The French Revolution, Its Outcome, and Legacy

The outcome of the French Revolution, which began in 1789 and lasted for more than a decade, had numerous social, economic, and political effects not just in France but also in Europe and beyond.   Prelude to Revolt By the late 1780s, the French monarchy was on the brink of collapse. Its involvement in the American Revolution had left the regime of King Louis XVI bankrupt and desperate to raise funds by taxing the wealthy and the clergy. Years of bad harvests and rising prices for basic commodities led to social unrest among the rural and urban poor. Meanwhile, the growing middle class (known as the bourgeoisie) was chafing under an absolute monarchical rule and demanding political inclusion. In 1789  the king called for a meeting of the Estates-General—an advisory body of clergy, nobles, and bourgeoisie that had not convened in more than 170 years—to garner support for his financial reforms. When the representatives assembled in May of that year, they couldnt agree on how to apportion representation. After two months of bitter debate, the king ordered delegates locked out of the meeting hall. In response, they convened on June 20 on the royal tennis courts, where the bourgeoisie, with the support of many clergy and nobles, declared themselves the new governing body of the nation, the National Assembly, and  vowed to write a new constitution. Although Louis XVI agreed  in principle to these demands, he began plotting to undermine the Estates-General, stationing troops throughout the country. This alarmed the peasants and middle class alike, and on July 14, 1789, a mob attacked and occupied the Bastille prison in protest, touching off a wave of violent demonstrations nationwide. On Aug. 26, 1789, the National Assembly  approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Like the Declaration of Independence in the United States, the French declaration guaranteed all citizens equal, enshrined property rights and free assembly, abolished the absolute power of the monarchy and established representative government. Not surprisingly, Louis XVI refused to accept the document, triggering another massive public outcry. The Reign of Terror For two years, Louis XVI and the National Assembly co-existed uneasily as reformers, radicals, and monarchists all jockeyed for political dominance. In April 1792 the Assembly declared war on Austria. But it quickly went badly for France, as Austrian ally Prussia joined in the conflict; troops from both nations soon occupied French soil. On Aug. 10, French radicals took the royal family prisoner at Tuileries Palace. Weeks later, on Sept. 21, the National Assembly abolished the monarchy entirely and declared France a republic. King Louis and Queen Marie-Antoinette were tried hastily and found guilty of treason. Both would be beheaded in 1793, Louis on Jan. 21 and Marie-Antoinette on Oct. 16. As the Austro-Prussian war dragged on, the French government and society, in general, were mired in turmoil. In the National Assembly, a radical group of politicians seized control and began implementing reforms, including a new national calendar and the abolition of religion. Beginning in September 1793, thousands of French citizens, many from the middle and upper classes, were arrested, tried, and executed during a wave of violent repression aimed at the Jacobins opponents, called the Reign of Terror.   The Reign of Terror would last until the following July when its Jacobin leaders were overthrown and executed. In its wake, former members of the National Assembly who had survived the oppression emerged and seized power, creating a conservative backlash to the ongoing French Revolution. Rise of Napoleon On Aug. 22, 1795, the National Assembly approved a new constitution that established a representative system of government with a bicameral legislature similar to that in the U.S. For the next four years, the French government would be beset by political corruption, domestic unrest, a weak economy, and ongoing efforts by radicals and monarchists to seize power. Into the vacuum strode French Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte. On Nov. 9, 1799, Bonaparte backed by the army overthrew the National Assembly and declared the French Revolution over. Over the next decade and a half, he could consolidate power domestically as he led France in a series of military victories across much of Europe, declaring himself emperor of France in 1804. During his reign, Bonaparte continued the liberalization that had begun during the Revolution, reforming its civil code, establishing the first national bank, expanding public education, and investing heavily in infrastructures like roads and sewers. As the French army conquered foreign lands, he brought these reforms, known as the Napoleonic Code, with him, liberalizing property rights, ending the practice of segregating Jews in ghettos, and declaring all men equal. But Napoleon would eventually be undermined by his own military ambitions and be defeated in 1815 by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. He would die in exile on the Mediterranean island of St. Helena in 1821. Revolutions Legacy and Lessons With the advantage of hindsight, its easy to see the positive legacies of the French Revolution. It established the precedent of representational, democratic government, now the model of governance in much of the world. It also established liberal social tenets of equality among all citizens, basic property rights, and separation of church and state, much as did the American Revolution.   Napoleons conquest of Europe spread these ideas throughout the continent, while further destabilizing the influence of the Holy Roman Empire, which would eventually collapse in 1806. It also sowed the seeds for later revolts in 1830 and 1849 across Europe, loosening or ending the monarchical rule that would lead to the creation of modern-day Germany and Italy later in the century, as well as sow the seeds for the Franco-Prussian war and, later, World War I. Sources Editors of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. French Revolution. 7 February 2018.History.com staff. French Revolution. History.com.The Open University staff. French Revolution. Open.edu.Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media staff. Legacies of the Revolution. chnm.gmu.edu.

