The Santa Barbara Courthouse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Assignment Example The structure, layout, and height of the building also make it very impressive to look at. The courthouse was built out of stone, metal, wood, terra cotta, stucco, glass, and ceramic tile. It is made up of four buildings including an 85-foot clock tower. The structure is quite tall and also covers an entire city block. The main entrance features very wide stairs and a very large half-circle door opening, creating a very majestic and stylish visual spectacle. The entry arches are made of sandstone. This entry also features a wrought iron Spanish pendant lamp. There is also a sandstone plinth at the bottom of square pilasters that collect rainwater around a 4-inch wide wall that resembles a castle moat. The building also features a rear entry arch as well. The inside of the building is equally as impressive as the outside; perhaps even more impressive. Hand-painted ceilings are found throughout the building which includes a mural room as well. The entire floor of the building is composed of hand-made terra cotta tile. The interior also captures the Mission Colonial Revival style and has a classic castle fortress style appearance. The Santa Barbara Courthouse is described by The Architectural Resources Group as an Andalusian castle-style building that has a â€Å"romantic fortress aesthetic, complemented by Andalusian massing and asymmetry† (‘Santa Barbara Courthouse’). This is also the sense I first got when looking at both the exterior and interior of the building. The landscaping around the building is also visually appealing and compliments the building as well. It features several different types of trees, plants, and flowers. A lawn also covers much of the building grounds. The building is visually appealing in a number of different ways and that is why I feel it is a place I would like to be in or around. As mentioned earlier, the architecture of the building also has historical and cultural significance.

Domestic Violence During Pregnancy Research Paper

Domestic Violence During Pregnancy - Research Paper Example                                  Domestic Violence During Pregnancy Introduction: This paper aims to discuss various effects of domestic violence during pregnancy. Domestic violence is becoming an epidemic in almost every part of the world. This is a public health issue, seriously affecting the health of women. According to a recent report by a US daily, out of 33 developed countries, the United States is in the 27th position for life expectancy after birth. â€Å"Pregnancy is a time when friends, family, and health professionals expect a woman’s partner to be particularly concerned about and attentive to her health and well-being. It is difficult to imagine that anyone, let alone the father of the baby, would intentionally injure a pregnant woman, thereby jeopardizing her health and the health of the fetus† (Humphreys & Campbell, 2011, p. 155). In a recent government health plan call â€Å"Healthy People 2020† released by the U.S. Departmen t of Health and Human Services mentioned that domestic violence during pregnancy is found out to be the cause of complications like pre-term birth or low birth weight-outcomes. This type of violence also can cause various risks of maternal, prenatal and child health, miscarriage, infection, fetal injury and fetal death. While domestic violence occurs, injuries to the abdomen, breasts and genitals are some of the common factors. Apart from these physical risks, abusing during pregnancy can cause end number of psychological consequences like depression, stress and dependence to tobacco, drugs and alcohol. â€Å"Common sense demands that pregnant and nursing women minimize their exposure to xylene, just as they should minimize their exposure to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs† (Pregnancy, 2007, p. 68). Apparently, these psychological consequences affected the baby most as the majority of the time the mother losses attention in her or her baby’s physical condition, both t hrough the pregnancy and following the child is born. â€Å"One study found that 15 percent of women were assaulted in the first four months of pregnancy and 17 percent were physically abused during the last five months of pregnancy† (Sterne et al. 2010, p. 48). Nursing Care Consideration to Domestic Violence: What Nurses can do? Research found that around 324,000 pregnant women in the United States are battered by their intimate partners every year. Hence, there is a need of creating awareness against domestic violence during pregnancy keeping in mind the fact that domestic violence is becoming the largest cause of injury for women in the United States. As per nurses are concern, all nurses and health care professionals of all specialties are likely to assist help to the women sufferer of domestic violence. Nurses must assure the sufferer a proactive assistance to this dilemma. They should involve themselves to treat the sufferers of domestic violence. They should take a hel pful and empowering approach towards the patients. While assessing the patient who faced domestic violence, it is very necessary for the nurses to create a believing and accepting environment, so that the patient does not lose her self esteem. Various researchers found that believing, accepting and supporting patient by the nurses can improve the psychological healing of such patients. What are the impacts of battering to the individual client, newborn and the family? Although there are lots of literature reviews, the impacts of domestic viole

