Money & Banking - economics 321 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Money & Banking - economics 321 - Coursework Example It is in these circumstances wherein the so-called boom emerges. This boom in the financial sector as most crises have demonstrated is typified by a fragility that made much worse by credit and speculation. According to Kindleberger, this leads to a series of events such as how price increases leads to a rush for investment as profit opportunities loom large. This is an event that feeds upon itself: the opportunities that promise profit would bring in a new wave of investors and that the positive feedback that is perceived in the process and the outpour of investment increases further profit, which then encourages further investments. He then explained how this leads to what Minsky called as euphoria and when the speculation variable is thrown in, it finally results in overtrading, which aggravate the fragility of the situation. As speculation and overtrading bring in more investors, the probability of crashes increases as speculation for profit drives the ‘manias’ or â €˜bubbles’.† During the feverish economic activity driven by speculative boom, a point is identified to emerge wherein prices start to level and uncertainty start to creep in. This situation, in Kindleberger’s theory creates a period of financial distress, which finally launches a steady downward spiral: There is an inevitable burst as the market started the race to withdraw. In the event of a rush to liquidate, the bubble bursts and further panic ensues. The problem will reach crisis proportions as financial institutions fail, prices decline and the number of bankruptcies spike. This stage, according to Kindleberger, is called revulsion when panic finally seizes the economic system, which is aggravated by liquidity, which, though orderly at times, can actually degenerate and spin out of control, feeding the panic further in the process. The Kindleberger’s revulsion of concept is more popularly known in the nineteenth century as â€Å"discredit.† There are other variables

The Economic development of Russia 1929-1945 Essay

The Economic development of Russia 1929-1945 - Essay Example 1929-1945 was possibly the greatest transformative period of time in Soviet history; partly due to the occurrence of the Second World War lasting from 1939-1945 and partly due to its leadership. During this period, Stalin combined his hold on power and was allowed to rule with liberty, establishing his â€Å"revolution from above† on the Soviet people1. His rule extended from 1922-1952 and was therefore responsible for majority of the economic transformation at the time. He substituted the New Economic Policy (NEP) instituted by his predecessor with a highly centralised planned (command) economy. This launched a period of collectivization and industrialization that caused rapid transformation of the USSR into an industrial power from an agrarian society. The initial disruption in agriculture unsettled food production and contributed to the disastrous Soviet famine of 1932–1933, which in Ukraine was known as the Holodomor2. Afterwards, in a period that continued from 193 6 to 1939, Stalin established a movement against suspected enemies within his administration - the Great Purge – during which hundreds of thousands were executed. In August 1939, a non-aggression pact was signed by Stalin and Nazi Germany that distributed their power and territory within Eastern Europe, causing the invasion of Poland later in September of that year. Germany later dishonoured the agreement and in June 1941 initiated a substantial invasion of the Soviet Union. In spite of numerous territorial and human losses, Soviet forces succeeded in halting the Nazi incursion following the decisive Battles of Stalingrad and Moscow3. After overwhelming the Germans on the Eastern Front, Berlin was captured in May 1945 by the Red Army, effectively ending the Second World War for the Allies in Europe. Consequently the Soviet Union arose as one of two acknowledged world super-powers, the United States being the other4. This aim of this paper is to analyse the events that occurred

Health & Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health Social Care Essay Ai) What is meant by ‘duty of care’. Health and social care organisations have what is called a duty of care towards the people they look after. That means that they must do everything they can to keep the people in their care safe from harm. It is not only the care establishment that needs to prioritise the safety, welfare and interests of the people using its services, but also the care workers of the establishment. My employer also has a duty of care for staff members, to ensure that working conditions are safe, and suitable to deliver the service. Aii) How the duty of care affects the work of a social care worker. It means the duty of care you have in your job is to keep yourself safe and your service user safe. Keep up to date on your training. All ways wash your hands before attending a service user before and after, and wear the protective aprons and gloves that are supplied by your work the duty is in exercising caution and to refrain from causing another person injury or loss. In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeable harm others. Aiii) What having a duty of care means for a care giving organisation. When an employer adheres to the duty of care in a setting such as a residential care home it protects residents as well as the staff. This is because all codes of practice are carried out and makes the home a safer environment, e.g. equipment is regularly checked, chemicals are stored correctly staff trained regularly Aiv) How the duty of care contributes to safeguarding individuals. In my role I have a duty of care to raise any concerns I may have about any aspect of my work. These can range from inadequate working conditions, poor equipment, and poor practice by other staff; to raising concerns about potential abuse cases and situations of neglect. It is my duty of care to safeguard individuals from harm. All employees should report any concerns of abuse they have. These might include evidence or suspicions of bad practice by colleagues and managers, or abuse by another individual, another worker or an individual’s family or friends. If I do not work in this way, I could be considered negligent or incompetent. If I am in any doubt at any time, I must discuss any issues I have with my supervisor / manager.

