To Have a Baby Essay Example for Free

To Have a Baby Essay When couples have their own babies, they will experience positive things in life. For one, having a baby can change their life for the better as babies symbolize the miracle of life. Another is that it can also bring joy and happiness into their lives while easing away any of their emotional burdens. Finally, it can also train couples to become more responsible as they grow older. Babies symbolize the miracle of life and for perhaps the best reason. A newly born baby provides people a reminder of the wonders of life. From the baby’s moving arms and legs to the baby’s first cry, all of the things that a baby does are proofs of life and can only assure couples that their child is a symbol for their fruitful existence. Babies can ease any emotional burdens of couples since babies bring joy and happiness into their lives. A simple smile or chuckle from a baby can easily lighten the mood of anyone, especially the parents of the baby. It can be said that the laughter of a baby is infectious; those around a chuckling baby is sure to feel the same way, if not act in almost the same way as the baby. A â€Å"bad† day can easily turn into a bright and happy one when babies begin to smile at their parents. Having a baby is in itself a training process since the tasks involved in rearing a child from birth onwards are crucial. From changing diapers to making the baby fall asleep in one’s arms, all of the things that couples do for the welfare of their baby is a training process that nurtures them into becoming responsible individuals as parents and as members of the society. There are more positive things that babies can bring into the lives of couples, thereby making life happier for these people with fewer reasons, if any, to be disheartened. To raise a child from infancy is a challenging but rewarding experience that can only be compared next to nothing. To have a baby is to essentially have all the reasons in life to be happy and satisfied.

Analysis of Water Quality | Experiment

Analysis of Water Quality | Experiment Teri Reed Water in Crisis Abstract Water filtration methods were examined by using vinegar, oil and laundry detergent. These products were used to determine how well the purification process of water works. The color, smell and consistency changed during testing which allowed the transformation to be visual. Different types of water was tested using chemical strips that evaluated the contamination between them. The data suggested that bottled water was none the less better for drinking than tap water. Fresh water is essential for all living things and contaminated water must be treated before released into the water supply (Bottcher Rex, 2012). Introduction In this lab, the study of water quality was performed which is imperative to our environment as it safeguards and protects all living things. Certain criteria can support and identify problems that may cause incorrect treatment of wastewater from agricultural areas contaminated with sediment, fertilizers, and chemicals. Principles and standards are put into action to attain and protect water quality (EPA, 2012). Poor water quality can negatively affect ecological developments such as healthy rivers, plant life, wetlands, and animals. If the quality of our water systems is not maintained it will negatively impact the environment and influence commercial and recreational values (NSW, 2012). The main objective of these labs was to determine the effects of contaminated water and the impact it has on the quality of living things. By examining the effectiveness of the filtration process, it signified the importance of the quality of drinking water. In these experiments there were different types of water used, tap water and two different brands of bottled water. These lab also required the use of test strips that measured the variety of levels of chemical components within our drinking water (Bottcher Rex, 2012). In the first experiment, there were three hypotheses on how vinegar, oil and laundry detergent contaminated groundwater. The hypotheses for vinegar was if it was mixed with soil it would contaminate the ground water with the acidity, which can lead to dissolving lead or copper in plumbing. The hypotheses for oil was that it would contaminate the ground water and kill plants and wildlife. It is also flammable which would lead to fires. The hypotheses for laundry detergent was it would contaminate the ground water with perfume and dyes, which can get into the drinking water, and this would cause people to get very sick. In the second experiment, the hypothesis of filtration techniques would get rid of all contaminants from the water supply. In the third experiment, the hypotheses was that tap water would have the most contaminants, while both bottled water(s) would have the least amount of contaminants. Materials and Methods This first experiment was conducted to test the effects of groundwater contamination. This test was conducted with eight beakers filled with tap water. In beaker one it had10 ml of tap water, in beaker two 10ml of oil was added to tap water, in beaker three 10ml of vinegar was added to tap water, in beaker four 10ml of laundry detergent was added to tap water and then the smell, color and contents of the water was observed. Next a piece of cheesecloth was used to line the funnel and 60ml of