Analysis Of Wendell Berry s The Pleasures Of Eating

A Reality Difficult to Stomach The food industry is devouring us. Big food corporations fixate on profits rather than the quality of their products, and humans have become victim to them. Humans are constantly looking for the most effortless way to obtain their next meal, whether it’d be from a fast food establishment or a frozen precooked dinner. Simultaneously, the big food corporations mass produce low-quality products and manipulate their prices to appeal to consumers. These eating habits yield negative effects to their health, paving a pathway to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and other diseases. Humans no longer have an eye for the quality of the food they consume. For instance, in Wendell Berry’s â€Å"The Pleasures of Eating†, Berry discusses how humans are passive consumers of the food industry; meaning they lack insight regarding where their food is from or how it is produced. Additionally, Michael Pollan writes about the surplus of corn in America and how A mericans unknowingly consume immense amounts of it in his article entitled â€Å"When a Crop Becomes King†. Furthermore, â€Å"If You Pitch It, They Will Eat† by David Barboza is about how the food industry’s propaganda negatively affects today’s youth by advertising unhealthy eating habits tied into their favorite television shows, movies, video games, et cetera. Essentially, humans are ignorant because of their passiveness in purchasing products from the food industry. Humans are ignorant due to their lack of concern aboutShow MoreRelatedCooked, By Michael Pollan1782 Words   |  8 PagesEarth while walking through the supermarket pushing a shopping cart filled with an assortment of western dietary staples? Probably not, right? If you ve recently watched the Netflix documentary Cooked, released in early February 2016, this self-analysis may be a part of your shopping trips for the foreseeable future. Cooked was produced by Alex Gibney, and narrated by the man whose book, by the same name, inspired the series itself, Michael Pollan. Michael Pollan is a professor of journalism atRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pages Marketing management – an introduction Unit structure: 1. Introduction 2. Learning Objectives 3. Marketing Management 3.1. Evolution of marketing management 3.2. The Role of Marketing 3.3. Marketing concepts 3.4. The Marketing Mix (The 4 P s Of Marketing) 3.5. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethics in Marketing 4. Have you understood type questions 5. Summary 6. Exercises 7. References 1. INTRODUCTION: The apex body in United States of America for the Marketing functions, American

Geography of the Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a large mountain range located in the western part of North America in the United States and Canada. The Rockies as they are also known, pass through northern New Mexico and into Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. In Canada, the range stretches along the border of Alberta and British Columbia. In total, the Rockies stretch for over 3,000 miles (4,830 km) and form the Continental Divide of North America. Additionally, because of their large presence in North America, water from the Rockies supplies about  ¼ of the United States. Most of the Rocky Mountains are undeveloped and is protected by national parks like the Rocky Mountain National Park in the U.S. and local parks like the Banff National Park in Alberta. Despite their rugged nature though, the Rockies are a popular tourist destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping skiing, fishing, ​and snowboarding. In addition, the high peaks of the range make it popular for mountain climbing. The highest peak in the Rocky Mountains is Mount Elbert at 14,400 feet (4,401 m) and is located in Colorado. Geology of the Rocky Mountains The geologic age of the Rocky Mountains varies based on location. For example, the youngest parts were uplifted 100 million to 65 million years ago, whereas the older parts rose 3,980 million to 600 million years ago. The rock structure of the Rockies consists of igneous rock as well as sedimentary rock along its margins and volcanic rock in localized areas. Like most mountain ranges, the Rocky Mountains have also been affected by severe erosion which has caused the development of deep river canyons as well as intermountain basins such as the Wyoming Basin. In addition, the last glaciation which occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch and lasted from about 110,000 years ago until 12,500 years ago also caused erosion and the formation of glacial U-shaped valleys and other features such as Moraine Lake in Alberta, throughout the range. Human History of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains have been home to various Paleo-Indian tribes and more modern Native American tribes for thousands of years. For example, there is evidence that Paleo-Indians may have hunted in the region as far back as 5,400 to 5,800 years ago based on rock walls they constructed to trap game like the now-extinct mammoth. European exploration of the Rockies did not begin until the 1500s when