Author: chris

Digital Signature and its Vulnerabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to explain the specific properties of a digital signature. The document also provides justifications of the differences between direct and arbitrated digital signatures. Finally, the document gives an explanation as to what a suppress-replay attack necessitates. The following document is meant to enlighten the user of the different properties of digital signature and their vulnerabilities.

Digital Signature and its Vulnerabilities

Introduction

Computers are a part of the modern lifestyle. However, when working with them at times the issue of security, information assurance and privacy usually arises. At times, the concern of digital signature frequently pops up when using the computer. It is essential to be informed of digital signatures and their properties. There might also be a time when one needs to know of the differences between types of digital signature and their vulnerabilities. Finally, one needs to know how to deal with these vulnerabilities.

Properties of a Digital Signature

A digital signature is a mathematical scheme used to demonstrate the dependability of a digital document. Digital signatures are commonly used in software distribution and in places where the user wants to detect forgery. It consists of a key algorithm that selects a private key uniformly from a set of private keys. In addition, it has a signing algorithm-producing signature that responds to the given message. Moreover, it is a signature-verifying algorithm that responds to the sent message. There are several properties that a digital signature must have. First, it must be genuine. This means that the person who signed it is real and intended to do so (Leiwo, 2003).

Secondly, the signature must be difficult to forge, meaning that the user is the only one entitled to sign and open the document. No one else is permitted to know of the signature, no person can act on behalf of the signer. The signature should be of quality without mistakes to avoid practicable attacks form outsiders. Digital signatures must not be re-usable, meaning after the document has been signed no part of the document can be displayed or made use of anywhere. It is not warranted for use anywhere else since the owner has locked the document with an algorithm password. The digital signatures cannot be renounced; once it is signed, the signer cannot deny that he signed the document. The signature must be easy to recognize. The user must use a signature that is easily recognizable and easy to memorize but private. They should also be practicable in retaining a copy of the signature in storage.

Difference between Direct and Arbitrated Digital Signature

Direct and arbitrated digital signatures are processes used to send data from one person to another without any charges. A direct digital signature can be formed by encrypting the message with a private key. It is a signature that the sender of the message contacts the receiver and gives them the public key. The sender then sends a secure message to the receiver containing the public key that he uses to open the document and read the contents. The method is the safest since it does not involve a third party. There are drawbacks related to this signature. The message is only secure when the private key is secure. If it is shared to anyone then the information is insecure. The sender can deny sending the message by simply stating that their key was lost (Yoon, 2004).

However, if this happens then a message containing the compromising key can be sent to the sender. An arbitrated digital signature is used to overcome the sending problem encountered in a direct digital signature. Here every message sent from the sender first goes to the arbitrator who checks on the content. It is then dated and sent to the recipient. The arbitrator helps solve the problem of sender disowning the message. The presence of a third party helps curb the problem encountered in sending the message. However, the third party involved must be a person who is trusted. The party needs to validate the contents of the message and the sender details. He helps prevent message trafficking.

A Suppress-replay Attack

Suppress replay attack is where legitimate data transfer is captured and replayed by an adversary in attempt to gain unauthorized access to the data. It is a concern when both parties are confirming their identity. This type of reply attack occurs in the Denning Protocol where it uses timestamps to increase the level of security. Timestamps are a measure used to prevent an attack. It revolves around synchronized time clocks throughout the network. The only time the distributed time clocks can become unsynchronized is when there is a fault in the mechanism. It is stated by Li Gong that the recipient remains vulnerable to accepting the message as a current even after the clocks have detected the error (Stallings, 2003). The recipient remains vulnerable until the message is invalidated. In suppress replay, if the clock of the sender is ahead of time and the message is interrupted, he can replay it on current timestamp.

A replay track can be used together with a masquerade where a stranger pretends to be an authorized user. Another measure than can be used to prevent attacks is use of tokens to verify timestamps of messages. Thirdly, one can use message authentication code. This is short piece of information used to authenticate a message. The keyed hash function accepts as input a private key with a lengthy message to be validated and exits a message authentication code. It protects the message information by only allowing verifiers with the private word to detect any hindrance to the content.

Message authentication codes contain different security measures. For it to be considered secure, it must resist forgery. This means that if the attacker gets hold of the secret word, he cannot guess all the codes. Message authentication codes differ from digital signatures in the case of balanced encryption. They are repudiating as the signatures in the situation of sharing a secret key. Any one who can verify a message authentication code can operate other codes for other messages. The messages are created such that they will always produce the same codes assuming the same algorithm will be used to generate both. They are designed to produce same codes, message or secret word are input to the similar algorithm. Proper use of these message attack measures can curb the issue of message delay and data diversion to unauthorized destinations.

Conclusion

To conclude, digital signatures have essential properties in them that are important in digital signature design scheme that is aimed at ensuring the validity of the sender’s message, the contents and the two parties. A direct digital signature is a method where the sender of the message is responsible for ensuring that the receiver obtained the sent public key safely and ensures the private key is safe. He ensures the key is safe to avoid any traffic of information or interference from a third party. An arbitrated digital signature is a process that uses a trusted third party to validate the sender’s details, the receiver’s details and the message contents. The two signature methods have drawbacks; however, the latter one was designed to support the direct signature method. The third party was designed to eliminate the issue of trafficking. One security support system designed is the suppress replay attack where there legal transfer of data is delayed, recorded and replayed at a future point of time. This is done in order to gain unauthorized admission. Nevertheless, this attack can be controlled if the safest precautions are put into consideration.

 

 

 

 

 

References

Leiwo, J. (2003). Digital Signatures. Retrieved from

<http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Studies/T-110.498/2003summer/Slides/lecture04.pdf>

Stallings, W. (2003). Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practices. Retrieved from < http://EzineArticles.com/2605927>

Yoon, H. (2004). Digital Signatures. Retrieved from <http://camars.kaist.ac.kr/~hyoon/courses/is560/is560/Chap-10.ppt>

The proposed change or convergence between US GAAP and IFRS

The term US GAAP are initials representing the term United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. These are accounting principles or rules that are used in the preparation, reporting and presentation of financial statements. They are used over a wide variety of institutions that include any organization that maintains financial or accounting information and records. These include private companies, public companies, governments and non-profit making organizations just but to name a few. The reason as to the abbreviated as US GAAP is because the term is mostly confined to the United States. However, in the real sense, generally accepted accounting principles are used world over in the accounting industry. The IFRS is an abbreviation that stands for International Financial Reporting Standards. The standards were formulated by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The standards were formally known as International Accounting Standards. The United States financial reporting industry shall undergo changes in the near future due to the requirement of US companies to apply convergence between the US GAAP and the IFRS and because of the conversion of the IFRS (Bonham 28).

The convergence between the US GAAP and the IFRS shall affect a few major accounting principles and standards since they shall have to be reviewed in order to piece them together. The IFRS’s impact on businesses is large and it is not only in America, but world over. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are the two major bodies that are working to make the two sets of accounting and financial principles compatible. The IASB is the international body charged with the responsibility of setting International Accounting Standards and it named the new standards the IFRS. The FASB on the other hand, is the body in charge of establishing the generally accepted accounting principles to be used by all private, public and non-profit making entities.

