Power of Communication Essay Example for Free

Power of Communication Essay Communication is the basic human need to share meanings and express ideas and thoughts and that can be achieved by the exchange of information between the society members. The process of communication is defined by the technology available, culture and protocols of communication. Political scientists are interested in political communication through studying the interaction communication between the political system and the political process generally and they confirmed the importance of the fundamental relationship between them, they called for re-examination and analysis of political science based on communication theories. Politics is difficult to be found without communication because there must be a link between the public and the ruling elite (decision makers), and this applies to the political system too. Citizens must be able to communicate their wishes and demands to the government, and the government should be able to communicate its decisions to citizens and justify them to win their satisfaction. Political parties and politicians needs huge public support, Where it can be said that political communication is the most important means of communication that must be followed by a party in order to gain such support. It is well known that the objective of any party is to access power or participate in it and this cannot be reached without large public support. This political communication can take various forms depends on the technology available such as press, radio, television and digital networked media. The political communication is the proper way of any party members to open dialogue with the masses of the people for establish the doctrine of their party to them, and gain popular support for the policy and programs of the party, where they listen to note of the public towards some situations and impressions towards it, and the members of the party again, during their partisan meetings to discuss the various social and economic problems in the community, and that need solutions, ranging proposals of different party members to fixing these problems through the hierarchical organization of the party until it reaches the level of leadership and integrate in the various party programs. thereby ensuring this party kind of interaction with he public surrounding it, so that lead the response to the wishes and requirements of the public in the general policy of the party, to achieve a great deal of compatibility between the party and street folk, and this goes back to the party with a grea t benefit in elections times, When the public find the investigator to them ambitions and expectations, and This causes at normal conditions for arrival (the party with compatibility larger with the popular will) to rule the country. Communication was and will continue to be the most important activity in human life through interacts with others to express ideas, needs and feelings and dreams, and has expressed their personality, culture and freedom and the idea of an activity that can be embodied the meaning of human dignity and values. So this make this activity one of the most activities accountable of various standards, pressures and the laws that are on the whole a fundamental question about the nature of the relationship between the media and the ethics and other aspects of human life. Communication science benefited and interact with all the of Sciences and knowledge, humanitarian, technical data and the science explain to us at this time to what affect the means of mass communication in the minds of the people and what is the size of this effect and how it is affecting. No one can deny the importance of these theories of communication that formed the communication science which had experimented in communities that adopted and tried to apply. The communication tools play an important role in political life, whether internal or the outside, not only political professionals are attach importance to their communication strategy, but governed also gaining most of their information through the communication tools. The means of mass communication possesses the characteristics and capabilities of multiple distinct from those when its counterparts from groups or opinion leaders, are in any case means mass communication addresses the daily huge cross sections of the population with one voice. The means of communication and media are necessary and important to make effectively communication links and interactions are always open between the ruler and the governed. Definitely, mass communication has evolved technically accompanied by the technological development happened to human societies in all fields, in ancient societies (Greek and Roman society), political community was limited and number of citizens who can be covered by ruling messages was known, so it was direct speeches and forums in public places established in open air r in the theaters of the city that was one of the most forms of political communication, so it was politicians highly dependent on rhetoric and the ability to inference to convince they governed, This free space for debate and political communication that helped to create direct democracy known as the Athenian democracy, But with the development of human societies and the expansion of political activity field appearance regimes of modern political became not possible to rely solely on speeches and seminars, which includes a limited number of citizens, but became necessary to find a communication to spread and includes a wide segment of the public. (Karl W. Deutsch, 2006) Literature Review: Denis McQuail, 2010 â€Å"Seen these arguments written, visual and audio as a tool of direct democracy, and as a court of public opinion open day and night put the law for everything all the time, not a substitute for institutions, but such ray of light detector that keeps moving here and there, revealing always talking about the depths of darkness† Jacques Gerstle, 2004 â€Å"One of the basic properties of the twentieth century is the communication tools revolution, and the appearance the community of