The Importance of Reading Essay - 1130 Words

The Importance of Reading â€Å"Why do you read all the time?† A frequently asked question of my past and I still find it repeated even now as I have entered a higher class of the educated. Whenever posed with this blatant criticism of my preferred free time activity, I simply answer with â€Å"Why don’t you read all the time?† Of course I might sound like the biggest geek that ever walked the face of the earth, but the fact of the matter is that no matter what negative stereotype is attached to those who read, it has never stopped me from continuing to pursue my joy of literature. I am a firm believer in the power of a book and that the fact that the more well read you are the better chance you have of relating to entirely different groups of†¦show more content†¦Jane Austen is the main reason why I love to read and through her books I entered such a wonderful, long-dead, society of chivalry and protocol, where the characters feel so real and you only wish you could be Elizabet h Bennet falling for Mr. Darcy and becoming mistress of Pemberly. Not only is my love for British literature born from Shakespeare, but also from my love for history. I have been enamored with the past for as long as I can remember. History has shaped every aspect of our society today and is something to be reverenced and remembered. When I was nine years old my family moved from South Africa to the former Soviet Union, more specifically to a little country called Latvia. This might have been the best move to better ignite my passion for history as the country is ancient and so is its culture. I visited every ruin and castle I could in the four-year span I was there. And as a result my writing blossomed as my imagination and knowledge of the ancients expanded with the combination of my extensive reading. I remember when I was in fourth grade we had to write a short children’s book. At first the idea scared me and I had what I call baby writers block. I could not think of a good topic to write it on and for the first time in my young life I was at a loss for words and ideas. After communicating this to my teacher she simply gave me a look of â€Å" Well, what do you want me to do about it?† and went about herShow MoreRelatedReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading931 Words   |  4 Pagesthinking about all the things I could be doing besides reading. I understand the importance of reading, it helps me gain knowledge about the world, it opens my eyes to different perspectives, it improves my grades at school, it can be a topic of a conversation...the list goes on. I cannot find an adequate reason for not spending the time to do reading outside of the classroom, but for some reason, I have not been able to sit down and finish reading a book. I have tried to do so, but the unfinished booksRead MoreReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading903 Words   |  4 Pages Growing up with my parents, I found reading to be very fun but for religious purposes and newspaper about the incidents taking place in certain countries. Through my parents, reading started to seem like it can be beneficial if we want to know what is going on in the world and the rules and regulations of one’s religion. Although I was required to read many books for school, my parents reading habits made me feel as if I should copy them. My mom and dad would always read books or newspapers at aRead MoreImportance Of Reading1188 Words   |  5 Pages The Importance of Reading Growing up throughout the years it goes from teachers reading books to your class to books getting assigned to you to read independantly. Most of the books assigned would be so boring and pointless to read. Normally when I got assigned a book I would just read through it trying to comprehend some parts of it. I never tried to enjoy it or show an interest in the book. Reading to me was not something I ever enjoyed doing. I did not like reading for pleasure and for classRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading And Reading1045 Words   |  5 PagesReading is an activity we are constantly faced with from the moment we learn to do it basically, just like walking or sitting down. However, people learn to read in order to communicate, to express, and to project things that are hidden inside their own minds and they will not come out easily by just talking. One might need to think, deep enough, and find the words they were looking for. Afterward, it is up to the person to decide what to do with those words, of course, they want the words to beRead MoreReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading818 Words   |  4 Pages staring down at their laps. Me, on the other hand, would just sit there and stare at a wall, while humming to myself. I never understood why all of my classmates enjoyed reading books. Correction; I actually just did not understand what was wrong with me, and why I did not enjoy reading like all of the other kids did. Reading never sparked my interest due to many reasons, including; being distracted, being laughed at, and the books I was forced to read. I am perhaps the most easily distracted personRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading783 Words   |  4 PagesReading is a developmental process that must be nurtured—grades Pre-K through grade 3. In