Lighting a cigarette Essay Example for Free

Lighting a cigarette Essay Girlish looking woman, in her late twenties, a little overweight, lost in thought. She is wearing jeans, a white jumper and trainers. Her dark hair is tied back. Scene is set up in the upper right stage corner. It is an airport arrivals lounge. There is luggage around her. She is nervously lighting a cigarette. Lights are directed towards her, the background is in shadow. How many times can you start again? I havent got a job, I dont know the language, and whats most important Ive never been here before. After two years in the Italian sun, grey and cloudy England will be a big change. At least, thats what Ive always heard about the island. Oh! I wish I could call this place home in a few years time. English people sound alright actually. Not that I have met many of them, but the few in the airplane were really nice to me. Their Italian wasnt as good as mine but certainly better than my English. (Silence. She looks around obviously waiting for someone). I left this life behind me and I am not going to regret it. Not much to miss, except the weather, the sea view from the balcony and the food. There was nothing else to stop me from leaving. Martin wasnt Italian and after the last few months I cant even think about him as someone close to my heart. I wish he had said something, anything, but he simply let me leave without a word. It wasnt easy. (Her eyes are filling with tears). I really dont know what I was expecting. After two years together you would have thought that we both would know that it is not how we wanted to live, and certainly not in each others company. But perhaps for Martin everything was great. After only two months we stopped going anywhere. One day I asked him to go to the beach. He said Im tired. You just want to go on the beach all the time. He was tired for the next two years. We met in the Czech Republic where our parents live. None of us was living there on a regular basis any more. Martin had already been in Italy for about two years. His sister had married an Italian, Roberto, and they helped him start a new life there. For most people in the small village where we were born, he was the lucky one. They could only dream about living in Italy. At the time my life wasnt bad, it was very different however. I was working in Germany taking care of an elderly woman. At the beginning it was really tough; I knew hardly any German and had no one there. The first three months I spent in tears, but there was no chance of a job nearer home and I could save a lot of money. The work was live in so I had few expenses. And to be honest it wasnt a hard job at all. Muksi was eighty-eight, but she was in very good health. I was doing some cooking and cleaning, but not much more. They treated me as a part of the family and after while I started to feel it. (Half closed eyes, recalling memories) I think it was Christmas time when I started going out with Martin. He asked me Do you have someone special? I said no quite emphatically! I hadnt thought about starting a new relationship at all, not after my last mistake. But somehow, when I was meeting my friends, Martin was always there and a few weeks later we were celebrating New Years Eve together. It was a distance relationship, he was living in Italy and I was in Germany. He flew to me in Frankfurt for our first Valentines Day! I was so in love. I thought I had found the one. Martin said Maybe we could go back to Italy together. Im going to change flats so I thought that maybe you I loved him even more then! Just a few weeks later I flew to him to start a completely new life on the East coast of Italy. And now I am flying to start a new life again! How many times can you do it? Is there a limit? My mom was really worried that Im moving yet again and of course sad that it hadnt worked out. But I couldnt stay there any longer and she calmed down when I told her that I was going to Tania. I think it took me too long to realise that Martin was not the one. What a waste of time! I should have known long ago. Sadness on her face. Sometimes, without any reason, he didnt talk to me for weeks. It was killing me. I was always there for him, his mate, but I hardly ever got anything back. I was spending all my money on the rent, the food, the bills and he he bought a new car, a plasma TV, some other gadgets. How naive I was thinking that it would all be ours. (Sigh). Towards the end his friend Matej lived with us for two months so it cost me even more. Matej never gave me any money and never said anything. Looking nervously around and checking what time it is. I didnt tell Martin that Tania had bought me a ticket. I didnt ask her for it. She has been my best friend for over fifteen years. I was so ashamed! I didnt have the courage to call her and tell her that Id got it wrong again. After about a month of silence she rang me and said Whats the matter? I know you well enough to know when somethings not right. I told her that life was not perfect. She knew it had to be much worse. She had met Martin once when she and Nick came to Italy for a weeks holiday and they stayed with us. She never said anything and because of this I guessed what she thought, but now she just said Ill send you a ticket to come and visit us. You can stay if you want or you can go back. How did she know that I didnt have any money? That same week Martin reverted to the great guy he could be. We were talking a lot and one night believing he would understand, I told him that I was going to visit Tania. I didnt say it was a one way ticket and that it was really in his hands if I came back or not. He started shouting, Do you really think that she wants you there? She is just trying to be nice. People have got their own problems. That was so nasty of him. (Sigh).

