Econ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Econ - Essay Example Economic problems and such as recession naturally happen subject to correction by the economy itself. Keynes, on the other hand, argued for a more reactive response from the government because without it unemployment will only extend. To battle this, government intervention is necessary because fiscal policies can stimulate the economy. The state cannot wait for the self-correction of prices and wages. Developed during the Great Depression, this theory assumes that prolonged unemployment will only hurt the economy. The solution to a swift revitalization to overcome a recession is by implementing government spending from taxes. This multiplies aggregate demand to get closer to a leveled real Gross Domestic Product. To prevent staggering inflation, the government only needs to increase taxes or decrease spending (Cliffnotes n.p.). From the fiscal policy of the United States during the current economic recession, we see that the government applies a more interventional approach in hopes of invigorating the low level of unemployment and to impede it from prolonging. This now could lead to a ‘crowding out’ because of higher interest rates which reduces investment and consumer expenditures that are affected by it. This diminishes the merits of the fiscal policy as implemented by the government (Cliffnotes n.p.). Bibliography Baumol, William J. and Alan S. Blinder.

Urbanization: An analysis

Urbanization: An analysis 2.1 Urbanization 2.1.1 Current discourse in urbanization concept Urbanization is growing in most part of the world in line with technological discovery and human civilization. The rapid urbanization began at England’s industrial capitalism (Clark, 1998) at the end of 18th century and it spread rapidly after the use of coal for the industry primary raw material and a better transportation system (Hall, 1994). In developing world, urbanization started in 1950 after the Second World War (Crenshaw, 1991) and it is growing everywhere now especially in Africa and Asia. United Nation’s report indicated that by 2050, most population will be concentrated in cities and towns of developing countries. By this year, if Africa and Asia continue their current rapid growths, 50 percent of the population will live in urban areas and in 2010 it is predicted that the urban population is higher than the rural one (figure 2.1) Figure 2.1 Urban and rural population of the world, 1950 2030 (Source: Junaidi, 2006) There are four existing definitions for urbanization concept that mostly be the attention of urban planners. First, urbanization is seen as a process in which there have occurred transferring ideas and practices from urban areas into surrounding hinterlands. Second, urbanization is viewed as the increase both in behavior and problems considered to be urban types of rural area. The third, urbanization is related with the process of population concentration in which it is found the increasing ratio of the urban population to the total population (Phren. K. P, 1962) and the fourth, urbanization is seen as the combination of densification or the increase of density of people and building unit and the outward spread of people and built areas (Forman, T. www.cambridge.org). However, all of these definitions are interelated that all the urban planner needs to consider them in urban planning process integratedly. There are many related concepts involved from these in defining urbanization definition. From economic point of view, urbanization tend to connect it with labor division; demography related with density and population size, sociologic regarding to the way of living, and the last is geography from characteristics of the built up environment (Crenshaw, 1991). However, most analysts agree that demography is the basic criterion in differentiate urban and rural area (Clark, 1998, White, 1994, UNECA, 1968) because the population growth, including population density change, are the most quantified way to see the growth of an area. The most common example is United Nation that also uses the population size to standardize the urban localities and city among the nations. Mostly literatures argue that the driving force for urbanization is economic reason (Clark, 1998; Crenshaw, 1991, Jeremias, 1988), but there is a difference in the background of which. In developed world, rapid urbanization occurred because of industrial revolution, capitalism, and the invention of technology and a better transportation system while in developing countries, urbanization tend to occur because of economic imperial. The developing countries’ cities were previously prepared for supporting the economic interest of the powerful regime to earn money, to expand and control foreign trade, to create new markets for products and to acquire raw materials and cheap labor (Crenshaw, 1991). Many specific reasons for the driving force of urbanization and the traditional literature categorized them as push and pull factors. The push factor occurred because of the pressure of poverty problem and environment degradation in rural area. The poverty occurs because of limited job opportunities, limited land for agriculture and other natural resources limitation. The pull factor is related to the attraction of urban area for a better life. It is often related to a wider job opportunity, higher economic growth, better services and modern facilities (Baiquni, 2004). From this pull and push factors, it could be seen the disparities between urban and rural area are the main reason making more and more population concentrated in urban area. 2.1.2 Urbanization determinant The proximate determinants of urban growth can be grouped into three categories: firstly, the total population; secondly, rapid economic growth; and the third, percentage of built up area and areal extend (White, 1994). Population size The more population size of an area, the more urbanized it will be and it is positively related to the growth of urbanization (Rogers, 1982). The increasing of population size is caused by both migration and mortality. Migration flows occur because of employment availability in nearby cities and towns, ethnic connections in particular cities, the roads development and the accessibility of transportation (Connell et al, 1976). Some researches stated that the economic imbalance resulting wage disparities in urban and rural is a major reason for high levels of rural-to-urban migration. The size of population in urban area will be in line with the needs of water for these urban dwellers. Economic growth It appears that rapid economic growth related to urbanization (Becker Morrison 1988, Preston, 