We Treat You Nicely

We Treat You Nicely Dont forget to vote for me in the 2008 Blogging Scholarship! And tell all your friends! You should come visit MIT! No, seriously, if youre considering MIT then you should come visit. I realize that depending on where you live, a visit to MIT can be expensive and a little time consuming, but there are very few ways to actually understand what MIT is like. One of those ways is to attend MIT. Another one of those ways is to visit. Normally visits only last for about a day so you will have to cram as much MIT into that day as possible, but thats kind of what MIT is like, right? Cramming a ton of stuff into a really short time period? I have two things that I want to throw at you today in this entry. The first involves some pictures I just took. I dont have my camera with me (I know, bad blogger) but I do have this fancy webcam on my new Macbook (yes, the new Macbook) and so I just used that. I dont know how to resize them yet (anybody got any good opensource or freeware for resizing? Other than Gimp?) so youll have to settle for a slightly larger picture than you may be used to. Anywho, I was wandering down the infinite corridor and my feet got tired and I wanted to sit down. There were some benches and chairs, but they didnt look very comfortable. Lucky for me, I work for the admissions office (before you ask what I do, remember what youre reading right now) so I know about secret (not so secret) admissions secrets. Mainly, the chairs in 10-100. 10-100 is the admissions reception center. This is where youll go first if you come for an overnight visit. When you walk in youll see something like this (minus the small boy perhaps): Youll say hi to the friendly receptionist and then sit down, in one of these: These chairs, apart from the student center chairs are the most comfortable chairs ever. Your first encounter with MIT will see you resting in the lap of luxury. This is good, because as a prefrosh, the next thing youll do is look to your right and see Killian Court, realize that youre sitting under the great dome, and want to have a panic attack about how awesome it is. This chair, in all of its overwhelming comfort, just may calm you enough to save your life. Ok, thing two: When to visit MIT. Maybe we should start with times to avoid visiting MIT. 1) Finals week, both fall and spring. 12/15-12/19 and 5/18-5/22. You should also avoid the week or two before these weeks because those are extremely busy. 2) January. January is different at MIT in that classes are optional and students dont have to be here. If you visit in January expect to see a lot of snow, people holed up in their dorms playing video games, wrapped in blankets, and not a lot of stereotypical MIT. 3) Thursday night. TONS of PSETs are due on Friday. If you come on a Thursday expect you host to be totally hosed and be working (tooling) all night, leaving you to your own devices. 4) Weekends. Sure, weekends are fun, and youll get to explore campus and Boston etc, but you wont get to go to classes and you wont get to see the hustle and bustle of MIT. Weekends are a special case, you want to experience the general case. When to come: 1) Days of the week: M,T,W,F. Students will always be busy here, but these days are probably the best to come. Note that on Friday there will more than likely be parties and not a lot of homework-doing in the evening, so you will probably get to experience the best of both worlds (classes and social life). Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are in the middle of the week so youre more likely to experience the drudge/grind of MIT, which really is important to see. Its critical to understand how students react to the work and pressure and there is never more work or pressure than right in the middle of the week. Again, avoid Thursday (too much work and pressure) but the other days are pretty good. Thats all I have for now. Please, current students, feel free to give your opinion on the best day to visit MIT. In fact, Ive set up a doodle. Dont worry about the numbers of the days, just look at the M-F. Click here to tell prefrosh when to visit Click here, prefrosh, to know when to visit Interactive blogging, I love it! Dont forget to leave your name and class year, like Snively 11 Remember, only upperclassmen should fill out the doodle. Prefrosh should just look at it. This means you 4chan!

