Friday, November 29, 2019

Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism Essay Example

Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism Essay Ecotourism can be summed up as a responsible travel to natural countries that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people . More and more people have become witting about the fact that environment demands to be protected. That’s why the construct of ecotourism has been received good by many. Ecotourism fundamentally focuses on environmental preservation and sustainable development. Through eco Tourss one attempts to salvage woods and convey a win-win development scheme for undeveloped rural areas to life. The rudimentss of eco touristry are same everyplace. The foremost of the regulations are that the touristry advises to minimise impact, spread consciousness about the environment and the injury caused to the it due to miss of cultural. The eco touristry spreads a sense of regard amongst all the people who undertake Tourss for environment. The basic thought behind carry oning and advancing such Tourss is that it empowers each person to take stairss towards conserving the Mother Nature. For locals excessively, such stairss are of import to supply them with fiscal stableness and supply them with support. We will write a custom essay sample on Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Eco Tour In Kerala Tourism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In footings of eco touristry finishs in India, Kerala has gained a batch of impulse. It happens to be the greenest portion of India, which until the recent times was unexplored by people and has now all of a sudden gained a batch of celebrity and popularity amongst travelers from all across the Earth. Geographic topography of this topographic point is so varied that the people all around the universe semen here merely to be near to the nature. Kerala boasts of beautiful beaches, backwaters, beaches and the life giving sunlight. The best thing is that the touristry section of Kerala is cognizant of Kerala’s possible as a tourer finish and its natural wealth every bit good. It has taken of import stairss towards keeping ecological balance amongst people. The coconuts trees turning here and the Paddy Fieldss spread in estates and estates of land and the banana plantations fill up the mountain ranges with their green cover. To advance more eco touristry Kerala touristry has taken stairss to organize Tourss and travels which broaden the skylines of people. There are several attractive bundles designed to entice the visitants. Kerala’s western zone is being projected as the eco touristry zone. It specially caters to the foreing tourer who are looking for an experience where they can bask wildlife, some nature, have the bangs of escapades like trekking all combined into one. WIlflide sanctuaries like Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary, Chimmini, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park and Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary are some good known Eco-Tourism finishs in Kerala. There are other topographic points like Bhoothathankettu, Komarakom, Nelliampathy, Munnar and Kuruva islands which are can be preferred for eco Tourss. The vegetation and zoology of Kerala is abundant and diverse. The landscapes are equipped with backwaters, paddy Fieldss, hills and crossroadss. Kerala has a forest country of about 11,125 sq kilometer, which makes up 28.90 % of the entire land country. The western ghats is where all the forest country is located. Western Ghat is besides one of the world’s 18 hot spots of bio diverseness. Besides elaborate and flimsy bionetwork of sultry rain forests, Kerala every bit good has some extraordinary eco-tourism finishs in the signifier of its thriving emerald backwaters, palm-fringed sea-shores, joging tea and spice plantations on saddle horse gradients and many national Parkss and wildlife sanctuaries heaving with singular mixture of wildlife. While on an eco circuit here, one can prefer a homestay which includes remaining with local people. One can remain near the Paddy Fieldss or tea plantations and take regular hikings in these topographic points. One besides gets a opportunity to indulge in eating organically grown fruits and veggies. The typical manner of eating which on a banana foliage can be experienced if one decided to seek out the place corsets. For eco tourers, Kerala has no famine of activities. One should see the topographic point one time and see the beauty and tranquility.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Martin Luther King And Mass Media Essays - Community Organizing

Martin Luther King And Mass Media Essays - Community Organizing Martin Luther King And Mass Media Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Mass Media Martin Luther King Jr. was a very significant and influential man. Though his life was cut short at 39 years old, he left a big mark on today's society. From the Prayer Pilgrimage of May 17, 1957, an event and a date that marked King's entre into the field of national Negro leadership to the unforgettable March on Washington. (Bennett 10) King was determined to reach his goal, which was to have blacks and whiter united and treated equally. King was faced with many obstacles, including the press. At first, there was hardly any print about King's events and protests. When the events did get recognition King's name wasn't mentioned at all. Not until many years later when the protests sparked violence and death was King's name mentioned and even then, it was used in negative way. In this paper, I will discuss how the news magazines Time, Newsweek, and the U.S. News went about distorting, neglecting, and eventually praising King and his events. In order to help understand the Civil Rights Movement and it controversy you have to start at the beginning. On the way home from work as a seamstress Mrs. Rosa Parks boarded a Montgomery City Line bus. When asked to give up her seat for a white passenger Rosa Parks refused. The bus driver left his seat and summoned the police. The police officer arrested Rosa Parks for violating the cities segregation ordinances. ( Bennett 59) Rosa Parks arrest sparked a one-day boycott that stretched out to 382 days. That event started the Civil Rights movement and changed the spirit of Martin Luther Kings, Jr. Time magazine was the first of the newsmagazines to pick up the story of the bus boycott. (Lentz 26) Newsweek didn't print the story until five months after it happened. In addition, not until then did King's name was mentioned by it or Time. Neither King nor the cause grabbed the attention of U.S. News & World Report. What they did report was how disturbed the southerners were over the population shift in Montgomery that seemed to be leading to black control. (Lentz 28 ) With the bus boycott in full swing merchants were loosing millions of dollars and white housewives were having to drive their black maids around, whose services they didn't want to loose. With people, complaining the Montgomery government stepped in. While the court was scheduled to hear the city governments petition to stop the bus boycott, the Supreme Court stepped in. A message came down form the Supreme Court striking down the motion that the bus segregation ordinance as unconstitutional. When this was heard a joyful bystander stated God Almighty has spoken from Washington D.C. (Lentz 31) After King's victory, there was almost nothing in Newsweek and Time. Not until 382 days after the bus boycott began, did Time and Newsweek report on the event. Both magazines predicted that the black victory would be accepted by whites. (Lentz 31) This later proved untrue. Snipers fired shots at buses and the homes of black ministers were bombed, as were black churches. Kings first arrest after trying to enter a crowed courtroom where another Negro integration leader was testifying put his face in Newsweek. A photograph showing policeman handling King roughly, appeared in Newsweek. The caption noted Alabama arrests a Negro minister on a loitering charge. (Lucaitis 27) Not even mentioning Kings name. In the late summer of 1962, King decided to launch a series of demonstrations in Birmingham. The demonstrations lead to wide spread violence. White police officers with K-9 dogs invaded the march and arrests were made. King was one of the demonstrators arrested. Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report would find themselves forced to write about the events in Birmingham. U.S. News would be forced into the all-together awkward position of having to account for the brutal and open violence black demonstrators, especially children, that the entire world had seen.(Lentz 78) Time and Newsweek would recall the Birmingham campaign as a crusade for freedom. (Lentz 78) When reporting about Birmingham, Newsweek entertained doubts. The journal chose terms, siege, army, generals, and recruiting troops, -that spoke of invasion and military.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Textile industry in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Textile industry in India - Essay Example In this case, the paper has defined the Indian and Vietnamese textile industry’s macro-economic environment through a an economic analysis in order to illuminate the key factors that can be utilized to maximize the efficiency and competitiveness of the industry. Up to the point where the Indian economy was liberalized, the textile industry in the country was essentially disorganized. However, the industry has now risen to being the second biggest textile industry in the world; second only to China. In this way, textiles account for 38% of total exports in the country; therefore making textiles an industry of extreme importance upon which a great deal of India’s economic strength relies upon (Singleton, 2007, p. 22). Comparatively, the textile industry in Vietnam is one of its largest industries; as well as a key economic contributor. Textile exports from Vietnam, despite the economic difficulties facing the country, have continued to improve with present goals aimed at becoming the third largest textile exporter after China and India. The factors discussed in this paper affecting the Indian and Vietnamese textile industries such as political factors are vital since lack of stability would adversely affect it. Because the economies of Vietnam and India are dependent largely on the manufacture and export of textiles, which accounts for 29% and 27% of foreign exchange respectively, social and economic factors are also important as factors of influence (Nash, 2007, p. 21). Analysis of Macro environment in India & Vietnam Firstly, with respect to the GDP of these systems, the researcher can readily note that Vietnam represented a 2011 GDP of approximately 129 billion USD whereas India represented a GDP for the same period of approximately 1.85 trillion USD. Although the overall size of the Indian economy dwarfs that of Vietnam, this cannot be understood in and of itself as a defining factor or differential between the two. Ultimately, the extreme diffe rential in GDP can be understood as a function of the overall population differential that is extant between the two nations. Whereas India represents a population of well over 1.24 billion, Vietnam only boasts of a total population of around 88 million individuals. As a function of this differential, is it easy for the researcher to understand why the overall GDP differential is as expansive as it has been represented in the figures displayed. Comparatively, Vietnam has experienced a rapid rise in per capita income over the past decade. Whereas just a few brief years ago Vietnam struggled with massive amounts of poverty with many of its citizens earning less than 150 dollars per year, the rapid rise in the growth of Vietnam’s middle class and a high level of industrialization and trade has meant that the average per capita income has risen to nearly 1,130 per year by 2010. This rapid rise in the average per capita income in Vietnam can be attributed to a host of factors; how ever, for purposes of this analysis, it would not be unreasonable to assert that the rapid growth in the textile industry in Vietnam has been one of the main contributing factors to spurring economic growth and benefitting the overall quality of life for many

