Religion and Well-Being Essay

Religion can be defined as a strong belief in the supernatural power that holds the sole authority to control human destiny. It is an institution that helps to express our belief in a heavenly power. Religion is as old as the human civilization and came into existence when the human brain became superior to realize the significance of faith, and worship. Earlier humans lived in small groups, and each group recognized an icon that harmonized the ideologies of different people in the group. Rituals were an essential part of lives and were carried for natural resources icons such as moon, sun, fire, river, etc. since its beginning religion has been very beneficial for humans and it still holds an important place in the lives of people. Religion is a completely personal choice and should be left to the choice of individuals. It is unfair to force a religion on followers of some other religion through offering gifts and cash. Each religion has its own beliefs and ideologies and should be mutually respected by others in the world. Only then this world can become a better place to live. A growing number of studies convincingly demonstrate that people who are more deeply involved in religion tend to enjoy better physical and mental health than individuals who are less involved in religion (Ellison & Levin, 1998; Koenig, McCullough, & Larson, 2001). As this literature continues to develop, researchers have begun to tackle challenging issues that involve explaining how the salubrious effects of religion on health might arise. A number of potentially important theoretical perspectives have been devised. For example, some investigators argue that involvement in religion exerts a beneficial effect on health because it helps people cope more effectively with the deleterious effects of stress (Pargament, 1997), whereas other researchers maintain that the potentially important health-related effects arise from the sense of meaning in life that many people find through greater involvement in religion (Park, 2005). An explanation that was proposed some time ago forms the focal point of the current study. More specifically, a number of researchers have argued that people who are more involved in religion tend to have better health because they are more likely to adopt beneficial health behaviors than individuals who are less involved in religion (Levin & Schiller, 1987). Subsequent research has provided support for this perspective. For example, a number of studies indicate that individuals who attend religious services often are more likely to avoid the use of tobacco and alcohol (Gillum, 2005; Strawbridge, Shema, Cohen, & Kaplan, 2001). Moreover, greater involvement in religion has been associated with more frequent exercise, a better diet, better sleep quality, and the regular use of seat belts (Hill, Burdette, Ellison, & Musick, 2006; Hill, Ellison, Burdette, & Musick, 2007). There is also some evidence that religious individuals are more likely to engage in a range of preventive health practices, such as getting a regular mammography, having a routine cholesterol screening, and obtaining flu shots (Benjamins, 2006; Benjamins & Brown, 2004; Benjamins, Trinitapoli, & Ellison, 2006). Although there is broad-based empirical support for the notion that religious involvement is associated with beneficial health behaviors there is still a great deal that is not known about this relationship. One area that is in need of further development forms the focal point of the current study. More specifically, researchers have not devised well-articulated models that explain how involvement in religion promotes the practice of better health behaviors (e. g. , Benjamins et al. , 2006; Ellison et al. in press). This information is essential for the development of more effective interventions that are administered in religious institutions. As van Ryn and Heaney (1992) observe, â€Å"Clearly, application of well-defined and carefully tested theories to the program development process holds tremendous advantages for health educators in terms of coherence, effectiveness, and evaluation of interventions† (p. 328). Three potentially important mechanisms have been identified in the research that has been done so far. The first involves the notion that certain religious beliefs encourage people to take better care of their bodies. Included among these beliefs is the notion that the body is the â€Å"temple of God† (Ellison et al. , 2009) as well as the belief that better spiritual health is associated with better physical health (Benjamins et al. , 2006). Second, a number of investigators provide evidence which suggests that some people take better care of themselves if they worship in congregations that provide formal programs that are designed to promote better health behavior (Campbell et al. 2007; DeHaven, Hunter, Wilder, Walton, & Berry, 2004). Third, other researchers report that people who attend church on a regular basis are more likely to adopt beneficial health behaviors because they are encouraged to do so by their fellow church members (Ellison et al. , 2009). For more than 100 years, researchers have argued that religion is an inherently social product. For example, James Mark Baldwin, an early president of the American Psychological Association, wrote in 1902: â€Å"The fact is constantly recognized that religion is a social phenomena. No man is religious by himself, nor does he choose his god, nor devise his offering, nor enjoy his blessings alone† (p. 325). Although the early theorists made invaluable contributions to the literature, they did not explore the more pragmatic implications of their insights. The current study was designed to contribute to more recent efforts by a new generation of scholars who have begun to assess health-related effects that appear to arise from deeper involvement in religion. We hope the findings from the current study and the theoretical perspective we have devised encourage further research in this field.

How Does Mary Shelley Explore Suffering in Frankenstein

How does Shelley portray suffering in â€Å"Frakenstein†? Throughout the novel, suffering of not only an individual but also humanity, remains at the heart of the plot. Many critics today believe that this suffering comes from the troubled and tormented life Shelley had. For example from 1815 to mid 1819, Shelley was to lose the first three of her four children, for which she held herself responsible. Therefore, it could be argued that the monster is the embodiment of Shelley’s suffering and guilt. Suffering in the novel becomes apparent through the narrator, Frankenstein. For example, from a psychoanalyst’s perception ofVictor, his suffering comes from his character. Victor is the very incarnation of the Byronic Hero. He represents a lonely, isolated and self- ­? destructive force vulnerable to his own over- ­? powering emotions of greed and fervid curiosity. This is perfectly depicted in Caspar David Friedrich’s painting (commonly associated with the image of the Byronic hero) â€Å"Wanderer above the sea of fog† whereby a man overlooks an untouched landscape (Byron’s poem The Corsair; â€Å"lone, wild and strange, he stood alike exempt from all affection and all contempt†) with the sole desire to explore and gain victory. This passionately intense nd over- ­? powering desire of knowledge is perfectly depicted in Book IV of Milton’s Paradise Lost ‘Satan’s address to the sun’ (An epic poem heavily influencing Shelley) whereby Satan must suffer for his â€Å"Pride and worse ambition†. It is therefore blatant that Frankenstein’s immense feelings of isolation (Byron; â€Å"That man of loneliness and mystery†) and fervid desire become the sole cause of Frankenstein’s loss of humanity and mental self- ­? destruction (the use of the phrase â€Å"infernal machinations† implying a man so susceptible to his own greed, curiosity and isolation that his o wn mental torment becomes almost an quivalent to Dante’s ‘Inferno’). Therefore, Victor becomes the â€Å"Satan† of this novel. Having had an intense yearning for victory (as his name suggests), he has attempted to assume the position of God, which has only caused mental decline and suffering. Aside from his mental torment, Victor’s physical deterioration mirrors his guilt. Frankenstein has held himself responsible for the deaths of his closest friends and family. For example, in Chapter IV- ­? â€Å"I felt the fiend’s grasp in my neck† a direct link is made to Coleridge’s (a close friend of William Godwin- ­? Shelley’s Father) ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ whereby, fter having shot the albatross (once a symbol of good luck), the course of time has been altered forever; â€Å"With my crossbow I shot the Albatross†. Consequently, the â€Å"[shooting] of the albatross† in this novel comes not f rom Victor’s creation of the monster but infact his crime of denying the monster of love. For example, Rousseau (a philosopher that inspired Shelley) suggested that a child deprived of a loving family becomes a monster. This act of depriving the monster of maternal love (thus, showing men’s incapability of love) caused the monster to kill those closest to Victor. This sparked immense feelings of guilt n Victor â€Å"I was overcome by gloom and misery† linking to Coleridge’s poem (â€Å"And I had done a hellish thing†), which inevitably becomes the cause of his physical decline â€Å"The human frame could not longer support the agonizing suffering that I endured†. It is therefore, through the â€Å"hellish† act of denying the monster of love, that â€Å"The Albatross about [Victor’s] neck was hung† and his supreme guilt lead to his suffering. Victor’s physical deterioration in this novel also confirms the idea of à ¢â‚¬Å"The Double†. As many critics have suggested, the monster is merely a projection of Frankenstein’s innate corruption. It is hence ossible to assume that Frankenstein’s physical suffering and loss of humanity comes from the monster’s increased power thus showing how these two individuals are linked. The idea of such a double is backed up by the fact that the monster kills at moonlight and thus, the moon acts as an illuminating object shining into the heart of Victor only to reveal the monster. Such a theme is present in Stevenson’s â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† whereby; the suppressed emotions of Dr, Jekyll are projected at night in the ultra- ­? ego of Mr. Hyde. However, a far greater suffering is observed within the monster. The suffering comes withinThe Daemon’s rejection from his creator Frankenstein. The Daemon has lost any parental influence or more importantly, he has failed to achieve his â€Å"father figure†. Con stant desire to be appreciated by a father is a theme in this novel. For example, Frankenstein felt safe and secure in the presence of his father (â€Å"Nothing, at this moment, could have given me greater pleasure than the arrival of my father†) and Shelley herself longed for the appreciation and love from her father (especially after, William Godwin cut off relations to Shelley after her marriage to Percy). However, the monster, much like Adam from ParadiseLost, has failed to be appreciated by Victor (who he views as his father). In Paradise Lost, Adam had a constant desire to please God, but due to the temptation of Eve, he was outcast and rejected. This is similar to the monster, as purely to his appearance, the monster has been denied love from his father thus giving rise to an Oedipus complex. This Oedipus complex (also present in Shakespeare’s Macbeth) is shown through the monster as, when Frankenstein rejects the monster, the monster seemingly denounces him as a father and instead views his mother (possibly, nature) as the only love he will ever receive (â€Å"He was soon orne away by the waves†- ­? last sentence, Page 191). Therefore, this rejection of love from a paternal influence based on the monster’s appearance of â€Å"horror and disgust† (page 39) has lead to a loss of identity within the monster, and thus a mental anguish and suffering (â€Å"who am miserable beyond all living things- ­? page 77). This suffering the monster feels is extended by society’s further rejection of him based on his appearance. The fact that he is even rejected by the DeLaceys is Shelley’s view that everyone, however seemingly perfect, has an innate ability to judge based on appearance. This is why the monster s, at first, welcomed into the house of DeLacey. He is blind and therefore does not possess humanity’s evil ability to judge based on appearance- ­? he therefore is the very quintessence of purity an d kindness at the heart of a judgmental society as he does not possess sight. Shelley therefore attempts to suggest that humanity’s most dangerous quality is sight. This allows The Monster to believe he really is â€Å"a daemon†/ â€Å"wretch†/ â€Å"foul being† and suffers due to it. However, despite the suffering of the individual, this novel seems to address a far greater suffering; the suffering of humanity. Linking once again toMilton’s Paradise Lost, the ‘ultimate sin’ of Eve stealing the forbidden fruit leads to Adam and Eve (the first humans and thus, our ancestors) to be outcast to the wilderness. The suffering of humanity therefore comes from the fact that we, as descendants of Adam and Eve must be held responsible for Adam and Eve’s actions and temptation. Therefore, the human existence is based on the belief that we must continually repent for our ancestor’s sins and leads to the theory that the monster is mer ely the embodiment of God’s vengeance, warning the most corrupt humans who attempt to overcome nature (which is sublime and God- ­? ontrolled) that, God will prevail. This is however a use of irony. Mary Shelley married Percy Shelley 3 years after he was expelled from Oxford for his pamphlet â€Å"The necessity of atheism†. This therefore exposes Shelley’s cynicism of religion, whereas it should be based on glorifying existence, it is in fact, based on the suffering of humanity. Further suffering of humanity is observed through the treatment of sexuality in the novel. When Adam and Eve were cast out into the wilderness in Paradise Lost, they had to commit the ‘original sin’ of sexual reproduction as a means to produce offspring and ensure the survival f humanity. This act therefore undermines God’s power as it shows nature and science cannot be controlled by God (who is allegedly ‘the creator of all’). Therefore, within Victori an society a religiously backed suppression of sexuality meant men could not show any signs of sexual desire and that instead they must be kept secret. This leads to the idea that the monster is infact the depiction of Frankenstein’s sexual desire and that, much like the monster, it is locked away in the human body and allowed to ‘fester’ it will only be more ugly and violent (as shown in Elizabeth’s death and Frankenstein’s destruction of he female monster which seem to almost mirror an aggressive rape). Moreover, this leads to the development of what is more commonly known as â€Å"The Queer Theory†. This entails the idea that Frankenstein has a secretly oppressed homosexual desire which was shunned upon by Victorian society and that the only way to reveal this homo- ­? erotic desire was to create the â€Å"daemon† as a male Adonis â€Å"I selected his features a beautiful† in order to fulfil his suppressed sexuality. Theref ore, humanity suffers as their sexuality is oppressed by society and religion meaning that when it is revealed only more suffering is unleashed.Shelley in this novel also speaks from a seemingly feminist perspective. This may have been inspired by her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft’s book â€Å"A Vindication of the rights of woman† which placed stress on female independence and the importance of female education (women who succumb to sensuality will be â€Å"blown about by every momentary gust of feeling†); which links to the passive and generally ‘pathetic’ description of women in this novel. They’re suffering comes from the fact that Eve, the first woman committed the original sin thus damning society into a world far less sublime than the Garden of Eden. Therefore, Shelley esires show how women are forced into submission and general passiveness as a result of being the gender that committed the original sin. Their passiveness, perfectly depic ted in Elizabeth and Justine, links well to Coventry Patmore’s poem, The Angel in the house. This poem states the power men possess over women and that, to remain included in society, women must remain tacit and pretty so to fulfil the expectations of society. This links to the monster; the monster fails to fulfil society’s expectations of appearance and therefore is outcast. However, this juxtaposes with women as they fulfil society’s expectations and