The Importance Of The Air We Breathe Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of The Air We Breathe Environmental Sciences Essay Almost all life on earth depends upon clean to function and survive. However, when the air we breathe in becomes polluted, we to become polluted. Polluted with harmful toxins, germs, viruses, etc. Some may wonder, Well, what exactly is air pollution? Air pollution is the presence in the air of one or more solid, liquid, or gaseous substances in such a concentration and of such duration as to cause a nuisance or to be injurious to human life, animal life and vegetation or disrupt the functioning of the environment (Dimitriou, Christidou, 2007). This means that air pollution could be anything from car exhaust inhaled while behind an old station wagon in traffic, to a room filled with bleach fumes. These are just a few of the many ways our air can be poisoned. While this may seem like small potatoes to someone or be an issue that can wait, the numbers dont lie. The average person breathes in about 2,200 2,400 gals of air, in order to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide with 2,200 2,70 0 gals of blood. This requires processing (at the very least) 4,400 gallons of liquid gas daily for life (Gorman, 2006). Now think about 2,200 gals of polluted air going into the human body daily! All of a sudden the issue of air pollution seems a lot more important doesnt it? In fact air pollution not only effects our current generation but also the future generations as well. Since about 1995, the number of studies linking air pollutants to prenatal problems such as LBW, SGA, preterm birth and cardiac birth defects has grown rapidly (Ritz Wilhelm, 2008). This means if the amount of air pollution isnt drastically reduced right now, we could be staring down the barrel of terminally ill children straight out of the womb. However, air pollution issues wont stop there. One of air pollutions cohorts is currently running loose on the world. This cohort goes by the name of lung disease. Over the last couple of years, cases of lung disease have sharply risen in the United States and spre ad globally. Its become so prevalent, that it has already reached #3 on the top 10 list of killers in the U.S. Lung disease causes a whopping 1 out of every 7 deaths! When that number is tallied the actual number is very sad and disappointing. Millions upon millions of people are suffering because of this disease caused by air pollution. Not only is air pollution causing lives, its also costing out cash strapped economy a lot of money. Lung disease in the United States alone, cost the economy $81.6 billion dollars in direct health care cost every year, plus tack on indirect costs of $76.2 billion dollars, and youre staring down the barrel of a total of more than $157.8 billion dollars in expenses (Gorman, 2006). The story just seems to get sadder and sadder as time progresses. However, there is still hope if society can become properly educated about air pollution. This research paper will attempt to do just that. Sources of Air Pollution Air Pollution can be caused by simple everyday things ranging from car exhaust stoves, to more complicated things such as factory emissions. One by product of these method of pollution is referred to fine particle pollution. Fine particle air pollution consists of microscopic particles of dust soot that are about 30 xs smaller than the width of a single human hair! So what can a few particles of dust do to a full grown person? Turns out these little problems can cause major life altering illnesses. According to a four-year study in AORN journal, researcher found that minute increases in fine particle air pollution resulted in significantly increased hospital visits for heart and vascular disease, heart failure, pulmonary disease, etc (2006). Now this is just an example of what one source of air pollution can do to the human body. Lets look at more. Formaldehyde is a common source of air pollution. In fact formaldehyde has been such a nuisance to the clean air cause that the EPA deemed it a human carcinogen. Despite this finding from a very trusted source, it continues to be widely used in the manufacturing of construction materials, furniture, and can also be found in paneling, cabinets, walls, textiles, floors, etc. One cant help but notice the places that the places previously listed are inside the home! This means that dangerous toxins are all around us and could be polluting our air right now. If its not bad enough to think of living with a harmful substance-think about the possibility of wearing one. Formaldehyde is also key ingredient used to produce permanent-press clothing. All of these products can off gas slowly seep) formaldehyde, therefore deteriorating indoor air quality (Royal, 1998). This segways into another type of air pollution thats