What Are The Impacts Of Bottled Water Environmental Sciences Essay

What Are The Impacts Of Bottled Water Environmental Sciences Essay I believe that bottled water should be banned, because of the environmental impact the health affects they cause. Bottled water is obviously not a healthier or cleaner option to normal tap water. Also, bottled water is despicably expensive when you compare it to the cost per gallon of tap water. Almost all bottled water sold in the United States is tap water, which is put in plastic bottles and sold at huge profits. So pretty much what youre doing is buying the same water that you could drink at your house for FREE. Also, if a person is choosing between tap water and bottled water, tap water is clearly the more economical and the healthier option.   A high school would be the beginning, but after cities would be banning water bottles and maybe even countries. Keep on reading to find out more about the hazards of water bottles and why water bottles should be banned at Firstly, Id like to take about the environmental impact water bottles cause. Enormous amounts of greenhouse gases are produced from manufacturing the plastic bottles. According to a 2001 report of the World Wide Fund for Nature, approximately 1.5 million tons of plastic are used in the bottling of 89 billion litres of water each year. Other than the amount of plastic bottles produced each year, the energy essential to produce and transfer these bottles to the market uncontrollably drains limited fossil fuels. Did you know that each year the making of the plastic water bottles used in the U.S takes sufficient oil and energy to fuel a million cars? Millions of gallons of fuel are wasted daily transporting filtered tap water around the world and across countries. All the energy to make the bottle, even more to ship it around the planet and then we drink it in about two minutes? And do you know what happens when youre finished with that bottle? Ninety percent of water bottles end up in l andfills where they sit for thousands of years or in incinerators where theyre burned releasing toxic pollution. I dont see this as being recycling; real recycling would be turning the bottles back into bottles, which happens to only ten percent of the water bottles. Pretty much what the government is doing, is wasting so much money and energy to pollute our earth.  Bottled water companies have made a momentous strain on the environment, due to their tolerant use of precious resources and their manufacturing of billions of plastic bottles. The second reason water bottles should be banned is because of the health affects they cause. The Environmental Working Group let out a shocking report exposing the truth behind bottled water. The EWG tested 10 brands of US bottled water and found a shocking display of contaminants, including:  · cancer-causing by products of chlorination  · fertilizer residue like nitrate and ammonia  · industrial solvents  · caffeine  · pharmaceuticals like Tylenol  · heavy metals and minerals including arsenic and radioactive isotopes  · a broad range of other, tentatively identified industrial chemicals In general the bottled water tested contained 38 chemical toxins altogether, with a standard of eight contaminants in each brand. In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better, said Jane Houlihan, co-author of the study. Also, according to a 1999 Natural Resources Defense Council study, at least one sample of bottled water had chemical contaminants at points above severe health limits, of the 22 percent brands that were tested. Some of the contaminants found could pose health hazards if consumed over an extended period of time. Goethe University at Frankfurt, Germany studies found out that a very big percentage of the bottled water in the plastic bottles was polluted with estrogenic substances. The researchers think that some of the contamination in the plastic containers came from the plastic containers themselves. Researchers suggest that water bottles should be washed and reused in order to r educe their harmful impact on the environment. Unfortunately, reusing plastic decreases quality of the water, because of the uncontrollable amount of phthalate that  seep their way in the water as the bottle gets older. Most kinds of plastic bottles are safe to use again at least a few times if appropriately washed, but latest exposure about chemicals in plastic bottles are enough to scare even the most dedicated environmentalists from reusing them or even buying them in the first place. Research has pointed out that food and drinks put in plastic containers may carry a trace of Bisphenol A (PBA), an artificial compound that gets in