Food and Agriculture in Panama Essays -- Panama Farming Agricultural E

Food and Agriculture in Panama Agriculture is big business in Panama. Not only does it account for much of the country's exports (over 50%), but subsistence farming still employs many Panamanians who only grow enough food to feed their families (nationalencyclopedia.com). The main crop in Panama is bananas by a large margin, and is also one of the countries largest exports. Besides bananas, the other main exports are sugar and coffee beans, while the largest domestic crops are corn, rice, cocoanuts, tobacco and the exotic root vegetable yucca (Bennett 78). In spite of the fact that agriculture employs a large portion of the population and uses approximately half of the land, agriculture in Panama is in trouble. Panama’s tropical maritime climate poses some restrictions to the growth of crops, but the troubling issue at hand is the erosion of soils. As Panama’s population grows rapidly and the rainforest is cleared, overuse of soils and improper agricultural methods are threatening t he growth of crops and draining Panamanian soils. As much of Panama’s political history and current economy is tied to agriculture, this is an issue that will raise many questions for the future of Panama. Bananas have a long history in Panama. Bananas are grown best in humid lowland regions, and in Panama, this means on the Atlantic side of the country (Bennett 70). Production does, however, extend to the Pacific side of Panama with successful irrigation methods (Bennett 71). United Fruit, an American company, moved into Panama in 1899, and owned as much as 70% of the Panamanian banana industry up until the 1970’s (country-studies.com). As bananas can count for as much as 33% of Panama’s total exports, very li... ...e and thus crop yields are declining (Croat 465). To avoid an agricultural crisis, sustainable agricultural practices must be developed and implemented in Panama. Works Cited Bennet, H. (1926). Agriculture in Central America. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 16, No.2. pp. 63-84. http://www.country-studies.com/. Agriculture. Retrieved 11/27/07 from www.country-studies.com/panama/agriculture.html. Croat, T. (1972). The Role of Overpopulation and Agricultural Methods in the Destruction of Tropical Ecosystems. Bioscience, Vol.22, No. 8. pp. 465-467. http://www.frommers.com/. Food and Drink. Retrieved 11/27/07 from www.frommers.com/destination/panama/3285020880.html. www.nationsencyclopedia.com . Panama Agriculture. Retrieved 11/27/07 from www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Panama-AGRICULTURE.html.

Animal Testing: Helps Both Humans and Other Animals

Animal Testing People argue that animal testing kills to many animals. 20 million animals are used for animal testing each year. 90 percent of them are rodents such as rats and mice. If indeed the animals are killed its most likely to be a rodent. people try to kill and get rid of rodents just for the sake of getting rid of them. People who are against animal testing say that pain is afflicted on the animals. Most all research projects do not even include pain towards the animal. If the research does include pain the pain would be alleviated with anesthetic drugs.It is very important that the animal is free of stress because if the animal felt pain the data would not be sufficient. Animal helps both humans and other animals. More than 15 million people have diabetes and an additional 600,000 people develop it every year. More than 1 million people in America require a daily dose of insulin. Dogs were crucial to the research that identified the cause of diabetes, which lead to the dev elopment of insulin. Dogs were also very important for the research and development of open-heart surgery, pacemakers, and heart transplants.The techniques discovered from animal testing have revolutionized the therapy for people who have severe heart disease. Vaccines are created for many animal sicknesses and viruses including Feline Leukemia and canine parvovirus. Not only medical products and procedures have been tested on animals. All make-up products are tested on animals before it go on the market. They are tested to make sure no irritation or rash is created wile using the product. Testing everyday products not only help keep buyers satisfied it may help them not die in the process of using the product.More satisfied buyers mean they will be more likely to buy more stuff which helps the economy. Heart diseases, diabetes, and animal viruses have been cured threw the process of animal testing. Almost everyone has been benefited from animal testing whether they know it or not. Testing on animals before humans is the right thing to do, so many lives have been saved from doing this ever since it has been started in the early 1900’s. we have to encourage others to vote towards animal testing so that there are less regulations. Animal testing is the best way to make sure products, medicines, and medical procedures are safe.