often ignored-indoor air pollution. In third world countries around the world gas or electric stoves arent readily available. Therefore the majority of the population uses wood burning stoves. How does a wood stove cause indoor air pollution one may ask. Well, wood smoke is actually far more dangerous than tobacco smoke in some cases. Tobacco smoke (another source of air pollution that will be discussed next) causes damage inside the body for roughly thirty seconds after it is introduced into the body. Wood smoke on the other hand can damage cells inside the body for twenty minutes. Thats almost forty times longer than tobacco smoke! (Henkle, Mandzuk, Emergy, Schrowe, Sevilla-Martir, 2010). However, tobacco smoke is by far a more common source of air pollution and perhaps the oldest. Oldest? Yes, people were lighting up long before Phillip Morris was founded. Everyone from ancient Indians to famous explorers lit up. Modern times are no different as it seems not one day can pass with someone seeing a smoker. Perhaps smokers would reconsider their habit if they knew what they were putting into their bodies and a the air. When smoked, the tobacco and additives in a cigarette undergo complex chemical processes to form smoke that contains more than four thousand chemicals. Forty-three constituents of tobacco smoke are known carcinogens including ammonia, formaldehyde, arsenic, hydrogen cyanide, etc (Cigarette Litter -Filters. n.d.). Thats four thousand chemicals getting into your lungs and the atmosphere. So as you can see from the previous few lines, cigarette smoke is a key player in the air pollution game. However, sadly with every cause thats been listed, there must be a n equal or more devastating effect. Health Effects of Breathing Polluted Air The real cost of air pollution cannot be measured until the health cost are factored in. Too much air pollution can make anyones life a living hell. Why? Well because substantial exposure to air pollution can have drastically negative effects on an individuals overall well being. For example if a person inhaled too much car exhaust, tobacco smoke, factory smoke, etc they would be at risk for the following ailments: Major lung diseases include chronic bronchitis, sarcoidosis, emphysema interstitial lung disease, asthma, and other types of COPD. There are more than twenty eight other classified lung diseases, including, lung cancer, necrotizing and other forms of pneumonia, pleural effusions, asbestosis, pulmonary edema, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, and rheumatoid lung disease (Gorman, 2006). With such a long list of ailments attributed to air pollution its no wonder the Institute of Medicine suggest that indoor air pollutants may lead to the development of a variety of diseases and symptoms, including allergies, asthma, central nervous system effects, infection, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, mucosal irritation, inhalation fevers,,, psychological effects, dermatitis, and some forms of cancer (Barnes, Fisher, Postma, Harnish, Butterfield, Hill, 2010). Pregnancy may constitute a period of human development particularly susceptible to toxins contained in air pollution because of high cell proliferation, organ development and the changing capabilities of fetal metabolism (Ritz Wilhelm, 2008) For example, reports by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated the contribution of environmental pollutants to the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and costs of four pediatric diseases in American children. Most increases in admissions occurred on the same day as the change in air pollution level, suggesting that there was a short time period between the change in air pollution and the physiological response of the participants (2006) The presence in the atmosphere of solid, gaseous or liquid substances emitted by natural sources or as a result of human activities (for example the use of solvents, paints, varnishes and fossil fuels) damages human health, animal life and vegetation, as well as the balance of the ecosystem. Climate change and acid rain are among the consequences of air pollution (Dimitriou, Christidou, 2007) Acid rain is a broad term; it refers to a complex chemical and atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when emissions of nitrogen or sulphur dioxides react in the atmosphere with water and oxygen, forming a mild solution of sulphuric and nitric acids that are then deposited as rain. The ecological effects are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams, lakes and marshes. These and the surrounding soil become acidic and as a result aluminum is released from the soil into the water. Aluminum is highly toxic to many species of the aquatic organisms leading to the loss of biodiversity (Dimitriou, Christidou, 2007). Preventive Measures that