I do not believe tobacco should be legal. Tobacco is a drug just like weed or crack, yet it is the only one that is legal. Of the more common drugs, tobacco is widely distributed, yet causes just as much, if not more harm than most drugs do, not to mention the addiction to niccotine.
For personal health, tobacco is very harmful to your body because of niccotine and tar buildup in your lungs, as well as other additives that are harmful, such as lead and ingredients from rat poison. These and other carcinogens can lead to cancer, as well as smoker's cough, and other physical changes.
Smoking also damages social health, because of physical changes to your appearance, including yellowing of the teeth and bad breath. Other consequences are caused by secondhand smoke, which can also cause harm to people who are around you.
Smoking also ruins your financial future, because you spend money that could be used for other things on tobacco, which costs about $5 a pack. This money goes to tobacco companies who use it to advertise to other people, so that THEY can get hooked too. This endless spiral soon means people dont have enough money to buy things they need, because they are too busy supplying for their addiction.
Smoking is controlled by the government, but not enough, in my opinion. I believe the government should ban all tobacco products, and invest the profits that the tobacco companies would then give up to fund programs to help addicts through withdrawl. With a program like this, no one's life would be ruined because of a lost love one or because of an addiction they have.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Too Young to be a Dad
I think this movie presented the story of a teen pregnancy in a different light, because all the stories we hear are about how the girl feels or reacts to being pregnant.
Guys feel pressure from many different sources. Most guys feel the pressure from his teenage years on. Not suprisingly, the boy's friends are often the ones who are pushing him to follow through with what he feels already.
For girls, pressure comes from many more directions. First, the girls have to deal with their friends, who all seem to think having sex is like a rite of passage. Other pressure comes from a boyfriend, especially if the guy is also feeling pressure from his friends. The media is also an important force in the mix, because it portrays teenage sex as something fun, that has no consequences.
Drugs and alcohol play a HUGE part in teenage sex/pregnancy. If the couple uses drugs or alcohol, and then they spend some time alone, they are more likely to make a bad decision and cave in to the pressures they feel every day.
Of the ways to make a decision, active is probably more effective, because it allows you to decide what is good for you in a certain situation. If you are passive, and you think having sex is the norm, then you are going to go along with what you believe, and have sex. Although it is probably worse ,I am more of a passive decision maker, and base my decision on what I am used to, rather than what I think would be "cool," and it keeps me out of trouble.
Guys feel pressure from many different sources. Most guys feel the pressure from his teenage years on. Not suprisingly, the boy's friends are often the ones who are pushing him to follow through with what he feels already.
For girls, pressure comes from many more directions. First, the girls have to deal with their friends, who all seem to think having sex is like a rite of passage. Other pressure comes from a boyfriend, especially if the guy is also feeling pressure from his friends. The media is also an important force in the mix, because it portrays teenage sex as something fun, that has no consequences.
Drugs and alcohol play a HUGE part in teenage sex/pregnancy. If the couple uses drugs or alcohol, and then they spend some time alone, they are more likely to make a bad decision and cave in to the pressures they feel every day.
Of the ways to make a decision, active is probably more effective, because it allows you to decide what is good for you in a certain situation. If you are passive, and you think having sex is the norm, then you are going to go along with what you believe, and have sex. Although it is probably worse ,I am more of a passive decision maker, and base my decision on what I am used to, rather than what I think would be "cool," and it keeps me out of trouble.
Legalizing Drugs
All students grow up learning about the dangers of drugs, the health consequences, and the horrors of addiction. If these points are supported so much, why would anyone even think of legalizing drugs? The dangers aside, there are many reasons why drugs should not be legalized.
Some people say that by legalizing drugs, we will be keeping violence levels lower, because there will not be as many gang fights or tussles over drugs. This fighting is because of these strict laws, and because of the illegal nature of their occupation, they cannot settle disputes in court, and therefore must resolve any problems with violence, so it cannot happen again. While legalizing drugs may put an end to this, most violence does not occur because of drugs.