fact, according to research, by the end of the third grade, if students are still poor readers, he or she will most likely struggle to understand what is taught in later the grades—I can attest to this (Ramos Murphey, 2016). Growing up, reading has always been a challenge for me. Today, I consider myself to be a struggling reader. At times, I find myself saying the following: â€Å"I love words and to write; howeverRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading1193 Words   |  5 PagesI can’t lie, reading isn’t one of my favorite things to do, but reading is a way of life. As I get older i’m finally realizing why it was so important for me to learn how to read,being in high school has definitely been a challenge learning big word and also as you get older you are exposed to more and more bigger words. Reading is something I have not been the greatest in since I was a little kid,I remember being a 6th grader on a 4th grader reading level when we took star reading test. TakingRead MoreReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading Books1019 Words   |  5 Pagesreached high school. I think my desire faded away because I went from reading books of my choice for enjoyment, to reading books my teachers chose for a letter grade. The same experience happened with my passion for writing as well, I enjoyed telling stories when I was younger but when I got into high school and I had to start writing about the books I didn’t even want to read, the fun in it faded. I never really picked up reading for enjoyment again, however I do still enjoy the stories books haveRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading Essay816 Words   |  4 Pages Reading is not just a fun and great pastime, it is a great way to make your mind explore the great unknown, pus h boundaries and survey what surrounds you. According to Josep Dalmau, MD, PhD, he did a study on life-span cognitive activity, neuropathology burden, and cognitive aging which reading helps your brain activate. With other proven facts that reading does help the brain to stay sharp and can even go as far as to say it can prevent Alzheimer’s its no wonder that I fight for the knowledgeRead MoreThe Importance of Reading and Writing655 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Reading and Writing Reading and writing are both important; you can’t have one without the other. They are skills that are increased constantly due to little things that most times are not noticed. Whether it is from a book to a poem, there will always be a way that it helps out your school performance. Reading and writing in general only helps absorb information, and enhance leisure or school related writing tasks. It has also made life itself so much easier because reading

Criticality and Creativity Free Essays

Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs or goals. Individualism promote the exercise of one’s goals and desires thus one values independence and self reliance while opposing external interference upon one’s own interests by society and institutions such as the Government. Liberty is the ability of individuals to have control over their own actions. We will write a custom essay sample on Criticality and Creativity or any similar topic only for you Order Now John Stuart Mill a philosopher, on his article Liberty under the chapter of Individuality as One of the element well-being has made an imperative that that human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without reserve. This is of beneficial consequences to the intellectual, and through that to the moral nature of man, unless this liberty is either conceded, or asserted in spite of prohibition. He recognized the difference between liberty as the freedom to act and liberty as the absence of coercion. Individuals should be given the chances to come up with opinions or ideas and be allowed to express them without been stopped. For example the Government should not refuse an individual to put into action their new ideas but should rather motivate them. It should not stop them because it thinks it can do better than them but should facilitate the idea by providing the necessities such as fund and freedom. Individuals can come up with opinions or ideas that may benefit them but at the same time impose a problem to others. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he/she must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in what concerns them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in things which concern himself, the same reasons which show that opinion should be free, prove also that he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost. When individuals are given the freedom to come up with new ideas and exploit them, it encourages them to want to come up with better ideas, learn from their experiences thus promoting their creativity and developing criticality in them. The human faculties of perception, judgment, discriminative feeling, mental activity, and even moral preference, are exercised only in making a choice. He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice. He gains no practice either in discerning or in desiring what is best. The mental and moral, like the muscular powers, are improved only by being used. The faculties are called into no exercise by doing a thing merely because others do it, no more than by believing a thing only because others believe it. If the grounds of an opinion are not conclusive to the person’s own reason, his reason cannot be strengthened, but is likely to be weakened, by him adopting it and if the inducements to an act are not affected by, or rights of others are not concerned, it is so much done towards rendering his feelings and character inert and torpid, instead of active and energetic. This is because originality is a valuable element in human affairs. There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, and point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct, and better taste and sense in human life. How to cite Criticality and Creativity, Papers

