People tend to forget that they only live once. No matter what your religion is, or whether or not you believe in reincarnation, or soul, or life after death, the commonly accepted fact is that you cannot be the same person, occupy the same body, be composed of the same cells, the same phosphorus and nucleotide bases, that you are today. You will never breathe the same air twice, laugh at the same moment, or experience the same brilliant sunset. People get so caught up in their everyday lives, so weighed down by the stresses and difficulties that life presents, that they essentially let their stresses, anxieties, and deadlines dictate their actions and their enjoyment of life.
To all of those whom stress is the driving force in life, please listen to my advice: take a break, relax, and buy yourself a hammock. Yes, a hammock. As a child I would go over my best friend’s house almost every weekend. We played outside, in the pool, with half-penny people…you name it, we played it. But our favorite activity was to play and swing on the hammock. We would act out scenes of ships being ravaged by stormy waters, or of an airplane flying through the sky. We would wrap ourselves up in a cocoon and do flips. We would even try to grab the tree’s green leaves with our toes… I loved the hammock because of its ability to make me forget about the stresses in life—like the fight my friend and I had over what clothes the Barbie should wear—and instead focus me on the good times, the relaxing, fun, and beautiful times.
But the mysterious powers of the hammock are not limited to the open and imaginative minds of childhood. Just the other day, I was extremely overwhelmed by stress brought on by school, work, college testing and housing applications, quarrels with the family, and overall dissatisfaction with life. I thought I was going to burst. I was replacing my personal time with homework, and swapping sleep and happiness with studying and stress. Then one day my friend invited me over their house, they said that they had something to show me. When I go there my friend walked me around the house and in the middle of the lawn stood a hammock. After much poking, prodding, and words of encouragement (along with some swears for my stubbornness), and promises that I would not flip, my friend coaxed me onto the hammock. As soon as I got comfortable, my life seemed to slowdown. Forced to look up, I saw the stars for what seemed like the first time in ages. How long had I gone without noticing the splendor above me? I saw the sunset not as a countdown of the amount of time I had left before I had to start my grueling day all over again, but as a beautiful, relaxing wonder of the world. And when my friend’s cat playfully swatted at me from under the hammock, I laughed my first real, lighthearted, and carefree laugh in a long time. At that moment I realized that life is too precious, too short lived, too beautiful, too unexplored, too unappreciated to waste time being stressed and depressed. I realized that I was packing so much into my life that I could no longer enjoy it. I needed to lighten my load, to do things for myself because I wanted to do them. I needed to make time for me. I used to believe that a life passed by was a normalcy of life, but now I believe in hammocks.
So those of you who let work dictate your actions, who allow stress, fears, and anxieties rule your lives, treat yourselves. Spend time with family and friends, enjoy that bowl of extra fudge ice cream, take that trip to the spa you have been desiring, take that extra long shower, sleep in late, laugh at anything you find funny, sing out loud, dance when there is no music, sit out and watch the sunset, gaze at the stars…and most importantly, buy yourself a hammock.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A Modest Proposal
FOR PREVENTING THE CHILDREN OF AMERICA FROM BECOMING OBESE, AND FOR MAKING THEM HAND-EYE COORDINATED FUNCTIONING CITIZENS
It is a saddening sight for those who walk through these school hallways, travel down these worn corridors, or step foot into a classroom to see children, ages nine, thirteen, seventeen, eighteen, all carrying extra weight upon their bodies. These children, unable to motivate themselves to put down the hamburger and instead do a lap around the track, are forced into a downward spiral of depression characterized by even more obsessive eating and loss of self-esteem and friends.
I think it is agreed by all parents and school employees that this growth of obesity is a direct reflection on the failure of our school systems to enforce the all important physical education curriculum, and that whoever could find a way to make physical education an effective, health inspiring, and educational course for the easy method of making children physically fit, coordinated, functioning members of society, would deserve a gym named after them, or at least a plaque hung in gratitude. But my intention is not only to benefit the children of junior high and high school; it will go much farther, as to take in the children down to the age of infancy, where habits these habits are started. The advantage to my scheme is that is nips this deadly habit in the bud, before it gets the chance to grow.
