Mount Mauna Kea

In every community, mountains are very important. Looking at its significance, the mountains in the world cover almost more than 27% of the surface of the earth. They also support more than 20% of the world population in food, water, and habitat as well as making merry on the same beautiful lands. In Hawaii, Mount Mauna Kea is a very important mountain. Mauna Kea has more than 4000 years of age and when it last erupted but still holding on to its heat but never erupts again (Baker, 2016). The mountains are depended on since they provide water, timber for the community, energy, maintenance of the biodiversity, recreational opportunities and a way to renew spiritually. Mountains are regarded as the water towers of the world and this helps humanity to thrive in many ways. 

Mauna Kea is a mountain that connects the society with the ancestors and helps the society move forward in regards to being safe and happy always. Mauna Kea is also termed as the highest mountain in the Polynesian parts of the world. Mount Mauna Kea is coated in a white snow that gives hope to the community. The visitors who visit this place always feel connected to some outside world regardless of what initially brought them to that part of the world. The beauty beneath and the island on it creates a place where one would never miss just spend some time (Baker, 2016).  Much of the Mauna Kea is covered by water meaning it is under the water and still stands as a beauty in the famous Hawaiian world. There are myths surrounding the peaks of the mountain. Previously there was an ancient law which allowed only the high ranking individuals and specifically the ali’I to visit this peak. The communities beneath the mountains experience the beauty and get the inspiration on every bit about life. From above the mountain seems so secretive and in the same time very sensational covered with snow and a heavy cloud signifying hope to the community and the world in general. If one could only look when the sun is setting or when it is rising, this is the most attractive scenes that one cannot afford to miss.

The blue shadows surrounding the mountain give hope and inspiration to many. When one takes that long flight to the peak of the mountain, you cannot afford to miss this attractive feeling of being uplifted to higher levels of life and the encouragement about life hardships are take away over these mountains (Baker, 2016). Many generations which have been buried underneath these islands creates a way in which the communities involved communicate with their ancestors. Observing of the cultures is mainly attributed to his beautiful sceneries which display the recognition of what really is the meaning of these great peaks of the mountain. When the sun rises, mount Mauna Kea is the first part of these lands to receive the rays and also the last in the evening to get the rays (Baker, 2016). With this, it is the protector of the Hawaiian communities and mostly those who leave close and just by the shores of this mountain of hope. Every time a person visits these sites they leave a gift and this gift to the communities and those who really know the meaning is a way of saying thank you to the ancestors for allowing them to be there at that particular time.

From all over the world, the summits at Mauna Kea has attracted most astronomers to come and build their telescopes at this beautiful sceneries. The mountain offers the best services in the astronomer’s world and creates a different perspective on the world in general. Engaging all parts of the world, Mount Mauna Kea is the best and people have dedicated their best to this great mountain. It is the most converged type of mountain in the Polynesian part by the astronomers (Nordstrom, 2006). The mountain according to the preservers of this mountain is not owned by anybody but is owned by the gods in the sky. They believe that the islands are the children or the eldest child and Mauna Kea is the greatest.

All the waters that surround this great mountain are pure and in general life-giving. They present a culture of the community where one can comfortably communicate with the gods and the ancestors at all times. Looking back, there is no place greater than the Mauna Kea. During the ice ages, Mauna Kea is the part on which glaciers formed repeatedly without missing. The waterfalls experienced are as a result of the mountain captivity which supplies the Hawaiians with everything they need for food, water, and beauty. At least more than 11 species of the birds have found refuge under the mountain and they have found a way to adapt to the extreme colds of these conditions (Nordstrom, 2006). The deserts can be termed as barren but it is only an illusion that people have. With the waters available, this can definitely not be termed as a barren land. Millions travel to this land to just enjoy the scenes. Destruction has taken the better part of the mountain and if not well taken care of the great Mauna Kea will remain just a word.

References

Baker, M. T. (2016). Hawaiian Issues in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015.

Nordstrom, G. (2006). Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (review). The Contemporary Pacific, 18(1), 207-210.

Oiwi TV, (2011). Mauna Kea – Temple Under Siege. Retrieved from: http://oiwi.tv/oiwitv/mauna-kea-temple-under-siege/

Kaho’olawe

The island by the name Kaho’olawe is an island that basically focuses on both the culture and the political class and in most cases the military actions by the United States on the Hawaiian lands.  The vast productive but almost bare lands of the island presents numerous questions specifically the reasons why the United States wants to continue using these lands for military actions instead of leaving it for the Hawaiians (Bernier-Chen, 2016). Names have been given to the vegetations surrounding these chants as from the ancestors. One of signifies the guardian of the sea and land the other gives an indication of the skies where the ancestors rest and spread their will on the people below. Looking at the deep dark waters of the rivers, how they form a commotion is a clear indication of how angry the ancestors are due to the destruction of these lands with the regular bombing and lack of concern for the lands. The aged in these societies are fond of the past lands with their ancestors and recall how great the lands used to be different from what is experienced today. The hills on this island look so beautiful from the top and making it an attractive part of Hawaii (Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana, 2011). It looks like a recreational and a cultural place for the Hawaiians since shrines in the real sense are used to communicate to the gods.

Various tools from specific areas show how aged the lands are and typically the land should be used for cultural activities and not the bombing activities done on these lands. Women of various communities in these areas find peace and a sense of recognition on these shrines and therefore visit them occasionally for a consultant. The constant supplies of these rivers do not seem to be working on this part after the intrusion of the army (Bernier-Chen, 2016). When the waters are calm, this can be termed as a way in which the ancestors are preserving a revenge for the individuals responsible for the destruction. Before the introduction of the goats and other animals, the land was green and the vegetation presentable to man and its occupants. Green vegetation is very important since it gives a good indication that humanity can thrive on the lands and grow their generations forever. In every area where there is no vegetation, there is no hope on those lands and in most cases no major activities which take place on them as they are seen as barren regions. Looking at the lands after the invasion of the Europeans, the lands seem less attractive, the waters are drying up and the general population is becoming more and more diminished.

Destruction of the lands takes place just by introducing a single land enemy then there is no doubt that there will be problems. Over three centuries past now when the land was introduced to diverse human activities such as the cattle keeping, the green lands now became bare and so dry that the waters disappeared. Effects of overgrazing can clearly be identified from the scene as when one looks back at what the lands were not occupied with goats and cattle, there were beautiful sceneries but after introducing cattle keeping the vegetation became dry and almost dead. It is an activity that the world should listen and avoid (Bernier-Chen, 2016). After the destruction, using the little knowledge and rushing thing to make everything right worse always happens. The destructors have the ideology of the lands being saved by just adding more trees without regarding what type of a tree is being used and in this way, water catchment areas are lost and the water under is also consumed by the trees introduced. With this kind of destruction, some opportunist saw a way in which they could utilize these lands and make them battle fields.

Testing of bombs and targeting this area was now the order of the day with the communities living close to these locations feeling threatened by this occasional bomb dropping (Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana, 2011). This motherland being used as a battlefield communicated the lack of concern from the occupants and this causes a lot more issues to the community than the United States government. A land that was paradise to many, tourist visits and other great activities now turned into a source of danger for the world. The communities around are always the most affected as this impacts to their normal lives more than the army doing the bombing. Starting a family on areas occupied by military actions is the worst idea a parent can think of since the lifestyle the child will grow with is scary to even the child and this can impact on the future of the child (Bernier-Chen, 2016). Considering the testimonies by the community living in these areas, it is most clear that the side effects of such will be in their minds throughout their lives. It is good to fight for what is legal and what can help in determining the fate of the community. The military actions by the United States government on precious lands should be a forgotten idea and the need to preserve the lands should be a priority.

