management & development of environment

What can be done to manage the environment to meet the needs of development?

In order to manage the environment and develop it, government can set certain laws or regulations for protecting environment from being polluted which could be applied to groups of organizations, companies and individuals.

Investment on environmental development study would lead to have better management for environment. Hiring scientists and supporting them to investigate and monitor the environmental issues and effects would allow preventing and developing the environment.

Implementation of any environmental preservation projects such as using recycling product, recycling water, safe disposal and educating citizens and create awareness of the environmental policies with building responsibility would help to develop the environment.

Tsunami the aftermath

Q1. What are the problems faced in reponding to the disaster?

There were few problems in responding to the disaster and one of the most stood out to point out was the cultural difference. In the movie, the cultural difference issue was the ways in dealing with the closure of victims’ lives. The local monks who are Thai were burning the dead bodies because they see the body as a vessel and believe that it will prevent the spread of diseases. While the westerners believe that the identification of dead bodies has to be proceeded and reported to family then buried.

Moreover, the accessibility of the location where met the disaster was not easy. If the location was much easier to access, the rescue must have been proceeded much faster, easier and better with fully activate the rescue operations. Because of the accessibility of the location issue, it limited to have better responding to the disaster. 

Lastly, other problem was the fact that some of worse cases could be easily ignored, even it is about valuable humans’ lives due to the extreme loss and desperate situation with insufficient aids, resources and support compare to how much it is needed and how many tasks had to be dealt with, such as identification of victims and to reunite the lost family members.

Q2. What lessons can be learned from the disaster?

After watching the movie called “Tsunami : the aftermath”, I learnt the importance of prevention of any possible disaster which includes general knowledge about geography of citizens and the geographic study of the world by geographers at the same time.

First of all, the natural disasters are the accidents that naturally happen which cannot be handled by human. Then in order to minimize the damage would be to prevent well enough. For instance, the government should come up with any emergency backup plans for citizens who may suffer from the possible disaster.

The prevention includes that being aware of any disasters which are basically about geography. This means that people being educated about disasters as well as geographers developing the discovery on the geographical issues are important in order to prevent the disaster and minimize the damages.

The Cove & South Park (Whale Wars)

Personally, when I watched the South Park video about Japanese whale wars, I felt that the video was exaggerating too much about Japanese as barbaric, inhuman and all Japanese are like how it was described in the video in order to deliver the message humorously and impressively. On the other hand, for the video called The Cove, since it was a documentary video with the live recorded and evidence, it spoke to me and came to me more realistically and seriously.

Talking about fact that the Japanese hunting for whales, I felt sympathy towards the whales and dolphins being killed by people and being eaten. Then I think that we should be feeling sympathy for whales and should protect them because they have feelings and can feel the pains like human.

However, if I be logical and honest about the fact that hunting whales and dolphins for eating without being emotional and feeling sympathy, somehow I do understand Japanese who hunts for whales or dolphins. This is because of the logic thought that I have it in mind that if we can kill pigs and cows to eat, why can’t we do that to whales and dolphins unless they are special species or endangered species. For the endangered species point, I should need to have more knowledge or information about that if whales and dolphins are the special species to be taken care of in order to give comment with more confidence.

Therefore, I do feel pity whales but I feel pity them as how I would pity other animals if I see them being killed. As another word, in my opinion, I do think it is the Japanese culture that we did not get used to it unless there are other serious side effects from killing whales.

Why do we study Geography?

Studying geography helps people to understand more about earth, the planet that we live in. It includes learning environment of the world, the relationship with human’s lives and the impacts and so on.

By studying geography, we can protect/prevent both earth and ourselves from any threatening happening or events that might cause from any geographic matter, make good uses out of the earth/world and make better decisions on any matters related to geography.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a Greek language meaning ‘good death’ which is now used in English. Euthanasia refers to a practice that a person allows or asks the experts to help them to end their lives in order to be free from suffering or pain. There are different arguments and opinions towards to the idea of practicing euthanasia. To some who fall for euthanasia, euthanasia is a positive and peaceful death so they believe that it has to be legal. However, opponent believes that it has to be illegal and it has to be banned from practicing. These both different arguments are raised because of the pros and cons of euthanasia which are people’s right to death and relieving pressure on other family members as reasons for supporting euthanasia while not proven peaceful death and preciousness of lives are the factors for being against euthanasia in practicing.

