Tourism in Antarctica Essay Example for Free

Tourism in Antarctica Essay Oil spills, although reasonably infrequent, are major threats to nearby wildlife. Increased tourism is also bringing about the invasion of alien species and spores into Antarctica, and although species such as the Mediterranean mussel will not be able to thrive on the ice shelf due to the temperatures, they can prove to be a threat to the marine wildlife when growing on ship hulls. Most tourists to Antarctica have flown to southern areas such as Punta Arenas in Chile or New Zealand. The pollution created by these long-distance flights is considerable and contributes to global warming. In addition to this, as global warming melts away floating ice sheets on the water, there will be space for larger ships to arrive, resulting in more tourists, and an increase in the issues aforementioned. Furthermore, there are the issues which are prevalent in all tourist destinations, such as litter, sewage, and overcrowding. What is being done to minimise the impact of tourism? All 100+ tour operators in Antarctica are members of IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators), which urges tour operators to be environmentally-friendly, and to urge their clients to also do so. Tourism is very much legal and acceptable in Antarctica, and it is only the scale of this which needs to be controlled. SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), such as Bird Island on South Georgia are laid out beforehand, and tourists are not allowed to visit these, in order to preserve wildlife and certain habitats. In order to partake in any activities on the island, a permit is required, so that this can be regulated. Ships landing in Antarctica cannot be carrying more than 500 people, with only 100 being allowed to disembark at once and ships carrying heavy fuel oil (normally large passenger ships) are not allowed to enter Antarctic waters. The number of cruise vessels at any one site in the Antarctic has been limited to 40, and only one ship is allowed to land at each site at once. In addition to this, no waste or litter is to be left at the tourist sites, tourists are not allowed to walk on the lichens or moss and no tourist is allowed to go within 5 metres of an animal. All tour guides are officially trained and are experienced scientific personnel who have been involved in research in Antarctica. Waste disposal is tightly regulated, with prohibitions of the dumping of waste anywhere in the Antarctic continent, with ships now having purpose-built waste containment facilities. This shows how sustainable tourism in Antarctica is a high priority, and how there are many measures taken to minimise the negative impacts of tourism. Although these measures are effective now, it is unknown whether they will stay in place in the future, and if Antarctica will retain its title as the ‘World’s last true wilderness’ for much longer.

Reincarnation Essay examples -- Law of Karma Papers

Reincarnation I suppose in the world, today, there are really three approaches to the idea of reincarnation. A two-fold one in the West, where the idea itself is almost non-existent, either a belief in the transmigration of souls - that you could be a human being in one life and an animal in the next, and therefore that there is great danger in swiping flies and treading on ants because it could be your grandmother -- or simply an interest in past lives. That is almost the sole interest in the concept of rebirth in the West. In the East, broadly speaking, people do believe in reincarnation and, correctly, in relation to the Law of Karma. Unfortunately, even in the East, the Law of Karma is seen from an erroneous point of view. Of course, here and there, both in East and West, there is a correct interpretation and approach to the idea of rebirth, and its close connection with the Law of Action and Reaction, Cause and Effect. In the Orient, most people believing in the Law of Karma accept that they are who and where they are because of their actions in a previous life, which is true; but, unfortunately, they think they can do nothing about changing their particular situation, which is not true. In the West, we tend to think that we are totally in control of our destiny, which we are to some extent, but that there is no greater law governing our destiny, which is not true. The Westerner tends to reject the idea of a future life. It is an idea which is only just beginning to engage people's minds. If he thinks about it at all, he really thinks about it in terms of: If I have a future life, I must have had a past life; and if I had a past life it is interesting to know w... ...ally artificial and man-made. The poverty, the squalor, the degradation and the misery of people in the Third World is not necessary, it is not a result of karma, but of our greed. And we have the major responsibility to help them change these conditions and enter true living. People think of karma as always from the past life, but what about yesterday's karma, or the day before, last week's, last month's karma? It is this succession of moments of action and reaction which today we are coping with, which tomorrow and in our next life we will cope with. Until we come into right relationship with each other and with the whole of which we are a part, we will go on making bad karma. It is more important, more useful, to realize the benefit of right relationship, thus handling the Laws of Karma and Rebirth correctly, than to know our past lives.