A Division of Parody Productions Essay

1. FACTS: Parody Productions, LLC is a company that sale his playing cards over the internet. The product portrays well-known players from a sports team’s history. The plaintiff in this suit, Ronald Swoboda, is included in the New York Mets Hero Deck. Swoboda claims that he has never given Parody permission to use his image. He further contends that through his attorney he sent Parody a cease and desist letter. Parody refused to stop selling cards with Swoboda’s name and images. In response, Swoboda filed the instant lawsuit to enjoin Parody from the continued use of his name and likeness and for damages for violating his right to publicity, and, alternatively, damages for unjust enrichment. The trial court sustained the exception of lack of personal jurisdiction and this appeal followed. See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay 2. ISSUE: The issue is â€Å"Did Court of Appeal of Louisiana approve lack of personal jurisdiction of an internet merchandiser?† 3. DECISION: Affirmed 4. REASONING: Since 1945, technology has advanced to such a degree that it is possible for sellers to reach consumers in their homes worldwide. The onset of the Internet has created a lapse between the method of doing business in 1945 and the legal system’s ability to keep up with technology. The â€Å"purposeful availment† requirement for the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant ensures that it will not be haled into a jurisdiction solely as a result of a random, fortuitous, or attenuated contact, or by the unilateral activity of another party or a third person. In Quality Design, the court ruled that Tuff Coat’s website was a passive one, whereby information about its product was provided, but actual sales were arranged via telephone or mail.

This is bussinees economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

This is bussinees economics - Essay Example It is these shared patterns that make individuals identify with a particular group and not another. Attitude also affects the individual behavior in the sense that it is representative of the individual’s state of mind. It shows an individual’s like or dislike and, therefore, prior to any undertaking the outcome of any undertaking is likely to be a product of the attitude. Values are another factor. These are the beliefs that an individual or a certain group has towards a general idea. Having values or principles determines the ethical code of conduct and by extension determines the amount of emotional investment that can be for or against an idea (Volker, 32). Finally, the authority also shapes individual behavior in the sense that depending on the way it is used. This can be attained by cohesion or even convincing a person to carry out an activity. When cohesion is applied, it will in most cases narrow down the options available to the one carrying out the order. In m ost cases when pushed to the wall, the end will always justify the means. It is of great significance to study individual behavior so as to understand one’s own behavior pattern and how it affects day to day interactions. Besides, it allows for the opportunity to make informed choices for corrective measures so as to develop appropriate behavior pattern, not just for personal effectiveness but social effectiveness as well (Volker, 36). In explaining individual behavior, two models have been considered in this case. MARS model of individual behavior, also called MARS BAR explains individual behavior due to both internal and external factors. A breakdown of the acronym is motivation, abilities, role perception and situational factors. They constitute the four major factors that affect individual behavior and outcomes. This model is applicable to many cases but is often used in management,

Dinosaur ridge Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dinosaur ridge - Assignment Example September 2014 there was a trip to Dinosaur ridge in Denver, which was mainly for hands-on activities that included fossil sifting, gold panning, metal detecting, and dinosaur track painting. At the site there were visitor experts and FODR geologists who took their time in explaining about faulting, volcanic eruptions, volcanic ash, and earthquakes. There were also a lot of other participants like the Denver Fire-fighters Museum and West Metro who came to explain all about these geological phenomenon. As it was explained, every geohazard is different from each other and the difference is based on a number of factors such as the geological composition of the land where it happened. The geological composition may vary in terms of the types of rocks found there or the tectonic activity. For instance, a big earthquake on a barren land would be less problematic than a small earthquake in the middle of a city. Such a small earthquake will cause damages to structures while the one in the desert will hardly cause any damage. Some of the results of geohazard activities at the site were the volcanic ash bends. Such bends were deposited during a volcanic eruption that happened in the present day Colorado. In order to determine the occurrence, crystals of mineral zircon found in the volcanic ash were used to date the rocks. The results showed that the ash was 105.6 million years old, revealing that it must have happened a long time ago. Scientists use radiometric and other dating techniques to measure the age of these geohazards. Therefore, using different rocks obtained from different sites of geohazard locations, scientists are able to date the time that these hazards took place. Other types of geohazards that have been recorded in history include Karst Hazards. These include the different types of sinkholes that occur on the earth’s surface. The sinkholes are of various size and depths. They cause direct risks to infrastructure like buildings if they happen in urban

Presentation about iPhone 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Presentation about iPhone 5 - Essay Example As stated above, the iPhone was designed for a wide range of consumers having varied needs of a mobile phone. The iPhone 5 marketers have divided the consumers into several segmentation variables. These are according to demographics, psychographics, and behavior. Demographically, the marketers of the iPhone 5 targets people aged between eighteen years to 35 years. These consist of groups of young people consisting of students and young working professionals. The majority sales of iphone 5 are consumed by this market segment. Despite the fact that this demographic information is useful, the marketers have also employed the use of psychographic technique to do further segmentation. This is by developing virtual profiles which paints a vivid picture of the true iPhone 5 users. This has helped distinguish specific people having certain traits of using the iPhone 5. In addition to demographic and Psychographics, iPhone marketers have studied the how the consumers could use the product. As a result, the consumers have been segmented behaviorally i.e. behavioral segmentation. Marketing mix involves creating a combination of price, product, promotion and distribution to the greatest extend possible in order to satisfy consumers’ needs in a chosen market segment. To satisfy the consumers’ needs, iPhone 5 marketers have a determination to satisfy the customers and as a result, they use marketing mix techniques. Marketing channel system refers to a particular group of interdependent organizations which are engaged in the process of availing a product for consumption. The iPhone 5 manufacturers, Apple, use both the push strategy and the pull strategy to attract consumers. In the push strategy, the company is using its resources to induce intermediaries to promote carry and sell the product to the end users. In the pull strategy, additional forms of communication are employed to convince

Why People Should Pay for Plastic Bags Research Paper

Why People Should Pay for Plastic Bags - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that a number of countries all over the world has already banned the use of plastic bags or provided that people should pay for them in stores. Among these countries are Australia, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, India, Israel, Malaysia, Hong Kong and others. In the United States, it is only cities and counties that outlawed the use of plastic bags. In September 2014, California imposed a ban on plastic bags. It is difficult to predict the outcomes of a plastic bag tax in the United States. However, the experience of other countries that implemented this tax or even banned the use of plastic bags is promising. For example, Ireland introduced a plastic bag tax in 2002, and since that year, the amount of plastic bag litter in the country gas reduced by ninety-five percent. In 2008, China introduced a total ban on ultra-thin plastic bags and a tax on plastic bags, and since that year, the use of plastic bags in the country has reduced, wh ich means that the amount of plastic bags litter has also decreased. This paper makes a conclusion that the modern state of the environment as well as the threats imposed by plastic bags on it and on public health suggest that the use of plastic bags should be limited, and one of the ways to decrease the use is to make people pay for plastic bags in stores. Experience of a range of countries in the world and cities and counties in the United States shows that a plastic bag fee really works and helps improve the situation with environmental pollution.

Concert report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Concert report - Essay Example The program pieces included Handel: Concerto Grosso in G, Op. 6 No. 1, Handel: Water Music Suite No. 3 in G, Handel: Water Music Suite No. 1 in F and you you.  There was a lot of excitement and high expectations as the audience settled in their seats before the curtain rose. The conductor, the performers and the orchestra were formally introduced and welcomed with a huge applause from the audience before the show began. The pieces played at the concert are discussed below. Handel: Concerto Grosso in G The piece made a bright opening with a happy and sprightly tune in the form of a waltz. The piece was a sort one which lasted for about 2 and a half minutes and the rhythm was up tempo. When the rhythm slowed down in places the music was soft and when it became fast, the volume increased and this added some variety to the piece. The instrumentation and harmony was good and pleasant to the ears. Handel: Water Music Suite No. 3 in G This piece was quite lengthy and continued for 5mins. And 38 secs. It comprised of three distinct parts which added to the variety of the piece. The first part was medium paced with the whole orchestra playing in unison. As the piece drifts to the second part it has the instruments alternating in prominence while the orchestra lent a good backing for them. The third movement was a loud and sprightly piece with good harmony which was interlinked with soft playing in between to give unity to the piece. Handel: Water Music Suite No. 1 in F This sprightly piece was about three minutes long and in the format of a lively dance rhythm which was simple but very attractive. The instruments played alternated in a sort of question and answer presentation with nice melody and harmony which was not only interesting but also captivating. The entire piece was well integrated and had a strong unity despite the variety of instruments offered. Even though the rhythm had a good dance appeal, the volume of the sound was pleasant and toned down. Towards th e end of the piece, the last ten seconds of music had slow paced rhythm before coming to an end. Handel: Il delirio amoroso In the last piece the orchestra joins the Soprano Sonya Yoncheva and serves as a perfect foil while it provides a strong backing for the soprano vocals. The piece which had a length of about 5 and a half minute, had a lively rhythm interspersed with instrumental interludes between the singing of the soprano. The dynamics exhibited by the soprano is quite praiseworthy as it was effortlessly executed, showing her mastery over the subject. Though the piece was well integrated and had a good melody and harmony, yet I felt that it did not have a uniform form as it comprised of both fast and slow paced rhythms and alternated between soft and loud volumes. At about 3 and a half minutes of the piece there is a lengthy instrumental piece, similar to the one played at the beginning of the piece and once again the soprano takes over till the piece comes to a close. Conclu sion I would describe myself as an avid listener and I enjoyed the concert comprising of Handel’s pieces, which proved to be quite interesting as it was inspiring. The pieces chosen to be played had good variety and were very well performed by the soprano as well as the orchestra and this was what attracted the audience, even me, to not just only be a spectator but enjoy the concert wholeheartedly. The level of performance of the conductor Emmanuelle Haim, the soprano and the entire orchestra was of a very high standard

Americas unfinished revolution Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Americas unfinished revolution - Term Paper Example There was little or no change after the civil war. The efforts to restructure the south failed since the process did not complete. This left many factors that caused the civil war unresolved hence are likely to occur. Different parts of the south still practice the vices, which they were meant to leave or eradicate. The black Americans slaves were still denied opportunities to participate in most of the activities. Therefore, the bitterness they had could still result to another revolution. Secondly, there was an unfinished revolution because of the emergence of new complex race and class structure.2 The status quo in the south remained unchanged as they re-united after the north left. This made them continue with their slavery, therefore endangering the black slaves. Similarly, the whites in the south started to discriminate the blacks as they were considered slaves and were not entitled to equal opportunities and rights. The class relation was not good as both were hostile at each other. The postwar relation was not good and was perceived to be incubating another revolution. Therefore, Foner was right and justified when he said that there is an unfinished revolution. The division that took place in the American society where there were low and higher class is a symbol of disunity in the society. This can easily break into war since they do not relate. More so, the passage of thirteen, fourteen and fifteenth amendment, which gave the blacks some forms of rights was not welcomed by the whites.

Before Sunset Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Before Sunset - Essay Example The movie has rightfully earned great critical acclaim for portraying the lives of two individuals, who love each other dearly but are always pulled apart because of their circumstances. Moreover, it was not just the plot of the story that was laudable but the premise of the film further entails several themes regarding the geographical and urban design of the contemporary society that has greatly isolated people and restricted interaction on a daily basis. Even in the past, films were tools that were used vastly as a means to promote a particular city or culture. The entire filming before sunrise was done in Paris, providing insight into how urban structure seems to have affected the lives of the masses. The film depicts the life of both the protagonists and the degree to which their lives had changed over the period of their separation. Both Jesse and Celine portray contemporary individuals, who experience the rising problems of an urban society; loneliness being one of the primary issues. This concept is called urban isolation, which arises as a result of the layout of our society that prevents social encounters and interactions. From architecture to the overall communication network, modern civilization has been developed in such a way to protect the privacy of individuals that besides making things easier for people often results in people becoming more and more distant from each other. As a matter of fact, from residential buildings to everyday travel, privacy and seclusion are marketed as an asset and this feature is being made more attractive that makes people want to achieve it. This aspect is ostensible in the movie through the segregation that is believed to have been prolonged because of this aspect of the society. From the first movie, both of them had been heading towards opposite directions, although their circumstances kept them from reaching out to each other, but the period of their separation was further

Hamilton’s Economic Vision Essay Example for Free

Hamilton’s Economic Vision Essay Alexander Hamilton was a staunch Federalist who believed in maintaining power within the national government that is led by men of wealth, intelligence and talent and who are driven towards commercial development. His original proposal for the new constitution was very conservative but he had to accept a compromise if the Constitution was to be approved. Hence, the new government was launched with George Washington elected as President. Hamilton himself was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton envisioned a country of great strength and he believed that growth can only be achieved through domestic manufacturing and overseas trade. He aimed to emulate the stability and governing style of England. He looked admiringly upon competitive and ambitious self-starters who focused on financial successes and encouraged close association with them. Hamilton was determined to move the new government into the direction which he deemed was right and proper. He had a nation to build. Working his way towards such a goal, Hamilton submitted reports to Congress for their endorsement into law. His first was a â€Å"Report on the Public Credit† which came in two phases. The first phase included his recommendations for the funding of the remaining Revolutionary War debt and the federal assumption of debt. He hoped that these actions would â€Å"stabilize the government finances, establish its credit, build confidence in the new nation at home and tie business and commercial interests firmly to the new constitution. † Essentially, funding would allow the government creditors to exchange their much depreciated securities at face value for new, interest-bearing government bonds while the remaining state war debts would be assumed by the federal government. The South argued against the funding mainly because they would not get much benefit from it while arguments against the federal assumption of the remaining debts run came mainly from the States who had almost completely paid off all their debts. Other critics were able to see through Hamilton’s ploy anticipating that the central government merely plans to develop close with the wealth creditors/individuals as the central government will now be the one who will control who gets to be paid and when. Moreover, the central government would now have a justifiable reason to impose taxes. With a side deal of moving the government seat from New York to Philadelphia, Hamilton got his endorsement. The second phase involved the creation of a national bank that is able to handle the â€Å"government’s financial affairs and pooling private investment capital for economic development. † Opposition again came from the South who prefers to promote agrarian development as it sees lesser benefit for them and more for the northern merchants. It was nonetheless endorsed and signed into law by Washington upon the urging of Hamilton. His second on â€Å"Report on Public Credit† proposed the imposition of a series of excise taxes including one on the manufacture of distilled liquor. The Whiskey Tax as it was coined, set the precedent for the government to use its taxing authority to increase federal revenue. Hamilton believed that â€Å"the power to tax and spend was the power to govern. † It became law in March 1791. Finally, in his â€Å"Report on Manufacturers†, Hamilton called for tariffs on imported European goods. This would make the goods produced by American industries more competitive in terms of price. The resulting revenue will â€Å"encourage the expansion of commercial agriculture and a network of federally-sponsored internal improvements† which would â€Å"stimulate commerce and bind the nation more tightly together. † However, since this might reduce overseas trade, Congress did not endorse this. Work Cited Creating a Nation. Name of Book. XXX ed. Year Published.