Engineering Sustainability

Question: Discuss about the Engineering Sustainability Hydroponics Farming Systems. Answer: Introduction The human population is ever-growing and so is the demand for food. Currently, about 40% of the total land is dedicated to produce food for the vast 7 billion human population. However, it is expected that the demand for food will jump by almost 70% by the year 2050. A pertinent question thereby arises as to where would this incremental production of food come from. One possible answer could be increasing the area under cultivation but there is very limited scope in this regard (Isaacson, 2015). Another response is by increasing the productivity of agriculture akin to the introduction of high yield varieties. However, in this regard, it is noteworthy that the yield increases in the last three to four decades has been achieved at substantial environmental costs (Gray, 2015). This is apparent from the rise in use of chemicals fertilizer, pesticides and weedicides which pose significant environmental hazards. Also, these varieties typically require assured supply of irrigation which is increasingly becoming a problem especially in the developing nations where there has been over-exploitation in this regard (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014). Clearly in wake of the lack of choices as is evident above, the most plausible course of action would be the clearing of forests to create more space for agriculture. However, this would adverse influence the delicate environmental balance which he have already disturbed to an extent. In this backdrop, an alternative farming technique known as hydroponics may provide the answer (Jensen, nd). Hydroponics refers to an innovative farming practice whereby plants are grown in nutrient rich water and not soil. As a result, hydroponics tends to open a vast block of land specially situated in deserts which are currently considered unfit for farming. Also, unlike soil borne farming, the environment in hydroponics can be scientifically controlled which results in higher yields and significantly lesser problems related to pest and weeds (Mims, 2016). Additionally, the quality (including nutritional value and appearance) of the produce can also be carefully controlled which resolves the problem of wastages whereby some of the produce does not sell due to appearance issues. Hydroponics is akin to growing plants under experimental conditions as the plants are grown in an inert media which tends to drive nutrients from the nutrient rich water which is fed to these plants. Thus, all the environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure, amount of sunlight and nutrient feed can be controlled which results in attainment of desired output. Besides, with the help of grow lights, hydroponics can be practised indoors also (Brechner Both, 2014). The current case study aims to critically analyse the advantages of hydroponics vis--vis traditional agriculture in the backdrop of sustainability factors. Besides, the case study would focus on highlighting the current practices related to this new farming technique and how it can potentially provide answers to the looming food problem we are expected to witness in the future. Objective The primary objective is to compare the hydroponic system of farming with the conventional farming in wake of the various sustainability factors and efficiency. Also, the report would draw on the performance of hydroponic farming system on the various sustainability factors. Further, on basis of this, the report would also deal on integration of hydroponic system with the existing farming system for securing the wider interests of the society in the long run. In order to draw a comparison between the efficiency of hydroponic farming with the conventional farming, it is imperative to compare the three key variables i.e. yield, consumption of water along with energy consumption. Barbosa et. al. (2015) through their research compared the above parameters related to the two given farming systems for lettuce and reached the following results. In terms of yield per unit area, the hydroponic farming was able to produce 11 times the yield of lettuce produced under conventional farming. Two reasons primary are responsible for this high yield. Firstly, hydroponic farming provides the flexibility of growing a given vegetable all year long even when the outside climate may not be conducive. In case of lettuce, through hydroponic systems, annually 12 crops may be produced. Secondly, due to strict environment control, the growth of the plants is faster and consistent. The water consumption per