Some of the effects of the IFRS to the US based companies have been mostly in their business interaction with non-American vendors and customers and the continued adoption of its standards by their foreign subsidiaries. The effect of the change is being heavily felt by the US companies as more and more aspects of the IFRS and US GAAP continue to converge. The SEC or the Securities and Exchange Commission supports the implementation of a uniform set of accounting standards and believes that the IFRS is in the best position to perform that job. The SEC is the federal body or agency charged with the responsibility of enforcing the laws of federal securities, the regulation of the securities industry, the country’s options and stocks exchanges and other securities markets in the country (Feldman and Arkady 6).

The SEC had in the year 2008 proposed a road map for convergence and required business entities and stakeholders to respond with any grievance that they had. The SEC then introduced a work plan that is aimed at considering these grievances and recommending them for use by the IFRS in their convergence exercise. The main aim of the plan is to be used by the SEC in the determination of how, whether and when the US GAAP can and should incorporate the IFRS in the activities of domestic users. Though it is still uncertain whether the IFRS shall fit in the US business platform, the ultimate goal of the SEC is to finally, fully implement it. The SEC suggested that the need for a common language in the international business community is to avoid cases like the financial crisis that faced the world capital markets and triggered the economic recession. The recent agreement by the Group of 20 Nations (G20) and the US government on the need to have a common business language and a set of high quality common accounting standards used globally is among the main efforts to converge the IFRS and the US GAAP and to make eventually make the IFRS globally accepted. The recent continuing efforts to globalize the capital markets and the SEC’s constant campaigns to converge the US GAAP and the IFRS also aim to the globalization of the IFRS.

The convergence shall involve the development of more than ten new accounting standards that shall aid the convergence of the US GAAP and the IFRS. The convergence shall also affect major topics in the US business environment like revenue, financial instruments, leasing and the general presentation of financial statements. The underlying fact is that regardless of the outcome of the SEC’s decisions, the convergence between the two systems shall have a major impact on the US business environment and the US companies. The convergence shall cause changes in the accounting platform that shall affect several sectors like tax policies, terms of contracts, communication with shareholders and credit agreements just but to name a few.

As discussed earlier convergence shall have major impacts on the accounting, financial and business sector at large. On a more specific level, the impact it shall have on financial reporting done in the US shall be broad. The FASB and the IASB formalized a memorandum of understanding that bound them to work together to formulate standards that shall not only converge but also improve the IFRS and the US GAAP. The two bodies divided the issues and listed each according to its priority. The issues given more priority were, in order, Financial Instruments, Revenue recognition, Leases, Statement of comprehensive income and Fair value measurement. Considering revenue recognition, the new draft is quite different from the draft that was being used (Epstein and Eva 3).

The new format may have the effect of increasing the separation and identification of performance obligations and increasing the use of estimates. This area is sensitive since the method used in the recognition of a company’s revenue affects many other key areas in the company’s operation like, cash management, sales strategies, sales contact terms and investor communication. Under lease arrangements and accounting for leases, the proposed model is set to change everything that existed before including how to account for leases and how to report them in the financial statements.

Regardless of when they shall be adopted, the IFRSs are already affecting the US business platform significantly, the impact is set to increase in the years to come as the convergence exercise, and adoption gathers momentum. Companies in the near future are going to be faced with the challenges of keeping up with the pace of the change in financial reporting since the standards shall continually be rolling out. Companies shall also have the challenge of management and monitoring of their branches and subsidiaries. The understanding of how to make deals and transactions with foreign companies and the updating of company policies shall also be challenges that US companies shall face (Pounder 45).

Companies should however focus and embrace the change and the challenge since regardless of which between the SEC’s convergence requirement and the IFRS adoption by the subsidiaries shall be more vigorous, the change is inevitable. Companies that want to succeed should also formulate strategies that shall assess the impact that the convergence and the full adoption of the IFRS shall have on their business operations and consider how it shall affect the different stakeholders in their company. This can be achieved by the use of creation of scenarios and strategizing how to incorporate the convergence by generating possible outcomes and planning. Companies should also conduct processes of overseeing the adoption of the IFRS on their subsidiaries both local and international. Companies should also identify the changes they can make in the current situation and implement them rather than wait and slowly implement the ones that shall take longer. The focus on the convergence and adoption of the IFRS shall make a company always ahead of the others in business operations (Walton 58).

Works Cited

Bonham, Mike. International GAAP 2008: generally accepted accounting practice under international financial reporting standards. New York, NY: Wiley, 2008. Print.

Epstein, Barry and Eva Jermakowicz. WILEY Interpretation and Application of International Financial Reporting Standards 2010. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print.

Feldman, Matan and Arkady Libman. Crash course in accounting and financial statement analysis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2007. Print.

Pounder, Bruce. Convergence Guidebook for Corporate Financial Reporting. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print.

Walton, Peter. An Executive’s Guide for Moving from US GAAP to IFRS. Tampa, FL: Business Expert Press, 2009. Print.

Environment and Its Preservation or Restoration

The human populace has noted increased environmental issues notably from the period 1970s when a global oil scarcity was noted. This was initially attributed to the climaxing and immediate declination of the oil resource in the chief user nations, namely America, Germany, and Canada amongst others, due to enhanced industrialization by at least one percent. As the available oil deposits were unable to meet the demand, the resource depletion was enhanced leading to the shortage that has continually increased to 3.4 percent by the period 2004 (Mills 180). Currently, researchers have expressed their concerns for the future as by the period 2030, the global demand is expected to rise by thirty-seven percent evidencing a waiting disaster, as the supply will be insufficient with the user trends available. Such human activities usually lead to further environmental degradations as further oil drilling areas were instituted to cover the additional demand. Alternative energy sources that are ecologically friendly are accessible to overcome this challenge.

Christians have been singled out as one of the most ignorant groups with regard to environmental issues due to the erroneous perspective that environmental awareness programs are categorized as politics and thereby lacking priority as the main role of the church is to accord spiritual nourishment. Environmental issues have been addressed mostly by liberal politicians and progressive Christians in the world whose number has expanded significantly within the twentieth century up to the present, yet the view has been rejected by conventional Christians with regard to ideals. With the liberal form of lifestyle evidenced by progressive Christians in their embrace for gay practices and claims with regard to the existence of other ways of restoring the broken relationship with God other than in Christ, it has led even to the rejection of ‘good’ doctrines from the conventional sect (Weaver and David 222). Traditional Christians bent on the need to uphold holiness as a requirement for a healthy relationship with God tend to literally detach themselves from such movements, despite the fact that it is towards a good cause. This justification is usually accorded to Biblical teachings. However, Christ offers the best example by His association with sinners by indicating that one is able to maintain healthy relationships with such without compromising one’s principles and ideals.