Regulatory bodies are best placed to secure environmental protection Essay

Regulatory bodies are best placed to secure environmental protection Discuss - Essay Example The compliance assurance features of better regulation include initiating time limits for regulatory decision making, minimising the onus of paperwork by substituting to self-reporting and enhanced overseeing of compliance monitoring activities so that business assigns minimum resources and time to inspection by government authorities. The UK government so as to overhaul its industrial pollution control system has introduced a new Integrated Pollution Control system (IPC) as early as 1990 through the Environmental Protection Act. The Environmental Act 1995 established the Environmental Agency. (Bohne: 435). Further, the UK government had combined the additional policy objective with its regulatory reform with an aim to regain more influence on European Environmental Regulations. In UK, the Hampton Principles was adopted which outline a regulatory system perused in tune with the requirements of the 21st century where risk assessment will be the foundation for all environmental program mes. Further, the UK government has made public a regulatory code of practice to compel both the local and national regulators to adhere the Hampton Principles. In April 2008, the Regulators’ Compliance Code came into force. Further, UK has also adopted a common framework for evaluating administrative burdens namely the Standard Cost Model. Moreover, the Impact Assessment Guidance issued by the UK Better Regulations Executive needs an evaluation of the â€Å"aggregate annual cost of enforcement of the regulatory proposal. Further, UK government is contemplating to introduce a system of regulatory budgets to minimise the aggregate costs of its new regulations’ adherence cost on the economy. (OECD2009:45). 2. What are the main characteristics of the British system of regulation? What processes are involved? What are its strengths and weaknesses? The UK government so as to overhaul its industrial pollution control system has introduced a new Integrated Pollution Control system (IPC) as early as 1990 through the Environmental Protection Act. UK can be said to be the leader of an integrated pollution control system not only in the Europe but in the whole world. Section 7 (4) & (7) was successfully exported to Europe from UK. As per Emmot and Haigh (1996:305), the IPC concept of â€Å"Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Cost† (BATNEEC) which was employed to evaluate the emission limit values which reappeared in the BAT specification of the IPPC directive. As per farthing et al (2003:75), the holistic IPC doctrine of â€Å"Best Practicable Environment Option† (BPEO), though not overtly emphasised in the IPPC directive, is mirrored in the regulations of the IPPC directive to accomplish a greater level of safeguard for environment as a whole, and not to shift the pollution from one medium to another i.e. air, water and land through the Art. 9(1) and (3) of the IPPC directive. (Bohne2006:435). UK assumed the leadership role in EU industrial pollution control legislation by exporting the IPC system to Europe. As per Bell and McGillivray (2006:770), UK kept the administrative and legislative upheaval for the transposition of the IPPC directive to a bare minimum. (Bohne 2006:435). EIA – Environment Impact Assessment It is a technique to make us to understand the probable environmental impacts of major projects both the existing and in the development stages also. The regulations and

U.S. Supreme Court review of Gideon v. Wainwright Essay

U.S. Supreme Court review of Gideon v. Wainwright - Essay Example No history of the right to counsel could be complete without a discussion of Gideon v. Wainwright - one of the best-known and most significant right to counsel decisions rendered by the Supreme Court. The Warren Court's landmark 1963 opinion in Gideon revisited the issue confronted twenty years earlier in Betts v. Brady - the scope of an indigent defendant's constitutional entitlement to government-provided assistance in state court. The Gideon Court's straightforward, unanimous holding constituted the last major step in the historical expansion of the constitutional right to counsel in America. Its forceful reasoning elevated the status of the right to counsel to new heights, giving it an honored place as the most fundamental of all rights guaranteed to the accused.Mr. Gideon was charged with the crime of breaking and penetrating a poolroom with the aim to commit a misdemeanor. He appeared in court without an attorney. Because he could not afford to have a lawyer, he claimed that th e judge appoint counsel. The judge did not accept the request, informing him that Florida law permitted appointed counsel only in capital cases. In the trial that followed, Gideon made an opening statement, cross-examined government witnesses, called his own witnesses, declined to testify, and made a short closing argument. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to five years in prison. The Florida Supreme Court denied a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. To reconsider the issue resolved in Betts v. Brady, the Supreme Court granted review. The Court first observed that the facts of Betts and Gideon were so similar that the holding of Betts, if still good law, would require rejection of Gideon's contention that he had a due process entitlement to appointed counsel. The Court then declared, however, that after reconsidering the Betts holding, it had decided that it should be overruled. According to the Gideon Court, the fundamental nature of the right to counsel had been established in Powell v. Alabama - ten years before Betts was decided. Although the Powell Court had limited its holding to the particular circumstances of the case, "its conclusions about the fundamental nature of the right to counsel [were] unmistakable" (cited in Van Gerven 97). Moreover, in subsequent cases, including Johnson v. Zerbst, the Court had made it clear that the assistance of counsel was " 'necessary to insure basic human rights of life and liberty.' " By failing to acknowledge that the assistance of counsel is always essential for a fair trial and concluding that the " 'appointment of counsel is not a fundamental right,' " the Court's opinion in Betts v. Brady "made an abrupt break with its well-considered precedents" (ibid.). In so doing, it had erred. Precedent was not the only reason to declare Betts misguided. "[R]eason and reflection" also led to the "obvious truth" that "in our adversary system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him" (cited in Garcia 70). After all, the government deems it essential to have lawyers prosecute criminal cases, and few criminal defendants who can afford them "fail to hire the best lawyers they can get." These are "strong[] indicationsat lawyers in criminal courts are necessities, not luxuries." From the start, American law has put "great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him" (cited in Alfieri 1459). As the Powell Court had observed, the righ t to be heard would mean little if it did not include the right to be heard through counsel. Even intelligent laypersons lack the legal skill and knowledge required to adequately defend against accusations. Although they may in fact be innocent, they

