Technology and Homeland Security an Example of the Topic Science and Technology Essays by

Technology and Homeland Security The title of the article is Technology and Homeland Security written by Kevin Coleman and was published last March 6, 2003 in the Technolytics journal. The article is about the role of technology in the aspect of homeland security, especially now that we are living in a world driven by science and technology. There is a need for improved technology in order to cope up with the changing times. This is because technology is not only being used for a good cause but also for evil purposes like terrorism (Coleman, 2003). Need essay sample on "Technology and Homeland Security" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed There is an implied research question in the article, which is about how technology can be used in the context of homeland security. It dealt with the implications which technology have on homeland security and defense. In relation to this, concepts like weapons of disruption and destruction are defined, because it belongs to the offensive purpose of technology on homeland security. Another is regarding the defensive aspect of technology, wherein it can be used as tools of detection and tools of protection (Savino, 2003). These are applied to terrorists cases, wherein there is both the need for an offensive and defensive strategy, for the homeland security to become fully functional. There is a hypothesis being implied by the article in relation to homeland security. It is about the application of technology in this context, whether it can be used as an offensive means, a defensive tool, or both. The offensive application refers to any resource or technology which can be used as a means to destroy the enemy and their resources, consequently stopping or preventing them from continuing acts of terrorism in the country. Some examples of these offensive applications include bombs, missiles, tanks, and many more. On the other hand, the defensive application refers to any resource or technologies which can be applied in order to reduce the destructive capabilities of an enemy, which is in this case, are the international terrorists. Some examples of this are radars, sensors, satellite detection tools, intelligence gathering networks, and many more. With the article, the author is able to answer the so what question, as he was able to stress the importance of technology in the aspect of homeland security. With reference to previous incidences of terrorism suffered by the country, the author presents statistics of the number of lives being lost to terrorism. This is an obvious consequence of terrorism, which, according to the article, can be averted with the use of modern technologies. It is convincing in a sense that you wouldnt want any of those things to happen again, which would encourage you to think of possible ways to avoid it, and further improving the technology of the homeland security is one way of doing so. The study is unique in a way that it proposed two possible facets of improving the technology of the homeland security, which are the defensive and offensive applications. The output of an improvement in technology would usually one sided, depending on what would be the focus of the improvement. But in the aspect of homeland security, there is a need for both the offensive and defensive applications, if they really want to end the threats of terrorism. The points made by the article are on two aspects, the offensive applications of technology to homeland security and the defensive applications. This is because it deals with the two aspects of homeland security simultaneously, explaining how one could affect the others situation. The paper also pointed out concepts like white operations and black operations, or essentially how the technology is being deployed. White operations are the ones which are visible or disclosed to the public, like upgrades in monitoring systems, or new policies that they would follow in homeland security. One the other hand, black operations are the technologies or resources which are not visible or disclosed to the public, as the information being withheld is essential or strategic for the employment of homeland security. An example would new surveillance tools being deployed to enemy bases which are not obviously seen by the terrorists (National Terror Alert, 2007). There is no literature review included in the article, as there were no sources cited. Because of this, the article clearly lacks integrity, and the truthfulness is questioned. In order for an article to become a reliable source of information, it should also be able to cite where the information it uses comes from. Because the article being reviewed lacked the necessary references and citations, the information it contains is not valid and is highly questionable. The author doesnt clearly describe the method of collecting and analyzing data. It just presents the information as it is, with no attribution or further explanations of how they arrived with such information. In relation to this, the author only mentioned of a possibility of investigating the application of technology in four specific areas on homeland security and defense. It doesnt clearly explain what it wants to do and what they aim to achieve. Again because of this, the paper lacked reliability and so, it cannot be considered as a valid source of information. There is no discussion of variables in the article, though it stressed on points like the offensive and defensive applications of the technology and what types of operation should be conducted, whether it is white or black. The possible variables being described could be the type of offense or defense it could be used, depending on the purpose of using it. The author readily gives information about alternative point of views, like how technology can be used either for protection or for aggression, or whether information would be disclosed to the public or should it remain secret for a period of time. The studies findings are merely affirming the obvious stand even from the start, which is about the uses of technology, either as an offensive application or defensive application. It shows that the technology is useful in both ways, as it can be used to destroy the terrorists, as well as promote peace and order to the rest of the population. These results are not valid because it is not supported by statistical data and computations, and it also doesnt have any reference to the results of previous researches and studies. The consequence of this would be biased results, as it has already been injected with the opinion of the author. The conclusion follows from the evidence provided, however, the evidence provided are not really arranged in any logical order, and it lacks attribution, referencing and citation, which is why its credibility and reliability is very questionable. Because of this, I am not truly persuaded by the article, as I dont have any means of proving whether it is true or not. With the amount of information readily available for anyone during these times, it is really hard to trust which content is really truthful and reliable. The author addresses the implications of these results, as it tackles about the future of homeland security with the application of technology. The author has also made a long range technology forecast regarding how weapons would get personal by 2015, which he does not support with any valid evidence. He also forecasted about new types of weapons, those which possesses alternative intelligences so that it could target specific inpiduals. Again, this far-fetched idea is not supported by any references, which makes it useless and unreliable. Finally, when it comes to the strengths and limitations of the study, it only boils down to one concern the validity of the information contained by the article. We cant fully trust it because the opinions and facts contained in it are not really cited properly or makes references of previous works. The strengths would be more on the future forecast approach, wherein it focuses on the long term effects of technology to homeland security, as well s the short term benefits that can be achieved from it. However, the limitations of the study include the proximity of the ideas, as it based solely in the situation of the United States, and is not really proven to be applicable in other countries as well. References: Coleman, K. (2003). Technology and Homeland Security. Retrieved June 27, 2008, from http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=302&trv=1 National Terror Alert. (2007). Homeland Security. Retrieved June 27, 2008, from http://www.nationalterroralert.com/overview/ Savino, D. (2003). CDI Terrorism Project Factsheet: The Sky Marshal Program. Retrieved June 27, 2008

