Tapped Water supply and Bottled Water Essay

Tapped Water supply and Bottled Water Essay Tapped: Water supply and Bottled Water Essay TAPPED In the documentary TAPPED directed by Stephanie Soechtig the horrifying effects of plastic water bottles on our health, environment, and our economy are uncovered. The documentary starts in Maine where the citizens of Fryeburg try to fight of Nestle, who is taking their water source. Basically what Nestle is doing is taking these citizens’ water and selling in back to them for more than it is worth without being taxed. The idea of water bottles became popular around the 1980’s and erupted from there. It is said to be one of the greatest market schemes of all time. Many customers believe they are receiving more healthy water, and fail to recognize the harmful effects on the body. The actual process of making these plastic bottles is detrimental to our environment. The amount of pollution and carbon dioxide these plants release is staggering. Families near the area of Corpus Christi, Texas are suffering from severe health issues and many fatalities due to the plant right in town. This is just one of the many examples of the effects of plastic making factories. Another issue when it comes to water bottles is the disposing of them. A good amount of all water bottles made either end up in the ocean or a land fill somewhere. Instead of being recycled, it is more convenient for people to throw them away. By filling the ocean with plastics, we are killing animals. The animals think the plastic is food, and when too much gets in their system they will die. Only 50% of Americans have recycling, which is a main reason they end up there. Also, by drinking bottled water we are also hurting ourselves. Bisphenol A is a primary component in most plastics water bottles, and many studies have been shown that is effects one’s overall health. Some health effects mentioned in the documentary were reproductive disorders, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, male impotence and many others. Knowing all these effects of BPA made me think there must be another material we can use. Personally, after watching this documentary, I will always buy BPA free water bottles. If everyone started doing this, they would be much healthier and cause the businesses that use BPA to switch over. There are also many other harmful ingredients in plastic water bottles. For example, one group of bottles was taken right from the shelves of a store and was contained toluene which is a chemical found in paint thinners and gasoline. They did another test in which they left a case of bottled water sitting in the trunk of a car for a week and the results were not what they wanted to see. The bottles contained styrene which causes cancer and phthalate which damages developing fetus. On e truth that this documentary digs out is that about 40% of all bottled

A Brief Overview of Émile Durkheims Role in Sociology

A Brief Overview of Émile Durkheim's Role in Sociology Who was Émile Durkheim? He was a famous French philosopher and sociologist known as the father of the French school of sociology for his methodology combining empirical research with sociological theory. The following outlines his life and career and his published works. Early Life and Education Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) was born in Épinal, France, on April 15, 1858, to a devout French Jewish family. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been rabbis, and it was assumed that he would follow their lead when they enrolled him in a rabbinical school. However, at an early age, he decided not to follow in his familys footsteps and switched schools after realizing that he preferred to study religion from an agnostic standpoint as opposed to being indoctrinated. In 1879, his good grades got him into the École Normale Supà ©rieure (ENS), a well-regarded graduate school in Paris. Career and Later Life Durkheim became interested in a scientific approach to society very early on in his career, which meant the first of many conflicts with the French academic system- which had no social science curriculum at the time. Durkheim found humanistic studies uninteresting, turning his attention from psychology and philosophy to ethics and eventually, sociology. He graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1882. Durkheims views could not get him a major academic appointment in Paris, so from 1882 to 1887 he taught philosophy at several provincial schools. In 1885 he left for Germany, where he studied sociology for two years. Durkheims period in Germany resulted in the publication of numerous articles on German social science and philosophy, which gained recognition in France and earned him a teaching appointment at the University of Bordeaux in 1887. This was an important sign of the change of times and the growing importance and recognition of the social sciences. From this position, Durkheim helped reform the French school system and introduced the study of social science in its curriculum. Also in 1887, Durkheim married Louise Dreyfus, with whom he later had two children. In 1893, Durkheim published his first major work, The Division of Labor in Society, in which he introduced the concept of anomie, or the breakdown of the influence of social norms on individuals within a society. In 1895, he published The Rules of Sociological Method, his second major work, which was a manifesto stating what sociology is and how it ought to be done. In 1897, he published his third major work, Suicide: A Study in Sociology, a case study exploring the differing suicide rates among Protestants and Catholics and arguing that stronger social control among Catholics results in lower suicide rates. By 1902, Durkheim had finally achieved his goal of attaining a prominent position in Paris when he became the chair of education at the Sorbonne. Durkheim also served as an advisor to the Ministry of Education. In 1912, he published his last major work, The Elementary Forms of The Religious Life, a book that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. Émile Durkheim died of a stroke in Paris on November 15, 1917, and is buried in the citys Montparnasse Cemetery.