Kidnapping tourists in mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kidnapping tourists in mexico - Essay Example The article also has an overview of some of the most dangerous countries for tourists to visit, such as North America/ Mexico, South America, Africa and Asia. Analysis – The article was quite useful and could be used for supplying a lot of information on the subject. Reflection – I found the article interesting and understood that the author has taken a lot of trouble gathering important information. 2. Iuri Tarabanov (2008) World’s Most Dangerous Countries for Tourists. Travel Web Directory. Summary This is a web article that reports on Travel news. The author Iuri Tarabanov sheds light on the world’s top 10 most dangerous countries for tourists. The data collected is from â€Å"iJet Intelligent Risk Systems† and the renowned magazine â€Å"Forbes† has contributed by composing the level or rating of the most dangerous countries for tourists. The agency took into account factors such as security services, terrorism, kidnapping, civil disorder s and other criminal and geopolitical stability factors while doing the rating. Some of the most dangerous countries in the world as noted by the author were Somali, Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Pakistan, Sudan, The democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Zimbabwe and Palestine. Analysis The article specifies the different types of dangers significant to each of the above countries and sheds light on the type of danger that is prevalent in these countries thereby creating an awareness on the dangers that tourists are exposed to if they visit them. Reflection The data that was given by the â€Å"iJet Intelligent Risk Systems and â€Å"Control Risks† agencies was not only enlightening but it also served to kindle awareness among the people of the different kinds of risks involved while visiting different countries. This type of article would surely be very useful in my study on dangerous countries for tourists. 3. The Washington Post Newspaper, Athens Travel Forecast. Good Deals f or Tourists who don’t mind occasional risks. Summary The Washington post news article sheds light on the tourism in Athens, Greece. It talks about the beautiful archipelago, beaches and buildings which is a welcome escape for tourists to relax and enjoy themselves. At same time, it warns tourists of impending dangers in the form of strikes and violent protests that suddenly erupt and causes major problems for tourists. The article in the Washington Post also discusses the best restaurants for food, but at the same time it creates awareness on the rising crime in the city and the drug trafficking that takes place there. Analysis The article in the Washington Post gives more details on the beauty spots, food and restaurants found in Athens Greece, but however shed some light on the dangers that the tourists may be exposed to. Though one cannot say that Greece is a highly dangerous country, yet the paper creates an awareness about what to expect if one visits the place. Reflecti on Though the Washington Post is a reliable newspaper, this particular article is not very relevant to my research study because it more describes the beauty and hotspots of Greece but has little on the dangers tourists might be exposed to. However, the article would be partially useful to include in my study. 4. John Keay (2010) The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places,

Back to the Basics in the United States Military Essay

Back to the Basics in the United States Military - Essay Example We have not had time to focus on these topics as the stress and vital importance of war time action has directed our focus elsewhere. Accordingly, things such as daily uniform inspections, barracks inspections, drill and ceremonies, proper counseling, and many similar items have, at least to a certain extent, been disregarded in favor of more pressing needs and goals. However, these performance duties are referred to as â€Å"the basics† for a reason; as such, it is our duty to get back to them. Because of the lack of focus on these points over the past few years, our junior NCOs and Soldiers are suffering and we as senior NCOs are responsible for correcting these deficiencies. Emphasis should be placed on the importance of sitting down with junior NCOs and showing them the proper ways to lead soldiers. Perhaps one reason for the current lack of concern is the fact that many NCOs appear to be only interested in promotion. This fact coupled with the self interested notions of m aking more money has taken away from the prime directive of leading and protecting the soldiers under ones supervision. This lack of concern is illustrated in the fact that few SGTs really know where to take their Soldiers if they have pay issues, family issues, budget issues, etc.? There are many who would have no idea. This results from several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that as soon as the promotion board is complete, these soldiers often do a brain dump and purge their minds of all the information they accrued while studying for the board. Obviously, this should not be happening; soldiers must remember what they learned from studying and be able to take knowledgeable care of the soldiers under their charge. In order to get back to these basics, there are several steps that must first be implemented. First, we must recognize that the Soldiers standing in our

