Technology and the Environment Essay Example for Free

Technology and the Environment Essay With the development of Computers and information technology came talk of a new environmentally friendly era. The need to create and store documents on paper would be gone, along with the need to travel from city to city to conduct business meetings. The developers of computers sold Government Originations and Corporate America on these cost saving concepts. The promises made by computer developers proved to be somewhat true, especially given the wide spread deployment and use of Internet and email. Although computers have succeeded in reducing paper consumption, time, and fuel wasted while traveling they have managed to create some other waste management disasters. E-Waste is a new phrase that has been coined in the last few years. The term refers to the massive amounts of electronic waste that is being generated by ageing computer equipment being sent to disposal facilities and landfills each year. According to the National Safety Council, more than 150 million used PCs are sitting idle in storage in the United States with an additional 315 million computers that will need to be recycled or scrapped in 2004. The manufacturing of computers has transformed life in the second half of the 20th century. This also leads to rapid product obsolescence and lack of focus on environmental and social impacts of expanding production. The average computer platform now has a life span of about two years; hardware and software companies constantly generate new programs that demand more speed, memory and power. It is usually cheaper and more convenient to buy a new machine for the newer software than it is to upgrade the old machines. Disposing of e-waste in a landfill may seem harmless but in reality it is very dangerous to water supplies, plant life and humans in the surrounding areas. Electronic computer equipment is a complicated assembly of more than 1,000 materials, many of which are highly toxic, for example chlorinated and brominated substances, toxic gases, toxic metals, photo-active and biologically active materials, acids, plastics and plastic additives. Health impacts of the mixtures and material combinations in the products are unknown. The production of semiconductors, printed circuit boards, disk drives and monitors use very hazardous chemicals, and workers in chip  manufacturing are reporting cancer and birth defects. New evidence shows that computer-recycling employees have high levels of dangerous chemicals in their blood. The list of toxic components in computers also includes lead and cadmium in computer circuit boards, lead oxide and barium in computer monitors cathode ray tubes, mercury in switches and flat screens, and brominated flame retardants on printed circuit boards, cables and plastic casing. Considering the fact that landfills leak and even the best are not completely secure they will eventually allow a certain amount of chemical and metal leakage into the surrounding environment. The Environmental Protection Agency is just now beginning to recognize that these problems do exist and are creating new laws and regulations to correct disposal of e-waste. Several states are now adopting disposal programs, and some are even designating sites where consumers as well a businesses will be able to dispose of their unwanted computers without fees. These government programs as well as independent companies trying to recapture IT assets are proving successful. Although computers are responsible for a large increase in the amount of waste generated they have also been responsible for a significant decreases in fuel consumption and air pollution. With the rise of the communications era in recent years there is less need to travel. With video conferencing people can now go to a meeting without leaving their home, talk to someone with a cellular phone and do a myriad of other things including work, shop, search and communicate through the World Wide Web. With all this, there is less reliance on cars, which translates into less harmful carbon monoxide emissions. By using these advanced techniques and dealing with waste in a more responsible manor we would reduce air pollution and overfilled landfill sites saving valuable resources along with our invaluable environment. Waste recycling efforts, and utilization of technology hold the key to  solving our waste problems. By using methods such as recycling and responsible manufacturing techniques to reduce waste we would eliminate the need for designated landfill sites and the resulting massive pollution clean up costs. Computers like promised can be the solution, not cause of societies waste problems.