Copyright Laws Essay - 949 Words

21 Things for Students -- Thing 7 -- Copyright Watch the introductory video here. Introduction Technology has brought about a potential crisis. It seems that a lot of artwork, literature, and music by our most creative authors, musicians, and artists have fallen into the hands of pirates. Our artists can no longer support themselves nor feel safe in creating new work. Their work is being shared all over the Internet as we speak. We need to put a stop to this. What would happen if your favorite musicians stopped writing and publishing their music? Do you want to listen to the music of your grandparents? Thats where this assignment comes in. For this Thing you will find out what we can do to make sure creative work remains under proper†¦show more content†¦Watch the one or more of the following videos on copyright, plagiarism and fair use, in addition to the Copyright Kids and Cyberbee resources. Then answer the following seven questions as you are viewing the videos. What is copyright? the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same How long does the copyright on an original work last? 70 years All works published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain. Works published after 1922, but before 1978 are protected for 95 years from the date of publication. If the work was created, but not published, before 1978, the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. What is the Fair Use Act? The Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing United States Entrepreneurship Act of 2007 (FAIR USE Act) was a proposed United States copyright law that would have amended Title 17 of the U.S. Code, including portions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to promote innovation, to encourage the introduction of new technology, to enhance library preservation efforts, and to protect the fair use rights of consumers, and for other purposes. What is plagiarism? the practice of taking someone elses work or ideas and passing them off as ones own. What types of things can be copyrighted? What cannotShow MoreRelated Internet Copyright Laws Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Copyright Laws A student comes home to his dorm at the University of Scranton after a rough day of classes. With the quick internet connection provided on the school’s network, the student makes a few clicks and logs into Morpheus, a program that enables music fans to download free music. Within a few minutes he is on his way to owning an unlimited amount of songs at no cost. Everything this student is doing is legal, right? Wrong. The downloaded music from the internet is copyrightedRead MoreContract Law and Music Copyright Essay1683 Words   |  7 PagesCOURSEWORK FOR CONTRACT LAW (MUSIC*) *On what basis does the inclusion of samples of a recording made by *Pink Floyd constitute an infringement of copyright? In civil law regarding copyright, there are two types of infringement; primary and secondary. Primary is concerned with the unauthorised use of copyrighted works and secondary would involve the dealing or making commercial use of such infringing copies. In the music industry, an infringement of copyright often consists of an existing pieceRead MoreEssay On Copyright Laws1292 Words   |  6 Pages Copyright laws in regards to music should be repealed. The RIAA has misconstrued the perceived effects staring had on artist development and revenue, when in fact the perceived financial short-comings of downloading and peer-to-peer sharing are actually made up through concert-revenue and merchandise-revenue. It is important to take a look into the perceived effects done by the RIAA. The RIAA claim that file sharing reduces sales, with estimated displacement rates ranging from 3.5% for moviesRead MoreEssay The Copyright Law1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe Copyright Law Copyright is the exclusive right given by law for term of years to author, designer etc., or his assignee to print, publish or sell copies of his original work Copyright is a law that protects published and unpublished work that you can see, hear and touch, from being reproduced without prior consent from the creator of the work. Copyright law and copyright Read More Copyright Law in Canada Essay835 Words   |  4 Pages Canadas copyright law is one of our hardest laws to enforce. The reason the police have so much trouble enforcing this law, is due to technology. This law is very easy to break, and once broken, it is very hard to track down violators. So although some form of a copyright law is needed, the one we have has, too many holes to be effective. There are three main ways in which the copyright law is broken in everyday life. They is audio/video tape copying, plagiarism, and software piracy. The firstRead More Copyright Laws in India Essay3212 Words   |  13 PagesCopyright Laws in India This document is intended to give a brief overview of the patent and copyrights laws in India and a brief analysis on global issues related to these laws. India has progressed enormously in the field of technology and is ranked tenth in the pool of scientific and technical personnel in the world. There may be hundreds of economical, legal, ethical issues that might have global impact but discussing all of them here is almost impossible. Only the key issues are focusedRead MoreHow Not Follow