Control of Nature Essay Example for Free

Control of Nature Essay The earth, with its vast structure of land masses is expected to experience different forms of worldly phenomena. World-renowned Writer John McPhee saw it all. The massive destruction caused by inevitable earthly chaos made by humanity’s ignorance and intentional or unintentional disregard of natural processes struck him. For the reason that of McPhee’s benevolent concern for nature and earth’s creatures, he came up with a book narrating human struggle against nature and elaborated certain reasons why such unfortunate fate took place. His primary endeavor is to give the world an interest on Geology and Environmental Science, and provide reasons why Nature, cannot be controlled but can be at least be avoided. Control of Nature is a book catering a series of earth’s revenge against man-made discrepancies aimed to make the contemporary society of today realize that any struggle against natural forces must be taken with great responsibility so as to prevent any form of chaos caused by such disregard. He cited one incident which happened in Iceland during the year 1973, tackled in Chapter Two of the book, where an island gashed open without warning and massive volumes of lava from an assumed â€Å"sleeping† Volcano spitted elements colored with red and gold, flaming with fire, began moving in a nearby harbor half a mile away. Worse, the harbor was along the nation’s southern coast, considered as the only harbor along its vicinity, the root of life for them. It had accounted a huge percentage of Iceland’s economy export, took away a large number of lives and horrified each living creature inhabiting the specified vicinity. It made the Icelanders establish nature, as an enemy of the State. Such raging earthly phenomena of hot molten lava flowing from the unpredicted component of the planet came too hard to impede with. It came like a bolt of lightning which suddenly electrified a roof of hope and serenity. Not even the strongest man alive could dare to stop, a superhero was needed, a miracle perhaps. But human rationality and sense of initiative came not out of order. The people of Vestmannaeyjar had to do something. Or else, it shall take what they have sown, the evil attack of nature must die out or it shall take their lives, and the life they long to live in the future. Then one man found a way to help his community, he was then the hero. Analysis Volcanic eruptions are the surface expression of processes that occur deep within the Earth. Many of theses processes take place juts below the Earth’s outer rigid shell, whereas some volcanic eruptions owe their origin to very deep disturbances, even at the boundary between the core and the Earth’s mantle at 2890 km below the surface (Encyclopedia on Volcanoes, p. 39). Certain volcanic activities can endanger a large mass of people and property on the spot where the land mass is situated given the fact that it’s high volume of lava flows, streams of molten rock are emitted by an erupting vent. It’s level of destruction to any form is high since that its temperature falls from 700  °C to 1,200  °C (1,300  °F to 2,200  °F), capable enough to eat anything which shall bar along its way. In the case of the Icelanders, Mt. Lakagigar (Laki) in the year 1973 took a number of 9,340 lives. But the impeccable thing is that the occurrence of the aforementioned chaos in Iceland was not like all the other typical situations experienced by places having such reprisal from nature; take for example the eruptions in Italy and Indonesia, exterminating more or less than 4,000 people in one single incident due to Pyroclastic Flow. Another is the terrifying Lahar in Mt. Nueva del Ruiz in Colombia taking over 23,000 lives. On the other hand, the Icelanders had gone eradicated in their hometown due to Post-eruption starvation. One cause of death which perhaps never yet crossed in their minds during their century making them too confident of their supply of food and water, after having assumed the fact that they already got their salvation from the wickedness of the flaming mountain. The ingenious way of the Icelandic Engineer may have had given great hope to its community, but what they less anticipated was that volcanic eruptions leave an unbeneficial form of dramatic and violent changes in nature leading its people to face the horrors of hunger. It drove many Icelanders leave their homes, look for a better place to live in, earn a job and raise their families in another state. It was not easy for them to leave the place they called home, but they held no choice, or else, they’ll starve and rot to death in the molten rock which once gave them an adrenalin rush. Although the initiative done by the Engineer, being a fan of geology and geophysics at that, if not so much to use, helped in saving quite a number of lives; still has not completely reached what it wanted to fulfill. If the advancement of technology and the level of perseverance could have had been instilled to those living in that point of time, then much could have had enjoyed what the present contemporary masses is enjoying now. Furthermore methods for determining the controls on magma composition had been closely studied nowadays. Earth scientists have developed several techniques for understanding and interpreting the compositional variation so as to alert the individuals inhabiting such volcano-close place are now being studied, which is good news. Volcanologists continuously observe and investigate the rise and expansion of an initially bubbly mixture in a conduit (signs of decompression of a bubbly magma), an important fact to be taken consideration to name the level warning they are to send the residents. International Agencies at present seek to slay aftermath predicaments assassinating entities which rise after phenomenal destructions, volcanic eruptions specifically; such as Starvation (caused by molten magma covering the entire agricultural region), displacement of residence (which most likely will cause emotional crisis) and unanticipated Volcanic Eruptions. Conceivably, the only beneficial point of the incident as narrated in John McPhee’s case study and the heroic act done by the outstanding engineer is the actuality that nature, unconsciously takes what it wants to take. Pressuring people to constantly seek for answers, ways and means, to save what must be saved. Conclusion At present, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers considered building a dam high up the crease between the huge volcanoes, which serves as a barrier of the immediate flow of volcanic emission from the land mass. The awfulness sought by the Icelanders is now taken like a cold magma to the families which were left orphaned. The nightmare is now three thousand feet below the present level of the ocean. All of that and then some is Iceland. It gave them a crack in the head trying to restore what they have lost. Still carrying the burden of nature’s tragedy, eating them up whole, but then, as John McPhee has heard their sentiments and has written an inspirational book narrating their stories; it shall give them hope that not all that kills them will forever torment them in an agony of despair. Their stories helped people, not only in their place but all over the globe. It was a signal to the Government to cooperate with them in building back their Nation. They never wanted to leave their home. They never wanted to experience such. Nobody wanted it. But natural phenomenon is but unstoppable. It just comes. But then, modern science tells the world that the 21st Century can avoid such. With the use of facilities and technology to detect a visiting retribution of nature, rationality shall save one. Reading the book and internalizing the Icelander’s unfortunate fate shall at least awaken the sleeping sense of sympathy and munificence of a person. There are people seeking for help. Seeking for a family. Seeking for a hand. It was Nature who held Control. It was a story of real people, of real hopes. Reference: McPhee J. 1990. The Control of Nature Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Simkin T, Siebert L. 1999. Earths Volcanoes and Eruptions: An Overview. Encyclopedia of Volcanoes. San Diego: Academic Press. p 39.

