Effects of Excessive Petroleum Use

Effects of Excessive Petroleum Use Researches shown that in 2014, the world’s oil consumptions would reach 90, 78 million barrels per day. This indicates the importance of the oil in every country, both developing and developed countries. But in the same research, the supply of oil in one day in the world’s only estimated about 89, 74 million barrels per day, which means the supply will soon can’t afford the usage of oil in the world. This lack of supply can easily cause the exhaustion of petroleum and then it may lead to the power crisis. Petroleum supply exhaustion is one of the biggest problems in every country in the world, governments and scientists are trying to find ways to solve this issue. Amongst some effort that have been done to solve the supply exhaustion problem, this essay will argue about the degradation of the oil’s quality in some area and improve the quality is one of the best way to put an end to the hardness. Litten by oil was shown to have been used in the ancient Chinese. In the 8th century, the oil production had appeared in Iraq where people use pitches, a waste of petroleum to cover the streets. The first oil drilling was said to be around Baku, Azerbaijan. But it was not until the beginning of the 19th century that oil exploitation was strongly developed. At that time, the main fuel was the spermaceti but it was too expensive, none can afford it except the rich people. Although the price was very high but it had a very bad smell so that people want to find a replacement. In the middle of the 19th century, scientists found many ways to exploit the crude oil efficiently. The first modern drilling was in 1859 in Pennsylvania and it put a start to our current petroleum industry. As the crude oil is becoming one of the most important thing for our lives, it is being overexploited that lead to the supply exhaustion, one of the biggest and the most significant problem in petroleum industry. Over two centuries, trillion of oil barrels have been exploited, this number is not decrease but it increase significantly in the last two centuries and it’s becoming more and more. In some researches, scientists have pointed out that people used 30 billion barrels of oil per year; this horrible number shows that people are using too much oil but the supply and the reserves do not enough for us to use. According to the chart posted by Michael Morrison, the world supply and demand change repidly from 2008 to the first quarter of 2012, in 2008 and 2009, the demand and supply are very similar, but from the first quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2012, the demand always higher than the supply, even in some times, the differences reach 3 million barrels per day. With those evidences, the exhaustion of petroleum is becoming more and more serious. It is said that the lack of petroleum supplement is becoming more and more severe, and the causes of this problem is observable. Supply exhaustion come from both subjective and objective reasons. One of the reason why the petroleum supplies deficiency than the need is the usage of everybody in the world. As we have known, oil is used in most aspect of our life. People use petroleum or at least its waste to process it into products such as all leather foot, aspirin, waxen, chewing gums, and the most important apply of oil is fuel and gas; two of the most important power resources in the world. Since oil has become so important and the products which made of oil are becoming more useful, its high usage is understandable. We all know that it is easier to use than make, so that the supply always have to follow the need. The next main reason is about the use of the low quality crude oil. Low quality oil contains a great amount of sulfur, a toxic. According to Greg Karras, low quality oil can increase the greenhouse gas emission by as much as 17 %-40 %( Environ. Sci. Technol, 2010, 44). Some statistics have shown that Middle East is the region which has the most oil reserves in the world, but in some others statistics; the Middle East’s oil has the worst quality (G. Houlton, 2010). Most of the imported oil in the world comes from Middle East, which means we are using the low quality oil; this can cause significantly bad effects to our health and our environment. This can cause severe damage to the supplement of oil. Petroleum industry is not the only one that suffers from this, industries, people, social and even some governments also have trouble with this hardness. The aspect which will be affected the most serious is the economics. The most adverse effect is price of petroleum will have to be increased. If the price of petroleum is increased, since some industries have to use the products of petroleum as its materials, those industries will be in difficulty and with the higher and higher prices of crude oil, the producer’s prices raised significantly. It is followed by every other product must increase their price which lead to the restructuring of the economics and damage directly to the life of the social groups, products excess and even economics crisis ( Kiseok Lee, Shawn Ni, 2002). Plus, the countries those who focus