Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater Poses A Serious Health Threat Nit

Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serious Health Threat Nitrates contamination of the world's underground water supply poses as a potentially serious health hazard to the human inhabitants on earth. High nitrate levels found in well water has been proven to be the cause for numerous health conditions across the globe. If we intend to provide for the future survival of man, and life on planet earth, we must take action now to assure the quality of one of our most precious resources, our underground water supply. Ground water can be defined as the water stored in the open spaces within underground rocks and unconsolidated material (Monroe and Wicander 420). Ground water is one of the numerous parts that make up the hydrologic cycle. The primary source of water in underground aquifers is precipitation that infiltrates the ground and moves through the soil and pore spaces of rocks (Monroe and Wicander 420). There are also other sources that add water to the underground aqu ifer that include: water infiltrating from lakes and streams, recharge ponds, and wastewater treatment systems. As groundwater moves through the soil, sediment, and rocks, many of its impurities are filtered out. Take note, however, that some, not all, soils and rocks are good filters. Some are better than others and in some cases, serious pollutants are not removed from the water before it reaches the underground supply. Now that we have a good working definition of what groundwater is, and where it comes from, just how important is it? Groundwater makes up about 22% of the worlds supply of fresh water. Right now, groundwater accounts for 20% of all the water used annually in the United States. On a national average, a little more than 65% of the groundwater in the United States each year goes to irrigation, with industrial use second, and third is domestic use (Monroe and Wicander 420). Some states are more dependent on groundwater for drinking than others. Nebraska and the corn belt states rely on underground water for 85% of their drinking needs, and in Florida 90% of all drinking water comes from underground aquifers (Funk and Wagnall 2). People on the average in the United States require more than 50 gallons of water each day for personal and household uses. These include drinking, washing, preparing meals and removing waste. A bath in a bathtub uses approximately 25 gallons of water and a shower uses about l5 gallons per minute of water flow while the shower runs. Just to sustain human tissue requires about 2.5 quarts of water per day. Most people drink about a quart of water per day, getting the rest of the water they need from food content. Most of the foods we eat are comprised mostly of water: for example, eggs, are about 74% water, watermelon 92%, and a piece of lean meat about 70%. Most of the beverages we drink are also mostly comprised of water, like milk, coffee, tea and soft drinks. And the single largest consumer of water in the United Stat es, is agriculture. In dry areas, farmers must irrigate their lands to grow crops. It is estimated that in the United States, more than 100 billion gallons of fresh water are used each day for the irrigation of croplands (Funk and Wagnall 2). Since agriculture is the leading user of our groundwater, perhaps it is fitting, that it is also the biggest contributor of contaminating nitrates that work into our water supply each year. Agriculture and livestock production account for 80% of all nitrogen added to the environment ( Terry, et al. 1996). Industrial fertilizers make up 53%, animal manure 27%, atmosphere 14%, and point source 6% (Puckett, 1994). Just how do these nitrates get from the field into our water supply? There are two primary reasons that nitrate contaminates reach our underground water supply and make it unsafe. Number one reason is farmer's bad habits of consistently over- fertilizing and applying too much nitrogen to the soil. In 1995 America's agricultural produ cers added 36 billion pounds of nitrogen into the environment, 23 billion pounds of supplemental industrial nitrogen, and 13 billion pounds of extra nitrogen in the form of animal manure. Twenty percent of Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater Poses A Serious Health Threat Nit Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serious Health Threat Nitrates contamination of the world's underground water supply poses as a potentially serious health hazard to the human inhabitants on earth. High nitrate levels found in well water has been proven to be the cause for numerous health conditions across the globe. If we intend to provide for the future survival of man, and life on planet earth, we must take action now to assure the quality of one of our most precious resources, our underground water supply. Ground water can be defined as the water stored in the open spaces within underground rocks and unconsolidated material (Monroe and Wicander 420). Ground water is one of the numerous parts that make up the hydrologic cycle. The primary source of water in underground aquifers is precipitation that infiltrates the ground and moves through the soil and pore spaces of rocks (Monroe and Wicander 420). There are also other sources that add water to the underground aqu ifer that include: water infiltrating from lakes and streams, recharge ponds, and wastewater treatment systems. As groundwater moves through the soil, sediment, and rocks, many of its impurities are filtered out. Take note, however, that some, not all, soils and rocks are good filters. Some are better than others and in some cases, serious pollutants are not removed from the water before it reaches the underground supply. Now that we have a good working definition of what groundwater is, and where it comes from, just how important is it? Groundwater makes up about 22% of the worlds supply of fresh water. Right now, groundwater accounts for 20% of all the water used annually in the United States. On a national average, a little more than 65% of the groundwater in the United States each year goes to irrigation, with industrial use second, and third is domestic use (Monroe and Wicander 420). Some states are more dependent on groundwater for drinking than others. Nebraska and the corn belt states rely on underground water for 85% of their drinking needs, and in Florida 90% of all drinking water comes from underground aquifers (Funk and Wagnall 2). People on the average in the United States require more than 50 gallons of water each day for personal and household uses. These include drinking, washing, preparing meals and removing waste. A bath in a bathtub uses approximately 25 gallons of water and a shower uses about l5 gallons per minute of water flow while the shower runs. Just to sustain human tissue requires about 2.5 quarts of water per day. Most people drink about a quart of water per day, getting the rest of the water they need from food content. Most of the foods we eat are comprised mostly of water: for example, eggs, are about 74% water, watermelon 92%, and a piece of lean meat about 70%. Most of the beverages we drink are also mostly comprised of water, like milk, coffee, tea and soft drinks. And the single largest consumer of water in the United Stat es, is agriculture. In dry areas, farmers must irrigate their lands to grow crops. It is estimated that in the United States, more than 100 billion gallons of fresh water are used each day for the irrigation of croplands (Funk and Wagnall 2). Since agriculture is the leading user of our groundwater, perhaps it is fitting, that it is also the biggest contributor of contaminating nitrates that work into our water supply each year. Agriculture and livestock production account for 80% of all nitrogen added to the environment ( Terry, et al. 1996). Industrial fertilizers make up 53%, animal manure 27%, atmosphere 14%, and point source 6% (Puckett, 1994). Just how do these nitrates get from the field into our water supply? There are two primary reasons that nitrate contaminates reach our underground water supply and make it unsafe. Number one reason is farmer's bad habits of consistently over- fertilizing and applying too much nitrogen to the soil. In 1995 America's agricultural produ cers added 36 billion pounds of nitrogen into the environment, 23 billion pounds of supplemental industrial nitrogen, and 13 billion pounds of extra nitrogen in the form of animal manure. Twenty percent of

