The U.s. Interest in the Panama Canal Essay - 896 Words

Why do you think the United States (U.S.) became involved with Latin America? If you said, it was because we wanted something, you are right. Throughout history we have always wanted something from somebody and as customary, we get it. In the case of Latin America, we were in need of a more logical passage from coast to coast. The perfect solution was, the Panama Canal. We knew what we needed, so we did everything in our power to get it. President Roosevelt didnt care how it happened or at what cost as long as it was ours. Once we took control of the canal we would not relinquish it. It wasnt until 1999 when we finally gave them back their land. Yet, today they are still paying for our involvement in the canal. The U.S. needed†¦show more content†¦Theodore Roosevelt himself said I simply lifted my foot. I took the Isthmus, started the Canal. (Huberman) On November 3, 1903, with the guidance (force) from the U.S, the Panamanians received their independence. Within weeks they gave the U.S. permission to build the canal. Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a longtime official of the French canal company would negotiate the terms. (Encarta) The U.S. received more than it had asked for: a perpetual lease on a section where the canal would be built; the right to take over more land if needed; and the right to use troops to intervene in Panama. We also agreed to guarantee their independence, pay $10 million, and pay an annual fee of $250,000. In exchange for their independence, then, Panamanians were forced to accept the treaty, which no Panamanian ever signed, that virtually gave away the Canal Zone to the U.S. (Cruises) We stole it right out from under them. After 34 years and the excavation of 250 million cubic yards of earth and rock, on August 15, 1914 the Canal was officially opened. At that time, no single effort in American history had exacted such a price in dollars or in human life. (Ared) From 1904 to 1914 the U.S. spent $352,000,000; the French spending $287,000,000 and the grand total was $639,000,000. It is estimated that over 80,000 persons took part in the construction and that over 30,000 lives were lost by both the FrenchShow MoreRelatedThe People And Culture Of Panama1077 Words   |  5 PagesPeople and Culture of Panama Panama is vibrant nation, full of culture, beautiful landscapes and beaches, a vast military history pertaining to the U.S., along with world changing technological advances. Even though it is pretty up to date communication and technology wise, it still sticks to its native roots. Panamanians are quick to tell you what they love about their country. Whether it’s the climate, the culture, or the outdoors, national pride runs deep in Panama. Many Panamanians feelRead MorePanama Canal is a Man-made Link to World Travel1754 Words   |  7 Pageschallenging man-made resources was completed. 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Rock Tumbler Basics and Buying Guide

Basically, there are two ways you can go about buying a rock tumbler. You can pick up the standard educational-toy model online or at most toy stores or you can get a hobbyist/professional model. Whats the difference? The Standard Model Most toy stores carry various takes on the same model of ​a  rock tumbler. This is a rotating tumbler that comes with rocks, grit, and some jewelry findings. This model is fun and can last indefinitely with proper care. Be advised that your choice of rock size is limited by the small rotor power and that it may be difficult to get replacement parts (e.g., broken belt from overweighted tumbler). Rotating Tumblers The toy stores carry a type of rotating tumbler, where the rocks fall over and over and over, polishing rocks in much the same manner as the ocean has for millions of years. I recommend buying a tumbler from a company that has been around a while, with an established record of quality and service. Eventually, you will need a replacement part; you want the company to still be there when that happens. Lortone offers several sizes of tumblers, some with double barrels.   Vibrational Tumblers Vibrational or agitating tumblers dont actually tumble the rock, but use either ultrasound or spin around the vertical axis. They cost a bit more, but have two characteristics that make them more desirable for certain users: they polish rocks much more quickly and they retain the essential shape of the rocks rather than producing only rounded rocks. They are a bit quieter, too. Raytech is an established manufacturer of vibrational tumblers (and other lapidary equipment). Size Does Matter ...and for most people price does too, so balance the needs of your inner rock hound against the limitations of your bank account. Tumblers are sized according to the weight of the load they can continuously bear. The most common cause of rotor failure and belt breakage is improper or over-loading of the barrel. Smaller barrels hold smaller rocks (no big surprise), so larger barrels can hold both bigger rocks and more small rocks. Double barrels can be used to polish lots of rocks or to ensure a really good polish (if you reserve one barrel for that purpose). Helpful Preparation Tips Okay, so youve selected your tumbler! First, keep the time it takes to tumble in your mind (about a month for a rotating tumbler/ week or two for vibrating or agitating types). Get vaseline to seal the barrel against leaks! Buy extra grit (unless you want to keep that as an excuse to go out and buy more stuff). If noise is a concern, consider getting a cooler or other sound insulator to house the tumbler.