the way with the bodys normal hormonal messaging system. According to the  Environment California Research Policy Center, which re-examined 130 studies on the matter report that, BPA has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, a raised chance of miscarriage, and declined testosterone levels. BPA can also inflict chaos on childrens developing syste ms. Also, parents should be aware that most baby bottles are made with plastics containing BPA. Most scientists and doctors agree that the quantity of BPA that could sneak into food and drinks is probably very small, but there are worries about the growing effect of small doses. Researchers also recommend not reusing bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate, including the majority of disposable water, soda and juice bottles. According to  The Green Guide, that type of plastic are safe for one time use, but re-using them should be avoided because studies show they may leach DEHP, (another probable human carcinogen) when they are in less-than-perfect condition. It seems there is no realistic or reasonable resolution to this crisis. The bottled water is a multibillion dollar industry that causes a harsh strain on the environment and many health problems. In conclusion, I believe that water bottles should be banned because of the environmental impacts and health affects they cause. Also, we should consider the expenses used into the making and the transferring of the water bottles from one place to another. In the United States, bottled water costs between $0.25 and $2 per bottle while tap water costs less than $0.01. Around the globe, a billion people dont have access to clean water. However cities all over the world are spending millions of dollars to deal with all the plastic bottles thrown out.  What if we spent that money improving our water systems or even better, developing better water systems in third world countries? Just remember could be the beginning of this change, but after cities would be banning water bottles and maybe even countries.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Someone very special in my life once told me, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off of your goals." Upon entering high school four years ago, the majority of us had one goal and only one goal in mind, graduation. Many of us have heard people say that high school is the best time of our lives, so we better enjoy it. With that in mind, we thought that the next four years were going to be a breeze and before we knew it we would be out of here. Well, that is when reality hit us ... Way back in the first few days of September in 1997, we all took our first steps onto the big campus of Conolon High School. For some of us it was exciting and exhilarating, for others it was scary and nerve wracking or even a little or very intimidating. Whatever the rush of emotions that came over us may have been, it was just the beginning. As lowly little Freshman, we had to adjust to high school life. Going from middle school to high school was a big transition whether we wanted to admit it or not. Some of us thought that the change would be easier if we got involved, so many joined athletics, leadership or a club or two; and then there were some that decided to just focus on their studies. Whichever path we decided to choose, we still had the same goal, to just fit in with everyone and start our long journey towards graduation. For our class, the class of 2006, graduation was not going to come easily. We were the class of "firsts", and it all started Freshman year. During that year we all first experienced sleep deprivation. We were not used to staying up late and then having to get up early. Then along came our Sophomore year. Our second year at Conolon introduced us to the wonderful world of rubrics. We we... ...onight is our night to shine and also our time to set new goals. After we leave tonight's ceremony a new life for us begins. It will be time for us to move on to bigger things and it will be our time to overcome more obstacles. We will move on to college, work, starting new careers and starting families. I have faith in each and everyone of you that you will make your dreams become reality. Just remember that if you stay focused on what you want, do what you want and be who you are, your accomplishments will be endless. All of the obstacles that we have encountered and come face to face with during our high school journey, just proved how determined we were to reach our goal of graduation. To add to the long list of "firsts" I would like to be one of the first people to wish Conolon's first class of the new millennium congratulations. Congratulations class of 2006!