Apple INC Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Apple INC - Term Paper Example Jobs, Apple Inc. has undergone reorganization processes, where the main focus was made on the more profitable competencies. During the next years the company has pursued several acquisitions and expanded its business lines (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 9). Nowadays, Apple Inc. is a well-known and established technology company that offers personal communication devices, accessories, operating system software, application software and related solutions (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). It is a company’s mission actually ‘To create great things that change people’s live’ (Kotler and Kotler, 443). Some of the major products include iPhone, iPod, iPad, the iOS and OS X operating systems, consumer and professional software applications, iCloud, and others (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). In addition to technology products the company sells and provides its services through the App Store, Mac App Store, iTunes Store, and iBooks store (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). The company operates globally, including South and North Americas, Asia Pacific and European regions. In order to sell its products the company uses integrated approach, by utilizing not only retail stores and direct sales force, but also online stores, whole sales, value-added resellers, and third party-cellular network carriers (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). The company’s total revenue has grown from FY 2013 to FY 2014 by 7%, generating $182, 795 million. In FY 2014, Apple Inc. has achieved substantial sales growth in Americas, which accounted for more than 40% of the total revenues, while Europe was accounted for 25, 4% (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 21). More detailed revenue generation breakdown by geographical aspect is presented in Figure 1. Comparing the sales of FY 2014 with the previous FY, it is worth to mention that some products of Apple have shown strong increase (for example, iPhone product line +11,7%, Mac Product line +12,1%, iTunes +12,5%, and accessories +6,8%), while other product lines have shown weakening position

Psychology in Silence of the Lambs Essay Example for Free

Psychology in Silence of the Lambs Essay The Silence of the Lambs 1991 Director Jonathan Demme Writer Thomas Harris Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto Jodie Foster Clarice Starling Anthony Hopkins Dr. Hannibal Lecter AKA Hannibal the Cannibal Scott Glenn -Jack Crawford Ted Levine -Jame Gumb AKA Buffalo Bill Theme can be defined as a central insight. According to the authors of The Art of Watching Films, a theme in a literary work or film should be universal and should be one that challenges people (Boggs Petric, 2008). The Silence of the Lambs shows that peoples search for peace is universal. We see characters from all walks of life searching for peace. There is Clarice Starling, an FBI agent in training, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist incarcerated for murder and cannibalism, and Jame Gumb, AKA Buffalo Bill, a man driven to murder by his sexual identity crises. Each of these characters, in their own ways, search for peace throughout the film. (Demme, 1991) Clarice Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, is seen as the main character. She begins a sort of friendship with Dr. Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, hen she is assigned to question him on the Buffalo Bill murder case. The two have much in common because they are both ostracized by society and both are searching for peace. Dr. Lecter is imprisoned and shunned by society for committing acts of cannibalism. Clarice is shunned in her own society because she is a woman in the FBI. We see her strive for peace and acceptance in this predominantly male society. We also see her struggle to find peace with her past. There are two scenes in the film that best depict Clarices search for peace. Ebert, 2001) The first scene where we see Clarice struggle to find peace in the world she wishes to inhabit is the one where she and her male boss, Crawford, go to examine the body of one of Buffalo Bills victims. Crawford suggests to a male officer that they shouldnt discuss the crime in front of a woman, Clarice. A close up of Crawford and the officer whispering and staring at Clarice is seen from her pe rspective. We as viewers see what she sees. We are brought into the film and we feel awkward Just as she does. This is an example of suture. Suture is the way a film maker draws us in. We, the viewers, become stitched into the fabric of the story (University of Wisconsin, 2013). Director Jonathan Demmes camera techniques compel us to adopt Clarices point of view above all others. We are accustomed to seeing things as she would see them. So when the direct angle changes and we are forced to look at Clarice head on in this scene, it us unnerving. As Crawtord and the officer look at ner wit n the eyes ot the audience, we feel the same anxiety she feels while being examined by the men around her. The next scene where we see Clarice search for peace, is the one in hich she discusses the films titular line. She is questioning Dr. Lecter, trying to gain some