Physics in Cricket Essays

Year Round Production Of Oranges In Nigeria

All year Production Of Oranges In Nigeria Nigerians, in the same way as other different Africans, accept that specific natural products like orange just develop specifically seasons. This can't be any further from reality. In created nations, most if not all the organic products are accessible for utilization throughout the entire year. The mystery behind this accessibility of natural products isn't so fantastical. This review is centered around all year orange creation in country Nigeria. Developing oranges requests the support of certain climatic conditions like temperature and wind power despite the fact that there are different issues less identified with the atmosphere, for example, bug control, water system and manure application. These conditions control the development of orange. As such, in the event that they can be kept up at a specific level, creation should be possible all year. The Communication and Information Management Technology parts of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have a significant task to carry out here as they make it simple to arrive at lion's share of the rustic ranchers. Accentuation is set on radio because of the way that it is promptly accessible to a large portion of them. Data on the nuts and bolts of developing the organic product during the time is passed on to the ranchers through radio. The proposition here is that as the ranchers get enough of this data, their direction starts to change and whatever subsidizing or bolster they get from outside sources can be effectively utilized. This brings up the issue of financing for this orange creation, and this is the place the advantages of all year creation, for example, work creation and expanded income fill in as motivating force to potential supporters and loan specialists, similar to the administration and microfinance banks. One of the most generally developed yields in the nation today is orange. Its solid dietary benefit and side-effects, for example, squeezed orange are a piece of the purpose behind its prominence. Right off the bat, clarify that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) might be partitioned into three fundamental branches to be specific Computer Technology, Communication Technology and Information Management Technology. While Computer Technology is an imperative segment of ICT, Communication and Information Management Technologies are similarly as significant (Wikipedia, 2010). Indeed, to the extent horticulture goes in the provincial regions of Nigeria, Computer Technology will assume a less significant job than any of the other two and the explanation isn't implausible. Albeit the vast majority of the ranchers comprehend the conditions required for the harvests to develop by and by, just a bunch of them know this in principle. This hypothetical information is significant if a rancher will augment creation. Technique A favorable position to the group is that the dad of one of our colleagues is a huge scope rancher. Therefore some of our inquiries were coordinated to him. Likewise, another colleague made calls to his companion at the bank, a methods by which we acquired data about advances and a couple of other financing questions. Some data was additionally acquired from books. A large portion of our sources however are from the web, similar to articles and diaries. All year Production One significant part of all year creation is the way of life of the orange tree. As of late, it has been found that nearby dispersing the plants in an orange woods may cause decrease in efficiency, and there is likewise the contention that in close-planted forests, it is very costly to prune. Despite what might be expected, the straightforwardness with which pruning, treating and gathering should be possible impacts ranchers choice to take part in close-planting. Numerous forests in rustic Nigeria have a normal separating of 20 X 15 ft (7.56 m), which in contrast with the previous standard 25 x 25 ft (7.57.5 m) can be viewed as truly close-dispersed. Then again, it has been found that by sprouting Pineapple orange onto the rootstock of harsh lemon, close-planting can in any case increment the complete yield. A diagram is offered beneath to represent the conduct of this new sort of orange corresponding to separating. This exposes two new focal points assortments of orange and maturing. These two focuses are essential to all year orange cultivating. The principal mystery in developing orange all year is in its assortments. Various sorts of oranges respond contrastingly to various climatic conditions. For instance, while Hamlin and Queen flourish well under outrageous cold temperature, Valencia, then again, doesn't work out quite as well. In creating nations where orange is accessible to clients all year, they basically develop the specific sort of orange that will thrive in each season. It won't come as an unexpected that numerous if not the entirety of the assortments of orange can develop in numerous pieces of Nigeria. Truth be told, Benue state in north focal Nigeria alone records for the creation of more than ten assortments of orange. The ramifications of this is with appropriate information on these assortments and how they flourish under various conditions, oranges can be delivered all year in the nation. Growing is another significant apparatus that can guarantee the creation of the natural product during especially cruel periods of the year. In spite of the fact that there are numerous assortments of the natural product that get by in various seasons, there are a few seasons that are extraordinarily cruel to plants. For these seasons, sprouting is a training that can guarantee the improvement of increasingly fiery and beneficial trees. The procedure guarantees the nature of oranges delivered. Sprouting includes joining a piece of a plant (called the scion) on another plant (called the rootstock) with an effectively dynamic root framework, in this way empowering them to develop as one plant. Rootstocks are for the most part utilized for fruiting trees and relying upon the rootstock utilized, even with a similar scion, properties, for example, enormous natural product size, life, and protection from infections, dry spell and root nuisances can be initiated in the subsequent tree (Wiki pedia, 2010). For instance, when certain orange trees are grown onto the rootstock of trifoliate orange, the outcome is a tree that can get by in extraordinary cold and even low wet soils. Water system assumes a significant job in crop yield, particularly during the dry season when withering is a fast approaching issue. A large number of the ranchers in the country territories know this, yet there are still a few constraints. One of them is the absence of water; another is the way that a significant number of the ranchers don't have the foggiest idea how much water is required for water system. To decide how much water is required, data on the profundity of the dirt is indispensable. Similarly as with most trees, the profundity of the dirt influences the range of the root framework. Profound soils take into account better root frameworks, and subsequently better protection from dry season. Besides, the more profound the dirt, the more the measure of water that can be utilized in water system. For the issue of absence of water, it would be a smart thought if ranchers are urged to cooperate as the conveyance of water is typically lopsided in this period. That is, while a few ranchers wells have copious water, others become dry. Collaboration between them would help in water system as well as in numerous other valuable zones also. Additionally due to the advantages to be procured from this all year orange creation (as clarified further down), the legislature ought to likewise help with the flexibly of new water system innovation and gracefully of water. Another deterrent to the all year creation of orange in the nation is the issue of vermin and sicknesses. Oranges, in the same way as other different organic products, are influenced by a tremendous measure of bugs. A portion of the bugs specific to orange incorporate citrus rust vermin, various scale bugs, coarse bugs, aphids (plant lice) and organic product flies. These different bugs influence various pieces of the tree including the leaves, stem, root, and even the oranges. Furthermore, ailments are likewise a major danger to the creation of oranges. A portion of the normal sicknesses incorporate scourge, citrus ulcer, and some popular and parasitic ailments. In some different cases, contradiction between the scion and rootstock can likewise be a reason for decreased creation. Researchers have thought of some successful medicines for a large number of these maladies, yet without ICT, it is difficult to pass this data to ranchers in rustic regions. Be that as it may, once in a whi le ranchers botch things like irregular tinge of leaves brought about by mineral inadequacies, for example, copper and zinc for infections. Oranges can be protected for up to 5 months at generally low temperatures (somewhere in the range of 2.22oC and 3.89oC). This is another favorable position of oranges that can be taken to guarantee that it is accessible for all year utilization. Ranchers in rustic Nigeria don't exploit this property since they don't have the necessary storeroom, which ought to be sufficiently huge to hold a generous measure of oranges and keep the temperature sufficiently low to guarantee conservation. The greater part of them have no clue that the natural products can even be safeguarded that long. The Role of ICT The most amazing asset that can be passed on to these ranchers is data strengthening; consequently the previous established framework on Communication and Information Management Technology. There is no reason for buying specialized hardware for ranchers when they don't have a clue how the things work. The initial step is to make them fully aware of the subtleties of the natural products they are delivering. With appropriate comprehension, the ranchers will start to request the correct instruments. Without incitement from any outside elements, they will start to request credits and extra foundation to encourage all year creation. At the end of the day, they should be educated that it is conceivable and with todays innovation, there are various approaches to hand down this data. Radio would be a compelling apparatus since the greater part of these ranchers have one. Horticultural projects should air on the radio broadcasts accessible to them, and in their lingo. These projects, focused on the ranchers, would assist them with bettering get water system, soil profundity, and numerous different components identified with their harvests. With time, they will begin to pose inquiries, and afterward augmentation operators can

