Undergraduate / Commercial whaling; Texas - Issue of Importance [2]

Choose an issue of importance to you-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

In every ecosystem, each and every organism in the system is dependent on every other organism within that ecosystem. Ecosystems can fail and when they do, the effect can be devastating to our planet. How do ecosystems fail? An ecosystem can fail when an organism is taken out of that system because all organisms are equally important. Our Earth's surface is 71 percent water and 29 percent land. Within the 71 percent of water is our planet's largest ecosystem: The Ocean. Saving the whales and other sea mammals can mean saving the ocean. Whaling isn't just an issue for my generation but also for generations to come. As more and more whales are being killed the more our oceans will be in trouble.

Commercial whaling, as we know today, began to expand after the end of World War II. Since that time, the whale population has steadily declined. Unlike many of the other different mammals, whales are not considered a sustainable resource due to the fact that it takes whales a long time to mature. As an example, the Blue Whale one of the many species of whales has become endangered because of commercial whaling and current estimates have the population of Blue Whales at only 1.5 percent of its original population worldwide. To slow down the number of killings and also to regulate whaling, many whaling countries came together to create the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1946. The IWC voted to introduce a Moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982. Though the IWC created the Moratorium the system is not perfect because countries continue to whale under the disguise of calling it research.

Japan is one of the main countries that continues to whale. Japanese whalers violate the whale sanctuary set by the IWC and continue to hunt off the coast of Antarctica. Even though it is illegal to kill whales, the IWC allows for a certain number of whales to be killed for scientific research. Many Japanese whaling fleets claim that their hunting is for "scientific research". Yet they package whale meat on factory ships after the whales have been harpooned. This "packaged whale meat," can be harmful to humans due to the high levels of mercury contained in the meat, which can cause many medical issues that can be fatal. Only 25% of the meat obtained by hunting was sold in 2012.

Another example of is the slaughter of dolphins, in some places like Taiji, Japan many dolphins/porpoises are being slaughtered because it is considered "pest control." The fishermen kill these mammals because they compete with humans for fish. Whales and other porpoises are all part of the ocean ecosystem and if we take them out of this system then other parts of the ecosystem will become unbalanced and we do not know how that will effect the Earth's ecosystem.

Whaling is not just an issue for my generation it's an issue for generations to come. Everything in the ocean is dependent on the next. With whale numbers dropping there is a dropping in the ocean's carbon levels, which can affect phytoplankton causing a downward spiral to all aquatic life. An ecosystem can only survive if every organism remains in that ecosystem. Without our oceans our planet as we know it can change for the worse.

Undergraduate / "My Biggest Cheerleader - My Father"; Common App - Person who made an impact [4]

I need help with revising. Any advice given will be appreciated. BTW it is not complete.

Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.

Lights flicker on. A familiar voice calls out, "Naomi wake up." Half asleep I reply "okay." The man who calls out to me has made the greatest impact on my life. Through his guidance, determination and faith in my abilities he has shaped me into the person I am today. Although it may sound cliché, that man is my father and he has been my greatest role model, teacher, mentor, and my biggest cheerleader.

Throughout my childhood one of the greatest traits my father has shown me is how to be persistent and determined. One vivid memory stands out, how year after year for four years my father studied very hard for promotion to Chief Master Sergeant and for three years in a row he was not selected. Although he was not selected, he continued to study hard year after year and finally made it on his fourth try. Even though my father has tried and failed, he never gave up. His determination has been exemplary. I always told myself when I was younger that I would always try and if I did not do good I would try again. My sophomore year was the worst I have ever done in an English course. I was discouraged at first but I remembered how my father always tried. I thought to myself "I am going to try harder next year in English and get better grades. "Junior year I took Honors American Literature and I received my first "A" in English. My father has influenced my decision in my academic career to be determined and always strive to do better.