Journey to Success Free Essays

Ryan N. Fischer ID 117 Art of Being Human Education Plan Reflection After completing and filling out my educational plan I have thoroughly organized the classes that I must take in order to receive my degree in Media Studies Bachelor of Arts. The educational plan helped me organize my schedule for future semesters, which makes selecting classes a whole lot easier. We will write a custom essay sample on Journey to Success or any similar topic only for you Order Now God forbid if I missed an appointment for creating my future schedule with my advisor, I can now have a general platform and idea of what requirements I need to take without getting extra assistance. Creating a schedule can be very stressful for me personally and knowing what I need to take makes my future a little bit more understanding and clear. Last, it showed exactly when I can receive my degree in the future, which is very helpful for formulating future goals for myself. I personally love to strive for goals and motivate myself to complete my future goals. Knowing when I can receive my degree just helps me plan better for the future and create long-term goals. The educational plan was a great way to organize my future classes and study requirements. I feel more understanding of what steps I need to take next in order to receive my degree. As well as feeling secure with my future requirements and goals, I feel very confident and excited to start my journey in order to receive the one thing that I want. The one thing that I want of course is my degree in Media Studies and I am motivated to start the next courses starting next semester in the fall of 2013. How to cite Journey to Success, Papers

Plutonium Essay Example For Students

Plutonium Essay Plutonium, Our Countrys Only Feasible SolutionShould we begin to manufacture one of the most destructive and infamoussubstances on the face on the Earth once again? The engineers say yes, butthe public says no. The United States stopped making this element with theban on manufacturing nuclear weapons. But with the continuing problem withour ever diminishing energy sources, some want us to begin using morenuclear energy and less energy from natural resources. This paper is goingto discuss what plutonium is, the advantages and disadvantages of its use,and why we should think about restarting our production of this usefulAfter the United States dropped Fat Man and Little Boy on Japan endingWorld War II, the public has had some type of understanding about thepower of plutonium and its devastating properties, but that is all anyoneAfter WWII, Americans started to think about what the atomic bomb could doto the U.S. and its people. When anyone mentioned plutonium or the wordnuclear the ide a of Hiroshima or Nagasaki being destroyed was the firstthing people thought about. No one could even ponder the idea that itcould be used for other more constructive things like sources of energy orto kept a persons heart beating. Then we started to build more reactorsand produce more of the substance but mostly for our nuclear weaponsAlong with reactors, sometimes comes a meltdown which can produce harmfuleffects if it isnt controlled quickly enough. After such instances as theHanford, Washington reactor meltdown and the accident in the U.S.S.R. atthe Chernobyl site, no one wanted to hear about the use of plutonium. TheUnited States government banned nuclear testing and also ended theproduction of plutonium.(Ref. 5) Now we are in a dilemma. We are in need of future sources of energy to power our nation. We arerunning out of coal and oil to run our power plants.(Ref. 7) We also needit to further our space exploration program. People need to understand theadvantages to using plutonium and that the disadvantages are not ascatastrophic as they seem. With the turn of the century on its way, thereemergence of plutonium production will need to be a reality for us toIn 1941, a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, discoveredsomething that would change our planet forever. The mans name, Glenn T. Seaborg, and what did he discover?, the element plutonium.(ref. 10)Plutonium, or Pu #94 on the periodic table, is one of the most unstableelements on the earth. It is formed when Uranium 235, another highlyunstable element, absorbs a neutron. Plutonium is a silvery-white metalthat has a very high density of 19.816 g/cm3.(ref. 10 ) It has beenrarely found in the earths crust but the majority of the substance has tobe produced in the cores of nuclear reactors. Plutonium can be found fifteen different forms, or isotopes and their massnumber can range from 232-246.(ref. 13) Radionuclide batteries used inpacemakers use Pu-238, while Pu-239 is used in reactors and for Nuclearweapons.