Copyright Law : An Exploratory Essay On Copyright And Remix Culture1895 Words   |  8 PagesHow to Not Follow Copyright Law: An Exploratory Essay on Copyright and Remix Culture As time goes by, the rate at which art changes increases at a seemly exponential rate. Our culture has more ways than ever to publish and distribute the things we make, and with the rise of the internet we can reach any audience with a Wi-Fi connection. This digital hyper-connectivity has led many artists to create new forms of art, some of which have gone on to start trends and cultures. One of these cultures thatRead MoreCopyright Laws Should Be Abolished Essay1302 Words   |  6 Pages Copyright laws are laws that restrict users of certain information, such as literature works and computer programs, from distributing that information. They are based on the belief that those who discover information should have some control over who can use that information. The control is mostly intended to allow the discoverers to make money through distributing the knowledge only to those who pay them. However, such control is inherently inefficient and infringes on the rights of the usersRead MoreEssay Issues on Patent and Copyright Laws In China2391 Words   |  10 PagesIssues on Patent and Copyright Laws In China This site contains information on Chinas patent and copyright law. It goes on to discuss some ethical issues about Chinas lack of law enforcement on intellectual property protection. History of Patent System China’s patent system can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty when China began signing international treaties. For example, on August 18, 1903, China and the United States agreed on a treaty on navigation and commerce. The treatyRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Research1469 Words   |  6 PagesResearch is essential in academic study to allow a person to build on their existing knowledge. There are numerous routes to research a subject, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. For this essay I am going to focus on four methods; internet, text books, television and professional journals. In modern society a common research tool used is the internet, one if its key advantages is its accessibility. Most people have access to the internet throughout the day and night; at home, on

John F. Kennedy s Work As A Politician - 2167 Words

On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 P.M. United States President John F. Kennedy and wife, Jacqueline Kennedy’s eleven mile route through downtown Dallas passed the Texas School Book Depository.1 It was here where three shots were fired in their direction.2 The initial bullet struck the president in the neck.3 President Kennedy was shot in the back of the head with the third and final bullet and was taken to Parkland Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:00 P.M.4 Three bullets were fired in the span of only six seconds.5 The face of the earth was altered in the span of only six seconds. A president had died in the span of only six seconds. These six seconds would live on forever, but has John F. Kennedy’s work as a politician? The failure†¦show more content†¦John F. Kennedy’s most recognized quality as president would arguably be his charisma. He carried a charm that only a few other presidents may have been able to match. Admittedly, to state that John F. Kennedy’s positive contributions as president begins and ends with his delightful and well documented personality would be an overstatement. His support was instrumental in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlined protection for African Americans against discrimination.6 However, the passing of this bill could not outshine the many faults made by the Kennedy administration because the bill was improved and passed after his demise during the outpouring of sentiment toward the tragedy.7 John F. Kennedy’s presidential and personal life was tainted leaving nothing outstanding for his legacy, only a gap that was filled by his memorable death. His most prominent error during his presidency was the Bay of Pigs invasion. The relations between Cuba and the United States began to worsen due to Cuba siding itself with the Soviet Union, and for seizing property owned by North American shares.8 As a result, when John F. Kennedy stepped into office he was notif ied of a plot to overthrow Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro’s government.9 It was approved by Kennedy and carried out on April 17, 1961 at the Bay of Pigs in south-central Cuba.10 The U.S invasion force could not match up to Castro’s troops and the invasion failed nearly immediately.11 Kennedy and his

Ddos Prevention Best Practices Free Essays