Another reason drugs should not be allowed is that drugs do not only harm the person that uses them. Examples are when someone uses LSD or another hallucinogen and sees something that isnt there and then causes an accident, especially if they are in a car. More people say that people should be free to decide whether or not to use drugs. The problem with this assumption, however, is that by one person choosing to use a drug, they could cause others aroound them to become addicted (ex: smoking pot around someone else, and they end up getting hooked.) The reason people are trying to get drugs legalized us that they want to be lazy to get their fix, and they don't want to have to struggle to find it. Legalizing drugs to make it easier for them is not going to be any help at all.
Some people say that by legalizing drugs, we will be keeping violence levels lower, because there will not be as many gang fights or tussles over drugs. This fighting is because of these strict laws, and because of the illegal nature of their occupation, they cannot settle disputes in court, and therefore must resolve any problems with violence, so it cannot happen again. While legalizing drugs may put an end to this, most violence does not occur because of drugs.
Another reason drugs should not be allowed is that drugs do not only harm the person that uses them. Examples are when someone uses LSD or another hallucinogen and sees something that isnt there and then causes an accident, especially if they are in a car. More people say that people should be free to decide whether or not to use drugs. The problem with this assumption, however, is that by one person choosing to use a drug, they could cause others aroound them to become addicted (ex: smoking pot around someone else, and they end up getting hooked.) The reason people are trying to get drugs legalized us that they want to be lazy to get their fix, and they don't want to have to struggle to find it. Legalizing drugs to make it easier for them is not going to be any help at all.
Environmental Pharmecutical Pollution
For most people, to dispose of medicine means to flush it down the toilet or throw it directly in the trash. Not only do these hurt the environment, but they also can hurt people when stolen and improperly taken. Many of these products are PPCPs, which are Pharmecuticals and Personal Care Products.
One thing that is brought up is that intentional dumping is not always the reason these chemicals end up in our environment. Large amounts of the chemicals are sent out of bodies in waste, because they are not completely used. The waste, as well as sweat, enter into the environment and cause harm.
The potential hazards of this process are unknown for know, but concerns could be possible depending on the chemicals that are introduced into the system. Most of these products enter when introduced into sewage, and the chemicals are not filtered out. Higher amounts of the chemicals are also present in septic systems and aquifers, or underground sources of water.
There are several ways to keep these chemicals out of the system. First, dispose of PPCPs correctly, either by taking to a pharmecutical "recycling" program, contact your waste management company, or follow any disposal instructions on the container of medicine.
One thing that is brought up is that intentional dumping is not always the reason these chemicals end up in our environment. Large amounts of the chemicals are sent out of bodies in waste, because they are not completely used. The waste, as well as sweat, enter into the environment and cause harm.
The potential hazards of this process are unknown for know, but concerns could be possible depending on the chemicals that are introduced into the system. Most of these products enter when introduced into sewage, and the chemicals are not filtered out. Higher amounts of the chemicals are also present in septic systems and aquifers, or underground sources of water.
There are several ways to keep these chemicals out of the system. First, dispose of PPCPs correctly, either by taking to a pharmecutical "recycling" program, contact your waste management company, or follow any disposal instructions on the container of medicine.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Industrialized Farming
There is no doubt that industrialized farming has great positives when it comes to our economy and the rest of our lives. This type of farming streamlines the process by which we get our food, and also helps our farmers live a little bit easier than they used to.
Industrial agriculture/farming is based on several key technological advances. The first is the improvement of farming equipment to make it more efficient and have a lower cost. Another advancement is the widespread use of fertilizers, now that we know what plants need to flourish and be productive. Vitamin supplements and vaccines have helped us take better care of our livestock, allowing cows to have more calves and produce more milk, as well as allowing bulls to live longer and become fatter for more meat to sell. A very important advancement is genetic engineering, which allows animals to be modified to live in different conditions, or to be cloned. The majority of industrial techniques used in farming are not harmful, but some techniques can be detrimental to the health of the animals, as well as to us.
