Threats to the Tropical Rainforest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Threats to the Tropical Rainforest - Essay Example The potential impact of these threats on biodiversity of tropical forest is difficult to assess, due to the fact that the threats could be interlinked and each precipitates either direct or indirect effects. Regardless of the uncertainties associated with threat evaluation and impact assessment, the fact that these forests are subject to radical ecological changes, hence degradation is indubitable. For these reasons, it is imperative for conservationists and the global populations, to monitor, comprehend, and prevent the negative impact of these threats at all costs. Background Information Most studies in Earth systems reveal the fact that Tropical rainforests represent one of the World’s oldest and uninterrupted ecosystems. For instance, fossil records indicate that South-east Asia’s humid forests have been in existence for between 70 and 100 million years, without much alteration to their original form. Tropical rainforests make up some of the world’s haven for species, since they could have more than 1000 different species within an area of one square kilometer (km2). This is a very large proportion of both floral and faunal species, in comparison to that found in temperate forests, which harbor a meager 100 species within a similar spatial area. Tropical rainforests cover an estimated 2% area of Earth’s surface, which amounts to approximately 2000 million hectares (Ha). These forests get their name â€Å"Tropical† from their location within the tropics, that is, the Tropic of Capricorn about 23 degrees south and the Tropic of Cancer about 23 degrees north of the Equator (Primack and Corlett 15). Given the strategic location of Tropical rainforests within the tropics, they span across most of the world’s continents, including Africa, Asia, Northern Australia, and South America. These forests are also found in many of the tropical islands within these areas (Wright 554-555). The Amazon Rainforest is the largest of the Tropical rainforests in the world. Found in South America, the Amazon forest covers eight nations including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname and Ecuador. This huge forest covers a 2 million square miles area. Studies have shown that Tropical rainforests play a significant role in regulating local, as well as, global climatic conditions, in addition to regulating the crucial carbon cycle. The forests regulate the carbon cycle by absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon, while releasing much needed oxygen to the environment. This happens when the vast number of plants takes up carbon during photosynthesis, thus incorporating it into stored biomass. Even though there is no agreement as to whether preserved rainforests constitute the principal sink or source of carbon, negative influences of excessive deforestation are clearly known. Additionally, the role of deforestation in negating the carbon cycle is indubitable (Fearnside 681). Over the last severa l years, discussions regarding the links between forests’

Health Related Website Eval Form and Nursing Article from Bay College Assignment

Health Related Website Eval Form and Nursing Article from Bay College Library - Assignment Example It provides an opportunity for students to check out issues in the periodic stalks for a week. The article is reliable as it provides reliable and verifiable information. Students do not have to pay any money for accessing information. The article provides quality information that is available for students from home and in campus (Bay College Library: Resource for Nursing, 2012). People can understand evidence based practice by establishing the meaning of this approach and understanding its benefits. Geriatric article explains how evidence based practice can connect gaps between, theory and practice. It is quite unfortunate, as many nurses do not have the skills of incorporating evidenced based nursing in clinical practice. This article explains patient centered approach as an approach used in evidence based nursing as a strategy for improving patience care (Rubin, 2011). The article illustrates that the nursing profession, as a practice should strive to improve patients care (Barker, 2009). Evidence based practice is not only based on research since it includes all forms of research. It is a research practice where nurses use current information to make clinical

Enhancing The Value Of Green Hotel Tourism Essay

Enhancing The Value Of Green Hotel Tourism Essay Abstract For the purpose of enhancing the value of green hotel, the hotel comes out with the new business management concept, which brings the green concept into the hotel operations and management. In order to establish a green marketing concept, it is a need to collect green information, green technology, development of green product, development of green price to carry out green marketing, take deepen green management philosophy to provide green service of the hotel and the construction of green hotel and green culture management, to achieve the sustainable development of the green hotel. Nowadays, the concept of green marketing has generally become the international community to implement in the modern enterprise marketing. Therefore, the green marketing model in hospitality industry become the need in this era, also, the pressure of the external economic environment will force the hospitality industry to do so. There is a low carbon green marketing mode had undergone a great change in th e marketing concept and content in some hotels. In this research will attempt to make some personal views on this topic in helping the hotel to have better management. Green marketing will achieve the balance between development of the hotel and the social environment; advocate the green consumption, saving energy, reducing consumption and protect the environment, providing green service will become an important marketing strategy in the hotel industry of China. Lastly, as one of the core green management, the trend of green marketing in protecting environment and developing in green consumer will achieve a big success in the future. Introduction Green concept has become the most important topic in the past few years and it gradually continue to growing up. Action is the one most important in this green concept, without the right action we will not be able to adjust the damage that has been done. Nowadays, the entire world is focused the same problems to protecting environment. In this part will give an analysis about the entire research, it begins with background of information about the concepts and overview about the base of this study. It then continues to introduce the research problem and explains the objectives and goals of the research. Background 90 years, the world entered the era of environmental protection, green age. American Hotel Lodging Association president pointed out that the most