Imperatives for Developing My Transformational Leadership Potential: Some Plans Essay

The word â€Å"leader† first appeared in the English language in the 1300s; it stems from the root â€Å"leden† meaning â€Å"to travel† or â€Å"show the way.†   The term â€Å"leadership†, however, followed only some five centuries later.   One can sift through many definitions of the term â€Å"leadership† and fail to find a single ‘common denominator’ that will unite all of them. This may be because there are so numerous, varying usages of the term in equally numerous and complicated situations.   However, for purposes of this paper, the following definitions used in many leadership studies were adopted: Leadership was broadly defined by Yukl (1989) as â€Å"influencing task objectives and strategies, influencing commitment and compliance in task behavior to achieve these objectives, influencing the culture of an organization.†Ã‚   In simpler terms, leaders influence the actions and behaviours of their followers to obtain a shared vision or aim.   According to Deming (1992), leadership must come from top management and leaders must possess profound knowledge. By profound knowledge, Deming meant that one must have knowledge of systems, variations (statistical thinking), theory, and psychology. Leadership is quite different from management; leaders grow from mastering their own conflict which arises during their developing years using internal strength to survive. On the other hand, managers tend to perceive issues as positive progressions of events which must be planned, organized, scheduled, and controlled.   In order to create the proper thinking perspective, leaders must aggressively investigate and act on the current market to create opportunities.   Effective leaders are those that are capable of assisting their organization/country manage change and steer it towards success. Past Work Experience I have had the opportunity to work with a local company; at peak work periods, I am tasked to manage a small team of 4 staff. Some of the responsibilities involved in this role are delegation of work; prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance; reporting regularly to my superior for updates and new directives; and updating my superior at the end of the day for concerns and accomplishments. Moreover, it requires me to plan and manage my own time. Effective people skills are as critical as the management of tasks in a team leader’s role. It is necessary for me to create and manage smooth working relationships with line managers, colleagues, and team members. I am also expected to manage their performance by clearly explaining to them standards of work and behavior. An Assessment of My Leadership Style I personally want to develop a transformational leadership style that is more dynamic, innovative and accepting of change than that espoused by a management role. Tichy and Devanna (1986) assert that managers engage in very little change but manage what is present and leave things much as they found them when they depart. Transformational leadership, they declared, focuses on change, innovation, and entrepreneurship. They assumed that transformational leaders begin with a social fabric, disrupt that environment, and then recreate the social fabric to better reflect the overall business climate (Bass, 1990). They argue that there are four suggested personal characteristics of a transformational leader: (a) dominance, (b) self-confidence, (c) need for influence, and (d) conviction of moral righteousness. These are the traits that I have to focus on in undertaking my development plan. Transformational leaders are expected to deal with the paradox of predicting the unknown and sometimes the unknowable.   These leaders change and transform the organization according to a vision of a preferred status. Leaders then are change makers and transformers, guiding the organization to a new and more compelling vision, a demanding role expectation. Studies have been carried out in many different countries, and research in this area also shows that transformational leadership is closer to perceptions of ideal leadership than transactional leadership.   As Hartog et al (1999) note, being perceived as a leader is a prerequisite for being able to go beyond a formal role in influencing others.   They hold that leadership perceptions can be based on two alternative processes.   First, leadership can be inferred from outcomes of salient events, and attribution is crucial in these inference-based processes. For example, a successful business ‘turnaround’ is often quickly attributed to the high quality ‘leadership’ of top executives or the CEO.   Leadership can also be recognized based on the fit between an observed person’s characteristics with the perceivers’ implicit ideas of what ‘leaders’ are (Hartog et al., 1999). This again points to the fact that an effective manager is not only focused on delivering tasks, but on handling his people well. This is especially true among people in the organization who put high premium on a manager’s interpersonal skills. The first step I will consider in my developmental plan is to maintain my enthusiasm and motivation of my team towards their work. Concurrently, I will also aim to develop my leadership potential. I will concretely undertake this by developing a strong mentoring relationship with my superior. Empirical research from both educational and industrial settings suggests that students and employees both have increased probability of success if they have had a mentor. While mentors are effective for everyone, sometimes organizations implement mentoring programs to support particular parts of their populations, often newer employees. And while mentoring programs are always established with the best of intentions, their results are often mixed (Werner, 2004). To make the most of my work exposure, I hope to establish a strong mentoring relationship with my superior or with an expert in my field to develop my competence further. Coaching and mentoring is a very effective way of developing my leadership potential because it does not only develop me in terms of technical expertise, but it will also allow me to actually experience how these experts undergo the coaching and mentoring exercise. Skills Acquisition Skill acquisition acknowledges that proficiency and expertise are a function of the exposure to a variety of situations. These circumstances become experiences for the learner to elicit apt responses. Bandura (1977) emphasized that most learning transpires by observing and modeling behaviors. Information is then stored and coded cognitively and utilized as guide for action. He further noted that the development of a realistic learning setting incorporating environment, behavior, and thought promotes the acquisition of complex skills. Moreover, simulation can help in providing this realistic exposure for neophyte professionals (Bandura, 1977). Because I have gone past beyond being a novice, now is the perfect time for developing strategic leadership skills. I will also be able to add on to my networks by attending conferences related to my field to be able to build and establish peer contacts. I will also endeavor to build relationships with members and managers of other teams within the organization. The following soft competencies have been recommended areas for leadership development by the Development Dimensions International website (2005): master at managing through ambiguity; inspires confidence and belief in the future; have a passion for results; are marked by unwavering integrity; set others up for success; have strong rather than big egos; and have the courage to make big decisions. Mastery at managing through ambiguity. Build a culture that embraces change; constantly set clear goals and expectations; are able to manage across boundaries (and lead others to do the same); show connections between individual accountabilities, team goals, and organizational vision and strategies; sets out a clear course even though it may change frequently. Inspires confidence and belief in the future. Are able to articulate a vision depicting what they want their organization; exudes calm and projects optimism in the face of uncertainty; can engage and inspire employees in their work connecting their needs and values with those of the institution. Passion for results. Set clear accountabilities and high expectations for themselves and for others; hire, promote and reward high performers; keep themselves and their employees focused on the top two or three customer-driven priorities; take action on those who do not fit or who are consistently not performing; establish critical measures of success and make sure they are visible to others. Marked by unwavering integrity. Serve as a â€Å"moral compass† for others; keeps promises and commitments; â€Å"walks the talk†; gives straight, honest feedback; leads through values; acts promptly when their own or the integrity of their organization is compromised.    Set others up for success. Coaches others to succeed before they have the opportunity to fail; truly enjoys seeing people learn and grow; rewards and recognizes success; views failures as learning opportunities; shares (rather than hordes) talent for the good of the organization. Have strong rather than big egos. Humbly shares credit with others; never shoots the messenger – they encourage the sharing of bad news; are always asking â€Å"how can we do things better?†; blame themselves before pointing a finger at others; knows themselves and are guided by strong personal values; listens to understand; recognizes that they, more often than not, are not the ones with the right answers.    Have the courage to make big decisions. Addresses issues or problems quickly; takes actions that are right, even when they are unpopular – they act on conviction; stands by their decisions once they make them – even if circumstances cause them to change course later; takes a longer term view consistent with a future vision (www.ddiworld.com, 2005). Soft skills are as equally if not more important than technical skills, in the development of leadership potential. These competencies must also be integrated into my success competency profile and adequately addressed through formal classroom or on-the-job training. Naturally, to be able to identify which leadership areas I need to focus on, I need to use reflection. The main approach is to develop fully into a transformational leadership role. With transformational leadership, the followers feel trust, admiration, loyalty and respect towards the leader and they are motivated to do more then they originally expected to do. Leaders transform and motivate followers by: (1) making them more aware of the importance of task outcomes, and (2) inducing them to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the organization or team and activating their higher order needs. In contrast, transactional leadership involves an exchange process that may result in follower compliance with leader requests but is not likely to generate enthusiasm and commitment to task objectives. Therefore, my staff need to feel that I can empathize with them, are able to give them feedback while maintaining their self-esteem, and also solicit their ideas on important issues. Transformational and transactional leadership are distinct but not mutually exclusive processes. Transformational leadership increases follower motivation and performance more than transactional leadership, but effective leaders use a combination of both types of leadership.   Such is the argument of   Gary Yukl (1989).   He defined transformational behavior as idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Yukl theorized that transformational leadership probably involves internationalization because inspirational motivation includes the articulation of an appealing vision that relates task objectives to follower values and ideals, it therefore also involves personal identification.   Yukl (1989) described transformational leadership as a process of micro-level and macro-level influence. At the macro-level, transformational leaders must take charge of the social systems and reform the organization by creating an appropriate power situation. At the micro-level, transformational leaders must attend to the personalities in the organization to facilitate change at an interpersonal level. One other way of developing my leadership potential is by regularly reflecting on areas for improvement. In this area, the feedback of my superior would serve as critical input. There is now broad agreement on four key attributes, therefore, known as the four i’s of Transformational Leadership (Avolio et al., 1991; Bass & Avolio, 1994b). Inspirational leadership means ‘the arousal and heightening of motivation among followers that occurs primarily from charismatic leadership’ and individualized consideration is evident when subordinates are treated individually according to their needs. Intellectual stimulation refers to the leader’s influence on followers’ thinking and imagination (Bass, 1985, pp. 62,82 and 99). And, finally, idealized influence is the identification with and emulation of the leader’s mission and vision. Apart from focusing on my own leadership needs, I would also like to assist in the drafting of Career Management plans of the members of my team. I would also like to ensure that I continuously serve as a model and inspiration for them in terms of giving support, praise and encouragement to all team members. Moreover, I will work for the implementation of retention strategies among the team members I work with through career development,   flexible work, induction, partnership and staff involvement, and pay and rewards. Some Comments on the Transformational Leadership Framework / Theory In contrast with leader emergence which deals with the likelihood that a person will become a leader, leader performance involves the idea that excellent leaders possess certain characteristics that certain leaders do not. For example, an excellent leader might be intelligent, assertive, friendly, and independent, whereas a poor leader might be shy, aloof, and calm. Research on the relationship between personal characteristics and leader performance has concentrated on three areas: traits, needs and orientation. In relation to transformational