How to Write a Narrative Essay Using MLA Guidelines

How to Write a Narrative Essay Using MLA GuidelinesDo you know how to write a narrative essay using the MLA guidelines? A narrative essay is one that describes a given event or particular situation through a series of facts, or events, that support an argument. If you write one, be sure to get both the structure and style right so that you can also make the facts and events flow together into an engaging and interesting story.The MLA guide provides a number of sample essays and worksheets that can help you write a story about many different subjects. Some of these essay samples are quite complex, while others are less so.First, be sure to select a story that supports an argument, rather than simply one that describes a certain event. There's no use writing an essay about the fall of the Berlin Wall, if it doesn't argue why it fell in the first place. As such, go over your idea for the essay and decide what arguments will support the topic of the essay.Next, write down all of the part icular facts about the subject. Here, you can use some free online tools to help you. Online, there are sites where you can find facts by category, as well as a lot of other tools that are not available in print.When you're ready to put your ideas into the form of a complete paragraph, just use a research tool to help you. You can find a research guide online and it will tell you what keywords to use and even include some of the facts in your essay.Here's another thing to keep in mind when writing a narrative essay using the MLA guide. One of the most important elements to this type of essay is the prologue. Without the prologue, you have nothing at all.Again, a research tool will give you the information you need on the rules of punctuation and grammar and how to include them in your essay. After you have all of that information in place, you're ready to get started on the first paragraph. Make sure that the first paragraph includes some 'hook' words - that is, words that can draw the reader into your essay and make him or her want to continue reading to find out what happens next.This is something else that you can use when writing a narrative using the MLA guide. Find some 'word of mouth' examples from your local library and use them to 'hook' the reader. Write an example with each point you want to make and read the examples to see if they help with your essay.

Why Fracking Should Be Allowed - 1481 Words

One of the strongest arguments in favour of fracking is the reduction in CO2 that would occur with increased fracking. As of 2013, coal provided approximately 40% of the world’s electricity needs and provides 29% of the total world energy supply with oil being the largest at 31%. Coal-fired power plants are responsible for over 83% of the CO2 pollution since 1990, and have the highest ratio of CO2 output per unit of electricity out of all the fossil fuels. These emissions cause effects worldwide; acid rain, air pollution, toxic waste, to name a few. It is estimated that by replacing coal with gas from fracking, CO2 emissions would be reduced by more than 50%. This massive reduction in carbon emissions would have a global impact, resulting in unprecedented reductions in the effects of climate change. Allowing fracking is a fundamental advance in the efforts to reduce global warming; with this in mind fracking should be allowed and in this case it would benefit everyone when con sidering the reduction in CO2 emissions. However this poses an issue, if fracking was widely used then CO2 emissions may decrease but there would then be a halt in research and implementation of renewable energy. In some areas where fracking has become more prominent the price for the fuel has fallen; making it a cheaper alternative to expensive renewable energy. Fatih Birol, chief economist for the IEA, aired this concern, ‘Renewable energy may being the victim of cheap gas prices if governments do notShow MoreRelatedHydraulic Fracturing : Good Or Bad?1401 Words   |  6 Pagesknown as fracking. A gas company drilled five wells near French’s land, two of the gas wells were less than 4,000 feet away for her farmland. Chemicals from the wells leaked into French’s water system and caused all of those awful effects on the cows, French and her family, as well as her neighbors. Due to the detrimental impacts that fracking causes on humans and the environment, frackin g should be illegal. So what is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, â€Å"is theRead MoreFracking And Its Effects On The Human Health1135 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Fracking† in Pennsylvania (environmentalist point of view) If someone is given a choice of either healthier life or job, probably the smarter choice would be a healthier life. It might seem unrelated to the topic â€Å"Fracking† in the initial stage, but eventually they are found to be connected. First off, Hydraulic fracturing or â€Å"fracking† is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the dipper region of the ground at a high pressure in order to release a natural gas to the surface level. SoRead MoreFracking Of The United States1307 Words   |  6 Pages2014 Dr. Gray Final Paper Fracking in the United States Hydraulic fracking in the United States is a current environmental hazard that has to be addressed by the American people and by the federal government. Fracking in America has opened up millions of acres of lands that were once not economically viable to produce oil and gas. While the Bureau of land Management has paved the way for hydraulic fracturing on public lands, there is a need for retaliation. Fracking is a dirty method of extractingRead MoreHow Do Energy Coursing Through The Twenty First Century?1156 Words   |  5 Pageslike fossil fuels; however, natural gases burn without producing harmful byproducts that damage the environment, are plentiful, and are cheap to harvest. The main process used to harness natural gases is called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking for short. The fracking operation requires many engineers, scientists, mechanics, and other laborers. These workers design, build, operate, and maintain large drills that are long enough to drill a mile beneath the surface of the earth. Once the drill reachesRead MoreFracking Is A Dangerous Process That Should Be Banned Immediately1328 Words   |  6 PagesHydraulic Fracturing (fracking) is the process of drilling into the ground and pumping sand, water, and fracking fluid at high pressures in order to extract natural shale gas that was previously unattainable. This process comes with environmental issues: the chemicals from the fracking fluid can contaminate nearby drinking water wells and harm the citizens of that area. Despite the fact that there have been several contaminated drinking water cases reported, there is little being done about thisRead MoreFracking : A Modern Society Essay1645 Words   |  7 Pagesuse of the Earth’s natural resources, is at the top of the list of contested subjects, with hoards of advocates and opponents on either side. One of the newest methods of natural gas energy production is a process called Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking. This process uses large drills to create tunnels down into the earth’s crust and then introduces thousands of gallons of water and various chemicals to create horizontal cracks. Sands are pumped down next to hold the cracks open. Through these cracksRead MoreRisk Reward and Fracking1326 Words   |  6 PagesRisk Reward â€Å"Fracking provides a source of energy that is not only new but also relatively clean, cheap, without political strings† (www.economist.com, 2014, para. 3). In the article â€Å"The Petrostate of America† the debate about fracking, the energy boom throughout the world, and what decisions the U.S. government along with President Obama should make on deciding to lift the ban on exportation of crude oil and restrictions on getting permits to export natural gas are starting to heat up. There areRead MoreThe Drilling Sites Will Be Located Near The Ogallala Aquifer1410 Words   |  6 Pageshas promised to use the Nebraska residents might feel safer (Hayden). Along with dirty water, community members all over the country have concerns that fracking is leading to earth quakes. Oklahoma specifically has seen a rise in the number of earth quakes since the oil drilling started to boom. Tim McDonnell, a reporter covering the fracking industry, wrote a report stating that the quakes are directly linked to the drilling. The cause is not the initial drilling itself, but the follow up stepRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The And Gas Industry1431 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ethicacy of Fracking Changes with the process of fracking often called slick water high pressure horizontal drilling have become common in recent years are having devastating effects on people, their livestock as well as on communities as a whole. The toxic and often carcinogenic chemicals used in the process and as a result of the methods used are often contaminating water supplies. Air quality is also being greatly affected due to side effects from this method of resource extraction and greenhouseRead MoreTaking a Look at Fracking1282 Words   |  5 Pagesof Pennsylvania as they move across the country sucking Mother Nature of her natural resources. The fact of the matter is that the practice of fracking is bad for the environment in every way possible and can be a serious if not ominous threat to every person’s health within miles of the well sites. So what is fracking? Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has played an important role in the development of Americas oil and natural gas resources for nearly 60 years. In the U.S., an estimated 35,000

