International economics--multinationalization of the firm,outsourcing Essay

International economics--multinationalization of the firm,outsourcing and intra industry trade on factor price equalization - Essay Example (Markusen and Venables) Over the years there has always been a conflict on defining these corporations in one way. One of the definitions declared Multinational enterprise as â€Å"An enterprise that engages in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and owns or controls value adding activities in more than one country†(Dunning and Lundan) The phenomenon of Globalization has affected the Multinationalization of firms a lot. Now that the products, services, and customers are not limited to one region, the companies are attracted to expand their operations globally in order to gain extra profits. The term outsourcing is relatively new compared to other literature of economics. Few decades ago, organizations believed to do everything by themselves. It was all part of value chain. However in the late 80’s the concept of outsourcing came into the market. Which was to outsource one part of the business to a third party.(Quinn) this step was considered necessary either to save costs or to make the overall operations more efficient. It was also viewed as a tool which could help an organization focus on the core business. (Feenstra and Hanson) Basic concept of outsourcing is to make a contract with another organization or supplier to become part of the value chain by providing a product/service to make operations of the organizations more effective and efficient. Intra industry trade is an interesting concept, which means trade of goods and service of a similar kind. In simple words it can be defined as exchange of similar products for import and export. The term is usually used in international trade and means when a country export and imports similar products and services at the same time. (Grubel and Lloyd) The concept is very interesting because according to scholars an explanation can’t be found for the idea. It is hard to say why countries export and import identical commodities. (Grimwade) Some researchers recommend that such trade is carried out

Was Alexander II more successful than Alexander III Essay Example for Free

Was Alexander II more successful than Alexander III Essay Was Alexander II more successful than Alexander III in coping with the problems he inherited? During the reigns of both Alexander II and Alexander III both faced significant problems. Both rulers inherited some similar problems when they ascended to the throne for example both faced significant opposition, albeit in different forms. For example, at the time of Alexander II’s ascension to the throne opposition was disparate and far away from what it was by the time he was succeeded in 1881 by Alexander III. Problems regarding domestic policy were also inherited by both Tsars as well as problems on the international stage posing difficulties. It would seem that the more successful of the two leaders in dealing with these problems would be Alexander III as he managed to crush the opposition he faced surviving his reign unlike his father as well as being adept at dealing with international issues. The opposition faced was a serious problem that was faced by both Alexander’s. Opposition to Alexander II was largely based on discontent from the serfs and peasantry that had been festering before he came to power. For example there were 1468 serf uprisings since the turn of the century. This group of the population were seen as potentially dangerous to the regime within Russia and as a result Alexander II recognised there was need for change. As a result he set about with the drafting of the Emancipation Act using the nobility to do it. While he did sympathise with the serfs the reason behind the eventual introduction of this act was to uphold the fundamental principles of Tsarism, these being autocracy, orthodoxy and nationalism. Though this reform was meant to drastically improve the position of the serfs, it instead made their situation worse in many cases. This undoubtedly created more grievances on behalf of the, now, ex serfs. This growing discontent coincided with the emergence of an intelligentsia from the middle class. The intelligentsia were starting to become more organised forming early groups such as the Nihilists and then Populists. These groups were beginning to actively show their discontent at the limited reforms Alexander II had introduced would eventually result in the formation of the People’s Will, the group responsible for the assassination of Alexander II himself on 1st March 1881. It can thus be seen that Alexander II did not successful cope with the opposition he faced. In contrast it can be argued that Alexander III was successful in coping with the problem of opposition. The situation he had inherited in this regard was much worse than that of his father. Opposition had become much more dangerous to the regime in the years between 1855 and 1881 clearly highlighted as they ended Alexander II’s reign. The assassination of the Tsar generated a mass of insecurity and a determination to crush the opposition on behalf of the new Tsar. The creation of the Okhrana was almost immediate; this was essentially a police force that aimed at data collection on political offenders and infiltration of terrorist organisation. This came alongside the policy of Russification which forced the Russian on language onto those of foreign nationality and made the principle of Russian nationality fundamental to life within the country. The Okhrana were dedicated to enforcing religious, racial and national orthodoxy as well as restricting various parts of the population i.e. writers, teachers, Jews etc. As a result any opposition to Alexander III’s reign was suppressed. It would appear that the measures he introduced allowed him to successful cope with this opposition unlike Alexander II whose reforms caused opposition to develop further. Alexander II came to the power with the backdrop of the Crimean War in 1855. This war had highlighted the various incompetency’s of Russia as a nation, making them appear weak and backward in comparison to the Western European nations. As a result Alexander II saw the need for the introduction of reforms to bring Russia up to date with the West. Aside from the aforementioned Emancipation Act there were various other reforms. He decided that the country needed to develop on an industrial level. In order to do this Alexander II drew up plans for a massive investment in railways. The emancipation, he hoped, would lead to greater agricultural output, in order to finance the railways, and the beginnings of Russias industrialisation. He also invested in new iron and steel works for armaments and new manufacturing industries. However these plans never came to fruition during his rule with the dissatisfaction amongst the serfs playing a key part to this. Though he may have not been successful in this area the creation of Zemstvos as well as changes to the legal system and education on the surface appeared to bring Russia up to date with Western Democracies. The Zemstovs allowed people to have more representation at a local level, they were places where people could go to express opinions. The development of education and legal reforms also appeared as though the regime was becoming more liberal and to a certain extent this was true as people enjoyed greater freedom in society and thus showed distinct improvement in modernising Russia. On the other hand the rule of Alexander III can be seen to not offer such modernisation. Though he was successful he in introducing a large system of railways across Russia, most notably the Tran Siberian system these were largely following the plans of his father. On a more social level the repression experienced under Alexander III was somewhat archaic and was a step in the completely wrong direction. The persecution of the Jews was most horrific, they were forced to live in restricted areas and only a limited number were allowed in education. There were even Jewish Pogroms which occurred when gangs of people violently attacked Jewish people. This added to the state interference through the Okhrana mean that Russia had moved away from modernising rather than towards it under Alexander III. In this way Alexander II was more successful in coping with the problem of modernising Russia through domestic policy. A final problem both leaders faced were the issues taking place on the international stage. While the Crimean war had resulted in a need for domestic change it to had required Alexander II make changes to the army after being humiliated. Universal conscription was eventually introduced in 1874. This pointed the way to a large scale armed force with six year service and a long length of time in reserve this replaced the outdated old-fashioned system which had basically seen a serf army. Russia now looked to be on the path to developing a modern army on the Prussian model. However the Russo-Turkish 1877-1888 war saw the limitations of the army with the diminishing Ottoman Empire not being overrun by the new Russian army. Although they made gains in several areas they took a huge financial hit and had been isolated from the other European superpowers as they allied together. When Alexander II came to power he thus inherited these problems. He however was much more adept at dealing with international affairs than his father and predecessor was. Alexander III proved to be quite the negotiator gaining the title of â€Å"Alexander the Peacemaker†. He aimed at avoiding war at all costs and was tolerant of Otto von Bismarck, a conservative German statesman who dominated European affairs from the 1860s to his dismissal in 1890. Bismarck had a quite belligerent attitude towards Russia, and Alexander II was able to revive the ancient league of 3 emperors in 1884. During his reign as Tsar Alexander had managed to avoid war and create some kind of international security whereas under Alexander II Russia still seemed vulnerable as a result the problems inherited on the international stage were handled more successfully by Tsar Alexander III. In conclusion, it can be seen that Alexander III was more successful than Alexander II in coping with the problems he inherited. Although Alexander II’s handling of domestic policy and modernisation was superior, Alexander III’s ability to successfully get rid of opposition, through things methods such as the Okhrana, and his handling of the international situation make it clear that he was the more successful Tsar in coping with the problems he inherited.

