An Overview of Indonesias Soil Sickness Essays -- Agriculture Agricul

An Overview of Indonesia's Soil Sickness The proper utilization of the world's soil to provide food for the world's increasing population is becoming an increasingly more important issue. In the tropical rain-forests, especially, the depletion of the natural ecological system has caused massive destruction to the rain-forests' soil, thereby impeding agricultural development. One of the stereotypes which is fostered by a concern for the proper use of the rain-forest habitat is that all slash and burn agriculture -- or swidden agriculture -- is detrimental to the rain-forest habitat, and should be halted completely. While swidden agriculture has caused large amounts of damage to the rain-forest as a whole, the problem lies not with swidden agriculture itself, but rather with the circumstances under which it is carried out. Tropical soils are able to survive, and indeed thrive, when swidden agriculture is executed properly. In Indonesia, examples of both correct and incorrect swidden agriculture methods can be found. The Indigenous peoples, who have been utilizing slash and burn methods of agriculture for centuries, properly burn and farm small plots of land, while letting soils regenerate plots which have recently been farmed. The peasant population of Indonesia, on the other hand, has turned to swidden agriculture by default, and utilizes the land only for short-term gain. The result is the depletion of the soil to an extent where it may never be utilized again. Two different methodologies of the same agriculture can have drastically different effects on the soil; why this is, and the specific processes involved in the soil which either deplete or enhance its quality will be examined in the following pages. In conclusion, ... ...k to colonize new, agriculturally marginal lands. Severe environmental disruption results..." (Goodland, 1984; 183). In order to save its soils, Indonesia needs major land reform policies, or social contracts which will give peasants an alternative to swidden agriculture. Until then, no amount of terracing, placing fertilizers in the soil, reducing slope, or irrigation can undo the damage to tropical soils. Unless something is done quickly, tree cover in the rain-forests may be replaced altogether by imperata savannah grass which threatens to turn Indonesia into a "green desert" (Geertz, 1964; 24). On a larger scale, failure to address the issue of soil depletion in Indonesia may result in the insufficiency of foodstuffs for the Indonesian people. As Edmund G. Brown, Jr. said, "Many past civilizations have fallen with their forests and eroded with their soils."

Educational orientation Essay

According to the journal for American association for counseling and development (2008) and Zweigenhaff and Domhoff (2003) the African Americans value very much education and are ready to make sacrifices to achieve the education qualifications. Though they have that desire and willingness to have a good education background they are faced with a number of challenges that affect their performance in school. According to Rovai et al (2007) African American students as compared to the other students have lower performance standards and this is raising concern because this area has not been given much consideration to determine what could be the actual reasons behind their low grades. Lincoln et al (1990) and Henderson and Sumler (1999) discusses some of the reasons why these students do not perform well as others as to include difficulties to integrate and accept the various people from different cultural backgrounds they encounter in school and where they live. The hip hop culture is also said to contribute to the low grades because more of this students have indulged themselves in weird lifestyles that cannot allow them to have enough time with their studies. As argued in Cross (2005) and Wayne (2005) most of the African American students come from average family background and when they go to school with the white American they are seen by the fellow white students as being inferior which psychologically will affect them in their education as they find that they are discriminated. This creates a gap between them that and limits the way they will associate with the others and their presence in the school is threatened. The other reasons for their low grade as discussed in smiley (2006) include the poverty that they live in that makes them struggle to meet their basic needs and making them lose enough concentration to the education and even at times dropping out of school to try life elsewhere. The other reasons according to Obiakor (2002) and Ashe (2002) leading to low academic performance among the African Americans include the way they select the schools that they go to which might have low standards, having different curriculums that may not cover all the necessary topics and choosing areas of study that they are not competent in and also some of the teaching staff may not be giving them support because they tend to display behavior that show no much concern to their education. How to address the problem. Ogbu (2003) and Wright et al (2001) suggests that the teachers and the schools have a responsibility to encourage and support all the students they have under their care to perform well. He also argues that this will be done by helping the students to change the various negative attitudes they have towards their teachers, other students and