The Explusion Of Civil Disobedience, By Henry David Thoreau

Attitudes towards the powers that regulate and control society have fluctuated throughout history. Modern dystopian Novels like 1984 and The Giver contrast highly to the Shakespearean tales of the Monarchs. In today’s world, the freedom of speech is becoming a higher priority and the readiness to challenge institutions of governments is shifting itself into the mindsets of the masses. However, instances of this right were required by history to be broken through its shell. This legacy takes the name of Civil Disobedience as written about by Henry David Thoreau. Merriam-Webster defines Civil Disobedience as: â€Å"a refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions†¦show more content†¦He protected this idea of an extra legal responsibility in the civil rights movement until his very last heartbeat. He gained more power at this time than the president and all of the policemen, and never once used hard force but rather used nonviolence as a compass in the right direction. Following in Dr. Kings teaching 10 years after his assassination, Cesar Chavez wrote the article â€Å"He Showed Us the Way.† Chavez has gone down in history for fighting for Labour rights after years of seeing migrant workers being mistreated throughout America. In his article, while he protects the moral standings of Dr. King, he also brings light to the logistical reasoning behind it. He watched many of his activists become angry, frustrated and at times, violent. To respond to this he recites two major points, â€Å"If...we respond with nonviolence, we attract people’s support† and â€Å"Who gets killed in the case of violent revolution? The poor, the workers. The people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He believed that his moral standing was critical to keep the American Citizens on his side and that non-violence would protect his people from repeating the past. His critical thought led his activists into protests and strikes that remained so successful, Labour Unions have co ntinued under his name ever since. We can see an example of Chavez’s first claim by looking at a Radio Transcript from June 16 of this year titled: â€Å"Fact Check: Is Left-Wing Violence Rising† where one

