Smart Cities Essays - Ministry Of Urban Development, Free Essays

Smart Cities Essays - Ministry Of Urban Development, Free Essays Ministry of Urban Development Government of India June 2015 Smart Cities Mission Statement & Guidelines Government of India Ministry of Urban Development (June, 2015) Contents 1. The Challenge of Urbanization 5 2. What is a smart city 5 3. Smart City Features 7 4. Coverage and Duration 7 5. Strategy 8 6. Proposal Preparation 9 7. Smart Cities Selection Process 10 8. How Many Smart Cities in Each State/UT? 11 9. The Process of Selection of Smart Cities 11 10. Implementation by Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) 12 11. Financing of Smart Cities 13 12. Funds Release 14 13. Mission Monitoring 15 14. Convergence with Other Government Schemes 17 15. Challenges 18 Annexures Annexure 1: Scope of work for the Smart City Consulting Firm 21 Annexure 2: Number of cities allocated to States based on urban population and number of statutory towns 23 Annexure 3: Challenge Stage 1: Preconditions and Documents to be submitted by each State 25 Annexure 4: Challenge Stage 2: Criteria and Indicative Table of Contents 33 Annexure 5: Structure and Functions of SPV 37 Annexure 6: Utilization Certificate Format 41 Annexure 7: Score Card for Smart Cities 42 5 Smart Cities Mission 1. The Challenge of Urbanization 1.1 Cities are engines of growth for the economy of every nation, including India. Nearly 31% of Indias current population lives in urban areas and contributes 63% of Indias GDP (Census 2011). With increasing urbanization, urban areas are expected to house 40% of Indias population and contribute 75% of Indias GDP by 2030. This requires comprehensive development of physical, institutional, social and economic infrastructure. All are important in improving the quality of life and attracting people and investments to the City, setting in motion a virtuous cycle of growth and development. Development of Smart Cities is a step in that direction. 2. What is a smart city 2.1 The first question is what is meant by a smart city. The answer is, there is no universally accepted definition of a Smart City. It means different things to different people. The conceptualisation of Smart City, therefore, varies from city to city and country to country, depending on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, resources and aspirations of the city residents. A Smart City would have a different connotation in India than, say, Europe. Even in India, there is no one way of defining a Smart City. 2.2 Some definitional boundaries are required to guide cities in the Mission. In the imagination of any city dweller in India, the picture of a Smart City contains a wish list of infrastructure and services that describes his or her level of aspiration. To provide for the aspirations and needs of the citizens, urban planners ideally aim at developing the entire urban eco-system, which is represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure. This can be a long term goal and cities can work towards developing such comprehensive infrastructure incrementally, adding on layers of smartness. 2.3 In the approach to the Smart Cities Mission, the objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of Smart Solutions. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities. The Smart Cities Mission of the Government is a bold, new initiative. It is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country. 2.4 The core infrastructure elements in a Smart City would include: i. adequate water supply, ii. assured electricity supply, iii. sanitation, including solid waste management, 6 iv. efficient urban mobility and public transport, v. affordable housing, especially for the poor, vi. robust IT connectivity and digitalization, vii. good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation, viii. sustainable environment, ix. safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly, and x. health and education. 2.5 As far as Smart Solutions are concerned, an illustrative list is given below. This is not, however, an exhaustive list, and cities are free to add more applications. 2.6 Accordingly, the purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially technology that leads to Smart outcomes. Area-based development will transform existing areas (retrofit and redevelop), including slums, into better planned ones, thereby improving liveability of the whole City. New areas (greenfield) will be developed