soil was poured into the flue. The first beaker with tap water was poured into the soil allowing it to drain for one minute. Then beaker two vinegar water was poured over new soil, allowing it to drain for one minute. The next step was to pour the oil water from beaker three over new soil with a cheesecloth filter, allowing it to drain for one minute. Beaker four with laundry detergent was then drained in the same manner. Once all the contents were drained into the beakers, the results were examin ed. The next study was the water treatment experiment, and a 250 ml beaker was filled with 100 ml of soil and 200 ml of tap water. Then the mixture was poured back and forth between the two beakers allowing the contaminated water to mix thoroughly. To determine the difference in the water contents from the beginning of the process to the end, 10 ml of the mixture was separated into 100 ml beaker and set aside. In the next step 10 grams of alum was added to the mixture in the original beaker, and then stirred for 2 minutes. Then the contents settled for 15 minutes. In order to create the filtration system a cheesecloth lining sat in the base of the funnel, and then 40ml of sand, 20ml of activated charcoal and 60ml of gravel filled the flue to the top. Next the filtration process began by running clean tap water through the content four times and allowing it to drain. Next the contaminated mixture was poured into the filter, allowing it to drain into the clean beaker. After the water made its way through the filtration process, it was ready to be treated with a few drops of bleach. When the lab was complete, the two beakers were compared to see how much the filtration process cleaned the water free from particles and smells. In the final study drinking water quality, tap water, Dasani bottled water, and Fiji bottled water were all tested with chemical strips for contaminants. The test strips were used to check for Ammonia, Chloride, pH balance, total Alkalinity, total Chlorine, total hardness, Phosphate, and Iron. Three beakers were used and each filled with the water contents and then tested with the chemical strips. After all the strips were used and the results were recorded, the lab was complete. Results Experiment 1: Effects of Groundwater Contamination Figure 1. Experiment 2: Water Treatment Figure 2. Experiment 3: Drinking Water Quality Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. Figure 7. Overall experiment 1 (Fig. 1) shows the results of vinegar, oil and laundry detergent with odors, dirty water, soil particles, and green / yellow water from the contaminants. When looking at Figure 1 the results of 1-8 are listed and it shows a significant difference between each observation. The results from experiment 2 (Fig.2) shows the filtration process is almost free of particles and odors. In experiment 3, (Fig. 3-7) the Ammonia and Chloride test results were 0 mg/L for all three water types. The 4 in 1 test strips showed a wide range of numbers, this may be caused by outside contamination. Phosphate test results shows a range of 0ppm, 10ppm, and 50ppm in table 5, and in table 6 the results from the tap water and Fiji ® Bottled Water was .15ppm and Dasani water was 0ppm. Discussion Based on the test results on the effects of contaminated ground water, the hypothesis was rejected because the oil stayed in the soil. The oil water was filtered through the soil using the funnel and cheesecloth. Once the water was filtered there was no visible oil particles. The hypothesis for vinegar was accepted based on the results from Table 1 where the vinegar seeped through the soil into the water. This test result showed that after the vinegar water was filtered through the soil using a cheesecloth, there was a certain smell of vinegar in the water. Finally, the hypothesis was accepted in experiment three, the laundry detergent seeped through the soil into the water and there was definitely a perfume odor with a soapy appearance. After the water was filtered through the soil using the funnel and cheesecloth, the water was soapy and had a noticeable smell of perfume. In the next experiment water treatment, the hypothesis was rejected because the water appeared to be less polluted with a lesser amount of odor. The water was filtered using a five step filtration process. The filter system was made with sand charcoal, and rocks. Tap water was filtered through the filtration system to clean the charcoal. The contaminated water was filtered. Lastly, there was a comparison of the contaminated water and treated water. The filtration method trapped soil and contaminated particles which allowed the odor to significantly decrease. When the bleach was added to the filtered water, the color of the contaminated water was darker than the filtered water and the odor in the soil was more robust than the contaminated water. In the final experiment drinking water quality, the hypothesis for tap water, Dasani water, and Fiji water was rejected. Based on the results from Tables 2-6, the three water samples were tested using chemical strips to determine if there was any Ammonia, Chloride, pH balance, total Alkalinity, total Chlorine, total hardness, Phosphate, and Iron present in the water examples. Tap water showed the least amounts of contaminates, Dasani water was mid range, and Fiji water had the highest number of existing contaminants. During the water quality