Shipping Management

Question: Discuss about theShipping Management. Answer: 1. The first step I would suggest is to prepare a work paper for the process. An Environmental Committee must be formed thereafter consisting of members from various departments of the company which have direct contact with environmental matters. The Coordinator of the project should be representative of the Quality Assurance Department who should be responsible for creating an Environmental Manual, as suggested by Blackett Trebilcock (ed.), (2015). The work paper prepared should be a message to all the employees in the organization, communicating the management's environmental process. This paper shall also stand as a guarantee by the management for fulfilling companys environmental policy. Environmental Diagnosis My next suggested step is to prepare a preliminary review of what the existing environmental situation is. The purpose of this review would be to consider all aspects of an environmental management system, assert Branch Robarts, (2014). Such a diagnosis would also cover these key areas: Legislations to be applied. Regulatory requirements. Environmental management of all the processes, covering the environmental effects and analysis and assessment of the existing environmental procedures, and the feedback practices adopted, as per Branch Robarts, (2014). Management Program Finally, I shall establish a program for achieving the targets and objectives set out in the policy document, define responsibilities, procedures and corrective mechanisms. In certain matters, it would be more appropriate to discuss the policy document with the concerned environmental authorities. The outcome of all this exercise should be lay an exhaustive policy frame for the companys Environment Management System which can be practiced by the employees as well as the management, as outlined by Lun et al, (2015). 2. As an expert, I believe that to successfully introduce an Environmental Management System in an organisation is a collective responsibility of the management and the employees. Hence, as suggested by CUP, (2010), I always start the process with an environmental training program to involve the employees and also to convince them about the necessity of environmental awareness within the organization. I discuss the following basic principles with the employees to make them involved in the whole process, asserts CUP, (2010). Protection of the Environment This should be considered as a principal objective of the company's strategy. Commitment to fulfil Regulatory and Legislative Requirements In order to maintain a continual improvement of companys environmental control. Training for Employees of the Company This will be a priority procedure for all so as to ensure that they comply with company's environmental policy, as detailed by Branch, (2007). Best use of Resources The management will promote clean technology and waste recycling initiatives. Investment Investment policies in Environmental System will be priority criteria. Technology The company shall use the most advanced technology to protect the environment and minimise its environmental impact by controlling emissions into the atmosphere of the suspended particulate matter emitted by the ships, asserts Stopford, (2009). Management The environmental management system shall be intermixed with the company's management system. It will also be mandatory to being audited, as specified by Delmas Young, (2009). Communication It will be the endeavour of the management to establish procedures of communication with the authorities, keeping them informed about the environmental benefits being achieved by the company because of its Environmental Management System, as detailed by Wood, (2002). 2. In the shipping industry, the environmental concerns were more or less concerned with ships, and they were subjected to the environmental regulations so as to prevent marine pollution created either by the ships operations or the cargo. Now, the international legal requirements are enforcing the shipping companies to modernise their traditional outlook towards environmental management, asserts Lavelle, (2013). This means to integrate an Environmental Management System into the Shipping Management System of the company. This is being made mandatory with the introduction of new safety regulations in to the existing frameworks as formulated through MLC 2006. I take up the important provisions, as suggested in IMO, (2000). Fire Protection Effective 1 July 2002, an amendment made in Chapter II-2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 introduced a new set of requirements for fire protection on board all ships. The new regulations are to ensure that first of all fires are prevented from occurring; secondly, any type of fire is rapidly detected; and thirdly, any fire is contained and extinguished quickly. It also requires that ships be so designed so as to ensure quick evacuation routes for passengers and crew are made mandatory, as detailed by Lavelle, (2013). IMO and the Safety of Navigation Navigational Safety has always been high on the IMO agenda and it has been introducing measures for improvement since 1959 through notifications, conventions and recommendations. Three conventions are particularly relevant to the issue of navigation, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS); the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREG); and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW), as per IMO, (2000). Safety Aspects-Working Conditions Measures dealing with the safety aspects of working conditions appear under Chapter V. IMO adopted a revised version of chapter V, in December 2000, by updating it and also incorporating new requirements and bringing them into force in 2002. SOLAS also covers safety aspects and working conditions, including life-saving appliances, radio communications and the carriage of cargoes, says Lavelle, (2013). Communication-Life Saving Appliances IMO also issued a series of fresh resolutions and codes, which included guidelines about issues and performance standards for communication and lifesaving appliances on board ships. Some of these are only recommendations, although they have a wide acceptance among the formulators of international policies. Others, which are referred to by certain relevant Regulations drafted at Conventions, have also got the same weight as the Convention Regulations themselves, as detailed by Karahalios, (2015). Documents IMO has been particularly noteworthy in its comments regarding strict compliance of the procedures adopted towards preparation of documents by the issuing authorities such as LRS, ABS and DNV and the shipping companies. Documents should not only give authentic information about the cargo, they should also reflect the procedures and processes followed by the issuer and the receiver on matters concerned with the safety, health and work conditions of the employees working on the ships, asserts CUP, (2010). 3. Regulations presented under the MLC 2006 are designed to cover a lot of issues related to the employees of shipping companies, especially those who are on board for most part of their working life. Now, as per IMO, (2000), managements will be required to monitor the problems linked with work load, hours of work, stress and fatigue of all seafarers. The most important feature of MLC 2006 is that the seafarers working hours must comply with the limits set in the new provisions. Regarding hours of rest, it has now been made the responsibility of the Master to ensure that the seafarers get sufficient and adequate periods of rest, as explained by Branch Robarts, (2014). Regulation 2.1 of MLC 2006 stipulates that the shipping company has the responsibility of ensuring the seafarers get a fair employment agreement. This means the management has to ensure that the terms and conditions of employment for a seafarer are written in a clear and legally enforceable contract. Regulation 2.2 of MLC 2006 defines the shipping companys obligation of ensuring that wages to all seafarers are paid regularly, at least monthly and are paid in full agreement with the specified terms of employment. Another important aspect for the management to comply with, as per Lavelle, (2013) is the entitlement to leave under Regulation 2.5 of MLC 2006 and it should be ensured that seafarers are provided with adequate leave. Agreements without considering the provision of annual paid leave will not be permissible under the new regulations and a justified absence should not be included in the seafarers annual leave. Unless it is specified through a provision of collective bargaining, calculation of annual leave should be made according to the Standard A2.4, which stipulates that the minimum basis is of 2.5 days per calendar month of service put-in, as detailed in IMO, (2000). Regulation 2.6 of MLC 2006 specifies that an indemnity has to be declared by the shipping company for ensuring that seafarers get adequate compensation in case a ship is lost on high seas or has foundered and also in case of injury or unemployment for this reason. Further to this are Regulations 2.7 and 2.8, as per IMO, (2000), which imply that the shipping company must employ sufficient manpower which should be in compliance with requirements mentioned in IMO SOLAS-52 for safety of the manpower employed. For matters related to these provisions, it is mandatory for the shipping company to impart adequate training to the Seafarers, including vocational education and guidance so as to promote the seafarers career and skill development, states Lavelle, (2013). Regulation 4.4 of MLC 2006 stipulates that each Member State is to ensure that all seafarers working on board ships get access to shore-based services and facilities. This implies that the management cannot discriminate in respect of welfare facilities either on the basis of colour, race, sex, nationality, social, culture and political opinions or on the basis of the ships flag. However, the management is allowed to provide the time for shore leave as mentioned in Guideline B4.4.1 of MLC 2006 as per IMO, (2000). These allocations of leave on ports shall be based on the welfare services provided to the seafarers. It will also be taken into consideration the facilities available at different ports and the spare-time activities which are permissible by the Member State, as per Lavelle, (2013). List of References Blackett, A. and Trebilcock, A. (ed.) 2015, Research Handbook on Transnational Labour Law. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham. Branch, A.E. 2007, Elements of shipping, 8th ed. Taylor Francis, Oxon. Branch, A.E. and Robarts, M. 2014, Branch's Elements of Shipping, 9th ed. Routledge, Oxon. CUP. 2010, Ocean Trade and Shipping. CUP Archive, Cambridge. Delmas, M.A. and Young, O.R. 2009, Governance for the Environment: New Perspectives. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. IMO. 2000, Resolutions and other decisions: Assembly, Twenty First Session, 15-26 November 1999. IMO Publishing, London. Karahalios, H. 2015, The Management of Maritime Regulations. Routledge, Oxon. Lavelle, J. 2013, The Maritime Labour Convention 2006. CRC Press, Oxon. Lun, Y.H.V., Lai, K., Wong, C.W.Y. and Cheng, T.C.E. 2015, Green Shipping Management Shipping and Transport Logistics. Springer, Heidelberg. Stopford, M. 2009, Maritime Economics, 3rd ed. Taylor Francis, Oxon. Wood, D.F. 2002, International logistics, 2nd ed. American Management Association, New York.

