Fifteen years from now I picture myself loading SCUBA gear...

Fifteen years from now I picture myself loading SCUBA gear into an old, beaten up dive boat. I feel the morning breeze dissipate from my skin as I pull my wetsuit up to my waist. The salty air whips through my hair as we navigate through the winding canals of a small tropical town until we find our way to the ocean. As we tie up to the bright yellow mooring line I squish my body into the rest of my wetsuit and slip into my prearranged dive gear. I take a deep breath out of my regulator and taste the familiar, cool, dry air. After strapping on my trusty bright yellow mask, I clip my slate onto my BCD. I waddle to the edge of the boat pressing onto my mask and holding onto my weight belt. I take one last swig of air and plunge into the†¦show more content†¦This domino effect would have continued until nearly all species were affected and a trophic cascade occured. As a marine biologist I want to be able to prevent events like these in all areas of the world. If a full trophic cascade had occurred in the Chesapeake Bay we would not have recovered for many years. Not only would we have lost a vital staple in our ecosystem but the local economy would have experienced a major hit. Thousands of people involved in the fishing trade, restaurants, and multimillion dollar businesses such as tourism and sport fishing would have no medium to work with and instantly be out of work. I want to work in shark conservation to keep both the ecosystem and economy afloat above and below water. My dream of researching sharks did not begin at an early age. During visits to aquariums I was always nervous when we got to the shark section. My passion didn’t blossom until the summer of 2012 when I had the choice to visit Bonaire for underwater photography or Fiji for shark research. Bracing my adventurous side, I chose to travel to Fiji. During this trip I spent tens of hours on the bottom of the ocean observing and admiring several different species of sharks. Watching a colossal bull shark glide through the water to gently grasp a tuna head from a diver made me

U.S Economy Cause and Effect free essay sample

As America is going through economical disfunctions, Â  it is apparent that many people fear for losing their job because in such a depression it would make it impossible to be well off comfortably due to the demand of money needed for all the basic essentials especially in Orange County. Orange County happens the be one of the more expensive areas in the state and it is crucial to always have a steady income as life here is not cheap but well worth it. Many Americans are in search for work and are struggling to make a living. As the job hunting goes on, many job opportunities are overseen to due to programs such unemployment. The percentage of unemployment has sky rocketed over the past few years leaving it up to us, tax payers with job to pay for such needs. Unemployment is not fair for all, most people would say. We will write a custom essay sample on U.S Economy Cause and Effect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are a percentage of people who truly have no other choice of surviving unless they depend on this crucial unemployment program. Although unemployment is crucial for some, it is not necessary for a portion of the people due to the simple fact that they are not trying hard enough to seek new job opportunities. Instead they a letting opportunities slide right past them every single day they are not looking for work. Many people depend on unemployment alone, because most people would prefer to get paid for doing nothing while they have the chance too. Many people take advantage of this privilege and only it do they follow. A huge downfall due to unemployment for us people with a steady income and a consistent employment is the fact that we have to pay for the unemployed. Hardworking people work to support themselves also end up paying taxes which a percentage of that goes to the unemployed. By increasing our taxes the government collects money all around. This dramatically decreases the standard of living for us citizens. Although unemployment has its pros and is a huge opportunity for people in struggles or going through loss of unemployment. It also puts a major dependability on hard working citizens who are forced to pay high taxes which a certain percentage are collected to pay for the unemployed. Many people abuse unemployment for as long as they can and only pretend to seek work but instead just prefer to do nothing but make something which not only is unfair but also not right. Unemployment not only affects certain individuals but it also puts a decrease on the standard of living here in the United states which affects everybody around us.

The Crucible Essays (360 words) - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