Causes and Effects of Climate Change Essay

Causes and Effects of Climate Change Essay The earth climates nowadays is changing very rapidly and differently. Besides that, the climate changes in our earth are affecting our lives psychologically, physically and emotionally. What is climate change? Climate change is the seasonal changes for a long period of time in the world. These climate patterns play an important role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them. For example, the changes in climate can affect how people, plants and animal live, such as food production and health risks. As the earths climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle, the world is now worried about the changes that occurring today have been speeding up and seriously affecting humans lives. All across the world, people are taking action to prevent climate change. For example, in 2007, scientists from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that warming oceans and melting glaciers due to global warming and climate c hange could cause sea levels to rise 7-23 inches by the year 2100. So, some islands and some small countries will be flooded by the sea water and even disappeared very soon. Because of this, we must take action as soon as possible to try to solve this problem or to prevent the more serious of climate changes occur. Im interested in this topic because the climate changes in our country or this world are too serious and its interesting to discuss and try to fix the problem. However, what are the causes and effects of climate changes that affecting our lives and environment? There are two main causes of climate changes natural causes and human activities. Natural causes have influenced the earths climates such as volcanic eruptions, ocean current, the earths orbital changes and solar variations. The eruptions of volcanoes cause a cooling effect on the earth. When a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapour, dust, and ash into the atmosphere. The volcano eruptions will affect the climatic pattern for years although the eruptions occur in a few days. The sulphur dioxide gas will reach the upper level of the atmosphere. The tiny particles, dusts and ashes will block the incoming sun rays and this will leads to cooling at the atmosphere. This is because the bouncing of sunlight to the space is cooling the atmosphere of the earth. Furthermore, ocean current is one of the natural cause that affecting climate changes. The ocean is the major component of the climate system. The oceans cover about 71% of the earth and absorb about twice as much of the suns radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface. Winds push horizontally against the sea surface and drive ocean current patterns. Besides that, the oceans also play an important role of the concentration of carbon dioxide. The changes in ocean circulation will affect the climate through the movement of carbon dioxide into or out of the atmosphere. Moreover, another cause that affects climate changes is the earths orbital changes. The earth makes one full orbit around the sun every year. If there is no tilt we will not experience seasons. Changes in the tilt of the earth can affect the severity of the seasons. For example, if there is more tilt means we will experience warmer summers and colder winters and if there is less tilt means we will experience cooler su mmers and milder winters. Another main cause that leads to climate changes is human activities. From the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution saw the large-scale use of fossil fuels for industrial activities. Therefore, they created many jobs for the people. And many people moved from rural areas to cities. Many vegetation areas were cleared to become houses or factories for industries. Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries, transport, and consumption. All this has contributed to the rises of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. Human is generating industries factories and houses, and running the vehicles that used many fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gases. These uses of fossil fuel will leads to climate changes. Global climate change is caused by the fertiliser that used for agricultures. The result of microbial action in the soil, these chemical will release nitrous oxide. Besides that, the emission of methane and carbon dio xide will also affect climate changes. In addition, the increasing of agriculture is also caused by the increasing of human population in the world. All the causes are giving a great impact for climate changes in our earth. What are the consequences of these causes for the climate changes to our world? We can see that there are three main effects on climate changes in our environment. Firstly, climate change in the world will affects human health. There are so many past researches showed that climate change will leads to human health and producing diseases. For example, in the research paper by Healey et al., 2010 that I have read said that the climate change is affecting the health of northern people such as Nunavut, Canada. Besides that, Cecchi et al. (2010) have conducted the research on the effects of climate change on allergic asthma. Moreover, Mickley, 2007 stated that high levels of surface ozone and particles have been implicated in many diseases involving the cardiac and respiratory systems. These