6 steps on the path to finding your purpose

6 steps on the path to finding your purpose In his commencement speech to the graduating class at Harvard University this past May, Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg spoke about the need for purpose. He told graduating seniors, â€Å"Purpose is that sense that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, that we are needed, that we have something better ahead to work for. Purpose is what creates true happiness†¦But it’s not enough to have purpose yourself. You have to create a sense of purpose for others.† Then he went on to describe how his purpose, creating the site that would become Facebook, wasn’t just a way for him to connect to other students- it was a way to connect the entire world. To find your purpose and find meaning in your career, it’s not enough to do stuff that you like or that is important to you. The deeper meaning of purpose, the thing that makes it all worthwhile, is more than just helping yourself thrive and succeed. The most successful and fulfilled people make life easi er or better- for everyone. Bottom line: personal success doesn’t matter that much.If you’re having trouble identifying your purpose, try some of these useful tips.1. Don’t overthink it- just take action.The less you dither and weigh your options and the more you just take big leaps out into the world, the better off you’ll be. Start actually taking steps toward your goals, rather than just daydreaming about doing so. You’ll get out of your own way and come to find out faster what is and isn’t working, and what does and doesn’t matter to you in your life’s pursuit. Action and experience = results.2. Listen to your heart.You know that pesky voice deep within that keeps shouting â€Å"This is what I want to do when I grow up!†? Listen to it. Your heart is both your conscience and your best barometer for what you really want. Let it motivate you to push yourself and explore your opportunities and options.3. Let go of  "The One.†Just like you might fall in love with more than one person over the course of your life, realize that you might fall in love with more than one job, or industry, or career. Be open to things changing and evolving. Focus on doing meaningful things that get you closer to your goals, but be flexible enough to realize when old goals no longer serve who you are and who you want to be.4. Make a vision board.Create something visible that you can refer to when your inspiration needs a boost. Put up aspirational images- ideals of where you want to land in the next few years. What does your life look like when you surround yourself with images that are most attractive to you? Let yourself be free to chose what you are drawn to, then look at it periodically for patterns. You’ll be amazed when themes begin to make themselves clear.5. Study yourself like a subject.What are your hobbies? What can’t you wait to get through your daily tasks to do in your free time? Wha t do you post most about on social media? Observe yourself from an outside perspective and see what you can discern.6. Research what you love.Finding your purpose is more than just figuring out what you are drawn to. You have to learn everything you can about those things. Become an expert. Make sure you know the ins and outs well enough to know whether you could be truly happy spending so many hours of your life and precious energy devoted to that path.The sooner you understand what drives you, the sooner you can orchestrate your life to work toward it. Then, when you pour your energy into that one thing you were made to do, you can use it to help and inspire everyone around you.

Tan vs. Tanto in Spanish

Tan vs. Tanto in Spanish Tan and tanto can be a source of confusion in Spanish because they both can used in comparisons such as as green as and as much as. But the two words, although closely related, are used in grammatically different ways and cant be substituted for each other. One way to think of the main difference between the two is that tan is used as an adverb in those constructions, while tanto is used as an adjective. For this reason, tan doesnt change with the context, while tanto can also exist in the inflected forms tanta, tantos, and tantas. Using Tan Tan basically means so, sometimes such a or as, and is used only before adjectives or adverbs (or nouns used as adjectives). Rita es tan alta como Marà ­a. (Rita is as tall as Marà ­a.)Rita habla tan rpido como Marà ­a. (Rita talks as fast as Marà ­a.) Sentences such as these are by far the most common usage of tan. The phrase  quà © tan  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹can often be translated as how:  Ã‚ ¿Quà © tan inteligente eres?  (How intelligent are you?) Using Tanto Tanto basically means so much or so many or, when used with como, as much or as many. Tengo tanto dinero como Juan. (I have as much money as Juan.)Tengo tanto dinero que no sà © quà © hacer con à ©l. (I have so much money I dont know what to do with it.) Tanto also can be used to make other kinds of comparisons and has a wide variety of colloquial uses; under some circumstances it can be used not only as an adjective but also as a noun, pronoun or adverb. A good dictionary will list at least two dozen different uses. Some examples: Tengo quince y tantos nietos. (I have 15 or so grandchildren.)No quiero estudiar tanto. (I dont want to study so much.) Tanto as a Conjunction Tanto as a fixed form is sometimes used as a conjugation, typically in a phrase that includes como. Dejar de consumir tabaco causa sà ­ntomas tanto fà ­sicos como mentales. (Quitting using tobacco causes symptoms that are as much physical as mental.)Soy consciente que tanto yo como el resto podemos dar un poco ms. (Im aware that I as much as the rest of us can give a little more.) Sample Sentences Using Tan and Tanto El troll de Facebook dice: Tan importante soy que me tienen que bloquear para ser feliz. (The Facebook troll says: I am so important that they have to block me to be happy.) Mà ©xico est tan listo como Panam. (Mexico is as ready as Panama.) El centro de la Tierra est tan caliente como el Sol. (The center of the Earth is as hot as the sun.) Descubre quà © tan hombre eres con este machà ³metro. (Find out how much of a man you are with this macho-meter. This sentence construction, which is unusual, is an exception to the rule that tan isnt used with nouns.)  ¡Quà © tiempo tan feliz! (What a very happy time!) Voy a ser tan rica como pueda. (Im going to be as rich as I can.) Dime tu estilo de crianza y te dirà © quà © tan exitoso podrà ­a ser tu hijo. (Tell me your parenting style and Ill tell you how successful your child could be.)  ¿Es necesario consumir y comprar tanto para ser feliz? (Is it necessary to consume and buy so much to be happy?)  ¡Tengo tanto para hacer! (I have so much to do!) Nunca se vendieron tantos coches elà ©ctricos como en mayo. (Theyve never sold so many electric cars as in March.) Es irà ³nico cà ³mo la vida te da tanta felicidad y luego te llena de tanta tristeza. (Its ironic how life gives you so much happiness and later fills you with so much sadness.) Hay dà ­as que no quiero nada, pero necesito tanto. (There are days that I dont want anything, but I need so much.) Tanto ella como su marido recibieron la noticia con entusiasmo. (She as much as her husband enthusiastically received the news.) Tanto Mà ©xico como Canad han buscado mayor presencia en la ONU. (Mexico as much as Canada has looked for a greater presence in the U.N.) No como tanto ella. (I dont eat as much as she.) Despuà ©s de tantos dà ­as perfectos, empecà © a creer que toda la vida serà ­a asà ­. (After so many perfect days, I began to believe that all of life would be like that.) El amor durar tanto como lo cuides, y lo cuidars tanto como lo quieras. (Love will endure as much as you nurture it, and you will nurture it as much as you want it.) Key Takeaways Both tan and tanto can be used in comparisons meaning as much as or as ____ as, but they arent interchangeable.Tan functions as an adverb, so it doesnt change form with the nouns or adjectives around it.Tanto typically functions as an adjective, so it can take other forms, namely tanta, tantos, and tantas. On those rare occasions it functions as a conjunction, however, it doesnt change form.

Training and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and development - Essay Example I will mail the self-administered questions to the customer service representatives in our organization. The customer service representatives will complete the mail-in survey within 3 days. I will tabulate, summarize, analyze, and discuss the results of the survey with the top management of the organization with a view of taking necessary actions in the future. I will use my self-administered questionnaires to establish the training needs of customer service representatives in our organization. The survey will help me to determine whether the training offered in the organization meets the needs of customer service representatives. The results of the survey will help me to develop and deliver effective training to this group of employees. I will also determine how to manage the trainees. The survey will equally determine if there is any need to outsource training with an aim of enhancing expertise in our organization. I chose to collect data using a mail-in survey that include both open-ended and close-ended questions. This method is beneficial since it allows me to poll all respondents within a short period. They are also cheap to administer and easy to analyze. The survey will offer first hand data that I can classify and explore further. The close-ended questions in the mail-in survey limit the respondents to specific parameters (Skillnets Ltd, 2013). It is easy to tabulate data collected from such questions since they required specific answers. On the other hand, the open-ended questions in the mail-in survey allow respondents to offer detailed feedback and present new ideas (Skillnets Ltd, 2013). However, tabulating the results from such questions will be challenging. Moreover, many respondents do not like completing such surveys and the return rate is mostly low. However, it is more effective to combine both close-ended and open-ended questions in this analysis. Ideally, it is important for a human

Foreign Exchange Currency Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Exchange Currency Markets - Essay Example rd was established with the aid and support of economic giants of the time such as America, Great Britain, France and other nations which supported the idea of stability through linking their currency with gold. The gold standard became firmly entrenched in the international economic environment after the Second World War when the Bretton Woods system was created. The Bretton Woods system gave rules and established regulations for the commercial and fiscal exchanges between the nations which had emerged victorious after the war. The purpose of establishing such a system was to strengthen and rebuilt those economic systems that had collapsed after the war. As discussed by Bird (1994), the system depended heavily on the regulations provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The basic feature of the Bretton Woods system was an agreement made by each nation that their monetary policies and fiscal agendas would maintain the currency value of the country near a preset value in terms of gold. The IMF had the authority to handle and settle payment imbalances between various nations and had the responsibility to monitor the fiscal activities various countries. Thus the term gold standard was used for the system which worked quite well for many years until it collapsed in 1971 when America pulled out of the gold standard (Bird, 1994). Even before the American pullout, the fundamentals of the gold standard had already weakened. The monetary interdependence of nations which came about after the second world war when international trade become very important allowed banks and even large companies to transfer huge amounts of capital from one location to the other (Cooper & Sneddon, 2001). Currency Speculators could convert large sums of money from a weak to a strong currency in the hope for the currency to gain value if it was so adjusted by the government. If the speculation was incorrect, the money could

Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Art history - Essay Example This is an appropriate comparison as both this piece and many pieces which have been found on the walls of pyramids, are symmetrical and surreal with extremely high activity which serves to tell a story. By symmetrical it is meant that the right and left side of the mural is equivalent in color scheme, size of characters as well as their placement. For example, Jesus, while centered in the upper quadrant of the piece, is accompanied on both sides by two angelic creatures. The similarities to Egyptian pyramid murals is also visible in the life-less qualities of the two dimensional people included in the work. An example of this is the depiction of feet. Jesus’ feet in this piece, are eerily small compared to the rest of his body which is a continuity of disproportion. The angels on either side of him, resemble deer with human-like faces with angel wings. On both sides of the lower portion of Jesus’ positioning, there appear to be votives held by ascending chains. It is not clear what they are but what is clear, is that they are in equal proportion on the left and the right sides of Jesus. This could be assimilated to weights and balances which often represent justice and fairness. These could also be the ornate objects used by priests in the catholic church, in many religious ceremonies, as a symbolic act. The middle to lower portion of the piece is marked by 12 or so individuals with glowing halos above their heads. Certainly this may b e and is most likely, the 12 apostles of Christ. They appear to be glorified similarly to Christ but certainly not to the same extent. They appear below Christ and the angels which makes sense within the natural order of Christian belief and Biblical ideology. In this same portion of the mural, below the throne of Christ, there are what appear to be two windows or doors, which are each guarded or inclusive

Analysing Remediation Of Contaminated Land In Nigeria Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysing Remediation Of Contaminated Land In Nigeria Environmental Sciences Essay Crude oil is an important mineral resource vital to everyday life. Modern trend toward increasing dependence on the use of petroleum hydrocarbons for energy needs has resulted in severe pressure on the energy resource as well as increased accidental discharges of oil and its products into the environment. This occurs frequently during operations such as extraction, transportation, storage, refining and distribution notwithstanding technology-driven precautions. It would be reasonable to state that oil contamination is one of the most serious forms of water and land pollution as it endangers public health, imperils drinking water, devastates natural resources, and disrupts the economy. Nigeria is one of the largest crude oil producing countries in the world and depends almost entirely (over 90%) on it for her revenue. The Niger Delta region in Nigeria contains the bulk of Nigerias proven oil and gas reserves. The region is ridden with environmental problems, ranging from devastation of land and water (crippling income generation through farming and fishing), through death of thousands of domestic animals, disastrous fire out-breaks, various illnesses to deaths. This is as a result of oil spillage which has become a daily experience in the region. There exist some prevention and mitigation measures associated with oil and gas exploration activities but these measures are not implemented in Nigeria. Owing perhaps to poor enforcement of the standards by regulatory bodies, corruption, high cost of procuring and maintaining some of the mitigation equipments, ignorance, lack of vision, or carelessness. These have led, to political unrest, with the people of the area feel ing exploited and calling for reparations. Contamination of soil by is a widespread environmental problem that often requires clean-up of the contaminated site. Though many techniques have been undertaken to address oil contamination of land in the Niger Delta region, these either have negative effects or result to incomplete clean-up of the hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Although disposal or open dump burning may be simple and easily adaptable, these techniques have undesirable health and safety hazards from e.g. air pollution. Bioremediation is an alternative technology which is likely to be capable of achieving permanent remediation. Nature has developed microorganisms that can degrade hydrocarbons to avoid their accumulation to a point of being detrimental to life. To achieve rapid bioremediation, nutrients and aeration are applied to the soil and the indigenous microorganism is often augmented to obtain enhanced bioremediation. The design of an efficient bioremediation system requires a set of careful studies of the local conditions of the site to be remediated. Despite several indications of the environmental degradation and health effects caused by oil contamination of land in the Niger Delta region, little attention has been paid to investigating the effectiveness of the use of bioremediation in this region. Undertaking an evaluation of a selection of case studies could provide better insight whether bioremediation is the appropriate solution to oil contamination problems in the region. Various application of bioremediation on oil contaminated soil has been reported with encouraging results but its effectiveness has not been fully employed in the region. 