on export petroleum such as Russia, Arabia, UAE, etc†¦ will be suffered from the raise of the price of petroleum for some countries can’t afford it. Furthermore, some countries have the intensifying unemployment rates and the taxes collected from citizens are lower because of the low employment and with the raise of the petroleum, those countries now have to face a very pernicious problem. To sum up, the lack of supply of petroleum has many causes. Although the impact of this problem at the present is not so serious and some solutions have been given out. However, people have to overcome this soon to prevent the problem from being severely. In the case of the lack of supply, people have to take action to control this problem, not only during the event but also after it. These are the most fundamental solutions. First, the government should control the usage of petroleum in each country. There are four main ways I want to suggest to reduce the usage of petroleum. Petroleum is known to have been the most used fuel in the world and most of the products of petroleum are used to make fuel. In the event of the number of the vehicles are rising, the world need more and more fuel to run those vehicles, which lead to the explosion of the oil demand. In order to solve this, the scientists have found some replacements for the petroleum such as biofuel, power source from sticks; carrots; †¦ (R.J.Kopp, 2006). Apply those replacements in the real life will surely ease the pressure on the petroleum supplement. The next way to reduce the usage of petroleum in life is the change in people’s using habits. People have used some organic, green products instead of products made from oil. Avoid using personal vehicles to travel from place to place and replace it by cycle or public transport, using packaged without plastic products; recycle and re-use bottles, etc†¦ (J. Lucie, 2010). Plus, some industries which use petroleum as its raw materials should decrease the usage of petroleum and manipulate some others resources as the main raw materials (NASEO). It will followed by the lowered of the demand. In addition, to reduce the use of petroleum in the world, scientists should find alternatives to petroleum products. There are many sources that can replace the petroleum and petroleum-based products like electric, natural gas, hybrid gas, bio-diesel; a little known replacement to diesel fuel which is made out of used vegetable oil and can be burned in diesel cars and in home oil burners (Baltimore Monthly Meeting of Friends, Story Run, 5116 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21210). I would add that photovoltaic, passive solar, wind turbines and some others renewable fuels can be used to replace fuel. These are some alternatives for petroleum fuel which people can use it to reduce the usage of petroleum. However, most of those alternatives are little-known ones, only a little people know about it, then how can they use it There should be some propaganda campaigns that help the people know about the situation of the petroleum supplement then show them the advantages of using the alternati ves for oil, this could help people reduce using petroleum as their most important power source. Last but not least, a very effective way to reduce the use of petroleum in people and teen is some programs that the government should set up such as â€Å"weekend without oil†. This is a program which was set up by dosomething.org, an organization help young people to tackle against some impact from their own behaviors and habits. These programs should aim to helps people to recognize the ways that their daily routines help increase the oil consumption and provide the people how to avoid it (C. Tackett, 2010). This is not only help to reduce the use of oil but also make the people to be more active with some outdoor activities such as walk or ride a bike,†¦ Although all these solutions are very effective, but it’s also have some disadvantages. There’s one most optimal solution that I have given, and it is:† people should use alternatives fuel†. This is the most effective way to restrict the usage of petroleum; it’s also the best way to improve the quality of our environment which is being severely damage by the over-using of petroleum. In this solution, people can reduce their petroleum usage by using others kind of power source such as solar energy, power of the wind, biofuel, biodiesel†¦ and especially fuel for driving vehicles. As most of the amount of petroleum is used as the fuel to run the vehicles, changing the fuel of the vehicles is the best ways to reduce the petroleum usage, which biodiesel and solar energy can be the best one. Using these alternative can help reduce the reliance on petroleum of most of the country in the world. Plus, some alternatives are renewable resources while petroleum is non-renewable resources, which mean we can use as much as we can without worry about the exhaustion of those resources. Furthermore, those alternatives’s bad effects are extremely small while petroleum can cause huge damage for our environment, every year; using and exploiting petroleum emit 381.740.601lbs of toxic air pollution, 3.3 trillion lbs of