TERM PAPERS ON
ENVIRONMENT
'A Discussion
On Earthquakes'
Perhaps Mother Nature offers no
greater force than that of the earthquake. Across the span of time,
earthquakes have been recorded for their incredible destructive forces,
and their abilities to awe mankind with their unparalleled force.
Earthquakes can often strike without any notice, leveling large cities
and killing scores of innocent people. Not only can earthquakes bring
harm to society through these methods of destruction, but they can also
cause millions of dollars worth of damage to the areas they destroy,
causing economic chaos. An earthquake is a natural phenomenon, occurring
throughout the history of the world. Descriptions as old as recorded
history show the significant effects earthquakes have had on people’s
lives. Long before there were scientific theories for the cause of
earthquakes, people around the world created folklore to explain them.
AIR POLLUTION
The first thing people see, in the
morning, when they walk outside is the sky or the colored sun. Is this
world giving us the privilege of seeing the natural colors of the sun
through all the layers of pollution within the air (Dinanike 31)? Not
only are beautiful sights such as this hidden behind the pollution this
world causes everyday, but an increase in diseases, infections and death
occurs. What causes pollution? What can we do to prevent it, and get rid
of it? Is it fair to the children of the future to have to suffer the
consequences that pollution causes? Why not take care of the problem
now? Factory and business owners have the ability to prevent air
pollution.
The
Autumn and the Fall of Leaves
It is not true that the close of
a life which ends in a natural fashion---life which is permitted to put
on the display of death and to go out in glory---inclines the mind to
rest. It is not true of a day ending nor the passing of the year, nor of
the fall of leaves. Whatever permanent, uneasy question is native to
men, comes forward most insistent and most loud at such times. There are
still places where one can feel and describe the spirit of the falling
of leaves.
Between the
Forest and Greed
Within the past decade there has
been a rising "environmentally conscious" movement. The spectrum of
issues in contention by environmentalism has expanded virulently and is
reaching its zenith. Public dissatisfaction with the environmental
movement is forming, as the movement has taken the fight for the
environment too far. Donella Meadows is an environmentalist who has yet
to fully think about the issue she is arguing. In her piece "Not Seeing
the Forest for the Dollar Bills," she takes an almost infantile approach
to the logging industry and the concept of clear cutting. The monetary
motivations behind the logging industry is her explanation for clear
cutting, trying to portray the logging industry as a cold money making
machine. This of course neglects the fact that the reason logging
generates capital is because the world needs wood. There are several
economic and environmental issues that are considered when loggers enter
and area. Haphazard clear cutting of forests, while it maybe what
Meadows would like us to think, does not happen. With every industry,
every aspect is carefully debated and analyzed for the short and long
term outcomes.
Cfcs Cause Deterioration of the Ozone Layer
The deterioration of the ozone
layer , caused by Cfcs, endangers the lives of humans’. Cfcs have a
diminishing effect on the ozone layer. Furthermore, the deterioration of
the ozone cause an increase of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation which can have
a negative effect on human skin and eyes. As a writer for newsweek, I
have investigated the scenario and found the following information.
Corporate
Average Fuel Economy
The foreshadowed Market Failures
of the mid 1970's gave way to Corporate Average Fuel Economy, regulation
which would call for new standards in automobile fuel efficiency. The
market failures hinged on a number of outside variables which could have
had a drastic effect on domestic markets.
"Could the Greenhouse Effect Cause More Damage?"
John Harte is an ecologist from
the University of California at Berkley. He is trying to find out
whether heat stimulates further trace-gas from solid or not. He is
going to conduct an experiment that will tell him if the greenhouse
effect could start a cycle that would cause the effects to be
worse than already predicted. The experiment will begin December
of 1996 and will run for no less than three years.
Effects of
Deforestation
The subject of deforestation and the
effects that it has on the environment have been heavily debated for a
long time; particularly over the last few years. Governments and large
lumber companies see large profits in the mass deforestation of forests
and state that their actions are having few, if any, harmful effects on
the environment. Most people disagree with this and think that the
environmental effects are devastating and will become irreversibly
disastrous in the very near future. Whether or not the pros outweigh the
cons will be hotly debated for years to come but the fact is that
deforestation is harmful to the environment and leads to declining
wildlife populations, drastic changes in climate and loss of soil.
Global Warming
The greenhouse effect, in
environmental science, is a popular term for the effect that certain
variable constituents of the Earth's lower atmosphere have on surface
temperatures. It has been known since 1896 that Earth has been warmed by
a blanket of gasses (This is called the “greenhouse effect.”).
Landfills- A
Growing Menace
When asked to think of the largest
man made structure, people will invariably come up with an answer like
The Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids, or the Taj Majal. In
contrast to these striking achievements of mankind is the Durham Road
Landfill outside San Francisco, which occupies over seventy million
cubic feet. It is a sad
monument to the excesses of modern society [Gore 151]. One must think
this huge reservoir of garbage must be the largest thing ever produced
by human hands then.
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