unit yield was also 12 times lower in hydroponics system as compared to conventional farming. This may be attributed to both a higher yield of crop and also lesser loss of water from transpiration. Besides, through the use of recirculating systems, the nutrient water is used efficiently thus providing only the requisite water. This is unlike the conventional farming systems where there is relatively higher wastage and transpiration loss ad less water is absorbed by the plants root (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014). With regards to energy consumption, clearly conventional farming was found to be more efficient. This is because the energy consumption in hydroponics system is about 82 times the energy consumed in the conventional farming. Higher energy needs of hydroponics arose because of greater use of artificial lighting to ensure that more crops annually are obtained. Also, there are heating and cooling related costs for providing the optimum temperature to the plants (Siegel, 2014). It is noteworthy that despite the higher energy requirements, hydroponics does provide a credible alternative to conventional farming. Further, the energy requirements can also be lesser in regions where there is ample sunshine or through the usage of solar powered hydroponics system (Nally, 2016). Besides, greenhouses may also be used to reduce the overall energy use and reduction of environment control. However, hydroponics may not be a suitable system for various cereal crops which constitute approximately 50% of the total crop production. This is because of the wafer thin margins in these crops which do not justify the high energy costs and setup costs associated with hydroponics (Isaacson, 2016). But for vegetables, hydroponics does provide an option which is being explored and it is likely that in the future, the production of vegetable hydroponically would grow (Brechner. Both, 2014). Besides, with the growing income levels, it is expected that demand for vegetables would be significantly higher than that of cereals. Hence, a major shift to hydroponic farming system would provide ample space for cultivation of the requisite cereal crops without harming the forests (Mims, 2016). Sustainability Factors With regards to sustainability of a given factor, it is imperative to critically analyse it from the standpoint of the following five factors. Social Impact It is estimated that the social impact of hydroponic systems would be quite profound especially for the marginal communities and the farmers in the third world countries. This is primarily because these people primarily engage themselves in growing of low value crops and are dependent on nature for farming. With the increasing incidence of extreme weather not only in Australia but also globally, it is essential that dependence of weather based agriculture needs to be reduced. Thus, these farmers and poor communities with the aid of the government and NGOs could grow hydroponic vegetables not only for their own consumption but for sale. Additionally, this could also provide livelihood to communities located in regions where physical conditions are not suitable for farming (Jensen, nd). Environmental Impact Conventional farming tends to dependent on extensive use of water which is being over exploited by farmers and is rapidly becoming a cause of concern. Besides, there is also usage of chemical pesticides and weedicides which lead to contamination of food products and also pose health hazard. Also, the discharge from fields is rich in various chemicals and thus causes water pollution that has adverse impact on marine life (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014),. Hydroponics on the other hand, limits the use of water and also recollects the excess water. Further, any waste water generated is either recycled or disposed after adequate treatment so that the harm to environment is minimised. It is apparent that in the long run, hydroponic based farming systems present a superior choice in terms of environmental sustainability (Kumar and Cho, 2014). Economic Viability- It is imperative that the alternative farming system while being environmentally and socially beneficial should be economical as well. From the discussion in previous section, it is apparent that on account of higher yields and quality obtained, this farming practice is economically viable. However, this practice is suitable primarily for high value crops mostly peppers, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale and other herbs (Siegel, 2016). The economic viability of hydroponic farming is also apparent from the fact that in 2015, the produce from this farming has already reached a figure of $ 15 billion globally (Mims, 2016). Also, in the future, it is expected that these systems would become more efficient and therefore the economic viability would improve thus resulting in greater varieties of crops grown using this technique (Gray, 2015). Capacity to Deliver In wake of our insatiable food requirements, hydroponic is apparently the future of farming. This is because it would allow those crops which cannot be grown hydroponically to occupy the hand currently under other crops. Also, hydroponic farming can be practiced in arid and semi-arid regions besides in places where climate or soil is not suitable for farming. Therefore, the