How Do We Define Afforestation And Deforestation Environmental Sciences Essay

How Do We Define Afforestation And Deforestation Environmental Sciences Essay The effects of an increasing population, growing pollution and the consequent decrease in forest area on the environment are well known. Afforestation is the answer to some extent, but needs to be carried out in a structured way with thorough knowledge of local environment, vegetation, soil type and socio-economic issues; not knowing or ignoring local conditions can prove extremely dangerous to the ecosystem. A sustainable and well-planned afforestation project helps improve soil conservation, catchment management and water quality. Such a project can also act as a wind barricade, as in the case of the The Great Green Wall Project in China. A very ambitious afforestation project that has spanned 70 years and 4,480km, it involves the building of a tree wall skirting the Gobi Desert. The tree wall is being built with the sole aim of fighting and acting as a barricade to ferocious sandstorms originating from the desert. Afforestation projects undertaken without a complete understanding of the surroundings can cause additional environmental damages. For instance , fast-growing trees commonly used in timber plantations consume huge amounts of water, hence depleting water resources around the area. There are also concerns about irreversible changes in the soil caused by exotic species. For example, pine trees are known to turn the soil acidic. The water from the soil eventually trickles down to local streams and water bodies, which, in turn, causes harm to both the water and land ecosystems. The concern mainly arises with large-scale monoculture tree plantations in Third World countries. Such plantations are usually set up for the purposes of abundant and cheap supply of raw materials to industrialised countries. A number of non-government organisations have joined hands to form a global network in order to share information and implement joint action against such plantations. In India, because of its large population, there has been growing demand for lands that are used in primary industries, such as arable land, grazing land and forestry land. And a considerable amount of cultivation and afforestation has taken place in response to such demand. This study deals with these three types of lands and analyzes the economic impact in India of cultivation and afforestation, using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. The model explicitly addresses substitution between traditional goods (fuelwood, cattle dung, and draft animals) and modern goods (fossil fuel, chemical fertilizer, and capital such as agro machinery). The results show that the two types of land use change (cultivation and afforestation) have many contrasting effects on various indices. Due to population pressures, in India demand has been increasing for lands that are used in primary industries. This includes arable land, grazing land and forestry land. In response to this situation, many cultivation and afforestation projects have been conducted. In the 1950s and 1960s, numerous cultivation initiatives were actively carried out and approx. 700,000 hectares per year were cultivated. However, because India has achieved food self-sufficiency and since scarce land remains to cultivate, in recent years very little cultivation has taken place. Instead , many irrigation projects have been conducted and the focal emphasis of the nations arable land policy has shifted from quantitative expansion to qualitative enhancement. China has deforested most of its historically wooded areas. China reached the point where timber yields declined far below historic levels, due to over-harvesting of trees beyond sustainable yield.[3] Although it has set official goals for reforestation, these goals were set for an 80 year time horizon and are not significantly met by 2008. China is trying to correct these problems by projects as the Green Wall of China, which aims to replant a great deal of forests and halt the expansion of the Gobi desert. A law promulgated in 1981 requires that every citizen over the age of 11 plant at least one tree per year. As a result, China currently has the highest afforestation rate of any country or region in the world, with 47,000 square kilometers of afforestation in 2008. However, the forest area per capita is still far lower than the international average. An ambitious proposal for China is the Aerially Delivered Re-forestation and Erosion Control System North Africa:- In North Africa, the sahara forest project coupled with the Seawater Greenhouse has been proposed. Some projects have also been launched in countries as Senegal to revert desertification. At present (2010) African leaders are discussing the combining of national countries in their continent to increase effectiveness. In addition, other projects as the Keita project in Niger have been launched in the past, and have been able to locally revert damage done by desertification. Europe:- Europe has deforested the majority of its historical forests. The European Union has paid farmers for afforestation since 1990, offering grants to turn farmland back into forest and payments for the management of forest. Between 1993 and 1997, EU afforestation policies made possible the re-forestation of over 5,000 square kilometres of land. A second program, running between 2000 and 2006, afforested in excess of 1000 square kilometres of land (precise statistics not yet available). A third such program began in 2007. In Poland, the National Program of Afforestation was introduced by the government after World War II, when total area of forests shrank to 20% of countrys territory. Consequently, forested areas of Poland grew year by year, and on December 31, 2006, forests covered 29% of the country (see: Polish forests). It is planned that by 2050, forests will cover 33% of Poland. According to FAO statistics, Spain had the fastest afforestation rate in Europe in the 1990-2005 period. In those years, a total of 44,360 square kilometers were afforested, and the total forest cover rose from 13,5 to 17,9 million hectares. In 1990, forests covered 26,6% of the Spanish territory. As of 2005, that figure had risen to 35,4%. Spain today has the third largest forest area in the European Union, after Sweden and Finland. Iran Iran is considered a low forest cover region of the world with present cover approximating seven percent of the land area. This is a value reduced by an estimated six million hectares of virgin forest, which includes oak, almond and pistacio. Due to soil substrates, it is difficult to achieve afforestation on a large scale compared to other temperate areas endowed with more fertile and less rocky and arid soil conditions. Consequently, most of the afforestation is conducted with non-native species, leading to habitat destruction for native flora and fauna, and resulting in an accelerated loss of biodiversity. DEFORESTATION:- DEFINITION: Deforestation is the clearance of forests by logging and/or burning (popularly known as slash and burn) Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation has resulted in the reduction of indigenous forests to four-fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Indigenous forests now cover 21% of the earths land surface Causes and Effects of Deforestation Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in. Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the Earth, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. However , the trees on our planet are being depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover has disappeared due to human activity. ROOT OF CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSRNsylTo0bYxhYiESWK3QiGD_Ih95eEOFBXWj5vKVKBMnhfsAt=1usg=__vHcZj32oCodhQS3Qwvk3z40Ln4Q=Almost one-third of the earths land is covered with forest. They play an important role in sustaining life. They house over 60% of the worlds biodiversity and provide human beings with many products such as food, medicine, fuel, lumber, paper etc. There are two main causes of deforestation. The primary and most common reasons for deforestation are known as the direct causes. Logging, overpopulation , urbanization, dam construction etc are under direct causes. The other main cause of deforestation is known as natural causes since they are brought by the Mother Nature. n increase in population also means an increase in produce consumption. Thus, rainforests are destroyed and converted to cattle pasture to supply the burgeoning demand for meat. In Central America, almost half of the rainforests have been slashed and burned for cattle farming in order comply with foreign demands. Twenty-five per cent of the Amazons forests have also been destroyed for cattle ranches. Lack of government legislation for land reforms has also cleared the forest especially in developing countries like of the South East Asian nations. People in that region are among the poorest in the world and are desperate for a piece of land. Unequal distribution of resources has led these people to find their way to exploit the forests. Another reason that denudes the forest is exploitative economic development schemes and the powerlessness of government to safeguard its resources . Poor countries in their attempt to increase their revenues are in a way exploiting their resources like the forests. Timber is exported to reduce the national debt. Countries rich in mineral resources open their doors to multinational mining corporations that clear the forests as they go with their operations. The government especially those belonging in the Third World cannot curb commercial logging and implement a total log ban in exchange to higher foreign exchange rates . Development projects like dams, roads, and airports contracted by the government also cause deforestation. While most causes of deforestation occur due to human activities, there are uncontrolled causes of deforestation such as forest fires, volcanic eruption, and typhoon. Forest fires are started by lightning, and strong winds help to spread the flames. Drought in the forest has increased the amount of flammable bush and debris on the forest floor. Forest fires destroy immeasurable amount of valuable timber. They kill not only trees but also other living things. . Effects of Deforestation: There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation, such as: Erosion of Soil: When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile , due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition, when there is rainfall, it was hes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rain water into waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/amazon_deforestation.jpg Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area. Loss of Biodiversity: The unique biodiversity of various geographical areas is being los t on a scale that is quite unprecedented . Even though tropical rainforests make up just 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the exist here. Due to massive deforestation , about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of a functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area. Climate Change: It is well known that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not known quite as well is that deforestation has a direction association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRcfO6foNuW2NYYb26NeAm-vC2n-XhY3tcOlchwfyTERQKnwE8t=1usg=__Px7tkSf6dmHkFM1tJIGd3MLCdnc= POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION: The positive consequences of deforestation Depending on the needs of the social group concerned, deforestation has made it possible for communities to be built. Forests make way for residential houses, office buildings and factories. Governments are able to build roads to make trade and transport easier and therefore more convenient to residents. Deforestation can also mean the conversion of forest land to productive land for agricultural uses. This results in better and more abundant production of food and materials, virtually eradicating periods of want and lack. Economically, deforestation has contributed much in giving many communities the opportunity to make positive changes in their lives. The negative consequences of deforestation Unfortunately, the negative consequences of deforestation far outweigh its positive effects. Here are a few of them: 1. Exposing soil to heat and rain. When forests are cleared, soil cover, which consists mainly of vegetation, is removed as well. This exposes the bare soil to extreme conditions produced by the suns heat and rainwater. With these activities alternating, the soil quickly compacts. As rainwater flows, it will wash out the nutrients and other organic materials that make the soil rich and fertile. Add to that the frequent activities of tilling, cropping and grazing which gradually results to the degradation of the soils quality. These practices are specially a concern in areas where forest zones are drier. Agriculture practice on top of deforestation can result to the desertification of many areas. Desertification is also a direct result of the demand for the soil to produce more (as a consequence of the increase in human population), thereby decreasing to a significant degree the lands carrying capacity. 2. Flooding. Deforestation can result to watersheds that are no longer able to sustain and regulate water flows from rivers and streams. Trees are highly effective in absorbing water quantities, keeping the amount of water in watersheds to a manageable level. The forest also serves as a cover against erosion. Once they are gone, too much water can result to downstream flooding, many of which have caused disasters in many parts of the world. As fertile topsoil is eroded and flooded into the lower regions, many coastal fisheries and coral reefs suffer from the sedimentation brought by the flooding. This results to negative effects in the economic viability of many businesses and fatalities in wildlife population . 3. Non-suitability of areas for conversion. Most of the areas that have undergone deforestation are actually unsuitable for long-term agricultural use such as ranching and farming. Once deprived of their forest cover, the lands rapidly degrade in quality, losing their fertility and arability. The soil in many deforested areas is also unsuitable for supporting annual crops. Much of the grassy areas are also not as productive compared to more arable soils and are therefore not fit for long-term cattle grazing. 