Logging the Rainforest :: science

Logging the Rainforest A recipe for local and global disaster Industrial logging is the main cause of forest loss throughout the tropics. It is the starting point of a process leading to the forests' final destruction and substitution by agricultural crops, cattle raising or monoculture tree plantations. These are well known facts supported by more than sufficient evidence. Even more importantly, industrial logging destroys the livelihoods of forest and forest-dependent peoples who, deprived of the resources they depend on, become poor. Contrary to the official discourse, logging does not lead to development; it results in impoverishment and social disintegration. Women are disproportionately affected by logging activities, which provide them with no employment opportunities while depleting the resources they traditionally use and manage. In tropical countries, the process begins with the violation of the territorial rights of indigenous peoples and other traditional communities, who are the righteous owners of the forest. As most people confronted with such situation would, they frequently resist the entry of logging companies to their territories, which in turn usually results in state repression to protect the companies' legal "rights". Forest destruction, human rights abuses, poverty creation is the local part of the equation. On the other side there is wealth creation for transnationals and local elites and an abundant supply of cheap --though very valuable-- raw material to provide rich consumers with elegant toilet seats, sumptuous coffins and other equally "important" symbols of wealth. Some actors are crucial to make logging and end-consumers meet, among which the World Bank, the Inter American, African and Asian Development Banks and the International Monetary Fund. The banks provide the necessary funding for the road infrastructure needed to access the forest, while the IMF --as well as the banks-- force tropical countries into increasing natural resources' exports in order to ensure external debt payments. Being forests one of the main resources available, they are at the front line of exports and are later substituted by other export oriented crops grown in place of the forest. Another very powerful player has now been added to ensure that transnational corporations make wood flow to the consumer markets: the World Trade Organization. The whole process leading to forest destruction is clearly at odds with the international community's commitments to protect biodiversity and to counter climate change and desertification, agreed upon in three legally-binding conventions. At the same time, it also violates human rights commitments, including the protection of indigenous peoples' rights, and the commitments agreed upon at the 1995 Social Summit and the 1995 Conference on Women.

Van Goghh - There Are Several Van Goghs :: essays research papers

Art historian Griselda Pollock, in her documentary entitled The Legend of van Gogh, stated that ‘there are several van Goghs.’ To agree or disagree with this statement, one must firstly understand the point Pollock is attempting to get across. One could interpret this opinion as meaning that there are various artistic styles and several facets of van Gogh’s life that can be critically analysed; having this understanding of Pollock’s attitude toward van Gogh, it would be difficult not to agree with her. Using phraseology similar to that of Pollock, one could say that there are four van Goghs: the failing peasant, the successful sophisticate, the eccentric meaningful lover, and the van Gogh of the present day. All who have knowledge of the artist would know how complex his life was, and so it is not incredible to believe that he was all these things during his relatively short life. (Born in 1853, he died at the age of only 37, in 1890.) An alternate definition of Pollock’s statement is the following: He was prolific and protean: He was a scholar and a sufferer, an art-world pro and a destitute outsider, an evangelical bohemian, both sordid and sublime. There are as many ways to see his pictures as there are ways to read his life. Some are stolid brown and gray. Others seem to detonate in a shrapnel burst of color, as if his world had begun to fly apart. Some are piercingly original. Others closely imitate other artists' art. Apparent in these paintings – from "Van Gogh's Van Goghs: Masterpieces From the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam" – are the combustible components that he mixed in his art. Firstly, van Gogh as the failing peasant. Van Gogh was not always a painter; although many claim he realised his artistic potential early in life , he did not seriously consider devoting his life to it (de Grausen , Eurie ). There is little known information about the artists first fifteen years, yet it is possible to find out the basics: after a few years of education in Holland, he left his studies at the age of 15, and never returned to them. In 1869, he joined a firm of art dealers in The Hague, called Goupil & Cie. (The van Gogh family had been involved in the art world for many years: both Vincent’s uncles, Cornelius and (Vin)Cent were art dealers, as was, of course, Vincent’s brother Theo.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 39

