Less Could be More in Anna Karenina :: Tolstoy Anna Karenina Essays

Less Could be More in Anna Karenina    Anna Karenina was well-written, with a good plot, and valuable themes. But it fell short in each of these categories, because Tolstoy simply tried to do too much. The language was beautiful but, at times, far too descriptive. The plot was also well written, but tedious and hard to follow in many parts of the book. And the Themes were great and important, but they were many, and at times, not appropriate for this book. The book was great, but it could have said much more, and been better, if Tolstoy had said a little less.    The language in Anna Karenina was wonderful, although graphic and too descriptive in much of the book. Tolstoy was a great writer, and that is why this book is a classic. However, he should have made choices about what to emphasize, and what not to. Tolstoy had a great writing style. He used some wonderful techniques and literary devices in his writing to make is books so great. One example of this is how he often times placed characters in his books that mirrored himself, as is true with Anna Karenina. While this tool can be effective, in Anna Karenina it was mostly awkward. This character seemed to be somewhat misplaced, and unimportant. He also used a good deal of foreshadowing to give his books a more unique style. In one instance during Anna Karenina, Anna arrives at the train station to find that a man has been run-over by the train, which greatly foreshadows her own poignant suicide in part seven of the book. Tolstoy's language is compelling and fluid. He paints a clear and accurate picture in the reader's mind of all the details throughout the book. But his strength can very much be his weakness, because in trying to be so thorough and compelling, he over-analyzed and over-described many parts of the book.    The themes of this book were many. Some were well developed and appropriate to the story, but others seemed unnecessary. The books major themes were marriage and unhappiness, while the book also deals with depression, and making choices. This book follows several marriages and families, and these themes proved themselves to be very important and essential in Anna Karenina.

My Brother Jack :: essays research papers

MY BROTHER JACK 1.There are numerous reasons why this novel is titled My brother Jack. The title My Brother Jack deludes the reader in thinking the novel is based on Jack, yet we find that the prevailing concern is not ‘My Brother Jack’ at all. The title suggests a rewriting of Jack’s life. The novel is also called My Brother Jack because of the fact that the author George Johnston, portrayed as David had a brother named Jack, with whom he shared a good relationship with and was also a prominent person in his life. Since Jack is the person in whom David has the greatest sense of identity and reverence, it may well be an appropriate title. In the novel My Brother Jack David often writes about Jack and recapitulates the episodes of his life with Jack. This is evident in a statement David made about his brother as he was travelling on a train. ‘I saw him suddenly as a find of sunburnt Icarus, a freeman, buoyant and soaring in his own air, in the clear and boundless space of an element families yet new’ (pg 294). It is evident through examples, why the novel was called ‘My Brother Jack’. The title may suggest an account of Jack’s life through the eyes of David. The perception you get is that Jack’s life is of greater importance than David’s. Shifting the novel focus from his own inadequacies, George Johnston tries to in fact get the reader to confront these issues. 2. George Johnston uses the theme of deception all through the novel, through the character of David Meredith. David was the most deceitful character in the novel. He did not care who he hurt on the way to getting away from his plain and mediocre life. David basically hurt everyone in his life that ever cared about him. George Johnston used the theme of deception when David continuously deceived his parents. He lied to his parents about the paintings being his own when they were only a lithograph of Tom Middleton’s work. ‘…I would also bring printed samples of work that Tom Middleton had done, and say that I had lithographed them;’ (pg 83). Through the lies that David told and the pain that he caused it is quite clear that George Johnston has used the theme of deception throughout the novel. 3. There is an obvious contrast between his outer success and his inner failure.

Macbeth- General Information, Rough Essay

then is revealed as being weak and easily manipulated. He then descends into become a murderous madman. one realizes Macbeth’s transformation into one of drama’s most infamous villains coincides with a profound transformation of his conscience—to a point where he has none at all. Throughout the play Macbeth makes a journey from following a moral ethic, implementing a flawed ethic, and arriving to a point where he had none at all. When comparing Banquo and Macbeth, after they meet the weird sisters, one see’s that Banquo adheres to warrior ethics where Macbeth moves away from it.At the start of the play Macbeth was idolised by everyone and thought to have been a man of very great power whom could be defeated by nobody: â€Å"All is too weak for brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name† 1. 2. 