Fredrick Douglass Essay example -- Biography Biographies Bio

Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who altered America's views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick's life as a slave had the greatest impact on his writings. Through his experience as a slave, he developed emotion and experience for him to become a successful abolitionist writer. He experienced harsh treatment and his hate for slavery and desire to be free caused him to write Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In his Narrative, he wrote the story of his miserable life as a slave and his fight to be free. His motivation behind the character (himself) was to make it through another day so that maybe one day he might be free. By speaking out, fighting as an abolitionist and finally becoming an author, Douglass's transformation from a slave into a man. In a preface of Douglass' autobiography, William Lloyd Garrison writes, "I am confident that it is essentially true in all its statements; that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated, nothing drawn from the imagination; that it comes short of the reality, rather than overstates a single fact in regard to SLAVERY AS IT IS."(Garrison, 34). The significance of this statement validates and promises that Douglass' words are nothing but the truth. This made the narrative more marketable to the white audience and people were listening. Douglass realized that he did not need assurance from white people to be respected. That's why he addressed his master for all the wrong things done to him. Slaves are looked as not human. Douglass completes his journey from slave to man when he creates his own identity. He speaks out, fighting as an abolitionist and finally becoming an author. Douglass tells his story not simply as a search for fr... ...e torture and pain of slavery, he had an excellent reason to fight for the abolitionist movement. He became successful in his fight against slavery. His works documented the rise of a slave to a free man, to a respected speaker, to a famous writer and politician. In his narrative, Douglass simplifies his experience to that of other slaves showing the cruelty, psychological and physical struggle of slaves. Douglass went through several life changes, from being a slave to having freedom. He went from the south to the north, from a young man to a well known and respected speaker. This man helped America come to terms with slavery which was an important factor in the abolitionist movement. Works Cited Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997).

Apollo 13 Movie Physics

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly in space or work on the crew at NASA that helps the astronauts get home safely? These two jobs both use many of the laws of physics. In fact, almost everything they do involves physics. Apollo 13 is a movie that epitomizes what those jobs are like and how much physics is required. The three main laws of physics in the movie were Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, Newton’s First Law, and Newton’s Third Law. One main law in Apollo 13 was Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, defined as F=Gm1m2r2, where G=6. 7? 10-11. The first main scene in which this law was needed was when NASA decided that it would be best for the crew to take a free-return trajectory back to Earth. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation was needed to figure out the net force and its direction on the Apollo 13 spacecraft as it followed its path. NASA made sure that Apollo 13 would make it back to Earth and not be lost in space . Another scene in which Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation was needed was when the Apollo 13 crew needed to execute a burn.This law helped them calculate the forces acting on them by other planetary objects, and therefore how much force their burn needed to apply. By simply adding together force vectors NASA could predict the exact location at any time of the Apollo 13 spacecraft. The third scene in which this law was required was when Jim Lovell stated that they â€Å"just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver’s seat† after NASA had ordered them to power down both the LEM and the Command Module.What Jim Lovell was stating was that since now they couldn’t do anything to control the ship the only thing guiding them to Earth were Newton’s laws, especially Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation. If Newton’s laws were to fail then the Apollo 13 crew would have had no chance of getting home. To sum it up, three scenes in Apollo 13 that use d or showed Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation were when Jim Lovell said that they â€Å"just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver’s seat†, NASA decided that a free-return trajectory was the best way to bring the Apollo 13 crew back home, and when Apollo 13 needed to execute a burn to adjust its course.Another prevalent physics law in Apollo 13 was Newton’s First Law, which states that a body will persist in its state of rest or of uniform motion unless it is acted upon by an external unbalanced force. In most scenes of Apollo 13 that show the spacecraft in space this law was visually demonstrated. The Apollo 13 spacecraft was always in uniform motion unless it was acted on by another external unbalanced force. The most significant force in space that would act on the spacecraft was that of gravity.Gravity from other large masses, such as the Earth, Moon, and Sun, acted as the external unbalanced force which changed the spacecraft’s speed and dire ction. If all the gravity in space were to suddenly disappear and the net force on the spacecraft were to be zero then the Apollo 13 ship would simply adhere to its uniform motion tangent to its original path. Another group of scenes in which Newton’s First was displayed was when the astronauts moved around in their spacecraft while in space.It is quite easy to tell from watching how the astronauts moved around in 0g that they were exhibiting Newton’s First Law. If an astronaut in the movie applied a force in one direction to move in the other that astronaut would then move at a constant velocity (in relation to the ship) as soon as that force was removed. On the contrary, if no force were applied, the astronaut would remain at rest in relation to the ship. Overall, Newton’s First Law was shown in Apollo 13 when the astronauts moved around in their spacecraft and when the spacecraft traveled through space.The third law that was very important in Apollo 13 was Ne wton’s Third Law which states to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The first main scene in which Newton’s Third Law was demonstrated was when the Apollo 13 crew had to execute a burn. By firing the main engine, they released gas particles into space, therefore applying an equal and opposite force on the ship. The burn was used to break free of the Earth’s gravity and to adjust the spacecraft’s trajectory slightly in order to make it home.Another main scene in which Newton’s Third Law was displayed was when the astronauts were in space, and they needed to move around in their spacecraft. In order to move, the astronauts had to apply a force in one direction in order to have a reaction force applied on them in the opposite direction. In 0g the astronauts could use their hands to push on other surfaces and move them in the opposite direction. The third main scene in which Newton’s Third Law was demonstrated was when the Apol lo 13 spacecraft ejected small amounts of gases to adjust the trajectory of the ship by fine amounts.By ejecting small amounts of gases the ship was exerting a force in one direction and receiving an equal force in an opposite direction, and therefore changing its path. By releasing just the right amount of gases the spacecraft could change its trajectory to make it home safely. Looking at the whole, Newton’s Third Law was exhibited by the spacecraft when it ejected gas particles into space, when it executed a burn, and when the astronauts moved around in their spacecraft. Many laws of physics were used in the movie Apollo 13.These laws helped to enforce the realistic feeling that this movie gave to its viewers. Not only were Newton’s Laws included but others were also used in smaller quantities, including Kepler’s laws and kinematic equations. Ultimately, the three commonly used laws in Apollo 13 were Newton’s First Law, Newton’s Third Law, and Ne wton’s Law of Universal Gravitation.