Great expectations Essay Example for Free

Great expectations Essay The novel Great Expectations is centred on the child protagonist, Pip. The novel is known as a bildungsroman. A bildungsroman is a novel which traces the Spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity. The novel is set in the mid-1800s, and written in the first-person from the perspective of Pip. Pip, which comes from a working class family (in those days) develops a burning desire to become a gentleman due to his love for Estella, whom he meets in the mysterious house of Miss Havisham. This then becomes a responsibility when he discovers that he has a benefactor. Pip develops because hes discontented with his own home and wants to become part of the higher class of society. The novel deals with his feelings about himself and the environment around him. He sets out on a journey, ordained by his secret benefactor, to become the gentleman he dreamt of being. However, this change of life leads him to look down on his home and relatives, especially Joe, who becomes heartbroken; and Pip is forced to reassess his priorities and feelings at the end of the novel. In the novel, Dickens brings about the truth in life in those times; that only rich people had the opportunity to be educated and go far in life. This way the reader had can feel the pain and ambition that Pip yearned to fulfil through his life and; and see how neglectful Pip becomes after he starts to accomplish his dream. The sympathy the reader would have felt towards Pip severely diminishes as the novel progresses, and it is only in the second-half of the novel Pip realises his spite towards the people he truly loves. Dickens concludes the story by giving a message of great expectation; the novel finishes by showing the reader how the society around Pip changes his views and his belief of his inner mind. Pip is first introduced in the graveyard, in chapter one. The reader learns many things about the main character from the start of the novel. Pip is an innocent young orphan and was bought up by his sister Mrs Joe. This is established by Dickens in chapter 1 I never saw my father or my mother. The reader learns that Pips parents have passed away. This brings us to feel immediate sympathy towards the miserable young boy who seems to be alone in this big world. Pip is portrayed as a fearful and a very small child as we first meet him in the grave yard as Pip pleads in terror at the spectre who grabs him. Pip yells, O! dont cut my throat, sir, evidently suggesting that he is petrified but has been brought up to treat people with manners and respects; as he calls him sir. However, the fact that Pips life was under the assailants control might have been the reason that Pip was so reverent. Pip is portrayed as a vulnerable character when we first meet him, and this is greatly reinforced by his appearance; dishevelled, skinny, and small. Pips life at home is very unfair because Mrs Joe has raised Pip up by hand bringing him up strictly by punishing him; for instance, she torments poor Pip by hitting him with the tickler (her rather affectionate title for the cane she uses to beat Pip). Pip also says Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sisters temper. This gives the impression that Pip was scared of staying at home and also that his sister treated him ungratefully. All this implies that Pip is being bullied by his sister and makes the reader have pity towards Pip because hes been rejected by his only family. It also suggests that Mrs Joe had bought Pip up single handedly with no gratitude. Joe and Pip are bonded together because Joe has acted like Pips father, and also due to the fact that Mrs Joe beats him just as she does Pip. Unlike Mrs Joe, Mr Joe has always been friendly and protective. This is suggested when Pip says Joe imparted a confidence to me. This shows that Joe is caring and will stand beside Pip through good times and bad times as a father. During chapter three a terrible feeling runs through Pip when he steals food from Mrs Joe to take to the convict. Pip feels scared because his conscience frightens him by saying A boy with somebody -elses pork pie! Stop him this suggests that Pip is feeling very guilty and he knows the difference between right and wrong, but is compelled to do the wrong thing because of fear. Although he is acting mainly due to fear; hes also very generous and shows compassion because hes saving the convicts life by feeding him. Dickens uses many techniques such as linguistic techniques in his writing to create various effects and as a way of communicating his characters emotions. An example of this can be seen in Chapter Three when Pip wakes up knowing he has to steal from Mrs Joe to provide the convict with food. Dickens describes the weather on the window with a particularly powerful simile creating memorable images in the readers mind As if some goblin had been crying there all night this descriptive image connects to Pips mood at this time. This image of the crying goblin using the window for his handkerchief reflects the fact that Pip is feeling miserable, lonely and scared about what hes being forced to do. This technique encourages the reader to feel sorry for him and anxious for him as well.

