Why Shark Bay (Australia) is a World Heritage Site :: Biology

Why Shark Bay (Australia) is a World Heritage Site Shark bay is recognised as one of the worlds heritage sites as it fits into all four of the major categories they are: * â€Å" as an outstanding example representing the major stages in the earth’s evolutionary history; * as an outstanding example representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes; * as an example of superlative natural phenomena; and * Containing important and significant habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity.† (June 4th Shark Bay World Heritage area: http://www.geology.ucdavis.edu) The shark bay region has a number of plant species that are threatened and the last of their kind.This contributes to the beautiful flora and importance of the area. Shark bay is well known for its beautiful marine fauna. The populations of animal life in this area are of great numbers. This contributes to its importance of being on the world heritage list. The region is also noted for the diversity of many reptiles and amphibians they have adapted very well to the stromatolites in this area and have used theses formations as there homes. There are in fact 12 species of sea grass in Shark bay which make it one of the most varied seagrass areas in the world. These Sea grasses have contributed significantly to the evolution of Shark bay and along side which the cyanobacteria have made many homes for the vast variety of organisms existing. The barrier banks associated with the growth of the sea grass over the last 5000 years as well as the low rainfall has contributed to the saline Hamelin Pool and Lharidon Bight. These very salty conditions are best for the reproduction and growth of the cyanobacteria which trap and bind sediments to produce a variety of mat and other structures including stromatolites. Stromatolites are found at shark bay and they represent the oldest form of life on earth. The saltiness of this area has the best conditions for the growth of cyanobacteria which trap and bind sediment to produce a variety of mats and structures including these

Criminology Reaction Paper

Lea Harebells Guest Speaker Reaction Paper Principles of Criminology When I began listening to guest speaker, Marie Allen, I knew all the given information on heroin was going to be very informative and important. Vive heard many lectures on how drugs affect a person and what kind of life drugs create for someone. Although, when listening to Marie Allen, I realized that this information was going to be much different than other lectures. What I didn't know was that the Marie Allen was truly going to put an impact on my heart and in my life.Marie Allen presented he class with more knowledge and factual information on heroin then any website or television show could ever tell you. There were many things about heroin and heroin addiction that I have never heard before this presentation. Learning that heroin use usually begins in middle school, 7th and 8th grade, really surprised me. I couldn't imagine seeing such a young person addicted to this awful drug. When I heard this, I remembere d that I have a niece who will be starting 8th grade this year and eventually there may come a time that she is offered to try this drug.I feel that now that I know more information on heroin and addiction that I will be able to pass it onto her so if and when that time comes, she will make the right decision. I have also learned that addiction to heroin does more damage to a person than most drugs; it not only creates addicts but it paralyzes them and their lives. We learned that when a person is addicted to heroin they are not the person they use to be. These people become untrustworthy, and their physical and mental health declines terribly.The effects of heroin go deeper than the surface affecting things such as a persons weight, coordination, and heart rate. Towards the end of Marie Allen's presentation, she informed us about many of the people who have lost their lives to heroin. It was devastating to hear about how many people, and many children, who have lost their lives to this drug. The last thing Marie Allen showed us was a video. This video showed a girl when she was very young until she was in her late teens. At the end of this video we found out that the girl was Marie Allen's daughter.What Marie Allen said next was probably one of the most heart wrenching things I have ever heard. She went on to tell us about her daughter and her life long addiction to heroin. We heard about her struggle to fight the addiction, and the many times she thought her daughter was finally free from the drug. Marie Allen then went on to tell us how her daughter was not able to break free from the drug and she was no longer with us. My heart truly went out to Marie Allen. Hearing this information was definitely an overwhelming moment for me.I have eared so many stories about people who have been addicted to drugs and have not lived to see the rest of their lives, although I have never actually met someone who knew someone addicted to this drug or any drug. In my life I have never been in the situation to see someone go through drug addiction. To meet someone whose daughter suffered from drug addiction made me put addiction into a whole new perspective. After hearing and seeing this presentation from Marie Allen, I feel that I am more interested in what these drugs are doing to people and how they are effecting our country.The last time that I heard a presentation or lecture on any type of addiction or drug use, I was probably in the first years of high school. Before this presentation began I was wondering what the speaker would talk about that I didn't already know. I have been taken back by this presentation and the information that Marie Allen provided us with. I have nothing but respect for Marie Allen and everything she has been through. Now that I have heard this presentation on heroin, I definitely have a new outlook on drugs and addiction.