leadership framework, I do agree that the leader must possess certain characteristics to transform the organization. But this is not all – there must also be ample consideration of other factors such as subordinates’ ability and organizational climate. Traits. The idea that certain traits are associated with effective leadership is appealing, but in 1964, a review by Heslin and Dunphy indicated that only two traits – intelligence and interpersonal adjustment – have consistently been related to leadership performance. More recently, it has been proposed that good leaders need to possess only one stable trait – adaptability or self-monitoring (Cohen & Bradford, 1990). Thus, good leaders will constantly change their behaviors to meet the demands of the situation or person with whom they are dealing. Support from this theory comes from a study by Caldwell & O’Reilly (1982), who found that field representatives who dealt with many different types of people were more effective if they were high self-monitors. Similar results were found with Zaccaro, Foti & Kenny (1991). The concept of self-monitoring focuses on what leaders do as opposed to what they are. For example, a high self-monitoring leader may possess the trait of shyness and not truly want to communicate with other people. He know, however, that talking to others is an important part of his job, so he says hello to his employees when he arrives at work, and at least once a day stops and talks to each employee. Thus, the leader has the trait of shyness but adapts his outward behavior to appear to be outgoing and confident. An interesting extension of the trait theory of leader performance suggests that certain traits are necessary requirements for leadership excellence but that they do not guarantee it (Simonton, 1979). Instead, leadership excellence is a function of the right person being in the right place at the right time. The fact that one person with certain traits becomes an excellent leader while another with the same trait flounders may be no more than the result of timing and chance. Needs. A personal characteristic that has received some support to a leader’s need for power, need for achievement, and need for affiliation. Research by McClelland and Burnham (1976) and McClelland and Boyatzis (1982) have demonstrated that high-performance managers have a leadership motive pattern, which is a high need for power and a low need for affiliation. The need is not for personal power but for organizational power. This pattern of needs is thought to be important because it implies that an effective leader should be more concerned with results than with being liked. Leaders who need to be liked by their subordinates will have a tough time making decisions. A decision to make an employee work overtime, for example, may be necessary for the organization’s survival, but it will probably be unpopular with employees. Leaders with high affiliation needs may decide that being liked is more important than being successful, causing conflict with their decision. Needs for power, achievement and affiliation can be measured through various psychological tests. The most commonly used is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The TAT is a projective test in which a person is shown a series of pictures and is asked to tell a story about what is happening in each picture. The stories are then analyzed by a trained psychologist who identifies the needs themes that are contained in the stories. Obviously, this technique is time consuming and requires a great deal of training. Task vs. person orientation. Over the last 45 years, three major schools of thought – Ohio State studies (Fleishman, Harris & Burtt, 1955), Theory X (McGregor, 1960) and managerial grid (Blake & Mouton, 1984) – have postulated that differences in leader performance can be attributed to differences in the extent to which leaders are task versus person oriented. Person-oriented leaders (country club leaders, theory Y leaders, leaders in high consideration) act in a warm and supportive manner and show concern for their subordinates. Person-oriented leaders believe that employees are intrinsically motivated, seek responsibility, are self-controlled, and do not necessarily dislike work, Because of these assumptions, person-oriented leaders consult their subordinates before making decisions, praise their work, ask about their families, look over their shoulders, and use a more â€Å"hands-off† approach to leadership. Under pressure, person-oriented leaders tend to become socially withdrawn (Bond, 1995). Task –oriented leaders (task-centered leaders, theory X leaders, leaders high in initiating structure) define and structure their own roles and those of their subordinates to attain the group’s formal goals. Task-oriented leaders see their employees as lazy, extrinsically motivated, wanting security, undisciplined, and shirking responsibility. Because of these assumptions, task-oriented leaders tend to manage or lead by giving directives, setting goals, and making decisions without consulting their subordinates. Under pressure, task-oriented leaders tend to produce humor (e.g. tell jokes and stories) whereas person-oriented leaders tend to appreciate humor (e.g. listen to others’ jokes) (Philbrick, 1989). I feel that the best leader who may undertake transformation in the organization ought to be both person and task-oriented. In effect, in being a transformational leader, I should put premium on both person and task orientations, exhibiting each one with equal strength or emphasis. Interaction between the Leader and the Situation Apart from just focusing on the leader, I feel it is equally important for him to consider the complexities of his situation so that he may have a better grasp of how it is to transform the organization. In line with this, I should also be able to focus not only on developing myself but also consider the characteristics of the situation which I find myself in. One of the more recent research on this area is the situational theory of Geier, Downey and Johnson (1980) who believed that the leader has one of six behavioral styles, namely, informational, magnetic, position, affiliation, coercive or tactical. Each type is only effective in a particular situation, or in what researchers call an organizational climate. These researchers further say that based on the organizational climate, a leader with an informational style is best fit in ac climate of ignorance; those with magnetic style in a climate of despair; those with a position style in a climate of instability; affiliation style in a climate of anxiety; coercive style in a climate of crisis; tactical style in a climate of disorganization. This suggests that as a transformational leader, I should be able to adjust myself on the basis of my assessment of my organization’s climate. Relationship with Subordinates One other facet of transformational leadership which I intend to integrate into my personal development plan is my relationship with subordinates. This is consistent with the vertical dyad linkage theory. Vertical dyad linkage (VDL) theory was developed by Dansereau, Graen, and Haga (1974) and is a unique situational theory that makes good intuitive sense. Some situational theories concentrate on interactions between leaders and situations and between leaders and employees with differing levels of ability. VDL theory, however, concentrates on the interactions between leaders and subordinates. These interactions are called leader-member exchanges (LMXs). The theory takes its name from the relationship between two people (a dyad), the position of the leader above the subordinate (vertical), and their interrelated behavior (linkage). VDL theory states that leaders develop different roles with different subordinates and thus act differently with different subordinates. Dansereau et al (1974) believe that subordinates fall in one of two groups, the in-group or the outgroup. In-group subordinates are those who have developed trusting, friendly relationships with the leader. As a result, the leader deals with in-group members by allowing them to participate in decisions and by rarely disciplining them. Thus, in-group membership is thought to increase performance. Out-group subordinates are treated differently from those in the in-group and are more likely to be given direct orders and to have less say about how affairs are conducted. In general, research on VDL theory has been supportive (Grestner & Day, 1997). There are, however, relationships between leaders and subordinates that probably can be categorized into types other than in-group and out-group. In relation to transformational leadership, I should increase my self-awareness in treating my subordinates such that there is no rigid classification of whether they are members of the in-group or the out-group. Under the transformational leadership framework, all subordinates are encouraged to participate in decision making. As such, I should try my best to gather input from all of my staff to be able to come up with the most optimal solution to a problem or an issue. Subordinate Ability Apart from self-development, the transformational leader must also be wary of his subordinates’ abilities in carrying out his plan for change or transformation. According to House’s (1971) path goal theory, a leader can adopt one of four behavioral leadership styles to handle each situation: instrumental, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented. The instrumental style calls for planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of employees. The supportive style leader shows concern for employees, the participative style leader shares information with employees and lets them participate in decision making, and the leader who uses the achievement oriented style sets challenging goals and rewards increases in performance. Each style will only work in certain situations and depends on subordinates’ abilities and the extent to which the task is structured. In general, the higher the level of subordinate ability, the less directive the leader should be. Likewise, the more structured the situation, the more directive the leader should be (Schriesheim & DeNisi, 1981). In conclusion, I feel that the transformational leadership framework is wanting of some considerations. Apart from just focusing on the leader himself, the plan should include a grave consideration of other important factors, such as his subordinates’ ability and the organizational climate in which the leader operates. My transformational leadership development plan, in summary, will equip me with the necessary technical and leadership competencies towards effectively taking on a management role, whilst seriously considering my subordinates’ abilities and the culture of the company I am working for. Ultimately, this will reflect in being able to lead and motivate a team – who in themselves are competent, goal-driven and are able to contribute to the organization’s bottomline. References Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavior change. Psych Rev . 1977;84:191–215. Bass, B. (1990). Bass & Stogdill’s handbook of leadership: theory, research and managerial   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   applications. New York: The Free Press. Blake, R. R., & Mouton, J. S. (1984). The managerial grid III. Houston: Gulf. Bond, G. E. (1995). Leadership behavior: How personality, stress, and gender affect leader behavior. University of Washington. Caldwell, D. F., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1982). Boundary spanning and individual performance: The impact of self-monitoring. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 124-127. Cohen, A R., & Bradford, D. L. (1990). Influence without authority. New York: John Wiley. Dansereau, F., Graen, G., & Haga, W. J. (1975). A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within the formal organization. Unpublished report, State University of New York, Buffalo. Deming, W. E. , (1992) Leadership, Four Day Seminar – Charlotte, NC, October 27 – 30. Development Dimensions International. (2005). DDI’s leadership beliefs. Retrieved on December 17, 2006 from www.ddiworld.com. Fleishman, E. A., Harris, E. F., & Burtt, H. E. (1955). Leadership and supervision in industry. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. Geier, J. G., Downey, D. E., & Johnson, J. B. (1980). Climate impact profile. Minneapolis, MN: Performax Systems International. Gerstner, C. R, & Day, D. V. (1997). Meta-analytic review of leader-member exchange theory: Correlates and construct issues. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(6), 827-844. Hartog, D. N., House, R.. J., Hanges, P. J., et al. (1999). Culture specific and cross-culturally generalizable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/ transformational leadership universally endorsed? Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 219-256. House, R. J. (1971). A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 9, 321-332. McClelland, D. & Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). Leadership motive pattern and long-term success in management. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 737-743. McClelland, D. & Burnham, D. H. (1976). Power is the great motivator. Harvard Business Review, 54(2), 102-104. McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. Philbrick, K. D. (1989). The use of humor and effective leadership styles. University of Florida. Schriesheim, C. A., & DeNisi, A. S. (1981). Task dimensions as moderators of the effects of instrumental leadership: A two-sample replicated test of path-goal leadership theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 66, 589-597. Tichy, Noel and M.A. Devanna (1986). The Transformational Leader, John Wiley and Sons. Werner, W. (2004). The importance of mentoring. Law Practice Today. Retrieved on December 17, 2006 from http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt07041.html Yukl, G. (1989). Managerial leadership: A review of theory and research. Journal of Management, 15(2), 251 – 289. Zaccaro, S. J., Foti, R. J., & Kenny, D. A (1991). Self-monitoring and trait-based variance in leadership: An investigation of leader flexibility across multiple group situations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(2), 308-315.

