Ethics and Diversity in Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics and Diversity in Policing - Essay Example e ethical rules related to his/ her job, as these rules are incorporated into the relevant code of conduct, b) non-controllable factors; shooting a civilian by accident while participating in an operation against a burglary can be an example of such case, c) personal factors, such as consumption of alcohol while in-duty and d) failure in evaluating a case appropriately (U.S. Department of Justice 2007, p.22). The above problem could be effectively faced through the following measures: a) training programs focusing on the codes of conduct and ethics should be introduced in each police department, b) a phone-line operating 24hrs/7 could be established for supporting police officers when performing their job, c) in each police station a control mechanism would be created for checking the cases of misconduct of police officers. Among the rules including in the police codes of conduct there are certain that are quite difficult, either because of the conditions of work, such as those focusing on the behavior of police officers working within prisons, or because of the police sub-culture, such as those regulating the duties of police officers working in departments controlling police corruption. McCall, D. (2011) â€Å"Ethical and Effective Policing.† US Department of State, Vol 15, No 10, pp.1-28. Retrieved from http://photos.state.gov/libraries/amgov/133183/publications/Ethical%20Policing_041311.pdf U.S. Department of Justice (2007) â€Å"Building Trust Between the Police and the Citizens They Serve.† Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, pp.1-132. Retrieved from http://www.theiacp.org/portals/0/pdfs/buildingtrust.pdf U.S. Department of Justice (2000). â€Å"Laws enforced by the Department of Justice in maintaining integrity for federal officers.† Organizational Report, pp. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/Pubs/polmis.pdf The police sub-culture is characterized by certain ethical issues, such as: a) a police officer has ‘to control the

Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nurse-to-Patient Ratio - Research Proposal Example However, this factor is never considered when nurses are assigned to care for a selected number of patients. Quoting Barbara Blakeney, President, American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) endorses the fact that inadequate nurse staffing is the primary concern for the nurses and that â€Å"when RN care is insufficient, patient safety is compromised and the risk of death is increased† (Nurse-to-Patient Ratios, 2007). Shortage of nurses places extra onus on the available staff and hence seasoned nurses are matriculating away from bedside nursing. This happens primarily because the added tasks needed to be performed are not directly related to patient care. This can be evidenced in the case of Cameroon Diva, a BSN, who states that she wants to quit bedside nursing because in the hospital where she has worked, they had â€Å"extreme staff shortage and not enough nursing assistance on the floor† (Diva, 1996). Besides, the frequ ent changes in computerized charting require nurses to remain near their computers and take their time away from the primary task of patient care. It is a matter of common knowledge that higher patient-to-nurse ratios cause significant physical and mental exhaustion and result in greater job dissatisfaction among nurses. Patient well-being directly correlates to the amount of nursing care a patient receives daily. Therefore, in order to achieve the objective of providing quality patient care, administrators and managers need to ensure that healthcare institutions attain an appropriate level of patient-nurse ratio. Problem Statement: Current policy on Medical-Surgical nursing units across America’s hospitals require that Registered Nurses care for five to six (average of â€Å"5.25†) acutely and chronically ill patients in a 12 hour shift (Welton, 2007). Licensed practical nurses also care for 6 to 7 patients during a 12 hour shift. Nurses feel that added tasks take awa y a considerable portion of their time, which otherwise can be spent on patient care. The diversification in the roles of nurses today, through deployment on other tasks, calls for a closer examination of the need to change the policy pertaining to nurse–to-patient ratios. In this context, the findings of Aiken et al can be perceived as the â€Å"primary arguments for setting specific nurse-to-patient staffing ratios† (Welton, 2007). There is a definitive discrepancy between what healthcare administrators believe to be adequate the level of nurse-patient ratio and actual number of patients a nurse is required to care for. This creates impediments in administering proper care to the needy patients, which, in turn, impacts patient mortality rates. Besides, the shortage in staffing also adversely affects the job satisfaction of nurses and, as a consequence, their rate of burnout increases. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to determine whether there exist s a correlation between nurse-to-patient ratios and patient mortality. The number of patients cared for by a single nurse may have better outcomes in terms of length of hospital stay and fewer complications. Additionally, nurses who derive satisfaction from their jobs are less likely to leave their jobs. The study will also investigate the increasing trend of nurse burnout and find