important trends of todays hotel industry is the hotels green (environmentally friendly) (Joe McInerney, 2008).Green era of great impact on the world economy, hotel industry is no exception. Todays society, people only pursue economic development and improved quality of life and people not realized that peoples living space has been severely damaged. People in the production and consumption process start increasingly concerned about resource and environmental protection. People had to choose one that meets the development needs approach to development while protecting the environment, called by sustainable development. While the tourist hotels like energy consumption and serious pollution of heavy industry to the serious ecological and biological damage to the environment but also varying degrees of implicit or explicit pollution and wast e of resources. Countrys sustainable development strategy to establish, from the policy, legal acts of the hotel business made specifications, requirements, hotels must implement green marketing; international trend of environmental protection also have a significant impact on the hotel, hotels with international environmental standards required engaged to go green. In the international environmental pressure, a few hotels began to establish awareness of green marketing. However, most hotels are still far away from the green marketing, green concept do not even have color. Hotel implementation of green marketing has long way to go. Going green is a concept for people how to make the environment become better. This green means is multifaceted, it can refer to products, trade or industry, it can be a philosophy or concept of an act, green the central meaning refers to protecting the global environment and promote human and nature, socio-economic and ecological harmony, to ensure the sustainable development of human society and the economy. The green movement can make people aware of their daily life affect this living space. Nowadays we are running out of water and other natural resources and this problem can cause the world become worse place for live. Green marketing appears for making a people have responsible daily that benefit for environment and help to reduce the waste. Going green in hospitality industry is defined by being eco-friendly industry with the environment. It contains small changes in daily life and this small change can add up to the bigger changes by our action for protecting the environment. An important concept behind efforts to reduce damage to the environment is sustainability, an idea which gained importance because of the publication of Our Common Future (Filho, 2000; Daub Ergenzinger, 2005). Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Hobson Essex, 2001) Sustainability has been further described by Brady (2005) as comprised of three dimensions: economy, society, and environmental stability. Environmental sustainability is the process of making sure current processes of interaction with the environment are pursued with the idea of keeping the environment as pristine as naturally possible based on ideal-seeking behavior. Commitment about green marketing needs to be the important part in the hotel to protecting the environment, its need to be important for guide the hospitality industry and foster such a culture. It can make the hotel have an environmental culture that will ultimately affect the peoples to have a consequent in the natural environment. However, if people have responsibilities with this kind of environment and concept, and able to apply it in their daily life and work can be consciously adjust their own behavior. That definition of going green and sustainability development explains why it is so important for both individuals and businesses to make change for their lives and environment. The beginning of the 21st century; smokeless industry, a sunrise industry and green business in China has been continued to growth fast, which the hotel industry in the green on the most prominent. Hotel has been considered a high consumption places to have so many resources, need to have an attention with the environmental protection. In this, the hotel needs to change the concept; the hotel should meet the needs of customers to reduce resources. This perspective should spread through all aspects of hotel operations in the all levels and functions of employees, fundamentally, sustainable development of the hotel. Sense of social responsibility, many hotels began to take shape. With the gradual promotion of the marketing concept in China, hotels increasingly recognized as part of the community and the hotel should take social responsibility. For example, April 28, 1999, Zhejiang response to dozens of tourist hotels create green activities half of them said that we do not begrudge investment, but want to reduce waste, so that the limited resources to achieve maximum effectiveness; hotel intended to limit the guests behavior, just want to work together with customers to improve the ring, and get a good clean green feeling. Statement of the Problem China is one of the fastest developing countries in the world. Especially development of hotel industry in the China is growing so fast. At the beginning, the hospitality industry in China is not growing compared to other countries. Over time, China had to develop in the hospitality industry very well. With this development, China became one of the top ten international destinations in 2010. Therefore, the hospitality industry in the world is very wide. They are trying to develop new innovations to the hospitality industry continues to develop stable. Recent years, the environment on the planet where we live is damaged. Everyone in the world started to pay attention on the environment and how to maintain it. They began to appear with the latest innovative green marketing. Hotels in the world began to develop the green concept in this hospitality industry. But the hospitality industry in China is huge and it takes a long time to change each hotel to follow the green concept. They begin to develop from five star hotels to budget hotels. Along with those changes, a lot of problems start to appear when develop the concept of green marketing in the hospitality industry. One of the obstacles in applying the concept of green marketing is costly. In this green marketing we have to change little by little until it became a big change. But to change the concept of green is the hospitality industry requires cost very much. This change we must begin to change from the base. Hotels room is the main product of the hotel. It can start to change from the material of the rooms furniture and continue to how the employee works with the friendly environment. Its means they need to use on recycling of reusable materials for recycling. On the beginning to apply green marketing, hotels need a lot of cost and they need to consider about the quality. Green hotels focus on the ecological environment, with a focus on the pursuit of economic