To begin with, system hardening should be implemented on all University workstations, and especially the Web servers. This means turning off any unused services, closing all ports except those that are specifically needed for the operating roles of the servers, and ensuring that an anta;plus solution Is in place and regularly updated. Additionally, a strong patch management policy and procedure should be used to keep University computing assets up to date. We will write a custom essay sample on Ddos Prevention Best Practices or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is to help prevent the exploitation of newly discovered vulnerabilities, and is part of the hardening process. All publicly available services, such as Web facing servers, DNS servers, and application servers, should be separated from private university resources. The separation should include enclosing the public servers in a DMZ. The DMZ should have firewalls in place on both sides of the network, to protect from external threats, and Internal ones. This separation also Isolates the servers from the rest of the network, in the event one of them is compromised. Furthermore, PLANS should be implemented to break up broadcast domains, and IP subletting used to control outwork traffic, further isolating the public systems from the internal network devices. Also, A split DNS scheme that consists of an external DNS server separate from an Internal DNS server can help limit the Impact of DNS Dos style attacks. Network Address Translation (NAT) should remain in place, as it also has the effect of hiding the internal network from the Internet. Moreover, the blocking of IGMP or ping attempts should be blocked, at least externally, so that attempts to Identify systems from the Internet are reduced. As part of capacity planning, consideration should be made to plan for excess. This should help to absorb any Dodos attacks by having plenty of resources to maintain network operations. This Includes having more than adequate switch and router bandwidth, CAP]. And frame/packet processing ablest. Additional consideration should be made to use different Internet Service Providers (ISP) for redundant connections. In the event of an attack, this has the benefit of having alternate paths to the Internet, providing redundancy and load sharing. When upgrading or replacing network equipment, anta-DoS capable devices should be carefully evaluated and selected. Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (DIPS) should be deployed, with the emphasis on prevention at the network perimeter. An inline device will be more effective placed behind the external facing firewall. The firewall is configured to allow only traffic that Is desired, blocking all other traffic, while the DIPS Is designed to block specific traffic and allow the rest. An DIPS device that uses both signature- 1 OFF positives, and therefore a better chance of detecting attacks. The DIPS device should be capable of sending alerts via email, SMS, and pager communication methods to Taft. The DIPS should also be configured to alter the firewall filtering rules on the fly, in the event an attack is occurring. A period of fine tuning is necessary to reduce false positives, and ensure information is not lost due to miscommunication. Ingress and egress filtering needs to be implemented. This involves configuring the firewalls to block unreliable IP addresses as specified in RFC 1918, using Access Control Lists (Calls). This will help prevent IP address spoofing, and computing assets from being used to attack other organizations outside the University IP address pace. Egress filtering should only allow IP addresses to leave the University that fall within the range of allocated addresses. Log monitoring and review of all network and server devices should be performed regularly. In addition, IT staff should be alerted when suspicious activity or events are detected. For instance, repeated failed attempts to access a network device might indicate a password hacking attack. Performance baselines of essential network and server equipment needs to be documented. This will provide a metric of network utilization under normal operating conditions. Excessive use of resources above equipment baselines might indicate a Dodos attack. Also, establishing a performance baseline will aid in capacity planning and provide data for scalability and growth planning. A honesty with relaxed security should be installed. Its purpose is to draw hackers away from actual University computing assets by providing an easier target. It needs to be completely isolated from all other critical assets. The honesty should also be monitored, as data obtained from attacks can be used to shore up the rest of the network. An Incident Response Plan (RIP) needs to be drafted and provided to all University administrative staff. Potential items in the plan should include Points of Contacts (POCK), and handling procedures if an attack is suspected. In conjunction with the RIP, an Emergency Response Team (RET) comprised of senior network and information security personnel, as well as members of the management team, should formalized. This team will be tasked with the responsibility as first responders to an attack. The RET should also have a Plan of Action (POP) more detailed than the RIP. Items in this Lana should include detailed network documentation, disaster recovery plans, any business continuity plans, ISP support numbers, etc. The combined effect of all of the measures previously described, will significantly lessen the impact of a Dodos attack. By no means is this document complete, and should be considered as a living document. As new threats emerge, additional or even different methods may be required to be put in place. Technology also improves over time, therefore a periodic review of the practices described should be conducted, and this document adjusted accordingly. How to cite Ddos Prevention Best Practices, Papers

The theme of exile in Ahmed Essops story The Hajji