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Explain the relationship between sociology and modernity. How relevant Essay

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The Negative Impacts Of Soil Erosion Environmental Sciences Essay

The Negative Impacts Of Soil Erosion Environmental Sciences Essay Soil erosion is a process whereby soil (mostly the top fertile soil) is transported or swept away from its natural environment then deposited to other places. This usually happens as a result of blowing wind, water flow, rainfall, by the force of gravity (down slope movement of soil) and human together with animal activities. Erosion is a natural process although it has been seen to rise due to extensive use of land and more so in the agricultural industry. The reduction of soil cover and the cutting down of trees also triggers soil eroison. Agricultural land that is used on the industrial scale is seen to be the most affected as it is subjected to greater rates of erosion. This is evident especially when there is the use of tillage which clears vegetation covering the soil while disturbing soil structures together with roots holding soil particles together. Soil erosion triggers a number of impacts but the main area of concern in this report is soil degradation by erosion affecting the worlds food supply. Soil is taken to be the worlds most valued resource. The loss of this resource, through land degradation processes such as wind and water erosion, is one of the most serious environmental problems we are faced with as it is destroying the means of producing food (Willett, 89). This is a problem that affects the whole world as food is a basic need. Erosion, takes away the best organic matters, it tempers with the depth of the top rich soil, reduces the soils capacity to hold water, and affects the soil biota. Rainfalls beneficial impacts are reduced too due to increases in water runoff and reductions in the soils water holding capacity. Taken together or separately, these factors limit the soils productivity and, as a result, can reduce crop yields from 15 to 30 percent (Pruski, 15). A research carried out by the U.N showed that about 11% of the worlds best soils (which are as big as size India and China put together) have been spoiled by our activities from as early as 1935. About 9 million hectares of arable land have been irreversibly damaged by erosion through overgrazing, deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices. A further 1.25 billion hectares is considered to be seriously degraded and could be restored only at great costs (Hinkel, 81). There are many examples showing that erosion has really affected the worlds food supply. This one is explained by Lal who reveals that: Erosion is very significant in land degradation that leads to decline in crop production which eventually leads to a drop in the worlds food supply. On a global scale, the annual loss of 75 billion tones of soil through deforestation as a major cause of soil erosion costs the world about US$400 billion in a year (at US$3/ton of soil for nutrients and US$2/ton of soil for water), or approximately US$70 per person a year. It is estimated that the total annual cost of erosion from agriculture in the US is about US$44 billion in a year or about US$247/ha of cropland and pasture. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is much larger; in some countries productivity has declined in over 40% of the cropland area in two decades while population has doubled. Overgrazing of vegetation by livestock and subsequent land degradation is a widespread problem in these regions (Lal, 157).   The production ability of most land that has been subjected to soil erosion is seen to decline up to 40% due to soil erosion brought about mainly by deforestation. The reduction of yields in Africa as a result of erosion is about ten to fifty percent. The total mean loss for the whole continent stands at 9%. Africa is perhaps the continent most severely impacted by land degradation due to soil erosion, with the global average being lower, possibly in the range of 1-8% (Baanante, 224). With increasing land degradation due to erosion and deforestation triggering erosion on a bigger scale, food productivity might actually drop up to 50% necessitating international aid which in turn affects the supply from wherever the food is coming from. With the current rate of population growth and soil erosion it is said that by 2050 there would be a humanitarian crisis as far as food supply is concerned. Another good example is of an East African country (Kenya) which has had severe famine due to lack of enough produce. In Kenya agriculture is taken to be the backbone of the country. The country was initially self sufficient in terms of feeding its people. The famine that affected the country was attributed to soil erosion that occurred mainly by the use of unsustainable agricultural practices that exposed soil to erosion and deforestation. Kenya being a hilly country is highly prone to erosion by gravity. This issue is made worse by unsustainable agriculture that does not take care of the issue of soil erosion. Top fertile soil was extensively carried away leaving behind soil that was not good for agricultural food production. Due to lack of produce in the year 2007 and later rains were not sufficient in the year 2008 a great famine ensued leaving people to boil poisonous wild fruits for hours to extract the poison in order to fix a hot plate (Kamau 17). Research shows that lack of rain again was due