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Impact of Oil Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Impact of Oil - Assignment Example Moreover, during the same period there was increased demand for oil in numerous nations including China and India due to their increased industrialization (United States, Maloney, and Schumer, 2007). The subsequent instabilities in oil production and increase, in oil price per barrel of the 2000, s had no destructive effect on the United States’ Economy. Therefore, it is apparent that the current effects or instabilities on the oil prices have little effects on the United States’ economy, as it was the case in the 1970s and 1980s. The main reason towards these changed effects is that there has been a reduction on energy (oil and gas) spent in producing each dollar in the United States’ output. Additionally, there has been a shift in production techniques, that is, the current technologies only require a small amount of energy for production compared to the 1970s and 1980s technologies (United States, 1991). Economic experts estimate the current United States’ economy to be less than 33 percent dependent or sensitive to oil price fluctuation unlike over 55 percent less sensitivity in early 1980s and even more in the mid-1970s. (United States, Maloney, and Schumer, 2007) Finally, the Federal Government has since developed vigilant and adept monetary policies of handling inflationary

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Research Paper

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - Research Paper Example A look into the history of OSCE over these years proves that the organization has done much more than any other organization could do in uniting the nations, preventing and mitigating conflicts, increasing mutual trust, and promoting economic and human rights conditions in the region. The highest political leader of the organization is the chairman in office. The selection of the chairman in office takes place every year from the member states. As specified in its website, OSCE has two permanent bodies which are responsible for taking important decisions; they are the ‘OSCE Ministerial Council’ and the ‘OSCE Permanent Council’ (OSCE website). The Ministerial Council normally has its meeting once in a year. This council is made of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of all the member states. As Bloed notes, the Permanent Council consists of representatives from each member state; this body conducts its meetings on a weekly basis and discusses the various issues in the region. Also, all immediate decisions are taken by this body (4). There are various offices to implement the decisions of OCSE. They are ‘the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), and the OCSE Representative on Freedom of Media’ (qtd . ICNL). The secretariat of OCSE has its office in Vienna and it functions under the Secretary General. This secretariat has a number of various units. They range from â€Å"Action against Terrorism Unit, Conflict Prevention Centre, External Cooperation, Gender Section, Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Strategic Police Matters Unit, and Training Section†(qtd ICNL, ‘NGO Law Monitor’). The OSCE has its origin associated with the dà ©tente phase of the early 1970s. In fact, there had been an increased interest in

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Role of the Photographer in Preserving Wilderness

Role of the Photographer in Preserving Wilderness Wildlife Photography Synopsis This dissertation addresses the relationship between people and the environment, specifically that which is now described as the wild. The term wilderness is applied to both the land and the marine environments and looks at how the wilderness came to be defined as such. It looks at the difficulties in determining protective measures and ensuring they are effective and fit for purpose. Fit for purpose obviously begs the question as to fit for whose purpose and this pivotal question exposes the delicate balance between allowing access to the wild and protecting the wild from mans access. In the face of this tension, and conflict of interest, many agencies across the world have tried various ways to balance the needs and desires of mans subsistence and recreational activities in the wild. When successful, they achieve public support to help preserve the wilderness and raise revenue to help fund the monitoring and policing of management policies to those areas. This dissertation looks at the measures that have been introduced to protect and preserve the wild. It also explores the problems facing the trusts and agencies charged with defining land and marine management policies and the importance of engaging the various publics with their vested interests. It is in the capacity of promoting the beauty and the diversity of life in the wilds of the lands and waters,and their importance to the ecosystems and food chains, that the photographer is able to play a role in helping protect these threatened regions of the earth. The photographers role in helping educate and disseminate information to raise the profile of the fragility of the wild is an important one. Their pictures speak to the range of stakeholders provide visual messages vital in securing public support and that of their respective governments to secure long-term protection of these ever-decreasing regions. Introduction This study explores the concept of wilderness, how it, and nature in general, is depicted by advertisers, the mass-media, e.g., books, television, magazines etc. and how, in turn, this depiction may influence the ways people then relate to and interact with nature. I then look at the influence of photography and the role of the photographer specialising in nature photography to help preserve what is loosely called wilderness in a world dominated by industry, tourism, transportation and consumerism all ever greedy for natural resources. The tension between the demand for access to, and usage of, unspoiled or wild environments and the negative impact that such access has on those environments is a difficult land/marine management problem. Britain and America both have conservation and wilderness protection legislation, as do some other countries, but have had to accept that people want to interact with nature itself. Part of their solution has been to define the concept of wilderness, define the levels of access and type of interaction and manage the area to ensure it is being used responsibly and respectfully. Naturally, the definition of wilderness itself is subject to debate and the rigour with which responsible access and usage of the wild environments is policed depends on many factors. There can be economic drivers that actively promote poaching and habitat destruction, e.g., the ivory trade, illegal but extremely lucrative or traditional Chinese medicine that uses parts from animals, including endangered species in its practise. If people are poor and face a life of hardship it is easy to see how making a lot of money from poaching or illegal animal trading, for example, could tempt them. Patrolling and protecting lands, waters and indigenous life requires funding. It requires a government to value them and enshrine the values in laws and legislation. It requires foreign governments to outlaw the import or trade of exotic plant and animal life and in doing so, stop funding the poachers and hunters. It requires money to provide wardens or patrols. It requires education. It may not be possible to educate people to value their lands and animals above their own survival but it might be possible to educate them into thinking of ways to make money from the environment, by showcasing nature in its natural environment. But how much interaction? And what forms can such interaction take? These are the dilemmas facing many countries around the world. The photographer can play an educative role. This role can be one of raising awareness of the value of the habitats, ecosystems and the sheer beauty of the diversity of life on earth. In this way, they can play a part in promoting a public, even global, consciousness and value of the planet, not just for the needs of today but also for that of successive generations. Many photographers specialising in photography of the wild are actively involved in campaigning for conservation or preserving such wilderness as is left on earth and work with various agencies aligned to common goals. I hope to demonstrate that photographers working in alliance with other agencies make a positive difference that help persuade public opinion and governmental response into valuing what is left of our unspoiled environments. The Role of the Human in Environmental Change As a species, our environmental impacts have increased, and intensified at an almost exponential rate. Mans ability to adapt and modify and shape the environment, changing its natural state to make it suitable to accommodate our needs, demands and desires is unparalleled by any other species. It is this ability to master and dominate nature, accepted almost as an entitlement, that constitutes an ideology which is shared by practically every society on the planet, through the means of globalisation (Goudie, 2000). For example, tribal societies hunt and gather food and resources, post-Neolithic groups began the domestication of livestock, and sowed the first seeds of agriculture. Even the construction of the grand canal in ancient China are all examples of the anthropogenic shaping and control over nature throughout early human history. The impetus driving these developments has generally been the necessity to provide for the needs of a growing and successful population, be it food, clothing, shelter or to further the spiritual expression of the people. (Ponting 1991). And still, Homo Sapiens is the only species which has created its own nature calling it culture, or civilisation. This â€Å"second nature† maybe started as a gradual, progressive alienation and divergence from the natural biosphere as a seemingly â€Å"natural† progression on mans evolutionary path. However, as mans skills in developing tools for agriculture, hunting and industrialisation grew, the rate of change intensified. Mans power to consume, appropriate and exploit nature to fulfil ever diversifying â€Å"needs† from driving the Huia, an Australasian wattle bird, to extinction for the sole purpose of decorating Europeans hats (CNN, 1999), to clearing rainforest to make space for grazing and crop growing is virtually unchecked and unchallenged. While these are just two unrelated and isolated examples, the demands of supplying and servicing global requirements for resources are seemingly endless. The message that the German Advisory Council for Global Environmental Change (Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltverà ¤nderungen, WBGU) placed at the beginning of its annual assessment for the year 2000 was Breathless and fragmented, the world rushes into the new millennium. Ten years on, there has been no slow down. (WBGU, 2001) According to Mongabay (2009), over eighty percent of cleared forest land from created between 1996 and 2006 has been used to create pasture for cattle. If this prolific rate of deforestation over the last decade wasnt enough, the Brazilian government intends to double its share of the world beef market to 60% by 2018. Such decimation and destruction cannot be justified by only a clear business rationale. For example, the practise of clearing rainforest to enable cattle grazing, etc., is worth economically less than the cleared forest originally was. Yet mans desire to trade one of the largest biologically diverse, in many ways unique, and visually stunning ecosystems for cheap burgers and hot coffee continues. Despite the many organisations, campaign groups and societies all working for the protection, conservation and re-naturalisation of the Earths environs, the WBGU presented the worlds environment as one in constant crisis. Total global fossil fuel consumption (coal, oil and natural gas) rose to 7,956 million metric tons. Carbon dioxide emissions reached 6,553 million tons in 2001, amounting to a record concentration of 384 ppm carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, 2007). The capacity of the 436 nuclear reactors operating in over 35 countries reached 351 gigawatts and the economic mega-machine on which all these achievements rested, produced a record annual gross world product of US $40.5 trillion in 1999 (1998 prices). (WGBU, 2001) These high profits come at the expense of the health of the environment, accelerating its deterioration. Franz Broswimmer (2001) coined the term ecocide, for his book â€Å"Ecocide: A Short History of the Mass Extinction of Species† In it, he writes about the destructive processes, the ways in which human beings have constructed their relation to their surrounding environments, being responsible for, as well as legitimising, negative human impact on global ecosystems, which he claims date back over 5000 years, though others claim that this â€Å"ecocide† began long before this, for instance, the extinction of the Woolly Mammoth is arguably attributed to human hunters some 11000 years ago, according to Martin (2005). Conservation Conservation is a means of managing the resources of an ecosystem while protecting it from depletion and destruction, avoiding change and accumulation of man-made artefacts. This allows us to benefit from the ecosystem indefinitely. Long into the future, managed use and sensible precautions will prevent the degradation of a habitat, protecting the species within it. There are countless reasons for natural conservation, not only can our continued survival depend on its existence (the natural processes of plant life provide us with oxygen, recycle carbon dioxide from the air, insects and fungi help decompose biological litter and waste, which in turn fertilize plants, which then grow more efficiently, providing more and better fruits and crops, which then feed us or animals which we hunt or eat). Each of these processes is reliant on other variables being maintained, a concept key to that of conservation. If the biological resources are managed properly, they are effectively renewable; resources which will become ever more important as fossil fuel reserves become increasing expensive and rare. Conservation of Species Many geographically remote islands and peninsulas are rich in endemic species plants and animals that are found nowhere else. Due to their geographic isolation, and the millions of years since life has had a chance to populate it, small populations have gradually adapted and evolved to their environment. This genetic isolation is important as it contains a wealth of genetic information that is unique, these genes may hold futures cures and manufacturing processes that we have yet to realise. Unfortunately these island populations are relatively small, and with such little habitat available to them, they are susceptible to habitat loss, and since they originally formed from small populations, they are genetically very similar, the introduction of a disease can cause large proportions to die, and the resulting lack of genetic diversity can lead to the eventual extinction as mutations become more and more common. Introduced species like rats and even cats are responsible for causing the extinction of species. Many extinctions from the last century have been those of endemic island species, even more are now endangered. The protection of these genetic reserves should be one of an island peoples highest priorities, while this is often difficult to balance with the populations needs, which conflict with those of the habitat, such as water sewage, agriculture and transport infrastructure. Protecting these endemic species is a difficult task, the high level diversity, and the fact the entire population is in one place, coupled with the fact that the population has needs, this results in islands having far higher ratios of endangered species per head of the population than anywhere else. If a balance is not struck in time, these species are gone forever. Protected Areas for Conservation Every country or island has at least some area that needs to be protected, the habitat in question varies, coral reef, bog-land, forest, sand dune, within these areas may be rare or endangered species of plant or animal, or these may be complete and important ecosystems as yet untouched by development. These areas may serve a variety of purposes, from being historic importance, tourism, or refuge for species harvested outside of that area, or protecting against bad weather- for instance, sand dunes and wetlands protect against storm surges by dissipating wave energy over those lands, without damaging coastal towns. These spaces often have laws protecting individual species, from While there is some legislation which protects certain species against hunting, interference, or a closed season for them to breed and recover, these laws do not protect species or the habitat these species rely on in many cases, and among the best protection we can offer them is to set aside their habitat, and minimise human interaction to avoid disturbance. Because of this most countries, provinces and islands create reserves, or national parks. Reserves by their nature tend to have a smaller purpose, where the national parks are large open areas, available to the public for recreational activities that do not damage. These areas act as safe places for multitudes of animals and plants, encourage tourism- providing income for peoples, or for protecting natural resources that may pass through that area, such as drinkable water. While it is governments who usually have the land and the power to be able to actually designate reserves and National Parks, public awareness needs to be raised concerning the reason these lands have been protected This will help to ensure that the visiting public respect them, ensuring that they last for future generations. The governments of developing nations do not often have the resources to fully protect and police these places, and rely on the public and outside assistance, either from charities or tourism money to help protect them. There are cases where these reserves are not treated properly, with harvesting and poaching taking place, causing these areas to fail. Other than protecting the natural world, these places allow scientific research to be conducted helping us to understand what makes these species and lands special, as well as providing a context in which the public can be educated in the importance of the natural world. This is especially important when so many people use supermarkets for their food, distancing them from the origins of their food. This education can also be useful in helping people understand their own history, as well as their national and cultural heritage. Individual Conservation Actions If we are to keep as much of our resources as renewable as possible, there is a necessity to keep conservation at the heart of any initiative. Maintaining all the elements of the ecosystem allows these initiatives to be most productive, as everybody uses these resources in some way to some degree. There are ways that everybody can give something back, contributing to conservation as a whole. Governments alone will generally find it difficult to set enough land aside to include large expanses of varying habitats. From forest and reef, to wetlands and savannah, especially considering the differing needs of both the land itself and society as a whole. From conservation and research to recreation and sustainable harvesting. However, with the aid of local groups and land owners (especially in those countries that are governed regionally, or by tribal groups) people can organise their own resources. In protecting these resources and by extension the habitat and biodiversity, they protect their own interests, whether they are economic or cultural. Farmers, along with other land owners have the opportunity to manage their land so that they are able to protect their resources, allowing their soil to remain fertile, firewood and other woodland etc. produce to be gathered regularly, as well as ensuring water is kept clean for drinking and gardens etc. On top of this, on difficult or unused areas trees can be planted, allowing for extra diversity and extra resources over the medium to long term, when a tree is finally cut down, another can be replanted to ensure supplies for the future. Traditional Conservation While it is always the case, many peoples living in remote areas and islands, who have and still practice their traditional way of life, live in harmony with their surroundings, knowing when a resource is available, and how much can readily be used. Plants taken for food, medicine or any other reason often have a seed placed where the previous plant grew, ensuring that not only is diversity maintained, but that the resource is effectively renewable. This intimate knowledge of their own surroundings was passed down from generation to generation, but as development and modernisation encroach on those remote areas in ways previously impossible, this knowledge is not maintained, and ways of life are forgotten in favour of the luxuries modern life brings. What is the Wilderness? Where does the man-made landscape end and nature begin? First, we must begin by looking at the definition of â€Å"wilderness†, and whether any definitions for it is fixed in meaning or looser and therefore able to accommodate shifts in societies perception of the relative states between urban and nature. We can start by looking at some definitions of wilderness. (n) a region uncultivated and uninhabited; a pathless, unfrequented or unexplored region; such a region deliberately preserved from the inroads of tourism; a desolate waste of any kind e.g. an extent of open sea (poetic); a part of a garden or estate allowed to run wild, or cultivated in imitation of natural woodland; an overgrown tangle of weeds, etc.; conditions of life, or a place, in which the spirit feels desolate; the situation of being without public office or influence, or of being forgotten by the public, after playing a leading role; the present world; a large confused or confusing assemblage; wildness (obs). -Chambers (2008) â€Å"Wilderness is the landscape which contains only the plants and animals native to it. Where man is alone with the living earth. Where there is neither fixed nor mechanical artefact. Once this environment was everywhere, now only relics remain. Yet in these places are the original bonds between man and the earth. In these are the roots of all religion, history, art, and science. In renewing these links lies the enduring value of wilderness to man.† (Feely, 2008) It is difficult to fit either definition to any area on earth today. Pollution, mass transportation, the introduction of non-native insects, plant or animal, into alien habitats (sometimes accidental, sometimes deliberate), the effects of acid rain, radioactive and chemical contamination, the effects of the depletion of the ozone layer on the Earths waters, air, soil and seabed, amongst other things, all contaminate and despoil that which we would call wild and render these definitions void. How do we relate to wilderness? The media regularly portrays nature as mans bounty, there for the taking, as and when we want, with ever more exotic fruits and ingredients are used in the production of shampoos and beauty creams. This type of portrayal promotes an abundance of nature; that there is plenty of everything, there is no deficit. Another interesting depiction of nature is that of a challenge to man. Programmes such as The Deadliest Catch shows man battling with the forces of nature, in this case, the harsh extremes of the Bering Sea while crab fishing (The Deadliest Catch, 2005). These portrayals serve to promote a certain mythos about the planet. That it is still wild, unspoilt, untouched. However, these depictions are inaccurate. According to some reports, just 17% of the worlds landmass is still considered unspoiled or wild [8] and that is only in relative terms. There is no absolute wilderness left. But how can this depiction be countered. How do we educate and promote conservation? Boyd Norton is a photographer and ardent campaigner for the preservation of the wild. In an extract from his soon-to-be-released book Serengeti: the stillness of the eternal beginning (Norton, 2008) he talks about the wealth of wildlife and the spirit of place that the Serengeti has. The Serengeti has a large preserved area, some 10,000 sq miles when the protected areas around it are included. Yet, he states how small it is, an island in a sea of man. For Norton, the Serengeti is the land of our beginnings. He states that we are all Africans, that paeleo-anthropologists and DNA sleuths can trace the origin of our species to the Serengeti ecosystem. He says it is there we became more human as a species; transformed from quadrupeds to bipeds and man was still an intricate part of the wilderness. He talks of how man lived within zones, probably dictated by how much ground could be covered in one day or the range that was sufficiently safe for man to travel on a hunting foray, etc. However, the wilderness also offered temptations to encroach further. Other foods, plants, berries, animals etc., that could sustain and support human life lay out there. That range probably changed with seasons and weather patterns. Norton claims that it all started with the Serengeti. He refers to a quote from Carl Jung, visiting the Serengeti for the first time: â€Å"A most intense sentiment of returning to the land of my youth†. Norton relates to this and believes something resonates, perhaps in the molecules of our DNA or our genes, that trigger occasional memories of our origins. What some might call an organic memory.He feels that same sense of returning home whenever he travels to the Serengeti and explains his passion for that wild land. He maintains that it remains the stillness of the eternal beginning. He campaigns vigorously for the protection of the Serengeti and other wild lands across the world. (Norton, 2008) Ed Burtynsky (Nickel Tailings No. 31,Sudbury, Ontario 1996) Contrasting the works of many environmental photographers is Burtynsky, his images are always evidence of human activities, often taken on a scale that seems to defy belief, often the subject of the image is opposite to nature, a polluting force in the landscape, whether these are marble quarries, mountains of used car tyres or oil derricks, the concept of a pristine habitat does not occur in his images, but the concept of wilderness is embodied, of landscapes so transformed by our actions that they go beyond urban, and are once again wild. Unlike Adams who never included humans or human activity in his images, Burtynsky always references human activity in some way, often in subtle ways, with only the caption or title of the image giving up the secret of how we have disfigured the landscape. These images are very deliberate, often creating beauty from polluted and sick land. This kind of disfigurement does not intrinsically attract the same kind of support that photographers like Ada ms or Peschak did or has, though as his website demonstrates, he considers himself a fine art photographer, and has a large number of corporate clients, including those most likely to create this landscapes including Oil and Construction companies. Suggesting that his images are aesthetically pleasing enough for those companies to display them with disregard to the obvious environmental damage they have caused in creating them. The 1964 Wilderness Act Ansel Adams (Lake Macdonald 1942) The United States was the first country in the world to define, designate and protect large ecologically important tracts of land as wilderness. It not only created a working definition of wilderness but also enshrined it in the 1964 Wilderness Act, as â€Å"lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition† and â€Å"generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of mans work substantially unnoticeable â€Å"(Zahniser, 1964). It allowed for the understanding and acknowledgement that any wild area would still be affected by human activities â€Å"the imprint of mans work substantially unnoticeable†. The Wilderness Act of 1964 was a landmark event in ecological terms, it was the institutionalisation of a concept, it described the wilderness as â€Å"an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammelled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain†. Its very definition then, was a place where vehicles would not be allowed to traverse, where no permanent camps or structures would be allowed and resources could not be harvested or exploited. Wildlife and its habitat would be maintained as unspoiled as humanly possible. (Zahniser, 1964) Ansel Adams was a 20th century photographer and also a tireless worker and activist for protection of the wilderness and the environment. He was the force behind the 1964 Wilderness Act in the USA. His passion for nature saw him almost constantly travelling through the United States, photographing the natural beauty. As a photographer his images become iconic not only for their beauty, but also for representing the wilderness of America. Adams had stated that he never consciously taken an image for environmental purposes, but his work with the Sierra Club, and the many thousands of letters he wrote and meetings he was involved in support for conservation, and the creation of national parks were in no doubt related to his passion for nature and his belief it should be preserved, his images may not have been taken for those purposes but in his beliefs were embodied within them, Even today people think of the national parks with the epic beauty and magnificence that Adams infused within his images. Adams biography entry in the American National Biography mentions that his images did not simply record and document the environment but â€Å"sought an intensification and purification of the psychological experience of natural beauty†, the purpose these images had no doubt made them powerful tools for changing perceptions of nature and the environment for the American public and government officials. The Act helped to create the National Wilderness Preservation System, and raised American awareness regarding the nations National parks and wild lands. This legislative act created a new and novel way of preserving not only land and visual beauty, but also habitat, ensuring that rare plants and animals were protected. Its creation led to millions of acres designated as the newly protected wilderness. Instead of barring all human interaction, recreational activities like hiking, camping, kayaking and other outdoor activities are provided for. These areas, therefore, are protected from industrial exploitation but sustain leisure, tourism and recreation industries, which are much smaller in scale, with less ecological damage than heavy industry. It gives the land back, not only to the people of today but also future generations. It provides opportunities to experience nature as natural as possible the â€Å"great outdoors† and escape the ever increasing hustle and bustle of a m odern industrial and mechanised lifestyle. The Act allows for a man-managed or man-sustained wilderness as opposed to a natural wilderness. But does this definition go far enough? Is it realistic and sustainable? Roz McClellan the director of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Initiative (NTTP, 2007) asserts that a workable definition needs to accept mans interaction AND the management of the environment. She asserts that any definition of wilderness has to incorporate reasonable interaction from man, in such a way that would uphold American principles of multiple use, providing access within defined parameters. This can mean, for example, prohibiting certain activities during mating seasons or when weather conditions have left the environment more vulnerable than usual. McClellan argues that any new definition should provide for the â€Å"widest possible range of mutually compatible, sustainable services and outputs†. These could include outputs such as potable water, control of soil erosion, water table control, study and research, fishing as well as including leisure activities. To be sustainable, however, these must not interfere with or reduce the long term capacity of any of the ecosystems restorative abilities. The key term here is not compromise. This is where the concept of land management starts to creep in. Without some form of monitoring and control the potential for destructive behaviours and interactions would go unchecked. So, the opportunities to experience natural earth present administrative challenges that lie outside of the definition of wilderness. The Wilderness Foundation UK The Wilderness Foundation UK (Wilderness Foundation, 2008) is a UK-based organisation which operates over a number of countries, including UK, South America and the United States. It is an organisation which promotes the benefits of wild areas and creates a connection between people and nature without the use of permanent or mechanic artefacts. They promote a return to nature and oppose large scale destructive building plans, such as the expansion of airports, for example. Their approach is holistic and all-embracing of man as part of nature. As Albert Einstein reflected: A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. (Einstein, 1932) Measuring the effectiveness of land management The problem of defining the wilderness in order to protect it is problematic enough but is compounded by the added complexity of then understanding how the relationships generated between people and protected lands affect, and are affected by, the management policies, actions and plans put into place to manage them. After all, defining and protecting nature is, ultimately, on mans terms. But which men? The terms may not be entirely appropriate, however well-intentioned, and may preclude the activities of native tribes and their land. Managing the land effectively, then, includes identifying any sources of conflict between the varying and different demands placed on the wilderness. This is important for understanding the influences the management policies may have on any conflicts of interest. The type of factors to be considered include the contrasting values of wilderness for visitors and natives, as well as local, rural and distant urban stakeholders. The understanding of these relationships is especially relevant to those groups who have used the wilderness for subsistence Role of the Photographer