Beauty Pageants Argumentative Essay - 1311 Words

The Problems and Pleasures of Pageants Beauty pageants have been questioned on whether or not their truly innocent. In some cases, the smiles are more likely than not phony. On the other hand, the abundance of memories and skills gained from these extravaganzas can create a positive effect on the child. On the negative side, pageants are found to be full of drama from both the parents and from the stress of the requirements, including eating disorders. They also lead to bad sportsmanship and the parent’s desperate attempts to win, even at the risk of their own children. According to The Merriam Webster Dictionary (1899), the definition of a beauty contest, also called a pageant, is â€Å"an assemblage of girls or women at which judges select†¦show more content†¦Excuses like this are unacceptable. No child should be given large amounts of caffeine and sugar, if any at all. Parents are setting them at risk for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and several other diseases caused by bad health choices l ike this. On the other extreme, there are eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. This is Cleo Glyde, a model who is now a healthy size 12. She used to struggle with eating disorders, which are very common amongst the fashion world. Cigarettes and willpower were her only two friends against food. She eventually became a stick, much like the rest of the models, all because of peer pressure to be skinny rather than her normal self. She did an interview for Marie Claire, a high fashion company. She went on to explain the different things she had witnessed, such as the Brazilian woman who collapsed like herself in a fashion show and a beautiful girl who starved herself to nothing but bones, her beauty withering down as her skin became paler and dark circles grew under her eyes. The cold world of fashion is no different than the world of beauty pageants. The same effects can happen, and can be devastating. What makes child beauty pageants even sadder is the fact that the children can’t have a true childhood. They must spend their time practicing their moves, fixing their make-up and hair, practicing their smile, and trying on different dresses and outfits to paradeShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants814 Words   |  4 Pages Beauty contests for women have always been popular around the world, but in recent years child pageants have become more successful. This success led to the production of the well-known show, Toddlers and Tiaras. Beauty pageants have now evolved and even include newborn babies. Contestants are not only rewarded with a title, but also receive cash prices. These rewards and fame without a doubt attract parents into the world of beauty pageants. Children who are involved in beauty pageants are perceivedRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants780 Words   |  4 Pagesterm â€Å"beauty pageants coming up,† will result in 2,710,00 0 results appearing in 1.18 seconds. Children are the fastest-growing segment of the beauty pageant market, with annual childrens competitions attracting an estimated 3 million children, mostly girls, ages six months to 16 years, who compete for crowns and cash. Infants, carried onto the stage by their mothers, are commonplace. April Brilliant, reigning Mrs. Maryland and the director of Maryland-based Mystic Pageants, says pageants give littleRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants794 Words   |  4 Pagesever watched beauty pageants like the tv show Toddlers and Tiaras, and think the parents are absurd for pushing their daughters too hard for a sparkling plastic tiara? Maybe you have been to a live beauty-pageant, or specifically, support or despise them. Well, most people particularly do not like beauty-pageants as the toddlers mothers have them on strict diets, make them wear extensive makeup, shave their legs, and get spray tans. But to the people within this culture, b eauty-pageants are valuableRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants758 Words   |  4 Pagesthe barbie look.† a mom on Toddlers and Tiaras said. Now available to children, around 250,000 girls compete in beauty pageants each year. These pageants have had damaging consequences on them. Child beauty pageants need to be banned because they sexualize young girls, put too much pressure on them to win, and lead them to focus too much on beauty. Girls are sexualized in beauty pageants at a very young age. On Toddlers and Tiaras, girls are shown in ‘sexy’ costumes, showing too much skin, especiallyRead MoreEdward Burtynsky s Photographic Series, Oil, And His Nature1815 Words   |  8 Pagesfeelings often provoked by the boundless essence drawn from the power of landscape. This essay will investigate the Edward Burtynsky’s photographic series, Oil, and his approach to find a sinister beauty within the damned. The underlying metaphors poised within Burtynsky’s work in regard to environmental change, in pursuit to document nature transformed through industry will be the central idea in this argumentative dissertation. Oil comprises 50 photographs, some referred to as primary landscapes that

