St. Johns River, North Florida

The St. Johns I have had many experiences with the St. Johns River in my life. For as long as I can remember I have lived less than a mile from this river. Every activity from boating, to canoeing, or fishing I have done in the river, and every time the water has seemed clean. Over the years the St. Johns River has acquired a bad reputation for being nasty or dangerous. Anything from flesh eating bacteria from algal blooms to bull sharks have been rumored to be lurking in its waters. Though some of these rumors are true and some of them are false, one will not die upon touching the water. However, the St.Johns does need some extra attention based on tests, past and current programs, and the fish population. Many tests performed on the river reflect that the water is relatively clean. State officials over Volusia and Seminole counties have noticed that there is the potential for a water shortage in the next couple years due to population increases. If nothing is done, the ground water in this area will run out. A plan is being proposed to use surface water from the St. Johns River to supplement the ground water. State officials believe they can filter the water from the St. Johns of bacteria and use this water for drinking water. Ann Givens) The fact that the state is considering using the water in the St. Johns for drinking water shows that the water quality is good. If there were severe algal blooms, the state would not consider trying to filter the water. Many tests performed on the river are in response to the paper mills present on the river. There is one mill in particular addressed on Rice Creek outside of Palatka. The waste water from these paper mills is dumped from pipes into the river. Ten years ago these mills were forced to upgrade their equipment due to a toxin being released called Dioxin.Dioxin is chemical that can cause cancer produced by the chlorine reactions in the mill. The older equipment was believed to be allowing this toxin to flow into the St. Johns River. Two years ago another test was done on the Rice Creek and traces of Dioxin are still present. The general belief is that Dioxin has remained in creek residue. (Patterson, S. ) Tests similar to this are done throughout the river. The residue remaining from the Dioxin is only present in Rice Creek and is not present throughout the water system. This effort to control the Dioxin shows progress.Scientists identified that the Dioxin was present and the source and took severe action to eliminate the expansion of Dioxin. Though this effort was necessary and applauded, efforts now need to be made toward eliminating the remaining residue and removing Dioxin from the river completely. Many programs and funds have been devoted to improving the water of the St. Johns River. A major act proposed in the 1970’s was the Clean Water Act of 1972. The Clean Water Act forced Floridians to find bodies of water that are impaired due to higher nitrogen levels.Once established, the state had to institute total maximum daily loads for each of these bodies of water. The total maximum daily load (TMDL) is established â€Å"based on the maximum amount of pollutant that the water body can assimilate without exceeding water quality standards. †( Lynette, M. ) This act made progress in reducing the level of nitrogen being added in the river. Though this act passed in 1972 the problem is still present. Over the years, Florida has seen 80,000 acres of its wetlands developed. (Littlepage, R. L. This results in less water present in the system and more nitrogen in the ground water from people fertilizing their yards. If the population in central Florida continues to expand and the wetlands continue to disappear, the presence of algal blooms and the reduction of the fish population will never stop. The water removed and nitrogen added will continue to create a steeper imbalance. Also with development, central Florida is trying to take water from the St. Johns f or drinking water for their excessively large population.This will just make the nitrogen to water imbalance even steeper. Rules and regulations need to ether be put on wetlands destruction, fertilizer use, and population limits in central Florida based on how many people their water supply can sustain. In 2006 a large sum of money was devoted to the effort of preserving the St. Johns River. Twenty seven million dollars was devoted to reducing the amount of nutrients, like nitrogen, entering the river and increasing standards for companies like Jacksonville Electrical Authority (JEA) who dump into the St. Johns River.The mayor’s office made JEA increase its standards for dumping waste water into the river and expand its programs for reusing water. This would reduce the amount of waste water dumped in the river and reduce the amount of harmful chemicals that enter the river from the JEA plant. (Littlepage, R. L. ) A major concern in the St. Johns is the fish population. The la rgest pollutant in the river is nitrogen from excess fertilizers that flow into the groundwater and into the river. The plant life of the river feed on this nitrogen. More nitrogen then leads to more plants.As the plant population increases problems such as algal blooms on the surface of the water occur. With the algal bloom situation the lower section of the water is blocked or partially blocked from sunlight. This leads to less plant life on the floor of the river and thus less oxygen in the water. With the lack of oxygen the fish population will plummet soon after. In 1994, an experienced bass angler by the name of Doug Gilley did an interview for the Orlando Sentinel. In this article he provided his professional insight on the change destruction of the bass population from 1984 to 1994.Ten years before this article was written, it would be no surprise for him to catch â€Å"10, 20 or even 50 fish in a day. † (Wilson, D) Doug was not the only one who had noticed this drast ic decrease in the bass population. State fisheries agreed with him. They have noticed that the â€Å"large bass almost have disappeared from the river and that the number of mid-sized bass are declining. † (Wilson, D. ) I personally have noticed the decline of fish from the river. My brother and I are avid fisherman and enjoy fishing for just about anything.We lived a quarter of a mile from the river so often we would take my grandfather’s bass boat and go fishing in the river. However, no matter how much we prepared, we would never catch more than maybe one or two fish. This change shows how all the different pollutants are having a large impact on the fish population and if action is not taken species like the largemouth bass could be eliminated from the river. Fishing is not the only recreational activity that takes place in the St. Johns. Activities such as skiing and tubing take place daily during the spring and summer months.These are essential for Floridaâ€⠄¢s economy. When people are going out in their boats, many aspects of the economy are helped. People must buy gas for their boat, food to eat while they are on the boat, and other items. This also attracts tourists. By my house at a local marina, every summer they hosted a wakeboard camp for people to come learn how to wake board. Hundreds of people would come to learn how to wakeboard and have fun in the water. These people bought many things during their stay thus boosting the Florida economy. However, if the water is not maintained and kept clean, events like these cannot occur.Tourists would not be willing to get in the water and would take their business elsewhere thus restricting north Florida’s economy. In closing, the St. Johns River is not dangerous as far swimming and boating are concerned but there are pollutants being dumped into the river that need to be addressed or eliminated. If nothing is done, based on tests done on the water, past and current programs, and the fish population the wildlife, the quality of the St. Johns will continue to plummet. The river damage will become impossible to fix and potentially impossible to swim or use for any recreation.The repercussions of this would be exponential. Water shortages could occur along with Jacksonville losing its appeal as somewhere to live. Citations Page Ann Givens of The Sentinel Staff. (2001, Feb 16). St. Johns River may slake our thirst the St. Johns water district plans to process river water in a three- year test to see if it can be made drinkable. Orlando Sentinel. Lisenby, L. (2007, Jul 11). Growth must be controlled to protect the St. Johns River. Florida Times Union. Littlepage, R. L. (2006, Jan 10). St. Johns River’s health deserves major effort.Florida Times Union. Lynette, M. M. , John, R. W. , & K, R. R. (2004). Nitrogen and phosphorus flux rates from sediment in the lower St. Johns River estuary. Journal of Environmental Quality, 33(4), 1545-1555. Patterson, S. (201 0, Aug 10). With mill pipeline still in doubt, old dioxin haunting rice creek research: Traces of a cancer-causing substance could still exist and be funneled into the St. Johns River. McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Wilson, D. (1994, Sep 09). Veteran angler says bass fishing on St. Johns River deteriorating. Orlando Sentinel.