CO2 (J.Sandry,2013). Using alternatives for petroleum is very useful and it’s also the easiest way to reduce our reliance on petroleum so that we can solve the petroleum-exhaustion problem, and even the environment problems. Biofuels is an example, these are result from the photosynthesis of plants which convert solar energy into chemical energy, its green and renewable though their slightly less energy than oil and gasoline but much cleaner (ecoreps). Some researches shown that using solar energy instead of petroleum in 25 years can help reduce 199.679lbs of CO2, 2316 trees can be planted with the surplus and help the drivers saving 208.166 miles driven (RGS energy,2014). This way is not being limited in any country but for every country in the world, everyone can use these replacements, it’s even cheaper than the cost of the petroleum, then why shouldn’t people use these alternatives, for both themselves and the world. However, the only downfall of this solution is that it can’t be spread through some dev eloping countries, people should find some way to widespread these alternatives to developing countries to help them. In order to reduce petroleum usage and saving our environment, replace petroleum in most of aspect in our lives is the best way to achieve our goal. In conclusion, supply exhaustion in petroleum is a significant problem in every phase of petroleum industry, but this is a most severe time when the surplus between supply and demand is at the highest ever. Industries, power, products, etc†¦ now have to rely too much on petroleum and its waste which is the most fundamental reason for this problem. This reliance does not damage the petroleum industry with the depletion of supply but also damage the economics with the raise of the cost of petroleum. However, the most significant effect is the damage our environment with the use and the waste of petroleum. In that consequence, people have to reduce their use of petroleum to save them from the reliance on petroleum. The best way to reduce the use is using alternatives, solar energy; wind energy; biofuels†¦ are very effective alternatives that people should consider to use them instead of using too much petroleum. This is not only to save the petroleum industry but also our envi ronment. Everyone should join hand to solve this problem.

American Tragedy: Self-Destruction in a Self-Indulgent Society Essay ex

American Tragedy: Self-Destruction in a Self-Indulgent Society  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     "The boy moved restlessly from one foot to the other, keeping his eyes down . . . . [and he] appeared indeed to resent and even to suffer from the position in which he found himself" (p.9). Clyde Griffiths always wanted to be somebody---anyone but who he was. Growing up in a poor home of evangelizing, exhorting missionaries, he was not drawn to God but pushed away from Him and his family. Clyde was looking for a way to escape from his haunting reality to both a place and position in life that were more attractive. He was ashamed of his looks, his attire, his social position and his poor education. American Tragedy (1925) by Theodore Dreiser is the tragic story of a man whose fate is sealed and ambitions are shaped by society's values. Clyde, in trying to fit in with the norms of society, gets into more trouble than he could ever imagine. His trouble begins in Kansas City, where he works at a hotel and runs with some boys who are not all bad, yet are not good either. When these rowdy boys "borrow" a car and pick up their girls for some fun, they hit and kill a little girl. Rather than remain at the scene, they all run. When Clyde finds himself with nowhere to go, he roams until he runs into an old friend from Kansas City. He gets a job at another hotel where he meets his rich uncle. Uncle Samuel tells Clyde that he can come up and get a job in his factory. While working in that factory, he meets Roberta and falls very much in love. However, their love affair must be a secret because he is not, as a department head, supposed to date an employee. As time goes on their relationship becomes physical. In the midst of this physical relationship, Clyde accid... ...ams of getting on and up, was in danger of death. . ." (p.623)! His mother has always known that he is driven to become more like the Griffiths of Lycurgus, but still never imagined that he would become a murderer with this drive. Clyde's desire and ambitions to be something great with the help of society's twisted thinking is what brought about Clyde's demise. The selfish, self-centered thinking of this "high society," and their teaching Clyde these thoughts makes him feel like he has no choice if he wants to obtain his goals. Being corrupted by values which he accepts in order to be successful does nothing more than seal his fate and send him to the electric chair. An American Tragedy is Clyde's story about vice and greed, and the resulting catastrophe.    