Perspectives Essays - Criminology, Sociological Paradigms

Three Sociological Perspectives PAUL COLOMY In this chapter, Colony overviews the three perspectives most often associated with sociology: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic Interactionism. Each of these three theories has contributed a great deal to our understanding of human behavior and group life. The first two, functionalism and conflict, are considered to be macro theories of society, examining how the social structure operates to determine people's behavior. The last theory, symbolic Interactionism, is a micro theory of society, focusing on social interaction and how people act in face-to-face meetings with one another. Each theory has its strengths and weaknesses as an explanatory scheme, but taken together, you will see the power of sociological reasoning. From this article, can you differentiate the major foundational ideas that the theories represent? Do you have other ideas not represented by these three approaches that account for social behavior? W hen conducting research, sociologists typically draw on one or more perspectives. Sociological perspectives provide very general ways of con?ceptualizing the social world and its basic elements. A perspective consists of a set of fairly abstract assumptions about the nature of human action and the character of social organization. Each perspective can be likened to a spotlight that brightly illuminates select aspects of behavior and social relations while leaving other areas shrouded in darkness. Because a single perspective supplies only a partial or one-sided view, a comprehensive understanding of social life requires becoming familiar with several different perspectives. Sociology contains a large number of distinct perspectives, and they can be divided into two broad categories: micro and macro. In very general terms, micro perspectives are oriented toward small time and small space, while macro per-spectives are oriented toward big time and big space (Collins 1981). That is, micro perspectives are usually concerned with the conduct of individuals and small groups as it unfolds in relatively small spatial contexts and over short durations of time. Macro perspectives, on the other hand, focus on larger entities?not individuals and small groups, but institutions, entire societies, and even the global system?and on how these entities emerge, maintain themselves, and change over decades, centuries, and millennia. The following section outlines one micro perspective (symbolic Interactionism) and two macro perspectives (functionalism and the conflict approach). SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM Symbol interactionism's intellectual roots reside in pragmatism, a philosophical tradition developed by such prominent, early twentieth-century American thinkers as John Dewey, William James, George Herbert Mead, and Charles Peirce. The sociological implications of pragmatism were articulated by several Innovative sociologists, including Robert Park, W. I. Thomas, Herbert Blumer, Everett Hughes, and Erving Goffinan, who taught or studied at the University of Chicago between 1910 and 1960. Because it originated at the University of Chicago, symbolic Interactionism is sometimes referred to as the Chicago School. Symbolic Interactionism is based on five core ideas. First, it assumes that Luman beings act in terms of the meanings they assign to objects in their : Environment. (Integrationists define the term object very broadly to include Material things, events, symbols, actions, and other people and groups.) Using Lightly different terminology to make the same point, integrationists maintain that people's conduct is powerfully influenced by their definition of the situation. this assumption can be clarified by contrasting it to a rudimentary model of acial action advanced by a psychological perspective known as behaviorism. The Behaviorist approach characterizes conduct as a response to objective stimuli, and Suggests that human behavior resembles a series of stimulus-response chains: Stimulus ?> response. Rejecting the notion that individuals respond directly to an objective Stimulus, integrationists insist that people interpret, or assign meanings to, the stimulus: fore they act: Stimulus ?> interpretation ?> response. Athletes' reactions to coaches' criticisms, for instance, depend largely on whether they interpret that criticism as a constructive attempt to improve their play or as a malicious attack on their character. Even when a definition of the situation is demonstrably false, it can still exert a powerful effect on behavior. As W. I. Thomas once said, "A situation defined as real is real in its consequences." Many adults, for example, perceive Halloween as filled with potential danger, and believe that their young children are vulnerable to sadistic strangers dispensing drug-tainted candy or apples laced with razor blades. The belief that such acts of Halloween sadism are widespread is, in fact, an urban legend with virtually no factual basis (Best and Horiuchi 1985). Never- 'less, millions of parents are convinced that

Nazism in Germany Essays

Nazism in Germany Essays Nazism in Germany Essay Nazism in Germany Essay Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Nazism in Germany The first section of the book The World Must Know by Berebaum highlights on issues of Nazism in Germany and the persecutions of Jews and other respective group by Adolf Hitler in his regimes as German chancellor (Gregor, 34). This journal post is based on my findings from reading the text as well as discussions with my classmate. On 30 January in the year 1933, German’s aged president, Hindenburg, named Adolf Hitler as the chancellor of the country’s government. At this time, chancellor was the highest-ranking position in the state government. The president mandated Hitler with this position with a view that he would manage to steer Germany away from its terrible economical and political crisis. Adolf Hitler spearheaded German workers from National Socialism in the right wing (the Nazi Party). This party was among the most powerful in Germany by the year 1933; although the Nazi managed to gather a mere 33 percent of the popularity votes in the previous election in 1932 . After immediately gaining power, Hitler decided to end democracy in Germany. He did this by persuading his cabinet to call on the constitution’s emergency clauses that licensed the suspension of personal freedom of speech, press and assembly. Special forces of security; the SS, Storm Troopers and the Gestapo moved by arresting or murdering opposition leaders from their respective political parties. The government passed an act on 23 March the same year that handed Hitler with the powers of dictatorship. Hitler, through his Nazi party, began practicing his ideology on racism, believing that Germans were the superior race involved in a struggle with other inferior races. Hitler and his party viewed Jews, Gypsies (Roma) and handicapped individuals as threats to the biological standards of Germans; what they referred to as a master class (Gregor, 42). The principal target of the Nazi ideology was the Jews who primarily constituted a minor share of the entire German population (app roximately 525, 000 about 1 percent of the population in 1933). The party moreover maliciously spread propaganda that unfairly attributed Jews to the country’s World War II defeat as well as economic depression. In the same year, Hitler passed laws that forced Jews working in the civil service to quit their jobs in various fields such as the law court and university positions (Gellately, 13). New laws were proclaimed in Nuremberg in 1933 that regarded citizen Jews as second class. In the course of the period of 1937 to 1939, more rules from the German government segregated Jews even to a greater extent. They could not walk or even reside in certain parts of the cities in Germany, nor could they attend schools, go to vacation resorts, cinemas or theatres. In the course of the same period, Hitler increasingly forced Jews away from the country’s economic life. The Nazi would either force Jews to sell their businesses at throwaway prices or forcefully seize their businesses and property (Gellately, 27). The Nazi party did this through an operation dubbed Kristallnacht. This operation included physical destruction of Jewish stores and synagogues, home vandalizing, unwarranted arrests and m urders. Even though Jewish people were the main target of Hitler’s hatred, he also persecuted other individuals he regarded as inferior genetically. Hitler’s ideology was facilitated by scientists who vouched for selective breeding as a means of improving the German race. He passed laws between the years 1933 and 35 that saw involuntary sterilization programs focused on reducing the inferior genotypes in the future in Germany. Upto 350,000 individuals were subjected to this program by either being sterilized physically or through radiation so they could not bear children. People who supported this measure argued that the handicapped were burdening the country with their costs of care. Another consequence of Hitler’s rule came with unwarranted arrests of people from trade unions, political opponents and others that Hitler’s party regarded as undesirable or enemies to the state (Gellately, 42). Upto 15,000 homosexuals were put in prison in concentration camps hailin g from the newly revised Nazi laws. Mere declaration of a man as a homosexual would amount in arrest, trial and imprisonment (Gellately, 43). An approximate 25, 000 Jehovah’s witnesses who were residing in Germany were condemned and banned by the government because their religious beliefs prevented them from taking any oath of allegiance to the state or serving the military. With their entire literature confiscated, they also lost their jobs, pensions, employment and social welfare benefits. People who witnessed these atrocities were deported to concentration camps, and their children sent to orphanages and detention camps. Thousands of people, majority of which were political activists, were in municipal camps and thousands others in concentration camps. The 1938 waves of arrests included large numbers of Austrian as well as German Roma (Thie?bot, 82). Between the time Hitler took charge and the year 1939, half of the population of German Jews and numerous Austrian Jews fled Germany due to the prosecutions from Nazi. The immigrants mainly pitched camp in United States, Palestine, and other parts of Europe (but many were eventually caught up with due to the war), Latin America and Shanghai. The Jews who remained in Germany were either unwilling to flee or lacked any means of acquiring visas, funds for immigration or sponsors in the countries to host them (Thie?bot, 94). However, the host countries, including Canada, France, Britain and the United States were all unwilling to accept large numbers of immigrants.