Marketing Services of Mc Donald

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Services of Mc Donald. Answer: Introduction: The report represents the marketing strategy of Mc Donald, which includes several important points. The report systematically answers or analyzes the services and the working system of Mc Donald. It also brings into focus the market response and the position of the fast food chain, Mc Donalds in the world market. The report also presents some theories in connection with the analysis of the marketing service of Mc Donald. Mc Donalds in one of the famous fast food chains in the world that was built in the year, 1940 by two brothers, Dick and Mac (Thornton et al. 2016). Mc Donalds Servicing Strategy: The services that Mc Donald provides consist of selling of burgers and some other fast foods in their various chains of restaurants all over the world. The company also provides people the facility of home delivery of foods and also rents out their restaurant spaces for any occasions or parties. These are quite effective servicing strategies and as per the theory of restaurant serving strategy, these points play an important role in gaining customers and improving a company's market value (Dabholkar 2015). The company has a wide range of products to choose from, such as grilled burgers, sandwiches, meal packages, French fries, ice creams and so on. Each Mc Donald product is prepared to meet the requirement of the people. The success of Mc Donald is dependent on the servicing strategy of the organization and the strategies include several important points. The pricing of the food products also is an important aspect of the companys servicing strategy. People generally want to have goo d foods at a reasonable rate and therefore the company has initiated the strategy of happy meals and complimentary foods. Some examples can be cited to illustrate the servicing strategy of the company. When the company opened its branch for the first time in France, the fast food chain was not much favored by the French people. However, with the sophisticated presentation of the restaurants and inclusion of fine food products in the menu helped Mc Donald to prosper its business in France. The service delivery and systems of Mc Donald also bring in the marketing mix policies of Mc Donald, which help the company to have a sustainable growth (Kaplan and Atkinson 2015). A further discussion of the marketing mix policies of the company can be discussed to bring in focus the effectiveness of the service delivery and systems of Mc Donald. Marketing Mix Policies of Mc Donald: The marketing mix policies of Mc Donald include the 4 Ps of marketing which can be discussed further. The 4 Ps of marketing include product, place, price and promotion. The product of Mc Donald, which are burgers, sandwiches, beverages, meals, desserts, snakes and so on. Mc Donald is mainly known for their burgers, however, the formulation of the food items help the company to attract a huge number of customers. The meal packages of Mc Donald have helped the company to generate more customers (Thornton et al. 2016). A place is an important factor for a restaurant or a food shop to grow and prosper. However, Mc Donald has its branches all over the world and it mainly targets the urban areas for opening their shops. Apart from physical locations, the restaurant serves its products through different online apps as well. Mc Donald shops in malls, office complex are quite popular since it attracts more customers. Price is also one of the most vital factors that decide the growth of a company and also talks about the companys system of working and their servicing strategy. The company follows the price bundling strategy that is about selling a number of products together at an affordable rate. The price bundling helps the customer to get more food items at an affordable rate and thereby the sale of the company increases. This pricing strategy of the company is quite effective in building a good position for them in the market. Promotion of a product in todays time is utmost important to increase the brand value and sale of a company. The effectiveness of Mc Donald's promotional strategy can be observed through their various advertisements, hoardings and so on. However, the eye-catching interior designing of the restaurants also serves to the promotion of the brand and attracts more customers. All these four Ps of marketing mix policies of Mc Donald come under the service delivery system of the company. Peak and Off-Peak Times of Mc Donald: At the time of 1974 with the establishment of the fast food chain in U.K, there was a considerable growth in the profit level of the company. In recent time, the company has the highest market share, which is about 39.6% as compared to the other fast food