Is There a Biodiversity Crisis Essay

Most commonly, biodiversity is referred to as the differences in the forms of life inside an ecosystem. There are different definitions regarding to the scope and to whoever has defined the word biodiversity. The first definition which the most common definition of the word states that biodiversity is the variation of life at levels of biological organization. This definition simply states that biodiversity claims the general differences in the living organisms that exist in an ecosystem. The second definition characterizes biodiversity as an assessment of the overall health of an ecosystem. The health of an ecosystem is relatively based on the number of species that thrives in an ecosystem. Thus, biodiversity is also measure of the relative physical condition of the different organisms alive in an ecosystem. Another definition, which is most commonly used by ecologists, describes biodiversity as the entirety of the genes, species and ecosystems of a certain region. This third definition relates the three basic levels that identify biodiversity: (1) genetic diversity, (2) species diversity and, (3) ecosystem diversity. In the main, biodiversity for ecologists also relates the interactions of species to species and also the interaction of the species to the environment they are in. Therefore, it is not only the species of organism that are interacting with one another but also the organism are interacting with the air, soil, water and the factors that constitutes the totality of the environment. The environment is very essential to all the living forms in the planet. Clearly, it is the provider of our most basic needs: food, water and air. It gives us water for drinking, air for breathing, food to supply as with energy and other necessities. Humans are pat of a very big ecosystem – the earth. With all the animals and the other forms of living things in the earth interacting with one another, surely, one kind of species needs the other in order to survive. Such as the way the spider needs its web and the horse needs the grass, all the organisms, need the planet’s wealth in order to survive. The collection of plants and animals are the ones that keep an ecosystem stable. The more diverse an ecosystem is, the more that it is stable and the more that it is likely to survive. Biodiversity crisis is one of the threats that lead to the extinction of certain species of animals and plants. Still, nobody knows the importance of each and every living thing on earth. However, their loss can be equated to a loss in medicine, technology and balance in nature, which in turn mar risk the lives of humans. Factors There are so many factors that contribute to the weakening and deterioration of biodiversity. It includes too much use and over exploitation, physical and chemical modification of the areas which serves as habitats for certain organism, introduction of foreign species of organisms to an area and modifications in the conditions of habitats. Some factors that contribute to the total fall of biodiversity in an area are also socially based. This includes rapid population growth, over exploitation of resources, useless and ineffective knowledge, unworthy management and increasing demand for areas to be modified into industrial and technological spots. Human activity is a large fraction of the causes of biodiversity crisis of the world. The diverse activities of humans can be accounted as the primary cause of the degradation of the diversity of life of the planet. Certain human activities create a huge impact to the environment. Two of which are human population and the level of consumption of humankind. These two factors constitutes to the major environmental changes that are happening in the planet. Also, the principal activities of humans for the purpose of his survival in the planet such as agriculture, fishing, hunting, manufacturing, trade, industry, and even recreational activities such as hiking, mountaineering and tours are directly and indirectly creating a major effect on the environmental balance. Records show that hunting and sever use and exploitation of the animal life and environment are the most cases that can be observed in the word today. These activities are the biggest threats to the existence of various kinds of animals not only in Tibet but also in other countries such as Thailand and Philippines. In Tibet, exploitation of animals is a major environmental problem. Animals are being killed for commercial reasons. Skin of rare animals, antlers of deer, heads of various animals mostly the Tibetan gazelle and fur of wild animals such as leopards can be seen in the market and are sold openly without penalties and forced restrictions by the authorities. More to that, hunters are not only free to kill animals in the wild but also, they can get their own permit to hunt in the wild. They are given permit to kill animals for the purpose of producing income and for the purpose of causing a rapid decrease in the population of the animals that they use for commercial purposes. Also, another major cause of biodiversity crisis in the world and still, an example of human activity is forest degradation and transformation of habitats to industrial sites. Forest degradation does not only concern the loss of trees in the rainforests but also the loss of the animals that depends on these trees for survival. Wide exploitation of the forests has been recorded in most of the countries in the world as early as human population began to rapidly increase. The act of cutting trees to be used either for construction of houses or for the purpose of selling to companies and other groups and for the purpose of having a new site wherein industries, houses, subdivisions and chemical plants are to be erected, all constitutes to the improper and over utilization of resources. These activities are the roots of extensive migration of birds and animals to other areas which causes over crowding of species in an area and wide losses in certain species that eventually dies due to the loss of trees and the loss of the existence of rainforests which serves as their habitat. Losses These human activities in effect, cause enormous impact to the environment. Effects incorporate land transformations, rapid decrease in the population of specie which mostly results to extinction and immense changes in the patterns of weather, water cycle, nutrient accumulation and chemical introduction. In the long run, these direct effects of human activities consequently are the ones that cause various changes in the global climate, patterns of migration, reproduction and habitat and an overall irreversible loss form the environment and consequently a loss to the humankind. On the whole, human activities have brought changes not only to the other living organism in the planet but also to the planet itself. Accordingly, human activities have caused the environment to weaken inducing a less stable planet that could less support existence of life. The world is rapidly loosing its wealth and richness. Due to the acts of man, not only he and the other forms of life are at risk but also the whole world. Man’s activities constitute much of the factors that contribute to this hasty decline. As man continues to increase its population and greedy concept of living, the diversity of life is steadily going to a point of fall. As this happens, lakes and rivers are transformed to highways and canals, forests will soon be out of trees and animals and will be turned to deserts. Natural diversity will be continuously raped and will make way for the rise of towering buildings, winding roads, infrastructures, houses, villages, factories, mines, schools, shopping malls and gardens. Existence of the technological advancements will soon interfere with the usual patterns of the weather and global climate as well as the lives of different species. In turn, they will be extinct and will never be enjoyed again by the coming generations. Eventually, the works of man today will weaken and continuously exploit the wealth of planet until comes to a point where it can no longer hold for the existence of man and his doings. References Center for Biodiversity and Conservation. (2007). Biodiversity in Crisis?. Retrieved December 6, 2007, from http://cbc.amnh. org/crisis/crisis. html. Simberloff, Daniel. (2007). Habitat Change, Population Growth, and the Biodiversity Crisis: Getting Ahead of the Extinction Curve. Retrieved, December 5, 2007, from http://www. angelo. edu/events/university_symposium/93_Simberloff. html. Shah, Anup. (2007) Biodiversity. Retrieved, December 5, 2007, from http://www. globalissues. org/EnvIssues/Biodiversity. asp. The Fruitarian Foundation. (2000). The Biodiversity Crisis. Retrieved December 5, 2007, from http://www. fruitarian. com/ab/TheBiodiversityCrisis. htm.