Essay about change Essay

Period 5 Change can be a journey for everyone because the world is constantly changing and we have to adapt to these changes. Sometimes change can be a good thing, like getting a promotion at work. Sometimes change is disappointing or sad, such as a close family member dying. Either way, change is something that happens to everybody all the time. I think that in this era more things are changing more rapidly. This generation has to adapt to many changes in culture and our society. Because things change so rapidly, sometimes you need a chance to slow down and live in the moment. In this essay, I will explore how change is a journey that everyone takes. The first word in the Change category is â€Å"forward.† I think the word can inspire people to change their lives for the better. When you think about the word â€Å"forward†, you picture aptitude and change for a better world. Moving forward in life is about being passionate in what you do. People who don’t have a passion for anything lead boring lives. To move forward you also have to have lots of positive experiences. Being positive is always good for you because if you are negative you can’t have the outlook on life that positive people have. I think the word â€Å"forward† can apply to me because I try to stay positive and passionate in life. The next word that I can apply to my life is â€Å"excitement.† Everyone loves to be excited, because it’s the opposite of being bored, and your brain does not like to be bored. I think that excitement can fuel the brain to do things it would not be capable of in boredom. A lot of life is about being excited. Excitement relates to change because to make any major changes in life you have to be excited, or positive, about what you do. I think the word relates to my life because I am not usually bored. I try to stay emotionally active at all times. The final word I will discuss is â€Å"possibility.† Possibilities in life only come to those who can adapt to changes in the world. People who can find  niches in life and make a profit from them know how to adapt and make possibilities for themselves. Change and possibilities are similar because when things change new possibilities always arise from them. People can apply the word possibility to their lives because possibility is vital to your success as a person. To conclude, nearly everything in life revolves around constant change. A modern example is the stock market, where nothing is really permanent. Another example is death, a natural process of change. Changes also happen within people. As a person grows up and matures, his or her personality changes greatly. â€Å"There is nothing permanent in life except change,† said the philosopher Heraclitus. Some call change or variety â€Å"the spice of life.† Change is the very nature of being. Every new day is different from the previous day. Tides come and go. Sometimes a whole river changes its course. Changes that take place in nature we have little or no control over. However, changes in our personal lives can be manipulated to some extent, and if you’re careful, it can turn out well for you. Change is just a fact of life, and in order to be successful, you must learn to adapt to changes.