4. The displacement of indigenous communities and their traditional way of life. When governments decide to offer forests for deforestation mainly to open up areas for civilized communities, access to forest resources by indigenous peoples are ignored. In fact, indigenous peoples are hardly included in economic and political decisions that directly affect their lives. This encroachment ignores their rights as much as it takes away the resources that their ancestors have bestowed upon them. 5. The loss in the number of biodiversity. This is probably the most serious consequence of deforestation . Put simply, it means the destruction and extinction of many plant and animal species , many of whom remain unknown and whose benefits will be left undiscovered. Environmental problems:- http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=249293773882id=08ef0795e99508a93ba519b21853fa1aurl=http%3a%2f%2fecogreentips.com%2fwp-content%2fimages%2fdeforestation.jpg Atmospheric:- Deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography. Deforestation is a contributor to global warming, and is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Tropical deforestation is responsible for approximately 20% of world greenhouse gas emissions.According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change deforestation, mainly in tropical areas, could account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. But recent calculations suggest that carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (excluding peatland emissions) contribute about 12% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions with a range from 6 to 17%. Trees and other plants remove carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis and release oxygen back into the atmosphere during normal respiration. Only when actively growing can a tree or forest remove carbon over an annual or longer timeframe. Both the decay and burning of wood releases much of this stored carbon back to the atmosphere. In order for forests to take up carbon, the wood must be harvested and turned into long-lived products and trees must be re-planted Deforestation may cause carbon stores held in soil to be released. Forests are stores of carbon and can be either sinks or sources depending upon environmental circumstances. Mature forests alternate between being net sinks and net sources of carbon dioxide (see carbon dioxide sink and carbon cycle). Reducing emissions from the tropical deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries has emerged as new potential to complement ongoing climate policies. The idea consists in providing financial compensations for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Rainforests are widely believed by laymen to contribute a significant amount of worlds oxygen, although it is now accepted by scientists that rainforests contribute little net oxygen to the atmosphere and deforestation will have no effect on atmospheric oxygen levels.However, the incineration and burning of forest plants to clear land releases large amounts of CO2, which contributes to global warming. Forests are also able to extract carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, thus contributing to biosphere stability. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGItPfLUiWZL07G_REq7tovGyqwEssPgik1RflDpEl6klE7WcS Hydrological:- The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. Trees extract groundwater through their roots and release it into the atmosphere. When part of a forest is removed, the trees no longer evaporate away this water, resulting in a much drier climate. Deforestation reduces the content of water in the soil and groundwater as well as atmospheric moisture.Deforestation reduces soil cohesion, so that erosion, flooding and landslides ensue.Forests enhance the recharge of aquifers in some locales, however, forests are a major source of aquifer depletion on most locales. Shrinking forest cover lessens the landscapes capacity to intercept, retain and transpire precipitation. Instead of trapping precipitation, which then percolates to groundwater systems, deforested areas become sources of surface water runoff, which moves much faster than subsurface flows. That quicker transport of surface water can translate into flash flooding and more localized floods than would occur with the forest cover. Deforestation also contributes to decreased evapotranspiration, which lessens atmospheric moisture which in some cases affects precipitation levels downwind from the deforested area, as water is not recycled to downwind forests, but is lost in runoff and returns directly to the oceans. According to one study, in deforested north and northwest China, the average annual precipitation decreased by one third between the 1950s and the 1980s.[citation needed] Trees, and plants in general, affect the water cycle significantly: their canopies intercept a proportion of precipitation, which is then evaporated back to the atmosphere (canopy interception); their litter, stems and trunks slow down surface runoff; their roots create macropores large conduits in the soil that increase infiltration of water; they contribute to terrestrial evaporation and reduce soil moisture via transpiration; their litter and other organic residue change soil properties that affect the capacity of soil to store water. their leaves control the humidity of the atmosphere by transpiring. 99% of the water absorbed by the roots moves up to the leaves and is transpired. As a result, the presence or absence of trees can change the quantity of water on the surface, in the soil or groundwater, or in the atmosphere. This in turn changes erosion rates and the availability of water for either ecosystem functions or human services. The forest may have little impact on flooding in the case of large rainfall events, which overwhelm the storage capacity of forest soil if the soils are at or close to saturation. Tropical rainforests produce about 30% of our planets fresh water. Soil:- Deforestation for the use of clay in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The hill depicted is Morro da Covanca, in Jacarepaguà ¡ Undisturbed forests have a very low rate of soil loss, approximately 2 metric tons per square kilometer (6 short tons per square feet).[citation needed] Deforestation generally increases rates of soil erosion, by increasing the amount of runoff and reducing the protection of the soil from tree litter. This can be an advantage in excessively leached tropical rain forest soils. Forestry operations themselves also increase erosion through the development of roads and the use of mechanized equipment. Chinas Loess Plateau was cleared of forest millennia ago. Since then it has been eroding, creating dramatic incised valleys, and providing the sediment that gives the Yellow River its yellow color and that causes the flooding of the river in the lower reaches (hence the rivers nickname Chinas sorrow). Removal of trees does not always increase erosion rates. In certain regions of southwest US, shrubs and trees have been encroaching on grassland. The trees themselves enhance the loss of grass between tree canopies. The bare intercanopy areas become highly erodible. The US Forest Service, in Bandelier National Monument for example, is studying how to restore the former ecosystem, and reduce erosion, by removing the trees. Tree roots bind soil together, and if the soil is sufficiently shallow they act to keep the soil in place by also binding with underlying bedrock. Tree removal on steep slopes with shallow soil thus increases the risk of landslides, which can threaten people living nearby. However most deforestation only affects the trunks of trees, allowing for the roots to stay rooted, negating the landslide. Ecological:- Deforestation results in declines in biodiversity. The removal or destruction of areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. Forests support biodiversity, providing habitat for wildlife; moreover, forests foster medicinal conservation. With forest biotopes being irreplaceable source of new drugs (such as taxol), deforestation can destroy genetic variations (such as crop resistance) irretrievably. Since the tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth and about 80% of the worlds known biodiversity could be found in tropical rainforests, removal or destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. It has been estimated that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation, which equates to 50,000 species a year. Others state that tropical rainforest deforestation is contributing to the ongoing Holocene mass extinction.The known extinction rates from deforestation rates are very low, approximately 1 species per year from mammals and birds which extrapolates to approximately 23,000 species per year for all species. Predictions have been made that more than 40% of the animal and plant species in Southeast Asia could be wiped out in the 21st century. Such predictions were called into question by 1995 data that show that within regions of Southeast Asia much of the original forest has been converted to monospecific plantations, but that potentially endangered species are few and tree flora remains widespread and stable. Scientific understanding of the process of extinction is insufficient to accurately make predictions about the impact of deforestation on biodiversity.[56] Most predictions of forestry related biodiversity loss are based on species-area models, with an underlying assumption that as the forest declines species diversity will decline similarly.However, many such models have been proven to be wrong and loss of habitat does not necessarily lead to large scale loss of species.[57] Species-area models are known to overpredict the number of species known to be threatened in areas where actual deforestation is ongoing, and greatly overpredict the number of threatened species that are widespread. Economic impact:- Damage to forests and other aspects of nature could halve living standards for the worlds poor and reduce global GDP by about 7% by 2050, a major report concluded at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Bonn. Historically utilization of forest products, including timber and fuel wood, have played a key role in human societies, comparable to the roles of water and cultivable land. Today, developed countries continue to utilize timber for building houses, and wood pulp for paper. In developing countries almost three billion people rely on wood for heating and cooking. The forest products industry is a large part of the economy in both developed and developing countries. Short-term economic gains made by conversion of forest to agriculture, or over-exploitation of wood products, typically leads to loss of long-term income and long term biological productivity (hence reduction in natures services). West Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia and many other regions have experienced lower revenue because of declining timber harvests. Illegal logging causes billions of dollars of losses to national economies annually. The new procedures to get amounts of wood are causing more harm to the economy and overpowers the amount of money spent by people employed in logging. Control:- Reducing emissions Major international organizations, including the United Nations and the World Bank, have begun to develop programs aimed at curbing deforestation. The blanket term Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) describes these sorts of programs, which use direct monetary or other incentives to encourage developing countries to limit and/or roll back deforestation. Funding has been an issue, but at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties-15 (COP-15) in Copenhagen in December 2009, an accord was reached with a collective commitment by developed countries for new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, that will approach USD 30 billion for the period 2010 2012. Significant work is underway on tools for use in monitoring developing country adherence to their agreed REDD targets. These tools, which rely on remote forest monitoring using satellite imagery and other data s ources, include the Center for Global Developments FORMA (Forest Monitoring for Action) initiative and the Group on Earth Observations Forest Carbon Tracking Portal. Methodological guidance for forest monitoring was also emphasized at COP-15 The environmental organization Avoided Deforestation Partners leads the campaign for development of REDD through funding from the U.S. government. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQOM4uFrGLFAGFLzmyTTF34LtYfjU3R31OB7CxXwzCEWWxh_UV4 Farming New methods are being developed to farm more intensively, such as high-yield hybrid crops, greenhouse, autonomous building gardens, and hydroponics. These methods are often dependent on chemical inputs to maintain necessary yields. In cyclic agriculture, cattle are grazed on farm land that is resting and rejuvenating. Cyclic agriculture actually increases the fertility of the soil. Intensive farming can also decrease soil nutrients by consuming at an accelerated rate the trace minerals needed for crop growth.[citation needed] Forest management Efforts to stop or slow deforestation have been attempted for many centuries because it has long been known that deforestation can cause environmental damage sufficient in some cases to cause societies to collapse. In Tonga, paramount rulers developed policies designed to prevent conflicts between short-term gains from converting forest to farmland and long-term problems forest loss would cause, while during the seventeenth and 18th centuries in Tokugawa, Japan, the shoguns developed a highly sophisticated system of long-term planning to stop and even reverse deforestation of the preceding centuries through substituting timber by other products and more efficient use of land that had been farmed for many centuries. In 16th century Germany landowners also developed silviculture to deal with the problem of deforestation. However, these policies tend to be limited to environments with good rainfall, no dry season and

The Female Reproductive System :: essays research papers

The reproductive system is one of the most vital systems because it determines whether a species will survive. The reproductive system produces human offspring. One of the most prevalent diseases of the reproductive system is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer occurs when the cells of the prostate begin to grow and divide uncontrollably. One out of six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States. Some of the key parts of the reproductive system are to learn how a female egg is fertilized by a male sperm cell, about the parts of the male and female reproductive system and learn about prostate cancer. The male reproductive system works to create sperm and then release it into the female during sexual intercourse. The organs in the system are the testes, the epididymides, hanging in a skin bag called the scrotum, the sperm ducts, the prostate gland, and the penis containing the urethra. The testes are also known as sperm glands. They make tiny sperm cells called spermatozoa. They also produce hormones especially testosterone (this activates the production of sperm cells). Epididymides are tightly coiled tubes on each side of the testes. They help sperm become mature. The sperm ducts carry fresh sperm towards the outside. The ducts join with the urethra inside of the prostate. The urethra carries the sperm through the penis to the outside. This pathway is also known as the male reproductive tract. The parts of the female reproductive system work together to produce pin- head size eggs that join with a male's sperm to fertilize one of the eggs. The system nourishes the egg until it forms a full-grown baby. Then, once the baby is born, it produces milk for the baby. The main parts of a female reproductive system are the ovaries, the oviducts (also called the fallopian tubes), uterus (womb), vagina, vulva and the breasts (where the milk for the baby is released). The ovaries are called "egg glands". They store tiny eggs called ova. These will develop into a baby, if a man's sperm fertilizes them. The ovaries also produce hormones. The two oviducts each link the two ovaries with the uterus. They carry the ripe eggs to the uterus. When a male fertilizes a female's egg, it usually occurs in the oviduct. The uterus is where the fertilized egg grows and is nourished until it is ready to come out. At first, the uterus is about the size of a baseball or a tennis ball.