chains like KFC, Subway, and others (Thornton et al. 2016). However, with the increasing competition in the market, the company decided to focus on the theory of "lean" production, which refers towards the reduced or lowered cost of products for increasing profit (Koukoulaki 2014). However, the off-peak time of Mc Donald can be observed particularly in the Asian market where the sale of the Mc Donald products has decreased incredibly. The Target Markets of Mc Donald: With the help of different methods like Vals and Roy Morgan, the primary and the secondary target markets of the restaurant can be analyzed. The Vals method is based on the values and lifestyle of the people and accordingly classifies or segments people in different groups. This method identifies the urban families to be the primary target of Mc Donald and the secondary target being the young generation or the youths and children. However, the Roy Morgan research methodology very accurately distinguishes the target market with an analytical and clear approach towards the matter (Kaplan and Atkinson 2015). Questions are asked to know the taste, preferences, and likings of people to understand the potential consumers. However, the company holds quite a good marketing position and to keep up with the competition has to hold on to their good services. Vals Method in Details to Decide the Target Market of Mc Donald: The Vals method can be used to systematically chalk out the primary and secondary target market of Mc Donald. Vals methodology is an authentic methodology that is used by many reputed companies or organizations to decide or evaluate their target market. The method is based on the values and lifestyle of the people. The success of Mc Donald can be understood through the response of the customers towards the brand. The main or the primary customers of Mc Donald are the urban families residing in cities and towns whereas the secondary customers are the children and even youths (Dabholkar 2015). However, the lifestyle of the city people can be linked with their preference of eating fast foods. City people, often go for outings, movies and so on and thereby eating Mc Donald products is quite normal for them. The values of the people which is all about the attitudes, the behaviors and the beliefs of the people also decide their buying process. Mc Donald is unable to do a good business in p laces where eating meat is not vogue and therefore they have come up with more options of vegetarian foods in their menu. However, with the interpretation of the Vals methodology that decide the target market of the company, an insight about the companys market position can also be understood. In addition to the Vals method, the geographic is also useful to determine the target market of Mc Donald. The geographic factor is all about location and it decides whether a company will be successful in carrying their operations in a particular place. Thereby, it can be seen that Mc Donald mainly have their branches in cities, town and in urban areas. Market Position of Mc Donald: Mc Donald is one of the famous fast food chains in the world and has earned a huge revenue over the past few years. The company mainly work on the principle of "three-legged stool" and the three legs of the company are the employees, the suppliers, and the owners. However, research show that fast food chain has near about 31000 shops all over the world and the profit margin of the company is ever growing (Koukoulaki 2014). However, during the nineties, the restaurant earned a huge amount of profit and outshined the other competitors. The restaurant created a lot of hype among people of all ages. The excellent packaging of the food products and the servicing of them in Mc Donald restaurants helps the company in retaining their good market position. Conclusion: The report, therefore, brings into focus the target groups, the marketing strategies, and principles of Mc Donald. Mc Donald is one of the oldest fast food chains in the world and has seen some ups and downs over the years in their business of selling burgers. However, the report represents a greater insight into the marketing and servicing policy of Mc Donald. Reference: Dabholkar, P.A., 2015. How to improve perceived service quality by increasing customer participation. InProceedings of the 1990 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 483-487). Springer International Publishing. Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A., 2015.Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning. Koukoulaki, T., 2014. The impact of lean production on musculoskeletal and psychosocial risks: An examination of sociotechnical trends over 20 years.Applied Ergonomics,45(2), pp.198-212.. Thornton, L.E., Ball, K., Lamb, K.E., McCann, J., Parker, K. and Crawford, D.A., 2016. The impact of a new McDonald's restaurant on eating behaviours and perceptions of local residents: A natural experiment using repeated cross-sectional data.Health place,39, pp.86-91.