Portrayal of Vampires in Cult Television, how they have changed and Essay

Portrayal of Vampires in Cult Television, how they have changed and why - Essay Example People have instilled in themselves a sense of dread and terror because of the idea of a vampire. They have believed that these creatures should not be allowed to live. Most legends suggest killings of vampires to eradicate them from the face of the planet, because they ‘do not belong’. However, in the 21st century, today, people have come to terms with the fact that vampires do not exist (Sklar, Rachel). Most people do not believe in the supernatural and idea of immortality in this day and age of fast communication, information and technology. Even then, the idea of maybe having such creatures around and existing excites a vast amount of the population of the world. As seen with time, the most form of popular entertainment has usually been in the form of fiction or letting people think about what ‘might’ exist. Thus, much the same way, vampires have been popularized today through television, books and movies. This is because people crave for an understandin g of things that have not yet been explained by scientists or do not have reason. Staying alive eternally, having super powers to carry out tasks etc are things that human beings get thrilled with because they are not able to do so. It is because of an endless thirst of curiosity that people want to know more and more and try and delve into the unknown. It is because of the same reason that today, people are eager to know about vampires and whether or not they do exist in real life. People often wonder, ‘what if there is a vampire amongst me and all the people I do interact with?’ Scary and exciting as it may be, all this has led to the creation of very popular vampire cult television; series that depict forms of vampires, interacting with normal human beings on a daily basis, doing everything they do - and a little more. From Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, these immortal beings have been reflected over the years with dramatic changes in their characteristics and surroundings. In television most of the current â€Å"Vampire Series† have achieved a â€Å"cult† status. The word â€Å"cult† depicts a religious group that is devoted to, or even obsessive about what they believe in. The term â€Å"Cult Television† is somewhat close to this. It is a term gained for a show that has an obsessive or even extreme following; a show that might not have been appreciated when it was first broadcast and is a step away from the mainstream. â€Å"There is no single quality that characterizes a cult text; rather, cult texts are defined through a process in which shows are positioned in opposition to the mainstream† (Jancovich, Hunt 2004). Since 2008 there has been a different type of vampire on our screens, this is evident through the emergence of television series such as True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Being Human etc. Many of the shows have a â€Å"cult† following or are of â€Å"cultâ⠂¬  status. In this dissertation I will be considering why vampires have received an increase in popularity with audiences and whether or

Accident Investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accident Investigation - Essay Example These 11 accidents are divided into two parts: (1) the absence of gas monitoring; and (2) the lack of proper gas testing (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). The bulletin mentioned about OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standard practices that should be critically followed during the work’s operation. The OSHA hot work standard 29 CFR 1910.252 refers to guidelines in performing welding, brazing, and other similar field operations. Usually, OSHA discourages hot work in an environment that is prone to explosion. However, OSHA fails to directly mandate the utilization of combustible gas detector before and during the hot work (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). Of the seven lessons drawn, two of these lessons are given emphasis: first is analyzing the hazards; and second is monitoring the atmosphere (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). To analyze the hazards means conducting assessment in the work field. Workers or technical professions identify the work’s scope, study possible hazards, and look for ways of controlling or eliminating these hazards. On the other hand, to monitor the atmosphere means to check, from time to time, if there’s a presence of flammable gas using the combustible gas detector (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). Clearly, these lessons offer methods or procedures on how to conduct hot works before those works are carried out. On the one hand, the bulletin’s premise on the third lesson (i.e., monitoring the atmosphere) is quite heavy, if not redundant. In conducting gas monitoring, says the bulletin, it should be done before and during the hot work operation (â€Å"Seven Key,† 2010). I wonder if it can be done only before, no more after, the hot work activity. This has three main implications: (1) the combustible gas detector is unreliable; (2) the technical men employing such detector do not know how to properly use them; (3) there’s no use of monitoring the atmosphere before hot work begins. Moreover, the