Reducing School Violence Through Conflict Essay

It is alarming how more and more violent acts are being done by young students these days. A lot of factors can influence them and can be blamed but still there are not enough programs or ways to stop these acts. Everyone, including the media, community, and government, should be involved in this situation because these young people do not realize the graveness and seriousness of their outrages. There is an interrelation between preventing violence and resolving conflict (Johnson & Johnson, 1995, p. 5). This is seen with Project Schools Teaching Options for Peace (S. T. O. P) and The Safe Harbor Program. The former is a conflict resolution program while the latter deals with anti-violence. The two programs produced positive results in that it gave students the opportunity to change with regard to the way they see things. It gave them the chance to talk about what they were dealing and to resolve their conflicts. It made them understand themselves better, as well as to understand their environment and the people that surrounds them better. It made them feel that they are not alone and that there is help when they need it. Young adults or teenagers have a lot on their minds that most older people do not understand. At times, these young people are misunderstood and, therefore, ignored. The problem is, when they are ignored, it is the time when they would probably do things that they would soon regret. This is the reason why it is important that programs that would provide help and support should always be available especially to students. It may seem like a small step but to these young people, knowing that someone is there for them actually means a lot. Reference Johnson, D. W. & Johnson, R. T. (1995). Reducing School Violence Through Conflict

Succubus Revealed Chapter 22

Flying from Seattle to San Francisco is easy, easier even than going to Las Vegas. It takes less than two hours, and tons of flights run each day. The whole trip should've been simple. I mean, there were days when I'd spent more time in traffic just trying to get from downtown Seattle to the suburbs. But I'd never flown on an airplane as a mortal. I was still determined to get to Seth, so there was no question that I was going to make this flight – only a lot of fear. I sat on the plane, waiting for takeoff, noticing things I'd never paid much attention to before. Were the engines usually that loud? Was that fuel I smelled? Was that a crack in the window, and if so, would the whole thing hold when we were airborne? I'd never done much more than politely watch the flight attendants' safety demo, but this time, I hung on to every detail. I had a lot on the line now – like, my life. An immortal could survive a plane crash. It wouldn't be pretty, but it was possible. Now? Now I faced all the risks the rest of the human world did. My fears were unfounded, of course. The flight was smooth and easy, just as fast as I'd expected. Flying really was the safest form of travel. That hadn't changed. Only my perceptions of the world had. I made the trip white-knuckled and breathed a deep sigh of relief when the plane landed. By the time I'd rented a car and was settled into my hotel room, I still had a couple hours before Seth's signing. My hotel was only a couple of blocks from his store – I'd planned it that way – and there was little for me to do except wait. Wait and obsess. A lot of that time was spent agonizing over my appearance. Even when I could shape-shift, I'd always prided myself on my ability to do my own styling. Of course, when Jerome had been summoned and I'd lost my succubus powers briefly, I'd discovered that I really wasn't quite as adept as I'd believed. I'd been cheating without realizing it all along, making small corrections with my powers. Stripped of them, I'd found all the little details I'd missed with blending eye shadow, straightening my hair, and myriad other grooming tasks. Now was no different. I would never have that guaranteed perfection again. There would always be flaws in my appearance. I was going to start aging. How long until that set in? Staring at myself in the hotel bathroom's mirror, I searched out all the little things I thought could be improved upon and then tried to fix them. When I was finished, I was so frustrated that I didn't know if I'd come close to my previous perfection or not. The only thing I was fairly certain of was that it probably didn't matter. Seth's decision to forgive me wasn't going to have anything to do with how my bangs fell or if my makeup brought out the gold flecks in my green eyes. I showed up ten minutes before Seth's event started, thought it was obvious people had been arriving for some time. A bit of nostalgia for Emerald City hit me as I gazed around and took in the efficient bookstore staff as they worked to accommodate the crowd. A podium had been set up in front of a large seating area, though no chairs were left empty. Staff shifted what furniture they could to improve the view for those of us who were standing, and I had to stop myself from offering to help. I ended up purposely staying near the back of the standing crowd. I could still see the podium and hoped my spot would keep me semiobscured. All around me, excited readers clutched copies of Seth's books, some even carrying huge stacks. Their excitement was electric, and I found myself getting caught up in it when Seth finally emerged to thunderous applause. My heart leaped. How long had it been since we'd last spoken? A week? It felt like an eternity, maybe because I'd pretty much lived one in the trial. He was wearing a Brady Bunch T-shirt, and though it looked like he'd brushed his hair, I could already see parts of it starting to go unruly in that way it had. He didn't appear to have shaved in a couple days, but the scruff looked adorable and added to his carefree writer appearance. I felt a smile spreading on my face as I watched him and was reminded of the first time we'd met, when he'd come to Emerald City for a signing and I hadn't recognized him. â€Å"Hey, everybody,† he said into the microphone, once the applause had quieted. â€Å"Thanks for coming out tonight.† Thinking about that first meeting with him also made me realize how much he had changed in the last year and a half. He would never be entirely comfortable in front of a crowd like this – especially since they kept getting bigger – but he was certainly more at ease than that first meeting. He grinned at their enthusiasm and made eye contact where he could, something he'd had trouble with in the past. There was confidence even in the way he stood and spoke. It made me love him that much more, something I hadn't believed possible. Sometimes he would open by reading aloud from the new book, but this time, he jumped straight into questions. Hands went up everywhere, and I found myself ducking against a shelf as he scanned the audience and called on people. I wasn't quite ready for discovery yet. I just wanted to watch him and drink him in. I was amused that the very first question he was asked was, â€Å"Where do you get your ideas from?