Caught in the Trap

Aromas confronted me as I walked in the door. Masalas—or spices—like curry, cumin and cinnamon each contributed. I sat on the edge of my chair—eager like a child on Christmas. I wanted to experience these exotic spices. They were delicious and fiery, yet flavorful. This is not the first time I desired something new. I yearn for knowledge and enrichment. If I hear something I don’t know much about, I look it up. A new technique, style, movie, or crisis—my desire for understanding and knowledge ranges. This time, the Indian food caught me in its trap. I needed not only the flavor—but also the culture. I needed to know more. I needed to understand. This is how I came across Hinduism. I saw the fascinating three-like symbol, the Om, before and I had looked it up. I knew it was Hindi. But my eyes were blind to Indian culture and religion. Enthralled by the beauty of the symbol and the delicious food, I started my research online. Then, I turned to books. One about Hinduism. An India travel guide about customs. And lastly, The Bhagavad Gita—a book essential to Hindus. I started with basics and grew. I learned that the cow is sacred and therefore, beef is not eaten and cows not slaughtered. This was something I found fascinating. Beef is vital in America. A good steak, special and expensive. But in Hinduism, the cow is a symbol of life and honored. I was drawn in by the open-mindedness towards other religions. Hindus believe that religion is the same just named differently. This appealed to me because religion is about loving and accepting and in Hinduism this is true. Hinduism is diverse, allowing its own followers to believe in a variety of things. Religion tends to be strict, and the diversity and variety in Hinduism made it appealing. The travel guide explained Hinduism is a way of life and is reflected in the customs. The Bhagavad Gita gave me insight and helped me learn from the same text that a Hindu would learn from. All this new information made me think in ways I hadn’t before, pose questions and challenge my beliefs. Did I still believe the religious foundation built around me? I wasn’t sure. â€Å"Aren’t you a Hindu or something?† asked my brother. I knew this question was coming, but I still didn’t have an answer. â€Å"I’m not sure.† Before claiming it, I want to fully understand. And I am still working towards that. I may adapt to this religion, I may not. But it doesn’t matter. This search is about understanding and delving into the intriguing unknown. The Indian food caught me. Forever I will recall my first meal at Tandoori Nights a year ago and what stemmed from it. What will catch me next?

(Leadership and management solutions) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(Leadership and management solutions) - Essay Example The major goal of Taylor’s scientific management was to control the production process through scientific method. Taylor believed that that technology can be used to enhance productivity by controlling labor processes. He had evolved the concept of best practices and advocated the training of workers on the best practice so that they can follow set procedure for production. Taylor’s scientific management relies on breaking the process of production into specific parts and training the labor force on how to accomplish the tasks efficiently and in time bound manner. He used machines as major facilitators of production process and applied management control on workers and operation. According to him, scientific management is to know what exactly one wants the workers to do and ensures that the work is done in the best and cheapest way (Taylor, 1911). The workers were trained on various production processes and their work was strictly monitored. Taylor’s emphasis on the rationalization of production and thereby of the workplace was intended to delineate the importance of labor force and use them as machines to reduce cost. Taylorism had become famous for the mass production. The scientific management is underpinned by five principles: clear division of task between the workers and management; evolving scientific method to find the best way of doing the task; scientific selection of workers; training of workers on doing the job in specific manner; and close monitoring of workers which is time bound. Ford Motors has exploited the scientific management to introduce technology and develop automated assembly line for manufacturing standardized parts for mass automobile production (Mullins, 2010). Taylor’s scientific management has come under controversy for many reasons including devaluation of human resource and unethical practices at workplace to increase profit. In mass production of goods, it is still very pertinent. In the contemporary times,

Using Lean Six Sigma to Improve Hospital based, Outpatient Imaging Article

Using Lean Six Sigma to Improve Hospital based, Outpatient Imaging Satisfaction - Article Example Therefore, the paper focuses on improving the service of the imaging department and brings into consideration the expectations of patients regarding the hospital. Unlike any commercial business, where greeting the customer and asking him to pay another visit soon, shall be considered good, such is not the case of the healthcare industry. In order to create an experience in the mind of the patients, service has to be personalized and focused. Previously, the hospital had wrongly focused on the process, procedure, safety and time to deliver the service; however, recent analysis suggested that customer satisfaction is about the consistency in the smooth conduct of the process as well as behavior of the staff. In order to ensure that Methodist achieves its objectives, it has decided to adopt a process that involves six sigma approaches and includes steps that are Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. Moreover, the customer satisfaction is the function of the service that is delivered to outpatients; therefore, the department has decided to pay special attention to these patients. Furthermore, the hospital uses Press Ganey service to assess its patient’s satisfaction.... The volume modality table seems to confirm the strategy of the hospital as outpatients seems to be the most frequent user of the machinery as compared to others while their share is approximately 50% in the case of Ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine. Thus in order to measure the performance in achieving those objectives, a more focused approach was laid down by reviewing the past data of outpatient imaging. The data revealed that the customer’s satisfaction has a very strong correlation with the time that the patient has to wait after being called down to testing area. Thus, based on this finding, a research was conducted that also confirmed the earlier finding. Therefore, the process was redesigned in order to improve efficiency in the system such that the lagging time shall be minimized. This was initiated by forming the workflow of all the four areas involved in the process which includes scheduling, registration, imaging and specific modality. However, more important in this regard was the communication regarding the appointments that were made with the patients since the time can be interpreted in more than one ways, while there used to a background noise that made communication difficult. In this regards, the email system was proposed as the solution to the problem. The most important part is the process of registration which used to take a lot of time due to its complex nature, such was simplified. Further, the outpatient was not being focused upon, as inpatient was being prioritized more over to outpatient regardless of the condition of the patients. To ensure further patient satisfaction, he will be communicated and briefed about the time the tests will start and details related to it. In case, he is late then he can be

Applications of laser technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Applications of laser technology - Essay Example This device has undergone centuries of modifications and up gradations to receive its current state. The term laser is actually an acronym, meaning (L) Light (A) Amplification by (S) Stimulated (E) Emission of (R) Radiation. It is a device which emits light with certain properties that makes it so important for various processes. It stimulates light, which is part of the natural electromagnetic spectrum. The light emitted by a laser device has certain properties which differentiates it from normal light emissions. The light emitted by a laser is monochromatic, that is its wavelength is extremely pure and coherent as well. The light waves emitted by the device are all in a single phase and diverge to a negligible extent. When the beam is focused on a particular point, it exceeds the brightness of the sun thus allowing it to be applicable in several significant procedures. It has taken several procedures and advancements for laser devices to reach their current status. The first actual laser was developed by a well renowned scientist Theodor Maiman who worked at the Hughes Research Laboratory. The first laser he developed was only a level 3 laser developed by a Ruby rod silvered at both ends. However, the working principles had already been derived by Albert Einstein centuries ago with the help of Plank’s laws of radiation. The working principles had been further upgraded by scientists such as Charles H. Townes who had developed a predecessor of Lasers, known as Masers which were developed by Microwaves (Galvana, 2002, p.286). With the development of lasers through time, it has been updated into several hundreds of forms. The various significant types of lasers mainly include diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers, helium neon lasers, air cooled ion lasers, and semi-conductor diode lasers etc. have gained particular significance in recent years of scientific development. The application of these lasers is the biggest aspect to be considered. Medical Applic ations of Lasers Due to further development of science and the adjustment of lasers according to the requirement of the procedure, scientists have put lasers in use of many vital medical processes. Due to its precise, pure and accurate nature surgeries have become even further accurate and authentic. There are several procedures that include lasers as the most vital part of the entire process. The application of laser in medical processes has provided a special breakthrough in the field of optics. LASIK is an extremely important procedure that has been developed for the correction of a person’s cornea in order to cure his eye sight. LASIK stands for Laser in Situ Keratomileusis and has become one of the most renowned processes in modern times. This medical procedure basically consists of three steps. Firstly, the measurement of the cornea is noted which will be extremely important in reshaping the cornea via laser. Then the patient is sedated and his eye lids are held still w ith the help of a scalpel. Then with the help of the laser, which has a high pulse to pulse stability and intensity, the cornea is changed back to its stable shape. Recent advancements have been made which reduces the chance of any error due to eye movement by the reduction of the time required for the procedure (Thyagarajan and Ghatak, 2010, p.471). The use of lasers has also proved extremely vital in case of

The Effect of Marital Interactions on Martial Satisfaction Research Proposal

The Effect of Marital Interactions on Martial Satisfaction - Research Proposal Example Researchers have classified different types of marital relationships based on a wide number of relationship variables. For example Miller and Olsen (1990) classified various couples according to their conflict and task leadership, while Gottman (1979 classified them according to ther communicative skills and interactions in problem – solving. In yet another study Shostrum and Kavanaugh (1971) categorized couples based on their anger – love and strength and weakness dimensions. Though Leo Tolstoy in his classic novel ‘Anna Karennia’ has stated that â€Å"All happy families resemble one another, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way†, yet research studies have proved that both happy and unhappy marriages are not alike. Marital satisfaction depends very much on the individuals involved and is of utmost importance for a steady marital relationship. Such a relationship builds strong bonds between couples and families leading to a good sense of well being and happiness. Marital satisfaction is measured as the degree to which spouses perceive that their partners meet their needs and desires (Bahr, Chappell, & Leigh, 1983; Bohlander, 1999; Fields, 1983) We will review the current state of research on marriage, marital satisfaction and interaction patterns exhibited by martially satisfied spouses as compared to martially distressed partners. We will take into account both the positive and negative interactions between couples which reflect the level of marital satisfaction they experience in their relationships Olson and De Frain (2003) contend that communication is the core centre of all intimate human relationships – and is the foundation on which all else is built and in marriage, which can be described as a linking or joining of two independent people in order to create something of value to both. Good communication skills hold the