The freedom of cyberspace

The freedom of cyberspace Discuss how the Internet, in its guise as ‘cyberspace’, has allowed its users to operate in a world that is seen by some people as being a new world of freedom and creative opportunities while others see it as a dumping ground for businesses and smut. IntroductionIn this essay I shall discuss how the Internet, in its guise as ‘cyberspace’, has allowed its users to operate in a world that is seen by some people as being a new world of freedom and creative opportunities while others see it as a dumping ground for businesses and smut. I shall introduce what cyberspace is and how it came to be, examine the main arguments for it being labelled as a creative tool that introduces freedom to the world, investigate the criticisms of those who champion cyberspace and analyse how both sets of arguments relate to ideas about technology, society and culture.   In my conclusion I hope to be able to offer an insight into whether cyberspace has developed into a powerful tool for creative freedom, or into a weapon in the arsenal of big business. CyberspaceThe term ‘cyberspace’ was first used by science-fiction writer William Gibson in his 1984 novel Neuromancer.   He described it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it.   This term now refers to the Internet and lends a romantic image to a world where an almost limitless pool of information can be plucked from a network of computers and computer users around the world.   The Internet was originally developed for the US military but was recognised as the perfect system to transfer and share information for academic research.   The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, with the first working system deployed in 1990, while he was working at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research).   The introduction of the World Wide Web allowed the public to access huge amounts of data and it has now become an accepted way to receive and send information.   The World Wide Web is just one service that the Internet provides; a layman’s analogy is of the Internet being the transportation of the World Wide Web’s content.   With cyberspace being made up of more than 100 million computers in more than 100 countries it is almost impossible to fathom how much information there is available to the user.   New Frontier   Cyberspace has been able to offer its users and its contributors a vast arena to ‘play’ with.   The rules and regulations of structured information providers such as the press do not apply to most of the content available online.   This affords the Internet a creative freedom that has never before been seen.   In an article in 2000, journalist Mary Flanagan stated that: â€Å"Technology allows us an alternate space within which we can invent unique methods of telling stories, forming identities, and remembering.†   This alternate space that Flanagan refers to is typifies the romantic view of cyberspace; it is a world in which a person can break free from the shackles of the everyday world and become someone different where they are able to enjoy the freedom of creating a new identity, a new work of art or even a conspiracy theory that they would not have imagined constructing in the ‘real world’.   Sherry Turkle describes th is as â€Å"People who live parallel lives on the screen are nevertheless bound by the desires, pain and mortality of their physical selves.   Virtual communities offer a dramatic new context in which to think about human identity in the age of the Internet†Ã‚   In her introduction to the reader author Rosanne Alluquere Stone reveals that â€Å"†¦engaging in social intercourse by means of communication technologies has given me increasing opportunities to watch others try on their own alternative personae†¦ there are some out at the margins who have always lived comfortably with the idea of floating identities, and inward from the margins there are a few who are beginning, just a bit, to question.†Ã‚   This questioning hints at the notion that under a veil of secrecy the truth can be surfaced without retribution.   Perhaps the most famous advocate of this was Oscar Wilde when he wrote: â€Å"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.† In this new frontier the Internet user can find information on any subject they wish to.   This information is not static like the printed words of a book found in a library, but it is â€Å"organic, open, ubiquitous and creative.