1979) that the urbanization level of an area can be marks by its rapid economic growth. Mostly in urban area people do not work in agriculture sector as in rural area, but in service and manufacture. The manufacture developments in urban area have triggered the employment opportunities for rural people to come, and a higher wage offered by manufacture sectors compared to the agriculture ones results in a better economic condition and quality of life. The quality of life will also influence to the water consumption quantity and quality. Percentage of built up area The urban characteristic can be seen from the density of people and the increase of building units. The sign is can be seen from the reduction of green spaces or the changing from low to high-rise apartment buildings. Other sign of urbanization is the city grows by expanding outward. Cities may also urbanize by rolling over suburbs, and suburbs urbanize by rolling over farmland or natural land (Crenshaw, 1991). The changing of landsape by built up environment will be related with the number of recharge area and wastewater quantity that will influence the groundwater. 2.2. Groundwater system on earth Groundwater constitutes about 98 percent of water on earth and both its storage and flow is one of the key elements of natural water systems (Foster, S, 1998). This fact makes groundwater an essential element to human life and economic activities. The details about groundwater hydrology are beyond the scope of this discussion, but a general overview will be presented. Figure 2.2. Hydrology Cycle Source: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final/graphics/images/SciStratFig5-1.jpg Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and including one component of the earth’s water cycle. The water cycle is called the hydrologic cycle and it involves the movement of water as rain, snow, water vapor, surface water and groundwater. The earth’s water is constantly circulating from the earth’s surface up into the atmosphere and back down again as precipitation. When rain falls, a part of it infiltrates the soil. A proportion of this water will be taken up by plants while some will infiltrate more deeply, accumulate above an impermeable bed, saturate the pore space of the ground, and finally form an underground reservoir. This underground reservoir is called an aquifer, a place from which significant quantities of water can be abstracted for human needs. An aquifers productivity to store and transmit water are not the same, it depends on the fundamental characteristic of its constitute. Some of which are granular sediment such as sand, cement sediment such as sandstone and limestone, rock and fracture rock. The ground above an aquifer through is called the vadose zone; it is where the excess rainfall passed vertically. The level to which the ground is fully saturated is known as the water table. The nature, the occurrence of groundwater and the movement of water trough groundwater system is shown in the figure 2.2. 2.3 Urbanization and groundwater resources 2.3.1 Current Discourse Urbanization has been recognized as a trigger of social and environmental problems (Dogan Kasarda 1988, Timberlake 1985). The rapid expansion in groundwater exploitation of many industrialized nations occurred during 1950–1975 while in in most parts of the developing world it occurred during 1970–1990 (Zektser Margat 2003). The groundwater is estimated to provide at least globally 50% of current potable water supplies; 40% of the demand from industries, and 20% for water use in irrigated agriculture (Foster, 1998). These proportions vary widely from country to country and within countries depending on human activities on it. The groundwater is generally the main water resource to be tapped for urban dweller needs if a city has productive aquifers (Minciardi, 2007; Somma. 1997; Hiscock, 2002). This is because the groundwater has an excellent natural quality with significant savings in treatment costs compared to other surface water source. Other reason is because groundwater is a more secure source of water supply during long dry periods compared to the surface water resources (Clark, 1998, Ohgaki, 2007). Groundwater is also a suitable for public supply and independent private use, especially during the early stages of development (Foster, 1998). Two common methods for urban aquifer exploitation are by hand-dug wells and drilled boreholes (Foster, 1998). Hand-dug wells are usually less than 20 meters depth with diameters of 1 meter or more. In this method, the water is usually abstracted manually or by small pumps. The water supply boreholes are mechanically drilled, usually having smaller diameter than hand-dug wells, but much deeper ranging from 20 to 200 meters or more in depth. These two methods if developed in uncontrolled manner will cause groundwater depletion as it has occurred in many urban cities over the world (Ohgaki, 2007; Minciardi, 2006; Foster.S.S.D, 2001). 2.3.2 Urbanization impact to groundwater resources It has been identified that urbanization results in aquifer depletion, saline intrusion, and land subsidence, changing patterns and rates of aquifer recharge and affecting the quality and quantity of groundwater (Foster, 1998, White, 1994, Ohgaki, 2007, Minciardi, 2006). In this discussion the overall focus will be on the depletion of groundwater quantity related urbanization. Figure 2.2. Urban development and its impact to water resources Source: (Foster, 1998) From the figure above, it could be seen the urban development and its impact on the changing of urban groundwater. In the beginning, all cities evolve from small settlements; formal or informal. In this stage, the city dwellers can abstract groundwater using shallow well and boreholes as the groundwater is still abundant. As the infrastructure for wastewater either has not been adequate yet or less than the population needs, the wastewater starts discharging to the ground and starts to pollute the groundwater supply. When the town becomes city, the need of water supply is getting higher resulting from rapid urban population growth in contrast with the decline of groundwater supply. As the result, the well is deepened and there has been occurrence of land subsidence because of more urban dwellers do this deepening. The wastewater is still continuing to pollute the groundwater. The city then expands in line with the urbanization trend resulting to more water needed, more contaminant enters groundwater system and water table rises beneath the city. The urban dwellers start abandons their groundwater resources while the groundwater exploitation of hinterlands area as the alternate sources