researches showed that the climate changes are seriously affecting the humans health. Secondly, climate changes will also affect the biodiversity. Biodiversity is very important for the plants and animals to maintain their habitat and ecosystem. The climate changes have impacted the loss of biodiversity. For example, the water sources may change, the food chain may destroy and the medicine sources may change. In addition, the marine ecosystem will be affected not only by an increase in sea temperature but also ocean acidification, which increases the vulnerability of fragile ecosystems such as coral reefs. Furthermore, climate changes also will affect humans mind and behaviour psychologically. Climate changes will affect humans behaviour such as consumption, energy use and population growth. Besides that, climate changes also impact psychosocial and mental health including stress, guilty, anxiety to adapt and cope with the new changing weathers. The climate changes will cause the increase of social disorder such as post traumatic disorder, suicide, stress, abuse, violence and anxiety. Therefore, climate changes will be giving a great impact on the humans psychological lives. Discussion As we can see how the causes and effects of climate changes that occur in our world and this topic was concerned by the worldwide. So, what are the solutions and method that we can prevent climate changes or solve the problems that we are having now? Actually there are some solutions that our government, community and society can do. Firstly, the government can help the communities and businesses to reduce deforestation, plant new trees in the forest and empty land, earn sustainable livelihoods and adapt to changing climatic conditions. Next, teachers in lecturers in schools and colleges must give the knowledge of how to protect our earth from the very young age of the children and students. One of the reasons that caused the climate changes is the emission of carbon dioxide from the vehicles. Therefore, we can reduce the uses of vehicles and car-pooling in our daily lives. Besides that, at home, we can switch our light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs and turn off the light when we a re not using it or after using it. Conclusion As a conclusion, we can see there are many effects of climate changes that seriously affecting our environment, health and biodiversities. If we still have not take any actions to prevent the climate changes, our mother earth will be become sick more seriously. Furthermore, when the deforestation continuing occurs, there will be having many different consequences to our environment. Climate changes will also leads to psychological problem such as post traumatic disorder, stress, anxiety and violence among the communities. So, to protect our environment and give our next generation to have a better place to stay, we must always know how to prevent the climate changes such as stop cutting off the trees, save energy, car-pooling, etc. Therefore, let us together to protect and love our beautiful mother earth that given by God and try to keep her healthy as long as we can.

Social values of welfare: Hong Kong

Social values of welfare: Hong Kong Welfare is all collective interventions to meet certain needs of the individual and/or to serve the wider interests of society may now be broadly grouped intoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ categories of welfare (Titmuss, 1959). The development in the social values of welfare has always been changing throughout the centuries, particularly the 20th century. In traditional Chinese society, people used to believed that social welfare, or fuk lei, was given by kind-hearted philanthropists in society (N. Chow, 1994, p.325). In the early 20th century, the concept of social welfare was still very weak among Hong Kong people. Majority of welfare services were provided by non-government organizations before 1965 (W. S. Chow, 1993, p. 41). The situation changed after the publication of the white paper of the social welfare in 1965. Together with the rise of social worker, more people consider social welfare is part of their civil rights in the following decades. In 1997, the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong and the Asian financial crisis brought a significant impact on the social values of welfare. In the following paragraphs, I will briefly discuss the development of social welfare in Hong Kong and the corresponding social values of welfare, particularly the changes before and after 1997. As will be argued, there are both long term and short term factors that led the changes. The former would be the increasing consideration of civil rights and the latter would be the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong and the publication of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Review. In the early 20th century, majority of people considered welfare was given by kind-hearted philanthropists in society. As Hong Kong was a colony of Britain at that time, the colonial government put their focuses on protecting the Britishs interest, particularly the British merchants. Hence, the living environment and welfare of local Chinese were not concerned by the colonial government unless it interfere the interest of British. With this colonial background, local Chinese rationalized the concept of welfare would not be given by the colonial government. The Chinese