†Ã‚   In the words of social commentator Annie Turner: â€Å"†¦it has turned into the eighth wonder of the world because it has not been regulated, because anyone can put up a website, because it can be all things to all people, because it has changed the way we work, are educated and play.†   The fact that content is not regulated attracts more people to it on a daily basis.   These new users can then become contributors by simple interaction; be it an acknowledgment of what they have read in a user forum (a dedicated area on the Internet where people can discuss any subject matter, originally called Bulletin Board Systems) to creating a brand new website dealing with the subject matter.   This process demonstrates the organic str ucture of the Internet and how it has become such an important source of information across the globe. The Internet allows freedom to share information and ideas.   The vast abyss that is cyberspace can be explored by almost anyone who has access to a modem and a computer (and more recently this can also include mobile phones, televisions and even refrigerators!)   People can add their thoughts and ideas to the Internet and these can then be shared amongst a mass audience.   This process of sharing ideas is the backbone of the Internet.   One of the contributing reasons for the popularity of cyberspace is the freedom to share knowledge with others.   This ideal has been argued against by groups that feel that the Internet should be regulated but a case for its defence can be traced back to the third US president Thomas Jefferson who wrote: â€Å"That ideas should be freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man and improvement of his condition seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature when she made them like fire, expansible over all space without lessening their density at any point, and, like the air, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation. Inventions, then, cannot in nature be a subject of property.†Ã‚   This was written almost 200 years ago and is still poignant today.   This freedom of information is the backbone of democracy (although it can be argued that this no longer exists in its truest from) and relates to the fluidity of the Internet. Another way in which cyberspace can be seen as a platform for creative expression is when it is used as a device to disclose information that would normally be guarded by political parties.   This ability to release information may be taken for granted in the West where tabloid headlines can seemingly uncover storylines that would be more suited in pulp fiction novels, but in suppressed countries such as Burma and China this medium has proved to be a tool to spread news that would never allowed to be broadcast by its governments.   It has been reported that China is the biggest abuser of Internet freedom.   The government has censored several hundred thousand websites and, according to Amnesty International, has jailed 61 people accused of using the Internet to spread anti-Communist propaganda.   An interesting fact is that Yahoo! (an American-based Internet company) has adapted its search engine to filter out content unpalatable to the Chinese government; subjects as inflamm atory as Taiwan independence and democracy will not be found on a network supplied in China.   In addition to this, Amnesty International has accused Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Cisco, Nortel and Websense of helping authorities track down people posting pro-democracy and other similarly subversive material online.   CriticismsThe main criticisms of those who champion cyberspace are based on the content of what can be found online.   Some argue that there are subjects that should not be disclosed to the population whilst others complain that the facts are diluted at best, and completely missing in some cases. In an article in the New Statesman, Andrew Brown reported that: â€Å"There are two general truths about attitudes to censoring the Internet. The first is that hardly anyone admits to favouring it in principle. The second is that whoever you are, and however libertarian, it should never take more than five minutes at the keyboard to find something you believe should be removed from the net, and its perpetrators locked up in a criminal lunatic asylum.†Ã‚   This view is hard to ignore as any Internet user can find themselves in a harem of unsuitable websites.   These sites could include pornography, neo-Nazism, torture, etc.   However, the freedom of cyberspace protects these sites just as it protects the rights of suppressed citizens to air their comments.   The content of a website should be approached in a subjective manner and a liberal pinch of salt should be taken with each sentence.   The most substantial argument against the freedom of cyberspace has always been about pornography.   Pornography is the biggest generator of traffic on the Internet and the latest trend of providing pornography direct to a mobile phone has witnessed commercial breaks on some mainstream digital television channels flooded with semi-naked women selling images directly to the customer.   