the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado entered the region and changed the Native American cultures there with the introduction of horses, tools, and diseases. In the 1700s and into the 1800s, exploration of the Rocky Mountains was mainly focused on fur trapping and trading. In 1739, a group of French fur traders encountered a Native American tribe that called the mountains the Rockies and after that, the area became known by that name. In 1793, Sir Alexander MacKenzie became the first European to cross the Rocky Mountains and from 1804 to 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first scientific exploration of the mountains. Settlement of the Rocky Mountain region then began in the mid-1800s when Mormons began to settle near the Great Salt Lake in 1847, and from 1859 to 1864, there were several gold rushes in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. Today, the Rockies are mostly undeveloped but tourism national parks and small mountain towns are popular, and agriculture and forestry are major industries. In addition, the Rockies are abundant in natural resources like copper, gold, natural gas, and coal. Geography and Climate of the Rocky Mountains Most accounts say that the Rocky Mountains stretch from the Laird River in British Columbia to the Rio Grande in New Mexico. In the U.S., the eastern edge of the Rockies forms a sharp divide as they rise abruptly out of the interior plains. The western edge is less abrupt as several sub-ranges like the Wasatch Range in Utah and the Bitterroots in Montana and Idaho lead up to the Rockies. The Rockies are significant to the North American continent as a whole because the Continental Divide (the line which determines whether water will flow to the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean) is in the range. The general climate for the Rocky Mountains is considered highland. Summers are usually warm and dry but mountain rain and thunderstorms can occur, while winters are wet and very cold. At high elevations, precipitation falls as heavy snow in the winter. Flora and Fauna of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains are very biodiverse and has various types of ecosystems. However, throughout the mountains, there are more than 1,000 types of flowering plants as well as trees like the Douglas Fir. The highest elevations, however, are above the tree line and thus have lower vegetation like shrubs. The animals of the Rockies the elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain lion, bobcat and black bears among many others. For example, in Rocky Mountain National Park alone is populated by about 1,000 head of elk. At the highest elevations, there are populations of ptarmigan, marmot, and pika. References National Park Service. (29 June 2010). Rocky Mountain National Park - Nature and Science (U.S. National Park Service). Retrieved from: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/index.htm Wikipedia. (4 July 2010). Rocky Mountains - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountains

Pennsylvania Adoption Law Free Essays

Adoption has been prevalent since time immemorial. In fact, history tells that the practice of adoption dates back as far as the 18th century BC. This was practiced by the ancient civilizations such Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Babylonians. We will write a custom essay sample on Pennsylvania Adoption Law or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is even referred to in the Bible and other religious texts (Meiser, 1997). Adoption is the process whereby a child is removed from his/her biological parents and placed with non-biological parent(s). This establishes a parent and child relationship, in contemplation of law, between persons not so related by nature (Adoption, 1994). Thus, adoption creates a legal parent-child relationship between individuals without the benefit of biological relation. Reasons for the Emergence of the adoption In the early decades of the twentieth century, adoption was rather unusual. In fact, adoption was not recognized by the common law, and exists later in the United States solely by virtue of the special statutes. Thus, adoption was not a common way to form a family. Due to humanitarianism, upward mobility, and infertility, however, adoption started to be institutionalized. These factors mirrored reality especially in 1920s and 1930s, when inquiries made by adults about children unattached to their families greatly increased in the United States. Through adoption, children are transferred from adults who do not want or is not capable of becoming parents to adults who want the offspring and is capable of giving love, time, and an acceptable standard of living. Hence, adoption is considered as a salvation to married couples deprived of bearing their own children because of infertility since this process allow them to form families of their own. Likewise, adoption allowed illegitimate children to be protected from social stigma as they are legitimized once adopted by their adopting parents. Thus, adoption gives a fresh start to everyone involved—the mother can erase her past by placing her baby for adoption, the child can join a