â€Å"We won the battle, but not the war,† Elena said sadly. She thought it was the day after their fight with the kitsune twins. She couldn't be sure of anything except that she was alive, that Stefan was gone, and that Damon was back to his old self again. â€Å"Maybe because we didn't have my precious brother,† he said, as if to prove it. They were driving in the Ferrari, trying to find Elena's Jaguar – in the real world. Elena ignored him. She also ignored the soft but vaguely annoying hiss that came from some device he'd installed that was not a radio, that just seemed to play voices and static. A new kind of Ouija board? Audio instead of all that tedious spelling? Elena felt herself shiver inside. â€Å"You did give your word to go with me and find him. I swear it by – by the Other World.† â€Å"You tell me that I did, and you're not a liar – no, not to me. I can read your facial expressions now that you're a human. If I gave my word, I gave my word.† Human? Elena thought. Am I?What am I? – with the kind of Powers I have? Even Damon can see that the Old Wood has changed in the real world. It's not an ancient, half-dead forest anymore. There are spring flowers in midsummer. There's life everywhere. â€Å"And in any case, it will give me plenty of time to be alone with you – my princess of darkness.† And we're back to that again, Elena thought wearily. But he'd leave me here stranded if I once suggested that we had laughed and walked in a clearing together – with him on his knees to adjust my footstool. Even I'm beginning to wonder if it was real. There was a slight bump – as nearly as one could tell from Damon's style of driving. â€Å"Got it!† he cheered himself – and then, when Elena turned, ready to wrench the wheel to make him stop – he added coolly, â€Å"It was a piece oftire , for your information. Not many animals are black, arched, and a few tenths of an inch thick.† Elena said nothing. What was there to say to Damon's quips? But deep down she felt relieved that Damon wasn't given to running over furry little animals as an amusement. We're going to be alone together for quite some time, she thought – and then realized that there was another reason she couldn't just tell Damon to dry up and die. Shinichi had put the location of Stefan's cell into Damon's mind, not hers. She needed him desperately, to take her to the location, and to fight whoever was keeping Stefan captive. But it was fine if he had forgotten that she had any Powers. Something to save for a rainy day. At just that moment, Damon exclaimed â€Å"What the – † and leaned forward to adjust dials on the not-radio. † – peating; all units be on the lookout for one Matthew Honeycutt, male Caucasian, five foot eleven inches, blond hair, blue eyes – â€Å" â€Å"What is that?†Elena demanded. â€Å"A police scanner. If you want to be able to really live in this great land of freedom, it's best to know when to run – â€Å" â€Å"Damon, don't get me started on your lifestyle. I meant what was that about Matt?† â€Å"It looks as if they've decided to bring him in at last. Caroline didn't get much revenge yesterday night. I guess she's taking a shot at it now.† â€Å"Then we've got to get to him first – anythingcould happen if he stays in Fell's Church. But he can't take his car, and he won't fit in this one. What are we going to do?† â€Å"Leave him to the police?† â€Å"Don't, please. We have to – † Elena was beginning, when in a clearing to the left, like some vision sent to approve her scheme, the Jaguar appeared. â€Å"That'sthe car we're taking,† she told Damon flatly. â€Å"At least it's roomy. If you want your police scanner doo-hickey in it, then you'd better start uninstalling it from this one.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"I'll go get Matt. I'm the only one he'll listen to. Then we'll leave the Ferrari in the Wood – or dump it in the creek if you want.† â€Å"Oh, the creek, byall means.† â€Å"Actually, we may not have time for that. We'll just leave it in the Wood.† Matt stared at Elena. â€Å"No. I won't run.† Elena turned the full intensity of her blue eyes on him. â€Å"Matt, get in the car.Now . You have to. Caroline's dad is related to the judge who signed the order to get you. It's a lynching, Meredith says. Even Meredith is telling you to run. No, you don't need clothes; we'll get clothes.† â€Å"But – but – it's not true – â€Å" â€Å"They'll make it true. Caroline will weep and sob. I never thought a girl would do this to get revenge, but Caroline is in a class of her own. She's gone nuts.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"I said, get in!They'll be here any minute. They've already been to your house and Meredith's house. What are you doing at Bonnie's, anyway?† Bonnie and Matt glanced at each other. â€Å"Uh, just having a look at Bonnie's mom's car,† Matt said. â€Å"It's on the fritz again, and – â€Å" â€Å"Never mind! Come with me! Bonnie, what are you doing? Calling Meredith back?