Other Christians rejecting the practice of environmental protection accord so as a reflection of their ignorance. Ecological preservation is largely a scientific concern as evidenced by the various researches conducted towards the examination of the subject and the accorded proposals towards the preservation of the same. With the long conflict that has been noted between science and religion with regard to various matters, Christians have adopted an unhealthy attitude towards the former especially on matters of evolution and this presently affects any form of proposals. Additional ignorance is based on the eschatological doctrines that project a future in which the world shall be totally ruined as retribution to the problem of evil and sin (Dyke 160). Enthusiasts of this view mostly hold the view that there lacks credible need to conserve or restore the environment as all efforts will eventually be rendered obsolete in the destruction. The most prevalent position is rather egoistical, as most of these individuals believe that they will have faced their demise before the great destruction period.

Despite personal interpretations, all Christians holding the Bible as an authoritative teaching bear a considerable liability with regard to environmental maintenance in accordance to the Genesis account and commandments. A notable study conducted within a Christian standpoint by a renowned Christian biologist, Professor Calvin DeWitt practicing at the University of Wisconsin proves that Christians should accord specific actions towards ecological maintenance as an act of obedience to God’s commands (Evangelical Alliance of Papua New Guinea 8). Adam being an epitome of humanity was charged with the role of subduing the earth and this translates to proper land management. Presently, the land resource has been degraded by harmful human practices like deforestation that on a yearly basis leads to the loss of one hundred thousand square kilometers of forests. Consequently, at least three flora and fauna species are termed as extinct on a daily basis within the world. The rate of land erosion and desertification is alarming, notably as evidenced by the Sahara desert that extends to the south with an annual margin of five or six kilometers.

The second commandment regards preservation of animals both within the water, land and air habitats. Human activities have clearly disregarded this rule as noted within industry and farming effluents that have led to water pollution and salinization affecting water animals and plants (Evangelical Alliance of Papua New Guinea 8). The toxicity of water bodies is very high and the low water quality affects even the human populace with regard to water-borne outbreaks or poisonous feeding. The atmosphere has been affected with the greenhouse effect and this definitely affects the birds, people and land conditions through the ozone depletion. God had charged Adam with these specific instructions as an antecedent for sustainable food production for the nourishment of humans and other living things. Disregarding environmental protection is thereby a direct violation to God’s requirements with His position as the creator and again with His model of terming creation as good and offering a charge to humans for its preservation.

Christians should understand that the present creation as described by Apostle Paul will be used by God in the future glory for the new earth with regard to the ultimate salvation (Evangelical Alliance of Papua New Guinea 14). This includes humans, plants, animals and the physical world in the transformation to the new earth. Therefore, as God accords this position seriously in view of the future, Christians should also bear the same view. Therefore, Christians should actively participate in the adoption of renewable sources of energy for factories and farming practices, recycling programs to preserve trees and animal species, restore deserts through artificial irrigation as land reclamation, disallow further ozone depletion by adoption of water, wind and bio-energy, and the institution of proper waste treatment areas to avoid water pollution. These are but a few of the activities that Christians should uphold of obedience to God’s commands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

American Scientific Affiliation. Perspectives on science and Christian faith: journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, Volumes 59-60. Ipswich: The Affiliation, 2007. Print.

Dyke, Fred. Between Heaven and Earth: Christian Perspectives on Environmental Protection. New York: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print.

Evangelical Alliance of Papua New Guinea. Christians Caring for the Environment in Papua New Guinea: A Handbook of Principles and Practice. Mt. Hagen: Evangelical Alliance of Papua New Guinea, 2005. Print.

Mills, Robin. The myth of the oil crisis: overcoming the challenges of depletion, geopolitics, and global warming. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. Print.

Weaver, Mary, and David Brakke. Introduction to Christianity. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.

 

 

Outline

1. Introduction
2. Global oil scarcity noted in the 70’s has led to increased environmental issues
3. Available oil deposits unable to meet the demand, thus leading to enhanced resource depletion
4. Global demand is expected to rise by thirty-seven percent, causing eventual insufficiency
5. Alternative energy sources that are ecologically friendly are necessary to overcome this challenge
6. Ignorance
7. Christians ignorant due to erroneous perspective that environmental awareness programs are categorized as politics
8. Environmental issues addressed mostly by liberal politicians and progressive Christians, yet rejected by conventional Christians
9. Traditional Christians upholding holiness as a requirement for a healthy relationship with God detach themselves from such movements.
10. Christ’s association with sinners indicative that one is able to maintain healthy relationships without compromising one’s principles and ideals
11. Relation to Science
12. Ecological preservation is a scientific concern as evidenced by the various researches
13. Christians have adopted an unhealthy attitude towards science especially on matters of evolution and this presently affects any form of proposals
14. Eschatological doctrines project a future with the world ruined as retribution to the problem of evil and sin,
15. No need for conservation as humans will face their demise before the great destruction period.

III. God’s Commands

1. Genesis account and commandments hold Christians liable with regard to environmental maintenance
2. Christians should accord specific actions towards ecological maintenance as an act of obedience to God’s commands
3. At least three flora and fauna species are termed as extinct on a daily basis within the world
4. Rate of land erosion and desertification is alarming, evidenced by the Sahara desert
5. Effects of Breaking Commandments
6. Second commandment regarding preservation of animals have been flaunted by human activities within industry and farming
7. Toxicity of water bodies is very high and the low water quality affects even the human populace
8. Greenhouse effect affects the birds, people and land conditions through the ozone depletion
9. Disregarding environmental protection is thereby a direct violation to God’s requirements including offering a charge to humans for its preservation
10. Conclusion
11. Present creation will be used by God in the future glory for the new earth with regard to the ultimate salvation
12. God accords this position seriously in view of the future; Christians should also bear the same view
13. Christians should actively participate in the adoption of renewable sources of energy

Hip Hop Wars

Assumptions that hip-hop is beginning to die is perceived to be wrong because its existence reigns upon many young people. Professor Tricia Rose has elaborated that all the perceptions that the people relate about hip-hop are wrong due to the take that both the fans and the detractors have irrational and dishonest ideas about hip-hop. This has been related to the content and the conduct of the musicians. In her view, she takes on hip-hop as an elegant, challenging, analytical, and determined and burnish with an honorable resentment unprejudiced by feeling of affection. In many instances, her ideas are correct due to the courage and the determination of the black people to pass message of hope to the black people.

The hip-hop wars arise where many people relate hip-hop with the ugly incidences such as violence and sexuality and other social evils. It is also believed that many of the American radio stations are killing the hip-hop genre by concentration on playing other kind of music such as RnB and love songs hence ignoring the hip-hop songs. This has brought much of the controversy in the medial for not promoting the hip-hop songs thus resulting to the hip-hop wars. With reference to the book of Rose, hip-hop has been regarded as the growing genre of music in the continent due to its ability to pass message through the clarity of language used. In other words, with much comparison of Hip-hop with other types of singing, we realize that hip hop is a more of talking than singing. Thus, this gives the audience the ability to pass the message in a more clear way that addresses the issues of life directly.

Much of the emphasis have been based on the fact that hip-hop traces its origin from the black people. These songs have been used for encouraging and giving hope to the black people due to many challenged they faced during the slavery period. Therefore, these songs have great impact on the listeners for they helps in the development of morale and the idea of positive living among the black people. The oppression they faced due to the racism era led to the growth of stigma among many black people and hence to counter balance this, they came up with hip-hop. It was like a defense mechanism that was employed by the Africans in order to express their freedom and the desire to be treated equally like the other human beings. These songs have been awarded for their ability to facilitate cohesion and unity among the blacks and the whites thus enhancing unity in the continent.