15. It is stated in this quote by the Captain that at the start Macbeth was known as a brave heroic man, which his enemies were too weak to overthrow. B y the end of the play his status falls from a man of great magnificence to one that has barely managed to keep his own sanity.Thus our first description of Macbeth is that of a brave, loyal soldier defending his King and country He appears to be a strong military leader ‘brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name’’, is then called ‘noble Macbeth' and given the traitor’s title, Thane of Cawdor: ‘’with this former title greet Macbeth’’. The Captain tells the King killed the traitor Macdonald in a very horrible and gory manner ‘’unseamed him from the nave to th’chops’’ Therefore, we are led to believe that Macbeth is a good, loyal, courageous, and determined man.Things From the moment they are introduced to the play the witches are seen as a negative effect on Macbeth, creating chaos by prophesysing to Macbeth that he is going to become Thane of Cawdor ‘’All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! ’’ and that he is going to become king ‘’All hail, Macbeth! That shall be King hereafter’’and getting him to act. He knows he is already Thane of Glamis, but does not know that Duncan has promoted him to Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is surprised by the promise of kingship.Banquo's prophecy is even more fantastic: he will be the father of kings but not king, and will be greater and happier than Macbeth. That is the moment when Macbeth wants to know more. The witches basically planted the seed of evil in Macbeth’s mind that later on grew to dominate his every action. However, it was Macbeth’s ambition that decided to take action on these prophesies, therefore it was he that decided the final outcome. When Ross and Angus enter to proclaim Macbeth's promotion, he is very surprised:‘’The Thane of Cawdor lives, why do you dress me in borrowed robes? ’ Moreover, Macbeth believes that this is the f ulfilment of the witches prophecies, However, there is no clear reason why Macbeth would become king, especially since the present King is so loved and admired. In the next few lines it becomes apparent that Macbeth not only has thought about being king, but he also believes what the witches told him is true: Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme. (1. 3. 115-116, 126-128)This is the first time we see him realising that he might have to do something, as killing Duncan, in order to get to the throne. He debates the good and the bad side of the prophecies : ‘’If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair’’ we are shown that Macbeth not only loves his King and country,’’our duties are to your throne and state, children and servants’’ but also himself. It still remains to be seen what action he will take. Macbeth's change has begun. **Soon enough, we are taken to Macbeth’s home, wherewe meet his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth has just received a letter from her husband in whichhe tells her everything that has happened. Because the witches got him very interested in their prophecies, he has had them investigated and has ’’ learned by the perfectest report that they have more in them than mortal knowledge. ’’ It is clear that after calling the witches ‘imperfect speakers' (1. 3. 68), Macbeth has now changed his mind. He also interprets the prophecies and tells his wife a slightly changed version.He addresses her ‘’my dearest partner in greatness’’ and seems to be sincere. Lady Macbeth, however, is determined that her husband becomes king. she says that Macbeth lacks the qualities necessary to assassinate Duncan without remorse or regret: ‘’yet do I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human-kindness to catch the nearest way’’ . she hen prays for supernatural help to take away all of her feminine qualities and basically any traits of conscience: ‘’ unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty! ’, ‘’stop up th’access and passage to remorse’’, ‘’that my keen knife see not the wound it makes’’. After Macbeth arrives, Lady Macbeth is telling him to ‘’look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’’ and to ‘Leave all the rest to me' This implicates her in the murdering of Duncan and shows us that she is taking the responsibility. She is essentially taking over. After the King arrives at the castle and prepares to sleep peacefully, Macbeth is still debating how he can achieve the crown without getting caught.He doesn’t want to do it personally; he wants to get it over with:’ ’ If it were done, when’tis done, then ‘twere done well it were done quickly’ and doesn’t really want to kill his cousin and King; he has a conscience: ‘’he’s here in double trust’. On the other side, he’s obsessed with becoming king and his thoughts keep flowing in the same direction: ‘’I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambitions, which o’er-leaps itself and falls on the other’’. We see duality when he says: ‘’we will proceed no longer in this business’’ and tries to procrastinate the murder.His wife then plays games with his mind and basically psychologically bullies and pressures him into killing Duncan by telling him that he is less than a man if he does not carry out the murder:’’ when you durst do it, then you were a man; and, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man’â€℠¢, and that she, being a woman has more strength of purpose than he does: ‘’i would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out, had i sworn as you have done to this’. As soon as Macbeth has kills Duncan, he seems to start to lose his ind. He starts hallucinating: ‘’is this a dagger which i see before me, the handle toward my hand?Come, let me clutch thee. I have not, and yet I see thee still’’. He is unable to think clearly and is very paranoid. He is ready to eliminate anything that stands in his waybecause oft his ambitions for himself and the fear of being discovered. He just doesn't know what to do with himself while trying to keep the crown. Even though he is committed to Duncan, he Because Macbeth is afraid of the witches’ prophecy that he will lose the crown: ‘’To be thus in nothing, but to be safely thus.Our fears in Banquo stick deep’â₠¬â„¢ and Banquo will become king, he sends people to kill Banquo and Fleance. He hires three murderers in order to make sure that they won’t be able to escape. They ambush Banquo on his way to a royal feast, but Fleance escapes into the night. Macbeth is now the prisoner insolent and nagging doubts and fears,: ‘’But now I am cabined, confined, bound in to saucy doubts and fears’’, and is now paranoid because Fleace has escaped: ‘’There the grown serpent lies; the worm that’s fled hath nature that in time will venom breed’’.