Police corruption Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Police corruption - Assignment Example It is marked by simultaneous occurrence of mishandling of official capacity and mishandling of personal attainment. It is carried out by violation of state or federal laws or the constitutional rights of the individual. Corruption may also involve material benefit or a profit gained through abuse of public authority. Police corruption is a pervasive phenomenon, yet it is not bound by ranks. It is typified by such acts as bribery, extortion, receiving or selling stolen property and aiding or abetting or carrying out drug pedaling. Broadly, it may also include indulging in such acts as violence and brutality, fabrication or destruction of evidence, racism, or favoritism. Knapp Commission describe three basic kinds of corruption; bribery, shakedowns and mooching . Police may use subtle to extreme methods to indulge in corruption. However, no single reason can be ascribed to the existence of police corruption (Gainer and Miller, 2008). Wicershkam Commission was appointed by President Herbert Hoover in 1929. George W. Wicershkam headed the National Committee on Law Observation and Enforcement, which was popularly called the Wicershkam Commission. Wicershkam Commission was charged with investigating the causes of widespread criminal activity and finding causes of violations of national prohibition policy. It was the first of its kind national level enquiry into the causes of crime and law enforcement. The commission presented its report in 14 volumes in a study carried out from 1931 to 1932. The commission handed out a severe indictment of police thus confirming the presence of misconduct and corruption in its functioning. Apart from the use of violence and brutality it also pointed out the instances of bribery, corruption, coercion, fabrication of evidence and entrapment. Knapp Commission or the Commission to Investigate the Alleged Police Corruption was appointed under the chairmanship of Whitman

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example They could perhaps implement a program that keeps the expatriates informed about the new changes that have been implemented in their organisation back home. They could also organize training sessions on the return of their employees, to facilitate easy adaptation and help them get over the shock phase. ('Repatriation', website: http://www.intercultural-training.co.uk/repatriation.asp) I believe that while Sam has been given prior training and other aids, to adapt to the existent conditions in Japan, his family will receive a culture shock. This is due to the fact the family has not received any prior orientation, apart from a self-motivated attempt at learning the local language. The company must have recognized the services of employees and provide guidance and help, in aiding them and their families settle down amidst changing scenarios. First comes the phase of adaptation, when the employee's family finds the environment new and different from the routine he has been subject to. They need to get used to the whole new setup, which could probably include a new language, culture or practices in general. This could create disillusionment and slight depression.

See the topic on the file that i send u Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

See the topic on the file that i send u - Essay Example Larmor equation originates from the classical physics and uses specific magnetic field strength. The equation aids in computation of the resonant frequency of the precession (Kamel and Merkle 2011, 102). Larmor equation is significant since it the frequency at which the underlying nucleus ought to absorb energy (Bacchieri and Giovanni Della Cioppa 2007, 56). The process of absorption of energy makes the proton change its configuration and ranges from one to one hundred MHz within the MRI. This paper illustrates the impacts and limitations of the higher B0 3T and 1.5T imaging providing imaging in regard to the Larmor formula. Numerous impacts associated with relocating from lower to higher field strength in regard to the imaging. The different normally result from the Larmor frequency, wavelength and the specific absorption ratio (Weir 2011, 69). Moreover, the primary delinquent pertains to the escalation within the excitation rate of recurrence ? of Larmor equation: ?0 = ? B0 Where ? 0 = the angular frequency of precession of protons within an external magnetic field, ? = gyromagnetic ratio=42.58 MHz/T i.e. ? = 2.67*108 radians s-1 T-1 B0 = the strength of the external magnetic field Thus, the timbre frequency escalates from roughly 63.9 MHz at the rate of 1.5T to corresponding 127.8 MHz at 3T. For computation of the wavelength within the water and the velocity of light is equivalent to 3.0?108M/s over the prevailing echo frequency. The dielectric constant of H2O into consideration: .The wavelength within liquid diminishes from fifty two centimeters at a range of 1.5T to corresponding twenty six centimeters at a range of 3T (Kamel and Merkle 2011, 115). Relative diminutive wavelengths are nearer the ordinary physique diameters and result to a gain of protective impacts. It also results to intrusions of overlaid RF surfs possessing multifaceted impacts on the RF consistency. The related complications are predominant within the front and lumbar imaging processes ( Bacchieri and Giovanni Della Cioppa 2007, 56). Rectification of an imaging problem takes place via RF shimming and advancing coil design. Absorption ratio associates to the corresponding square of excitation frequency that affects the square B0 field strength (Vittinghoff 2012, 65). The Larmor precession rate of recurrence is the degree of the precession of a swirl package within the magnetic field power. The rate of recurrence of the RF pointer stimulates alteration within the nucleus spin energy level. It also determines the gyromagnetic proportion of atoms and strength of the underlying magnetic meadow. Thus, stronger magnetic fields will result in higher precessional frequency (Kamel and Merkle 2011, 95). RF rhythm of the Larmor rate of recurrence is the applicable core atom and protons, which changes configuration of track of the principal attractive field. The rearrangement of the positive ion to the chief attractive field results in the emission of energy at the Larmor freque ncy. Attractive field variation across the magnetic field slope results in deviation of the Larmor rate of recurrence (Weir 2011, 85). Chemical shift scale is directly proportional to attractive field strength. Thus, plump and liquid resonance rate of recurrence normally contrast via the two hundred and twenty hertz at a range of one point five tesla and corresponding four hundred and forty