merchants used their wealth to establish and maintain their reputations and leadership roles through acts of charity (Leung, 1996, p.3). They set up organizations and gave welfare to the locals. Among these organizations, Tung Wah Hospital was the most noteworthy charitable organization which catered the medical services and welfare needs to the locals. Apart from these organizations, churches and clans man association would also give welfare to the locals too. In the post World War II period, the situation had a slightly change. In the post war period, a large number of non-government or voluntary welfare organizations were set up in Hong Kong. It is important to note that most of these welfare organizations had their parent-bodies overseas. A typical example of these organizations would be the Hong Kong Red Cross. During this emergency period, the internationally-linked welfare organization had probably done much more than the government in meeting the welfare needs of people (N. Chow, 1994, p.324). Although the concept of welfare is given by kind-hearted philanthropists was weaken, the majority of the Chinese in Hong Kong are still unable to wipe away the traditional notions of welfare and accept the modern idea that it should be the responsibility of the state to provide the necessary social welfare services (N. Chow, 1994, p. 325). Meanwhile, a large proportion of population was refugee from mainland China (Due to the civil war in Chin a). Part of them considered Hong Kong is there temporary shelter but not their home. Hence, welfare development would not be their consideration as they expected to leave Hong Kong soon. These factors made there were only little pressure groups would fight for the rights for the locals in that period. The situation further changed after 1965. In 1965, the colonial government published the White Paper on social welfare. N.Y. Chow (1993) suggests that to be exact, the beginning of social welfare policy of Hong Kong was after the publication of the first White Paper on social welfare in 1965 (p.41). The White paper was the first government document that discusses social welfare policy in Hong Kong. It explained the welfare development and integrated the experiences from the development. Also, it gives the stands of colonial government toward social welfare policy and reasons that made the government cannot implement comprehensive social policy in Hong Kong. Although the White Paper has been blamed for lacking in-depth discussion on the blueprint of social welfare development and the foreseeable challenges, but this White paper gives a foundation for the further development of social welfare system (W. S. Chow, 1993). The concept of social welfare and government were no longer disseve ring like the past. More people started to integrate social welfare into the role of government. The most rapid change was found in the 70s. There were two major factors that led the change, the Big Bang of social policy and the rise of social worker. The Big Bang of social policy was initiated by the 25th governor of Hong Kong, Murray MacLehose. After MacLehose take office the governor in 1972, he had a strong sense of responsibility towards social welfare, under his influence, amendment of social welfare policy was necessary (W. S. Chow, 1993, p. 52). Apart from it, the increasing social problems (i.e. the riot in 1966 and 1967, Corruption) led the demand for governments involvement in social welfare further increased. These factors urged the publication of the second White Paper of social welfare in 1973. The aim of the White Paper was giving a five year plan of social welfare development and dividing the responsibility in providing social welfare between government and voluntary organizations. The aspects of social welfare in the five year plan included education, housing, m edical service, social allowance, youth services etc. The comprehensive expansion of welfare services increased the involvement of people in social welfare system. The value of welfare would not be given by the colonial government was further weakening in this period. Apart from the Big Bang of social policy, the rise of social worker also led to the significant change in social value of welfare. The rise of social worker could be traced back to the professionalization of social work and the implement of professional training at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the mid-1960s. In the 1960s, Fabian Socialism was the most fashionable approach taught in the social work schools of the two universities (N. Chow, 1994, p.327). Equality, freedom and fellowship are the central values of Fabian Socialism. The social work students in 60s and 70s were strongly influenced by these values. They had a strong sense of working towards a more equal and justice society. Hence, when the students became social workers in society, they would try to advocate policies that achieve to these two ideals. More people would consider welfare as a means to achieve an equal society. Meanwhile, the young social workers at that time also stres sed on civil rights. They believed that social welfare is one the important parts of civil rights. When they graduated, they would educate and advocate the public to uphold their civil rights through different social actions. As a result, under this influence, it led to the rise of the awareness of welfare system as rights enjoyed by citizen. Another significant