First of all, the most major factor that people advocate euthanasia is that the people’s right to make decision for their own lives and even their death. This means that they believe that making decision to end their lives is still their own choice like other individual human rights for any matters in their lives. This believes is now being more believed by people because individuals’ rights are more respected today as well as freedom of making choices. Therefore, since the person, him or herself, is the one who is physically and actually facing any pain or suffer and deciding their own lives, people who support euthanasia strongly believe that individuals have to make their own choice but no others including loved ones and even family.

The other reason why people support practicing euthanasia is because euthanasia helps other family members to be relieved from any pressure or burden. When there is a family member who is suffering from pain and unsure if he/she will be cured, most likely, other family members are responsible to take care of the person. In order to take care and support, it will need time, money, and effort and face heart breaking moments. Therefore, some say that if they know that there is no hope to be cured and it is just a matter of time, then it is logically a better choice to practice euthanasia for both who are suffering in pain and who are suffering from watching the loved ones to suffer and supporting at same time. This is because it will lift burden off from the rest supporting family members financially, timely, and emotionally.

On the other hand, the opponents who stand against euthanasia have number of reasons to support why euthanasia has to be banned: importance of life and euthanasia is not yet scientifically proven to be a peaceful death.

Society has changed dramatically and be more individual minded. However, the value of humans’ lives and respecting lives are still be prioritized by some. This means that no matter what people have to respect and be responsible to the given lives both their owns and others. Therefore, the opponents resist euthanasia due to the strong believe that practicing euthanasia is against respecting the given life and no one should be legally allowed to end someone’s life.

The second factor that supports the opponents is that euthanasia is not scientifically proven to assure if it is a peaceful death. As mentioned earlier, euthanasia refers to ‘good death’ and ‘peaceful death’, however there is no evidence or any scientifically proven that if it would really be how people think since there is no experienced hands who can tell or try out. Nobody knows for sure how it would really feel or to be during the process or after the process of euthanasia. Therefore, some believe that it may not be a peaceful death just because it was their choice and they were ready for it.

To conclude, the argument about euthanasia is continuing and it will be since there are countries where they have legalized the euthanasia which are Netherland and Luxembourg. Moreover, currently number of countries is considering legalizing the euthanasia and even if they haven’t legalized yet, they are slowly legalizing by starting to allow other kinds of euthanasia such as assisted suicide. The topic of euthanasia should be disputed sensitively and it will be since it is dealing with humans lives.

Conflict

Based on the encyclopedia, Wikipedia, conflict is an opposition of people, force or other entities. It says conflict has various types which are group conflict, emotional conflict, workplace conflict and more. As there are many types of conflict, there are number of causes of conflict. Conflict can be caused by different reasons which are having different expectation, disagreement and fighting over the same object.

Many people tend to have conflict with whom they are closed to, because of their expectation toward the others. This could means both that it is because of having different expectation or higher expectation which would likely end up having conflict with disappointment. As an instance, parents may have different expectation from their kids on kids’ future, education and any other matters. Parents may expect their children to do well in school and get high results in order to be successful in the future by having good education. However, children may believe that having more real experience and entering the industry wherever they want to work in as soon as possible are more beneficial and efficient for their future than studying. Then this different expectation would lead them to argue and have conflict.

Other than having different expectation, disagreement is another reason to cause conflict. Disagreement on opinions or facts could lead people to have conflict. When there are more than two people are taking in action or making decision together, conflict may arise easily due to the different ideas and beliefs of individuals. Individuals have different views, opinions and beliefs and these are mostly built and affected by their environment of childhood. Therefore, as an example, when more than two or two people are going for dinner, they might have different preference for food, place and cost. Some may want to have Japanese and others might prefer Chinese food. Then because of the different opinion due to different taste for food, it may raise conflict between them in making up their mind where to go. Some more, even if finally they all agreed to go to a restaurant, this may still leave emotional conflict among themselves.