(ref. 13) This paper will focus on the isotopes Pu-238 and Pu-239. Plutonium can be very advantageous for the United States. It can be usedfor several purposes. The three major advantages to using this element arefor an energy source, power for nuclear propulsion in space explorationand thermo-electric generators in cardiac pacemakers. The first use for plutonium, nuclear power, is obviously the mostbeneficial use. Plutonium 239 can be used to power nuclear reactors. Theaverage nuclear reactor contains about 325 kilograms of plutonium withinits uranium fuel.(ref. 7) This complements the uranium fission process. With the continually decreasing supply of coal and oil to power ournation, we need a substitute to complement our energy needs and right nowthe best replacement is that of nuclear energy.(ref. 7) At the momentthere are one hundred and ten nuclear power plants in the United Statesand they produce one-fifth of the nations electricity. Nuclear energy hasbeen proven to be the cheapest, safest, cleanest and probably the mostNuclear power plants do not use as much fuel as the plants burning coaloil. One ton of uranium produces more energy than several million tons ofcoal and plutonium can produce much more energy than uranium.(ref. 12)Also the burning of coal and oil pollute our air and the last thing weneed is more pollution to worsen the greenhouse effect. Nuclear power plants cannot contaminate the environment because they donot release any type of pollution.(ref. 2) Plutonium can also be recycledby using a enrichment process. This will produce even more energy. Coalis left by their use s is what has been contaminating our atmosphere sinceYou might ask how exactly is plutonium converted into an energy source?Well it is obviously quite complicated to explain. Basically, power comesfrom the fission process of an atom of the element and produces over tenmillion times the energy produced by an atom of carbon from coal. Onekilogram of plutonium consumed for three years in a reactor can produceheat to give ten million kilowatt-hours of electricity. This amount isenough to power over one-thousand Australian households.(ref. 7) Presented with this information, it is only common sense that we shouldnot depend upon fossil fuels to take us into the 21st century. It isobvious that our future lies in the hands of nuclear reactors and the useThe second major use for plutonium is for space exploration with itspower nuclear propulsion. Nuclear electric propulsion is using energy fromplutonium to power space vehicles.(ref. 3) One of the major goals of NASAspace program is to, one d ay, get to Mars, and it looks like the only wayit is going to happen in our current fiscal condition, is if we useplutonium, instead of chemical fuel, to power our explorations. Nuclearelectric propulsion can be defined as using small plutonium based bricks,to power space vehicles for interplanetary trips. Nuclear electric systemsprovide very low thrust levels and use only very small amounts of fuelduring the voyage.(ref. 3,4) Using electric propulsion also allows the useof less fuel making the spacecrafts launch weight much lower than it wouldThe last beneficial use for plutonium is for cardiac pacemakers. Thethermo-electric generator which is powered by radionuclide batteries thatOne of the obvious uses of plutonium, whether is an advantage ordisadvantage, is for weaponry. It is an advantage if we need to use itagainst a foe, but it is disadvantageous is our foes use it against theNow that we are at the hands of the Non-proliferation Treaty and the TestBan Treaty, we no longer can make and/or test nuclear weapons.(ref. 5)This should help end ideas about nuclear war and other disadvantages tohaving plutonium in other countrys supplies. Now that we have recognizedthree important uses for Plutonium and that the threat of nuclear war isno longer as feasible as before, we should recognize the disadvantages ofthis great energy source. They mostly have to do with excess waste andhealth effects from the use of nuclear energy. In 1986, a reactor located in Russia at the Chernobyl power plant had ameltdown and radiation escaped from the plant.(ref. 8) Several dozen diedfrom this incident. Nuclear explosions produce radiation. When it comeswithin human contact, radiation hurts cells which can sicken people. Thecause of the Chernobyl meltdown was mostly because of human error. Theytried to perform an experiment at a time when they shouldnt have, andmany people paid for their incompetence. There are waste disposal problems that occur with the use of nuclearreactors. Wast e also produces radiation which can be lethal. Since wastecan hurt and kill people who come in contact with the substance, it cannotbe thrown away in a dumpster like other garbage. Waste has to be put incooling pools or storage tanks at the site of the reactors. Anotherproblem is that the reactors can last for a maximum of fifty years. Eventhough plutonium is chemically hazardous and produces harmful radiation,it isnt close to being the most toxic substance on the planet. Suchsubstances as caffeine or radiation from smoke detectors, that have thesame amount of mass as plutonium, can have a greater toxicity.