1.2 Aim and Objectives The primary aim of this study is firstly to consider oil contamination of land as a global problem, assess the causes and effects of oil contamination of land both across the world and in Nigeria and secondly to evaluate whether bioremediation could be an effective treatment technique of land contaminated by oil with particular reference to the Niger Delta of Nigeria. In order to achieve this, the following will be addressed; (a) The extent and causes of oil contamination (b) The effect of oil contamination (c) Oil contamination in Nigeria (d) Remediation methods (e) Case studies and/or questionnaire 1.3 Overview of oil contamination of land Pollution of the land by oil has become a matter of widespread concern, attracting attention of politicians, environmentalists and scientists. There is growing public concern as a wide variety of toxic organic chemicals are being introduced accidentally or deliberately into the environment. Petroleum hydrocarbons are one common example of these chemicals, which enter the environment frequently and in large volumes through numerous routes. These routes include seepage from natural deposits, human activities in exploration, production, transportation and storage of petroleum. Such human activities inevitably involve the risk of accidental spills that can only be minimized but not eliminated completely. Deonarine and Basdeo (2001) explained that leaks from wellheads, leaks from pipelines, and overflows at gathering stations and deposition of oily mud are also other routes through which hydrocarbon enter the environment. Oil spills are now becoming a frequent and major source of water an d land contamination across the globe especially in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. 1.4 Justification of the Study In time past, land contamination was usually perceived in terms of relatively rare incidents, with poorly known but possibly catastrophic impact on human health and the environment. According to Nathanail and Bardos (2004) numerous incidents drew media attention and these include Love canal in New York; Times Beach Missouri in United States and Minamata, Japan disaster. They further explained that today land contamination is no longer perceived in terms of few severe incidents rather as extensive infrastructural problems of varying intensity and significance that is inherited from past and present industrial and waste disposal activities. Nowadays across the globe, land contamination is gaining a higher official recognition and is been recognised as a serious challenge to present and future generation. Recently a lot of policies for sustainable development and contaminated land management have been introduced and so many countries especially in developed countries have implemented these policies. Despite this trend, the Nigeria Government and oil multinational companies operating in that country are yet to implement such policies. They agree with sustainable development and good environmental management but these are only seen as a paper exercise. There is no adequate implementation of sustainable development and environmental management in Nigeria. Moreover, oil spill incidence still occurs and no adequate management is given to the spilled site. There are no known instances in Nigeria whereby an oil polluted site had been fully remediated and restored by any of the oil companies. Most polluted sites are neglected to the mercy of slow process of natural recovery that takes several years to accomplish.   Even in terrestrial environments where remediation is conventionally cheaper and easy, in the Nigerian situation, it is a luxury that is impossible. For example, most sites in Ogoniland where incident oil spill incident occurred since 1970 remains unclean till date 2009. Besides deliberate negligence, corporate corruption and penchant to cut-corners hinder remediation programmes in the Nigerian oil industry. Remediation contracts are often awarded to contractors who simply transport topsoil from elsewhere to mask contaminated spill sites. These sites are often reported as begin remediated Although many people and organisations especially non-governmental organisation (NGO) have writing about oil pollution in Nigeria and its negative effects, but solution to the pollution have been limited. 1.5 Structure of the Report Chapter one began with an introduction and justification of the study. It brought problems, Aims and objectives and conceptual framework of the work. The second chapter carries out a review of the existing on oil contamination of land with emphasis on the meaning, causes, effects, issues across the world and Nigeria, technology and oil spillage as a major cause of the oil contamination. Also this chapter review oil contamination in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Chapter three looks at the methodology, nature and sources of data collection as well as the technique for data analysis. The Chapter four looks at the proposed solution to oil contamination. Chapter five focuses on case studies and Discussion of findings of the study. (develop best practice guide for Nigeria) Chapter six looks at the conclusions and recommendations CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Oil contamination is a major environmental problem which is caused as result of oil operations. Activities of oil companies constitute environmental problems; with substantial implications for economic development and human health. As a result of its impacts some individuals live as aliens in their own communities, where they are unable to actualize their interest or aspirations. This chapter provides a review of the menace of oil contamination. 