in Preserving Wilderness Role of the Photographer in Preserving Wilderness Wildlife Photography Synopsis This dissertation addresses the relationship between people and the environment, specifically that which is now described as the wild. The term wilderness is applied to both the land and the marine environments and looks at how the wilderness came to be defined as such. It looks at the difficulties in determining protective measures and ensuring they are effective and fit for purpose. Fit for purpose obviously begs the question as to fit for whose purpose and this pivotal question exposes the delicate balance between allowing access to the wild and protecting the wild from mans access. In the face of this tension, and conflict of interest, many agencies across the world have tried various ways to balance the needs and desires of mans subsistence and recreational activities in the wild. When successful, they achieve public support to help preserve the wilderness and raise revenue to help fund the monitoring and policing of management policies to those areas. This dissertation looks at the measures that have been introduced to protect and preserve the wild. It also explores the problems facing the trusts and agencies charged with defining land and marine management policies and the importance of engaging the various publics with their vested interests. It is in the capacity of promoting the beauty and the diversity of life in the wilds of the lands and waters,and their importance to the ecosystems and food chains, that the photographer is able to play a role in helping protect these threatened regions of the earth. The photographers role in helping educate and disseminate information to raise the profile of the fragility of the wild is an important one. Their pictures speak to the range of stakeholders provide visual messages vital in securing public support and that of their respective governments to secure long-term protection of these ever-decreasing regions. Introduction This study explores the concept of wilderness, how it, and nature in general, is depicted by advertisers, the mass-media, e.g., books, television, magazines etc. and how, in turn, this depiction may influence the ways people then relate to and interact with nature. I then look at the influence of photography and the role of the photographer specialising in nature photography to help preserve what is loosely called wilderness in a world dominated by industry, tourism, transportation and consumerism all ever greedy for natural resources. The tension between the demand for access to, and usage of, unspoiled or wild environments and the negative impact that such access has on those environments is a difficult land/marine management problem. Britain and America both have conservation and wilderness protection legislation, as do some other countries, but have had to accept that people want to interact with nature itself. Part of their solution has been to define the concept of wilderness, define the levels of access and type of interaction and manage the area to ensure it is being used responsibly and respectfully. Naturally, the definition of wilderness itself is subject to debate and the rigour with which responsible access and usage of the wild environments is policed depends on many factors. There can be economic drivers that actively promote poaching and habitat destruction, e.g., the ivory trade, illegal but extremely lucrative or traditional Chinese medicine that uses parts from animals, including endangered species in its practise. If people are poor and face a life of hardship it is easy to see how making a lot of money from poaching or illegal animal trading, for example, could tempt them. Patrolling and protecting lands, waters and indigenous life requires funding. It requires a government to value them and enshrine the values in laws and legislation. It requires foreign governments to outlaw the import or trade of exotic plant and animal life and in doing so, stop funding the poachers and hunters. It requires money to provide wardens or patrols. It requires education. It may not be possible to educate people to value their lands and animals above their own survival but it might be possible to educate them into thinking of ways to make money from the environment, by showcasing nature in its natural environment. But how much interaction? And what forms can such interaction take? These are the dilemmas facing many countries around the world. The photographer can play an educative role. This role can be one of raising awareness of the value of the habitats, ecosystems and the sheer beauty of the diversity of life on earth. In this way, they can play a part in promoting a public, even global, consciousness and value of the planet, not just for the needs of today but also for that of successive generations. Many photographers specialising in photography of the wild are actively involved in campaigning for conservation or preserving such wilderness as is left on earth and work with various agencies aligned to common goals. I hope to demonstrate that photographers working in alliance with other agencies make a positive difference that help persuade public opinion and governmental response into valuing what is left of our unspoiled environments. The Role of the Human in Environmental Change As a species, our environmental impacts have increased, and intensified at an almost exponential rate. Mans ability to adapt and modify and shape the environment, changing its natural state to make it suitable to accommodate our needs, demands and desires is unparalleled by any other species. It is this ability to master and dominate nature, accepted almost as an entitlement, that constitutes an ideology which is shared by practically every society on the planet, through the means of globalisation (Goudie, 2000). For example, tribal societies hunt and gather food and resources, post-Neolithic groups began the domestication of livestock, and sowed the first seeds of agriculture. Even the construction of the grand canal in ancient China are all examples of the anthropogenic shaping and control over nature throughout early human history. The impetus driving these developments has generally been the necessity to provide for the needs of a growing and successful population, be it food, clothing, shelter or to further the spiritual expression of the people. (Ponting 1991). And still, Homo Sapiens is the only species which has created its own nature calling it culture, or civilisation. This â€Å"second nature† maybe started as a gradual, progressive alienation and divergence from the natural biosphere as a seemingly â€Å"natural† progression on mans evolutionary path. However, as mans skills in developing tools for agriculture, hunting and industrialisation grew, the rate of change intensified. Mans power to consume, appropriate and exploit nature to fulfil ever diversifying â€Å"needs† from driving the Huia, an Australasian wattle bird, to extinction for the sole purpose of decorating Europeans hats (CNN, 1999), to clearing rainforest to make space for grazing and crop growing is virtually unchecked and unchallenged. While these are just two unrelated and isolated examples, the demands of supplying and servicing global requirements for resources are seemingly endless. The message that the German Advisory Council for Global Environmental Change (Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltverà ¤nderungen, WBGU) placed at the beginning of its annual assessment for the year 2000 was Breathless and fragmented, the world rushes into the new millennium. Ten years on, there has been no slow down. (WBGU, 2001) According to Mongabay (2009), over eighty percent of cleared forest land from created between 1996 and 2006 has been used to create pasture for cattle. If this prolific rate of deforestation over the last decade wasnt enough, the Brazilian government intends to double its share of the world beef market to 60% by 2018. Such decimation and destruction cannot be justified by only a clear business rationale. For example, the practise of clearing rainforest to enable cattle grazing, etc., is worth economically less than the cleared forest originally was. Yet mans desire to trade one of the largest biologically diverse, in many ways unique, and visually stunning ecosystems for cheap burgers and hot coffee continues. Despite the many organisations, campaign groups and societies all working for the protection, conservation and re-naturalisation of the Earths environs, the WBGU presented the worlds environment as one in constant crisis. Total global fossil fuel consumption (coal, oil and natural gas) rose to 7,956 million metric tons. Carbon dioxide emissions reached 6,553 million tons in 2001, amounting to a record concentration of 384 ppm carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, 2007). The capacity of the 436 nuclear reactors operating in over 35 countries reached 351 gigawatts and the economic mega-machine on which all these achievements rested, produced a record annual gross world product of US $40.5 trillion in 1999 (1998 prices). (WGBU, 2001) These high profits come at the expense of the health of the environment, accelerating its deterioration. Franz Broswimmer (2001) coined the term ecocide, for his book â€Å"Ecocide: A Short History of the Mass Extinction of Species† In it, he writes about the destructive processes, the ways in which human beings have constructed their relation to their surrounding environments, being responsible for, as well as legitimising, negative human impact on global ecosystems, which he claims date back over 5000 years, though others claim that this â€Å"ecocide† began long before this, for instance, the extinction of the Woolly Mammoth is arguably attributed to human hunters some 11000 years ago, according to Martin (2005). Conservation Conservation is a means of managing the resources of an ecosystem while protecting it from depletion and destruction, avoiding change and accumulation of man-made artefacts. This allows us to benefit from the ecosystem indefinitely. Long into the future, managed use and sensible precautions will prevent the degradation of a habitat, protecting the species within it. There are countless reasons for natural conservation, not only can our continued survival depend on its existence (the natural processes of plant life provide us with oxygen, recycle carbon dioxide from the air, insects and fungi help decompose biological litter and waste, which in turn fertilize plants, which then grow more efficiently, providing more and better fruits and crops, which then feed us or animals which we hunt or eat). Each of these processes is reliant on other variables being maintained, a concept key to that of conservation. If the biological resources are managed properly, they are effectively renewable; resources which will become ever more important as fossil fuel reserves become increasing expensive and rare. Conservation of Species Many geographically remote islands and peninsulas are rich in endemic species plants and animals that are found nowhere else. Due to their geographic isolation, and the millions of years since life has had a chance to populate it, small populations have gradually adapted and evolved to their environment. This genetic isolation is important as it contains a wealth of genetic information that is unique, these genes may hold futures cures and manufacturing processes that we have yet to realise. Unfortunately these island populations are relatively small, and with such little habitat available to them, they are susceptible to habitat loss, and since they originally formed from small populations, they are genetically very similar, the introduction of a disease can cause large proportions to die, and the resulting lack of genetic diversity can lead to the eventual extinction as mutations become more and more common. Introduced species like rats and even cats are responsible for causing the extinction of species. Many extinctions from the last century have been those of endemic island species, even more are now endangered. The protection of these genetic reserves should be one of an island peoples highest priorities, while this is often difficult to balance with the populations needs, which conflict with those of the habitat, such as water sewage, agriculture and transport infrastructure. Protecting these endemic species is a difficult task, the high level diversity, and the fact the entire population is in one place, coupled with the fact that the population has needs, this results in islands having far higher ratios of endangered species per head of the population than anywhere else. If a balance is not struck in time, these species are gone forever. Protected Areas for Conservation Every country or island has at least some area that needs to be protected, the habitat in question varies, coral reef, bog-land, forest, sand dune, within these areas may be rare or endangered species of plant or animal, or these may be complete and important ecosystems as yet untouched by development. These areas may serve a variety of purposes, from being historic importance, tourism, or refuge for species harvested outside of that area, or protecting against bad weather- for instance, sand dunes and wetlands protect against storm surges by dissipating wave energy over those lands, without damaging coastal towns. These spaces often have laws protecting individual species, from While there is some legislation which protects certain species against hunting, interference, or a closed season for them to breed and recover, these laws do not protect species or the habitat these species rely on in many cases, and among the best protection we can offer them is to set aside their habitat, and minimise human interaction to avoid disturbance. Because of this most countries, provinces and islands create reserves, or national parks. Reserves by their nature tend to have a smaller purpose, where the national parks are large open areas, available to the public for recreational activities that do not damage. These areas act as safe places for multitudes of animals and plants, encourage tourism- providing income for peoples, or for protecting natural resources that may pass through that area, such as drinkable water. While it is governments who usually have the land and the power to be able to actually designate reserves and National Parks, public awareness needs to be raised concerning the reason these lands have been protected This will help to ensure that the visiting public respect them, ensuring that they last for future generations. The governments of developing nations do not often have the resources to fully protect and police these places, and rely on the public and outside assistance, either from charities or tourism money to help protect them. There are cases where these reserves are not treated properly, with harvesting and poaching taking place, causing these areas to fail. Other than protecting the natural world, these places allow scientific research to be conducted helping us to understand what makes these species and lands special, as well as providing a context in which the public can be educated in the importance of the natural world. This is especially important when so many people use supermarkets for their food, distancing them from the origins of their food. This education can also be useful in helping people understand their own history, as well as their national and cultural heritage. Individual Conservation Actions If we are to keep as much of our resources as renewable as possible, there is a necessity to keep conservation at the heart of any