are getting higher. Because of the storage capacities of most aquifers are large, there is often a major time lag before the problems of groundwater depletion, water table rise and groundwater pollution becomes fully apparent (Foster, 1998). Further, there is increasing water supply scarcity with higher marginal costs for urban water supply. At the end, the traditional use groundwater that is low cost, minimally treated, and abundant for public water supply in urban areas is being threatened. Groundwater depletion The abstraction of groundwater has proved to be the cause of a qualitative decline in water levels. If abstraction is limited, the water level will be stabile at a new equilibrium. However, if occurs either a heavy or and concentrated groundwater withdrawal until it exceeds the local recharge, the water level may continue to decline over many years. As the result, there will be spreading of depress water level, land subsidence, water quality deterioration, sea water intrusion, up-coning and induced leakage of polluted water from the surface (Foster, 1998; Wangsaatmaja, 2006; Braadbaart, 1997) Mostly the problems and causes of aquifer depletion and contamination are clear while immediate solutions are not. General solutions involve some combination of increased recharge rate, reduced consumption rate, efficiency gains, and reduced or eliminated contaminant sources (Vo, 2007, Venkatesh Dutta, Foster.S.S.D, 2001). For example, reducing the velocity of runoff and providing time for recharge could enhance groundwater supplies significantly and at the same time reduce land-based sources of pollution to receiving waters. Land subsidence Land subsidence occurs for a variety reasons, but natural and manmade groundwater abstraction is one of the most contributor to this condition. The remedying efforts of the land subsidence impact involve a high economic cost (Foster, 1998). It is because differential subsidence damages roads, buildings, and other surface structures and it can seriously disrupt underground services such as water mains and water pipelines, sewers, cable conduits, tunnels, and subsurface tanks. In cities located on flat topography, subsidence can disrupt the drainage pattern of rivers and canals and can increase the risk of flooding. The land subsidence effects can be more serious in coastal areas because it can increase the risk of inundation (Hiscock, 2002). Saline intrusion The uncontrolled aquifer exploitation will impact on saline intrusion and it is usually occurs in coastal area. When the groundwater levels fall, the water flow direction change occurs. For thin and alluvial aquifers, this condition results in the formation of wedge shaped pattern and but in the thicker ones, salinity inversions often occur with intrusion of sea water in near-surface aquifer and fresh groundwater in deeper area. Once salinity has diffused into the pore water, its elution will take decades or centuries. Induced pollution Uncontrolled exploitation has consequences to contaminate the deeper aquifer. This induced pollution is caused by inadequate well construction, vertical pumping-induced, and sewage. Some rapidly developing cities have provided mains sewerage and generate large volumes of wastewater but this wastewater is normally discharged untreated or with minimal treatment to surface watercourses. It especially occurs in more arid climates (Anderson, 1987). 2.4 Urbanization Impact on groundwater management policy Although groundwater is the source of drinking water for most people, it is often ignored and taken for granted in urban planning program. The problem was expressed this way by the US Water Council in 1980: â€Å"The role of groundwater in water supply often has been slightenend in the past, one reason being believed that groundwater couldnot be adeqately evaluated in terms of avalibility, chemical quality, economics, or injuctive supply with surface water resources. However, substantial progress in groundwater analitical capability in recent years has made the resources more amanable to rational planning and management operation† (US Water Council in Grigg, 1996) Urban groundwater problems evolve over many years or decades as the result of slow the respond to most groundwater problem. The groundwater depletion and pollution problem are usually solved in incremental way by abandoning the shallow wells and replacing them with deeper boreholes to the aquifer (Grigg, 1996). However, this approach may only provide a temporary solution and if the urban planners continue this method, the groundwater supply will be in more stress condition. Therefore, the more comprehensive and sustainable groundwater planning and management approaches are needed to be developed (Tellman). 2.4.1 Groundwater Management Many literatures define groundwater management differently. Some emphasizes on the technical aspect such as engineering and hydrology, some are the process of managing and some others are the combination of them. However, the common similarity is on their objective that groundwater management is prepared to ensure that groundwater resources are managed in a fair, equitable and sustainable manner (Hiscock, 2002; Ohgaki, 2007; Minciardi, 2006;Venkatesh Dutta). Groundwater management can be defined as a number of integrated actions related to both natural and managed of groundwater pumping and recharge to achieve the long-term sustainability. California government in 2003 DWR Bulletin 118 2003 defines groundwater management as a set of activities including the planned and coordinated monitoring, operation, and administration of a groundwater basin or portion of a groundwater basin with the goal for long term sustainability of the resource. As the result, the groundwater management involves a number of engineering disciplines including survey and monitoring, geological interpretation, hydrological assessments, hydrogeological modeling, chemical and geochemical assessments and optimization. Groundwater management also deals with a complex interaction between human society needs and physical environment and it presents a difficult problem of policy design (Foster.S.S.D, 2001; Somma, 1997). For example, aquifers are exploited by human decisions for sustaining their lives and overexploitation cannot always be defined in technical terms, but as a failure to design and implement adequate institutional arrangements to manage people who exploit the groundwater resource. Common pool resources have been typically utilized in an open-access framework because of the characteristics of groundwater resources (Somma, 1997). When no one owns the resources, the users do not have any obligation to conserve for the