Showing Dialect in Dialogue

Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue By Maeve Maddox A reader asks how a writer wishing to create â€Å"a redneck swagger† would rewrite the â€Å"regular English† sentence â€Å"You’re surprising to me.† He offers the following options: â€Å"Y’a surprisin’ t’a me.† â€Å"Y’ah surprisin’ t’ah me.† â€Å"Ya surprisin ta me.† â€Å"Yah surprisin tah me.† Note: You can find my thoughts on the use of the term redneck here: Better Use â€Å"Redneck† With Care. My reaction to the model dialogue is that a â€Å"redneck† is not likely to utter the original sentence, with or without apostrophes. A native English speaker of any dialect would be more likely to say, â€Å"You surprise me.† But the point of the question has to do with the use of apostrophes and contractionsand presumably funny spellingsto represent dialect in fictional dialogue. Fashions in writing change. Representing dropped letters with apostrophes was a common device with 19th century authors. Well, then, Master Marner, it come to me summat like this: I can make nothing o the drawing o lots and the answer coming wrong; it ud mayhap take the parson to tell that, and he could only tell us i big words. George Eliot, Silas Marner. â€Å"I got hurt a little, en couldn’t swim fas’, so I wuz a considable ways behine you, towards de las’; when you landed I reck’ned I could ketch up wid you on de lan’ ‘doubt havin’ to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go slow.† Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn. Modern readers have little patience with this kind of writing. For one thing, multiple apostrophes and odd spellings are visually distracting. For another, such detailed attention to pronunciation in a novel distracts from the thought that the character is expressing, thereby interfering with an understanding of the narrative. In addition, some readers who speak nonstandard dialects find attempts to represent their home dialectseven if they are successful renditionsdisrespectful. Sprinkling dialogue with odd spellings is especially pointless when the misspelling conveys the same pronunciation as the standard spelling. For example, sez for says, and shure for sure. The consensus among today’s writing coaches is that dialect is best expressed with vocabulary, grammar, and easily understood regional expressions, rather than with apostrophes and made-up spellings. For example, the following bit of dialogue conveys rural speech without recourse to dropped letters or misspellings: That woman runs around with anything in pants. Can’t figure out how her and him got together in the first place. Good Lord knows he’s boring as a fence post.† –Nancy Hartney, Washed in the Water. Words like drawl and whine, and expressions like â€Å"a clipped Northern accent† can also be used to suggest a specific way of speaking. In writing dialogue, let the words do the work. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withDoes "Mr" Take a Period?9 Forms of the Past Tense

International business(fail in emerging economies) Essay - 1

International business(fail in emerging economies) - Essay Example This is because globalization of markets, as Czinkota, et al (2010) says, has also led to the globalization of business risk. There can be a myriad of reasons for these divestments but there has not been any detailed research to investigate the underlying factors that affect the divestment. The most generic definitions of divestment is a situation where a business willingly sells off some of its assets as a result of a discontinuation of part of it operations (Nees, 1978). Divestments can therefore happen locally or in a situation where a firm requires divesting from a one of its overseas branch (Davis, 1974, p. 16). There are some generic reasons why a firm may opt to divest. These include raising funds, need to focus on core business, specialization, asset consolidation and cleansing (removing dysfunctional parts of the firm) etc (Hamilton & Chow, 1993, p.479). The current trend to divest from international markets may indicate that none of these may be involved and therefore there is a need to investigate the real dynamics behind multinational divestments from emerging markets. Wal-Mart is one of the oldest and most successful retail chains in the US. The firm runs hundreds of stores in America and across a number of other countries across the world (Wall Mart, 2013). Wal-Mart was one of the first retail chains to use information technology to help in meeting customers’ needs and also in increasing efficiency. To achieve this, the firm uses high end computer servers and system that make data sharing easy and efficient. The firm is able to have a real time data sharing using a wide area network that connects all its stores. With this kind of sharing of data the firm is able to increase efficiency and therefore make customer service better (Wall Mart, 2013). For instance, data collected at the point of sale units in every Wal-Mart satire is sent to a computer in real time. This data is used in managing inventory and also in helping