Just Breathing Essay -- essays research papers

Just Breathing Ill-timed encounters with torment and death will always leave one behind as a reflective and thought full individual. â€Å"Just Breathing†, which was published in 1997 in the book â€Å"Sex, Drugs, Rock’n’Roll: Stories to end the centuryâ€Å", deals with a woman who feels, that she has changed after a strange meeting with the woman Magde. This essay contains an analysis and an interpretation of Nina and the function Madge has in Nina’s life. The story begins quite sudden because the reader is practically thrown into the story and the characters aren’t introduced. If you take a look at the verbs in the first three lines you will see that most of them are written in past tense. Therefore you can see that the narrator is looking back on the story of Nina. It’s unclear whether or not the narrator knows Nina, but by examining the text furtherer it becomes more and more obvious that it is a narrator who is present in the short story. From time to time while telling the story the narrator interrupts Nina to comment on the thoughts and actions of her, â€Å"Line 6, p 1 [why did illness never strike in term time?]† and â€Å"Line 101, p 4[buying twenty Benson & Hedges. (Twenty!)]†. In this short story Diana Hendry uses interior monologues to show the emotionally affected woman, Nina, and her life after a close encounter with death. Nina is a middle-aged woman who has taught English Literature for 15 years and she is married to Tom. After a serious asthma attack Nina is back at home...

High School and Personality Traits Essay

Directions: Read the following questions and write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Include the question as part of your response. Use COMPLETE sentences—do not use fragments or incomplete thoughts. Use DETAIL in your responses. â€Å"None, nothing, I don’t know, etc.† are inadequate responses. Your goal is to give me as much information about yourself as possible! 1. Who was your English teacher last year? Describe both your successes and difficulties in the class. 2. What is your full name? Are you named after someone in your family? 3. When and where were you born? How old are you now? 4. Describe three members of your immediate family—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, and personality traits. 5. In what places have you lived? 6. Who is your best friend and why is that the case? Describe him/her—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, personality traits. 7. Describe any pets you have/have had/desire to have. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? 8. Describe what you like to do in your spare time, and on weekends. 9. What is your favorite TV program(s)? Why? What kind of music do you like? 10. Where have you traveled or would like to travel? Describe what draws you to that particular place and why. 11. Describe your particular talents. What do you do well? 12. Do you want to go to college? Which one? What career do you hope to pursue when you are an adult? Why? What are you doing now to prepare yourself for these goals? 13. What do you like best about school? What do you like least about school? 14. What extracurricular activities are you involved in at school or outside of school? 15. Describe any other interesting aspect(s) of yourself. CLASS COPY!DO NOT WRITE ON THIS! Detailed Biography Directions: Read the following questions and write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Include the question as part of your response. Use COMPLETE sentences—do not use fragments or incomplete thoughts. Use DETAIL in your responses. â€Å"None, nothing, I don’t know, etc.† are inadequate responses. Your goal is to give me as much information about yourself as possible! 1. Who was your English teacher last year? Describe both your successes and difficulties in the class. 2. What is your full name? Are you named after someone in your family? 3. When and where were you born? How old are you now? 4. Describe three members of your immediate family—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, and personality traits. 5. In what places have you lived? 6. Who is your best friend and why is that the case? Describe him/her—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, personality traits. 7. Describe any pets you have/have had/desire to have. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? 8. Describe what you like to do in your spare time, and on weekends. 9. What is your favorite TV program(s)? Why? What kind of music do you like? 10. Where have you traveled or would like to travel? Describe what draws you to that particular place and why. 11. Describe your particular talents. What do you do well? 12. Do you want to go to college? Which one? What career do you hope to pursue when you are an adult? Why? What are you doing now to prepare yourself for these goals? 13. What do you like best about school? What do you like least about school? 14. What extracurricular activities are you involved in at school or outside of school? 15. Describe any other interesting aspect(s) of yourself.