The vast number of children inflicted with obesity is growing at a rate never witnessed before, these children, experiencing a loss of energy from their weighed down bodies, refuse to better themselves by engaging in physical activities and instead, sit on the couch, gorging themselves with numerous bags of saturated fat and artificial food colorings. Parents are too busy trying to work to support the family, and doing household chores to realize that their child, instead of being active, is content to sit on the couch an twiddle its thumbs. But it is not the parents fault, it is hard to raise a family these days, and sometimes these situations do slip by. Yet, upon being informed about their child’s expanding figure they immediately become concerned. It is essential to handle this situation with the utmost importance, for it can be a sensitive subject, both to the child and to the parents who feel as if they are failures. Children in this situation are extremely sensitive. Characterized by a low self-esteem, children shy away from their friends and become reclusive, acquiring a liking for a soft couch and a long nap. Adding to the devastation of this is the buying of new clothes, since they will outgrow their own ones, or the attempt to squeeze into jeans that fit in the beginning of the year. These children, too embarrassed to even leave their own house, will, without the opportunity to exercise, grown to enormous sizes, and acquire health problems uncommon in children.
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.
I have been assured by many a physical education teacher that in order to stop this pandemic spread of obesity, gym should be expanded to encompass all aspects of school life. Gym should be expanded to a full two hour class during school, followed by mandatory sports sign ups and weekend gym class sessions. Gym will be two hours every day because after subtracting the time it takes teens, especially girls, to change and the time it takes teachers to check attendance and start the class on warm ups, a good half hour will have gone by, and because the recommended amount of cardio exercise per day is 90 minutes, a two hour class will enable to get their cardio requirement without interruption. Weekend classes will be used to teach new techniques, and to have harder classes, since teachers will not want to tire students out for their next classes during the week. Exercise should also be incorporated into hallway activity. Students are allowed 5 minutes between classes, instead of spending that time rummaging through their lockers, or talking to friends, this time should be spent doing short, muscle building exercises. Students could easily be made to partake in jumping jacks, wall sits, or crunches for two minutes between classes, leaving a reasonable three minutes to get to class. Exercise could also be brought into the classroom itself, where when students wish to answer a question the must run in place, rather than raise their hand. This would be more effective than raising a hand because the teacher can see the student more easily than a hand, and it will promote healthy exercise. Also, lockers would be equipped with motion detectors where students have to perform certain yoga poses to unlock their lockers. Being that students will only have three minutes of locker time, and poses are hard to memorize without being seen, the chance of students breaking into each others lockers is rare. Exercise will not only promote a healthier lifestyle, but will sharpen a child’s coordination, making them more agile and therefore less clumsy and less embarrassed to take part in activities that require such skill.
This approach will be taken down all the levels of education, and applied, at a milder form, to infants. It has been proven that during infancy the brain is learning at its fastest rate, and it easily absorbs new information. This is why a positive attitude toward exercise will be exposed to these children at such a young age. Infants should attend fitness class twice a week, where they will watch children’s videos about incorporating exercise into every portion of there lives, and be taught exercises that they will, subconsciously, incorporate into their everyday lives. Parents will also be taught how to encourage their child to perform these exercises, and how to persuade them to do them more often and vigorously.
Any infant, child, or teen that is witnessed to be shirking their daily exercise routine will be made to exercise even harder the next day and will be made to watch a video about what happens when you overeat, do not exercise, and gain weight. This should convince students that participating and being fit is better than gaining weight and being miserable and unhealthy.
The advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance. Firstly, as I have already observed, healthy children are happy children. Unhappy children are, in fact, our enemies, as they breed discontent and spew negative words and emotions. Discontent children also do not participate in school to their fullest potential, causing the school to drop in ranking due to students’ slack and low GPAs. If happy children are healthy children, then the school system has a responsibility to keep all children healthy and happy.
Secondly, the reflexes that will be sharpened during participation in gym will contribute greatly to a child’s life. It will sharpen skills such as safe driving, as well as make them more apt to enjoy and participate in sports that require quick reflexes.
Thirdly, self-esteem and self-confidence levels will rise in teens and younger children, as they will see themselves and their newly toned and in-shape bodies as beautiful. They will no longer have to wear or buy large clothing, and XL and XXL sizes will become something of horror stories told to misbehaving or gluttonous children. The fabric once used for these articles of clothing can then be used to make smaller sizes, resulting in the production of cheaper clothing, which teens and children can buy by the cart full.
Fourthly, children will learn to appreciate the art of exercise and will work out on their own. They will become interested in body building, running, swimming, dancing, kickboxing, karate, and many other physical sports; and will spread their love of exercising, as well as their knowledge of the benefits, to others. This will encourage others to take up exercising and will start a global shift towards being fit and healthy.
Fifthly, children will no longer be picked on or discriminated against for their size. All children will be fit. While some may be fitter than others, there will be no more discrimination between the obese and physically fit. And if one was to tease the other, it would just make the lesser fit one work harder, and improve their overall fitness; only benefits from this situation can be had.
