Should Same-Sex Marriages be Legally Recognized Essay Example

Should Same Should Same-Sex Marriages be Legally Recognized Essay Should Same-Sex Marriages be Legally Recognized Essay Should Same-Sex Marriages Be Legally Recognized? Abstract The issue on whether or not same-sex marriages should be legalized in the United States has been a major debate lately. Some believe this is a personal preference, which everyone is entitled to, and this should be left up to each partner as to whether or not they get married. Others believe this issue should most definitely not be legalized because they believe for it to be unconstitutional and sinful. This research will show the arguments for and against the issue and the pros and cons for each side of the debate. It will show why same-sex marriage is believed to be personal preference and, also, why some believe it is unconstitutional and sinful. This issue has caused a major uproar in the United States and hopefully our lawmakers can come to a conclusion in the near future. Introduction In the United States, marriage has always been between a man and a woman whom believe each other are their soul mate. Not only in recent years, but also in the past, some people are saying that a person of the opposite sex is not their soul mate so, eventually, they wish to marry the same sex. This has caused a major debate amongst Americans. While some people believe they should be able to marry anyone hey want, including the same sex, because they believe this is a personal preference, others completely disagree. The people who disagree do so because they believe this issue is unconstitutional and sinful. Eventually, everyone is going to have to come together and make the decision that will best suit our society. Arguments Allowing Same-Sex Marriages Those for same-sex marriages believe that same-sex couples should have the rights to the same marriage benefits and public acknowledgment enjoyed by heterosexual couples (Should Gay Marriage be Legal, 2013). For example, if their ratter is very sick and is in the hospital they may not get to see them because hospital policies state that only your spouse and family members are allowed in the more severe rooms and parts of the facility (Knockdowns). With this nears that partners have no say so when it comes to medical care decisions, or finances for that matter. It is sad when life-long partners are deprived of certain rights in situations like this one, but, at this time, it is still against the law, in most states. Another reason same-sex partners want to marry is because it could make it easier for them to adopt and expand their family. Allowing these partners to marry may also increase the United States adoption rate (Miserly, 2011). Like heterosexual couples, nonsexual couples want Tamales too. Wendell teen may not De addle to expand their family naturally, they can adopt and take a child in and raise him or her as their own. There are plenty of children in need of being adopted and allowing homosexual couples to marry and provide these children in need a place to live and call home is a wonderful thing. However, having parents of the same sex could possibly cause some gender role confusion later on in life for the child. Miserly, 2011) Same-sex partners Just want to be able to make marry who they love and be acknowledged by society so they, too, can receive the benefits of being married. Also, they feel that they are being discriminated against and infringed upon their right to equality (Knockdowns). Since the United States is a free country, these couples believe they should be able to do whatever with their life as they see fit, even if that includes marrying someone of the same sex. Arguments Against Same-Sex Marriages Those against same-sex marriages argue that altering the traditional definition of arraign as between a man and a woman will further weaken a threatened institution and that legalizing gay marriage is a slippery slope that may lead to polygamous and interspecies marriages (Should Gay Marriage be Legal, 2013). The marrying of these couples could weaken our family values overtime since the building blocks of our society and the thing that makes it strong is the traditional family of man, woman, and children. It is what has sustained us through two world wars, terrorist attacks, a Great Depression, and numerous other challenges over the centuries. While friends lovers come and go, your family is always there. The main reason our culture and values have started to crumble is the weakening of families. Introducing another form of family would only make the situation worse. (Messes, The idea that legalizing same-sex marriages may lead to polygamy or other types of marriages is because there is no place to stop once that issue has been crossed. Historically, the definition of marriage has rested on a bedrock of tradition, legal precedent, theology and the overwhelming support of the people. (Ten Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage) While these are drastic reasons why the same sex would not marry, they should be taken into consideration to figure out where to draw the line. Religion plays a huge role in why people believe the same sex should not marry. The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman and anyone who veers from this path is a sinner. Gay marriage is incompatible with the beliefs, sacred texts, and traditions of many religious groups. The Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, Islam, United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, National Association of Evangelicals, and American Baptist Churches USA all oppose same-sex marriage. Expanding marriage to include same- sex couples may lead to churches being forced to marry couples and children being taught in school that same-sex marriage is the same as opposite-sex marriage. (Should Gay Marriage be Legal, 2013) Implications This debate is definitely one that is going to require a lot of time and effort to come up with the right decision. Even after that there will be controversy from one side or the other. While same-sex marriages