The uncivilized and the cultural nature that has been associated with the hip-hop is an example of the racism that the African people have faced. Hence, they chose to continue with this genre of music because they are proud of their culture. Therefore, hip-hop genre has given the sense of belonging in African culture and race. Irrespective of the critics that the hip-hop has faced, it still stands on the lead due to the influential topics that it touches in life. It has been passed from generation to generation due to the uniqueness and the roles that it plays in the society. Hip-hop has grown significantly due to the perception that has been established for it is used as a source of encouragement among the Africans who have undergone the racism era and other forms of oppressions.

Therefore, “hip hop has greatly contributed to the international cohesion due to its ability to touch on the sensitive issues in the society” (Rose 46). This has been related to the elegant, challenging, analytical, and determined and burnish with an honorable resentment unprejudiced by feeling of affection. Hence, Rose idea about hip-hop is correct due to the ability of the music to be clear in terms of t message distribution.

References

Rose, Tricia. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop-and Why It Matters. New York: BasicCivitas, 2008. Print.

 

Hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia is a condition of abnormal rise of blood levels in all lipids in the blood. This disease occurs when there is too much fatty substance in the blood stream. Hyperlipidemia is divided into primary and secondary subtypes. The primary hyperlipidemia is caused by genetic genes such as mutation in protein receptors. The secondary hyperlipidemia results due to cases of diabetes. Most individuals suffer from abnormal lipids and lipoproteins hence are regarded as the adaptable risk factor for cardiovascular disorder. Various medical treatments are administered including satins, niacin, fibric acid derivatives and bile acid sequestrants in order to break down cholesterol substances.

Treatment depends on age, the history of a person’s health and risk factors of heart disease problems. The treatments for the adults depend on the risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and family history on heart disease problems. In addition, treatments may depend on the primary or secondary hyperlipidemia (Brian 143). Individuals suffering from this disease follow certain steps in order to improve their cholesterols and prevent heart disease and heart attacks. For instance, they can be given a variety of health food rich in vegetables and fruits. Hyperlipidemia patients should not be given food saturated with fats and trans-fatty acids.

They should get periodic health checkups and screening of cholesterol should be done periodically. Regular exercise should be done in order to increase blood cholesterol. Incase an individual is a smoker; he or she should quit smoking. Incase the patient’s lifestyle changes, he or she should not change his or her cholesterol levels until the doctor recommends medication. Different drugs should be administered because different drugs lower the blood cholesterol levels and other medicines lower the density of lipoprotein levels. Other medicines may increase lipoprotein cholesterol whereas others are good in lowering triglycerides (Brian 201).

Most common drugs for lowering lipids are satins. These drugs are generally effective for treating hyperlipidemia patients because they have few adverse effects. The recent studies carried out on standard treatment for treating patients suffering from hyperlipidemia indicated that satins lower the density of lipoprotein. Even patients who maintains normal low-density lipoprotein and suffering from myocardial infarction were reported to have decreased their morbidity and mortality due to use of satins medicine. Presently, there are six satins available for treating hyperlipidemia (Durrington and Allan 137).

Satins reduce triglyceride levels and lower the density of lipoprotein. All the six types of satins have a minimal effect in raising the high-density lipoprotein levels especially simvastatin and atorvastatin types of satins.  However, the research carried out indicated that atorvastatin is the main effective type of satin medicine in decreasing low-density lipoprotein to hyperlipidemia patients. Satins are the safety treatment drugs for treatment of hyperlipidemia with less adverse effects of gastrointestinal disturbances as well as headache and body rashes. There are rare problems of hepatitis but this occurs when an individual discontinues from taking the medicines.

Niacin is another medical treatment for hyperlipidemia patients. It has been used for lowering lipids and proved to have reduced cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Nicotinic acid or niacin reduces serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein of cholesterol values (Safeer and Cynthia 3378). In addition, it increases the high-density levels. Niaspan that is a form of niacin drugs has the same benefit of changing the results of the patient same to the standard niacin. However, it is less effective compared to satins in the case of lowering the density of lipoproteins. Prolonged niacin can lead to increase of high-density levels and reduces triglyceride levels making it exceptional from other agents that lower lipids.

Fibric acid derivatives, which is also known as fibrates is used for treating hyperlipidemia. This type of drug includes clofibrate, fenofibrates and gemfibrozil. This drug is a risk factor of coronary heart disease. Fibrates is the main effective medicine for lowering triglyceride levels but it should be restricted in use because of its adverse effects. The guidelines for the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) suggest that medication therapy should be administered to patients of hypertriglyceridemia (Safeer and Lacivita 3379). Incase the levels of serum triglyceride is higher then fibrates should not be administered. Fibrates reduces triglyceride values and increase the density of lipoprotein levels. Even though, this drug lowers the density of lipoprotein, some patients of hyperlipoproteinemia show the signs of an increased level of lipoproteins.

Bile acid sequestrants are the current medicine available for treating hyperlipidemia disease. They are of two types and they include cholestyramine and colestipol. They lower the density level of lipoprotein to 20 percentage and decrease the high-density lipoprotein to 5 percentages. These two types of drugs rarely increase the values of serum triglyceride. Bile acid sequestrants are rarely administered because it has severe adverse effects on gastrointestinal and cumbersome prescriptions. The therapeutic result is apparently noticed after treatment has been carried out for about one month. However, this medication interferes with the absorption of vitamins and various minerals in the body. In addition, they reduce certain medical absorption such as penicillin, levothyroxine and dioxins (Safeer and Lacivita 3380).

Combination medication and compliance is essential for patients who fails to meet their values and who are resistant to medication administered to them. Those with moderate and severe of hyperlipidemia have difficult in meeting their goals. They have considerable decrease in lower-density and the benefits from therapy are less than their risks. That is why many physicians recommend use of satins than the other types of medicines because it is the most effective. If the disease persists, one tablet combined with lovastatin with use of niacin can be administered. Physicians should instruct well their patients on numerous adverse effects that may arise from use of these medicines and report immediately incase of muscle pains and other complications.

The mechanical action through which satins works is different from other drugs because satins lowers its cholesterol level through inhibiting enzymes that plays a crucial role in cholesterol production. Satins take place in the methlglutary reductase pathway hence producing mevalonate next to the molecules that eventually produces cholesterol together with different compounds. Satin eventually lowers the cholesterol through several mechanism processes. It eventually leads to reduction of lower-density levels of lipoprotein (Stargrove, Jonathan and Dwight 343).

Through inhibiting methlglutary reductase, satins may block the pathway in order to enable cholesterol synthesis in the liver to take place. This is essential because cholesterol is released from the internal manufacture instead of the diet. The level of blood eventually falls when the liver fails to produce cholesterol completely.  Patients are advised to take satins at night because cholesterol synthesis appears to take place at night. Researchers indicate that lower-density lipoprotein and reductions of cholesterol works at night especially in the short-acting simvastatin than long-acting atorvastatin.