Academic Argument Essay Example for Free

Academic Argument Essay High school students today are all excited about post-college life, which for most means going away to college to further their education. The question is, are they truly being provided the necessary tools needed to be successful at the college levels? Are teachers, counselors, parents and the government both state and federal doing enough to lead these young minds out into the world? We all know how expensive college is and that only a small amount will graduate college and go on to live the life the always dreamed, but without a college education the odds are far worse. So shouldn’t every student who has aspirations of going on to college be awarded a little more preparation? The bottom line is we being parents, teachers, counselors, and the government needs to have better programs available for high school students so that the transition, that is already hard enough, is a little easier; as Benjamin Franklin once said â€Å"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. † (www . goodreads . com) The National of State Legislature defines college prep programs as â€Å"programs aimed to increase college access, particularly for those students who are least likely to enroll. These programs take many forms and serve a variety of students. Some start as early as elementary school, others in the senior year of high school. Some college preparatory programs focus on increasing academic readiness, while others specialize in college admissions or financial aid. Some involve families and mentors, and others incorporate service learning or recreational activities. †(www . ncsl . org/issues-research) What I want to know is where are these programs being used and what are they? In 2007 the NY Times published an article stating that only a  quarter of high school students who take a full set of â€Å"college prep† courses which include four years of English and three each of mathematics, science and social studies are well prepared for college according to a study by the ACT, and the Iowa testing organization. The study examined about 1. 2 million students who took the ACT, which is one of the country’s major college admissions tests, along with the SAT, and graduated from high school June of 2008. The study projected whether students had a good chance of scoring a C or better in introductory college  courses based on their test scores and the success rates of past students who had taken it previously. It showed that only 26 percent of those who took the core curriculum were ready for college level work in all four of the â€Å"college prep† core areas. Another 19 percent were not satisfactorily prepared in any of them. â€Å"While taking the right number of courses is certainly better than not, it is no longer enough,† the report said. †(www . nytimes . com) This quote really hits the nail on the head; just like how today’s Bachelor’s Degree is the equivalent of the high school diploma 20 years ago. This is an important issue in our society today, we want our young people to go to college to better their education but we can’t help them along the way. So how did it get to be so bad well in April 1983 the Secretary of Education and United States Department of Education saw that America ranked in the bottom half of education in the world so Ronald Regan declared â€Å"Nation At Risk† which kick-started decades of tough talk about public schools and reforms that culminated in 2002s No Child Left Behind, the Bush administration law that pushes schools to improve students basic skills or face ever-tougher sanctions. Jay Summer, an original teacher on the 1983 panel says â€Å"A true Cold War document, it famously stated: If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. (usatoday30 . usatoday . com/ â€Å"In 1999, Clifford Adelman, then a researcher at the federal Education Department, found that the strength of high school work was the most important factor in determining college success, more than the socioeconomic status of a student’s family. The new report, which cites Mr. Adelman’s research, makes the case that many high school courses are not providing the necessary quality that he described. † (www . nytimes . com) According to the National Center for Educational Statistics and a study done by the Harvard Graduate School, of the students who graduated college in 2011, only 56 percent graduated with four year degrees but took them six years. Also of those students in the same class 78 percent failed to receive a diploma at all. This study also showed the reasons for dropping out; which student claimed, â€Å"not being prepared for the rigors  of academic work; inability to cope with the competing demands of study, family and jobs; and cost† (www . reuters . com/article/2012) What we see here is that there have been attempts to make things better but they have slowly helped create the mess we have today. I have three points that will hopefully show how we can better this situation we are currently in. My first claim is that if we continue to ignore the fact that students today aren’t prepared for the struggles that await them at college then the dropout rate will continue to rise and effect the country as a whole. If students aren’t prepared for college then they either don’t go or most likely drop out. This affects the economy because if you have thousands of students not getting the proper education which leads to no jobs or low paying jobs, then the country can suffer. This leads to less students getting out into the work force or having very low paying jobs in which they can’t afford their monthly loan payments or other basic needs. With the economy being the way it is we can’t afford to let this happen. My second claim is that statistics show students who take extra or AP level courses perform better in college. In my high school there were luckily many extra courses available to help prepare us for college. I took College level English throughout my four years of high school. When I got to college and took the required English 101 course it was almost a mirror image as what I had previously taken. I was one of the few students who knew what MLA format was and how to use it in a paper. My school also offered AP Government, Calculus, English, Music Theory, which I also took, and Physics. I’m now in my third year of college and doing really well for myself. This just goes to show what  students can achieve with a little more preparation. Students put more pressure on themselves than ever before trying to achieve their goals. It’s up to us to take some of the pressure off them and give them a push in the right direction with more groundwork. My last claim is that students who finish college will have a better future for themselves and a family. Even with student loan debt at a high point these days with an education more financial opportunities are made