Little Ice Age

Europe had experienced a general cooling of the climate between years 1150 and 1460 and a very cold climate between 1560 and 1850. This event came to be known as the â€Å"Little Ice Age. † This cold weather had impact on agriculture, health, economics, emigration, and art and literature . The term â€Å"Little Ice Age† was named by Francois Matthes in 1939 to describe the most destructive climate drop in Europe. This ice age was consisted of mountain glaciers which brought temperatures as low as 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Numerous people got sick and some were even killed and starved to death because of a famine.Farms and villages were lost due to the cold weather. It is unknown on what caused this â€Å"Little Ice Age. † We do know that this event impacted the people living in Europe. Many people have spotted out that the sunspot activity during this time period was low. This rare occurrence of sunspots triggered a cold sun, also the many volcanic eruptions which th en turned into an ice age. Imagine the fog hugging the ocean waters, cold winds coming in from the north, no horizon, no boundary between the sea and sky, land is frozen, and there you are gazing at a futureless world.Although â€Å"The Little Ice Age† was not a true ice age because it didn’t last long enough to cause ice sheets to grow larger, but it did change the daily life in Europe. At the conclusion of the Medieval Warm Period, the ice age made Iceland and Greenland attractive colonies for many Europeans to emigrate to due to the lack of food and cold temperatures. Even schools of cod, fish were forced out into the western Atlantic Ocean due to the frigid water temperature. Pilgrims followed the cod down the coast of North America settling on Cape Cod.Population increased in Europe during the warm period which left a large amount of people starving and dying during the first year of â€Å"The Little Ice Age,† due to famine. Rain was harsh during this time, it drenched the farmlands. To overcome this dilemma, farmers had plowed soils with long furrows, creating fields that absorbed large amounts of rain without doing much drainage problems. After it was cleared the land became a muddy wilderness. The crops were flattened where they grew. Europeans needed to find a new way to rely on food. One way in particular, was tree bark was made into bread.No longer were they able to rely on crops due to the flooded and frozen grounds. The frozen conditions led farmers to lose their cattle, hunters could no longer hunt for food, and fisherman could no longer fish for food. Villages of people subcommed to the famine. The famine outbreak occurred between the years of 1315-1317 where over 25 million people died from famine or famine related diseases. One in particular known as Black Death. Many of the hungry were also killed by famine diarrhea. This condition was resulted from bad nutrition and changes in the intestines that upset the water and salt balance in the body.The people of Europe were forced to eat the flesh of dead animals as part of their survival. The hungry would abandon their homes and villages and go to hospitals and sometimes even crowded prisons just to survive. In doing so, the large majority of people also brought on many other infectious diseases. People huddled together for warmth. When people died their clothes, including their underwear, were passed on to other people. When these people left their homes they only left with what they wore on their backs. In addition to the impact â€Å"The Little Ice Age† had on human survival, it had a large impact on economics.Increasing grain prices with lower wine production greatly affected the income of many. Property values and loss of taxes were at a decline . Population was increasingly declining due to the famine. With all these factors many of the people suffered much hardship. The lack of production in Europe caused other countries to have bidding wars against one another for cargos of food and imports. â€Å"The Little Ice Age,† caused many people to flee Europe in search of better living habitats and survival strategies. This ice age not only affected humans, but also the wildlife and everything around it.The plants enzymes are failing them and their roots are struggling to find a way through the frozen soil. These plants can’t grow and maintain themselves in these conditions. Pollination is nearly impossible during this time. The plants aren’t able to give off much oxygen into the atmosphere, which we breathe in. The true impact of â€Å"The Little Ice Age† began around 1600 and lasted until the 1800’s. During that time in Europe is when it was at its height. It was considered to be the most significant climate event of the last millennium.Only until recently have climatologist discovered research of climate conditions in historical times. As stated before, no one is quite sure how â€Å"The Little Ice Age† evolved. Climatologist and historians have had many discussions on what they think was the main cause of the ice age. Today they are able to determine the yearly average temperatures, rainfalls, volcanic activity, and the effect of the sun during that period . What we know is that the sun experienced a â€Å"quiet† period, meaning its intensity was not that strong. Therefore, a cooling occurred.Sunspots which determine the suns strength were noted to be in decline. Volcanic activity is to be another known source of the cause. As the volcanoes erupted they shot out particles and gases into the air. With these gases floating in the air it led to an event called the aerosol effect. This had reduced the amount of heat by reflecting it back into space. Europe was not able to get direct sunlight so temperatures dropped. An unscientific way that climatologists were able to determine how extreme the temperatures were and how frigid the air felt was through art. They were also able to determine through these paintings when the colder air was beginning to lift. An interesting fact regarding the ice age is the paintings that were done during that time. Artists depicted people wearing warm winter clothes, all bundled up, and landscapes were covered in snow and ice. The theme of the paintings ended once the climate was starting to get warmer. A man once had studied more than 12,000 paintings in 41 art museums in the United States and 8 European countries to test if this hypothesis was true; that these paintings would accurately reveal the climate.He looked at the color of the clouds and sky in these paintings. By doing this scientist were able to tell when â€Å"The Little Ice Age† was at its peak and how cold it was then. The impact that â€Å"The Little Ice Age† had on neighboring countries such as Greenland and Iceland were extremely dramatic. Greenland, prior to â€Å"The Little Ice Age,† was free of packed ice and Nors e Settlements were well established in the region. During â€Å"The Little Ice Age,† as the temperatures changed and plummeted, Greenland suffered considerably.Increased hardship for families, animals, and agriculture, all do to the conditions â€Å"The Little Ice Age,† brought along. This included flooding and storminess. â€Å"The Little Ice Age† caused major economic disruption throughout Europe. Ice covered seas made voyages extremely difficult. Settlements were either abandoned or died out when temperatures were at only 2 degrees. In the Norse Settlements, archeologists have discovered the clothing on the bodies of the buried to be in remarkably good shape due to the frozen grounds. Iceland was another country that suffered greatly.Since the fourteenth centaury Iceland’s major economic contributor has been exporting fish. Harsh winter temperatures made it nearly impossible to sustain