experiment, it was important to study how the distribution of tap water traveled through the pipes. Although the tap water was run through a filtration system, it could become contaminated during the traveling process. Oxidization of pipes can cause pathogens to be present in water. Using high speed jets for cleaning can remove these types of contaminants from passing through the filtered water (Doelman, 2014). There are many other questions that can be asked about filters or a water filtration systems. There is Reverse Osmosis which seems like a multifaceted system when really it is a simple water filtration process. Reverse Osmosis is when water density forces molecules through a membrane which leaves contaminates behind and purified water is collected from a clean membrane. Any contaminated water is then flushed into a drain. Reverse Osmosis will remove salts and most inanimate materials. Reverse Osmosis will typically remove microscopic parasites, with th e exception of viruses. Although, reverse osmosis can be slower than a water filtration system, Reverse Osmosis will typically purify more water per day than most distillers (Kent Farahbakhsh, 2011). Conclusions In summary of water quality and contamination, it is critical to make consumers aware of the quality of tap water and bottled water and its contaminants. Three experiments were performed in this lab report, and although many of the hypotheses were accepted, it does show the amount of rejected claims. Doing these experiments allows the consumer to visualize how the filtration process works, and the effects of contamination on soil and groundwater. Further research should be done to prove accuracy and theories. References Bottcher, A., Rex, A. (2012). Environmental science student manual. Sheridan: eScience Labs. Doelman, J. D. (2014). Reducing fouling corrosion in pipelines. Pollution Engineering, 33-35. EPA. (2012, March 6). Why are water quality standards important. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from  http://water.epa.gov/scetech/swguidance/standards/imp.cfm Kent, F. C., Farahbakhsh, K. (2011). Addressing reverse osmosis fouling within water  reclamation-A side-by-side comparison of low-pressure membrane pretreatments.   Water Environment Research, 515-526. NSW. (2012, September 11). Water Quality. Retrieved from NSW Government:  Retrieved from  http:// www.environment.nsw.gov.au/water/waterqual.htm David Hume: Philosophy Analysis David Hume: Philosophy Analysis David Home was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in spring 1711. Hume originally studied law but then changed his mind and decided to focus only on philosophy and learning. He also had no interest in professors, saying there is nothing to be learnt from a Professor, which is not to be met with in Books. He traveled to France at age 23, and it was there that he wrote A Treatise of Human Nature, which is considered to be one of the most important books in Western philosophy. At the time of its publishing, though, it came under criticism for being unintelligible. It was then that he started writing The History of Great Britain. Shortly after, he wrote An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, which was more successful than the Treatise. He was convicted of heresy but because he was thought to be an atheist, he was considered to be outside the Churchs jurisdiction, so he got acquitted. Arguably, this is better than being hung. When Hume was a young boy attending the University of Edinburgh he devoured books written by Voet, Vinnius, Cicero and Virgil. David Hume was heavily influenced by both John Locke and George Berkeley. He was also influenced by French-speaking Pierre Bayle and many prominent figures on the English intellectual landscape such as Issac Newton, Samuel Clark, Francis Hutcheson, who served as his teacher, and Joseph Butler who provided him feedback on his first work. Hume belongs to the philosophical school of British Empiricism. Hume writes his Empiricism with a combination of both positive and negative aims. These aims are strongly cornered on the belief that simple ideas are combined to form complex ideas. The counter philosophical school during this time period were the Continental Rationalists. The British Empiricists put great value in experience whereas the Continental Rationalists worked to break down the views held during the Medieval Ages. Hume spent much of his time writing about religion, but it is difficult to discern his own religious views from the ones he writes about. He was living in a time where being an atheist could bring about harsh consequences in society. Hume never came out and declared himself an atheist and his writings showed nothing but ambiguity on the subject. In many of his writings he attacks many of the basic assumptions of religion and Christian beliefs, yet in other works he claims that, [t]he whole frame of nature bespeaks an intelligent author. It has been said by scholars that perhaps Hume was irreligious as opposed to atheist. Hume did not believe in the God of standard theismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but he did not rule out all concepts of deity. The first half of the eighteenth century in Scotland was fraught with civil discontent, which was expressed in the form of the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite uprisings. When Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, was