Man’s Innate Evil †“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding Essay

The Savage inside us all, when certain situations are brought up the primitive human nature is unleashed. Aspects of human nature in the world alert us to our potential to descend from law and order to chaos, good to evil and civilization to savagery. The break down of civilization towards savagery dramatizes the struggle between the ruling element of society which include law, morality, culture and the chaotic element of humanity’s savage instincts which include anarchy, amorality, and a desire for power. Throughout the novel, Lord of the Flies, Golding explicitly articulates that circumstances creates decay in moral value, innocence of human being and deteriorates the democratic system. Ralph the leader is the symbols for morality and leadership, while their enemy Jack is the symbol for the desire for power, selfishness and amorality. Simon the intellect who was the only boy who realizes fear is innate and the beast is within the boys. Lord of the Flies reveals how people ca n descend into barbarism in an atmosphere of chaos. The protagonist, Ralph, who personifies order, pragmatism, and everyman’s natural weakness, displays power and influence in the beginning but is almost tempted into savagery in the end; his use of the conch in the beginning of the book exhibits his characteristics and his civilized nature. He at first is presented as an activist individual, but also possesses an innate savage nature like everyone else and this is displayed when he partakes in the killing of Simon. Dont you understand, Piggy? The things we did He may still be. Although Ralph commits murder, he is still not completely submerged into savagery since he is able to realize what they have done, and this is clearly allegorized when he says he is afraid of them and wants to return home. These examples of Ralph show that when humans are not under the right circumstance, or away from civilized world they are most likely to unleash their inner selves their evil side. They also show how Ralph descended from Civilization to Savagery. In spite of Ralph’s display of civility, wisdom and the confident view for man’s fate, Jack on the other hand reveals the credence of man’s fall into savagery. Jack, who personifies savagery, bloodlust, and the hunger for power, shows the unavoidable fate of man. When Jack painted his mask, he had liberated  from shame and self consciousness. This is one of the major turning points for the alteration of Jack’s character is his relevance of the mask. Jack’s hiding behind the mask is a way for him to unleash his savage nature without feeling repentance. He also desires power from the beginning of the novel to the point when he declares himself the new leader. Jack persuades the boys to join him by using fear about the beast, and he does so until they all come to believe in its existence. After Jack diffuse this fear and belief in the boys’ minds, all aspects of civilization, culture and dissolve quickly. Absurdity emphasizes Jack’s bloodlust when he kills the sow and when he attempts to kill Ralph also. Jack hunts not with the sole intention to get meat, but he particularly enjoy exercising power over living creatures while hunting. Though it is not accomplished, Ralph’s potential murder also illustrates Jack’s ridiculous and savage nature. Jack is completely descended from good to evil in an atmosphere of chaos. On the opposite side Simon is the only boy on the island who really knows who the beast is. Simon was the only boy who did not descend into savagery. He is really the only one on the island who realizes that the fear is innate and that there is no beast. What I mean is†¦ maybe it’s only us. Simon’s delirious confrontation with the Lord of the Flies confirms his theory of evil being instinctive to man and actually within all of us There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast†¦ fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! †¦ You knew didn’t you? I’m a part of you. These examples validates that savagery was always there in mankind but need a proper circumstance to come out. So when Simon climbs the mountain and sees the parachutist and comes back to tell everyone that there is no beast, the inner beast of the boys made them kill Simon thinking that it is the beast. As Jack had implanted that there is a beast in real into their brains. Even after Simons death Jack and his tribe did not stop hunting and did not think about the murder they did the night before. The inner beast led to the loss of religion, and turned Jack and his tribe into complete savages. These are examples of the events that happened away from the civilized world. Simon the only boy to know the original beast mans innate evil. Jack turning completely savage; and Ralph the leader who was often tempted by the  savagery of the others. All the above examples conclude that aspects of human nature in the world alter us to our possibility to descend from law and order to chaos, good to evil and civilization to savagery. Lord of the Flies showed that the evil residing within everyone could be unleashed. It proved the dark side of human nature could be really brutal and even the most innocent of us are vulnerable to it. Bibliography â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, William Golding, The Berkley Publishing Group, New York, 1954