2.2 The problem Oil contamination of land. The demand for energy is increasing globally as a result of rising population, increased industrialisation and prosperity. This has resulted on severe pressure on available energy resources. Energy has a major impact on every aspects of socio-economic life as it plays a vital role in the economic, social and political development of any nation. As a result, the demand for energy is increasing worldwide, along with this, pollution is on the increase. Many parts of the world have as a consequence, suffered significant contamination. Khan et al (2004) pointed out that these oil contaminants enter the environment directly as a result of oil waste (sludge), spills during exploration, production and transportation, leakage from storage sites, or from industrial facilities. Oil spillage and oily waste deposits represent the majority of hydrocarbon contamination of our planet. Al-Saleh and Obuekwe (2005) asserted that accidental and deliberate oil spills have been and still continue to be a significant source of environmental pollution. Contamination of soil arising from spills is one of the most limiting factors to soil fertility and hence crop productivity as well as animal activity. Also the runoff from oil spill impacted site usually degrade the quality of the fresh water source which serves the domestic rural water supply needs of the host communities. Molina-Barahona et al (2004) corroborated that oil spills caused great damages to the ecology and economy of rural regions as well as nations. Therefore these polluted areas constitute a big potential risk to human health, environment, subsoil infrastructure, flora and fauna as well as groundwater. 2.3 Causes of oil contamination Crude oil is extracted world-wide at a very high rate to meets the bulk of the worlds energy requirements. At the same time, crude oil constitutes a potential hazard if discharged into the environment. Such discharge happens despite the fact that the distribution and storage network for crude oil is closely and well monitored. Oil development activities involve several polluting processes. The extent of these processes depends mainly on the environmental practices and technology used by oil companies. Apart from oil spills that mainly cause oil contamination of land, there are other different operations in the petroleum industry that cause contamination. These include drilling operation, leakage from wellhead and pipeline and over-flows at gathering stations. Fisher and Sublette (2005) stated that these causes of oil contamination are as a result of overflows, intentional dumping , illegal activity, aging facilities, equipment failure, operators error, construction defect, accidental damage, transport accident, defeat/bypassing protective system, ineffective quality control, over pressuring, natural phenomenon, blow out of oil well, sabotage and corrosion. During drilling, each well that is drilled produces drilling wastes, including formation water and drilling muds. Miguel and Anna-Karin (2004) pointed out that these wastes are frequently deposited into open pits, from which they are either directly discharged into the environment or leached out as the pits degrade or overflow from rainwater. Extraction of oil is also accompanied by seepage and spills. Offshore drilling routinely creates low level spills, and sometimes causes a blowout, a massive gush of petroleum. Most oil-wells are situated in deserts and oceans, which is where the majority of the worlds documented blow-outs have occurred. Storage facilities and pipelines can typically be destroyed by e.g.; either natural disasters like hurricanes, or accidents during construction or due to acts of sabotage or ageing of the facilities all resulting in release of large amounts of oil. The table below shows incident oil spill causes and number of incidents between 2000 and 2008. Table 1: Incident oil spill causes 2000-2008 2007 Incidents Causes No of incidents 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Equipment failure 8,383 8,429 8,341 9,132 10,078 9,958 10,209, 10,849 8,578 Operator error 3,459 2,885 2,305 2,889 2,997 2,684 2,908 2,885 3,022 Transport accidents 609 713 563 631 1,050 1,152 1,103 1,361 1,387 Dumping 1,523 1,494 1,265 960 806 757 863 1,004 935 Natural phenomenon 472 716 497 711 685 575 804 708 726 Sabotage 6,428 7,204 7457 6,531 3,907 3,865 3858 3860 3,942 Accidental spillage(aging facilities, construction defect, blow out of oil well, etc) 10,552 11,800 10,266 10,314 10,078 9,958 10,209 10,849 10,578 Source: (National response center statistics U.S 2008) It is observed from the table above that equipment failure and accidental spillage are the two main causes and these account for over 50% of oil spillage cause. Accidentals spillage could be as a result of traffic accident, aging facilities and blow-out of oil well. In addition to the above table, European Environmental Agency report that tanker accidents account for about 10-15 per cent of all oil that spill into the ocean world-wide every year. Fingas and Charles (2001) argued that oil spills accounts for a highest number and volume of oil contamination. Mokhalalati et al (2000) demonstrated that observations from many oil spill incidents around the world have shown that both land and aquatic environment suffer oil exposure and these environments are particularly difficult to protect and also clean- up once a spill has occurred. 