available to students to deal with the burden of student loan debt. A degree from a technical institute is still better than a high school diploma. My cousin was a college dropout with two kids and no father to help support them. She worked two and three jobs sometimes just to keep her family afloat. One day she decided to take night classes at the local community college. Three years later she has an Associate’s degree in business and is making $20,000 more a year working only one job as opposed to three. She is more financially stable now and not so stressed all the time. Students may think that a high school diploma is enough but the sad truth is you can get the same jobs with a high school diploma that they are giving to 15 year olds at McDonalds. So what I’m trying to say is that if we don’t act now more students will continue to go down a road not knowing that they could have had more help. Education is the key to a better life for you and for a possible family which means better jobs and financial status, which today a lot of Americans lack. Of course some argue that a degree is the wrong path â€Å"Michael Nelson, 22, of Fayetteville, Georgia, retired from nearby LaGrange College during his freshman year. â€Å"I knew it wasnt going to take me where I wanted to go, he says. Now a gold and precious metals dealer, he made $85,000 in 2011. A lot of my friends are coming out of school with $50,000 in debt, Nelson says. They dont know how theyre going to survive because they dont have a job. † (www . reuters . com/article/2012) For some select few this is the case. But this is a rare case of someone who just happens to have a job fall in their lap. It is true that many high school graduates that never attended college or dropped out are doing just fine. Coal miners can make upwards of 100k and I’ve never met a coal miner who attended college. On the other hand I’ve never met a CEO or brain sergeant with high school diplomas. Statistics show that the average college graduate will make $19,550 more a year than someone with a high school diploma according to the U. S. Census Bureau. Also college students need to understand that the economy will not be this bad forever. If we can recover from the Great Depression then we can certainly find a way to fix this financial crisis. Today it’s tough for all people, including college graduates, to find a job and make a decent living. Many students believe that their best option would be to take a semester or two off from college for only a brief period of time and enter the workforce or  the military. The military’s financial benefits are very pleasing to young adults when they consider loan forgiveness programs and tuition compensation. The appeals of the military look great to college students that still believe that nothing bad can happen to them, but the reality of the dangers that young people face while serving abroad are very costly as most of us hear about on the news every week. Another reason kids shouldn’t chase the American dream of a college diploma is that they realize they don’t want the headache of the debt that most every college grad deals with. They know they can’t declare bankruptcy off of student loan debt so what other option do they have? Yet for some students, dropping out with loans can be worse than dealing with the debt. â€Å"Many college dropouts will face career barriers due to the lack of a degree, experts say. Current unemployment statistics show that those without a college degree are twice as likely to be unemployed as those with a bachelors degree. One way students and families can tilt the equation in their favor is to simply spend less, experts say. † If students are more reasonable and selective about where theyre going to get that degree, college costs are more  manageable, says Eleanor Blayney with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. At the very least they can do the first two years at a community college and then transfer. † (www . reuters . com/article/2012) So what we can see is that college is definitely the better route to take if you want a stable future. In conclusion there needs to be more or better programs for students who wish to attend college and succeed in life. You have seen the attempts made by the government to make it easier for students to learn and become better prepared for college, but the recent studies shows a  negative effect on the youths of today and possibly the youths of tomorrow. You have also seen a couple of reasons why I believe better programs will increase students’ academic levels in college; plus opposing arguments from those who think college is a waste of time and money and will only leave you in pile of debt. This in fact is far from the truth and leads me to believe that only people without a proper education could make such an accusation. Finally I hope that soon everyone who has the power to get involved in helping the future leaders of America will step up to the plate and take responsibility for the welfare of these young minds. The sad part is that the ones this affects the most, being high school students, have little to no say in the matter. The Obama administration has shown they have a huge interest in education with cutting student loan debt and making school lunches healthier. I can only hope this very important topic is next on their next to do list. Every student deserves a fair chance to achieve and it’s about time they get some. Franklin, Benjamin. â€Å"goodreads. † http://www . goodreads . com/quotes/tag/preparation.  © 2012 Goodreads Inc. â€Å"College Preparatory Programs. † http://www . ncsl . org/issues-research/educ/college-preparatory- programs-types-of-programs . aspx.  ©2012 National Conference of State Legislatures Arenson, Karen W. â€Å"Study Finds College-Prep Courses in High School Leave Many Students Lagging. † http://www . nytimes . com/2007/05/16/education/16report . html? _r=0. May 16, 2007 Plitt, Todd. â€Å"Nation at Risk: The best thing or the worst thing for education? † http://usatoday30 . usatoday . com/news/education/2008-04-22-nation-at-risk_N . htm. Copyright 2011 USA TODAY The National Commission on Excellence in Education. â€Å"A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform†http://datacenter . spps .org/uploads/SOTW_A_Nation_at_Risk_1983 . pdf. April, 1983 Carlozo, Lou. â€Å"Why college students stop short of a degree. † http://www . reuters . com/article/2012/03/27/us-attn-andrea-education-dropouts- idUSBRE82Q0Y120120327. Tue Mar 27, 2012 â€Å"College Students Should Stay in School. † http://bestessayhelp . com/examples/education/college-students-should-stay-in-school- %E2%80%93-essay-sample.  © 2010 2012 Global Writers Limited â€Å"Summer at Georgetown†. http://scs . georgetown . edu/programs/107/summer-programs-for-high- school-students-college-preparatory-program.  © 2012 Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies.

