Moral Truth Free Essays

Moral Truth What is Moral truth? In Sam Harris’ book â€Å"The Moral Landscape†, he clarifies his thoughts on moral truth. He clarifies that ethical truth is so unpredictable due to individual impulse, and social impact. He clarifies his thoughts of good truth through science, objective and emotional, and agreement and cognizance. We will compose a custom article test on Moral Truth or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now With these thoughts Harris can characterize moral truth to his best capacity, since it is such a troublesome subject to comprehend. In the section on moral truth, Harris clarifies moral truth with the utilization of science. He states in the book â€Å"science can, in Principe, help us comprehend what we ought to do, and should need and, in this way, what others ought to do and need so as to live the most ideal lives. â€Å"In different words, He accepts that like science, there are good and bad responses to moral truth. He at that point clarifies that science should assist us with responding to moral inquiries. His other thought is that science depends on our best supposition of what it is and moral truth is the equivalent. Moral truth is additionally simply our best conjecture of what is good and bad. Harris is attempting to state that ethical truth, similar to science, can have a structure wherein we accept is right, yet can generally change. Harris clarifies in the book that the terms â€Å"objective† and â€Å"subjective† are totally different. Target implies that an individual is utilizing to inclination when they are saying something. He utilizes the case of having a ringing in his ear. This is an abstract explanation, be that as it may, is objective since he isn't lying. From this thought of the ringing in the ear, he clarifies this is a way that we can examine melancholy. We can decide cerebrum states with reference, to person’s emotional considerations. At last in the section, he investigates the thoughts of accord and awareness. He clarifies that logical agreement as logical discussion that work should be finished. For instance, â€Å"moral discussion demonstrates that there can be nothing of the sort as good truth while moral agreement shows just that individuals frequently harbor the equivalent biases† this thought is fundamentally saying that regularly individuals will think uniquely in contrast to other people and this makes inclination among individuals. Harris clarifies that fact has nothing to do with moral accord, in light of the fact that frequently one individual can be correct, while a group isn't right. Harris at that point proceeds to clarify his thoughts on awareness. He clarifies that individuals have moral truth since they are cognizant animals. His comprehension of a cognizant being is that â€Å"consciousness is just clear space of significant worth. † All on the whole, Harris accepts that ethical truth is like science since it must be upheld up by proof and regularly comprises of taught surmises. He clarifies that objective and emotional are altogether different, nonetheless; can regularly be utilized in similar ways. At long last, agreement and cognizance diagram the premise of good truth, in light of the fact that without them moral truth would not exist as per Harris. He accepts that agreement implies that no one but people can have a similar inclination, and cognizance shows that lone individuals with awareness can have moral truth. Instructions to refer to Moral Truth, Papers

Discussion Question Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

English Language in London School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

English Language in London School - Essay Example So youngsters who learn more than one language get befuddled and commit errors with their subsequent language - English for this situation. They communicate in English utilizing the tone of their first language. Most influenced is their articulation as they get befuddled what direction to articulate the words. Their educators articulate in one manner (for the most part the right one) and their folks articulate the other way (ordinarily with their local language emphasize). Blake and Moorhead (1993, p. 93) astoundingly watches This circumstance exists in England among the offspring of workers, especially those migrants who have a solid feeling of network and need to keep up their way of life despite the fact that they live in a 'remote' situation. Research has indicated that understudies who realize two dialects are increasingly skilled in securing the third language in contrast with understudies who know just one. This trait influences their presentation in school as well. Actually bilingual youngsters are better in examines. Mercer and Swann (1996, p.254) state, native language and second language showing came nearer together, affecting every others' training in fascinating ways, particularly in another accentuation on proficiency and more extensive instructive results for bilingual