Governance in the Caribbean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Governance in the Caribbean - Research Paper Example In political dimension, the Caribbean is defined by such countries as the republic of Guyana, Suriname and the Belize. In understanding the region of Caribbean, this paper intends to analyze the governance systems that are exercised within the region with special attention to the role that the legislative and or civil societies play in improving the governance practices within the region. Democracies have taken a central role in the modern day government systems across the globe. The provisions of democracy as a school of thought within the political government dictate the government that is instituted to cater for the people by the people. This has therefore given rise to active participation in governance structures and practices by civil societies and collaboration of these groups and the legislature of the democratic countries. Therefore the focus of this paper will be on understanding how the legislature and the civil institutions get involved in government processes within this region. The civil societies and institutions have come up to be very influential in matters of leadership and governances across the globe.1 In the Caribbean region, the governments have not failed to recognize the strategic role played by the legislature as well as the civil society institutions. For instance, the Caribbean region countries together with other sovereign countries found within Africa and North America have sought ways to have the civil society organizations included in policy deliberations.2 Corporate governance has gained special attention in the government systems across the globe in the recent past. It has been studied with special attention, as it is perceived to be an integral constituent in developing the appropriate infrastructure necessary for the realization of transparent as well as sound money as well as capital markets. The sound governance in the institutions defines the levels of investor confidence created within these countries as well as determinin g the levels of liquidity within the markets. 3 Nevertheless, some regions such as areas within the Caribbean region organized markets have been and continue to be nascent with weak corporate control, which necessitates deliberate efforts to realize governance structures, which are credible. The government corporate has suffered great losses through corrupt activities, under competent directors as well as other negligent corporate scandals. The civil societies have therefore come up strategic in addressing these underperformances with the objective of restoring sanity to government institutions, which are responsible in corporate management. Poor governance structures as instituted by the current constitutions governing many of the Caribbean states have led to observable conflicts between the public as represented by the civil groups and the government represented by the military and the political class. Powerful political executives as well as authoritarian rule characterize the go vernance frameworks within many of the Caribbean countries such as Jamaica. This has been evidenced by one party dominance and control in parliaments within the Caribbean region. Ratings by the Transparency international on corruption indices within many of the countries within this region has been low and the general perception by majority of the electorate within the

Mary Magdalene Essay Example for Free

Mary Magdalene Essay Do you know who i am? are you not attracted to my beauty? Many lovers have come and gone through my life. but a lot of people hate me. They say i am an adulterous woman. They say i have seven demons in my body. I hate this kind of life, you know. Nobody really loves me, and the burden of my sin is heavy upon me. I am Mary of Magdala. Just call me Mary Magdalene. I am in search of true love and acceptance. But who will ever love a sinner such as I? (walks sideways and to the center of the stage) Jesus I heard that a certain jesus has come to our town. He was healing the sick ones, and calling the sinners to repentance. Who is this man that He would even proclaim forgiveness for the sins of many? I must see Jesus! He must have answers to my questions! One day, a Pharisee named Simon hosted a feast and Jesus was one of the invited guests. I will not miss the chance to meet Jesus. I will prepare myself for the feast. (Mary removes the beads on her head, wears a veil and got ready with an alabaster flask of perfume) With this alabaster flask of perfume, I will annoint Jesus feet. (Many tries to see from afar the crowd at Simons place) Oh! There is a big crowd in Simons house. How could I possibly get inside? Oh, Ill wait until Jesus enters. By then, the crowd at the gate wil be ushered in. There is Jesus sitting near the host Simon. I tried to inch my way through the crowd until I finally knelt down at His feet. I wasted no time to pour the ointment on His feet and I wipe His feet with my hair. Then with a gentle voice he said to me, Woman, your sins are forgiven, your faith has saved you, go in peace. My heart rejoiced as I went away. The burden of my sins rolled away. Now Im free to obey Him. The next time I saw Jesus, He was haning on the cross, crucified between two thieves. My heart was crushed with grief. Who has done this crime? Who killed my Jesus? Can anybody tell me? Who killed Jesus? Was it the Hebrew children? A while ago, they were shouting: Crucify Hiim, (pause), crucify Him, crucify Him! Was it Pontius Pilate? he was the Governor who gave permission for His crucifixion. Was it the Roman soldiers? Torture of criminals is part of their profession. But Jesus wasnt a criminal! He was a sinless man. Who killed Jesus? Now its plain to see. It was really me! My sins! He died for my sins! Jesus, thank You for forgiving me at such a great price.