initiative. Maintaining all the elements of the ecosystem allows these initiatives to be most productive, as everybody uses these resources in some way to some degree. There are ways that everybody can give something back, contributing to conservation as a whole. Governments alone will generally find it difficult to set enough land aside to include large expanses of varying habitats. From forest and reef, to wetlands and savannah, especially considering the differing needs of both the land itself and society as a whole. From conservation and research to recreation and sustainable harvesting. However, with the aid of local groups and land owners (especially in those countries that are governed regionally, or by tribal groups) people can organise their own resources. In protecting these resources and by extension the habitat and biodiversity, they protect their own interests, whether they are economic or cultural. Farmers, along with other land owners have the opportunity to manage their land so that they are able to protect their resources, allowing their soil to remain fertile, firewood and other woodland etc. produce to be gathered regularly, as well as ensuring water is kept clean for drinking and gardens etc. On top of this, on difficult or unused areas trees can be planted, allowing for extra diversity and extra resources over the medium to long term, when a tree is finally cut down, another can be replanted to ensure supplies for the future. Traditional Conservation While it is always the case, many peoples living in remote areas and islands, who have and still practice their traditional way of life, live in harmony with their surroundings, knowing when a resource is available, and how much can readily be used. Plants taken for food, medicine or any other reason often have a seed placed where the previous plant grew, ensuring that not only is diversity maintained, but that the resource is effectively renewable. This intimate knowledge of their own surroundings was passed down from generation to generation, but as development and modernisation encroach on those remote areas in ways previously impossible, this knowledge is not maintained, and ways of life are forgotten in favour of the luxuries modern life brings. What is the Wilderness? Where does the man-made landscape end and nature begin? First, we must begin by looking at the definition of â€Å"wilderness†, and whether any definitions for it is fixed in meaning or looser and therefore able to accommodate shifts in societies perception of the relative states between urban and nature. We can start by looking at some definitions of wilderness. (n) a region uncultivated and uninhabited; a pathless, unfrequented or unexplored region; such a region deliberately preserved from the inroads of tourism; a desolate waste of any kind e.g. an extent of open sea (poetic); a part of a garden or estate allowed to run wild, or cultivated in imitation of natural woodland; an overgrown tangle of weeds, etc.; conditions of life, or a place, in which the spirit feels desolate; the situation of being without public office or influence, or of being forgotten by the public, after playing a leading role; the present world; a large confused or confusing assemblage; wildness (obs). -Chambers (2008) â€Å"Wilderness is the landscape which contains only the plants and animals native to it. Where man is alone with the living earth. Where there is neither fixed nor mechanical artefact. Once this environment was everywhere, now only relics remain. Yet in these places are the original bonds between man and the earth. In these are the roots of all religion, history, art, and science. In renewing these links lies the enduring value of wilderness to man.† (Feely, 2008) It is difficult to fit either definition to any area on earth today. Pollution, mass transportation, the introduction of non-native insects, plant or animal, into alien habitats (sometimes accidental, sometimes deliberate), the effects of acid rain, radioactive and chemical contamination, the effects of the depletion of the ozone layer on the Earths waters, air, soil and seabed, amongst other things, all contaminate and despoil that which we would call wild and render these definitions void. How do we relate to wilderness? The media regularly portrays nature as mans bounty, there for the taking, as and when we want, with ever more exotic fruits and ingredients are used in the production of shampoos and beauty creams. This type of portrayal promotes an abundance of nature; that there is plenty of everything, there is no deficit. Another interesting depiction of nature is that of a challenge to man. Programmes such as The Deadliest Catch shows man battling with the forces of nature, in this case, the harsh extremes of the Bering Sea while crab fishing (The Deadliest Catch, 2005). These portrayals serve to promote a certain mythos about the planet. That it is still wild, unspoilt, untouched. However, these depictions are inaccurate. According to some reports, just 17% of the worlds landmass is still considered unspoiled or wild [8] and that is only in relative terms. There is no absolute wilderness left. But how can this depiction be countered. How do we educate and promote conservation? Boyd Norton is a photographer and ardent campaigner for the preservation of the wild. In an extract from his soon-to-be-released book Serengeti: the stillness of the eternal beginning (Norton, 2008) he talks about the wealth of wildlife and the spirit of place that the Serengeti has. The Serengeti has a large preserved area, some 10,000 sq miles when the protected areas around it are included. Yet, he states how small it is, an island in a sea of man. For Norton, the Serengeti is the land of our beginnings. He states that we are all Africans, that paeleo-anthropologists and DNA sleuths can trace the origin of our species to the Serengeti ecosystem. He says it is there we became more human as a species; transformed from quadrupeds to bipeds and man was still an intricate part of the wilderness. He talks of how man lived within zones, probably dictated by how much ground could be covered in one day or the range that was sufficiently safe for man to travel on a hunting foray, etc. However, the wilderness also offered temptations to encroach further. Other foods, plants, berries, animals etc., that could sustain and support human life lay out there. That range probably changed with seasons and weather patterns. Norton claims that it all started with the Serengeti. He refers to a quote from Carl Jung, visiting the Serengeti for the first time: â€Å"A most intense sentiment of returning to the land of my youth†. Norton relates to this and believes something resonates, perhaps in the molecules of our DNA or our genes, that trigger occasional memories of our origins. What some might call an organic memory.He feels that same sense of returning home whenever he travels to the Serengeti and explains his passion for that wild land. He maintains that it remains the stillness of the eternal beginning. He campaigns vigorously for the protection of the Serengeti and other wild lands across the world. (Norton, 2008) Ed Burtynsky (Nickel Tailings No. 31,Sudbury, Ontario 1996) Contrasting the works of many environmental photographers is Burtynsky, his images are always evidence of human activities, often taken on a scale that seems to defy belief, often the subject of the image is opposite to nature, a polluting force in the landscape, whether these are marble quarries, mountains of used car tyres or oil derricks, the concept of a pristine habitat does not occur in his images, but the concept of wilderness is embodied, of landscapes so transformed by our actions that they go beyond urban, and are once again wild. Unlike Adams who never included humans or human activity in his images, Burtynsky always references human activity in some way, often in subtle ways, with only the caption or title of the image giving up the secret of how we have disfigured the landscape. These images are very deliberate, often creating beauty from polluted and sick land. This kind of disfigurement does not intrinsically attract the same kind of support that photographers like Ada ms or Peschak did or has, though as his website demonstrates, he considers himself a fine art photographer, and has a large number of corporate clients, including those most likely to create this landscapes including Oil and Construction companies. Suggesting that his images are aesthetically pleasing enough for those companies to display them with disregard to the obvious environmental damage they have caused in creating them. The 1964 Wilderness Act Ansel Adams (Lake Macdonald 1942) The United States was the first country in the world to define, designate and protect large ecologically important tracts of land as wilderness. It not only created a working definition of wilderness but also enshrined it in the 1964 Wilderness Act, as â€Å"lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition† and â€Å"generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of mans work substantially unnoticeable â€Å"(Zahniser, 1964). It allowed for the understanding and acknowledgement that any wild area would still be affected by human activities â€Å"the imprint of mans work substantially unnoticeable†. The Wilderness Act of 1964 was a landmark event in ecological terms, it was the institutionalisation of a concept, it described the wilderness as â€Å"an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammelled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain†. Its very definition then, was a place where vehicles would not be allowed to traverse, where no permanent camps or structures would be allowed and resources could not be harvested or exploited. Wildlife and its habitat would be maintained as unspoiled as humanly possible. (Zahniser, 1964) Ansel Adams was a 20th century photographer and also a tireless worker and activist for protection of the wilderness and the environment. He was the force behind the 1964 Wilderness Act in the USA. His passion for nature saw him almost constantly travelling through the United States, photographing the natural beauty. As a photographer his images become iconic not only for their beauty, but also for representing the wilderness of America. Adams had stated that he never consciously taken an image for environmental purposes, but his work with the Sierra Club, and the many thousands of letters he wrote and meetings he was involved in support for conservation, and the creation of national parks were in no doubt related to his passion for nature and his belief it should be preserved, his images may not have been taken for those purposes but in his beliefs were embodied within them, Even today people think of the national parks with the epic beauty and magnificence that Adams infused within his images. Adams biography entry in the American National Biography mentions that his images did not simply record and document the environment but â€Å"sought an intensification and purification of the psychological experience of natural beauty†, the purpose these images had no doubt made them powerful tools for changing perceptions of nature and the environment for the American public and government officials. The Act helped to create the National Wilderness Preservation System, and raised American awareness regarding the nations National parks and wild lands. This legislative act created a new and novel way of preserving not only land and visual beauty, but also habitat, ensuring that rare plants and animals were protected. Its creation led to millions of acres designated as the newly protected wilderness. Instead of barring all human interaction, recreational activities like hiking, camping, kayaking and other outdoor activities are provided for. These areas, therefore, are protected from industrial exploitation but sustain leisure, tourism and recreation industries, which are much smaller in scale, with less ecological damage than heavy industry. It gives the land back, not only to the people of today but also future generations. It provides opportunities to experience nature as natural as possible the â€Å"great outdoors† and escape the ever increasing hustle and bustle of a m odern industrial and mechanised lifestyle. The Act allows for a man-managed or man-sustained wilderness as opposed to a natural wilderness. But does this definition go far enough? Is it realistic and sustainable? Roz McClellan the director of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Initiative (NTTP, 2007) asserts that a workable definition needs to accept mans interaction AND the management of the environment. She asserts that any definition of wilderness has to incorporate reasonable interaction from man, in such a way that would uphold American principles of multiple use, providing access within defined parameters. This can mean, for example, prohibiting certain activities during mating seasons or when weather conditions have left the environment more vulnerable than usual. McClellan argues that any new definition should provide for the â€Å"widest possible range of mutually compatible, sustainable services and outputs†. These could include outputs such as potable water, control of soil erosion, water table control, study and research, fishing as well as including leisure activities. To be sustainable, however, these must not interfere with or reduce the long term capacity of any of the ecosystems restorative abilities. The key term here is not compromise. This is where the concept of land management starts to creep in. Without some form of monitoring and control the potential for destructive behaviours and interactions would go unchecked. So, the opportunities to experience natural earth present administrative challenges that lie outside of the definition of wilderness. The Wilderness Foundation UK The Wilderness Foundation UK (Wilderness Foundation, 2008) is a UK-based organisation which operates over a number of countries, including UK, South America and the United States. It is an organisation which promotes the benefits of wild areas and creates a connection between people and nature without the use of permanent or mechanic artefacts. They promote a return to nature and oppose large scale destructive building plans, such as the expansion of airports, for example. Their approach is holistic and all-embracing of man as part of nature. As Albert Einstein reflected: A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. (Einstein, 1932) Measuring the effectiveness of land management The problem of defining the wilderness in order to protect it is problematic enough but is compounded by the added complexity of then understanding how the relationships generated between people and protected lands affect, and are affected by, the management policies, actions and plans put into place to manage them. After all, defining and protecting nature is, ultimately, on mans terms. But which men? The terms may not be entirely appropriate, however well-intentioned, and may preclude the activities of native tribes and their land. Managing the land effectively, then, includes identifying any sources of conflict between the varying and different demands placed on the wilderness. This is important for understanding the influences the management policies may have on any conflicts of interest. The type of factors to be considered include the contrasting values of wilderness for visitors and natives, as well as local, rural and distant urban stakeholders. The understanding of these relationships is especially relevant to those groups who have used the wilderness for subsistence

