tragoed Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) - The Archetypal Tragic Man Ess

Free Oedipus the King Essays: The Archetypal Tragic Man According to Greek mythology, the Sphinx, a creature that is part woman, part bird, and part lion, caused famine and disease in Thebes that could be ended only when someone solved her riddle.   Oedipus traveled to Thebes and answered the riddle correctly.   The citizens of Thebes consider him a hero because he restored harmony to their kingdom.   Sophocles alludes to the riddle of the Sphinx several times in his play, Oedipus Rex.   Since the riddle is a metaphor for Oedipus' life, it is ironic that he was able to answer the question.   His revelation of the riddle of the Sphinx further supports the perspective of Oedipus as the archetypal tragic man. The sphinx asks, "What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?"   Oedipus correctly answers "man", saving Thebes from the terrible drought and disease brought about by the horrible creature.   The different times of day mentioned in the question actually represent different stages in life.   In the morning, or childhood, humans crawl on ...

Environmental Control and Pollution in Nigeria Essay

Civilization has been overwhelmed with fearful reports that mankind is steadily working towards self – destruction through the process of uncontrolled pollution of the environment. A casual look at our surroundings shows reckless attitude of people towards environmental preservation. Due to this development, regulations and standards have been set to ensure cleaner and safer environment. These regulations are enforced by agencies like National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and State Environmental Protection Agencies (SEPAs). There are environment regulations currently in place which include regulation on noise, erosion, flood, for manufacturers of beverages and tobacco, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electrical, electronics, sanitation, emissions that that have to do with air pollution. There are also regulations on pollution, hazards, waste, air, soil, surface and subsurface water that constitute contamination of the environment. We have major forms of pollution such as water, noise, air, land/soil and thermal pollutions which sources include natural disaster, industries, motor vehicles, generation sets amongst others. Without pollution control, the waste products from extraction, production, distribution, heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human activities, whether they accumulate or disperse, will degrade the environment. In the hierarchy of environmental control, pollution prevention and minimization of wastes are more desirable to pollution control. Most industries and individuals in this country have erroneously claimed that why they are not able to treat or control their wastes or reduce pollution is that government has not provided the necessary facilities for the management of such wastes. Apart from the basic facilities the government has to provide, each waste generator is responsible for the safe disposal of his or her waste, except when government insists on a particular system. No government builds toxic waste incinerators or chemical treatment plants but all the government can do is to encourage entrepreneurs interested in such ventures by granting special concession, tax relief, removal of duty on imported pollution control equipment. The purpose of setting environmental regulations is to reduce or eliminate health and environmental hazards that induce harm. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION What is an Environment? The African Centre for Environmental Protection (ACEP) defines environment as the totality of surrounding condition and its features. Scientifically, it is described as the combination of physical, chemical, biological and social factors in which a living organism exists that affect the organism, community and influences its development or existence. Environment can simply be considered as the surrounding in which we live, work and enjoy leisure, which consists of air, soil, surface and surface water, providing habitat for mankind and other animals, plant species and serving as a source for food, water, fuel, raw materials and breathing air. Environmental Problems Environmental imbalance gives rise to various environmental problems. Some of the environmental problems are pollution, soil erosion leading to floods, salt deserts and sea recedes, desertification, landslides, change of river directions, extinction of species, and vulnerable ecosystem in place of more complex and stable ecosystems, depletion of natural resources, waste accumulation, deforestation, thinning of ozone layer and global warming. Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution is defined as the undesirable change in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of our air, land and water. It can also be described as ‘the deliberate or accidental contamination of the environment with waste that is created by human action’. As a result of over – population, rapid industrializations, and other human activities like agriculture and deforestation etc., earth became loaded with diverse pollutants that are released as by-products. A pollutant is a substance or effect which adversely alters the environment by changing the growth rate of species, interferes with the food chains, is toxic or interferes with health, comfort, amenities or property values of people. Pollutants are introduced into the environment in significant amounts in the form of sewage, waste, accidental discharge, or as a by-product of a manufacturing process or other human activity. The damage caused to the biosphere may be briefly summarized as follows: 1. Damage to human health caused by specific chemical substances present in the air, food, water and radioactivity materials 2. Damage to the natural environment which affects vegetation, animals, crops, soil and water 3. Damage to the aesthetic quality of the environment caused by smoke, chemical fumes, dust, and noise, the dumping of solid waste and waste water 4. Damage caused by long term pollution effects which are not immediately apparent. The dangerous effects are caused by low level pollution absorbed into the body over long periods of time, for example carcinogenic substances, radioactivity and excessive noise Types of Pollution (a) Water Pollution Water pollution occurs due to the presence of dissolved inorganic materials, organic materials such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other substances found in domestic and industrial waste waters. It also gets polluted due to physical factors such as turbidity, colour, temperature of effluent, associated radioactivity etc. Organic pollutants Organic pollution is due to the presence of high molecular weight compounds such as sugars, oils and fats, and proteins obtained from distillery, canning, sugar and other food processing industries. They impart a high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) load to the liquid waste. These organic compounds are readily degraded in aqueous medium by soil and microorganisms present in the sewage. During this process, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in the stream is used up. When the DO is reduced below a certain limit, aquatic life is affected adversely. Oil spillage from tankers and ships leads to the pollution of beaches. Some wastes from pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries and coke-ovens contain phenols which are toxic to fish, microorganisms and other aquatic life. Liquid effluents from industries manufacturing drugs, dyestuffs, pesticides and detergents can also be toxic. Usage of anionic detergents which are not biodegradable leads to a lot of foaming and frothing. Inorganic pollutants and heavy metal pollution Alkalis, acids, inorganic salts and other chemicals formed during processing lead to inorganic pollution. Besides being the cause of corrosion of metals, these chemicals are toxic to aquatic life. Industries like paper and pulp, tanneries, textiles and coke-ovens among many others, discharge these chemicals. Inorganic chemicals such as free chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other sulfides, salts of metals like Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ag etc. are usually found in metal plating liquid wastes, alkali producing units, polyvinyl chloride, coke-oven and fertilizer industries. Pharmaceutical industries also produce large quantities of free acids and neutralized chemicals during different unit processes. Chromates, phosphates, ammonia and urea are typical chemicals found in effluents from fertilizer industries. Pollution due to mercury in chloro-alkali industries has forced to switch from mercury to diaphragm cells although there are many operating difficulties in the latter. Eutrophication is a phenomenon that occurs due to the presence of inorganic matter in the water. Though it is a natural process in lakes and rivers, human activities can accelerate the rate at which nutrients enter these water bodies. Inorganic pollutants containing nitrates and phosphates are essential for plants. When these compounds are present in excess in water body there is an over growth of plant matter creating an imbalance in the aquatic environment. Apart from these factors, effluent waters can have pathogenic micro organisms and harmful substances like organochlorides, phenolic and benzenic compounds that cause various types of acute and chronic diseases among living beings. Therefore, it is most desirable that industrial liquid effluents are pretreated or reduced with undesirable chemicals before being thrown on the land and in rivers, seas or public sewers. If discharged into public sewers they can corrode the pipe lines and treatment equipment as well as reduce biological activity due to the presence of toxic materials. (b) Air Pollution Apart from natural causes, pollution of air occurs due to increased industrialization