normal family rather than being raised by a single parent, and the adoptive parents can experience the joy of having a child (Martin, 2006). Adoption Phenomenon: Some statistics In 1950s and 1960s, as measured both by number and by the enthusiastic support of a broad white middle class, adoption flourished. Ten years thereafter, or in the 1960s and 1970s, adoption brought a remarkable transformation to society as adoption posted a record high of almost ninety thousand adoptions made by non-relatives. In recent years, however, this number increased by almost forty (40) percent as survey reveals that Americans annually adopt approximately one hundred twenty-five thousand (125,000) children, strangers and relatives alike (Adoption statistics, 2006). This has affected 2.4% of the United States population or about five (5) million Americans (id). The Census also reveals that among those children adopted, sixty-four (64) percent are whites, sixteen (16) percent are African American seven (7) percent are Asians (2000). In Pennsylvania alone, 4,047 children were served by the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange (PAE) (PAE 2004). Forty-eight (48) percent of these children are African Americans, thirty six (36) percent are Caucasians and five (5) are Hispanics (id). Despite this wide acceptance of adoption in the American society or the inhabitants of Pennsylvania for that matter, a number of children are still â€Å"waiting† to be adopted. For instance, in Pennsylvania, out of the twenty two thousand six hundred ninety (22,690) children who were placed in foster care, twenty two (22) percent are still â€Å"waiting† to be adopted (Adoption institute, 1999). Considering this unprecedented increase in adoptions in the country, the United States senate is pushing for a bigger funding for the child support enforcement and family support programs to be paid to various states. Thus from a mere $2,121,643, 000 appropriated in 2006, the proposed budget for the administration of children and families is increased to $2,759,997,000 for this incoming year of 2007 (US Department f Health and Services, 2006). This is equal to a $7,300,00 increase of funding. Adoption Laws in the United States Before the first adoption statutes went into effect in 1850’s, children were removed from his/her biological parents and were transferred to non-biological parent(s) without the legal recognition of the adoption. As this informal type of adoption increased the State legislature devised a way to formalize the adoption process. Thus, in May 24, 1851 the first adoption statute in the United States went into effect – the Massachusetts Adoption of Children Act. Pursuant to the Massachusetts statute, adoption was required to be judicially approved, likewise the consent of the child’s parent or guardian were needed to be secured, and also a finding that the prospective adoptive family was of with sufficient ability to raise the child. History of Pennsylvania Adoption Law Following the example of Massachusetts, the Pennsylvania enacted its own adoption statutes – the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. In earlier times, Pennsylvania provided that adoption could be decreed by the common pleas of courts of the countries. An amendment to this adoption legislation was thereafter made in 1872 wherein the process of adoption referred to as the â€Å"common law form of adopting a child be deed† was legalized. Under this system, it is possible that an adoption refused by the judge will be consummated by a deed. (Deardorff, 1925). The State legislatures saw the defect in this kind of Pennsylvania system. For under this system, no social investigation of the child and his natural family or of the adopting family was provided. Further, a judge can consummate an adoption without seeing any of the parties and worse, even without sufficient information other than that contained in the petition for adoption. With this kind of system, cases of perjury as to the identity of the natural parents of a child and as to whether or not these natural parents are still alive were exposed. Due to the globalization of the adoption, legislatures have made vigorous reforms as regards adoption statutes. In 1917, for instance, Minnesota passed the first State law that required children and adults to be investigated and adoption records to be shielded from public view (Adoption history in brief, 2006). Decades later, more than twenty states had translated similar standards into law. By mid-century, policies of minimum standard such as certification of child-placers, investigation of the child and adult parties to adoption, and supervision of new families after placement and before finalization were incorporated in the revision of adoption statutes in all the states in the country. The policies of confidentiality and sealed records were likewise instituted by most states. Confidentially of records, however, at this time meant that the records of information are off limits to the inquisitive members of the public but kept it available to the children and adults directly involved in adoption, who were called the â€Å"parties in interest.