Animal in research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Animal in research - Essay Example Prior approval from Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is mandatory before using animals for such purposes. An estimated 100-200 million non-human animals are used and decimated annually through out the world in universities, medical colleges, research institutes, defense and public health establishments, commercial and pharmaceutical companies etc. Non-human animal testing is conducted chiefly for basic research, applied research and toxicology or safety testing. The proponents of animal testing argue that animals have a significant role in research that can benefit both animals and humans. Major development in medicine and science has been possible through such researches. Animals such as mice was used for development of the drug penicillin(awarded with Nobel prize), dogs for organ transplantation as well as Pavlov's experimentation, mice and monkey's for the vaccine poliomyelitis etc. The very edifice of morality and ethics is based on the principle that humans are unique and distinct from non-human and so they can utilize animals for their benefit. It is also a moral duty to elevate the misery of both animals and humans by researching developing medical science and science in general. Since non-human animals are less developed they are not so sensitive to pain and suffering.

Envirnmental issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Envirnmental issues - Essay Example It is a threat to the environment because it has led to an increase in the temperature of the world which has been accompanied by other ecological alterations (Houghton 2004). Global warming as the name indicates is a worldwide problem which has been explained by Sir David King who is the chief scientific adviser of the UK government in the following words, â€Å"Climate change is a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism† (BBC, 2004). Global warming is basically a rise in the temperature of the world. The increased release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has been identified as a major reason for global warming. This results due to the increased usage of motor vehicles which have been linked with emissions of carbon in the atmosphere. Furthermore, increased industrialization has also resulted in an increase in the release of these gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation accompanied with the forest fires are also major reasons for the rise in the global temperature across the world (Chemical & Engineering News, 2005; Desonie, 2008). Strict regulations are essential for all the contributors of global warming. It has been seen that laws have been passed with regard to controlling the emission of gases from the motor vehicles. Research is underway for the creation of ways that limit the passage of gases into the atmosphere. Permafrost is one such substance which limits the release of the emissions into the atmosphere. But its efficiency is also reducing. The best method to control global warming is to limit the release of gases into the atmosphere and hence this would limit the raise in the temperature of the world (Bhargava 2004; Desonie, 2008; Tesar, 1991). The issue of global warming needs to be tackled as it is an issue of concern. It can lead to severe effects for the environment of the world. The increased temperature across the globe can result in the melting of glaciers which would

Cell bio lab report Essay Example for Free

Cell bio lab report Essay Purpose: During this experiment we compared the hemagglutination reaction of control Con A solution at 2 mg/ml in Con A buffer with the hemagglutination reaction of your own purified Con A sample that you diluted previously at 2 mg/ml in Con A buffer. The purpose of this lab was to determine the strength of the reaction by performing serial dilutions on both the Con A sample and the control Con A sample, and determine through observations whether or not addition of galactose or mannose will inhibit this reaction. I hypothesize that the Con A + galactose solutions will have partial agglutination and partial no agglutination, and the Con A + mannose solutions will have all no agglutination. Results: Rows A and B had half agglutination and half no agglutination, while row C had all no agglutination. Row D had half agglutination and half partial agglutination, while row E had 4 columns with agglutination and 8 columns with no agglutination. Row F had complete agglutination throughout. Con A reaction plate (Row/Column) Reaction A1-A6 (Control) Agglutination/inhibited A7-A12 (Control) No Agglutination/not inhibited B1-B6 (Con A + galactose) Agglutination/inhibited B7-B12 (Con A + galactose) No Agglutination/not inhibited C1-C12 (Con A + mannose) No Agglutination/not inhibited D1-D5 (Sample) Agglutination/inhibited D6-D12 (Sample) Partial agglutination/inhibited E1-E4 (Con A + galactose) Agglutination/inhibited E5-E12 (Con A + galactose) No Agglutination/not inhibited F1-F12 (Con A + mannose) No agglutination/not inhibited G1-G12 ((-)Control) Partial agglutination/inhibited H1-H12 (RBCs) Partial agglutination/inhibited Discussion: My hypothesis was proven correct, the Con A + galactose solutions did have partial agglutination and partial no agglutination, and the Con A + mannose solutions did have all no agglutination. This means that in the Con A + galactose solutions the ones that had agglutination the red cells aggregated with the lectin and sediment in the form of a uniform layer that covered the whole bottom of the well including the slopes, and in the Con A + mannose solutions the ones that failed to have agglutination take place covered only part of the bottom. We found through this experiment that the control Con A sample and the Con A sample had very similar strengths of reaction. Conclusion: In this experiment through serial dilutions on a 96 well plate we determined the strength of the each reaction on both the Con A sample and the control sample. We found through our experiment that the addition of galactose or mannose will partially inhibit or inhibit the reaction between our Con A sample and control Con A sample.

