegetated surface has diminished capacity to supply benefit to humanity because of the recent, direct impacts of the land use. This represents 10 percent reduction in potential direct instrumental value (PDIV), defined as the potential to yield direct benefits such as agricultural, forestry, industrial and medical products. Capitalizing on the natural recovery mechanisms is urgently needed to prevent further irreversible degradation and to retain the multiple values of productive land. Differences in extinction rates among groups: Estimated Future extinction rates from the species area relations: A better way of studying rates of complete biota extinction levels has been developed with the analysis of isotopic ratios of Carbon. When life is abundant there is almost completely carbon-12 within the geological record. Enzymes within organisms, passing into organic matter faster, more efficiently accept this isotope, which becomes lithified into rock. At times of lowered biotic activity, such as at an extinction event when a lot of life has been killed, the ratio of carbon-13 within the rocks will be higher as a higher proportion of carbon will be being fixed as carbonates inorganically. Inorganic precipitation of carbon does not differentiate between the different isotopes of carbon as life does. By analyses of carbon isotope ratios it is then possible to see, by peaks in the carbon-13, at what times there has been a reduction of biotic activity. This is independent of whether organisms present are being preserved or not, and shows at what rates the extinction is occurring. Estimated future extinction rates from IUCN red Lists: Recent extinction rates are 100 to 1000 times their pre-human levels well known, but taxonomically diverse groups from widely different environments. If all species currently deemed threatened become extinct in the next century, then the future extinction rates will be 10 times recent rates. Although new technology provides details on habitat losses, estimates of future extinctions are hampered by our limited knowledge of which areas are rich in endemics. The 2004 IUCN Red List contains 15,589 species threatened with extinction. The assessment includes species from a broad range of taxonomic groups including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fungi. However, this figure is an underestimate of the total number of threatened species as it is based on an assessment of less than 3% of the world’s 1. 9 million described species. Among major species groups, the percentage of threatened species ranges between 12% and 52%. The IUCN Red List identifies 12% of birds as threatened, 23% of mammals, and 32% of amphibians. Although reptiles have not been completely assessed, the turtles and tortoises are relatively well reviewed with 42% threatened. Fishes are also poorly represented, but roughly a third of sharks, rays and chimaeras have been assessed and 18% of this group is threatened. Regional case studies on freshwater fishes indicate that these species might be more threatened than marine species. For example, 27% of the freshwater species assessed in Eastern Africa were listed as threatened. Of plants, only conifers and cycads have been completely assessed with 25% and 52% threatened respectively. References: Robert M. May, John H. Lawton and Nigel E. Stork. â€Å" Assessing Extinction Rates† â€Å"Extinction Rate Analysis† http://palaeo. gly. bris. ac. uk/Palaeofiles/Permian/rateanalysis. html â€Å"Restoring the value to the worlds degraded Lands† Gretchen C. Daily â€Å"The future of biodiversity â€Å" Stuart L. Pimm, Gareth j. Russell, John L. Gittleman ,Thomas M. Brook â€Å"IUCN Red List of Threatened Species†http://www. iucn. org/themes/ssc/red_list_2004/GSAexecsumm_EN. htm References: IUCN 2001. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3. 1. IUCN Species Survival Commission, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, pp. ii+30. Parr C. S. and Cummings M. P. 2005. Data sharing in ecology and evolution. Trends Ecol. Evol. 20: 362–363. Purvis A. and Rambaut A. 1995. Comparative analysis by independent contrasts (CAIC): an Apple Macintosh application for analysing comparative data. Comput. Appl. Biosci. 11: 247–251. Sherwood, Keith and Craig Idso (2003) â€Å"The Specter of Species Extinction Will Global Warming Decimate Earths Biosphere? † 2003 September John Lawton and Robert May â€Å"BIODIVERSITY AND EXTINCTION RATES† 17-May-2004) www-formal. stanford. edu/jmc/progress/biodiversity. html