References

Bernier-Chen, E. (2016). Aloha ʻĀina: The United States Military and Its Controversial Use of Hawaiian Land.

Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana, (2011). Kaho’olawe Aloha ‘Aina. Retrieved from: http://oiwi.tv/oiwitv/kahoolawe-aloha-aina/       

The origins of the solar system

The solar refers to a system that is gravitationally bound comprises of the sun, the eight significant planets and other dwarf planets and the objects orbiting the sun such as the moons. It also consists of other smaller bodies like asteroids and comets, the planets’ satellites and the interplanetary medium. The planets include the Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars which form the inner planets while the others from the terrestrial planets including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (Chambers & Mitton, 2017).  The majority of the mass in the system is the sun and Jupiter.  All of these planets have nearly circular orbits that can be seen lying almost within ecliptic, an almost flat disc.  In addition to these is another smaller population of bodies which comprises of centaurs, comets and dust clouds within the interplanetary medium which travel freely between the various regions.  A stream of particles that are charged and flowing from the sun forms the solar wind and this create the helisphere which represent the point at which pressure emanating from solar wind is equivalent to another pressure from interstellar medium (Chambers & Mitton, 2017).

 The history of the solar system can be traced to the Babylonians, who were the first civilization a theory on the planets and records exist of planet Venus motions dating as early as 7^th –century BC.  These people can be said to have laid the foundation for the modern astrology in the Western world (Chambers & Mitton, 2017).  There are various theories that explains the origin of the solar system but heliocentrism  was the first step towards  coming up with  a theory of formation of the solar system , and the earth was placed at the center of the system with the earth orbiting around it. The idea was being held for thousands of years but was only embraced by the close of the 17^th century.  The nebular theory was to emerge later explaining how the solar system was formed. It held that the formation of the solar system happened in about 4.6 billion year ago.  It involved gravity pulling together intercellular dust and gas clouds of low density referred to as nebula (Chambers & Mitton, 2017). More specifically, the Orion Nebula which refers to an interstellar cloud in within which the star systems and planets were formed.  The size of the cloud was initially various light years across, and a small cloud that was overly dense led to the beginning of contraction and the growth of the over-density.  This produced a faster concentration, and the first cloud particles’ motions were random but nebula was able to have a net rotation.

 As the gravitational collapse was happening, the speed of the rotation of the cloud was increasing gradually because of the conservation of angular momentum.  The efficiency of the gravitational collapse was more pronounced along the spin axis, and this led to the collapse of the rotating ball into a thin disk of about 0.003 years, which is the solar nebula, which had most of the mass being concentrated around the center (Chambers & Mitton, 2017).  The gravitational potential energy from the contracting cloud was turned into kinetic energy of all the gas particles.  Therefore, the solar nebular’s temperatures were higher around the center where majority of the mass was collected. The collected mass formed the protosun, which is the gas cloud that was formed into sun.  Temperature at the center then became so high, and reached to almost 10 million.  There was a lot of violence from the atoms’ collision  which led to nuclear reaction and at this point the central star – the sun – was formed and having 99.8 % the entire  mass.   Further collapse was averted by the increase of density and temperature toward the center of the mass and also the pressure and this resulted to a net force that pointed outward (Chambers & Mitton, 2017).  The sun was therefore able to reach a balance between the internal pressure and the gravitational force after about 50 million years.  Thin disk around the sun formed the other solar system bodies including the planets and moons, comets and asteroids.  Around the sun where a temperature was quite higher, the heaviest metals formed solid grains that were also heavy through condensation.  These grains are the various compounds including the titanium, aluminum, nickel, aluminum and the silicates that were relatively cooler.  Away from the sun, the temperature of the disk was so low that it allowed the formation of hydrogen-rich molecules, by condensation into ices that were a bit lighter comprising of frozen methane and ammonia and water ice.  This can explain the origin of solid seeds necessary for solid formation of the planet (Chambers & Mitton, 2017). In the process there emerged four categories of solar system ingredients which include the metals, rocks, ice and the light gases.   

Considering the formation of the sun, it took place in the nebulae that was high density and coldest. Gravity could only lead to creation of the sun after overwhelming the pressure emanating from the gases in the cloud. A mass of about 100 solar gases or more was needed to collapse the nebula into the sun naturally.  This could also explain why many stars can be seen to be in a cluster, where as the cloud of gasses and particles contracts, molecular cloud cires (Chambers & Mitton, 2017).  The nebula could be of many types that are categorized as ionization nebula, reflection nebula and dark cloud nebula. The ionization nebula can be seen to glow because of the ultra-violet light which is emerging from the surrounding stars which raises their temperature and are normally pink or red since they have hydrogen.  The reflection nebula involves dust particles that scatter and reflect light.

 The formation of the moons involved the gasses or particles clouds that were contracted, spined, flattened and then heated  forming smaller disks of various materials near the planets , the same process in which nebula was formed.  In the jovian nebulae accretion and condensation happened which lead to creation of smaller systems around every planet (Milone & Wilson, 2008). The assembling of the planet and its moon took place independently simultaneously from same dust and rocks.  The formation of the moons happened elsewhere and they were then captured.  The planets absorbed some planetesimals and ejected others which helped in the cleaning up of the system.  When the solar system had no more debris, the formation of the planets came to an end (Milone & Wilson, 2008).

 Other theories emerged to try and solve the shortcomings of the nebula theory such as the tidal theory, the Chamberlin-Moulton model, Interstellar cloud theory, Hoyle’s theory and more. The theories focused on two-body concept in an attempt to find a solution for angular momentum challenge of the nebular theory.

References

Chambers, J., & Mitton, J. (2017). From dust to life: the origin and evolution of our solar system. Princeton University Press.

Milone, E. F., & Wilson, W. J. F. (2008). Solar system astrophysics: Vol. 1. New York: Springer.

                                                        Introduction

 South China Sea is one of the busiest international sea lanes in the world. Some of the most common activities in the sea include trade, navigation, exploration, and exploitation of the natural resources such as natural gas, fish stocks, and oil. However, other states are particularly interested in these resources like Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam among others (Yang, 2016). These interest from several states have resulted in disputes between them that have triggered the South China Sea to be labeled troubled waters.  Issues related to South China Sea disputes have resulted to broader implications for the maritime security, stability, peace, and security in this region. Many regulations and legislations have been put in place to curb these challenges to no avail. Researchers have found that the conflicting countries have centered their interests mainly in the territorial sovereignty, maritime boundaries, and the right to exploit the natural resources that are available in the region. For example, Japan and South Korea are very aggressive as they seek to exploit the resources available in the area. In his research, (Tseng, 2017) found that such issues have resulted in numerous conflicts with China as it seeks to develop globally and become a super power. Many countries are therefore in the battle to win over the area, thus making the international community, to see it as a move which is likely to wage a war between China and the USA. This paper is therefore going to look at the issues surrounding the South China Sea, in order to come with the reason as to why most countries want to invade the area, and what implications it has on the world.

