How Societies Are Affecting the Ecology of Kenya

Introduction Ecology is a branch of science that entails the distribution of all living organisms and their interactions with the environment. Human ecology which is the main concern in this paper entails the study of human beings and how they interact with the natural environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How Societies Are Affecting the Ecology of Kenya specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The activities in which human beings are involved affect the ecology of the given region in different ways depending on the effects of the activities involved. This paper looks into how the societies are affecting the ecology of Kenya which is the country of choice giving an insight on the effects on the availability of the natural resources to the people, the initial mode of livelihood and the changes that have occurred and finally the environmental problems facing Kenya as a country and the possible solutions. How the Geo graphy and Geology of Kenya Has Influenced the Availability of Resources to the People Geology is the study of aspects of the earth including the materials from which it is made up, the composition of the materials as well as the processes that act upon the materials. Geography on the other hand is the study of the earth and all its features including the distribution of life and how human activity affects this. Kenya is a small country in Africa and has a majority of natural resources which include wildlife, hydropower, limestone, soda ash, zinc, diatomite, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, and gypsum among others. The geography and geology of the country has influenced the availability of resources to the residents in a number of ways for example the people closer to the sources or the mines containing the natural resources such as the minerals or oil are in a better position to access the resources as compared to those far away who have to incur some extra costs in the event of having the resources. The exploitation and misuse also affect the availability of the resources to the people. The availability of resources is usually dynamic and dependent on the patterns used the conservations policies that govern the resources. The Main Historical Mode of Livelihood for the Kenyan People Kenyan people have for a long period of time depended on agriculture as the main source of livelihood. Agriculture has also been the leading contributor to the country’s economy despite the fact that only a small percentage of the country’s total land is linked with adequate rainfall and sufficient fertility levels. There has however been gradual changes in the sources of livelihood for the Kenyan people for example in the year 2006, the number of Kenyans depending on farming was estimated to be 75 percent which is a declined as compared to the 80 percent that earned their living from agriculture in 1980. This is due to productivity decline associated with agriculture whi ch is heavily dependent on climate more specifically rainfall.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This makes some parts of Kenya more appropriate for agricultural practices as compared to others due to the climate differences; changes in weather leads to the shift to other sources of livelihood such as business and industrialization. Kenya has experienced landslides, droughts and floods which have disrupted the agriculture industry. A good example is the El Nino of 1997-1998, which paralyzed agriculture in Kenya (Mutugi and Maingi, 2011). How the Current Practices and Patterns of Living, Working and Consuming Are Impacting On the Local and Global Environment Human beings are the major elements that are associated with both the positive and negative impacts on the environment. This is through the practices people are involved in with respect to how they live, work and their ge neral consumption patterns. The increase in population growth, for instance, has had lots of adverse effects on the environment as it is linked with the encroachment of the marginal areas as the number of people exceeds the available land, it also leads to over consumption of natural resources for example the forests as sources of fuel and in the long run leads to pollution due to production of waste products e.g. through charcoal burning. The lack of dependence on agriculture and shift to other sectors has also led to rural urban migration which affects the environment adversely due to inadequate water and sanitation services, deterioration of transport systems and shortage of appropriate housing facilities. All these factors lead to pollution (air, soil and water) and land degradation. Human modifications to the environment have led to loss of wildlife, acid rains, the depletion of the ozone layer due to excess pollution, and deforestation which destroys biodiversity. Industrializ ation and modernization have been deemed to have adverse effects on the environment for instance deterioration of the quality of air caused by the emissions from industries and plants as well as vehicles. The wastes from industries also affect the quality of water as in most cases; they are directed to the rivers. The utilization of fossils as a source of energy has led to depletion of natural resources and global warming due to green house gases. Some of the positive modifications entails construction of water sources for instance dams to the arid areas, indulgence in reforestation activities and enhancement of agricultural practices for instance through utilization of aspects like irrigation (Gottlieb, 2004). The Most Pressing Environmental Issues Facing the Country and Possible Solutions Kenya is facing a number of environmental issues most of which have been as a result of the human influence to the environment. Some of the issues include; desertification, deforestation, soil er osion, shortages in water supply in a variety of regions, unmonitored garbage disposal, endangered wildlife species, famine and drought poor quality of air and water, and pollution among others. Acidification in soils and the presence of acid rains is also a major environmental issue of concern in Kenya.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How Societies Are Affecting the Ecology of Kenya specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The solutions to the environmental problems are specific to individual problem in question for instance the problem of soil erosion could be eliminated through improved land use for instance employment of techniques like terrace construction, tillage practices and tree planting. Recycling of waste materials, prevention of oil spills, prevention of emissions, avoiding deforestation are some of the ways of reducing pollution. Afforestation and reforestation are good practices that help counter the effe cts of deforestation. Campaign and education programs aimed at instilling the importance of conserving the environment among the Kenyans is a positive step towards reducing the negative effects of human activity on the environment as the people will be enlightened and therefore work towards safeguarding the environment for their own good and for the sake of the generations to come. Establishment and implementation of laws and policies to govern the utilization of the environment is also an effective way of safeguarding the environment as people will be held responsible and accountable for their negative contributions towards the environment hence reducing the chances of degradation (International Institute for Environment Development, 2000). Reference List Gottlieb, S.R. (2004). The Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment. New York: Routledge International Institute for Environment Development (2000). Sustainable Cities Revisited III – 7060iied. United Kingdom: IIED Mut ugi, W.M and Maingi, G.S. (2011). Disasters in Kenya: A Major Public Health Concern. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Vol. 3(1), pp. 38-42. This essay on How Societies Are Affecting the Ecology of Kenya was written and submitted by user Trace C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Abortion Essays (818 words) - Abortion In The United States