and urbanization. In nature, thousands of tonnes of dust, sand and obnoxious gases are carried from one place to another by wind, cyclones, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. A healthy man inhales about 16.5 kg air/day. If this air is polluted, intake of oxygen is reduced. Corrosion of materials by acid mist and acid gases like SO2, CO2 and oxides of nitrogen can be very significant. Pollution of air occurs from process industries such as sulfuric acid plants, power station boilers, nitric acid plants, cement plants, foundries, chloro-alkali industries and plastics industries among many others. It is broadly due to particulate matter dispersed in it or gaseous pollutants completely miscible with it in all proportions. Dusts refer to coarser sizes of solids (1-100 microns) that are carried away due to the turbulent forces of flow. Aerosols refer to particles smaller than 1 micron. Smoke is obtained during incomplete combustion of organic matter. The sizes of particles vary between 0.01-1 microns. Fumes, mists and fog are other forms of pollution which could occur due to various operations in chemical industry. Gaseous pollutants are gaseous solutes such as SO2, Cl2, NOx, CO2, CO, mercury or organic vapour dispersed in air. Another source of ambient air pollution is the emission from automobiles. The pollutants in this case are CO, NOx, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and trace quantities of SO2, formaldehyde and lead. Effects of air pollution Global warming (Green house effect) – This is the observed increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans in recent decades. The increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (CH4, O3) are the primary causes. They are released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing and agriculture, etc. and lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Acid rain (SOx, NOx) – Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere. These substances undergo chemical transformations and are absorbed by water droplets in clouds. The droplets then fall to earth as rain or snow. This can increase the acidity of the soil, and affect the chemical balance of lakes and streams. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Depletion of the ozone layer (CFCs, HCFCs etc.) – Ozone layer prevents most harmful UV wavelengths (270- 315 nm) of ultraviolet light from passing through the earth’s atmosphere. The decrease in ozone is due to the production of CFCs and ozone depleting chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethane. It is suspected that a variety of biological consequences, including, for example, increases in skin cancer, damage to plants, and reduction of plankton in the ocean result from the increased UV exposure due to ozone depletion. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  Photochemical smog & air borne toxic substances – Photochemical smog is due to the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) in the atmosphere, which leaves a yellow brown haze that reduces visibility. Nitrogen oxides are released in the exhaust of fossil fuel-burning engines in cars, trucks, coal power plants, and industrial manufacturing factories. VOC’s are vapors released from gasoline, paints, solvents, pesticides, and other chemicals. (c) Land Pollution The greatest land pollution by far occurs due to urbanization and concentration of population, garbage, waste paper, packing materials and rejects from households and industries form solid wastes. Land pollution also occurs when deforestation is carried out on a large scale; agricultural operations are extended to forest and mountainous areas, large areas covered with green vegetation are submerged in water by the construction of dams. It can also get polluted when coal, oil, ores, stones, sand and other construction materials are mined and transported. All these operations adversely affect ecological aspects of the environment. Ever increasing demands for paper, fuel, furniture and packing materials due to exploding populations combined with increasing urbanization have aggravate the unhappy situation. The result is that we now live in a rapidly changing environment, the effects of which are not easily predictable. (d) Noise Pollution Of all the pollutions, it is the most insidious and a menace in thickly populated areas. There is ample medical evidence that it affects speech, hearing and the general health and behavior of people exposed to it over extended periods of time. The measurements designed to determine noise levels include the intensity and frequency of noise periods of exposure and duration of noise. The community noise levels are expressed as a weighted sound-pressure level in decibels dB. The sources of noise in environs of industries include metal fabrication processes, high pressure burners in furnaces, rotary equipment like turbines, compressors, pumps etc. pipelines carrying high velocity fluids and solids and vibrating and grinding equipment among many others.