South China Sea Nature of Disputes

South China Sea is an area of around 3.5 million square kilometers which extends. from Taiwan Strait to the Eastern end of Singapore (Yang, 2016), Disputes in the area primarily concern the territorial sovereignty over the two groups dominant in the Highland. One of the group is the Paracel Islands while the second group is the Spratly Islands which are claimed almost wholly by China. It should be noted that to solve the issue there is a need for better laws in the area. Although China tried to enact the necessary legislations to ensure peace prevails in the area, the challenge has persisted to date (Tseng, 2017) noted that there is a problem of the State that claims to have better sovereignty and is governed by the customary international laws. Some of the issues and principles are governed and set out by the international courts as well as tribunals (Wray, 2015). However, China has failed to observe some of the fundamental requirements which have facilitated continuous crises in the region. In the same regard, there is a challenge of dynamic laws that are progressive enough to ensure that the Sea matters are handled in a manner unlikely to bring disputes. China therefore seems to be looking for ways through which it can be able to benefit fully from the resources, without considering the effects that it may have in the world. This could therefore mean, that the US might wage a war against China, a move which is likely to lead into the third world war. Russia is currently under the ban by the EU, and it cannot therefore be able to trade with EU member countries, a move which is likely to make the country to support China in case the US wages a war against China.

According to (Tseng, 2017), it is important for the international courts and tribunals to take into account numerous occurrences that impact on the issue resulting in disputes. It has been established that others claim some of the disputes that occur between certain states. For example, some conflicts occurred over the Scarborough Shoal, and although it is not within the Paracels as well as the Spratly, it is claimed by Taiwan, Philippines, and China. Such an occurrence indicates the level of intensity of the territorial issues that have brought or facilitated disputes. China wants to claim particular Islands by showing certain interests in all the disputed areas (Poling, Nguyen & Hiebert, 2015). Although there are legal frameworks that try to assist countries from engaging in such conflicts, there have not been fully embraced by China. This is contrary to the commitment they have claimed to show regarding South China Sea issues. Also, another challenge exists when resolving these disputes in the international tribunals as the court may only seek to evaluate the evidence that is given by both parties. Although the law is clear that occupying a particular Island does not guarantee superior title under the international law, it has proven very hard to enforce the same as countries are afraid of interfering with other country matters. This has been the case even in Chinese South Sea.

Legal Basis for the Right to Explore

According to (Beckman & Koh, 2014), one of the reasons that South China Sea disputes are very complicated is the general perception that if a country is entitled to a particular Island, then it has all the rights to exploit the natural resources in as well as under the waters that surround the Island. However, the LOS Convention has different provisions of the same. According to the law, there is a clear outline of the obligations and jurisdictions of states within the region and what is expected from them. The convention outlines that Coastal States are entitled to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for a distance of 200 nautical miles from the mainland territory. However, all the four ASEAN States that are part of the South China Sea disputes claim the stipulated distance. The challenge that was noted by (Beckman & Koh, 2014)) in his research is the fact that China is the more powerful country meaning that it is dominant compared to the rest. Also, the research established that as China seeks to outdo the US in becoming a superpower, they must rule over more territories. However, this will result in more conflicts within the region.

According to the research by (Beckman & Koh, 2014), there is a big problem regarding the features of the Islands that make the categorization as an Island under the LOS Convention rather than the features that show the area as just a land capable for human habitation. It is widely estimated that less than 40 of the total 150 geographical features that require such a categorization are not present in Spratly Islands (Beckman & Koh, 2014). Such flaws have resulted in challenges which are exploited by China to dominate over the rest in the region. The law that is present cannot explicitly claim that China or any other state is ignorant of the provision. Although China has enacted laws and claims to be committed to ensuring no disputes with the territorial neighbors, there is a big challenge for implementation of the same when the international law is not clear. Many researchers, therefore, argue that for China to protect the waters and territories without conflict with the neighbors, there must be proper international laws. However, as long as the concession blocks are within the EEZ as measured by the mainland coasts, the problem is going to persist. This is because the blocks are in areas where China claims to have sovereign rights and jurisdiction meaning other countries do not have rights to undertake unilateral exploitation.

Chinese Claims

The disputes in the South China Sea between China and Vietnam as well as between China and Philippines have even raised wider issues about the claims by China of the South China Sea. According to, there is a problem over what China claims in the area. The findings showed a conflicting elaboration of the Chinese interests between the rights as well as jurisdiction over the maritime zones or the rights and jurisdictions over the natural resources in the waters surrounding the disputed areas. This brought the issue of the infamous nine-dashed lines that was published by China in the year 1948. Some of these issues that are very dominant in the area show a position where China has a territorial problem as shown by the PRC government that brought the issue into the international arena in 2009 (Beckman & Koh, 2014). The diplomatic note that was sent to the secretary-general of UN shows insights of Chinese intents of asserting jurisdiction and rights in all the territorial waters that are inside the nine dashed lines. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Chinese vessels have interfered with the Vietnamese activities for exploration in the area. In fact, both Vietnam and Philippines claims that Chinese activities are not consistent. This implies that even though China might be showing commitment towards maintaining peace in the region, there is a challenge of international arbitration.

According to (Poling, Nguyen & Hiebert, 2015), China has no legal basis for the rights and jurisdiction for the waters inside the nine dashed lines under the LOS Convection or even the international arbitration. However, such claims have brought significant disagreements within the region since the nine dashed lines are within the region measured from the Island, “The re-introduction of interdisciplinary concerns straddling law and history illustrates that the historical dimension, which has long been neglected, is an emerging concern that poses looming dangers that may unexpectedly (Beckman & Koh, 2014)” One of the notable problems in the area according to the research is the fact that China has not claimed any sovereignty to the waters or claimed that the dashed lines indicate a boundary. Such controversies imply that China can still exploit the neighbors without legal basis or evidence of China humiliating the position for others. Another issue that has brought problems is the historic rights that China claims to have. This has made the country to continue exploiting the waters and territories far from the disputed Islands particularly towards the coast of Vietnam. Although any law cannot bind such claims, they can be evaluated in the claims of sovereignty concerning the dashed lines. Also, China does not seem to limit the allegation on the maritime zones that are measured from the Islands. (Beckman & Koh, 2014) argued that this is constrained by the Chinese domestic policy which is not clear on the position regarding the South China Sea territories. While many researchers seek to understand the plausible claims raised by other members, China feels it has a stronger bargaining over the other ASEAN claimants.

                                                       Conclusion

Although China has claimed a commitment to peace with the neighbors in the South China Sea, it has shown little commitment for the same in its arbitrations. Also, the actions that it takes are contrary to the claims that it is committed to peace. (Roy, 2016) noted that the country seeks to have a dominant approach to the maritime zones; hence, it seeks to secure all the territories that are bound within the waters adjacent to the coast. One of the challenges that cannot be disputed easily is the fact that people have an obligation towards waters and resources as defined by the international law. However, this law is not clear which has resulted in top disputes as every country seeks to exploit and take advantage of the sea areas. Another aspect that is notable in many pieces of research is the fact that China is determined to become a super power and the rival USA hence, they have to exploit many more resources within and without their borders and territory. In fact, the concerns for the countries due to these disputes have attracted the USA and other countries who seek to intervene and bring back sanity in the region. One of the concerns by these international countries is the fear that Chinese actions threaten the freedom of navigation and overflight. While China has taken measures to show commitment to peace with the neighbors, there is still significant disputes due to sovereignty on the Islands. (Roy, 2016) noted that these disputes have even provided the United States an opportunity to strengthen its relations with the ASEAN countries. However, this has not made China formulate progressive laws or take actionable decisions towards ensuring peace within the South China Sea.