Can Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution Prevention Quit smoking; do not frequent places where there is a lot of second hand smoke, Check the quality of air in your community. Contact the local EPA for more information. Test for radon gas in your home. Use indoor air filters in rooms where you spend the most time. Reduce the amount of energy you consume to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Do not exercise in areas of high pollution. If you work in a high-risk job, take precautions to protect your lungs. Use-masks or filters, and take frequent breaks to get a few deep breaths of cleaner air (Gorman, 2006). Studies have calculate that if air pollution was limited the stats for certain diseases would drop 100% for lead poisoning, 30% for asthma, 5% for cancer, and 10% for neuro behavioral disorders. Total costs to society (direct medical costs and indirect societal costs, such as lost work days) w e re estimated to range from 48.8 billion to 64.8 billion dollars (Barnes, Fisher, Postma, Harnish, Butterfield, Hill, 2010)

Source Analysis: The Death of Hector :: essays research papers

The Death of Hector is actually just one part of a larger work. The Iliad was written during the Dark Ages of Greece by a blind poet named Homer. It was mainly entertainment, but today has turned into a significant, though unrealistic History of the Dark ages of Greece. The Iliad was written and performed for a bunch of drunk, barbaric nobles who were the soldiers of the time. That’s the reason Homer put so much descriptive battle scenes and gory details. This is what they wanted; lots of blood, to go with the drinking and war. It is through this we get our first accurate picture of the times of ancient Greece: A backwards, warlike, perpetually drunk society whose only real interest was to gain respect and honor by killing everyone else. This makes no sense, since if you kill everybody for glory, who is left to honor you? Anyway, this was the main reason Homer wrote the Iliad. The specific story of the Death of Hector shows tells the story of Hector, who wants to fight Achilles outside the city gates. He refuses his father’s request to come inside and be protected. In the end he is killed. This entire episode shows the way one should act. Even if scared, it is better to die in battle than to live a coward. This was one of the basic tenants of the Greek code of conduct. So, not only did the stories entertain, but they also were the early Greeks code of conduct. If they were to be a "good Greek", they were to strive to be like someone in the pantheon of heroes. This honor code was needed to keep the people under one standard of honor and loyalty, and what is good, right, and acceptable. This honor code existed for many years, until Classical Greece

God and the Absolute Law :: Religion Theology

God and the Absolute Law This vast universe, which we understand so little of, is governed by a set of rules and principles which were laid down since the dawn of time. The universe was created by God and it is He who laid down these rules. It is also He who created time and then created life out of nothingness. While doing so, He also instructed us how to spend our lives and told us what is right and what is wrong. In other words, He told us what to do and what not to do, and we, each and everyone of us, is bound to concur and abide by these rules. Culture and race is irrelevant ; these laws are absolute and are meant for every individual. One of the laws and/or rules tells us that the human body and the soul is not our own and we have no right to harm it in any way. We do not own them since it is not us who gave them form but it is God who gave them to us for a finite period of time. We value this human life and it is our natural instinct to save ourselves from any harm. It is every man^s constant will to survive. This is a form of an absolute law which governs our every action. It cannot be called a fabrication of mankind because ever since the dawn of time, every human being has fought for his/her own survival. It is ingrained into our nature to try to protect ourselves. So it must be absolute. Theft is another aspect of life which is governed by an absolute law. God gave us life and he provides for each and everyone of us. He bestows us with what we deserve ; nothing more, nothing less. And He told us that we have no right to steal anything from anyone else because it does not belong to us and was not meant for us. This concept, that stealing some else^s property is bad, is also included in mankind^s nature. And therefore it is an absolute law. Examples of thieves and robbers do not refute the existence of the absolute law because they are just people who do not have a strong belief in themselves. They fail to realize that they have everything they deserve and that they should be thankful for what they do