† Bonnie jumped slightly. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Tell her good-bye and we love her and good-bye. Take care of the town – we'll be in touch – â€Å" As the red Jaguar pulled away, Bonnie said into the phone, â€Å"You were right. She's pulling a Straight A away. I don't know whether Damon's going – he wasn't in the car.† She listened for a moment and then said, â€Å"Okay, I will. I'll see you.† She hung up and got into action. Dear Diary, Today I ran away from home. I guess you can't really call it running away when you're almost 18 and you take your own car – and when nobody knew you were home in the first place. So I'll just say, tonight I'm on the run. The other slightly shocking thing is that I ran away with two different guys. And neither of them ismy guy. I say that, but†¦I can't help remembering things. The look in Matt's eyes in the clearing – I honestly think he was prepared to die to protect me. I can't help but think about what we once were to each other. Those blue eyes†¦oh, I don't know what's wrong with me! And Damon. I know now that there's living flesh under the layers and layers of stone he's wrapped around his soul. It's deeply hidden, but it's there. If I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit that he touches something deep inside me that makes me shiver – a part of myself even I don't understand. Oh, Elena! Stop right now! You can't go near that dark part of yourself, especially now that you have Power. You don't dare go near it. Everything is different now. You have to be more responsible (something you're not at all good at!). And Meredith won't be here to help me be responsible, either. How is this ever going to work out? Damon and Matt in the same car? On a road trip together? Can you imagine? Tonight, it was so late and Matt was so stunned by the situation that he couldn't really take anything in. And Damon only smirked. But he'll be in demonic form tomorrow, I know he will. I still think it was a great pity that Shinichi had to takeWings of Redemption from Damon along with his memories. But I firmly believe that, deep down, there's a tiny part of Damon that remembers how he was when we were together. And now he has to be worse than ever to prove that what he remembers was all a lie. So while you're reading this,Damon – I know you'll get hold of it somehow and snoop – let me tell you that you were nice for a while, actuallyNICE,and it was fun. We talked together. We even laughed – at the same jokes. And you†¦you were gentle. And now you're going, â€Å"Nah, it's just another Elena-plot to get me to think I can turn around – butI know where I'm going, and I don't care.† Does that ring a bell, Damon? Have yousaid those words to someone recently? And if not, how do I know them? Could it be that for once I'm telling the truth? Now I'm going to forget that you're totally besmirching your honor by reading secret things that don't belong to you. What else? First: I miss Stefan. Second: I didn't really pack for this. Matt and I swung by the boardinghouse, and he grabbed the money Stefan left for me while I grabbed an armful of clothes out of the closet – heaven knows what I've got: Bonnie's tops and Meredith's pants, and not a decent nightgown to my name. But at least I also got you, precious friend, a present Stefan was saving for me. I never really liked typing in a file marked â€Å"Diary† anyway. Blank books like you are my style. Third: I miss Stefan. I miss him so badly that I'm crying while I'm writing about clothes. It looks as if that's what I'm crying about, which makes me seem insanely shallow. Oh, sometimes I just want to scream. Fourth: I want to screamnow.It was only when we got back to Fell's Church that we found what horrors the malach had left for us. There is a fourth little girl I think may be possessed like Tami, Kristin, and Ava – I couldn't really tell, so I couldn't do anything. I have the feeling that we definitely haven't heard the last of this possession thing. Fifth: But worst is what happened in the Saitou house. Isobel is in the hospital with raging infections in all her piercings. Obaasan, as everyone calls Isobel's grandmother, was not dead as the first paramedics who got there thought. She was in a deep trance – reaching out tous . Whether some of the courage I got, some of the belief in myself, was really due to her, is something I'll never know. But in the den was Jim Bryce. He had†¦oh, I can't write it. He was the captain of theb asketball team! But he hadeaten away at himself: his whole left hand, most of his right-hand fingers, his lips. And he had put a pencil through his ear into his brain. They say (I heard this through Tyrone Alpert, the doctor's grandson) that it's called Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome (sp? I only heard it said) and that it's rare, but there are others just like him. That's what the doctors say. I say it was a malach making him do it. But they wouldn't let me in to try to take it out of him. I can't even say he's