I can think of no objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it is that people will become so engrossed with their own image that they will go to harmful extremes to maintain it. Yet, since all of these opportunities and mandatory workout sessions will be available to students, it will be impossible to them to go to extremes to maintain their physical fitness. People only go to extremes when they feel there are no other options, and here, options are always available. Therefore let no one talk of watching what they eat; of limiting fats and carbohydrates; of addressing eating disorders; of fixing an aesthetically oriented society; of schools focusing on academics; on addressing depression in children; of limiting intake of fast-food; of going on family excursions that include exercise; of just accepting people as they are, for these are folly.
I profess, from the depths of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in undertaking to promote this necessary program, having no other motive than the public good, the health of children, and the upkeep of their self-esteem; for I, myself, do not suffer from obesity or lack of coordination.
Monday, March 9, 2009
The 1984/Brave New World Stand-off
While both Huxley and Orwell offered their own predictions of the quality of life in the future, Orwell’s prediction is more reflective of recent events. While Orwell’s prophecy has not happened in the United States to the extent that he forewarns, it has managed to manifest itself in many aspects of society, as well in the society of neighboring countries. While Postman would argue this, the evidence pointing towards the coming-true of Orwell’s prediction is overwhelming.
Although Brave New World does hold some relevance in the world of today, the similarities of cloning, gene engineering, and general openness are not enough to outweigh the similarities found in Orwell’s 1984. Postman claims, “We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn’t, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held.” While it seemed at the time that America’s roots had held strong while the roots of other countries began to rot away, the disease soon reached the US.
The United States is run by a democracy, one that was designed to put the power in the hands of the people and to ward off corruption. Yet some Orwellian prophecies managed to sneak through. As Postman points out, “Orwell feared those who would deprive us information” and he “feared that the truth would be concealed from us”. As Americans, we would like to think that our government does not keep any secrets from us, or that our information in free from censorship, but it is not. Everyday the information fed to us is tediously picked out of a mass of events, and the only ones to reach our ears are the ones that are chosen, or the ones that leak out. This can be most clearly seen in history text books, where the bias is laid thick, and the history white outs are numerous. If you are not familiar with history text books, then what about the happenings at area 51? Only those few permitted to work there actually know what goes on. Classified as ‘top secret’ the American public is left in the dark for their so called ‘own protection’. But what is scarier than not knowing what goes on in your own country?
Other countries have fared out far worse than our own. Take, for example, the country of North Korea. The people of this country have become victims to Orwell’s prediction. “Overcome by an externally imposed oppression” (Postman) they have become subjects to extreme isolationism, deprivation of information, and control by fear by their dictator Kim Jong-il. People of North Korea are not allowed to communicate with people outside of their country, much like how in 1984 workers from different areas were not allowed to talk to each other. The lack of communication only makes the dictating force stronger, and the people weaker. In the Middle East, it is common for the governmental system to use torture as a way to control its citizens. Not to long ago, Saddam Hussein ruled by brute force, torture, and his secret ‘night men’. Using pain and death as a control, Hussein was able to bend the people to his will and convince his people that anyone different is bad, or dangerous. This sort of control has also been seen in China (Hu Jintao), Cuba (Fidel Castro), Africa (Mobutu Sese Seko and child armies), Germany and Poland(WWII and Hitler). Even the United States has used torture as a device to control and to break the will of its captives.
Unlike Brave New World people today are not warned against having time by themselves, in some aspects people are encouraged to have time to relax. Yet even when we think we are alone and un-attended we are mistaken. Cameras and security have become like second nature to us. We are constantly being monitored, whether it be walking in school, shopping in the mall, boarding a plane, or even in some places, entering the bathroom. Privacy is something of the past. Much like the telescreens in 1984 the Wii, was well as computers with cameras allow people to view each other from different rooms, houses, or countries. The tapping of phone lines has also become common place, as the government attempts to keep its citizens safe, even while abusing their rights to privacy and free speech.
“Orwell feared that hate will ruin us” (Postman), hate both from the internal and external aspects of society. The disease of hatred, power, control, and dominance, lack of privacy, and ignorance of rights has already plagued this world. We are not a ruled by “the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy” (Postman), but by oppression, fear, and our need to feel a part of something, no matter how horrible that something is. Orwell’s foreshadowing of civilization ruled by technology, fear, hatred, and secrets has finally come true.
Although Brave New World does hold some relevance in the world of today, the similarities of cloning, gene engineering, and general openness are not enough to outweigh the similarities found in Orwell’s 1984. Postman claims, “We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn’t, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held.” While it seemed at the time that America’s roots had held strong while the roots of other countries began to rot away, the disease soon reached the US.