knowledge that can help her locate Buffalo Bills next victim, Catherine Martin. Hannibal agrees to answer the questions, but only if she reveals information about her childhood. Clarice recounts the story of living on a farm and being awakened by awful screaming. When she goes to investigate the noise, she sees lambs being led to slaughter. Her instinct is to free them, but they wont move. In vain, she tries to carry one away but it is too heavy for her. She cant save it. Dr. Lecter says to her; mfou still wake up sometimes, dont you? You wake up in the dark and hear the screaming of the lambs. Clarice admits this is true. He then continues; And you think if you save poor Catherine, you could make them stop, dont you? You think if Catherine lives, you wont wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming of the lambs(Demme, 1991). Clarice claims she doesnt know and it is possible she truly doesnt, but we can see in her face that wants it to be true. We see the pain in her ace and her desire to be released from the screaming and find peace. Director Jonathan Demme lets us connect with the characters by shattering the fourth wall. He positions the camera so Clarice is essentially talking to the audience in extreme close up shots. This technique instills her anguish into the audience. Clarice then becomes more demanding, asking for the killers name but before Hannibal can answer Dr. Frederick Chilton informs her its time to go. She is nearly dragged out of the room, but breaks free to run back to Hannibals cage and retrieve her case files. The visual style up to this point in the scene has been dark, but when Clarice rushes to the cage, there is light illuminating Hannibal. Clarice running towards this light represents her search for peace. She is hoping the clues left by Dr. Lecter in the case files will enable her to catch the killer, save the kidnapped girl, and stop the lambs from screaming. The Silence of the Lambs is traditionally considered a horror film. However, it is more than that. It is a great reference to sociology because it touches on so many topics important to people (Kim, 2010). Throughout the movie we see motifs of transformation and gender roles, but it is the theme of searching for peace that really speaks to us. This type of film serves the purpose of making us look inward. It forces us to identify our fears and what we are willing to do in order to find our own peace in the end. The theme is evident in the writing, but it is the vision, the use of dark and light, and camera techniques of director Jonathan Demme that truly bring it to focus. Reterences (2013). What is Suture? University of Wisconsin.

Various Solutions to Firefighter Food Purchase Essay Example for Free

Various Solutions to Firefighter Food Purchase Essay This research is about the provision of sustainable fire fighting services in a small town in Ohio called Pikering. Pikering has a population of about 8,000 residents and is situated in the rural parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has for over the years relied heavily on volunteers to provide firefighting services in the event of fire breakouts. For the past few years, the pool of volunteers has ranged between 17 and 30 in number. Owing to the few incidences of fire in the town, this small number of volunteers has often responded satisfactorily to save situations in case of fire disasters. Usually, the captain of the team of volunteers makes judgment on how to respond to cases of fore breakouts as communicated to him via telephone calls, through the Sheriff’s office or the City Manager’s office. In the past decade, the number of volunteers in the firefighting unit of Pikering township of Ohio has been dwindling. This has been occasioned by retirement of old volunteers and increased rural-urban migration of the young, energetic generation. The town has virtually remained with the old people and the very young, and the few youths available are not willing to take on the voluntary fire fighting chore. This attrition has caused concerns in the City Council. Due to the availability of state and federal funds to small municipalities like Pikering that lack proper fire emergency systems, the council has opted to put in place a paid, full-time fire department supplemented by volunteers. The council office believes that the new fully-trained fire fighting department will bring higher level of skills. Federal grant money provided to the fire fighting department is budgeted to cater for 18 full time firefighters. The funds will be dedicated towards paying the workers, maintaining high quality fire fighting quality. One of  the focuses of the council is to have a fire fighting department and staff with refined paramedic knowledge for saving lives during fire break outs. It intends to maintain some of the full-time fire fighters within the premises for quick response to emergencies. The department will not only serve the community of Pikering, but extend its services free of charge to The Problem The problem in the proposed system is that the firefighting facility can only accommodate up to 14 of the 18 firefighters. Fortunately, the facility can be modified to accommodate both male and female fire fighters. Arrangements to have the new system working are currently underway with the help of the city council, fire chief and the volunteers. There are plans to expand the