change of social values of welfare could be found in 1997. The major factor that led to the change is the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. Before the crisis, the economy in Hong Kong was at boom. Majority of people were actively investing in property market and stock market. At that time, people emphasized on material values and short-term time horizon. Material values are the major criterion used to evaluate the worth of things and people (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.68). Meanwhile, majority of Chinese investor were looking for the maximum benefit in the shortest period of time. Topley states that many Chinese still prefer to invest in non-industrial property and trade because of the relatively quicker return of capital and profits. When investing in industry, the overwhelming desire of investors is to look for quick profits by whatever means present themselves as attractive in the short run rather than to look for opportunity for starting long-term investment. (as cited in Lau, 1982, p.70) As both of the property market and stock market were so flourished, the economic environment enabled people to achieve the above goals simultaneously. This in turn led Hong Kong became one of the wealthiest cities in Asia. The living standard in Hong Kong was one of the highest in Hong Kong history in the early mid 1990s. As most people could sustain their life in the market, they put less consideration on the welfare system. At that time, people would consider social welfare system was only for those who were in need in society, like elderly and disabled people. In other words, despite the underprivileged and the corresponding pressure group, majority in society would not care about the welfare system as they believed they could achieve self-sustentions in market. In general, social welfare development was overwhelmed by economic development at that period. But a significant change was provoked by the 1997 financial crisis. A great depression in both stock market and property market was provoked by the crisis. Lots of people were bankrupted because of the suddenly fall in the property market. Also, a massive unemployment was accompanied with the economic downturn, particularly in the financial sector. The decline in consumption led to further depression in other non-financial sector. The financial crisis brought two major impacts on the welfare system. First, it led to a significant fall in the tax income of the government. Second, more people fall into the safety net of the welfare system. In other words, it led an increase in demand for welfare services. Simultaneously, it would increase the welfare expenditure of the government. As these two factors happened at the same time, this brought heavy pressure on the financial budget of the government. At the same period, the sovereignty of Hong Kong changed back to China. One of the problems that foresee by the government is the increase in immigrants from China. In the review report of CSSA that published by the Social Welfare Department, it suggests that the increase in mainland immigrants would lead to an increase application for CSSA. It implies that the government believes that a number of mainland immigrants would rely on the welfare system for livelihood. Before the publication of the report, the government already spread this ideology through news and government press. At that time, the government disclosed different abusive cases of CSSA by the new immigrants. This made the public also be believed the new immigrants would bring pressure to Hong Kong welfare system. The economic downturn, mainland immigrants, together with the foreseeable aging population, these made the government believed a review for welfare system is necessary. As the government wanted to tighten the budget for social welfare expenditure, the publication of the review report was a means of government to the public support. This report brought a momentous impact on the social value of welfare. In particular, there were more people believed that abusive cases are common in the welfare system after the publication of the report. For example, the report suggested the level of benefits for four-person household is high. The average monthly payment for a four-person household increased in 120% from 1980s to 1990s. But the median wage of workers only increased 41%. The government suggested that this would create disincentive to work and lead to long term dependency on welfare system. According to a survey, 36.4% of respondents believed that the increasing number of CSSA cases becau se the criteria for application is too lenient (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.5). Although the way and method that government used to interpret and present the statistics had bias and hidden agenda, majority still believed that CSSA was breeding lazy people. Since CSSA has a strict income test and asset test, statistics of Suspected Fraud and Abuse was minimal. But the mass media created a negative image of CSSA recipients as they only reporting fraud and abusive cases. This, in turn, created a strong labeling effect on CSSA recipients. In a survey, 40.8% of respondents agreed that CSSA recipients are not deserved to be help (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.9). This reflected the fact that CSSA recipients were stigmatized. Apart from stigmatization of CSSA recipients, the role of