students of English. It has been demonstrated by contemplates that the individuals who can communicate in a subsequent language have a more profound comprehension of the way of life of others and they have a more prominent control, handle and feeling of their own personality. Noteworthy outcomes have been accomplished by the exploration committed with the impacts of early second language obtaining. As per the site of 'Insider facts d' enfance' - a bilingual school, the learning of a subsequent language turns the youngster's psyche to the world and different societies which will enhance him for a mind-blowing duration. It has been demonstrated that the individuals who know about second language, experience a positive advancement in all the exercises identified with contemplates. Understudies, who know more than one language score factually higher on government sanctioned tests, have more grounded critical thinking capacities and have preferred by and large scholarly execution over the individuals who are monolingual. So advantages of communicating in a subsequent language dwarf the advantages of communicating in a solitary language in all circles of an understudy's life. c) How do guardians and instructors add to the early language improvement of multilingual kids The instructors assume a significant job in language securing. Other than the utilization of words the instructors have the choice of utilizing non-verbal correspondence in sending the message across - like outward appearance, signals, vicinity to the audience and eye to eye connection. They utilize complement, volume, stress and pitch designs. Being in nearness with understudies help in getting the input quickly. If necessary they rehash guidelines and again or reword the words for better understanding. In the first place the students may feel extremely cognizant to talk before the class however the educator makes an exceptionally warm and well disposed air and make understudies realize that a large portion of their cohorts are experiencing a similar stage. The guidelines coordinated

Inductive Exegesis Paper -- Religion, Bible, Paul

Setting Most NT Scholars recognize 1 Thessalonians was composed by Paul and dated around A.D. 50. The beneficiaries were new changed over Christians in Thessalonica where Paul recently fabricated the baby church on the subsequent teacher trip. To comprehend the motivation behind why Paul composed the letter, we have to investigate into the circumstance of Thessalonians’ church has managed. Acts 17 depicts the congregation of Thessalonica was being relentless assaulted since it was set up. The assaults reflected in Paul thought of some â€Å"bad word† against the oppressors (1 Thess 2:14b) and reminded the Thessalonians he had cautioned them in previously (3:4). The resistances and assaults turned out to be seriously to the point that Paul and his sidekicks needed to leave Thessalonica abruptly. They were consistently pursued in Beroea until they encouraged to Athens. Since Paul has not invested a lot of energy in this newborn child church, he was so stress over the recently converters confidence. Paul attempted to return to Thessalonica however he was blocked. (2:17-18). At that point, he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to pasture them. Timothy at long last brought back uplifting news by detailing the congregation was standing solidly in confidence (3:6), yet may require â€Å"more instructing in certain region and of consolation in trials.† Paul clearl y couldn't return around then and in this setting he composed the letters of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The 1 Thessalonians comprises two parts: the main half (1:6-3:13) concerns Paul's unique visit to Thessalonica and the converters reactions to the Gospel. The subsequent half (4:1-5:22) is Paul's instructing on the Thessalonian devotees about the issues of direct and convictions. In Chapter 4, Paul starts with â€Å"Finally, brother† (v.1) clearly showing he is going to another arrangement of themes to exhort. Subsequent to making guidance on mai... ...Thess 4:13-18 communicated how Paul deciphers the connection of Jesus’ revival and the Parousia. Since 1 Cor 15 Paul has additionally talked about the issue of Jesus’ revival, this entry, composed right on time than 1 Corinthians, gives great cross reference to assist examination of how Paul seeing Jesus’ restoration. Furthermore, Paul communicates distinctive Christ’ works and personalities in this entry which giving great assets in lecturing and Bible examination in the congregation. Question 1.Paul doesn't obviously clarify about the status of revival, is same as Jesus’ restoration, is body restoration (Jesus indicated his hands and twisted ribs to ten devotees and Thomas) or in other structure? 2. The prophetically calamitous portrayals of â€Å"word of command†, â€Å"archangel figures† and â€Å"trumpet of God† have not been investigated much in this paper for absence of room. I figure we ought to consider more in detail.

