El Nino’s Wrath
Microscopic, photosynthetic phytoplankton produce seventy one percent of the world’s Oxygen. A reduction in the world’s phytoplankton population would be detrimental to all terrestrial and aquatic life. The event known as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a complex interplay between the ocean and the atmosphere causing a reversal in the trade winds, which in turn moves warm water masses to opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. Better known for it’s atmospheric effects, El Nino also plays an important role in reducing the phytoplankton population. El Nino halts the process of upwelling, which moves nutrient rich water from the deep, up to the surrface. Upwelling is essential for the production of phytoplankton. Without phytoplankton as the base of the food chain in the ocean, all other aquatic life would cease to exist. El Nino can be attributed to the increase of global warming caused by Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. El Nino will continue to increase proportionaly to the Earth’s rising temperature and thus, reducing the world’s phytoplankton population; resulting in catastrophic ecological effects as the base of the ocean’s food chain continues to be destroyed.
Winds affect upwelling. Winds that blow along the coasts of North and South America drag the water along with them. “The Earth’s rotation then deflects the resulting surface currents away from the coastlines.” (Wallace 11) Because the surface water moves away, colder, nutrient-rich water comes up from below and replaces the previous warm water, a phenomenon known as upwelling. (Wallace 11) Basically, the wind blows towards the equator and the rotation of the Earth pulls the water away from land similar to the way a cube of ice stays in one place as you rotate a glass of water. The glass could be interpreted as the Earth, and the ice cube as the mass of water. Relative to the glass, the ice or water stays in one spot as the glass or Earth rotates around.
The winds that blow along the equator also affect the properties of upwelled water and also the food chain. “Without wind, the dividing layer between the warm surface water and the deep cold water, known as the thermocline, would be nearly flat; but the winds drag the surface water westward, raising the thermocline nearly all the way up to the surface in the east and depressing it in the west. The cold water below the thermocline is rich in nutrients.
“Oceans”, the third unit from “The Habitable Planet” series, discusses El Nino and the discovery of a new phytoplankton, and how these effect human and marine life . This paper will highlight six facts from the video, emphasizing what they are, how scientists have discovered this information, and what makes them important. In addition to these facts, this paper will explain the term “positive feedback” as briefly mentioned in the video and provide an example of this process outside of El Nino. The first of several interesting facts discussed in the video is that El Nino is responsible for devastating occurrences such as monsoons, droughts, and floods1.
Although legalizing concealed handguns create an easy access to firearms by criminals and emotionally disturbed people, it is less likely that these individuals will use their weapons if they feel their target is armed as well. Allowing citizens to carry would always cause the question of ‘who is carrying?’ to arise in the criminals’ minds. According to economist and political commentator John Lott, had the states that did not have concealed handgun laws in 1992 actually allowed concealed carry, the murders would be reduced by “1,839; rapes by 3,727; aggravated assaults by 10,990; robberies by 61,064; burglaries by 112,665; larcenies by 93,274; and auto thefts by 41,512,” (Lott 58). Simply by allowing individuals the right to carry concealed weapons cuts major crime rates dramatically. When criminals are aware that their potential victims could also be armed, they are less likely to act on their violence for fear of the assault turning against them. Whereas, if concealed carry was illegal, criminals would know that their target would most likely not be carrying, thus making these individuals more likely to act on violent
In current day society, it is frequently promoted as self-defense and our “duty” as Americans to own a gun of some sort. The second amendment to the constitution declares that “We the People” are allowed to bear arms because we live in a free State. Although these statements are true, at what cost? The question, “at what cost,” arises due to the recent push for an extension and enforcement of the second amendment. The people of the States have been pushing for desired concealed carry at public areas, such as schools. Statements and questions of concern have been on the as to whether or not this idea is “smart”. Contrary of it allowing some people to feel safe, the idea should be imposed. Guns are weapons and they have the history behind them
Guns do not kill people, people do. The American Dream is being able to work towards and achieve whatever makes you happy, whether it be owning your own business, joining the military, or staying at home raising a family, but the only way to reach your dream is to do it without living in fear that your dream will be taken away. In the last couple years mass shootings and attacks on schools have sadly become a common tragedy. Those who have been victims of public shootings or any other life scarring event due to a criminal, along with anyone else who has watched the coverage of the tragedies on the news is somewhat living in fear, but if concealed carry laws were passed then living in fear would be significantly lowered along with crime rates. According to Mike Miller, author of What Happened to Chicago’s Murder Rate After Illinois Upheld Concealed Carry and Why it Matters, “three to four crimes are stopped by a handgun than are committed in the United States every year” (Miller). People would feel much safer knowing they would be able to defend themselves if the time ever arose. When we think or hear about guns most of us jump to the negative effects and stories we have heard. The only stories we hear about guns are how a person’s life has ended because of it, but we never hear how they save a person’s life. It is important to remember the commonly used phrase when talking about concealed carry, “Guns do not kill people, people do.” However, guns are an effective way of protection and states should not make stricter gun control laws because it is ineffective and creates additional problems in today’s violent society.