welfare that interpreted by the public is also worth to discuss. Compare with giving direct welfare, people considered that self-reliance would be more appropriate. In a survey, 70.3% of respondents believed that people should satisfy their needs through self-reliance. On the other hand, only 8.6% respondents believed that people should satisfy their needs through social welfare (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.30). The development of the concept self-reliance could be explained by the Utilitarianistic Familism. Utilitarianistic Familism is social values of the Chinese people in Hong Kong (Lau, 1982). Chinese people would put the interest of family member in a higher priority over others. The bonding of the family members was strong. In addition to the extended family structure in the early mid 20th century, people would not look for help from government; rather, they would look for help from family members. As most problems could be solved without the help of government, it contributed to the development a sense of self-reliance. This concept is particularly prevailing value hold by the older generation (i.e. Those who born in the Post War Baby Boom). From the above discussion, we can see two sets of contradictory social values of welfare have developed in Hong Kong. On one hand, more people consider social welfare as their civil rights. On the other hand, people stigmatize some welfare recipients. It makes the rights of accessing welfare become alienated from the civil rights. These two contradictory values lead to different conflicts in society. Social workers, pressure groups and non-government organizations are striving for destigmatization of the welfare recipients. Lots of social actions like social demonstration and public forum are used to promote this civil rights. But at the same time, the government is attempting to marginalize the welfare recipients in order to reduce the welfare expenditure. From time to time, the government would publish the fraud and abusive case in CSSA. It seems that it wants to remind people that abusive cases are still common in welfare system. These, in turn, led to never-ending debates between the two interest groups. As seen in above discussion, it is hard to find a consensus towards the value of welfare in Hong Kong. The historical background, personal experiences and education would have a strong influence on the development of our value. But it seems that government would spread concepts and ideas that deviated from the principles of social welfare equality and equity, because its political agenda. Whether the ultimate goal of government is bring a stable and harmonious society in Hong Kong is questionable.

Fuel Cell Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Fuel Cell Technology Fuel Cells are a hot topic these days between the soon to come fuel cell cars that Toyota and Honda plan on unveiling this year and the $1.2 billion president Bush announced he would dedicate to fuel cell research during his State of the Union address. The least efficient of these electrochemical energy converters are at least as efficient as internal combustion engines and many are doubly as efficient when using special techniques. Exhaust from fuel cells is extremely clean, often consisting only of water. Although some use hydrocarbons, fuel cells give off around one one-hundredth of the pollutants given off by an internal combustion engine using the same amount of fuel (Fuel Cell Technology Handbook). Unfortunately some engineering and infrastructure problems, especially costs, are keeping fuel cells from commercial viability right now. A Brief History of Fuel Cell Technology The ideas behind fuel cells have existed for around one hundred and sixty years. Sir William Grove is cited as the first person to think that one could produce a current by reversing the electrolysis of water (SAE.org). However, it was until fifty years later that the term ‘fuel cell’ was coined by two researchers, Charles Langer and Ludwig Mond, trying to invent the first viable fuel cell fueled by coal gas (SAE.org). The technology lay dormant for most of the early twentieth century because of great advances in the use of internal combustion engines. It wasn’t until 1959 that practical fuel cells were first demonstrated. NASA quickly took interest in the technology for the Apollo missions and since there has been a renaissance in research and development of fuel cells. Currently, there are on the order of hundreds of fuel cell generators in operation world wide, cities such as L.A., Chicago, and New York, own fuel cell powered public transit vehicles, and both Honda and Toyota plan on making fuel cell powered car commercially available within one year (fuelcells.org). How a Fuel Cell Works A fuel cell is an energy converter that uses electrochemical energy to create an electric current. Because they use electrochemistry for power, fuel cells are often likened to batteries that run on fuel. This description is not a bad one, but to be more precise, a fuel cell creates direct current by ionizing a fuel and then moving those ions through a circuit. The three main components are the anode (negatively charged piece), cathode (positively charge piece), and electrolyte (medium for the transfer of ions). Fuel, typically hydrogen, is ionized at the anode by a catalyst (substance that can change an interaction, but does not change the chemistry of it).