future, and as the result, self-interest of individual users leads them to overexploitation. Groundwater management is a debated issue with very few examples of effective action on groundwater resources. However there some approaches that several studies concluded them as a successful groundwater methods, for example, sustainable groundwater development and management in the overexploited regions is treated by combining artificial recharge to groundwater and rainwater harvesting; management of salinity ingress in coastal aquifers; conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater; water conservation by increasing water-use efficiency; regulation of groundwater development.. Further, there also innovative methods of recharging the groundwater and storing water in floodplain aquifers along the river banks to enhance the ultimate irrigation potential from groundwater. The following four steps are essential for most groundwater management cases. Firstly, there must be regular and accurate assessment of actual groundwater use in both rural and urban areas to correlate with recharge and extraction. Secondly, expansion should be strictly monitored. Thirdly, separation of feeders for domestic and agricultural power and the fourth, ways must be explored to empower and entrust the communities to manage the groundwater uses. Development of groundwater management is usually begun by an assessment of groundwater problems and management issues, a compilation of groundwater management tools, an identification of action to address issues and problems, selection of the management plan and a discussion of implementation aspects of the plan. Mostly, the suitable groundwater management approaches are identified at the local water agency level and directly resolved at the local level. However, the State also has role in providing technical and financial assistance to local agencies for their groundwater management efforts. The Department publishes a regulatory framework for groundwater management to ensure that the groundwater resources are maintained and used in an orderly, equitable, and sustainable manner. If groundwater management is obeyed and the problem cannot be directly resolved at the local agency level, there is usually an additional actions such as enactment by local governments or decisions by the cou rts. 2.4.2 Sustainable groundwater management Groundwater is an important source of clean drinking water in many areas because of its characteristics, but mostly a sustainable management has not yet been established for this resource. Natural water bodies have become the place for storing human activities products, such as wastewater and other industrial pollution, causing little natural water storage capacity left. The sustainable groundwater management needs to involve a larger management system including the development of alternative surface water supplies, reallocation among economic uses of water, and regulatory limits on abstraction. Like other water resources management and other environment issues, all elements of active aquifer management must involve stakeholder participation and whole basin analysis. It means that sustainable groundwater management should take place on various levels, starting from the localized borehole owner and user to the regional aquifer, basin and catchment area. At the end, the groundwater development will much depend on management principles applied by Local authorities, Government and Inter Governmental development planning and management strategies. By taking appropriate measure, sustainable groundwater management development can be built. In urban planning practice these measures tend to reduce sewer overflows, improve the quality of treatment plant effluent and prevent falling water tables in areas around towns, cities, and the hinterlands. 2.4.3 Major approaches in sustainable groundwater management The literature generally literatures found that the approaches for sustainable groundwater management are divided into spatial and a-spatial approaches as below. The most common similarity in these approaches is that one method cannot stand alone but must be integrated and connected with other disciplines and other sectors. Integrating sustainable groundwater in spatial planning and management a.1) The use of `Hydrological Design Principles This approach involves zoning related to the catchment planning approach, the location approach, and buffering approach. The `Hydrological Design Principles as a basis for making spatial planning decisions or design of land use patterns is the most common approaches for groundwater management. The Catchment Planning Approach objectives are both to adjust land uses or activities with environmental requirements in the catchment area or drainage basin and to prevent peak discharges. This is implemented by allocating land use profiles to each catchment area and by taking account to maintain or increase the catchment areas’ water storage capacity. The attention to be paid is to both water quality and quantity aspects, which are to be managed with the most important goal for achieving an ecological balance with the land use activities. The Location Approach’s aims are to order the various land uses and activities within each catchment area so that the affect occurs is as little as possible to each of them. In this approach, the land uses that have greater demands on water quality are located upstream of more polluting ones, while the more vulnerable uses is located in areas of groundwater seepages. The clean land use activities are placed in the infiltration areas. The Buffering Approach is used to give chance the land uses with incompatible environmental requirements to co-exist. A well-known example at the local level is the hydrological buffering of natural sites from surrounding agricultural land. This can be achieved through appropriate design and management measures that can be implement in a relatively easy and quick manner. a.2) Integrating land use activities, groundwater systems and the environment The approaches are by water storage, habitat creation and natural water treatment combined with new urban development. In many places where the abstraction of drinking water causes damage to nature, water may be abstracted elsewhere instead, for example is in the hinterlands of that area. In some cases, groundwater abstraction should be stopped regarding to riverbank filtration. Water from the river can be pumped into the ground under the banks and later abstracted when it has been sufficiently filtered by passing through the sand and clay in the sub-soil. Raising storage capacity in the river basin through habitat creation, landscaping