this industry. Icelanders fished from open boats, not far from land , and tried to survive on local farming relatives that lived close to shore. With the population of 50,000 between the years of 1750-1758, 17,000 people died of hunger or disease. Ireland’s main source of income and stability in their country was the import and export of potatoes. Ireland had adopted the potato from America.Irish farm workers ate nothing else besides potatoes. Later on, the people of Ireland would suffer the worst due to the worst famine Ireland had ever experienced. We need to understand that the ice age has proven to have affected millions of people in the world and many countries. Starvation, hunger, crime, economic hardship, and settlements that were lost were all due to a period in time that we still don’t know too much about. What â€Å"The Little Ice Age† did to many parts of Europe has, and will change the future events that will go on. Because of the ice age tree heights have been altered.Many trees have gone, so the ones that are left are not as big as they used to be. This means the people of Europe will have little supply of wood to be able to make things such as furniture and paper. The disappearance of animals will be affected. Many fish such as cod have traveled to different waters around the world. This lowers the population of fish in Europe which hurts fisherman, trade, business, and food supply. Also that many animals have died and decomposed into the ground, it leaves hunters empty handed with fur to use as clothing and trade.Europe also suffers agriculturally. The harvest supplies that were destroyed during the ice age have led Europe to a decline in crop production today, such as cotton. If warming trends continue in Europe, growing seasons will lengthen, and wine vineyards will be established again in England. Many people have questioned as to whether the â€Å"Little Ice Age† will happen again. For hundreds of years, scientists have been observing the sun, examining the sun spots, wondering i f the ice age could happen again. The scientist are discussing that the number of sun spots should be increasing.Human made greenhouses that help release carbon dioxide is a major factor in keeping the atmosphere warm. In addition, the ocean plays a tremendous part in keeping the climate on track. If melting ice caps and glaciers off of Greenland flows into the Northern Atlantic, it will shut down the Gulf Stream, also known as the â€Å"Great Conveyer. † In this situation, the icy cold water would shut down the Gulf Stream, which now keeps Europe warm. Worst case scenario would be a full blown ice age or a period of harsh winters. Now, if the warming continues and keeps progressing on the right path, then the growing seasons in Europe will lengthen.This is important because the majority of European citizens depend on this to grow food that they need for the upcoming seasons. Farms will be cleared to be closer to the Arctic Circle. In this area the sun is visible through the summer and does not set. Farmers can’t stress enough about having sun on their farm. It is crucial in their growth of their crops. The people of Europe had come a long way to deal with this ice age. Some of the things that they did were to migrate to other countries, away from the cold temperatures, and build houses that were together so that they could keep warm and not disrupt their family relation.If we keep building greenhouse affects and burn fossil fuels, Europe may be able to recover fully and successfully. If â€Å"The Little Ice Age† has taught us anything, it is that climate change and weather are unpredictable, and we should always be prepared for any sudden shift in change. This was the Europeans story of how climate made history. http://science. jrank. org/pages/47813/Little-Ice-Age. html http://www. geocraft. com/WVFossils/ice_ages. html http://www. commondreams. org/views04/0130-11. htm

Motivation and the Brain Essay

I certify that the attached paper, which was produced for the class identified above, is my original work and has not previously been submitted by me or by anyone else for any class. I further declare that I have cited all sources from which I used language, ideas and information, whether quoted verbatim or paraphrased, and that any and all assistance of any kind, which I received while producing this paper, has been acknowledged in the References section. This paper includes no trademarked material, logos, or images from the Internet, which I do not have written permission to include. I further agree that my name typed on the line below is intended to have, and shall have the same validity as my handwritten signature. A healthy lifestyle, complete with eating well, takes motivation and constant strong dedication to achieve. When the motivation to see the action completed is at its most compelling state, it can only be placated once the behavior has been fulfilled. A lifestyle that involves healthy eating should be what everyone strives to achieve, but all too often there are roadblocks. The continuous development of understanding regarding eating disorders has expanded beyond what use to just be looked at as anorexia and bulimia or disorders that just associated with malnutrition. Just as eating too little can have a negative effect on a person’s health, so can overindulging, or eating too much of the wrong things. In America today the emphasis is the on-the-go lifestyle, which places a higher incentive to eat junk food as the main staple in one’s diet. The fast food is a quick fix to satisfy the compelling need of hunger. What causes a person to more than satisfy or willingly ignore the motivation to eat is under constant scrutiny; science is finding the links between hormone and gene dysfunction and the onset of eating disorders. There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with eating healthily, these factors play heavily on how a person chooses to live their lifestyle. Brain Structure and Healthy Eating To start on the path of a healthy eating lifestyle one should begin in the brain. The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) explain the neurological mechanisms of hunger and satiety (Pinel, 2007). The VHM and the LH seem to work together as a sort of stoplight for a person’s hunger and satiety. The hypothalamus is in charge of changing energy into fat stores, by doing this, the hypothalamus creates an incentive to increase ones calories. To put this into psychological terms, the hypothalamus uses the need for energy to create a psychological force or need for hunger and then food, then calculating the rate and amount of fat storage within the body. More than three years ago, geneticists conducted a study with the findings reported the startling discovery that nearly half of all people in the U.S. with European ancestry carry a variant of the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene which causes them to gain weight — from three to seven pounds, on average — but worse, puts them at risk for obesity (University of California, 2010). The FTO gene was studied in mice at a lab in Oxford. One set of mice was administered extra copies of the FTO gene, and fed the standard diet along with the other mice. The mice with the added gene gained 22% more weight than the mice with only one set. It was discovered when the FTO gene becomes overactive there is a tendency to consume more food. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Intrinsic and Extrinsic factors are the factors that work with healthy eating; these factors need to be considered when diet habits are evaluated. Hereditary factors, or intrinsic factors, such as certain types of eating disorders, can affect many generations within a family. Healthy eating and the act of maintaining a healthy eating lifestyle can be influenced by an eating disorder. An example of this would be a person with an undiagnosed case of anorexia might not be able to control their need to diet, thus stifling their ability to have and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Environmental factors, extrinsic factors, also have the ability to influence someone who is trying to eat healthy. For example, a person working in an ice cream store is likely to gain weight and become obese simply because they have access to fatty food multiple days during the week. Another extrinsic factor, which may influence someone’s eating habits, is how they were raised and taught to eat by their family. If the parents are unhealthy eaters, this will rub off on their children who will then grow up to be unhealthy eaters. Michigan State University conducted a study of families with children ranging in the one to three years old age range. The study found the mothers who considered their children to be picky eaters were the ones who did not offer fruits and vegetables as often. This study also learned extra attention must be placed on the family approach for eating good healthy food. When the mother and father makes an increased effort to feed their family healthy food the resulting outcome is a more positive role modeling. Eating healthy with eating disorders Eating healthy is not always possible, especially with someone who has an eating disorder. Even though the reasoning behind a lot of eating disorders is not very clear, there are many factors that are associated with them. Hormones, the environment, genetics, and neurological malfunctions can all be linked to eating disorders. Another factor that is commonly seen in people with an eating disorder is the family dynamic during their puberty years. Families who report being less supportive and less encouraging of the open expression of feelings are particularly prone to producing adolescents afflicted by eating disorders (Dixon et. al., 1989). When some neurological structures malfunction it can effect how people react to food, CT scans of teens exhibiting signs of anorexia show decreased size and functionality of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and other neurological structures (Chowdhury & Lask, 2000). Science has not figured out yet if it is food association that causes neurological problems, or if it is the neurological problems that contribute to the food association problems. Stanford University has been conducting studies of anorexic patients in therapy; they have come to the conclusion that the therapy works more effectively if the family of the patient were involved with the therapy as well. The researchers were able to see a full anorexic remission rate of 42% as apposed to the 23% of those patients who elected to have individual therapy sessions. For these reasons, the motivation following eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity surrounds a broad array of environmental incentives and psychological drives. Conclusion In conclusion, the structures within the brain that work with appetite and satiety are the lateral hypothalamus, aka LH, and the ventromedial hypothalamus, aka VHM. Hunger and the process of eating can be brought on by outside or environmental factors like family gatherings, the quantity of food available, the amount of variety of foods available, and the deliciousness. There are also biological factors that affect a person’s hunger. Some of these are; the obesity associated gene within a person, adolescence and puberty, what the family dynamic is like, and where one works. Reference: Chowdhury, U., Lask, B. (2000). Neurological correlates to eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 8(2), 126-133. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from EBSCOHost Database. Deckers, L. (2010). Motivation: Biological, psychological, and environmental, Second Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Dixon, K.N., Jones, D., Lake, M., Nemzer, E., Sansone, R., & Stern, S.L. (1989). Family environment in anorexia nervosa and bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(1), 25-31. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from EBSCOHost Database. Michigan State University (2010, December 16). Mothers’ diets have biggest influence on Pinel, J.J. (2007). Basics of biopsychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Stanford University Medical Center (2010, October 11). Family therapy for anorexia twice University of California – Los Angeles (2010, April 20). Obesity gene, carried by more than a third of the US population, leads to brain tissue University of Oxford (2010, December 6). Overactive FTO gene does cause overeating

Land Pollution in Ibadan

A TOWN PAPER ON LAND POLLUTION IN IBADAN, THE CAUSES, EFFECTS, REMEDIAL MEASURES AND HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE. COMPILED BY ONIFADE SADIAT T MATRIC NO. 073862 TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OGBOMOSHO. COURSE CODE: URP 305 COURSE TITLE: PLANNING STUDIO III LECTURERS IN CHARGE: TPL A. O AKINDELE TPL E. A TOYOBO MARCH, 2010 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION LAND POLLUTION Land Pollution is the degradation of earth's land surfaces. Land can be polluted through soil or water. Human activities are the main factor and their misuse of land resources. Urbanization and industrialization are major causes of land pollution. Indiscriminate disposal of domestic (solid and liquid) and industrial wastes, exploitation of minerals, and improper use of soil by inadequate agricultural practices are a few factors. Taking Ibadan as a case study, we are going to discuss the causes of land pollution in Ibadan, the effects, the remedial measures and how effective they are. BACKGROUND OF STUDY Ibadan was historically an Egba town. The Egba occupants were forced to leave the town and moved to present-day Abeokuta under the leadership of Sodeke when the surge of Oyo refugees flocked into the towns as an aftermath of the fall of Oyo Kingdom. Ibadan grew into an impressive and sprawling urban center so much that by the end of 1829, Ibadan dominated the Yoruba region militarily, politically and economically. The military sanctuary expanded even further when refugees began arriving in large numbers from northern Oyo following raids by Fulani warriors. After losing the northern portion of their region to the marauding Fulanis, many Oyo indigenes retreated deeper into the Ibadan environs. The Fulani Caliphate attempted to expand further into the southern region of modern-day Nigeria, but was decisively defeated by the armies of Ibadan in 1840. The Ibadan area became a British Protectorate in 1893 and by then the population had swelled to 120,000. The British developed the new colony to facilitate their commercial activities in the area, and Ibadan shortly grew into the major trading center that it is today. At independence, Ibadan was the largest and the most populous city in Nigeria and the third in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg. It is located in south-western, 128 km inland northeast of Lagos and 345 km southwest of , the federal capital and is a prominent point between the region and the areas to the north. The population of Ibadan was 2,550,593 according to 2006 census results, including 11local government areas. The principal inhabitants of the city are the Yorubas. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are; To identify the major sources of waste in Ibadan To identify the factors leading to land pollution To identify the effects of land pollution CHAPTER TWO WASTE GENERATION Waste which is one of the sources and causes of environmental pollution has been defined under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (2000) as any solid, semisolid liquid or contained gaseous materials discarded from industrial, commercial, mining or agricultural operations and from community activities. Waste also includes garbage, construction debris, commercial refuse, sludge from water, control facilities and other discarded materials. Most of the solid wastes, like paper, plastic containers, bottles, cans, and even used cars and electronic goods are not bio-degradable, which means they do not get broken down through inorganic or organic processes. Thus, when they accumulate they pose a health threat to people. Decaying wastes also attract household pests and result in urban areas becoming unhealthy, dirty, and unsightly places to reside in. Moreover, it also causes damage to terrestrial organisms, while also reducing the uses of the land for other, more useful purposes. Some of the sources of solid, liquid and gaseous waste that cause land pollution are: *Wastes from Agriculture: This comprises of waste matter produced by crop, animal manure, and farm residues. *Wastes from Mining: Piles of coal refuse and heaps of slag. *Wastes from Industries: Industrial waste matter that can cause land pollution can include paints, chemicals, and so on. *Solids from Sewage Treatment: Wastes that are left over after sewage has been treated, biomass sludge, and settled solids. *Ashes: The residual matter that remains after solid fuels are burned. Garbage: This comprises of waste matter from food that are decomposable and other waste matter that are not decomposable such as glass, metal, cloth, plastic, wood, paper, and so on. WASTE GENERATION IN IBADAN Solid waste Although it is generally agreed that enormous quantities of solid waste are generated in Ibadan daily, the exact figures have not been determined, probably owing to the use of diverse methods of calculati on. Maclaren International Ltd (1970) found that the average per capita quantity of solid waste generated was 0. 37–0. 5 kg/day for the traditional areas of the city and 0. 53 kg/day for the newer areas. According to Egunjobi (1986), 38 million kg of solid waste was collected in the suburbs of Ibadan in 1986. The suburbs constitute about 21% of the city. On this basis, it can be estimated that 181 million kg of solid waste was generated in the city as a whole in 1986. This gives a per capita waste-generation rate of 0. 31 kg/day, using the 1986 estimated population of 1. 6 million for the city. In 1982, PAI Associates recorded the volume and weight of solid waste generated per household per day in Ibadan. The study revealed that waste generation varied according to land use, with residential land use taking the bulk of the hare. The generation rates were 3. 4 kg/household per day in the traditional areas, 3. 2 kg/household per day in the newer areas, and 3. 3 kg/household per day in the whole city (altogether giving a per capita generation rate of 0. 33 kg/day). Several researchers have studied the volume of refuse generated in the city. For example, Maclaren International Ltd (1970) estimated this volume at 182 900 t. The latest study, conducted by Haskoning and Konsadem Associates (1994), estimated the per capita rate at 0. 6 kg/day, with a density of 300 kg/m3. The projections are based on an annual growth rate of population per year The solid-waste composition in Ibadan comprises leaves, paper, food waste, tins, glass, and rags (Maclaren International Ltd 1970). This is because Ibadan is located in the heart of a rich agricultural land and has a large old and unplanned section. PAI Associates (1983) made a comparative analysis of the composition of solid waste from two acres of Ibadan in 1970, which showed that residential land use accounted for 70. 1% of the waste generated, followed by commercial land use (18. 8%) and industrial land use (9. 7%). Institutional and other land use accounted for 0. % each. The mean percentage composition of solid waste in Ibadan in 1982 for different parts of the city is summarized in the table below. Mean % composition by weight GRABodijaMokola & SangoOke AdoAguguOjaba leaves7. 54. 333. 223. 532. 626. 5 Food remnants35. 519. 29. 13. 65. 46. 9 paper15. 126. 210. 719. 415. 216. 6 Cartons . 31. 54. 86. 84. 51 0. 9 Plastic & polythene4. 18. 93. 711. 54. 85. 1 Tins & metals20. 811. 415. 416. 47. 712. 8 Bones, ash dust & stones5. 916. 719. 118. 128. 821. 0 miscellaneous0. 811. 83. 00. 51. 02. 2 Liquid waste The Ibadan metropolis has a lot of problems with the management of its liquid waste. PAI Associates (1983) estimated the magnitude of liquid waste within Ibadan at 22 650 million L (an average of 6. 2 L per household), and Akintola and Agbola (1989) projected the amounts of liquid waste for 1990 and 1995 at 113. 7 million and 126. 5 million L, respectively. Liquid waste in Ibadan also contains tins, sticks, excreta, oil, pieces of iron scrap, and refuse. Outside of large institutions, such as the University of Ibadan’s Teaching Hospital and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan has no sewerage system. The city’s human waste is disposed of largely by means of septic tanks, pit latrines, and buckets. The uncontrolled disposal of liquid waste into open gutters, open spaces, along roads, etc. , poses serious health hazards. Bodies of stagnant water produce bad odours, breed mosquitoes, and sometimes obstruct the movement of people and goods. For instance, the 1983 study by PAI Associates revealed that 50% of the stagnant pools emitted bad odour, 70% bred mosquitoes, 24% obstructed the movement of people, and 12% bred worms and other germ-breeding pests. Poor practices for liquid-waste disposal are responsible for waterborne diseases that are common in the city, particularly in its inner core. The unwholesome environment forces the populace to spend appreciable portions of their low income and time on improving their personal health, with adverse consequences for general economic well-being. Industrial waste The industries in Ibadan generate a lot of waste, particularly chemical and toxic waste, explosives, and ash, but the exact quantities have not been measured. The industries make private arrangements for disposal of their waste, with little or no monitoring. Groundwater pollution is a possibility, as companies do not take precautions at disposal sites to supervise and ensure proper sanitary conditions. CAUSES OF LAND POLLUTION Some of the causes of land pollution according to Ukpong are; *Improper resources management *Destructive logging of the forest *Overgrazing and overcropping of animals *Flooding and wind erosion menace *Destruction of wetlands and marshes for development *Strip mining He also identified other indirect causes of land pollution to include population growth and population influx, lack of control of enforcement measures and jurisdictional overlap which are due to unclear authority and the use of inappropriate technology for farming and even for producing manufactured goods. This above listed causes persisted for the past decades (since independence) and will continue to be so in Ibadan because of the following factors: (i) High rate of illiteracy (ii) Ignorance (iii) Uncivil culture of indiscriminate waste littering (i. e. throwing of wastes on bare ground) (iv) People inability to maintain a sanitarily clean environment (v) Reluctance of people to cooperate with the authority by disposing solid waste in illegal dumps, rather than using the means provided by the Government; Other factors that militate against decent environment in Ibadan include i. Uncontrolled population creating slum condition; i. Poor planning; and iii. Violation of town