Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Summary - Assignment Example An analysis of Utopia and Reality is analyzed through the implication of the differences between Utopia and reality. The difference is from another thesis like ‘Free will and determination’, ‘Theory and Practice’, ‘The intellectual and the Bureaucrat’, ‘Left and Right’, ‘Ethics and politics’. Andreas Osiander on his article â€Å"Twentieth Century International Relations Theory; Idealism revisited† presents a revision of idealist writers. The revised writers focus their understanding of international relations on a standard pattern. The pattern in this question is the ‘Realist’ theory. The most significant difference between Idealism and Realism is in their historical theories. The similarity is that both came about as a result of industrialization. The idealist thinking envisions two views; a newer democratic world that is better suited for functional reasons in the industrial generation than in the traditional generation. The other envisioned thinking by idealist is the particular view of power politics problems got from the fact that the traditional order cannot be instantly displaced but through a long transitional phase. With reference to the works of Hedley Bull, there exist two international relations theories. The first one is the classical approach while the second is the scientific approach, but we shall focus on the first one. The scientific approach to the theory of the scientific approach is also present in the theory of international systems as stated by Morton A. Kaplan alongside many more others. A Classical approach is based on the existing situation. It is thus desirable if we reject the scientific approach and formulate other objections. However, the scientific approach is most likely to provide very little substantial data towards international relations although it later displaces the classical approach. Bull has also used the work of Thomas Schelling,

Social Work with the Elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Work with the Elderly - Essay Example A challenge is a fact that it is common for the social workers’ clients to be afflicted with different kinds of diseases and disabilities: physically, mentally, or emotionally. This paper aims to give an in-depth discussion of the challenges involved in working with the elderly, and how the clients’ identity issues affect their relationship dynamics with the worker. First, let us explore the clients’ perspectives and situations from the beginning of things – as they enter the residential home for the elderly. Some have existing and financially capable relatives by they themselves choose to stay in a residential facility so as not to burden their family members with their needs. It could due to reasons of pride, or perhaps a deeply ingrained sense of independence that spurs them to instead opt for professional and paid help. It could be a defense against possible future rejection and the hurt that would succumb from it. Others would have preferred to stay with their children and/or grandchildren, as is in most cases in Asian countries for example, but the family members are either too poor, too disgusted at the prospect of being solely responsible of taking care of an elderly person, or too concerned with having their own lifestyles cramped. Many times the older persons in these cases are admitted to residential homes despite wanting to stay with their families or remain in their own homes. They perhaps just weren’t given a choice. The majority of the elderly have been placed in residential homes because of a physical or mental disability and/or because they do not have anyone around to take care of them anymore. These factors, one way or another, have a crucial impact on the clients’ psychological state and invariably affect their responsiveness and cooperation during the course of case management. As each and every human being has unique identities and personalities, the dynamics of an elderly person and his or her identity is profoundly affected.

My Position in Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs Essay Example for Free

My Position in Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs Essay In Maslows hierarchy of needs, I would like to see myself in the fourth level. I must say I am already fulfilled when it comes to physiological, safety, and belongingness needs. As I grow old, I realize my needs and as I become mature I started to aim for satisfaction. I have a very supportive family and I could say that I have gained a lot of friends along my journey whom I can consider as part of my success. I am no longer a child to aim for belongingness nor too old to aim for self actualization, I am still on my quest for achievement and reputation. Even though, I have already finished my college education, I still have a lot of plans for my future. Just like what Marlows say about the â€Å"needs† of a person, esteem needs talks about the pride. I must say I am already in the stage where I am aiming for others recognition and respect. Since I have a strong belief that respect and reputation are gained not only through kindness, I am still planning for more not only to have them but also because those achievements are what I consider as real success in ones life. In my two decades of existence, I have learned to value the achievements that I have gained and aim for more as I grow old. When a person desire for independence and competence, I must say that that is the time when he or she is already satisfied with his or her other needs. That is what I feel for myself right now. I have learned to mingle with different kinds of people for more knowledge, go to different places for adventure, and face adversaries to win every competition. I won a lot of friends but I have also encountered a lot of enemies on my way to what I called success. Maybe because I have been considered as competent and a dreamer, what I already have right now seem not enough for me to be satisfied. I think that is because I am still young to stop and be satisfied for what I have gained in my short journey of life. I also think that being a member of a family of achievers gives me an inspiration to dream more and go further than what I have already accomplished. The prominent people around me give me encouragement to make all my plans reachable. Apparently, my goal in life and my perspective of satisfaction rely heavily on my quest for independence, respect, and reputation. I have realized that I am already satisfied with other needs in life and those things that I want to do today reflect what I want to be in the future.