Consequently, cells in the liver sense in case of the decrease liver cholesterol levels thus the liver cells seek to compensate through synthesizing the lower-density lipoprotein receptors to draw away the circulation of cholesterol (Mitchell et al. 493). The mechanism is completed through protease enzymes that slice protein migrating to the nuclei causing increased production of many other proteins and produces other enzymes. The lower-density receptor then moves to the cell membranes in the liver and binds bad cholesterol particles linked to the disease. The lower-density lipoprotein moves out of the circulation system into the liver where bile salts are being reprocessed from cholesterol. Lastly, cholesterol is excreted and the internal bile salt circulations recycle the remaining cholesterol.

Works Cited

Durrington, Paul and Allan Sniderman. Hyperlipidemia. Oxford, UK: Health

Press, 2005. Print.

Reamy, Brian. Hyperlipidemia Management for Primary Care: An Evidence-Based Approach.

New York, NY: Springer, 2008. Print.

Safeer, Richard and Cynthia Lacivita. “Choosing Drug Therapy for Patients with Hyperlipidemia.” American Family Physician. 61. 11 (2000): 3371-82. Print.

Stargrove, Mitchell, Jonathan Treasure and Dwight McKee. Herb, Nutrient, and Drug

 Interactions: Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Strategies. St. Louis, Mo:

Mosby/Elsevier, 2008. Print.

 

Pompeii

Pompeii was a city located southeast of Mt Vesuvius in Naples on the western coast of Italy. Mt Vesuvius is an active mountain that is located nearby and on 24 August 79 A. D., the mountain erupted and covered the surrounding cities including the city of Pompeii. This was witnessed by Pliny, who observed the event at his home. He described a cloud that seemed blotched and dirty. According to him, many people did not realize the seriousness of the situation and they therefore did not see the need to escape. Pliny described falling hot ashes that got hotter and thicker. There were also bits of pumice and blackened stones that had been charred by the flames. The ashes filled the sky during the day and made it darker than the night. The volcano emitted poisonous fumes and they caused several deaths. The cloud lifted two days later but the poisonous fumes were still present (Hansen & Curtis, 2008). The city of Pompeii remained buried until 1748. It is believed that the town was preserved by the ash. Nothing had changed when the town was discovered.

There are no reports of any volcanic eruptions before the 79 AD disaster. The people had only experienced minor earth tremors prior to the eruption and they did not see the need for getting concerned about it. Even as the mountain was erupting, few people realized the danger they were facing and some even dared to take a closer look at what was going on (Hansen & Curtis 2008). Vesuvius had experienced small eruptions of lava and minor pyroclastic eruptions (Jashemski & Meyer, 2002) which were obviously not a cause of great concern. Before an eruption occurs, there is usually an increase of volcanic gases such as carbon dioxide. Such gases are often lethal to livestock since the animals are suffocated and they die. In AD 62, many animals died on the slopes of Vesuvius. Other signs were eminent prior to AD 79. There was an earthquake, which damaged the theater, but the people ignored it. On 20 August, stronger tremors were reported and people reported hearing noises, which sounded like thunder. Springs stopped flowing and wells dried up but the people did not connect these occurrences to volcanic eruptions (Jashemski & Meyer, 2002). Being a religious people, they probably attributed it to the gods.

Even if the people had paid close attention to Mt Vesuvius, they probably would not have been able to escape and save their lives. After excavations, many people were found buried and their skeletons show that they were trying to escape. Most of the people tried to escape during the second phase of the eruption (Jashemski & Meyer, 2002). This shows that after the first eruption, they had only thought of seeking shelter and they had not really thought of escaping. The gray pumice was formed after seven hours of eruption and it had accumulated to a height of 150 cm after five hours. The pumice fell on the southeast of Vesuvius and other areas were largely unaffected. Many people were killed by the pyroclastic surges and falls that interrupted the pumice. The surges and flows killed people within a 10 km radius from the crater (Jashemski & Meyer, 2002).

The disaster at Pompeii could not have been avoided because of its magnitude. The only thing that could have been done was to lessen the effects of the eruption. Had the people had the knowledge concerning eruptions back then, they could have escaped the region when they started seeing the signs of an impending eruption. Although it is a volcanic mountain, Vesuvius had been dormant for a long time. Today, scientists and meteorologists have learnt how to read most of the signs that are associated with volcanic eruptions. However, this does not mean that people are always ready for when eruptions happen. There are many volcanic mountains in different regions and some have erupted in recent times. They have changed the geography of the affected regions and have caused the death and displacement of many people.

References

Hansen, V., & Curtis, R. K. (2008). Voyages in world history. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

Jashemski, F. M. W., & Meyer, G. F. (2002). The natural history of Pompeii. London: Cambridge University Press

 

PSYC 1311: Introduction to Psychology

 

Spring 2011

 

 

Web Task 4: Learning Styles (4%)

 

Name:	ID#:
Section:	Date:

 

 

Step 1: What is your Learning Style?

 

Highlight your answer for each question in red.

 

1. When relaxing I prefer to:
   1. Read or watch television

1. Listen to the radio or music
2. Play sport

 

1. When trying to remember people I tend to:
   1. Remember names but forget faces
   2. Remember what I did with them
   3. Remember faces but forget names

 

1. When I am concentrating I get most distracted by:
   1. People or things moving around
   2. Untidiness
   3. Noise

 

1. I learned most about traffic rules by:
   1. The road code book
   2. What the driving instructor said
   3. The driving experience
2. I solve problems most easily by:
   1. Talking through the possible solutions
   2. Hands on experiences
   3. Writing or drawing out possible solutions

 

1. If I had to wait an hour for a bus I would most likely:
   1. Fidget, walk around
   2. Watch people or the scenery
   3. Talk to myself or talk to others

 

1. To show sympathy I would most likely:
   1. Write a card to the person
   2. Telephone the person
   3. Visit the person

 

1. I try to spell a new or difficult word by:
   1. Sounding it out
   2. Writing it to see how it feels
   3. Writing it to see how it looks

 

1. Of the arts, I prefer to go to:
   1. Theatre – plays, opera and dance
   2. Art exhibitions
   3. Music concerts

 

1. When I get angry I tend to:
   1. Go quiet and fume silently
   2. Shout and yell
   3. Storm off, bang thing

 

1. In class I prefer:
   1. Lectures and discussions
   2. Experiments and activities
   3. Diagrams and pictures

 

1. In a video shop, I am more likely to choose from:
   1. Action, adventure
   2. Drama
   3. Music

 

 

1. To know what sort of mood someone’s in, I tend to:
   1. Look at their face
   2. Listen to their voice
   3. Notice their gestures

 

1. I prefer the humor of:
   1. Comedians who talk
   2. Slapstick action
   3. Comics and cartoons

 

1. At a party I tend to spend most time:
   1. Circulating round or dancing
   2. Watching what is happening
   3. Talking and listening to others

 

1. I prefer something explained by:
   1. Diagrams, pictures, maps and graphs
   2. Talk, lecture
   3. Demonstration

 