have. God and the Absolute Law :: Religion Theology God and the Absolute Law This vast universe, which we understand so little of, is governed by a set of rules and principles which were laid down since the dawn of time. The universe was created by God and it is He who laid down these rules. It is also He who created time and then created life out of nothingness. While doing so, He also instructed us how to spend our lives and told us what is right and what is wrong. In other words, He told us what to do and what not to do, and we, each and everyone of us, is bound to concur and abide by these rules. Culture and race is irrelevant ; these laws are absolute and are meant for every individual. One of the laws and/or rules tells us that the human body and the soul is not our own and we have no right to harm it in any way. We do not own them since it is not us who gave them form but it is God who gave them to us for a finite period of time. We value this human life and it is our natural instinct to save ourselves from any harm. It is every man^s constant will to survive. This is a form of an absolute law which governs our every action. It cannot be called a fabrication of mankind because ever since the dawn of time, every human being has fought for his/her own survival. It is ingrained into our nature to try to protect ourselves. So it must be absolute. Theft is another aspect of life which is governed by an absolute law. God gave us life and he provides for each and everyone of us. He bestows us with what we deserve ; nothing more, nothing less. And He told us that we have no right to steal anything from anyone else because it does not belong to us and was not meant for us. This concept, that stealing some else^s property is bad, is also included in mankind^s nature. And therefore it is an absolute law. Examples of thieves and robbers do not refute the existence of the absolute law because they are just people who do not have a strong belief in themselves. They fail to realize that they have everything they deserve and that they should be thankful for what they do have.

Animal Liberation and Their Moral Status Essay

Peter Singer, author of the highly revered book entitled ‘Animal Liberation’, caused quite a stir when he released this book in 1975. Considered by some as the Bible of animal rights, the book aimed to halt the abuse that a lot of nonhuman animals were experiencing at the expense of human beings. This would include the use of animals for experimentation, as well as the consumption of animals as part of our everyday meals. The book made it a point to emphasize the fact that majority of the humans are taking advantage of animals, and treating them with disregard and without any form of consideration whatsoever. Many people credited the effectiveness of Singer’s book for the sudden burst of animal rights into the mainstream of issues surrounding society. No doubt, his views on animal rights has had a significant influence in the past. Alex Pacheco helped found People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), after reading Singer’s book. And many people still use his book as a reference when discussing the rights of animals (Internal Vegetation Union, 2006). Even so, Singer’s skills as a messenger can’t alone explain how concern about the status and treatment of animals has moved into the mainstream of public policy discussions. Master communicator though he be, the culture had to be ready for his message. It had been prepared by several factors, among them the civil rights, peace and women’s movements and the apparent failure of science and technology to deliver fully on all their promises. Chernobyl, holes in the ozone layer, pesticides in the food chain, and the possibility of a brave new world created by cloning and genetic engineering have put the suspicion and fear of scientists into our collective hearts. Singer’s Animal Rights Still, Singer proceeds to emphasize a lot of his points in his book, as to why animal cruelty should be abolished from society. For one thing, animals and humans, despite some similarities, are still so relatively different that it would be pointless to apply the results that one would acquire from animal testing, and apply it to humans. Aside from that, both animal pain and its relief by means of anesthesia not only interferes with the experimental results, but invalidates it as well. Also, there are now numerous alternatives to animal research, that wouldn’t involve hurting them in any way or form. By doing animal research, whether it is needed or could be beneficial, it is still morally wrong to inflict injury upon animals, as they too have the tendency to feel pain. Singer’s main point of concern is that nonhuman animals should not be subjected to being treated so harshly and without compassion. It is not to say that animals should be treated as