Early Childhood Education: Child Protection Essay

Every child has the right to a full and productive life. Under the national framework for Protecting Australia’s Children (2009), protecting children is everyone’s responsibility: Parents, communities, governments and businesses all have a role to play. Children’s services have an important part to play in protecting children who may be at risk of harm or illness. Educators have a duty of care to protect and preserve the safety, health and wellbeing of all children in their care and must always act in their best interests. Policies have been developed at a local, state and federal level to provide a foundation for improving and maintaining the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s young people. The purpose of this report is to analyse six of these policies effectively fostering children’s wellness at a physical and emotional level. The policies have been sourced from, and are underpinned by the following policies and legislation: ? A local early childhood kindergarten and long day care centre service policies ? The Children, Youth and Families Act (2005) ?National framework for Protecting Australia’s Children (2009) ? The Children’s Services Act (1996) ?Aboriginal Cultural Competence Framework (2008) Values that underpin these policies: Each of the six policies selected specifically addresses educator interest and is a key facet of the service, state and federal policy and legislation. Collectively the policies attend to and interpret issues of children’s safety, stability and development. In other words, when policy development was occurring due consideration and value was given to child safety, stability of relationships in a stable environment, child development, and child health and wellbeing. These dimensions of safety, stability, development and wellbeing are understood in the context of whom the child is; that is their age and stage, identity and their culture. These elements concerning the identity of the child are fundamental to two of the six policies. The Aboriginal Cultural Competence Framework and ‘Day and Nights childcare and Kindergarten (DNCK)’ service Diversity and Equity policy reflect a strong sense of social justice, fairness and equity, and furthermore are free from prejudice. They both value the child as a whole, advocating for all children’s rights. It is not a question of being ‘politically correct’ but rather respecting the unique identity of each and every child. Similarly part 1. 2- principles ‘The decision makers to have regard to principles’ of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, place significant value to protecting and promoting the cultural and spiritual identity of children, and whenever possible, maintaining and building children’s connections to their family and community. As advocated for in the ‘Early years Learning Framework’, knowing where and with whom you belong (identity, stability, and wellbeing) is integral to human existence (2009). Focusing more on children’s wellbeing, that is the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing, the DNCK ‘Child protection policy’ and the ‘Child protection policy’ sourced from Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, reinforce and emphasise that all children need stable, sensitive, simulating relationships and environments in order to reach their full potential. The nucleus of both policies is the child and in order to see to the needs of the child each policy has placed a well-founded and substantial value on the role of educators, stating â€Å"the role of staff member in children’s services is to protect, nurture, recognise and support the needs of children in their care† (Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, 2010, p19). Educators have an ethical responsibility and a duty of care to see that this is done. Furthermore qualified teachers (Degree qualified or higher) are mandated, therefore are legally responsible for the care and protection of children within their care. In addition to this, Part 4- Operation of children’s services of the Children’s Services Act 1996, places an emphasis on the protection of children from hazards within the service. Legislators again place value on the role of the educator, stating, quite strongly that â€Å"Staff members of a children’s service must ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect a child†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Children’s Services Act, 1996, p27) Though the previous two policies had provisions for the emotional wellbeing of the child, this policy places equal value to the physical wellbeing of the child. What precipitated the development of the policy? Australia began to acknowledge the existence of child protection issues during the 1960’s, which led to legislative reform and Australia signing the ‘United Nations Declaration of the rights of the child’ in 1981 (McCallum, 2002). In recent years there has been an increased awareness of child protection emerging from increased incidents of child harm and abuse and intensified research. During this time, policy makers and service providers have developed a greater understanding of children’s needs and have come together to bring us our current policies. Further investigation into the development of each of the six child safety/protection policies; found that they are manifestations of each other. For instance without the Children’s Services Act 1996 and the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, the DNCK child protection policy would not have been developed as now services have a legal responsibility to have current and relevant policies within their service. Moreover without the Aboriginal Cultural Competence Framework the DNCK diversity and Equity policy would as not have been developed to such a high standard. Who benefits/ who is disadvantaged? It is quite evident who is benefited from these policies. These mainstream children’s services approaches and policies emphasise children within a holistic and ecological framework. The holistic approach means looking at the whole child, that is, their identity, culture, community, age, development; all areas within the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. The holistic approach also implies that educators will have a community-focused and strength-based understanding of children’s welfare that necessitates previous attempts at early childhood education. In addition to this with a greater understanding to the importance of culture to a child’s identity, the Aboriginal Cultural Competence Framework has provided a source where the dynamics of cultural connection can be explored. This benefits all children, including Aboriginal children and the broader community, as it represents children’s cultural needs in the following way. Children’s cultural needs are: Cultural Expression and Events Language, cultural values, lore, beliefs and practices Country Extended family, clan and community History. Symbolic (Aboriginal Cultural Framework, 2008, p19) It is important to note that because of these six policies an increase of awareness of the needs of the child has been developed, and as such children have: ? Freedom from hunger and have protection from diseases ?The rights to an identity and to preserve such an identity ? The right to equal treatment regardless of gender, race or cultural background ? The right to safe exposure to leisure, play, culture and art ? Freedom from violence, abuse and neglect ?The rights to culturally competent practice When asked if anyone would be disadvantaged by the implementation of these policies, the immediate response would have been no. Upon critical investigation, it was found that the educators themselves may feel disadvantaged. Though there is no provision for this within the policies, it is strongly implied that the implementation of each policy at a service level would need to be done by the children’s carers and educators. This may expand workloads, increase the need for professional development and training, and compel educators into uncomfortable situations (e.g. , having to call protective services on a family they like). The applicability for rural setting Due to the nature of the six policies, regardless of where the service is, each would be applicable for a rural setting. All children’s services must comply with the Children’s Services Act 1996, and the Children’s Services Regulations. The primary objective of this legislation is that children are safe and that their developmental needs are met when being cared for and educated in a licensed children’s service. The Act provides for the monitoring, licensing and regulation of children’s services in Victoria, where a licensee fails to meet their legislative obligations there a range of statutory actions that may be taken by the Department (DEECD, 2010). Encouragingly the Department has a number of initiatives to support children’s services meet the requirements of the Act and the Regulations. Small capital grants and resource kits are available to assist services. Furthermore professional development will soon be delivered across Victoria on the Early Years Framework. Until the transition into the framework all children’s services will continue to be regulated by the Children’s Services Act and the Children’s Services Regulations (DEECD, 2010). Conclusion: Every child has the right to a full and productive life. The Aboriginal Cultural Framework, The service Diversity and Equity policy, The Children, Youth and Families Act, the service Child Protection Policy, the child protection policy sourced from Protecting the safety and Wellbeing of Children and Young People, and the Children’s Services Act, ensures that this will happen. It has been identified that children’s services have an important part to play in protecting children who may be at risk of harm or illness. Under these frameworks, protection for children’s safety and wellbeing will one day become a natural procedure for educators. Key policy makers have attempted to make certain that educator’s roles and responsibilities are well defined ensuring that this may happen. Overall each of the six policies makes provisions for children’s welfare, children’s identity, children’s wellbeing, children’s safety, children’s culture and stability. These are central concepts to Belonging, Being and Becoming, which will soon become the regulatory body for children’s services across Australia. References: †¢Murphy, M. (2011). Bacchus Marsh Childcare and Kindergarten service policies. Bacchus Marsh: Victoria. †¢Department of Education and Early Childhood Development & Department of human Services. (2010). Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Melbourne. †¢Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2010). Publication of information. Fact sheet. Sourced 10/4/2011 www. education. vic. gov. au/escmanagement/licensedchildservices †¢Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2010). Regulations update. Children’s Services. Issue 2. Sourced 10/4/2011 http://www/eduweb. vic. gov. au/edulibrary/public/earlychildhoodregulations/regupdateapril10. pdf †¢McCallum, F. (2002). Law, Policy, Practice: Is it working for teachers in child protection. University of South Australia †¢Victorian Government Department of Human Services. (2008). Aboriginal Cultural Competence Framework. Melbourne: Vic †¢Victorian Government. (2005). Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.

