Geography, Climate and Species of Earths Arctic Region

Geography, Climate and Species of Earth's Arctic Region The Arctic is the Earth region that lies between 66.5Â °N and the North Pole. In addition to being defined as 66.5Â °N of the equator, the specific border of the Arctic region is defined as the area in which average July temperatures follow the 50Â °F (10Â °C) isotherm (map). Geographically, the Arctic spans the Arctic Ocean and covers land areas in parts of Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States (Alaska). Geography and Climate of the Arctic The majority of the Arctic is composed of the Arctic Ocean which was formed when the Eurasian Plate moved toward the Pacific Plate thousands of years ago. Although this ocean makes up the majority of the Arctic region, it is the worlds smallest ocean. It reaches depths of 3,200 feet (969 m) and is connected to the Atlantic and the Pacific via several straits and seasonal waterways such as the Northwest Passage (between the U.S. and Canada) and the Northern Sea Route (between Norway and Russia). Since the majority of the Arctic is the Arctic Ocean along with straits and bays, much of the Arctic region is composed of a drifting ice pack which can be up to nine feet (three meters) thick during winter. In the summer, this ice pack is replaced mainly by open water that is often dotted with icebergs that formed when ice broke from land glaciers and/or chunks of ice that have broken away from the ice pack. The Arctic regions climate is very cold and harsh for most of the year due to the Earths axial tilt. Because of this, the region never receives direct sunlight, but instead gets rays indirectly and thus gets less solar radiation. In the winter, the Arctic region has 24 hours of darkness because the high latitudes such as the Arctic are turned away from the sun at this time of year. By contrast in the summer, the region receives 24 hours of sunlight because the Earth is tilted toward the sun. However because the suns rays are not direct, summers are also mild to cool in most parts of the Arctic. Because the Arctic is covered with snow and ice for much of the year, it also has high albedo or reflectivity and thus reflects solar radiation back into space. Temperatures are also milder in the Arctic than in Antarctica because the presence of the Arctic Ocean helps moderate them. Some of the lowest recorded temperatures in the Arctic were recorded in Siberia around -58Â °F (-50Â °C). The average Arctic temperature in the summer is 50Â °F (10Â °C) although in some places, temperatures can reach 86Â °F (30Â °C) for short periods. Plants and Animals of the Arctic Since the Arctic has such a harsh climate and permafrost is prevalent in the Arctic region, it mainly consists of treeless tundra with plant species such as lichen and mosses. In the spring and summer, low-growing plants are also common. Low growing plants, lichen and moss are most common because they have shallow roots which are not blocked by the frozen ground and since they do not grow into the air, they are less prone to damage by high winds. The animal species present in the Arctic varies based on the season. In the summer, there are many different whale, seal and fish species in the Arctic Ocean and the waterways surrounding it and on land there are species such as wolves, bears, caribou, reindeer and many different types of birds. In the winter however, many of these species migrate south to warmer climates. Humans in the Arctic Humans have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. These were mainly groups of indigenous peoples such as the Inuit in Canada, the Saami in Scandinavia and the Nanets and Yakuts in Russia. In terms of modern inhabitation, many of these groups are still present as are territorial claims by the aforementioned nations with lands in the Arctic region. In addition, the nations with territories bordering the Arctic Ocean also have maritime exclusive economic zone rights. Because the Arctic is not conducive to agriculture due to its harsh climate and permafrost, the historic indigenous inhabitants survived by hunting and gathering their food. In many locations, this is still the case for the surviving groups today. For example, Canadas Inuit survive by hunting animals such as seals on the coast during the winter and caribou inland during the summer. Despite its sparse population and harsh climate, the Arctic region is important to the world today because it has significant amounts of natural resources. Thus, this is why many nations are concerned with having territorial claims in the region and in the Arctic Ocean. Some the major natural resources in the Arctic include petroleum, minerals and fishing. Tourism is also beginning to grow in the region and scientific exploration is a growing field both on land in the Arctic and in the Arctic Ocean. Climate Change and the Arctic In recent years, it has become known that the Arctic region is extremely susceptible to climate change and global warming. Many scientific climate models also predict larger amounts of climate warming in the Arctic than on the rest of the Earth, which has raised concerns about shrinking ice packs and melting glaciers in places like Alaska and Greenland. It is believed that the Arctic is susceptible mainly because of feedback loops- high albedo reflects solar radiation, but as sea ice and glaciers melt, the darker ocean water begins to absorb, instead of reflect, solar radiation, which further increases temperatures. Most climate models show near to complete loss of sea ice in the Arctic in September (the warmest time of year) by 2040. Problems related to global warming and climate change in the Arctic include loss of habitat critical habitat for many species, rising sea levels for the world if sea ice and glaciers melt and a release of methane stored in permafrost, which could exacerbate climate change. References National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.) NOAA Arctic Theme Page: A Comprehensive Resrouce. Retrieved from: arctic.noaa.gov/ Wikipedia. (2010, April 22). Arctic - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic

How American Manifest Destiny Effects Modern Foreign Policy

How American Manifest Destiny Effects Modern Foreign Policy The term Manifest Destiny, which American writer John L. OSullivan coined in 1845, describes what most 19th-Century Americans believed was their God-given mission to expand westward, occupy a continental nation, and extend U.S. constitutional government to unenlightened peoples. While the term sounds like it is strictly historical, it also more subtly applies to the tendency of U.S. foreign policy to push democratic nation-building around the globe. Historical Background OSullivan first used the term to support the expansionist agenda of President James K. Polk, who took office in March 1845. Polk ran on only one platform westward expansion. He wanted to officially claim the southern part of Oregon Territory; annex the whole of the American Southwest from Mexico; and annex Texas. (Texas had declared independence from Mexico in 1836, but Mexico did not acknowledge it. Since then, Texas had survived barely as an independent nation; only U.S. congressional arguments over slavery had prevented it from becoming a state.) Polks policies would undoubtedly cause war with Mexico. OSullivans Manifest Destiny thesis helped drum up support for that war. Basic Elements of Manifest Destiny Historian Albert K. Weinberg, in his 1935 book Manifest Destiny first codified the elements of American Manifest Destiny. While others have debated and reinterpreted those elements, they remain a good foundation for explaining the idea. They include: Security: Simply, the first generations of Americans saw their unique position on the eastern edge of a new continent as an opportunity to create a nation without of the Balkanization of European countries. That is, they wanted a continental-sized nation, not many small nations on a continent. That obviously would give the United States few borders to worry about and enable it to conduct a cohesive foreign policy.Virtuous Government: Americans saw their Constitution as the ultimate, virtuous expression of enlightened governmental thought. Using the writings of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and others, Americans had created a new government without the hobbles of European monarchies one based on the will of the governed, not the government.National Mission/Divine Ordination: Americans believed that God, by geographically separating the U.S. from Europe, had given them the chance to create the ultimate government. It stood to reason, then, that He also wanted them to spread that governme nt to unenlightened people. Immediately, that applied to Native Americans. Modern Foreign Policy Implications The term Manifest Destiny fell out of use after the U.S. Civil War, in part to racist overtones of the concept, but it returned again in the 1890s to justify American intervention in the Cuban rebellion against Spain. That intervention resulted in the Spanish-American War, 1898. That war added more modern implications to the concept of Manifest Destiny. While the U.S. did not fight the war for true expansion, it did fight it to develop a rudimentary empire. After quickly beating Spain, the U.S. found itself in control of both Cuba and the Philippines. American officials, including President William McKinley, were hesitant to let nationals in either place run their own affairs, for fear that they would fail and allow other foreign nations to step into a power vacuum. Simply, many Americans believed that they need to take Manifest Destiny beyond American shores, not for land acquisition but to spread American democracy. The arrogance in that belief was racist itself. Wilson and Democracy Woodrow Wilson, president from 1913-1921, became a leading practitioner of modern Manifest Destiny. Wanting to rid Mexico of its dictator president Victoriano Huerta in 1914, Wilson commented that he would teach them to elect good men. His comment was fraught with the notion that only Americans could provide such governmental education, which was a hallmark of Manifest Destiny. Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to conduct sabre-rattling exercises along the Mexican coastline, which in turn resulted in a minor battle in the town of Veracruz. In 1917, trying to justify Americas entry into World War I, Wilson remarked that the U.S. would make the world safe for democracy. Few statements have so clearly typified the modern implications of Manifest Destiny. The Bush Era It would be hard to classify American involvement in World War II as an extension of Manifest Destiny. You could make a greater case for its policies during the Cold War. The policies of George W. Bush toward Iraq, however, fit modern Manifest Destiny almost exactly. Bush, who said in a 2000 debate against Al Gore that he had no interest in nation-building, proceeded to do exactly that in Iraq. When Bush began the war in March 2003, his overt reason was to find weapons of mass destruction. In reality, he was bent on deposing Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and installing in his place a system of American democracy. The ensuing insurrection against American occupiers proved how difficult it would be for the United States to continue pushing its brand of Manifest Destiny.

Eric Owen Moss Samitaur Tower Culver City, California Essay - 1

Eric Owen Moss Samitaur Tower Culver City, California - Essay Example ome to terms with something that vehemently challenges the status quo, giving way to forms and features that defy preconceived notions and set views about the relationship between functionality and form. It would not be wrong to say that ‘Samitaur Tower’ in Culver City is an apt representative of the typically Californian constructivism, which accomplishes, energizes and animates the surrounding landscape with its bold defiance, almost naà ¯ve and innocent tendency to challenge set notions and the innate tendency to redefine architecture by going for the possible and phantasmagoric permutations and combinations resulting out of the interplay between form and functionality. Of course, it would be totally simplistic to say that ‘Samitaur Tower’ is merely an information tower located at one corner of Hayden Avenue and National Boulevard, near the primary entry point to the redeveloped section of Culver City (Anderton 29). In fact, ‘Samitaur Tower’ is much more than this (Anderton 29). It is not merely a landmark representing the entry into a newer section of the Culver City, but rather boldly and somewhat audaciously represents entry into a new era of modern architecture, where an architectural innovation supersedes over all the requirements of form, functionality, environment and even user. The Tower marks an initiation of the era where the form, functionality, landscape and the end user stand subservient to a marvel of abstraction that though being under control, leaves no stone unturned to project an image of defiance, rebelliousness and one-upmanship. An architectural wonder that though in its very essentials intends to serv e a set and preconceived function, somehow manages to explode in the yearning to give way to something that is much more than mere functionality. In that context the ‘Samitaur Tower’ could be interpreted as being the extreme of something both good and bad, a beautiful building signifying the unrestrained expression of Id, and

Marketing Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Service - Essay Example Aim and Objectives: To understand the influence of service experience and its effects on service purchase process. To understand the significance of customer experience in the creation of competitive advantage for the organizations. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is very useful as it assists academics in formulating a precise research direction and focus, and for businesses in identification of the stages that require improvement, and hence necessitate more resources allocated to it. A theoretical framework is a compilation of interconnected concepts, similar to a theory but not essentially worked-out well. â€Å"Theoretical frameworks are obviously critical in deductive, theory-testing sorts of studies† (Bhojanna 2007). When the consumer services, they pass through three main stages, ie; pre-purchase stage, service encounter stage, and post-encounter stage. Three-Stage Model of Service Consumption: (Tsiotsou & Wirtz 2011). The stage of pre-purchase in the de cision-making process for services is more complex, when compared to that of goods. The decision-making process involves a lot of time, because of consumer participation in the service production process. In the pre-purchase stage, consumers are prompted into action, by the creation of a need to begin the search for information, and assess alternatives for a particular service, ahead of deciding whether to buy or not. â€Å"But learning about pre-purchase behavior is equally important† (Finn 2008). The answer for the reason behind the customer’s thought to buy a particular product will eradicate all presumptions and will help in succeeding a long term customer relationship. Consumers pass on to the next stage of service experience, subsequent to the decision to make a purchase. In the service encounter stage, the consumer intermingles straightly with the service firm, and it is the way by which consumers produce value, and evaluate their service experience. Consumer sa tisfaction, and their perception regarding the service quality, have great importance in the last stage of the service consumption process (ie; the post purchase behavior), because of their relationship with business performance. On the other hand, the satisfied consumers, and those who have high perceptions regarding service quality may not go again to the same service provider. Role and Importance of Customer Service Experience and Service Marketing Mix- An Overview: A customer’s service experience pertains the serious of the interactions with the service providers, when customers try to communicate with them.   All types of customers are emotional, and they are likely to rate experiences on the basis of their expectations. â€Å"In order to be successful with all the customers, companies require generating and sustaining uniformity of experience across every channel. A complete communication experience will do more favor than just paying attention to the customer. †Å"The companies require learning the ways to communicate with the customers using different channels and also require making sure that the customer’s experience delivers actual value to them in exchange for time, attention, actions, information, and anything else† (The Importance of Positive Customer Service Experiences 2011). One of the great borders for innovation is the customer experience. Better customer experienc