The United States is run by a democracy, one that was designed to put the power in the hands of the people and to ward off corruption. Yet some Orwellian prophecies managed to sneak through. As Postman points out, “Orwell feared those who would deprive us information” and he “feared that the truth would be concealed from us”. As Americans, we would like to think that our government does not keep any secrets from us, or that our information in free from censorship, but it is not. Everyday the information fed to us is tediously picked out of a mass of events, and the only ones to reach our ears are the ones that are chosen, or the ones that leak out. This can be most clearly seen in history text books, where the bias is laid thick, and the history white outs are numerous. If you are not familiar with history text books, then what about the happenings at area 51? Only those few permitted to work there actually know what goes on. Classified as ‘top secret’ the American public is left in the dark for their so called ‘own protection’. But what is scarier than not knowing what goes on in your own country?
Other countries have fared out far worse than our own. Take, for example, the country of North Korea. The people of this country have become victims to Orwell’s prediction. “Overcome by an externally imposed oppression” (Postman) they have become subjects to extreme isolationism, deprivation of information, and control by fear by their dictator Kim Jong-il. People of North Korea are not allowed to communicate with people outside of their country, much like how in 1984 workers from different areas were not allowed to talk to each other. The lack of communication only makes the dictating force stronger, and the people weaker. In the Middle East, it is common for the governmental system to use torture as a way to control its citizens. Not to long ago, Saddam Hussein ruled by brute force, torture, and his secret ‘night men’. Using pain and death as a control, Hussein was able to bend the people to his will and convince his people that anyone different is bad, or dangerous. This sort of control has also been seen in China (Hu Jintao), Cuba (Fidel Castro), Africa (Mobutu Sese Seko and child armies), Germany and Poland(WWII and Hitler). Even the United States has used torture as a device to control and to break the will of its captives.
Unlike Brave New World people today are not warned against having time by themselves, in some aspects people are encouraged to have time to relax. Yet even when we think we are alone and un-attended we are mistaken. Cameras and security have become like second nature to us. We are constantly being monitored, whether it be walking in school, shopping in the mall, boarding a plane, or even in some places, entering the bathroom. Privacy is something of the past. Much like the telescreens in 1984 the Wii, was well as computers with cameras allow people to view each other from different rooms, houses, or countries. The tapping of phone lines has also become common place, as the government attempts to keep its citizens safe, even while abusing their rights to privacy and free speech.
“Orwell feared that hate will ruin us” (Postman), hate both from the internal and external aspects of society. The disease of hatred, power, control, and dominance, lack of privacy, and ignorance of rights has already plagued this world. We are not a ruled by “the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy” (Postman), but by oppression, fear, and our need to feel a part of something, no matter how horrible that something is. Orwell’s foreshadowing of civilization ruled by technology, fear, hatred, and secrets has finally come true.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tyranny Flourishes In An Uneduated Environment- a claim on Animal Farm
Tyranny, dictatorship, and anarchy have long plagued civilization. Many times, this happens because the people of a vulnerable civilization are looking for a leader, someone to promise them safety and peace. Willingly throwing trust, support, and power toward a single leader, the people of a civilization put themselves at risk. Their judgment clouded by fear, they willingly give up themselves and their freedoms to this leader. The leader is then rapidly consumed by the new level of power obtained, taking advantage of the people and the freedoms they surrendered, and without realizing it, a tyrant is born into this unstable and uneducated environment.
This is not a rare happening in the world of today. People are constantly tricked into throwing their support to someone who later uses it against them. Without the knowledge of the dangers of unchecked power, people give up their freedoms to a person who later becomes a dictator. While it is commonplace to think that this situation is only viable for third-world countries because they lack formal education and are in constant poverty, this is not always the case. One of the most devastating dictators, Adolf Hitler, came to power in (the non-third-world) Germany. Expressing the want to protect his country and build it strong, the people willingly threw all their support to him, without questioning what could come of his new and unruly power. Hitler was quickly consumed by his new power, and turned it against his own country. He rose from a hopeful leader, to a crushing dictator, ruling his country through fear and brainwashing. This similar situation has been seen in many different countries, spanning the entire globe; Saddam Hussein- Iraq, Adolf Hitler- Germany, Fidel Castro- Cuba, Mao Zedong- China, Kim Jong-il-North Korea, Napoleon Bonaparte- France, Benito Mussolini- Italy, the list goes on. Because of the lack of knowledge among the people, these leaders were able to rise to the level of dictator. Once they reached ‘dictator status’ they were able to suppress their people, taking away many of their civil rights, and brainwashing younger generations so as to snuff all rebellion. Proper education is throw aside in these situations and replaced with education that supports the doings of the dictator, rather than show that what they are doing is morally, and legally, wrong. Without knowledge, the dictatorship can grow to be more powerful, and therefore, more dangerous.