Literature Review Summary Table

                                                    References

Yang Razali, Kassim. 2016. South China Sea Disputes, The: Flashpoints, Turning Points And Trajectories. New Jersey: World Scientific, 2016. Discovery eBooks, EBSCOhost (accessed May 2, 2017).

Tseng, Hui-Yi Katherine. 2017. Rethinking South China Sea Disputes : The Untold Dimensions and Great Expectations. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2017. Discovery eBooks, EBSCOhost (accessed May 2, 2017).

Roy, Nalanda. 2016. The South China Sea Disputes : Past, Present, and Future. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2016. Discovery eBooks, EBSCOhost (accessed May 2, 2017).

Jayakumar, S., Beckman, R. C., & Koh, T. (2014). The South China Sea Disputes and Law of the Sea. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Poling, G. B., Nguyen, P., & Hiebert, M. (2015). Examining the South China Sea Disputes : Papers From the Fifth Annual CSIS South China Sea Conference. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Parameswaran, P. (2016). Malaysia's approach to the South China Sea dispute after the arbitral tribunal's ruling. Contemporary Southeast Asia, (3), 375.

Wray, L. (2015). China's maritime and territorial claims to the South China Sea: A focus on the key centres of gravity driving the South China Sea disputes. Journal Of The Australian Institute Of Professional Intelligence Officers, 23(2), 3.

Baumert, K. A. (2016). The South China Sea Disputes and Law of the Sea null [reviews]. American Journal Of International Law, (1), 152.

Ecology

The habitat for Southern Sea otter includes the sea bottoms that are normally muddy and rocky, and such areas that are full if kelp canopy, which they use if for resting or foraging.  Given the water environment, a big challenge faced by Southern sea otter is the high rate of heat conductivity which means that it losses body heat quite rapidly than mammals such as Kangaroo Rat. The metabolic rate for the otter is higher than Kangaroo, which is a land mammal, so as to generate high amount of body heat, and the higher metabolic rate explains the need for higher intake of calories (Simon, 2010).   The water habitat may be 15.5 degree Celsius bellow their body temperatures which  , and they do not have a insulating fat layer that is found in Kangaroo rat and hence they have to depend on their higher level of metabolism and  dense far that traps air.  Each hair has ratchet-like and scaly cuticle, with some scales running to the tip from the root and others running in opposite direction an arrangement which allows interlocking of hairs. The little spaces between these hairs enable effective trapping of air which forms an insulating layer preventing penetration of water into the skin and therefore heat loss (Simon, 2010).  

The southern sea otter can have a countercurrent system of heat exchange, where its veins and arteries are close so that part of the heat in blood travelling through these arteries is transmitted to blood in veins instead of being transferred to the environment. This adaptation assists otters in body heat conservation. It also holds its   feet out of the water, a behavior which enable a reduction in heat loss and absorption of radiant heat coming from the sun. The sea otter normally groom itself continuously at the water surface which helps maintaining water repellant and insulating fur properties which is important for survival (Simon, 2010).  The animals also forage during day and night to keep up with the required energy for heat supply. The otter has smaller tails which reduces its surface area while its base is quite plump and flattens towards the tip so that it can swim rapidly under water. It has webbed feet which allows floating and movement in the water.  Moreover, the lung capacity is larger than that if mammals like kangaroo rat, which makes it to be buoyant, so that they are able to sleep and rest normally on water surface.  They have front paws which allow them to find food and the whiskers around the muzzle can detect fish movement making it easier for them to hunt in a water environment (Simon, 2010).

On the other hand, Kangaroo rat lives in open grasslands, desert scrub, and sandy soil and in washes. Such areas have very little water but this animal has to maintain the same water content in their body just like other mammals. Unlike the Southern sea otter which has plenty of sea water for consumption, the desert and semi-arid environment present a water challenge to the animal given that it has not ability to store water. The rat’s body is adapted to converting dry seeds they consume into water, while they do not pant or sweat so as to keep them cool In (Feldhamer, 2015). While Southern Sea otter’s body is adapted to generate more heat, the kangaroo rat strives to stay as cool as possible.  The skin of the kangaroo rat is covered with oily coats, an adaptation which prevents loss of water through sweating. In relation to this, the animals mostly stay inside burrows they dig with their feet during the day when there is much heat and only emerge for food foraging after sun set to prevent water loss.  Moreover, its kidneys are very efficient so they can lose little water while execrating waste and this allows it to survive in their dry habitats without drinking water. The metabolic process yield enough water from the seeds required in the body. Given the sandy grounds in the environment, their feet are large and hairy which facilitates jumping soft and loose sand. Its nasal passage allow water conservation and moisture re-absorption from own breath. The eyes of the rat are large and luminous and adaptation which help in night vision since these nocturnal (Feldhamer, 2015). 

The production of nutrients in temperate terrestrial forests involves the input of a community of organisms and their interaction with biotic factors. The primary producers of nutrients in this process are the autotrophs, organisms that are able to produce their own food by use of light energy, carbon dioxide, water and other chemicals. The main autotroph includes the plants and some bacteria types and they are the ultimate supporters of other organisms in the forest ecosystem. These organisms normally feed as detritivores and form a key link between the consumers and primary producers in the ecosystem.  These primary producers decompose the organic materials and then transfer various chemical elements to abiotic reserves like water, air and soil and later recycle the elements to form organic compounds (Wehr, Munger, McManus, Nelson, Zahniser, Davidson & Saleska, 2016).  The primary production, therefore, involves autotrophs fixating energy into this ecosystem, with terrestrial production of food being limited by moisture and temperature. This involves a decomposition process, where chemical and physical interaction occurs inside the organisms and it result from leaching, fragmentation and chemical alteration of this organic matter due to the activities of the organisms. The processes make various nutrients to be available in the soil, water and air so that they can be absorbed by plants (Wehr et. al 2016).

 The distribution in the terrestrial forests occurs under the influence of climate, abiotic properties that include parent material and topography and biotic communities.   A fast phytomass accumulation is linked to the movement of nutrients into the vegetation into the soil.  The nutrients produced in the decomposition process and which are distributed to the plants includes phosphorous, nitrogen, carbon and so much more.  The distribution of these nutrients involves their uptake to the root surface and these are later absorbed by trees and other vegetations (Wehr et. al 2016).  Nutrient content is more in forest floors of tropical forests due to slow decomposition during cold seasons. When the temperature is low, there is lower nutrient turnover because of low soil temperature and hence low primary production.  Low temperatures are known to reduce the activity of microorganisms which makes nutrients accumulation in soil to reduce.  The biotic factors affect distribution of the nutrients in these forests, so that they will be limited due to low production and trees can absorb the nutrients prior to adverse climate conditions reducing their dependence on forest soils for inorganic nutrients (Wehr et. al 2016). 