Pharmacogenetics And Pharmacogenomics In Pharmacy Practice Biology Essay

Pharmacogenetics And Pharmacogenomics In Pharmacy Practice Biology Essay The study of the interaction between genetics and therapeutic drugs is variously called pharmacogenetics or pharmacogenomics. The differences between the two are the initial approach of the science: Pharmacogenetics starts with an unexpected drug response result and looks for a genetic cause. Pharmacogenomics, on the other hand, begins with looking for genetic differences within a population that explain certain observed responses to a drug or susceptibility to a health problem (The Australasian Genetics Resource Book, 2007). Pharmacogenetics refers to the study of inter-individual specific genetic variation (Zika et al. 2006). The term pharmacogenetics is occasionally used in a limiting sense to describe how different gene variants affect drug-response but it can also be defined more broadly as the study of the effect of heredity on human drug-response (Newton et al. 2007). Factors that influence how an individual responds to medication include their external and internal environments and overall health, as well as their genetic make-up. The goal of pharmacogenetics is to understand the role that an individuals genetic make-up plays in how well a medicine works, as well as what side effects are likely to occur in the individuals body. Understanding this can help tailor drugs in the future best suited for a particular individual (personalised medicine) or group (The Australian Genetics Resource Book, 2007). The small differences in the genes between different population groups, or some families within a population group, that have built up over the generations can mean that they react differently to medicines. However, some diseases, notably cancers, develop in cells which have an altered genetic constitution, so that the genetic make-up of the diseased tissue is no longer the same as that of the person in which it is present. Specific genes present in the diseased tissue may play a critical role in determining the optimum treatment. To establish this, it will therefore be necessary to identify the genetic make-up of the cancer itself: testing the patient before a cancer has developed is of no use, because the genetic changes are only present in the cancer cells and not in the normal host tissues (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 2003). Some potential benefits of pharmacogenetics include the following: More powerful medicines: Drugs may be developed targeting specific health problems that will maximise therapeutic effects but decrease damage to nearby healthy cells Safer drugs the first time: Doctors could have an idea which drug to use based on a genetic profile versus trial and error, decreasing the likelihood of adverse reactions More accurate methods of determining dosages: Instead of dosages being based on body weight and age, it would be based on an individuals genetics. This would decrease the likelihood of an overdose. Better vaccines: Vaccines made of genetic material could activate the immune system to have all the benefits of existing vaccines but with reduced risks of infections (The Australasian Genetics Resource Book, 2007). Implications of pharmacogenetics in practice are vast and encompass broad areas such as: Drug response the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors have been found to be greater in people of European or UK ancestry than African-Americans. Pre-treatment genetic screening of patients will eventually enable this knowledge to be applied in clinical practice. Moreover, variation in the genes that code for receptors (drug targets) may mean that some people may produce receptors that do not interact well with the drug. For example, some people have a lack of response to the drug salbutamol, used in the treatment of asthma, due to genetic variation in the gene that codes a receptor on the surface of smooth muscle cells lining airways of the lungs. Drug targets Genes may also determine how many of the receptors are produced on or within cells and genetic variation may mean that some people produce more of these sites than others. The action of the widely used antipsychotic drug haloperidol (Haldol) depends on its ability to bind to the dopamine (D2) receptor site. In one study, 63% of patients whose genetic make-up caused a large number of these receptor sites to be produced had a response to treatment with haloperidol. About 29% of patients with a smaller number of dopamine (D2) receptor sites responded well to the drug. Drug metabolism Pain relief medications such as codeine require an enzyme produced in the liver called CYP2D6 for the drug to be used by the body, break it down and remove it. Variations in the information contained in the CYP2D6 gene determine how much of this enzyme is produced in the liver (The Australasian Genetics Resource Book, 2007). The implication of variations in genotype on the metabolism of the immunosuppressant azathioprine is also an example. Polymorphisms in the gene encoding for the enzyme thiopurine S-methyl transferase (TPMT) lead to changes in the activity of the enzyme and rate of metabolism of azathioprine. Changes in the activity of the enzyme present clinically as an increased risk of neutropenia or a decreased chance of responding to azathioprine, at normal dose ranges. A genetic test for the polymorphism can identify individuals who are more likely to develop neutropenia. Thus, the aim of a pharmacogenetic test here is to minimise an adverse effect, although in other cases, a pharmacogenetic test may be able to predict an effective responseto a medicine by correlating an individuals genotype with the observed pharmacological actions of medicines (phenotype) (Clemerson et al. 2006). Drug development Excluding from clinical trials those people whose