George Orwell grew up surrounded by this type of hostile environment, and his feelings toward tyranny are clearly shown in his novel, Animal Farm. The animals, fearing and loathing Jones, their master, plan a rebellion under the instructions of Major, the most revered pig on the farm. Once their rebellion is complete, they feel vulnerable without a leader. They worry about their livelihood and they fear the return of Jones. Then, in the midst of all this fear, comes a leader. Napoleon, flanked by the other pigs, promise survival and protection, and feeling safe in his words, the animals follow him. Napoleon quickly rises to a dictatorship, ruling Animal Farm through fear, changing of the past, and revoking of individual rights. He brainwashes younger generations into idolizing him, and convinces older animals that their memories of the past are faulty. Through these tactics, Napoleon was able to raise a tyranny of pigs, with himself as the ring leader. Through suppression of education, free will, and knowledge, tyranny was able to flourish on Animal Farm.
Education is clearly our one defense against the dangers of tyranny. Education spreads knowledge of the benefits and dangers of our decisions, and without it, whole countries can fall victim to power hungry leaders. Let the past be a reminder to us in the future- Tyranny flourishes in an uneducated environment, do not let those in power go unchecked.
This is not a rare happening in the world of today. People are constantly tricked into throwing their support to someone who later uses it against them. Without the knowledge of the dangers of unchecked power, people give up their freedoms to a person who later becomes a dictator. While it is commonplace to think that this situation is only viable for third-world countries because they lack formal education and are in constant poverty, this is not always the case. One of the most devastating dictators, Adolf Hitler, came to power in (the non-third-world) Germany. Expressing the want to protect his country and build it strong, the people willingly threw all their support to him, without questioning what could come of his new and unruly power. Hitler was quickly consumed by his new power, and turned it against his own country. He rose from a hopeful leader, to a crushing dictator, ruling his country through fear and brainwashing. This similar situation has been seen in many different countries, spanning the entire globe; Saddam Hussein- Iraq, Adolf Hitler- Germany, Fidel Castro- Cuba, Mao Zedong- China, Kim Jong-il-North Korea, Napoleon Bonaparte- France, Benito Mussolini- Italy, the list goes on. Because of the lack of knowledge among the people, these leaders were able to rise to the level of dictator. Once they reached ‘dictator status’ they were able to suppress their people, taking away many of their civil rights, and brainwashing younger generations so as to snuff all rebellion. Proper education is throw aside in these situations and replaced with education that supports the doings of the dictator, rather than show that what they are doing is morally, and legally, wrong. Without knowledge, the dictatorship can grow to be more powerful, and therefore, more dangerous.
George Orwell grew up surrounded by this type of hostile environment, and his feelings toward tyranny are clearly shown in his novel, Animal Farm. The animals, fearing and loathing Jones, their master, plan a rebellion under the instructions of Major, the most revered pig on the farm. Once their rebellion is complete, they feel vulnerable without a leader. They worry about their livelihood and they fear the return of Jones. Then, in the midst of all this fear, comes a leader. Napoleon, flanked by the other pigs, promise survival and protection, and feeling safe in his words, the animals follow him. Napoleon quickly rises to a dictatorship, ruling Animal Farm through fear, changing of the past, and revoking of individual rights. He brainwashes younger generations into idolizing him, and convinces older animals that their memories of the past are faulty. Through these tactics, Napoleon was able to raise a tyranny of pigs, with himself as the ring leader. Through suppression of education, free will, and knowledge, tyranny was able to flourish on Animal Farm.
Education is clearly our one defense against the dangers of tyranny. Education spreads knowledge of the benefits and dangers of our decisions, and without it, whole countries can fall victim to power hungry leaders. Let the past be a reminder to us in the future- Tyranny flourishes in an uneducated environment, do not let those in power go unchecked.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
"Clean Coal, Is There Really Such A Thing?"
I have recently become angered by the ads on TV depicting coal as the cleanest and most efficient form of energy on the market. I remember seeing pictures in school of trains, factories, and seemingly whole towns running on coal, spewing black soot into the sky. We later learned that this soot came down as acid rain, killing whole ecosystems. We were taught this for years, but now coal is seen as the greatest thing since sliced bread. What is this?! Have people forgotten the black ominous smog that hovered above cities for days and seemed to clog your lungs with every breath? Or the mass ecosystems that were wiped out because of acid rain? Are we becoming like the people of Oceania, accepting everything that comes out of the telescreen to be true while willingly forgetting what we previously learned? Well for everyone out there that believes in the oxymoron of “clean coal” here is what I found out about it:
- It is a fossil fuel (hey weren’t we trying to get away from those and onto renewable resources?)