and environmental benefits of the new management is optimal. Not only every manager, but also every employee mind set of ideas and concepts of green management, it will be possible to allow them to take the initiative to take the behavior of a variety of green management. At first, hotel that you would like the concept of sustainable development as the guiding ideology of management, hotel management must fully understand and analyze the future direction of the hotel is good that tomorrow is a green hotel, why become a green hotel, and how to combine its own hotel management to implement the concept and application of green is the foundation of the hotel staff, implementation of policies to achieve the employee with the hotel management and staff to implement, so let employees understand the companys development direction and determination. If employees understand what the concept of a green hot el, it also impact for the company, themselves and the community that can bring what is the impact of some complicated process, not easy to reach the company. Management style is also a hotel on the challenges of sustainable development. Green product in China has not yet become the first choice of hotel. In other countries, green products have become the best-selling products, the first choice for consumers. However, some hotels even get a small gain and the pursuit of contaminated products. Research Problem To enable it easier understand and to explore for more details information point of view, the questions will be able to reply to additional verification and give clear successfully obtained results. What are the problems between green product and environment sustainability? What are the problems between green price and environment sustainability? What are the problems between green promotion and environment sustainability? What are the problems between green place and environment sustainability? Conceptual Framework More formally, the main purpose of this study is to identify that the independent variable can influence the environment sustainability development in hotel industry. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2005), independent variable is a variable that studied as a possible cause of something else. According to Hussey and Hussey (1997), dependent variable is a variable that the value are predicted by the independent variable and intervening variable The intervening variable can be defined as a factor that will affect the observed, but cannot be seen or measured. This intervening variable is referring to relationship between hotel and the environmental sustainability. These relationships is very important, hence they can influence environmental and sustainability for the hotel. The dependent variable is Environmental Sustainability Development and the independent variable of this study is green price, green product, green promotion, and green place. Thus, green marketing become intervening variable. Hypotheses: H1: Green price positively influence hotel to be environment sustainability development. H2: Green product positively influence hotel to be environment sustainability development. H3: Green promotion positively influence hotel to be environment sustainability development. H4: Green place positively influence hotel to be environment sustainability development. Research Objectives The main objectives are to study for the following thing: To identify what are the benefits of going green in green marketing concept for new environment development of hospitality industry. To mention the problem of applying green marketing concept in the hotel. To related the green marketing concepts with green marketing mix that consists of green product, green places, green price, and green promotion in the hospitality industry. To understanding what are the concept of green marketing and the terms of green marketing that related to environmental sustainability development. To discuss why nowadays green marketing very important in hospitality industry. Significance of the Study Combining with all the information and data for the hotel industry to grasp better the green marketing in green concept to the hotel itself to the significance of environmental sustainability is so important and far-reaching. The ends results of this dissertation will be not only play to understand the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable and it also help more how to make sure the hotel industry is doing well on the environmental sustainability. Through the green marketing, a results on the actually of the relationship between green marketing and environmental sustainability will be more clearly. But this will either guide you to the agreement or disagreement to the improved green marketing concept model. Literature Review This part will be discussed about the concept of Green Marketing Mix which are Green Place, Green Product, Green price, and Green promotions. This Green marketing concept linked to the dependent variable of this study which is environment sustainability development that can be affected from the green marketing concepts in the hospitality industry that is hotel. Green Marketing The green awareness began in between of the 1960s and early 1970s with increasing concern about the negative impact of consumption pattern, impact of economic and population growth on the environment (Cohen, 2001).The first definition of green marketing was according to Henion (1976); the implementation of marketing programmes directed at the environmentally conscious market segment (Banerjee, 1999, p.18). Green marketing practices generally promoted as the genuine concern for the nature of inputs as well as outputs waste reduction and the impact of these upon the environment and society as a whole both in present future conditions (Walker and Hanson, 1998). In a sample way to say, green marketing is the strategy for hotel to turn themselves become green hotel and to achieve environmental sustainability development. According to the American Marketing Association, green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising. Refers on that statement, green marketing is a new marketing method driven by environmental sustainability. The sustainable development of environment is that modern consumers understand the deterioration of the environment has to their way of life and quality as a certain effect, the requirements of the process of production and sales of all enterprises minimal impact on the environment. The so-called green marketing refers to the enterprises to adapt to the trend of green consumption, from the protection of the environment against pollution and full use of resources point of view, through the development of products, the use of natural, turning waste into wealth an d other measures, to meet consumer demand for green, enterprise marketing goals. The green marketing has evolved over a period of time. According to Peattie (2001), the evolution of green marketing has three chapters. First chapter was termed