The police on Black Friday Essay Example for Free

The police on Black Friday Essay How far do sources 11 and 12 challenge the view presented in source 10 about the conduct of the police on Black Friday? Emily Davison was a woman who fought for womans suffrage in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She died on the 8th of June, 1913 after she ran in front of King George Vs horse Anmer at the Epsom Derby on 4 June 1913. Some people believe that this event caused a major breakthrough in later womens suffrage. Firstly, source 10, (The Times Newspaper) shows a rather negative view on Emily Davisons actions. For example, the newspaper instantly assumes that the desperate act of Davison was achieved only to spoil the race. The Times wrote this because they were a very right winged paper and did not completely support womens suffrage and gender equality. On the other hand, if the Davison was a man, the newspaper would not be so quick to assume that his actions were for a good cause and would probably be more sympathetic for his injuries. Within the same article Davison is described as an offender. This was most likely due to the fact that when this article was written, Davison had not yet died from her injuries. Therefore, The Times and the majority of its readers would not have much sympathy to her, but instead would see her as merely a nuisance. When compared, source 10 and 12 share a rather contrasting idea on the doings of Emily Davison considering both the articles are written by The Times. In source 10 Davison is described as desperate and as an offender. However, 10 days later (after the death of Davison), the tone of the newspaper completely changes, (source 12). Instead of being insulted and described negatively, Davisons actions are described as heroic. This change in view was purposely done due to the fact that Davison had recently died and many people saw her death as an important issue; The Times had to keep their readers happy and show sympathy for such a sacrifice. Source 11 pretty much displays a complete opposite view of Emily Davisons death compared to source 10. This is because Christabel Pankhurst was a fellow campaigner for womans suffrage in the Womens Social and Political  Union, (source 11 is an extract from Pankhursts autobiography, Unshackled). Pankhurst gives a much more positive and most likely biased view on the actions of Davison. For example, Pankhurst makes it seem as if Davison was the whole reason why women were seen as earnest for the vote. She also states that Davisons death brought the concentrated attention of millions to bear upon the cause. These two points were likely to be exaggerated as there was a good chance that Davison and Pankhurst were close because they both fought for the same cause. In contrast to source 11, source 10 states that Davisons deed is not likely to increase the popularity of any cause within the general public. This is pretty much the exact opposite of what Pankhurst was implying in her autobiography which makes it clear that source 11 and 10 both challenge one another highly with two slightly biased and altered stories of Emily Davisons protest. Overall, Emily Davisons death obviously had quite a large impact on womens suffrage within the UK as the vote was given to women in 1918 5 years after her death.