genetic makeup would make the drug being tested harmful or ineffective for them will increase the chance that a drug will show itself useful to a particular population group. This would increase the chance that the same drug will make it into the marketplace. Undertaking pre-genetic screening of those patients taking part in a clinical trial should also make the clinical trials smaller, faster, and therefore less expensive. For example, as seen in clinical trials for developing drugs for Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia (The Australasian Genetics Resource Book, 2007). The application of pharmacogenetics has two main aspects: improvements in the safety and efficacy of medicines. In improving safety, pharmacogenetics works in the following ways: Pharmacogenetic tests reveal genetic variations already known to be associated with adverse reactions, allowing physicians to avoid exposing patients to medicines that would put them at risk. The majority of adverse reactions are caused because of an exaggerated effect of a medicine in the body. Less often, an adverse reaction may be an idiosyncratic response to the medicine. Adverse reactions to medicines have significant costs, in both human and monetary terms. However, it is difficult to ascertain the impact of genetic variation in response to medicines because data concerning adverse reactions often include problems caused by errors in prescription, and because information about other causes such as interaction between different medicines may be non-existent. Results from pharmacogenetic tests may also inform physicians in selecting the medicine most likely to benefit a particular patient. Many medicines are effective in only a proportion of patients treated. Sometimes, for a medicine to be effective, different doses are required for different patients. In the absence of a pharmacogenetic test for efficacy, the most appropriate medicine or dose is conventionally found by trial and error, although in some cases, tests of renal function may be used to predict the appropriate dose. It has been suggested that a trial and error approach to prescription may reduce compliance for medicines that do work, since patients acquire a general aversion to taking medicines because of the unpleasant side-effects which they might experience. This therefore helps in improving efficacy of medicines (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 2003). A potential barrier to the development of pharmacogenetic tests concerns the application of intellectual property rights. Pharmacogenetic tests may be developed in a number of ways. The pharmaceutical company which is developing the medicine may also develop the pharmacogenetic test. Alternatively, a third party, such as another company or researchers from the public sector may develop the test independently. Furthermore, while the effect of pharmacogenetics may be to reduce some of the costs of developing new medicines, it would be imprudent to infer from this that the cost of purchasing medicines will necessarily fall (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 2003). Pharmacogenomics Pharmacogenomics is the study of genetic variations that influence individual response to drugs.   Knowing whether a patient carries any of these genetic variations can help prescribers individualise drug therapy, decrease the chance for adverse drug events, and increase the effectiveness of drugs (AMA, 2013).   Pharmacogenomics holds the promise that drugs might be tailor-made for individuals and adapted to each persons own genetic makeup. Environment, diet, age, lifestyle, and state of health all can influence a persons response to medicines, but understanding an individuals genetic makeup is thought to be the key to creating personalised drugs with greater efficacy and safety. Pharmacogenomics combines traditional pharmaceutical sciences such as biochemistry with annotated knowledge of genes, proteins, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (Human Genome Project Information, 2011). The field of pharmacogenomics is still in its infancy. Its use is currently quite limited, but new approaches are under study in clinical trials. In the future, pharmacogenomics will allow the development of tailored drugs to treat a wide range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and asthma (Genetics Home Reference, 2013). The cytochrome P450 (CYP) family of liver enzymes is responsible for breaking down more than 30 different classes of drugs. DNA variations in genes that code for these enzymes can influence their ability to metabolise some drugs. Less active or inactive forms of CYP enzymes that are unable to break down and properly eliminate drugs from the body can cause drug overdose in patients. Clinical trials researchers use genetic tests for variations in cytochrome P450 genes to screen and monitor patients. In addition, many pharmaceutical companies screen their chemical compounds to see how well they are broken down by variant forms of CYP enzymes. Another enzyme called TPMT (thiopurine methyltransferase) plays an important role in the chemotherapy treatment of common childhood leukemia by breaking down a class of therapeutic compounds called thiopurines. A small percentage of Caucasians have genetic variants that prevent them from producing an active form of this protein. As a result, thiopurines elevate to toxic levels in the patient because the inactive form of TMPT is unable to break down the drug. Today, doctors can use a genetic test to screen patients for this deficiency, and the TMPT activity is monitored to determine appropriate thiopurine dosage levels (Human Genome Project Information, 2011). Similarly to pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics  has the potential to  provide tailored drug therapy based on genetically determined variation in effectiveness and