The Turn of the Screw Essay -- Literary Analysis, Henry James

Superficially, Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw seems to reinforce the status quo of American literature as male, whereby men are viewed as having power over women leaving women to become mere objects. James creates a nameless female protagonist whose story is told through the guise of a male narrator. She becomes an object viewed by Douglas’s audience and is used simply as means for the master on Harley Street to avoid being bothered by his charges. She is then set up as naà ¯ve and love-struck, willing to do just about anything, including risking her own sanity, for the sake of keeping the master undisturbed. However, on closer examination, James actually creates a novella that subverts the traditional idea of men having power over women as it is the governess who has the final word in her story, not the male Douglas, and it is the male heir Miles who becomes the scapegoat leaving the governess free, â€Å"awfully clever and nice† (James 24). James’s unfinished frame tale creates frustration and confusion but his experiment with form also draws attention to what has largely been left unconscious. Through Douglas’s initial telling of the governess’s story she is reduced to a nameless object that they all raptly listen about rather than listen to. While at the start, Douglas does have power over the governess’s story, in the end it is the governess who has the final word and Douglas, who disappears after only the first seven pages, is never to be heard from again. James relinquishes power to the governess and allows her to participate as there is no need to return to the male voice once she takes over. Furthermore, as the governess does remain nameless throughout her own narrative this hardly is a power issues as both the master on... ...til finally â€Å"the air was clear† (116-117). In this way the governess is able to reverse the roles of passive/female and active/male as she denies Quint the power of his gaze and instead forces him to be the object of her gaze. Through his distortion of traditional male dominated structures and ideas, James is able to not only draw attention to the inequality of men’s power over women but he also uses the same devices to subvert this binary opposition. Through a distortion of the assumed patriarchal order the governess is able to adopt male characteristics in order to wrest back some of the power initially taken from her. Whether consciously or unconsciously James’s unfinished frame, disturbing death of Miles, and the disappearance of Quint’s ghost all point to a hidden power within the governess allowing her to survive long after her weaker male counterparts.

Sexuality of Men and Women: A Comparison

The perceived views of men s and women s sexuality have been the subject of great speculation and conflict. Although great strides have been made over the years in the sexual â€Å"revolution†, the basic views of male and female sexuality have remained the same. Throughout history the ideas of proper sexuality for men and women have changed little. Men have always been portrayed as the aggressive pursuer of a woman’s sexual favors. Women, in turn, have been required by society to diligently preserve their honor outside of the marital bed. Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† offers a good example of the game-like behavior that has become almost expected of a man and woman in society. The narrator beseeches his Lady to â€Å"sport us while we may like amorous birds of prey†. The Lady on the other hand, flirts casually and spurns the narrator’s advances. Women are praised highly for their virtue and honor in keeping their virginity for the institution of marriage. Even though it is perfectly acceptable for a man to attempt for and even acquire the sexual favors of a woman it is a social sin and in some areas a crime for a woman to succumb to her sexual desires outside of marriage. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, Hester Prynne is ostracized by her community for having an extra-marital affair. Her punishment condemns her for her adultery and assures her a lifetime of humiliation. Many societies have gone through great lengths over the centuries to ensure fidelity or virginity in women. In the Middle Ages, women were often forced to wear chastity belts to ensure their virtue was kept intact while men were away at war or some other manly undertaking. In some countries, women are forced to cover every inch of their bodies in an effort to avoid the advances of other men. The narrator in Amy Lowells Patterns speaks of her passion that wars against the stiff brocade of her dress, the very heavy and unrevealing style of the era in which the poem is set. She laments the death of her betrothed as they were to be wed in a month and, as she felt bound by the dress, he was to have freed her from it. This poem also illustrates how the narrator, as many women in the past, did not consider it proper to succumb to her passions before marriage. Men on the other hand have often been revered for their sexual prowess. Kings often kept concubines, or mistresses. In some countries, it is acceptable for a man to have many wives. Sexual conquest has become almost a gauge by which manhood is tested. Men are often bombarded by peer pressure to become sexually active at an early age. Seen as a rite of passage by many men, they begin their pursuit of women before they are even capable of reproduction. In Stevie Smith s The Frog Prince, the narrator speaks of his being happy the way he is but he feels that it is required of him to have a girl. Changing times have allowed people to become a little more open in expressing their sexuality. However, more often than not, most men and women tend to conform themselves to expectations that remain the same even in today s society.