Splash Splash

Splash Splash Splash, Splash, Splash; that is the sound of my friends and I splashing water on each other at the nearby lake. To get to it you have to cut across Marsh Fields then and pretty soon you stop seeing streets and only trees are there, growing out of the mucky ground. You stop seeing people too, especially in the summer on account of the bugs. Then my friend Lizzy yells "I am going to try to swim to the bottom of the lake." I said that was a stupid idea. She did it anyway; she is too stubborn to listen. When she returned she yelled "Jasmine, Jasmine come see this pretty cool fish I saw!" Then cried out Maria and said "You should do your project about this very spot!" Then Latisha said "That's a great idea!" Mrs. Jefferson would love it.The problem was the next day at school when I went to go tell Mrs.English: US Postage stamp, Jefferson, 1894 Issue, ...Jefferson about it. She said it has to be about things in my social studies book I tried to convince her to let me use my idea. Now I kne w it was up to me to try to get my teacher to change her mind about the project. After school that day I returned to lake again with my friends. We tried all thought of ways to try to convince Mrs. Jefferson. Like Lizzy she said " Cry till she feels bad and will let you do the project about this place." Lizzy had said "Try writing her a note begging her to allow you to do it about here. The Maria came up with an almost perfect idea take pictures of the place and show them to Mrs. Jefferson."Then it hit me. I should ask her to come here...

University of the People - A Tuition-Free Online University

University of the People - A Tuition-Free Online University What Is UoPeople? The University of the People  (UoPeople) is the worlds first tuition-free online university. To learn more about how this online school works, I interviewed UoPeople founder Shai Reshef. Heres what he had to say: Q: Can you start by telling us a little bit about the University of the People? A:  University of the People  is the world’s first tuition-free, online academic institution. I established UoPeople to democratize higher education and make college-level studies available to student everywhere, even in the poorest parts of the world. Utilizing open-source technology and materials with a peer-to-peer pedagogical system, we can create a global chalkboard that does not discriminate based on geographical or financial constraints.   Q: What degrees will the University of the People offer to students? A:  When UoPeople opens its virtual gates this fall, we will offer two undergraduate degrees: a BA in Business Administration and a BSc in Computer Science. The University plans to offer other education options in the future. Q: How long does it take to complete each degree? A:  Full-time students will be able to complete the undergraduate degree in approximately four years, and all students will be eligible for an associate degree after two years. Q: Are classes conducted entirely online? A:  Yes, the curriculum is internet-based. UoPeople students will learn in online study communities where they will share resources, exchange ideas, discuss weekly topics, submit assignments and take exams, all under the guidance of respected scholars. Q: What are your current admissions requirements? A:  The enrollment requirements include proof of graduation from a secondary school as evidence of 12 years of schooling, proficiency in English and access to a computer with an Internet connection. Prospective students will be able to enroll online at UoPeople.edu.  With minimal admission criteria, UoPeople aims to provide higher education to anyone who welcomes the opportunity. Alas, in the beginning stages, we will have to cap enrollment in order to best serve our students. Q: Is the University of the People open to everyone regardless of location or citizenship status? A:  UoPeople will accept students regardless of location or citizenship status. It is a universal institution that anticipates students from every corner of the globe. Q: How many students will the University of the People accept each year? A:  UoPeople anticipates tens of thousands of students to enroll within the first five years of operation, although enrollment will be capped at 300 students in the first semester. The power of online networking and word-of-mouth marketing will facilitate the growth of the University, while the open-source and peer-to-peer pedagogical model will make it possible to handle such rapid expansion. Q: How can students increase their chances of getting accepted? A:  My personal goal is to make higher education a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Enrollment criteria are minimal, and we hope to accommodate any student who wants to be a part of this university. Q: Is the University of the People an accredited institution? A:  Like all universities, UoPeople must comply with the rules set forth by accreditation agencies. UoPeople intends to apply for accreditation as soon as the two year waiting period for eligibility is met. UPDATE:  University of the People was accredited by the  Distance Education Accrediting Commission  Ã‚  (DEAC) in February 2014. Q: How will the University of the People help students succeed in the program and after graduation? A:  My time at Cramster.com has taught me the value of peer-to-peer learning and its strength as a pedagogical model in maintaining high retention rates. Additionally, UoPeople plans to offer guidance and support for students upon graduation, however specific programs are still in the development phase. Q: Why should students consider attending the University of the People? A:  Higher education has been a pipedream for too many people, for too long. UoPeople opens the doors so that a teenager from a rural village in Africa has the same opportunity to go to college as one who attended the most prestigious high school in New York. And UoPeople doesn’t just provide four years of education for students worldwide, but also the building blocks for them to go on to create a better life, community and world.