Against Schools Essay -- Analysis, John Gatto

The Quality of a child’s education often either limits or opens up a world of opportunities. Those who study the purpose of public education and the way it is distributed throughout society can often identify clear correlations between social class and the type of education a student receives. It is generally known by society that wealthy families obtain the best opportunities money can buy. Education is a tool of intellectual and economical empowerment and since the quality of education is strongly influenced by social class, a smaller portion of the American population obtains the opportunities acquired from a top notch education. Many people believe that educational inequalities are perpetuated from the interests of specific classes, but some researchers like John Gatto believe that there are even stronger social forces in play. In the essay â€Å"Against Schools† the author John Gatto presents three arguments: (1) that are educational system is flawed, (2) that the American educational system is purposely designed to create a massive working class that is easy to manipulate, and (3) alternative teaching methods should be applied to teach children to think for themselves. In this essay I will be summarizing and relating each of these arguments to other educational essays. Also, I will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument. In John Gatto’s essay â€Å"Against Schools† he states from experience as a school teacher that are current educational system is at fault (148). He claims that classrooms are often filled with boredom manufactured by repetitive class work and unenthusiastic teachings. Students are not actively engaged and challenged by their work and more often than not they have either already covered t... ... people are more advantaged than others and will receive a top notch education, while others will receive a mediocre education that will prepare them less for college and more for a working class job. There most likely is a connection between social class and the educational opportunities presented to students, but it is also possible that other social forces are at play which determines the quality of a student’s education. In Gatto’s essay it was argued that are educational system is designed to perpetuate faults in order to create a manageable society. He supports his argument with various strong statements which makes his logic convincing, but he falls short when backing the credibility of his claims. The strengths of his essay prove to also be its weakness, which results in a piece of literature that only succeeds in arousing emotional reactions from readers.

Best Childhood Memory When Riding a Bike Goes Wrong Essay

The assignment topic that we were to choose from was somewhat challenging for me. We were asked to write about our fondest childhood memory. Growing up with six younger siblings and a large number of cousins, there have been many entertaining occasions we have shared. One of my warmer memories was when I was 11 years old on July 4, 2006 at my great grandmother’s house with my siblings and cousins. My family is very massive and when we all get together, there is a guarantee that something amusing that wound up taking place to someone or all of us. On this specific day, it happened to be me and my bike riding experience. It was four o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. The sun had gone down a little while previously but it was still somewhat hot. All of the kids were trying to find things to occupy our time. Everyone started suggesting such activities as â€Å"let’s go to the park,† â€Å"let’s go get ice cream from the store,† or â€Å"let’s play kickball or my proposition – â€Å"let’s race down the hill?† Everyone thought about the choices that were made and surprisingly agreed to my suggestion. So everyone went to the site were everything we needed to choose from in order to race down the hill was stationed. Some people had skates, bikes, scooters, and even go-karts. After we had acquired what we wanted we commenced up the hill towards our destination. Once we all climbed to the top, we ensured that everyone was accounted for and ready to ride. One of the younger kids who could not race down the hill with us, stayed at the bottom of the hill for the purpose of starting the race. Everyone who was going to go down the hill was extended across the top of the street and I was adjacent to them on the sidewalk. My younger cousin asked â€Å"are you ready?† We all responded â€Å"yeah† very loudly. At that point, she said â€Å"on your mark, get set, go!† We all moved quickly down the hill with hopes to be the first to win. I was going down the hill exceedingly fast with the intentions of winning the race. I felt like first place was mine for the taking. I wanted so bad to be able to rub it in all of their faces that I was victorious. However, while going down the hill I realized the bike I had chosen was malfunctioning. The handle bars were not lined up with the front wheel. For  this reason, I had been used to the brakes being on the handle bars, but consequently this bike was made different from what I was used to. In order to stop the bike, you had to press the pedals backwards. By the time I recognized I had to make the pedals go backwards and at the same time try to hold the handle bars straight, I came to the conclusion that I was indeed going to fall. I undoubtedly ended up doing exactly what I feared would happen. I hit my face on a light pole since I couldn’t slow the bike down. I was melodramatic and cried so much that today I can laugh about the â€Å"accident†. In the hopes that I would gain sympathy from someone, I went to my daddy and I recounted him on what had happen. Surprisingly, his words to me were â€Å"suck it up you will be okay.† I certainly assumed I was about peris h and he told me that I would be okay. For this reason, I didn’t know what was on his mind when he stated that to me. I was an eleven year old child that had been deeply traumatized and scarred. Little, did I know that the advice he gave me would follow me through my existence. In my life, I have had a lot of great memories with my family. The bike riding experience was one to demonstrate the many perils of wisdom that I have been given by my family and life diversities. At the present time as I have grown older, I realize now the importance of his words of astuteness to me. I now understand that life is going to have it up and downs and you will get condemned down a lot and come out with bumps and blemishes. The essence of the situation is how you pick yourself back up and dust yourself off and try again. In other words, it is alright to have some obstacles in your life but it is all in the way you handle the obstructions.