Special Education Reflection Essay Example for Free

Special Education Reflection Essay Special Education 332 (Education and Inclusion of Individuals with Special Needs) has been enlightening for me as a secondary mathematics educator. In the beginning of the semester, my feelings towards special education were those of apathy and insensitivity. I now understand that my feelings were due to my lack of knowledge and my judgment based on stereotypes. I always knew that making fun of students with learning disabilities was wrong. However, I never felt that inclusion of special education students in general education classes was plausible or made sense. I felt that special education students belonged in their own classrooms; and that is why we have special education educators. As a prospective secondary mathematics educator, I felt that it was unfair that I would have special education students in my classes. I would rationalize my attitude by saying that I signed up to teach normal students, and that the special education students were not my problem or responsibility. I did not want to deal with them. I did not see them as individuals who seek meaning through learning. As a constructivist, my goal as an educator is to provide students with meaning by imparting knowledge. As I reflect on my feelings towards special education students, I ask myself why do I not see them in the same way. If they are students as well, why do I discriminate against them? Why is it, when I think about teaching students with learning disabilities, I get uncomfortable? It is due to my lack of knowledge of students with learning disabilities. It was not until I saw the movie (before our class) I Am Sam, my thoughts about people with learning disabilities started to change. The movie changed my perception that mentally challenged individuals are strange by nature because they do not seem to understand when people talk to them and is different from myself. The movie showed me that they do comprehend information, have feelings as I do, and most importantly, that I have wrongly stereotyped their differences. This course not only gave me the knowledge I needed to understand students with learning disabilities, I was also able to empathize with these students through active participation in the sensitivity activities. Participating in the activities during our class was eye opening; I was able to have a taste of what it was like for people with learning disabilities. I always believed that there was something wrong with people with learning disabilities, and thus classified them as abnormal. The activities made me realize that with their learning disability aside, they were no different from me. People with learning disabilities had their strengths and weaknesses, and I had mine. The activities, without fail, made me frustrated. I wanted to lash out at the world, and I always wondered why students with learning disabilities had emotional problems. I came to realize that people with learning disabilities live with their disabilities for the rest of their lives. That these sensitivity activities were only temporary for us, but it was reality for those dealing with the disabilities. This is what changed me the most, realizing this simple truth. Throughout my years at Lehigh, I have proclaimed that I have a passion to teach, to show students that mathematics is not difficult, and that they are able to understand mathematics. However, when it came to special education students, my philosophy changed, due to their learning disability. I was ignorant to the special education movement of inclusion, because I feared the idea of teaching students who were not normal. I use the word normal in quotations because I now realize that special education students are like anybody else, and that we, special and general education students alike, are all normal. There is nothing wrong with special education students. Special education students are individuals who desire to learn. My feelings towards special education students have also changed through my counseling psychology class. In the class I learned that every student, whether they are homosexuals, rape victims, Jewish, Christian, or special education students, are students. Every student should not be discriminated because of who they are; rather they should be treated as children who need to learn. I was annoyed to find out that students, who had special needs, were included in classes where teachers were not trained or educated and therefore did not know how to instruct these students. I strongly believe that the special education movement of inclusion will succeed only if general education educators become aware of what it means to have learning disabilities and understand the concept of universal design. One of the greatest tools that this class has given me is universal design. Universal design for learning is a process for considering the needs of all students in the classroom and designing curriculum, instruction, and evaluation with sufficient flexibility so that each student benefits (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, and Smith, 2004). I will not be able to teach my general education class with special education students in it, by using universal design to teach everyone. I believe that this tool is the most powerful one that will advance the inclusion of special education students in general education classrooms movement. Fortunately, I was placed in a classroom (for my pre-intern teaching experience) where there was a student who had learning disabilities, and was included in a general education classroom. I was able to experience having a special education student in a general education classroom. Through this experience, I was able to get to know the student, and saw that he was an awesome kid. I liked him so much because despite his IEPs, he impressed me with his determination to learn and get good grades. He was a special education student who sought meaning through learning. My transformation became most apparent to me in writing my advocacy letter. I wanted to condemn the publisher of the Website and give him a piece of my mind. How dare he condone such blasphemy? Does he not see the damaging affects that his Website has on the special education community? What I did not see was that I was just like him once. I was also ignorant and apathetic towards students with learning disabilities. Even though, I understand special education students better than I had in the past and empathize with them, I must be careful on how I educate others. How can expect others to listen to me and change their views if I do it in a way that makes them defensive immediately? I have to be sympathetic towards those once in my position, and must communicate myself to produce a change in their view of students with learning disabilities. Furthermore, I must not become disillusioned into thinking that I have learned everything about students with learning disabilities and that I have done a complete one-eighty in my view of these students. There was several times where I caught myself using the term retarded, in describing something that was unintelligent. I must understand that my advocacy towards this issue will only grow if I continue to find out more about learning disabilities, to watch what I say, and to be careful when trying to teach others to change their views. Overall, I must admit that I have been blessed from taking this course. I feel that I have grown throughout the course of the class, where I once stereotyped students with learning disabilities to understanding students with disabilities. Many people judge and classify what they do not understand, and through that ignorance is birthed. I am thankful that I have taken this class as I have become aware of my ignorance and have a deeper understanding and acceptance of those with learning disabilities, inside and outside of the classroom. References Turnbull, R. , Turnbull, A. , Shank, M. , Smith, S. J. (2004). Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Todays Schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Science and Mathematics Should be Taught in English Debate

Science and Mathematics Should be Taught in English Debate Is it necessary for our government to implement learning Mathematics and Science in English? This has been a big issue among students lately because it is said to disturb their routine lifestyle of studying. Basically, we know that our Malaysias education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to university. Pre-tertiary education (pre-school to secondary education) is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) while tertiary or higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The vision of the Government is to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence. The implementation of English language in Mathematics and Science has made a new aim in our education system now. Let us look back to our main point, which is why the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English has become a controversial issue, and several recommendations are made to resolve the issue. Malaysia is a multicultural and multilingual country with Malay as the official national language. In order to unify the nation, a national education system with Malay as the medium of instruction is being adopted for all primary and secondary schools. In 2002, the government announced the implementation of a new policy in the national education system; English is made the language of instruction in schools for the teaching of Mathematics, Science and technology subjects. These subjects had formerly been taught in the Malay language. English as the language of instruction for Mathematics and Science (ELIMS or PPSMI as it is known in Malay) was implemented in stages, starting in 2003 for standard one (first grade of primary school), form one (first year of lower secondary) and the lower six (first year of upper secondary school). The decision to use English was based on the rationale that mastery of English is regarded as an important mechanism for direct acquisition of knowledge in t he field of science and technology (Ainan, 2003). The first controversial issue is that learning English in a second language is seen as unsuitable when children encounter difficulty in interpreting the meaning of Mathematics and Science discourse. The purpose of teaching Science and Mathematics in English is to enable students to acquire proficiency in English while learning Science. Many educational issues are crucial when learning takes place in students second language. In Malaysia, most learners encounter English for the first time in school. They find it harder to adapt the new change in our education system. This inadvertently impairs students learning abilities since learning in these subjects may be compressed within a complex linguistic classroom. The problem of learning Science through a second language is compounded by other factors, such as teachers who are not proficient in English and the lack of good Science textbooks (Ong, 2004). The government cant come up with a good explanation when the issue of teachers who are not proficient in English were debated in the parliament because they were too busy in governing the economy of our country. The second most controversial issue in implementing English in teaching Mathematics and Science is that the non-Malay students who are the majority residence in urban areas indicated their preference of the use of English in learning Mathematics and Science while the rural students, were not supportive on the use of English language. Malaysian students and teachers are multicultural and have multilingual backgrounds. The implementation of PPSMI created great concern among parents and educators on the quality of Mathematics and Science education as both teachers and students are not proficient in the English language (The Star, 2006). This is expected as Malay language has been the language of instruction for more than four decades. Moreover, the teaching of non-science and Mathematics subjects in schools continue to use Malay language. In a study to provide some baseline data for this concern, Juriah Long and colleagues (The Star, 2006) found that 60% of Mathematics and Science teach ers were not fluent in the English language while only 45% said they are comfortable in using the language to teach. The students from the rural area find difficult to adapt and score in Mathematics and Science subject compare to the students from the urban areas especially the non-Malay student can do better as they are more suitable in the second language compare to Malay language. If these matter continue, it will create havoc among the people in our country and this time, it will be worse than the 13th May tragedy. The implementation of English in teaching Mathematics and Science should be carry out and the government have come up with some solutions in improving this policy to overcome these problems. In order to compensate for students weakness in English language, the teacher must take on the role of a translator in class. The teacher describe the teaching in the class as using first in the English, then repeat the explanation again in Malay for the benefits of those who have low English proficiency. More time will be needed to convey the same concept compared to when Malay language was used as the medium of instruction. Teaching time for Science and Mathematics may need to be increased. It is recommended that teachers continue to carry out code switching when conducting their Science and Mathematics lessons. In addition, teaching strategies may need to be modified so that students will not be denied a quality Science and Mathematics education. So far, much of the thrust of this policy has f ocused on upgrading the linguistic skills of teachers and providing them with technical support. Even extremely proficient and experienced teachers cannot teach their subjects entirely in English if the students are incapable of understanding them. This finding is supported by the information released by the Ministry of Education based on the mandated national level public examinations for all form three students (The Star, 2005). They found that despite learning Science and Mathematics in English for three years, only 33% of the Science candidates and 27% of the Mathematics candidates used English to answer questions. Most of the candidates, however, preferred to answer in either Malay or a mixture of both languages. For valid assessment of Science and Mathematics, the use of dual-language test-booklet as a language accommodation need to continue to ensure students are assess on their Science and Mathematics achievement and not their language ability. The government should be positive minded in enhancing the knowledge of our future students by implementing the policy of teaching Mathematics and Science in English so that our country can produce more efficient and dedicated students who are high in knowledge and good proficiency in English language. Thus, the linguistic abilities of their students are crucial in deciding to what extent teachers can implement PPSMI. All the teachers show their main concern when teaching in English, making sure that students could understand the lesson. It is almost a reflexive action among teachers that as soon as their students look lost or seem unable to comprehend, they resort to translating the terms or specific portion of that lesson. Therefore, in classes where the majority of the students are academically able and linguistically proficient, the teachers must teach their lessons entirely in English. Meanwhile, with weaker classes, these teachers should use more Malay in class, by way of transl ation. As a result, instead of teaching Mathematics and Science in English, many teachers will end up teaching these subjects in English and Malay. This pedagogical response has much to do with the pressure that teachers feel about covering the syllabus within specific timelines so that students will be ready for school exams and mandated public exams. These exams take place at set times during the school year. This being the case, on the spot translation offers them the fastest route to achieving their goal of increasing students comprehension.