The Complete Guide to Ebook Publishing Platforms

The Complete Guide to Ebook Publishing Platforms The Complete Guide to Ebook Distribution At Reedsy, our goal has always been to help authors through every stage of the publishing process, from the actual writing down to the marketing and promotion. However, if there's one thing our marketplace can't do, it's the actual publishing of the book. By that, I mean pressing the button that puts your book up for sale on Amazon - and other retailers.Ebook distribution is a complex, ever-evolving topic. Every year, new retailers open their gates, while existing ones close. To make authors’ lives easier, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about ebook distribution in this guide - which we religiously update every year to make sure that all the information in it is up to date. Everything you need to know about ebook distribution (but never considered asking) Now, there are two ways to read this post. If you want to know everything, go from top to bottom and absorb all the information. If you’re just looking for simple, clear-cut instructions on how to get your books onto the major ebook stores in the best way possible, then head straight to our optimized distribution setup infographic.What you need before you publish: formats, ISBNs moreBefore you can get your book up on different ebook stores, you'll need a couple of things: your properly formatted ebook files and a professional cover design.ISBN for Self-Publishers: The Complete Guide Read post Most e-retailers (e.g. Amazon) don’t require your ebook to have an existing ISBN, and most ebook publishing platforms (e.g. Draft2Digital) will provide one for free anyway. Some platforms like PublishDrive don’t offer a free ISBN, but will instead assign to your book another kind of unique identification number which will be accepted by the different stores they publish to.So, all in all, you don’t need an ISBN for ebook publication. Are there benefits to getting one? Yes: if you purchase your own ISBN and register it to your publishing company, your book will show up on retailers as being published by you (rather than by the publishing platform you used). Top #selfpub tip: If you purchase your own ISBNs, each format of your book needs its own. If you do purchase your own ISBNs, here’s the one rule you need to know: each format of your book needs to have its own ISBN. This means, in theory, that your .mobi on Amazon should have a different ISBN from your EPUB on the other stores. If you publish a print book as well (check out our list of print  book distributors right here), then your paperback and hardback will need different ISBNs as well.In the US, you can purchase ISBNs at Bowker. In the UK, you can purchase them at Nielsen. In Canada, you’re lucky, they’re free, and available through the Canadian ISBN Service System (CISS)! 🠍 A professional cover designOn top of your EPUB or .mobi, the other file you’ll need to upload is your book cover file. It’s important to check each retailer/distributor to see exactly what dimensions they require for covers. For example, Draft2Digital recommends a JPEG with dimensions of 1600 Ãâ€" 2400 pixels (a 1.5 ratio), whereas Amazon currently recom mends dimensions of 2,560 Ãâ€" 1,600 pixels (a 1.6 ratio). Knowing your dimensions ahead of time can save you and your cover designer time and ensure that your entire design appears as you intended.We have written extensively on this blog about the importance of hiring a professional cover artist to design your cover. If you want to find out to work with a world-class designer without breaking the bank, read this.Now that you have all the files you need to publish your ebook, it’s time to make one of the biggest decisions in your author career: are you going to publish exclusively on Amazon, or â€Å"go wide†?Amazon exclusivity vs â€Å"going wide†Surely, if I want to maximize my sales, I should make my ebook available to as many retailers as possible, right? That’s true, but here’s the trick: Amazon will offer you a lot of promotional advantages to entice you to publish your book exclusively on their stores. And depending on your book, genre, and marketing strategy, these benefits can far outweigh the drawbacks of not selling on Apple Books or Kobo. When is KDP Select not your best option for ebook distribution? #selfpub tips The case for Amazon exclusivityWhether you choose to be exclusive or not, your first ebook distribution step will be to upload your book to Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing. This is when you’ll be presented with an option: enrolling in KDP Select.KDP Select is the name of Amazon’s exclusivity program. In exchange for not listing your book anywhere else (that includes direct sales or giveaways through your website, by the way) for a minimum period of 90 days, you’ll get access to:Kindle Countdown Deals: for a period of 7 days every 90 days, you can discount your book. This â€Å"countdown deal† will be promoted to Amazon customers, and you’ll earn the 70% royalty - even on sales below $2.99.Kindle Free Promotions: for a period of 5 days every 90 days, you can set your book as free on the Kindle store. This free promotion will grant your book quite a bit of visibility on the free store.Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners’ Lending Library : KDP Select books are automatically enrolled in Kindle Unlimited (KU) and Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL), two subscription services that are extremely popular among Amazon customers. KU/KOLL authors are paid a percentage of the KDP Select Global Fund based on the number of pages of their books read by KU/KOLL subscribers every month.On top of these benefits, a KDP Select ebook will also earn you 70% royalty for sales to customers in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico (35% otherwise).The case for â€Å"going wide†Amazon controls around 80% of the ebook market in the US and UK, but their market share is much lower in other countries. In Canada, for example, Kobo alone controls over 25% of the ebook market. In Germany, Tolino has the same market share as Amazon.Not being exclusive to Amazon - what we call â€Å"going wide† - gives you a chance to reach these other readers. Also, building a meaningful presence on smaller retailers can sometimes be easier than competing on Amazon (even with KDP Select’s perks).For a closer look at the pros and cons of Amazon exclusivity, take a look at this in-depth article. The ebook publishing landscape is an ever-changing one, and can be hard to navigate even for the most seasoned indie authors. We hope this post helped shed some light on the numerous distribution channels and opportunities available to authors, and how to make the most of them. We promise we'll do our best to update both our recommendations and the huge spreadsheet of aggregators and retailers on a regular basis.Acknowledgements: we'd like to give our thanks to Dan Wood at Draft2Digital, Monica Dubà © at PublishDrive and Giacomo D'Angelo at Streetlib for their help on our research. Special thanks as well to indie author Rohan Quine  whose distribution setup inspired us to write this post in the first place, and to Janell Robisch for her feedback.If you have any questions or comments about our recommended setup, or if you just want to have a virtual fireside chat with us about ebook distribution (who doesn't love that topic?!), please drop us a line in the comments below!