annual pancake breakfast fund raisers and meals in the fire station. There are also plans to expand the kitchen into a larger cooking facility with kitchen equipment and food for the firefighters on duty. There are significant concerns about a number of issues in the proposed system: 1. Not all fire fighters are good cooks 2. The firefighters, like all other people have favorite foods and those dishes they dislike 3. Some of the firefighters may think and believe in their ability to prepare good meals, an opinion that may be disputed by other fire fighters 4. The diet provided in the fire station may not concur with dietary requirements imposed upon some of the fire fighters for medical or other special reasons 5. There should be a consideration in the food variety and wholesomeness 6. Further, rotation of the firefighters on duty may cause complications in the firefighters’ feeling of fairness and contentment with the food system. This is particularly true in the event that one’s favorite dish is constantly served while he is away and out of duty. 7. There is another problem related to contributions as there is need to ensure equitable contributions from the firefighters for the foods they consume in the fire station. 8. Additionally, some people in the fire station are bound to eat more than others 9. The city does not want to pay for the food the fire fighters will be eating in the fire station. Since the fire fighters must eat anyway, the city is determined that the amount of donation it provides towards the fire fighters’ upkeep is minimal. Research  Objective This research labors to provide solutions to the problem that are bound to face Pikering Municipality upon introduction of the full time firefighting force. There is need to ensure that the firefighting squad of the municipality feels confident that their basic requirement for food is met. It is imperative that the force remains strong and healthy by consistent and reliable supply of nutritious food in sufficient amounts. There is also need to feel fairness in the purchasing of food for the firefighters if they are to cater for their own food collectively. The report, therefore, finds solutions to these problems. It dissects the situation with an aim of finding helpful information concerning: a) Food Purchase b) Food Preparation c) Cost Sharing Predicament Data Gathering Techniques Gathering data used in this analysis came from a variety of sources. Given the scope of the problem, it was important to conduct comprehensive research on food security issues, ways of creating cheap food and collaboration. For the reasons of understanding teamwork, which is the spirit needed in making the firefighters work together and I coordination in realizing the smooth running of the fire station residence, the research considered empirical analysis of existing literature on the topic. The research made use of books, journals and articles from internet to come up with sustainable means of keeping cooperation and teamwork of the firefighters. In addition, literature on production of affordable food production techniques provided formidable data for solving the food availability issue. In addition, the research considered the people affected by the fire fighting services and sought their opinion on issues such as buying food for the firefighters. A total of 100 people of all ages, sex and race were interviewed to give their opinion on the plans. The data gathering process used questionnaires that were presented in person to the correspondents. The correspondents were arbitrarily chosen from the residents of Pikering. Research Findings Foremost, the research analysis of the problems that were cited as potential  causes of trouble to the fire fighting station residence were analyzed with a view to simplify them. Providing solutions to the problems that were most likely to cause immense challenges had to take a systematic manner and line of thought. Therefore, the research reconsidered the problems presented and classified them into two broad issues; issues of cost management of food and issues of teamwork. The research noted that providing solutions to food affordability and enhancing cooperation ad brotherhood in the working environment of the firefighters would create an environment devoid of the problems cited. From the questionnaires that the residents of Pikering Municipality filled, it was evident that the residents of the municipality were not for the opinion that the city council feeds the fire fighters, 81 of the 100 interviewed held an opinion that the fire fighters are not fed by the council. They argued that the council had more important projects that the funds could be channeled to. 63% of those who responded to oppose the plans of feeding the firefighters by the council argued that the frequency of fire outages in the municipality did not call for such drastic measures by the local government. They felt it would be a waste of resources to feed people who would stay for months without getting involved in anything constructive. The other 35% of the opponents of the move by the council to feed the firefighters felt that the firefighters do not need free food as they are able bodied people and economically gained like the rest of the public. They reasoned that if the firefighters we re to get free food, then all other workers of the council, state and federal governments