This saturation has thrown up the argument that â€Å"†¦the freedom the internet potentially brings is more under threat from some grasping commercial companies who provide access to it than governments who seek to control that access.† This threat from big business shows a shift in power over how business and the Internet work in conjunction with each other.   It was suggested by Manuel Castells only three years ago that: â€Å"It would not be fanciful to say that the Internet transformed business as much, if not more, than business transformed the Internet.† It is not all about the simple exploitation of bodies that has brought objections to the way that the Internet works.   Because there are no real rules or regulations to conform to there will always be content that is considered to be so inaccurate that if it was released in the national press there would be an immediate libel case.   This lack of quality control can hinder the savviest Internet user when a trusted source has included information that may have been gathered from a secondary, unreliable source.   Such an inclusion will therefore render that piece as being factually incorrect.   This modern take of ‘Chinese Whispers’ has infected a large percentage of information to be found in cyberspace and as such its opponents’ views of it being an inappropriate use of knowledge can be appreciated, and their calls to regulate its content empathised with. Technology, Society CultureThe technology that is now available to the public has grown in a remarkable way since the early 1990’s and this has allowed access to the Internet for the masses (but it has still to reach the Third World nations).   Ã‚  Castells realised the link between technological breakthroughs and the Internet when he wrote that â€Å"The culture of the Internet is a culture made up of technocratic belief in the progress of humans through technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬    A growing concern, and one that has developed over the last twenty years, is that it is the younger generation that have accepted this technology and it is they who can fully appreciate the choice on offer.   The ‘establishment’, such as governments, are mainly run by people over the age of fifty.   Their grasp of new technology is repeatedly outdated and the fear of ‘losing touch’ with the youth is highlighted by the need to own a website in an attempt to speak t he same language.   However, this language is updated on a daily basis and miscommunication can lead to a lack of understanding on both sides.   In an attempt to stop this from happening it is not impossible to see governments, or leading businesses, curbing the development of technology to have more control over its destination. Society therefore drives the world of cyberspace.   It appears in its current state because that is how it has been formed by its users.   The information that is available has been posted into the realms of the Internet by people like us, for people like us.   Castells writes that: â€Å"Technological systems are socially produced.   Social production is culturally informed.   The Internet is no exception.   The culture of the producers of the Internet shaped the medium.†   This cultural development affords the Internet to continue growing with any facet available to those who want it.   It has allowed for an intellectual, utopian culture where it is up to the individual to determine what they want to see and what they choose to ignore.   This is a culture in society which can grow intellectually, but only if it recognises that not all they read is true.   It therefore begs the question whether or not a society can blossom if a main source of information i s not monitored to be accurate.   Donna Haraway writes about the ‘Network Theory’,a theory proposed in the 1970s by the Nobel Prize-winning immunologist Niels Jerne.   He hypothesised an immune system that was self-regulated.   Edward Golub explains that the network theory â€Å"Differs from other immunological thinking because it endows the immune system with the ability to regulate itself using only itself.† This theory can be viewed within the structure of the Internet where the organic nature of cyberspace is continuously updated and added to by its own infrastructure; its users and contributors. Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Internet is a vast and powerful tool and as such it is there to be used or abused by anyone with access.   The arguments that the Internet should be regulated are important and should not be completely ignored.   The power that some governments and big business corporations have over the flow of information is very real and this is something that should be examined closely.   However, picking out certain aspects from cyberspace to be scrutinised will open a precedent for all content to be regulated.   This could then lead to a misuse of power and the freedom of creative input could draw to a halt.   