Saturday, August 27, 2011

Gulf Oil Spill

 
The oil spill in the Gulf was a very deeply harmful event to both the environment as well as the economy. The best solution would be the most cost effective as well as removing as much oil as possible with in a short time period. There are a few ways to clean up an oil spill. One of the methods is to leave the oil alone to break down naturally. However, this would only be possible if it had no likelihood of polluting the coastal regions or marine industries like fishing. Another method would be to contain the spill with booms and collect it from the surface with skimmer equipment. Usually spilt oil floats on water and initially forms a slick that is a few millimeters thick. One consideration of this method would be that booms and skimmers are less effective when deployed in high winds and high seas.
The third option would be to use dispersants to break up oil and to help speed up its natural biodegradation. Dispersants work by reducing the surface tension that that stops the water and oil from mixing. This promotes rapid dilution of the oil by water movements, and increases the surface area which then increases the exposure to natural evaporation and bacterial action. This method is the most effective when used an hour or two after the initial spill. If the government was to use this plan, they would need to take into account since the spill would include the weather, the environment involved, and the type of oil that was spilled. The fourth option would be to introduce biological agents to the spill the increase the pace of biodegradation. The oil that is washed up along the shore can be broken down by bacteria and other microorganisms into harmless substances which is called biodegradation. By adding fertilizing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, the natural process can be increased which will stimulate growth of the microorganism concerned. The effectiveness of this technique depends on whether the ground that is treated has sand or pebbles and whether the fertilizer is water soluble or applied in pellet or liquid form.
I believe that the best solution would be to use biological agents to the spill to increase the pace of biodegradation. That is because the shore line of Florida was greatly affected by this oil spill as well as many marine creatures who washed up on the shore sporting signs of the oil spill. Also it would fix on of the problems of cleaning up the beaches of Florida to help get the tourist industry back.





H.U.N.T.

Winfrey , Oprah. Academy of Achievement, 1989. Intervew. 1989. Web. 9 Aug      2011. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/win0int-1>.
**Harness your vision

Oprah Winfrey harnessed her vision by working at a radio station when she was only 17 years old.However, in her first years of college, her broadcasting career was already taking off. She left school and signed on with a local television station as a reporter and anchor.

**Underestimate the roadblocks

To further her education Oprah Winfrey won a full scholarship to Tennessee State university. Although, Winfrey was thought to be a 'token' by her fellow classmates, she has now become one of the most powerful people in America, because she overcame the racial and sexism issues of her time.

**Network

At age 17, Oprah Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant and was offered an on-air job at WVOL, a radio station serving the African American community in Nashville. This started her broadcasting career.

**Take the first step

Winfrey's first step towards success in her career, was when she majored in Speech Communications and
Performing Arts, as well as taking the first job at a television station, even though she may have been used to fill a quota because she didn't let that take her from her goal.

Oprah Winfrey's Contributions to Society


The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast nationally in 1986 and became the number one talk show across the country. In 1987, its first year of eligibility, the show received three Daytime Emmy Awards in the categories of Outstanding Host, Outstanding Talk/Service Program and Outstanding Direction. The following year, Oprah herself received the International Radio and Television Society's "Broadcaster of the Year" Award, as the youngest person ever to receive that award. In 2000, Oprah's Angel Network began presenting a $100,000 "Use Your Life Award" to people who are using their own lives to improve the lives of others. At this time Oprah now publishes two magazines, The Oprah Magazine, and O at Home. In 2003, Forbes published its list of America's billionaires, it disclosed that Oprah Winfrey was the first African-American woman to become a billionaire.
Oprah Winfrey has helped to shape American society because she showed the world that it was possible to have a tough childhood and still come out on top. She is a role model to young girls that perseverance will help them to achieve anything that they want out of life. Also, the candor and realness of her show, has helped many people to understand different things about each other and their peers. Winfrey is an icon of what a powerful woman is and what she can accomplish.  Especially now that she has her own TV network, Winfrey has her own media empire. 

Oprah Winfrey's Bio

Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954. She spent her first years on her grandmother's farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi, while her mother looked for work in the North. At age three Oprah was reciting poems and Bible verses in local churches. However, Winfrey’s world changed for the worse at age six, when she was sent to Milwaukee to live with her mother, who had found work as a housemaid. During this time, Oprah was repeatedly molested by male relatives and another visitor. The abuse lasted from the ages of nine to 13. She became very sexually promiscuous, and after giving birth to a baby boy who died in infancy, she went to Nashville, Tennessee to live with her father. Her father, Vernon Winfrey was a strict disciplinarian, but he gave Winfrey the secure home life she needed. In this structured environment, Winfrey thrived, and became an honor student, winning prizes for oratory and dramatic recitation. Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant and was offered an on-air job at WVOL, a radio station serving the African American community, at 17 years of age.