Omaha Beach Invasion

Early morning hours on June 6, 1944, paratroopers from the British first Airborne Division quietly dropped and floated towards the Pegasus Bridge, one of only a handful hardly any scaffolds that drove over the Seine towards Normandy. Minutes after the fact, they raged the scaffold with overwhelming losses. The Allied attack of Hitler's â€Å"Fortress Europe† has quite recently started (Dube, 2005).On those hours, lamp prepared pathfinders dropped everywhere throughout the Cotentin Peninsula. Alone and independent, they were dropped to stamp the route for the a large number of men coming in behind them.At sunrise, the ocean intrusion started as an Allied Armada ejected a great many soldiers at five sea shores along France's Normandy coast. Associated powers raged the shores and combat the German resistances in a battle that would go down as the â€Å"Longest Day† in history.The beach’s landscape end up being a significant factor in the ambush (Lewis 2000). Its bow structure is limited at either end by rough bluffs and its tidal region is delicately inclining. At the western end the shingle bank leaned against a stone, which blurs further into wood, looks like an ocean divider which ran from 4 feet to12 feet in tallness. Steep feigns then raised high up to 170 feet, ruling the entire sea shore and cut into by little lush valleys.The Germans, prior foreseeing for an assault in the footholds, developed three lines of hindrances in the water. This comprised of Belgian Gates with mines lashed to the uprights, logs crashed into the sand pointing toward the ocean and hedgehogs introduced 130 yards from the shoreline. The zone between the shingle bank and the feigns was both wired and mined with the last likewise dispersed on the feign slants (Gerrard, Bujeiro and Zaloga, 2003).Their soldiers were focused for the most part around the passageways to the draws and ensured by minefields and wire (Dube, 2005). Each shelter was interconnected by channels and passages. Assault rifles, light big guns pieces and hostile to tank weapons finished the manner of mounted guns focusing on the sea shore. No region of the sea shore was left revealed, and the mien of weapons implied that flanking shoot could be brought to manage anyplace along the beach.The Allied forces’ plan of assault incorporates isolating the Omaha sea shore into ten divisions. The attack arrivals were to begin at 06:30, which was authored as the â€Å"H-Hour†. Prior to that, the sea shore barriers will be assaulted by maritime and elevated help powers. The goal was for the sea shore protections to be cleared two hours after ambush. Before the day's over the powers at Omaha were to have built up a bridgehead five miles deep into the hostile area. To execute this arrangement the Omaha ambush power totaled 34,000 men and 3,300 vehicles with maritime help gave by 2 ships, 3 cruisers, 12 destroyers and 105 different boats (Vat and Eisenhower, 2003).However, duri ng the underlying assault, nothing worked out as expected (Lewis, 2000). Ten of the arrival creates have wandered off-track before they arrived at the sea shore and some were overflowed by the difficult situations. Some had even sunk. Smoke and fog obstructs the route of the ambush creates while a substantial current served to push them toward the east. The underlying barrage end up being inadequate. Their imprint fell excessively far inland, along these lines they scarcely contacted the beach front safeguards. At the point when the arrival make came nearer to the shore, the were under progressively overwhelming discharge from programmed weapons and artilleryWith the disappointment of the underlying ambush, a subsequent one began coming aground around two hours after the fact. Their central goal was to acquire fortifications, bolster weapons and headquarter components. Some help against the for the most part unsuppressed adversary fire was picked up just in light of the fact that wi th more soldiers handling the centralization of fire was spread increasingly about the numerous objectives accessible (Dube, 2005). The survivors among the underlying powers were not anyway ready to give a lot of covering fire and the arrival troops despite everything endured in places a similar high setback rates as those in the main wave. The inability to make adequate ways through the sea shore snags added to the challenges of the second wave since the tide was starting to cover those deterrents. The loss of landing make as they hit these barriers before they arrived at the shore started to contribute in the pace of whittling down. As in the underlying arrivals, route is as yet troublesome and the upsetting miss-arrivals kept on upsetting the Allied forces.From the German’s vantage point, at Pointe de la Percee, which is disregarding the whole sea shore, the attack appeared to have been halted at the sea shore. An official there noticed that troops were looking for spread behind obstructions and checked ten tanks consuming. Be that as it may, setbacks among their protectors were mounting, mostly because of the united maritime fire. Simultaneously they were likewise