One Of Americas Biggest Problems Today Is The Overcrowding Of Prisons.

One of America's biggest problems today is the overcrowding of prisons. This began when the population of inmates started to soar in the 1980's. With the increase of rapist, murderers, and drug dealers skyrocketing, there is no reason to this overpopulation. The nation responds to this by building prison at a fast pace. But the construction has not kept pace with the soaring population of inmates. The number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of Federal correctional authorise at the end of 1991 reached a record high of 823,414. The increase for 1991 brings a total growth in the prison population since 1980 to 493,593 - an increase of about 150 percent in the 11-year period. California's increase of about 4,500 prisoners in 1991 was the largest gain in the number of prisoners in any single jurisdiction. The overall increase in 1994 is 8.6 percent, but Texas and Georgia reported increases of more than 20 percent. The largest increases occurred in Texas, up 28.5 percent, and Georgia, up 20.3 percent, according to a justice department report. Eight state prison systems were so crowded that they sent at least 10 percent of their inmates to local jails in 1994. The largest ever one-year increase in state and federal prison population occurred in 1989, when the number grew by 84,764, said the study of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. State and federal governments are struggling to cope with overcrowded prisons that fail to rehabilitate and often release inmates early to make room for new offenders. Inmat es that are over the age of 55 have a higher cost for health care than young inmates, so in some states prison officials are letting out prisoners over the age of 55 to let in the new offenders. The health care for these prisoners come from the taxes we pay, but officials let them go so we do not have to pay higher taxes. In 1990, correction officials in New Jersey came up with a program to solve the overpopulation in their state by having inmates wear ankle bracelets as they were free to about in society. Up to this point, thing went well for a time period of a little over two years and enrolling 1,700 inmates. That was until in April of 1992, a drug dealer, who was part of the program, stabbed a man to death. The drug dealer moved around freely, after tampering with the ankle device and getting it loose, for four months. One month later another program participant was charged in a beating and another was charged for selling heroin. If this problem is not solved soon the overcrowding will keep rising and the taxes will rise to buy beds and build more prisons as fast as construction keeps up with the population.

Free Essays on DataBases

There are many faces of Databases, a large databases can contain hundreds of interrelated files. Fortunately a database management system can shield users from the inner workings of the system, providing them with only the information and commands they need to get their jobs done. In fact, a well-designed database puts on different faces for different classes of users. The earliest file management programs could only do batch processing, which required users to accumulate transactions and feed them into computers in large batches. These batch systems weren't able to provide the kind of immediate feedback we expect today. Today disk drives, inexpensive memory, and sophisticated software have allowed interactive processing to replace batch processing for most applications. Users can now interact with data through terminals, viewing and changing values in real time. Batch processing is still used for printing periodic bills, invoices, and reports and for making backup copies of data files. But for applications that demand immediacy, such as airline reservations, banking transactions, and the like, interactive, multi-user database systems have taken over. Until recently most databases were housed in mainframe computers. But for a growing number of organizations, the traditional database on a mainframe system is no longer the norm. Some companies use a client/server approach: Database software in client desktop computers works with files stored in central server databases on mainframes, minicomputers, or desktop computers. Other company's use distributed databases that use data strewn out across networks on several different computers. From the user's point of view, the differences between these approaches may not be apparent. Many computer scientists believe that the relational data model may be supplanted in the next decade by an object-oriented data model, and that most future databases will be object-oriented databases rat... Free Essays on DataBases Free Essays on DataBases There are many faces of Databases, a large databases can contain hundreds of interrelated files. Fortunately a database management system can shield users from the inner workings of the system, providing them with only the information and commands they need to get their jobs done. In fact, a well-designed database puts on different faces for different classes of users. The earliest file management programs could only do batch processing, which required users to accumulate transactions and feed them into computers in large batches. These batch systems weren't able to provide the kind of immediate feedback we expect today. Today disk drives, inexpensive memory, and sophisticated software have allowed interactive processing to replace batch processing for most applications. Users can now interact with data through terminals, viewing and changing values in real time. Batch processing is still used for printing periodic bills, invoices, and reports and for making backup copies of data files. But for applications that demand immediacy, such as airline reservations, banking transactions, and the like, interactive, multi-user database systems have taken over. Until recently most databases were housed in mainframe computers. But for a growing number of organizations, the traditional database on a mainframe system is no longer the norm. Some companies use a client/server approach: Database software in client desktop computers works with files stored in central server databases on mainframes, minicomputers, or desktop computers. Other company's use distributed databases that use data strewn out across networks on several different computers. From the user's point of view, the differences between these approaches may not be apparent. Many computer scientists believe that the relational data model may be supplanted in the next decade by an object-oriented data model, and that most future databases will be object-oriented databases rat...