deserved free food as well. Proposed Alternatives 53% of those opposed to the provision of food grants to the firefighters proposed growing of food by the firefighters in the lands of the council as one of the alternatives they had. As much as this group appreciated the need for the squad to practice eon a regular basis and undergo training, it regarded the firefighting squad as having enough free time to produce its own food. The 53% proposed that the firefighters could engage in food production activities in the vast council farms to cut on the cost of foods they may have to buy. The people reasoned that the squad would probably take 3 hours day training and spend the rest of the time idle. This was the time they would use to grow their own food. The other alternative was that the  council should deduct part of the firefighters’ pay in a mutual agreement before signing contract to cater for their own food. This would be treated as a condition in the terms of agreement to cover for their food expenses. This was an opinion of 43% of the correspondents who opposed the proposition to feed the firefighters by the council. The other 4% did not suggest any alternative to the quandary. Evaluation of the Alternatives As stated before, the research questions that were presented to the public of Pikerign Municipality concerned food production. Issues that would affect the cooperation of the firefighters in peaceful coexistence were dissected through the eyes of authors who have conducted extensive research on team work. Issues to do with cooking, appreciation of the quality of food one cooks, complaints on the types of foods offered during one’s days of duty and issues of some firefighters eating more than others would be best solved with an informed understanding of the need for teamwork. Once the council hires and places the firefighters, it will be imperative that it embarks on a thorough teamwork initiatives to have the firefighters think as a unit (Marinucci, 2009). This would be the only formidable way of ensuring there is harmony and brotherhood in the fire station residence. First, the council will need to instill a culture of inclusiveness from the first bunch of firefighters. It would be impossible to field a strong firefighting team unless all the members of the squad feel that they are part of the team. Early inculcating of such cultures is fundamental so that all who come in later blend in and play along the set rules of the institution (Mills, 2004). Secondly, the council needs to make the firefighters understand that resources of the firefighters’ station belong to all in the firefighting department. It is imperative to understand that the resources are for use by all and need to be used collectively (Mills, 2004). Further, the firefighters need to respect each other and keep confidences. In the event that they have some complaints to make for their sake or about someone, they should remember to be bold and say it to be known (Bryant, 2009). One other factor that would make the firefighting team stick together through inadequacies and disagreements is their ability to celebrate together. The firefighting staff needs to have the culture of cele brating their achievements together as a family (Marinucci, 2009). They need to gather  frequently in provided facilities to get to know each other. Further, the team needs to remember that laughter heals. They need to laugh out, be happy and share humor in good and sad times. Finally, there is need to support and accept one another (Mills, 2004). There is necessity for the firefighters to celebrate the diversity in each individual. In so doing, the fighters remember that not all of them enjoy the same food; eat the same manner and same quantities of food. By understanding these, the team will be willing to contribute towards food purchases even if they are off duty. They will not mind being away when their favorite dish is served for they love the remaining team eating the food. In exploring and realizing the full potential of the options proposed by the public opponents of the feeding program by the council, it will be possible to have the propositions work with an inspired team to work together. A firefighting team that views itself as a family will be willing to work on the farms for their own food production (Piontek, 2008). A motivated and united team is a happy team that works together with enthusiasm. Having the team work together to produce its own food is possible. Additionally, the second alternative of deducting money from the fire fighters’ wages for upkeep is a sustainable feat. The council would save money for other service provisions by teaching the firefighters make purchase their own food and supplement the deficit by farming. The only trick is to teach them to do both with passion. Recommendations From the finding s and the discussions of the research, it is evident that the public of Pikering Municipality is against the council feeding the firefighters. It is, therefore, crucial that the council reads the public mood and follows alternative means of feeding the firefighters. The firefighters should contribute part of their income to purchase their own food. They need to supplement the food deficit by farming in the council vast farms. In order to cure behavioral and social quandaries expected in the department, the council needs to focus on building teamwork and collaboration. References Bryant, M. (2009, May 31). Conflict Resolution in the Fire Service. Retrieved from http://www.firefighternation.com/article/command-leadership/conflict-resolution-fire-service Marinucci, R. A. (2009). Fire Chiefs Guide to Administration and Management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Piontek, A. (2008, July 1). The firefighters perspective. Fire Engineering, 161(7), 91. Mills, S. (2004). Teamwork: The Foundation of the Fire Service. Retrieved from http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-157/issue-8/features/teamwork-the-foundation-of-the-fire-service.html

The issue of global food security in the future

The issue of global food security in the future Introduction Food is a necessity for life, yet millions of people every day go without it, due to a lack of global food security. Food has been used for millenniums to bring people together, yet there are people in poverty every day that don’t know where their next meal is coming from. With the population steadily growing, now is a more important time than ever to eradicate hunger around the world. Description of the issue With the population set to have increased by more than 35% (Foley, 2014) in 2050, we will be faced with the reality of having to feed nine billion people. For this to be achievable, crop production would need to double, as it would have to significantly outpace population growth. With millions currently starving around the world, global food security doesn’t seem achievable. However, if we work together and are guided by the principles of human flourishing, the agriculture industry should be able to grow alongside our population, eventually resulting in food security for all. Reasons why this issue is one associated with social justice The United Nations (un.org, n.d.) defines social justice as â€Å"an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability†. Food stability is an issue associated with social justice due to the millions of people starving around the world every day because of a lack of access to food, or an inability to purchase it. Food is a necessity to live, and therefore should be available to all, regardless of geographic location, economic status, or any other disability. Stakeholders involved in this issue and analysis of their perspectives Scientific research and development bodies play a vital role in the issue of food security going forward. Global partnerships such as CGIAR work towards research for agricultural production in the developing world. Their aim is to â€Å"identify significant global development problems that science can help solve; collect and organize knowledge related to these development problems; develop research programs to fill the knowledge gaps to solve these development problems; catalyze and lead putting research into practice, and policies and institutions into place, to solve these development problems; lead monitoring and evaluation, share the lessons we learn and best practices we discover; conserve, evaluate and share genetic diversity; and strengthen skills and knowledge in agricultural research for development around the world† (CGIAR, n.d.). Through their aims, they hope to achieve four main goals: reduce rural poverty, improve food security, improve nutrition and health, and have sustainably managed natural resources. CGIAR believe that science can make radical changes to the current issue of food security, and it has been cited that â€Å"one dollar invested in CGIAR research results in about nine dollars in increased productivity in developing nations† (CGIAR, n.d.). Partnerships and bodies such as CGIAR want the current situation in regards to food security to change, as they realized that the present condition is neither sustainable, nor fair, and while it may not be easily fixed, scientific breakthroughs make the issue of food security appear to be one that can be solved. Farmers make up for 60% of the worlds population (apcentral.collegeboard.com, n.d.), yet they are constantly under threat from large corporations buying up their land. Many countries also face the issue of how to ensure increased efficiency in farming the land we already have, as Foley (2014) states â€Å"most of the land cleared for agriculture in the tropics does not contribute much to the world’s food security but is instead used to produce cattle, soybeans for livestock, timber, and palm oil. Avoiding further deforestation must be a top priority.† There are currently â€Å"yield gaps† between existing production levels and those possible in areas such as Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. â€Å"Using high-tech, precision farming systems, as well as approaches borrowed from organic farming, we could boost yields in these places several times over† (Foley, 2014), which is important in providing more food to the world, while not increasing the size of the agricultural footprint. If farmers were able to invest in these technologies, such as subsurface drip irrigation, cover crops, and mulches, there may be a high upfront cost, but they would be producing more, which would lead to them increasing their profit once the produce is sold. With a higher profit, these small farmers may be able to better stand their ground against large corporations. These methods of organic farming are also more environmentally friendly, which is important as issues such as climate change have a large impact on agriculture. While it is often believed that small farmers are better, putting more heart and soul into what they do, there is still a role for multinational agribusinesses in the road towards food security. Many of these businesses, such as Monsanto, have been working to develop products, and methods to help farmers grow more on the land they have. Agribusinesses work closely with the scientific research and development bodies, as they are often the largest investors. Companies, like Monsanto, have spent millions on developing agricultural innovations in key areas, such as breeding, where they select the more desirable traits from existing plants; biotechnology, where they add these beneficial traits into the DNA of another plant; integrated farming systems (IFS), which helps farmers utilise the resources they have for maximum yield, while reducing the amount of wasted resources; and chemistry, where studies are done to minimise environmental impact of herbicides, while still protecting crops from pests (Monsanto.com, n.d.). Companies like Monsanto recognise that they need to invest further in agriculture, as the lack of food security means that they are being badly perceived, and largely blamed, due to their for-profit nature, and their use of terminator genes in their seeds, leaving a heavy financial burden on farmers, as they are unable to use the seeds again for next year. Many foods are already genetically modified, but Monsanto’s lack of ethical boundaries in doing so (such as the terminator gene to boost their profits, and crops that will only work in conjunction with their other products to gain and to capture a captive market), has resulted in public outcry against the corporation worldwide. Protest against the company has come from all corners of the globe, not just the United States, and Australia, as it is the farmers in the developing world that are most effected. These sort of issues need to be addressed if we are to produce enough food for the growing population, as all farmland ne eds to be utilised efficiently, not just those farmers who can afford it. Analysis of the issue in relation to the common good and the principles of human flourishing The common good can be defined as benefiting everybody in the world. Human flourishing comes from the Greek word eudemonia, which is a core idea to Aristotelian philosophy. It promotes the idea that by working together, and finding meaning in our lives, we will flourish as a whole. The principles of human flourishing guide us in ways we can work together and find the meaning we need to achieve this. Global food security is an issue affecting the word, where the current injustice of the many people left malnourished needs to be responded to at a global level. The common good urges us to work together in collaboration to take responsibility for those around us, and pursue conditions in which we can achieve a life that is good for all, not just a majority. In order to achieve this, we must fight against injustices, such as Monsanto’s mistreatment of small farmers, at both local and global levels. Charity organizations can only do so much to help, and promoting the common good often challenges many current social values, and social structures that allow these injustices to take place without government interference. The main principles of human flourishing relating to the issue of food security is: the dignity of the human person, preferential option for the poor, stewardship of creation, and solidarity. The dignity of the human person is an important principle in food security, as it promotes the rights of those who may not be able to bring attention to their needs themselves. Avocation is important, as it is often those who need the most help that are unable to ask for it. Many small farmers in Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe are struggling to produce enough food, not just for global consumption, but also for themselves. Due to their nature as small farmers and not multination businesses, their voice isn’t often heard when speaking out against the problems in the agriculture industry worldwide, such as Monsanto’s use of terminator genes in their seeds, which further disadvantages the poor. The poor cannot afford to keep buying new seeds every season, often relying on the seeds gathered from last season to replant. This keeps costs low for small farmers, and allows them to increase their profit margin. Monsanto’s use of the terminator gene means that the seeds can only be used once, and often only used when combined with other Monsanto products. Monsanto has been suffering public backlash over these issues for years as a result. A preferential option for the poor would see governments and not-for-profit organizations providing resources, such as non-genetically modified seed, or fertilizer, to these smaller farmers, allowing them to kick start their production. This would utilize the land already cleared for farming, and reduce environmental impact as well. Stewardship of creation is the principle of looking after the planet. Agriculture has already lead to â€Å"an area roughly the size of South America† (Foley, 2014) being cleared for crops, and even more land â€Å"roughly the size of Africa† (Foley, 2014) has been cleared as pastureland for livestock. This has resulted in the loss of whole ecosystems, and is not sustainable. Particularly with the rise of global warming, deforestation is not an option. In order for us to maintain the planet for future generations, we must use the land we have available more efficiently so we can still produce enough to provide food security. It is our responsibility to care for the planet, so it can care for us in return. Solidarity is the principle that it is our responsibility to care for each other across racial, economic, cultural, national, and ideological differences, while promoting rights for every person. In order to accommodate their needs, we must first recognize that everybody is different; while there are people starving in developing nations around the world, there are also many homeless and hungry people right here in Sydney that require our help. Their needs may differ greatly, despite their common problem of a shortage of food. Solidarity is recognizing those abroad, as well as those at home, and working towards global food security together. A proposed resolution for realising the common good In order to reach global food security by 2050, we must take steps now to be able to achieve the common good. With scientific developments, we are able to better develop the land we already have available, allowing us to produce more without further damaging the environment. By utilising high-tech farming systems, we can work towards reducing the yield gaps we currently have, boosting the output from these areas, as well as providing a much more reliable source of income to these small farmers. With the scientific research and developments that have taken, and are currently taking place, small farmers are able to better understand the best ways to work their land, not only to create a higher yield, but also to save and use resources more efficiently. This helps the environment, as up to 70% of water is used in agriculture, and also saves the small farmers money. A big part of realising the common good is understanding our part in it on an individual scale as well. We may not be scientists or farmers, but by participating in actively changing our diet, we, too, can help global food security be achievable by 2050. As Foley (2014) states, â€Å"for every 100 calories of grain we feed animals, we get only about 40 new calories of milk, 22 calories of eggs, 12 of chicken, 10 of pork, or 3 of beef. Finding more efficient ways to grow meat and shifting to less meat-intensive diets—even just switching from grain-fed beef to meats like chicken, pork, or pasture-raised beef—could free up substantial amounts of food across the world†. Conclusion Global food security is an issue that affects us all. Agriculture is one of the oldest and largest industries in the world, but it still has a long way to go before it is able to cater for the growing population. However, the issue has been recognised, and together, we are working towards eliminating hunger, and providing food security by 2050.

The Virtual Umwelt :: Internet Communication Essays

The Virtual Umwelt In my last reflexive paper titled Semiotics in Cyberspace (April, 1995), I referred to the following statement from Philip Elmer-DeWitt's article Welcome to Cyberspace: What is it? Where is it? And how to get there?: "Stripped of the external trappings of wealth, power, beauty and social status, people tend to be judged in the Cyberspace of the Internet only by their ideas and their ability to get them across in terse, vigorous prose." This statement was used to prove a point in that context. The point was that Cyberspace is a place for the discovery and exploration of semiosis. I found Elmer-DeWitt's comment to be an excellent example of the kinds of issues that semioticians could argue about when analyzing the semiosis of the Internet. In his statement, Elmer-DeWitt depicts Cyberspace as what appears to be a world without umwelts. He implies that the only reference we have from others in Cyberspace is their writing and composition abilities (as if those by themselves were not signs leading to a million interpretations). I very much disagree with Elmer-DeWitt's argument. Semiosis in Cyberspace is a lot more complex than just the act of signification from writing styles and well chosen words. Most of us would agree that when communicating through the Internet we all must realize that we do so with other human beings, not with machines. Those machines might be considered to be one of the components of our umwelt in the context of that experience. The technological devices we need to interact with are bear essentials of Cyberspace and they establish the first element of characterization we use to impersonate other human beings. We know that our correspondents must have access to the technology and should have a certain amount of skills in order to get to Cyberspace. By simply making this assumption (which in most cases is true) we are issuing a set of new set of labels and re-localizing our correspondents in a specific spot within our umwelts. We might very easily connect characteristics like the access to highly technological devices with a relatively high socio-economical status or with a certain level of academic achievement. I also believe that most of us conduct very dynamic communications through the net. We do not just read messages. Instead, we try to find out more from the person who wrote it. We start by looking at things like their e-mail addresses.