Bibliography Dreiser, Theodore, An American Tragedy, N.Y., The World Publishing Company, 1953. American Tragedy: Self-Destruction in a Self-Indulgent Society Essay ex American Tragedy: Self-Destruction in a Self-Indulgent Society  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     "The boy moved restlessly from one foot to the other, keeping his eyes down . . . . [and he] appeared indeed to resent and even to suffer from the position in which he found himself" (p.9). Clyde Griffiths always wanted to be somebody---anyone but who he was. Growing up in a poor home of evangelizing, exhorting missionaries, he was not drawn to God but pushed away from Him and his family. Clyde was looking for a way to escape from his haunting reality to both a place and position in life that were more attractive. He was ashamed of his looks, his attire, his social position and his poor education. American Tragedy (1925) by Theodore Dreiser is the tragic story of a man whose fate is sealed and ambitions are shaped by society's values. Clyde, in trying to fit in with the norms of society, gets into more trouble than he could ever imagine. His trouble begins in Kansas City, where he works at a hotel and runs with some boys who are not all bad, yet are not good either. When these rowdy boys "borrow" a car and pick up their girls for some fun, they hit and kill a little girl. Rather than remain at the scene, they all run. When Clyde finds himself with nowhere to go, he roams until he runs into an old friend from Kansas City. He gets a job at another hotel where he meets his rich uncle. Uncle Samuel tells Clyde that he can come up and get a job in his factory. While working in that factory, he meets Roberta and falls very much in love. However, their love affair must be a secret because he is not, as a department head, supposed to date an employee. As time goes on their relationship becomes physical. In the midst of this physical relationship, Clyde accid... ...ams of getting on and up, was in danger of death. . ." (p.623)! His mother has always known that he is driven to become more like the Griffiths of Lycurgus, but still never imagined that he would become a murderer with this drive. Clyde's desire and ambitions to be something great with the help of society's twisted thinking is what brought about Clyde's demise. The selfish, self-centered thinking of this "high society," and their teaching Clyde these thoughts makes him feel like he has no choice if he wants to obtain his goals. Being corrupted by values which he accepts in order to be successful does nothing more than seal his fate and send him to the electric chair. An American Tragedy is Clyde's story about vice and greed, and the resulting catastrophe.    Bibliography Dreiser, Theodore, An American Tragedy, N.Y., The World Publishing Company, 1953.

Caring for People with Additional Needs Essay

Introduction In my AO1 ‘caring for people with additional needs’ portfolio I am going to provide and clearly display in great detail information and understanding of three causes of additional needs. I will do this by researching a range of sources to get in dept information. Then I will provide an explanation with great content of the effects on people who are in need of these services due to their additional needs. Finally, I intend to record in depth and show understanding of each stage of the care management process and evaluate how it is used to access, plan, implement, monitor and review individual care plans. Definition of disability â€Å"A physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.† (http://www.equalityni.org) What is a physical disability? People with physical disabilities, also known as disabled people or physically disabled people, have a physical impairment which has a substantial and long term effect on their ability to carry our day-to-day activities. Someone with a moderate physical disability would have mobility problems, e.g. unable to manage stairs, and need aids or assistance to walk. Someone with a severe physical disability would be unable to walk and dependent on a carer for mobility. Depending on their individual needs, disabled people may require an accessible home, with or without aids and adaptations. Occupational therapists will assess an individual person’s needs for these, and refer the person on to the appropriate agency to have adaptations carried out. Care & Repair Services help disabled owner occupiers and private tenants to have adaptations carried out. (http://www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk) What is a sensory disability? A sensory disability is when one of your senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste or spatial awareness, is no longer normal. For example, if you wear glasses you have a slight impairment. If you find it hard to hear then you have a hearing impairment. You don’t have to have completely lost a sense to be sensory impaired. (http://www.staffordshirecares.info) What is a Learning disability? A learning disability affects the way a person learns new things in any area of life, not just at school. Find out how a learning disability can affect someone, and who can offer support. It affects the way they understand information and how they communicate. This means they can have difficulty: †¢ Understanding new or complex information †¢ Learning new skills, and †¢ Coping independently â€Å"In practical terms,† says Lesley Campbell from the learning disability charity Mencap, â€Å"a learning disability means that it’s harder for your child to learn, understand and communicate than it is for other children.