to deforestation that is helping desertification in this nation. The country was forced to use all its food reserves to the extent of asking for emergency relief food from international organizations. Generally soil erosion occurs where there is lack of adequate soil cover, putting this in consideration; the situation can only worsen when necessary measures are not taken on time. When erosion continues all fertile soils will be swept away leaving behind soils that are not good for crop production or farming activities. Because of the lack of vegetation on land, rainfall attraction does not take place then a famine may be realized. Many countries having this problem rely on other countries for food supply thus creating imbalance in the supply of food. All this is brought about by not tackling the initial problem that is soil erosion. The percentage of desertification is very high in the world today. In deserts and arid areas very little crop production can take place. Deserts do occur because there is lack of vegetation which is responsible for rainfall attraction and soil cover for water preservation. When soil erosion takes place these areas lack the ability to have vegetation and thus there wont be water retaining capabilities or factors influencing rainfall attraction. What will be left is the soil exposure to wind and other factors that influence soil erosion. The main factor influencing this is deforestation. After sometime these areas lose all agricultural relevancies thus having a negative impact on food supply. Across the world research shows that after soil erosion (especially after over use of agricultural land or tillage erosion) has taken place the remaining soil is not good quality soil for food crops. What is normally done with this is the planting of other crops which can survive harsh conditions and the soils that are left behind. These crops are normally cash crops as food crops need more nutrients to grow. With the current rate of soil erosion most parts of the world lack the capacity to produce food crops and rely on other countries to produce food crops for them. This is also a negative factor to the worlds food supply since the initially food productive areas are unproductive at the time when the populations are high needing more food crops. This also has a negative effect on the worlds food supply. Soil erosion does not only create unfavorable conditions for crop growth through land degradation but as shown by Matende: The implications of soil erosion extend beyond the removal of valuable top soil. This is in regard to erosion brought about by water or rain. Crop emergence, growth and yield are directly affected through the loss of natural nutrients and applied fertilizers in the soil. Seeds and plants can be disturbed or completely removed from the eroded site by water erosion. Organic matter from the soil, residues and any applied manure is relatively light weight and can be readily transported off the field, particularly during spring thaw conditions. Pesticides may also be carried off the site with the eroded soil. This can effect negatively on the supply of food particularly when corrective measures are not taken on time or generally poor yields will be realized (Matende, 234). Wind erosion has also been seen to cause significant losses on food crops. The unavailability of lasting vegetation cover in a lot of areas has led to widespread wind erosion (Bramson, 21). Loose, dry, bare soil is the most susceptible; however, crops that produce low levels of residue also may not provide enough resistance. Wind erosion may also create adverse operating conditions in the field (Mathews, 67). Food crops can be destroyed completely bringing about expensive delays and necessitating reseeding. If not the food crops could are sandblasted and destroyed with the end result being no yield, low yield and poor quality yields that impact negatively on food supply. Off-site impacts of soil erosion are not always as apparent as the on-site effects. Eroded soil, deposited down slope can inhibit or delay the emergence of seeds, bury small seedling and necessitate replanting in the affected areas (Knight, 212). This kind of erosion is normally brought about by water or rainfall. When there are heavy rainfalls soils that are unprotected and do not have adequate cover or are loose due to tillage and human activities can easily be swept away. This type of erosion has its own share of negative effects as far as food supply is concerned as in the event of erosion taking place in wide areas crops will not only be buried but some will be left bare and thus germination will either not take place or the exposed seeds can be devoured by birds and other animals. If corrective measures are not taken on time there will be little or no production at all. This also affects the general food supply in the world today. Therefore as shown in this report various types soil erosion has adverse impacts on the worlds food supply. Nevertheless, enhanced land use practices if embraced can mitigate this situation, using techniques such as terrace building, conservation tillage practices, and tree planting can help reduce soil erosion. When these practices are used properly soil erosion can not only be reduced significantly to about the same rate of soil reform but also the world will realize better food crop production and there will be sufficient food security. Using these methods again food crop yields could increase up to 20% this is in northern America and from about 4 to 17% in Africa.