The abiotic factors influence the distribution of nutrients and the difference in parental material elemental content influence the capacity of soil to supply nutrients. For trees in the seasonal temperate forests, the precipitation happens throughout the year although most of it may occur as a result if severe storms.   During autumn, the plants drop their leaves, which decompose and make the soil in temperate forest to be quite deep and rich with different nutrients. The decomposed foliage especially from plants that are low lying adds the nutrients characteristic to the soil (Röhrig, 1991). When winter comes, the ground is blanketed by snow and the various organism under the layer break down the foliage into humus that contain nutrients such as nitrogen that are important for plant growth.  In the fiscal cycle, the plant tress changes their color during autumn, fall of during winter and then grow back during spring. During the winter, the plants go into a form of dormancy where little nutrients are taken up as the foliage is being decomposed by organisms. The spring days makes the plants to start growing new leaves which begin the cycle all over again (Röhrig, 1991).

The cyclic behavior of animals includes the circadian rhythms, migration and reproductive cycle.  The migration cycle is mostly annual and is closely related to seasonal cyclical patterns. Mostly, those animals with longer life span normally return to their birth place where they reproduce and die. In other cases where the animals have a shorter life span and rapid reproduction such invertebrates, migration may fail to occur in all generations. The horizontal migration involves the animals traversing a shorter disrance while vertical migration (Southward, 2005). Many of the aquatic animals normally make vertical migration which involves travelling very short distances up and down a water column while some make horizontal migrations where they travel across lakes, sea or ocean.  In circadian rhythm, animals portray certain cyclic behavior such as forage behavior during different seasons and bird’s morning songs.  These rhythms are mental, physical and behavioral changes taking place at about 24-hour cycle and are normally in response to darkness and light in the environment.  The cycle can also be seen during the onset of animal’s seasonal hibernation, where the circadian rhythms of body activity and temperature are normally entrained at the time of transitions between various seasons and at the time of 24hr sunlight of summer months(Southward, 2005). 

Diverse patterns are seen where there is extreme seasonality in Polar Regions and vertebrates experiencing such conditions show high diversification in patterns ranging from arrhythmicity to entrained circadian rhythms. Such diverse patterns are also shown by species of migratory birds occupying high latitudes at the time of breeding seasons. Some animal behavior and patterns have been associated with lunar cycle, so that during the full moon animals seems to be restless, wolves and dogs howl , cats hide and birds become disoriented and agitated ;  during the new moon , animals tend to chill with their sensitivity and senses being heightened; during super moon , magnetic filed  in animals interact with electromagnetic fields which increase  their capacity to feel stress in their surrounding which serves to alert them to avoid danger. Animals tend to gather food, hunt more and build homes at the waning moon phase.  The blue moon repeats the cycle (Zimecki, 2006).   Animals reproductive cycle include;  Oestrus cycle where female mammals sexual cycle period a part from, high primates ,  when such animals are on heat and are ready accept a male for mating.  Monstrous cycle is where animals such as dog have one heat during the breeding season. Polyestrous cycle is where when animals such as squirrels come into head many times during the breading season if nit impregnated (Boden  & Kennaway, 2006)..

The life cycle of anadromous , pacific salmon strategy  starts in freshwater where eggs are fertilized and remain in gravel during winter when embryos develop , harsh during spring and alevins emerge and live close to the redd and after consuming the whole York they come out of gravel. This takes a few month and they are now referred as fry. The fry then swim to water surface where they start feeding and can spend up to one or more years in the natal stream (Zydlewski & Wilkie, 2013).  Using environmental clues, the fry start migrating downstream, where they develop as they move towards the ocean and their body begins adjusting to new conditions.  Some remain in coastal waters while others migrate to the feeding grounds where they spend 1-7 years and then journey back to natal stream for spawning. After reaching freshwater, they stop feeding while their body prepares for spawning and the whole journey drains energy from organs, muscles and fat storage apart from reproductive organs.  The life cycle of American eel begins when they are hatched in the ocean, and later migrate to areas with fresh water and they spend most part of their lives here maturing. When they grow to adulthood, they go back to the sea for spawning and they die having spawned once (Zydlewski & Wilkie, 2013).

 The origin of birds’ migration arose in order to satisfy various needs in different birds’ species simultaneously. The emergence of patterns, routes and traditions is happening today even as some are disappearing.  The current observable migration patterns and tradition is due to various historic influences together with current influences. The migratory behavior can further be explained physiological and anatomical features of the birds which make it possible for them to develop diversified migratory behavior than other animals (Allen, 2016). They include the potential to sustain long flights as the basic aspect, and migration becoming a hereditary habit that recur in annual cycles. The physiological changes cause the birds to search for suitable survival and reproductive environments. Some scientists have proposed that birds tend to have a global positioning system that makes it possible for them to follow similar patterns annually, others propose that they can recognize landmarks and also that birds individual organs enable the navigational ability.  It has been argued that these birds exploit the magnetic fields using their internal compass to follow the same migratory pattern (Allen, 2016).

Guild refers to a group of species exploiting same types of resources in comparably, and form relationships that are an important part of food chains and webs that shape biological community’s organization.  The species comprises of groups with a common ancestor and exploit resources in same manner due to their shared ancestry.  Guilds may comprise of different species of insects that normally use similar ways of collecting nectar, different bird species that use corresponding techniques for foraging insect and fish in coral reef that they use as their habitat (Beeby & Brennan, 2008).  Various species that are unrelated may also exploit those resources in the same ways even if they do not have a common ancestor .The guild may also both animals and plants. Competition may be reduced due to the differences in species so that for instances animals may feed on different food sources or plants may flower at varying times of a season. Niche refers to how species relate and fit in their environment.  Keystone species are those species whose effects on communities are disproportionately large and they help in maintaining local diversity in that community by controlling other species’ populations (Beeby & Brennan, 2008).

References

Simon, V. A. (2010). Adaptations in the animal kingdom. 93-96

In Feldhamer, G. A. (2015). Mammalogy: Adaptation, diversity, ecology.

Wehr, R., Munger, J. W., McManus, J. B., Nelson, D. D., Zahniser, M. S., Davidson, E. A., ... & Saleska, S. R. (2016). Seasonality of temperate forest photosynthesis and daytime respiration. Nature, 534(7609), 680-683.

Röhrig, E. (1991). Temperate deciduous forests. Amsterdam u.a: Elsevier.

Southward, A. J. (2005). Advances In marine biology: [Volume 47]. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press. 139-143

Zimecki, M. (2006). The lunar cycle: effects on human and animal behavior and physiology Cykl księżycowy: wpływ na zachowanie ludzi i zwierząt i ich fizjologię. Postepy Hig Med Dosw.(online), 60, 1-7.

Boden, M. J., & Kennaway, D. J. (2006). Circadian rhythms and reproduction. Reproduction, 132(3), 379-392.

Zydlewski, J., & Wilkie, M. P. (2013). Freshwater to seawater transitions in migratory fishes. Fish Physiology, 32, 253-326.

Allen, G. E. (2016). Scientific process and social issues in biology education. Place of publication not identified: Springer International Pu.