The Effects of Toxic Gardens Essay -- Environment Environmental Pollut

The Effects of Toxic Gardens    The urban family is proud of their immaculate garden and neatly manicured and pristine backyard. They feel proud when guests visit and comment on the vibrant, green grass, the weed free flowerbeds and garden and the lust tomatoes on the vine. It is delightful to watch the children roll around and play on the lawn without worry of them being bitten by ants, fleas or other distasteful insects. Best of all, is the delight of the children when they can pick the vegetables right out of the garden for dinner. The entire family loves the fresh vegetables and prides themselves on having raised the carrots, beans, and tomatoes themselves. Sounds ideal, eh? Alas, reality is the pristine backyard is a veritable toxic wasteland since pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are routinely dumped on the lawn in an effort to maintain the weed and pest free yard. Additionally, the garden vegetables are loaded with the most recent "bug spray" application that has been absorbed into the vegetables. These toxins have been found to cause cancer, infertility, birth defects, etc. Therefore upon reflection, the above-mentioned scene is more of a nightmare than a dream. The Institute of Medicine has conclusive evidence linking herbicide use to cancer (Turner-Lowe 1). The exposure may be minor in the produce that we grow and eat from our chemically treated garden; the cumulative effects are significant. The effect of continually ingesting foods with toxins within is what may eventually create some forms of cancer. Many fungicides and herbicides contain orgaanochlorines, which collect and remain in the fatty tissues of human for long periods of time. Pesticides are toxic and can poison humans. Children are especially vulne... ...fects. 11/1/98 http://www.pmac.net/erice.htm Schardein, J.L. (1985). Chemically Induced Birth Defects. Marcel Decker. New York, New York. Pp. 600-604. Fagin, D. and Lavelleby, M. (1998, November 1). EPA Offers This Shield of Safety. http://www.pmac.net/shield.htm Robinson, J. (1994, April). Pesticides in the Home and Community: Health Risks and Policy Alternatives. Gopher://gopher.igc.apc.org.2998/OPESTIS?r907874266.10911.1 Mather, Mort. "Mulching a Vegetable Garden." Mother Earth News June 1998: 64. Goldburg, Rebecca. (1998, November 19). Evaluating Risks of New Associations Resulting from BioControl. http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/bcconf/talks/panel.html. 1998, November 19. 1998-1999 Socialist Party Platform. http://www.teleport.com/~socparty/p2.htm 1998, November 19. Recommendations. http://www.envadvocates.org/public_html/Pest/recommendations.html