2.4 Effects of oil contamination The oil and gas sector is one of the most lucrative sectors in business but reducing its negative impacts is one of the most pressing issues today. As an example, one barrel of crude oil can make one million barrels of water undrinkable and make hectares of land and water bodies useless. It has also destroyed crops, damage the quality and productivity of soil use for farming and as well damage fisheries. This exacerbates hunger and poverty in affected communities. In addition the residents often experience an increase of conflict with their neighbourhood. Miraglia, A.R (2002) observed that Chenega Bay, Niger Delta, Ecuador indigenous communities etc have been fighting due to oil compensation. This has resulted in killing of people, destroying of houses, property, etc. Khan,M.I and Islam,R.M (2003) asserted that practically all activities of hydrocarbon operations are accompanied by undesirable discharges of liquid, solid and gaseous wastes which have enormous devastating impacts . When oil reaches and penetrates into the soil and deep sea, the effects will be apparent for long period of time, thus the oil that reaches quickly will be more toxic. The effect depends on the following factors such as; size of the spill, the spread of the oil slick, the toxicity and persistence of the oil and the sensitivity of the environmental region affected. However oil contamination has caused a range of pervasive impacts on the environment, human health, economy and society. Ecological effects may include physical and chemical changes in habitats, changes in growth or behaviour and increased mortality of organisms and species. Wildlife can be impacted by direct physical contact with the oil, e.g., filterfeeding shellfish and bird eggs can be smothered by oil and the feathers of birds or the fur of seals lose their insulating properties when coated with oil, leading to the danger of death from cold. Also if oil is ingested, it can damage the digestive system of the animals. Its vapours have the potential to damage the nervous system of animals, as well as their lungs and liver. The oil impedes proper soil aeration as oil film on the soil surface acts as a physical barrier between air and the soil and this affects soil fertility which consequently has great negative impact on food productivity. Oil contamination affects certain soil parameters such as the mineral and organic matter content, the cation exchange capacity, redox properties and pH value. As crude oil creates anaerobic condition in the soil, coupled to water logging and acidic metabolites, Onwurah et al (2007) stated that the result is high accumulation of aluminum and manganese ions, which are toxic to plant growth. The smearing root plants with oily substances may cause the plants to wilt and die off due to blockage of stomata inhibiting photosynthesis, transpiration, respiration and reduces permeability of cell membranes. Due to the toxic nature of oil, Pezeshki et al (2000) asserted that petroleum-based products have adverse im ­pact on yields of various plant species and in high doses they can depress germination of plants and cause necrosis of seedlings. A substantial high rate of illness as well as psychological and physical symptoms is usually reported in areas affected by spill oil and on increase on the days when oil exposure was at its highest. Rodrigue-Trigo et al (2007) stated that these illnesses include; respiratory tract irritation, vertigo, headache, sore eyes, sore throat and exacerbation of asthma. They further stated that anxiety and depression rate is usually on high increase in the exposed region. Oil contamination has shown to have great influence on the engineering properties and behaviour of a soil. Puri, K.V (2000) corroborated that it has resulted in decrease in shear strength of a clayey soil, angle of internal friction of sand based on total stress condition decrease with the presence of oil in the pore spaces and compression characteristics of sand are significantly influenced. Khamehchiyan et al (2007) asserted that it has resulted in decrease in the value of the constrained modulus with increase in the degree of oil saturation. Oil contamination induces a reduction in permeability and strength of soil samples. Generally oil contamination has drastically reduced the bearing capacity of the soil. 2.5 Worldwide issues: Oil spill across the world In the last decade, a lot of oil contamination across the world has been experienced as a result of oil spill incident which account for highest cause of oil contamination. Meniconi et al (2002) pointed out that, characterizing the spilled oil, monitoring the affected ecosystem, determining the fate of the oil in the environment and subsequently assessing the environmental damage caused have been a pressing issue. The spill case studies described below encompass crude and fuel oil release on coastal ecosystems and land. We know that oil spill on sea can spread and dispersed to land by wind, tide, wave action and rainfall. Any oil spill on sea also affects the land. Some of the oil spill case studies in Nigeria and major spills across the world are highlighted below; The Torrey canyon supertanker disaster (1967) This is the first major oil spill to awaken the international community to the dangers of oil transport. On 18th March, 1967 the Torrey Canyon carrying 117000 tons of Kuwait crude oil ran aground on the Pollards Rock in the Seven Stones reef between the Scilly Isles and Lands End, England. Approximately119, 000 tonnes of Kuwait oil leaked from the ship and spread along the sea between England and France, killing most of the marine life it touched along the whole of the south coast of Britain and the Normandy shores of France. Sands, P. (2003). The Torrey Canyon oil spill proved for the first time the immense environmental damage that could result from an accident involving a large oil tanker as well as revealed the problems inherent in the international system for assessing liability and compensation for oil spill damage. Jacobsson (2007) stated that this spill triggered the International Compensation Convention. Exxon Valdez (1989) In March 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef in Prince William sound, Alaska and spilled about 37,000 tonnes of oil, the worst spill in US history. The spill subsequently affected a variety of shores, mainly rock and cobble, to varying degrees over an estimated 1,800km in Prince William Sound. The spilled oil impacted a wide range of intertidal organisms and as a result thousands of marine animals and seabirds were killed. (Peterson 2001) Braer (1993) The oil tanker Braer ran aground at Garths Ness on the Southern Shetland Isles Coast on 5th January, 1993 spilling approximately 84,700 tonnes of crude oil. The spilt oil