Anthropology-The Tuareg Group

The Tuareg are nomadic pastoralist people who initially inhabited the Saharan dessert in north of Africa. Presently they are mostly found in West and Northern African countries.Their settlement spreads in the countries; Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso. They no longer practice long distance nomadisim as they did before mainly because of the independence of the country. The Toureg group currently faces many problems due to different changes in environment, political and cultural issues that have forced them to change their way of living (Rodd, 1966).Problems and Threats facing the TuaregsThe Tuareg face threat of their culture being completely extinct. Tuareg are losing their culture as they interact and get assimilated into other cultures. The Tuareg way of life has been disrupted by political changes where their territories have been split and brought under different governance by different independent countries in North Africa. The Tuareg for example can no longer freel y practice nomadism or the long Trans – Saharan trade they used to practice before.They have to adhere to the rules and regulations set up by the different countries that occupy the territories that were once theirs (Ghoubeid, Prasse & Mohamed, 2003).Tuaregs can no longer use their way of governance that was characterised by an assembly of chiefs who made rules, solved problems and generally governed the community. They have to adhere to the modern forms of governance used by the country in which they live. The fact that they can no longer do things the way they used to threatens the survival of their culture.Competition for resources with other West and North African groups resulting into conflicts is a major problem facing the Tuareg. These conflicts are intense in the Sahel region which is a less arid savannah belt that has greener pastures and more water as compared to the other parts of the Sahara Dessert.The fact that they can no longer practice pastoralism and nomadism as it has been restricted by the independent countries has made their life so difficult that they have to look for alternative sources of income (Mortimore,  Ã‚   1972).Desertification is a threat to the Tuaregs. This activity which is enhanced by human activities such as logging of trees to meet the firewood and charcoal needs of individuals in the society has greatly affected the Tuaregs (Keenan, 1973).It has made pastures and water more scarce making the lives of these individuals hard. Constant occurrence of draughts and famines which usually leave the livestock of the Tuaregs dead is a threat as they depend most on livestock for their living (Ghoubeid, Prasse & Mohamed, 2003).The Tuaregs have had to take farming or try look for jobs in cities so as to earn some income that will enhance their survival.The independence of Mali and Niger has led to several uprisings that put the Touregs against the governmental officials in these countries. The Tuaregs have been fighting for th eir independence as the Mali and Niger regimes have been very repressive to them.This resulted to the Touregs moving towards urban centres and to other neighbouring countries where they became refugees. Return to their countries has always been met with hostility and violence which pushed the Turaegs into arming themselves against these oppressive regimes.The war between this group and the government military has resulted to loss of lives, destruction of property (in this case livestock for the Tuaregs) and left many wounded (Geels, 2006). The Turaegs who went back to their countries have been severally arrested by the police and put under constant surveillance. The two governments basically treat these individuals with a lot of discrimination.The Tuaregs also face the problem of being ignored by the international community. They never receive international aid and no one seems to be addressing their needs and plight. In 1992, the Tuaregs were declared the most threatened group in t he world as thousands had died as a result of desertification and repression yet no international aid had been availed to them. This was reported by the Humanitarian Organization Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res.