side effects (AMA, 2013). This will mean: More powerful medicines   Pharmaceutical companies will be able to produce therapies more targeted to specific diseases, maximising therapeutic effects while decreasing damage to nearby healthy cells. Better, safer drugs the first time   Recovery time will go down and safety will go up as the likelihood of adverse reactions goes down or is eliminated altogether. Improvements in drug discovery, design, and development are obvious applications for pharmacogenomics. A deeper understanding of the genetic factors which cause variance in drug metabolism can aid in the design of drugs with improved potency, reduced toxicity, and fewer side effects. For example, pharmacogenomics can identify potential drug targets (targets are typically enzymes or other proteins), and determine which targets are least prone to genetic variance. By selecting drug targets which are not prone to genetic variance, drug designers can create drugs which are more likely to have standard, expected, and safe reactions in people who take it. More accurate methods of determining appropriate drug dosages   Current methods of basing dosages on weight and age will be replaced with dosages based on a persons genetics how well the body processes the medicine and the time it takes to metabolise it. Pharmacogenomics can also be useful in clinical trials for drugs which have passed through the approval process sufficiently that human trials are possible. Using this approach, a technique called genostratification can be used in selecting participants for clinical trials. This means that clinicians use genetic typing to select participants who are genetically more likely to react positively to the treatment which is under study. This can potentially allow for an improved level of treatment success, and means that proof of concept can be achieved sooner. This technique can also allow for a reduction in the required sample size for the trial, or shortened trial duration. Ultimately, a drug which may help save or improve lives can be used in the general public more quickly than otherwise would be possible. Economic issues from molecule to marketplace Pharmacogenomics eventually can lead to an overall decrease in the cost of health care because of decreases in: the number of adverse drug reactions, the number of failed drug trials, the time it takes to get a drug approved, the length of time patients are on medication, the number of medications patients must take to find an effective therapy, and the effects of a disease on the body (through early detection). Applying pharmacogenomics to patient treatment can help devise individualised treatment regimes, to ensure that patients receive the drugs which are most appropriate for their genetic makeup. In particular, this approach has significant potential in treating cancer, because there is a great degree of variance in the way people react to chemotherapy drugs. Tumors themselves are highly variable in genetic terms, and this partially accounts for the variance in drug responses. Using an approach which individualizes treatment regimes, to accommodate for this variance could improve cancer treatments significantly. Pharmacogenomics is useful in general for patient treatment because it has the potential to identify on an individual basis the drugs which might cause adverse reactions. A person who might experience such a reaction can then be prescribed an alternative drug (Lloyd, 2008). However, there are several potential barriers to pharmacogenomics which have to be overcome before the above discussed benefits of pharmacogenomics can be realised (Human Genome Project Information, 2011). These include the following: Complexity of finding gene variations that affect drug response   Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are DNA sequence variations that occur when a single nucleotide (A,T,C,or G) in the genome sequence is altered. SNPs occur every 100 to 300 bases along the 3-billion-base human genome, therefore millions of SNPs must be identified and analyzed to determine their involvement (if any) in drug response. Further complicating the process is our limited knowledge of which genes are involved with each drug response. Since many genes are likely to influence responses, obtaining the big picture on the impact of gene variations is highly time-consuming and complicated. Limited drug alternatives   Only one or two approved drugs may be available for treatment of a particular condition. If patients have gene variations that prevent them using these drugs, they may be left without any alternatives for treatment. Disincentives for drug companies to make multiple pharmacogenomic products   Most pharmaceutical companies have been successful with their one size fits all approach to drug development. Since it costs hundreds of millions of dollars to bring a drug to market, will these companies be willing to develop alternative drugs that serve only a small portion of the population? Educating healthcare providers   Introducing multiple pharmacogenomic products to treat the same condition for different population subsets undoubtedly will complicate the process of prescribing and dispensing drugs. Physicians must execute an extra diagnostic step to determine which drug is best suited to each patient. To interpret the diagnostic accurately and recommend the best course of treatment for each patient, all prescribing physicians, regardless of specialty, will need a better understanding of genetics. Conclusion Despite the various potential barriers to both pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics, these fields are rapidly evolving with the promise that someday a simple and rapid DNA test will determine potential risks of adverse effects with a certain drug, and thus turning to another drug which would be more suitable for the patient.

