Number Our Days Barbara Myerhoff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Number Our Days Barbara Myerhoff - Essay Example Her study consists of an ethnographic view of aging in one segment of American society. She shows how these people address issues of aging that all people must eventually face. The group Meyerhof studied was primarily made up of Eastern European Jews that immigrated to the United States prior to the Holocaust. They spoke mostly Yiddish and Hebrew but also could speak English. The group consisted of many elderly struggling to hang on to their independence. The Senior Center provided the support needed for some to remain independent. They ate kosher hot meals at the center and met with friends to discuss whatever caught their interest at the time. The center provided a gathering and socialization point for the group. The elderly Jewish population studied may have been functioning based upon 'activity theory'. They were happy so long as they remained active and independent. 'Activity Theory' (Havighurst and Friedman) predicts that the elderly are satisfied with life when they hang on to their adult roles in life. The theory also predicts that the most active people are the most satisfied people. According to 'activity theory' to maintain health the elderly need to be actively involved in adult activities of living life, should eat their meals together as a community, and should stay away from activities that would make one lonely. The activities that are included don't necessarily mean that the elderly need to be with other people all the time but that they remain actively taking care of themselves by shopping, keeping appointments, and doing other self-care activities that any adult would be expected to do. In her book Meyerhof described how two elderly women walked slowly along balancing so as not to fall. A fall for them would most probably result in a broken hip and their being shipped off to an old folk's home. Their loss of independence would mean the loss of their satisfaction with life. Removal from their little society in Venice Beach would have been devastating to anyone in this group. The group studied no longer actively contributed to greater society but added considerably to the group they were a part of. They looked forward to their daily interactions with other group members. A view of where these people fit into greater society would show them as disengaging from one role and undertaking another. Meyerhof was interested in how these older folks survived. What was it that kept them going Heschel gave his answer as ""I'll tell you how I survive, but you won't like it....The word is 'pain.' Pain is the avenue to getting a soul, getting quality from yourself. This is how you get a life that's really on the essence." He went on to describe how when you are in the business of living you take pain and ignore it. ""So when the pain comes, I am patient. I shut up, active silence; I bear it... ". He went on further to explain to Meyerhof how acceptance of pain rather than medicating oneself (with a tranquilizer) was living. It was his decision to put pain in perspective and get on with the business of living. One of Meyerhof's great discoveries was that rituals or traditions played a big part in surviving day to day and

Solid Waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Solid Waste - Essay Example This author will discuss solid waste concerns; will provide details on the factors that contribute to the problem, as well as the factors that are affected by it; will tackle the positive and negative impacts; will present and evaluate the present sustainability strategies and solutions; and will discuss the required government, societal and global support. In addition, this author’s personal plan to reach sustainability will be discussed, showing how each goal should be conducted. Solid Waste Solid waste, as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is any type of refuse, or slush coming from treatment plants of wastewater and water supply, or mire emanated from pollution control facilities and other throw-away materials from residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sources, and from mining and agricultural operations. Almost all of mankind’s activities create wastes. In 2006, American residents, industries, and institutions actua lly generated over 250 million tons of municipal solid waste. The average American produces waste on a rate of approximately 4.6 pounds per day.  Moreover, a yearly 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste are produced and discarded from the U.S. industrial sector (U.S. EPA, 2003). Solid waste management comprises waste reduction, recycling, incineration, composting and landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that one-third of solid waste is recycled; one-seventh is incinerated; and one-half goes to landfills. The greater part of environmental harm and ecosystem damage is caused by the behavior of mankind. The growing waste generation, alongside the escalating population and excessive production of material goods will unconstructively affect the human health and the environment (Chase, et al, 2009). With the American households and businesses continuously generating trash, creating an effective national waste management program is difficult. On the local le vel, states and municipalities, in accordance with the requirements, requests and concerns of individual communities, have implemented solid waste programs for waste collection, transport and disposal, together with waste reduction, reuse and recycling. On the other hand, the responsibility of EPA in waste management is to set objectives and provide leadership, technological assistance, education and training (U.S. EPA, 2003). Factors that Contribute to or are Affected by the Problem In 2001, paper products comprised the biggest factor of municipal solid waste or MSW (36 %); yard wastes made up the second-biggest factor (12 percent); food scraps, glass, metals, synthetics, and lumber formed 5 to 12 % of the entire municipal solid waste; leather, rubber, and fabrics constituted 7% of MSW; and other various wastes comprised more or less 3 % of MSW (U.S. EPA, 2003). As the economy develops and the population increases, waste production amplifies as well. Improper solid waste management through uncontrolled dumping and incineration can cause health and environmental hazards, such as water contamination; breeding places for insects and rodents; flood increase from drainage obstructions; greenhouse gas emissions; disease outbreaks; and fire risks (U.S. EPA, 2002). Benefits of Formal Recycling and Composting Programs Well-managed recycling and composting programs could be advantageous to both the ecology and the economy. Organized disposal programs could