as Ecological green marketing, and during this period all marketing activities were concerned to help environment problems and provide remedies for environmental problems. Second chapter was Environmental green marketing and the focus shifted on clean technology that involved designing of innovative new products, which take care of pollution and waste issues. Third chapter was Sustainable green marketing. It came into prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000. As resources are limited and human wants are unlimited, it is important for the marketers to utilize the resources efficiently without waste as well as to achieve the organizations objective. So green marketing cannot be avoided. Main Elements of Green Marketing Mix When hospitality industries start to do with eco-friendly, actually they try to access the new markets with the green marketing. Green marketing has 4 elements, the element called by green marketing mix. Marketing mix is adapted from conventional marketing, but nowadays hotel also adapts this marketing mix to hospitality industry. The concept of green marketing mix was introduced by Bradley (Bradley, 2007). Green marketing mix is about product or services that environmental friendly. These green marketing mixes are green product, green place, green price, and green promotion. Element of Green Marketing Mix (Al-Bakry, 2007): The green products: Green products are products that respond to environment needs and requirements. As the customers needs are necessary to improve and develop products, the customer needs in an environment more safe and healthy are also important and should be considered. The green pricing: The green pricing refers to the price specified in the light of companys policies with regard to environmental consideration imposed by rules and company instructions or its initiatives in this regard. The green distribution: This is related to distribution gates use that deal with green products, which are appropriate for consumers, in terms of facilitating their delivery, and to secure cycling procedures conducting within environmental conditions and requirements. The green promotion: This refers to providing real information about the products in a way that does not hurt the materialistic and moral consumers interests. Green Products The guest room is the main body of the hotel, is also the main products provided by the hotel to the guests. This requires the hotel from initial to final product design provide involved environmental behavior must accord with environmental protection requirement (Xiong, 2011) In addition, the hotel restaurant also provides and promoting the green food, the product must meet the physical quality and health standards green, product packaging, storage and transportation must according with standard of green food packaging storage. Production of green products has become a part of the hotels purpose. Many hotel rooms putting in such a card, for example If you do not need to replace the bed sheets, please put the card on the pillow, most of foreign guest who living more than one days will do the information cards about changing bed sheet. For the local guest mostly they are not really know about. Two reasons why they didnt do that are forget to place the card and as they know bed sheets should be change every day. These guests may think that I paid, no matter how many days I live, every item should be changed daily, many people asked that hotel implied green concept for save money. A hotel manager expressed, green marketing objective might be saving money, but this is not the main purpose. We just want to reduce waste, so the limited resources can play a greater role. Some replacement in the room is not necessary, such as towels and bed sheets, because if the guest use in one day only is not dirty. Green Promotion Hotel industries should focus on green cultural awareness training, to shape the cultural environment of green marketing. The promotions that related to green are the things when hotel promote about their hotel use the friendly materials and recycle materials. With the green promotion, hotel still need to stabilize the quality of product and service to attract the customers interest for continue the green promotion concept. Green promotion strengthens company image. (Chan, 2001), we included I plan to switch to products and services that were advertised as being green. Green promotions in hospitality industry also can take along about promotion to the guest, such as a voucher for laundry or food and beverages in the hotel. It means that customers no need to think about having a food outside the hotel. It can saves energy and reduce the gas pollution for the transportation. Green promotion is to pass the green guidelines for media promotion of green consumption, inspiring guide to consumer demand for green, and finally with buying behavior (Anon, 2007). Three aspects of green promotion are green advertisement and green promotion itself. Green advertising need to have green function positioning through the advertisement product to guide the consumers understand with the environmental friendly product. The green advertising should have a green atmosphere and appeals to stimulate the consumers desire to buy. Green promoting have purpose to increase public awareness of green, green corporate image building, green marketing to build a broad social base, to promote the development of green marketing industry. Green Price In general, the input of green products on the market, production costs will be higher than similar conventional products, because the cost of green products in accrued expenses on environmentally friendly products. The use of new green materials can increase the cost of resources. Hence, green goods have higher initial out-of-pocket expenses but lower long-term costs (Rubik Frankl, 2005). In other way, price increases will be temporary, with the development of science and technology and the increasing variety of environmental protection measures, the cost of production of green products will gradually decrease, and tend to be stable. At this time, the green product will be having a higher price, but it also benefits for the long term costs and productivity. In hotel industry, they will take the price higher than the normal products, but it will be make benefits for the customers in the every aspects. The price is market sensitive pricing is an important marketing strategy; the implementation of green marketing cannot fail to study the formulation of the price of green products. In general, the input of green products in the market, production costs will be higher than similar conventional products, because the cost of green products in the accrued cost of the product environmentally friendly, including the following aspects: In product development, because of increased or improve environmental protection function and pay for the development of the funds. In the manufacturing, due to the development of the environment and human