planning regulations. EFFECTS OF LAND POLLUTION The increasing amount of solid waste and its disposal have become a serious environmental problem, leading to visual pollution, public health hazards, and water and air pollution. With the growth of the population and the wider use of ‘throw-away' bottles and cans , the problem of litter and waste spoils the beauty of our environment . In addition, the discarded solid waste , if untreated, will decay, producing bad smells polluting the air and water. EFFECTS OF LAND POLLUTION IN IBADAN Unarguably, one of the main problems facing. Ibadan City and which has become an intractable nuisance is open and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, human and animal faeces on land. Piles of decaying garbage which are substantially domestic in nature dominate strategic locations in the heart of the city including the Ibadan Lagos express way. The risks that may be anticipated include bad odour, aesthetic nuisance, fire out break, water pollution, proliferation of insects, flies, cockroaches, rats and other small and dangerous insects which can endanger public health through breeding of ailments such as dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, yellow fever, plague and filariasis. There is also reduction in the property value of land close to a dump site. Regrettably, this condition characterizes environmental culture in Ibadan. It is important to note that endangered public health situation can exert excessive pressure on the health budget, curtails productivity and worsens urban condition of health. CHAPTER THREE REMEDIAL MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT The government established three institutions charged with the responsibility of overseeing the environment of Ibadan city. They are; (i) Ibadan Solid Waste Board. (ii) The Local Government Councils, and (iii)Ministry of Environment. Prior to the enactment of edict No 8 of 1997, Ibadan city and its environs were constitutionally broken into (11) eleven Local Government Councils which now shoulder the collection and disposal of solid wastes in Ibadan. With the commencement of the edict, the functions of the Local Government councils in the Ibadan urban area under the 1979 Nigerian Constitution, and the instrument establishing them to collect, transfer and dispose solid waste were delegated to the new Authority. The functions of the Authority are: (a) Collection, transfer, and disposal of solid wastes for the Ibadan urban area directly or indirectly; (b) Collection and registration of private refuse contractors in the city. Each refuse collection firm will need to pay specified amounts to the authority annually; (c) To hire or lease out and sell its equipment to refuse contractors at profitable rates (d) To enforce all regulations concerning refuse collection, disposal and any other sanitation laws as obtained and as may be promulgated in the city of Ibadan; (e) To make effective use of Sanitary Inspectors from the Local Government Service and to impose sanctions on any refuse contractor or citizen in form of fines for the contravention of any of the law in accordance with provision under Offences and Related Matters; (f) To maintain land fill sites around Ibadan and to charge economic rates; (g) Holding meetings concerning planning and strategy to be adopted for the success of its operations; (h) Approving the budget estimates based on the planning and strategy; (i) Ensuring proper use of governmental budget allocated for solid waste collection; (j) Improving the management and operations continuously in such a way that the best service is given against the lowest possible cost; (k) Maintenance and proper use of vehicle and buildings from the State Government entrusted to the Board; (l) Preparation of management information on sanitation and environment; PROBLEMS FACED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN IBADAN The problems facing administration of environmental pollution in Ibadan are multi-faceted. There are four main factors responsible for the problems faced by the Administration of Environmental Pollution in Ibadan. They are (i) Poor funding (ii) Culture of the people (iii) Limited technology (iv) Human resources (i) Poor Funding: Essentially, refuse collection and disposal in Ibadan city have become such complex, capital intensive and expensive project such that it is a futile effort to expect a single institution of local government or state ministry, talk less of a parastratal to finance it from its own limited source. (ii) Culture of the People: One of the factors that pose a great challenge to the management of environmental pollution in Ibadan has to do with the culture of the people. The city is not well organized and planned. The city has for long been a commercial centre for marketers of maize, yam and other food stuff that generate heaps of refuse which are unmanageable. The illiterate culture of the people seems not to respect human dignity and decency. Many houses are without toilet facilities especially in the core of the city. People defecate indiscriminately in any available plots of land which are uncleared or along the streams. Even when toilets are built by the Local government Councils, they are carelessly used and within a short period they get spoilt. Added to this, is the poor maintenance culture of our public facilities. The provision of water to service these facilities is, to the least epileptic, if it runs at all. Finally, the socio-cultural attitude, lack of awareness and traditional syndrome of dumping refuse very close to their houses constitute a serious health hazard. (iii) Limited Technology: A visit to the garage of the Ibadan Waste Disposal Management Authority revealed that most of its operational vehicles are grounded because of minor technical problem. Even at the dumping site at Aba Eku, the scavengers are self-employed with all the health risk. The compactors relatively new are grounded with just minor complaints and little expenditure to repair them. Again this condition affirms the underfunding of the Authority earlier mentioned. Still on technology, the land fill designed to be operated sanitarily are operated as open dump due to limited technology. Furthermore, it was observed that medical refuse are deposited at the dumping site which technically ought to have been sorted out. There is also the problem of plastic and polythene products which are not bio-degradable. CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATION Ibadan being the largest and most densely populated West African city should be a state on its own. Fund allocated to the state will be used in managing Ibadan only and this will therefore reduce the pressure on the fund allocated to the present day Oyo State. There should be an intensive teaching of heath education in primary and secondary schools hoping that the children would be able to influence their illiterate parents in complying with simple environmental habits and laws. Compact incinerator method should be introduced to neighbourhoods because this burns not only the waste but also the smoke and dust arising from leaves and a very small quantity of ashes i. e. about 10% of the original weight of wastes is left back in the incinerator. CONCLUSION This town paper concluded that the management of environment of Ibadan city is a function of the concerted efforts of the three agencies charged with the environmental sanitation being a capital intensive project coupled with adequate manpower and the government should regard the care of the environment as a social service by enlightening and educating the citizens on proper waste disposal methods, otherwise Ibadan city will continue to remain as the city of refuse.