- The burning of it produces:
- ash
- sulfur oxide
- nitrogen oxide
- carbon dioxide
- radionucleotides
- mercury
Out of the list above, carbon dioxide, radionucleotides, and mercury are the hardest and most expensive to control and clean, and therefore are the most dangerous. Coal fired plants are the largest source of mercury, a toxic metal. Just a few drops of it can pollute millions of gallons of water. These plants are responsible for about 65% of mercury emissions. While ash, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxide can be cleaned from the air by scrubs on the smoke stacks, the scrubs do not catch everything.
“Clean Coal” comes with high economic costs. Because of these costs, many companies either cannot afford to keep up to date with the newest clean technologies, or they are too cheap to do so. While evading the standards might cut costs for companies, it is taking its toll on the environment. Regulation of standards is also very difficult because many people that use coal come from impoverished regions, making it hard to enforce.
Not only is it extremely difficult to enforce, but ‘Clean Coal” is still only seen as ‘promising’. It has yet to become clean. The most promising "clean coal" technology involves using the coal to make hydrogen from water, then burying the resultant carbon dioxide by-product and burning the hydrogen (World Nuclear Association). This brings up the topic of burying our unwanted and dangerous chemical byproducts, which opens a whole new can of worms.
So next time you see one of those commercials, claiming how coal is the cleanest recourse, remember the smog, remember the mercury, remember the acid rain, the deforestation, the animal mutations, the green house effect, the toxic emissions, and the black lungs, and then try and believe what the ad is telling you.
- It is a fossil fuel (hey weren’t we trying to get away from those and onto renewable resources?)
- The burning of it produces:
- ash
- sulfur oxide
- nitrogen oxide
- carbon dioxide
- radionucleotides
- mercury
Out of the list above, carbon dioxide, radionucleotides, and mercury are the hardest and most expensive to control and clean, and therefore are the most dangerous. Coal fired plants are the largest source of mercury, a toxic metal. Just a few drops of it can pollute millions of gallons of water. These plants are responsible for about 65% of mercury emissions. While ash, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxide can be cleaned from the air by scrubs on the smoke stacks, the scrubs do not catch everything.
“Clean Coal” comes with high economic costs. Because of these costs, many companies either cannot afford to keep up to date with the newest clean technologies, or they are too cheap to do so. While evading the standards might cut costs for companies, it is taking its toll on the environment. Regulation of standards is also very difficult because many people that use coal come from impoverished regions, making it hard to enforce.
Not only is it extremely difficult to enforce, but ‘Clean Coal” is still only seen as ‘promising’. It has yet to become clean. The most promising "clean coal" technology involves using the coal to make hydrogen from water, then burying the resultant carbon dioxide by-product and burning the hydrogen (World Nuclear Association). This brings up the topic of burying our unwanted and dangerous chemical byproducts, which opens a whole new can of worms.
So next time you see one of those commercials, claiming how coal is the cleanest recourse, remember the smog, remember the mercury, remember the acid rain, the deforestation, the animal mutations, the green house effect, the toxic emissions, and the black lungs, and then try and believe what the ad is telling you.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Just like me for me
It's now 1990. I'm forty-three years old, which would've seemed impossible to a fourth grader, and yet when I look at photographs of myself as I was in 1956, I realize that in the important ways I haven't changed at all. I was Timmy then; now I'm Tim. But the essence remains the same. I'm not fooled by the baggy pants or the crew cut or the happy smile—I know my own eyes—and there is no doubt that the Timmy smiling at the camera is the Tim I am now. Inside the body, or beyond the body, there is something absolute and unchanging. The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on ice: a little kid, a twenty-three-year-old infantry sergeant, a middle-aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow. (236)
Today, as I reflect on who I am, who I was, and who I one day may become, I realize that under all this growth, I am still the same person I was 10 years ago. I am still that little kid running through the woods, swinging on the play set, talking constantly to anything that will listen, and dreaming dreams that seem impossible to achieve. I believe that as we grow into ourselves, the compilation of our experiences in life help us refine, not redefine, who we are today. As O’Brien states, “The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on ice”. Human life is all one thing. Like the line that follows the blade we all experience ups and downs, gains and relapses. It is the essence of what we experience that is the linking point between the lives of different people, not the actual happenings in life. Our past is always with us; it is a story trail of who we have become. We cannot shake ourselves free of our past because it is the foundation of who we have become. In this aspect we are ‘absolute and unchanging’.
When I look back on the pictures hanging on my wall, I know that they are just representations of me, snapshots taken at different stages of my development. These snapshots form a collage of who I am. In one picture I am the stubborn five year old, a smiling middle schooler, a questioning toddler, a sister sharing her blanket. Lessons of appreciating people for who they are, treating them fairly, striving for what I believe in, being independent, kind, and generous, have all been instilled in me at a young age. They have become the basis for how I act today, and have been left unchanged even as I have grown. All of these aspects have formed the person I am today, and they are as concrete as any good foundation should be.
Along with these essentials that make me, me, come ever changing fads. My group of friends is constantly growing and changing, the clothes I wear today are definitely not what I would have picked out as a kid, and my physical appearance changes weekly. But these are not the things that make me who I am. They are only accessories to my self-expression. They are not experiences that are life changing or memorable, they are just fun things to take part in on the road of life. Yet, if I was to look at a picture of me as I am today, I could tell you that I still see that same stubborn little kid who wanted to learn everything about the world. My goals in life have not changed, and neither have my hopes and desires. While they may have become a bit more refined, they still hold that childish originality from which they came. As O’Brien writes, “ […] in the important ways I haven’t changed at all”. The essentials of who I am have not changed. They are stagnant, they are the foundation upon which my entire essence is built upon.
When I look back on the pictures hanging on my wall, I know that they are just representations of me, snapshots taken at different stages of my development. These snapshots form a collage of who I am. In one picture I am the stubborn five year old, a smiling middle schooler, a questioning toddler, a sister sharing her blanket. Lessons of appreciating people for who they are, treating them fairly, striving for what I believe in, being independent, kind, and generous, have all been instilled in me at a young age. They have become the basis for how I act today, and have been left unchanged even as I have grown. All of these aspects have formed the person I am today, and they are as concrete as any good foundation should be.
Along with these essentials that make me, me, come ever changing fads. My group of friends is constantly growing and changing, the clothes I wear today are definitely not what I would have picked out as a kid, and my physical appearance changes weekly. But these are not the things that make me who I am. They are only accessories to my self-expression. They are not experiences that are life changing or memorable, they are just fun things to take part in on the road of life. Yet, if I was to look at a picture of me as I am today, I could tell you that I still see that same stubborn little kid who wanted to learn everything about the world. My goals in life have not changed, and neither have my hopes and desires. While they may have become a bit more refined, they still hold that childish originality from which they came. As O’Brien writes, “ […] in the important ways I haven’t changed at all”. The essentials of who I am have not changed. They are stagnant, they are the foundation upon which my entire essence is built upon.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Long Way Gone- Ishmael Beah
The war finally reached me when I was twelve years old. I knew about the war through stories, but it seemed as if it was happening in a faraway and different place. In January 1996, I realized it was closer than I ever imagined.
The first attack came with little warning. No one was prepared and families were separated as everyone ran desperately into the forest. I lost my whole family, except for my older brother, in the chaos. The two of us stuck together and, along with a few friends, we became nomads, searching the wilderness and surrounding villages for our families.
Our journey through the wilderness was full of danger and many times we were threatened by people with machetes. We had to convince them that we were only boys looking for our families, not rebels of the RUF. After many weeks of searching, sleeping in deserted camps, starvation, misery, and shame, we heard of a rumor that a there was a village where many of the people from our village went after it was attacked. Hoping to find our families, we made our way to the village. We were all full of anticipation at the thought of seeing our families, but just before we entered the village, it was attacked by rebel forces. My family was burned to death, trapped inside a house. I was so full of anger and sadness. I had traveled so far to find my family, and they were killed right in front of me. If I had only gotten there a few minutes earlier, we could have been out of the village, nice and safe together. Hatred filled my body. I wanted to avenge the death of my family. This is where my journey began.
After the death of my family, the only thing I had to live for was revenge. I was taken into the government’s army, fighting the RUF rebels. After starvation and the pain from losing my family set in, I felt the need to become part of something larger than myself. Something that could hold together and stay strong after all else had fallen apart. I planed to avenge the death of my family by killing all the rebels I could. I was brainwashed into thinking that revenge and death was the only answer to winning the war and finally coming to terms with my family’s death. I traded in my childhood for an AK-47 and the front lines. I witnessed so many other children die around me. I didn’t know why I was still alive, but I knew that I was going to fight until the end.