non-polluting, non-injury increased the cost of the process. The use of new green materials and accessories may increase the cost of resources. Management costs may increase due to the implementation of green marketing and selling expenses. However, the price rise will be temporary, with the scientific and technological development and the improvement of various environmental protection measures, the manufacturing cost of green products will be gradually decreased, and tended to stabilize. To develop green products, prices, on the one hand, of course, should take into account the above factors, on the other hand should be noted that the income increase peoples awareness of environmental protection, consumer economic concept of an acceptable price consumer goods and consumption gradually The concept of phase coordination. Therefore, corporate marketing green products not only make the profitability of the business to better advantage in the peer competition Green Place Environmentally responsible or green marketing refers to the satisfaction of consumer needs, wants, and desires in conjunction with the preservation and conservation of the natural environment. Based on the location, green marketing can be applied. For this marketing mix, place or location is very affect the environment sustainable development. It depends how the hotels building with the environment because many hotel have not build the environmental awareness and damages the environment surrounding the area. The best place for the hotel for going green, they need to consider the environment. It is can damages the environment or disturbed their ecosystem of the place or not. Ecosystem in one area is very important for the whole place, because one of the ecosystem damages or broken it will affect or disturbing another ecosystem in surrounding area. For building the hotel needs to be in the green design with the environment friendly products and have a proper placement for their product, so it can help the environment by giving a fresh air pollutant. Hotels also need the proper location, so it will not need many transports that can cause air pollutant. Hotel that will implement a green components in their hotel must be consider when choosing a place for develop their hotel. Hotel must be in the strategy place or area to reach from another place. It can decrease a using a transportation that is the number one that caused of air pollutant. Green place is about managing logistics to cut down on transportation emissions, thereby in effect aiming at reducing the carbon footprint. The choice of where and when is to make a product available will have significant impact on the customer. Some other Elements To build a green hotel culture and to establish the ecological values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹of the hotel independent positive premise of the implementation of green management. Hotel green culture is not only reflected in the various aspects of green management, but also to its inherent cultural force reacts to the various aspects of green management. To achieve a green hotel culture, we must ensure that the interests of the hotel staff to reach a balance. It will make the interests of the hotel and customer satisfaction to reach an agreement. For the hotel to continue and promote green management concepts and ecological values for staff is to encourage the environmental behavior of employees, increase green investment in management, thus forming the green culture of the hotel. Walk the road of eco-development; cultivate a green culture to rely on sustained advocacy to instill education and other activities. Thus making the hotel a green culture to penetrate into all the activities of the hotel, and has become a powerful driving force to promote the sustainable development of the hotel. Provide green services, hotels in green products while also vigorously promoting green services on the one hand actively promoting green products. Such as food service recommended green food and beverages to the guests, so when the guest ordering is affordable, reasonable nutrition, resources are not wasted. On the other hand, actively carry out a green consulting service activities, and vigorously promote conducive to conserving resources, protecting the environment, consumption pattern, a healthy and civilized lifestyle, motivate consumers to conscious energy-saving, water conservation, and to engage in waste separation and recovery that. In 1993, China began to implement environment mark plan, but the environment mark plan have not yet received most of public and government attention. At that time, some developed countries already apply the environmental marking system for the background of economic globalization. Environment mark becomes open international market green keys. As consumers, green consumption concept of recognition and the tendency of national policy, green products will be occupy a lot of investment in market segment. Environmental  labeling  is not only a means to influence the companys  consumer buying behavior should also be used  as a measure of  marketing,  but  many hotels  are often ignored by consumers of green  consumer psychology and  paying  enough attention. Hotel  marketing  tool is not the introduction of a green  way of thinking. Because many  of the  hotels  we  have not  build  environmental awareness  and thus  the  marketing tools  are still  limited. For example,  some hotels  are not  interested in the welfare  of society,  but the  pursuit of star effect that can spend billions of dollars. Some of the hotel attracts  customers  to  use a vulgar things causing spiritual pollution in market competition, not in quality. Benefits of Green Marketing (Going Green) Having an effective green marketing makes a lot of benefits for the hospitality industry. With the green marketing, it will help a lot in the protecting and maintaining the environment that nowadays the damages are increasing and become one of the important problems to help the environment. Nowadays, hotel starts to make a green concept in every part of their operation. As the hotel which is one of the big industries in the world, hotel needs to consider about green marketing and take the benefits from this. The benefits of going green in the green marketing not only effects for the environment itself, but it also affect the employee and customer. There are so many reasons why hotels want to apply this green marketing, and most of all its because the hotel industry wants to be viewed positively by the consumers. Green marketing also refers to the satisfaction of consumer wants, needs, and satisfaction with the conservation of natural environment. The most important things to applying the green marketing are protecting this living space, because the damages are too big. In this, we need to save the environment with using less for water consumption, energy consumption and reduce the air pollutant. These are all the benefits for the environment and protect for the future generation for this living space. The concept of green marketing can makes a new concept of consumers in hospitality industry, because of with the new concept of the friendly environment it will be make a differences. Consumers will feel the new thing about the new products that hotel gives. According to Patrick Hartmann and Vanessa Ibanez, if the brand considered green, then consumer willing to pay more for that product (2006). The long term costs are one consideration why hotel need to do green marketing. Green goods have higher initial out-of-pocket expenses but lower long-term costs (Rubik Frankl, 2005). For the new changes in green marketing concept need to have a lot of costs for the product, promotion, and images, but as the time goes by