chased out of Scotland after trying to conquer Britain, the Scottish were placed under an even tighter British rein and denied by proscription their traditional garb in 1747. In regards to John Locke, Humes philosophy does not explicitly have God as its foundation. This is evident in the chapter Of Refinement in the Arts, in which Hume argues for the value, both to society and the individual, of proper pursuit of luxury and refinement. His theory is not clearly tied to any belief in a deity, but neither does it reject deity. He instead argues from the perspective of whether or not innocent luxury is beneficial, not taking God into account. This difference between Locke and Hume relates to their views on reason and empirical observation. Both philosophers were empiricists, arguing that we arrive at knowledge through sensation. Yet Locke also believes in a law of reason and that certain things can be understood through the exercise of reason. Hume, however, is generally considered anti-rational. He argues that reason consists simply in the prescription of actions based on our passions which are in turn derived from our morals. Thus, reason can prescribe how we should act, what means we should employ, but it cannot prescribe the ends we pursue through those actions. This is fundamentally different from Locke, whose theory of society and government is grounded in the objective laws of nature and God. Again, this fundamental difference is reflected in Of Refinement in the Arts. Whereas Locke argues for a law of reason that prescribes the correct actions of a society and government, Hume argues that the best laws cannot be arrived at except through reason that has been refined by exercise. In other words, knowledge of the art of government does not come from an objective, external law of nature or reason, or from God, but from subjective human experience. Thus, for Locke, the best government is derived from the law of reason and has as its purpose the protection of everyones natural right to life, liberty, and property. Liberty, to Locke, is a natural right that government exists to protect. For Hume, a government that protects liberty is established from a society that is properly cultivated and refined, so that the people have acquired wealth and therefore has the power and the incentive to protect themselves from tyranny through good laws. Liberty and laws that protect it, to Hu me, are secured by motivated people, not established by God or by the law of reason. Another difference can be perceived in their views of education. Locke argues that the point of education is to allow one to understand the laws of nature or of society, and therefore to exercise liberty under those laws; Hume sees education as a major influence in allowing one to pursue those things that bring pleasure and enjoyment. Humes philosophy of the pursuit of pleasure and enjoyment, as the major theme in Of Refinement in the Arts, bears some similarities to Lockes philosophy, but also some important differences. Both philosophies are individualistic but are derived from fundamentally different bases. Locke argues that individuals, by nature, have a right to life, liberty, and property, the protection of which is the purpose of government. Hume argues that individuals should pursue innocent luxury, not as a God-given right, but as something that is beneficial both to individuals and to society.

Indo-Anglican Novel: Meena Shirwadkar Essay examples -- indian women

With the advent of the 20th century, the change in the statue and spirit of women has been noted by sociologists. In post-independence India, when women’s education commenced, life had started changing. The spread of education inculcated a sense of individuality among women and aroused an interest in their rights. The early writers presented the traditional type (sita) but the writers tried to show the emerging new woman. The new woman does not want to lead a passive married life of a sacrificial and shadowy creature because the education has matured her sense of individuality. R.K.Narayanan portrays a wide range of feminine characters from conventional to rebellious. Mulk Raj Anand wrote for the emancipation of women. Moreover feminist trends appeared on the horizon and they came into conflict with the conventional moral code. The image of woman in literature in recent decades is different from that of the past. Indian English fiction writers during the last two decades of th e 20th century provide a glimpse into the female psyche and deal with a full range of feminine experience. A study of the recent Indian English fiction reveals that the female protagonists are quite conscious of their identity and are no longer meek and submissive. There is a marked difference in their attitude as compared to the portrayal of woman in early literature. In ‘Images of woman in Indo-Anglican Novel’, Meena Shirwadkar claims the changes in Indian society. Novels have started to progress from depicting women characters solely as epitomes of suffering and womanly virtue as portraying more complex as well as real characters. In the recent years, this was taken to understand that writing was the only preference made by women. Through this medium of ex... ...ndian women novelists advocates independence and assertiveness of women by depicting their characters as survivors who successfully bear torment both physical and emotional. They must raise their voice against the brutalities and violence which is caused by the society. They tend to rebuke the male dominating society which discourages self-reliance in women. Works Cited: Seshadri, Vijayalakshmi. The New women in India- English Women Writers Since the 1970. Delhi: B.R. Publishing Corporation. 1995. Lakshmi C.S. The Face behind the mask : Women in Tamil literature, Stosius Inc/Advent Books Division ,1984. Shirwadkar, Meena. ‘Image of Woman in Indo-Anglican Novel’, Sterling Publishers Pvt., Ltd., 1979. Dhawan, R.K. ed ‘Indian Literature Today’. New Delhi: Prestige Books, 1994. Iyengar, K. R. S. ‘Indian Writing in English’ , New Delhi : Sterling Publication, 1985.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun :: essays research papers