Abortion Essays (818 words) - Abortion In The United States Abortion Abortion has always been (and I reckon it will continue to be for quite some time) a very controversial issue not only due to the difficult comparison of rights (does the mother's rights outweigh the child's or vice-versa?) but also because of the many different instances in which the issue of abortion might come up. For instance, one couple who simply wants to plan their family, and be ready for it, is obviously different and less shocking a case as a raped fifteen-year old. Regarding abortion, pro-life and pro-choice are the two sides trying to impose their own points of view, but while one is extremely strict and makes a completely solid statement without taking each case in particular (pro-life), the other (pro-choice) acknowledges the implications of abortion and while not encouraging it in any way, it implies a certain flexibility depending on each case. I, personally, am a pro-choice person, but not taking it to the extreme. I believe a woman should have the right to choose when to have a baby but I agree with creating limitations to this right. The reasons are simple and numerous, health being the most important one, for if abortion would be deemed illegal and immoral, not only would women turn to unsanitary secretive abortions (or even desperate self-induced ones) but the psychological pain and scars would also be considerably more unbearable (I say more because they are already quite unbearable and extremely stressful). Another reason is a biological one it is the woman who carries the baby for nine months, and until the baby is out in the open, being a separate person, until the moment of birth, the baby is simply a part of the womans body. I choose to view childbirth as the moment when the child becomes the human, because it is the most valid turning point in its life -when it starts to live on its own. I consider the pro-choice point of view as being the most rational. However, I also agree that the time period of six months after conception is more than enough for the making of a decision. I support fully the six-month time condition, again mainly because of the health issues involved (abortion after six months is a risk to the mother). I also acknowledge the gruesome methods abortion implies, but I dont consider them a reason strong enough to ban abortion. I would wish there could be some sort of application process involved with abortion, but given the fact each and every case is different and also that such laws would have to be extremely detailed and confusing in order to relate to all cases on an individual plane. So I support abortion for all women as long as it is done within the first six months. And I state this because I dont believe the child is a person by the end of the six months, nor a human life. Until that point, it is a life, but it is a combination of cells insi de a body as well. Its size of only several inches adds to my inability of considering it human strictly because it lacks all the functions a human life form has, from consciousness to breathing and from feelings to personality. My point of view has a personal history behind it and even though I am not in the position of claiming a strict perspective of the subject, I realize I may be subjective. My mother described to me how she had to go through around three abortions because of my fathers drinking problems. Most of the fetuses had vital physical problems such as a deformed (contorted) body or a missing organ. My mother chose to abort them and it was a physically as well as psychologically painful process. The worse thing is that she blamed herself for it, while all the time it was my fathers irresponsible drinking that caused the malformations. I dont even want to imagine what would have happened had she been forced to carry those fetuses to term, and I am also extremely glad she didnt (I wouldnt be around if she had). All in all, I dont consider pro-life a valid, modern, twenty-first century attitude because it

What effect did the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening have on life Essay

What effect did the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening have on life in British North America - Essay Example The natives were also very much concerned with their beliefs, authority of their tribal chiefs, the traditional responsibilities for an individual’s clan and their close relationship with the nature (Demos, 4). The English were trying to bring these natives from â€Å"darkness of heathenism† to Protestant Christianity, which could fill the savagery lives of these natives with bright light of English â€Å"civility†. However the transformation in the form of an awakening did not happen overnight. The English started to build villages, started plantation, trees were cut down and sawed to build houses, barns, furnishings, etc. They also built special places called â€Å"praying towns† for the inhabitants who converted to Protestants. But the British faced many natural hindrances like winter cold, crop blights, droughts and storms. Then there were epidemic diseases like small pox, measles, respiratory illnesses and typhus, which were brought by the European colonizers themselves also acted as crippling influence to their plans for creating a new civilization. It also created demographic losses and complications brewed up with ethnic, linguistic and religious differences. (Demos, 3) After much struggle when they finally built the colony, during the late 17th and 18th centuries, different cities of colonial America played a pivotal role as many of them were seaports and it enabled the Enlightenment movement of Europe to reach American soil.... The theory of Rational Christianity also emerged during this period. This Enlightenment process reached the American colonists a century later and during the late 1700 and early 1800 century the American colonists saw a key change. The British colonies were liberal in their outlook in dealing with different intellectual and religious challenges. During this period America saw many spiritual and religious revitalizations. It also challenged the divine right and role of religion. It enabled the American colonists to challenge the King as well as the divine right. This helped to raise common views between the North and South and this belief was preached across the races through North and South of the colonial America. It also stated that slavery is similar to sin. The people began to develop belief in themselves and the importance of the church and the clergymen diminished. Changes were observed with respect to the reducing significance of the sects. (The Great Awakening And Enlightenme nt In Colonial America). The period saw a growth in literacy and witnessed an increase in number of colleges. The impact of the Great Awakening in colonial America led to creation of many new colleges in order to educate â€Å"new light† ministers like – Princeton, Rutgers, Brown, etc. This enabled to create a rift between believes of the thinkers and it resulted in formation of two cults namely, â€Å"old lights† who believed in rational process and â€Å"new lights† who focused on the experience gathered from life. These religious challenges also strengthened political challenges to the authorities (CHAPTER FIVE: THE CULTURES OF COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA, 1700—1780). Many soldiers those who took part in the revolutionary war were â€Å"new light†