everyday use Essay example -- essays research papers

A symbol is a person, place, event, or object that suggests more than just its normal meaning. The symbols in this story, â€Å"Everyday Use†, were pretty clever and told a lot of clues about the story. Also Little peepholes that would dig into deeper meanings, and hints in the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first symbol, which I thought meant something was towards Maggie and Dee’s mom. â€Å"I was always better at a man’s job.† (pg.320). â€Å"In real life I am a large, big boned woman with rough, man- working hands.† (pg. 318). â€Å"I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man.†(pg. 318) I think because man was used a lot referring to their Mom, might have meant that she was the man of the house. Maybe that she was the only parent and that her husband was never around to help after the kids were born. So she really had to be tough and do a lot of things that the men would usually do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another symbol I found was one that goes along with Dee. â€Å"She burned us with a lot of knowledge we didn’t necessarily need to know.†(pg. 319). â€Å"It is hard to see them clearly through the strong sun.† (pg. 320). â€Å"Dee next. A dress down to the ground, in this hot weather.† (pg. 320). â€Å"There are yellows and oranges enough to throw back the light of the sun. I feel my whole face warming from the heat waves it throws out.† ( Pgs. 320-321). â€Å"She put on some sunglasses that hid everything about the tip of her nose and her chin.† (pg. 324). I think because we don’t quite kno...

Odour of Chrysanthemums: observations Essay -- English Literature

Odour of Chrysanthemums: observations ‘‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’’ was written between the end of the Victorian period in 1901, and the beginning of World War I in 1914. It was a time when England was still a powerful international force, and the head of a huge empire that extended from India to Nigeria, which demonstrated England’s political power and also provided a vast market for its manufactured goods. During the nineteenth century, England’s industrial machine had developed the factory system, which produced surplus goods for export. ‘‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’’ focuses on a dramatic moment in the life of Mrs. Elizabeth Bates, the accidental death of her husband, Walter Bates. The story develops in three major stages. The story begins with a description of the sights and sounds of a bleak mining village at the end of the mine’s afternoon shift. Mrs. Bates calls her son, John, in for the evening meal and provides a light snack for her father, a train driver, while chiding her daughter, Annie, about being late from school. She is also upset because her husband ...

Not a Pencil Essay -- Writing Technology Invention Essays

â€Å"Not a Pencil† Everyday millions of people around the world use some form of writing. When they send an e-mail, sign a check, or read a billboard these people are utilizing a technology that has been around for centuries. Like the wheel, writing is hardly ever viewed as a technology when compared to HD televisions, cell phones, and X Box. However, the way people write and what they use to write are more complex technologies than they seem. For nearly as long as writing has been around there have been those who have discussed, challenged and praised this technology, but these kinds of theories can sometimes be difficult for a literate person to consider. By trying to create a new writing technology, such theories become far easier to understand. As part of an assignment for my writing class, I was asked to invent my own writing technology including something to write with and on. For my writing technology, I formed words with the juices of leaves and wrote on a piece of bark. To do this, I first needed to find a piece of bark that was big enough to write on and light enough so that the writing would show up. After getting a few pieces of bark from the trees near my house, I began experimenting by printing on them with the leaves from a houseplant. I did this by twisting one end of the leaf and smearing it onto the bark. Once I figured out the bark that worked the best, I wrote the words â€Å"Not a pencil.† I wrote this for two reasons. One reason is because it pointed out another writing technology that people rarely consider, the pencil. Secondly, it referenced the emphasis Denis Baron puts on the pencil in his article, â€Å"From Pencils to Pixels.† How â€Å"good† my writing technology came out is dif... ...iting works the same way. My own experience with leaf juice and bark was a crude type of technology that probably won’t extend beyond my own one time use. If someone were to build off of that idea though, and maybe create a tool that dispensed leaf juice onto a very smooth, light-colored piece of bark, then this technology’s application may venture into many unknown abilities. Works Cited Tribble, Evelyn B. and Anne Trubek, eds. Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. New York: Longman, 2003. Baron, Dennis. â€Å"From Pencils to Pixels.† Tribble and Trubek 35-53. Baron, Naomi. â€Å"The Art and Science of Handwriting.† Tribble and Trubek 54-61. Ong, Walter. â€Å"Writing is a Technology that Restructures Thought.† Tribble and Trubek 315-37. Plato. â€Å"From Phaedrus.† Tribble and Trubek 360-64.