Mexican Peso Case Study Essay

1. Take a look at Mexico’s balance of payments over the past few years. Use the schedule I have attached to the case – it is in the same format as we used to examine the U. S. balance of payments. What do the trade and current account balances suggest about the likelihood of a potential devaluation of the peso? Why? a. It suggests that because Mexico is importing twice as much as they are exporting that there is a strong chance that the peso will lose value to counter the constant increase in imports. It is also important to point out that the exports in 1974 and 1975 are practically the same. The current account balance is negative 4 billion U. S. dollars which is 4 times larger than it was in 1972. All this leads me to believe that the peso needs to be devalued in order to raise the amount Mexico exports. 2. What does the private capital account suggest about the need for a devaluation of the peso? Why? a. The private capital account is a positive 3 billion which indicates that there are a lot more imports than exports suggesting that Mexico is either borrowing a larger portion of money or selling some of its assets. Consequently there is a need for the devaluation of the peso. 3. What does the private transactions balance suggest about the valuation of the peso and whether a very large devaluation was imminent? Why? a. By looking at the private transactions balance it suggest that there was not a dire need for a very large devaluation because it is a positive 172 million where as it has been no larger than 222 million and no smaller than 39 million. That is not to say that the peso did not need to be devaluated however. 4. Take a look at Exhibit 5 in the case – Mexico’s international reserves. What has happened to Mexico’s total foreign exchange reserves since 1970? How would you interpret this trend in terms of evaluating the strength or weakness of the peso in the foreign exchange market? Would you conclude that the peso was likely to be substantially devalued from this data? Why? a. With a gradual increase in Mexico’s total foreign exchange reserves since 1970 it looks like they were preparing for the devaluation of the peso for some time now. The increase in reserves is them trying to prevent or delay the devaluation. From just this data alone however I would not believe that the peso is at risk of being devaluated. 5. Take a look at Exhibit 7 and the forward discounts on the peso versus the dollar. On June 18, what did the market think the peso was likely to do over the next three months? On August 27, what did the market think the peso was likely to do versus the dollar over the next three months? Between June and August, what was the market saying about the magnitude and/or probability of a devaluation of the peso over the next three months? a. On June 18th it was believed that over a 3 month period that the peso would depreciate 20% vs. the U. S. dollar and on August 27th it was believed that the peso would only depreciate 9. 08% over the same time frame. During that time frame the market thought there was a less and less chance that the peso was going to get devaluated. 6. Look at the commercial bank lending rates to prime borrowers in Exhibit 8. Based on these nominal prime borrowing rates, would you expect the peso to appreciate or depreciate against the dollar and by how much? Why? a. If using the December 1975lending rates, the peso would depreciate against the dollar by 5. 9% because Mexico’s interest rate is nearly twice as high as the United States’. 7. What should be the PPP Mexican peso/U. S. dollar exchange rate based on price level changes in Mexico and the U. S. between 1954 and 1975. Given your calculation, is the Mexican peso reasonably valued at the new exchange rate of MP20. 5/U. S$? Briefly explain why. a. The PPP for the Mexican peso/U. S. dollar exchange rate should be MP13. 29/$ and I believe that the new exchange rate is too high, especially when compared to the 13. 29 PPP. Another reason to believe that it is not reasonable is that looking at exhibits 5 and 7 indicates that the peso may not have needed to be devaluated much at all considering the increase in Mexico’s reserves and the decrease in the forward discount from June to August. 8. Suppose the Mexican government had decided not to devalue the peso. What would have been some of the economic and financial policies it could have implemented to defend the currency? How would these policies affect employment and income levels in Mexico? a. Financial policies that could have been implemented would be to limit the number of imports and/or raise import taxes and loosen up their taxes on corporations to encourage new business in Mexico. It would raise employment while having a positive effect on income levels compared to if the peso was devaluated. 9. Please evaluate the future of the peso based on your answers to the above questions as well as the following information: (1) Oil production is likely to come on stream shortly and oil is priced in the world markets in dollars. (2) Foreign oil companies will be making substantial investments in Mexican oil fields. (3) The Mexican government will be able to control inflation. a. The future of the peso is going to look bright because they are increasing jobs by having companies invest in their oil fields. Although other countries will be making money so will Mexico. Since the dollar will be stronger than the peso, the money being made off oil would be equal to more pesos since it was devalued. This will increase exports and since they are able to control inflation it gives them greater control