Most criminals are deterred to do crime when they realize someone is armed. No one smart, willingly wants to put themselves in a position to be shot. Wayne quoted “39 percent did not commit specific crime for the fear that the victim was armed.” A natural fear lies with the human being, he will take precautions to make sure he is safe. When the citizen is armed and one can see that. It is a deterrent for the criminal to pursue that being. Conceal carry is on the rise, now criminals must be extra cautious of their target, for it may lead to their demise. An argument from the opposite side on the matter is that the conceal carry community is a threat to law enforcement, however 57 percent of non-law abiding citizens have a worse fear of being stopped by the averaged armed citizen then by the police force. The people are not bounded to as much regulation as an officer. The only variable for a citizen’s permission to shoot is, is his life is in danger or someone else’s life is in danger, or if property is being taken or invaded. Police have more regulation for their reasons to shoot a
If a person don’t carry a concealed weapon, how will they be able to protect themselves and their precious family from vicious criminals? Shall issue states are states that citizens may apply and be considered by the state for a gun permit which is also known as concealed carry. John R. Lott, is an economist and has received his Ph.D. in economics from UCLA. He claimed "shall-issue" concealed carry laws reduced murders by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7%, and robbery by 3%, according to a 2000 analysis of FBI crime data” (Lott, John R.) This refers to how concealed carry reduces crime and information was reported by the FBI compared to the other states that don’t allow concealed carry. This quote shows real evidence on how guns
The 31 states that have “shall issue” laws allowing private citizens to carry concealed weapons have, on average, a 24 percent lower violent crime rate, a 19 percent lower murder rate and a 39 percent lower robbery rate than states that forbid concealed weapons.(David Lampo)In fact, the nine states with the lowest violent crime rates are all right-to-carry states.(David lampo)Concealed handguns set up rules of self authority throughout the state that are in.basically it an you want to shoot me i'll ...
After studying of the effects of the concealed handgun law, researchers concluded that after the first five years of the law, both robberies and rape declined by 1/10th, and murders decreased by just under 1/5th (Lott, “Carrying Concealed Weapons…”). Based on these statistics, the crime rate is greatly affected as more guns are added to the equation. As more civilians purchase guns, the amount of crimes have decreased immensely. By allowing guns to be sold to the general public, our country has become a safer place; guns in our society have not established a more dangerous world. Undeniably, by allowing more guns into circulation, the criminals are more likely to be turned off from committing crimes. For one well known example, New York City’s crime rate has dropped tremendously in the past few years. According to research, robbery decreased by more than half, aggravated assault by just under 40%, and rape has dwindled to a fraction of what it was before (Rosen). These numbers are mind blowing; they show that as more guns are distributed among the hands of the public, the streets of the city have become significantly safer. Thus, criminals have started to realize that their prey is no longer unarmed and is ready to protect themselves. By having such an abundance of armed people across the city, criminals have inversely been deterred from committing crimes. Although there has been roughly 700,000 crimes that involve guns (Connell), there has also been 2.5 million annual defensive gun cases that have been tossed aside (Lott, “Carrying Concealed Weapons…”). Each of these cases that have been ignored all involve guns which have been used to prevent
As of 2013, all 50 states allow concealed carry of handguns (Concealed Carry Reciprocity Maps), although a few states don’t require a permit and the standards for licensing vary greatly from state to state. In the U.S. most states are “Shall Issue” states. This means they will grant anybody a permit that meets certain guidelines such as being 21 or older and not having any felony convictions, a history of mental illness or domestic abuse. A handful of other states are “May Issue” states. In these other states, such as Maryland, a permit will only be issued if you can prove you need it. This can be a large obstacle and these states will usually only issue permits to people in the public eye, wealthy individuals that are well-connected or business owners frequently transporting large sums of cash (Concealed Carry Reciprocity Maps). Although the requirements and standards are different wherever you may live, one thing holds true- concealed carry permit holders are rapidly growing. The market for handgun training, concealed carry courses and smaller, more concealable handguns have opened up. When concealed carry was first gaining popularity there were two very different schools of thought. Some thought that violent crime would decrease, as criminals would fear the everyday person that just may happen to be armed. Others thought that having people carrying around concealed handguns in public would lead to an increase in violent crime with people losing their temper and shooting each other. When analyzing the data and crime trends, it is clear that with this influx of concealed carry permit holders there has not been a corresponding increase in violent crime.