(ref. 2)There are basically three ways plutonium can hurt humans. The first isingestion. Ingestion, though not totally safe, it is not as bad as wethink. The fact is, plutonium passes through the stomach and intestinesand cannot be absorbed and therefore, is released with other waste weThe second route plutonium can take to be hazardous is through openwounds. This form of contact is very rare and basically cannot happen ifthe element is handled correctly with protective measures such as correctclothing and health monitor procedures.(ref. 1)The last, main threat to our society comes from inhalation. If inhaled,plutonium is exhaled on the next breath or gotten rid off through themucous flow from the throat and bronchial system and released as withingestion. However, some could get trapped and put into the blood streamor lymph nodes.(ref. 1) This has the possibility to cause cancer in thefuture. This might sound frightening, but what we need to realize is thattype of substance is part of some of our daily lives. The problem of inhaling Pu-239 isnt much different than inhaling suchradionuclides like decaying particles from radon. Radon is a radioactivecancer.(ref. 6) It comes from the decay of uranium in soil, rock andwater. Inhaling this substance can damage your lungs and lead to cancerover a lifetime. Everyone who lives in homes, works in offices or goes tosc hool, can be affected by the gas. If you live in a brick house, youcould be taking a serious risk if you dont get the radon level tested. A1990 National Safety Council report showed that radon causes, on theaverage, approximately 14,000 deaths a year and can go as high as 30,000After learning about what radon gas can do to humans, shouldnt we be moreconcerned about what a naturally occurring substance can do rather thanworrying about what plutonium, and its rare contamination might do. Also,how many American citizens will actually have a chance to come in contactwith any plutonium isotope in their life time?As you can see, if we start to produce plutonium once again, we willbenefit greatly from its use. We can use it to help power nuclear reactorswhich can power our nation. It can also be recycled and used once againwhich is one thing fossil fuels cannot do. Nuclear electric propulsion andits use of plutonium will help power space exploration into the nextcentury and maybe even get us to Mars. Pu-238 is also helpful in poweringcardiac pacemakers, one of the great biomedical inventions of the1900s. Pur carum EssayWith these constructive and productive uses, we shouldnt even debate onthe fact that we need plutonium for the future. You may think that byproducing plutonium, it will automatically go toward our nuclear weaponsprogram. With non-proliferation and testing banned, this, obviously, is nolonger an option. What about nuclear waste and radiation exposure? Well,unless an individual does not use safety precautions and other preventivemeasures when and if he handles the substance, he or she shouldnt expectless of radiation poisoning and contamination. If youre still concerned about exposure to nuclear radiation, youre infor a big surprise when you find out you cant avoid it. There is more ofradon gas than there is from plutonium.(ref. 6) After considering allthese factors, whether they are advantages or disadvantages, it is obviousthat the use of plutonium is, in fact, feasible and the disadvantages arehighly unlikely to affect your health and well being. You probably should be more worried about dying in an automobile accident or a plane crash. Bibliography:1. ans.neep.wise.edu/ans/point_source/AEI/may95/plutonium_eff.html (AEI: May 1995, How Deadly is Plutonium)2. laplace.ee.latrobe.edu.au:8080/khstatements/perspectives-on-plutonium.html(A Perspective on the Dangers of Plutonium)3. letrs.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/LeTRS/browse.pl?1994/E-8242.html (Nuclear Electric Propulsion)4. spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov/NASA. Projeicles/Proposes.Sysytems/Nuclear.Propulsion( NASA fact sheet, Dec. 1991)5. tqd.advanced.org/3471.nuclear_politics_body.html (Nuclear Politics)6. www.epa.gov/docs?RadonPubs/citquide.txt.html (Citizens Guide to Radon)7. www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html (Questions about Nuclear Energy)8. www.ieer.org/ieer/fctsheet/fm_hlth.html(IEER: Fissile Materials Health Environmental Dangers)9. www.nucmet.com/CompOver.html (NMI Company Overview)10. www.teleport.com/aaugiee/plu.htm (Background on Pu-238/239)11. www.uilondon.org/nfc.html (The Nuclear Fuel Cycle)12. www.uilondon.org/ci3_plu.html (Core Issues no.3, The Uranium Institute1995)13. www.uic.com.au/nip18.htm (Plutonium)