Death is my best theme Essay

â€Å"Death is my best theme, don’t you think? † (Williams). Explore the varied uses Tennesse Williams makes of death and dieing in â€Å"A Streetcar Names Desire† Referring to â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†, I completely agree that death is Williams’ best theme, closely followed by sex. There are many references to death as well as imagery and symbolism. He also uses many varied points on death. The first major speech about death is when Blanche is talking about her losing Belle Reve – â€Å"Blanche: All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way! So big with it, it couldn’t be put in a coffin! † This is the first thing that Blanche says that has any power and real feeling behind it and the topic is death. This is showing that death is going to play a large part in the feeling in and behind the story. â€Å"Blanche: You just came home in time for the funerals, Stella. And funerals are pretty compared to deaths. Funerals are quiet, but deaths-not always. † Stella is being associated with the funerals and Blanche with the deaths. This is showing Stella being quiet and Blanche being louder and more highly strung as that is how she has described the difference in her speech. Although on the outside this speech made by Blanche may sound like she is just talking about the deaths of all her family members but it is also relating to the death of Belle Reve and how the two are connected – â€Å"Blanche: How in hell do you think all that sickness and dying was paid for? Death is expensive, Miss Stella! † She describes death in quite a lot of detail in this speech; it is showing that death is going to become an important topic in this play. A lot of the deaths seem to be because of the men and their gambling and this could be a view of Williams’. – â€Å"Blanche: Honey-that’s how it slipped through my fingers! Which of them left us a fortune? † In â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† a lot of the times when death is being discussed, sex seems to come into the conversation to. There is a strange relation between sex and death here. – â€Å"I let the place go? Where were you. In bed with your-Polak! † This is not the strongest reference to death and sex combined although it is a slight one. A much stronger one is Blanche’s speech about her late husband- â€Å"Blanche: Then I found out in the worst of all possible ways. By coming suddenly into a room that I though was empty-which wasn’t empty, but had two people in it†¦. † â€Å"Blanche: He’d stuck the revolver into his mouth, and fired-so that the back of his head had been-blown away! † Seeing her husband have sex with another man and then blow his head off within the time span of two hours causes a strange equation and connection between sex and death. The way he killed himself could also be perceived as a homosexual reference – sticking the gun in his mouth. â€Å"A vendor comes around the corner. She is a blind MEXICAN WOMAN in a dark shawl, carrying bunches of those gaudy tin flowers that lower class Mexicans display at funerals and other festive occasions. † Here, the woman carrying the funeral flowers is symbolising two things – Death and Blanche. It is ambiguous whether or not any of the other characters can see or are aware of the presence of the Mexican woman except from Blanche. Blanche’s thoughts seem to be provoked by the Mexican woman and it almost seems as if the Mexican woman is a representation of Blanche herself, and the Mexican woman is walking around celebrating death which shows the death within Blanche’s past and presence. â€Å"Mexican Woman: Corones para los muertos. Corones†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Blanche: Legacies! Huh†¦. And other things such as blood-stained pillow-slips† You can really see Blanche going mad in this scene as she is almost talking to herself rather than to Mitch and this symbolises the dying of Blanche’s mind. She also has fragmented speech patterns here and if talking about incoherent memories that only she can really understand. – â€Å"Blanche: -and on the way back they would all stagger on to my lawn and call-â€Å"Blanche! Blanche! † – The deaf old lady remaining suspected nothing. But sometimes I slipped outside to answer their calls†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Later the paddy-wagon would gather them up like daisies†¦. the long way home†¦. † Another view on death Tennesse Williams uses is the death of Belle Reve. Shown using Blanche and Stanley, there is a clash between two worlds and the Belle Reve world is dying communicated by Stanley taking power of Blanche and bringing her into their world and getting rid of her airs and graces. He breaks her and makes her realise that her old way of living is dead and that she has to enter the real world. â€Å"In A Streetcar Named Desire the conflict between two ways of life is concentrated within the battle between Blanche and Stanley. The old civilisation vested in Blanche is demonstrably decadent; her only means of survival in the modern world is to batten onto someone else and live off their emotional, physical and material resources, like a decorative fungus. † (Commentary). â€Å"Blanche: I will die – with my hand in the hand of some nice-looking ship’s doctor, a very young one with a small blond moustache and a big silver watch. † â€Å"Blanche: And I’ll be buried at sea sewn up in a clean white sack and dropped overboard-at noon-in the blaze of summer-and into an ocean as blue as (chimes again) my first lover’s eyes. † Blanche brings the equation of sex and death together again here as she is planning of dieing with a man by her side. This speech made by Blanche nearing the end of the play also has a slight reference to Othelia in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet†. Othelia died in water and that is what Blanche is dreaming about doing. – â€Å"Queen: One woe doth tread upon another’s heel, So fast they follow. Your sister’s drown’d, Laertes. Laer: Drown’d? O, where? † (Hamlet). In conclusion Tennesse Williams uses a lot of different views on death, the connection between sex, the death of other things except people like the death of Belle Reve and Blanche’s mind, and the death of people who happen to all be someone in Blanche’s Past. Williams uses different angles to express the theme of death, symbolism of the death of Belle Reve, the Mexican woman symbolising the death of Blanche’s mind, and the outward talking of real death of people. This makes it an important topic as it depicted in so many ways. Death is defiantly in the running for Tennesse Williams’ best theme in â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire†.