alive. I can't say if he's dead. He's going to a sort of institution where they keep long-term cases. We failed there. I failed. It wasn't really Jim Bryce's fault. So he was with Caroline just one night, and from there he passed the malach to his girlfriend Isobel and to his little sister Tami. Then both Caroline and little Tami passed it along to others. They tried to give it to Matt, but he wasn't about to let them. Sixth, the three little girls that most definitely did get it were all under the orders of Misao, from what Shinichi said.They say that they don't remember anything about decorating themselves or propositioning strangers. They don't seem to remember anything about the time of their possession, and they act like very different little girls now. Nice. Calm. If I thought Misao gave up easily then I would be sure they'll be all right. Worse is the thought of Caroline. She was a friend once and now – well, now I think she needs help more than ever. Damon got toher diaries – she kept her own diary by recording herself on video, and we watched her talk to the mirror†¦and watched the mirror talk back. Mostly it was her own image that showed, but sometimes, at the beginning or end of a session, it was Shinichi's face. He's good-looking, if a little wild. I can see how Caroline might fall for him and agree to be his carrier of malach in the town. That's all over. I used the last of whatever Power I know I have taking the malach out of those girls. Caroline, of course, wouldn't let me near her. And then there were those fateful words of Caroline's: â€Å"I need a husband!† Any girl knows what that means. Any girl feels sorry for another who says it, even if they're unfriends. Caroline and Tyler Smallwood were going together until about two weeks ago. Meredith says Caroline dropped him, and that kidnapping her for Klaus was Tyler's revenge. Butif before that they'd been sleeping together with no protection (and Caroline is dumb enough to do it), she could certainly have known she was pregnant and been looking for another guy by the time Shinichi turned up. (Which was just before I – returned to life.) Now she's trying to pin it on Matt. It was pure bad luck that she said it happened on the same night the malach attacked Matt and that that old man from the Neighborhood Watch saw Matt drive home and pass out at the steering wheel as if he were drunk or on drugs. Or maybe it wasn't just luck. Maybe that was all part of Misao's game, too. I'm going to sleep now. Too much thinking. Too much worry. And, oh, I miss Stefan! He would help me deal with the worry in his own gentle but keen-sighted way. I'm sleeping inside the car with the doors locked. The guys are sleeping outside it. At least, that's how we're starting – at their insistence. At least they agreed on that. I don't think Shinichi and Misao will stay away from Fell's Church for long. I don't know if they'll leave it alone for a few days, or weeks, or a few months, but Misao will heal and they'll come back for us eventually. That means that Damon, Matt, and I – we're fugitives in two worlds. And I have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow. Elena

Cause and Effect Essay Example Essay

What is the leading cause of death in the U.S.? Many people would guess cancer, but they would be wrong. The leading cause of death over the past few years has been heart disease. Last year, heart diseases claimed the lives of more than 600,000 Americans. The most common of these is acute myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack. Each year, about 720,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack. That averages to almost two thousand heart attack cases a day! So why are there so many heart attacks? The answer is simple: by eating unhealthily, not exercising, and smoking, millions of people put themselves at risk of suffering a heart attack. One of the main causes of a heart attack is an unhealthy diet. Because eating healthily costs more, people turn to cheap fast food instead. This fast food is loaded with cholesterol, an important lipid used in the membranes of cells. However, if a person eats too much cholesterol, the excess begins to build up along the wall of the person’s arteries. This substance, called plaque, inhibits the flow of blood to the heart. Consequentially, the heart has to pump much harder to circulate the blood. An unhealthy diet also leads to high blood pressure which further increases the build up of plaque and other fatty matter in the arteries. All of this plaque causes decreased blood flow to the heart which makes it weaker. Although the decreased flow of blood can cause heart problems later on, the real danger is the risk that a piece of the plaque could break off, leaving a gap. If this happens, red blood cells form a clot on top of the plaque which could result in the blockage of the entire artery, causing a heart attack. Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best ways to lower the risk of having a heart attack. Another factor that increases the risk of having a heart attack is lack of exercise. The heart is a muscle and like any other muscle, it becomes stronger by exercising. Sadly, many people do not and the heart stays weak. It does not pump as well, leading to decreased capability in the future, and numerous health problems. Exercising also prevents clotting in the arteries, therefore lowering the chances of having the arteries blocked. Lazy people who sit and watch television all day miss out on this benefit, and increase the likelihood of a heart attack. Finally, exercise reduces inflammation in the arteries, optimizing blood flow and reducing the threat of a heart attack. Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to exercise, and they suffer from poor blood flow, inflammation of the arteries, and increased risk of heart problems. By not exercising, people put themselves in danger of suffering a heart attack. Finally, countless heart attacks are caused by smoking. Surprisingly, about one in every five deaths from heart disease is caused by smoking. Everybody knows that smoking leads to breathing issues and lung cancer, but what most people do not realize is that smoking also puts people at a higher risk of having a heart attack. The 4,000 or more poisonous substances in a cigarette harm blood vessels throughout the body, including the heart. They also increase the likelihood of blood clots in the arteries which cause heart attacks. Next, smoking causes the arteries to narrow which reduces blood flow further. This means that it does not take as big of a clot to cause a heart attack. Lastly, the carbon monoxide breathed in from smoking replaces the oxygen that would have been breathed in. The carbon monoxide then binds to the red blood cells and is distributed to the body instead of oxygen. This poisons the whole body, including the heart, and makes it have to do more work to supply the body with oxygen. By smoking these lethal substances, people put themselves in the clutches of the leading cause of death in the world. In a society where the fast-food industry booms, video games replace exercise, and cigarettes litter the streets everywhere, it is not surprising that so many people have heart attacks each year. Many people choose to eat unhealthily, lounge around all day, and smoke, endangering their overall health and putting themselves at risk of a heart attack. However, people always have a choice. Although all these things can cause a heart attack, they are not really the underlying problem. The irresponsible behavior and foolish decisions of people is really behind the leading cause of death in America.

Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Facebook - Essay Example This web based business will be based on two types of business models. The first business model will be based on the direct books sales and second one will offer the facility to purchase the books using affiliated partners such as Amazon, Microsoft and publishers. The main step in this web based business implementation is the analysis of the market place for the new web based business development and implementation. In this phase of the web based business analysis we will assess the market trends and business activities. This will help us in establishing a practical business policy that can facilitate the effective business implementation. In the next step we will develop an e-business implementation plan and e-commerce revenue models. These both areas will be the foundations of the online business development and implementation. The business policy will address the business customers, target market, privacy policy, underlying business deals, etc. While the ecommerce revenue models will provide us the basic platform regarding the online revenue generation. The main revenue models we are going to implement are (Carter, 2009): The next step in this system implementation is system design and development. The system designing involves all the necessary web based usability aspects that offer the user a clear view of the system development and offer the online customer a better and enhanced interaction. The web based system development will involve the implementation of the web based system and making system according to the established system requirements. The next phase involves the web based system implementation. In this phase initially we need to purchase a web site domain name that will be used for our website. The next step regarding selection of the services and ISP (Internet services provides) to make our website available on web. These also involve the

