The Concept of Beauty Essay - Philip Pettit on Beauty

The Concept of Beauty Essay - Philip Pettit on BeautyI had the pleasure of being the recipient of Philip Pettit's article, 'On the Concept of Beauty,' which is the first part of his two-part analysis of beauty, in the second part of the same article, he analyzes Hegel's account of the concept of beauty in the Phenomenology of Spirit. This article is a follow-up to the first part of this same essay, however, rather than examining the different components of beauty that Pettit argues for, this article is going to take a look at the ways that I disagree with the logic of the argument.I also write in favor of a 'poetic turn' in aesthetics, a sense of heroism or a pearl-clutching feeling, an inner 'or'aah' reaction to beauty. I think this is a misunderstanding of beauty as a subjective notion. It can be objective, like a jewel, but if it is a subjective one, it is subjective because it is expressed.In his essay, Pettit argues that beauty must be a conscious, intended action by the observe r to express something about his or her self. It is not arbitrary; it has to do with a feeling of relation to one's own nature, one's own spirit.There is an image that I have always liked from a recent edition of 'The Art of War,' by Sun Tzu, the famous work by Sun Tzu, 'The Art of War,' and a quote from the work 'The Prince,' written by the famous German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 'All warfare is based on deception.' The actual quote from Goethe is, 'Whoever knows how to lie well will win.' The point here is that one does not truly think, when one is being deceived, because that is the thing that they are doing.A beauty that is the result of a beauty that was given to you by your imagination, when you were quite young and not you in particular, is a pearl-clutching feeling of joy. That is the objective sense of beauty, but then that is not necessarily the most important sense of beauty because there are other things that can be perceived that are more subjective.Kant wrote in his Critique of Practical Reason that beauty is 'the pleasure of the intellect'. While that is the highest object, there are other things that can be perceived that are of higher value than aesthetic pleasure. When a person knows that something is beautiful, and the value is more than the sensory pleasure, but not the pleasure of the intellect, they are saying, that is beautiful.One's own feeling of beauty or the pearl-clutching feeling that is created by someone else's beauty can be subjective, but so can the value of some object of beauty. One may also think that beauty is subjective but it is objective when it comes to artistic value. When one says, this is beautiful, it does not mean that it has to be this way, but it is beautiful because it is this way.Pettit points out that there is a difference between 'the pearl-clutching feeling of delight' and the 'purer feelings of satisfaction and gratitude' that can be experienced by knowing that one is beautiful. He argues that we s hould honor this objective level of beauty, rather than valuing it based on the subjective sense of beauty.

Kaiser William II - Cause Of World War I Essays - German Lutherans

Kaiser William II - Cause of World War I Kaiser William II "Kaiser William II of Germany, 1888-1918, by his personality and actions, contributed to the outbreak of World War I," Discuss. William II came to power prematurely, on the death of his father, at the age of 29. He lacked discipline, was arrogant and bad-tempered. He lacked political experience and maturity and was influenced in his youth by Hinzpeter who instilled in him the idea that a monarch should be independent and follow orders from none. It was obvious to all who were politically aware in Germany in 1890 that a clash would occur between the Chancellor Bismarck, and the Kaiser. When this clash did occur it was over the issue of German policy towards Russia. William favoured outright hostility towards Russia and when he expressed this belief to Bismarck he was met with disillusionment and disbelief. Bismarck realised that twenty years of his work was about to be undone by this impetuous imbicile. William has begun on his road to distruction for Europe. After the collapse of the renewed Dreikaiserbund in 1884, Bismarck recognised that there was a possibility that the isolated Russia would join with France who was in a similar situation. He recognised that this would be disaster for Germany as it would pose the constant threat of a two-front war. However, Bismarck convinced Russia to sign the Reinsurance Treaty and once again managed to insure Germany was safe. However, in 1890 when the treaty was due for renewal William, maintaining that his position "having been imposed on me from heaven." Allowed him to let this treaty lapse. He worsened the situation by refusing to let German bankers makes loans to Russian banks. French bankers took their place and in 1894 the Franco-Russian alliance fused the two together. For Bismarck, this was the ultimate blunder and Germany was faced with a nightmare war. William then adopted a policy of "Weltpolitik", that is now that Germany was a European power he wanted to make it a World power also. He hoped to do this by expanding Germany's number of colonies and by getting involved in international crises between other powers. However, this policy was to bring Germany into conflict with Britain and hence alienate a potential French ally. This began when he announced the construction of the Berlin-Baghdad railway. Baghdad was contained within a British Sphere of influence and was suspicious of the Kaiser?s actions. The second and more serious incident which turned the British against the Germans was the Kaiser's interference in South Africa. After the defeat of Cecil Rhodes in the Jameson Raid in 1895 by the Boers, William sent a telegram to Paul Kringer, the Boer leader, congradulating them on their achievement. The British saw this as a blatent interfernce in what they considered was a internal affair. For them, this proved that the Kaiser was a dangerous figure mwho posed a serious threat to the balance and stability which they wanted to maintain in Europe. Thus, when the Kaiser decided to build up military armaments, they felt they could not allow him to surpass their army size. Admiral von Tirpitz, a powerful military figure, felt that if Germany were to become a world power she needed a strong Navy. William was easily persuaded of this because of his love of pomp and parades and set about buiding up a Navy. The British sawm this as a war threat and pointed out that "the Royal Navy is a dire necessity- the German fleet a luxury" The bringing into operation of the dreadnought made all other ships obsolite because of its power and this a Naval Rce began between the two powers. Huge bitterness and suspicion lingered between the two and by 1914 the two were bitter enemies and Britain used the meek excuse of Germany marching on Belgium as an excuse to declare war on Germany. William's wanting to get involved in international eruses was also a cause of World War I, because of how hje failed to achieve anything at these conferences but to alienate other powers. He demanded an internationa; meeting on the question of French influence in Morocco thinking that opther countries would