The Crucible In Salem during the time of the witch trials everyone is either politically motivated to believe the girls wild antics are the work of the devil, or they are so gullible that they think no child could ever impishly scorn the holiness of the church. Those are the two main reasons the girls get away with accusing people of witchcraft at first, later new reasons are introduced. After the first victims of the girls malignant joke are hung two new reasons to continue accusing people arrive. The new reason that most of the girls continue to accuse people is because if they don't then it would be the girls' fault, not Satan's that the "witches" died. One girl doesn't fit the mold of just trying to save herself, and that girl is Abigail. Abigail doesn't want to be blamed for the deaths of innocent people, but she also has her own twisted agenda of vengeance and greed that forces her to continue accusing people. For one thing she lusts after John Proctor, and she thinks that if Elisabeth is dead he will love her. Also she was somewhat of a henchman to Mrs. Putnam, and Dr. Parris, for she is eliminating Parris's enemies, and she accuses Rebecca Nurse for Mrs. Putnam. Of course Parris doesn't know her murder of innocent people is for him, but she does it out of a somewhat obsessive sense of faith to him. Of course the other girls aren't totally innocent, but they don't have much of a choice. If they were to speak out like Mary Williams, the others would accuse them of witchcraft, just like they did to Mary. In my eyes the main reasons for the continued accusations were fear for their own life, and in Abigail a need to have John Proctor love her, and to serve Parris. When the girls involved in that madness grow up I believe that most of them will be normal if somewhat less naive about children than the average housewife. As for Abigail I see her as committing suicide, when someone else catches her at her little games.

Edward Gibbons Fall of Rome essays

Edward Gibbons Fall of Rome essays In Edward Gibbons, DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE he argues that the reason for Rome's fall is because of Germanic invasions, a decline in public morality, and the rise of Christianity. With all of the above statements I would agree that Edward Gibbons is correct. They all help in the fall of the Roman empire. Where I think he did go wrong was in neglecting to state the other numerous reasons that help contribute to its fall. Three of these other factors that I think are also very important are; the lack of further expansion, the low level of technological advances, and the natural reaction of the rulers to hole up in their country estates with all their slaves at the first sign of weakening markets. The first of these reasons does not begin at Rome's collapse but at its starting point. From the begenning Rome had always grown in both wealth and size. It was with this constant expansion that Rome's economy continued to flourished. With steadily expanding borders they collected more and more markets, and in so doing, gained access to many new goods and resources. One of these aquired resources that played a huge role in Empire is slavery. When Rome quit going to war it lost it's ability to gain POWs, or slaves. With this sudden lack of supply for new slaves, the cogs of Roman society began to falter and go unreplaced. The same thing that happened to the slavery industry was repeated with many of the other industries of Rome at approximately the same time. This general collapse in Rome's overall economy was a result of the empire consuming at a rate far greater than allowed. A reason that lead to Rome's inability to remain self-sustaining as an Empire was it's lack of technology. Technological advance did not increase at a rate proportional to the increase of the people per square mile. This lead to the inability of the Romans to become self-sustaining. Once again the slave trade was a reas...