† Similarly, in 1925, under the Pennsylvania adoption law, the adoption was accessible to anyone curious enough to search it out. Other court records were sealed only at the discretion of a judge, in which case they could then be inspected by court order. In 1947 however, Pennsylvania followed suit in sealing its records. Although the records were sealed, adoptees who would reach the age of twenty-one (21) could still obtain their original birth certificates from the Office of Vital Statistics. Then in 1953, court records including the adoption decree were sealed to all, with the exception of being able to be opened upon showing of an undefined â€Å"good cause.† (Holub, 2006) In 1984, after a six (6) year push by state Rep. Stephen Friend, R-Delaware Country â€Å"to close the loophole†, as it was termed, the state legislature passed a bill denominated as Act 185 finally closing the records of adoption. Act 185 amended Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and provides that all adoption records, and other papers shall be withheld from inspection except upon a court order. The Pennsylvania adoption law, thus prohibits adoptees from obtaining their original birth certificates or any other document that would identify birth parents. That includes baptism certificates and adoption records. After the grace period in February 1985, adoption records were finally closed. This law was pushed by Rep. Stephen Friend since he claimed that young, unmarried pregnant women would choose to have abortions rather than relinquish their children to adoption if it were possible for their adult children to discover their identity. He also asserted that the state should â€Å"keep its promise† of â€Å"privacy† to birthparents. (id) Cynthia Bertrand Holub, a member of the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee to the Joint State Government Commission on Adoption Law, says the desire to â€Å"preserve the middle-classness of these women, so they could relinquish their [illegitimate] child and go home as if nothing had happened,† was one of several forces that led states to seal adoptees’ birth records (2006). Thus, confidentiality now means that when courts issue adoption decrees, they shall produce new birth certificates, thus, listing adopters’ names in the new birth certificate, and sealing away the originals, which contained the names of birth parents, or at least birth mothers. Criticisms of the Pennsylvania Adoption Law.   The Pennsylvania Adoption law was criticized mainly with respect to the sealing of the adoption records. Critiques refutes Rep. Stephen Friend’s claim that â€Å"unmarried pregnant women would choose to have abortions rather than relinquish their children to adoption if it were possible for their adult children to discover their identity.† They assert that Pennsylvania’s abortion rate should have declined and the adoption rate should have risen accordingly. Between 1985 and 1990, however, the abortion rate in Pennsylvania is inconsequential, and Pennsylvania still has one of the lowest adoption rates in the country. They further assert that neither was there ever a single suit by a birthparent for invasion of privacy. Other critique says that the confidentiality made it possible for some of these parents to avoid telling their children that they were adopted at all. As far as a number of birthparents are concerned, they believe that they still have the right to copies of everything relating to the loss of their babies. Dorner, in her book Adoption Search citing the Catholic manual states that â€Å"[b]irth parents also seek information about their children and their adoptive families through the years. Being able to obtain file information pertaining to the time of the pregnancy, is reality basing and healing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Buterbaugh, 2001). On the other hand, supporters of the Pennsylvania Adoption Law, such as the relatives of many unmarried birth mothers also favored the confidentiality measure. After the World War II, when more out-of-wedlock births occurred in middle-class families, mortified parents contends that their daughters should have a second chance to lead normal, married lives. Conclusion Adoption statutes by different states primarily emerged as an answer to the growing unrecorded adoptions in the country. More so, these enactments are hoped to protect the interests of the parties involved — i.e. adopting parents, biological parents and the child himself. Adoption statutes, however, are of varying degrees in terms of privacy across states. Recently, Pennsylvania adopted a very strict standard on privacy matters. This means that nobody can actually view the original birth certificate of the adopted child as a new one was created. This new law, however, sowed criticism from different sectors as they believed that biological parents still have the right to information as to what has become of their child. Also, they argued that the child, himself, is entitled to information as to whether he is indeed of the same flesh and blood as that of his known parents. They also sans the statute for allowing adopting parents to forever conceal the truth regarding the child’s birth. How to cite Pennsylvania Adoption Law, Papers