Project planning with IT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project planning with IT - Assignment Example The ‘what ‘relates to the activities to be carried out in the project while the ‘how’ relates to how these activities are to be done to achieve the intended objectives of the project. In project planning, execution and management, there are factors such as how the team members communicate, how they functions how problems are anticipated and solved among many other factors that are essential in ensuring that a project succeeds. This proposal outlines the scope that would be followed in planning and executing a project that involves planning a website about doing a rock concert. The purpose of the proposed website will be to offer a platform where rock bands, their fans and concert organizers will interact. The website will offer valuable information that are required for any concert organizers, offer valuable informant concerning a particular band to the rock fans ion creating awareness about the band and facilitate an e-ticketing payment mode. No entrance ticketing in these concerts will be accepted once the website is operational and any ticketing will be made though the website. The website will be complete and ready for use by 30th April 2012, one month before the concert starts. The success of the project will be measured on whether participants in these rock concerts will have improved as compared to the number of participants before the web was designed. The stakeholders to be involved in this project will include the web hosting company, the several venues that rock concerts are usually held, which will offer information that relate to organizing such concerns. Lewis (2010, 10) argues that the organization and the project teams have to be considered as people, and they have to integrate to produce the required results. The stakeholders will also involve the theatres and managers that are involved in organizing these concerts and

Employment At Will-Doctrine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Employment At Will-Doctrine - Research Paper Example The assumption in this doctrine is that the employee only supplies the labor and has no legal interest in the business enterprise other than to be paid for the labor offered while the employer has the sole right to determine everything on how the enterprise operates or it is run. The American labor law has however been in a confused mode as in certain instances; there courts and the legislature develop some rules to limit the employers’ absolutism over his employees while at the same time adhering to the employment at will doctrine. Therefore, the premise of the doctrine is that the employer has the sovereignty over the rights of the employees except to the extent it has expressly granted those rights and expresses as well as implements the subordination of workers to the persons who have control over the business enterprise. In the absence of a provision protecting the employee from such acts in the employment contract, workers are subordinate and their terms and conditions o f employment can be changed in any way and at any time meaning they can be dismissed without reason or notice. Due to the ambivalence of the employment at will doctrine, the courts have made decisions to limit its scope in order to provide protection to employees who may be unfairly dismissed or unjustly discharged from employment. One way the courts have diminished the scope of employment at will doctrine is to allow an employee discharged from employment to sue in tort rather than in contract as held in Petermann v. Intl Bhd. of Teamsters, Local 396, 344 P.2d 25 (Cal. Dist. Ct. App. 1959). In this case, the California court held that the discharging of an employee along the doctrine because he refused to commit perjury was contrary to public policy and therefore the employee could sue the employer for emotional distress, loss of income as well as punitive damages. Limitations on employment at will doctrine has also

Free Siddhartha Essays: Finding the Truth :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

Finding Truth in Siddhartha In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, a classic novel about enlightenment, the main character, Siddhartha, goes on a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Along the way, Siddhartha encounters many who try to teach him enlightenment, undoubtedly the most important being the Buddha himself. Although Siddhartha rejects the Buddha's teachings, saying that wisdom cannot be taught, we can see, nevertheless, that along his journey for understanding Siddhartha encounters the Four Noble Truths that are a central theme in Buddhism: suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the middle path. The First Noble Truth is The Truth of Suffering. If people examine their own experiences, or look at the world around them, they will see that life is full of suffering. In the novel, Siddhartha experiences the two forms of suffering - physical and mental. Physical suffering can come in many forms - disease, ageing, injury. Siddhartha experiences physical suffering as a young man when he joins the ascetics or Samanas. As a Samana, Siddhartha learns to fast, to tolerate extreme heat and cold, and to endure pain through meditation. Siddhartha's life as a samana is bitter, and he learns that "life [is] pain" (p.11). Siddhartha experiences mental pain in the second half of his life when he begins a contrasting existence of pleasure, and then again when he meets his only son. After leaving the Samanas, Siddhartha begins a life of decadence in the house of a wealthy merchant and in the company of a beautiful courtesan. Though at first Siddhartha remains apart from their daily troubles, as the years go by Siddhartha himself begins to value money, fine wine, and material possessions. Because of this "a thin mist, a weariness [settles] on Siddhartha," (p. 63) and he is engulfed in mental pain. Later, after ridding himself of the pain of the life of a wealthy merchant by becoming a simple ferryman, Siddhartha again experiences mental anguish when he meets his son. Siddhartha immediately falls in love with his arrogant 11-year-old son, whom he has never seen before. But the son despises his father and his simple life, and after a short time runs away. Siddhartha becomes restless and worried, again experiencing great mental anguish. As he goes along his journey, Siddhartha realizes The Second Noble Truth - that the direct cause of suffering is desire.