Capital Punishment Essay: Capital Punishment Targets the Poor

Capital Punishment Targets the Poor In some states, inmates can be executed for crimes they committed at the age of 16; in others, only those who committed murder at age 18 or older are eligible for the death penalty. This essay will demonstrate that such inconsistencies and many other factors cause a situation where the poor are consistently targeted by the death penalty.    Some states, but not all, ban the execution of people with mental retardation. Some states include felony murder (unpremeditated murder committed in the course of another crime such as robbery or burglary) as a capital crime; others do not. In the 29 states that have a sentence of life without parole, 23 have statutes that bar judges from letting jurors know they have that sentencing option. Since studies consistently show that when given a choice between a death sentence and a sentence of life without parole, most people will choose the latter, failure to inform a jury of this alternative is tantamount to sending more people to the execution chamber.    Social science research has discredited the claim that execution deters murder. The majority of murders are committed in the heat of passion, and/or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, when there is little thought given to the possible consequences of the act. "Hit men" and other murderers who plan their crimes beforehand, intend and expect to avoid punishment altogether by not getting caught.    Law enforcement officials know that the death penalty is not a deterrent. Imposing the death penalty more often was thought to be cost-effective by only 29% of 386 randomly selected U.S. police chiefs polled by Peter D. Hart Research Associates in 1995. States that have death p... ...ily as an alternative to the death penalty(Death).    In 45 states, laws allow life sentences for murder that severely limit or eliminate the possibility of parole. Thirteen states impose sentences without the possibility of parole for 25 - 40 years, and all but three of the states that use capital punishment also have the option of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. Although it is often assumed that capital punishment is less costly than life imprisonment, the opposite is true: in terms of dollars, in terms of crime control, and in terms of morality.    Is there any other way to go than to oppose capital punishment? No.    WORKS CITED: Death Penalty Information Center  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/ Stanford Law Review  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://support.lexis-nexis.com/online/record.asp?ArticleID=LXE_Law_Rev_S   

Health Disparities

Now a days it is very common that people’s health depends on their income rate, social environment and the area we live in, and now the mortality rate is very remarkable between areas of the community, what does the mortality rate has to do with our location?Here in San Antonio, diabetes mortality rate is very high but it is higher in some places than others, and this is because a person’s income influences their location, according to research data about diabetes mortality rate in Bexar county, areas that are located in the north have a lower mortality rate in the county. To compare the mortality and income rate between zip codes, I choose a zip code from an area of lower diabetes mortality rate and another one from an area with a higher rate.78232 is a zip code located in the north side of the county, here the mortality rate is lower than in other areas, and 78237 which is located in the center, according to data in â€Å"community facts† the income rate in bot h areas changes significantly, people located in 78232 make an average of 65,887 a year and in 78237 drops to an average of 25,703 a year, so according to that information, where the income is higher, the mortality rate is lower, that is what also influences a person’s social group, and living areas, people live in places where they have access to all the accommodations they can afford to live better.According to the article â€Å"Social status has a measurable effect on health† studies show what are the main causes of health disparities, mostly in the united states, even though health care has improved a lot and it is better than years before, not everybody can get it, and that is because some people have a lower income rate and cannot afford it as easy as someone with a higher rate, and that also influences a person’s location in the community which may lead to unhealthy environments such as toxic substances, violent household, dangerous working place and stre ss, so people tend to have more health issues than someone who earns more money.If I was the major of San Antonio I would invest more money on building improved healthcare clinics all over the city no matter what the social status of people in each area is, so that way people can have better access to those facilities to go get checked more often for free, that way they can all prevent a more serious health issues that it is going to cost more money that poor people cannot easily afford.Transportation also becomes an issue for health care access, many people do not go to a doctor because they don not have a way of transportation, so I would invest some more money in public transportation all around the city, that way everybody