communication. We saw the appearance of new techniques for political communication, these techniques that contributed in dissemination and sharing the information, ideas and communities in conditions limited time and across a wide geographical. † Since the advent of printing, which contributed historically in the advancement of the theory and practice of democracy through journalism written is the court of public opinion, as well as with the emergence of radio, which was the most important means of communication used in the second world war propaganda by politicians, through well television, which affects more than other means of mass communication. Various categories divergent public and geographically, does not follow some of the obstacles faced by other means such as the written press such as distribution problems and an individuals ability to read all the way to satellites to broadcast dimensional networks of electronic communication global movement of information and ideas and comply with the limits of regional and geographical, with the development of all these means and which was called some people name new technologies for information and communication find that the process of political communication has evolved is also no longer this process takes place using the means of communication like a traditional speech, for example. Gabriel A. Almond, 2004 â€Å"That everything in politics is communication, system of communication is one of the main channels for the flow of information from the elite to the masses and also to transfer the problems of the masses and their aspirations and their perceptions to the elite. † Robert Wiener, David Jerison, I. Isadore Manuel Singer, Daniel W.  Strook, 1997 â€Å"If we realized politics is system so communication system is the nerve that controls the system, and the systems ability to exercise command and control linked to its ability to deal with the information, so that communication and control are two synonymous of same meaning, every time we call we also control. † Karl W. Deutsch, William J. Foltz, 2010 The nerves of government political Communication and Control â€Å"is proposed similar political regime system Cyber zonular, describes the relationship between the political system and its surroundings under shape or environment Cyber zonular, which imagined that communication as a system of decisions based on the flood of diverse information, and is communication and media the most important issues in political science, and confirms it is wrong to neglecting or underestimation the role of other changes. † Dr.  Schwatzenberg, 1990 â€Å"Political communication is the path that moves the political information one part to another parts of the political regime and between this system and the social system, it is path continuously to exchange of information between individuals and groups at all levels, It is especially the exchange of information between rulers and ruled that will ensure the agreement between them, each governor seeks to accepting his decisions, and all governed trying to structured and their needs are taken in the consideration, and compatibility and harmonization be realized only through the communication and through exchange. † Harold Dwight Lasswell, Peter de Leon, 2009 â€Å"Political community like the pyramid, where rulers are elite at the top of the pyramid and the masses of people at the base, and between them there experts and specialists in the middle between the top and the base, and being communication processes on the basis that each nation have political ystem specific consists of elite, They are responsible for the decision and supervision on the states economic resources and human resources, to achieve the goals and programs of the State, the ruling elite and using tools of communication specialized experts believing they are the ones those can be in the process of communication between the elite and controlled groups, and staff working in this area have their role in attracting public attention to social issues. † Alvin Toffler, 1984 â€Å"That there is a relationship substantially between communication process and the political process, if the world of politics is based on power, the desires of those who have power must be transmitted to the expect they will respond to it, and if the world of politics is based on the legitimacy of the highest authority, the matter requires a means by which based the symbolic expression of values and procedural standards for such systems, and if the world of politics based on participation, this means finding channels transporting the interests and demands of the citizens to decision makers. † Kenneth E. Boulding. 989 â€Å"The political process, such as the decision-making process, it is also a test of the roles of power in society, and in response to the images Stereotypes formed by political means of communication in society, The means of communication change of images Stereotypes of individuals, and political behavior based on images Stereotypes. † Theories and Models of Communication (Difference Job Title and convergence of concept and function) Studies in Communication Sciences provided us science of communication in the framework is not clear in terms of mixing in some of the concepts and nomenclature may be the reason in that transfers of these sciences at the hands of a Type is not specialized and qualified in the field of media and communication. So still confusion exists between science communication and science media and between theories and models in communication process but after multiple studies in the field of media, communication and development study of media and communications at universities and institutes in the third world and after a significant increase in who have advanced degrees in media from Western universities appeared a new generation of communication scholars provided us this real science in its context where they ruled for differentiating between the media and science communication and science and have sacrificed the relationship between them, and provided us both models and theories on the units and they ruled for differentiating among them.