Keyspan analysis :: essays research papers

About Keyspan Keyspan, a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. In New York State, Keyspan is also the largest investor-owned electric generator. Keyspan has select investments along the gas supply chain as well as a dynamic portfolio of energy service companies. Keyspan’s acquisitions of Eastern Enterprises and EnergyNorth made them the largest gas Distribution Company in the northeast. They have 2.5 million gas customers, including customers in the lucrative New England market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyspan has a solid gas distribution, with 1.7 million customers in New York City and Long Island. They have an additional 800,000 customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Keyspan’s gas utilities are the core drivers of the company and they intend to capitalize on the tremendous growth potential. Keyspan also provides electric service to 1.1 million Long Island Port Authority customers. Keyspan owns and operates over 6,200 megawatts of generating capacity. They plan to add 250 megawatts of electrical generation to New York City by 2003, as well as another 250 to 300 megawatts to Long Island by 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyspan’s Energy Services business provides a full array of energy products to the immense Northeast market. Its energy investments sector includes a solid exploration and production business, as well as other investments that utilize their gas and electric core competencies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyspan is making investments in new technologies that will benefit its relationship with its customers. Their new technological device is the use of its E-Commerce investment in MyHomeKey.com. This is an Internet portal, which helps customers manage their energy needs. The current mission of Keyspan is to become the premier energy and Services Company in the Northeastern United States, providing a full range of products and services. Its priorities are to grow the core regulated business, to build the energy service business, as well as continuing to grow organically.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The goal of Keyspan is to grow its customer base. They would like to be able to sell new products and services, extend their management over a large base, and provide an economy needed for technology investments. Financial Position   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keyspan is financially solid with a +4 billion ‘market cap’, a healthy dividend, yields of 5-6%, and a strong balance sheet. Keyspans 52 week high was 43.63, while its low was 29.10. Its EBIT (Earnings Before Income Taxes) for the year 2000 is 720 million. For 1999 the EBIT was 529 million.

Islamic Religion Essay

Sayyid Qutb also known as (Father of Modern Islamic Extremism) is an academic and writer who is said to be one of the most significant thinkers in modern and contemporary Arab Islamic resurgence, born on the 8th of October 1960 and living his life until being executed by hanging on the 29th of August 1966. His main impact on Islam is through his expression of the religion as a universal philosophy, a political and social force with the potential to provide solutions to all societal problems. Qutb believed that returning to a true Islamic state would provide social justice and cure societal malaise as â€Å"Islam stands against corruption, oppression and capitalism. † His main beliefs, including the concept of jahiliyyah (a non-Muslim) and his understanding of jihad are expressed through his two main books â€Å"The Shade of the Qur’an† and â€Å"Milestones†. These books were heavily criticised by many Orthodox Muslims and Salafi scholars, they are widely read. Directly opposing Jahilliyah perceived authorities had been placed in the minds of a new generation of Muslim youth. In this sense it is clear to see that he has had a dramatic effect on the development and expression of Islam. Although many conservative Muslims and Islamic scholars believe he lacked respect for Islamic traditions and wrongly interpreted the Qur’an, many other Muslims and modern Jihadists consider him a martyr. Qutb came to reject everything about the west due to the experiences he faced while visiting America, including democracy and nationalism. The United States at that time was, politically and socially, perhaps at the height of the West. Because it was so bad, he concluded that nothing the west had to offer was good. Unfortunately the Egyptian government at that time was very pro-western, and his new views brought him into conflict with the current regime. Like so many other young radicals, he was thrown in prison, where deprivation and torture were the norm. it was there, horrified by the barbarism of the camp guards, that he probably lost hope that the current regime could be called â€Å"Muslim†. These Muslims kept the survival of his a legacy, believing his effect on the development and expression of Islam to be a positive one. A society whose legislation does not rest on divine law (shari’at Allah) is not Muslim, however ardently its individuals may proclaim themselves Muslim, even if they pray, fast and make the pilgrimage. What we did not know was that Sayyid Qutb was soon to be the mentor of the notorious Osama Bin Laden, who would come later to be known for terrorist activites. Ethics – Sexual Ethics The Qur’an is the basic source of ethical teachings, such as judgements, statements in it either remind humanity of the basic common sense created by God, or extend this common sense to specific examples or situations and present specific behavioural expectations. Another teaching is the Hadith; it contains the teachings and sayings of Prophet Muhammad that explain the teachings of the Qur’an. It places the Qur’an into the context of daily life. The Sirah is a similar collection of works aiming to clarify the teachings within the Qur’an; however the collection of stories has none of the prophet’s original work. Islam considers sexuality to be a part of a person’s divinely created identity with the ideal goal being marriage and procreation. It is considered that sex is an essential human behaviour that needs to be satisfied but properly and lawfully. Islam prohibits any deprivation of human behaviour – looks at the proper (legal) use of sex as an act of worship (Ibadah). The Hadith contains quotes that relate to the sexual practice and correct application of Allah’s gift of sexuality. â€Å"They are your garments and you are their garments. † (2. 187) the metaphor of the garment is a very powerful one as it brings home the message. It creates in the mind a picture of the relationship needed for a happy and healthy marriage. Clothes are a basic necessity for humans. They are used for warmth as well as beauty. Sex is the ultimate expression of love and is total physical and emotional encounter. The ethical teachings that surrounds Islamic life, are determined by the Al’ Qur’an, the sacred writing brought by the last prophet Muhammad word by word from the Islamic god Allah. This sacred writing is taught through the 114 Sura’s (chapters) of the Al’ Qur’an. The Hadith, second to the Qur’an in importance and authority, are collections of Islamic traditions and laws (Sunnah). The Sharia refers to how Muslims should live or the path they must follow. This includes traditional sayings of Muhammad. Fiqh† Arabic for the world Islamic jurisprudence, Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic Law based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, it complements Sharia with evolving rulings and interpretations of Islamic Jurists. The Fiqh deals with the observance of the rituals, morals and social obligations. (Jurisprudence) states that you must surrender to the will of Allah; it is the most fundamental Islamic value. A Muslim must try ones hardest to establish good according to the order fixed by Allah because each person is God’s agent on earth and has responsibility to Allah, Muhammad’s teachings gives specifics for Marriage and Pre-marital sex. The ideal goal being marriage and procreation, marriage is a legally binding contractual arrangement (called Nikah), sex outside of marriage is forbidden and seen as an attack on the community as well as a breach of this contract. If a Muslim engages in premarital sex, he/she are seen as not submitting to the will of Allah, very harsh penalties will be advised if this act is carried out. Muslims treat marriage as the norm and whilst celibacy is discouraged, fornication is absolutely condemned; this act can lead to the touching, kissing, or the exposing of their bodies of Islamic people. The quote below explains how to do this in an acceptable and legal way for Islamic adherence. â€Å"Marriage is my tradition. He who rejects my tradition is not of me. Marriage is half of religion. The other half is being God fearing† Qur’an 4:3 In Allah’s rulings, there is no fixed rule as to the age of marriage. It is becoming fashionable for young Muslim men not to marry until they have completed their education, have a job, or reached age 26-30 or more. Similarly young Muslim girls say they want to marry after age 24. Conversely the teachings of the Qur’an Homosexuality are condemned to all of Islam. The aims of natural sexuality are procreation and homosexuality does not permit this. Islam accepts no justification for the unnatural sin of homosexuality. Punishment is encouraged but not prescribed. The Qur’an has an oblique reference of lesbian behaviour (lutiyya) â€Å"And those of your women, who commit legal sexual intercourse, take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death comes to them or Allah ordains for them some other way. †