Fighting over the same object would be one of the factors that cause conflict. In human’s life, competition cannot be missed. Whenever and wherever we are, we will somehow get to experience competition with others in order to accomplish what we want. When if more than one person is pursuing for one thing, there will be conflicts between them. This is due to the reality that only one person can achieve or get that what they want and they will fight for it to get it rather than let others to take it from themselves. Moreover, human beings are naturally born with greed. Even conflicts from fighting over an object can be arisen from competitive mind, but not only because they desire. For example, students fighting for top place in their class in exam would be fighting for something that they desire. However, if two guys were encouraged to fight over a girl because of competitive mind, the conflict would be most likely occurred because of their greedy.

According to the causes of conflict which were elaborated above, I believe that conflict can be more controlled by compromise and taking it easy. This is because the factors mentioned earlier were having different expectation and disagreement which could be solved by compromising and understanding each other. The last point which is fighting over same object could be overcome by compromising, but not much as expectation and disagreement.

Needs

According to the website, Wikipedia, the definition of “Needs” is something that is necessary for organisms to live a healthy life. Furthermore, in 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced hierarchy of needs which is called Maslow’s hierarchy which is now widely being used for any humanism studies: physiological needs, safety needs, love & belonging, esteem and self-actualization. Basically, no matter what kinds of organisms, the fundamental needs are nearly the same. However, even though the factors of the needs overlap with others, individuals will behave or make decisions differently from others based on how they prioritize the needs in their lives. It means that different perception towards the term “Needs” affect people’s behavior and decisions: physiological needs, emotion and self-esteem.

The most basic needs in organisms’ lives would be physiological needs. Physiological needs consists any physical needs in order to survive, which are water, air and food to satisfy physiologically and shelters and clothes for physical protection. This factor is the most important fundamental needs among all, because to achieve all the different needs such as self-esteem or emotional needs, we have to be physically healthy and have no problem in surviving. Therefore, everyone will take physiological matter as the main issue to achieve. This can be explained by looking at undeveloped country like Africa where people live without much of dreams, self-esteem and love but pursuing for foods to eat, water to satisfy their thirst and shelter for the day. Moreover, in recent disaster in Japan also tells that foods and shelter are basic needs for human’s life. After all the disaster which took victims’ houses and fortune and everything, Japanese government is trying their best to provide free shelter and foods for them to survive at least. This decision is also made based on which necessaries are the most in needed for them.

Everybody desires to be loved and cared, and that affection needs affect people’s behavior and decisions. People can’t live alone without feeling loved or a sense of belonging.  Including human, all creatures like to feel loved and how much they are important and mean to others. Therefore, people who believe that feeling loved and expressing to loved ones are important, they like to show how much they care about them and express how they are feeling towards them as well as how much they are important to them. At the same time, they want to hear the same from their loved ones and be treated the same way as the respond. Oppositely, some who do not believe in respecting others feeling then they tend to be disrespectful and hurt people. People who don’t feel important and left out may affected emotionally which may allow them to make bad decisions easily. This is because their behavior has affected negatively because they are sad or hurt emotionally.

When the basic needs are accomplished, people would still hope for more which are self-actualization and esteem in this case. Self-esteem is positioned on top in Maslow’s hierarchy. It means that is the most last needs for people and the least essential compare to physical needs and affection. In other words, self-esteem and self-actualization can be rephrased to self-respect, self-confidence and self-worth. It overall means that evaluate or appraise themselves highly or worth. Some mistaken self-actualization and self-esteem are most important and essential in their living. This could be commonly happen among the people who enjoys standard class or above standard living due to the fact that they would not have to bother worry about any basic needs in their lives. These people would not give up their self-esteem for any other basic needs, because they believe that self-confidence is more important. Even though, this could be easily seen in high standard living people, it can be seen in standard living style. Especially, nowadays, there are many people like young people who would give up families, friends, food, house and more to get something what makes them feel proud and more worth.

To conclude, as the elaboration above, the perception toward different levels of needs vary depend on individuals and it can affect their behaviors and decisions. Like it was mentioned earlier, if we do not prioritize needs properly according to what we really need rather than want, it could bring us a moment of happiness but long term of suffer. Therefore, whenever we get to make a decision or behave we should prioritize what we needs the most and be considerate in order to make right decision and behave.