Things They Carried Essay: A Cultural Studies Approach to Enemies

A Cultural Studies Approach to "Enemies" in The Things They Carried Two men who fight over a jackknife in "Enemies", a chapter in Tim O'Brien's work, The Things They Carried. A cultural studies approach to "Enemies" allows the reader to look much deeper into the meaning of the events that unfold in "Enemies". The fight over the knife could very well reflect the events occurring in society during that time. In short, "Enemies" is about two men, Lee Strunk and Dave Jensen, who are battling not only in a war but with each other. They were viciously fighting about a missing jackknife. A question that the reader might ask themselves is, why were they fighting over a jackknife? Did it have some special sentimental meaning? These questions cannot be answered; they can only be left to wonder. Vietnam was a very mentally and physically strenuous war to fight. At any given point any soldier could snap. That is exactly what happen...

Customer Based Brand Equity Essay

Customer based brand equality is very important for both local and foreign businesses. Many local based brands have been facing increased competition and challenges from other foreign brands. Both foreign and local brands have been taking turns capitalizing on their competitive position within the Chinese mobile phone market. Because of this, there is a need for both local and foreign brands to gain a clear understanding of their customer’s preferences, in regards to mobile phone features and the perception of their competitive position from their customers. Building a brand and properly managing it has become very important for all companies. Companies are now beginning to realize that brand equity is a most powerful tool and a valuable asset to them. The maintenance and enhancement of a company brand has become a very important part of the management tasks in companies. Brand knowledge structures in the minds of customers are the foundation of brand equity. Brand equity is widely perceived as consisting of brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality and brand associations, among other things. Building brand equity has specific rewards that are quite obvious. But there is a problem in that very few managers are able to objectively assess the strengths and weakness of their brands. Measuring brand equity is very important in assessing the value of the brand. Customer based brand equality helps companies to become aware of the likes and dislikes of their customers. This article shows that customers have three important attributes that they prefer; which are service, durability and brand image. Brand features uniqueness is the least important factor that affects consumers’ mobile phone preference. Price, distinctiveness, place, promotion and advertisements are the second tier attributes of consideration for customers. Attention should be given to improving the brand equity within the Chinese market. All mobile brands should pay very close attention to the improvement of their services and the enhancement of their products durability and brand imager, rather than focusing on intense price competition. The foreign brands are consistent across the board, clearly outperforming their foreign competitors with regard to customer attitudes in the Chinese market. The local foreign companies should begin to focus their attention on enhancing the quality of their product and building up their brand personality and their image. There is still room for the foreign brands to improve their brand equity. Strong brand equity means that customers have high brand awareness, maintain a favorable brand image, perceive high quality and are loyal towards the brand. Reference for the journal: Liaogang, Chongyan, Zian Source: International Management Review, Volume 3, Number 3, 1 April 2007, pp. 76-106

Feminism A Common Goal Of Actualizing Social Justice...

Micciche argues that feminist pedagogies â€Å"share a common goal of actualizing social justice through teaching and learning methods† (128). She feels that pedagogy has the opportunity to address and change social issues through local and personal experiences. She discusses the four waves of feminists to show that feminism has expanded form women’s issues to many other issues in society. She uses Howe, Bolker, Annas, and Flynn to support her belief that females should have a voice and use their personal experience to validate themselves and break-down historical norms. She discusses how Jarratt and Bauer promote â€Å"confrontation and discomfort† centered feminist classrooms to â€Å"negotiate the oppressive discourses of racism, sexism, and classism† (134). Micciche addresses emotion and how feminist question the connections between power/control and emotion/embodiment and how it is â€Å"relational and social rather than exclusively interiorized and private† (137). Queen pedagogy and identity- based pedagogy correlate to Feminist pedagogy because they all â€Å"question the process of normalizing dominant assumptions and beliefs† and challenges teachers to check their own pedagogy (138). Wilson, Lewiecki-Wilson, and Dolmage argue that it is up to the teacher and school to adapt disabilities because â€Å"disability is always present† because no one is perfect (139). Feminist pedagogies are flexible: they are not stand-alone practices since they intersect with other categories of difference