How to Start an Academic Club in School

For students planning to apply to a selective college, membership in an academic club is a must. College officials will be looking for activities that make you stand out, and club membership is an important addition to your record. This doesnt mean you will have to feign interest in an organization that already exists. If you share a strong interest in a hobby or subject with several friends or fellow students, you may want to consider forming a new club. By forming an official organization that really interests you, you are demonstrating true leadership qualities. Wanting to take on the role of a leader is only the first step. You need to find a purpose or theme that will engage you and others. If you have a hobby or interest that you know enough other students share, go for it! Or maybe there is a cause you want to help. You could start a club that helps keep the natural spaces (like parks, rivers, woods, etc.) clean and safe. And once you establish a club around a topic or activity you love, you are sure to stay more engaged. You might receive the added honor of recognition from the public and/or school officials who appreciate your initiative. So how should you go about this? If you are starting a club at school, you may want a teacher to serve as advisor as a first step. You may need a teacher or coach just to gain permission for using school facilities.The teacher or advisor may be temporary. Sometimes, a teacher will start the first meeting and encourage students to follow through with organization.The most important requirements for starting a successful club are interest and commitment.Once you know you have a team willing to commit to a regular meeting time and a cause, you can manage the rest with ease.Next you will need clear organization. Structure will keep the club together in slow times (like during a few heavy months of heavy homework and testing) or in the event of a disagreement. Steps to Forming a Club Appointment of a temporary chairman or president. At first you will need to assign a temporary leader who will preside over the drive to form the club. This may or may not be the person who serves as permanent chairman or president.Election of temporary officers. The members should discuss which office appointments are necessary for your club. Decide whether you want a president or chairman; whether you want a vice president; whether you need a treasurer; and whether you need someone to keep the minutes of each meeting.Preparation of constitution, mission statement, or rules. Decide upon a committee to write a constitution or rule booklet.Register club. You may need to register with your school if you plan to hold meetings there.Adoption of constitution or rules. Once a constitution is written to everyones satisfaction, you will vote to adopt the constitution.Election of permanent officers. At this time you can decide if your club has enough officer positions, or if you need to add s ome positions. Club Positions Some of the positions you should considered are: President: Leads meetingsVice president: Plans eventsSecretary: Records and reads minutesTreasurer: Handles fundsHistorian: Keeps a picture book and notesPublicity Officer: Makes and distributes flyers, postersWeb master: Maintains web site General Order of a Meeting You can use these steps as a guideline for your meetings. Your specific style can be less formal, or even more formal, according to your goals and tastes. Call to order by the president or chairmanReading and approval of the minutes from the previous meetingDiscussion of old businessDiscussion of new businessProgramAdjournment Things to consider When to meet and how oftenHow many members you can handleHow much funding you will needWays to raise moneyWhether or not to have club duesActivities for everyone to participate in Finally, you will want to make sure that the club you choose to create involves an activity or a cause that you really feel comfortable with. You will be spending a lot of time on this venture in the first year.