and establishing outdoor recreation areas are also other approaches for this method. The groundwater system had double function for human life. a.3) Ensuring enough room for water: Catch water where it falls It is mostly done in the areas around the main rivers or flood prone area. It can be in line with habitat protection because the raising the water storage capacity by lowering the ground level of the river or moving back the dikes back offer opportunities for nature development. The widening ditches and raising the drainage level can increase the water storage capacity. As the result, more room for water and the rainwater can be infiltrated into the soil instead of being drained away as quickly as possible to the sewer. An advantageous effect of giving water more room is the greater opportunity it presents to make use of natural filtration and water purification processes. a.4) Controlling subsurface contaminants load and ensuring sufficient clean water Water pollution problems can be partially minimized or controlled by delineating source protection zones around major groundwater catchment areas. On the other hand, there are some related approaches such as firstly; appropriate planning provisions or mitigation measures to reduce contaminants load in particular areas, especially where aquifer is highly vulnerable. Secondly, to moderate the subsurface contamination to acceptable levels by considering the vulnerability of local aquifers to pollution, land use planning to reduce potential pollution sources. Thirdly by selecting controls over effluent discharges and other existing pollution sources and the fourth is by planning waste water treatment or landfill disposal sites regarding to groundwater interests and impacts. Integrating sustainable groundwater in a-spatial planning and management b.1) Institutional management To improve groundwater management, a strong institutional framework is prerequisite. Regarding to groundwater characteristics, an ideal institutional framework should to include legislation to provide clear definition of water use rights that is separate from land ownership. It could be implemented through granting of licenses and tax for groundwater exploitation in a specified manner. Other approach is by regulating and supervising the discharge of liquid effluents to the ground, the land disposal of solid-wastes, and other potentially polluting activities with a need legal consent or planning approval. Some literatures also presented about the behavior change and prospectus in groundwater that is believed can be last longer than the technical approaches. b.2) Demand side management Groundwater management not only requires adequate assessment of available resources and hydrogeology by understanding of interconnection between surface and groundwater system, but also actions required for proper resource allocation and prevention of the adverse effects of uncontrolled development of ground water resources for short and long term. One of the important strategies for this is a-spatial sustainable management of groundwater by regulating the groundwater development in critical areas using demand side approach. Management of demand means managing efficiency of water use, interaction among economic activities that is adjusted with water availability. In demand side management, socio economic dimension plays an important role that it also involves the managing the users of water and land. It is because the regulatory interventions in demand side management such as water rights and permits and economic tools of water pricing will not be successful if the different user groups are not fully involved. As the result, for achieving effective management of groundwater resources, there is a need to create awareness among the different water user groups and workout area specific plans for sustainable development. From among these two characteristics, it can be concluded that there are two emerging broad types of management approaches for groundwater. Firstly, approaches including tools such as power pricing, subsidies for efficient technologies, economic policies discouraging water intensive crops, etc. Secondly, approaches dealing with specific aquifers on the basis of command and control management through a resource regulator. Whichever approach is adopted, the development and management of these resources must be based on an adequate knowledge of a clear comprehensive situation of groundwater aquifer system and its replenishment. Contents CHAPTER II 1 URBANIZATION AND GROUNDWATER PLANNING 1 2.1 Urbanization 1 2.1.1 Current discourse in urbanization concept 1 2.1.2 Urbanization determinant 3 a) Population size 3b) Economic growth 3c) Percentage of built up area 42.2. Groundwater system on earth 4 2.3 Urbanization and groundwater resources 5 2.3.1 Current Discourse 52.3.2 Urbanization impact to groundwater resources 6a) Groundwater depletion 8b) Land subsidence 9c) Saline intrusion 9d) Induced pollution 92.4 Urbanization Impact on groundwater management policy 9 2.4.1 Groundwater Management 102.4.2 Sustainable groundwater management 122.4.3 Major approaches in sustainable groundwater management 12a) Integrating sustainable groundwater in spatial planning and management 13a.1) The use of `Hydrological Design Principles 13a.2) Integrating land use activities, groundwater systems and the environment 13a.3) Ensuring enough room for water: Catch water where it falls 14a.4) Controlling subsurface contaminants load and ensuring sufficient clean water 14b) Integrating sustainable groundwater in a-spatial planning and management 15b.1) Institutional management 15b.2) Demand side management 15

Suicide Essay -- essays research papers