Argumentative ethical essay - Marijuana should be legal in the United

Argumentative ethical - Marijuana should be legal in the United States - Essay Example The stance taken in this paper is that marijuana must not be regarded as illegal since cigarettes and alcohol are considered legal at the same time. This is a very wrong phenomenon that has taken center stage and must either be diverted in one direction or the other to make it look balanced. Marijuana’s intake is a very legal right of every American and the laws which are made against the intake of marijuana are not only unethical but also in direct contrast of the rights of the common Americans. These laws and regulations must have a solid base before they could be obeyed in the most basic sense. There needs to be an understanding on the part of the lawmakers to realize the pitfalls and rights of the people before promulgating any laws that embody the banishment of marijuana within the boundaries of United States of America. Crude marijuana, as researchers have been able to extract possesses more than 400 chemicals as a combination. This however occurs during smoking when all of these 400 chemicals split up into thousands of other chemicals themselves. Notwithstanding the nearly 12,000 studies done on the medical utility of marijuana, a staggering common consent does exist in the scientific community of late which suggests that the smoked form of marijuana cannot be termed as a medicine. One should thus make laws that go against putting the users or sellers of marijuana in jails as they have a right to exercise their lives in the best manner that they deem fit. (Hough, 2003) Then again, cigarettes and alcohol comprise of tobacco and a host of other items within them but no one raises voice against their use. Marijuana is singled out as the only item that receives all the criticism and this is a very depressing situation. There must be criticism for other products as well and singling out marijuana is no t only wrong but also unethical from the people’s perspective when it comes to their rights. Similar bans

Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Malcolm X - Essay Example His following into the wrong crowd is the aftermath of finding a job with the New York-Boston line, where he is forced to make the choice of joining a gang by virtue of being a black person and being of a different ethnic grouping from the rest of society, which is being black (Omi 10). The scene of Malcolm facing justice is peculiar to race issues in that other members of society from other races engaging in similar or worse activities were let off, as is the case of the Ku Klux Klan, who killed his father and no action was taken against them. This shows that certain members of a certain race can be held accountable for their own actions, while the rest based on their race can go scot free with no charge. Still on this scene, another concept comes up, where there are races that are higher than the rest in regard to who qualifies to join which corps in society and who does not, which brings forth the concept of segregation based on race. This is seen in the same scene in that there a re certain social problems that only affect certain races and not others, as Malcolm X is forced into the wrong crowd, where he joins a gang, not out of choice, but out of circumstances that he cannot help. With this in mind, race shows the scene shows the inequity amongst different races as it shows the gang problem as being unique to young black people living in the ghetto. The scene also raises the concept of moral responsibility found among different races, which is not common to all, as certain races tend to engage in certain conduct. This issue is intertwined with the earlier issue raised on unique problems affecting certain races in that joining gangs is made to appear as a thing only black youth would do and not the rest of the society. This is to mean that only black youth did drugs, as Malcolm X was an active participant in peddling coke for the local gang leader, according to the 1992 movie. The movie only depicts one other gang that is not of African American origin enga ging in gang and criminal activity, which is the Ku Klux Klan, and its depiction is that it is a white supremacist groups aimed at lowering the dignity of the local black people. The awareness of the moral issues is that racially, white supremacy groups are not morally wrong in trumping on the interest and rights of the black people, who they perceive as lesser beings compared to themselves (Omi 11). In race, the issue of double standards is brought again in this scene in that it shows the shifting goal posts of morality and rulings based on who is who in society, all based on the color of the skin and ethnicity. The same scene of the Ku Klux Klan draws the concept of race as a concept, where segregation thrives based on cultural differences, as well as the differences of skin color. This is as can be seen in the killing of Malcolm X’s father when Malcolm X was a child, which then brings to perspective how race makes people socially incompatible based on color and cultural va lues. The Ku Klux Klan could not handle the fact that there were black people and white people in the same society thus social supremacy comes in. In conclusion, the movie Malcolm X of 1992 on different levels draws out the concepts of race based on