mentioning support, yet their solicitation couldn't be met on the grounds that the circumstance somewhere else in Normandy was getting increasingly critical for the protectors (Dube, 2005).As the fight advances, occasions of the arrival were beginning to impact the following period of the fight. The draws, which would fill in as the pathway from the sea shores to the inward region, remained unequivocally focused by the safeguards. The partners expected to experience these attracts to accomplish their primary objective for the afternoon. Likewise, the issue of authority started turning into an issue. Miss-arrivals and botches in the first arrangement caused confusion, and correspondence between units was undermined (Lewis, 2000).Despite the clear impediment of the Allied forces’ posi tion, constant rushes of arrivals and maritime big guns support in the end debilitated the German defense.By early evening the solid point guarding the draw at Vierville was quieted by the naval force, yet without enough power on the ground to clean up the rest of the protectors the exit couldn't be opened (Dube, 2005). Traffic was in the long run ready to utilize this course by sunset, and the enduring tanks of the tank regiment went through the night close Vierville. The development of the underlying ambush groups cleaned up the last remainders of the power safeguarding the draws. At the point when architects cut a street up the western side of this draw, it turned into the primary course inland off the sea shores. With the clog on the sea shores consequently alleviated, they were re-opened for the arrival of vehicles.After the inland penetration, conflicts pushed the hold out scarcely a mile and a half somewhere down in the foe zone toward the east, and the entire foothold stayed under cannons fire. At night, the Allies finished the arranged arriving of infantry, albeit however misfortunes in hardware were high, due to terrible ocean conditions. Of the 2,400 tons of provisions planned to be arrived on D-Day, just 100 tons was really landed. Losses were assessed at 3,000 slaughtered, injured and missing. The heaviest setbacks were taken by the infantry tanks and designers in the main arrivals. The Germans endured 1,200 slaughtered, injured and missing. On the subsequent day, the specialists developed the main landing strip to be worked after D-Day, on the precipice close St. Laurent, and this was utilized by the Ninth Air Force to help the ground troops as, throughout the following two days, they achieved the first D-Day destinations (Lewis, 2000).The complete intrusion had not been appeared at this point, and the goals of the D-Day were not accomplished. Several Allied soldiers are as yet coming, battling is unfavorable, and the two sides are ill-equipped. The D-Day, the â€Å"Longest Day† has finished, yet the war on Liberation has simply begun.ReferencesAdrian R. Lewis 2000, Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victory, December 3, 2000Alan Dube 2005, A Navy Soldier on Omaha Beach, August 15, 2005Dan van der Vat and John S. D. Eisenhower 2003, D-Day: The Greatest Invasion †A People's History, by November 15, 2003Howard Gerrard, Ramiro Bujeiro, and Steven J. Zaloga 2003, Campaign 100: D-Day 1944 at Omaha Beach, July 23, 2003

Critical Thinking in Academia

Critical Thinking in Academia Practicing Critical Thinking as a Student Practicing Critical Thinking as a Student Have you ever heard the phrase critical thinking? What does it mean to you? For some people, the word critical might evoke feelings of negativity. It might suggest that you have to pick things apart and be judgmental. In a way it does, however thinking about things critically means a lot more than being a grouch. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘critical thinking’? Critical thinking is an active process of learning and engaging with the surrounding environment. Having essential skills of thinking allows us to make decisions about life and provides the opportunity for us to participate in the world around us fully. According to John Dewey, an American philosopher, critical thinking involves a process of reflective thought. Dewey believed that to learn and become an active member of society, students must be actively engaged in the process of learning as opposed to being passive receivers of information. Deweys philosophy involved the perspective that committed, critical education was a consistent process throughout life, and that knowledge is a fundamental component of social progress and reform. In other words, he felt that critical thinking was a key component of learning. Critical thinking is a skill we engage in every day. Whenever we make any decision, we are using critical thinking. So, it makes sense that we can apply this to our academic work as well. However, in university and college, critical thinking has a broader meaning Being critical means making informed or educated judgments about social issues, literature, math, and so on. It can also mean distinguishing between fact and opinion. It involves determining the validity of theories and considering how to apply these theories