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people age 15 to 24. Accidents are number one and homicide just passes up suicide and come in second. According to the National Mental Health Association, â€Å"Each year, almost 5,000 young people, ages 15 to 24, kill themselves. The rate of suicide for this age group has nearly tripled since 1960†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (1). More and more teenagers are being pushed to the edge, as explained in the story of eighth grader, Luis. Luis was the skinniest eighth-grader in his class. He also wore glasses and had braces on his teeth, and the other students picked on him every day. They thought it was fun to push Luis into lockers and steal his money, because he was too weak to fight back. The teachers never did anything about it. "I should just kill myself," he thought, "then they would be sorry." He pictured them all at his funeral, wishing they had been nicer to him. After one very hard day at school, Luis decided it was time to teach them a lesson. He swallowed about twenty sleeping pills. Then hey just lay on his bed and felt glad that the other kids were going to regret making his life so hard (Schleifer 25). Teen suicide effects everyone; whether friends, family, or peers. There are many things that cause the need for suicide; there are many obvious warning signs, and also many ways to prevent someone from committing suicide. Even though most teens know that suicide is not a good way to solve their problems, there are many things that just push teens over the edge and cause them to commit suicide. Teens often feel alone, abandoned, ignored, or rejected and they feel that the only way to get some attention is to try to kill themselves. A feeling of hopelessness, depression, low self-esteem, and feeling like a failure are all of the main reasons why suicide is committed so often. Pressure can come from family, work, school, or friends to try to do better then the teen can actually achieve. Everyone knows how it feels to be close to someone and when that relationship is shattered, so is the person's esteem. When breaking up with a significant other, teens often feel very alone and that life can't go on without that other person who is now missing in their life. Even if that important relationship wasn't a romantic relationship, it can still greatly affect a person. If a teen moves away or has a close friend move away, th... ...no one can talk them out of it. Most of the time teens don’t want to die; they are just trying to reach out for help. If you try to help them, they will probably not go through with it. Talking to a depressed friend or family member about suicide will not put ideas in their heads. If anything, they may have been considering suicide and will most likely not go through with it if you talk about their problems with them. According to Suicide Wise, â€Å"The attempted suicide rate for high school females is more than twice as high as for males†(6). Teen suicide is a very hard thing to deal with considering there are many causes, effects, and ways to prevent suicides from happening to those who are close to us. A way to summarize what all of the possible causes for suicide are, is pretty much anything that would make someone very sad, depressed, or just very stressed out. Teens who feel they need to commit suicide often leave warning signs that are very obvious. They are just looking for someone to talk to and somewhere to get help with their problems. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness because teens do not understand how many people they are hurting by carelessly ending their life.

Spanish and English Motives for Settling America

AP US History 1 July 2011 In the early fourteenth century, the Americas were home to natives who had lived there for centuries. They had created entire cities for places of worship. These cities were occupied by skilled mathematicians, architects, and astronomers. Thought they did make human sacrifices to their many gods, the natives were able to control their empire and keep it alive at least until the arrival of the European. On the other side of the world, Europeans were looking for opportunities of freedom, land, goods, and most of all riches.There was a high competition for the desired goods of India and China so Europeans began to search for easier routes that would bring them wealth. Spain was the first to discover and claim the Southwest Americas with the historical voyage of Christopher Columbus. Then a couple of years later, had John Cabot claimed the Northeast Americas for England. The Spanish and English differed in motives and benefits from the settlements that they had created in the seventeenth century because of how they treated the natives, colonized, and reasons of leaving Europe. The Spanish were thirsty for riches.Their main reason for leaving Europe was because of God, glory, and gold. Christopher Columbus’s accidental discovery had provided the right opportunity for the Spanish to achieve their goals. The natives welcomed the Spanish into their cities because they thought they were gods. When the Spanish discovered the vast amounts of gold in the area, they decided to conquer the lands and to gain riches and glory. Many natives died from the wars with the Spanish, but what really killed them was disease. Later on as the Spanish colonized southwest America, they brought Christianity to the natives.Missionaries tried to Europeanize the natives. Many Spanish men married native women and had European American children. In New England, the English colonies had different motives. Theirs was religious freedom. At first the natives and the English made peace treaties because of trade and Christianity. But as time passed tensions grew. The English did not intermix with the natives as the Spanish had. The natives were mainly a pestilence that was in the way of land. As with the Spanish, the natives had their populations wiped out because of European diseases and wars.The natives were forced to combine with other tribes and move to the Midwest. The Spanish settled the southwest Americas and the Caribbean. In the New Mexico and Texas areas of present day America, they found little success in their search for gold. They found the Caribbean useful for the crop plantations of tobacco, sugar, and corn. The Spanish spread Christianity to the natives, built forts and missions, and claimed the land for Spain for centuries to come. The Spanish planted their teachings, language, laws, and religion into their colonies and native neighbors.New England had been settled for the land and freedom it offered. Thousands of miles away from England, the Europeans were able to find comfort in freedom of religion. As colonies grew, things started to change. The colonist both fought with each other over land and religion. Government was made up and some of these written laws were placed in today’s constitution. Major cash crops were grown and the colonies grew also. Africans were shipped to New England as slaves to help maintain these large farms. New Englanders started out on a difficult journey but life continued to get better as the colonies grew.The Spanish and English both wanted to find easier routes to the Indies. They wanted the spices and other luxury goods the Asia had to offer. There were high competitions and everyone wanted a part in the wealth and adventure exploration offered. When the Spanish discovered America, they took the land and colonized it. Americas was rich in soil, minerals, and goods. This was a way for Spain to become a more powerful nation, so the Spanish seized their opportunity. The English on the other hand, wanted