Effects Of The Fitbit Fitness Band Essay - 965 Words

In her blog post â€Å"It Happened to Me: My Fitbit Reignited My Eating Disorder†, Martin (2015) discussed how the features of a fitness band led to an eating disorder relapse. Eating disorders are characterized by pervasive fear of gaining weight and altered perception of body image (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Eating disorders may also be associated with restrictive eating and compensatory behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Martin (2015) argued that the conditioning effects of the Fitbit fitness band had a negative impact on her life and that other individuals with similar symptoms may be harmed but using the devices. In the current paper, the present author will provide a summary of the content as well as a personal reflection and reaction to the blog post. Martin (2015) described the Fitbit as a helpful tool when she first started to use it. The fitness band recorded daily activity, sleeping patterns, and set daily goals. Although Martin (2015) initially considered the device a positive addition to her life, she stated that it took less than a week for her to become addicted to the Fitbit. Her history of eating disorders throughout high school and college made her susceptible to the return of several symptoms, including: an intense fear of gaining weight; obsessive calorie counting; feeling guilty after eating; and compensatory behaviors such as purging, excessive exercise, and restricting calorie intake (Martin, 2015). Martin (2015) arguedShow MoreRelatedAccelerometer Accuracy : Assessing Energy Expenditure1095 Words   |  5 Pages As part of this study, accelerometers will be used to determine the energy expenditure that is occurring during the body weight resistance training intervention. Accelerometers such as the Nike Fuelband, Fitbit monitors, and Jawbone monitors are becoming increasingly popular in the fitness industry. It is important to determine whether or not these accelerometers are measuring exactly what they are claiming to measure in a correct manner. It is also important for consumers and for professionalRead MoreSony Challenge5425 Words   |  22 Pagesthat we include a Sony SWR10 fitness smart band in the PS4 box, launch a marketing campaign before Christmas and on Boxing Day in Australia the console plus smart band will go on sale together with a game from EA games. Then we introduce the 100-summer days challenge. This is the core of our project, we will offer rewards to people who use their smart band in healthy activities, and based on walking distances or calories burnt that will be recorded in the smart band, and after implementing the softwareRead MoreAn Era Of Mass Digitization1611 Words   |  7 PagesIn an era of mass digitization, the consumer health technology market has skyrocketed and continues to rapidly grow. According to a study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), 75 percent of all online consumers say they own some form of a fitness technology product (mHealth News). In addition, 95 million Americans currently use their phone for health-related uses (The Atlantic), and by 2018, the overall number of wearable devise shipped to consumers is expected to reach 130 million (HuffingtonRead MoreHealth Case Study927 Words   |  4 Pagesfax machines, phones, etc. The client’s religion is Christian. Being a Christian is very important to the client. He goes to church with his family every Sunday afternoon and a bible study every Wednesday. The client also plays bass for the church band. He has a very close relationship with God. Nursing Diagnosis Outcomes The NANDA nursing diagnosis that the client is associated with is Readiness for Enhanced Nutrition. Based on this diagnosis, these are the two appropriate outcomes. PatientRead MoreMarketing Plan For Target Corporation Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pagesclean, spacious and guest-friendly stores. Having worked for target in the past, I have found this company to always keep their guests and team members in their top priority. In 2015, Target Corporation set goals for the future CSR which are making fitness and wellness a way of life for guest and team members and communities, pursuing sustainability for products and business operations, promote a more inclusive society and engaging with their communities. Every year Target makes a set of goals to be