The Horror of War Exposed in Slaughterhouse Five :: Slaughterhouse-Five Essays

The Horror of War Exposed in Slaughterhouse Five When one begins to analyze a military novel it is important to first look at the historical context in which the book was written. On the nights of February 13-14 in 1944 the city of Dresden, Germany was subjected to one of the worst air attacks in the history of man. By the end of the bombing 135,000 to 250,000 people had been killed by the combined forces of the United States and the United Kingdom. Dresden was different then Berlin or many of the other military targets which were attacked during World War II because it was never fortified or used for strategic purposes and, therefore, was not considered a military target. Because of it's apparent safety, thousands of refugees from all over Europe converged on Dresden for protection (Klinkowitz 2-3). Dresden's neutrality was broken and the resulting attacks laid waste, what Vonnegut called, "the Florence of the Elbe." Kurt Vonnegut was a witness to this event and because of fate, had been spared. He wrote Slaughterhouse Five to answer the questi on that resounded through his head long after the bombs could no longer be heard. "Why me?"- a frequent question asked by survivors of war. Vonnegut was tormented by this question and through Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist in Slaughterhouse Five, he attempts to reconcile the guilt which one feels when one is randomly saved from death, while one's friends and loved ones perish. Billy Pilgrim's own life was spared, but was never able to live with himself knowing that so many others had died. The feelings of guilt which emerged from his having survived the bombing of Dresden and from Billy's fortunate escape from death under the shelter of the fifth Slaughterhouse haunted Billy through much of his life. Billy Pilgrim did not consider his survival a blessing, but a curse. A curse to be forced to live on with the guilt of survival. Billy Pilgrim faced such tremendous guilt, that he spent his entire life after Dresden trying to alleviate himself of it. His guilt is in many ways comparable to the guilt felt by the survivors of the Holocaust. Many Holocaust survivors had to face their own "Why me?" question. However, many Holocaust survivors w ere

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 6

Elena was using all her considerable talents at negotiation to calm Matt down, encouraging him to order a second and third Belgian waffle; smiling at him across the table. But it wasn't much good. Matt was moving as if he were driven to rush, while at the same time he couldn't take his eyes off her. He's still imagining Damon swooping down and terrorizing some young girl, Elena thought helplessly. Damon wasn't there when they stepped out of the coffee shop. Elena saw the frown between Matt's eyebrows begin and had a brainstorm. â€Å"Why don't we take the Jag to a used-car dealership? If we're going to give up the Jaguar, I want your advice on what we get in return.† â€Å"Yeah, my advice on beat-up, falling-apart heaps has got to be the best,† Matt said, with a wry smile that said he knew Elena was managing him, but he didn't mind. The single car dealership in the town didn't look very promising. But even it was not as depressed-looking as the owner of the lot. Elena and Matt found him asleep inside a small office building with dirty windows. Matt tapped gently on the smudged window and eventually the man started, jerked up in his chair, and angrily waved them away. But Matt tapped again on the window when the man began to put his head down once more, and this time the man sat up very slowly, gave them a look of bitter despair, and came to the door. â€Å"What do you want?† he demanded. â€Å"A trade-in,† Matt said loudly before Elena could say it softly. â€Å"You teenagers have a car to trade,† the little man said darkly. â€Å"In all my twenty years owning this place – â€Å" â€Å"Look.† Matt stepped back to reveal the brilliant red Jag shining in the morning sun like a giant rose on wheels. â€Å"A brand-new Jaguar XZR. Zero to sixty in 3.7 seconds! A 550-horsepower supercharged AJ-V8 GEN III R engine with 6-speed ZF automatic transmission! Adaptive Dynamics and Active Differential for exceptional traction and handling! There is no car like the XZR!† Matt finished nose to nose with the little man, whose mouth had slowly come open as his eyes flickered between the car and the boy. â€Å"You want to trade that in for something on this lot?† he said, shocked into frank disbelief. â€Å"As if I'd have the cash to – waitaminute!† he interrupted himself. His eyes stopped flickering and became the eyes of a poker player. His shoulders came up, but his head didn't, giving him the appearance of a vulture. â€Å"Don't want it,† he said flatly and made as if to go back into the office. â€Å"What do you mean you don't want it? You were drooling over it a minute ago!† Matt shouted, but the man had stopped wincing. His expression didn't change. I should have done the talking, Elena thought. I wouldn't have gotten into a war from word one – but it's too late now. She tried to shut out the male voices and looked at the dilapidated cars on the lot, each with its own dusty little sign tucked into the windshield: 10 PERCENT OFF FOR XMAS! EASY CREDIT! CLEAN! GRANNY-OWNED SPECIAL! NO DOWN-PAYMENT! CHECK IT OUT! She was afraid she was going to burst into tears at any second. â€Å"No call for a car like that around here,† the owner was saying expressionlessly. â€Å"Who'd buy it?† â€Å"You're crazy! This car will bring customers flocking in. It's – it's advertising! Better than that purple hippo over there.† â€Å"Not a hippo. S'an elephant.† â€Å"Who can tell, with it half deflated like that?† With dignity, the owner stalked over to look at the Jag. â€Å"Not brand-new. S'got too many miles on it.† â€Å"It was bought only two weeks ago.† â€Å"So? In a few more weeks, Jaguar will be advertising next year's cars.† The owner waved a hand at Elena's giant rose of a vehicle. â€Å"Obsolete.† â€Å"Obsolete!† â€Å"Yeah. Big car like this, gas guzzler – â€Å" â€Å"It's more energy efficient than a hybrid – !