Banksy’s Artwork in Detroit Essay

Banksy arrived in Detroit [SLIDE] and created 4 pieces on various walls [SLIDE] , in various locations around the increasingly troubled city [SLIDE]. It is important to note from the beginning, that not one of the pieces Banksy [SLIDE] created during his time in Detroit survives today. While a small sliver of one of the pieces – this one in fact – is physically in tact, what remains is a fundamentally incomplete and undoubtedly impoverished version of the work itself. The surviving portion is incomplete and impoverished because it is only a sliver of the broader canvas into which it was placed. Once again, all of the pieces Banksy put up in Detroit have either been destroyed by the owners of the walls upon which they were created – not knowing the significance of the work – by individuals looking to profit from the sale of the work, or, in the case of this image, ‘preserved,’ significantly altered, or ‘destroyed’ – depending on one’s perspective – by individuals in the community seeking to save them from their inevitable destruction. It is equally important to recognize that they surely (and undoubtedly) would have been destroyed in one way or another. Street art is one of the only – if not the only – plastic arts that embrace’s its own eventual demise. It is, in other words, and its practitioners are eminently aware of this, inherently ephemeral. As this [SLIDE – GO SLOW HERE] sequence of images [SLIDE] by a Street Artist known as Mobstr indicates. [SLIDE] The inherent ephemerality [SLIDE] of these works of art is the result [SLIDE] of a relatively unique set of contextual circumstances [SLIDE] and social relationships of power within which most street artists ply their trade. [SLIDE] Just now, I referred to these pieces as works of art and I believe that that’s how they should be regarded. Not as vandalism, not as a crime, not as a nuisance, or blight – however all of these descriptors are accurate, once again, depending on one’s perspective. There is no other contemporary art movement that works at the same scope [SLIDE] and grandeur as street artists’ do. They consider walls that sometimes stretch horizontally [SLIDE] for entire city blocks as a canvas of massive proportion. They see the blank concrete of a high rise and think of it not as private property, or the structure of someone’s home or business, but as a concrete canvas. The sheer size, complexity, [SLIDE] and detail involved in some of street art’s most notable exemplars qualifies it as an artform par excellence. However, in the eyes of the law, the majority of property owners, or in the by laws of municipal city councils, this is, for the most part, not the case. Once again, and for the most part, in the eyes of the law [SLIDE], street art is vandalism and property damage that upsets the stability of city life and the sensibility of city dwellers, making them fear for their safety on the streets of their city. From this perspective, street art needs to be eradicated, erased, and/or ‘buffed out,’ as the terminology of the street calls it, as soon as possible. Removing graffiti and street art is akin to fixing the broken windows that, if left unrepaired, as the infamous story told by Wilson and Kelling goes, will lead to further crime, disregard for private property, the apparent safety of others, and an overall degeneration of the city as a space reserved almost exclusively, according to David Harvey, for commerce and private property rights. Succinctly, then, the life expectancy of a piece of street art [SLIDE] is very short. It is not only over-zealous municipal councils and their legions of constables that go around buffing out the work of street artists, however. There are at least four other factors that make the work of street artists inherently ephemeral. In addition to municipal officers buffing out pieces, the second factor limiting the life expectancy of street art, are property owners themselves [SLIDE]. When a piece of private property gets tagged without the permission of the property owner, the inclination of the property owner is to get to rid of what they consider to be vandalism as soon as possible. This is especially the case when the owner isn’t aware of the value of certain pieces. This one [SLIDE], done by Banksy in Melbourne, Australia, was apparently destroyed when, someone’s father was house sitting and he thought he would do his son-in-law a favour by getting rid of it. However, and generally speaking, the commercial value of street art by the vast majority of street artists, save a very select few, is close to nil. If you’re a street artist and you’re not Banksy, you breaking proverbial windows all the time. Property owners, then, seeking to maintain the aesthetic integrity of their property, are the second cause of street art’s limited life expectancy. The third cause is other street artists themselves. Ever since the appearance of graffiti on the subways and walls of New York City [SLIDE] and Philadelphia in the late 70s and early 80s, graffiti and street art have been caught up in a clandestine contest that revolves around territoriality, prestige, ego, and fame, based on the courage and capacity to get one’s tag up in the most dangerous and visible locations possible. Looked at from these five different perspectives, street art is one of the few ‘plastic arts’ that is planned, designed, and created in full knowledge that the end product will, in one way or another, disappear or be destroyed over time – and in some instances, very short periods of time. This inherent ephemerality is, of course, where the digital camera and the Internet become incredibly important implements in the street artist’s quiver. As much as these artists are reliant on the physical qualities of cinder block, concrete, wood, and steel, to exercise their creative vision, they are equally reliant on the immaterial, virtual, and distributed hardware and software characteristic of the Web 2. 0 era, to document that which in all likelihood, and in the very near future, will disappear for one of the five reasons listed above. Taking into account the ephemeral transience of street art from the perspective of the artists themselves, these same artists can, then, as much as they are regarded as street artists, also be regarded as digital artists, digital photographers, albeit digital artists and photographers that go to great lengths, and put themselves at great risk, in the preparation of their compositions. This point is important enough to recognize, but to stop here would be to cut short a more in depth examination of the practice of creating street art and the absolute importance of the concrete yet entirely transient and stochastic qualities of the urban canvas to the art form. As I hope to demonstrate, the vagaries of the urban fabric serve only to reinforce the point just made regarding the importance of the digital camera and the Internet. AWKWARD – The very particular qualities of the surfaces upon which this kind of art is produced – the individual qualities of very particular walls – and the either serendipitous or pre-planned incorporation of trash, foliage, or other elements of the natural (or manufactured world) into the pieces themselves – very much unlike the blank stretched canvas upon which other forms of art are produced – †¦ play an incredibly important role in the creation of street art. Reciprocally, and at the same time, they also underscore the importance of the digital camera, the digital photograph, and the Internet to the preservation and dissemination of the works themselves. I think this can best be explained by reference to the photographs themselves. If we look at this piece by Banksy for instance, [SLIDE] created in the run up to the London Olympics in 2012 and around the same time as his ‘Slave Labour’ piece, we see a pole-vaulter falling backwards, not quite making it over the barbed wire fence and onto the discarded mattress below. For the time being, I’m less interested in a semiotic reading of the piece than I am in paying attention to the actual physical things that play a part in the construction of this semiotic meaning. The mattress and the fence are absolutely integral elements of the piece. They are as important to the work as the pole and the pole-vaulter. If absent, for whatever reason, the piece itself wouldn’t be the same piece. Or, rather, it would be an entirely different piece, with an entirely different meaning. For instance, after this photograph was taken, there is a good chance that the mattress might have been discarded, the fence taken down in order to install the requisite Plexiglas. The point being, that the artist has obviously deemed these elements of the urban fabric to be elemental to the overall work itself. If removed or altered in any way, as they surely will be, the work is no longer that of the artist. Much like deleting scenes from Hamlet would fundamentally alter the play as Shakespeare intended it, removing the mattress alters the piece as Banksy intended it. If the mattress goes missing, is moved, or shifted, the artwork, as the artist envisioned and created it, is no longer. This example [SLIDE] too, indicates how important the actual elements of the urban fabric are to the piece. They are intricately woven into the artwork itself. This is becoming ever more important and prominent in Banksy’s work and†¦ if I can speculate for a moment, I think this has everything to do with his politics – I presume he’s a ‘he’ at least – it has everything to do with his politics, the market value of his work, and the propensity of property owners to remove it and auction if off, or of municipal councils to put it behind Plexiglas. So what would happen if this wall was cut out and moved to a gallery, into a private salon, or placed behind Plexiglas? Or what if we simply come back in Winter? Well, of course, the flowers that this boy is vomiting would die. They would either be uprooted and killed, squashed behind the Perspex and killed, or in time, and as a result of the elements, die of natural causes. This is, of course, in addition to, and on top of, the fact that the piece itself has a very limited shelf life for the five reasons described above. As mentioned previously, once the work of street art is finished, the artist responsible for its production turns his/her back on it, in effect abandoning the work, leaving it to live or die as the street sees fit. Before doing so, however, and for the most part†¦ The work, as the artist intended it (and as he/she created it), is documented with a photograph. This practice too has its historical lineage. [SLIDE] These are slides taken by Martha Cooper, a photographer, along with Harry Chalfant, responsible for archiving the early history of graffiti on the streets of this fair city we all find ourselves in today. Without the photographs of Cooper and Chalfant, not to mention the artists themselves, this important stage in the history of arguably one of the most important artistic movements of the past century would have never been preserved for us to see today. The photographic record of these inherently ephemeral works, then, preserves them and at least some of the context within which they existed at the time of their creation. In a manner of speaking, then, not only does the digital photograph enable the preservation and dissemination of the artwork in a state that the artist obviously approved of, but the physical act of taking the digital photograph is the final brush stroke that signifies the piece is finished and the artist is done with his/her work. The moment at which he/she can turn around and walk away. Much like an oil painter who, when the canvas is completed to his/her satisfaction puts his/her name to the piece [SLIDE], the digital photograph serves as the street artist’s signature of sorts. [SLIDE]It signifies that the work is as the artist intended it and that, in the state it was when the photograph was taken, is complete. So, again, similar to the signature in the top right corner of the Picasso, the signature is a sign that signifies the painting is complete. The digital photograph plays much the same role. Once again, it functions in much the same way as the artist’s signature in that it denotes that the artist is happy with the result and the scene looks as it should. One of the more provocative questions that this pushes to the fore of our investigation, is, then, what if the piece is altered or removed from the context in which it was created for any reason whatsoever? [SLIDE]. Extracted from the broader landscape that plays such a pivotal role in its interpretation and meaning. Does it continue to be a Banksy for instance? And I think there’s a very good argument that it does not. Doesn’t the digital photograph of the work – in the place where the artist created it and inclusive of the elements so pivotal to its meaning – more accurately represent the artwork than the ‘salvaged’ (or preserved) work [SLIDE] when it’s placed in the white cube of a gallery? And I think the answer is, yes, yes it does. If this is the case, then, the photograph serves not only as the signature of the artist, but because of the ephemeral nature of the work and the resolute importance of the surroundings to it’s meaning also as a work of art itself – albeit one that reciprocally depends on spray paint to be completed. As mentioned earlier, in these instances, the street artist can be equally considered a digital artist, albeit a digital artist that goes to great lengths and puts him/herself at great personal risk in the preparation of their compositions. This piece [SLIDE] was placed inside the perimeter of the dilapidated and abandoned confines of a Packard Assembly plant – a 3-and-a-half million square foot ruin [SLIDE] on the south east side of metro Detroit. To be honest, and in my opinion, the piece itself isn’t one of Banksy’s best [SLIDE]. It is, however, notable because it makes specific and pointed reference to the very particular and exact location in which it was created. It is, much like a lot of his more recent work, heavily context dependent. â€Å"I remember when all this was trees. † And it is this ‘this’ [SLIDE] that I think distinguishes this piece. At the end of the process of filling in the stencil, and writing the phrase, Banksy metaphorically signs the piece by taking a photograph of it. And he takes the photograph of the piece as he wanted it to look – knowing full well that it will probably disappear in the near term. The stencil itself is frame left, [SLIDE] with the ruins occupying frame right, inviting the viewer of the photograph to complete the story the boy is telling by following the implicit directions offered in the word bubble. This is how Banksy wanted us to see the piece. This is where he wanted the piece to be. This is the location and the perspective from which he wanted it interpreted. The location and the broader context in which it is placed is, in fact, as important (or more so) than the image of the boy himself. This photograph, then, is a more accurate representation of the artwork in the way the artist created it than the actual piece that is now housed in a Gallery in South West Detroit. The only thing that marks the place of the original – in January of 2012 at least [SLIDE] – this too has probably changed – is an odd tangle of colourful fabric whose origins and purpose are impossible to verify – other than the fact that they are placed at the exact location where the piece was once located. Completely extracted [SLIDE] from the context that constitutes an incredibly important part of the ‘canvas’ itself, the meaning of the piece as the artist intended it, no longer makes sense. Or perhaps, and rather, it still makes sense, but the sense that is now being made is not that intended by its creator, but, rather, by those persons who ‘saved’ it from its eventual destruction†¦ or by somewhat obsessed academics like myself. Therefore, by moving the piece and extracting it from the place that is part and parcel of itself – that plays such an important role in the work – those individuals that preserved it, or saved a relatively small portion of the piece, did so by means of destroying the larger piece which might include the 3. 5 million square feet that constitute the abandoned factory’s footprint. In the absence of these 3. 5 million square feet, we no longer have a piece of street art by Banksy, but a roughly 7’ x 7’ corner of a piece that forms part of a much larger work of art. The fact that the photograph is also a poor representation of these 3-and-a-half million square feet is something I’m still thinking through†¦ To conclude,s however, and completely omitting from consideration any conversation regarding the ephemeral nature of street art in relation to Benjamin’s notion of the ‘aura’ as it relates to works of art that no longer in exist, something I’m going to take up in my book†¦ as a result of the ephemeral nature of street art and the fact that the urban canvas is part and parcel of the artwork itself†¦ I would like to conclude by reiterating that as much as street artist’s can be thought of as artists that work within (and with! ) the very concrete confines and materials of the urban fabric, they can also, and perhaps better, be thought of as digital artists that go to great lengths in the preparation of their compositions. Thank you so much for your time and attention today. You’ve no idea how much I appreciate them both.