The main problems with industrial agriculture are environmental-the large amounts of water and fossil fuels used is a major one, because once these resources are gone, they are not coming back. Another detrimental effect is from the fertilizers, which eventually get washed off the fields and run into creeks and other water sources and cause health problems for the human and animal populations that use the water.
There are several effects that directly affect the human population as well. Some farmers use growth hormones in their livestock so that the animals grow faster and are ready in a shorter amount of time. These growth hormones can wreak havoc on human bodies, and mess up our natural hormones. There also is the problem of bacteria and viruses being spread. With animals being packed close together, diseases spread quickly, and we may be recieving contaminated food. There also may be problems with diseases on farm equipment which later gets passed on to us.
Industrial farming can be very good for us, but there can be some nasty side effects, now that you are partially informed, you can look up more info, and make your own decision.
Industrial agriculture/farming is based on several key technological advances. The first is the improvement of farming equipment to make it more efficient and have a lower cost. Another advancement is the widespread use of fertilizers, now that we know what plants need to flourish and be productive. Vitamin supplements and vaccines have helped us take better care of our livestock, allowing cows to have more calves and produce more milk, as well as allowing bulls to live longer and become fatter for more meat to sell. A very important advancement is genetic engineering, which allows animals to be modified to live in different conditions, or to be cloned. The majority of industrial techniques used in farming are not harmful, but some techniques can be detrimental to the health of the animals, as well as to us.
The main problems with industrial agriculture are environmental-the large amounts of water and fossil fuels used is a major one, because once these resources are gone, they are not coming back. Another detrimental effect is from the fertilizers, which eventually get washed off the fields and run into creeks and other water sources and cause health problems for the human and animal populations that use the water.
There are several effects that directly affect the human population as well. Some farmers use growth hormones in their livestock so that the animals grow faster and are ready in a shorter amount of time. These growth hormones can wreak havoc on human bodies, and mess up our natural hormones. There also is the problem of bacteria and viruses being spread. With animals being packed close together, diseases spread quickly, and we may be recieving contaminated food. There also may be problems with diseases on farm equipment which later gets passed on to us.
Industrial farming can be very good for us, but there can be some nasty side effects, now that you are partially informed, you can look up more info, and make your own decision.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Soy and a Healthy Diet
Health food nuts and vegans have been eating soy as a protein substitute for meat and other high fat items for years. We have all heard of soy milk and other products that replace foods such as milk and other animal byproducts with vegan-approved "natural" foods.
Soybeans are very good for us and the Earth. Soybeans have been used for many years as a fixation method, to replenish nitrogen in the soil so other plants can grow. The first soybean products were fermented, such as soy sauce and miso. After the discovery of the precipitation method, which involves mixing the cooked beans with magnesium sulfate to create the base for tofu.
There are many negative effects from soybeans, many stemming from the "antinutrients". The first of the antinutrients are enzyme prohibitors that block typsin and other protein-digesting enzymes. These inhibitors can lead to gastric distress, low protein digestion, and deficiencies in essential amino acids. Another harmful chemical is haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes caused by the clots. Both the aforementioned antinutrients are growth inhibitors, meaning the consumer does not always develop normally. Thankfully, the compounds are deactivated during the process of fermentation, and the concentration is greatly reduced by the process of precipitation. Soybeans also contain goitrogens and phytic acid, which depress thyroid function and block the absorption of essential minerals, respectively. Unfortunately, the phytic acid in soybeans are resistant to the long, slow cooking process that deactivates the acid in most plant seeds. Fermentation does decrease the concentration slightly.
In conclusion, soy can be a healthy alternative to meat, or as a low fat dietary supplement. The downsides do make it a challenge to see the full benefits of soy, but the health effects should not be taken lightly, and consumers should be aware of the potential dangers of soy.