Cause and Effects of Divorce :: Marriage Divorce

What is a marriage? According to Webster’s dictionary,† marriage is an institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family. Marriage is also an intimate or close union.† Marriages don’t always last and result in divorces. Two of the leading causes of a divorce are lack of foundation and lack of communication. Almost half of American marriages now end in divorce. One cause of marriages ending in divorce is lack of foundation. Why should a couple get married if they have nothing in common? Marriages tend to end in divorce when a couple does not share core values, beliefs, or expectations. In a marriage sharing the same interest and passions is important. If a couple doesn’t share the same values, beliefs, or expectations and don’t have common interest or passions, just what is the foundation of their marital relationship? Another cause of marriages ending in a divorce is the lack of communication. Many couples lack the proper communication when it comes to decision making. When a couple is able to communicate they are able to solve their problems verbally. Disagreements due to lack of communication often lead to arguments. Lack of communication may also cause financial problems, when couples to communicate about their shared finances. Failure to communicate may lead to behavior problems children involved in the relationship. Children tend to like to manipulate their parents when there are communication problems. Communication is the key within any relationship, not just marital relationships. To avoid having a marriage end in a divorce, be sure the relationship is built upon a strong foundation.

Different types of bullying and the potential effects on children Essay

Explain different types of bullying and the potential effects on children and young people. Bullying is a very serious issue and has a major effect on and lots of children and young people. Many children feel depressed, I’m happy and sometimes suicidal and have no self esteem. there are different types of bullying these are;- physical bullying, this includes pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching and other forms of violence or threats. Verbal bullying, this includes name calling, insults, sarcasm, spreading rumours and persistent teasing. Emotional bullying, this includes not speaking to and excluding someone, tormenting, ridicule and humiliation. Cyber bullying, this includes the use of information and Communications technology particularly mobile phones and the internet deliberately to upset someone else. Bullying can be carried out by one person against another or by groups of others ganging up on a person, bullying can have many consequences. The potential affects bullying can cause are, Running away. Poor academic achievement. Shyness. Depression. Isolation. Low self esteem. Threatened of attempted suicide.

