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Introduction (5)
Introduction
“The most important thing is not life, but the good life” is a statement that says life is not the most important thing, instead it is living your life with meaning and purpose. Perhaps living a life that is just in society would make my life worth living, but if we do not have a purpose to our lives then we will just be mere physical bodies, having no soul and therefore no meaning. In Greek mythology, Socrates was pointed out as having a good life, and his death was because of how important he thought the most important thing in life was (Corlett, 2018). This essay will investigate and find out what made Socrates’ good life so special. It will also explore why this statement is true. If you live your life with meaning and purpose, then your life is worth living because it gives you a reason to keep be alive.
Argument supporting the thesis
Thesis statement: If you live your life with meaning and purpose, then your life is worth living because it gives you a reason to keep be alive. Socrates refused to make decisions himself, however he would rather ask somebody else who could make a better decision than him. It is because of this, that one day Socrates would shortly question what it is that makes life so special anyway? “The most important thing is not life, but the good life”. Socrates believed that if you lead your life with purpose and meaning then you were living the good life. He had the ‘Golden Mean’ theory. This theory is one where a person chooses to be morally and ethically good rather than being bad (Corlett, 2018). Socrates believed that this was the best way to do things because it was considered a golden mean where there is no excess or deficiency in good morals. This is always going to be right because it has no excess or deficiency of virtues, therefore it can never end up being wrong in any situation.
Assessment of objections
There are many objections that can be raised against this argument. One is that if we all lived the good life we would have no progression in society. This is because everyone would be too busy doing good to do anything else, therefore nothing would be done. If everybody did what was right and proper then it would not result in any harm because there will be no excess or deficiency of virtues, therefore nothing will ever go wrong. However, it could lead to a breakdown of society because people just do not want to do what is morally good anymore and always want more things.
Conclusion
Socrates believed that the most important thing in life is knowledge, which means that there are a lot more things in life that are of consequence than just one’s physical health. Knowledge is a matter of inquiry, which means it has to be investigated by way of searching. It is of utmost importance to one’s good life (Vallor, 2018). In order to properly understand Socrates’ theory, one must first comprehend what he means by “good”. He is saying that if a person knows what they are doing, and they do it as a service to others or themselves as a result of doing what they want, then they are achieving the good life.
Reference
Corlett, J. A. (2018). Legal Obligation in Plato’s Crito. In Interpreting Plato Socratically (pp. 133-168). Springer, Cham.
Vallor, S. (2018). An introduction to data ethics. Course module.) Santa Clara, CA: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
Types of Ecosystem
Introduction:
National science foundation (NSF) in 1980 established The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network to conduct research ecological issues that can last decades and span huge geographical areas.
The Network brings together a multi-disciplinary group of more than 2000 scientists and graduate students. The 26 LTER sites encompass diverse ecosystems in the continental United States, Alaska, Antarctica and islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
LTER is an international best organized and most successful groups conducting research in ecology. The aim of the LTER is to pursue a long-term research on based on long-term data and information which is necessary for truly understanding environmental phenomena.
27717756096026 Sites of LTER:
Andrews Forest LTER (AND)
Arctic LTER (ARC)
Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES)
Bonanza Creek LTER (BNZ)
California Current Ecosystem LTER (CCE)
Cedar Creek LTER (CDR)
Central Arizona – Phoenix LTER (CAP)
Coweeta LTER (CWT)
Florida Coastal Everglades LTER (FCE)
Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER (GCE)
Harvard Forest LTER (HFR)
Hubbard Brook LTER (HBR)
Jornada Basin LTER (JRN)
Kellogg Biological Station LTER (KBS)
Konza Prairie LTER (KNZ)
LTER Network Office (LNO)
Luquillo LTER (LUQ)
McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER (MCM)
Moorea Coral Reef LTER (MCR)
Niwot Ridge LTER (NWT)
North Temperate Lakes LTER (NTL)
Palmer Antarctica LTER (PAL)
Plum Island Ecosystems LTER (PIE)
Santa Barbara Coastal LTER (SBC)
Sevilleta LTER (SEV)
Shortgrass Steppe (SGS)
Virginia Coast Reserve LTER (VCR)
Among 26 LTER sites The California Current Ecosystem (CCE) would be described here.