The Younger family is an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. Walter Lee Younger’s father has passed away, leaving ten thousand dollars from life insurance. This drama deals with how the family copes with this money, their dreams, race, and each other. During the play, Mama says, â€Å"Sometimes you just have to know when to give up some things†¦and hold on to what you got.† This statement relates to Walter, Beneatha, and Mama’s lives, because they each learn to give up and hold onto things. In the end, Beneatha holds onto what ideally should be important. Through Asagai, she realizes that she is slowly being assimilated into the American culture, which is shown by her unnaturally straight hair. After Agasai questions her hair, she cuts it, and later stands up for her heritage before George. This shows she holds onto her heritage and takes pride in it. In scene three she shows she holds onto her dream of becoming a doctor, and also her family, along with Asagai. Throughout the play Beneatha must also give up things. In holding on to her heratige, she gives up material things. Along with this she must give up George Murchison. She can’t accept his negativity about expressing their African heritage. She learns what to give up and hold onto mostly through Asagai. He helps her find her identity, which is just what she is looking for. She holds onto what is dear to her and what helps her explore herself. Walter is a very troubled individual. He believes that everything can be solved with money. By the end of the play, however, that belief is let go. He now believes that a close-knit family can solve much more than money. He rekindles his relationship with his wife, Ruth, and realizes how important she really is in his life. Momentarily, he gives up his family’s pride to the idea of Mr. Linder’s offer of more money, but when the time eventually does come for him to make the decision, he realizes how important it is to his family, and he decides to hold onto pride and give up money even after Willy Harris ran off with the money. Walter tries to hold onto his dream of owning a liquor store and making a lot of money for his family, but lets it go after losing the money and realizing family is more important.

Ludlow And Dudley Castle :: Papers

Ludlow And Dudley Castle Ludlow Caste was built around 1085. Castles built around this time were mostly Motte and Bailey. This made a good defence but was not typical of castle defences. Ludlow Castle was the first stone castle, which was unusual. Because of its Royal Connections a lot of money was spent on Ludlow Castle especially on better defences. Dudley Castle on the other hand is different and is a Motte and Bailey castle. Motte and Bailey castles are typical and were common. Later on Dudley Castle was demolished and remade into a stone castle. Dudley Castle is built on a natural hill, which is a good defence whilst Ludlow Castle is not built on a hill but has a steep 100ft drop. A steep drop makes it harder for the enemy to climb up or attack. This defence is not typical because no other castle will have a 100ft drop. This is an excellent choice of location and makes an ideal defence. Dudley Castle has evidence of a Motte running around because I noticed a pond and ditch like features. Ludlow Castle only had a ditch around the inner bailey. We know this is not a Motte because it has a door room inside the ditch; this is probably where they went through to collect the dead bodies of their enemies. Both castles have barbicans and both castles also have high walls. Ludlow Castle has a river and so has a drawbridge. Dudley and Ludlow Castle both have crenellations. Ludlow Castle also has machicolations this meant that it was well defended as they could throw missiles from the flanking towers above. The most typical thing about both castles is that they both have a Keep, which was the most important part of the castle. Most of Ludlow Castles' defences are typical but it has a few which are original. For example the 100ft drop. I think Ludlow's defences are very strong and it would be hard to conquer. [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Sirrvet Bukhari 11W Ludlow And Dudley Castle Coursework

The Civil War and Appalachia