will change the traditional style of the United States it may not be a mistake to allow this. We do live in a free country where e can make our own decisions, but right now these couples are being denied their right to be united as one. On the other hand, it does go against our beliefs and what has made us the great country we are today. Either way, this is going to be a tough decision the United State government is going to have to make and hopefully they do this sooner rather than later. Recommendation One recommendation is to rewrite this part of the U. S. Constitution to say that a marriage is to be between two adults, not Just a man and a woman. Here is Joe Mesmerisms (2012) recommended example of how the new amendment should be: A marriage, as recognized by federal, state, and local governments, is defined as a union between two adults. The two adults must both be over the age of 18 and must not be immediate relatives (sibling, parent, first cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparent). Any further restrictions of the marriage are left up to the states, with any state decision applying only to the state that passes the law and any other state that recognizes a similar marriage. (Miserly, 2012) Obviously, there would have to be some adjustments made, but I think he makes a great recommendation to solve this issue. This will not fully satisfy either sides of this debate, but maybe it will help them come to some type of agreement where they will leave each other alone and not discriminate against the other. Conclusion Same-sex marriages will continue to be an ongoing debate until the government decides to do something to make the debate useless or it pleases both sides. Since both sides have very strong feelings about their beliefs I believe it will have to be the first option that puts an end to this issue. Same-sex partners believe they should be able to marry who they want since that is a right that heterosexual couples get. However, those against same-sex marriages believe this issue to be demeaning and threatening toward traditional marriages, which are between a man and a woman.

Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Film analysis - Essay Example presents this plot in pre-World War II California, with a drifter named Frank Chambers as the lover, Cora Smith-Papadakis as the scheming wife, and Nick â€Å"Greek† Papadakis as the unsuspecting husband; and a controversial Chinese motion picture directed by Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengliang with the title Ju Dou (1990), having early 1900’s rural China as its setting with Tianqing as the lover and Ju Dou as the wife of a ruthless textile mill owner Jinshan, Tianqing’s adoptive uncle. The concept of a cheating wife getting rid of the husband and living with her lover for the rest of their lives is what makes the two stories similar, however major differences with the genre, the settings, and the context as well as the cultural background and character motivations are factors that separate the two stories from each other. The settings in both stories show that the husband and wife work together to earn their living. Nick and Cora operate a roadside sandwich joint (Cain Chap. 1 p.3), and similarly Jinshan and Ju Dou work together in running a large textile mill in a rural village (Ju Dou). Another similarity with the two pairs is that both women got married to a man they do not love, and must work each day despite not being happy with their lives. What sets the two stories apart is that in the case of the western couple, Cora seems to have enough guts and confidence to assert herself and that her husband does not control her too freely, while in the eastern couple Ju Dou is entirely submissive to her husband Jinshan and always gets beatings from him nearly each night since she cannot give him a son. She is also gets verbal abuse each day due to this dilemma, even if in reality Jinshan was really the barren one due to having a good deal of wives unable to bear him any children (Ju Dou). Being unable to take any more of her husband’s beating, as well as slowly being attracted to her adopted nephew Tianqing who treats her well despite having awkward and silent

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of Literature review

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of published financial information and the information content - Literature review Example Moreover, it has been proved that financial information and information content of earnings have the power to affect the investors’ decision making process. The interaction between the overall model of investor’s decision making and the published financial information, as well as the information content of earnings, is critically discussed in this paper. The justification of the above model in the context of the current financial crisis is evaluated. In order to secure that all the issues discussed above are covered, the paper has been divided into several sections, highlighting the various aspects of this paper’s subject. Apart from the introduction section, where the overall scope of the paper is presented, of particular importance are the literature and the Discussion sections. In the literature review section the following issues are addressed: the key characteristics of market research and its value on financial reporting, the published financial information and the information content of earnings as factors influencing investors’ decision making and potential use of the model of investors’ decision making within modern market which is under the continuous pressures of global financial crisis. The value of the literature findings in the context of the present crisis are further analyzed in the Analysis and Discussion section, so that valid assumptions are developed in regard to the study’s key subject. In the last section of the paper, Conclusion and recommendations, the key findings of the research developed for the issues addressed in this paper are summarized and recommendations are made, as appropriate, so that future failures are avoided. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Market research – characteristics and relation with financial reporting Market research is employed in a variety of business activities. For example, when having to decide in regard to the entrance of the business in a new market or in regard t o the development of a new product/ service market research is used for gathering information related to the host market or the consumer preferences as related to the new product/ service (Wahlen et al. 52). In regard to financial reporting and investment decision making, market research has a similar role. It helps to gather information required in developing a firm’s financial statements so that the position of the firm and its competitiveness is made clear (Wahlen et al. 52). Market research can be developed through a high range of research methods, such as surveys and field studies (Wahlen et al. 52). Preferably, market research should be based on empirical research methods, aiming to show the current market trends in regard to one or more critical business sectors. Capital market research is part of market research, it its broad meaning. Capital market research focuses on the review of ‘value-related information, such as share prices’ (Wahlen et al. 52). At this point it would be necessary to explain the key context of financial reporting, as a key activity in all organizations. Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford note that financial reporting is a process ‘for gathering information that will be used by investors or creditors for developing their investment or credit decisions accordingly’ (Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford 62). In general, financial reporti

Mexico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mexico - Research Paper Example Mexico got its independence from Spain on the 21st of September 1821. It was declared and established as an independent republic in 1824. It is also known as the United Mexican States. Mexico went through numerous challenges because of invaders and other kinds of national problems that affected it throughout the twentieth century. It has risen from its troubled past, however, and is currently one of the most popularly liked and thriving nations of the world. Mexico is the fifth largest country in North America and the thirteenth largest in the whole world. Mexico fits in geographically with North-America, but ethnologically, it is part of Latin America (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). Mexico has the highest population in all of Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Around 70% of the people live in urban areas (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). Based on some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is roughly 18 million, which means it has the highest population concentration in the Western Hemisphere (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. It has always been the centre of economic, political, social and cultural values of the nation, even before Mexico became a part of Spain. But when Mexico became independent, ultimately, Mexico City was made the capital of the United Mexican States. The flag of Mexico is quite different from other flags of the world. It is not only unique, but also holds a very deep and interesting story, as well as strong facts about the country Mexico. The flag consists of three colored bands placed in a vertical manner. Starting from the left, the first band is of green color, which represents hope, joy, love and prosperity (Barbezat, n.d.). The second band is of white color, which depicts peace, unity, and honesty (Barbezat, n.d.). The third band has the color red, which symbolizes courage and strength (Barbezat, n.d.). Initially, the green stood for independence, white symbolized religion, and red represented the union of Americans and Europeans; however, during the secularization of the country under President Benito Juarez (president of Mexico from 1858 to 1872), the implications of the colors were changed: green meant hope, white for unity, and red for the blood of the national heroes (Barbezat, n.d.). In the center of the white band is The Mexican Coat of Arms. It is composed of an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus (Barbezat, n.d.). The Mexican Coat of Arms is based on an Aztec legend, which narrated the way in which t he Aztecs came to select the site where they built their capital city of Tenochtitlan (where Mexico City is located at present). The Aztecs, also called as the Mexica ("meh-shee-ka"), were a nomadic people who came from the north of the country (Barbezat, n.d.). The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, showed himself in a dream of an Aztec leader. Huitzilopochtli told this leader that they should settle in the land, where they would find an eagle sitting on top of a prickly pear cactus with a serpent (Barbezat, n.d.). The Aztecs saw this eagle in a quite inhospitable place, a swampy location in the middle of three lakes, but they believed in this vision and built the grand city of Tenochtitlan (Barbezat, n.d.). The currency of Mexico is â€Å"Peso.† Though American and Canadian dollars are accepted at some places where there are maximum visits of tourists, the peso is widely used in every area of Mexico. III. Mexico is widely famous around the world for innumerable features, includin g its astounding natural beauty, as well as man-made amusements. It is a well-developed country and is popular in different parts of the globe. These are some of the reasons that attract tourists towards Mexico. Tourists are usually found in almost every season of the year, especially during school and office vacations, and there are many tourists who enjoy living the Mexican lifestyle for a few days. IV. The following are some of the discussions about language, art, marriage,

Stress Relieving Techniques for Organizational Stressors