Mediating Morality Essay

This case has lots of different goals by each person and different feelings about what needs to be done. Syl priority is to get the project completed while Daniel is more focused on his belief that he is being discriminated against. Robert also wants to get the project completed but does not want to work with Daniel the same way his was before he discovered Daniel is in a homo-sexual relationship. Syl did a good thing having separate conversations with both Daniel and Robert on a way to still complete the project but when she brought them together to discuss how they would precede it fell apart. I believe when things became heated she should have ended the meeting. Allowing the guys to argue back and forth created more tension in the situation. I also believe that she should have been more commanding of here statements and not allow Robert to spread his bias to other employees. Daniel is worried about Robert spreading rumors and dislike for him to other employees. This is especially true because Robert is bringing two other employees into the project to replace Daniel because of he doesn’t like Daniel’s lifestyle. I also agree with Syl about Daniel not having a discrimination lawsuit because this situation is not hurting Daniel’s work life unless they do not complete the project. He may become uncomfortable with certain co-workers because of them listening to Robert but his work position and being able to advance it will not be affected. Robert’s priority is to also complete the project but he does not want to complete it with Daniel. He believes moral standards should be upheld in the workplace and this is important. The only thing I have against this is that this company already has a benefits process in place for same sex spouses. Knowing the company has this if Robert does not believe in same sex marriage and does not want to be around it he should consider finding a new job. This is a hard case to digest and deal with but well placed mediation and goal setting can help the process. Robert should consider a new job or counseling to help deal with his dislike of same sex marriage. Daniel should not let this affect his priorities of completing the project.

Understanding Social Exchange Theory

Understanding Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory is a model for interpreting society as a series of interactions between people that are based on estimates of rewards and punishments. According to this view, our interactions are determined by the rewards or punishments that we expect to receive from others, which we evaluate using a  cost-benefit analysis  model (whether consciously or subconsciously). Overview Central to the social exchange theory is the idea that an interaction that elicits approval from another person is more likely to be repeated than an interaction that elicits disapproval. We can thus predict whether a particular interaction will be repeated by calculating the degree of reward (approval) or punishment (disapproval) resulting from the interaction. If the reward for an interaction exceeds the punishment, then the interaction is likely to occur or continue. According to this theory, the formula for predicting the behavior of any individual in any situation is: Behavior (profits) Rewards of interaction – costs of interaction. Rewards can come in many forms: social recognition, money, gifts, and even subtle everyday gestures like a smile, nod, or pat on the back. Punishments also come in many forms, from extremes like public humiliation, beating, or execution, to subtle gestures like a raised eyebrow or a frown. While social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist George Homans, who wrote about it in an essay titled Social Behavior as Exchange. Later, sociologists Peter Blau and Richard Emerson further developed the theory. Example A simple example of social exchange theory can be seen in the interaction of asking someone out on a date. If the person says yes, you have gained a reward and are likely to repeat the interaction by asking that person out again, or by asking someone else out. On the other hand, if you ask someone out on a date and they reply, â€Å"No way!† then you have received a punishment that will probably cause you to shy away from repeating this type of interaction with the same person in the future. Basic Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory People who are involved in the interaction are rationally seeking to maximize their profits.Most gratification among humans comes from others.People have access to information about social, economic, and psychological aspects of their interactions that allow them to consider the alternative, more profitable situations relative to their present situation.People are goal oriented in a freely competitive system.The exchange operates within cultural norms.Social credit is preferred over social indebtedness.The more deprived the individual feels in terms of an act, the more the person will assign a value to it.People are rational and calculate the best possible means to compete in rewarding situations. The same is true of punishment avoidance situations. Critiques Many critique this theory for presuming that people always make rational decisions, and point out that this theoretical model fails to capture the power that emotions play in our daily lives and in our interactions with others. This theory also undercuts the power of social structures and forces, which unconsciously shape our perception of the world and our experiences within it, and play a strong role in shaping our interactions with others.

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements

Island of Stability - Discovering Superheavy Elements The island of stability is that wondrous place where heavy isotopes of elements stick around long enough to be studied and used. The island is located within a sea of radioisotopes that decay into daughter nuclei so quickly its difficult for scientists to prove the element existed, much less use the isotope for a practical application. Key Takeaways: Island of Stability The island of stability refers to a region of the periodic table consisting of super-heavy radioactive elements that have at least one isotope with a relatively long half-life.The nuclear shell model is used to predict the location of the islands, based on maximizing the binding energy between protons and neutrons.Isotopes on the island are believed to have magic numbers of protons and neutrons that allow them to maintain some stability.Element 126, should it ever be produced, is believed to have an isotope with a long enough half-life that it can be studied and potentially used. History of the Island Glenn T. Seaborg coined the phrase island of stability in the late 1960s. Using the nuclear shell model, he proposed filling the energy levels of a given shell with the optimal number of protons and neutrons would maximize binding energy per nucleon, permitting that particular isotope to have a longer half-life than other isotopes, which did not have filled shells. Isotopes that fill nuclear shells possess what are called magic numbers of protons and neutrons. Finding the Island of Stability The location of the island of stability is predicted based on known isotope half-lives and predicted half-lives for elements that have not been observed, based on calculations relying on the elements behaving like those above them on the periodic table (congeners) and obeying equations that account for relativistic effects. The proof that the island of stability concept is sound came when physicists were synthesizing element 117. Although the isotope of 117 decayed very quickly, one of the products of its decay chain was an isotope of lawrencium that had never been observed before. This isotope, lawrencium-266, displayed a half-life of 11 hours, which is extraordinarily long for an atom of such a heavy element. Previously known isotopes of lawrencium had fewer neutrons and were much less stable. Lawrencium-266 has 103 protons and 163 neutrons, hinting at as-yet-undiscovered magic numbers that may be used to form new elements. Which configurations might possess magic numbers? The answer depends who you ask, because its a matter of calculation and theres not standard set of equations. Some scientists suggest there might be an island of stability around 108, 110, or 114 protons and 184 neutrons. Others suggest a spherical nucleus with 184 neutrons, but 114, 120, or 126 protons might work best. Unbihexium-310 (element 126) is doubly magic because its proton number (126) and neutron number (184) are both magic number. However you roll the magic dice, data obtained from the synthesis of elements 116, 117, and 118 point toward increasing half-life as the neutron number approached 184. Some researchers believe the best island of stability might exists at much larger atomic numbers, like around element number 164 (164 protons). Theorists are investigating the region where Z 106 to 108 and N is around 160-164, which appears sufficiently stable with respect to beta decay and fission. Making New Elements from the Island of Stability Although scientists might be able to form new stable isotopes of known elements, we dont have the technology to go much past 120 (work which is currently underway). Its likely a new particle accelerator will need to be constructed that would be capable of focusing onto a target with greater energy. Well also need to learn to make larger amounts of known heavy nuclides to serve as targets for making these new elements. New Atomic Nucleus Shapes The usual atomic nucleus resembles a solid ball of protons and neutrons, but atoms of elements on the island of stability may take new shapes. One possibility would be a bubble-shaped or hollow nucleus, with the protons and neutrons forming a sort of shell. Its hard to even imagine how such a configuration might affect the properties of the isotope. One thing is certain, though... there are new elements yet to be discovered, so the periodic table of the future will look very different from the one we use today.