Beeby, A., & Brennan, A.-M. (2008). First ecology: Ecological principles and environmental issues. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 166-168

The Quality of the Nation’s Groundwater: Progress on a National Survey

            Groundwater is one of the most important water resources in the entire world. The world’s population that relies on groundwater for drinking water as these groundwater systems offers about 50% of the total drinking water. However, the resource is at risk as the demand for water is increasing each and every new day and thus the groundwater exploitation has greatly increased at a higher rate than it is being recharged. This has therefore raised a concern to groundwater managers as the groundwater systems are becoming replenished. Groundwater quantity is essential in the supply of water to the people but quality is as much essential as the quantity. This paper, therefore, will present and discus on the quality of the groundwater system basing on the assessment by the national water quality survey project.

            Regular groundwater quality assessment is a critical element that helps the resource managers in understanding the manner in which the aquifers are contaminated. With this kind of knowledge, they are thus able to come up with better decisions in making sustainable groundwater systems (Wilson 2017). The assessment of water is not only essential in providing information to the groundwater managers only but it is also an informative approach to public health sector. Thus the public health practitioners are able to determine the type of contaminants that in a given aquifer and thus they are usually able to come up with the best water treatment strategy thus improving the human health.

            There are various factors that determine the quality of groundwater and give the rationale on the susceptibility to the contamination of the groundwater in different aquifers across the world. These factors may be the geological composition, hydrology, chemical, geochemistry as well as the water use. The USSG groundwater assessment is a viable one as it involves a comparison of the past, present and a prediction on the quality of groundwater in the future can be made. This assessment is as well feasible since it not only addresses the national aquifers but it compares sample aquifers on regional and compares it with the national statistics.

            Groundwater contaminants have contributed to the high cases of health issues as they majorly affect the human health standards. Among the contaminants that contribute to the poor quality of water in groundwater systems geologic contaminant sources are the central common contaminants that exceed the human health standard (Wilson 2017). Other contaminants also contribute towards affecting the quality of groundwater. Therefore with the assessment of these aquifers solutions to reverse this ground water poor quality issue can be predicted as the source of these contaminants are known. Human activities are the major contributing factors to the contamination of the groundwater systems as compared to the other contaminant sources. The world is globalizing and thus the industrialization, overpopulation, waste disposal rate as well as urbanization rate has contributed to the contamination of the aquifers.

            In conclusion, the quality of the groundwater system therefore is critical in the management of groundwater resources. Though the resource is invisible, it is very essential and thus it should be conserved through balancing the rate of recharge and exploitation. It is thus the role of each and every individual to ensure that they all play their role in using of the groundwater responsibly and sustainably so as to ensure that the quality of the ground water is maintained.

References

Wilson J. (2017). The Quality of the Nation’s Groundwater: Progress on a National Survey. United States Geological Survey. Accessed 19^th January, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.usgs.gov/news/quality-nation-s-groundwater-progress-a-national-survey

Land formation

One fourth of the surface of the earth is covered by land which is not similar in all the areas globally. Land in certain area would be too high while it is too low in other areas. Vegetation cover is different in all areas with some areas having green cover while others are even dry. Some areas too lack the cover and remain barren as a result of natural and anthropogenic activities (Rana, 2009). The earth is covered with green vegetation and full of physical features which makes it beautiful. The physical features form different land forms on the earth’s surface and they control the environment in terms of climate and weather. The different landforms came into existence as a result of various natural processes such as rainfall, wind, chemical reactions and different types of erosion. The shapes of the lands were created by some natural disasters such as earthquakes and eruptions especially of different volcanoes (Rana, 2009). Examples of the landforms include mountains, valleys, hills, deserts and plains which all together form different physical features which ensure the earth remains beautiful.

Mountains are examples of the land reforms and are the highest on the earth’s surface. Mountains are conically shaped and are pointed at the top or rather the peak and have steep sides. Mountains compared to other surrounding have high points and most are covered by snow. Mount Everest for instance is the known largest mountain with the highest pick while mount Himalayas is the known mountain with the highest mountain range (Rana, 2009). However they are some mountains found beneath the sea and could even be higher than the known mountains at the surface of the earth. Mountains are divided into three namely volcanic, block and Fold Mountains which have different features and sizes. Mountains have different features since there are mountains that remain cold throughout the year regardless of the season thus do not support much vegetation. However different plants and animals have adaptations that ensure they survive in these mountains regardless of the harsh weather conditions. Examples of such animals include the mountain puma and the leopard snow which have thick far that enable them survive in those harsh weather conditions.

Hills are unlike mountains since they are lower than the mountains but higher compared to their surroundings. Many hills together form range of hills and the vegetation cover present is usually grass. The type of climate found in hills is friendly compared to the one found in those snow mountains where animals and plants are unlikely to survive except those with special adaptations (Rana, 2009). Most hills have pleasant climates and are usually visited by tourists thus are tourist attraction sites. Vegetation in the hills is beautiful and thick thus cultivation of crop is possible since the weather conditions are favorable.

Valleys are low areas which occur between the mountains and valleys. They are formed as a result of erosion taking place especially where rivers flow thus forming out v shaped features which are known as valleys (Rana, 2009). They can either be u or v shaped depending on the deepening of the erosion and the width. The weather is favorable in the valleys thus people live and cultivate in the valleys since the weather is conducive. Water flowing enables people cultivate their land since the land is fertile thus support vegetation (Rana, 2009). Vegetations cover is thick and green in and along the valleys thus ensuring that valleys look beatutful and attractive and people live in the valleys. Valleys are centers of tourist attraction since they are favorable and have beautiful vegetation. However they are steep valleys which are found in smaller mountains.

Plateaus are basically tableland and are flat areas with steep sides. They are surrounded by cliffs while others lie between mountain ranges (Rana, 2009). Some plateaus support cultivation since they are fertile though not all the crops can grow in the plateaus. Plateaus form when magma is pushed at the earth’s surface and that magma fails to break therefore coming up on the earth’s crust to form the plateau. Plains just like the plateaus are flat areas. Plains are different since there are coastal plains found at the coastal areas while those found along the rivers are known as river plains (Rana, 2009). The river plains are fertile places which support crops growth thus most farmers love the river plains since they have favorable weather conditions that support cultivation. Big cities are usually located along the plains since they are easier to construct houses, roads and other structures. The plains are densely populated since they are favorable. Islands are part of the landforms and are beautiful and surrounded with water on all the sides. Deserts too are large areas which are hot and dry and receive little rainfall throughout the year. The weather conditions in the deserts are harsh since they do not support cultivation of crops since the soils are infertile (Rana, 2009). The soils in the desert are sand soils which do not support farming thus the main vegetation is usually baobab and cacti which are adapted to survive in the deserts.

References

Rana, S. V. S. (2009). Essentials of ecology and environmental science. New Delhi: PHI Learning.

Weather and Climate

What are the carbon emissions and what is the carbon footprint like during Thanksgiving?

Carbon emissions is the total volume of greenhouse gases which are produced to both directly and directly influence human activities. Carbon emissions are basically expressed in the equivalent of carbon dioxide. Similarly, each and everything that a person does leads to the release of carbon to the atmosphere which may have adverse effects if released in large quantities (Kathleen, 2016). During a thanksgiving, different ingredients are usually used in order to prepare a meal, and these ingredients tend to have greenhouse gases. Even though the carbon footprint is usually different in different areas depending on the type of energy used in cooking, during a thanksgiving, huge amounts of carbon are emitted. During the preparation of the food, approximately 50 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted in different states. On the other hand, in states where coal is used as a form of energy in thanksgiving, the rates at which carbon dioxide is released are very high, as opposed to states where electricity is used as a form of energy.