How Agriculture Can Be Used to Combat Climate Change in Developing Countries

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ESSAY ON THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PRESENTED BY; MWAURA PHILIP W DATE; 25TH MARCH 2013 INTRODUCTION Climate change is now recognised as one of the most serious challenges facing the world – its people, the environment and its economies. There is now clear scientific evidence that the high concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere is causing global warming. While the world has experienced climatic changes before, the issue we now face involves human influence.It is a challenge that must and can be dealt with because its impacts will have very dire consequences on us and the generations to come. Greenhouse emmissions results from various sources in our societies. We have emmissions from industries and other human activities such as agricultural practises. It is believed that most global warming we can now observe is attributable to emissions of GHGs that result from human activities, i n particular land use changes such as deforestation, and the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas).All these activities are human influenced and thus something needs to be done at the local, regional and globals levels. This essay highlights the role of agriculture in tackling climate change and some of the mitigation and adaptation measures. CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) define climate change as the term generally used to describe human influences on the climate. The most significant threat is the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which contribute to the ‘greenhouse effect’.The greenhouse effect is a natural mechanism essential to life on Earth, but human activity has altered the balance in the mechanism. Radiant energy emitted by the sun comes through the Earth’s atmosphere and warms its surface. This heat then radiates back into the atmosphere, but some of the sun‘s heat is absorbed in the at mosphere by gases. With increasing concentration of GHGs, this effect is amplified, thus increasing the Earth‘s temperature. There is now little doubt that climate change is happening. Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. The observed widespread warming of the atmosphere and ocean, together with ice mass loss, support the conclusion that it is very likely that it is not due to known natural causes alone†. These are some of the conclusions of the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007). Countries and individuals acknowledge the extent of the climate change problem and have agreed that it exists and needs to be addressed.Agriculture can be defined as the spatial distribution of of crops and animals for commercial and subsistence purposes all over the earth’s surfaces. The Food and Agricul ture Organization (FAO, 2008) reports that agriculture and land-use change, such as deforestation, account for about 13 and 17 per cent, respectively of total GHG emissions from human activities. Changes in land use such as deforestation and soil degradation are two devastating effects of unsustainable farming practices that emit large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.Agriculture is a major contributor to emmissions of methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O) and Carbon( iv)oxide (C02). On a global scale, agricultural land use in the 1990s has been responsible for approximately 15% of all the GHGs emmissions. One third of all carbon(iv)oxide comes from land-use changes such as shifting cultivation and intensification of agriculture whereas about two thirds of methane and most nitrous oxide emmisions originate from agriculture ( FAO, 2008). In addition to the direct agriculture emissions mentioned above, the production of agrochemicals is another import ant source of greenhouse gas emissions.Especially the life cycle of fertiliser contributes significantly to the overall impact of industrialized agriculture. The greatest source of GHG emissions from fertiliser production is the energy required, which emits carbon dioxide during its manufacture. Animal farming has a wide range of different impacts, ranging from the direct emissions of livestock, manure management, use of agrochemicals and land use change to fossil fuel use. Climate change presents a dual challenge which involves how to reduce GHG emissions through itigation, while lessening the adverse impacts by adaptation. These challenges are evident in the agricultural sector where a changing climate will have serious impacts on agriculture and food production. A rise in temperature will result into the following impacts( FAO 2008); * affect food supply dramatically by shifting crop growing zones; * change the habitats of pests; * increase risks of plant disease, insects and wee ds; * shrink the area of cropland due to floods; and * raise sea levels. Potential direct effects on agricultural systems: Seasonal changes in rainfall and temperature could impact agro-climatic conditions, altering growing seasons, planting and harvesting calendars, water availability, pest, weed and disease populations, etc. * Evapotranspiration, photosynthesis and biomass production is altered. * Land suitability is altered. * Increased Carbon(iv) oxide levels lead to a positive growth responsefor a number of staples under controlled conditions, alsoknown as the â€Å"carbon fertilization effect†. MITIGATION Agriculture offers options to reduce CHGs significantly.One of them is to reduce emmissions and thereby minimise the production of anthropogenic gases such as methane and carbon(iv)oxide whereas at the same time increasing food production to achieve food security especially in developing countries. Mitigation is a response strategy to global climate change, and can be defined as measures that reduce the amount of emissions (abatement) or enhance the absorption capacity of greenhouse gases (sequestration). The total global potential for mitigation depends on many factors, including emissions levels, availability of technology, enforcement, and incentives.In many situations, the efficiency of agriculture can be improved at a low cost. However, when low cost incentives are unavailable, policy development is important. Mitigating GHG emissions from the agricultural sector will be an important element of climate change and agriculture policy at the national and international levels, and especially so in developing countries where 75 per cent of poor people live in rural areas, most of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihoods directly or indirectly (World Bank, 2008).The Bali Action Plan (BAP), agreed to at COP 13 in December, 2007, identified four pillars to address in reaching a new agreement–mitigation, adaptation, technology developm ent and transfer, and financing and investment. The BAP calls for mitigation actions by all developed countries, including quantified GHG emission reductions objectives, as well as mitigation actions in developing countries, â€Å"that are supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity building in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner† (UNFCCC, 2007, p. 1).Agriculture could be an important component of a new climate change agreement, addressing two priorities of the BAP; * Mitigation ; Agriculture must play a role in climate change mitigation by storing carbon in soils, reducing its GHG emissions (for example, transportation and livestock) and providing fossil fuel offsets from biomass; and * Adaptation ; Agriculture must adapt to new climatic conditions (increased temperatures, drought, increased climatic variations, among others) to ensure a sufficient food supply for the world and contribute to the maintenance of rural livelihoods and viable rural eco nomies.Emission reductions in the agricultural sector can also be a meaningful way for many developing countries to contribute to the goal of the convention and participate in a future regime. The IPCC report estimates that 70 per cent of the mitigation potential in agriculture is in developing countries (Smith et al. , 2007). Sustainable agricultural practices that mitigate carbon can have important co-benefits, including increased soil fertility and productivity, enhanced resistance to drought and extreme weather, and better capacity to adapt to climate change.Sustainable agriculture can contribute significantly to increased food production, as well as make a significant impact on rural people’s welfare and livelihoods. Despite the significant potential and important sustainable development benefits, minimal progress has been made to capitalize on opportunities in this sector, mainly because of complexities, perceived or otherwise, around accounting, monitoring, verificatio n, non-permanence and other issues.Mitigation measures in the agricultural sector could contribute to substantial GHG emission reductions up to 2030 with potential ranges from 5 to 20 per cent of total Carbon(iv) oxide emissions by 2030. The global technical mitigation potential of agriculture, excluding fossil fuel offsets from biomass, is estimated to be between 5. 5 and 6 Gigatonnes Carbon(iv) oxide emmissions per year by 2030 (Smith et al. , 2007). However, actually meeting this potential is a complex issue with both technical and economic challenges.An estimated, 89 per cent of the total potential can be achieved by soil carbon sequestration through crop-land management, grazing land management, restoration of organic soils and degraded lands, bio-energy and water management (Smith et al. , 2007). Developed countries are discussing if agricultural soil carbon sequestration should be included in overall accounting of emissions and removals, and how to provide incentives in the a rea of agriculture for developing countries (UNFCCC, 2009).Intensity targets in the agricultural sector are also an issue, recognizing the fact that food production will need to increase to keep pace with rising populations and improvements in standards of living. Mitigation of Methane can provide an additional 9 per cent through improvements in rice management, and livestock and manure management. The remaining 2 per cent can be achieved from mitigation of Nitrous(ii)oxide emissions from soils mainly through crop management (Smith et al. , 2007).The wide diversity of agricultural practices around the world means there is a corresponding large array of possible mitigation opportunities. Agricultural Emissions Mitigation in Developing Countries Developing countries play a central role in agricultural GHG emissions mitigation. Without sufficient mitigation of GHG emissions in coming decades, including those from agriculture, there will likely be severe negative impacts on natural and human systems, including global food supply and food security, and developing countries are most at risk.The technical potential for GHG mitigation in developing countries’ agriculture by 2030 indicates significantopportunities for emissions reductions, together with anenhanced income earning potential for farmers, and associatedbenefits from lower natural resource degradation(Smith et al. , 2007). The agricultural sector is more vulnerable to climate change in developing countries than developed nations, which is a real concern because agriculture in developing countries is a major food provider.Agricultural practices must adapt to changing climatic conditions to ensure sufficient global food supply, while implementing management practices that have the greatest GHG emission reduction potential. Approximately 30 per cent of GHG emissions reduction potential from agriculture can be achieved in developed countries and 70 per cent in developing countries (Smith et al. , 2007).T he mitigation potential of developing countries is about 75 to 80 per cent of the global potential for soil carbon under bio-energy and the restoration of degraded lands; roughly 90 per cent for grazing land management; and 98 per cent for rice management, water management, set-aside management and agro-forestry. Approximately 89 per cent of the technical mitigation potential in the agricultural sector can be achieved through soil carbon sequestration and about two-thirds of this potential is in developing countries (Smith et al. , 2007).The largest mitigation potentials in agriculture are the restoration of cultivated organic soils and degraded lands, and rice management; developing countries have the largest mitigation potentials. Mitigation is generally most cost effective in developing nations. The Food Agriculture Organization report (2008) estimates that mitigation measures in developing countries through agriculture and forestry projects might cost about one-fourth to one-thi rd of total mitigation in all sectors and regions, while generating one-half to two-thirds of all estimated GHG emission reductions.With growing agricultural GHG emissions and the largest and most cost-effective mitigation opportunities in the agricultural sector, developing countries are likely to play a prominent role in efforts to reduce agricultural GHG emissions. However, these countries also have the greatest barriers to overcome. At the national level, agriculture may be eclipsed by other priorities in many developing countries, such as poverty alleviation. A lack of capacity and political will to encourage mitigation are also contributing factors, where efforts in the agricultural sector are mainly focused on securing food for a growing population.Agricultural