“Numerous studies have estimated that there are anywhere from 800,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses every year in the United States. According to a widely cited study by Gary Kleck, a criminology professor at Florida State University, there are 2.2 million to 2.5 million defensive gun uses annually. A sample of those cases revealed that 8.2 percent were defenses against attempted rape and sexual assault, and 30.4 percent were defenses against other types of assault” (Expanded On-Campus Gun Rights). When establishing the gun-free zones that are currently in place at many campuses around the United States, only ensures occupants of these zones are essentially helpless against an aggressor who is willing to break the law. In allowing a controlled, concealed handgun in this area, students would able to protect themselves from someone who intended to cause harm upon them with a firearm, thus causing the perpetrator to reassess his current
John Lott once said, ”Some people use guns for horrible things, but some people use guns to prevent horrible things from happening”(Interview with John R. Lott Jr.,4). It is legal to use guns to prevent great bodily injury or death. The second amendment allows the individual to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation (Right-to-Carry, 1). The definition of resist is to, “withstand, strive against, or oppose.” Healthy American citizens have the right to do just that when it comes to any crime that can potentially cause them great bodily harm, or has the potential to kill them. Criminologist Gary Kleck concluded,” robbery and assault victims who used a gun to resist were less likely to be attacked or suffer an injury than those who did not use a gun or any other method to resist, or those who did not resist at all”(Right-to-Carry,1). Concealed handgun laws lower violent crimes for two reasons. First, criminals are afraid of potential victims that can defend themselves. Second, victims with guns are capable of protecting themselves (Interview with John R. Lott Jr., 1). Criminals who face higher penalties, like a gunshot wound, tend to not commit crimes. For every year a concealed weapon law is effective, murder r...
...ust be said; when gun control activists say that if there were no guns there would be no gun crime, they are wrong. This is the entire though behind their crusade and is why so many political problems have arose. It would be impossible to accomplish such an act and so they are left with nothing more than a theory. Finally, our United States with their varying governments and constitutions already provide the populace with the mechanism with which to study gun control. This mechanism is the fact that some states chose to restrict and regulate gun sales and possession to a much higher degree than others. The result of the analysis of these two types of state was the states with the strictest gun laws have more murders than the states with the most relaxed laws. These two points come together to illustrate how gun control is, in reality, completely impractical.
Gun control and self-defense has been a hot topic in the United States in the last couple of years, with the United States having 88.8 guns for every 100 people. People argue whether individuals should have the right to own and carry weapons or whether there should be a stricter regulation on guns. With crimes occurring everywhere in the United States it’s only logical to allow those who qualify for a concealed weapon the right to obtain a permit to carry. With the recent laws of concealed carry weapons being allowed in all 50 states and Jerry Brown banning concealed carry on college campuses, controversy is hotter than it’s ever been. Although we have seen weapons used for hurting, guns, when placed in concealed carry hands, are not the cause
Some people own a gun for their own safety. Yet, one of the things they can rely on for protection and defense may jeopardize many lives around them. A college campus is very populated which may increase the likelihood of a gun theft, and could fall into the wrong hands. Campuses provide security who are always ready and prepared for any danger, meaning it is avoidable for anyone other than them to carry weapons. Concealed carry is not appropriate on college campuses because nor is it only unnecessary, but may also result in a situation that can quickly escalate, creating a greater chance of causing more harm than not carrying a concealed weapon.
Carrying a concealed is truly a human right to every citizen living in the United States . Even if a person chooses not to exercise that right , overall carrying a concealed weapon can not be taken lightly. The significance of this right is it contains much responsibility. Having a concealed gun can honestly save one or many lives.This is very important so an individual interested in having a concealed gun should understand t...