Stress Relieving Techniques for Organizational Stressors Usame Mukerrem ATAÂ   Why this article? This article studies the stress that we are commonly facing in the organizations. We can say that nowadays, managers are complaining about the reluctant workers and non-efficient productivity. With this article we are going to examine this topic. Lets think about this, what do we understand with the expression called organizational stress? According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), organizational stress is a result of the interaction between an employees personal characteristics, their work environment, the outcome expected from them, and their coping ability. An important part of our daily life is passing at work. Stresses that we experienced at work are definitely related to working conditions. However, there are individual factors, such as; Difficulties of dealing with stress due to personality traits, family issues or other sources of social support, and the roles played in other areas of life. This are definitely causing high tension of stress. On the other hand, the stress at work is reflecting other spaces of the person. We can control the working conditions to a certain extent; we have to focus on the idea that we can deal with these conditions first, rather than setting new targets even if we are in difficult conditions. So in this article we can find some help to solve stress issues. Relation with recent topic? Emotions and moods are not same things but they are related to each other. We cannot separate them sharply but we cant tell that theyre definitely different. Stress stays between this two conditions. Sometimes you can express it like emotion, but sometimes it is hard to be expressed. Stress are also changes a lot according to type. They can last long such as moods or takes a short duration such as emotion. We call the long-duration stress as anxiety. Organizational stress are aroused by some specific situation such as; Concentration difficulty, instability, constantly evaluating the situation negatively, anxious and quick thinking and constant concerns. Modern life is full of challenges, conflicts, demands and tasks to be trained. For many people, stress has now become a regular part of life. Stress is not always bad; sometimes it can motivate us to do the best. Most of the time we can do better while we are in under pressure. But if we are consistently in an emergency, our body and mind will pay for it with a stress and at the end as an anxiety. So we should practice more to solve and get over. Empirical Article- What are the variables? How theyre measured? What was the sample size? What method was used for collecting data? There were 2 hypothesis; H01: Organizational stressors and stress relieving techniques are independent of each other. H02: Organizational stressors stress relieving techniques have no relationship with demographic variables. In this exploration there were 118 representatives and 39 of them were female and 79 of the workers were males (Samples). This workers joined this questionnaire from different employment sectors and from different cities in India. Sampling method was utilized as a part of the article, which were chosen through importance inspecting. (Chandra Kant, N. R., Pradhan, S., 2016). The data collection was done by self-report questionnaire. Stress relieving-techniques were likewise utilized by respondents to accumulate data about existing stressors at work. For the Variables ID Stress has various measurements. Face-to-face-in-depth interviews were held to collect information about stress-relieving techniques and to understand existing stressors initially. This existing stressors by employees were noted one by one. 25 interviews carried out in Pune and Bangalore. What is important finding/take-away that you feel has helped you understand more about management or that you think would most help managers in organizations? In the article, you can see a significant negative correlation between work and pressure, which indicates that stresses is more frequent in permanent employees. Job pressure and family status have a significant positive relationship; i.e. the work pressure is high in the people who lives in common families. The role conflict has a significant positive relationship with monthly income, that is, the increase in monthly income increases the stress of role conflict. We can also say that there is a significant negative correlation between music and work situation. Music and Situation shows that employees who are primarily permanent and living in core families use Music as a stress-softening technique. This shows that the employees in the conflict role at the task level use Music as a stress-relieving technique than other techniques. Workers with job insecurity use Relaxation to relieve their stress and employees without adequate support tries to socialize. In my perspective, Emotional intelligence is also a big necessity in business life. People with high emotional intelligence have a strong empathy ability and are reconciled. Target-minded thinkers can raise awareness, manage stress easily, and control their anger. They insist with knowing what they can do, they can work together with any type of team and motivate the team to increase the success. People with high EI become ideal managers and such people become ideal employees. At the same time they might be loved by the people around them. Stress and anxiety are always seen when you look at the reason of each disease. For this reason, it is necessary to get rid of the anxiety before it becomes clear without accumulating sadness. If you control Emotional Intelligence you deal with the stress and anxiety in long term. Brief Description of the journal. CLEAR International Journal of Research in Commerce Management. Mar2016, Vol. 7 Issue 3, p93-98. 6p. 423850 Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Author Affiliations: Research scholar, symbiosis international university, Mulshi Consultant, homoeopathic psychiatrist, Pune Consultant psychologist, Fortis hospital, Bangalore References CHANDRA KANT, N. R., PRADHAN, S. (2016). STRESS RELIEVING TECHNIQUES FOR ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS. CLEAR International Journal Of Research In Commerce Management, 7(3), 93-98.