King David Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

King David - Essay Example David was a youthful military leader prior to his kingship. His leadership would liberate Israel from the cold hearted culture developed by the first king that Israelites had chosen to lead them in rebellion, because they could not hold and wait for God’s purpose and timing. According to the bible, David was a King that at times experienced failure in his humanity, yet as told he still sought God with his whole heart. However, today there are those that would say that David’s Kingdom and David were indeed Israel’s imagination and a legendary military hero that never existed in the actual sense. Liberal critical consensus about David has long been that he was a legendary figure in the history of Israel. There are scholars that often stress that the stories on King David are mere embellishments of a national hero whose existence is not in history is not certain (Huyck, 1). For example, Kyle McCarter states that: â€Å"The Bible is our only source of information ab out David.   No ancient inscription mentions him.   No archaeological discovery can be securely linked to him. . . .We cannot assume, therefore, that a statement about David in a given part of the Bible derives from an early source.   The David of Chronicles, for example, is the idealized David of the second Commonwealth, not the David of history (Huyck, 1).† Contrary to this statement and many others like it, archeological evidence has tallied with most historical mentioning within the bible and other historical literature and findings to prove that indeed the Kingdom of David and David as king existed at some point in history. This has strengthened the biblical view and story that indeed David was not a mere myth, but true King that existed and left a legendary mark in the history if Israel (Huyck, 1). The first recently highlighted and iconic archeological finding that attested to this occurred seven years after the discovery of the Solomonic gate by the Mazars. In th at instance in 1993, an archaeological team digging in the northern part of Israel discovered a large stone tabled with inscriptions that read: â€Å"House of David â€Å"and â€Å"King of Israel.† This stunning uncovered piece of evidence was dated back to the 9th Century B.C. This is indeed one of the many uncovered evidence that proofs that David’s kingdom not only existed, but his reign started a royal dynasty. The twelve acre triangle city developed by David’s reign lay some 350 feet, south of the today’s walled Jerusalem, beyond and on the eastern ridge known as Ophel. Benjamin Mazar is quoted by the Associated Press, as having said that: â€Å"Now we have more or less the feeling that this is really a gate of Jerusalem from the period of the kings of Judah† (April 21, 1986). This leaves most people wondering as to whether archaeology is indeed coming up to fill the bits and prove the biblical history that recounts the life and leadership o f David. Eilat Mazar indeed attests to this statement by saying that she had learned to pore and relate to biblical text to an extent that she had discovered that indeed it makes descriptions of true historical reality. Eilat states that: â€Å"It is not a simple matter to differentiate the layers of textual sources that have been piled†¦over generations; but it is clear that concealed within the Biblical text are grains of detailed historical truth (Coogan 71).†

Essay Question. Discuss Mertons five modes of adaptation and give an

Question. Discuss Mertons five modes of adaptation and give an example of each - Essay Example The acceptance or rejection in terms of cultural goals and institutionalized means is an important facet of understanding Merton’s five modes of adaptation. Merton believes that conformity is the most common kind of the five modes of adaptation. What happens during this mode is that people try to achieve success by employing traditional methodologies that are apparent (Merton 1985). Similarly Merton is of the view that the mode of innovation uses a small, yet substantial change with the perspective of the people while the mode is still in conformity but is in the process of tilting towards innovation. The third mode is ritualism where the deviant behavior rejects the attitude towards goals but believes staunchly within the attitude to means. Retreatism is the fourth mode of adaptation which rejects both attitudes towards goals and means while rebellion, being the last of the Merton’s five nodes seems to be in a fix regarding the rejection or acceptance of the attitudes towards cultural goals and institutionalized means. Merton’s paradigm of deviant behavior is one theory which dedicatedly believes on the premise of tying up the five modes which significantly outline the differences between the institutionalized means and the cultural goals (Merton 1942).