The Recycling Of Electronic Waste In India Environmental Sciences Essay

The Recycling Of Electronic Waste In India Environmental Sciences Essay E-waste is growing rapidly and becoming the major issue of all over the world. E-waste components contain different types of toxic and hazardous substances those are harmful for environment and human health so it is necessary to handle and manage the E-waste in a proper and better way. In India the management of E-waste have a great significance due to the generation of large amount of E-waste in opposite to lack of appropriate infrastructure and proper procedure for recycling and disposal of the E-waste. This paper endows with current situation of E-waste in India, trends of disposal and recycling of India, status of E-waste management of India and at the last the required action steps for better handling of E-waste and its management. Key words: E-waste, hazardous substances, Recycling, Disposal and E-waste management. Introduction: In todays globalisation world, the consumer market for electrical and electronic products is expanding continuously on high rate. On the other hand due to increasing demand and development of new technology, the life span of the products is dropping that result in large amount of electronic scrap. As mentioned by UNEP in 2005: Every year 20 to 50 million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment waste (E-waste) are generated world-wide, which could bring serious risks to human health and environment, while 4 million PCs are discarded per year in China alone. (K. Brigden et al., 2005) This large amount of E-waste also contains toxic and hazardous elements in different electrical and electronic components those create serious problem regarding their handling, recycling and disposal. What is E-waste? Electronic waste (E-waste)or Waste Electrical and Electronic Elements (WEEE) is the term generally used to describe disposed electronic and electrical products which are old and end of life household appliances including laptops, TVs, DVD players, mobiles, i-pods. However sources of E-waste can be classified into three main categories (Pinto, 2008): Large Household Appliances IT and Telecom Consumer Equipment The pie chart in figure 1below indicates the percentage of electrical and electronic waste generated by different household appliances, IT and consumer products. Figure 1: Sources of E-waste (Source: India E-waste guide) Environmental and Health hazards of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment): As per knowledge E-waste contains more than 1000 different substances and chemicals which are hazardous and non hazardous (Pinto, 2008). From that some hazardous substances are toxic and can create some serious problem for the environment and human health. E-waste contains many toxics like heavy metals including lead, cadmium, mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), plastics, Brominated flamed Retardant, barium, beryllium, phosphors and additives etc. The impacts of these toxics and hazardous substances on environment and human health are described in table 1 below: Table 1: Hazardous Substances and their Impact on Environment and Human Health Toxic Used components Impact on health and environment Lead Glass panel and gasket in computer monitors Solder in Printed Circuit Board Causes damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems, kidney. Effects impede brain development among children. Lead tends to accumulate in the environment and has high acute and chronic effects on plants, animals and microorganisms. Cadmium Infrared detectors and semiconductor chips Some old cathode ray tube Accumulate in the human body and it damages the kidneys. Mercury Thermostats, relays, switches, mobiles, lamps and medical equipments. Damage to brain and kidneys. It affects the food chain by accumulating in the living organism particularly via fish. Hexavalent chromium Galvanised steel plates It can cause damage to DNA. Plastics Electronic equipment and computer housing When it burns it release Dioxin which can damage to human health. BFRs Circuit board and plastic housing of equipment Cause neurobehavioral alterations and it affects the immune system of body in animals. Beryllium Mother board and finger clips It can cause lung cancer and skin deceases. Phosphor and additives Applied as a coat in inside of the CRTs. It can damage those human who dismantle CRTs by hand. Situation of E-waste in India: Telecommunication and information technology are the fastest growing industries today not only in India but world over. Based on the growth of electronics and IT equipment in India; Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAITD) has collected the following statistics. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/19009739/E-waste-India, Accessed on May 10th 2010) During 2007-08, PC sales were over 7.3 million units growing by 16% and there is an installed base of over 25 million units. The consumer electronics market is growing by 13-15% annually and has an installed base of over 25 million units. The cellular subscriber base up by 96% during 2007-08 and its installed base are estimated to cross 300 million marks by 2010. E-waste generated in India during 2007 was around 332,979 MT besides about 50,000 MT entering the country through imports as per a GTZ-MAIT (Gesellschaft Technische Zusammenarbeit Manufacturers Association for Information Technology) sponsored study by IMRB (Indian Market Research Bureau). Unprecedented growth of the IT industry during the last decade and early product obsolescence due to continuous innovation resulted in the generation of this large quantity of E-waste. Out of this quantity only 144,143 MT was available for recycling and refurbishing and only 19,000 MT of E-waste was processed. WEE Generating Top Ten Cities City WEE (Tonnes) Mumbai 11017.1 Delhi 9730.3 Bangalore 4648.4 Chennai 4132.2 Kolkata 4025.3 Ahmadabad 3287.5 Hyderabad 2833.5 Pune 2584.2 Surat 1836.5 Nagpur 1768.9 WEE Generating Top Ten States State WEE (Tonnes) Maharashtra 20270.59 Tamil Nadu 13486.24 Andhra Pradesh 12780.33 Uttarpradesh 10381.11 West Bengal 10059.36 Delhi 9729.15 Karnataka 9118.74 Gujarat 8994.33 Madhya Pradesh 7800.62 Punjab 6958.46 DW Table 23: The generated E-waste in Major states and Major cities (source: ENVIS, 2008) E-waste Handling Process in India: E- Waste is mostly generated in Metropolitan cities in India, where a complex E-waste handling infrastructure on a long tradition of waste recycling has been developed. So far, the E-waste recycling is purely market driven, operated by a very entrepreneurial informal sector. A large number of new business es focusing on reuse or extraction of secondary raw materials resulted due to easy adaption of rag pickers and waste dealers to the new waste stream. (http://india.ewasteguide.info/ , Accessed on April 27th 2010) Figure 2: E-waste Handling Process in India (Source: Indian E-waste guide) The E-waste from corporate consumers and households enters a city specific familiar E-waste recycling system. The collection and allocation of E-waste is done by middlemen, scrap dealers and rag pickers, also known as  «kabadiwalas ». The informal recycling system includes acceptable processes such as dismantling and sorting but also very harmful processes such as burning and discharging in order to extract metals from electronic equipment. Harmful techniques like burning wires are common practice in the informal recycling sectors in big cities in India. Trends in Disposal and Recycling: E-waste has become more desirable due to soaring price of gold, silver and copper. E-waste round-ups are used as fund raisers in some communities. E-waste processing industry in Europe was marked by the ban imposed on disposal of electronic waste in landfills. European Union advanced E-waste policy by implementing the waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in 2002, making manufacturers responsible for the disposal of E-waste at the end-of-life. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/20784043/Managing-E-waste-Indian-Perspective, Accessed on May 2nd 2010) Large amount of used electronics have been sent to countries like China, India, and Kenya, where lower working conditions and environmental standards make E-waste processing more profitable due to lack-luster enforcement of legislation regarding exports of E-waste. In Switzerland after implementation of first electronic waste recycling system in 1991, since 2005 it has been possible to return all the E-waste at collection points and sale points free of charge. The total amount of recycled E-waste exceeds 10 kg per capita per year and two established Producer Responsibility Organizations (PRO) are responsible for handling electronic waste and electrical appliances. A policy known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was implemented by European Union, designed to make equipment manufacturers financially or physically responsible for their equipment at the end-of-life cycle. This policy internalized the end-of-life costs and provided a competitive incentive for companies to design equipment with less costs and liabilities. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/20784043/Managing-E-waste-Indian-Perspective, Accessed on May 2nd 2010) Some states in the US developed policies banning CRTs from landfills recently due to the fear of heavy metals being leached into the ground water. Diversion from landfill has been driver for legislation in many states requiring collecting and processing of E-waste separately from the solid waste stream. Increased regulation of E-waste and concerns over the environmental harm has lead to disposal costs. The toxic trade by brokers or recyclers with an incentive to export the E-waste to developing countries was first exposed by the Basel Action Network (BAN) in their report in 2002. United States has not ratified the Basel Ban Amendment and no domestic laws forbidding the export of E-waste. From 2004, State of California and Canada has begun to impose an Electronic waste recycling fee on the purchase of new television, computers and computer components, making recycling mandatory for all those products. The European Union, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan have already demanded that manufac turers and sellers be responsible for recycling 75 per cent of electronics item. Computer scrap is managed through various alternatives such as product reuse, conventional disposal in landfills, incineration and recycling in India. Since the methods of disposal are very rudimentary and pose grave environmental and health hazards, it has become a very serious problem. Processing the waste by uncontrolled burning and disposal are causing environmental problems. The biggest source is through imports of E-waste in India. (ENVIS, 2006) Recycling Steps in India: Manual Dismantling: The accrued electronic and electric waste in India is dismantled and sorted manually to fractions cathode ray tubes, printed wiring boards, metals, plastics, cables for