† â€Å"You think people know that? They see it – â€Å" â€Å"Look, I could take this car anywhere else – â€Å" â€Å"Then take it. On my lot, here and now, that car is barely worth one car in exchange!† â€Å"Two cars.† The new voice came from directly behind Matt and Elena, but the car dealer's eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost. Elena turned and met Damon's unfathomable black gaze. He had his Ray-Bans hooked over his T-shirt and was standing with his hands behind his back. He was looking hard at the car dealer. A few moments passed, and then†¦ â€Å"The†¦silver Prius in the back right corner. Under†¦under the awning,† the car dealer said slowly, and with a dazed expression – in answer to no question that had been asked aloud. â€Å"I'll†¦take you there,† he added in a voice to match his expression. â€Å"Take the keys with you. Let the boy test-drive it,† Damon ordered, and the owner fumbled to show a key ring at his belt, and then walked slowly away, staring at nothing. Elena turned to Damon. â€Å"One guess. You asked him which was the best car on his lot.† â€Å"Substitute ‘least disgusting' and you'd be closer,† Damon said. He flashed a brilliant smile at her for a tenth of a second, and then turned it off. â€Å"But, Damon, why two cars? I know it's more fair and all, but what are we going to do with the second car?† â€Å"Caravan,† Damon said. â€Å"Oh, no.† But even Elena could see the benefits of this – at least after they held a summit to decide on a rotation schedule between the cars for Elena. She sighed. â€Å"Well – if Matt agrees†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Mutt will agree,† Damon said, looking very briefly – very briefly – as innocent as an angel. â€Å"What have you got behind your back?† Elena said, deciding not to pursue the question of what Damon intended to do to Matt. Damon smiled again, but this time it was an odd smile, just a quirk of one side of his mouth. His eyes said it was nothing much. But his right hand came out and it was holding the most beautiful rose Elena had ever seen in her life. It was the deepest red rose she had ever seen, yet there wasn't a hint of purple to it – it was just velvety burgundy, and open at exactly the moment of full bloom. It looked as if it would be plush to the touch, and its vivid green stem, with just a few delicate leaves here and there, was at least eighteen inches long and straight as a ruler. Elena resolutely put her own hands behind her back. Damon wasn't the sentimental type – even when he got on his â€Å"Princess of the Night† soapbox. The rose probably had something to do with their journey. â€Å"Don't you like it?† Damon said. Elena might be imagining it, but it almost sounded as if he were disappointed. â€Å"Of course I like it. What's it for?† Damon settled back. â€Å"It's for you, Princess,† he said, looking hurt. â€Å"Don't worry; I didn't steal it.† No – he wouldn't have stolen it. Elena knew exactly how he would have gotten the rose†¦but it was so pretty†¦. As she still made no move to take the rose, Damon lifted it and allowed the cool, silky-feeling petals to caress her cheek. It made her shiver. â€Å"Stop it, Damon,† she murmured, but she didn't seem to be able to step backward. He didn't stop. He used the cool, softly rustling petals to outline the other side of her face. Elena took a deep breath automatically, but what she smelled was not flowerlike at all. It was the smell of some dark, dark wine, something ancient and fragrant that had once made her drunk immediately. Drunk on Black Magic and on her own heady excitement†¦just to be with Damon. But that wasn't the real me, a small voice in her head protested. I love Stefan. Damon†¦I want†¦I want to†¦ â€Å"Do you want to know why I got this particular rose?† Damon was saying softly, his voice blending in with her memories. â€Å"I got it because of its name. It's a Black Magic rose.† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said simply. She'd known that before he said it. It was the only name that fit. Now Damon was giving her a rose kiss by swirling the blossom in a circle on her cheek and then applying pressure. The firmer petals in the middle pressed into her skin, while the outer petals just brushed it. Elena was feeling distinctly light-headed. The day was warm and humid already; how could the rose feel so cool? Now the outermost petals had moved to trace her lips, and she wanted to say no, but somehow the word wouldn't come. It was as if she had been transported back in time, back to the days when Damon had first appeared to her, had first claimed her for his own. When she had almost let him kiss her before she knew his name†¦. He hadn't changed his ideas since then. Vaguely, Elena remembered thinking something like that before. Damon changed other people while remaining unchanged himself. But I've changed, Elena thought, and suddenly there was quicksand under her feet. I've changed so much since then. Enough to see things in Damon I'd never imagined could be there. Not just the wild and angry dark parts, but the gentle parts. The honor and decency that were trapped like veins of gold inside that stone boulder in his mind. I have to help him, Elena thought. Somehow, I have to help him – and the little boy chained outside the boulder. These thoughts had trickled slowly through her mind while it seemed separated from her body. She was so involved with them, in fact, that she somehow lost track of her body, and only now did she realize how much closer Damon had gotten. Her back was against one of the sad, sagging cars. And Damon was speaking lightly, but with an undertone of seriousness. â€Å"A rose for a kiss, then?† he asked. â€Å"It is called Black Magic, and I did come by it honestly. Her name was†¦it was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon stopped, and for a moment a look of intense bewilderment flashed across his face. Then he smiled, but it was the warrior's smile, the brilliant one he turned on and off almost before you were sure you had seen it. Elena sensed trouble. Sure, Damon still didn't remember Matt's name correctly, but she had never known him to forget a girl's name when he was really trying to remember. Especially within minutes of when he must have fed from that girl. Shinichi again? Elena wondered. Was he still taking Damon's memories – only the highlights, of course? The thrills, good or bad? Elena knew that Damon himself was thinking the same thing. His black eyes were smoldering. Damon was furious – but there was a certain vulnerability about his fury. Without thinking, Elena put her hands on Damon's forearms. She ignored the rose, even as he traced the curve of her cheekbone with it. She tried to speak steadily. â€Å"Damon, what are we going to do?† That was the scene that Matt walked in on. Ran in on, actually. He came weaving through a maze of cars, and dashed around a white SUV with one flat tire, shouting, â€Å"Hey, you guys, that Prius is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then he stopped dead. Elena knew what he was seeing: Damon caressing her with the rose, while she was practically embracing him. She let go of Damon's arms, but she couldn't back away from him because of the car behind her. â€Å"Matt – † Elena began, and then her voice trailed off. She had been about to say â€Å"This isn't what it looks like. We're not in the middle of a cuddle. I'm not really touching him.