Haraway expressed her concerns about this exploitation and the ways in which new technology can be hijacked for anti-social use: â€Å"The new communications technologies are fundamental to the eradication of ‘public life’ for everyone.   This facilitates the mushrooming of a permanent high-tech military establishment at the cul tural and economic expense of most people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is my belief that the ability to take on board information and decide whether to accept it on your own terms is far more important to personal and social development than being told what you can or cannot digest.   As such I believe that the World Wide Web, the Internet, cyberspace, or whatever moniker it falls under does constitute a new world of freedom and creative opportunities and the fact that it is not regulated by self-appointed censors should be applauded and defended.   In the words of Rosanna Stone: â€Å"In the space between [immense threat and immense promise] lies the path to our adventure at the dawn of the virtual age, the adventure which belongs to our time and which is ours alone.† Bibliography Brown, Andrew (1999) The Limits of Freedom – Censoring the Internet and Offensive Internet Sites New Statesman (12 February 1999 Issue)Burton, Graeme (2002) More than Meets the Eye (Third Edition) Arnold PublishingCastells, Manuel (2002) The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business and Society Oxford University Press Clark, Robert (2005) Time to Curb Net Censorship Support Telecom Asia (January 2005 Issue)Curran, James (2000) Mass Media and Society Arnold Publishing Danson, Lawrence (1998) Wilde’s Intentions: The Artist in His Criticism Clarendon Press Flanagan, Mary (2000) Navigating the Narrative in Space: Gender and Spatiality in Virtual Worlds Art Journal (Fall Issue 2000)Golub, Edward S. (1987) Immunology: A Synthesis Sunderland Haraway, Donna J. (1991) Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature Free Association Books McCullagh, Ciaran (2002) Media Power PalgraveStone, Rosanne Alluquere (1996) The War of Desire and Technology at the Close o f the Mechanical Age Cambridge MIT Turkle, Sherry (1996) Life on the Screen; Identity in the Age of the Internet Weidenfeld Nicolson Turner, Annie (2002) Censorship and the Internet: Just Where is the Real Threat to Internet Freedom Coming From? Communicate Magazine (June 2002 Issue)Letter addressed to Isaac McPherson written on 13 August 1813 from Thomas Jefferson

Essay --

â€Å"Learning is a treasure which accompanies its owner everywhere†. I have always kept in mind this Chinese adage that emphasizes the very importance and advantage of learning. Learning, the very step of success as well as failure has given me enough experience and strength to access challenges as they come. In this technological age, everything’s changes rapidly. We need to constantly streamline and upgrade our tools and resources in order to make our worked worth living in. A deep fascination for technology coupled with a love for learning and exploring have inspired me to pursue and excel in graduate studies. It has been a blessing to have parents who have instilled in me good values and principles and also who gave me the freedom to choose whatever fields I want to excel in. The desire to learn how things work and my natural inclination towards Mathematics and Physics, gave me the impetus to become an engineer. That fascination towards science and technology helped me to excel in the entrance examination and thus ensured myself an admission in VIF College of Engineering and Technology, which is affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. I have always given more importance to gaining knowledge rather than gaining marks. Engineering is one field where practical know-how is more important than acquiring a degree for name sake. Thus my true ability stands above my marks and marks are not a reflection of my potential in Electronics and Communication. I have always cherished all my dreams and at the same time decided definite paths to follow in order to realize them. In my undergraduate studies, I have benefited from the breadth of Jawaharlal Nehru’s University’s syllabi content that has given me a comprehe... ...nues in my chosen field and create excellent opportunities to prove my mettle. I am confident that, the facilities, guidance and inspiration your University provides combined with the excellent faculty and research opportunities makes it the ideal place for me to embark upon my graduate studies. I can assure you that, in me you will find a responsible, committed and talented student, who will bring laurels to her alma mater. In firmly believing that the essence of a University education lies in the synergetic relationship between the student and the department, I feel that graduate study at your University will be the most logical extension of my academic pursuits and a major step towards achieving my career objectives. It is with this in mind, that I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with your University as a graduate student with financial support.