to practice. When we make academic judgments, they must be well grounded in appropriate research. Critical thinking skills allow us to consider an issue from all sides. Through the process of critical thinking, we create a synthesis of all available information, and then we apply it to the decision making process. Critical thinking is a necessary component of academia because it allows for the development of new information and knowledge. In academia, we are essentially learning to question all information while looking for ways to continue to challenge the data to create further research. As a critically thinking student, it is crucial to incorporate the process into your reading, note-taking, essay writing, and presentations. These skills are also essential for anyone in a professional degree and can contribute to developing your practice. Critical thinking doesn’t only apply to academia; it can also help us to navigate our daily lives as well. When we enhance our critical thinking skills, we can improve our decision-making processes and make stronger decisions based on accounting for all information. Remember, most of our everyday thinking is uncritical. We generally go through our days without thinking through every step. However, there is a time and a place where critical thinking should be employed. But, how do we learn to enhance our natural critical thinking skills? Ask Basic Questions As we know, our social world, as well as the content we take in as students, often appears complicated. However, we can begin by merely asking simple questions. When an answer to a question becomes difficult, it starts to lose meaning. Here are some basic questions that you can apply in your academic writing that will help keep things simple: ? What do you already know? ? How do you know that? ? What are you trying to prove, disprove, demonstrate, critique? ? What are you overlooking? When beginning a paper or another assignment and the information seems complex, start with these simple questions and create an outline. Working from a critical perspective does not have to be difficult, and sometimes the best solutions come from the most natural process. Question Basic Assumptions When you are writing a paper or thinking through a problem, you do not want to base your analysis only on what you know. We all have basic assumptions which inform our everyday lives. Academic quality work must extend beyond basic assumptions towards analysis and synthesis of information. Check your assumptions at the door and do some research with an open mind. We all have ways of making life simpler. These are called heuristics or otherwise, mental shortcuts. While these techniques were helpful when we were hunter-gatherers, we now live in a society that calls for critical thinking. When you are writing a paper or working on an exam, make sure to have a one up on your mental biases, so they will not lead you astray. Reading more, becoming educated, and becoming more informed about how others think can allow us to understand our cognitive biases more readily. Remember to Think for Yourself Although you will be drawing on academic literature and information when you do your research and write papers, it is also important to remember to think for yourself. While this does not mean incorporating your biases into your writing, it means that you must analyze a situation using a critical lens. Go back and ask those basic questions. What is missing? Is there a gap? What is this research saying? Does it make sense concerning other research on the topic? Think through the literature using your power of deduction. You will write a stronger paper, and your professor will be able to see that you can do more than regurgitate the literature. John Dewey truly believed in the values of students learning to think for themselves. He warned against the tendency towards training people to fit into boxes in society, fearing that it would omit the potential for social growth and democratic development. A great quote from Dewey captures his sense of the value of critical thinking: Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. As an active contemporary leader in the realm of critical thinking, TED-Ed has developed a five-step process to help improve critical thinking skills. The following is a summation of the process, however, for more on the topic, TED-ed has developed an accessible video. TED-Eds 5-Step Process for Critical Thinking: 1. Formulate your question. In an academic setting, this looks like creating a thesis statement or hypothesis. 2. Gather your information. Do your research/review the literature. 3. Apply the information. Ask yourself what concepts are included? What assumptions are made? Consider if your interpretation is logically sound 4. Reflect on the implications of this information. 