Eric Lane English 1020 Tim Parker 11/9/12 The Civil War and Appalachian Geography Did Appalachian geography have an effect on the civil war? Every major war in history has two things in common: a winner and a loser. There are many factors of war that decide the winner and the loser, some going unnoticed. The geography of a war has an impacting affect on the war and is sometimes overlooked, often leading to one side's downfall (Falls 5). Appalachia has a fluctuating geography, for it ranges from eroded down, plain-like areas, to mountains areas of up to almost 7000 feet (â€Å"The Appalachians†).The Civil War had many battles located in Appalachia, an area stretching from southern parts of New York, all the way down to northern Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi(â€Å"The Appalachians†). Appalachian geography was home to many battlefields of the Civil War, but could this geography actually have had an overall impact? Throughout history, many substantial wars have been dis puted on various types of terrain around the world. Halvard Bugaug and Scott Gates support this and have made a claim in the article, â€Å"The Geography of Civil War†, that geographical factors play a critical role in determining how a war is fought and who will prevail.The two most important factors they give are terrain and climate. In the article, Bugaug and Gates both reference the book History of Warfare, written by John Keegan, to give examples of how these factors effect wars. Keegan gives many samples of previous generals who have ignored these factors and lead to their catastrophic downfall. One commonly known example given is the French army lead by Napoleon. Napoleon lead his fearfully large army into Russia, not taking into account Russia's fiercely cold weather.Although they fought, and won, battles located in Russia, the cold weather began to take its toll on Napoleon's army, causing them to be greatly weakened. This weakened state of his army, in turn, lead to the French being defeated and losing the war(Bugaug 418). However, the geography does not always have a negative effect. Keegan also gives samples of ‘gifted' generals who took these factors into account, allowing them to use these factors to their advantage(Bugaug 419). Cyril Falls, professor of Military History at the University of Oxford, acknowledges this as well in her journal Geography and War Strategy.The journal discusses how world geography should be a subject of study for a commander and how this geography should shape their war strategies. Mapping out and understanding the terrain of a battleground before the battle begins is crucial to achieve military success(Falls 5). A general understanding of the battleground gives opportunities to change and adjust military strategies and tactics, which could give an army the edge needed to be victorious (Falls 6). Falls then adds that using the available natural resources located in the geography of an area has its benefits as well.These resources can be distributed accordingly, supplying the army and possibly allowing them to stretch their campaign(Falls 9). Alex J. La Rocque, writer of the journal â€Å"The Role of Geography in Military planning has a similar viewpoint. La Rocque acknowledges that the existence of this relationship between geography and military science is not new. He says that environmental factors, such as relief, climate and weather, vegetation, drainage characteristics, and cultural features can cause military tactic and strategic problems.These elements of the environment have played important roles in all wars from those in which the stone hammer was the principal weapon down to the present time(La Rocque 70). La Rocque states that the essential difference between the requirement of geography in tactical planning and strategic planning is similar to the same difference that exists between mapping areal categories on large-scale maps and mapping areal categories on small scale maps. The mapper's requirement in presenting information on maps at different scales is determined by his objective.Appalachia has many different geographical conditions that make it eligible to have an effect on the civil war. The appalachian area has many mountain ranges and plain-like areas. The entire system is almost 2000 miles long and 300 miles wide and ranges from northern Mississippi all the way to southern New York(â€Å"The Appalachians†). These mountains are known as a â€Å"barrier† running east to west as it forms a series of alternating ridglines and valleys oriented in opposition to any road running east-west.The Appalachian Plateau is the westernmost part of appalachia and is bounded by a steep slope on the east called the Allegheny Front(â€Å"Appalachia and the Ozarks†). This front is the most significant barrier to western movement in the country of the Rocky Mountains(â€Å"Appalachia and the Ozarks†). The topography of this region ha s been created largely through steam erosion of the horizontal beds of the interior lowland. The following map will show the appalachian region. Many encounters of the civil war were located in this region, as shown in the map Civil War Battlefield map following.Comparison of the two maps shows that many battles were located in appalachia and its geography, giving it potential to have an effect on the war. Wilma A. Dunaway, in his archive, â€Å" Slavery and Emancipation in the Mountain South: Sources, Evidence and Methods†, provides examples of how the Union(the North) and the Confederates(the South) strategically used the Appalachian area. Dunaway states that the mountainous areas of West Virginia allowed for guerrilla warfare attacks. Both armies grew fatigued from traveling up and down the mountains, leaving them open for attack(Dunaway).In