Global Warming as a Social Problem Essay

Today’s society consists of many different social problems. Social problems can range from affecting certain parts of society to affecting the world’s society. Social problems are â€Å"situations affecting a significant number of people, that are believed to be sources of difficulty or threaten the stability of the community†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Cancerweb.ncl.as.uk). The definition of the term ‘social problem’ can range from a minute case to a widespread problem. A social problem can also be considered as a â€Å"social condition that a segment of society views as harmful to members of society [that is] in need of remedy.† Social problems range with each individual person. Every person has a unique perspective of what is a problem and what is not. An easy way to clarify what a social problem is if there is a public outcry for a solution to it. While most commonly thought of social problems are based on discrimination and stereotypes, one specific social problem that does not fit into these standards is global warming. Global warming is â€Å"an increase in earth’s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate†¦ that may result from the greenhouse effect† (Dictionary.com). As a social problem, global warming is a fairly large and broad topic. The greenhouse effect is an environmental condition caused by excessive quantities of carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. These definitions are simply physical definitions. In terms of being a social problem, global warming and the greenhouse affect yields harmful effects on every community and society as a whole. This type of social problem does not choose its victim based on race, gender, sexual orientation, class, income, age, or any stereotypical category a person can be placed in. Not every person is equally affected by this, but everyone is susceptible to dealing with this problem. The greenhouse effect is a factor in causing global warming. Global warming  is caused by many factors and different kinds of pollution. The main type of pollution that affects global warming is air pollution. Air pollution is simply defined as pollution of the atmosphere, which ties in with the greenhouse effect. Air pollution can also be defined as â€Å"the addition of harmful chemicals to the atmosphere. The most serious air pollution results from the burning of fossil fuels, especially in internal-combustion engines† (Dictionary.com). Air pollution, along with any other type of pollution are mostly caused by human’s actions. The way people live today, and how they use their resources in daily life results in everyday pollution. Pollution can be considered as an â€Å"undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities† (Dictionary.com). People may not realize this, but their actions directly affect their surroundings. Completing daily tasks such as driving a car has detrimental effects on Earth’s atmosphere and pollution levels. Global warming causes physical harm to humans, animals, and plant life. A change in the Earth’s climate could be detrimental to the Earth’s life. The physical harm that is inflicted on all of living life due to global warming poses as a problem: a social problem. Global warming does not choose its victim based on any type of criteria such as race, age, gender, sexual orientation, class, income, or any stereotypical category. Global warming poses as a social problem by affecting a significant number of people, and by threatening the stability of the community’s environment. Since pollution is one of the main factors in causing global warming, it also comes with health effects. These effects range from being short-term to being long-term. Short-term effects can be as simple as headaches nausea, and allergic reactions such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia can also occur. An example in history of health effects from pollution can be found in the â€Å"Smog Disaster† in 1952 located in London. In this â€Å"Smog Disaster† a total of four thousand people passed in only a few days. The death of these civilians was due to the high concentrations of pollution (Paraphrased from Lbl.gov). Long-term health effects â€Å"include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer,  heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys† (Lbl.gov). Research has shown that younger children and elderly people are more sensitive to pollution compared to the general public. â€Å"Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly† (Lbl.gov). â€Å"Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution† (LbL.gov). With global warming not being in full affect, the extents of the effects are currently unknown. The effects of global warming are only just beginning with mild winters and extremely hot summers. The climate change can be subtle or dramatic depending on how quickly it occurs. The increase in temperature in the climate either way will be harmful. With temperature increase’s ice caps in the Artic and Antarctica are melting at increasing rates. The melting of ice caps can have many changes includes the destruction of the habitat in the Artic as well as rising sea levels. â€Å"Global warming could push sea levels about 40 percent higher than current models predict† (NationalGeographic.com). â€Å"Models suggest that by 2100 sea level[s] will be between four and thirty-five inches†¦ higher than it was in 1990† (NationalGeographic.com). Ocean front properties and beaches can be destroyed and submerged in water because of these rising sea levels. The higher the temperatures and climates increase, the faster the sea