The Juvenile Justice Policy Essay Essay Example

The Juvenile Justice Policy Essay Essay Example The Juvenile Justice Policy Essay Essay The Juvenile Justice Policy Essay Essay This approach forces officials to either respond with harsh punishment or doing nothing at all. Eventually, the system is reformed and a greater amount of leniency takes effect. This continues until the final phase, as Juvenile crime continues, policies are enacted requiring severe punishment Meson Howard, 1998). In 1899 at the same time as the creation of the juvenile court, a separate legal process for Juveniles was created, Probation units emphasizing social casework, became Integral components of a rehabilitative Juvenile Justice system Which continued into the sasss. In the sasss the legal rights of juveniles were increased o include due process considerations such as the right to counsel and protection against self-incrimination Meson Howard, 1998). Around this same period of time, demonstrativenesss and decentralization were becoming considerations in exchange for a more rehabilitative model. The rehabilitative approach was . Adopted by all states between 1970 and 1985. T he model again began to change In 1985 with the Increase of violence, drug use and distribution, and high gang activity. Currently, the juvenile justice system is stressing punishment and control of juveniles Meson Howard, 1998). One question that needs to be addressed is that of why should Juveniles be treated any different than that of an adult committing a crime and what are the problems with these Ideas? There are eight possible Justifications. One is that the crime committed by a Juvenile Is less serious than one committed by an adult. Seriousness can be thought about . In terms of harm or damage; another Is to think about the implications of the act for the future behavior of the offender. It is common to think of adult crimes as more serious than Juvenile delinquencies on both counts Evidence points to the contrary and the seriousness of offenses does not increase with age (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). A second Justification Is that adults are responsible for their acts, whereas juveniles are not. In other words, Juveniles Do not or cannot anticipate the consequences of their acts This can also be referred to as low self-control and if low self-control is grounds to excuse the offender, than it would be logical to excuse many adults of their crime based on low self-control (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). A third Justification is that Juveniles are more moldable than an adult is, respond better to treatment, and have a better chance of being rehabilitated. Evidence has en found to the contrary and furthermore, Adults have a declining crime rate regardless AT treatment (Hollers Gastronome, 1 Fourth Justification is there is a separate class of offenses, called status offenses, which are only offenses because of the age of the offender. One could argue in the reverse, that alcohol is frequently related to criminal acts, but is legal for adults to consume. Another analogy to the Juvenile status offense of incorrigibility is the crime of resisting arrest by an adult (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). A fifth Justification is that the Juvenile Justice system is that allows for the sealing f records so as not systematizing the offender and Jeopardizing their future. This creates a host of problematic issues. An offender could continue engaging in crime and a Judge would not know of past offenses, thereby possibly returning the offender to the streets. Also once a Juvenile reaches the age of majority, a clean slate is begun and is treated as a first time offender regardless of past offenses (Roth, 1997; Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). A sixth Justification is that Juveniles are unable to care for themselves and that the state has the responsibility to care for them. There are many adults who are unable o care for themselves and the welfare interest would not affect the care of Juveniles if extended to these adults (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). A seventh Justification is that by providing a separate system, Juveniles are provided separate facilities, away from the negative influences of adult offenders. Prisons have often been considered schools for crime, a fallacy (Roth, 1997; Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). There is no evidence that the longer an offender serves increases the chance of recidivism. There is some evidence That Juvenile offenders are as corrupt as adults. The other argument of the physical danger posed to a Juvenile . Is also usually misguided, because classification by security (or assault) risk is already widely practiced (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). The eighth Justification is the popular Justification of treatment versus punishment, as an excuse of leniency. This seems to become unpopular when the crime is one of a heinous nature. In this case frequently the public requests that adult standards should be applied (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). To summarize the present philosophies underlying the Juvenile Justice system we examine three pervasive arguments. The first is that Juveniles are not as responsible for their actions as adults are and therefore should not be held to the same standards. There are numerous benefits to merging the Juvenile Justice system with the adult criminal Justice system. There would be an increase in savings and efficiency. In many Jurisdictions there is a duplication of staff and functions, From computer systems to personnel officers to auditors to receptionists; courtroom space and personnel could be used more efficiently if the two were merged; as well as imbibing probation and parole officers. Savings could also be possible in detention and correctional facilities, for example by using a wing of an