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

As I Grow Older I Pay Less Attention to What Men Say :: Teaching Education School Essays

As I Grow Older I Pay Less Attention to What Men Say During our careers as students, many professors, many peers, and many mentors will try to tell us the many different ways that we â€Å"should† teach. One person is going to tell us how some thing should be done, while someone else is going to insist that it be done differently. However, if you just sit back and actually watch these professors and these mentors, you are going to find that they sometimes forget to head the words of Jesus and practice what they preach. Through out my career as a student I have came across teachers who make learning fun and have a genuine love for teaching. However, I have also encountered those teachers who make you want to pull the fire alarm, just so you can avoid their endless ramblings. It is a teacher’s responsibility to keep students interested and eager to learn. If a subject intrigues a child they will want to learn more about it, and what they learn will stay with them for a life time. Sadker and Sadker (2003) identify Idealists as teachers who: know the content very well, view teachers as role models, values each student as an individual, and who have very few discipline problems that result in trips to the principals office. The above are reasons that I would like to take and Idealist approach to teaching. I want to become a teacher because I want to be able to turn on CNN one day and say, â€Å"you see that young man boarding Apollo 45, I showed him that science could be fun.† Being a teacher is comprised of many duties and responsibilities. From day one we must take into account all of the things necessary for becoming a good teacher. The various components of an organized classroom, the different ways of motivating our students, the appropriate ways of disciplining our students, the different styles we will incorporate into the way we teach and the leadership styles necessary for being an effective mentor. First of all the organization of ones classroom is one of the most important factors that we must take into account. We must plan exactly how we want the room to look, and more importantly how we want it ran. A classroom for an elementary teacher needs to be bright and cheerful.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Armco. Case

Armco, Inc. (Armco) is the sixth largest producer of stainless, electrical, and carbon steels and steel products. Kansas City Works (Kansas) is the Armco’s Midwestern Steel Division, and has two primary products: grinding media and carbon wire rod, one being recognized in the industry for its durability while the latter being non profitable and only covering some of its fixed costs through volume. In January 1991, Bob Nenni, the Director of Finance, introduced a new performance measurement system for Kansas City Works to provide managers with the best information that would better enable them to boost up company performance.In order to maximize profits and sustain its position in the US manufacturing steel industry, Armco has adopted a cost leadership strategy with a broad appeal and has managed to achieve growth by engaging in joint ventures expanding its product lines in implementing its strategy. However, the Kansas City Works has the strategy based on differentiation becau se it has cost disadvantages such as inefficient plant infrastructure and union labor costs.Taking into consideration that Armco’s revenue has been declining and now only generates a marginal profit whereas Kansas succeeds in producing and selling high value products, Armco as a whole should switch the strategy to focus on the differentiation strategy that will lead to sustainable growth and leading position in the industry. In addition to this inconsistency with the strategies of the firm as a whole, the old management control system used at Kansas had numerous problems that lower the quality of performance measurement.In the old system, the Operating Statics Reports were issued only monthly and provided to the managers approximately 15 days after the following month. The lack of timeliness caused manufacturing results measurement controls to be ineffective because variances could not be investigated quickly. This also caused delay in solving problems and contributed to high er manufacturing expenses in the following month’s financial statements. Also, the old report contained too detailed information and issued that managers do not have control over.It included the same accounting information that was used for other purpose. As a result the numbers included allocations of indirect manufacturing costs. The too detailed information caused distraction from focusing on important issues to less important and less relevant issues. Another problem with the old system was that it failed to measure performance of managers and employees at different levels because of the subjectivity and basis that is not applicable to all employees. Therefore, the old system did not serve as a good results control system due to the inefficiency.Due to the aforementioned problems, a new performance measurement system was introduced to replace the old management system. It was designed to give better management focus on the things, which are most important. The new system included less data’s: it allows managers to focus on the 5-6 more important which cause 80% of the costs. Furthermore, the new system has more balanced set of performance measures, which provides an improved basis for evaluating operating managers and manufacturing supervisors.The design of the new system was more sophisticated than the old one; however, the top management failed to smoothly implement the new system. First, the managers have been working with the old system for a very long time and they are more familiar using the old system. Secondly, the old system suffers from lack of direction as employees did not fully appreciate the relationship between their responsibility and their final results.Due to the lack of explanation to employees, managers kept using the old performance measurement system because they was accustomed and they didn’t know the differences between the two systems, so they never seriously considered improvements that could be made with the new. Therefore, there was a miscommunication between the top management and the middle and lower managers. The lack of information they get leads to poor understanding of the use of the new system and a lack of motivation of middle/lower managers to use it.In conclusion, as managers complained, â€Å"It almost seems like the operating managers finally understood the old report, so they decided change it†, managers did not understand the purpose of writing reports and recognize the importance of specific information in the reports. Thus, more communication was needed to explain the goals and needs of the new system so that middle and lower managers can fully understand expectations for them and take advantage of the new system to improve efficiency. Better communication between management will be achieved by having seminars and meetings where they can have opportunities to share opinions.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Data Based Question essays