freedom form religious persecution and they wanted a bigger kingdom.The land was excellent for the planting of crops and offered the chance for people to get rich. Both the Spanish and English had different motives and benefits from their settlement of the Americas. They found success in many areas of the land that they settled. They made laws, discovered new places, and claimed a land for their mother nations. The English and Spanish were the biggest land owners of the Americas. Though some of their intentions were selfish, they played a major part in creating what is now the United States. Spanish and English Motives for Settling America AP US History 1 July 2011 In the early fourteenth century, the Americas were home to natives who had lived there for centuries. They had created entire cities for places of worship. These cities were occupied by skilled mathematicians, architects, and astronomers. Thought they did make human sacrifices to their many gods, the natives were able to control their empire and keep it alive at least until the arrival of the European. On the other side of the world, Europeans were looking for opportunities of freedom, land, goods, and most of all riches.There was a high competition for the desired goods of India and China so Europeans began to search for easier routes that would bring them wealth. Spain was the first to discover and claim the Southwest Americas with the historical voyage of Christopher Columbus. Then a couple of years later, had John Cabot claimed the Northeast Americas for England. The Spanish and English differed in motives and benefits from the settlements that they had created in the seventeenth century because of how they treated the natives, colonized, and reasons of leaving Europe. The Spanish were thirsty for riches.Their main reason for leaving Europe was because of God, glory, and gold. Christopher Columbus’s accidental discovery had provided the right opportunity for the Spanish to achieve their goals. The natives welcomed the Spanish into their cities because they thought they were gods. When the Spanish discovered the vast amounts of gold in the area, they decided to conquer the lands and to gain riches and glory. Many natives died from the wars with the Spanish, but what really killed them was disease. Later on as the Spanish colonized southwest America, they brought Christianity to the natives.Missionaries tried to Europeanize the natives. Many Spanish men married native women and had European American children. In New England, the English colonies had different motives. Theirs was religious freedom. At first the natives and the English made peace treaties because of trade and Christianity. But as time passed tensions grew. The English did not intermix with the natives as the Spanish had. The natives were mainly a pestilence that was in the way of land. As with the Spanish, the natives had their populations wiped out because of European diseases and wars.The natives were forced to combine with other tribes and move to the Midwest. The Spanish settled the southwest Americas and the Caribbean. In the New Mexico and Texas areas of present day America, they found little success in their search for gold. They found the Caribbean useful for the crop plantations of tobacco, sugar, and corn. The Spanish spread Christianity to the natives, built forts and missions, and claimed the land for Spain for centuries to come. The Spanish planted their teachings, language, laws, and religion into their colonies and native neighbors.New England had been settled for the land and freedom it offered. Thousands of miles away from England, the Europeans were able to find comfort in freedom of religion. As colonies grew, things started to change. The colonist both fought with each other over land and religion. Government was made up and some of these written laws were placed in today’s constitution. Major cash crops were grown and the colonies grew also. Africans were shipped to New England as slaves to help maintain these large farms. New Englanders started out on a difficult journey but life continued to get better as the colonies grew.The Spanish and English both wanted to find easier routes to the Indies. They wanted the spices and other luxury goods the Asia had to offer. There were high competitions and everyone wanted a part in the wealth and adventure exploration offered. When the Spanish discovered America, they took the land and colonized it. Americas was rich in soil, minerals, and goods. This was a way for Spain to become a more powerful nation, so the Spanish seized their opportunity. The English on the other hand, wanted freedom form religious persecution and they wanted a bigger kingdom.The land was excellent for the planting of crops and offered the chance for people to get rich. Both the Spanish and English had different motives and benefits from their settlement of the Americas. They found success in many areas of the land that they settled. They made laws, discovered new places, and claimed a land for their mother nations. The English and Spanish were the biggest land owners of the Americas. Though some of their intentions were selfish, they played a major part in creating what is now the United States.

Jose Rizal’s Retraction Controversy Essay

The debate still continues if Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, really retracted? This has been the greatest controversy which is most talked about Rizal. He is recognized for the novels he had written during the Spanish period. Because of these courageous acts of rebellion against the said colonizers, he became our National Hero. But what if our national hero, at the last moments of his life retracted everything he had ever said and written? In 1935, a letter was found by Father Manuel Garcia. The said letter contains that Jose Rizal declared himself as a Catholic and that he retracts everything he had said, written, published and did against the Catholic Church. Opinions regarding this issue would not be the same because some may agree and some may not. There so many questions speculating his retraction if in the first place, all of this is what he really fought for. From Fr. Balaguer’s version, Rizal, on the 29th day of December 1896, wrote and signed the retraction papers in front of him and with the other Jesuit priest present at the death cell. Rizal asked for a confession twice and for a rosary from the priest between the two confessions. In Balaguer’s memorandum-record, Rizal asked for a mass and a request for Holy Communion, this was readily approved by the Jesuits and assigned Fr. Villaclara as the officiating priest of the mass inside the cell. He also mentioned that