levels will rise. A comparison of this at a minor scale could be like a house built in a flood plain next to a river. The more it rains the higher the water will rise. If the water rises to high, it will flood the flood plain, and destroy the house. Coastal areas will be affected similarly. A person could think of the coastal areas as a flood plain for the oceans. Ice caps melt from the rising temperatures, as the water heats up (even just slightly), the water will begin to expand. As the water expands the sea level will rise. Solutions to global warming and its effects range vastly. There are several different types of solutions ranging from micro-level solutions to macro-level solutions. Solutions can range from fuel-efficient vehicles to more environmental laws. Solutions to global warming may not fully diminish the problem, it may only reduce it. Renewable resources could play a main role in the solutions to reducing global warming. A key point is that if we were to switch to renewable resources it would cost the government a lot of money, which could result in higher taxes or some other means of obtaining the necessary amount of money. A plus to using renewable resources is the fact that in the long run they would pay for themselves. Not only would it provide jobs for the people who would be forced to leave the nonrenewable resources, it would also be opening up opportunities for the unemployed. Along with making our environment a safer and more hazard free living zone, we’d also be leading towards a better economy. Our current economy state is negatively thought of, and switching to nonrenewable resources could put our government in debt. After so many years renewable resources will not only repay its own debt, but it will also produce a profit. The term renewable resources are â€Å"relating to a natural resource, such as solar energy, water, or wood, that is never used up or that can be replaced by new growth. Resources that are dependent on regrowth can sometimes be depleted beyond the point of renewability, as when the deforestation of land leads to desertification or when a commercially valuable species is harvested to extinction. Pollution can also make a renewable resource such as water unusable in a particular location† (Dictionary.com). The future problems dealing with global warming will lead to such massive problems that a solution and change will be demanded. Global warming is a social problem because of the public outcry that is already occurring. The state of our current economy is negatively thought of. If we were to invest in new solutions for global warming it would be a great cost. If we were to pay for the projects to reduce global warming that we believe will have an effect may put our country in great debt. If the country were to switch to fuel-efficient and renewable resources in all institutes and factories it would be a great cost. A good way to evaluate the methods of our solutions to global warming would involve technology we already possess. Measuring CO2 levels in the atmosphere and the amounts of trash and liter in our surrounding environment  in comparison to the current and predicted conditions would only be a start. Actually comparing climate conditions to the predicted conditions would be a good evaluation. If the climate is kept at an average as it is now, in comparison to the higher climates predicted for the future, we would be able to tell if the solutions were taking effect. WORKS CITED 1.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/global%20warming. 2.http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?social+problems. 3.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/air%20pollution4.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pollution5.http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-health-effects-f.html6. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061214-sea-level.html7.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/renewable

Haig: Butcher of the Somme?

â€Å"HAIG WAS A BUTCHER WHO THOUGHT NOTHING OF SENDING MEN TO THEIR DEATHS. † DO YOU AGREE? Field Marshal Douglas Haig was a British senior officer during World War 1. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to the end of the War. This meant that he was in charge of the Battle of the Somme. His part in this battle has led to split views on him as an army officer. Some believe that his tactic was poor and he was mindlessly sending men to their deaths. However, some believe that the Somme was actually not a disaster and that Haig employed a good tactic.I will explored both sides of the argument and then conclude with my overall view on whether Haig was a â€Å"butcher† or not. ~0~ There are several reasons why Haig was or was not a â€Å"butcher†. I’m going to start off with a reason why I think he was a â€Å"butcher†. The reason was his location during the Battle of the Somme. He was situated in the luxuries of a chateau a whole fift y miles behind the line. This meant that, to be perfectly honest, Haig had next to no idea as to what was going on in the battle. This is backed up by Source D where the differences between a rehearsal and a real attack.The Sergeant Major says that the â€Å"absence of the general† is one. This clearly shows that Haig was nowhere to be seen when war broke – thus out showing his cowardice. My point about Haig having no idea about what was going on is proved by Source B where there is an extract written by Haig about the first day of the attack. It is clear that he was not there and is clueless as the report is simply wrong. The fact that he was clueless and thought that the battle was going