Global Warming Overvirew Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Warming Overvirew - Research Paper Example Global warming has been consistent according to the data recorded by temperature measuring instruments and which is consistent with other observations such as rise in the sea levels due to expansion of water when heated (Miller, 34). Melting of snow and ice, increased heat levels in oceans, increase in the levels of humidity and the appearance of spring season earlier than it ought to appear are other observable changes that point to global warming. Data estimates from the national climatic data centre and the world metrological organization (WMO) show that the warmest years ever recorded in the world are 2005 and 2010, with temperatures estimated to have increased by 0.52 degree Celsius and 0.53 degree Celsius respectively, while all the years since 1986 have had temperature above the 1961-1990 average.Temperatures in 1998, which was one of the warmest years to have ever been experienced can be attributed to the El Nià ±o-Southern Oscillation, which was the largest El Nià ±o that had been experienced for the past one century. In 2010 the trend was also the same with the high temperatures experienced in that year due to the El Nino in that year, however the temperatures reduced in 2011 since it was a La Nina year. These fluctuations in temperatures are sometimes covered by periods of relative stability such as the years between 2002 and 2009.The fluctuations in temperatures due to global warming differ widely across the planet and in different surfaces. Land surface warming twice as fast as the oceans. (0.25 degrees Celsius for land compared to 0.13 degrees Celsius for oceans). This difference in change of temperatures can be attributed to the fact that oceans have a higher effective heat capacity and they lose more heat through evaporation than land surface. The northern hemisphere experience higher temperatures than the southern hemisphere due to the meridional heat transfer in the ocean that is higher in the northern hemisphere, and the albedo difference i n the Polar Regions. Causes of global warming One of the major causes of global warming is the greenhouse gases through greenhouse effect, which is the process by which emission and absorption of infrared radiations by gases warm the earth’s lower atmosphere and surface. The naturally occurring greenhouse gases warm the earth by about 33 degrees Celsius and they include water vapour, which is responsible for 36-70% of greenhouse effect, carbon dioxide that is responsible for 9-26% of greenhouse effect, methane responsible for 4-9% of greenhouse effect and ozone, which cause 3-7% of the greenhouse effect. Human activities have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which has led to radioactive forcing of

Philosphy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Philosphy - Term Paper Example Euthanasia is considered here as a moral evil, and should not be permitted by law, even in the cases specified in the standard permission. Euthanasia or assisted suicide can be any action aimed at putting an end to life of any person, to meet his/her own accord, and executed by a disinterested person. The term â€Å"euthanasia† was first coined by Francis Bacon in the 17th century for the definition of â€Å"easy death†, and in the 19th century it has come to mean â€Å"to kill someone out of pity.† This is a question of premeditated murder in order to alleviate unnecessary suffering. In this case, there is no more ambiguous word than â€Å"euthanasia.† The very idea of euthanasia was born a long time ago. But from the time of Hippocrates to the present day traditional medical ethics includes a ban: â€Å"I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The Hippocratic Oath) More recently, however, doctor s seem increasingly ready to come to this practice, at least when the patient himself asks about death. How this tendency should be considered? Is it a release from outdated restrictions or a certain permissiveness, which is both wrong from a moral point of view, and dangerous in practice? Literally, the term â€Å"euthanasia† is translated as a â€Å"good death† but the term has come to signify not so much â€Å"good† death itself, as its infliction. â€Å"Euthanasia† can be defined as â€Å"the killing of another person for his alleged good† with his consent (voluntary euthanasia), or without consent or even against the will of this person (â€Å"involuntary† and â€Å"forced† euthanasia). â€Å"Killing† means an act or admission of action, chosen with the aim of depriving a person of life, i.e., irrespective of whether direct or indirect impact. Here there is some terminological confusion (in the opinion of some researchers, deliberately provoked by supporters of euthanasia) which occurred under the influence of various kinds of statements concerning understanding of this term, putting on the same level â€Å"letting die† (negative or passive euthanasia) and â€Å"assisting to die† (active or real euthanasia). This confusion is not harmless; it is maintained deliberately in order to bring doctors and public opinion to a false dilemma: either you are humane and able to sympathize with your neighbor, and thus have to step over the forbidden (cause death); or you put the abstract dogma above simple human sympathy, and thus will not stop even before going to prolong the needless suffering which you yourself would not have survived (Keown, 2002, pp. 9-15). In which case we can speak of assisted suicide or euthanasia? Assisted suicide means only intentional murder. In one case, the life of a hopelessly terminally ill person is taken away, in order to save him/her from unnecessary suffering â₠¬â€œ either through direct intervention (e.g., injection of barbiturates), or leaving a person to die by stopping to feed the patient. In another case, the life of a newborn child with severe physical disabilities is taken, when the child is directly killed or condemned to certain death, e.g., by stopping the supply of food and basic treatment only in order not to inflict new pain to his/her parents. Hence, euthanasia or assisted suicide is itself put on the level of intentions: the term euthanasia is used only when there is an intention to take the life of the person or to speed up