5. Explore other points of view. Critical Thinking is a Part of Our Everyday We participate in critical thinking every day. When we look out the door in the morning and see dark clouds, we might assume that it is going to rain later, so we choose to put on a raincoat. That is critical thinking. We can apply these same skills in academia by using the knowledge we already have to make sound arguments about data. As Dewey suggests, we are always engaged in the process of learning and critical thinking, whether it is inside the classroom or in our daily lives. If youre interested in the topic of critical thinking and you want to continue the conversation, check out our YouTube video: The Importance of Critical Thinking in Academia. If youre in an advanced degree that calls for a higher level of critical thinking, consider drawing on the expertise of some of our Top Writers for some additional support. Critical Thinking in Academia Practicing Critical Thinking as a Student Practicing Critical Thinking as a Student Have you ever heard the phrase critical thinking? What does it mean to you? For some people, the word critical might evoke feelings of negativity. It might suggest that you have to pick things apart and be judgmental. In a way it does, however thinking about things critically means a lot more than being a grouch. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘critical thinking’? Critical thinking is an active process of learning and engaging with the surrounding environment. Having essential skills of thinking allows us to make decisions about life and provides the opportunity for us to participate in the world around us fully. According to John Dewey, an American philosopher, critical thinking involves a process of reflective thought. Dewey believed that to learn and become an active member of society, students must be actively engaged in the process of learning as opposed to being passive receivers of information. Deweys philosophy involved the perspective that committed, critical education was a consistent process throughout life, and that knowledge is a fundamental component of social progress and reform. In other words, he felt that critical thinking was a key component of learning. Critical thinking is a skill we engage in every day. Whenever we make any decision, we are using critical thinking. So, it makes sense that we can apply this to our academic work as well. However, in university and college, critical thinking has a broader meaning Being critical means making informed or educated judgments about social issues, literature, math, and so on. It can also mean distinguishing between fact and opinion. It involves determining the validity of theories and considering how to apply these theories to practice. When we make academic judgments, they must be well grounded in appropriate research. Critical thinking skills allow us to consider an issue from all sides. Through the process of critical thinking, we create a synthesis of all available information, and then we apply it to the decision making process. Critical thinking is a necessary component of academia because it allows for the development of new information and knowledge. In academia, we are essentially learning to question all information while looking for ways to continue to challenge the data to create further research. As a critically thinking student, it is crucial to incorporate the process into your reading, note-taking, essay writing, and presentations. These skills are also essential for anyone in a professional degree and can contribute to developing your practice. Critical thinking doesn’t only apply to academia; it can also help us to navigate our daily lives as well. When we enhance our critical thinking skills, we can improve our decision-making processes and make stronger decisions based on accounting for all information. Remember, most of our everyday thinking is uncritical. We generally go through our days without thinking through every step. However, there is a time and a place where critical thinking should be employed. But, how do we learn to enhance our natural critical thinking skills? Ask Basic Questions As we know, our social world, as well as the content we take in as students, often appears complicated. However, we can begin by merely asking simple questions. When an answer to a question becomes difficult, it starts to lose meaning. Here are some basic questions that you can apply in your academic writing that will help keep things simple: ? What do you already know? ? How do you know that? ? What are you trying to prove, disprove, demonstrate, critique? ? What are you overlooking? When beginning a paper or another assignment and the information seems complex, start with these simple questions and create an outline. Working from a critical perspective does not have to be difficult, and sometimes the best solutions come from the most natural process. Question Basic Assumptions When you are writing a paper or thinking through a problem, you do not want to base your analysis only on what you know. We all have basic assumptions which inform our everyday lives. Academic quality work must extend beyond basic assumptions towards analysis and synthesis of information. Check your assumptions at the door and do some research with an open mind. We all have ways of making life simpler. These are called heuristics or otherwise, mental shortcuts. While these techniques were helpful when