component recovery and invaluable materials like wood, plastics and other invaluable metals for mechanical shredding. Refining and conditioning processes are used for treating valuable fractions. Refining and Conditioning: In a variety of refining and conditioning processes like separation, open burning, acid baths, different E-waste fractions are processed to useful components and to secondary raw materials. Final Disposal: Solid waste is deposited in a municipal landfill where significant emissions to air and water are caused as systematic gas and water collecting systems are not installed. Site is crowded with informal waste pickers and valuable materials for recycling collected by people. Figure 3: Different stages of Recycle steps in India (source: K. Brigden et al., 2005) E-waste Management in India: The major concern all over the world today is environment preservation and its protection. The Basel convention on the control of Tran boundary Movement of Hazardous wastes and Disposal was signed by India on 15th March, 1990, ratified in 1992 and amended in 2003. India cannot export the Hazardous wastes listed in Annex VIII of the convention from the countries who ratified the ban agreement and is free to import E-wastes from countries not ratified the Basel Convention. The classification of E-waste as hazardous is unclear in Indian legislation. In India there is wide range of environment legislation but still there are no any specific rules or laws for E-waste (Joseph, 2007). As per the Hazardous Waste Rules implemented, in 1989 particular E-waste is not treated as hazardous unless it is not proved that they contain higher concentration of toxic substance. The electronic waste included under List-A and List-B of Schedule-3 of the Hazardous Wastes (Management Handling) Rules, 1989 are amended in 2000 2003 and now it requires specific permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. At this time informal sector collect the all electronic waste around the country and recycle them, Government has taken the following steps to improve the awareness about recycling of E-waste and to establish a sound E-waste management with healthy environment. (Joseph, 2007): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) collaborated with Toxics Link and organised several workshops on E-waste management. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ CPCB has started to take quick action for rapid assessment of the E-waste generated in major metropolitan cities of the country. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To formulate effective strategy for better E-waste management CPCB has made up a national working group. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has published full comprehensive technical guide book titled Environmental Management for Information Technology Industry in India and circulated this guide book all around the country. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The DIT at the Indian Telephone Industries has set up demonstration projects showing how to recover copper from the Printed Circuit Boards. Challenges involved in E-waste management in India: Despite of such awareness and willingness for implementing improvements is increasing rapidly; there are still few challenges or major obstacles in the way of managing the E-wastes safely and effectively. These Challenges are Policy makers are very keen to make a better strategy for an effective E-waste management but they have to face the challenge of lacking of reliable data. There is no any efficient take back scheme for consumers so that only 10 % E-waste can reach to recyclers. The formal sector of the country does not pose a safe E-waste recycling infrastructure so they have to depend on informal sector that create severe risks to the environment and human health. The existing e waste recycling systems are purely business-driven that have come about without any government intervention. Any development in these e waste sectors will have to be built on the existing set-up as the waste collection and pre-processing can be handled efficiently by the informal sector, at the same time offer numerous job opportunities. Recommendations for Reducing E-waste: The new paradigm of sustainability demanding products to be cleaner, long-lived, upgradable and recyclable should be adopted instead of cheaper and faster products. To achieve these goals for sustainable production, environmental justice, corporate and government accountability, few recommendations for action needs to be taken. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/23359394/E-waste-System-failure-imminent, Accessed on May 14th 2010) Ban Hazardous Waste Imports: Complying with the rules and regulations forwarded by the Basel Convention that import of all the hazardous waste containing any hazardous elements should be banned dumped from developed countries to developing countries. There is no reason that developing countries of the world should bear the environmental risk without benefiting from this sort of E-waste. Make the Producer Responsible: The principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) makes manufacturer responsible for the products throughout the end-of-life cycle. This will make producer to focus more on designing products with recyclable materials, at the same time less hazardous. Incentive provided by the legislation for product take back policy to the original equipment manufacturer will eventually boost this principle, reducing E-waste all over the globe. Inform the