Louisa Adams, First Lady 1825 - 1829

Known  for:  Only foreign-born First Lady Dates:  February 12, 1775 - May 15, 1852  Occupation: First Lady of the United States 1825 - 1829 Married to: John Quincy Adams Also known as: Louisa Catherine Johnson, Louisa Catherine Adams, Louise Johnson Adams About Louisa Adams Louisa Adams was born in London, England, making her the only US First Lady who was not born in America. Her father, a Maryland businessman whose brother signed the Bush Declaration of Support for Independence (1775), was the American consul in London; her mother, Catherine Nuth Johnson, was English. She studied in France and in England. Marriage She met American diplomat John Quincy Adams, son of American founder and future president John Adams,  in 1794. They were married on July 26, 1797, despite the disapproval of the grooms mother, Abigail Adams. Immediately after the marriage, Louisa Adams father became bankrupt. Motherhood and Move to America After several miscarriages, Louisa Adams bore her first child, George Washington Adams. At that time, John Quincy Adams was serving as Minister to Prussia. Three weeks later, the family returned to America, where John Quincy Adams practiced law and, in 1803, was elected a US Senator. Two more sons were born in Washington, DC. Russia In 1809, Louisa Adams and their youngest son accompanied John Quincy Adams to St. Petersburg, where he served as Minister to Russia, leaving their older two sons to be raised and educated by John Quincy Adams parents. A daughter was born in Russia, but died at about a year old. In all, Louisa Adams was pregnant fourteen times. She miscarried nine times and one child was stillborn. She later blamed her long absence for the early deaths of the two older sons. Louisa Adams took up writing to keep her mind off her grief. In 1814, John Quincy Adams was called away on a diplomatic mission and, the next year, Louisa and her youngest son traveled in winter from St. Petersburg to France -- a risky and, as it turned out, challenging journey of forty days. For two years, the Adams lived in England with their three sons. Public Service in Washington On returning to America, John Quincy Adams became Secretary of State and then, in 1824, President of the United States, with Louisa Adams making many social calls to help him get elected. Louisa Adams disliked the politics of Washington and was fairly quiet as a First Lady. Just before the end of her husbands term in office, their oldest son died, perhaps by his own hands. Later the next oldest son died, probably as a result of his alcoholism. From 1830 to 1848, John Quincy Adams served as a Congressman. He collapsed on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1848. A year later Louisa Adams suffered a stroke. She died in 1852 in Washington, DC, and was buried in Quincy, Massachusetts, with her husband and her in-laws, John and Abigail Adams. Memoirs She wrote two unpublished books about her own life, with details about life around her in Europe and Washington: Record of My Life in 1825, and The Adventures of a Nobody in 1840. Places:   London, England; Paris, France; Maryland; Russia; Washington, D.C.; Quincy, Massachusetts Honors: When Louisa Adams died, both houses of Congress adjourned for the day of her funeral. She was the first woman so honored.