What are some ways that Americans can cut back on their carbon footprint during such a busy holiday?

During the holidays, most Americans tend to roast turkey which is a good type of meal. Roasted turkey releases less amounts of carbon into the air and thus Americans should only roast turkey in order to cut on their carbon release (Kathleen, 2016). This is basically because, roasting beef doubles the amount of carbon released in the atmosphere. Moreover, people should also use family vehicles when travelling instead of using personal cars, thus reducing the amount of carbon released by many vehicles when travelling. This will therefore really help in cutting the carbon footprint during the holidays.

Reference

Geographic Political Science

Lipmann’s argument for the Japanese elimination and internment was based on several reasons.  First, he stated that the Japanese residents held a huge threat to the American security and therefore they were supposed to be incarcerated (Lippmann, 1942).  He supported this by stating that the fact that no damage had occurred at the particular period clearly shows that it would occur in the end. This is mainly because the American Japanese would offer support to the Japanese in destroying America.  The United States national security was stated by Lipmann as very significant and a serious matter.  This is mainly because the coast pacific was in forthcoming danger of receiving an attack that was combined from outside and the inside. This danger would, therefore, result to increased destructions because it would be completely different than if it was an inland centered danger which would result in less destruction.  The pacific coast would, therefore, be subjected to a Japanese raid that would be assisted from the enemies living within the American territory (Lippmann, 1942).  The corporation can be termed as challenging in real nature. This is mainly because the capability of the Japanese to strike the United States from both the air and the sea may not be very intense. However, a strike that has resulted from the organized corporation would result into unmanageable damage mainly as this would be an organized destruction to which the American state would be completely vulnerable to.  Lipmann made the statement  based on the report that  the Japanese navy  had  been investigating  the coast  pacific in a continuous nature  and  for a significant time  period they had  been sensing out  and testing the strength of the united states forces.  This was a clear  explanation that there was an ongoing communication taking place between  the enemy located at the sea and the American Japanese who were acting  as the land enemy agents (Lippmann, 1942).

Lipmann’s argument for the exclusion and incarceration of the Japanese American was that they needed to be protected from the American persons. With the assumption that there are no damages that had been caused on the pacific coast was a sacrifice of   the Americans security in order to exercise freedom (Lippmann, 1942). This would thus be termed as a danger posed to the American people and they felt that the American Japanese were a threat and the exclusion and incarceration would offer them adequate protection. The solution to the issue would not be solved by doing anything basically according to Lippmann.  The official strategy of solving the issue is through the utilization of reality. Lipmann stated that the assumption that this was an issue of extraterrestrial’s enemy was wrong because it was also an issue of Native Americans. The organized strike would cause destructions to the American-born individuals rather than the enemy situated within the American land (Lippmann, 1942).

Lippmann argued that citizens’ rights like those of citizenship may not be interfered with unless there is an existence of strong evidence that they have committed an illegal act but they also have the right to protection (Lippmann, 1942).  He, therefore, asserted that the American Japanese needed to be protected from the American citizens as they were viewed as a security threat. Lippmann thus believed in practical approaches by forgetting about rights, citizenship and the parentage of the aliens and make considerations of the impacts that may be generated. Through the application of practical solutions, he stated that the Japanese held no good thoughts for American and therefore they stay should be regulated.  He stated that everyone who should be compelled in order to ensure that their rationales of being in the country were positive.  The operations of individuals should, therefore, be examined in order to ensure that their interests are in match with the United States defense. Lippmann regarded the pacific coast as a fighting zone which would be characterized by fights if any measures were not implemented. If an individual holds no positive interests for the pacific coast then this implies that they have no freedom of being there since they can exercise this freedom in another location (Malkin, 2004).

According to Lipmann, there is no evidence that the American Japanese have committed any crime (Malkin, 2004). However, it is clear that they are a land’s enemy who is working with the outside Japanese to strike the American land. Their corporation with the outside enemy is aimed at resulting in more destruction. Incarcerating the innocent American Japanese will be crucial in avoiding the occurrence of destruction.  Lippmann supported his argument by stating that the national security would not be sacrificed for the alien’s freedom (Malkin, 2004).

Lipmann additionally held that imprisoning the innocent American Japanese are expected to make adequate sacrifices because it is their existence and that of Americans that is being risked. This fact according to Lipmann would not be ignored because the Japanese race is considered as an enemy (Malkin, 2004). This, therefore, implies that even though the decedents who are born on the United States soil are regarded as Americans there is no way that racial strains can be eradicated. The American Japanese in American according to Lippmann they serve as racial attractions and they are always loyal to their nations and they are ready to fight for their nations.  If there is a necessity the Japanese are always ready to die for their nations in the war that is particularly against their parent country. In addition, the  Japanese are directly allied to  Italy as well as Germany and in this ground,  the  Japanese decedents cannot be assumed to be fully loyal to American  as they are bound to turn against the united states land when they are subjected to loyalty test which is the far.  The American Japanese will automatically be in support of their mother nation. Therefore according to Lipmann despite the fact that the American Japanese are innocent they should be imprisonment which will help in regulating their operations and ensuring that they do not act against the wellbeing of the nation (Malkin, 2004).

There are more than a hundred and ten thousand American Japanese which shows that the probability of the potential Japanese enemy to strike and cause much destruction is very high (Malkin, 2004). Lippmann additionally states that  this is the indication  that the  Japanese are well  organized and the fact  that  there is no destruction that  has been caused so far shows that  they are very ready to  strike when it is  the favorable  time to act arrives. The investigation that has continuously been done by the Japanese navy cannot be based on anything and when all their plans  become a success the striking action will be done from  within and  outside thus causing increased  sabotage (Lippmann, 1942).

            References

Lippmann, W. (1942). Today and tomorrow, the fifth column on the coast. San Francisco, Washington post. Pdf

Malkin, M. (2004). In defense of internment: The case for "racial profiling" in World War II and the war on terror. Washington, DC: Regnery Pub.

APOLLO 13

            The actual account happened on 10^th April where some scientists boarded to one of the main historic missions in the NASA history.  This was three days later on 13^th. The Apollo 13 mission was acting on the routine commotion on the oxygen tanks.  This made them experience a dreadful breakdown of electrical and they were forced to make an emergency resend operation (Brooks, 2012, p1).  The movie has continued to account to two phrases where it creates the daily life vocabularies where Jim Lovell states that there is a problem in Houston and Gene Kranz states that failure is not a choice. As a leader, Gene who is the flight controller for the NASA during their mission in Apollo 13, motivates the other workers and plans for a careful schedule, excellent leadership skills and was also able to well represent the duties affiance among his team of the NASA experts (Mason & Lovell, 1995, p13).  

            As a strong leader, Gene respects the decision and the skills of each expert amid his team.  The controllers had to find a way and an complex non-planned decision for powering the command task back up in the groundwork of the re-entry and its revisiting it as many times so as to lead up to the spacelab return on the earth.  Each team member was responsible to better each of their tasks where each of each expert’s steps was implemented well leading to the perfect which was a failure in success of their mission (Pierce, 2005, p44).  Though Gene showed patience and attentiveness, the other team members were not aware that no one is perfect particularly with tasks based on instinctive make of choices. As the movie goes on, problems and other possible challenges continues to increase and this makes Gene loose his calmness.  This is revealed by an explosion that is based on gaining the startup of the electrical process (Kluger & Howard, 1995, p98). 