Consumer: Electronic and Electrical manufacturers must specify the hazardous elements contained in their products thus creating awareness among the masses about environmental and health risks posed through these hazardous elements. Proper waste management protocols should also be prescribed to the consumer. Design for Recycling: Mechanisms for recovering raw materials while decommissioning an electronic device must be clean, safe and efficient to environment and human health. During recycling and dismantling process, warning must be placed for possible hazards in the work place and products must be made to recyclable form with rapid and easy reduction. Conclusion: Overall the situation of E-waste can be controlled by achieving zero land fill and Zero land fill is only available if we implement the cycle of four R. This four R are: Reduce try to reduce the E-wastes Reuse reuse the E-waste product Recycle recycle the available E-waste for reuse Recover Recover the valuable products after recycling Figure 4: Cycle of Four R A Case Study on Recycling of E-waste: Name of Company: Infotrek Syscom Ltd. Initiative of Socio environmental concern: To build an environmentally safe recycling pattern Building a forum of Creators of Electronics, corporate houses and Original Equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to help for the cause. Create partnership program. Key Features of Infotrek Syscom Ltd (www.docstoc.com/docs/33807398/E-waste-Management-_-Recycling, Accessed on May 14th 2010) An ISO 9001:2000 Certified, probably first of its kind and 100% export oriented unit for carrying recycling activities. Well Structured facilities spread over 7000 Sq.ft of building and further plans to acquire 45,000 sq.ft of land near JNPT. Modern Material handling equipments. Fully equipped laboratory to facilitate R D. Facilities of extending latest knowledge to the qualified experienced engineers. Bar code system for maintaining inventory movements. Registered with green online initiative. E-waste Management and Recycling Equipment Refurbishment and resale De-manufacturing and disassembly Recovery of valuable components Hazardous and base metal recovery Hazardous component management and environment friendly disposal. Outcomes: In a span of just two years of its existence, Eco Recycling Ltd (subsidiary of Infotrek Syscom Ltd), has developed great awareness about the hazards of waste electrical electronic equipments (WEEE) and need for systematic handling. The change is visible, more and more corporate and individuals have started taking interest and approaching to Ecoreco. It may not be out of place to mention that Ecoreco is presently serving to more than 200 corporate entities spread across India. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/18020190/EWaste-PPT, Accessed on May 16th 2010)

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn Essay -- revenge, chillingwort

Revenger consumes the soul of the extractor, and leaves him a shell of his former self. Revenge often leads him down an irreversible path that ultimately proves to be detrimental to him. Such acts are especially grave according to Puritan belief, which holds that vengeance belonged only to God. As a Puritan, Nathaniel Hawthorn knew about such believes, and as a master of words, a literary genius who had a deep understanding of human emotions and boundaries, he develops a story whose central theme was revenge. Hawthorne uses The Scarlet Letter to reprimand revenge as a detrimental act never allows a person to be satisfied and in the end, destroys him. He uses Chillingworth’s conversations with others to characterize Chillingworth’s radical transformation from a scholarly person to a devil whose sole purpose was to torment Dimmesdale as retribution for committing adultery with Hester. In his exposition, Chillingworth, a learned man justly demanded that his wife’s fellow sinner speak up and identify himself. This was no doubt a perfectly normal response for a man, who after being in the company of Native Americans for over three years, happens to come to the right place at the right moment to see his wife on the scaffold, humiliated by the overbearing sin of adultery. In his conversation with Hester in jail, Chillingworth made it clear that he did not intend to harm neither Hester nor Pearl. He contended that had he been a more open caring husband, and not devoted his youth to books and the pursuit of wisdom, such an incident would had never occurred. In admitting partial responsibility for Hester’s sins, Chillingworth is characterized as a humble and sagacious man, which Hawthorne employs as the peak from which he strips away Chil... ...intellectual force – seemed at once to desert him† (254). As a man whose sole purpose thereof was to extract revenge, when death moved one-step ahead of him, he had no more purpose in life, and thus too died within the year. Through an analysis of his dialogue with other characters, the reader can witness Chillingworth’s transformation from a leaned man to a vengeful demon. Hawthorne reveals the detriment of revenge, which ultimately drove Dimmesdale and Chillingworth himself to their unintended death, and condemns it as an act that only God can execute. Only Hawthorne could have conjured such an elaborate love story whose central theme is the devastating effects of revenge. This novel serves to remind people of the harmful consequences of extracting revenge without constraint, and how once a person embarked on the path of vengeance, his demise is set in stone.