† A learning disability is not the same as learning difficulty or mental illness. â€Å"People get confused if they start using the term ‘learning difficulty’. In education this means things like dyslexia, which is not a learning disability,† says Campbell. â€Å"Our definition of learning disabilities focuses on people who have difficulty learning across more than one area of their life. It’s not just to do with reading or writing.† (http://www.nhs.uk) The three conditions I have chosen to focus on are Down’s syndrome that is caused by a chromosomal disorder, cerebral palsy that is caused by damage before and after birth and diabetes that is caused by a disease and medical condition. Firstly I am going to research Downs’s syndrome, which is caused by a chromosomal disorder. Down’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that was named after John Langdon Down, the doctor who first recognised it as a distinct condition in 1866.Down’s syndrome affects a baby’s normal physical development and causes moderate to severe learning difficulties. It is a lifelong condition that develops when a baby is still in the womb (uterus). Children who are born with Down’s syndrome also have a higher chance of developing other conditions, some of which are life threatening. (http://www.nhs.uk) Down’s syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. The physical features and medical problems associated with Down’s syndrome can vary widely from child to child. While some children with Down’s syndrome need a lot of medical attention, others lead healthy lives. Though Down’s syndrome can’t be prevented, it can be detected before a child is born. The health problems that may go along with Down’s syndrome can be treated, and many resources are available to help children and their families who are living with the condition. (http://kidshealth.org) Downs syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 of 800 live births. It is uncommon in the UK, for example, from 2007 to 2008, 1,843 cases of Down’s syndrome were diagnosed during pregnancy, and 743 babies were born with the condition. Down’s syndrome affects about 1 in every 1,000 live births. Down’s syndrome affects all ethnic groups equally. Boys are slightly more likely (around 15%) to be born with Down’s syndrome than girls. (http://www.nhs.uk) The likelihood of having a baby born with Down’s syndrome increases with the mother’s age: What are the symptoms? There are estimated to be over 100 characteristics of Down’s syndrome. Common characteristics of Down syndrome can include: †¢ A flat facial profile †¢ An upward slant to the eye †¢ A short neck †¢ Abnormally shaped ears †¢ White spots on the iris of the eye (called Brushfield spots) †¢ A single, deep transverse crease on the palm of the hand †¢ Smaller than average size †¢ Exaggerated space between the first and second toe †¢ Poor muscle tone (called hypotonia) †¢ Joint looseness †¢ Broad feet with short toes †¢ Learning disabilities. (http://down-syndrome.emedtv.com) The diagnosis Antenatal screening is a way of assessing whether the unborn baby could develop, or has developed, an abnormality during the pregnancy. Antenatal screening cannot diagnose conditions such as Down’s syndrome, but it can determine the likelihood of the baby developing the syndrome. If the risk of Down’s syndrome (or any other condition) is shown to be high, further testing can be arranged to confirm whether or not the baby has the condition. The test that is used for Down’s syndrome is a combined blood test and an ultrasound scan, which is known as the ‘combined test’. During a blood test, a sample of your blood will be taken and tested to check the levels of certain proteins and hormones. If the blood contains abnormal levels of these substances, one may have an increased risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome. (http://www.nhs.uk) The treatment Down’s syndrome is not a condition that can be cured. However, there are treatments and therapies for the physical, medical and cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome. †¢ Medications can be used to treat certain conditions that occur in people with Down’s syndrome. For example, if a person with Down syndrome has a seizure disorder, they would benefit from taking anti-seizure medications. †¢ The baby’s pediatrician will be the main person managing the infant’s health issues. Most pediatricians have experience dealing with the common medical issues seen in children with Down’s syndrome. †¢ Children with Down syndrome are almost always referred to early intervention programs shortly after birth. Early intervention is a program of therapies, exercises and activities designed to specifically help children with Down syndrome or other disabilities. †¢ Physical therapy focuses on motor development. Since most children with Down’s syndrome have hypotonia or low muscle tone, the goal of physical therapy is to teach the children with Down’s syndrome to move their bodies in appropriate