Building and construction management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Building and construction management - Essay Example .......................................... .......................... p.13 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An analysis of an expansion project on a residential house is described. The project’s compliance with civil and neighborhood regulations pertaining to the proposed changes is put into perspective. An account of the technical specifications of the proposed changes is included, with detailed explanations of the context for the proposed expansion based on accepted housing construction techniques. Finally, recommendations are given for additional expansions of the project. INTRODUCTION The property in question is a brick constructed, detached house in a neighborhood where most dwellings date back to 1970, and were mostly level in placement. The project location is a corner plot on Guildford road, within the urban boundaries of Fleet. The actual lot encompasses 500 square meters, and is rectangular in shape. The house is equipped with a flat roof double garage attached, with a north-easy s ide elevation. The house possesses a driveway and small garden in the front of the dwelling. The backyard lawn includes a rear garden, a patio and shrubs. The front and rear of the property are shaded with trees. The project will add Dormers to the structure, often suggested as a way to better appreciate trees. (FamilyHandyman.com, 2004), (Sebastino, 2012) Often popular in Queen Anne style houses. (La Chiusa, 2006) A proposal is underway to expand this property with an extension of the first floor; requiring modification and construction of the roofing elements to support the addition. The proposed roof is intended to measure 6 metres at the apex, ranging from 3.5 metres at the eaves. It will include dormers on the front and rear roof elevations. A juliette balcony is to be included in the rear of the expansion. The windows here, and elsewhere for the expansion will be 1.5 metres tall, set down 0.5 meters below the roof's ridge, and 1.4 metres wide. Dormer windows will extended 2.2 metres from the roofline. (Hart.gov.uk, 2008) The garage contains a utility room that will be enlarged to dimensions of 2.5 by 3.8 metres. Tiles, bricks and matching components will be used that are compatible with the portions of the house that already exist. Local developmental plan policies have been consulted, and there is no anticipation of a harmful impact to the house itself, or the community at large. The expansion proposal for the house would be highly visible on Guildford road and neighboring streets. However, the additions are connected to the primary house without intruding onto other properties, and do not contrast sharply with the overall character of the neighborhood. The extension will incorporate elements from the ground floor that rise 3.8 meters anterior to the front elevation and 2.3 metres at the eaves, rising up 3 metres to the top of the roof. The eaves assist in the diversion of rain water away from the walls of the house, reducing the potential for erosion b y separating wetness on the roof from the walls of the house. They may also influence the transmission of heat. (DBH.gov, 2004), (Yourhome.gov.au, 2012) No side windows on the Guildhall property are extant, and the rear windows should not create privacy challenges, due to the distance involved between the adjoining dwellings, in addition to the tree on the edge of the property that allows screening of the immediate line of sight. The property in question is regarded as a natural extension of the pre-existing residence, with no apparent incompatibility with

Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Chemistry - Essay Example The anions and cations can be varied to get the required end product. Ionic liquids have large anions and cations of low symmetry to reduce the lattice energy and reduce the melting point of the salts. Anions contribute towards the functions and chemistry of ILs and cations contribute towards the variable physical properties and stability of ILs (BÃ" §hme 2006). Ionic salts can be simple salts i.e. made up of one type of anion and cation or binary ionic liquids which are a mixture of two salts with varying melting points depending on their composition. Ionic liquids are used to substitute traditional solvents like volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) for their variable properties, low energy inputs and reusability. They are also used to extract various compounds such as metal ions, biomolecules and organosulfurs by using two phase extraction. The most commonly studied systems contain ammonium, phosphonium, sulfonium, pyridinium, imidazolium and pyrrolidinium cations. Common anions include hexafluorophosphate [PF]6-, tetrafluoroborate [BF]4-, bis(trifyl)imide [NTf]2 and chloride, Cl-. Ionic liquids help in minimizing and eliminating waste, improves chemical syntheses and extractions or separations (Holbrey, Turner & Rogers 2003). The reaction solvents are reusable and do not diminish in content which is a major advantage over traditional solvents that are sometimes volatile like the VOC’s. However, the most important feature of these ionic liquids that has led to the great amount of interest in them is the ease with which these can be manipulated to suit the needs of a particular reaction. Most of the properties that are attributed to reaction solvents can be redesigned to reduce or eliminate the losses in solvents and the reaction path can be modified to optimize reactions. This can be useful in recovering and reusing