Maijuana Legalized For Good :: essays research papers

People have been using Marijuana as a medicine for thousands of years, beginning in China, India, and the Middle East. The plant's therapeutic potential became known in Western countries during the nineteenth century. From 1840 to 1900, more than a hundred articles on cannabis appeared in European and American medical journals, recommending it as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant, painkiller, sedative, and anti-convulsions. The use of Marijuana should be legalized in Canada for the benefits of individuals suffering from a variety of medical problems. Marijuana as a medicine, however, cannot be established with the Government’s permission to test the drug and legalize it. Marijuana has undergone analysis for its use as a medicine and the results have shown improvements in the patients who were treated with this drug.. The Government proclaims there is no therapeutic value in the medicinal use of marijuana, but they do not have hard evidence to prove it. Ira Glasser, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, expressed: â€Å"the government has demonized all drug use without differentiation and has systematically and hysterically resisted science.† Doctors have expressed opposite opinions as well, making this issue very controversial. The controversy falls in the hands of the government, that marijuana is not a safe medicine, versus the doctors who research the topic for medicinal purposes. Established, not all doctors feel cannabis should be a â€Å"legal† prescribed medicine, smoking marijuana is risky, but also recommended that critically ill patients should be allowed to use it under closely monitored settings. On the o ther hand, the more the government and doctors debate and try to solve this medicine issue, clearly then, more experiments and test will be done. Marijuana proven not to cause any harmful, long-term effects to individuals suffering from medical hopelessness, cannot be tolerated. Doctors believe that they should be able to have prescribed the drug, when the patient is in need Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, when smoked, it produces over 2,000 chemicals that enter the body through the lungs. These chemicals have a variety of immediate, short-term effects. In addition, the repeated use of marijuana has been linked to a number of long- term effects marijuana including both psychological and physical reactions. These reactions usually last for three to five hours after a person has smoked marijuana. The psychological reaction, known as a high, consists of changes in the user's feelings and thoughts. Such changes are caused mainly by THC, a chemical in marijuana that impairs brain function.