adult facility for Juvenile offenders (Dawson, 1990). A merger of the systems would result in saving by eliminating transfer costs. Presently, if a Juvenile in the upper Juvenile age range comes in, the prosecutor has the option of trying the Juvenile as an adult. A petition for a motion to transfer must be filed, psychological and sociological studies conducted, and an adversarial hearing held before it can be presented too Juvenile Judge. If the two systems were to erg, then the need for a transfer mechanism would be abolished (Dawson, 1990). An offender who commits a crime the day before the age of majority may be treated, as a Juvenile if the transfer mechanism is not invoked. A merger would eliminate the differential treatment; the tendency of officials to want to set an example of the almost adult Juvenile; and the difficulty of knowing the offenders true age, which is often misrepresented in order to be handled in one system over the other (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993; Dawson, 1990). Merging the two systems would have the benefit of providing for continuity of revises. At present, Juvenile records are sealed so it is difficult to determine if the juvenile is headed toward serious problems. Furthermore, the Juvenile, upon reaching the age of majority, has a clean slate, regardless of past record. But, even if the record were disclosed, there would be a tendency to discount the information in making a decision when viewing the individual as an adult (Roth, 1997; Dawson 1990). What the models or approaches have neglected up to this point is the importance of the victim and the community, accountability of the offender, and competency development. So far there has been the debate between punishment versus treatment as options, but both have negative side effects and essentially ignore everything else. The need for retribution may be satisfied by punishment, but the offender can be negatively affected. Punishment can undermine self-restraint, stigmatize ten offender Ana creates problems AT adjustment, wanly encourages delinquency, to name a couple, but it also encourages offenders to focus on themselves, not the victim and their responsibility (Bizarre Washington, 1995). Treatment seems to focus solely on the offender, providing them with benefits and to asking for anything in return. Offenders generally do not hear that they have harmed anyone, that action should be taken to Repair damages or make amends, and must receive consequences As a result of the offense (Bizarre Washington, 1995). The results of these considerations are a new approach called The Balanced Approach by Maloney, Oromo, and Armstrong, 1988, cited in Bizarre Washington, 1995. This approach provides three goals directed toward three primary entities, the victim, the offender, and the community. The three goals Are: accountability, competency development, and community protection. A fourth goal can be added, that of balance to address each of the three goals by policy and programs (Bizarre Washington, 1995). The primary goal of accountability would require the offender to Make amends for their crimes by repaying or restoring losses to victims and the community. The goal of Competency development, the rehabilitative goal for intervention, requires that youth who enter the Juvenile Justice system should exit the system more able to become productive and responsible in the community. The promotion of. Promoting public safety and security at the lowest possible cost is achieved by the hired goal of community protection. The priority of retributive Justice was to punish Through an adversarial process, restorative Justice gives priority to repairing the damage or harm done to victims and the community through a process of victim involvement, community participation, mediation, and reparation. Traditionally, restorative Justice models were offender focused and program driven, but with the addition of balance, there is a general commitment to a Set of values, which in turn, prescribes goals and performance outcomes directed toward meeting the needs Of offender, victim, and community The priorities for practice underlying each of the goals in the balanced approach are: for accountability (or sanctioning) the practice of restitution, community service, victim offender mediation, and victim awareness education; for competency development (or rehabilitation), the practice of work experience, cognitive and decision-making skills training, and service/learning; and for community protection (or safety), the practice of community-based surveillance and sanctioning systems, school and neighborhood prevention and capacity building efforts, and alternative dispute resolution and mediation (Bizarre Washington, 1995). To summarize the present philosophy of maintaining a separate Juvenile Justice system from that of the adult, we focus on three arguments: One that Juveniles are less responsible for their behavior, than adults; two, Juveniles have a greater potential for rehabilitation; and three, avoiding inappropriate legal rules (Dawson, If we attribute crime to low self-control then All that is required is to reduce the crime problem to manageable proportions is to teach people early in life that they wall De netter TOT In ten long run IT teeny pay attention to ten eventual consequences AT heir current behavior (Hirsch Cottonseeds, 1993). A possible approach would be a system of graduated sanctions, whereby the offenders are matched to appropriate punishments and treatments based on history and needs of the individual. This approach keeps in mind the founding philosophy of the Juvenile Justice system and can adequately address the present day offenders by balancing rehabilitation and punishment Meson Howard, 1998). Possibly the best approach, though would be the Balanced Approach, whereby the goals of accountability, competency development, and community protection would be directed toward a restorative justice.