Industry report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industry report - Research Paper Example While the concerted push by the UAE government towards these targets is quite new, initiatives for local employee preference were first started in 1994 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Since then there has been increasing need for and interest in the exploration of the subject, and the government recognized the field as part of the national agenda for 2009 allocating a large part of the developmental budget to it. The scope and importance of the industry. Until a few years ago by far the largest part of the make-up of Emiratisation drive used to come solely from direct governmental action. However because of the strategic approach to Emiratisation since 2008, the secondary routes to the objective are starting to take hold and private and public corporate entities now govern about half of the initiatives of Emiratisation (Al-Ali 365). As an industry Emiratisation programmes have now spread across a plethora of industrial sectors with the leading sectors for Emiratisation being po rts and shipping, oil production, banking and teaching. The target company of this project, DP World, comes from the ports and shipping industry. While the private companies are now starting to induct Emiratis as part of their Emiratisation schemes the huge majority of related schemes still lie with the public sector. The Industry is vital to the central long-term target of UAE administration which is post-oil and non-trade economic stability of the country. In this regard it is imperative that the government takes steps, much like the Saudi administration (Mashood et al.) to cause a cultural change in society and work out as a nation to transcend from a population of ‘takers-to-makers’. While the industry could also serve as a launching pad for the government for exporting indigenous talent to all over the globe after specialization of the training machinery, it will inevitably be hard for the state to entice non-governmental organisations and for-profit corporations i nto inducting untrained and under-qualified staff as that would adversely affect the productivity of the companies. Objectives and scope of this report. The report covers all the major aspects of the industry in an overall qualitative fashion. This report is intended to serve as an insight to the atmosphere, magnitude and nature of the industry in which the target company of this project, DP World, operates. The utmost specific objective of this report is the enlightenment of the reader and the researcher with regards to the stability, progress and spread of the Emiratisation sector. The researcher should know about the characteristic trends of the industry, factors affecting it and its impact on the local, national and global scales. Special emphasis is paid on the economic and employment impact of the progress of the Emiratisation sector with support for the analysis using interpretation of statistical data. Methods Brief description. The methods for carrying out the investigation are both primary and secondary research; however no quantitative data has been collected using the primary approach. In terms of the primary research, government officials were contacted via email and phone to describe

View of Human Nature in The True Believer Essay

View of Human Nature in The True Believer - Essay Example Human nature is naturally attracted to fanaticism, because people are empty inside. Hoffer (1959) says: â€Å"A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business† (14). Since people find meaninglessness in their existence, they need something larger than themselves to continue â€Å"wanting† to exist. This belief is value-rich, because Hoffer is saying that people need meaning in life, in order to â€Å"live.† Mass movements, furthermore, make them believe that they can do something valuable, which can help them reap benefits in the future. Hoffer stresses that fanaticism is the rejection of the present and the preference for the future, because the â€Å"future† (1959, 182) can given them vital rewards, such as 100% certainty to heaven, as some religious zealots believe. This is the great paradox of mass movements. It might seem that fanatic s are doing something for their organizations, or even their gods, but in reality, when they sacrifice themselves and other people, they are seeking for ultimate selfish gains. Humans are inherently violent, and they do so because they have self-interests. ... feeds something empty inside people, and it helps give an ironic sense of peace to fanatics, because they can express themselves through violent means. The more they can hurt others or themselves or both, the more they feel alive. Mass movements embrace uniformity, because this responds to the need for new meanings. People attracted to mass movements find no meaning inside themselves, and so they have to search for it in external mass movements. Hoffer argues: â€Å"When we lose our individual independence in the incorporateness of a mass movement, we find a new freedom—freedom to hate, bully, lie, torture, murder and betray without shame and remorse† (1959, 100). These newfound freedoms give a sense of meaning, a way to fill the internal void. These meanings make life worth living for in drastically new ways with others who believe in it too. Hoffer offers fine, chilling points on what constitute mass movements. His viewpoints on mass movements underlie his beliefs in human nature. Human beings are selfish, and selfishness and meaninglessness are important ingredients to mass movements. When people are both selfish and find no meaning in their lives, they are moths to the fires of fanaticism, violence, and uniformity. They will brazenly fly to these fires, because by â€Å"dying,† they are â€Å"living.† Self-Interest in â€Å"Why Not Socialism?† G.A. Cohen (2009) believes that people should consider the merits of socialism, because it is morally superior to capitalism. In his book, â€Å"Why Not Socialism?† Cohen examines and defends the advantages of socialism compared to capitalism. His measuring stick is the value and meaning he places on the notion of â€Å"community.† He defines a â€Å"community† as that phenomenon, where â€Å"people care about, and, where necessary