In his short story The Hajji Ahmed Essop explores the destructive impact of the apartheid policies on individuals and families. This literary work shows that at the time of social upheavals, a person may either decide to go into exile or be forced into exile by others. Very often such a decision can undermine the ethical integrity of a person. In many cases, people can become alienated or even hostile to one another.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The theme of exile in Ahmed Essop’s story The Hajji specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is the main problem that should be discussed in this paper. The author examines this problem by looking at the relations of two brothers Hajji and Karim who have long been separated from each other. Ahmed Essop succeeds in demonstrating that forced exile inevitably harms the emotional life of a person. On the one hand, he/she can be humiliated by others. This person can als o become detached from his family and community. More importantly, people, who are separated by the state, can blame each other for betrayal. These are the main issues that are explored in this novella. Overall, Ahmed Essop’s short story is worth attention because it reflects the experiences of many people who lived in South Africa at the time of apartheid and who were affected by this policy. The author attracts the readers’ attention to the point that Hajji and Karim no longer maintain meaningful relations with each other. Hajji does not know much about the life of his brother, and he does not wish to see him. It should be noted that Karim was able to â€Å"cross the color line†; in other words, he was able to settle in the area in which only white people were allowed to live (Essop 190). The thing is that he had a lighter skin and he was not viewed as non-white by governmental officials. Thus, he was placed in a more advantageous position by the state. Furthe rmore, one can even tell that Karim chose to leave the community and family to which he belonged. To some degree, he chose to go into exile, but it is difficult to blame him for this decision, because this character only tried to achieve prosperity. Such a desire is quite understandable. In his turn, Hajji believes that in this way, his brother â€Å"severed his family ties† (Essop 190). This is why he did not want to see his brother. One should also speak about Hajjiand his emotional life. It should first be noted that he was forced to live in those areas where only black people were allowed to settle. The author describes the humiliation experienced by this person. In particular, the writer focuses on his encounter with white people in Hillbrow who treat him as inferior. This is why Hajji asks a question, â€Å"Was there anything so vile in him that the youths found it necessary to maul that recess of self-respect within him?† (Essop 191). This example demonstrates t hat this person was excluded from the country in which he was born only because the color of his skin was different.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To some extent, it can be called a forced exile because he was not permitted to live in the privileged parts of the country. Such a requirement is a form of exile. More importantly, Hajjiis keenly aware of the fact that he was denied his right to humanity. Thus, one can argue that both Hajji and Karim were forced to live in exile, and their relations were destroyed. This is the central theme explored by Ahmed Essop. Additionally, the writer describes a situation when two brothers were separated by a barrier created by the state. For Hajji it is extremely difficult to overcome this barrier because in his opinion, his brother betrayed him. Furthermore, in Hajji believes, he chose to live with in the community in which black peop le were treated as inferior. Ahmed Essop eloquently illustrates this barrier by showing that Hajji cannot even express his compassion toward his dying brother. Hajji feels pity and regret at the same time and this feeling is self-destructive. This is the main tragedy of this family because the main characters did not act immorally; instead they had to reconcile their loyalty to ones family and the need for wellbeing. The most important thing is that this disruption of family ties was experienced by many individuals, especially those people who were judged according to the color of their skin. Overall, Ahmed Essop emphasizes the idea that a person cannot be fully detached from his/her community and family because his life may lack meaning. This is the main reason why Karim wants to be buried in Newtown, rather than Hilbrow. In the last scene of the short story, the author describes Karim’s funeral, and other people mourn for him, even though he did not live with them for a ver y long time. One should take into account that for a long time Karim has lived among people who did not share his religion. This character has long been separated from his roots. Unfortunately, Hajjifails to understand his brother because he is blinded by his memory of humiliation. Moreover, he feels envy for Karim because he was not victimized by the state or other people due to the color of his skin. This is the most disruptive impact of the apartheid policies. It created a wall between the brothers and made people alienated from each other. Karim decides to be buried in Newtown because this is the place where his relatives live. Yet, his brother cannot accept him. In the end, Hajji realizes that he was unjust to Karim, but it is too late for him to apologize. Again, the readers of the short story should take into account that these people were not separated by the state. In many cases, people were compelled to choose between their loyalty to their family and community and their w illingness to achieve success and prosperity. At the same time, a great number of people were denied their humanity as it was the case with Hajji. As a result, brothers failed to reestablish their relations. This is the main consequences of exile and separation that they experienced.