Rizal asked for the image of the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus which he carved when he was just 14. Balaguer described the scene as heart-warming because Rizal kissed the image that he had requested from the Jesuits. While kneeling and surrounded by the religious authorities in the death cell, Rizal read the retraction document. Balaguer also claimed that there was a servant-messenger for Josephine Bracken to prepare for the marriage at the San Ignacio Church where Fr. Simo will conduct the confession and other things needed for the ceremonies, which will be materialized on the morning of the 30th. Lastly, before the execution and in the presence of the Archbishop and the Jesuit superior Reverend Fr. Pio Pi, Rizal kissed the image of the cross presented to him and has a rosary entwined in his hand. But how did Father Balaguer convinced Rizal to be converted into Cathloic before his execution? This is one of the big unanswered questions of today. In addition to this, Rizal wrote a poem entitled â€Å"My Last Farewell† which was written on the eve of his execution, there was a line there saying,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’ll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or hangmen where faith does not kill and where God alone does reign (Rizal, 1896).† With this, he mentioned God in this poem. Before he was executed, he wrote an undated letter to his family when he was in Fort Santiago: â€Å"Bury me in the ground, place a stone and a cross over it. My name, the date of my brith and of my death. Nothing more. If you later wish to surround my grave with a fence, you may do so. No anniversaries. I prefer Paang Bundok.â€Å" Now, what do he mean by this? He wanted a cross over it. He died as a Catholic and was buried inside the sacred grounds of Paco Cemetery. Unfortunately, his instructions were not granted. It was also argued that Rizal retracted in order to save his family from further persecution, to give Josephine Bracken a legal status as his wife and to assure reforms from the Spanish government. Speaking of Josephine as his wife, there was an article from Jose Rizal University that one day of early March 1896; Rizal played a practical joke on Josephine, which frightened her terribly. As a result, she prematurely gave birth to an eight-month baby boy. The baby was very weak and can hardly breathe. With this, Rizal immediately baptized him Francisco in honor of his father. He tried to save the life of his son but all his knowledge and skill as a physician could not save little Francisco. Sorrowfully, Rizal saw his child die three hours after birth then he drew a sketch of his dead son and he buried him under a shady tree near his home. He prayed†: â€Å"Oh, God, I give you another tiny angel. Please bless his soul.† Again, this is one proof that even before the exile in Dapitan, he practiced being a Catholic. On the other hand, the copy of the retraction paper that was allegedly signed by Rizal that was even kept secret and was only published in newspapers. It was said that the paper was lost when Rizal’s family requested for the original copy. Are the Jesuits too irresponsible for not knowing the importance of the document? Or was it just hidden? But 39 years later, the original copy was found in the archdiocesan archives. Ricardo Pascual Ph. D, who was given permission by the Archbishop Nozaleda to test the document and later concluded in his book, â€Å"Rizal beyond the Grave† that the papers shown was a falsification. The common contradiction of this argument was either Father Balaguer or Father Pi had made errors in reproducing another copy of the original. The manuscript was also allegedly  misplaced from 1922 – 1935. Trinidad challenged the Jesuits to show to her the manuscripts so that she could validate that it was Rizal’s handwriting and signature. With this, finding out that there were several copies of it, some may imitate Rizal’s handwriting and signature. Another proof that Rizal did not retract is that when Father Balaguer claimed that Jose and Josephine, however, there were no marriage certificate or public record shown that could prove Father Balaguer’s accounts. In addition, he performed the ceremony between 6:00 – 6:15 AM of December 30, 1896 with the presence of one of the Rizal’s sisters but Rizal family denied that none of them were there and Dr. Jose Rizal was martyred at 7:03 AM. Also, nobody had reported that Bracken was in the area of Fort Santiago in the morning of the execution. Consider also the three priests (Fr. Jose Villaclara, Fr. Estanislao March, and Fr. Vicente Balaguer) to negotiate the expanse of the walk to give spiritual care to the condemned Dr. Jose Rizal, why is it that, only Fr. Balaguer stated that there was a wedding? Furthermore, where were Fr. Villaclara and Fr. March to verify the manifestation of a marriage ceremony? Or was there really even one at all? Showing the two sides, where do you stand? Do you believe that Rizal really abjured or not? It’s up to you but this controversy should not eradicate Rizal’s works for our country. He awakened our knowledge of nationalism and patriotism. Jose Rizal’s writings helped in motivating the Filipinos to fight for our freedom against the Spanish colonizers and inspired a lot of Filipino revolutionaries to stand up for a cost. In my opinion, I still believe that his contributions to our country are far greater than the issue brought by this letter. I stick to his advocacy that war is not the solution for independence. If you’re going to ask me if he really retract, I would say yes, because he really wanted to have peace and to stop the chaos during that time, he abjured everything due to the pressure to his family and became a Catholic. I stated earlier that he has some requests to his family for his burial that there should be a cross over his grave, with this, he died as a Catholic and his family, on the 11th day after his death, was informed that early of the next day, a mass was to be celebrated for the eternal rest of his soul. Adding to this, he experienced hardships in writing his third novel entitled â€Å"Makamisa† because he is not fluent in  Filipino language. How could he state: â€Å"A man who doesn’t love his native language, is worse than all animals and a smelly fish.†, if he, himself, can’t apply it. And let’s understand that he retracted for the sake of his family’s persecution and wanted a reform for our country against the Spanish government. I’m sure all of us really love our family and will do such extraordinary things just to save them and would love to have peace on earth. But all this and more will retract nothing from his greatness as a Filipino.