3714750258445California Current Ecosystem (CCE):
Location:
CCE LTERs is located off the southern coast of California, extending from San Diego north to San Luis Obispo and westward over 500 km.
Geographical location is
Latitude: 32.90
Longitude: 102.30
Types of Ecosystem:
California Current system is a coastal upwelling biome and it is coastal pelagic ecosystem.CCE includes eastern current (California current) of North pacific gyre. This currents circulate water around the North Pacific Ocean. In this current, wind acts on sea surface and it facilitates the upward movement of nutrient rich deepwater so that surface dwellers can take this nutrient. This process is known as coastal upwelling. Upwelling ecosystems are most productive ecosystems. The CCE sustains active fisheries for a variety of marine invertebrates ,finfish and aquatic animals, modulates hydrologic cycle ,weather patterns of most of the west coast of United States, and plays a vital role in the economy of myriad coastal communities.
Area of interest: why this site has chosen
It is an ideal location of LTER because it has 5 decades of climate context provided by the calCOFI (California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations). The location of this site is in a bigeographic boundary where climate change is very rapid. Within this small geographic area there is a pronounced spatial gradient and its anoxic basins provide a unique connection to paleoceanographic studies; and the extant 4-D physical ocean circulation model of the region will permit rapid advances in the development of coupled bio-physical models of ecosystem transitions. LTER network can compare the coastal pelagic upwelling ecosystem with other biomes in respect to primary production pattern and control, of inorganic inputs and movements of nutrients patterns, Spatial and temporal distribution of populations selected to represent trophic structures, , and disturbances frequency and pattern.
Types of researches have been done and going on:
California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) has studied the CCE LTER site over 60 years. Scientists have observed changes in the CCE that happen over a variety of time scales. The changes include the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and El Niños which results in long term ocean warming trend that has been documented over the past 6 decades. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation includes a series of warming and cooling periods that occur in 20-30-year cycles. El Ninos is a periodic change of ocean atmosphere which includes increased ocean temperatures and decreased upwelling in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
The main purpose of this site is to built up a bio-physical model for understanding and forecasting the consequences of El Niño and low-frequency climate forcing on pelagic ecosystems of the California Current and similar biomes.
Research Focus
Study of four mechanisms that may lead to rapid shifts in the California Current Ecosystem:
Observation of changes in the food web in response to changes in ocean stratification and the supply of nutrients
Transport of several organisms along the coast from the northern to the southern part of the California Current system (and vice versa).
Transport of organisms from the coast to regions located far offshore. Currents transport coastal species offshore away from their preferred habitat and this result in destruction of marine ecosystem.
Changes in predation.
The researches in the CCE- LTER site are based on following processes:
Experimental Process Studies:
This study focuses on the stratification of the water column and its effect on the food web. Stratification prevents the movement of nutrient reach water to the sea surface where the nutrients are needed for the growth of microscopic algae called phytoplankton. Amount of stratification varies across time and space. Researchers focus on the change of stratification across space. Divergences in the amount of nutrients of phytoplankton at different depths and in different places may cause species variation. Cyanobacteria which are the producer of the ocean’s food web are inhabited in the boundary between nutrient rich deep water and nutrient poor surface water. CCE LTER scientists are conducting studies to know the effect of ocean stratification on the Cyanobacteria and other organisms.
Time Series Studies:
Time series is a group of repeated, scientific measurements performed in the same place but at different times. CCE LTER usually takes 4 types of time series.
First type: measurements made at sea four times a year , and examine oceanic microbes organic matter dissolved in sea water concentration of several metal like iron, which is essential nutrient for marine plants and algae.
Second type: use satellite observation to measure pigments produced by phytoplankton and sea surface temperature.