has easier access to a hospital when they are facing a more serious health problem that needs to be taken to a hospital. Also a doctor’s experience it is very important for patients to have a healthier life, and getting good experienced doctors from bet ter hospitals to other hospitals located in lower income areas, that way everyone in the city are able to get doctors with the same experience level.I think it is fair for everyone to get the same opportunities when it comes to health care regardless of their income or their location, because it is harder to improve a person’s living conditions and influences than improving health care access, it may not completely prevent people from getting sick, but it should reduce the risks for their health getting worse if they can get checked more often than they did before, also considering pre natal care for pregnant woman that need a doctor more often than anybody else, they have to be very healthy during their pregnancy and having a doctor close to their home, it is easier for them to get the required precautions to have a healthy baby, because according to the article â€Å" Health Divides† studies show that the baby mortality rate has remained the same over the years but i t should be lower now that health care has improved so much, but it has not been equally accessible for everybody, that is why woman get little to none pre natal care needed to have a healthy baby.Some woman that did not have a good education have lower job opportunities, and need to work more to barely support themselves and that keeps them from focusing on their baby’s health and their own during pregnancy, also it is more common for low income pregnant woman to smoke or drink alcohol than higher income woman, which it is influenced by their living conditions and social group. In Conclusion, the main problem is not the quality of health care but the access everyone is getting, everywhere is different and in some places is harder to get the medical attention one needs to prevent a serious health problem or improve their family’s health, and most people would want to improve their health but their low level of education is a great disadvantage to get a better job and e arn a higher income. Even though we take good care of ourselves we cannot prevent health issues that is why we all need constant medical attention.

Blood Clotting Essay

Coagulation, or thrombogenesis, is the process by which blood clots in an attempt to restrict blood loss from an injury site, and repair the damaged vessel. Most of the time clotting is a good thing, however there are circumstances when a clot can form abnormally, leading to heart attack, stroke, or other serious medical problems. A blood clot forms almost immediately after the bleeding occurs, which is possible through enzymes and other substances in blood that respond to breaks in vessel walls. The clot is a temporary fix preventing further blood loss. There are four major parts of blood clot formation. The first step in clotting is the formation of the platelet plug. Platelets are the smallest of the three major types of blood cells whose primary function is to prevent bleeding. When encountering a damaged blood vessel, the platelets become stimulated and rush to the injury site where they clump together, forming a plug and restricting the bleeding. They also release substances to begin the chemical reaction of the clotting process. These chemical reactions are responsible for growing the blood clot. Dissolved proteins, also referred to as clotting factors, are contained within the blood for the purpose of promoting blood clots. These proteins send signals to each other and enhance each other’s activity exponentially at the site of injury, resulting in a rapid chemical chain reaction which produces fibrin, the main protein forming clots. This blood clot formed with fibrin is tougher and more durable than the platelet plug. Once the blood clot forms, it is important that it not grow and spread to the rest of the body, which can cause serious damage. This is where â€Å"anti-clotting† comes in to play. Proteins such as antithrombin, protein C, and protein S, are known anti-clotting proteins and exist in a natural balance with the clotting factors. These substances work to neutralize excess clotting factors, preventing the clot from going to places it should not. The final part of the process is where the clot is slowly broken down by the body. Once the damaged tissue heals, the body gradually degrades the clot and reabsorbs it. The tough fibrin strands in a blood clot are dissolved by an enzyme called plasmin. Plasmin is activated by other substances working together to help the clot break down. The whole process of blood clotting is whenever the blood is exposed to certain substances. These are known as thrombogenic substances because they promote  the formation of thrombus (clot). Many of these substances, such as tissue factor, collagen, and von Willebrand factor, are located in the skin or in the blood vessel walls, typically separated from flowing blood. If they come into contact with flowing blood, this typically means the blood vessel wall is ruptured and bleeding. A clot may also form when blood is not flowing properly. http://www.hematology.org/patients/blood-disorders/blood-clots/5233.aspx http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/blood-clots