the call of the wild Essay -- essays research papers

The Call of the Wild, on the surface, is a story about Buck, a four- year old dog that is part Shepherd and part St. Bernard. More importantly, it is a naturalistic tale about the survival of the fittest in nature. Throughout the novel, Buck proves that he is fit and can endure the law of the club, the law of the fang, and the laws of nature. Buck had been raised in California, on the ranch of Judge Miller. There he had the run of the place and was loved and pampered by all. Unfortunately, one of the judge's workers had a gambling problem and stole Buck to sell him for fifty dollars. Buck fights being tied, caged, and beaten, but his efforts only frustrate him. He is put on a train and a boat, being shipped to Alaska to be used as a sled dog. Although he is miserable on the journey, Buck learns an important lesson - the law of the club. If he does not obey, he will be beaten. In Alaska, Buck is sold to become a sled dog. Intelligent and hard working, he quickly learns to adapt to his new life. He becomes a good sled dog, working as part of the team; he also learns how to protect himself from the miserable cold, burrowing under the snow, and how to find food, stealing if necessary. He also learns he must always be alert, for there are dangers everywhere. Additionally, Buck learns the law of the whip, for if he does not obey the driver or do his fair share of pulling, he will be popped. Buck also learns the law of the fang. Unlike the domesticated dogs at Judge Miller's ...

Key Points presented by Philosophers in the 17th Century

IntroductionREALLY, should it not be the purpose of a government to work for the benefit of its subjects? The well-known American George Washington said that â€Å"the happiness of society,† that is, of the people, â€Å"is, or ought to be, the end [the objective] of all government.† Over the centuries, humankind has lived under hundreds of governments. None have truly satisfied the needs of all the people.Whatever the complaints made, however, the fact remains that some sort of government is clearly better than no government at all. Without government there would be no order; it would be no less than mob rule. And if you have ever seen a mob in action you know what that would mean—for in a mob people take the opportunity to vent hatred, greed and viciousness, feeling that no one will identify them for punishment.However, despite of all the disappointments brought about by the human government to the society through the threads of history, philosophers from the o lden times up until the present era still believes that the human society could not exist in an organized manner without the existence of a concrete government in authority.  In this regard, it is thus essential for the present generation to know the vitality of the philosophies presented by the 17th up until the 21st century philosophers and how much important they are with regards to the political systems existing in the human society todayAmong the well-known philosophers to be discussed herein are Rene Descartes, Karl Marx, Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, John Locke, Voltaire Candide, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu. These philosophers are most likely agreeing on one theme with regards to their belief of the present situation of the human society and tits need of having a government to rule over its concerns. In this regard, an analysis would be very beneficial to understand the theories and philosophies formulated by the people mentioned above.The PhilosophiesRene Descartes b elieves that in many ways, the human society is in dire need of a government to rule over its activities. According to him, it is indeed naturally innate in humans that they are able to solve and face the challenges they are supposed to meet everyday. The fact that they are capable of speculating on the things that might happen through simple application of theories, humans are indeed capable of solving social issues they face. However, it is also evident in his philosophy that to be able to create the necessary solutions for certain problems, it is important for humans to attain guidance from a higher sort of authority. This is where a government enters the scenario, which is ought to give guidance to the society on how they are supposed to deal with the numerous problems that occur in the society every now and then.Karl Marx on the other end refers to governments as a source of social strength. In his philosophy on the communist manifesto, he states that the idea of communism to  produce socialism is an important factor in helping the human society to progress through their works. According to him, the factual effect of communism to many countries using the said type of government as a means of ruling the territories they organize. It is through this way of governance that the authorities are able to favor the abilities placed by the workers in contributing to the economy of the entire country.Still regarding politics, Thomas Hobbes Leviathan states in his philosophy that men, when left alone are naturally lovers of violence. They are naturally involved in fights and chaos. However, an existing government designed to help the human generations deal with the conflicts they have against each other, then such conflicts are possible of being solved. The laws prepared and implicated by the human governments help so much in making it possible for the human society to be well organized thus giving humans the chance to control their emotions and reactions towards several conflicts that they are involved with.John Locke on the other hand agrees with the idea of Thomas Hobbes. He believes that through the existence of empiricism, the human civilization would become more organized. He states in his