we were hunter-gatherers, we now live in a society that calls for critical thinking. When you are writing a paper or working on an exam, make sure to have a one up on your mental biases, so they will not lead you astray. Reading more, becoming educated, and becoming more informed about how others think can allow us to understand our cognitive biases more readily. Remember to Think for Yourself Although you will be drawing on academic literature and information when you do your research and write papers, it is also important to remember to think for yourself. While this does not mean incorporating your biases into your writing, it means that you must analyze a situation using a critical lens. Go back and ask those basic questions. What is missing? Is there a gap? What is this research saying? Does it make sense concerning other research on the topic? Think through the literature using your power of deduction. You will write a stronger paper, and your professor will be able to see that you can do more than regurgitate the literature. John Dewey truly believed in the values of students learning to think for themselves. He warned against the tendency towards training people to fit into boxes in society, fearing that it would omit the potential for social growth and democratic development. A great quote from Dewey captures his sense of the value of critical thinking: Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. As an active contemporary leader in the realm of critical thinking, TED-Ed has developed a five-step process to help improve critical thinking skills. The following is a summation of the process, however, for more on the topic, TED-ed has developed an accessible video. TED-Eds 5-Step Process for Critical Thinking: 1. Formulate your question. In an academic setting, this looks like creating a thesis statement or hypothesis. 2. Gather your information. Do your research/review the literature. 3. Apply the information. Ask yourself what concepts are included? What assumptions are made? Consider if your interpretation is logically sound 4. Reflect on the implications of this information. 5. Explore other points of view. Critical Thinking is a Part of Our Everyday We participate in critical thinking every day. When we look out the door in the morning and see dark clouds, we might assume that it is going to rain later, so we choose to put on a raincoat. That is critical thinking. We can apply these same skills in academia by using the knowledge we already have to make sound arguments about data. As Dewey suggests, we are always engaged in the process of learning and critical thinking, whether it is inside the classroom or in our daily lives. If youre interested in the topic of critical thinking and you want to continue the conversation, check out our YouTube video: The Importance of Critical Thinking in Academia. If youre in an advanced degree that calls for a higher level of critical thinking, consider drawing on the expertise of some of our Top Writers for some additional support.

Saving world for a latte - Free Essay Example

Saving the World for a Latte Its trash day in Everett, Mass., and the streets are lined with garbage cans. But as a white truck rumbles through this working-class suburb of Boston, theres something overshadowing the roadside cans: huge 96-gallon maroon recycling containers. At each stop, workers wheel the bins onto hydraulic lifts on the back of the truck. They pull a lever and a clanging mix of beer bottles, soup cans, milk jugs and newspapers spills into the truck. Before swallowing up that waste, the high-tech system scans radio-frequency ID tags embedded in the containers and weighs how much each household recycled that week. That data is instantly transmitted to a Web site, where its converted into points that homeowners can redeem for discounts at stores like CVS or on national brands like Coke. Basically, its like a frequent-flier program for recyclers. Turning trash into treasure is the premise behind RecycleBank, a four-year-old green-tech startup out of New York that runs the Everett program. The brainchild of two high-school science partners, RecycleBank hopes to be serving 1 million U.S. homes by the end of 2009. The logo on those binsa piggy bank with a garbage can stuck to its rumpgets at the companys simple proposition: What if you could be rewarded for recycling? The answer: soaring recycling rates in the East Coast markets where the company has rolled out. Wilmington, Del., has seen its recycling rate jump from 3 percent to 32 percent since RecycleBank arrived a year ago. In Everett, where the program launched citywide in July, the average household now recycles the equivalent of 830 pounds a year, up tenfold since the program launched. The recycling buzz is out there, says Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. Its fun filling that thing up to the top. Perhaps its a commentary on the woes of Wall Street, but investors are seeing gold in garbage. With rising demand from markets like China and India, prices for scrap material like aluminum and paper have soared, which makes the economics of recycling more