Outline the Main Principles of Utilitarianism Essay Example

Outline the Main Principles of Utilitarianism Essay Example Outline the Main Principles of Utilitarianism Essay Outline the Main Principles of Utilitarianism Essay Essay Topic: Utilitarianism Outline the main principles of utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a teleological theory. Three main philosophers have come up with different types of utilitarianism these being: Bentham, Mill and Singer. Bentham introducing the idea of Act Utilitarianism, Mill adapting the ideas of Bentham and trying improve the flaws he saw with his Rule utilitarianism and Singer with his preference utilitarianism theory. Bentham was hedonist, meaning he was a pleasure seeker. Bentham portrayed two main features of utilitarianism, one being the consequentialist principle. The consequentialist principle states that the rightness or wrongness of an act is determined by the goodness or badness of the results that flow from it this shows the teleological side of the theory. The second feature portrayed is the Utility principle this is â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number. † But Bentham being a hedonist devised his own twist on this and stated that his principle would be â€Å"the greatest pleasure for the greatest number. † As he believed â€Å"nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters’ pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as what we shall do. † Bentham said if an event brought more pleasure and avoided pain then it was seen as good. Bentham devised a way of measuring pleasure and this was known as the hedonic calculus it was based on a quantitative scale and the seven aspects to help you calculate whether something was painful or pleasurable were: Duration, Remoteness, Purity, Richness, Intensity, Certainty and Extent. These factors all made up the Hedonic calculus. Bentham’s utilitarian theories and ideas are usually linked with the idea of Act utilitarianism. Act Utilitarianism says that the principle of utility should be applied to every individual situation. It states that a person should act when the anticipated result brings the most pleasure. One of the main principles of Utilitarianism is Act utilitarianism and Bentham idealism of this. Mill was Bentham’s godson, Mill adopted he godfathers ideas of utilitarianism but he saw flaws in his definition of the utility principle as Bentham viewed pleasure as being the main point of utility instead of good. Mill challenged his theory by trying to distinguish happiness from mere pleasure. Mill’s version of the theory is often referred to as â€Å"Eudaimonistic utilitarianism†. He defines happiness with his idea of higher and lower pleasures; higher pleasures usually linked with expanded your capacity for knowledge for example a higher pleasure would be reading Shakespeare as it’s increasing your knowledge. A lower pleasure would be seen as eating a McDonalds as it’s not seen to benefit your knowledge in any way. Mill’s utilitarian theory is linked with Rule-utilitarianism. Rule utilitarianism being one of the two classical types of utilitarianism, the other being act seen in Bentham’s theory. Act utilitarianism is the idea that an act is only right if it follows set rules to bring out the greater good for society. Act Utilitarianism is then broke down into â€Å"Weak rule† and â€Å"Strong rule†. Weak rule is the idea that you can actually break that rule if you believe it is going to bring the greater good. Strong Rule is the idea that once the rule has been agreed upon as being the best for society. You cannot break it, no matter what. It is believed that Mill is more a â€Å"Weak rule† utilitarian as the â€Å"strong rule† is moving towards a more absolutist approach. The last well known theory of utilitarianism is the most recent which was devised by a man named Peter Singer. Singer came up with a type of utilitarianism known as â€Å"preference utilitarianism†. Preference utilitarianism promotes actions that fulfil the interests of those beings involved. Singer believes you should have your best interest at heart to minimise any sort of pain. An interesting point to Singer’s theory is that he believed everyone was equal. He believed in animal rights that every conscious creature should have equal rights and be taken into consideration.

REFELCTIVE ANALYSIS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Essay

REFELCTIVE ANALYSIS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example Following Gibbs’ (1988) model of reflection, I shall establish the integration between theory and practice. This model identified six stages involved in reflective practice where at each stage the I would ask myself a number of questions leading to the final stage of an action plan. It begins with selecting a critical incident to reflect upon followed by keen observing and describing of the incident, then analyzing my experience. This is followed by interpreting the experience and exploring alternatives leading up to an action plan. This is is a cyclical process which enables continual retrospective reflection. II. Reflective Practice Reflective practice has been a key underpinning of qualified nurses since the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) (1992) required them to keep a professional portfolio. As professionals, we are accountable for our ongoing learning and self development, providing the best care to our patients. To ensure this, we need to focus on our actions and skills to be able to meet the demands of patients, colleagues and professional bodies. In order to be reflective practitioners, we need to be reflective thinkers. â€Å"Reflective thinking is thinking that is aware of its own assumptions and implications as well as being conscious of the reasons and evidence that support the conclusion† (Lipman, 2003, p.26). John Dewey defined reflective thinking as â€Å"an active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends† (cited in Martin, 1995, p.167). Reflective thinking leads one to be more self-aware so he can develop new knowledge about professional practice. Reflective practice has been recognised to be an important tool for professional development. Rowls and Swick (2000) agree and observed that practitioners who regularly reflected enabled them to develop t heir skills and the way they deal with patients. Schunk and Zimmerman (1998) describe how a self- reflective practice allows us to monitor, evaluate and adjust our performance during learning. Adjusting strategies based on assessment on our learning helps to achieve the goal of learning and identifying the activities well suited to our situations (Schunk & Zimmerman, 1998). However, practitioners often found the process quite time consuming and there was a greater fear of becoming introspective or being critical of oneself too much in practice. It is likely that one can be too engrossed in his reflection that he gets to neglect the delivery of a great work performance. Schon’s theory outlines two different types of reflection that occur at different time phases: reflection on action (Schon 1983) and reflection in action (Schon 1983). ‘Reflection in action’ is often referred to the colloquial phrase as ‘thinking on your feet’ a term used to being able to assess ourselves within a situation, making appropriate changes and still keeping a steady flow in the process. Reflection on action is when reflection occurs after the event. This is where the practitioner makes a deliberate and conscious attempt to act and reflect upon a situation and how it should be handled in the future (Loughran 1996). This means while performing a professional