Thanksgiving essays

Thanksgiving essays Thanksgiving is one of Americas most treasured holidays and traditions. While there are some constants in the way we observe the day, it can mean different things to different people. The American Thanksgiving holiday began as a feast in the early days of the American colonies almost 400 years ago. In 1620, a boat filled with more than 100 people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from England to settle in the New World. This religious group had begun to question the beliefs of the Church of England and they wanted to separate from it. The pilgrims settled in what is now the state of Massachusetts, and their first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow any crops, and without fresh food, half the colonist died from diseases which the contracted on the voyage from England. The following spring the Iroquois Indians befriended the pilgrims and taught them how to grow corn, something the colonist never had done before. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish. In the autumn of 1621, plentiful crops of corn, barley, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. The colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the Indians. In following years, many o f the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast of thanks. After the United States became an independent country, Congress recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving for the whole nation to celebrate. George Washington suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving Day and then in 1863, at the end of the long civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to set aside the last Thursday in November as...

How to Cite a Book in IEEE Referencing

How to Cite a Book in IEEE Referencing How to Cite a Book in IEEE Referencing IEEE referencing is used in subjects like computing and engineering (or if you are writing for one of the many IEEE journals). Books, meanwhile, are paper things full of writing. And if you are using both of these in an academic paper, you’ll need to know how to cite a book in IEEE referencing. In-Text Citations In IEEE referencing, citations are indicated with numbers in the text: The Skynet project was abandoned after early problems [1]. Sources should be numbered in the order they are first cited. The citation above, for example, would point to the first entry in the reference list at the end of the document. Common variations on this system include: As shown above, citations are usually given at the end of a clause before punctuation. However, if you name the author in your writing, give the citation immediately afterwards rather than at the end of the clause. If you quote a book, include a page number in the citation. If we were to name the author and quote the source, then, we would write: Connor [2, p. 129] reported â€Å"unexpected anti-human sentiment.† Here, we are citing page 129 of the second source in the reference list. Reference List When citing a book in IEEE referencing, you need to give full publication information in the reference list. The basic format to use for this is as follows: [#] INITIAL(S) Surname, Title. Place of publication: Publisher, year. Note that the title is italicized when citing a book. You should also include a hanging indent for each line after the first. In practice, then, the reference list entry for a book would look like this: [1] J. Connor, Experiments in Artificial Intelligence: The Story of Skynet. Los Angeles, CA: Cyberdyne Publications, 1997. We hope this explains how to cite a book in IEEE referencing. And don’t forget to let us know if you’d like the references in your writing checked.