The Neolithic and Industrial Revolutions Essay Example for Free

The Neolithic and Industrial Revolutions Essay The two changes in the use of the earths resources that had the greatest effect on the world population were the Neolithic and the industrial revolutions. The Neolithic revolution (a.k.a. agricultural revolution) was a change in the way of life of our ancestors. It took place about 8000 years ago among various tribes in Asia and the Middle East. It included a transition from foraging and hunting to the domestication of animals (most probably starting with the dog) and to farming. Tribes settled in fertile areas and formed agricultural communities many of which grew into villages and cities. This relatively stable way of life and the more reliable food supply (and surplus) led to the development of new professions, to labor specialization and ultimately to the stratification of these societies. Improved conditions of life led to somewhat longer life spans. Nevertheless population growth remained low due to high infant mortality rates. The impact of the Neolithic revolution was not as much on immediate population growth (even though it did have a long term impact on population growth) as on the material and spiritual development of the human race. It is widely regarded as the beginning of civilization. Industrial revolution was another process of change. It was the process of substituting muscle power with machine power. It took place in the 18th century in Europe and is still happening in many parts of the world. In many characteristics it has been similar to the Neolithic revolution: it increased production, it led to the use of resources that had been mostly unused until then and it improved the overall quality of life. It also led to changes in the structure of society. What was different was its impact on population growth. It was quick and easily noticeable. Advanced sanitation, hygiene and medicine led to longer life spans and declining death rates, with the birth rates remaining high. This resulted in a high rate of population growth that still continues in many countries. The information revolution is the process of change that began in the second half of the 20th century in the developed countries of the world. It is the process of substituting brain power with machine power. It leads to increased production and has the potential to create a more even distribution of the worlds population on the surface of the earth. It also has the potential to decrease the differences between the less developed and the highly developed nations of the world. Then again it also has the potential to increase those differences. It causes changes in the structure of society. Many of its impacts are still to be experienced. Environmental Revolution means In view of some, a coming change in the adaptation of human to the rising deterioration of the environment. The Environmental Revolution will purportedly bring about sustainable interactions with the environment. Revolutions suggest overthrowing something, and indeed, what is involved is an overthrow of prevalent attitudes toward over economy and the environment. This does not have to be a violent revolution; it could take place so peacefully that it would take a future generation to look back and realize that a major revolution had occurred. We can choose to undergo the changes necessary to achieve sustainability by planning properly and learning as we go, or we can ignore the signs of unsustainability and increase our impact on the environment by driving bigger cars ( and more of them), living in bigger houses, flying off to more vacations, and, in general, expecting to enjoy more of everything. And the developing world, as it tries desperately to catch up to our living standards, could make the same mistakes we are making, with devastating consequences because there so many more people there than in the developed world. If we choose to ignore the signs that our current practices are unsustainable, a different kind of environmental revolution will be thrust upon us by the inability of the environment to support an irresponsible human population. Biogeochemical cycles In the carbon cycle, the key events are the complementary reactions of  respiration and photosynthesis. Respiration takes carbohydrates and oxygen and combines them to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Photosynthesis (6CO + 12H O + Light Energy C H O + 6O +6H O) takes carbon dioxide and water and produces carbohydrates and oxygen. The outputs of respiration are the inputs of photosynthesis, and the outputs of photosynthesis are the inputs of respiration. The reactions are also complementary in the way they deal with energy. Photosynthesis takes energy from the sun and stores it in the carbon-carbon bonds of carbohydrates; respiration releases that energy. Both plants and animals carry on respiration, but only plants and other producers can carry on photosynthesis. The chief reservoirs for carbon dioxide are in the oceans and in rock. Carbon dioxide dissolves readily in water. Once there, it may precipitate as a solid rock known as calcium carbonate. Corals and algae encourage this reaction and build up limestone reefs in the process. On land and in the water, plants take up carbon dioxide and convert it into carbohydrates through photosynthesis. This carbon in the plants now has 3 possible endings. It can be returned to the atmosphere by the plant through respiration; it can be eaten by an animal, or it can be present in the plant when the plant dies. Animals obtain all their carbon in their food, and, thus, all carbon in biological systems ultimately comes from plants. In the animal, the carbon also has the same 3 possible endings. Carbon from plants or animals that is released to the atmosphere through respiration will either be taken up by a plant in photosynthesis or dissolved in the oceans. When an animal or a plant dies, two things can happen to the carbon in it. It can either be respired by decomposers or released to the atmosphere, or it can be buried intact and ultimately form coal, oil, or natural gas (fossil fuels). The fossil fuels can be mined and burned in the future; releasing carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Otherwise, the carbon in limestone or other sediments can only be released to the atmosphere when they are sub ducted and brought to volcanoes, or when they are pushed to the surface and slowly weathered away. Humans have a great impact on the carbon cycle because when we burn fossil fuels we release excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This means that more carbon dioxide goes into the oceans, and more is present in the atmosphere. This causes global warming, because the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere allows more energy to reach the  Earth from the sun than it allows escaping from the Earth into space. Phosphorus has only one form, phosphate. This molecule never makes its way into the atmosphere; it is always part of an organism, dissolved in water, or in the form of rock. When rock with phosphate is exposed to water, the rock is weathered out and goes into solution. Plants get phosphorus from the soil, after the water washes it into the ground. Animals obtain their phosphorous from the plants they eat. Animals may also use phosphorous as a component of bones, teeth and shells. When animals or plants die, the phosphate may be returned to the soil or water by the decomposers. There, it can be taken up by another plant and used again. This cycle will occur over and over until at last the phosphorous is lost at the bottom of the deepest parts of the ocean, where it becomes part of the sedimentary rocks forming there. Ultimately, this phosphorous will be released if the rock is brought to the surface and weathered. Two types of animals play a unique role in the phosphorous cycle. Humans often mine rock rich in phosphorous. For instance, in Florida, which was once sea floor, there are extensive phosphate mines. The phosphate is then used as fertilizer. This mining of phosphate and use of the phosphate as fertilizer greatly accelerates the phosphorous cycle and may cause local overabundance of phosphorous, particularly in coastal regions, at the mouths of rivers, and anyplace where there is a lot of sewage released into the water. Local abundance of phosphate can cause overgrowth of algae in the water; the algae can use up all the oxygen in the water and kill other aquatic life. This is called eutrophication. The other animals that play a unique role in the phosphorous cycle are marine birds. These birds take phosphorous containing fish out of the ocean and return to land, where they defecate. Their guano contains high levels of phosphorous and in this way marine birds return phosphorous from the ocean to the land. The guano is often mined and may form the basis of the economy in some areas. Nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is composed of two nitrogen atoms bound to each other. It is a pretty non-reactive gas; it takes a lot of energy to get nitrogen gas to break up and combine with other things, such as carbon or oxygen. Nitrogen gas can be taken from the atmosphere in two ways. First,  lightning provides enough energy to burn the nitrogen and fix it in the form of nitrate. This process is duplicated in fertilizer factories to produce nitrogen fertilizers. The other form of nitrogen fixation is by nitrogen fixing bacteria, which use special enzymes instead of the extreme amount of energy found in lightning to fix nitrogen. These nitrogen-fixing bacteria come in three forms: some are free-living in the soil; some form symbiotic, mutualistic associations with the roots of bean plants and other legumes; and the third form of nitrogen-fixing bacteria are the photosynthetic cyanobacteria which are found most commonly in water. All of these fix nitrogen, either in the form of nitrate or in the form of ammonia. Most plants can take up nitrate and convert it to amino acids. Animals acquire all of their amino acids when they eat plants or other animals. When plants or animals die or release waste, the nitrogen is returned to the soil. The usual form of nitrogen returned to the soil in animal wastes or in the output of the decomposers, is ammonia. Ammonia is rather toxic, but, fortunately there are nitrite bacteria in the soil and in the water which take up ammonia and convert it to nitrite. Nitrite is also somewhat toxic, but another type of bacteria, nitrate bacteria, takes nitrite and converts it to nitrate, which can be taken up by plants to continue the cycle. Then, to return the nitrogen back to the air, there is denitrifying bacteria in the soil which takes the nitrate and combines the nitrogen back into nitrogen gas. Natural ecosystems The good and services provided by natural ecosystems are not easily seen in the market (meaning the market economy that normally allows us to place value on things) or may not be in the market at all. Thus, things such as clean air to breathe, the formation of soil, the breakdown of pollutants, and the like never pass through the market economy. People are often not even aware of their importance. Because of this, these things undervalued or not valued at all. The functioning of natural ecosystems provides services essential to human survival. Collectively, these services maintain the Earth in a state that can support life. Ecosystem services maintain the atmosphere, provide clean water, control soil erosion, pollution and pests,  pollinate plants, and much more. Consider the atmosphere. Terrestrial animals need air with the correct balance of gases, which includes at least 20% oxygen. Oxygen is provided by plants and algae through photosynthesis. So clearing vegetation and polluting the ocean may threaten the very air we breathe. Water is also essential for survival. The water cycle of rain and evaporation is partly controlled by vegetation. For example, forests can affect entire regional climates because they pump enough water from the soil to the air, causing more rainfall. Large-scale deforestation could cause serious drying of regional climates. Reference: Richard T. Wright (2005) Environmental Science toward a Sustainable Future. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Pearson Prentice Hall 9th edition https://www.eps.com

The Inelastic Price Demand For Wheat

The Inelastic Price Demand For Wheat From a case study South Africas price of an agricultural commodity wheat fall because their suppliers United States had a boosted productivity of wheat caused by snowfall weather conditions. It is therefore concluded that the supply of wheat is elastic as the production of wheat can vary from year to year due to competition on market and whether conditions .The demand of wheat is inelastic because the consumer responsiveness is small when there is a decrease in the price of wheat .Wheat can also be viewed as normal good. [Word Count 887] South Africas wheat price fall for the first time after the price of the grain in the US dropped as snowfall in US boosted harvest. This increase in productivity of wheat in United States has an impact on South Africas wheat price because South Africa is a net importer of wheat. The nation is the regions biggest importer after Nigeria and Sudan, according to US Department of Agricultural data (Bloomberg News, 2013, 1).The snowfall resulted in more productivity of wheat therefore creating a high competitive market between the suppliers and consumers since wheat has a number of daily products .The price of wheat is therefore forced by market competition to decrease to P0 also creating a new market equilibrium E1. P S0 S1 P1 E0 P0- E1 D Quantity 0 q1 q2 q3 Therefore this production increases according to Parkin et el An increase in supply brings a shift of the supply curve to the right, (Parkin et al, 2010:104). Therefore the quantity of wheat supplied by United States will results in the supply curve S0 shifting to the as shown by the bold arrow .In this article the wheat production was boosted by snowballs falling on wheat farms, making the weather more favourable to produce more of wheat. This is an example of natural cause of production as there was no any human input to increase production. On the other natural causes can also have negative impacts for example if wheat is attacked by some kind of disease or pest the production will be very low. Other factors that increases the quantity supplied are, technology according to Econport production technology is involved in the process part. Increases in the level of production technology can make that process more efficient, (Econport, 2013).Technological advancements for example if a new wheat harvester machine is introduced the results are more wheat productivity and more surplus. This production is also affected by the number of suppliers in wheat market which when there are many they create a competitive market whereby the suppliers will not determine prices Supply for wheat is elastic since the supply of wheat varies every year which is caused by weather, in this case snowfalls and also the market competition as shown by the supply curve S0 which are less steeper and elasticity is greater than 1.Therefore a small change in the price of wheat will result will result in a larger change of quantity demanded for example if the price of wheat increases 2% quantity demanded will change by 7%. The determinants causing shifts in supply are, proportion of income for example consumers prefer commodities they can afford, the amount of the commodity demanded for example if the demand is high the suppliers are most likely to raise the commoditys price, price of related goods consumers usual prefer cheaper commodities, substitute goods related for example if the price of coffee increases the demand for tea will be high. In this case wheat is a normal good which is inelastic as consumers are less responsive to change in price. Change in demand for wheat in this article will be a small increase in amount (q1-q0).In this article the small increase is caused by price fall and in this situation consumers are more willing to buy more of wheat. The responsiveness of consumers is very small. If the price was increasing the consumers will buy less and more likely to substitute wheat with the next available alternative. Other factors include level of income if the price increases it makes a negative effect to consumers income therefore they will buy less. Consumers choice and wiliness to buy. The size of the population a larger population consumes more wheat than a smaller one and government policies for example if the government sets its minimum price above the equilibrium point the quantity demanded is reduced. Price movements are shown on the vertical axis .before the price of wheat fall the price was p1 and equal to the market equilibrium E0 where the supply and demand curves intersect. When the supply curve moved to the right the equilibrium also moved to our new equilibrium E1.As wheat price decreased our supply curve shifted to supply curve S1.This results in the shift of the market equilibrium to E1.The quantity change is (q1-q0).Looking at the demand curve we can see that it is steep therefore it has a elasticity value closer to 0 .This means wheat is relatively inelastic that is elasticity ranges between 0 and 1. This implies that change in price of wheat is greater than the change in quantity .This classifies wheat as normal goods. Thus according to Tutor2u Inferior goods have a negative income elasticity of demand, demand falls as income rises(Tutor2u,2013).For example at ceteris paribus if the price of wheat increases by 8% the quantity demanded will changes with a small percenta ge like 1%.Other types of goods are normal, luxury goods. Wheat is an agricultural commodity that is needed to produce products like bread and pastas therefore it is normal commodity and in this case consumer responsiveness to change in price is small therefore wheat is income inelastic. As wheat farmers produce more there will create a competitive market which gives us a new lower price and a new market equilibrium point E1.The supply of wheat is elastic which means a small change in price will result in a large change in quantity demanded.