1. In class I like it best when we are:
   1. Listening to the teacher talking
   2. Moving around, doing things
   3. Writing or doing worksheets

 

1. I learn best in sport when the coach:
   1. Demonstrates the skill
   2. Explains the skill using the whiteboard
   3. Talks about the skill

 

1. In the evening, at camp or on a trip, I would prefer to:
   1. Play cards
   2. Tell jokes and listen to them
   3. Kick a ball around

 

1. I would prefer my partner, or closest friend, to like:
   1. The same music as me
   2. The same sports or activities as me
   3. The same movies or TV shows

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Work out your scores

 

 

Q1             A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q2             A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

Q3             A          =         K

                  B          =         V

                  C          =         A

 

Q4             A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q5             A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

Q6             A          =         K

                  B          =         V

                  C          =         A

 

Q7             A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q8             A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

Q9             A          =         K

                  B          =         V

                  C          =         A

 

Q10          A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q11          A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

 

 

Q12          A          =         K

                  B          =         V

                  C          =         A

 

Q13          A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q14          A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

Q15          A          =         K

                  B          =         V

                  C          =         A

 

Q16          A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q17          A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

Q18          A          =         K

                  B          =         V

                  C          =         A

 

Q19          A          =         V

                  B          =         A

                  C          =         K

 

Q20          A          =         A

                  B          =         K

                  C          =         V

 

Add all of your V’s, A’s and K’s together and then multiply each answer by 5. This will give you a %

 

E.g. If you scored 6 x V’s, 5 x A’s and 9 x K’s, your percentages would be reflected as:

V = 30%, A = 25%, K = 45%

 

Step 3: What are your final scores for each Learning Style?

 

 

V = 7 x 5 = 35%

 

A = 8 x 5 = 40%

 

K = 5 x 5 = 25%

 

 

Step 4: Write a short paragraph describing the behaviors of each Style (5 lines each)

 

 

Visual learning is essential because it makes an individual to see clearly and be able to identify various things such as pictures, cartoons and photos. This will help an individual to express clearly the information that is being explained. The learner can be able to recall easily through remembering what he or she exactly saw. Visual writing contributes to better writing and spelling skills. However, incase of distractions such as noise or movement, one may forget and pay less attention to visual learning and it may not be applicable to blind people and individuals with poor eyesight.

Audio learning is mostly preferred by many people. It is more convenient because some people prefer to listen to ideas than just visualizing. Audio learners are talkative and get attracted by sound.  They prefer listening to things than rather reading them. Audio learners prefer reading texts loudly and some daydream while walking. However, these learners have poor writing skills and they rarely get distracted by noise.

Kinesthetic learning is less preferred by some people. This style involves a lot of movement around and individuals memorize things through walking. Some individuals of this learning style tap pens or move from one seat to another. Actually, they want a lot of break and enjoy things like games. They remember things effectively through practice. However, they do not enjoy reading and have poor writing skills.

Step 5: Write a short paragraph giving suggestions for each Style

(5 lines each)

Visual learners should be trained to write down things or take notes while studying for better performance. They should be left to work in a quit environment where there is no distraction of noise or movement around. In addition, they should sit far away from the door or windows that may interrupt them due to people’s movements. Consequently, they should they use colors when learning new terminologies. Lastly, they should face people directly when they are talking because it helps them to recall better on the information passed across.

Audio learners should be left to study with other people especially group discussions. They should be left to read books loudly if possible because they will understand better. Audio learners should record notes on tape cassettes and then start listening to them. They should pronounce loudly those things or new terminologies they want to remind themselves. Consequently, they should try to have a clear picture on the books and talk what they think about them before they start reading.

Kinesthetic learners should be involved in many activities such as playing games before turning to studies. They should be involved in-group discussions and left to study with music from the background. During class lessons, they should try to move their legs swiftly on the floor slowly not to interrupt or irritate others. They should lie on their stomach or back while studying from their homes. Lastly, they should try to remember things through closing eyes and writing down in the air what they have read for better remembrance and understanding.

Drama-Character Analysis

Parents sometimes expect their children to realize the dreams they never did or to live as they did. They will sometimes impose strict responsibilities on their children expecting them to meet their own expectations. This can burden the children to such extent that they forget who they are as they take on other qualities so that they can meet the set expectations. Sometimes the parents’ decisions can cause their children more pain despite the fact that it was not their original objective. Parents do not always know what is best for their children. They should instead let the children find their own paths in life, make mistakes, learn from them and do things at their own pace.

The movie, “The Glass Menagerie” is a memory play based on four characters. Tom is the narrator and the protagonist of the movie. Other characters in the play are Amanda-who is his mother and the antagonist in the movie, Laura-his shy sister and Jim- his friend and Gentleman Caller. Tom loves his family and he works at the warehouse to provide for them. He however feels trapped and he longs to escape from his home and fulfill his dreams (). Amanda is a single mother and has expectations for her children. She is seen as the antagonist of the play because she opposes Tom’s actions and does not support his dreams. Laura is a flat character. She is shy and does not seem to know what she wants with her life.

Amanda lives in a world of disillusion and dreams. She is the antagonist in the movie because she prevents the antagonist from achieving his goals and dreams (Bowden 59). Her frustrations in life stem from the fact that her husband abandoned her and she was left alone to take care of the children. To escape, this she constantly remembers her past as a southern belle. Amanda does not accept reality and does not seem to understand her life. She tells her children exaggerated stories such as how she had seventeen suitors at one time. Unfortunately, she expects Laura to live the same way she did and does not expect her condition. She does not question, and does not seem to mind, her daughters love for inanimate animals. She expects her children to do as she wants and she does not care about their dreams and desires. She is seen as selfish because she expects him to meet her demands and provide for the family. She constantly argues with her son and presses him to work at the warehouse and she has not taken the time to learn about his inspirations in life. She is an escapist because she blames Tom when Jim, the first Gentleman Caller for Laura, reveals that he is in a strong relationship and that he is already engaged. Amanda is a hot-tempered woman and he tells Tom harsh and unbearable things when Jim leaves which eventually forces him to leave home. Amanda is a determined woman who goes to great lengths when she wants something (NewWorldGiftGallery).

Tom is the protagonist in the movie and he is faced with a dilemma of whether or not he should leave home (Bloom 21). He has been placed with the burden of providing for his family since his mother does not have a job and his father deserted them. Tom lacks the courage to face his mother and for a long time he has been forced to work at a place he hates. Tom loves adventure but he does not have the drive to pursue his ambitions (Brinkman). He loves poetry but he chooses to work at a shoe warehouse for a meager salary. His love for his family is also his burden. Even after he leaves home, he is still trapped with familial thoughts especially because of his sister. Tom is sensitive to his sisters needs and he invites his friend to dinner hoping that he will be her first suitor. Tom longs for escape and a release from the life that has imprisoned him. Although he manages to escape physically from home, his thoughts about his family still render him captive.