ways, and to improve their muscle tone. †¢ Speech therapy is a very important treatment for children with Down’s syndrome. Because children with Down’s syndrome often have small mouths and slightly enlarged tongues, they can have articulation problems. (http://downsyndrome.about.com) There’s no cure, but treatment of any accompanying health problems and support for learning difficulties allows many people with the syndrome to lead relatively normal and semi-independent lives. Others, however, need full-time care. Many people with the condition live well into adulthood, with an average life expectancy of around 60 years. Physiotherapy, speech therapy and special educational programmes have an important role to play, while specific medical conditions associated with the syndrome are treated as appropriate.(http://www.bbc.co.uk) What are the short term and long-term effects on someone with downs syndrome physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially? Long term effects- physically Common Down’s syndrome physical effects can include thyroid problems, hearing problems, congenital heart disease, eye problems, joint and muscle problems, Seizure, bone, Leukaemia and other cancers, Immune system problems. (http://down-syndrome.emedtv.com) Children with Down syndrome have a widely recognised characteristic appearance. Their head may be smaller than normal and abnormally shaped. Other prominent characteristics of Down syndrome are: a flattened nose, protruding tongue, upward slanting eyes, short hands and fingers, and a single crease in the palm. (http://www.mamashealth.com) Short term effects- physically Children with Down syndrome have decreased resistance to infections and are more prone to dental disease. Some people with Down’s syndrome may have to wear glasses or eye patches. (http://www.health.state.mn.us) Long term effects- intellectually Down’s syndrome affects a child’s ability to learn in different ways, but most have mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Children with Down’s syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They simply reach goals at a different pace. There is often a misconception that individuals with Down’s syndrome have a â€Å"static† or predetermined ability to learn. This simply is not true. It is now known that individuals with Down’s syndrome develop over the course of their lifetime and should be treated accordingly. The learning potential of an individual with Down’s syndrome can be maximised through early intervention, good education, higher expectations and encouragement. (http://downsyndrome.about.com) Some may not be able to cope up with complex thinking that is required in the study of certain subjects. Some may achieve the complex thought process much later. (http://www.buzzle.com) Short term effects-intellectually As almost all children with Down’s syndrome have some degree of intellectual disability, we expect them to have more difficulty developing speech than normal children do. If the child with Down’s syndrome does not have a hearing loss we expect the child’s ability to develop speech to be somewhat dependent on the level of intellectual ability. Therefore, if the child has only a mild intellectual disability (and no hearing loss) he or she usually develops a great deal of speech and can have a simple conversation with family or friends. If the child has a very severe degree of intellectual disability we expect the Down syndrome child to have a great deal of difficulty developing spoken language, and we may use signs and/or pictures (augmentative communication) to help us communicate with that child. (http://www.sch.edu.au) Long term effects-emotionally Around 1 in 5 people with Down’s syndrome will develop a psychological or behavioural condition. Children: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – a behavioural condition that is characterised by a short attention span and impulsiveness Autistic spectrum disorder – a developmental disorder than can cause problems with language, behaviour and social interaction Teenagers and adults: Depression – a condition that causes persistent feelings of extreme sadness Obsessive compulsive disorder – a health condition that is usually associated with both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. (http://www.nhs.uk) Short term effects – emotionally Because of the communication problems discussed above, people with Down’s syndrome may have difficulty talking about things that make them sad or angry. Major life changes such as loss or separation may prompt decreases in appropriate behaviour at school or work. (http://www.ds-health.com) Long term effects – socially They are recognisably inarticulate in their language and communication skills. Their emotional and intellectual growth is often retarded. Children with Down’s syndrome lack in social abilities. (http://www.buzzle.com) Short term effects – socially Socially people with Down’s syndrome are affected, they may feel that it is difficult to mix with people independently, although further into their lives they may develop more confidence to be able to socialise more easily. That’s not to say that people with Down’s syndrome are shy or unsociable, but just may have less confidence in certain years of their lives. Some people with Down’s syndrome may have to be supervised because of their condition, leaving them less outgoing and feeling uncomfortable having an adult watching over them. My second cause of additional need that i now intend to discuss is cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is a general term covering a number of neurological conditions that affect a child’s movement and coordination. Neurological conditions affect the brain and nervous system. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain, which normally occurs before, during or soon after birth. Known possible causes of cerebral palsy include: †¢ Infection in early pregnancy †¢ A difficult or premature birth †¢ Bleeding in the baby’s brain †¢ Abnormal brain development in the baby (http://www.nhs.uk) At some point very early in life, either while a baby is still growing in the womb, during birth or shortly after, something happens to interfere with the normal development of the brain or to injure the brain tissues. This abnormal development or injury disrupts the nerve signals between the brain and the muscles, leading to problems with movement, posture and coordination as the child grows up. This is called cerebral palsy. While some people are severely affected, others have only minor disruption, depending on which parts of the brain are not functioning properly. It’s estimated that as many as 1 in every 400 children may have cerebral palsy, which means nearly 2,000 babies, from all social backgrounds and ethnic groups, are diagnosed every year. (http://www.bbc.co.uk) About 1 in 500 babies born in the UK have cerebral palsy. The number of cases per year (the incidence) has not changed much over the period of 50 years or so. The health and care of mothers have improved in this time and some causes of cerebral palsy have decreased. However, more babies are being born prematurely and surviving. A proportion of these will have cerebral palsy. This (together with the cause in most cases not being known) is probably why the number of cases has not changed much over the period of 50 years or so. (http://www.patient.co.uk) What are the symptoms? Cerebral palsy is often classified into different types depending on the type of symptoms, which in turn probably reflect which parts of the brain are not working as they should. These include: †¢ Spastic cerebral palsy (about 70 per cent of all cases) – some of the muscles in the body are tight, stiff and weak, drawing the limbs in and making control of movement difficult. †¢ Athetoid (dyskinetic) cerebral palsy (10 per cent of cases) – control of muscles is disrupted by spontaneous and unwanted irregular writhing movements. These may be the result of muscles changing very rapidly from being loose and floppy to very tight and tense. The muscles used for speech may also be affected, interfering with communication. Control of posture is also disrupted. †¢ Ataxic cerebral palsy – problems include difficulty with balance, shaky movements of hands or feet, and difficulty with speech. †¢ Mixed cerebral palsy – a combination of two or more of the above. In coordination of the muscles of the mouth may cause feeding problems such as slow feeding, gagging and vomiting. There may be delayed motor milestones, such as crawling and walking , weakness or paralysis of the limbs, an abnormal gait and slowness in developing speech and social skills. As many as one in three children and adolescents with cerebral palsy also has epilepsy (or seizures). Other common problems include: †¢ Difficulty with walking, writing, eating, talking, dressing †¢ Problems with balance and coordination †¢ Difficulty controlling and maintaining posture (they may need help to sit upright) †¢ Visual difficulties †¢ Hearing problems (http://www.bbc.co.uk) The symptoms of cerebral palsy normally become apparent during the first three years of your child’s life. Your child may be slower in achieving important developmental goals, such as learning to crawl, walk or speak. Children with cerebral palsy also tend to have problems with their muscle tone (the unconscious ability to contract or relax muscles as needed). Your child may have: †¢ Hypertonia: increased muscle tone, which can make them appear stiff or rigid †¢ Hypotonia: decreased muscle tone, which makes them appear floppy (http://www.nhs.uk) The diagnosis The paediatrician will ask about a child’s history and their pattern of development. They will also study a child’s reflexes, posture, motor skills and muscle tone. Depending on the child’s age, they may also be referred to an educational psychologist so the child’s intellectual development can be assessed. Further tests may be recommended to rule out other conditions, which cause similar symptoms to cerebral palsy, such as a tumour or muscular dystrophy (a genetic condition affecting the development of the muscles). In some cases, further testing will also be able to confirm a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. This is because the condition can cause changes to the structure of the brain, which can be detected by the tests. Tests