Western Lowland Gorilla Facts

Western Lowland Gorilla Facts The western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is one of two subspecies of western gorillas The other subspecies is the Cross River gorilla. Of the two subspecies, the western lowland gorilla is more numerous. Its also the only subspecies of gorilla kept in zoos, with few exceptions. Fast Facts: Western Lowland Gorilla Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla gorillaDistinguishing Features: Relatively small gorilla with dark brownish black hair and large skull. Mature males have white hair on their backs.Average Size: 68 to 227 kg (150 to 500 lb); males about twice the size of femalesDiet: HerbivorousLife Span: 35 yearsHabitat: Western sub-Saharan AfricaConservation Status: Critically EndangeredKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: PrimatesFamily: HominidaeFun Fact: The western lowland gorilla is the only subspecies kept in zoos, with very rare exceptions. Description Gorillas are the largest apes, but western lowland gorillas are the smallest gorillas. Males are considerably larger than females. An adult male weighs between 136 and 227 kg (300 to 500 lbs) and stands up to 1.8 m (6 ft) tall. Females weigh between 68 and 90 kg (150 to 200 lb) and stand around 1.4 m (4.5 ft) tall. The western lowland gorilla has a larger, wider skull than a mountain gorilla and dark brownish black hair. Young gorillas have a small white rump patch until they are about four years old. Mature males are called silverback males because they have a saddle of white hair across their backs and extending onto the rump and thighs. Western lowland gorillas, like other primates, have unique fingerprints and nose prints. Distribution As their common name suggests, western lowland gorillas live in western Africa at low elevations ranging from sea level to 1300 meters. They inhabit rain forests and forested areas of swamps, rivers, and fields. Most of the population lives in the Republic of the Congo. The gorillas also occur in Cameroon, Angola, Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. Gorilla species distribution. Fobos92 Diet and Predators Western lowland gorillas are herbivores. They preferentially select fruit that is high in sugar and fiber. However, when fruit is scarce, they eat leaves, shoots, herbs, and bark. An adult gorilla eats about 18 kg (40 lb) of food per day. The gorillas only natural predator is the leopard. Otherwise, only humans hunt gorillas. Social Structure The gorillas live in groups of one to 30 gorillas, usually averaging between 4 and 8 members. One or more adult males lead the group. A group stays within a home range of 8 to 45 square kilometers. Western lowland gorillas are not territorial and their ranges overlap. The lead silverback organizes eating, resting, and traveling. While a male may make an aggressive display when challenged, gorillas are generally nonaggressive. Females engage in sexual behavior even when they are non-fertile to compete with other females. Young gorillas spend their time playing, much like human children. Reproduction and Life Cycle The reproductive rate of western lowland gorillas is very low. In part, this is because females dont reach sexual maturity until age 8 or 9 and dont reproduce when caring for young. As in humans, gorilla gestation lasts about nine months. A female gives birth to one infant. An infant rides on its mothers back and depends on her until it is about five years old. Occasionally, a male commits infanticide to gain a opportunity to mate with its mother. In the wild, a western lowland gorilla may live 35 years. Females care for young until they are around five years of age. Willis Chung / Getty Images Conservation Status and Threats The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the western gorilla as critically endangered, which is the last category before global extinction in the wild. Only about 250 to 300 of the Cross River gorilla species are believed to remain, while estimates place the number of western lowland gorillas around 300,000 in 2018. While this may seem like a relatively large number of gorillas, the population size continues to dwindle and the animals face serious threats. Challenges facing the western lowland gorilla include deforestation; loss of habitat to human encroachment for