Role of Mass Media in Earthquakes

Role of Mass Media in Earthquakes Lai Yuen Yau Choi Kiu Lok Kelly Chu Wing Yan Chu Lok Yin Law Shun Hei Introduction As we humans are living on Earth, natural disasters like earthquake are seemingly inevitable. We can only make our greatest possible effort to minimize the loss in human lives and properties brought by the disaster. According to Haddow Haddow (2008),â€Å"Communication is core to the success of disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The media remains the single most effective means for communicating timely and accurate information to the public.† It seems that the mass media has a great contribution in reducing the adverse effect of natural disasters. Therefore, it aroused our curiosity towards the roles that mass media take during disasters, and we will focus on recent earthquakes. In our report, we would like to investigate on the roles and functions of the mass media, namely newspaper, radio, television and new media during earthquake in three phrases: Mitigation Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Besides, we would like to look into the relationship between mass media and earthquake. Definition of mass media Before introducing the roles mass media took during earthquake, it is better for us to define mass media. Since mass media facilitates mass communication, Baran et al. (2004) suggested that communication refers to a reciprocal and ongoing process of creating shared meaning. People create meanings by encoding and decoding messages. The encoded message is carried to the target audience through a medium. If the medium does not only carry the messages to an individual but a large number of people, it is regarded as a mass medium. Newspapers, television broadcasting, radio and new media such as the Internet, Facebook, Weibo, and Twitter are common examples of new media. They all have their own characteristics and fulfill different roles of the mass media during earthquake. Most people’s first heard of a disaster will be through the mass media. (Harrison, 1999) Characteristics of different mass media 1) Printed Newspaper Although printed newspaper lack immediacy, according to Harrison (1999), newspaper still owns the physical advantage that people can hold it in their hands and read it over and over again. It can provide more detailed description of the incident with words and pictures. Moreover, printed newspaper can be kept as references. 2) Television Television has a several roles during an earthquake. Fry (n.d.) suggested that television is â€Å"a purveyor of information, a storyteller and sometimes an agent of change.† Before the disaster approached, television news can give out warnings or vital information of the disaster to the people. By featuring vivid images and videos in the television news, it on one hand informs the people, but on the other it draws connections with the audience. It evokes their emotions and arouses their attention towards the earthquake. (Fry, n.d.) Besides, Television is often used as a platform to raise fund for the victims. 3) Radio Radio still plays a unique role. It can immediately inform a large number of people in vehicles and at home. Unlike newspaper, one doesn’t have to listen to the radio literately. It is inexpensive to own a radio receiver. The poor can also afford owning it. Moreover, radio receivers are portable and do not rely on electric power supply. Therefore, if the earthquake cut down the electrical supply, the victims are able to obtain the newest information through radio. Radio is being regarded as a one-chance medium that audience may easily miss out the message brought by the radio. (Harrison, 1999) However, by repeating the of importance message, reinforcement effect is resulted. 4) New Media New media is often regarded as media that is related to the Internet and the interplay between technology, images and sound (Socha Eber-Schmid, n.d.). Facebook, Twitter, Weibo are common examples of the new media. They have the highest immediacy among the media. People can quickly post information or spread messages on the Internet if earthquakes suddenly occurs. Since anybody can share their views or comments and post photos to the Internet, information on the Internet may not be reliable. Some of them may be rumors. Mitigation and Preparedness In this phase, it is important to send preparedness messages to notice the public in anticipation of the coming earthquake through different forms of technologies and media, in order to reduce the maximum loss of life and property. In most countries, such as the United States and Japan, billions of money is invested in researching and developing an earthquake early warning system. It uses seismic networks to detect earthquake very quickly, so that advance announcement and warning signals can be sent before the arrival of destructive seismic waves to evacuate general public. It aims at mitigating earthquake-related damages by allowing people to have more time to take immediate protective action after the warning signs (Earthquake Early Warning System, 2012) . Also it triggers automatic responses to safeguard critical infrastructure such as providing time for moving trains to slow down and stop; opening elevator doors, stopping landings and take-offs of flight at the airport. Take the example of 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. When earthquake occurred, Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system (Kinkyu Jishin Sokuho) activated instantly. This is an Earthquake Early Warning. Please prepare for powerful tremors. Immediate warning alert like this was announced immediately in the affected regions. It also informed the public whether there would be a risk of a landslide or tsunami caused by the quake in the affected area. When tsunami warnings were issued, it activated an Emergency Warning Broadcast system which automatically turned on all the radios and televisions in the warned areas. Announcements are then broadcasted in different languages to reach a wide range of people including the tourists in the district. During this phase, radio broadcasting plays an effective role. The specific chime tone from FM stations is automatically detected internally and turns on the radio and sounds a chime tone and EEW message to people for careful attention and wake up people in bed by a very loud sound before any destructive shaking occurs. Radios, as a traditional media, are very common and easy to access. EEW radio waves can reach remote areas and can be received in areas where no broadband internet is available. The general public can therefore listen to the announcement even with limited electrical power, from anywhere and with groups. Mobile Networks Warning System In modern days, mobile phone networks maybe a better medium to send mass warning message to the general public, as most people will have cell phones by their sides. In Japan, in addition to media broadcasting, cell broadcasting is also another way to warn the public. With sophisticated communication technology, it allows millions of early warning text messages to be sent simultaneously to individual cell phones (Earth Systems group of companies, 2012). After 2007, it is mandatory for Japanese mobile phone manufacturers and mobile network service providers to support EEW early warning notification in their phones and services. And NTT docomo, au (KDDI and Okinawa Cellular) and SoftBank Mobile, have developed the simultaneous broadcast systems conforming Cell Broadcast to receive EEW and provided phones with this service since 2007 (NTT docomo, 2007). Response According to Haddow Haddow (2009), â€Å"the primary purpose of communications activities in a disaster response is to provide accurate and timely information to the public.† It provides notification, warning evacuation and situation reports on the ongoing disaster to the public. It also aims to describe what has happened and is happening in the aftermath of a disaster event; what impact the disaster event has had on individuals, the community, and the physical landscape and what is being done by the various organizations responding to the disaster to help the prone parties to recover. Newspaper Newspaper has a lower priority compared to television and radio, so it cannot provide live reports to the readers; instead, it gives in-depth and detailed reports from different perspectives on what has happened and is happening after the disaster. It is involved in the â€Å"response† phrase, providing first-hand detailed reports about the disaster. Reporters were sent to the disaster areas, to reveal the rescue condition after the disaster, and how is the on-going rescue progress. Take example of a news article from Reuters, dated 12 May 2008, â€Å"China quake kills nearly 10,000 in Sichuan†. It provides confirmed and official information regarding the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, like the estimated death toll and the destruction of the facilities. Readers can get the first-hand information about the disaster and how the authority handle the case and settle the victims. Another article on 2008 Sichuan Earthquake from NBC News, dated 13 May 2008 also focuses on the number of casualties, entitled â€Å"Massive quake kills nearly 10,000 in China†. Despite reporting the seriousness of the disaster, this article also looks into the impacts from different angles, giving sub-headings ranging from â€Å"thousands of students buried†, â€Å"panda refuge threatened†, â€Å"worldwide condolences† and â€Å"advice for the trapped†. The detailed description of the disaster shows the characteristics of newspaper reporting, and gives a full impression to the readers on the quake. Opinions from different parties and victims were also reported, as well as the immediate influences brought by the quake to other cities. Likewise, in the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, similar ways of reporting appeared immediately after the quake happened. A news article from CBC News, dated 11 March 2011, entitled â€Å"Japan quake, tsunami cause ‘major damage’† reported on this most powerful earthquake in Japan’s recorded history, which struck off the country’s northeast coast.The destruction and damage caused by the quake was also revealed in the report, in which the nuclear power plant issue caught the attention from the whole world, yet, it wasn’t confirmed as nuclear leakage at that time. Even the International Atomic Energy Agency said that there was no radiation detected at that time. New Media New media’s role in the phrase of response is to provide immediate background information and latest situation of earthquake to the public. The background information mainly includes the time, the venue, the magnitude of the earthquake and the immediate effects. 1)  Social media Social media together with Internet perform vital relief functions such as safety identification, warning evacuation, displaced-persons locating and damage information. For example, the transportation arrangement due to road damage in an earthquake. Social Networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are facilitators to wide currency of news. As they are public social media platforms, which people can see what their friends followed, liked, commented or shared if the user does not intentionally set it in private. Hence, the flow of information is encouraged. People share their first-hand experience or second-hand information on those social networking sites. For example in Twitter, there are specific users who keep updating information during earthquake. Like the twitter account â€Å"à ¥Ã…“ °Ãƒ ©Ã…“†¡Ãƒ ©Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ± ( @eew_jp)†, having more than 76.9 thousands followers, is the offical account of the Japan Meteorological Agency. For example, on March 11, the day of 2011 Tohoku Earthquake happened, more than 25 updates posting any preliminary earthquake forecast or any lastest earthquake were recorded. During the emergent situation, important informations were spreaded in the tweets to notify the public of the time, the venue and the magnitude of the earthquakes. Another example is Facebook. There were more than 4.5 million status updates from 3.8 million users in the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. News, reports and prayers were shared on the day the 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Japan. (Kessler, 2011) 2) Internet Internet also contributes in the phrase of response in an earthquake. In 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, different news agencies had made updates on the internet. NHK news network should be the fastest one in updating news. In addition to the photos taken by people on the scene, the website showed images of news reports on television, as well as images expressing condolences to people affected by the attack. Recovery As Haddow Haddow (2009) points out, the focus of communication efforts in the recovery phrase of a disaster is on providing timely information about the types of relief assistance available to the individuals and communities victimized by the disaster and how they can access this assistance. Therefore, reports on relief measures and after-quake work are focused in this phrase. Besides, the role of monitoring is also shown here. When more and more information are collected, reporters or audience could keep an eye on the authority during the disaster. Anything hiding or misleading could then be pointed out and exposed to the public. In short term, a fast recovery of radio system and frequent reports of earthquake situations in newspapers keep local citizens updated about the destruction and other information about the earthquake. Media can also help raise the international concerns about the earthquake hence gaining more international help for recuse work as well as immediate financial support. For example, international citizens offered financial assistance to Japan Tohoku earthquake victims and recovery work. After media reported the massive destruction during the earthquake, UNICEF responded by setting up a team called â€Å"Japan Commmittee for UNICEF; Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Support†. Next, in terms of long-term roles, media can keep people updated about reconstruction work and also point out problems during reconstruction. Newspaper and various reports can act as an alarm to remind people about the recent situation of the severely destructed areas while some people forgets about the recovery work of the earthquake. For example, Xinhua News Agency reminds the public about the Sichuan earthquake that took place in 2008. Xinhua News published an article to raise the attention of the public about the current recovery problems of an earthquake that took place six years ago. Media guides people to reflect about the problems remained after a serious earthquake, which is a prolonged problem. Another example is 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, in which Huffington Post (American online newspaper) reports about where were people’s donation gone on an anniversary of the earthquake. The newspaper article also provided alternatives of how people could still help after the earthq uake. Newspaper During the â€Å"recovery† phrase, sources of detailed information concerning relief programs and how to apply are contained in the newspaper. Besides, newspaper reporters gave in-depth reflection on the disaster. There were also reports on epidemic prevention, settling victims and analyzing the disaster. At the same time, there are more designated topics focusing on specific angle about the disaster. For example, in BBC News dated 9 May 2013, â€Å"Sichuan 2008: A disaster on an immense scale†, it summarizes the statistics of the massive destruction in the earthquake and its effect brought. Another news roundup about the earthquake was written by Sina News, featuring a set of articles on recovery work and stories of the victims. Headings like â€Å"Village old woman after 28 days of quake: Struggling between living and dying alone are reporting touching stories of the survivors. Others like â€Å"No serious epidemic broke out in the quake area† reports the after-quake cases. As time passes by, many â€Å"truths† during and after the earthquake are exposed. In 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, the Japanese government were hiding the nuclear power plant leakage accident. Radio Radio is always an important source for communication during and after earthquakes. When disastrous earthquakes occur, radio systems are very likely to be disrupted. Emergency restoration of two-way radios and radio receivers will usually be conducted in order to facilitate and speed up the recovery process. Besides from emergency restoration of radio and broadcasting systems, licenses will also be granted to temporary FM radio stations established by various local authorities. Take 2011 Tohoku Earthquake as an example, Tohoku Bureau of Telecommunications granted temporary broadcasting licenses to let local authorities help spreading information and community notices to the victims in the earthquake. Radio stations can obtain licenses within shorter period of time, and it is easier for the public to obtain information, such as the number of deaths and injuries or methods to make donations after the disastrous situations.