Global Warming: Causes, Effects and Possible Measures Essay

Global warming is the term used to describe some of the drastic changes that are taking place in the earth’s climatic conditions. Over the recent years, the term global warming has been the subject of much debate and different people have come up with different views regarding this subject. While many people continue to hold to the view that global warming is a natural phenomenon that cannot be prevented, others are of the opinion that natural as well as man-made factors have accelerated a natural phenomenon to the extent that it has become an international problem, and a threat to human existence. Without global warming, the earth would naturally be a cold uninhabitable place. Through a process that is referred to as the green-house effect, atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons have been responsible for trapping the heat radiated from the earth’s surface and subsequently warming the earth. It is through this natural phenomenon that the earth’s average temperatures have been maintained at around 60? Fahrenheit. However, atmospheric temperatures have been rising above the naturally expected rates, and scientists as well as environmentalists have raised concern over these changing climatic conditions, and the effects they will have on human existence. Rising atmospheric temperatures have been attributed to both natural and man-made factors and various suggestions have been raised that hold possible solutions to global warming and its effects on the earth (Peach 2-3). 2. Causes and Effects of Global Warming One of the major causes of global warming is the greenhouse effect. Although the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon without which the world would be uninhabitable, there has been a high increase of heat trapping gases in the atmosphere. These gases trap more heat while less of it is radiated back into the outer space, subsequently resulting in global warming. The atmosphere is a combination of many gases which not only enable the sun’s rays to reach the earth’s surface, but also prevent the heat energy that is reradiated by the earth’s surface from escaping back into the atmosphere. Atmospheric gases deflect and scatter about 30% of the sunlight that hits the earth back into space. Through infrared radiation, the rest of the sunlight is reflected back to the atmosphere in the form of slow-moving energy and is absorbed by atmospheric gases which subsequently slow down its escape from the atmosphere. This absorption of energy by atmospheric gases creates a warm-air blanket around the earth; without which this planet would probably be one massive glacier and would not be able to sustain any life (Gonzalez and Sherer 374; Flannery 1-4). Increased human activities such as agriculture, oil production, industry and mining have resulted in an equally increased level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Fossil fuel production and use has especially led to increased carbon dioxide emission and apparently, to 50 % of all human-induced global warming. Since the industrial Revolution, burning of fossil fuels and the use of chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen fertilizers has led to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, agricultural production improved, population grew and urbanization expanded extensively to cater for the urban working masses. All these processes have resulted in massive clearing of forests and other vegetation cover as land is cleared for more food production, for settlement and for mining. Trees naturally help to retain most of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and with the increased loss of trees, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased and this has led to global warming. Solar activity and volcanic emissions have also contributed to global warming. Scientists argue that the sun has gradually been increasing in strength and since it is the main source of energy, the earth’s atmosphere absorbs approximately 70% of the solar flux. It is the solar flux that has led to increased temperatures not only in the earth’s atmosphere but also in its land and oceans. As climatic and temperature changes occur on the surface of the earth, the sun continues to emit more radiant energy (Peach 3-4, 19-27, 55; Flannery78-79). Global warming adversely affects life on the face of the earth. Various scientists have blamed global warming for rapid changes in weather patterns around the globe and subsequent severe and long draughts in several parts of the world. Spells of dry weather have also been blamed for the catastrophic wild fires that have frequently razed through vast tracts of inhabited land in California, U. S. A as well as for the heat waves that swept through Europe during the summer of 2003 and caused the death of about 35,000 people. Scientists have also suggested that rising atmospheric temperatures could be the cause of severe storms, tornadoes and hurricanes such as those experienced in southeastern U. S. A and other parts of the world (Flannery 132-141). Excessive heat transferred back to the atmosphere causes strong winds and also fuels the storms. Rising atmospheric temperatures have also been blamed for the massive melting of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica as well as most mountain tops of the world. As these glaciers retreat, the melted ice in turn flows down into the seas and has attributed for rising ocean levels. According to experts, the sea level is expected to rise by about 30 cm by the year 2100 and may cause flooding or even disappearance of coastal towns. About two thirds of the world’s major cities have been built along coastlines and their existence as well as that of their future developments will continue to rest upon the effects of global warming (Valsson 17-25; Peach 38-39). While it is common to conceptualize the impacts of such scenarios and effects upon humans, there is definitely truth in claiming that the detrimental effects of global warming affect all life on the planet. To further explain, a vast number of creatures or organisms throughout the world. In general, encompassing changes to the temperature of the Earth would mean that creatures would have another concern to tackle in order to maintain survival. Specifically, both flora and fauna which currently reside in a given location, live optimally at the particular climate present at the aforesaid region; changes in temperature may result in the proliferation