Protecting American Jobs

Protecting American Jobs For the past two decades Americans have been getting laid off because their jobs are being transferred offshore. â€Å"Advances in technology and low-cost telecommunications now mean that a computer programmer, data entry specialist, or help-desk operator answering calls for a U. S. company can work as easily from India or the Philippines as from Iowa–and save parent companies some 30 percent to 70 percent in costs† (Otterman, 2004). This poses the question should the government protect American jobs by imposing stiff penalties on companies that transfer jobs offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing.No, stiffer taxes are not going to significantly effect the number of jobs that are being transferred off shore due to outsourcing. Instead the United States government needs to lower the average tax rate on multinational corporations and fix the loopholes that are currently being used to avoid paying these corporate taxes. For years American compani es have been scrutinized for outsourcing their jobs by off shoring. Even though this has been going on for the past twenty or more years it is being brought to light even more now since our country is in a recession.There are many reasons companies choose to outsource off shore. One of the main reasons is cost savings, many developing countries are more affordable for American companies to operate in because an employee that may cost $50 and hour in America might only cost about $5 an hour in a developing country. Companies are not just off shoring for cost benefits but also for the fact that many other countries have many educated and highly skilled workers who can perform jobs that are needed overseas. Business can also operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week by taking advantage of the offshore workers.When it is 6 p. m. in New York it is 6 a. m. in Singapore. Americans want that 24 hours a day 7 days a week customer service when they are having problems with things like their comput er. Outsourcing offshore also makes it a lot easier for companies to sell goods and services in a global market when they are producing them there and can reach their customers more quickly and effectively. Technological possibilities are another reason companies are choosing to offshore American jobs. Since many service jobs do not require face-to-face interaction they are able to erform these jobs from wherever is needed (Popwell, 2010). Many argue that the government should protect American jobs by imposing stiff penalties on companies that transfer jobs offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing. They claim off shoring has laid off thousands of American workers who will not be able to find other work unless they learn new skills. They also claim that off shoring is a major contributor to the United States 9 percent unemployment rate (United States Department of Labor, 2011).But they are only supporting their claims by the fact that they think companies are only off shoring for cos t incentives. Where as stated before there are many other reasons companies outsource offshore and many ways to make up for the job losses. Those who oppse the government protecting American jobs with stiff penalties for off shoring recognise that yes, cost savings is a big incentive for a company to outsource off shore, but there are also many more reasons that comapanies should opperate on a global scale that out weigh the loss of jobs in America. Thea Lee, policy director for the AFL-CIO, says much of the economic data supporting the link between overseas investment and domestic job growth fails to distinguish between foreign investment used to serve market demand for U. S. goods and services and foreign investment used to buy cheaper labor abroad† (Wolverson, 2011). So when looking at the total number of American jobs that have been outsourced off shore we also have to stop and think about how many of them were for market demand to better serve us and how many of them real ly were outsourced because it was cheaper.People also have to remember that companies have to try and find ways to make the both the consumer and the investors happy. Consumers want the best quality at the lowest price and the investors want to see a high profit, so to do that companies have to find the middle ground. Which means they have to find the best solution for everyone even if it means outsourcing jobs offshore because it more cost effective for the company. According to Jagdish N. Bhagwati, â€Å"employing workers at lower cost allows U.S. companies to be more efficient and productive, permitting them to create the same amount of goods with fewer resources. In turn, this lowers the price of the goods in the United States, strengthening U. S. companies and freeing workers for other tasks. The savings allows U. S. companies to stay afloat and expand in a highly competitive global market† (Otterman, 2004). Outsourcing is not always a bad, it is a change, and change is what pushes both our economy and our nation forward.Another good point that has been made is, the average global tax rate on multinational corporations is about 27 percent, compared to 39 percent in the United States (Wolverson, 2011). Given this information it would seem that instead of penalizing our multinational corporations for increasing international trade, maybe the United States government should focus more on bring in multinational corporations from other countries. This would not only create more jobs in the untied states to compensate for the ones that are being lost overseas but also stimulate more international trade. A 2008 OECD study found that foreign direct investment increases by 3. 