Laura is a flat but dynamic character whose physical condition has limited her from fully exploring who she is. Dynamic characters grow or change emotionally or they learn a lesson (Bowera 59). Her sensitive nature and her shyness towards life have greatly restricted her from discovering life and knowing her potential and capabilities. Laura is brought out as quite a strange and unique character. Her very presence is the reason for the constant argument between her brother and her mother. She has substituted people’s affection and has directed them towards her glass animals. This is probably because she can relate to them more than she can relate to people. Like the glass animals, Laura is fragile in nature and breakable (Schwartz 10). Whenever she is faced with unfamiliar situations, she looks for ways, which she can escape instead of confronting them. This is clearly seen when Tom invites Jim for dinner. She feigns sickness instead of joining in their conversation. Once someone gets to know her, Laura is seen as a loving, lovable and cheerful girl. She is able to draw people towards her. This is seen in the way Jim relates with her. He enjoys her company and he kisses her although he has a girlfriend.

Laura does not exhibit her mother’s temper (Smith). Although she feels bad that Jim is engaged, she takes it all in stride and she even gives him her favorite glass unicorn as a souvenir. Laura acts as the mediator between her brother and brother and she usually urges them to get along. She has an understanding nature and this is seen in the way that she talks to her mother about her brother and the way she tries to explain her mother’s behavior to her brother. This also shows how perceptive she is of her surrounding. She is able to see her mothers relished dreams about her past and her brothers longing about his future. Laura changes in a dramatic way because she lets Jim into her world by opening up to him. She does not get overwhelmed when the glass unicorn breaks and this could also be symbolic. She seems broken when she learns that Jim is engaged but this only means that she is just like any other girl, just as the unicorn resembles a horse when its horn breaks (Novel Guide).

Jim is the only character in the play that is not related to the Wingfields. He is also different in character from the Wingfields because he has a more realistic view towards life. He comes across as an insensitive person and this is especially seen in the way he treats Laura. He kisses her and then confesses that he has a girlfriend. However, Jim’s insensitive nature seems to be brought about by Laura’s beauty, which makes it impossible to restrain him. He is careful enough to notice her and refers to her as “blue roses”, meaning her beauty is of a rare kind. Jim does not notice Laura’s physical limitation. He goes beyond that and he even finds pleasure in her company (Summary Central). Jim has an easy nature about him that makes it easy for people to be around him. Laura opens up to him, something that she had not done with her family. She does not even get angry with him after breaking her glass unicorn and after confessing that he is engaged. Amanda is also pleased to be around him. She talks to him differently and she looks for other ways of impressing him. Jim is a foil character and this is clearly seen when he is contrasted with Tom. A foil character works against the character and serves to increase the tension and conflict (Bowden 61). Tom and Jim are different characters whose only connection is that they work together and that they are friends. Tom is an ambitious young man who does not have enjoyable memories and previous achievements. Jim on the other hand has pleasant memories since he was a star in his high school team. Unlike Tom, who seems to have lost all hope, Jim is not discouraged in life.

The movie, “The Glass Menagerie” tells a story of hopelessness and imprisonment as the characters try to escape the world that they live in (vtheater). Tom escapes from reality by writing poetry and watching movies and Laura escapes into her world of inanimate objects as she tries to get over her inferiority complex. Amanda manages to make Tom escape from home while she had tried to keep him there by bestowing the family financial burden upon him. In the end, it seems like she has not yet learnt how to let her children lead their own lives. She has not yet accepted her daughter’s condition and she has not let her live her life as she sees fit. This is a tragic story and unlike many other stories, there is no successful conclusion, and there seems to be no hope for the future.

Works Cited:

Bloom Harold. The Glass Menagerie. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing, 2006. Print

Bowden, Darsie. Writing for Film: The Basics of Screenwriting. United Kingdom: Routledge, 2006. Print

Bowera Kristen. Of Mice and Men Literature Guide. United Kingdom: Secondary Solutions. Print

Brinkman Kaya. Literary analysis: The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams. 18 April 2011. Web. 9 May 2011

NewWorldGiftGallery. A Review of “The Glass Menagerie.” Jan 29 2010. Web. 9 May 2011.

Novel Guide. The Glass Menagerie. 2011. Web. 9 May 2011

Schwartz Maritta. The “Soft People” in Tennessee Williams Plays. Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2008. Print

Smith Nicole. Analysis and Plot Summary of the Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. 2010. Web. 9 May 2011

Summary Central. The Glass Menagerie. 2010. Web. 9 May 2011

Vtheater. The Glass Menagerie. 2007. Web. 9 May 2011.

 

 

 

Final Assessment Essay

An editorial cartoon is an illustration that contains a propaganda message related to the present events. They are also referred to political cartons and are mostly found in the editorial page of the newspapers such as “humor or funny times”. Editorial cartoons vary but they have certain designed styles of each. Some use visual metaphors and pictures to portray the political situations. Often, they have stereotypical and biased contents portraying people or events. An editorial cartoon of Obama gets Osama indicates a challenged idea of the death of Osama bin Laden.

The editorial cartoon about the death of Osama bin Laden challenges on how Obama came to kill him. The idea being challenged is how Barrack Obama found Osama Bin Laden. The cartoon reveals that Barrack Obama did not do anything concerning the death of Osama bin Laden. It reveals that Obama was not smart enough to have killed Osama and his death is all but a lie. The idea argued is that Obama could not have been buried on the sea because it is an extreme act of water pollution. Therefore, it claims that the sea burial of Obama was a hoax.

The cartoon details the accomplishment of terrorism goals by the American nation (Will 2011). The cartoon claims that anyone could have done what Obama did. It reveals the rivals of Obama criticizing his work that he is trying to appear powerful in political success through announcing the death of Osama. However, it argues that Obama wanted to ensue that Osama’s death was handled in a discrete way. His announcement of killing Osama improves his profile as a powerful American soldier against terrorism.

In conclusion, editorial cartoon of Obama gets Osama portrays a picture of challenging ideas of the death of Osama Bin Laden. The cartoon reveals that the leaders of terrorists cannot escape forever from the capture or killings of America. The cartoon indicates Obama as a powerful warrior in cases of terrorism. The most wanted criminals cannot overcome the powers of America because of the way American handles terrorism. From this editorial cartoon, Americans always struggles to accomplish their mission regardless how hectic the mission is, they always aim to achieve it.

 

 

 

Work Cited

Durst, Will, Obama gets Osama, the Cagle post cartoons and commentary, May 7,

2011. Web. <http://blog.cagle.com/2011/05/obama-gets-osama>

 

Global Warming

Introduction

The topic “global warming” has been top in the media, books, journals, conferences, amongst others, for the past couple of years now. Unfortunately, a recognizable number of people cannot explain what it is. Since the universe came into existence, it has gone through a number of climatic changes, having cooling and warming and cooling effects due to a shift in its orbit. To add insult to injury, humanity has constantly influenced the Earth’s climatic changes in the past century (Riebeek, 2010). If it were possible, those who lived in the 19th century could attest that the climate in those days is not as the one being experienced today. The weather is rapidly changing from worse to worst. When it is cold, it becomes extremely cold and when it is hot, it cause death is some places. When did the rain start beating us? The following discussion tries to explain the facts of global warming. However, it will not go into the detailed statistics and all the facts due to a limitation in time and space. As much as some people may deny it, the earth’s climate is changing. Global warming is a fact and not a hoax.