Mrketing Strtegy of Ford Compny Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mrketing Strtegy of Ford Compny - Case Study Example "Tht's some good news in the mix of our business," Ford's sles nlyst George Pips sid yesterdy. Ford Motor is the second lrgest utomotive compny in the world nd the most trnsntionl of ll uto mkers. It hs opertions in more thn 200 countries nd territories, employing bout 350,000 workers (Schnpp, Cssettri, 2004) Historiclly, Ford sought to compete ginst the industry's leder, Generl Motors, by incresing its presence in foreign mrkets. Ford's Interntionl utomotive Opertions co-ordintes ctivities in twenty-six countries grouped in three principl regions (Europe, Ltin meric, nd si Pcific). In the lte 1970s, Ford produced outside the United Sttes hlf of its worldwide vehicle production - compred with GM's one-fourth. The Ford Motor Co. hs lso been leder in introducing or rpidly dopting technologicl innovtions in the industry. Henry Ford, the founder nd president of the compny, is considered the fther of mss production. In the difficult decde of the 1980s, Ford showed its cpbility to rpidly dopt the Jpnese system of production nd to move fster thn ny other uto mker in seeking the integrtion of its opertions on globl bsis. The compny ws lso pioneer in the interntionliztion of production, s it ws the first to open n ssembly plnt in Cnd (1904), in Mexico (1925), nd in mny other countries. Historicll y, the compny hs hd leding role in developing n utomotive cpbility in those countries, nd its strtegies hve been chrcterized by its responsiveness to locl government demnds nd its reltively high levels of export ctivity. 2. Politicl fctors to consider in building Mrketing strtegy of Ford Motor Politicl fctors such s US government policies of intermittent intervention in the industry help to undermine the extent of competition in the US utomobile industry. The dversril reltionship between government nd business in the United Sttes tht emerged in the mid-1960s ws founded on the underlying tension which existed between the neo-clssicl model or ideology tht shped US government policies towrd the utomobile industry nd the system of mngeril cpitlism bsed on lrge, oligopolistic corportions. In the 1960s, nd responding to growing public wreness on sfety nd fuel emissions, the US government incresed nd modified its forms of intervention in the utomobile industry. Before the 1960s, US government intervention in the utomobile industry ws "intermittent nd inconstnt, " s "periods of mild support nd benign neglect hve lternted with periods of fierce scrutiny nd shrp intervention" (Dyer et l. 2001:45). Most government policies ffecting the industry re not shped by the underlying ideology of lissez-fire, which justified government intervention only when there were strong demnds by powerful economic or socil ctors to do so, or when it ws justified to correct mrket filure (Gilpin

Walgreens Annual Report 2011 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Walgreens Annual Report 2011 - Term Paper Example There is a comparison between the financial year 2011 and the preceding year 2010. The percentage increase for each of the mentioned entities is given. The third section is the company highlights. This section stipulates the company’s locations in terms of new locations, new acquisitions, closings, and the sales area. Also there is a breakdown of the product class sales in terms of prescription drugs, non prescription drugs and general merchandise. Extensive comparison of the financial year 2010 with preceding four years is given. The section is concluded with a graphical representation of the company’s fiscal year stock performance. The fourth section in the Walgreens report is the letter to shareholders. This section, signed by the Chairman of the Board and the President and Chief Executive Officer, delineates the company’s activities, achievements, drawbacks and how they were curbed among other issues from the perspective of the Chairman and the CEO. The fifth section is known as everyday. This section defines the core values, missions and objectives of Walgreen Company. One by one they give a vivid description of what the company does in people’s lives everyday. These include: providing integrated care, caring for patients, helping people live well, enhancing healthy living as well as getting closer to people. The section concludes with a group photo of the board of directors plus their names and ranks as well as a list of the company’s officers. The sixth section is the five-year summary of selected consolidated financial data.As the title suggests, this section encompasses a breakdown of a few selected entities including net sales, per common share, non current liabilities, assets and equity as well as location. An extensive analysis of these entities for the last five years is given. Seventhly, we have the management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition. In this section, ther e is an extensive and lengthy discussion and analysis of the company’s financial conditions and results of the company’s operations. It contains a series of statements which involve risks and uncertainties inter alia. The eighth section is the consolidated statements. This section comprise of consolidated statements of earnings, consolidated statements shareholder’s equity, consolidated statements balance sheets and statements of cash flow. It is followed by the notes to the consolidated financial statements. This section comprehends the accompanying information to the consolidated financial statements. It describes the major accounting policies, restructuring, leases, acquisitions, goodwill and other intangible assets, income taxes, short-term borrowings and long-term loans, financial instruments, fair measurements commitments and contingencies, capital stock, stock compensation plans, retirement benefits as well as supplementary financial information. Finally, there is the report of independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. This is the last section of the report which gives an audit feedback to the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Walgreen Company by the Delloitte and Touche LLP audit firm. There are many factors that influenced the Company’s financial performance during the financial year 2011 as delineated in the report. First and foremost is the establishment of new alliances with top health system. These include: John Hopkins Medical Center, Onchsner Health