7 percent for every one percentage point decrease in the corporate tax rate, and that, as cross-border capital flows increase, foreign direct investment is increasingly swayed by countries' tax rules† (Wolverson, 2011). We should be focusing on how to get more multinational corpo rations into the United States instead of focusing on how to hold back our multinational corporations. Along with lowering the average tax rate on multinational corporations the government should also fix the loopholes that exist.This way all multinational corporations will be taxed the same instead of some getting taxed the full 39 percent, while the others are using loopholes and hardly pay any taxes. Even in president Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address he called congress to simplify the system by getting rid of corporate loopholes so they can level the playing field and aid in the country’s competiveness and growth potential. To further support this, in an article from NationalJournal. com â€Å"many economists say that the corporate tax code is a mess and overdue for a clean-up.The code riddled with inefficiencies, creating perverse incentives for companies to invest overseas and waste money on elaborate tax-reduction strategies. Business supporters say a ove rhaul could eliminate the misguided incentives, lower tax rates, and attract more capital to the U. S. Some liberal critics also support reform, saying the current system is so tangled that it doesn't even do a good job of raising revenue† (Fernholz, 2011). Corporate tax breaks cost the federal government about $1. 1 trillion annually (Wolverson, 2011).If the government decided to really follow through with this corporate tax reform it could really help stimulate the economy and help to create new jobs help not only the 9 percent national unemployment rate go down but could also help create jobs for the people who lost their jobs due to off shoring. Overall the government should not be focusing on protecting American jobs that are being transferred offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing. Instead they should be working to close loopholes to even out the amount of taxes companies are paying.While also working to lower the average tax rate on multinational corporations to make outsourcing to the United States more desirable to multinational corporations in other countries. Word Count: 1419 Works Cited Fernholz, T. (2011, January 24). NationalJournal. com. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Obama Team Wants Business Buy-In on Corporate Tax Reform. Otterman, S. (2004, February 20). TRADE: Outsourcing Jobs. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Council on Foreign Relations: http://www. cfr. org/pakistan/trade-outsourcing-jobs/p7749 Popwell, N. (2010, October 27).Offshore Outsourcing: The Controversy Over Moving Jobs Overseas. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles. com/? Offshore-Outsourcing:-The-Controversy-Over-Moving-Jobs-Overseas&id=5253123 United States Department of Labor. (2011, February 4). Economic News Release. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Bureau of Labor Statustics: http://www. bls. gov/news. release/empsit. nr0. htm Wolverson, R. (2011, February 11). Outsourcing Jobs and Taxes. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Cou ncil on Foreign Relations: http://www. cfr. org/united-states/outsourcing-jobs-taxes/p21777

Bioplastics

BIOPLASTICS Bioplastics are a form of plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, pea starch or microbiota. There are a variety of materials bioplastics that can be composed of, including: starches, cellulose, or other biopolymers. APPLICATIONS OF BIOPLASTICS Biodegradable bioplastics are used for disposable items, such as packaging and catering items (crockery, cutlery, pots, bowls and straws). They are also often used for bags, trays, containers for fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat, bottles for soft drinks and dairy products, and blister foils for fruit and vegetables.Nondisposable applications include mobile phone casings, carpet fibres, and car interiors, fuel line and plastic pipe applications, and new electro active bioplastics are being developed that can be used to carry electrical current. In these areas, the goal is not biodegradability, but to create items from sustainable resources. Medical implants made of PLA, which dis solve in the body, save patients a second operation. Compostable mulch films for agriculture, already often produced from starch polymers, do not have to be collected after use and can be left on the fields.TYPES OF BIOPLASTICS Starch-based plastics: Constituting about 50 percent of the bioplastics market, thermoplastic starch, currently represents the most widely used bioplastic. Pure starch possesses the characteristic of being able to absorb humidity, and is thus being used for the production of drug capsules in the pharmaceutical sector. Flexibiliser and plasticiser such as sorbitol and glycerine are added so the starch can also be processed thermo-plastically.By varying the amounts of these additives, the characteristic of the material can be tailored to specific needs. Simple starch plastic can be made at home. Industrially, starch based bioplastics are often blended with biodegradable polyesters. These blends are no longer biodegradables, but display a lower carbon footprint compared to the corresponding petroleum based plastics. Cellulose-based plastics: Cellulose bioplastics are mainly the cellulose esters, (including cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose) and their derivatives, including celluloid.Polylactic acid (PLA) plastics: Polylactic acid (PLA) is a transparent plastic produced from cane sugar or glucose. It not only resembles conventional petrochemical mass plastics (like PE or PP) in its characteristics, but it can also be processed easily, albeit more expensively, on standard equipment that already exists for the production of conventional plastics. PLA and PLA blends generally come in the form of granulates with various properties, and are used in the plastic processing industry for the production of foil, moulds, cups and bottles.Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB): The biopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is polyester produced by certain bacteria processing glucose, corn starch or wastewater. Its characteristics are similar to those of the pet roplastic polypropylene. PHB is distinguished primarily by its physical characteristics. It produces transparent film at a melting point higher than 130 degrees Celsius, and is biodegradable without residue. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA): Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids.They are produced by the bacteria to store carbon and energy. In industrial production, the polyester is extracted and purified from the bacteria by optimizing the conditions for the fermentation of sugar. More than 150 different monomers can be combined within this family to give materials with extremely different properties. PHA is more ductile and less elastic than other plastics, and it is also biodegradable. These plastics are being widely used in the medical industry. Polyamide 11 (PA 11): PA 11 is a biopolymer derived from natural oil.PA 11 belongs to the technical polymers family and is not biodegradable. The emissions of greenhouse gas es and consumption of nonrenewable resources are reduced during its production. Its thermal resistance is also superior to that of PA 12. It is used in high-performance applications like automotive fuel lines, pneumatic airbrake tubing, electrical cable antitermite sheathing, flexible oil and gas pipes, control fluid umbilicals, sports shoes, electronic device components, and catheters. IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT Sustainability:Sustainability is improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems. The production and use of bioplastics is generally regarded as a more sustainable activity when compared with plastic production from petroleum (petroplastic), because it relies less on fossil fuel as a carbon source and also introduces fewer, net-new greenhouse emissions if it biodegrades. They significantly reduce hazardous waste caused by oil-derived plastics, which remain solid for hundreds of years, and open a new era in packing technolog y and industry. Biodegradable:All (bio- and petroleum-based) plastics are technically biodegradable, meaning they can be degraded by microbes under suitable conditions. However many degrade at such slow rates as to be considered non-biodegradable. Some petrochemical-based plastics are considered biodegradable, and may be used as an additive to improve the performance of many commercial bioplastics. The degree of biodegradation varies with temperature, polymer stability, and available oxygen content. Consequently, most bioplastics will only degrade in the tightly controlled conditions of industrial composting units.In compost piles or simply in the soil/water, most bioplastics will not degrade, starch-based bioplastics will, however. A distinction must be made for the term â€Å"compostable†. While â€Å"biodegradable† simply means that an object will biologically disintegrate, compostable specifically demands that the end product has to be humus. So, while a plastic ma y â€Å"biodegrade in a compost site† this does not mean that it will compost in a compost site. ADVANTAGES Bioplastics can be sustainable, carbon neutral and are always renewable, because they are made from plant materials which can be grown indefinitely.These plant materials come from agricultural nonfood crops. Therefore, the use of biopolymers would create a sustainable industry. In contrast, the feedstocks for polymers derived from petrochemicals will eventually deplete. In addition, biopolymers have the potential to cut carbon emissions and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) quantities in the atmosphere: this is because the CO2 released when they degrade can be reabsorbed by crops grown to replace them: this makes them close to carbon neutral.Some biopolymers are biodegradable: they are broken down into CO2 and water by microorganisms. Some of these biodegradable biopolymers are compostable: they can be put into an industrial composting process and will break down by 90% withi n six months. DISADVANTAGES Bioplastics could have a damaging effect on soil, water usage and quality, and result in higher food prices. Bioplastics are designed to be composted, not recycled. The plant-based material will actually contaminate the recycling process if not separated from conventional plastics such as soda bottles and milk jugs.Home composting may not be an option. Some bioplastics cannot be broken down by the bacteria in our backyards. Polyethylene (PE) made from cane sugar is one example of this. Only bioplastics that are fully biodegradable will break down in a home compost pile, and it could still take up to two years for certain items. The rest require the high heat and humidity of an industrial composting facility. Plants grown for bioplastics have negative impacts of their own.Bioplastics are often produced from genetically modified food crops such as corn, potatoes, and soybeans, a practice that carries a high risk of contaminating our food supply. Also, corn and soybean producers typically apply large amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that pollute our air and water. To compound matters, the growth of the bioplastics and biofuels industries (both of which currently rely on food crops as their raw material) increases the demand for crops, puts pressure on food prices, and increases the impact of agriculture worldwide.