the education materials like books. Obiakor et al (2002) suggests that the learning environment needs to be made conducive for all the students so that nobody feels threatened by the other because it will help the students settle in their education. As argued by Allen et al (1998) and Wayne (2005) the parents and guardians are encouraged to give moral support to the students and they should encourage them to develop interest in the religion as it offers psychological support. References A. P. Rovai, Louis B. Gallien, & Helen R. Stiff (2007): Closing the African American achievement gap in higher education. National association for college admission counseling. Retrievedonline http://www. nacacnet. org/PUBLICATIONSRESOURCES/BOOKREVIEWS Alex B. Henderson, Janice Sumler (1999). Freedom’s odyssey Clark Atlanta university press. Allen K, Stelzer, P & Wielkiewicz, M (1998). The ecology of leadership: adapting to challenges of a changing world. The journal of leadership. Bertram D. Ashe (2002). From within the frame. Routledge publishers Charles E. Lincoln, Lawrence H. Mamiya (1990). The black church in the African American experience. Duke university press. Cross T. (2005). The persisting racial gap in college student graduation rates. The journal of higher education. Festus E. Obiakor, Bridgie Alexis ford (2002). Creating successful learning environments for African American learners with exceptionalities. Corwin press Faye Z. Belgrave, KevinW. Allison (2005). African American psychology. Sage publishers. .J. Hale (2001). Learning while black. JHU publishers. Journal of counseling and development by American association for counseling and development vol 79 2008. Ogbu J (2003). Black American students in an affluent suburb: a study of academic disengagement. Lawrence Erlbaum publishers New Jersey. Tavis Smiley (2006): The covenant with black America. Third world press. W. Wayne (2005). African Americans and the color line in Ohio. Ohio university press. R. Zweigenhaft, G. Domhoff (2003). Blacks in the white elite. Rowman and Littlefield. Richard Wright, A. Chapman, Malcolm (2001). Black voices. Signet classic publishers

Texting and Driving a Problem in Nebraska - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2315 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Texting and Driving Essay Did you like this example? Introduction A very serious problem that is affecting Nebraskans today is the multitude of drivers who check and respond to text messages on their cell phones while driving. There are drivers of all ages and abilities that have been guilty of this dangerous practice. Everyone traveling on the roads with these drivers is at a great risk of being involved in a serious, and sometimes even deadly, car accident because of their negligence. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Texting and Driving a Problem in Nebraska" essay for you Create order In the state of Nebraska, it is only considered a secondary offense and law enforcement officers on the roads cannot pull over a driver for texting while behind the wheel. This has created a dangerous atmosphere where the dangers are not taken seriously. The Nebraska state legislature should make texting while driving a primary offense in this state in order to save lives by reducing distracted driving accidents. Problem Statement A large amount of serious car accidents caused by texting and driving happen every day in Nebraska resulting in deaths and injuries. This is a problem that can be addressed if Nebraska starts to follow the examples of many other states. Texting and driving bans exist in forty seven U.S. states. (Distracted Driving) It is a primary offense in most of them. It is only considered a secondary offense in four states. These are the states of Florida, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota. (Distracted Driving) Since, Nebraska only has it as a secondary offense, it isnt taken seriously enough by some drivers. Police officers cant pull people over for that alone. This leads to many tragedies on the roads that could have been avoided. It is a proven fact that taking your eyes off the road for five seconds to send or read a text message is long enough to cover a football field while driving 55 miles per hour! (Johnson) This fact should prove how serious this issue really is. Iowa is a state that borders Nebraska and is a good example of the benefits of making texting while driving a primary offense. On July 1, 2017, it was made a primary offense there. This has given a plan for Nebraskas future if it is made into a law here. (Stewart) The number of tickets went up over 620% that were issued to drivers who were texting while behind the wheel in the last year, according to the Iowa state patrol. (Stewart) Drivers in the state that were caught breaking this law were issued 1,700 tickets in just the first year alone. (Bolten) There are many drivers in Nebraska that are guilty of this dangerous practice also so it would provide a good source of revenue for law enforcement. These extra funds can be used to hire more officers to patrol the roads and highways, especially at peak driving times such as rush hour. The money can also be used help fund Educational programs and Public Service Announcements to raise awareness to this issue throughout the state. In Iowa , a $100 fine as well as costs for going to court are what most drivers ended up paying who broke the law in that state. (Bolten) When a reporter from WOWT named Rachel Urbanski