a child may require include: †¢ Blood tests †¢ Cranial ultrasound, which uses sound waves to build up a picture of the child’s brain tissue †¢ MRI scan, which uses radio and magnetic waves to study the brain in more detail †¢ CT scan, which uses a series of X-rays that are then assembled by a computer to create a detailed 3-D model of a child’s brain While a confident diagnosis of cerebral palsy can usually be made when s child is two or three years old, the type and severity of a child’s cerebral palsy may not be determined until they reach four or five years of age. (http://www.nhs.uk) Treatment There’s no cure for cerebral palsy. However, there are plenty of treatments and therapies that can reduce the impact of the condition by easing symptoms such as spasticity, improving communication skills and finding other ways to do things. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy can all play an important part. Children with cerebral palsy do best when they get special help from an early age. Because the brain changes a lot during the first few years of life, it can be difficult to assess the extent of cerebral palsy at first, but most experts suggest babies should be first assessed at about 9 to 12 months. Many children with cerebral palsy benefit from an approach known as conductive education, which helps them to overcome movement problems and gain some control through special education and rehabilitation. Adults can get a lot from it too. Speech and language therapy helps with speech development and also with eating, drinking, and swallowing. Surgery is sometimes needed to correct any deformities that develop as a result of abnormal muscle development or function. Medication can reduce muscle hyperactivity and spasticity, but physiotherapy is the bedrock of cerebral palsy management and can helps with posture and movement. It also tries to prevent progression of disability. Occupational therapy helps children overcome difficulties performing everyday tasks, encouraging them to lead independent lives. With help, most people with cerebral palsy are able to live much the same sort of lives as everyone else. They may have to work a bit harder to overcome practical problems, but most things are possible. (http://www.bbc.co.uk)

How to Write Good Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays are something that you are very likely to encounter no matter what kind of subject you study. They are universal – as universal as debates are. You are given a topic, allowed to choose a point of view to support and have to find enough evidence in support of this viewpoint to crush the opponents – either theoretical or, in case your tutor is going to initiate a discussion based on students’ essays, real. The latter possibility means that you should prepare to it beforehand – to write really good argumentative essays one has to be ready to all eventualities. You can’t simply overlook an inconvenient piece of information if you know that your tutor or other students may use it to prove a different point of view. Thus, you have to prepare counter-arguments even to the points you have chosen to omit in your own essay, otherwise you may be found wanting during the following debates. Finding a Good Argumentative Essay Template If you want to be really ready to write your own argumentative essay, reading about how it is done is not nearly enough. The best way to practice will be to, well, practice – to try and write as many argumentative essays as possible before you have to do it for a grade. If, however, you don’t have enough time you’ll have to settle for reading an example or two and finding an argumentative essay template to base your own paper on. After you write a couple of essays according to this template you will be more or less prepared to write the task given to you by your tutor. Just be sure to borrow this template from a legitimate site the authors of which know their job well – although there are enough high quality sites dedicated to academic writing, the Internet is not a place to blindly take everything you find for its surface value. Write a Sample Essay on Gas Prices If you want to test yourself, choose a topic you don’t normally deal with – for example, gas prices (of course, if you are genuinely interested in them, choose something else – the point is in writing on an unfamiliar topic), choose a point of view to support (e.g., your suggestion to lowering them, the reasons why they are so high and so on), do the necessary research and write an essay proving your point. If you manage to write a good persuasive essay on gas prices, try to imagine your potential opponents (or ask a friend or relative to help you out) finding weak points in your writing and then take these weak spots into account. If you have time, write a couple more essays on similarly unfamiliar topics – it will teach you to find a way out from an unpleasant situation, collect information on things you don’t know about and prepare essays proving points you are not all that interested in. And chances are, the essay task your tutor will finally gi ve you will turn out to be much easier than the ones you have written in a way of preparation.