incremental land requirements for hydroponics farming is not a problem as it does not involve clearing of precious little forests that still continue to remain. Also, through the usage of LED lights, it also offers the scope of indoor farming where all the parameters could be controlled just like in a laboratory. However, considering the low space requirements, even indoor farming is economically lucrative and sustainable (Isaacson, 2015). Adaptability One of the key sustainability factors for a given practice is the ability to adapt to changing environment. This is also apparent in conventional farming which through genetic engineering is coming up with new varieties that are more tolerant to extreme weather. However, hydroponics in this regard presents a more convenient and durable solution as it always presents the option to grow crops indoor through artificial lights and temperature management (Mims, 2016). Further, the space requirements in the regard are minimal since these can be grown vertically using specialised cabinets. This allow urban farmers to practice this on large scale so as to not feed themselves but produce surplus which can be marketed to recoup the initial investment (Siegel, 2016). From the above discussion, it is fair to conclude that hydroponics farming systems do provide a sustainable option to conventional farming even though this is limited to certain crops only. But going forward, it is expected that more developments would be made in these systems which would lower not only the set up costs but also the operating costs. This would essentially bring more varieties of crops under the ambit of this farming which clearly needs to complement the conventional farming going forward. Summary With the rising demand for food, the conventional farming methods are expected to come under pressure. As the availability of arable land is limited and also enhanced productivity is attained at tremendous environmental damage, a more sustainable and environmental friendly practice in the form of hydroponic farming is the need of hour. Hydroponic farming is essentially soilless farming with or without any medium. This may be practiced indoor, outdoors and also inside greenhouses. As a result, this farming system presents greater flexibility in terms of control of various physical factors. The net result is that hydroponic farming systems are more efficient to conventional farming methods both in terms of yield and lesser water consumption. However, this comes at the cost of higher energy requirements which imply that this system is essentially limited to vegetables which command a higher price as compared to cereals. Further, this innovative farming means is having a positive social impact especially for marginal communities as it provides a subsistence means. Also, since this system is less prone to pests and diseases, the usage of pesticides and weedicides is also reduced which is beneficial for the environment. Besides, this system is commercially viable and can prove to be a able support to conventional farming practices to ensure food security in the long run especially in wake of dynamic environment. References Barbosa, G.L., Gadelha, F.D., Kublik, N., Proctor, A., Reichelm, L., Weissinger, E., Wohlleb, G.M. and Halden, R. 2015, Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponicvs.Conventional Agricultural Methods, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), pp. 68796891. Brechner, M. Both, A.J. 2014,Cornell Controlled Environment Agriculture: Hydroponic Lettuce Handbook. [Online] Available from https://www.cornellcea.com/attachments/Cornell CEA Lettuce Handbook.pdf (Accessed January 30, 2017) Gray, K. 2015, HOW WE'LL GROW FOOD IN THE FUTURE, [Online] Available from https://www.popsci.com/farms-grow-up-thanks-to-technology (Accessed January 30, 2017) Isaacson, B. 2015, To feed Humankind, We need the farms of the Future Today, [Online] Available from https://europe.newsweek.com/feed-humankind-we-need-farms-future-today-335238?rm=eu (Accessed January 30, 2017) Jensen M.H. n.d., Deep flow hydroponicsPast, present and future. [Online] Available from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bbdb/7892e445cd8d1e25f0441a1e79e333a5d2f9.pdf(Accessed January 30, 2017) Killebrew, K. and Wolff, H. (2014), Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Technologies, [Online] Available from https://econ.washington.edu/files/2014/06/2010-Environmental-Impacts-of-Ag-Technologies.pdf (Accessed January 30, 2017) Kumar, R.R. and Cho, J.Y. 2014, Reuse of hydroponic waste solution, Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 21(16), pp. 9569-9577 Mims, C. 2016, Are Shipping Containers the Future of Farming?, [Online] Available from https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-shipping-containers-the-future-of-farming-1465393797 (Accessed January 30, 2017) Nally, B. 2016, Solar-Powered Hydroponics Could Be the Future of Agriculture, [Online] Available from https://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/35885-solar-powered-hydroponics-could-be-the-future-of-agriculture (Accessed January 30, 2017) Siegel, E. 2014, Dirt-Free Farming: Will Hydroponics (Finally) Take Off?, [Online] Available from https://modernfarmer.com/2013/06/dirt-free-farming-will-hydroponics-finally-take-off/ (Accessed January 30, 2017)