was able to ride with a Nebraska state trooper in July 2018, she was able to see first-hand and report on how many drivers are out there with this problem. (Distracted Driving Crashes on the Rise) She learned and was able to tell us all about the experiences she saw and learned of from Trooper Jeremiah Foster on the amount of distracted drivers he typically encounters. (Distracted Driving Crashes on the Rise) He provides a typical experience of the officers patrolling our roads unfortunately. Solution There are many Nebraska state senators that agree the state should make texting and driving a primary offense. They look to and mention Iowa frequently when they talk about new laws they are proposing. An example of one such politician in Nebraska in Senator Merv Riepe. He has been vocal about his belief that Nebraska law enforcement should be able to ticket drivers that are caught texting while driving and that Nebraska should follow Iowas path to making it a primary offense. (Distracted Driving Crashes on the Rise) Another state senator named Roy Baker even tried to introduce a bill to make it a primary offense. (Kipper) The Council Bluffs area of Iowa and the Omaha area of Nebraska tend to share many drivers, especially for employment and shopping purposes. This is an important fact that needs to be stated by Nebraska politicians trying to get the texting and driving laws tightened here. There is research that proves that harsh punishments before education might be successful at stopping the practice of texting while driving. (Owner) If it is made a primary offense in Nebraska, people would be less likely to risk doing it while driving. There have been great strides made in three different areas in public health in the recent past that can prove this point. (Owner) One is that most people wear their seatbelts now, another is the fact that less people smoke cigarettes and drunk driving has decreased since worse punishments were put into place for each of these. Paul Atchley Ph.D. has studied each of these and he has said that Distracted driving is particularly difficult to curb because it can be addictive like smoking and its something that the designers of both products purposely built in. (Owner) Success can be found though with getting the general public of Nebraska to not want to take the risk by toughening the penalties for texting and driving. The number of pedestrian and motorcycle accident deaths increased in 2017 in the state of Nebraska. This is believed to be due to distracted driving, according to Fred Zwonechek, the Nebraska Department of Transportations Highway Safety Office administrator. (Withrow) Iowa has shown a remarkable improvement in highway deaths since the new law. There were 397 fatalities in 2016 and 329 in 2017. (Withrow) This is an amazing difference in terms of lives saved there since texting and driving was made a primary offense. Raising awareness to this very important issue is crucial also. There are some organizations that are really making a difference. The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization that was started in 1913 by the United States Congress that works to stop unneeded deaths on the roads from texting and driving. (National Safety Council Calls on Legislators to Address Distracted Driving) Another influential organization for this cause is the Road to Zero Coalition which is made up of 650 groups and the United States Department of Transportation. They work with many different groups in the government and the private sector. Their goal is end roadway fatalities by 2050. (National Safety Council Calls on Legislators to Address Distracted Driving) If these groups can continue to gain members and support from government and the general public, this can actually become a reality. Supporting Arguments There are states in the United States that have already made texting while driving a primary offense. This has led to safer roads for drivers and passengers there. This was started many years ago. In 2007, the state of Washington instituted the first texting and driving law. (Distracted Driving) Forty two other states followed with similar laws. (Distracted Driving) Texting while driving becoming a primary offense reduces accidents and saves lives. There is definite proof of this when Iowas traffic statistics are examined before and after the texting law was changed. On July 1, 2017, it was made a primary offense there. There were 575 car accidents caused by cell phones in the state in the first half of 2017. (Stewart) In the same months of 2018, there were 486 car accidents caused by mobile devices. (Stewart) This is a substantial improvement and it shows positively for the future of Iowa. Since distracted driving accidents are often under-reported, (The Grim Reality of Texting and Driving) there are also some states like Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin that are starting to add information about texting and other cell phone use to accident documents. (National Safety Council Calls on Legislators to Address Distracted Driving) This problem in Nebraska needs to be addressed very soon. It is not getting any better. The number of distracted driving crashes over the past decade has stayed steady at around 150 accidents per year. (Nebraska Drivers Involved in Traffic Crashes With Cell Phone Distractions) This is not something that should go unnoticed and unresolved. Crashes involving teens has remained steady since 2008 while other drivers have seen a slight