Aristotle Impact on Law Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Impact on Law Essay Aristotle (384 322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a various ways. Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece, and as a young man he studied in Platos Academy in Athens. After Platos death he left Athens to proceed in philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor and Lesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedonia to tutor his young son, Alexander the Great. Aristotle was extremely successful in tutoring Alexander, as he develoepd a great mind and was widely known for launching the invasion of the Persian Empire. Aristotle returned as a resident to Athens, and it was during this time (335-323 BC) when he wrote or at least completed some of his major theories, which included law. Aristotle and his teacher Plato, had alike minds when it came to their political views. They both believed that law had a moral purpose. They thought that it made people live their lives based on their reason, rather then their passion. When Aristotle talks about people following their reason, he means that they live their lives to the fullest taking in consideration all the talent and skill they are blessed with and using it to their advantage. One accomplishes this by making the most out of what he/she has been given to benefit themselves in life. Basically, he was following the natural law tradition because he felt as though the most important purpose of law was to help people live their lives positively and be happy. Law helped lead people into a positive direction Aristotle advanced a theory of individual rights, at the same time accepting aspects of positive law theory and natural law theory. He was supporting equity in judicial decision making and tells us how this can operate consistently with the rule of law. Also, Aristotles brilliant ideas on ethics forms a basis for punishment in criminal law. He teaches how to educate lawyers and the legal profession to incorporate ethics and virtue; he teaches lawyers how they can be more persuasive. Furthermore, Aristotle also had a huge insight on moral virtues and believed that if these virtues are to be nurtured, law is needed. He believed that law is essential to help discipline citizens and their actions, as well as to help maintain the beneficial habits they acquire. One of the most important aspects of our modern court/trial is the examining of the evidence. In most cases, the amount of quality evidence, or the lack of evidence, plays a huge role in making the final decision. Aristotle was the first person to think out the problem on evidence. When he approached a problem, he would examine: a) what people had previously written or said on the subject, b.) the general consensus of opinion on the subject, and c)a systematic study of everything else that is part of or related to the subject. His studies on evidence extremely influenced the concept and everything that comes along with it in the present day. He believed that every action needs to be judged according to all the relevant circumstances to the situation. As just mentioned, Aristotle believed that every action needed to be judged. Therefore, he believed that judging these actions were to be done based on the concept of equity. It was the foundation of modern law and the road to justice. Aristotle was against some aspects of equity. For example, Aristotle believed that men were more useful and important in life. He believed that women should not be granted many of the rights that men had, such as the right to vote, but that is a different topic. When it came to judging someone based on his/her actions, Aristotle supported the concept of equity 100%. Aristotle seems to be primarily concerned to discover and refine the moral standards by which human beings should be governed. What laws are to be used to establish and maintain those standards depends on the good sense of the community and the prudence of its leaders, including its poets and other educators. In particular, his views on the connection between the well-being of the political community and that of the citizens who make it up, his belief that citizens must actively participate in politics if they are to be happy and virtuous, and his analysis of what causes and prevents revolution within political communities have been a source of inspiration for many contemporary theorists.