Data Based Question essays Althrough history, political, economic, and social inequalities have sometimes led people to revolt against their governments, in the 1700's, France was the most advanced country in Europe. It was the center of the Enlightenment. France's culture was widely praised and served as a model for the rest of the world. However, the appearance of success was deceiving. There was a great unrest in France caused by high prices, high taxes, and disturbing questions about the rights of men and the government had raised enlightenment thinkers by the likes of Rousseau and Voltaire, In this essay I will discuss the political, economic, and social inequalities that caused the French Revolution of 1789. During this age of Enlightenment many thinkers had developed new ideas to replace the old ones. France was at this time widely praised and served as a model for the rest of the world. They were also the most advanced Country throughout Europe. The society was therefore broken into three social class systems. The First Estate which was broken up into the Clergy or Holy People, the Second Estate which were the land owning nobles, and the Third Estate. The Third Estate made up 98% of the society of France. They were the peasants; they paid taxes where the other two estates did not. The Third Estate also held less land per person. The First and Second Estates stood above that of the Third Estate. The Third Estate stood below the higher classes and had been stepped upon by paying taxes for things they would never see. The Third Estate was being treated unfairly, they were not like the First and Second Estates, and they were not created equal in those estates. The Third Estate was the peo ple, and they were the foundation of France. The other estates were just the political dividers. In any state of country the people are everything. The Third Estate built what France is, and what they hope France will be. They should be treated equal as the First and Se ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Low Barriers to Entry

Low Barriers to Entry Introduction Low barriers to entry determine the strategies that a business must adapt to penetrate a new market. Thus, this analytical treatise explores low barriers to entry for a new comer truck driver in the asset-based supply chain and logistics industry.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Low Barriers to Entry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The audience and their concerns Entry in a market with low barriers requires strategies that may make the new entrant excel in a market characterized by stiff competition and series of similar business activity. There are several similar players in the market that the new comer truck driver wants to enter and penetrate. Besides, truck drivers in the asset-based supply chain and logistics industry are correlated to negative perception by most clients who view them as a bunch of dishonest and unreliable transport service providers. Therefore, there is need to design an entry st rategy that would ensure complete control of perception of the clients. Problem statement The asset-based supply chain and logistics industry for a new comer truck driver has the challenge of remaining a float amidst presence of very many other track drivers with fleets and an expansive customer niche. Thus, there is an immediate need for the new comer truck driver to adapt a branding strategy that will make this business enter into the market and penetrate the same to win the current clients. There is also need to establish a water tight business entry plan credentials that would combine natural strengths of the truck driver and his personality. Recommendations to the entry problem In order to achieve desired margins in sales and total revenues generated, a proper marketing plan should integrate entry strategy, comparative advantage, and market segmentation since in most cases, there is always a strong competitor or competitors that passing might prove challenging due to existence of consumer perceptions and household names (Janus, 2008). To increase credibility and maintain professionalism, the market entry plan should encompass processes and features that flawlessly facilitate healthy and lifetime relationships between the truck business and its clients.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Among the new development elements that can be incorporated to build trust include establishment of a strong distribution, fair retribution process, and passing accurate information to target audience to restore confidence within the new networks. Besides quality in service, delivery and customer satisfaction depend on the marketing segmentation. Therefore, customer retention is achievable through the creation of reliable and affordable marketing channel that is essential in monitoring matrix that maps out potential competitors and identifies weaknesses and strength of the clients. Moreover, the reporting criteria should reflect the success of marketing calendar and set targets generated from time to time (Longenecker et al. 2009). Essentially, success of brand and product management in a new market depends on a proper alignment of a functional idea into the creation of flexible, involuntary, and quantifiable measurement of perception among the target audience. Reflectively, this idea should have essential elements that can easily sway the mind, either positively or negatively. Therefore, the new comer truck driver should brand his truck business as the most competitive in terms of charges for service delivery and reliability (Bert, 2011). In conclusion, low barriers to entry market such as the asset-based supply chain and logistics industry demand rebranding of the truck business besides adapting the low cost price leader in order to win the current clients and develop loyalty among clients. Despite stiff competition from other track drivers, this industry offers series of opportunities for new entrants since the demand for truck services supersedes the current supply. References Bert, R. (2011). Marketing Channels: A Management View. Sydney: Thompson South- Western.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Low Barriers to Entry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Janus, P. (2008). Pro Performance Point Server 2007: Building Business Intelligence. New York: Press Intel. Longenecker, G. J., Petty, J.W., Palich E. L., and Moore, W.C. (2009). Small Business Management: Launching and Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Alabama: Cengage Learning.

Monday, November 4, 2019

CIS204 U4 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS204 U4 Discussion - Coursework Example The connection created in the WAN is however private and secured, and cannot be accessed by the public. VPNs are good at establishing business connections between two sites using the IPsec or the Internet Protocol Security (IPS). The reason as to why this technology has been recommended to the company is the security in information flow. The technology is also good for connecting man sites, which can be helpful for customer care services. The numerous rooms in the hotel premise can all be connected to the customer care. Advantages of this type of technology is the cost associated with establishing it (Thrivenetworks 2015). Companies can establish the network at a cheaper price than in any other technologies used. The network is also highly protected from access by unauthorized people. This security ensures more secure communication by the people in it. For growing companies, this technology proves to be the most ideal as it does not need addition of other components so as to accommodate new users (Thrivenetworks 2015). Disadvantages of this technology are the complexity involved when there is addition of new infrastructure, and the security issues involved when using a mobile device to establish connection (Thrivenetworks 2015). WAN establishes a computer connection between two points. Several technologies can be used to establish connections between sites. VPN connection proves to be the best for business organizations due to the low cost and high level of security. For the business organizations, the best option for wireless solution would be a Cisco Network. The network could be configured to have a central switch board for easy control. This system would also be highly compatible with the VPN technology

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Analysis of Zircon Cars Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis of Zircon Cars Company - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of Zircon Cars Company" analyzes if it is profitable to acquire the Korean Composites Company as Zircon Cars is contemplating on reducing its production costs. The diversification finance concept dictates it is advantageous to invest in several market segments, including investing in the new Korean fibre body shell market segment. On market’s profitability will reduce the risk of losses in another market. The above table 6 shows the combined financial report for two segments. The combined report is based on the 2016 accounting period. The United Kingdom is one of the chosen Zircon Cars market segments. The United Kingdom Zircon Cars market segment sales is  £113,100,000 and the Korean Composites global fibre body shell market segment generated 48,140,000,000 Korean Won Currency amount. The conversion or translation of the Korean currency to the United Kingdom currency, British Pound. The sales amount of the Korean Composites Company for 2016 is  £28,407,548.59. Combining the 2016 accounting period sales of both the Zircon Cars’ United Kingdom market segment and the Korean company’s sales, the total sales figure is  £141,507,548.59. Also the United Kingdom Zircon Cars market segment income before tax deduction is  £ 22,857,510 and the Korean Composites global fibre body shell market segment produced 9,621,706,787.40 Korean Won Currency amount income before tax deduction amount. There is the same conversion of the Korean currency to the United Kingdom currency, British Pound.