Then one day, a strange armored truck pulled into our village. I was in the group of boys randomly selected for the UNICEF rehabilitation. My guns were taken away from me, and I was loaded onto the truck with all the other selected boys. It felt so weird to not have a gun. Weapons had become my way of life, and I was angry to have my routine changed. I did not realize that they had saved my life. The first few months were the worst. We were not used to being treated as kids and taking orders from ‘civilians’. It took time, and lots of patience and care from the UNICEF workers, but we were rehabilitated. We learned how to be kids and enjoy life. We started school and learned how to trust people again.
Never did I think I would become a writer, but it all started in the UNICEF rehabilitation camp. I became the spokes person, proving to the world that we can become children again, we are not monsters. Speaking from the heart has allowed me to overcome my anger, and understand that my family would want me to live and be happy.
Today, I write because I realize that revenge will just lead to revenge and revenge and revenge. It is vicious on going cycle. I write to alter people’s view of society, and to show them that as long as there is fighting, there will be child soldiers. I write to bring awareness. I was one of the lucky ones, I survived. To repay my debt to those that lost their lives, I must tell the world of their courage, their suffering, and the importance to step in and stop what is happening in Sierra Leone.
I write to keep the memory of my family alive. I do not want to forget them, or forget what made me who I am today. I do not want to forget those that helped me on my way, by remembering them in my writing, I am keeping them alive, I am giving them importance.
For a while I struggled with the fact that I was the only one of my family to survive. It did not seem fair to me, I believed that I should have died with them. But I remember what my father said to me, “If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die”(54). It was my destiny to live and write about my story. We cannot go back in time, but we can remember the past and do our best to change the future.
The first attack came with little warning. No one was prepared and families were separated as everyone ran desperately into the forest. I lost my whole family, except for my older brother, in the chaos. The two of us stuck together and, along with a few friends, we became nomads, searching the wilderness and surrounding villages for our families.
Our journey through the wilderness was full of danger and many times we were threatened by people with machetes. We had to convince them that we were only boys looking for our families, not rebels of the RUF. After many weeks of searching, sleeping in deserted camps, starvation, misery, and shame, we heard of a rumor that a there was a village where many of the people from our village went after it was attacked. Hoping to find our families, we made our way to the village. We were all full of anticipation at the thought of seeing our families, but just before we entered the village, it was attacked by rebel forces. My family was burned to death, trapped inside a house. I was so full of anger and sadness. I had traveled so far to find my family, and they were killed right in front of me. If I had only gotten there a few minutes earlier, we could have been out of the village, nice and safe together. Hatred filled my body. I wanted to avenge the death of my family. This is where my journey began.
After the death of my family, the only thing I had to live for was revenge. I was taken into the government’s army, fighting the RUF rebels. After starvation and the pain from losing my family set in, I felt the need to become part of something larger than myself. Something that could hold together and stay strong after all else had fallen apart. I planed to avenge the death of my family by killing all the rebels I could. I was brainwashed into thinking that revenge and death was the only answer to winning the war and finally coming to terms with my family’s death. I traded in my childhood for an AK-47 and the front lines. I witnessed so many other children die around me. I didn’t know why I was still alive, but I knew that I was going to fight until the end.
Then one day, a strange armored truck pulled into our village. I was in the group of boys randomly selected for the UNICEF rehabilitation. My guns were taken away from me, and I was loaded onto the truck with all the other selected boys. It felt so weird to not have a gun. Weapons had become my way of life, and I was angry to have my routine changed. I did not realize that they had saved my life. The first few months were the worst. We were not used to being treated as kids and taking orders from ‘civilians’. It took time, and lots of patience and care from the UNICEF workers, but we were rehabilitated. We learned how to be kids and enjoy life. We started school and learned how to trust people again.
Never did I think I would become a writer, but it all started in the UNICEF rehabilitation camp. I became the spokes person, proving to the world that we can become children again, we are not monsters. Speaking from the heart has allowed me to overcome my anger, and understand that my family would want me to live and be happy.
Today, I write because I realize that revenge will just lead to revenge and revenge and revenge. It is vicious on going cycle. I write to alter people’s view of society, and to show them that as long as there is fighting, there will be child soldiers. I write to bring awareness. I was one of the lucky ones, I survived. To repay my debt to those that lost their lives, I must tell the world of their courage, their suffering, and the importance to step in and stop what is happening in Sierra Leone.
I write to keep the memory of my family alive. I do not want to forget them, or forget what made me who I am today. I do not want to forget those that helped me on my way, by remembering them in my writing, I am keeping them alive, I am giving them importance.
For a while I struggled with the fact that I was the only one of my family to survive. It did not seem fair to me, I believed that I should have died with them. But I remember what my father said to me, “If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die”(54). It was my destiny to live and write about my story. We cannot go back in time, but we can remember the past and do our best to change the future.
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