philosophy that the main goal of every government is to establish a certain level of organization within the human society. Aside from this, it is indeed beneficial that the governments help the society to learn the needs and the essential factors contributed by law to the lives of the population of people making up the society. With this, cooperation between each subject within the territories ruled by the government could be established well.John Locke further adds that in many ways, a human government is able to emphasize the need for each person to pursue what they believe is true. Certainly, through the existence of ‘tabula rasa’, which refers to the natural rights of humans, the governments are able to deal with the problems caused by the social conflicts in a better and organized manner.Voltaire Candide meanwhile talks about the utopia of the human generation. According to him, the regular exercise of humans of their right to speak of their minds helps in making a better government. The ability of humans to speak out their minds and the rights that are connected with it constantly helps in making more reliable and practical laws and regulations for the society. Certainly, the constant practice of this right is believed by Candide to be a key source to social development.Jean Jacques Rousseau of the philosophy on Social Contract on the other hand makes a clear point in stating that humans are naturally good, however, because of the government and the environment around them, they become rude and are influenced to do otherwise than what is accepted good. To him, government is a factor of the society that must be constantly controlled by the people since the people placed the government in authority. To him, th e exercise of democracy is the key factor to social success.Regarding the existence of a democratic government, Montesquieu agrees that the present systems used by the European governments, having been able to divide the rulership or authoritative power into three major sectors is among the most progressive  innovation there ever was in the human government. In this regard, it is thus expected to be effective enough in leading the human civilization to a progressive future.ConclusionA peaceful, prosperous and happy world that is what people everywhere long for. Not just humility, but reality and honesty oblige us to admit that it is because all men are imperfect that they are not capable of dealing with the necessary needs of having a true reliable government. The fault lies, not just with those who rule, but also with those who are ruled. True, Instant communication and fast transportation have â€Å"shrunk† the size of the world, so that there is an interlocking of intere sts, and no nation can be an isolated, totally independent unit. What happens in one place affects people everywhere else.Governments can make some minor moves to adjust matters and make conditions a little better for the people. However, such help proves to be only superficial and temporary. As the philosophers discussed in this paper states, the existence of a fine government lies upon the capability of the people to cooperate and be in submission to the laws created by the authorities to attain a social Utopia.BIBLIOGRAPHYSteven M. Cahn. (1998). Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy.Oxford University Press, USA.

What must be done to protect New Zealand’s wildlife

There is much said about protecting native species all around the world and New Zealand is no exception. In New Zealand we are facing challenges of our own when it comes to protecting and conserving our native species. This challenges range from oil spills to climate change to over-harvesting (in particular whale hunting). It is common reality that more needs to be done to protect our native New Zealand species. And this needs collective effort from each and every one of us to protect our native species-the government, NGOs and citizens. in my essay I will be emphasising on what we can do as individuals to contribute to protecting and conserving the native species and these includes reducing our carbon footprint, considering our lifestyle and lastly speaking out. I will then conclude by emphasising these points. Brief Background Due to its long geological isolation since breaking away from the supercontinent Gondwana about 80 million years ago, New Zealand’s plant and animal life has developed down a unique evolutionary path. Many of our native plants and animals are endemic – that is, found nowhere else in the world. The level of endemism among New Zealand plants and animals is one of the highest in the world. The tuatara, moa, kiwi, kokako, saddleback, huia, kakapo, native frogs and giant carnivorous land snails are just some of the species that are uniquely New Zealand. This isolation in the absence of mammalian predators for millions of years also meant that many of our native species were virtually defenceless against attack – for example, many of our native birds like the kiwi are flightless and nest on the ground. When humans – first Maori and then European settlers – arrived in New Zealand, introduced mammals came with them: rats, possums, stoats, ferrets, weasels, deer, pigs, mice, cats, dogs and others. These introduced species quickly took a heavy toll as they preyed and browsed on New Zealand’s largely defenceless native species, or competed with them. Human activities such as felling and burning vegetation and draining wetlands also destroyed much of the native species’ habitats. Native species such as the moa, huia, and the world’s largest-ever eagle, the Haast’s eagle, the South Island kokako and many others became extinct. Many more, such as the Takahe, the Kakapo and the long-tailed bat were radically reduced in number and remain perilously close to extinction today. Against