equals; rather, humans should not do to them what we wouldn’t do to our fellow species. If a scientist would consider it immoral to experiment on another human being, the same sentiment should be shared to animals. If it would be morally unacceptable to use human beings as a source of food, then why is eating animals any different? Just as it is wrong to kill a fellow human being, so should be the case with animals as well. Singer believed that animals should not be â€Å"a means towards our end†, and treat them as mere commodities which only exist to satisfy our own needs, and should be treated as fellow living things (Lim, 2008). Singer’s philosophical views hold a lot of truth, as the abuse that some animals face due to the work of human beings should be considered as morally wrong. Animals should not be subjected to all sorts of scientific experiments, even if these scientists claim that this for the greater good. Some scientists would argue that the studies they make on animals would benefit us, as their discoveries could pave the way for a better understanding of life in general. But using animals as test subjects should not be condoned, especially if the animals’s health and life is in parrel. Animals should not be harmed, period, no matter what the circumstances are. In terms of preserving their lives, their rights should be just as a high as any human’s. Contradicting Singer’s Arguments Though some of Singer’s arguments may be valid, I cannot say that I agree with some of his beliefs. For instance, in the animal kingdom, when a dominant animal kills one of its prey and feeds it to its family, is that animal considered a murderer? Would it also be considered as, ironically, inhuman? Some would say that animals kill other animals as part of their primal insticts, as a need to feed themselves in order to survive. But if humans eat other animals, shouldn’t it also be considered as the same primal needs? Singer might consider the thought of eating meat to be unruly and wrong, but I beg to differ. Since the beginning of time, the earliest of humans, being not as intelligent as we are now, had the same primal instincts as any other animal. Humans, for the most part, are born as omnivores (Best, 1991). We cannot help it if we crave to eat meat rather than just fruits, vegetables and other natural produce. So for someone to dispute that humans should not eat animals is to go against our own human nature and instincts. Of course, its wrong to eat a fellow human being. But how often have you seen any other animal eating its own kind, too? In that case, it’s not even about being a species of higher intelligence. Not even animals of lower intellect would do such a thing. The point is,   eating another species is part of our natural instincts; not as humans, but as natural-born omnivores. And to say that we are morally wrong to eat anything other than what grows on the ground would be to contradict the nature of not only humans, but the entire animal kingdom as well. We may be more intelligent than animals, but have the same primal needs as animals do, and to deprive us of following that need would also be considered wrong. How then, do we come to a compromise? I believe that Singer had it right when he pointed out the abuse that animals endure when being used as test subjects for scientific experiments. This method is not only unnecessary, but it should be considered as morally wrong. The same goes for sports hunting. The killing of animals should not be done as a leisurely activity, as we would not do it against our fellow man. In terms of consuming other animals as food, while I personally believe there should be limits in terms of choosing what animals can be considered, it should not be taken against those who prefer to eat meat. We as omnivores have our own needs. though not to say that we can’t survive without eating meat, it is still part of our nature to crave for it. In terms of morals, humans should not be held accountable for consuming other animals, as it is what binds us with them. To conclude, animal rights have long ways to go before any permanet laws could be issued that would be fair on both sides. Though Singer stresses a lot of important points, one still cannot deny our own rights, not as humans but as part of the circle of living creatures.   References Best, Steven. Philosophy Under Fire: The Peter Singer Controversy (1991). Retrieved 18 June    2008 from http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Saints/Authors/Interviews/Peter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   %20Singer—summary.htm Lim, Alvin. On Peter Singer’s Ethics of Animal Liberation (2008). Retrieved 18 June 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from http://chlim01.googlepages.com/singer.htm Professor Peter Singer (2006). International Vegetation Union. Retrieved 18 June 2008 from