well meant that he didn’t change his tactic. This was not really his fault you could say – he was ill informed.However, what facts say is that he wouldn’t have to be informed at all if he was nearer to the battle and so would have known that his tactic was not wo rking. Haig’s perseverance of his tactic is what he is most criticised for and this mistake was very preventable but for Haig’s cowardice. Another reason that also supports Haig being a â€Å"butcher† is his military strategy. This was just poor. He employed a tactic in which the plan was to simply kill as many Germans as possible. However, as Source F describes, â€Å"it is not a strategy at all, it’s slaughter†. This, he knew would mean there would be losses, too.He explains this in Source A where he says that: â€Å"the nation must be taught to bear losses†. This may be him being a realist, however I reckon he is just using this statement to cover his back. So if there are many losses he cannot be blamed. However, even if there were always going to be sacrifices – I think that 20,000 British dead on the first morning with 600,000 Allies in total dead is more than anyone could have foreseen or accounted for. Furthermore, after the r idiculous losses on the first morning alone, you would have thought that anyone would have made some big changes – preferably tactics-wise.However, no, his perseverance or negligence is clear to see as the Somme bears huge casualties and is seen by most as slaughter of the British troops. His plan of action was also pathetic as it involved many presumptions that were just wrong. He had presumed that the barrage would completely destroy the barbed wire so the troops would be able to just walk – as they did, shoulder to shoulder – across No Man’s Land. However, all that happened to the barbed wire is that it was lifted up but then brought back down by the force of the explosions. So, if anything, it was in even more of a tangle than before. Source C backs this up.It states: â€Å"it was clear that there were no gaps in the wire at the time of the attack. This slowed the men down, as they had to cut there way through it. This was not planned for. Haig had a lso counted on the German Trenches being obliterated. He had thought that, after the trip over No Man’s Land, there would be very few opposing Germans. He thought that all of them would have been killed during the barrage and it wouldn’t be able to be easier for the troops. This is what they were told. However, the Germans had made special trenches, which were reinforced with concrete. They were very deep too – about 20 metres down.This meant that the Germans just hid in bunkers. Then, when they heard the bombing stop, they climbed out to there machine guns. Here, they just watched the British strolling towards the. They were sitting ducks. They Germans couldn’t believe their luck as they mowed the British troops down. And then to think that Haig pursued this tactic and he gave reports like that in Source B where, after 20,000 British troops have died in just one morning, he writes that it was â€Å"very successful† and â€Å"all went like clockwo rk†. Butcher†¦? I think so. However, despite everything I have said so far some still don’t think that Haig was a â€Å"butcher†.I’m going to give you one of the reasons why they could possibly think this. This reason is how he was not informed well. His plan did not involve any soldier experience based knowledge. This was the reason that his presumptions were incorrect. He would have known that the barbed wire was never going to be destroyed by the barrage. Therefore (you would presume that) he wouldn’t have involved this in his plan. Also, if he had known about the German trenches – how they were reinforced and had bunkers to hide in during the barrage – he wouldn’t have involved that in his plan, either. Should he have asked or should he have been told?Either would have been better than brainlessly sending men to their deaths. It is also clear that the soldiers did know that the barrage was not going to have the desired affects. This is made clear in Source C where Private George Coppard’s interview is written down. He said: â€Å"any Tommy could have told them that shell fire lifts wire up and drops it down, often in a worse tangle than before†. So, he didn’t really know how to tackle the plan he wanted to put into play. This was, debatably, not his fault. Therefore there is at least one reason why some believe that Haig was not a â€Å"butcher†.But, then again, some think that the Battle of the Somme was actually a success. They think that Haig, being the General, must have guided us to the victory. I think, unless it won us the war, (which it clearly didn’t) that many deaths cannot be in any way good. ~0~ To conclude, I’m sure that you can guess my verdict. I believe that Haig was a â€Å"butcher†. I think he started out with the wrong mind-set – not really caring about casualties. He thought that to win we just had to kill as many Germans as possible. This was the wrong way to go about it, I think. Secondly, His plan did not work.More than that, it resulted in 20,000 deaths on just one morning. He was pretty much clueless and so made many presumptions that were incorrect. He maybe could have known more if he wasn’t cowering away 50 miles away from the battle in the luxuries of a castle. And finally, after all of the deaths I told you about on the first day of the Battle. He still pursued with that tactic. One of my teachers used to tell me that the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. This is exactly what Haig did and it was on a massive scale. He was undoubtedly a â€Å"butcher† in my opinion.