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The theme of exile in Ahmed Essop’s story The Hajji specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These examples suggest that the theme of exile plays an important role in Ahmed Essop’s short story. The main tragedy is that the state forced people to live in exile, even though they did not leave their own country. Ahmed Essop shows how families ties can be disrupted from outside, and people can take the decisions that they may later regret. Moreover, the author’s narrative demonstrates that exile can make individuals hostile to one another, even though this hostility is not justified in any wa y. Works Cited Essop, Ahmed. â€Å"The Hajji† The Heinemann Book of South African Short Stories. Ed. Denis Hirson and Martin Trump. New York: Heinemann, 1994. 189-202. Print. This essay on The theme of exile in Ahmed Essop’s story The Hajji was written and submitted by user Addisyn T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Frederick Douglass Quotes on Womens Rights

Frederick Douglass Quotes on Womens Rights Frederick Douglass was an American abolitionist and former slave, and one of the most famous 19th-century orators and lecturers. He was present at the Seneca Falls Womens Rights Convention of 1848 and advocated for womens rights along with abolition and the rights of African Americans. Douglass last speech was to the National Council of Women in 1895; he died of a heart attack suffered the evening of the speech. Selected Frederick Douglass Quotations [Masthead of his newspaper, North Star, founded 1847] Right is of no sex - Truth is of no color - God is the Father of us all, and we are all Brethren. When the true history of the antislavery cause shall be written, women will occupy a large space in its pages, for the cause of the slave has been peculiarly womans cause. [Life and Times of Frederick Douglass,1881] Observing womans agency, devotion and efficiency in pleading the cause of the slave, gratitude for this high service early moved me to give favorable attention to the subject of what is called womans rights and caused me to be denominated a womans rights man. I am glad to say I have never been ashamed to be thus designated. [Life and Times of Frederick Douglass,1881] [A] woman should have every honorable motive to exertion which is enjoyed by man, to the full extent of her capacities and endowments. The case is too plain for argument. Nature has given woman the same powers, and subjected her to the same earth, breathes the same air, subsists on the same food, physical, moral, mental and spiritual. She has, therefore, an equal right with man, in all efforts to obtain and maintain a perfect existence. Woman should have justice as well as praise, and if she is to dispense with either, she can better afford to part with the latter than the former. Woman, however, like the colored man, will never be taken by her brother and lifted to a position. What she desires, she must fight for. We hold woman to be justly entitled to all we claim for man. We go farther, and express our conviction that all political rights which it is expedient for man to exercise, it is equally so for women. [At the 1848 Womens Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, according to Stanton et al in [History of Woman Suffrage] A discussion of the rights of animals would be regarded with far more complacency by many of what are called the wise and the good of our land, than would be a discussion of the rights of woman. [From an 1848 article in the North Star about the Seneca Falls Womens Rights Convention and its reception by the general public] Should the females of New York be placed on a level of equality with males before the law? If so, let us petition for this impartial justice for women. In order to insure this equal justice should the females of New York, like the males, have a voice in appointing the law makers and the law administrators? If so, let us petition for Womans Right to Suffrage. [1853] On putting a priority, after the Civil War, on votes for African Americans males before women in general] When women, because they are women, are dragged from their homes and hung upon lampposts; when their children are torn from their arms and their brains dashed upon the pavement;... then they will have the urgency to obtain the ballot. When I ran away from slavery, it was for myself; when I advocated emancipation, it was for my people; but when I stood up for the rights of women, self was out of the question, and I found a little nobility in the act. [About Harriet Tubman] Much that you have done would seem improbable to those who do not know you as I know you. Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis.