The Changeling -Fate Essay

The Changeling Essay Question – Choose a novel in which the fate of a main character is important in conveying the writers theme. Robin Jenkin’s downbeat meditation on the nature of pity, ‘The Changeling’ has a tragic ending; it emphasizes that the ‘Good Samaritan’ Charles Forbes fails to redeem the life of his pupil Tom Curdie. He sees himself as the boy’s saviour and makes the decision to take him on holiday, to show another side of life from the slum in which he grew up. Yet Tom’s stealing and strangeness set him apart from the family and finally the pain of the experience pushes him over the end.The opening chapter reveals that Charlie’s interest in Tom is self-righteous: At last he spoke, in his most pontifical tones: ‘Tell me, Curdie, have you ever seen the sea? ’ ‘Pontifical’ has overtones of pomposity, and suggests Forbes’ religious nature; the first meaning is supported by the headm aster’s opinion of Forbes as a ‘pompous bore’. It is ironic that a boy who has never seen the sea can write eloquently about it; and Forbes takes him on holiday in order to ‘improve’ him. Yet this decision is to lead to Tom’s suicide.In some ways, Tom is a character we should pity; however, in chapter three we learn that he is a strong character who lives by a matter-of-fact set of ‘principals’: Never to whine; to accept what came; to wait for better; to take what you could; to let no-one not even yourself know how near to giving in you were. One therefore has to ask – why would someone like this need Charlie’s help? It is only when he is taken away from Donaldson’s court that he feels the gulf between his circumstances and those of ‘decent’ people. When he tries o ‘take what you could’ to please them, the estrangement begins. The turning point of the novel is where Tom calls the Forb es family and introduces himself as ‘Tom Forbes’: ‘I mean, Tom Curdie,’ he said; but it was really that mythical person Tom Forbes, he still thought he was. At this point in the book, he is in a phone box with the hapless Peerie pressing his face up against the glass. It is as if Tom’s background is crowding round him as he tries vainly to keep contact with the ‘decent’ family who have given him a temporary home.However, the trouble with being a ‘mythical person’ is that one has to live in the real world. The distance between myth and reality is explored in one of the turning points of the novel, when Tom steals so that he can afford the brooch for Mrs Forbes. The chapter is seen through the eyes of Gillian, who sees a truth about Tom before anyone else: â€Å"She began to realise that this suit of armour, of calmness and patience, forged somehow in the dreadful slum where he had been born, must be heavy and painful to wear . †Yet she does not tell as she wants to avoid ruining the ‘presentation’; Gillian is torn between jealousy and pity towards Tom; her sympathy grows for him throughout the book and it is she who discovers him after his suicide. The ‘suit of armour’ continues the idea that he is a figure out of a myth who doesn’t belong in her world, which indicates that she feels the stirring of respect for him, even though he is a thief. Their relationship provides a note of optimism before the bleak climax. From her point of view, Tom has a kind of nobility, even when he strikes the tree in anguish:His face was hard and aloof, like a young Prince’s out of a story book. His hand red with blood was like an emblem of eerie distinction. These continue the idea that he is someone who doesn’t belong to the time in which he lives, with the allusions to being a Prince and wearing an ‘emblem’ he has won through pain and violence. This imposs ible dilemma is finally solved by Tom’s tragic end. Therefore I would argue that the book considers the suffering of others and asks what we can really do for them; it explores this theme through the fate of Tom.

Prehistoric Life During the Pliocene Epoch

By the standards of deep time, the Pliocene epoch was relatively recent, commencing only five million years or so before the start of the modern historical record, 10,000 years ago. During the Pliocene, prehistoric life around the globe continued to adapt to the prevailing climatic cooling trend, with some notable local extinctions and disappearances. The Pliocene was the second epoch of the Neogene Period (23-2.6 million years ago), the first being the Miocene (23-5 million years ago); all of these periods and epochs were themselves part of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present). Climate and Geography During the Pliocene epoch, the earth continued its cooling trend from previous epochs, with tropical conditions holding at the equator (as they do today) and more pronounced seasonal changes at higher and lower latitudes; still, average global temperatures were 7 or 8 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher than they are today. The major geographic developments were the reappearance of the Alaskan land bridge between Eurasia and North America, after millions of years of submersion, and the formation of the Central American Isthmus joining North and South America. Not only did these developments allow an interchange of fauna between three of the earths continents, but they had a profound effect on ocean currents, as the relatively cool Atlantic ocean was cut off from the much warmer Pacific. Terrestrial Life During the Pliocene Epoch Mammals. During large chunks of the Pliocene epoch, Eurasia, North America, and South America were all connected by narrow land bridges—and it wasnt all that difficult for animals to migrate between Africa and Eurasia, either. This wreaked havoc on mammalian ecosystems, which were invaded by migrating species, resulting in increased competition, displacement, and even outright extinction. For example, ancestral camels (like the huge Titanotylopus) migrated from North America to Asia, while the fossils of giant prehistoric bears like Agriotherium have been discovered in Eurasia, North America, and Africa. Apes and hominids were mostly restricted to Africa (where they originated), though there were scattered communities in Eurasia and North America. The most dramatic evolutionary event of the Pliocene epoch was the appearance of a land bridge between North and South America. Previously, South America had been much like modern Australia, a giant, isolated continent populated by a variety of strange mammals, including giant marsupials. Confusingly, some animals had already succeeded in traversing these two continents, before the Pliocene epoch, by the arduously slow process of accidental  island-hopping; thats how Megalonyx, the Giant Ground Sloth, wound up in North America. The ultimate winners in this Great American Interchange were the mammals of North America, which either wiped out or greatly diminished their southern relatives. The late Pliocene epoch was also when some familiar megafauna mammals appeared on the scene, including the Woolly Mammoth in Eurasia and North America, Smilodon (the Saber-Toothed Tiger) in North and South America, and Megatherium (the Giant Sloth) and Glyptodon (a gigantic, armored armadillo) in South America. These plus-sized beasts persisted into the ensuing Pleistocene epoch, when they went extinct due to climate change and competition with (combined with hunting by) modern humans. Birds. The Pliocene epoch marked the swan song of the phorusrhacids, or terror birds, as well as the other large, flightless, predatory birds of South America, which resembled meat-eating dinosaurs that had gone extinct tens of millions of years earlier (and count as an example of convergent evolution.) One of the last surviving terror birds, the 300-pound Titanis, actually managed to traverse the Central American isthmus and populate southeastern North America; however, this didnt save it from going extinct by the start of the Pleistocene epoch. Reptiles. Crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles all occupied an evolutionary backseat during the Pliocene epoch (as they did during much of the Cenozoic Era). The most important developments were the disappearance of alligators and crocodiles from Europe (which had now become much too cool to support these reptiles  cold-blooded lifestyles), and the appearance of some truly gigantic turtles, such as the aptly named Stupendemys of South America. Marine Life During the Pliocene Epoch As during the preceding Miocene, the seas of the Pliocene epoch were dominated by the biggest shark that ever lived,  the 50-ton Megalodon. Whales continued their evolutionary progress, approximating the forms familiar in modern times, and pinnipeds (seals, walruses, and sea otters) flourished in various parts of the globe. An interesting side note: the marine reptiles of the Mesozoic Era known as  pliosaurs  were once thought to date from the Pliocene epoch, hence their misleading name, Greek for Pliocene lizards. Plant Life During the Pliocene Epoch There werent any wild bursts of innovation in Pliocene plant life; rather, this epoch continued the trends seen during the preceding Oligocene and Miocene epochs: the gradual confinement of jungles and rain forests to equatorial regions, while vast deciduous forests and grasslands dominated higher northern latitudes, especially in North America and Eurasia.