Religion: God and Moral Standards Essay

The topic that I have chosen to discuss for my final argumentative paper is â€Å"Religion†. I chose this topic because it plays a major role in my everyday life. During this paper I will discuss the most important part about religion, God. I will discuss whether the proof of the existence of God is necessary. I will then talk about the argument for the existence of God that I feel is the strongest and why I feel that it is. Then I will discuss the foundations of the Universe and where it emerged from. Another topic that I discuss is whether or not one can be moral and not believe in God. Next I will discuss whether or not science and religion are in conflict. God’s omniscience and human free will is another topic that will be covered during this paper. The last important topic that I will discuss during this paper is whether or not there is a rational argument for atheism. I believe that this paper will be interesting for me to write. I believe that God will always be real in my heart, whether or not any physical proof is ever found of him. Reading about the various proofs of the existence of God was very interesting for me. I say this because I am a firm believer in God and to think about how some people rationalize his non-existence to them is hard for me to understand. The argument that seems to be the best to me is the â€Å"Cosmological argument†. The argument states that â€Å"if something exists something else had to bring it into existence†. It goes on to talk about how things that exist do so because something else caused it to exist. It calls the something that brought I into existence â€Å"a first cause†. The only thing or being that could qualify as the first cause is God. Therefore, God would be the originating source of the universe, which I truly believe. I believe that philosopher’s have always sought proof of God’s existence because it was hard for them to believe that the world just happen one day. I think that they have always questioned the complexity of the world and knew there had to be some type of designer. I agree with this because the world is just too amazing and complex to just appear one day. Even if you believe in evolution, you still would have to question where the first being or animal came from. Everything has an origin and I believe that God is the origin of the universe. So the next topic to be discussed is the foundation of the universe and from where did the universe emerge. It has been said many times that â€Å"scientists believe that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, which is called the Big Bang†. This is considered to be the start of space and of time itself. However, it is believed that something that is outside of space, time and matter that caused this to come into existence. This theory was proven by astronomer Edwin Hubble in the late 1920’s. The way that the Big Bang theory is described parallels what the bible says about the beginning of life. The bible states â€Å"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth†¦and God said ‘let there be light and there was light†. I believe that this could be considered proof regarding the existence of God. I know that some scientists disagree and want to say that the universe came from the laws of physics, but none of these things existed before the initial blast. Another part of religion is being a moral person. So a question that has been asked is â€Å"can one be moral and not believe in God†? There are some people in today’s society that believe that you don’t need God to be moral, but I don’t necessarily believe that. They believe that people can set their own rules for life, and have their own personal values. I don’t believe that this would be a good idea considering the fact that everyone’s values are different, so there would be no standard for us to live by. In order for us to judge whether or not something moral or good then we should have a set of certain values that you would judge them by. It is said that to believe in God means that you believe in moral standards. Philosopher Immanuel Kant pointed out â€Å"we need an omnipotent God to enforce moral standards to make sure that everyone is properly rewarded and punished†. He stated this because he believed that â€Å"moral standards without moral sanctions don’t mean much†. I believe that people live a more meaningful life when they believe in the morals created by God and not by man. I say this because I believe that man will come up with moral standards that will only benefit him, but God comes up with morals that will benefit everyone. However, I don’t think this means that everyone that does not believe in God is immoral. There are some that still do good and behave responsibly without believing in him. I think that it just depends on the person and how they chose to live their lives. We will now go on to discuss whether or not science and religion are in conflict. It is said that most of the time science and religion are not in conflict, and that they only conflict on certain topics. One example of their conflict would be whether or not the Earth is the center of the universe, or the sun the center of the universe. The church teaches that the Earth is the center and that the Sun, Moon and other planets revolve around it. However, some scientists have taught that the Sun is the center of the universe and that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun. Another example of conflict between science and religion is regarding the creation of man and Earth and evolution. Cosmologists believe that the universe is about 13. 7 billion years old, but the Earth is only 4. 