How Effectively Did the Social, Cultural, Historical,...

How is the material being researched and developed at significant stages during the process of creating drama? Our stimulus: Madness When we first got this stimulus, everyone focused on the common idea of madness as an illness and based at mental institutions, as madness is socially constructed and everyone differs to different people, we decided not to follow that path as there are many people who doesn’t fit the set meaning of insane but are still regarded as insane and this also made us question ‘who is insane/sane?’. Our initial ideas were developed through researches about madness. Firstly we agreed to base our play on personality disorder, that the main character would be someone with 5 different personalities and have each person†¦show more content†¦no regret (inside) smiling (outside). Firstly I reflected on his childhood this helped me get into character, I looked ahead and used that moment to physically get in role then I moved on to his time in the army, I did this by pretending he was wear his badges and looked down at it, in this moment I thought about his achievement in the army and how he became a dictator, I then sat down and reflected on his personal life, I looked at his dad’s picture and remember what his dad said that he should fight for what he believes in and that was what he did. He is happy and doesn’t feel any regrets because he accomplished his goal and whatever happens to him now won’t change that, when he was getting beaten up he was just smiling and was ready for anything. I found this scene more effective after changing it from him committing suicide, as it gave me time to reflect on the character rather than worrying about the most effect way for him to kill himself. How did you and your group explore the possibilities of structure and performance style? Our play uses variety of styles, mainly Brecht’s epic theatre as our play depicts political message. Our play is structured as montage as it shows different stages of George’s life in a non-chronological order, we effectively did thisShow MoreRelatedCommunication Studies Syllabus- Caribbean Students12029 Words   |  49 PagesJamaica, W.I. Telephone Number: (876) 630-5200 Facsimile Number: (876) 967-4972 E-mail address: cxcwzo@cxc.org Website: www.cxc.org Copyright  © 2010 by Caribbean Examinations Council The Garrison, St. Michael BB 14038 Barbados This document CXC A2/U1/10 replaces CXC A2/U1/03 issued in 2003. Please note that the syllabus has been revised and amendments are indicated by italics and vertical lines. 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