compelling than ever. Thats why venture capitalists dumped a record $161 million into recycling firms last year, up from just $17 million in 2001, according to Cleantech Group, a green-investing consultant. And RecycleBank is one of the hottest plays, attracting $40 million from backers like Silicon Valley venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, former American Express CEO James Robinson III and Coca-Cola. The company was conceived six years ago when Fordham law student Patrick FitzGerald became transfixed by a New York Times story describing how Gotham was considering ditching recycling because it wasnt working economically. FitzGerald wondered: Would people recycle more if you gave them a financial incentive? He took that idea to his old high-school chum Ron Gonen, then an MBA student at Columbia University. Gonen worked up a Web-based business plan and convinced Columbia to kick in $100,000 to incubate the idea. Today, RecycleBank has 80 employees and operates in nine states, mostly on the East Coast. (FitzGerald left RecycleBank last year to start up two other green ventures). Now, though, RecycleBank is testing its appeal by expanding into unfamiliar territorythe South and Midwest, where recycling rates are the lowest in the country. This fall, RecycleBank bins are wheeling into Texas, Ohio, Minnesota and South Dakota. Nationally, Americans recycle 32.5 percent of the mess we make, double the rate we recycled in 1990. Fueling that growth lately has been the move to single-stream recycling, where you throw all your recyclables into a single bin, rather than separating them, a convenience that made RecycleBank possible. But recycling is most prevalent on the coasts. In the Midwest and South, recycling rates are often in the single digits to nonexistent. Thats not driven by some regional lack of virtue. Its all about economics. In the wide-open spaces in the countrys interior, building a landfill is a cheaper propositionand so are the fees cities pay to dump there. So theres less motivation to fill those blue bins. Technically, everybody is supposed to recycle, says Bob Novak, a Sioux Falls, S.D., waste hauler whos bringing RecycleBank to town this month. But very few are doing everything they could. Theres lots of room for growth. Gonen, 33, remains undaunted by the lack of conservation culture in the center of the country. His companys appeal has never been solely about doing the right thing. Its a pocketbook play: Households get 2.5 points for every pound they recycle and can earn a maximum of 450 points a month. Each point is worth a dime, so the monthly max is $45. You can redeem those points for a Latte at Dunkin Donuts or to cut your grocery bill. I dont think culturally its a tough sell, says Gonen. Our customer is anyone who lives in a home and buys stuff. Anyone Ive met in the Midwest lives in a home and is a consumer. RecycleBank makes its money from fees paid by its retail partners for online advertising and other marketing support. It also can make millions splitting the savings cities realize from diverting trash from the dump to materials recovery facilities that sort it, crush it and ship it out for reuse. Take Everett, which pays $76 for every ton of garbage it tips into landfills. Since RecycleBank arrived, garbage trucks are picking up 14 tons of recycling a day, instead of 3 tons. Thats 11 tons of trash no longer going to the dump daily. RecycleBank also is compiling a vast database of green consumers it can sell to marketers; the company hopes to service 10 million homes within five years. RecycleBank doesnt run the trucks, says Scott Vitters, a recycling exec at Coke, which has invested $2 million. They are a marketing tool. Green as it is, RecycleBank is still running in the red. SEC documents from RecycleBanks only publicly traded investor, Casella Waste Systems, indicate the company lost about $2.5 million in the three months ended July 31, suggesting an annual burn rate of $10 million. RecycleBank says those numbers are outdated, and Gonen promises profits by the first quarter of 2010. Thats just fine with his investors. If we wanted it to be a smaller, more profitable company, we could do that right now, says Stuart Ellman of RRE Ventures. Wed rather build out the company and lose some money early on. To RecycleBank customers, the goal is to build up the points as quickly as possible. Sure, some have tried gaming the system, hiding bowling balls in the bottom of the bin, but many are simply confused about what you can toss. The waste haulers are trained to spot contaminated loads and can reject them by pushing a red button on the truck, which automatically generates a letter to that home on what can be recycled. On Winslow Street, the workers reject a container weighed down with wood. As they head off, the elderly homeowner comes hobbling after them on a cane. Wood is not recyclable? he asks. Told its not, he scurries back, removes the wood and wheels his bin back to the truck to be weighed and dumped. And most important, so he can earn his points. After all, saving the planet is fine. But saving a buck is even better.