What Causes Juvenile Delinquency - 758 Words

Causes and Solutions of Juvenile Delinquency Posted by: ReadingCraze.com March 15, 2013 in Adolescence, Family and Parenting Leave a comment Juvenile delinquency is also known as teenage crime. It is like any crime that human beings commit but these crime differ becasue they are committed by young people. Before coming of age girls and boys have less understanding of the world. Parents, friends and teachers are all responsible along with the juvenile who commit a crime. This is why courts do not punish the teenagers like they punish the adults when they commit a crime. There are separate juvenile courts and the purpose of juvenile punishment is to help the teenager understand the importance of staying away from crimes. There are†¦show more content†¦Youth belonging from poor economical status easily get involved in criminal activities. They want to improve their status and for this purpose they use negative path, in this regard often people do not support teenagers who belong from poor status and they go for criminal activities. Psychological problems in family Psychological problems in parents or siblings can also be a risk factor of juvenile delinquency. Mental illnesses or other psychological problems like depression, frustration, aggression or hyper behavior showed by the parents can make the child feel deprived and inferior among friends. Sometimes children adopt depression and anger from parents or elder siblings. Social problems in family In many families parents or elder siblings are involved in various social problems. There can be various problems like gender discrimination, age discrimination, racial discrimination, child labor or voilation of animal rights. Children and youth learn what they see in their family, in many rich families parents do not feel shame in child labor and children could not understand that child labor is against society and against morality. Social problems cause stress and due to stress teens get involved in voilence. Moral problems in family Morality is the most important concen among teens today. Teens should know how to respect family and other people. They should give the due respect to everyone theyShow MoreRelatedEnvironmental Factors Of Juvenile Delinquency988 Words   |  4 Pagesbehavioral outcome. Knowing this, what environmental factors cause juvenile delinquency? â€Å"Each year, approximately 1.5 million adolescents are arrested in the United States, most are repeat offenders, and, in 2008 one in eight violent crimes was attributed to juveniles† (Leverso, Bielby, Hoelter, 2015, p 1). 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This particular discussion however, is going toRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency And The Social Control Theory940 Words   |  4 PagesJuvenile delinquency is very prevalent especially among adolescents because studies have shown that during the time of adolescence that is when delinquency tends to increase and once adolescence has passed at about 17 years of age then it tends to decrease (Adolescent Delinquency, 2002). There are many factors that can contribute to the increase of delinquency during adolescence, some of the factors can be personality, mental disorders, genetics, economic status, environment, family, and cultureRead MoreThe Lack of Strong Parental Figures Causes Juv enile Delinquency954 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lack of Strong Parental Figures Causes Juvenile Delinquency Imagine a thirteen-year-old boy living with his mother. His parents have been divorced since he was four-years-old. He has never really known his father and therefore uses his friends for his male role models. 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Juvenile delinquency, as a legal concept is of recent origin. Juvenile delinquency is an integral part of criminology. The two cannot be separated since one of the reasons for crime and its continuance into adult life is the inef fective control and treatment of juveniles. Juvenile delinquency is aRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Is A Crime967 Words   |  4 PagesJuvenile Delinquency is a crime categorize mainly based on age. Juvenile delinquency the definition under the criminal law it generally refers to behavior which shall be subject to criminal penalties for people age under 18 being implemented. Juvenile delinquency is an increasingly common social problem facing the U.S currently. The problem of juvenile delinquency is also very prominent, and the severity of their crimes have been gaining awareness of the whole society. Poor social environment isRead More Preventing Juvenile Delinquency Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesPreventing Juvenile Delinquency The saying is that history often repeats itself. If this is true then society will have to deal with the complex burden of juvenile who eventually become adult criminals. However, if this saying is not true then the community in which juvenile delinquency exist must have the tool necessary to divert the youth in the community. If one is to change delinquent youth’s behavior, they need to variegate the justice system in order to prevent juvenile delinquent recidivismsRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Essay1646 Words   |  7 PagesA juvenile delinquent offense is an act committed by a juvenile for which an adult would be tried at a criminal court. New statistics give an alarming picture: juvenile delinquency is higher as never before. According to the census bureau, in 2008 there were 1,653,000 recorded delinquent offenses in the United States. This is a 23.6% increase from 1990 when 1,337,000 delinquent offenses occurred. Today, a lot of people demand lowering the age of crim inal responsibility and draconian penalties (Jenson