settlements, farming, and grazing; climate change; slow reproductive rate coupled with infertility; and poaching for trophies, folk medicine, and bushmeat. Disease may pose an even greater threat to gorillas than other factors. Western lowland gorillas are one of the zoonotic origin of HIV/AIDs, which infects gorillas in a similar fashion as it does humans. Gorillas suffered over 90% mortality from an Ebola epizootic in 2003 to 2004 that killed two-thirds of the species population. Gorillas are also infected with malaria. While the outlook for wild western lowland gorillas appears grim, the species acts as a seed disperser, making it key to the survival of many other species in its habitat. Worldwide, zoos maintain a population of about 550 western lowland gorillas. Sources Darc, Mirela; Ayouba, Ahidjo; Esteban, Amandine; Learn, Gerald H.; Bouà ©, Vanina; Liegeois, Florian; Etienne, Lucie; Tagg, Nikki; Leendertz, Fabian H. (2015). Origin of the HIV-1 group O epidemic in western lowland gorillas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (11): E1343–E1352. doi:10.1073/pnas.1502022112Haurez, B.; Petre, C. Doucet, J. (2013). Impacts of logging and hunting on western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) populations and consequences for forest regeneration. A review. Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Socià ©tà © et Environnement. 17 (2): 364–372.Mace, G.M. (1990). Birth Sex Ratio and Infant Mortality Rates in Captive Western Lowland Gorillas. Folia Primatologica. 55 (3–4): 156. doi:10.1159/000156511Maisels, F., Strindberg, S., Breuer, T., Greer, D., Jeffery, K. Stokes, E.  (2018).  Gorilla gorilla ssp. gorilla  (amended version of 2016 assessment).  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  2018: e.T9406A136251508.   doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T9406A136251508.en Rogers, M. Elizabeth; Abernethy, Kate; Bermejo, Magdalena; Cipolletta, Chloe; Doran, Diane; Mcfarland, Kelley; Nishihara, Tomoaki; Remis, Melissa; Tutin, Caroline E.G. (2004). Western gorilla diet: A synthesis from six sites. American Journal of Primatology. 64 (2): 173–192. doi:10.1002/ajp.20071

Monetary Policy and Economic Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Monetary Policy and Economic Crisis - Essay Example One of the most important responsibilities for the Fed is that of ensuring monetary stability in the economy, which can be achieved through a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Fed comes out with monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government's economic objectives of growth and employment. To understand how the Fed monitors price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we may consider a small example of the regulation of house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities, similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. ... (Demand and Supply for Housing).Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. Mortgages were supplied only by the building societies. Building societies were non-profit institutions and encouraged only the members for the grant of loans, so the people who were members and had contributed to an extent for a considerable period of time got loans easily and account with building societies became the only means to get mortgages. Soon these societies had to compete with the banks and other financial institutions specialized in granting housing loans. This price war resulted in a greater demand for owner occupied houses and consequently the demand for houses grew stronger, resulting in a substantial increase in price. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Mortgages) Besides the above-mentioned factor of mortgages there are other factors like stamp duty and planning that affect the market for housing. Mortgage interest relief at source (MIRAS) was a tax concession to owning a house. It reduced the house owner's liability to income tax as the money spent on the interest on mortgage was considered to be tax-free. This made borrowings cheaper and as a result there was a huge demand for housing and the prices shot up. With the introduction of MIRAS in 1990 many people were exempted from stamp duty. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Stamp Duty and Planning) The central bank sets a fixed interest