† But this was what it looked like. She cared about Damon; she had been trying to get through to him†¦. With a small shock, that thought repeated itself with the force of a shaft of sunlight shooting through an unprotected vampire's body. She cared about Damon. She really did. It was usually difficult being with him because they were alike in so many ways. Headstrong, each wanting their own way, passionate, impatient†¦ She and Damon were alike. Small shocks were going though Elena, and her entire body felt weak. She found herself glad to lean against the car behind her, even though it must be getting dust all over her clothes. I love Stefan, she thought almost hysterically. He's the only one I love. But I need Damon to get to him. And Damon may be falling to pieces in front of me. She was looking at Matt all the while, her eyes full of tears that would not fall. She blinked, but they stubbornly stayed on her lashes. â€Å"Matt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered. He said nothing. He didn't need to. It was all in his expression: astonishment turning to something Elena had never seen before, not when he was looking at her. It was a sort of alienation that shut her out completely, that severed any bonds between them. â€Å"Matt, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But it came out in a whisper. And then, to her astonishment, Damon spoke. â€Å"You do know it's all me, don't you? You can hardly blame a girl for trying to defend herself.† Elena looked at her hands, which were shaking now. Damon was going on, â€Å"You know it's all my fault. Elena would never – â€Å" That was when Elena realized. Damon was Influencing Matt. â€Å"No!† She took Damon off guard, grabbing him again, shaking him. â€Å"Don't do it! Not to Matt!† The black eyes that were turned on hers were definitely not those of a suitor. Damon had been interrupted in the use of his Power. If it had been anyone else, they would have ended as a small spot of grease on the ground. â€Å"I'm saving you,† Damon said coldly. â€Å"Are you refusing me?† Elena found herself wavering. Maybe, if it was only once, and only for Matt's benefit†¦ Something surged up inside her. It was all she could do not to let her aura escape completely. â€Å"Never try that on me again,† Elena said. Her voice was quiet but icy. â€Å"Don't you dare ever try to Influence me! And leave Matt alone!† Something like approval flickered in the endless darkness of Damon's gaze. It was gone before she could be sure she'd seen it. But when he spoke, he seemed less distant. â€Å"All right,† he said to Matt. â€Å"What's the game plan now? You name it.† Matt answered slowly, not looking at either of them. He was flushed but deadly calm. â€Å"I was going to say, that Prius isn't bad at all. And the dealer guy has another one. It's in okay condition. We could have two cars just alike.† â€Å"And then we could caravan and split up if someone was following us! They won't know which to follow.† Normally Elena would have thrown her arms around Matt at this point. But Matt was looking at his shoes, which was probably just as well really, since Damon had his eyes shut and was shaking his head slightly as if he couldn't believe something idiotic. That's right, Elena thought. It's my aura – or Damon's – that they're homing in on. We can't confuse them with identical cars unless we have identical auras, too. Which really meant that she should drive with Matt the whole way. But Damon would never accept that. And she needed Damon to get to her beloved, her one and only, her true mate: Stefan. â€Å"I'll take the ratty one,† Matt was saying, arranging it with Damon and ignoring her. â€Å"I'm used to ratty cars. I already arranged a deal with the guy. We should get going.† Still speaking only to Damon, he said, â€Å"You'll have to tell me where we're really going. We might get separated.† Damon was silent for a long moment. Then, brusquely, he said, â€Å"Sedona, Arizona, for a start.† Matt looked disgusted. â€Å"That place full of New Age lunatics? You're kidding.† â€Å"I said we'll start out from Sedona. It's complete wilderness – nothing but rock – all around it. You could get lost†¦very easily.† Damon flashed the brilliant smile and instantly turned it off. â€Å"We'll be at the Juniper Resort, off North Highway 89A,† he added smoothly. â€Å"I've got it,† Matt said. Elena could see no emotion in either his face or his expression, but his aura was seething red. â€Å"Now, Matt,† Elena began, â€Å"we should really meet every night, so if you just follow us – † She broke off with a sharply inhaled breath. Matt had already turned around. He didn't turn back when she spoke. He just kept going, without another word. Without a backward glance.

Determinants and Consequences of Early Marriage in Java Essay

This study analyzes the determinants and patterns of early marriage and explores its consequences on marital dissolution, work status and occupation, migration, and contraceptive use in Java, Indonesia. Data from the 1991 Demographic and Health Survey are obtained on 5816 ever married women, 15-49 years old, living on Java. Early marriage occurs among women before age 20. Subjects are grouped as residing in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Jogyakarta, and Surabaya; residing in townships and other urban areas; and residing in rural areas. Findings indicate that 70% of ever married women in Java married early. Almost 80% of women who were reared in villages married early. 81.2% who still live in rural areas married early. 20% had no formal education. 74% of Muslim women married early. 79% without work before marriage married early. Dissolution was more common among women living in rural areas. 31% of women in rural areas, 20% living in big cities, and 23% living in towns were no longer in their first marriages. Women who married early were 3 times more likely to experience dissolution than women who married later. The percentage of women whose first marriages ended was highest among women who were married the longest. The effect of marriage age on current working status and the pattern of working status between early and late marriage were not significant. 80% had ever used contraception. Women who married late were more mobile and were more likely to have a higher occupational status. Logistic findings indicate that women’s education, work status before marriage, husband’s education, and current residence were significant predictors of early marriage. Education was the strongest predictor. The probability of dissolution was highest among uneducated, early married, Muslim women living in big cities. The lowest probability was among later married women, living in small cities, and with a tertiary level of education.