            The group had no other experience based on the kind of situation and had no plan of it; Gene had to develop his learning curve to his other team mates so as to have an efficient electrical startup process (Houston & Heflin, 2015, p21). According to the leadership traits that are shown by Gene, those who are involved in the leadership can be referred to as leaders while those who are controlled by the leader can be called his followers,  Both the leader and his followers engage in the leadership process and they are closely connected (Northouse, 2010,p15).  Even though they have the connection, the leader is the one who establishes the relationship, creates the communication relations and carries the burden of sustaining their connection. 

            A leader who also shows the perfect personality acts as a protagonist ideal for his supporters to outdo.  The supporters are talented to recognize together with their frontrunner and their mission (Yukl, 2012, p212).  In times of any challenge, the leader is one counted responsible for making the right decision about their mission.  Leaders who show personality use imagery and communicate in a vision that shows a go ahead thus creating the emotional connection with the followers (Day & Antonakis, 2012, p102).  Gene portrays his intelligence when he shows his perfect influence and personality in the challenging times of their mission. Many people in the mission control thought that the astronauts were hopeless where Gene proofed his intelligence and kept his positive outlook in the condition (Aber, 1995, p17). 

            He made many challenging choices but when he spoke with intelligence, his followers kept a deep trust in him (Gene 2009, p13).  Having much negativity from his followers and the other people around, Gene showed self-confidence as he talked with encouragement, imagery and body language that they needed in their condition (Hurson, 2008, p3).  In Apollo 13, Gene acts with determination when he is charged with the task to motivate his residents to make a plan so that they would all get the crew back to the earth securely.  To many of the other team members, it seemed as a more challenging situation.  Gene had a main challenge of motivating his mission control team workers with optimism and confidence that at the end there would be a solution and all that had to be worked out (Dethloff, 2012, 97).   

            Due to the fact that a leader is a person who is always anxious about his future and not his past, Gene shows his integrity by taking his responsibility of understanding what other people told him and thinking about their decisions where he only focused on how he could make the team safe and continue with his mission (Floyd, 2010, p16).  As the residents lost the oxygen, Gene commanded them to keep cool and solve the issue at hand.  Gene reveals this by thinking cool where his voice does not show any betrayal of any fear. 

            His integrity is shown as he controlled himself and remained in the challenging situation.  He also demonstrates his sociability when he calls for the residents to think creatively so as to find solutions to the harsh electrical problems.  In the movie, the mission control is given the responsibility to find a solution to the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the space.  This makes Gene challenge his co-workers to use their resources awareness to solve the problem (Chaikin, 2009, p86). 

References

Top of Form

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Top of Form

Bottom of Form

ABER, L. W. (1995). Choose the fate of Apollo 13. New York, Grosset & Dunlap.

BROOKS, C. G. (2012). Chariots for Apollo: the NASA History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft to 1969. Dover Publications. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1900998.

CHAIKIN, A. (2009). A man on the moon: the voyages of the Apollo astronauts. London, Michael Joseph.

DAY, D. V., & ANTONAKIS, J. (2012). The nature of leadership. Thousand Oaks, Calif, SAGE.

DETHLOFF, H. C. (2012). Suddenly, tomorrow came: the NASA history of the Johnson Space Center. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1893173.

Gary, Yukl (2012).  Leadership in Organizations .  Eighth Edition, University of Albany State University of New York. 

HOUSTON, R., & HEFLIN, M. (2015). Go, flight!: the unsung heroes of Mission Control, 1965-1992. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1082994.

HURSON, T. (2008). Think better (your company's future depends on it-- and so does yours): an innovator's guide to productive thinking. New York, McGraw-Hill. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10404915.

KLUGER, J., & HOWARD, R. (1995). The Apollo adventure: the making of the Apollo Space Program and the movie Apollo 13.

Kranz, Gene (2009).  Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and beyond.  Simon and Schuster. 

MASON, J. B., & LOVELL, J. (1995). Apollo 13: the movie storybook. New York, Grosset & Dunlap.

NORTHOUSE, P. G. (2010). Leadership: theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications.

PIERCE, A. (2005). Apollo 13. Edina, Minn, ABDO Daughters. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=393630.

SHELDON, FLOYD. (2010). The Fundamentals of Leadership Essential Tools of the Trade. Wheatmark Inc. LOVELL, J., KLUGER, J., & LOVELL, J. (2000). Apollo 13. Boston, Houghton Mifflin. Bottom of Form

Nature webcam

Introduction

Nature webcams are group of webcams which shows a variety of geographical activities like landscapes, lakes, rivers and much more. They also include things like show garden and creature habitat. The technology of using webcam will be more visualized if there is sufficient technology. The effect of seeing nature by use of a webcam will influence or change certain behaviors. The research will focus on the effect of viewing nature through webcams by the public towards the use and installation of these webcams. We are going to identify and analyze the effect of users who have been able to view the nature through the webcam. The research will tell us about materials and information required to make these webcams perform effectively. We are also going to summarize the every goal separately. The research will use Aviary cam and penguin cam as an example of the webcam selected.

Materials

Aviary cam

Aviary cam shows the different type of birds and their habitat. There is also different kind of plants to explain more about the natural environment. It includes six different types of birds and four types of plant. Some are small in size and others are big in size. Some have long necks while others are small. The climatic condition seems to be very cold as the area is beside the sea (Aviary cam, 2016).

Penguin cam

 The penguin cam includes thirteen creatures who can survive in cold areas. The weather condition displayed by penguin webcam is very cold.  The penguin birds are adapted to water climates but they can still survive outside of water.

Results

The biodiversity study incorporates description and analyzing the elements which give a specific pattern. According to the above webcams, the aviary cam shows different birds at their habitat. These birds some of them survive in dry land whereas are sea creature birds (Penguin cam, 2016). On the other side penguin cam is made up of one type of a bird which is penguin bird. The environment specifically directs the explanation of how this type of bird survives in their habitat.

Discussion

Factor affecting biodiversity

1. Population and carrying capacity.

The population is one of the things which influence diversity. In penguin cam, the penguin increase in the cage others are moving out to the ocean and on some situation, they move together in the colony. When they reach a certain number they relocate (Thuiller, 2007).

2. Climatic change.

In the aviary cam, the bird is very few as compared to the environment. Considering their adaptation style the some of the bird looks distressed this can be as a result of a change of population.

3. Exotic Species.

In the aviary cam, the green plants are insufficient food stuff to the birds who survive in that environment.

In penguin cam, we can describe penguin as the most similar to human being in character. These birds tend to understand each other as they raise their head when they feel good.

According to this ecosystem, we can be able to relate the sea seal as one of a creature who survives in a cold climate as same as some birds like a penguin. Sea seals are mammals found in the sea. Like the penguin, they stay in both soft land and sea. Seals have extra limbs to for better breathing as it has larger lungs. During the time of giving birth the sea seal breeds in outside water mostly on land with snow.  The body temperature of a sea seal is around 35 to 40 degrees.