† That had been a joke between us, at that first meeting, because it was one of the most common questions he received. I'd commented, back then, that it must get tedious answering the same things, and Seth had told me no. He'd said that the question was always new for the person asking and that he treated it as such. It didn't matter how many times it came up. He took joy in their excitement for the books. More questions came, both broad and specific, and Seth answered them all with friendliness and good humor that his fans loved. A lot of people especially wanted to know about the next book, the last book in his Cady and O'Neill series. My heart grew and grew the more I watched him, and I felt like I was getting away with something by being able to observe him without his knowledge. Our last few encounters hadn't exactly been friendly, and it was a balm to me to observe all the warmth and kindness that had made me fall in love with him. It went by too quickly. I was so caught up in watching and listening to him that I was barely aware of the time flying by. It wasn't until I picked up on the subtle movements of the staff that it hit me that this portion of the event was about to wrap up. They would go into signing soon, and the crowd around me would become a massive line that would take hours to get through. Then what? I was suddenly at a loss. Why had I come here? To see Seth . . . and then? I wasn't sure what. I hadn't had much of a plan, short of the preparations needed to get here. Somehow, I had been thinking that would be enough, but of course it wouldn't be. If I wanted to do something, I had to do it now, before this turned into the machine of signing. My hand went up, and inexplicably, Seth's eyes went instantly to me. I don't know how it happened. Like me, others had realized their chance to ask questions was running out, and eager hands were up everywhere, some waving eagerly in the hopes that they might draw his attention. How I – standing in the back and shorter than most of those around me – pulled it off was a mystery. Maybe it was like the time Erik had used Seth to rescue me from the Oneroi. Maybe after everything that had happened, we were still bound. Seth's eyes widened when he realized it was me, but his hand was already pointing in my direction, giving me permission to speak. He faltered only a little. â€Å"Y-yes?† I felt like the eyes of the world were on me. The eyes of the universe, even. So much rested on the next words out of my mouth. â€Å"Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together?† I don't know where it came from. When Seth and I had first met, this was the other common question he and I had discussed, and I had mocked it as well. Surprisingly, no one had asked it tonight, but judging from the intense way everyone turned to Seth, you could tell it was on a lot of people's minds. Those amber brown eyes weighed me heavily, and then he answered my question with a question. â€Å"Do you think they should?† â€Å"Well,† I said, â€Å"they've been through an awful lot together. And if there's only one book left, it kind of seems like they're running out of time.† The ghost of a smile flickered over his lips. â€Å"I suppose you're right.† He thought about it a heartbeat more. â€Å"I don't know if they will. I guess you'll just have to read the next installment.† That was met with disappointed groans, and the bookstore staff used that as an opening to segue into signing and hurry Seth off to a more comfortable table. He watched me a few moments more before he moved, the faint smile still on his face. He looked thoughtful. Meanwhile, my heart was beating in double time. In a daze, I allowed myself to be herded with the others into line, not caring how far back I was. Some of the aches in my ribs and the rest of my body began to nag me, but I forced myself to stay strong and ignore them. It took an hour and a half for me to reach the front, but much like the questions, I barely noticed the passage of time. Only, now it wasn't because I was so enraptured by what I saw. This time, I was simply terrified. I wanted to see Seth . . . but was afraid to. He finished signing for the person in front of me and gave me the same smile he'd had on for everyone else. I supposed he'd had time to prepare himself for me coming through the line and was able to effectively hide his shock at my presence. â€Å"Hi,† he said. I handed him my book without a word. â€Å"You've come a long ways.† â€Å"I'm a pretty big fan,† I said. He smiled and scrawled one of his stock phrases into the book: Thanks for reading! When he finished signing, he gave the book back to me, and I gave him an envelope in return. â€Å"This is for you,† I said. There was nothing that weird about my action. People often gave him gifts and letters. In fact, I could see a small pile of goods sitting on a chair beside him. He accepted them with good grace all the time, but then, they weren't usually from people who had the kind of history we did. He held the envelope for a moment, and I suddenly worried he wasn't going to take it. Then, he set it down and said, â€Å"Thank you.† It went next to him on the table, not on the chair. Unsure what to do now, I murmured my own thanks and then hurried off to let everyone else have their chance with him. Mine was gone. I'd played my cards and wouldn't know for a while if anything would come of it. The envelope had had a number scrawled on one side, and inside was a key to my hotel room. It was a silly, cliched thing to do, but I knew how these types of events worked. If I'd openly asked Seth to meet me somewhere, I would have likely gotten the unwanted attention of the bookstore staff and their security. I knew because I'd hurried a fair number of zealous fans off after book signings myself. At least back in the hotel room, I was able to sit down. I didn't realize until that moment just how much I'd been asking of my battered body to stand for that long. Hugh had been right about one thing: being mortal changed everything. I couldn't shrug off getting hit by a car now the same way I could have as a succubus. My doctor had given me a prescription for Vicodin, but I was pretty sure I didn't want to be strung out on drugs for my grand reunion with Seth. I settled for ibuprofen and began the agonizing process of waiting. I'd actually dozed off when I heard the room's door click open. I sprang up from the bed, only getting half a glance at myself in the mirror before I moved toward the door. Seth entered, freezing when he saw me. The door swung shut behind him, and I too came screeching to a halt, too stunned to move. Part of it was that same wonder and rapture of seeing him, just as it had been in the bookstore. Only, now he was right here, alone in the same room with me. It was almost too much to handle. The rest of my inability to react came from simply forgetting what I'd wanted to say. I'd rehearsed a hundred speeches and apologies earlier, and all of them abandoned me now. I fumbled for something – anything – to say that would fix all of the hurt between us. â€Å"Seth – â€Å" I never got another word out. In the space of that breath, he crossed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me, nearly lifting me off the ground in a giant hug. â€Å"Thetis,† he breathed against my neck. â€Å"Ow,† I squeaked. He instantly set me down and opened his arms, staring curiously. â€Å"The car? But it's been . . .† Curiosity changed to wonder. â€Å"It's true, isn't it? You're really . . .† â€Å". . . human,† I supplied, catching hold of his hand. Even if that hug had been quite the test of my ribs, I hated to lose all contact with him. After the chasm that had stretched between us recently, even that small touch of his fingers was like magic to me. Seth nodded wonderingly, drinking me in. â€Å"They told me . . . they tried to explain it. I understood, but somehow I just couldn't . . . I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I'm still not sure I can. You look the same.† â€Å"I got to keep the same body,† I said. â€Å"Parting gift.† â€Å"Yeah, but it's just as perfect . . . just as beautiful. I don't know. I thought as a human you'd look . . . ordinary.† â€Å"Stop,† I said, feeling flustered. I ran a nervous hand over my hair. This conversation wasn't going how I expected. â€Å"I probably have bedhead.† My makeup had probably smudged while I slept too. He grabbed my other hand and – gently – drew me near. â€Å"You look perfect.† I shook my head, still needing to summon one of my wellprepared speeches. â€Å"Seth, I'm so sorry. Sorry for everything that I – â€Å" â€Å"Shh,† he murmured. â€Å"Thetis. Georgina. Letha. It's all right. You have nothing to apologize for.† Now I stared in wonder. â€Å"I have everything to apologize for. What I did to you – â€Å" † – was a lifetime ago,† he said. â€Å"But it was still me,† I argued. â€Å"Still this life.† â€Å"What, and you can't be forgiven for that? For something you did when you were still in your teens?† I wasn't sure how I'd switched from apologizing to trying to condemn myself, but there I was, doing it anyway. â€Å"We were still married. Or, well, I mean . . . I was to him. I broke my vows. It was wrong.