According to the local bean town folks some of the many don’ts of Boston living is “Don’t ever wear a Harvard sweatshirt” or “Ask for directions to Cheers.” One of these Boston themed gags such as “Don't swim in the Charles, no matter WHAT Bill Weld tells you” is proving that the locals might be giving out uninformed advice this time around.
The Charles River, always known as “having a healthy reputation for its extreme filth,” has a new lease on life ever since former governor Bill Weld took the dive heard round the world fully clothed around the same time the EPA announced a “Clean Charles” ready for swimmers by Earth Day 2005. Reactions concerning the river’s quality since Welds famous 1996 plunge have ranged from skepticism to complete dismissal of the cleanup promises, proving only that indeed, he “loved that dirty water.”
It’s only been recently that these former skeptics whose gag reflexes were tested at Weld’s legendary swim have started to take notice of the improving river, making the comic proverb warning people of the Charles’s unpleasantness outdated and simply untrue.
The Charles River runs approx. 80 miles between Hopkinton and Boston Harbor, running through 23 towns and cities throughout the eastern part of the state while 35 towns and cities comprise its watershed according to the Charles River Water Association’s website. A watershed being the area that drains into a river, lake or harbor. The Charles is categorized into two sections of upper and lower Charles territories, the upper known for its industrial development while the lower is reputed by its abundant recreational usage.
“I love the river. I've never used the river for anything other than rowing and there’s no better place to row than the Charles,” said Candace Saunders, a Northeastern University sociology major and former member of the women’s crew team, “I don't think that the Charles is clean at all, but this is also just because of what I've heard. It's supposedly getting better. I could say that there are worse rivers though.”
The Charles River has experienced many stages of cleanup since 1995, displayed in an annual grading system based on fecal bacteria matter present in samples taken from the river by The Charles River Watershed Association and released by the regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency, who launched the ambitious Clean Charles Initiative for many doubtful Bostonians.
For two centuries bean town folks have known nothing other than the Charles cesspool, and many even take pride in its trademark filth, saying they “love that dirty water.
Concern On The Coast, Classical Conflict Again Unfolds: Energy vs. Environment." Hartford Courant 16 Oct. 2005, 3 Stars/Final ed., sec. A. Bigchalk Database. 8 Nov. 2005. Tedesco, Mark A. "This Fine Piece of Water:
In the early 1880s, Chicago was a bustling city on its way to becoming one of great cities in the world. There was a problem though. Horrible sanitation problems plagued the city. The Chicago River was virtually an open sewer covered with visible filth. Most of the river’s worst pollution came from homes and bathroom waste thought the city. “Bubbly Creek” was one of the worst branches of the river. It was filled with enough stockyard waste to equal the pollution from a sizable city. To further the problem, all of the contents of the river flowed into Lake Michigan, polluting Chicago’s drinking water causing a sever outbreak of water born diseases.
Identity is a group of characteristics, data or information that belongs exactly to one person or a group of people and that make it possible to establish differences between them. The consciousness that people have about themselves is part of their identity as well as what makes them unique. According to psychologists, identity is a consistent definition of one’s self as a unique individual, in terms of role, attitudes, beliefs and aspirations. Identity tries to define who people are, what they are, where they go or what they want to be or to do. Identity could depend on self-knowledge, self-esteem, or the ability of individuals to achieve their goals. Through self-analysis people can define who they are and who the people around them are. The most interesting point about identity is that some people know what they want and who they are, while it takes forever for others to figure out the factors mentioned before. Many of the individuals analyzed in this essay are confused about the different possible roles or positions they can adopt, and that’s exactly the reason they look for some professional help.
The social identity theory is a person’s sense of who they are based on their social
---. “The Clean Water Act—Is it Successfully Reducing Water Pollution?- Final Draft.” UTSA: WRC 1023, 11 Apr 2014. Print.
Overall, this is really a good experience for me to participate in this interdisciplinary project. I like the implications under it, because this is a meaningful project. It is concerned about not only the Delaware River, but also us all.
Throughout society there are a lot of identities one might categorize themselves within; based on knowledge and opinions and fundamentally a way of life. The Social Identity theory, proposed by Henry Tajfel in the 1970’s is designed to explain and help aid in the understanding of how it is one might develop a connection and belonging to particular groups within society; but more importantly providing an understanding as to how the mechanics of discrimination regarding other groups work.
Furthermore, identity comes from how people choose to comprehend and perceive their own self. The elements of identity are limitless because you can choose to be whoever you want to be, despite the opinions of others. Thus, one’s identity tends to be unique, in a sense, compared to other
Then the documentary tackles Puget Sound. The Duwamish River is the largest hot spot in the nation. In 2001, the Duwamish River was classified as a “Super Fund” site. This is given to a site that will receive federal assistance for clean up. But yet, it may be too late. Puget Sound in contaminated with PCP, lead and mercury. The threat comes from the giant industrial polluters of old and from chemicals in consumers’ face creams, deodorants, prescription medicines and household cleaners that find their way into sewers, storm drains, eventually into America’s waterways and drinking water.
The Social Identity theory (SIT) was proposed by Henry Tajfel. It was then later developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1971 to help them understand inter group relations. The Social Identity theory assumes that individuals strive to improve their self-image by trying to enhance their self-esteem, through social (in and out groups) and personal identities. There are 4 main concepts within the social identity theory all of which will be discussed in the essay.
"Water Pollution." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 May 2014.
Have you ever been eaten alive by the fury of the Pacific Ocean? Well, it happened to me and many other exciting things happened when I visited Hawaii for the first time. About eight years ago, during my spring break, my family and I went to the island of Kauai and we were there for about eight days. I am telling you, the first time you visit a tropical paradise; your scenes will change drastically. The food, the people (locals and tourists), the culture, and lest not forget that unforgiving Pacific Ocean.
There are millions of words across the globe that are used to describe people and uncover their identity, but what is identity? How can you begin to describe something that varies so greatly from one human being to another? Can you create a universal meaning for a word describing human concepts that people often fail to define for themselves? Of course there isn't one definition to define such a word. It is an intricate aspect of human nature, and it has a definition just as complex.
Everyone has their own unique identity. For instance, people can relate their identity to their culture, their social surroundings, and their interests. Personal identity can be viewed in a variety of ways. In the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Eric Olson discusses personal identity as the defining factor of a person. “Outside of philosophy, ‘personal identity’ usually refers to certain properties to which a person feels a special sense of attachment or ownership. Someone’s personal identity in this sense consists of those features she takes to ‘define her as a person’ or ‘make her the person she is’” (Olson, par. 5). While considering this definition, identity can be depicted on several levels. A common way to describe personal identity is through a person's background and culture. Although using culture as a descriptive term can be helpful in defining a
Miller, Debra A. Will the World Run out of Fresh Water? Detroit: Greenhaven, 2007. Print.