Third type: uses more frequent measurements of phytoplankton and ocean temperature made at near shore sites including the Scripps pier, other locations along the coast in a network called the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (SCCOOS), and the Ocean Institute at Dana Point.
Fourth type: robotic ocean gliders are used to make continuous measurements across the CCE region.
Modeling studies:
Computer models are used to interpret and understand the observation which is made during experiments. Information system contains the data from the various components of the CCE-LTER and allows researchers to access and combine all of those data. An Ocean Informatics electronic hub at the Integrative Oceanography Division (IOD) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography control all the documentation and data associated with the CCE-LTER projects
Researchers involved:
Mark D. Ohman (SIO), Peter franks (SIO), Steven Bogard (PFEL), James E. Conners (SIO), Peter Davison (SIO) and many others.
Conclusion:
There are many categories of stressors affecting the overall condition of the California Current ecosystem. This range includes traditional activities such as coastal development, fishing and emerging industries (shipping, renewable energy, desalination), the proliferation of land-based pollutants, and accelerating climate change. This stressor vigorously effects the marine population and marine ecosystem. Increase surface Temperature influences rates of metabolism and affects the range limits of many marine organisms. Scientists and researchers have shown that over the course of the past 60 years concentrations of dissolved oxygen have varied substantially. Periods of lower oxygen (hypoxia) reduce the vertical extent of habitable ocean for a variety of invertebrates and marine fishes and, while the habitable volume expands during intervals of higher dissolved oxygen (McClatchie et al. 2010). For the past 25 years gradual decline of dissolved oxygen has raised concerns about loss and compression of habitat for some commercially important rockfish such as the cowcod (Bograd et al. 2008).one study has shown that over past 60 years a group of marine zooplankton known as salps has been declined (Lavaniegos and Ohman 2007).Salps are very small celled suspension feeder and efficient grazer of phytoplankton and are important vectors that help repackage organic carbon and other compounds into a form that sediments quickly to the deep sea floor. Thus long-term carbon sequestration in the deep sea odd California may be altered by the decline in salps population. Another study has shown that the transparency of the California Current System has decreased slowly, but progressively over the past 6 decades (Aksnes and Ohman 2009). Seawater transparency plays a major role in controlling “encounter distance” at which visually-hunting predators like seabirds, fish, and some marine mammals can detect prey. The sustainability of some consumers that occupy the middle and upper levels of ocean food webs may be affected by deciline in encounter distance due to decrease in transparency of sea water.
Now scientist are not only trying to protect the California Current but also working to restore vitality and resilience in such a dynamic and changing system.
Reference:
http://cce.lternet.eduhttp://www.packard.org
Knowledge of the environment is very important for all
Introduction:
Knowledge of the environment is very important for all. the course allows me to understand the different aspects of the science fundamentals related to environment , the different biomes and the diversity and how water management can help to preserve the diverse features of land water mass. Energy is a very important source of life and a discussion on the different kinds of energy allows one to understand why they have to be preserved and the reason why man has to look at alternate sources of energy .a discussion of different units helps us to understand environmental science better.
Energy Matter and Cycles: The energy sources are said to have been split into three ways: that is the fossil fuels, the renewable sources, and the nuclear sources. The fossil fuels thus include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. The renewable energy sources are the solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal power. There are many ways where the abundance of energy can be stored, converted, and amplified for the benefit. The key energy sources play an important role in the future. The main reason where the energy needs to be cycled is by the living things which we generally put matter through requiring energy. It takes energy to turn a sugar into protein. The reason life is able to exist on Earth is that we have a constant input of energy from the Sun. Photosynthetic life is being formed to harvest the Sun’s energy, and thus the other organisms could basically steal their energy by eating them.