Animal Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Animal Behavior - Essay Example In what ways were chimpanzees superior to humans Goodall observed (p. 232) that unlike humans, a chimpanzee is not inhibited by any fear of making a fool of him/herself. What this means is that chimpanzees may not exhibit in their adulthood the effects of any traumatic experiences in their childhood. They instinctively learn from their experience and move on is what she seemed to imply, although such a conclusion may be doubtful scientifically because it was not possible at the time of her observation to have any properly documented childhood histories of the adult chimpanzees she observed. And, of course, what we may consider foolish behavior may be for a chimpanzee just an ordinary show of animal happiness. At the least, we can admit that chimpanzees are superior in a way because they do not go around rampaging in the forest just because they were bullied by others of their kind, as Goodall observed. Goodall also made some observations where humans were "better" than chimpanzees, and this is in caring for their young (p. 185). Unlike humans where the male of the species get involved (emotionally and physically) from pregnancy to adulthood, male chimpanzees do not do so, leaving the task and troubles of pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing to the female. This form of behavior Goodall marks as one of the main differences between human and chimpanzee societies. This leads us to ask whether this difference has something to do with the malaise in human society today, and whether leaving child-rearing to human mothers would be better. There were other instances when Goodall found chimpanzees in a league of their own and incomparable to humans, such as in the way they trust the others, especially humans, or in the tolerant and kind behavior they show towards their young (p. 74; p. 178). They do not turn traitor, friendly one moment and then aggressive the next, or harm others for no reason. This did not mean that chimpanzees do not express aggressive behavior when threatened, but once they accept someone as their own, everyone is expected to follow the established social order or get out of the group (perhaps, start a new one). In a sense, these chimpanzees were exhibiting animal behavior but devoid of the evil and bad intentions that abound among humans. Personally, Goodall's account shows the many similarities and differences between humans and chimpanzees, and leads me to question the advantages and disadvantages of rational behavior, or whether chimpanzees can teach us lessons that would help us make this world a better place. Looking at the world as it is now, I disagree with Goodall's observation (p. 34) that we accept the chimpanzee as Man, because I think it would be an insult to the chimpanzee. Perhaps later, when we humans learn to use our "superior" mental and spiritual capacities to do what is good and to avoid evil, it would be an honor for us to be accepted by the chimpanzees as their biological and genomic kin. The Truth about Dogs Budiansky (2001) presented a genomic dimension of man's best friend, a "gene's eye" view to show how dogs evolved from their

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New Essay

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New - Essay Example The effects of the European germs had a far more detrimental effect on the Native American population than did any series of wars or massacres of Indians for the lands they possessed. In fact, many scholars have argued that one of the prime reasons that the Native Americans were unable to defend themselves successfully from the subsequent invasion of the Europeans was due to the decreased, sickly, and severely damaged populations that they were left with.Likewise, the horse revolutionized the way of life for the Native American. As the notes indicated, tribes had previously relied on human power and dogs to move goods from one point to another; however, with the introduction of the horse, a great deal of range was gained. Furthermore, with respect to the Europeans, the availability of New World bison and deer provided supplies of wild meat that did not exist in Europe. In this way, settlers were able to supplement their oftentimes meager harvests by relying on the bountiful supplies of wild game that the New World had to offer. Furthermore, with respect to the transfer of plants, one cannot minimize the important role that tobacco and sugarcane played as instruments of trade between the Old World and the New. Europe’s increasing demand for tobacco and sugarcane led to further colonization and development/cultivation of the New World. Furthermore, the New World additionally offered Europe supplies of wheat, corn, and beans that it previously could not enjoy.