Effects of Alcoholic Drinks to College Students Essay Example for Free

Effects of Alcoholic Drinks to College Students Essay Although alcohol may give you a feeling of elation and aroused senses due to a lessening of inhibitions during the early stages of alcohol intoxication, alcohol is a depressant. It depresses the central nervous system—leading to slowed reactions, slurred speech, and ultimately, to unconsciousness. Alcohol progressively affects different brain areas. Alcohol first affects the part of the brain that controls inhibitions. When people lose their inhibitions, they may talk more, get rowdy, and do foolish things. After several drinks, they may feel â€Å"high,† but really, their nervous system is slowing down. Alcohol acts fast because it is not digested like food. Instead, it moves directly into the bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine. It takes a long time for alcohol’s effects to wear off—as it takes approximately one hour for the liver to process the alcohol in one drink. ALCOHOL’S DAMAGING EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN Difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory: Clearly, alcohol affects the brain. Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety. Exactly how alcohol affects the brain and the likelihood of reversing the impact of heavy drinking on the brain remain hot topics in alcohol research today. We do know that heavy drinking may have extensive and far–reaching effects on the brain, ranging from simple â€Å"slips† in memory to permanent and debilitating conditions that require lifetime custodial care. And even moderate drinking leads to short–term impairment, as shown by extensive research on the impact of drinking on driving. A number of factors influence how and to what extent alcohol affects the brain (1), including * how much and how often a person drinks; * the age at which he or she first began drinking, and how long he or she has been drinking; * the person’s age, level of education, gender, genetic background, and family history of alcoholism; * whether he or she is at risk as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure; and * his or her general health status. BLACKOUTS AND MEMORY LAPSES Alcohol can produce detectable impairments in memory after only a few drinks and, as the amount of alcohol increases, so does the degree of impairment. Large quantities of alcohol, especially when consumed quickly and on an empty stomach, can produce a blackout, or an interval of time for which the intoxicated person cannot recall key details of events, or even entire events. Blackouts are much more common among social drinkers than previously assumed and should be viewed as a potential consequence of acute intoxication regardless of age or whether the drinker is clinically dependent on alcohol (2). White and colleagues (3) surveyed 772 college undergraduates about their experiences with blackouts and asked, â€Å"Have you ever awoken after a night of drinking not able to remember things that you did or places that you went? † Of the students who had ever consumed alcohol, 51 percent reported blacking out at some point in their lives, and 40 percent reported experiencing a blackout in the year before the survey. Of those who reported drinking in the 2 weeks before the survey, 9. 4 percent said they blacked out during that time. The students reported learning later that they had participated in a wide range of potentially dangerous events they could not remember, including vandalism, unprotected sex, and driving. Binge Drinking and Blackouts| †¢ Drinkers who experience blackouts typically drink too much and too quickly, which causes their blood alcohol levels to rise very rapidly. College students may be at particular risk for experiencing a blackout, as an alarming number of college students engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking, for a typical adult, is defined as consuming five or more drinks in about 2 hours for men, or four or more drinks for women. | ARE WOMEN MORE VULNERABLE TO ALCOHOL’S EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN? Women are more vulnerable than men to many of the medical consequences of alcohol use. For example, alcoholic women develop cirrhosis (5), alcohol–induced damage of the heart muscle (i. e. , cardiomyopathy) (6), and nerve damage (i. e. , peripheral neuropathy) (7) after fewer years of heavy drinking than do alcoholic men. Studies comparing men and women’s sensitivity to alcohol–induced brain damage, however, have not been as conclusive. Using imaging with computerized tomography, two studies (8,9) compared brain shrinkage, a common indicator of brain damage, in alcoholic men and women and reported that male and female alcoholics both showed significantly greater brain shrinkage than control subjects. Studies also showed that both men and women have similar learning and memory problems as a result of heavy drinking (10). The difference is that alcoholic women reported that they had been drinking excessively for only about half as long as the alcoholic men in these studies. This indicates that women’s brains, like their other organs, are more vulnerable to alcohol–induced damage than men’s (11). SUMMARY Alcoholics are not all alike. They experience different degrees of impairment, and the disease has different origins for different people. Consequently, researchers have not found conclusive evidence that any one variable is solely responsible for the brain deficits found in alcoholics. Characterizing what makes some alcoholics vulnerable to brain damage whereas others are not remains the subject of active research (34). The good news is that most alcoholics with cognitive impairment show at least some improvement in brain structure and functioning within a year of abstinence, though some people take much longer (35–37). Clinicians must consider a variety of treatment methods to help people stop drinking and to recover from alcohol–related brain impairments, and tailor these treatments to the individual patient. Advanced technology will have an important role in developing these therapies. Clinicians can use brain–imaging techniques to monitor the course and success of treatment, because imaging can reveal structural, functional, and biochemical changes in living patients over time. Promising new medications also are in the early stages of development, as researchers strive to design therapies that can help prevent alcohol’s harmful effects and promote the growth of new brain cells to take the place of those that have been damaged by alcohol.  ¦ As well as damaging their health, university students who drink too much alcohol may also be damaging their academic performance. Alcohol: The Benefits of Moderate Drinking Drinking alcohol in moderate amounts can have positive influences on physical and mental health. While alcohol is one of the most widely abused substances on the market, it is also one that features certain benefits for drinkers who consume it in safe amounts. For individuals who consume low levels of alcohol, benefits like reduced stress, increased cardiovascular health and decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes offer a wealth of reasons for consumers to drink in moderation. Reduce Stress, Anxiety and Tension. Research shows that the consumption of alcohol in moderate amounts can lead to certain psychological benefits. Low levels of alcohol can trigger stress reduction, easy feelings of anxiety and help consumers to reduce tension. In addition, low levels of alcohol consumption can also cause the consumer to feel more pleasant and relaxed. Studies on sleep show that people who drink in moderation get more sleep on average than do those who indulge in excess. These psychological effects of moderate drinking are positive ones that can be beneficial to the consumer. A Longer Life The positive psychological effects of drinking in moderation can be associated with the studies that show moderate drinkers tend to love longer than people who dont drink at all or those who drink in excess. Studies from a number of different countries including China, the United States and England indicate that longevity is highest among groups of people who drink alcohol in moderation. Increased Cardiovascular Health Several studies have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation has a positive correlation with certain aspects of cardiovascular health. In particular, the risk of developing coronary artery disease is significantly lowered in conjunction with moderate consumption of alcohol. Another link between alcohol and cardiovascular health shows that moderate consumption of alcohol has a positive correlation with survivability in the event of a heart attack. Those who drink low levels of alcohol are more likely to live and less likely to experience another heart attack. Alcohol produces several positive effects on the body when consumed in low levels. For example, it increases levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). Alcohol also acts as a blood thinner once it enters the human body, much like common aspirin does. Thus, when consumed in moderation, it can reduce the likelihood of developing blood clots in arteries. Decreased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes While consuming alcohol in large quantities has been proven to put drinkers at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, some studies show that drinking in moderation might have the opposite effect. The relationship between alcohol and type 2 diabetes is the focus of a great number of ongoing studies. Findings show, however, that moderate drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than heavy drinkers. All of these health benefits associated with moderate drinking serve as an incentive for consumers to limit their levels of alcohol intake. Too much alcohol eliminates the health benefits described above. The best way to maximize on the health benefits of alcohol is to consume it in low levels. Negative Effects of Drinking Alcohol on Physical Fitness While occasional alcohol use may not have a major impact on physical activity, there is a clear link between sports, exercise and drinking alcohol. In fact, alcohol is the most widely used drug by athletes which is why alcohol related difficulties seem to be more common among those who exercise regularly. It is clear that drinking in excess can negatively influence exercise. Studies done to determine the influence that alcohol has on exercise Studies have shown that consuming alcohol has the following influence on exercise: *Diminishes the use of amino acids and glucose by the muscles of the skeleton *A detrimental influence on the supply of energy *An impairment in metabolism while exercising In addition, persuasive evidence implies that continual use of alcohol is connected with unfavorable effects on systems of the body and organs, including the liver, brain, heart and blood vessels. Exercising while under the influence of alcohol Drinking alcohol has a negative influence on motor skills, stamina and aerobic ability. Alcohol has the following effects on motor skills: *Delayed reaction time *A decrease in hand-eye coordination *Less precision and balance Alcohol has the following effects on strength training and short term athletic functioning: *A decline in athletic performance as a whole. *Decreased times in cycling and running *Weakened pumping power of the heart *Impaired temperature control while exercising *Weakening of grip strength *Decreased jump altitude *Lower 200 and 400-meter running performance *Becoming tired more quickly while participating in high-intensity workouts Alcohol has the following effects on aerobic performance: *Dehydration *Considerably diminished aerobic performance *Hindered 800 and 1500-meter running speeds *An increase in health risks after working out in hot atmospheres for an extended amount of time Working out with a hangover. A hangover is caused by a number of factors including, dehydration and toxicity from the alcohol. The symptoms include a gloomy mood and headache. Unfortunately, these side effects can cause a decline in athletic performance. Working out with a hangover has been shown to considerably decrease aerobic adequacy by as great as 11 percent. Long term effects that alcohol has on exercise performance Long term, heavy (more than two drinks each day) alcohol use can impair exercise in the following ways: *Hindering the cardiovascular reaction to exercise *Cause nutritional deficits from changes in nutrient consumption, digestion and metabolism. *Cause muscle injury, wasting and feebleness in several muscles, including the heart. *Changing the bodys hormonal atmosphere It is also important to note that women might be more susceptible to the toxic results of alcohol on the heart. It is clear that drinking in excess can negatively influence exercise. Alcoholism is a growing problem in the United States and is even a problem in teenagers, too. Unfortunately, there are a variety of negative effects that are associated with the consumption of alcohol. While the negative effects can either be long term or short term, all of them start with the first drink of alcohol. Negative effects may not become apparent immediately, but as time goes on, the adverse effects of alcohol will become more and more noticeable and, in some cases, they can even lead to death. Diseases One of the negative effects that alcohol tends to have is the increased risk for multiple serious diseases. Increased consumption of alcohol can lead to serious medical problems such as cirrhosis of the liver, which often results in death. Infections, sleeping disorders and sexual dysfunctions can also be caused by consumption of alcohol. Recent studies have also shown that consumption of alcohol can actually raise the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, throat cancer and intestinal cancer. Consuming alcohol can be very serious and there are many grave negative effects that are caused by alcohol. Avoiding alcohol can help you avoid these adverse effects and perhaps even save your life.