policy is viewed by many countries as a sovereign right that is linked to food security, meaning that they are reluctant to open up this sector to any perceived control by an international body. Barriers are often coun try or region-related and understanding the situation in different countries is crucial to realizing the mitigation potential in the agricultural sector. Responses to climate change in these countries should involve measures that aim to reduce poverty and ensure food security (FAO, 2008). Developing countries will require technology ransfer,investment and financial support to implement relevant mitigation strategies in the agricultural sector. And these programs will need to be developed with full consideration of economic and sustainable development. Such programs will need to include methods for verifying and validating GHG emission reductions from agricultural activities and for comparing the effectiveness of various mitigation options, as well as the associated environmental, economic and social benefits and impacts for the overall production cycle.The economic potential for mitigation in agriculture depends on the price of carbon and on policy, institutional,and transaction cos t constraints. To date little progress hasbeen made in the implementation of mitigation measures at the global level. The potential for GHG mitigationwould be enhanced by an appropriate internationalclimate policy framework providing policy and economicincentives. The emerging market for carbon emissions trading offersnew possibilities for agriculture to benefit from land usethat sequesters carbon or saves non Carbon(iv)oxide emissions.TheClean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the KyotoProtocol of the United Nations Framework Conventionon Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the most importantmechanism for payments to developing countries. Currently, the CDM limits eligible activities in agricultureto afforestation and reforestation, and reduction of non- Carbon(iv) oxide gases. Hence carbon sequestration activities, such asconservation tillage and restoration of degraded soils, arepresently considered ineligible.Financing options will need to include grant funding, but there is also a need to develop market mechanisms for sustainable development (MMSDs) that will allow farmers and rural communities to benefit from such initiatives and have an elaborate livelihood strategy. On-farm mitigation Improved management practices that reduce on-farm emissions include livestock and manure management, fertilizer management, and improved rice cultivation. Methods to reduce methane emissions from enteric fermentation include enhancing the efficiency of digestion with improved feeding practices and dietary additives.The efficacy of these methods depends on the quality of feed, livestock breed and age, and also whether the livestock is grazing or stall-fed. Developing countries are assumed to provide lower quality feed to livestock, which raises the emissions rate per animal to over that for developed country herds(Smith et al. , 2007). In manure management, cooling and using solid covers for storage tanks and lagoons, separating solids from slurry,and capturing the methane emitted are relevant techniques.Concerning developing countries, applying thissort of manure management may be difficult as animalexcretion happens in the field. Composting manure andaltering feeding practices may help reduce emissions to acertain extent. Improving the efficiency of fertilizer application or switching to organic production can decrease the amount of nutrientload and Nitrous(ii)Oxide emissions. However, overall benefitswould need to be weighed against the potential impact onyield(Smith et al. , 2007). Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable DevelopmentIn addition to reducing GHG emissions, agricultural mitigation measures have other social, economic and environmental benefits, particularly in regard to sustainable development, food security and making progress towards meeting the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals. The list of co-benefits linked to soil carbon sequestration include reduced soil erosion, improved soil fertility and structure, improved water qualit y, reduced levels of phosphorous and nitrogen pollution, buffering against drought and improved agricultural performance.Another mitigation strategy is considered to be the displacement of fossil fuels through the production of cleaner-burning bioenergy, such as ethanol, biogas, and methane, which can all be derived from agricultural production. Securing food for a growing population is a major global concern for developing countries and is a primary objective of agricultural policies. As such, mitigating climate change must not result in reduced food production (FAO, 2008). There are limits to GHG emissions reductions in the agricultural sector because of its importance in providing food for a growing global population.Improvements in efficiency may be a more reasonable approach than absolute reductions in developing countries GHG emissions from agriculture. Linking Mitigation and Adaptation Efforts Formally defined, adaptation to climate change is an adjustmentmade to a human, eco logical or physical systemin response to a perceived vulnerability (Smith et al. , 2007). Agriculture is a sector that can be used to link mitigation and adaptation policies and actions. Many mutually reinforcing synergies exist between specific mitigation and adaptation solutions that can lead to more efficient allocation of â€Å"climate response† resources (FAO, 2008).Synergies may occur in cases where mitigation-driven actions in agriculture have positive adaptation consequences for example, carbon sequestration projects with positive drought preparedness aspects or when adaptation-driven actions have positive consequences for mitigation for example, residue return to fields to improve water holding capacity will also sequester carbon (Smith et al. , 2007). A large proportion of the mitigation potential of agriculture arises from soil carbon sequestration, which has strong synergies with sustainable agriculture.Linking adaptation and mitigation measures have both positive andnegative aspects, depending on national circumstances and agricultural systems. In addition, many farmers may be ill-equipped to adapt or may notunderstand the risks that climate change imposes. As a result,information sharing, such as that involving climateforecasting, will likely play an integral part in managingclimate change risk. A future climate regime should encourage countries to recognize and enhance positive impacts. Such measures include the following; * Changes in tillage practices or adjusted livestock breeds are short-term measures. Longer-term measures, such as improved water management or the building of irrigation systems, can help in adapting to a changing climate. * Supporting policies that promote adaptation measures can help towards more effective implementation. * Modes of external assistance range from allocating information, advice, and training on adaptation measures, to developing institutional capacities and policies. * Adaptation is not a stand-alone activity, and its integration into development projects, plans, policies, and strategies will be crucial. * Synergies between mitigation and adaptation should be maximized.Adaptation options and their supporting policies should be adopted by the appropriate level of government and implemented by institutions in direct contact with beneficiaries. For example, adaptation responses such as changing planting dates and tillage practices may require technicalservices provided by local extension agents, which are coordinatedby regional universities and research institutions. Agricultural research, including crop breeding to developdrought and heat tolerant crop varieties, will require bothpublic and private investment. Structural adaptation measures,such as creating water arkets and price incentives,will need to be implemented on a national level, most likelyin partnership with economic cooperation unions. National governments, NGOs and the international community all have a role to play i n creatingthe means and cooperation required for adaptation. Conclusion In general, agriculture impacts climate change significantly through livestock productionand the conversion of forest to land cover that haslow carbon sink or sequestration potential. Nitrous oxideemissions from crop production and methane from riceproduction are also significant.Mitigation options thatare the most technically and economically feasible includebetter rice, crop- and pastureland management. Although there are viable mitigation technologies in the agricultural sector, particularly in developing countries,some key constraints need to be overcome. First, rules of access which still do not credit developing countries forreducing emissions by avoiding deforestation or improving soil carbon sequestration must be changed. Second,operational rules, with their high transaction costs for developingcountries and small farmers and foresters in particular,must be streamlined.Climate change is also likely to ha ve a significant negative impact on agricultural production, prompting outputreductions that will greatly affect parts of the developing world. Adaptation, including crop choice and timing, hasthe ability to partially compensate for production declinesin all regions. In addition, to date, only a limited number of studies have focused on theclimate change and carbon fertilization effects related tocrops of importance to the rural poor, such as root crops and millet. As a result of changes in production, food security will beaffected by climate change.Even the most aggressive mitigation efforts that can reasonably be anticipated cannot be expected to make asignificant difference in the short-term. This means thatadaptation is an imperative. Yet, in the face of this imperative,many developing countries are lacking in sufficientadaptive capacity(FAO, 2008). As a result, there is a large role for nationalgovernments, NGOs, and international institutionsto play in building the necessary a daptive capacity and riskmanagement structures. Finally, climate change adaptation and mitigation have to proceed simultaneously.Since adaptation becomes costlierand less effective as the magnitude of climate changesincreases, mitigation of climate change remains essential. The greater the level of mitigation that can be achieved at affordable costs, the smaller the burden placed on adaptation. Policies focused on mitigating GHG emissions, if carefully designed, can help generate a new developmentstrategy; one that encourages the creation of new value inpro-poor investments by increasing the profitability of environmentallysustainable practices.To achieve this goal,it will be necessary to streamline the measurement andenforcement of offsets, financial flows, and carbon creditsfor investors. It will also be important to enhance globalfinancial facilities and to reform their governance, namelyto simplify rules and to increase the funding flows for mitigationin developing countries. we know what to do,and it is therefore the right time to act before it is too late. It is so unfortunate to see people dying from famine in the 21st century.Climate change may worsen this situation, therefore we should cooperate toghether to ensure thatthe global issue of climate change is handled in a manner that it deserves. Agriculture is just one of those options especially by the developing countries. REFERENCES 1) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (2008) [Available online at http://cdm. unfccc. int/index. html] DATE accessed 20th November 2012. 2) IPCC (2007) Summary for policy makers. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. [Available online at http://www. pcc. ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm. pdf ]. Date accessed 19th November 2012. 3) FAO, 2008. â€Å"Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Challenges and Opportunities for Food Security. † Paper presented at the High Level Confere nce on World Food Security 4) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2008). Financial mechanism for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change in the food and agriculture sectors. Paper presented at the High Level Conference on World Food Security 5) Smith, P. , Martino, D. , Cai, Z. , Gwary, D. , Janzen, H. , Kumar, P. , McCarl, B. Ogle, S. , O’Mara, F. , Rice, C. , Scholes, B. , & Sirotenko, O. (2007). Agriculture. In B. Metz, O. R. Davidson, P. R. Bosch, R. Dave & L. A. Meyer (Eds. ), Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 6) Smith, P. , D. Martino, Z. Cai, D. Gwary, H. Janzen, P. Kumar, B. McCarl, S. Ogle, F. O’Mara, C. Rice, B. Scholes, O. Sirotenko, M. Howden, T. McAllister, G. Pan, V. Romanenkov, U. Schneider, S. Towprayoon, M. Wattenbach and J.Smith, 2008. â€Å"Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture. † pp. 789-813. 7) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2009). Copenhagen Accord. Conference of the Parties. Accessed at http://unfccc. int/resource/docs/2009/cop15/eng/l07. pdf. 8) UNFCCC, 2008. Challenges and Opportunities for Mitigation in the Agricultural Sector. Technical Paper. FCCC/TP/2008/8. http://www. unfccc. int/resource/docs/2008/tp/08. pdf. Date accessed 20th November 2012. 9) World Bank. (2008). World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. Washington, D. C. : World Bank.