Soybeans are very good for us and the Earth. Soybeans have been used for many years as a fixation method, to replenish nitrogen in the soil so other plants can grow. The first soybean products were fermented, such as soy sauce and miso. After the discovery of the precipitation method, which involves mixing the cooked beans with magnesium sulfate to create the base for tofu.
There are many negative effects from soybeans, many stemming from the "antinutrients". The first of the antinutrients are enzyme prohibitors that block typsin and other protein-digesting enzymes. These inhibitors can lead to gastric distress, low protein digestion, and deficiencies in essential amino acids. Another harmful chemical is haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes caused by the clots. Both the aforementioned antinutrients are growth inhibitors, meaning the consumer does not always develop normally. Thankfully, the compounds are deactivated during the process of fermentation, and the concentration is greatly reduced by the process of precipitation. Soybeans also contain goitrogens and phytic acid, which depress thyroid function and block the absorption of essential minerals, respectively. Unfortunately, the phytic acid in soybeans are resistant to the long, slow cooking process that deactivates the acid in most plant seeds. Fermentation does decrease the concentration slightly.
In conclusion, soy can be a healthy alternative to meat, or as a low fat dietary supplement. The downsides do make it a challenge to see the full benefits of soy, but the health effects should not be taken lightly, and consumers should be aware of the potential dangers of soy.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Conflict Resolution
One method of conflict resolution is to keep in mind the emotions of all parties in the conflict. Emotions are one of the major underlying causes of conflict, such as a bully's feelings of insecurity causing them to lash out against others. When emotions are considered, conflicts are more likely to be resolved.
To increase the chances of resolving the conflict, both parties should maintain direct and honest communication. Neither party should consider themselves superior, because they then believe they do not need to compromise with the other group. The main principle of the resolution should be for both groups to get something out of the resolution.
The basic steps are as follows: A) you should seek to understand the view of the other side of the conflict. You should make sure you understand that they really do want to end the conflict. You should make sure to maintain good communication skills, such as paraphrasing. You should try to figue out what you can give the other party to make them happy. B) Make sure the other party understands you. Seek to show your view of the conflict, while still trying to respect theirs. C) Work together to try to come to a compromise. Brainstorm with the other party to come up with a plan while witholding your judgement of the plan. Make sure both groups are okay with the plan, and remember to choose the resolution that will make both groups the most happy. While discussing possible resolutions, the least powerful member should act as a moderator, so neither group is more powerful.
It is possible that this method could actually be successful, such as if it was a bullying situation. The person being bullied should try to understand why the buly is the way he is, and should also explain to the bully why the action bothers him. The two would them try to find an agreement, such as the bully would leave the other person alone if they would help the bully with their problem.
To increase the chances of resolving the conflict, both parties should maintain direct and honest communication. Neither party should consider themselves superior, because they then believe they do not need to compromise with the other group. The main principle of the resolution should be for both groups to get something out of the resolution.
The basic steps are as follows: A) you should seek to understand the view of the other side of the conflict. You should make sure you understand that they really do want to end the conflict. You should make sure to maintain good communication skills, such as paraphrasing. You should try to figue out what you can give the other party to make them happy. B) Make sure the other party understands you. Seek to show your view of the conflict, while still trying to respect theirs. C) Work together to try to come to a compromise. Brainstorm with the other party to come up with a plan while witholding your judgement of the plan. Make sure both groups are okay with the plan, and remember to choose the resolution that will make both groups the most happy. While discussing possible resolutions, the least powerful member should act as a moderator, so neither group is more powerful.
It is possible that this method could actually be successful, such as if it was a bullying situation. The person being bullied should try to understand why the buly is the way he is, and should also explain to the bully why the action bothers him. The two would them try to find an agreement, such as the bully would leave the other person alone if they would help the bully with their problem.
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