Battle of Carillon in the French and Indian War

Battle of Carillon in the French and Indian War The Battle of Carillon was fought July 8, 1758, during the French Indian War (1754-1763). Forces Commanders British Major General James AbercrombieBrigadier General Lord George Howe15,000-16,000 men French Major General Louis-Joseph de MontcalmChevalier de Levis3,600 men Background Having suffered numerous defeats in North America in 1757, including the capture and destruction of Fort William Henry, the British sought to renew their efforts the following year. Under the guidance of William Pitt, a new strategy was developed which called for attacks against Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Fort Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio, and Fort Carillon on Lake Champlain. To lead this last campaign, Pitt desired to appoint Lord George Howe. This move was blocked due to political considerations and Major General James Abercrombie was given command with Howe as brigadier general (Map). Assembling a force of around 15,000 regulars and provincials, Abercrombie established a base at the southern end of Lake George near the former site of Fort William Henry. Opposing the British efforts was Fort Carillons garrison of 3,500 men led by Colonel Franà §ois-Charles de Bourlamaque. On June 30, he was joined by the overall French commander in North America, Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. Arriving at Carillon, Montcalm found the garrison insufficient to protect the area around the fort and possessing food for only nine days. To aid the situation, Montcalm requested reinforcements from Montreal. Fort Carillon Construction on Fort Carillon had begun in 1755 in response to the French defeat at the Battle of Lake George. Built on Lake Champlain, near the northern point of Lake George, Fort Carillon was situated on a low point with the La Chute River to the south. This location was dominated by Rattlesnake Hill (Mount Defiance) across the river and by Mount Independence across the lake. Any guns emplaced on the former would be in position to bombard the fort with impunity. As the La Chute was not navigable, a portage road ran south from a sawmill at Carillon to the head of Lake George. The British Advance On July 5, 1758, the British embarked and began moving over Lake George. Led by the industrious Howe, the British advance guard consisted of elements of Major Robert Rogers rangers and light infantry led by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage. As the British approached on the morning of July 6, they were shadowed by 350 men under Captain Trà ©pezet. Receiving reports from Trà ©pezet regarding the size of the British force, Montcalm withdrew the bulk of his forces to Fort Carillon and began building a line of defenses on a rise o to the northwest. Beginning with entrenchments fronted by thick abatis, the French line was later strengthened to include a wooden breastwork. By noon on July 6, the bulk of Abercrombies army had landed at the northern edge of Lake George. While Rogers men were detailed to take a set of heights near the landing beach, Howe began advancing up the west side of the La Chute with Gages light infantry and other units. As they pushed through the wood, they collided with Trà ©pezets retreating command. In the sharp firefight that ensued, the French were driven off, but Howe was killed. Abercrombies Plan With Howes death, British morale began to suffer and the campaign lost momentum. Having lost his energetic subordinate, Abercrombie took two days to advance on Fort Carillon, which normally would have been a two-hour march. Shifting to the portage road, the British established a camp near the sawmill. Determining his plan of action, Abercrombie received intelligence that Montcalm possessed 6,000 men around the fort and that the Chevalier de Là ©vis was approaching with 3,000 more. Là ©vis was approaching, but with only 400 men. His command joined Montcalm late on July 7. On July 7, Abercrombie dispatched engineer Lieutenant Matthew Clerk and an aide to scout the French position. They returned reporting that it was incomplete and could be easily carried without artillery support. Despite a suggestion from Clerk that guns should be emplaced atop and at the base of Rattlesnake Hill, Abercrombie, lacking imagination or an eye for terrain, set upon a frontal assault for the next day. That evening, he held a council of war, but only asked whether they should advance in ranks of three or four. To support the operation, 20 bateaux would float guns to the base of the hill. The Battle of Carillon Clerk again scouted the French lines on the morning of July 8 and reported that they could be taken by storm. Leaving the majority of the armys artillery at the landing site, Abercrombie ordered his infantry to form with eight regiments of regulars in the front supported by six regiments of provincials. This was completed around noon and Abercrombie intended to attack at 1:00 PM. Around 12:30, fighting began when New York troops began engaging the enemy. This led a ripple effect where individual units began fighting on their fronts. As a result, the British attack was piecemeal rather than coordinated. Fighting forward, the British were met by heavy fire from Montcalms men. Taking severe losses as they approached, the attackers were hampered by the abatis and cut down by the French. By 2:00 PM, the first assaults had failed. While Montcalm was actively leading his men, sources are unclear as to whether Abercrombie ever left the sawmill. Around 2:00 PM, a second attack went forward. About this time, the bateaux carrying guns to Rattlesnake Hill came under fire from the French left and the fort. Rather than push forward, they withdrew. As the second assault went in, it met with a similar fate. Fighting raged until around 5:00 PM, with the 42nd Regiment (Black Watch) reaching the base of the French wall before being repulsed. Realizing the scope of the defeat, Abercrombie ordered his men to fall back and a confused retreat ensued to the landing site. By the next morning, the British army was withdrawing south across Lake George. Aftermath In the assaults at Fort Carillon, the British lost 551 killed, 1,356 wounded, and 37 missing against French casualties of 106 killed and 266 wounded. The defeat was one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict in North America and marked the only major British loss of 1758 as both Louisbourg and Fort Duquesne were captured. The fort would be captured the British the following year when Lieutenant General Jeffrey Amhersts advancing army claimed it from the retreating French. Following its capture, it was renamed Fort Ticonderoga.