of illnesses and even extinction (Craighead 123). In contrast, some creatures might further proliferate in the presence of global warming. The growth of squids for example have been known to be enhanced by the increasingly warmer oceans which resulting in a considerable increase in its number throughout the seas (AtKisson 44). While this may seem beneficial, it is important to emphasize that ecological balance would potentially be compromised by such effects of global warming. Furthermore, while migration to other areas would have been the expected course of action for animals and even plants to survive the region altering effects of global warming it is now virtually impossible to accomplish as human activities and settlements have considerably spread (Schneider and Root 3). Before dismissing the abovementioned effects of global warming as secondary to its implications upon humans, it is essential to point out that human survival heavily relies on the riches of nature. 3. Possible Solutions to Global Warming Processes such as increased agricultural production, industrialization and urbanization have contributed to massive loss of the world’s vegetation cover and subsequent global warming; but are quite difficult to control or reverse. But global warming can be controlled through responsible environmental management procedures. Re-forestation probably remains the most practical and perhaps most effective measure of reducing the effects of a warmer earth. Through reforestation, the atmospheric cycle will be maintained at close to normal levels and in such way, atmospheric temperatures will be reduced; in relation to this, the rate at which forested land is being converted to other land use activities should also be continuously checked. Public transport should be encouraged especially when traveling for short distances because this helps to put a check on the burning of so much fossil fuel. Complete rehabilitation of destroyed environment takes hundreds of years; and preserving the existing forest cover through sustainable development becomes very crucial towards preserving the temperate and tropical forests that face destruction every year. It is also advisable to educate the masses on the advantages of using electric appliances that use less heat as well as the use of energy-saving bulbs (Peach 45-55). Aside from creating positive changes in the manner of energy production, resource management, and daily living, means to limit and eventually eliminate the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere should also be highlighted. Considering the state of technology and manufacturing today, it would be appropriate to assume that immediately eliminating all the industrial processes which create greenhouse gases is an impossible feat. However, there are ways to gradually make corporations and firms worldwide to reconsider more environmental methods of production and energy usage. One of the most promising of which is the implementation of a strict, and possibly internationally applied, carbon tax. To explain, as carbon is considered to be one of the most common greenhouse gases derived from industrial endeavors due to the use of fossil fuels, a taxation system which results in greater expenses for heavy users of fossil fuel would supposedly result in transitions to the use of clean energy (McKinney and Schoch 434). Subsequently similar policies, either worldwide or specific to a country, should be drawn that advocate more dependence on renewable energy such as solar, wind and geo-thermal and less dependence on fossil fuel. While global warming may be partly addressed through lifestyle changes which are depended upon personal choice as discussed beforehand, it is undeniably that the actions of governments or world leaders are essential if the world would indeed survive and resolve the issues brought forth by global warming; such leaders and politicians hold the key to actualizing the needed transitions in society. 4. Conclusion Global warming and the potential effect it has on the environment and global human societies are still difficult to put on scale because of the uncertainties that accompany the scope of the problem; despite such, it is irrefutable that the detrimental effects of global warming upon human lives, as well as both flora and fauna, have become an evident proof of the presence of the concern. As industrialization advanced greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere on a very large scale and global temperatures have been on the increase. But there is increased international attention directed towards reduction of these gases from man-made sources; as well as drawing of policies towards the best methods of adapting to the possible impacts that global climatic change will bring along. A long-term solution will however require the global cooperation since global warming has been the result of greenhouse emissions from all countries of the world. Since emitted gases continue to have their effect, more emission should be controlled. Both short-term and long-term policies should be put into consideration (Peach 44-45, 57). Therefore, in order for humanity to resolve the issue of global warming and ensure that life on Earth would ensue in its rightful manner, continuous vigilance of the changes in the environment as well as superb planning and problem solving skills are all of great importance, but not as essential as establishing global awareness and unity. Works Cited AtKisson, Alan. The ISIS Agreement: How Sustainability Can Improve Organizational Performance and Transform the World. Sterling, VA: Earthscan Publishing, 2008. Craighead, Lance. Bears of the World. St. Paul, MN: Voyageur Press – MBI Publishing Company, 2000. Flannery, Tim F. The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006. Gonzalez, Joseph and Thomas E Sherer. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geography. Phoenix, AZ: Alpha Books, 2004. McKinney, Michael L. and Robert M. Schoch. Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions. 3rd Edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2003. Peach, Dexter J. Global warming: Emission Reductions Possible As Scientific Uncertainties Are Resolved. Darby. PA: DIANE Publishing, 2005. Schneider, Stephen H. and Terry L. Root. Wildlife Responses to Climate Change: North American Case Studies. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2002. Valsson, Trausti. How the World will Change with Global Warming. Reykjavik, Iceland: University of Iceland Press, 2006.