Top 6 Environmental Issues

Top 6 Environmental Issues Since around the 1970s, we have made great progress on the environmental front. Federal and state laws have led to greatly reduced air and water pollution. The Endangered Species Act has had notable successes protecting our most threatened biodiversity. Much work has to be done, however, and below is my list of the top environmental issues we are facing now in the United States. Climate Change While climate change has effects that vary by location, everyone is feeling it one way or another. Most ecosystems can probably adjust to climate change up to a point, but other stressors (like the other issues mentioned here) limit this adaptation ability, especially in places that have lost a number of species already. Particularly sensitive are mountain tops, prairie potholes, the Arctic, and coral reefs. I argue that climate change is the number one issue right now, as we all feel the more frequent extreme weather events, the earlier spring, melting ice, and rising seas. These changes will continue to get stronger, negatively affecting the ecosystems we and the rest of biodiversity rely on. Land Use Natural spaces provide habitat for wildlife, space for forests to produce oxygen, and wetlands to clean our freshwater. It allows us to hike, climb, hunt, fish, and camp. Natural spaces are also a finite resource. We continue to use land inefficiently, turning natural spaces into corn fields, natural gas fields, wind farms, roads, and subdivisions. Inappropriate or nonexistent land use planning continues to result in suburban sprawl supporting low-density housing. These changes in land use fragment the landscape, squeeze out wildlife, put valuable property right into wildfire-prone areas, and upset atmospheric carbon budgets. Energy Extraction and Transportation New technologies, higher energy prices, and a permissive regulatory environment have allowed in recent years for a significant expansion of energy development in North America. The development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has created a boom in natural gas extraction in the northeast, particularly in the Marcellus and Utica shale deposits. This new expertise in shale drilling is also applied to shale oil reserves, for example in the Bakken formation of North Dakota. Similarly, tar sands in Canada have been exploited at much accelerated rates in the last decade. All these fossil fuels have to be transported to refineries and markets through pipelines and over roads and rails. The extraction and transportation of fossil fuels imply environmental risks such as groundwater pollution, spills, and greenhouse gas emissions. The drill pads, pipelines, and mines fragment the landscape (see Land Use above), cutting up wildlife habitat. Renewable energies like wind and solar a re also booming and they have their own environmental issues, particularly when it comes to positioning these structures on the landscape. Improper placement can lead to significant mortality events for bats and birds, for example.   Ã‚   Chemical Pollution A very large number of synthetic chemicals enter our air, soil, and waterways. Major contributors are agriculture byproducts, industrial operations, and household chemicals. We know very little about the effects of thousands of these chemicals, let alone about their interactions. Of particular concern are endocrine disruptors. These chemicals come in a wide variety of sources, including pesticides, the breakdown of plastics, fire retardants. Endocrine disruptors interact with the endocrine system that regulates hormones in animals, including humans, causing a wide array of reproductive and developmental effects. Invasive Species Plant or animal species introduced to a new area are called non-native, or exotic, and when they rapidly colonize new areas, they are considered invasive. The prevalence of invasive species is correlated with our global trading activities: to more we move cargo across the oceans, and we ourselves travel overseas, the more we carry back unwanted hitchhikers. From the multitude of plants and animals we bring over, many become invasive. Some can transform our forests (for example, the Asian longhorned beetle), or destroy urban trees that have been cooling our cities in the summer (like the emerald ash borer). The spiny water fleas, zebra mussels, Eurasian water-milfoil, and Asian carp disrupt our freshwater ecosystems, and countless weeds cost us billions in lost agricultural production. Environmental Justice While this one is not an environmental issue in itself, environmental justice dictates who feels these issues the most. Environmental justice is concerned with providing everyone, regardless of race, origin, or income, the ability to enjoy a healthy environment. We have a long history of unequal distribution of the burden posed by deteriorating environmental conditions. For a multitude of reasons, some groups are more likely than others to be in close proximity to a waste disposal facility, breathe polluted air, or be living on contaminated soil. In addition, fines levied for environmental law violations tend to be much less severe when the injured party is from minority groups. Follow Dr. Beaudry: Pinterest | Facebook |  Newsletter | Twitter | Google