was dispersed naturally in the wave action against the North Sea. The BRAER spill was unusual in that a significant amount of oil was blown on to land adjacent to the wreck site. Seabird casualties were also moderately low. Considering the size of the spill, the environmental impacts were surprisingly limited . (Gregory 2007). Erika Incident The Maltese tanker ERIKA, carrying some 31,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, broke in two in a severe storm in the Bay of Biscay on 11th December, 1999, off the coast of France. About 20,000 tonnes of oil were spilled. The main environmental impact of the spill was on sea birds and 65,000 oiled birds were collected from beaches, of which about 50,000 were dead. This incident led to rapid moves to accelerate the phasing out of all single hull oil tankers. (Le Moigne, and Laubier, 2004). Prestige (2002) In September 2002, oil tanker prestige sunk of the Galician north west of Spain spilling about 30,000 tonnes of oil. The spilled oil affected the entire coastline particularly the exposed rocky shores and sandy beaches which caused the largest ecological catastrophe in the history of Spain (de la Huz et al, 2005). Bernabeu et al (2006) observed that the spill had a huge economic impact as it affected the fishing and marine cultivation on which the Costa da Morte (Galicia, N.W. Spain) depends economically. Tasman Spirit (2003) The oil tanker Tasman spirit grounded in the channel of the port of Karachi, on 27th July, 2003 carrying a cargo of 67,535 tonnes of light crude. Approximately 30,000 tonnes of oil spilled when the Tasman Spirit broke down. Strong winds and rough seas spread the light crude along 10 kilometres (seven miles) of the highly populated residential and recreational coastline. As a result of the spill incident, people living around the area have experienced health problems. The coastal environment in which the Tasman Spirit spill occurred was a rich and diverse tropical ecosystem which was negatively affected by the spill. (Janjua et al 2006) Gulf war 1991 The Gulf War in Kuwait 1991 resulted in one of the largest man made environmental disasters, and almost certainly the greatest acute contamination of land and water with oil, in history as the result of oil spills. Kostreba (1999) described that during the Gulf war an estimated 67 million tonnes of crude oil was spilt and burnt on land. The oil spills were as a result of deliberate damage done by Iraqi forces during their invasion of Kuwait. Crude oil was deliberately dumped into the gulfs and oil production, storage, and refining facilities were destroyed. The oil leaking from the well heads, storage tanks, and pipelines formed huge oil lakes as deep as 2 meters. Many of the oil wells were also set on fire and this resulted in the aerial deposition of partially combusted oil particles and associated non-combusted products of the oil fires, which also polluted large areas. The resulting oil pollution affected mainly Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Hans-Jorg Barth (2001) pointed out that over 700 km of coastline from southern Kuwait to Abu Ali Island were smothered with oil and tar, erasing most of the local plant and animal communities. Lebanon (2006) During hostilities in Lebanon in 2006, Isreali planes struck the Jiyyeh power plant about 25 kilometres south of Beirut. The hit storage tanks leaked 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of oil into Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The oil slick covered 170km of coastline and was threatening Turkey and Cyprus. This is the worst environmental problem in the history of the country. The oil spill damaged land and marine ecosystems, destroyed fishermens livelihoods and rendered coastal areas lifeless. To worst the issue, no clean-up started until after three weeks due to security situation in Lebanon. (Friends of the Earth 2007). Ogbodo oil spill On 24th June, 2001 the community of Ogbodo in Rivers State, Nigeria, heard a loud explosion which was the bursting of a Shell Petroleum pipeline which traverses the village lands and waterways. Crude oil began to spill out into the environment. Rains and swiftly flowing water rapidly distributed the crude oil into the waterways surrounding the community. At least about 26,500 barrels of oil were spilt. The impact of the spill and the fire on local livelihoods was extensive and the devastating impact of the oil spill was exacerbated and prolonged because of failure to contain the spill swiftly. (www.waado.org). Oshire-2 oil spill According to Osuji and Opiah, (2007) on the 24th July, 2003, an oil spillage occurred in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State in Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The oil spill was as a result of leakage of one of the above-ground pipelines that criss-cross the Oshire-2 oil field. About 3,000 barrels of crude oil was allegedly spilled as a result a suspected sabotage. Oil spill in Ogoniland Ogoniland is the site of huge Shell facilities that have devastated the local environment. On June 6, 2001, Shell oil pipeline, which passes through the Baraale community, ruptured and started spilling crude oil into nearby forests, farmlands and houses. Many houses were flooded with crude oil. Disaster struck on 1st October, 2001, when the leaking oil caught fire. Residents of the community were about going to bed that night when a large fire started following a loud explosion. (Olukoya 2002). Also on 1 Sep 2003Crude oil from a ruptured oil pipeline caught fire, destroying farmland and polluting streams in the Ogoni area. This Day (2006) reported that oil spill from one of the Shell companys oil wellheads has devastated another Ogoni community. The spill is as a result of leak which occurred at Bomu Well-2, a dormant well in Ogoni land belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria limited. Oil spill incidence in Nigeria has become everyday news and its occurrence is too numerous that it cant all be highlighted in this study. Federal ministry of Environment on 2006 reported that quantity of oil spilled over 50 years is equivalent to 50 Exxon Valdez spills. This makes the Nigeria delta one of the 5 most oil polluted environments in the world. 