increase. (Nebraska Traffic Crashes Involving Cell Phone Distractions, Comparing Teens, Other Drivers and All Drivers) This is proof that even experienced drivers are making this dangerous mistake. In total since 2008, there have been 4 fatalities and over 607 injuries due to these accidents. (see fig 1) Figure 1 The human toll of this dangerous habit of many drivers is heartbreaking. A teenage driver who was texting while driving in Omaha in 2007 caused a crash that killed Rob Reynolds sixteen year old daughter. (Stewart) Since then, he has made it his crusade to support strengthening laws to address the crisis of distracted driving. Another family that lost a young member to a distracted driving accident and is attempting to make a difference is the Modisette family. (Gardner) Their 5 year old daughter, Moriah, was killed when another car hit the familys vehicle at a fast speed. The driver responsible for the crash was on his smartphone and wasnt paying attention to traffic slowing down in front of him. (Gardner) They sued the Apple company. (Gardner) Many horrible tragedies like this can be avoided in Nebraska if texting while driving is made a primary offense and is enforced by police around the state. It has become commonplace for many drivers today to think that texting while driving i s not a big deal. Nationally, 41% of drivers admitted to using their hands to send a text message when 622 of them were surveyed. (Gardner) Innocent people, including children riding in cars with their families, can be saved if the texting and driving laws are toughened. The American military is another good example of a location that has taken strong steps to ensure drivers safety when it comes to texting and driving and all cell phone usage. While on all bases, there is a restriction that states that no cell phones can be used by drivers while they are behind the wheel. This includes talking as well as text messaging and any other communication on hand held devices. (Wood) This is an effective safety measure that was started in April 2005. (Wood) The military did their research on cell phone use while driving. This regulation was developed based on information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which found that cell phone use was the fastest growing and most visible distraction leading to accidents (Wood) Because of this, the bases are much safer places to drive than on Nebraska roads and highways. The Nebraska state government should have the same interest in the citizens safety and the legislature should pass laws that show t his. Address of the Opposition Some Nebraska government officials worry about possible discrimination problems that could happen if the texting and driving law is made a primary offense in the state. Curt Friesen is the transportation committee chair and he believes that racial profiling could occur because he says that officers tend to profile. (Kipper) This is the reason why he put a stop to the laws that state senator, Roy Baker, tried to get passed on seat belts and tightening the texting and driving law. (Kipper) Racial profiling is also a concern for the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. (Stewart) Racial profiling shouldnt be an issue in Nebraska if texting and driving is made a primary offense. Racial profiling is usually used to refer to minorities being targeted. The neighboring state of Iowa where this has already made a primary offense, has a very similar population demographic to Nebraska. Since the new law has been passed in Iowa, 90% of the tickets issued for this offense were to White drivers, while only 4.5% were written to Black drivers. (Bolten) Another issue that some opponents have with texting becoming a primary offense is that it is hard to determine if a driver is in fact texting while driving. The American Civil Liberties Union believes that Iowas tougher texting law wont work and could cause worse issues for safety because it might cause some drivers to attempt to hide their texting while behind the wheel. (Stewart) Increasing the severity of the texting and driving law has also made other individuals question if its even needed since they say that the Nebraska Reckless Driving and Careless Driving laws already include that. (Kipper) Law enforcement has a great deal of experience with distracted drivers. Everyone seems to think that they can multi-task their different activities, even while driving a vehicle. (The Grim Reality of Texting and Driving) Nebraska state trooper Jeremiah Foster has seen many distracted drivers and one way he can tell is that they are not staying their lanes while driving down the road. (Distracted Driving Crashes on the Rise) Iowas police officers and state troopers have had many chances to see what texting and driving looks like on the roads since it became a primary offense that they can pull drivers over for last year. Troopers look for people scrolling and manipulating text on their phones and then they pull up alongside those cars according to Iowa State Patrol Sargent Nathan Ludwig. (Stewart) Conclusion Nebraska roads can be made far safer for everyone if the state legislature makes texting while driving a primary offense. The state should follow the example of most other states in this country. There have been many very tragic accidents involving lives lost or destroyed because of drivers choosing to read or respond to a text message while driving on the road. No text message is ever important enough to take this risk.