addition, both armies targeted various sites within the region as strategic occupancy points because they were located on major river s, were railroad junctures, or were the sites of important resources such as the national rifle works, saltworks, mineral springs, or mines(Dunaway). Farms and livestock were also destroyed and/or pillaged to also be somewhat beneficial to the armies(â€Å"Appalachia†). One specific battle located in Appalachia is the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle was located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and lasted for a total of 3 days.After the first day the Confederate army was outnumbering the Union and looked as if a victory was inevitable. The Union, after a surprising loss on the first day, was devastated that they had lost nearly half of their troops and retreated up to Cemetery Hill and Gulp's Hill. There they prepared as much as possible with the little time they had for an oncoming Confederate attack. Barricades and various other fortifications were built on the higher grounds, giving Union troops the advantage that was pivotal in the battle.The Confederate soldiers now had to fi ght the rest of the gruesome battle now traveling uphill. The video from the History Channel, â€Å"The Battle of Gettysburg†, showed images of many soldiers struggling to fight the battle at this disadvantage. They had trouble seeing distances up the hills and were even known to have had friendly fire on themselves thinking that it was the enemy. After the second day of battle the union was still shorthanded and outnumbered, although they fought off the confederate push.The Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, made the decision to lead a large force to attack the Union line. Union artillery, who had an extreme range advantage, had what was called â€Å"target practice† on the confederate troops, greatly weakening the force. By the time they were in range of the Union line, Confederate troops had been torn apart to the point that retreat was the only option, giving the Union the victory of the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle was the bloodiest ever fought on american so il.The Battle of Gettysburg rallied the North and is what turned the tide of the Civil War. They had the confidence that they could defeat the fearful general Robert E. Lee. The geography of appalachia provided the North with the edge that they needed to take the battle which, in turn, shaped the outcome of the Civil War. Wars are an important part of history that have shaped the way we live today. War has many factors that decide the winner and the loser, and geography is one that should not be forgotten.Geography has caused aided many armies to victory, and taken many armies to defeat. Appalachian geography varies much over its large spam and proved to be a major factor. The Battle of Gettysburg was a pivotal battle that the North won, due to the large hills that they used to their advantage. Should that geographical advantage be taken away, odds are that the South, outnumbering the North, would have won that battle and changed history. This leads to the question, did Appalachian geography have an affect on the Civil War?

Gillian Clarke †Neighbours Essay

Gillian Clarke is a Welsh poet whose writing often uses natural and rural settings to explore larger themes and ideas, particularly political ideas. She draws on the Welsh landscape and her experience of sheep-farming on the small-holding where she lives in West Wales. She has been the National Poet in Wales since 2008. The Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in Russia was the site of a massive explosion in 1986. Radiation from the accident killed people and animals from the local area, including 6 firemen who put out the fire after the explosion. The effect and spread of the disaster can’t be accurately predicted after a nuclear accident because radioactive particles can be carried by the wind. They can also get into the water cycle. The Chernobyl disaster was one of the motivations for the policy of ‘glasnost’, proposed and developed by the Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev. Glasnost translates as ‘openness’ and the policy supported the freedom of information. Gorbachev saw a need for openness because Chernobyl residents were not evacuated immediately after the disaster due to the Russian administration’s concern to cover up their faults. The spring was late. We watched the sky and studied charts for shouldering isobars. Birds were late to pair. Crows drank from the lamb’s eye. Over Finland small birds fell; song thrushes steering north, smudged signatures on light, migrating warblers, nightingales. Wing-beats failed over fjords, each lung a sip of gall. Children were warned of their dangerous beauty. Milk was spilt in Poland. Each quarrel The blowback from some old story, a mouthful of bitter air from the Ukraine brought by the wind in its box of sorrows. This spring a lamb sips caesium on a Welsh hill. A child, lifting her head to drink the rain takes into her blood the poisoned arrow. Now we are all neighbourly, each little town in Europe twinned to Chernobyl, each heart with the burnt firemen, the child on the Moscow train. In the democracy of the virus and the toxin we wait. We watch for spring migrations, one bird returning with green in its voice. Glasnost. Golau glas. A first break of blue.