Module Title- Journalism and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Module Title- Journalism and Society - Essay Example The increasing contentious role of journalism is a major concern and therefore, we would be studying the role and impact of news media in the wider interest of the public. It is true that media, in all formats, exerts powerful influence. It is therefore, not surprising that in the last thirty years, number of ownership has been reduced to just 9 major media conglomerates (Bagdikian) who now own all the major media outlets which include TV, newspaper, radio, publishing houses and movie production houses. Since Media has the power to change public perception, news channels mostly have different channels for domestic and international audience and as per the coverage, content and the authenticity of the news, the media often gains an enviable status and popularity among the masses. The pressure on the journalists to conform to the diktats of the management has intensified. Richard Keeble has asserted that ‘In the face of the enormous cultural, ideological and financial power of the dominant media and their hierarchically organised management structures, it is not surprising that isolated journalists (driven by their consciences) feel impotent to effect change’. (2005, p58). Looking through the last two decade of media evolution, one finds that the democratic and conscientious approach towards various issues that so characterized the media in earlier years, has gradually turned towards capitalistic values. Initially, media served as a link between the community and the government. The newspapers and radio made conscious effort to raise the problems and issues which directly affected the community and their welfare. It acted as the watchdog of the public and made sure that the government adhered to policies and plans best suited for national and regional development. Gradually all that changed and the various media like newspaper and publishers, radio, TV network, motion picture etc. gravitated

Exploring ideas about art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exploring ideas about art - Assignment Example Therefore, evaluating various ideas about art suffices towards having a better understanding of art as a whole. As such, one idea about art that can be gained from the Institutional theory of art is that art has a function to perform by maintaining its cultural category. Additionally, art is generally part of a larger system defined by the art world, such it is difficult for art to stand on its own without connections to its art world. When this happens, the art tends to lose its being art in the context in which it was intended by the creator. Moreover, institutionalisation of art forms the framework that enables the proper understanding of any given work of art. This approach means that art cannot be viewed as a single item, rather, it is what makes up a given institutionalised system. On the other hand, Michelle Kamhi’s A Conservative View of Aesthetics looks at the pre-existing notions given to art, and the contemporary understanding of what can be defined as being art. While the typical definition of art is based on a representational approach as highlighted by paintings and sculptures, one significant point in this reading is that art can be anything as long as it is represented by the right individual. This brings another point such that the right individual is anyone who has been associated with art for a given period of time, therefore giving them the jurisdiction to delegate ‘art-wood’ to an object. Additionally, there is the element of art having to be attached to ideas and certain attributes that are characterised as being formal. From the a\idealization posited in this reading, art can mean virtually anything, and this depends only on the context in which it is presented. Nelson Goodman’s When is Art?, brings another perspective towards understanding art by demonstrating that art can be a method, object, or even a language. As a language, art is used as a form of communication or method that makes it easy for individuals to

Shooting an Elephant Literary Analysis Essay Example for Free

Shooting an Elephant Literary Analysis Essay George Orwell’s 1930 short story â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,† demonstrates the total dangers of the unlimited authority a state has and the astounding presentment of â€Å"future dystopia†. In the story, Orwell finds himself to be in an intricate situation that involves an elephant. Not only does the fate of the elephant’s life lie in Orwell’s hands, he has an audience of people behind him cheering him on, making his decision much more difficult to make. Due to the vast crowd surrounding his thoughts, Orwell kills the elephant in the end, not wanting to disappoint the people of Burma. Orwell captures the hearts of readers by revealing the struggles he has while dealing with the burden of his own beliefs and morals. Orwell’s story connects with the readers because they understand the emotions and stress one can have before making a tough decision, as well as fretting about being judged at the same time. In the beginning of his story, Orwell illustrates his position as a hated police officer. He was consistently insulted and despised by the Burmese people. The locals were always treating him poorly, but he always did his job and kept in mind their best interest. He was already somewhat of a leader in this town because of his position, but now that there is the situation with a ravaging elephant in the town, he is forced to step up and take control of the elephant. â€Å"Being the white ‘leader’, he should have been able to make an independent decision, but was influenced by the ‘natives’† (Orwell 101). Orwell has this immense pressure building up over this decision, and his emotions as â€Å"Here I was the white man with his gun, standing in front of the unarmed crowd-seemingly the leading actor of the piece; but in reality I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind† (101). Majority of the people in the world have been faced with a situation similar to this, taking responsibility of something that can be life changing. As Orwell demonstrates the chaos that was going on in Burma, readers can sense the feelings of what the locals are dealing with. As Orwell walks through the town to find the disasters the elephant made, he encounters the horrific scene of a dead man’s body. The elephant, which can be symbolized as a dangerous threat, imposes on the little town and deteriorates some of the Burmese foods and goods. Not only was the animal an escapee, it was also in â€Å"must†, meaning an increase in the level of aggressive behavior due to testosterone levels being high, causing the elephant to be more dangerous than ever. Because of the actions that the elephant had made, the Burmese people wanted the elephant dead under any circumstances. Feeling bad for the owner of the savaged animal, Orwell had to weigh out his options of killing the elephant. Thomas Bertonneau states, â€Å"But the elephant, of course, is well-known for its high level of intelligence, a fact which raises it out of the merely animal category; and the social structure of Burmese society under the British tends to underscore such quasi-human status. The animal is a working animal and to do work is to engage in a recognizably social activity; the animal belongs, as Orwell later discloses, to an Indian, a person below the British in the local hierarchy but above the Burmese, a person of some wealth, for the elephant is the equivalent of â€Å"a huge and costly piece of machinery† in the local economy (par. 4). Orwell recognizes the facts from both sides of this situation: (1) the elephant should be killed because of its’ violent actions, making the townspeople happy, or (2) waiting for the man who owns the elephant to get there to capture it safely and let it live. As he takes in the opinions of others, he believes he should wait for the Indian man to get there; therefore the elephant is worth much more alive than if it were dead. As the ending of the story draws to a near, Orwell is looked upon as a â€Å"hero† in the story. As he grabs the gun, the crowd roars with excitement and the fate of the elephant lies in his hands. With much regret, he shoots the elephant several times, but never actually ends his misery. Orwell takes his interpretation of storytelling to a whole new level. During Orwell’s time in Burma, he was exposed to several unethical situations, causing him to make a decision that questions his beliefs and morals. He made sure that the reader was involved into the dilemma and mindset of his world he lived in. The story is told from the experiences that Orwell had, giving his story a little more of an edge and captures the attentiveness of wanting to know more. He told the story as if it was happening to him again, allowing the reader to relive the moments as he did back then. It brought it all back to his morals, and doing what he thought was right to do.

The Threat of Global Warming Essay -- Greenhouse Gases Climate Change

The Threat of Global Warming Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. The actions taken by humans, such as industry and consumption of fossil fuels plus the increase in population and agriculture have played a big part in global warming. If something is not done soon the results could be very bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the middle of the twenty first century, there is evidence that the Earth will be warmer than it has been at any time in human history, and quite possibly since the end of the dinosaurs, some 65 billion years ago. If we stay at the rate we are now (fossil fuel consumption / growth in population) then within the next two century the Earth's air might not be fit to breath. Many people in the world do not think that this is a major concern and that it is normal for the Earth's temperature to increase. However, if this temperature increase is put into perspective of several hundred years, there will be many devastating effects. This is why most scientists view global warming as a very serious and severe threat. Global warming does not require a reduction of the standard of living of people. However it does demand a rapid shift in the patterns of consumption of fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas, to an economy more reliant on solar energy, hydrogen gas, wind bi omass, and other renewable energy sources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term greenhouse effect is used to describe the increased warming of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases that absorb radiated energy in the atmosphere and then reradiate it back to the surface. But if it were not for the greenhouse effect, temperatures at the Earth's surface today would be much colder then they are now, and life as we know it could not exist. Scientists are now concerned that the greenhouse gases are being increased by human actions to levels that could be very harmful to life on Earth. Almost all specialists agree that without drastic steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the average global temperature will increase 1 to 3.5 degrees Celsius during the next century because effective levels of carbon dioxide are expected to double sometime between 2050 and 2100. Many of the greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for a long time, and because this happens their tendenc y to warm the Earth persi... ...eforestation of previously forested land that has become agriculturally useless has to be promoted. That will require conservation incentive schemes and improvement of farm yields to reduce the pressure to clear new land. This will not be nearly as expensive as coping with the costs of global warming. Controlling populations is also a necessity in order to control the consumption of energy and fossil fuels, but you could write a whole other paper on if they could implement those laws and what human rights that interferes with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. Global warming is caused by five naturally occurring atmospheric gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapor, which are responsible for the greenhouse effect. The consumption of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are the main way these gases are emitted to the atmosphere. The effects of global warming could be very severe if steps are not taken to control the omittance of greenhouse gases, and that is why humans should be more reliant on solar energy, hydrogen gas, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy sources. The Threat of Global Warming Essay -- Greenhouse Gases Climate Change The Threat of Global Warming Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. The actions taken by humans, such as industry and consumption of fossil fuels plus the increase in population and agriculture have played a big part in global warming. If something is not done soon the results could be very bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the middle of the twenty first century, there is evidence that the Earth will be warmer than it has been at any time in human history, and quite possibly since the end of the dinosaurs, some 65 billion years ago. If we stay at the rate we are now (fossil fuel consumption / growth in population) then within the next two century the Earth's air might not be fit to breath. Many people in the world do not think that this is a major concern and that it is normal for the Earth's temperature to increase. However, if this temperature increase is put into perspective of several hundred years, there will be many devastating effects. This is why most scientists view global warming as a very serious and severe threat. Global warming does not require a reduction of the standard of living of people. However it does demand a rapid shift in the patterns of consumption of fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas, to an economy more reliant on solar energy, hydrogen gas, wind bi omass, and other renewable energy sources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term greenhouse effect is used to describe the increased warming of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases that absorb radiated energy in the atmosphere and then reradiate it back to the surface. But if it were not for the greenhouse effect, temperatures at the Earth's surface today would be much colder then they are now, and life as we know it could not exist. Scientists are now concerned that the greenhouse gases are being increased by human actions to levels that could be very harmful to life on Earth. Almost all specialists agree that without drastic steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the average global temperature will increase 1 to 3.5 degrees Celsius during the next century because effective levels of carbon dioxide are expected to double sometime between 2050 and 2100. Many of the greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for a long time, and because this happens their tendenc y to warm the Earth persi... ...eforestation of previously forested land that has become agriculturally useless has to be promoted. That will require conservation incentive schemes and improvement of farm yields to reduce the pressure to clear new land. This will not be nearly as expensive as coping with the costs of global warming. Controlling populations is also a necessity in order to control the consumption of energy and fossil fuels, but you could write a whole other paper on if they could implement those laws and what human rights that interferes with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. Global warming is caused by five naturally occurring atmospheric gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapor, which are responsible for the greenhouse effect. The consumption of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are the main way these gases are emitted to the atmosphere. The effects of global warming could be very severe if steps are not taken to control the omittance of greenhouse gases, and that is why humans should be more reliant on solar energy, hydrogen gas, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy sources.