2.6 Oil spill in Nigeria 2.6.1 Oil exploration in Nigeria In 1956, Royal Dutch Shell discovered crude oil at Oloibiri, a village in the Niger Delta, and the first commercial production started in 1958. Nwilo and Badejo (2005a) stated that 50 years later, 606 oil fields exist in the Niger Delta, of which 360 are on-shore and 246 off-shore. Nigeria is now the largest oil producer in Africa and the sixth largest in the world, averaging 2.7 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2006. Nigerias economy is heavily dependent on earnings from the oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues (Central intelligence Agency (CIA) World Fact Book, 2005). Current oil exploration and production activities in Nigeria is concentrated in the Niger Delta region, a huge fertile wetland which covers a land mass of over 70,000 km2, and cuts across 800 oil producing communities. Oguejiofor (2008) demonstrated that the region has huge oil and gas reserve and accounts for 90 per cent of national exports and 70 per cent of Government revenue, mainly from oil and gas exported is from the region. Geological record and research shows that the region (both onshore and offshore areas) is particularly conducive for the formation and accumulation of oil and gas. Today, the oil industries are highly visible in the Niger Delta and have control over a large area in the region. The area is crisscrossed by thousands of kilometres of pipeline, punctuated by wells and flow stations. Much of the oil infrastructure is located close to the homes, farms and water sources of communities. 2.6.2 Overview of the damage in the Niger delta Oil and gas activities and enormous oil installations deployed in the Niger Delta explains her vulnerability to oil spill. The social and environmental costs of oil contamination have been extensive. These include destruction of wildlife and biodiversity, loss of fertile soil, pollution of air and drinking water, degradation of farmland and damage to aquatic ecosystems, all of which have caused serious health problems for the inhabitants of areas surrounding oil production. Oil spills in the Niger Delta have destroy vegetation, mangrove forests, food/cash crops, fishing ground/marine life, reduces nutrient value of the soil, induces land fragmentation, and sets communities on fire. For example a spill at Osima creek in Agbakabiriyai, near Nembe on February 28th 1998, led to eight days of fire, which razed down the entire community. This resulted to the destruction of about 400 houses, and the displacement of about 130,000 inhabitants. Also a spill that occurred on 7th December, 2008 in Ikarama community terribly caught fire on 1st of March 2009. The fire caused more damage to the environment (www.eration.org/index.php?). Given these challenges, land as an economic power resource base becomes critical for the Niger Delta region. Without fertile soil and good water, indigenous communities in the region lose their mode of survival and are faced with the crisis of food shortages. Due to oil spillage, many water ways, land and marine systems in the region have been badly polluted and residents have been badly affected by enviro

Capital Punishment Must Be Abolished Essay -- Capital Punishment, Deat

The death penalty is not the most effective form of punishment for criminals. The death penalty is hypocritical; it condemns killing by killing people. Many supporters of capital punishment cite retribution as being a justification for the death penalty; however, no matter what the circumstance, murder is never justified. Ghandi once said â€Å"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.† Two wrongs can never make a right. Capital punishment should be abolished because while even though many supporters of the death penalty claim that it prevents crime, there is no evidence that it has been proven to do so. Also, many people support the death penalty because it prevents criminals from ever being allowed back on the streets to commit further crimes. The death penalty is a preferred method of punishment because it is permanent; however, it should be avoided because it is permanent. There is too much of a possibility that an innocent person could be executed for a crime that th ey did not commit. An execution cannot be undone. Studies have also shown that the death penalty is a biased method of punishment because disadvantaged people, such as minorities and people of lower social status are more likely to be executed. This is unfair because all people have the same rights and should receive equal and fair punishment for their crimes. An alternative punishment to the death penalty is life without parole; it is just as effective a way to prevent someone committing more crimes as executing them. Supporters of the death penalty also argue that it is cheaper to execute a criminal than it is to keep them in prison for life. However, statistics have shown that the cost of putting a criminal to death, including all of the time and money spent in... ....deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-about-deterrence-and-death-penalty>. Lowe, Wesley. â€Å"Pro Capital Punishment Page.† Pro Capital Punishment Page. 22 July 2009. Web. 02 Jan. 2015. . Ornellas, Lori. â€Å"Death Penalty Arguments.† Pro-death penalty.com. 03 May 2001. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. . Reggio, Michael H. â€Å"History of the death penalty.† PBS. Web. 5 Jan. 2015. . â€Å"Should the death penalty be used for retribution?† Death Penalty - ProCon.org. 06 Jan. 2009. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. . Worsnop, Richard L. â€Å"Death Penalty Debate.† CQ Researcher 5.9 (1995): 193-216. CQ Researcher. Web. 2 Jan. 2015. .