American History - 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

American History - 9 - Essay Example fact that this extra labor was a necessity and had to be provided from somewhere; hence, it was logical to turn to women in order to accomplish this task. Although there exist many images within the mind of the American history student with regards to the level and effect of this mobilization, one thing that should be carefully noted the fact that many of the jobs that have been typified and stereotyped with regards to women like Nancy the Riveter and others were more or less rare. Rather than such situations being the norm they were the exception. However, such a fact does not seek to delegitimize the fact that women participated heavily in sectors of production and the economy that they previously had not. This led to many things both before during and after the war’s conclusion. One of these was the fact that for the first time in American history women were able to actively pursue work outside the home as a means of both developing their horizons and pursuing a career. Although the topic of wartime propaganda has often been discussed in history courses and in society as a function of how governments seek to establish the idea of the â€Å"enemy† in the minds of their populace, the way in which segment 24-7 brought home the realization that the wartime machine actively sought to portray the Japanese (and to a lesser extent the Germans) as subhuman rapists and animals was especially striking. As such, equally captivating was the fact that topics as unrelated as venereal disease could be related somehow to the Axis Powers. In this way the populace can quickly form a strong and lasting link between every negative aspect of the current world and seek to attribute this in some way to â€Å"the enemy†. Although a great deal of academic ink has been expended in seeking to understand how Nazi Germany performed a similar effect within its own populace with relation to seeking to ascribe all of society’s ills upon the Jewish populations of Europe, fairly little

Kansas city History museum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Kansas city History museum - Research Paper Example what was formerly the Conservatory, the Carriage House where the previous owner’s daughter Loula Long Combs displayed her trophies from being a famous equestrienne, and the Corinthian Hall, which is a four-story residence housing seventy rooms. At present, both the Carriage House and Corinthian Hall are closed to the public for renovation (Leathem nd Smith 8). Still, even if there are active renovations going on, the site is still open daily to accept visitors. Visitors need only go to the Museum Visitor Center so the museum can provide guides for visitors who are knowledgeable in the history of Kansas City and the family background of the previous owners of the land. At the StoryTarium, there is frequent showing of films with historical value, like Bad Blood, which is a classic pre-Civil war film.  Around the museum property, there are colorful informational sections showing the expected outcome of the renovations being done at the Carriage House and the Corinthian Hall. There are regular picnickers who frequent the place to stay at the open areas and just enjoy the sight of Kansas City’s cityscape. The long’s residence was completed in 1910 and the family lived there for 24 years. Robert Long’s two daughters were already married and living in separate homes, while his wife died in 1928. When Robert Long passed away in 1934, a two-day auction was held. After that, nobody occupied the house until five years later when the Kansas City Museum Association formed the museum in 1939 and held its grand opening in May 1940. Kansas City earned the property’s title in 1948, and in 1967, tax collection was established to fund the museum’s operations. In 1980, the property was listed under the National Register of Historic Places. The museum’s staff is comprised mostly of dedicated individual volunteers of the Musettes and the Women’s Division. They worked tirelessly in education, fundraising, exhibits, and collection development either on-site or within the