this backdrop, the protection of our native species becomes ever more urgent. Thus this brings me to my emphasis on what we can do as individuals to protect our native species. Protection of our native species doesn’t only mean big campaigns by organization such as green peace o world wildlife fund. It also concerns us as individuals to contribute in our own small ways in protecting our native species. Unfortunately, we as individuals don’t realise these. Therefore, there are three things that I believe we can do to help in protecting our native species. They are reducing our carbon footprint, considering our lifestyles and last of all speaking out. Reduce our carbon footprint Each and every one of us can help save the planet from runaway climate change. Carbon emissions have been scientifically proven to be one of the main contributors to global warming. And as individuals, we think that releasing of carbon to the atmosphere is mainly done by factories of all sorts without realising that we also contribute to that. Therefore I believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that we minimise this. So this is how it can be done. Ever wondered how much difference your small actions really make? If every New Zealand household took these three simple actions, it could have a big impact. First of all, go car-free one day a week. Transport is a major contributor to New Zealand's emissions (20%). If everyone in New Zealand who currently drives to work were to walk, cycle or take public transport on just one day per week, it would save up to 114,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year (Landcare Research’s carboNZero Programme Dec 2008). Secondly, we must switch our bulbs. If every household swapped their remaining old-style light bulbs for new energy efficient ones, this could save up to 0.6 billion kWh of electricity or 106,800 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year (Landcare Research’s carboNZero Programme in December 2008) Thirdly, we must turn un-needed appliances off at the wall. When not in use things like heated towels rails and appliances on standby account for almost 1 billion kWh of electricity per year or 165,700 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Landcare Research’s carboNZero Programme in December 2008). If every household simply turned these off, we could make a big saving. So if all of the above actions are taken, it all adds up to us as individually contributing to reducing carbon emissions. According to Landcare research, the combined impact of these actions would be an emissions reduction of 386,500 tonnes CO2 equivalent per year. This is equivalent to over 839,000 car journeys from Kaitaia to Invercargill (Landcare Research’s carboNZero Programme in December 2008). Figures are based on work by Landcare Research’s carboNZero Programme in December 2008 commissioned by WWF-New Zealand. Consider our lifestyle Have we ever wondered how our lifestyles can contribute to carbon emissions which impact on the environment? In our pursuit of pleasure, enjoyment and expensive lifestyle we have become careless-careless in the sense that we are consuming things that we don’t really need. Carbon emissions are created by stuff – the more stuff you buy, use, consume and throw away the more you’re contributing to climate change. Did we ever known that? I guess no. Take a look at what we really need. Can we cut down on anything? By eating meat and animal products our carbon footprint will be higher than on a vege diet. Can we eat less meat? Garbage emits methane – a greenhouse gas – as it breaks down. Can we reduce our waste? Clothes, furniture, electrical goods – everything really – takes resources to produce and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions as it is moved around the planet. Can you buy less stuff and local stuff instead? Or above all consume only stuff that we really need. You can help – Speak out The last thing we can do is speak out. There are petitions made by organizations such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to the government. The best we can do to help is to sign up. One such petition is the Forest & Bird’s petition. You can help by signing Forest & Bird's petition to save sea lions. In this petition, WWF is calling on the New Zealand Government to immediately take the following action: 1. Determine the relative importance of the threats facing the sea lions. 2. Revise the Department of Conservations Sea Lion Species Management Plan. – (The revised plan should provide clear, time-bound actions to address the main threats identified in the comparative assessment.) 3. Develop an improved population model to guide sea lion mortality limits. – (The model should address the flaws in the current model and also consider the effect of food competition and epidemics.) 4. Set a precautionary mortality limit for sea lions in the squid fishery. – (This limit should be based on the improved population model and on a conservative assessment of the effectiveness of sea lion exclusion devices.) 5. Set an explicit sea lion mortality limit in the Campbell southern blue whiting fishing. 6. Set precautionary allocations of squid and other southern ocean fish stocks. – (These allocations should be ecologically based and explicitly considers direct and indirect effects of fishing on sea lions.) The numbers of sea lion pups are in freefall – estimates from the Department of Conservation show pup production has halved since 1998. So we can play our part by signing the petition. Conclusion To conclude, we must know that protecting native New Zealand species does not concern only the government or organizations such as WWF. It also concerns us as individuals to contribute in our own small ways. We need a collective effort to protect New Zealand’s native species.