The Adaptive Parasite Essay -- Viruses Virus Essays

The Adaptive Parasite Viruses are molecular sharks, a motive without a mind. They have sorted themselves into tribes, and they infect everything that lives. . . . Unknown viruses are coming out of the equatorial wildernesses of the earth and discovering the human race. . . . You might call AIDS the revenge of the rainforest. (Preston 160-61) After reading Richard Preston's ominous and threatening portrayal of viruses in his article "Crisis In The Hot Zone," one may be alarmed enough to invest in surgical scrubs and a space suit to wear as a permanent precaution against these evidently vengeful creatures. In truth, there are lethal viruses that exist for which there is currently no vaccine or cure, and there are various emerging viruses that are infectious to humans. However, despite this unfortunate and frightening reality, Richard Preston and other creative writers may be presenting a misleading depiction of a virus' actual niche within the global ecosystem, modes of infection, and relationship with humans. Science fiction novels and movies like "Outbreak" encourage the public to view viruses as microscopic monsters that exist to ultimately put an end to the human population, but viruses are not motivated by either logic or instinct to kill. In fact, viruses are not motivated at all. They have merely evolved to surv ive by utilizing the raw materials that the ecosystem provides. Viral pathogens have developed, through the selective process of evolution, to exist as parasites, and the inevitable ecological interaction between organisms, the ignorance and negligence of human behavior, and the cultural habits and customs of humanity has enabled a multitude of viruses to emerge and thrive within our population. V... ...S, we cannot expect to eliminate promiscuity or drug use; however, we can encourage protected sex and the use of clean needles. In addition, it would not be wise to eliminate the scientific advances provided by laboratory research on various animals or the benefits of constructing a dam or canal. However, we could, for example, take measures to control the massive propagation of mosquitoes in the event of the construction of a dam or canal. This relatively simple precaution will reduce the occurrence of diseases, such as Rift Valley fever and Yellow Fever, and may save thousands of lives. Although it is virtually impossible to completely prevent viruses from infecting humans, humanity's best defense against viral invasion is communication, education, and awareness to promote cautious behavior and to reduce the number of further outbreaks of deadly viruses.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Bulimia Nervosa Essay -- Eating Disor

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Bulimia Nervosa INTRODUCTION Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating as well as by self-induced vomiting and/or laxative abuse (Mitchell, 1986). Episodes of overeating typically alternate with attempts to diet, although the eating habits of bulimics and their methods of weight control vary (Fairburn et al., 1986). The majority of bulimics have a body weight within the normal range for their height, build, and age, and yet possess intense and prominent concerns about their shape and weight (Fairburn et al., 1986). Individuals with bulimia nervosa are aware that they have an eating problem, and therefore are often eager to receive help. The most common approach to treating bulimia nervosa has been with cognitive-behavioral therapy. What is cognitive-behavioral Therapy? Cognitive-behavioral treatment of bulimia regards individuals' attitudes toward their shape and weight as central to maintaining the disorder. This approach seeks to change individuals' dysfunctional attitudes in order to facilitate recovery. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for bulimia is a combination of behavioral techniques and aspects of cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy (CT) is founded upon the underlying rationale that an individual's affect and behavior are largely determined by the way he/she structures the world (Beck, 1979). The individual's cognitions are based upon attitudes or assumptions that have been developed from previous experiences. Therapeutic techniques of CT treatment are designed to identify, reality-test, and correct distorted conceptualizations and dysfunctional beliefs which underlie the individual's cognitions (Beck, 1979). Therefore CT views an individual'... ...er characteristics predict outcome in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 13(4):349-357. Thackwray, D., Smith, M., Bodfish, J. & Meyers, A. (1993). A comparison of behavioral and cognitive-behavioral interventions for bulimia nervosa. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 61(4):639-645. Treasure, J., Schmidt, U., Troop, N., Tiller, J., Todd, G., Keilen, M., & Dodge, E. (1994). First step in managing bulimia nervosa: controlled trial of therapeutic manual. BMJ. 308:686-689. Waller, D., Fairburn, C., McPherson, A., Kay, R., Lee, A., & Nowell, T. (1996). Treating bulimia in primary care: a pilot study. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 19(1):99-103. Wilson, G., & Fairburn, C. (1993). Cognitive treatments for eating disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 61(2):261-269.

Jesus Prohibition Against Swearing and His Philosophy of Language :: Jesus Religion Language Prohibition Essays

Jesus' Prohibition Against Swearing and His Philosophy of Language In an article entitled "Oath Taking in the Community of the New Age (Matthew 5:33-37)," Don Garlington calls Jesus' prohibition against swearing an oddity and the avoidance of swearing by certain Christian sects a superficial application of the logion.[1] As a member of one such group, the Mennonites, I offer an apology rather than a rebutal. Mennonites make affirmations rather than swear oaths in order to fulfil Jesus' command often without wondering if they have fulfilled his intention. When they find rationale for their avoidance of oaths, they tend to point to swearing as an occasion for sin rather than something sinful in itself. According to the Mennonite Encyclopedia, one avoids swearing in order to avoid an inadvertant sin of error or the habit of lying when one is not under oath.[2] Both of these reasons for minding the prohibition can be extrapolated from the Matthean text, but neither explains why the act of swearing a truthful oath is from evil. In order to comprehend Jes us' intent, we need to examine Jesus' understanding of language as a human activty that is not always accompanied by mindfulness of the reality that makes it potent, possible, and meaningful. Given that modern usage of "to swear" has come to include the acts of cursing and of using colorful expletives, a definition based upon biblical usage is essential. An oath is a performative utterance; it does not describe something, it does something.[3] According to speech-act theory, an oath accomplishes a number of separate acts. First, it can either expound a view by making a statement of fact regarding past or present events or it can commit the speaker to an obligation in the future. The oath's power to expound or commit relies upon its capacity to execute a second speech-act, the act of invoking God or some divine authority as a witness or guarantor. Finally, the oath puts into place a third speech-act, a conditional curse. Zechariah illustrates the potential of the curse with the metaphor of the flying scroll that consumes the house of any one who swears falsely (Zech 5:1-4). The speech-act of cursing does not depend upon the locutionary act; whether the curse is articulated or not the deed is done.[4] If one's oath proves to be false, God is justified in enacting the curse.[5] Speech-act theorist John Austin describes how oaths can go wrong under the rubric of the doctrine of the infelicitous.