Discussion

Global warming is the unusual rapid increase of the temperatures on the earth’s surface. The greatly recognized cause of this, are the greenhouse gases emitted after the burning of fossils. The earth’s temperatures begin with the sun. About 30% of the sunlight reflects back to space. This is caused by things such as clouds and ice. Most of the 70% that remains is taken up by the land and oceans. Whatever else that remains is taken up by the atmosphere (Riebeek, 2010). That which is absorbed by the sun is what heats the planet. The heat energy radiated from the water and the rocks is released in to the atmosphere where most of it is taken up by water vapor and gases like carbon dioxide and methane, which are green hose products. When these gases take up the energy, their molecules act like heaters, which continue to emit energy long after the fire is off. The molecules’ radiation heats the surface of the earth and the lower atmosphere thus increasing the heat.

Evidence obtained from ocean sediments, tree rings, coral reefs, amongst others, gives proof that climatic changes occurred in the past too. According to the global models, some past days were much warmer than what we are experiencing today. Those natural factors that contributed to the climatic change in those days are still there but their effects cannot compare to the experience that is there today.

Among what NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) satellites monitor and record are the ocean surface temperatures, atmospheric aerosols, the sun’s and earth’s radiation, the atmosphere gases, the sea level, the extension of the ice sheets, just to mention but a few.

If an action is not urgently taken, the concentration of the gases from the greenhouses will continue to shoot up. It is feared that between 2^oC and 6^oC of temperatures will shoot up by the time we wind up this century. This is cannot be compared the fact that it has taken the planet approximately 5,000 years in order to get 5 degrees warm. Even if there were a reduction in the gases being emitted, the warming would continue because the earth is not yet adjusted to the changes imposed by humanity. Two hundred and forty people out of a million died because of extreme weather conditions in the 1920s. These included drought, floods, earthquakes, landslide, just to mention but a few (Berg, 2011).

Many articles have been written claiming that global warming has not had any part to play in the temperature changes taking place today. The writers believe that the high concentration of Carbon dioxide has nothing to do with the wearing out of the ozone layer thus the effects it causes. David Morrison says, “These letters were so filled with misconceptions and false arguments that it is hard to know where to begin”, (Morrison, 2011). He continues and says that the fact that 99% of climate scientists have evidence in the reality of global warming should be taken seriously. If global warming is not responsible for the polar melt down and the extreme weather conditions, then what is? These questions have not been answered by the one of a contrary opinion..

Apart from the burn of fossil fuels, other activities have been found to make agreat contribution to these unusual experiences. The gases released into the air from cars’ exhaust pipes are not only harmful to the respiratory system but to the Earth as well. Statistics proves that the cars’ emissions and other outsourced goods add to 33% of the emissions in the United States. The population is rapidly growing and so is the demand for the cars (Markham, 2009).

The fertilizers, chemicals, and other farm inputs used make a contribution to the global warming. These inputs contain methane. When there is a decomposition of organic matter, there is a release of methane. This methane is also found herbivorous animals intestines. A resent survey shows that the keeping of farm animals has been on the increase in the recent. The gases released are absorbed by the rain, which falls as acid rain. This rain is known not to be good for the soil (Markham, 2009)

Some very serious effects have been seen due Global Warming. Unfortunately, they will get worse. For example, as the northern countries’ continue to go up, insects carrying diseases continue to move to that direction. For this reason, scientists believe that diseases such as malaria will not be completely gone in some countries. Some bird species that carry human pathogens have adapted to these changes in order to be more effective in transmitting diseases. This is by changing their breeding and dates.

Hurricanes and Tsunamis are on the increase now more than ever. That one is a fact. The speed of the wind of the tropical cyclones has rapidly risen at an alarming rate since 1981. The sea level has also been detected to increase. This is due to the ice melting ice in the Greenland and the Antarctica. Millions will be displaced in some in some years to come. The Maldives are already in search of a new place to live (Chan & Kin, 2004).

The drought spells are much longer and when it finally rains, the rain causes deaths. Africa is feared to be worst hit by the droughts. Earthquakes and landslides have left many dead. Another consequence is the world’s economic strain. Hurricanes Drought, floods, diseases, tsunamis, and other calamities cause governments billions of dollars.

The polar ice caps melt down is feared to do more than just raise sea levels. It will imbalance the global ecosystem by neutralizing the oceans’ salty water. This will make the desalinization of the gulf current mix up the currents of the ocean currents, which act as temperature control. The only thing that will act as a reflector of the sun is the ocean after the caps are gone. Darker colors absorb the sun more. This will increase the warming of the Earth (Morrison, 2011).

According to an article published in Nature, the increase in temperatures could cause millions of species extinction by the year 2050. Humans depend on these species. Their disappearance will also mean that there is a danger in the human race. If push comes to shove, population of corals will decrease by the year 2100. This is a threat for the life in the oceans as most species rely on the coral reefs for survival.

The bad news is that nothing much can be done to stop the warming. However, humans are doing something in order to adapt to it. According to the International Disaster Database, the 1920 figure went down to three deaths per a million. In the 20^th century, risk deaths from drought reduced by 99% and the risk deaths from floods dropped to 89% (Riebeek, 2010). Countries are being urged to decrease their fossil fuel emission, and especially the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. Governments have started to seclude a percentage of their income in order to use it in catering for the disasters that come because of global warming. For example, they have better transportation to reach the affected areas, recruit a lot of workforce, and join up with other countries in times of such crisis (Berg, 2011).

Conclusion

Global warming is not going to go away any time soon. Whether one accepts it or not, the effects are still being felt globally. Hurricanes are being seen, droughts experienced and the results are quite “loud and clear”. The only possible solution is to stop talking and start acting. Whether it is finding adapting to the effects or plainly finding the remedies, much talk and debates have been done. The whole world is in danger and the effects are on the rise. If we do not take care, we might become as history as the dinosaurs in a few decades to come.

It is only advisable that those who are in doubt be doing something that will help to boost the current situation as they find out the real cause of the mysterious climatic changes today. In the end, if it is not global warming, we will have nothing to loose, but if it is what it is said to be, and we do not do anything about it, we will have ourselves to blame.

References

Berg, Chris. “Climate change can’t be stopped, but we will adapt”. The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. April 6, 2011. Web. April 6, 2011.

Chan, Johnny & Kin Sik Liu. “Global Warming and Western North Pacific Typhoon Activity from an Observational Perspective”. AMS Journals Online. American Meteorological Society. Vol. 17 Issue 23, 2004. Web. 6 April 2011.

Cooper, Caren B. “Media Literacy as a Key Strategy Towards Improving Public Acceptance of Climate Change Science”. BioScience. American Institute of Biological Sciences: 231-237. 2011. Web. 6 April 2011.

Markham, Derek. “Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List”. Planetsave. Solar Energy charity. June 7, 2009. Web. 6 April 2011.

Morrison, David. “Letter to Climate Skeptics”. Faqs.org. Millenium Press, Inc. Jan 1, 2011. Web. 6 April 2011.

Riebeek, Holli. Global Warming. Earth Observatory. NASA, June 3, 2010. Web. 6 April 2011.