5 billion years old. So this would mean that the universe was here long before the Earth, so therefore the universe could not revolve around the Earth. I still don’t fully understand how they came up with their calculation, so I don’t believe them. I still believe that God created the Earth and the universe at the same time. It has been stated that the conflict exist because â€Å"science is based on observation of nature†, and religion is â€Å"largely based on faith†. I am more of a faith based person, so that is why I believe the God created the universe. We will now discuss whether or not God’s omniscience and human free will can be reconciled. Personally I don’t think they can be reconciled. Free will is defined as â€Å"the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one’s own discretion†. It was said that because God’s foreknowledge determines all human choice and activity, then God’s omniscience conflicts with human free will. I am a believer in human free will, but I also believe in God’s omniscience. I believe that God does predetermine how he wants our lives to be, but he also gives us choices that will decide which path our lives will take. I have always believed that God has put certain people in our lives for a reason, and we are also sometimes put into certain situations for a reason. I believe that this is done in order to teach us a lesson and so we can learn to make better decisions on our own. So I believe that ultimately the two can work together perfectly. The final topic I will discuss is whether or not there is a rational argument for Atheism. Personally I don’t agree with atheism, but I do understand that everyone has right to their own beliefs. It has been stated that people believe in atheism for a number of reasons. One example that is given is that they get tired of â€Å"watching the multitude of bad things happening to good people in the world†. As far as this statement goes, I was taught in church that â€Å"it rains on the just (good), just like it rains on the unjust (bad), so you should not use this as an excuse to not believe in God. Another example is the people will say â€Å"look at how some â€Å"so-called† Christians live and behave. I lead a better life than most of them do†. However, just because a person is a Christian and believes in God doesn’t mean they will do no wrong. I was taught that there is no big sin or little sin, but as long as you repent and ask for forgiveness then you will be saved by the grace of God. I simply just don’t believe that there is a rational argument for atheism, because I have been blessed too many times without a rational explanation for me not to believe in God. I say this because about fifteen years ago I was told by a doctor that I had a mass on my brain that looked like a tumor and that I would need to see a specialist in see if it was cancer. I went home upset and crying, but I pray all night. I went to church that Sunday and asked for prayer, the congregation prayed for me. I went to see the specialist the next week, who stated that there was not mass and that it was just part of my brain and there was no cancer. So I know personally what prayer can do, and nobody can make me feel different. In conclusion, I would like to rein irate how important religion is in my life. I actually enjoyed writing this paper because it made me realize why I truly believe in God. There is no scientist or atheist that can make me stop believing in God. I never realized how much Philosophy deals with God until I took this course. It was interesting to read about the different Philosophers, and how they try to prove that existence and non-existence of God. I hope that after reading this paper you can get a better understanding of my position on religion, and why I am a firm believer in God.

Learning the Birthday Song in German

The good news about singing Happy Birthday in Germany is that it is not hard at all. The reason is the bad news: The English version of Happy Birthday is commonly sung at German parties. Nevertheless, on occasion, you will hear it sung in German. There are a few main birthday songs in German. One common song is sung to the same tune as the English birthday song. The lyrics are as follows:   Zum Geburtstag viel Glà ¼ck, Zum Geburtstag viel Glà ¼ck, Zum Geburtstag alles Gute, Zum Geburtstag viel Glà ¼ck. Another birthday song that you will hear at times, especially at childrens birthday parties, is the one penned by Germanys favorite childrens singer, Rolf Zuckowski. Its called Wie schà ¶n, dass du geboren bist (Its great that you were born). Here are the lyrics to that song:   Wie schà ¶n, dass du geboren bist,   wir hà ¤tten dich sonst sehr vermisst, wie schà ¶n, dass wir beisammen sind, wir gratulieren dir, Geburtstagskind. English Translation Its great that you were born. Otherwise, we would have missed you very much. Its great that were together.   We congratulate you, birthday child. Another traditional birthday song doesnt use the words happy birthday at all, yet its still common. For this version, sometimes the chair is lifted up while everybody sings along. Here are the lyrics to that song: Hoch soll sie/er leben!   Hoch soll sie/er leben! Dreimal hoch!   English Translation Long may she/he live! Long may she/he live! Three cheers! This song almost sounds like a chant. Listen to the tune here (and learn a few bonus phrases that are less commonly used but still amusing to memorize).   How to Say Happy Birthday in German When filling out the birthday card, there are several ways to wish someone a happy birthday. Two common expressions are:   Herzlichen Glà ¼ckwunsch zum Geburtstag.   Alles Gute zum Geburtstag. How Do Germans Celebrate Birthdays? Learn more about typical German birthday customs here.