Importance of Nature in a Childs Life Essay

Nature is made by nature, not by man. Nature can be used for many different things. It can be used for a natural playground, a learning experience, a science experience, a meditation place. The list is endless on what nature can be used for. The best part about it is that there is no list that states what it can and can’t be. It is all in your imagination. This is important for children to learn and grow with. Without nature, there would be no land to live on, no land to play on, and no land to discover and explore. It creates an open-minded adventure for any child. see more:life in 2050 This paper will explain the importance of nature in a child’s life. Nature fosters the imagination. There is no structured play or premade envisions on what things should or shouldn’t look like. How the child thinks and sees things is how things will appear to a child. For thousands of years, children have used outside as their main source of play. Humans have evolved with nature. Nature fosters the imagination because there is no limits to what a child can perceive things as. A child can be a pirate, a princess, or whatever he or she may want to be. Unlike coloring books, there is no outlined picture. Nature is not â€Å"it is what it is†, nature is â€Å"it is what you think and see. † Because there are no guided instructions, it gives the child an ability to guide their own play. This is important for leadership and imagination. It helps the child live their wildest dreams and think up anything they wish. This is a crucial part to developing imagination. Technology is a big issue when it comes to shaping a child’s mind. There are almost always pictures of what things look like or what they â€Å"should† look like. This gives a child a picture in their head of what the image should look like. This blocks the imagination because the child is not free to what they should think about the picture and it does not give them a chance to create the picture in their head on their own. In recent history, technology has advanced more than ever. Elementary schools are using programs and technology to take spelling tests, practice their reading, taking tests, reading to the children. All of these have their ups and downs but it takes away from nature. People are getting so caught up in technology that they orget about their natural playground that accessible whenever anyone pleases. Technology is not always accessible. Natural playscapes are growing in childcare centers. It is becoming more popular everywhere. A natural playscape or playground is a space where there are no manufactured play structures. It is all based on nature and using nature as materials for the playground. These may include sand pits, water, vegetation, boulders or other rocks, textured pathways, etc. These playgrounds are relatively inexpensive and are easier to create rather than assembling a premade play structure. Having natural playscapes teaches the children about their senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell), social/emotional play, leadership in their own imagination, and challenges the child to learn about new things and explore freely. A big lesson to learn for a child with natural playscape is the respect for nature. Growing vegetation to put on the playground with the children and having them involved in this transformation shows and teaches the children about the cycle of plants, respecting nature, and all about gardening. These are important lessons for any child to learn. Nature teaches children about how to respect the world around them. With technology, you can learn how to do anything. But with nature, you can learn how to do most things and how you learn is by doing not researching. By planting vegetation, the child learns about the cycle of plants, what it takes to take care of it, and what it takes to plant it. This teaches them responsibility and explores new knowledge to be absorbed. If we teach the younger generation now how to respect nature and how to take care of it, it will give nature a fighting chance in the future. Nature also helps children develop their observation skills. There is a lot to be learned and new things to explore. With all of these new things, they are able to free roam and observe what these things are. This helps in their future with school and life-long learning. Not only does nature help the development of a child’s creative side but it may be proven to help ADHD and ADD. In a study done by Frances Kuo, PhD and Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD from the University of Illinois, it showed that activities done outside are less likely to show the effects of ADHD. They sent out ads and got more than 400 responses from parents who wanted to participate in this study. There were about 322 boys and 84 girls and lived all over the U. S. in different house settings. Activities were done inside and also outside with nature. This resulted in the children showing less signs of their ADHD according to their parents. A questionnaire on the internet followed the activity and â€Å"In each of 56 analyses, green outdoor activities received more positive ratings than did activities taking place in other settings,† Kuo and Taylor wrote. Where the child was from, age and sex did not show any significant to the outcome of the study. Nature also contributes with health. You can never be fully unhealthy if you play at least an hour a day outside. With the technology boost, most children choose it over going outside. This causes their obesity to escalate and the child being physically fit to plummet. Nature encourages a child to run around where ever they may choose rather than sit on a couch and play a game. Being physically fit has proven to expand a life span. If nature is being introduced at a young age, they are more willing to participate in physical activities that build a stronger heart and health. Gross motor and fine motor skills are developed faster with outdoor play. It promotes gross motor physical activities such as running, jumping, skipping etc. It also promotes fine motor such as picking up grass, flowers, and leaves. Introducing this to young children is important. Although they develop these skills naturally, playing outdoors will help advance these skills. Nature is an important part of life no matter what your age is. It fosters imagination, helps promote creativity, creates leaders, promote social/emotional play, learning respect the earth and what is around you, develop gross and fine motor skills, teaches you the cycle of vegetation, and can teach you so much more. It is a subject that is based on life learning and it will always be available as long as people learn about it and keep it around. Nature is a natural gift that no one can take away. Some people forget that it’s the simple things that can make the bigger difference. Personally, this subject was interesting for me to learn about. At my center that I am working at, Carolyn’s Red Balloon, we are redoing our playground to a natural playscape. We have so far taken down the big play structures and kept the house looking part on the floor. The children have had improved behavior because there is less structures to get away with things on. We also have been growing plants in our classrooms such as beans, strawberries, and tomatoes so far and the children love to come in and see the progress the plants have made. Before we stared this, they used to pull out all of the flowers and kill all of the bugs they saw. Now that they are learning about respect for the earth, you can tell they are truly changing. They now observe bugs rather than killing them and love to watch the flowers and plants grow. I have seen a personal change in each child and that is why I choose to research this topic.