† â€Å"And I was wrong – or he was wrong, whatever – to have been so oblivious to how you were feeling. We were both at fault, Georgina. We both screwed up – many times.† Seth released my hands and gently cupped my face in his. â€Å"And I daresay we've paid for it a hundred times over. How long do we have to be punished? Are we beyond forgiveness?† I had to look away then, for fear of tears forming in my eyes. Last year, not long after I'd met Seth, I'd discussed some of these same things with Carter. He'd told me that no one – not even a succubus – was beyond forgiveness and redemption. â€Å"But what you said . . . I hurt you so much. . . .† Seth sighed. â€Å"I know. And I'm sorry. It was all such a shock, the hypnosis . . . I still remember it all, but it's taken on kind of a dreamlike quality now. Like it's something I saw on TV rather than something I experienced. It was all a long time ago, and we've both changed. I was coming to you that night at the bowling alley to talk about it. I was still confused but knew enough to realize I'd acted rashly. Then, when you were hurt, and they told me you could actually die . . .† He trailed off, and I dared a look upward. â€Å"Oh, no. Please don't tell me that this is one of those situations where it took a near-death experience to realize how you felt about me.† â€Å"No,† he said, with one of those small, amused smiles I loved. â€Å"I knew long before that. The injuries of the past will always be a part of me, but I've grown from them – just like you have. You're the same as you've always been . . . and yet you're not. You faced me, even though you wanted to run away. You kept trying to help my family, even when I was telling you to go away. We've both changed . . . both taken the best we could of the bad. I just didn't see it right away.† He sighed. â€Å"Like I said, it was the reason I came that night. Seeing you hurt only drove home what a fool I was. And then when Carter told me what happened . . .† Those warm brown eyes searched my face. â€Å"Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?† I swallowed. â€Å"It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without you.† Seth tipped my head back and kissed me, his lips warm and soft. The sensation swept my body, love and desire both threatening to overwhelm me. There was no more succubus feeding, no more peering into his soul. I no longer knew his thoughts, and I didn't need to. I knew my own, knew that I loved him. And I also suddenly knew with certainty, in that same way all humans deduce such things without that benefit of succubus powers, that he loved me too. â€Å"Is it that easy?† I whispered, when we finally broke apart. â€Å"Kiss and make up?† â€Å"It's as easy as we choose to make it,† he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. â€Å"At least, this decision is. Nothing's truly easy, Georgina. Love and life . . . they're wonderful, but they're hard. We may mess up again. We have to be strong and decide if we can still go forward, even when things aren't perfect.† â€Å"How'd someone so young get so wise?† I asked. He brushed a lock of hair from my face. â€Å"I learned from this woman who knows a lot about love.† I scoffed. â€Å"Hardly. I think I'm still learning more about it every day.† Seth's lips found mine again, and I forgot my worries for a moment, simply losing myself in him. With as ardent as he'd been earlier, I was kind of surprised when he was the one who stopped the next kiss. â€Å"Easy there,† he said, with a small laugh. â€Å"You feel too good. We don't want to get too carried away.† â€Å"Don't we?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, I gave you my room key, and you went right for me as soon as you came in.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he agreed, â€Å"but that was before I remembered you were hit by a car a week ago.† I tightened my arms around him and drew him toward the bed. â€Å"I'm still alive, aren't I?† â€Å"Yes,† he admitted, letting himself be drawn along. â€Å"But are you sure you don't want to just wait?† Hugh had said something after booking my flight. Everything changes when you're mortal. You don't know what tomorrow will bring. â€Å"I've waited long enough,† I told Seth, just before kissing him. And that was the moment I knew what it was like to have my soul back. It sounds kind of sappy, I know. But to be able to kiss someone you love when you're fully and completely in control of yourself and know who you are . . . it's exquisite. How we love others is affected by how we love ourselves, and for the first time in a long time, I was whole. I knew who I was and in turn was able to appreciate just how much I loved him. And of course, the whole experience was affected by the fact that I no longer had succubus powers to contend with. I didn't have to worry about stealing his life energy. I didn't have to wrestle with the guilt. I didn't have to split the desires of my heart with my predatory supernatural nature. All I had to do was touch him and exalt in the experience of being together. We fell onto the bed, having a care for my still-bruised body. Strangely, I'd also been recovering from injuries the first time Seth and I had made love. Then too, we'd had to balance our passion with caution. It hadn't been difficult then, and it wasn't difficult now. We peeled each other's clothes away, tossing them into a careless heap on the floor. When Seth saw the bandages around my torso, he gently kissed all around them, his lips softly grazing my hips and breasts. Through some unspoken understanding, I rolled him onto his back so that I could lower myself onto him. I positioned my hips over his, resting my hands on his chest, and slowly brought him into me. We both cried out, from pleasure and also the sheer rightness of being together. He fit like he'd been made for me, and I suddenly wondered if I should have been so quick to always scoff about divine plans. Because surely, if ever there was something that seemed to have been guided by a higher power, it was the crazy path of our relationship . . . one that always kept bringing us back together. Over and over I rode him, overwhelmed almost as much by the way his gaze held mine as I was by the heat spreading through my body. I wanted to stop, to freeze that moment in time, but my human flesh and its desires eventually won out. I increased my pace, taking him harder and deeper until I crossed the edge and could handle no more. Ecstasy shook my body as I came, and a joy so intense I nearly forgot my surroundings flooded me. There was no succubus satisfaction here, only the simple bliss of taking pleasure in the one I loved. Seth came soon after, the look on his face causing me joy of another sort. There was such an easy, unguarded happiness in it, mingled with all his love for me. He hid nothing. It was all there on display, his affection and his bliss. Afterward, we lay in each other's arms, both of us floating in our own emotions as we basked in the experience we'd just had. I could hear Seth's heart beating as I rested against him and was aware of the pounding of my own heart – my mortal, human heart – as well. This was what it was like to truly be alive. â€Å"I'm almost afraid to move or speak,† he said at last. â€Å"Part of me is certain this must be a dream or a spell. I'm afraid I'll ruin it.† â€Å"It's neither,† I said. Then, I reconsidered. â€Å"Well, it might be a dream.† Nyx had taunted me for a long time with her dream-vision, refusing to tell me who the man in it was. When Seth had finally been revealed, I'd been certain she'd lied to me. I hadn't seen how any of that future could become a reality, and yet . . . here I was. â€Å"A dream, huh?† asked Seth. â€Å"Does that mean I'm going to wake up to cold reality soon?† â€Å"No,† I said, snuggling closer. â€Å"Because our dream's come true. The only thing you're going to wake up to from now on is me. For as long as you want me.† â€Å"I want you forever. Is that too long?† I smiled. â€Å"After what we've seen? I'm not sure it's long enough.†