Causes and Effects of Refugees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causes and Effects of Refugees - Essay Example The present research has identified that a conflict in any given area triggers massive migrations of refugees across national borders and towards other countries considered to be safe. This is evident in locations that are prone to civil and social strife such as Afghanistan, the Balkans, Sudan, and Iraq. Generally, it is due to a civil strife in one’s homeland that a person leaves it. Anti-regime rebellions also lead to the emergence of refugees due to persecution. This is in regard to violating human rights, for example, the right to freedom of expression. However, not all governments or leaders welcome the idea of political freedom, as they prefer to silence their people. Ethnic campaigns are also major contributors to the presence of refugees in the world we live in. In spite of the world holding the title â€Å"civilized†, some people still think of their superiority. This is in regard to individuals who incite chaos against people they consider to be inferior to t hem, a practice also called ethnic cleansing. It is such events that, following tribal clashes between the Hutus and Tutsis, led to massive migration of refugees from Rwanda to neighbouring countries. In addition, a refugee situation can be caused by natural disasters within one’s own area of living by virtue of being internally displaced. This is particularly so for populations affected by natural disasters and those living in areas likely to be affected by climate change, as well as people involuntarily resettled due to development projects. According to Salehyan, international conflicts also lead to the rise of the number of refugees, as they are not â€Å"the unfortunate by-products of war, but may serve as catalysts for conflict†. This is seen in cases where refugees move into neighbouring countries, which, in turn, restrict migration. This fosters hostility between countries that may lead to military action and further increase of the number of refugees. One of t he effects of being refugees in a foreign country is the loss of cultural identity. This is in spite of the suppression of their inner mental representations of many aspects of their native culture. As a result, refugees fail to integrate successfully in the society that they move into due to differences in culture and stereotypes posed by the natives of the host country. This leads to discrimination against refugees, which negatively affects the process of cultural adjustment. Health issues accompany refugees in all places they may go to; this is in the form of access to quality health services that may include health records. This is because the information provided by refugees on their health status comes directly from the refugee patient and is, therefore, not a professional viewpoint. This way, refugee agencies are unable to direct health and humanitarian services to enhance awareness and meet population-based needs. Moreover, forced migrations result in severe demographic cons equences in terms of mortality, human suffering, and displacement of populations; they also result in the destruction of social structures that destabilize a society and drive it to the brink of strife. This way, cohesion between and among families is disrupted, and the bond is weakened, resulting in the need to look for one’s way out instead of looking out for the whole society.

Risk Manahement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Risk Manahement - Essay Example These strategies are forward contracts, futures contracts, swaps, call options, collars etc. All these strategies have significant strengths and weaknesses, which needs to be efficiently balanced by firms. This paper illuminates the impact of commodity price risk on the firms as well the significance of hedging such risk. It also analyzes different hedging strategies used by companies and their strengths and weaknesses. Hedging constitutes one of the most important financial decisions of any firm. It refers to different ways through which a company can minimize its exposure to various kinds of risks. Fuel represents a crucial cost in the total airline expenditure and thus fuel price risk has a great impact on the earnings and cash flows of airlines. Any drastic increase in oil prices can adversely affect cash flows. Effective hedging strategies are imperative for airlines to minimize the variability of cash flows due to volatility in oil price (Carter, Rogers. and Simkins, 2003). This is why almost firms use various hedging strategies to protect their cash flow from variations resulting out of oil price fluctuations. Froot, Scharfstein and Stein propound that "if a firm does not hedge, there will be some variability in the cash flows generated by assets in place." (1993, p. 1630) A non-hedging airline is also likely to be greatly vulnerable to any change in fuel market price. Because of effectiveness of hedging in commodity price risk manageme... that "for a given level of debt, hedging can reduce the probability that a firm will find itself in a situation where it is unable to repay that debt." (1993, p. 1632) This is one of the greatest benefits of using hedging strategies to manage commodity price risk. These strategies assure management that even if the commodity price moves in the unfavourable direction, it will not have a great impact of firm's earnings and cash flows. Forward contracts are the most common hedging strategies used by firms. Southwest airlines managed its exposure to oil price risk in the year 2005 with the help of forward contracts and successfully enhanced its earnings. On the contrary, in the same year other airlines like Delta and United Airlines faced great difficulties. However, there is high credit risk involved in hedging strategy using forward contracts. Froot, Scharfstein and Stein elaborate that "because they are not settled until maturity, forwards can involve substantially more credit risk than futures." (1993, p. 1649) Forwards have a distinctive feature as compared to the futures contract that they cannot be settled before maturity date. Hence, on one hand forwards strategy helps firms to considerably minimize their exposure to commodity price risk, it also leads to significant credit risk. Futures contract is another most commonly used strategy that firms can use to hedge against the commodity price risk. Veld-Merkoulova and de Roon (2003) illuminate a 'nave' strategy which relies on short term futures contracts for the purpose of hedging long term position in the spot market when the size of both the positions are the same. Under this hedging strategy, the futures contract is closed on the same date as that of the spot contract if futures contract has a maturity date