Science fundamentals are termed to be simple processes at surfaces and the complex materials and systems, the youngest planets and the oldest galaxies. Our aim is to discover the fundamental laws of nature and their creativity to the problems of industry, health and the hydrogen economy. Some of the University has a centuries-old record with the research in mathematics, the physical sciences and astronomy. Fundamentals of Science provide the basic knowledge for a whole range of practical uses and applications which can be used to address issues faced by mankind in treating scientific expositions especially regarding the origin and life and universe .
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. There are certain parts which exhibit the same kinds of biotic characteristics and are hence called as biomes . Biomes are known very particularly by the flora such as structures of plants, structure types , types of leaves and also by the way the plants are paced like savannah, woodlands ,shrubs etc. biomes are neither genetically the same not do they exhibit taxonomic similarities .Biomes are very important in studying the ergonomical habitat of the flora and of other natural landscapes such as . ponds, trees, streams, creeks, and burrows in the sand or soil.
Biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns where it forms. The biodiversity is shaped by natural processes and, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life in an integral part. This diversity is often understood in terms of the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms. There are huge base of nearly 1.75 million creatures that inhabit the earth. Scientists take the actual count at about 13 million species. The very important aspect of biodiversity rests on the truth that despite having so many different species there is a natural collection of all of them in some kind existing together. The sequencing and chronological order of the arrangement of every specie within it sub species has allowed for a wide interaction and arrangement of the two . There has been examples of bio diversity between crops and livestock .the life building blocks of the DNA and the chromosomes have identified and taken care of the different natural specie characteristic and trait . Biodiversity is seen widely in many different kinds of natural habitat where the biotic and the abiotic environment interact with each other ot form a community whre mankind has found himself to flourish.
Water Management generally offers products, services and water solutions that increase the efficiency of water that create water savings for customers worldwide. It usually takes to develop and deliver location specific water solutions. Water Management has been involved in water projects by way of utilizing the best efficient technologies and thus supports companies in many market sectors. Using our knowledge and understanding of water efficiency to develop a full-circle strategy actively reduces the usage. Water Management can thus help in managing water for the indoor use to outdoor uses.
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions. Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes such as oceanic circulation, biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, “climate change” is often used to describe human-specific impacts. Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment or built environment. The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is said as essential to support life on planet Earth. The emissions from different kinds of machinery and other activities used to make man’s life easier and the other technological innovation have led to ozone depletion and led to global warming which has been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth’s ecosystems.
Conventional energy sources include oil, gas and coal. These conventional sources are usually fossil fuels. Their use leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental damage. Conventional energy sources cannot be renewed and hence have to be preserved . The conventional sources of energy are generally non-renewable sources of energy, which are being used since a long time. These sources of energy are being used extensively in such a way that their known reserves have been depleted to a great extent. At the same time it is becoming increasingly difficult to discover and exploit their new deposits. As per records and the availability of gas, the reserves of oil will be depleted in a few decades and coal reserves too. Alternate sources of energy will have to found out as coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity are conventional sources of energy.
Alternative energy is said to be one of an energy source that is said to be an alternative to fossil fuel. These alternatives are said to be intended to address about fossil fuels. What constitutes the nature of an alternative energy source has changed considerably over time, as have controversies regarding energy use. Because of the variety of energy choices and differing goals of their advocates, defining some energy types as “alternative” is highly controversial. In a general sense, alternative energy as it is currently conceived is that which is produced or manufactured without using any fossil fuel. Alternate sources of energy refer to all those naturally used sources which do not have carbon emissions contributing to global warming .
Conclusion:
An understanding of the different kinds of energy that the nature has in store is slowly being depleted and hence careful conservation of the same is needed and the environment needs to be studied and preserved very carefully.
References:
aeckersberg.weebly.com/uploads/5/8/3/9/…/sp7_-_chapter_2.pdf
www.cbd.int/2010/biodiversity/www.environment.tn.nic.in/SoE/images/WasteManagement.pdf retrieved from home.utah.edu/~ptt25660/tran.html
www.environmentalleader.com/category/conventional-energy/
www.epa.gov/climatechange/ www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/airpollution.html
www.watermgt.com/
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome