[color=#ff00e3] POOH百宝箱社会类之一----Problems!

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[B] NOTE:本期内容比较多，因此增加了索引以便查阅。内容不必看得很仔细，只是为了让大家有个初步的了解，可以在需要材料时用来查阅，或是在心中明确问题，比如知道ozone hole, global warming, 以及一些social problem所包括的内容。其实issue中不会涉及太详细的这方面知识，但是这些材料可以让你脑子里有东西，迅速的联想到这些内容。本期没有给出相关issue题目，因为本次内容涉及题目较广，科学，社会等都可以用到，请大家灵活运用！请下载附件版本！[/B]


Social Problem Overview

Problems of Poverty and Work

Many myths and stereotypes--and many theories--exist about the poor and the causes of poverty. Sociological explanations for poverty focus on societal needs and social forces. In one view, poverty is an outcome of longstanding conflict between haves and have-nots; in another, poverty is actually functional for society. Structural arrangements, such as official unemployment and the stipulation of a poverty line, have the effect of limiting opportunities and justifying social inequality. Thus, poverty is perpetuated through class discrimination and unequal opportunities for upward mobility. Programs and policies for addressing problems of poverty and work, such as the social welfare system and affirmative action, are themselves problems.

Problems of Racial and Ethnic Inequality

Economic and political inequalities in any country arise from overconcentrations of wealth and power. Imbalances in the distribution of power can lead to a lack of political representation in government for some groups, the creation of power elites, the loss of personal freedoms and civil liberties, and abuses of authority, of which genocide is an extreme example. Imbalances in the distribution of wealth can lead to the loss of economic opportunity and social mobility, the creation of a permanent underclass, and conditions of illiteracy, unemployment, homelessness, hunger, and disease. The social problems caused by economic and political inequality are a threat to global security.

Gender Inequality

Social and institutional contexts for sex discrimination in American life have included the workplace, occupations, wages, income, housing, banking, health care, toys, school, education, employment, consumer marketplace, military, media, religious organizations, and home. Despite a century of social change stimulated by the feminist movement, gender inequality persists, for example, in problems of sexual violence and exploitation and in issues surrounding gender orientation and homosexuality.

Aging Society and Inequalities of Age

The so-called “graying of America” has called attention to inequalities of age and the difficulties of caring for growing numbers of elderly in American society. Age is a source of social problems because the very young and the very old may be more vulnerable than other age groups in society. Problems of the elderly, for example, can include poverty, financial insecurity, dependency, isolation, social and political inequality, victimization, and lack of access to adequate housing and health care.

Problems of Racial and Ethnic Inequality

No-one doubts that racial and ethnic prejudice and discrimination are sources of grave social problems in the U.S. and in any society. Social contexts for prejudice and discrimination include beliefs about racial purity or superiority, ethnocentric views, stereotyping and labeling, physical and social segregation, economic competition and exploitation in a split-labor market, and institutionalized inequality. Problems of racism persist despite a civil rights movement of more than 50 years and major social change. Other issues in pluralistic societies such as the U.S. relate to the question of giving greater emphasis to diversity or to the assimilation of diverse groups.


Crime, Violence, Drugs, and the Criminal Justice System

Many social problems involve the concept of deviance in relation to a society’s system of social control. These problems overlap significantly because the social and cultural factors that contribute to deviant or antisocial behaviors are complex and deeply interrelated. Juvenile delinquency and street crime, for example, may be linked to youth gang and organized crime activities; the availability of guns, alcohol, and drugs; poverty, unemployment, and lack of economic opportunity; racism; family instability and domestic violence; school failure; and the influence of mass media. Issues within the criminal justice system itself add to the social problems of crime, violence, and drugs.


Problems of Families and Family Violence

Families today face changes and issues that affect marriage and the family as a social institution. Some of these issues include family instability, divorce and child custody, spouse and child abuse, gender issues, gay and lesbian families, and issues surrounding reproduction, including reproductive technology, adoption, and abortion. In addition, problems in family life affect individual and group behavior in ways that contribute to other social problems. For example, economic conditions that force both parents to work full time outside the home without affordable child care can lead to child neglect and a host of subsequent social problems.

Problems of Health, Illness, and Health Care Delivery

The bioethics of transplants, genetic screening, gene therapies, reproductive technologies, physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia are among the many issues of health and medicine today. Decreasing access to care and rising costs of care are major problems. In the U.S. health care increasingly is provided on a for-profit basis only by the health maintenance organizations, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance companies on which health care access, delivery, and quality depend.

Problems of Education

In the U.S. today, problems of education relate to funding, teacher quality and the status of the teaching profession, student academic performance and standardized testing, racial imbalances and equal educational opportunity, and the curriculum in relation to labor force needs and global competition. New problems, such as teacher shortages, overcrowded and unsafe schools, and unequal access to educational technology join other perennial issues in education such as gender bias and the bilingual education debate. The educational system as a social institution and individuals’ educational experiences and levels of attainment are key factors in addressing other social problems.

Environmental Quality as a Social Problem

Environmental problems arise both directly and indirectly from people’s social institutions, social behavior, and cultural values. Conditions of population growth, affluence and poverty, technological and industrial development, domestic and international economic activities, and patterns of consumption all affect the use--and abuse--of land, energy resources, and natural resources such as plants and animals, as well as the quality of soil, water, and air. Top problems of environmental quality today include deforestation, global warming, biodiversity loss, and hazardous waste. The solutions to these and environmental problems involve social change.

Problems of Population, Immigration, and Urbanization

Population problems are defined by the numbers and distributions of people within a physical area and by the movements of people within and between areas. For example, overpopulation of an area can contribute to food shortages, and migrations between areas can lead to inter-group conflicts. Demographers relate population statistics to sociological variables such as age, gender race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, and sociologists use this information to study the effects of population problems and policies. In the U.S. problems include, for example, the decline of cities, segregated neighborhoods, homelessness, and illegal immigration.

Problems of Social Change: Media and Technology

Technological change associated with industrialization and modernization has created vast challenges as well as benefits. Changes that began with mechanization and automation have led to stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, genetic engineering and biotechnology, robotics, and the globalization of electronic telecommunications. These developments continue to change the world in which we live. Social problems of technological change range from unemployment and the loss of personal privacy and control, from ethical dilemmas to social inequality, and from cultural lag to cultural colonialism. What new social transformation awaits even a postmodern world?





Global Warming

Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.


Potential Effects of Global Warming

This global warming trend can cause a significant global climate changes. Human society is highly dependent on the Earth's climate. Climate patterns and human adaptations determine the availability of food, fresh water, and other resources for sustaining life. The social and economic characteriatics of society have also been shaped largely by adapting to the seasonal and year-to-year patterns of temperture and rainfall. Some potential effects associated with climate change are listed in the following. (from U.S. Climate Action Report)

Water Resources:

The quality and quantity of drinking water, water availability for irrigation, industrial use, and electricity generation, and the health of fisheries may be significantly affected by changes in precipitation and increased evaporation. Increased rainfall may cause more frequent flooding. Climate change would likely add stress to major river basins worldwide.

Coastal Resources:

A estimated 50 cm rise in sea level by the year 2100, could inundate more than 5,000 square miles of dry land and an additional 4000 square miles of wetlands in the U.S.

Health
Heat-stress mortality could increase due to higher temperatures over longer periods. Changing patterns of precipitation and temperature may produce new breeding sites for pests, shifting the range of infectious diseases.

Agriculture
Impacts of Climate change in developing countries could be significant.

Forests
Higher tempertures and precipitation changes could increase forest susceptibility to fire, disease, and insect damage.

Energy and Transportation
Warmer temperatures increase cooling demand but decrease heating requirements. Fewer disruptions of winter transportation may occur, but water transport may be affected by imcreased flooding or lowered river levels.

发达国家应对全球变暖负主要责任
                      --访联合国环境署执行主任特普费尔

    联合国环境署执行主任特普费尔5月底在接受新华社记者采访时说，发达国家应对全球气候变暖负主要责任。
    特普费尔说，发达国家是二氧化碳气体的主要排放者，其排放量占全球排放总量的75％以上。美国是"世界排放第一大户"，排放量占全球排放总量的23％。
    全球气候变暖给地球带来的直接危险是可怕而现实的。它使南极冰雪融化，海平面升高，直接威胁沿海国家以及世界30多个海岛国家的生存和发展。据联合国环境署提供的资料，20世纪海平面升高了10至25厘米，预计如果发达国家不采取有力措施的话，下世纪将继续升高15至95厘米。
    全球变暖还会使水蒸发加快进而改变大气循环模式，使气候变化加剧，引发热浪、飓风、洪涝及干旱等灾害。
    1997年以来，地球上接连出现的"厄尔尼诺"和"拉尼娜"现象，都与全球气候变暖有直接关系。过去5年，与全球变暖有关的天灾已在亚洲造成数百亿美元的经济损失。地球变暖还会使呼吸道疾病、癌症、头痛等发病率增加，并助长疟疾、登革热等热带流行性疾病的滋生和蔓延，1996年造成印度4000人死亡的流行病与全球变暖就有一定关系。此外，全球变暖还使雨量急剧减少，土地荒漠化加快，淡水资源萎缩，并危及地球之肺--森林。
    特普费尔说，全球变暖已向人类敲响了警钟。如果发达国家不负起责任、切实减少温室气体的排放，在不远的将来很可能出现令人震惊的后果。
    他说，由于减少温室气体排放量直接关系到能源、经济及外贸发展，发达国家迟迟不肯兑现他们在各类公约中作出的承诺。他强调，当地球环境遭到全面破坏以后，人类不可能靠"吃钱"来活着。
    据悉，今年6月5日世界环境日的主题是"拯救地球，就是拯救未来"。届时，全球100多个国家将同时举行各种活动，来提高人们对环境问题的认识。  (新华社记者　孙慧霞)

                         《科学时报》1999-6-7第3版



ELNINO

厄尔尼诺(ELNINO)在西班牙语中是"孩子"之意，厄尔尼诺现象是指南美洲西海岸冷洋流区的海水表层温度在圣诞节前后异常升高的现象，它就象一口"暖池"，通过表层温度的变化对大气加热场产生变化进而给各地的天气带来变化，使原来干旱少雨的地方产生洪涝，而通常多雨的地方易出现长时间的干旱少雨。

科学家们认为，厄尔尼诺现象的发生与人类自然环境的日益恶化有关，是地球温室效应增加的直接结果，与人类向大自然过多索取而不注意环境保护有关。





Ozone hole

Ozone destruction. Rising greenhouse gas emissions account for all or part of the water vapor increase, which causes stratospheric ozone destruction.(The increased transport of water vapor to the stratosphere seems likely to have been induced by human activities. )


What Is An Ozone Hole?

Ozone molecules are made up of three atoms of oxygen. They comprise a thin  layer of the atmosphere that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.  An ozone "hole" is what scientists call an "ozone depletion area" of in that region of Earth's atmosphere.




Earth-Altering Accidents
Accidents happen, but when they destroy the delicate balance of nature or cause a large number of people to suffer, they become disasters. Here are some of the largest disasters that have been caused by human activity.
Love Canal
1953, New York, U.S.
Love Canal, a small town in upstate New York near Niagara Falls, was destroyed by waste from chemical plants. Beginning in 1947, chemical companies could legally dump their waste products into the canal. In the 1950s, families began to settle in the area without being told about the waste and the health problems it might cause. The area developed a foul smell, trees lost their bark, and leaves fell throughout the year. In the 1970s, scientists found that the drinking water contained excessive levels of 82 industrial chemicals, 7 of which were thought to cause cancer. The people of Love Canal had an unusually high rate of cancer and birth defects. Eventually, many of the houses had to be abandoned. By the 1990s, the town had been cleaned up enough for families to begin moving back to the area.
Three Mile Island
1979, Pennsylvania, U.S.
On March 28, 1979, the worst accident in U.S. nuclear-reactor history occurred at the Three Mile Island power station, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. No one was killed, and very little radioactivity was released into the air when coolant (the fluid that keeps a machine cool) escaped from the reactor core due to a combination of mechanical failure and human error.
Bhopal chemical leak
December 1984, Bhopal, India
An explosion in the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, released a deadly gas called methyl isocyanate, which is used to make pesticides. The gas formed a cloud that killed 2,500 people; another 50,000-100,000 people became ill. Trees and plants in the area became yellow and brittle. The explosion was caused by a mechanical failure that was not noticed in time to stop it.
Chernobyl
April 1986, Ukraine, former Soviet Union
At 1:23 A.M. on Saturday, April 26, 1986, the reactor blew at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, ripping open the core, blowing the roof off the building, starting more than 30 fires, and allowing radioactive material to leak into the air. Some 31 people were killed and nearly 300 people were treated for radiation poisoning. Glaring violations of safety rules were at the bottom of this tragic event.
Exxon Valdez oil spill
March 1989, Alaska, U.S.
On March 24, 1989, 11.2 million gallons of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound from the tanker Exxon Valdez when its hull hit a reef and tore open. The spill, which cost billions of dollars to clean up and killed millions of birds, fish, and other wildlife, was caused by human error and could have been avoided.


Energy and the Earth
Energy is the power that we use for transportation, for heat and light in our homes and other places, and for the manufacture of all kinds of products. It has many other uses, too. The development of science and civilization has been closely linked to the availability of energy in useful forms.
Energy is closely related to the condition of the environment for several reasons. One is that most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which are found in the earth. These natural resources are not renewable—that is, once they are used up, they are gone forever. The process of gathering fossil fuels and other natural resources can be devastating to the sensitive wildlands (such as the tropical rainforests, the Arctic tundra, and coastal marshes) from which they come.
Another way that energy is linked to the environment is that its production and its use can cause environmental damage. Fossil fuels are put through a burning process called combustion in order to produce energy. Combustion causes the release of various pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, which pose health risks and may contribute to acid rain and global warming.
The environmental impact of fossil fuels has led many people to turn to other sources of energy when possible. There are a growing number of ways in which renewable energy from the sun , the wind, and water, can be used for day-to-day needs, and these alternatives are becoming increasingly cheaper and easier to use. Some people have bought solar panels that can be connected to their homes to convert sunlight into electricity. Some have abandoned their gas-powered cars in favor of ones that are solar-powered. Many people heat their homes with wood-burning stoves instead of gas or electricity.
Another kind of energy is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is created at power plants through a scientific process that involves splitting atoms. When an atom's nucleus is split, energy is released. This kind of energy is currently used to create electricity by boiling water to create steam that turns turbines. While nuclear power is a useful source of energy, the radiation that it produces can be harmful to people if they are exposed to high levels of it. Nuclear plants must adhere to very strict safety practices in the production of nuclear energy and the disposal of nuclear waste.



The Opposition to Human Cloning:   
How Morality and Ethics Factor in
This idea of human cloning has fueled debate not just in the United States, but also with countries all over the world.  I believe that it is not morally and ethically right to clone humans.  Even though technology is constantly advancing, it is not reasonable to believe that human cloning is morally and ethically correct, due to the killing of human embryos, the unsafe process of cloning, and the resulting consequences of having deformed clones.
        An ethical issue of great importance on cloning is what will be the consequences of it if it was actually successful.  I believe that such individuals would be wronged in morally significant ways.  Many of these wrongs would involve the denial to give the human clones the right of an open future.  For example, a child might be constantly compared to the adult from whom he was cloned, and thereby could then be burdened with expectations that he/she could not astound to.  Another way in which a clone could be denied an open future is if the parents limited the cloned child’s opportunities for growth and development.  A child cloned from a basketball player might be denied to pursue other activities that would not increase his basketball ability.  Another issue could be the thought that the child is only a copy of something already existing, and that he is not an “original.”  The child’s sense of self-worth or individuality could then be in question.
Another argument in parallel to the idea above is that human cloning is unethical and immoral because it will devalue human life.  A panel of elite scientists joined at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on May 6, 1997 to discuss the ethical issues of cloning.  The Panelists included George Annas, chair of the Health Law Department at the Boston University School of Public Health; Karl Ebert, who is on the faculty of the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and founded Midas Biologicals; and Ruth Hubbard, a professor emeritus of biology at Harvard University who also serves on the Council for Responsible Genetics.  The information presented at this forum is strong evidence against the immorality of cloning, due to the prestige of the scientists.  According to Annas, “There shouldn’t be any reasons for cloning humans.  Just the idea of cloning children has led many in society to devalue children.  Using cloning techniques to make perfect human beings would ultimately devalue human life (Lee 2).”  The reasoning behind this is simple.  The value of being human cannot be comprehended to the fullest degree.  Being human is one of the most special things in the universe.  The power and thought that humans have, along with their individualities and differences, make them superior beings.  If a perfect human clone were created, the value for real humans would diminish because someone superior to them could just be fabricated millions of times.  In addition, the qualities and characteristics that make us different from everyone else could just be created in a clone.  Human beings would increasingly be valued only for possessing certain desirable traits rather than for the simple fact that they exist as humans.  A perfect human clone could have as many perfect traits as the scientist wanted to create, so those of us who are “real humans” will only be valued for the one or two amazing traits that we posses by the grace of God.

In addition to the human cloning debate, there is also a congressional battle brewing over whether the government should provide funds for stem cell research in which human embryos are killed.  Stem cells are cells that can develop into almost any type of cell in the human body.  The research of these cells have shown a promise that they could be used to treat illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and heart disease, the ability to regenerate as nerve cells, and to fight against cystic fibrosis.  
        Some people would say that destroying human embryos to find the cure for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s is worth the morality of killing a week old embryo, but fortunately, there is a way to research stem cells without killing embryonic cells, a procedure which is moral and ethical.  Stem cells can also be obtained for medical research from stem cells found in adult fat, blood, bone marrow, umbilical cords, and placentas.  In a poll by the International Communications Research, it was reported in the article titled, “Banning Human Cloning” that the public supported such funding of this ethical alternative to embryo killing research, 67% to 18% (1).  In that same poll, the public opposed federal funding of stem cells research in which “live embryos would be destroyed their first week of development,” by a margin of 70% to 24% (1).  Also, the that article reported support for this type of cell research coming from many in Congress, with Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) introducing the Responsible Stem Cell Research Act (H.R. 2096), authorizing expanded federal funding of research using stem cells from the above mentioned sources; Senator John Ensign (R-Nv) has introduced a similar bill (S. 1349) in the Senate (1).
          
Many Americans are very against the idea of human cloning.  It was reported in the article titled, “Much confusion over cloning”, that a poll of 1,000 adults by the American Museum of Natural History concluded that 92 percent of Americans would not approve of cloning to reproduce a favorite person; some 86 percent would not even want their pet cloned (1).  The simple facts are that it is immoral and unethical to clone humans.  There is no evidence that the process is safe to perform with human embryos and there is no information scientifically if the process can be performed at a successfully high rate.  The scenario is just unbearable to imagine, that scientists could destroy potentially thousands of embryos, which could have been beautiful baby boys or girls, to try and successfully clone one individual.  It is just not worth it.  There is no evidence that these clones will grow up to live happy lives, without abnormalities or without being shunned or ostracized from society because they are clones.  We as a society must stand up and fight against this process.  We cannot let the scientists talk their way into allowing the destruction of human embryos for technological advancement.  There is no need in this life for cloned individuals.  There is a need, however, for the research of stem cells, not from human embryos, to help find causes for certain diseases.  I believe that scientists should be trying to focus on saving lives, rather than trying to create new, cloned ones.
Problems With Society
Student essay:
There are many problems right now in the society. Some of these problems can be easily solved, or can be impossible to solve depending how bad it is. Many people think these problems should be solved by the governments, since they are in charge. But we can also solve these problems if we get together. Not all the problems, but some that can be solved. I think the three major problems in the society today are: unemployment, violence, and pollution.
The first problem in the society right now is unemployment. Many people today are either unemployed or underemployed. Some of these people just stay home and collect their welfare cheque every month, when they should go out and at least try to get a job. If there are more people like this, the country would be poor and therefore the government would have to collect more taxes. Also the standard of living would decrease because of their income that is way below the average income. Right now, there is also a big gap between the low-income people and the high income people and this is becoming a problem. Low-income people are starting to get lower wages and higher income people are starting to get higher wages.
Another problem in the society is violence. Today, there are many violence in the streets, some schools, and also in the media. These violence in the streets can cause the neighborhood to become a bad place to live. This will cause people not to go there or move in there because of these violence. There are also many violence and gangs in some school, causing some of the school to be very unsafe to go. With these violence and gangs, students will probably be afraid of these people. In addition, the media can contain violence too. These violence, can cause kids to do what ever is on TV. For example, my little brother likes to watch wrestling and he sometimes does wrestling moves on me for no reason and thinking it's fun. Even though it doesn't hurt me because I'm bigger than him, he might hurt someone smaller in school or something.
The third problem in the society today is pollution. Many things these days cause pollution such as cars, air conditioners, refrigerators, factories, CFC cans, etc.. All these things together can cause a pollution problem in the society today. The CFC cans used to be a serious problem to the ozone layer, but luckily it was taken off the market. Refrigerators and air conditioners are also a problem to the zone because of the liquid called freon. These machines use this liquid that makes it cold, but when these liquids are released from damaging the machine, it releases a gas that breaks down the zone layers. In addition, cars also can cause a lot of pollution because of the carbon monoxide it produces. This would cause the air to be bad, cause global warming, which would cause the earth to have longer summers or vice versa, longer winters, and would also cause acid rain.
In conclusion, unemployment, violence, and pollution would consider to be the three major problems in the society today. People and the government should get together and try to solve these problems in order to make this planet a safe and good place to live. If these problems are not solved, there might not even be an Earth in the future to live on.



Teen Social Issues
Student Essay
There are many social problems that teenagers go threw. I think the two most recognized problems are Teenage Drinking and Driving, and Teen Suicide. These two social behaviors teenagers go threw are two of the leading causes of teenage death in the state of New Mexico. Alcohol, the most widely used and abused drug among youth, causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for this population. New Mexico holds one of the nation's highest DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) rates (Ulibarri, 1999). Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in New Mexico. Society must now face several questions, why do teens drink, what are the results of teen drinking and driving, and how can society change this pattern. Every year hundreds of teens die in the state New Mexico. Teen suicide is the fastest growing killer of youth in America and if left unaddressed it will affect are future generations.
Why do teenagers drink alcohol? Peers play the major role in shaping attitudes about alcohol use. Prior to this time, television and movies played the most influential role. The attitudes of parents toward alcohol correlated strongly with the attitudes of their children. There are several reasons why teenagers give to drinking alcohol which include recreation, rebellion, relieve depression, fatigue, and boredom. Also because they have personal problems at home that make them turn to alcohol. Other reasons are a loved one passing away, fighting with parents, divorce, and separation of family. The main factor of teenage drinking is influence from their peers. Teenagers in our society are pressured into trying out alcohol for the first time to see how it tastes like. If they give in to their peers they become part of the group, but if they do not they are not accepted into the group. As a result of teens being under the influence of alcohol, they are not aware that once they get behind the wheel they are risking their lives and the lives of other innocent people on the road. Teenagers think it's cool to drink and drive. They feel nothing will happen to them. A survey concluded, Males having higher rates of daily drinking and binge drinking than females, but these difference are diminishing. While white students report the highest levels of drinking, Blacks report the lowest, and Hispanics fall between the two (Alcohol Alert, 1999). The causes that lead them to automobile accidents are driver inexperience, driving late at night, having consumed alcohol, speeding, youthful risk, and driving during emotional stress. Many programs are being offered to educate teenagers and people on how to prevent alcohol-related accidents. The gentleman that came to talk to us on DWI related accidents had very interesting facts on Rio Arriba County. I found it vary informative. In Rio Arriba County there is a DWI course being offered to anyone interested in developing strategies to prevent DWI from occurring by informing teens the DWI penalties, and laws in New Mexico, what happens in a DWI arrest and trial, and what the blood alcohol concentration level is. Education can help teens become aware of the consequences of drinking and driving. Yet effective ways of dealing with teen drinking and driving are formal treatment. Teens can be taken to visit a Rehabilitation center, which is a process of putting the treatment plan into action. It consist of (1) education, (2) Group therapy, (3) life story, (4) individual therapy, (5) peer assessment, (6) recreational therapy, (7) coping skills and relaxation therapy, (8) support group attendance, and (9) spiritually. Rio Arriba County is one of six communities across the nation to participate in the Rapid Responses Team Pilot Project, which is designed to study whether a team of experts can work with community members to develop effective ways of reducing underage drinking. The teams are comprised of one expert from each of the following profession: law enforcement, education, prevention, public policy, and strategic planning.
Every year thousands of teens die in the United States, not from cancer or car accidents, but by their own hand; they make the choice that they want to die, and they take their life. Suicide is the fastest growing killer of youth in America (www.yellowribbon.org), and if left unaddressed, it will help bring about disastrous consequences for the United States. Teenage suicide is indeed a great plight in the United States. It is the eighth leading cause of all deaths in the country; third for persons aged 15 to 24 (Waters and Ingressia). Statistics show that more than 13 of every 1000,000 teenager took their life in 1998, and that number is rising every year. In fact suicide kills teens 3 to 6 times more than homicide. Although suicide rates over the past 40 years are relatively stable, the incidence of suicide among 15-24 years olds has tripled, while the rate among 15-19 year olds has quadrupled (Garner and Rosenberg). The numbers of deaths by teen suicide are rising quickly, and it must be stopped. Why is it? Those teenagers are committing suicide? There are many factors which lead teenagers today to take their own life. There is the social environmental factor, which suggest that the greater access to firearms has caused a rise in the death of teens. Teenagers can easily kill themselves with such deadly weapons as guns. Suicide is genetically influenced. It may be the result of an underlying personality or predisposition to mental illness that is inherited. One other cause is the imitative thinking of our youth (Garner and Rosenberg). The two major causes of teen suicide are the homophobic sentiments of the people and struggles within the family unit. Struggles and problems within the family are also a big factor of teen suicide. Youngsters who commit suicide are somewhat more likely to come from a broken home than are youngsters of the same ethnic group but about half lived with both biological parents at the time of the death. (www.spanusa.org). The absence of a strong relationship to parent-child friction and a significant excess of poor parent-child communication also lead to teen suicide. What can be done to cripple the rise in teen suicide? According to the National Strategy for Prevention of Suicide there are three steps in the fight against the problem access, illumination, and methodology. They suggest that access to services and programs dealing with the issue must be enhanced, the public's awareness be broadened or illuminated, and the scientific approach to the problem be continued (www.afsp.org). I think that the problem is still not being addressed as it should be. Many teenagers are still dying. At least, the government has now recognized that teen suicide is a national problem and measures for it are now in the works. Teen suicide is a grave national problem indeed. It has taken the lives of many American youth already.
In conclusion Society is coming to understand that there is a major social problem with teenagers drinking and driving and teen suicide. In regards to teens drinking and driving, society can change the behavior of teenagers who drink and drive by using community involvement and educating our youth about dire consequences of drinking and driving. We must look towards igniting and mobilizing the passion, energy, imagination, and idealism of our youth to make a real difference. I do hope with future changes in society, the issues of Teenage drinking and driving will be addressed and community solutions will be found for our youth. It is our role and responsibility to become involved in our youth because they are our future. Teen suicide is a grave national problem indeed. It has taken the lives of many Americans youth already. The future of America's next generation is at stake. Let us take action now before it is too late, before the teen suicide epidemic devours the whole nation. In other words, let's deal with the problem. First, let's recognize it. Then let's become aware about it. After that, let's take action to diminish it.



Genetic Engineering

A girl is born without Tay-Sachs disease, a devasting genetic disorder that has decimated a lot of babies worldwide. A leukemia patient has defective bone marrow replaced with healthy bone marrow that was cloned from tissue from her own cells. These futuristic scenarios are not part of the debate for genetic engineering but they should be. Many people are afraid that somebody will clone Hitler or some evil person, but that is far from the fact. Genetic engineering can be used to make many aspects of human life better, including saving lives.
The rapid development of humanity’s ability to control the gene will eventually lead to a promising future for the entire planet as a whole. Genetic engineering resulted not from the belief that nature should be manipulated and perfected by humanity. Rather, its principle aim is, as of any other technology, to improve the quality of life for the people of this planet. Therefore, it is necessary to weigh the benefits and consequences of this relatively recent breakthrough and determine in which ways it can be used to humanity’s best advantage. This speech will investigate the ways in which genetic engineering affects two important areas in today’s society. The first one will be the improvement of the world’s agricultural techniques. With an ever-increasing growth in world population, the Earth’s resources are constantly becoming scarce. The advent of genetic engineering may be used to avert the occurrence of worldwide famine and starvation. The second one investigated will be in the field of medical development and study. Currently, genetic diseases are decimating the world’s population. Thousands of people have already died without a single worthy treatment or cure. Worldwide acceptance and support of this technology would aid in our battle against these diseases. According to the United Nations medium projections issued in 1990 (Population Council, 1994), the global population will be increasing from 5.3 billion in 1990 to 8.5 billion in the year 2025. Consequently, there will be a much greater need for food, therefore accelerating further the consumption of Earth’s resources. To achieve this, it would be necessary to extensively use agricultural technology. However our current use of pesticides and other chemical fertilizers pose a serious evironmental threat. Using genetic engineering would ultimately reduce the amount of potentially dangerous chemical substances we introduce into the environment. It would as well make food production more efficient therefore reducing distribution costs. Thanks to genetic engineering, Geneticists are currently able to create a resistant strain of the ordinary supermarket tomato (Pen*censored*, 1992). Using a technique called antisense genetics, the gene that is responsible for allowing tomatoes to soften and ripen can be transformed to produce the opposite effect. The billions of tomatoes that circulating all around the world can therefore be made to resist the normal abuse of shipping and transport, and also having a longer shelf life. This practice could be applied to all other sorts of fruits and vegetables. This would allow for less of a waste of food therefore, putting less of a strain on human resources.
Diseases and genetic defects have always been a major cause of concern for our society. Antibiotics, which used to be successful against pathogens, are now starting to become useless since the viruses have become resistant to the medications administered. Therefore a proposed alternative is the use of genetic engineering or more specifically, gene therapy, to cure diseases at the DNA level. This method is known as biotechnology and can aid in the treatment of diseases like a hormone defiency. Currently, a common diagnostic practice with unborn fetuses is the process of genetic screening. A needle is inserted into the uterus of the pregnant woman and is used to extract some amniotic fluid. As a result, several hundred diseases and defects can be diagnosed before birth (Office of Technology, 1990). Therefore parents can choose to have an abortion if they do not want their child to have a defect. For over two centuries, vaccination has changed very little from the time of Edward Jenner, the first physician to have ever tried the method on a human being (Yong Kang, 1989). But this process has now become obsolete because by killing the virus, it is more likely to mutate into a more resistant strain for which is incurable. As a result, every new strain would require a new vaccine costing more money and time. A new method of producing vaccines is currently being studied and involves recombining the DNA of the virus so that it will not be able to reproduce. This would be as effective as a regular vaccine except without the chance of mutation.
If genetic engineering becomes unrestricted the world would become a better place. Worldwide famine and starvation could possibly end through the use of technology in the agriculture field. The death rate would go down and very dramatically in Third World countries. We could see the end of diseases like AIDS and conditions like hemophilia. If you are interested in supporting genetic engineering you can write to your congressman and ask him or her to vote down the restrictions on genetic engineering. You can also make a petition a send it to your governor.

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期待中...

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