The Problem of Racial Discrimination - 1578 Words

Assignment 2 Introduction Throughout the course of time, racial discrimination has been a part of the challenges facing all societies. This is because various groups in society began to spend increasing amounts of time working with individuals that shared similar ideas and characteristics as themselves. Over the course of time, this created various feelings about one group over that of the other. At the same time, feelings of jealousy and resentment fueled animosity between racial groups. Evidence of these kinds of distinctions is going back to some of the earliest accounts in the Bible with the Jews enslaved and escaping from slavery in Egypt. The reason why they were slaves is because the Jews were seen as inferior to the ancients Egyptians. In the 20th and early 21st centuries, many of the biologically based racial issues were brought to the forefront with the elimination of regimes that supported these kinds of practices (such as: Apartheid in South Africa). (Fredrickson, 2003, pp. 49 105) This is signif icant, in showing how a transformation is taking place in how society is looking at racism and the ideas of personal responsibility. To fully understand what is happening requires: examining the historical foundations of racism, how it is defined by society, the different social categories, how society has changed, recommending two ideas for improving an individuals social situation and the methods of sociological research that can be applied to these recommendations.Show MoreRelatedSocial Problems Associated With Racial Discrimination1209 Words   |  5 Pagesmorality, and culture (â€Å"Racism†). Racial discrimination is discriminating someone based on their race or religion (â€Å"Racism/Color Discrimination†) or prejudice against an individual or group of people of a different race because of the belief that one’s own race is superior (â€Å"Racism†). B: Problems associated with racism range from social problems to financial problems. Social problems include alcohol or drug use/abuse and emotional withdrawal. Some emotional problems include depression, feeling isolatedRead MoreRacial Discrimination Is Becoming A Larger Problem1771 Words   |  8 Pages Racial discrimination is when a person is treated less favorably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, color, national decent, ethnic origin or immigrant status (Know Your Rights: Racial Discrimination and Vilification). Racial discrimination has always been a problem, as shown in the article A Letter to My Nephew from the stimulus packet. However, as time goes by different forms of discrimination have branched out and become popular. Racial discrimination is blatantlyRead MoreRacial Discrimination Has Been A Chronic Problem854 Words   |  4 PagesOne of man kind’s most baffling imperfections is discrimination. For some reason most men cannot ac cept that it is okay to be different from each other and also, that being different does not make one person less than. Throughout history racial discrimination has been a chronic problem. African’s were sought after as the premium slave. Racial slavery was a global trade that lasted for hundreds of years. When America was formed slavery transferred over to the new country. In America there were supportersRead MoreDiscrimination Against African American Race1133 Words   |  5 Pages Discrimination against the African American Race Brian Barracks Social Psychology Dr. G. Austin Abstract Discrimination against African-Americans has been going on for many decades. Many African-Americans are still suffering from the effects of this. Many people who discriminate do not bother to analyze the damage that this is causing. Many African-Americans are suffering from stress problems, mental health issue, and some suffer from chronic stress. This issue has escalated for manyRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Is Play Written About A Family In The1592 Words   |  7 Pages and they have to deal with discriminatory housing practices and the threat of racial violence. A Raisin in the Sun is relevant today because a lot of the insights it makes about racism are still debated over today. One of the issues it tackles is racial violence. In the play, the family deals with the threat of racial violence from people who don’t want them to move into their new house. Today, many feel that racial violence is being done by the police. The story also deals with the family’s strugglesR ead MoreKey Social Problems Affecting Africans Americans Essay1375 Words   |  6 Pages Though social problems affect a wide variety of people from all races, classes, and cultures; minorities, specifically African Americans, encounter social problems on a multi-dimensional basis. Poverty, employment rates, discrimination, and other social problems strike African Americans in such a way that it is nearly impossible to separate them; each individual has different background, socially and physically, that would determine in which order his or her social problems need to be solved. ImpoverishedRead MoreRacial Discrimination1052 Words   |  5 Pagesincluding in the workplace. Racial discrimination arises when someone is treated differently based on their actual or perceived race. Many people believe that if one were to be in the vicinity of a respected workplace that they would be respected by all co-workers and employers; this is in no way true. A big amount of minority employees a re affected by racial discrimination in the workplace whether it’s from their employers or their fellow co-workers. Racial discrimination is something that is alwaysRead MoreRacial Discrimination Of The United States1233 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Racial discrimination is defined as â€Å"when a person is treated less favorably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status† (Thomas). Racial discrimination in the workplace is a real problem in our world today. Not only is it against the Constitution, but it is morally and ethically wrong. Throughout history, many people have fought for equality among races, and the fact that racism is still an issue inRead MoreRace Relations : A Resolved Issue?1644 Words   |  7 Pagesdealing with this issue; we have to be contributing to part of the solution rather than the being the problem itself. Injustice could be the turning point in which we transform and open up to the media and investigate our racial assumptions. In todays’ day and age, fear is fostered in the danger of pretending to seek justice when action isn’t taken. Race relations can be resolved if we approach the problem correctly and effectively on appropriate terms. The classification of races is no simple task. OverRead MoreRacial Discrimination Against Minorities And Immigrants1090 Words   |  5 Pagesnothing but determination. Racial discrimination against minorities and immigrants is an underlying problem here in America today. Racism is seen in our daily lives when people are discriminated against because of their race and ethnicity. Racism attacks the right to a person’s well-being on the basis of something they have no control over. They cannot change nor should want to change who they are. Racial discrimination is not as bad as it was fifty years ago, but it still a problem here in our country

Jackie Robinson The Baseball Player - 978 Words

Jackie Robinson is often seen as the baseball player to put blacks on the map. Though, what Troy argues in â€Å"Fences† is completely different. He believes that Jackie Robinson was the most successful baseball player not necessarily the best. Troy believed that he, in fact, knew teams that Jackie Robinson would not make. He also knew of many black baseball players that came before Jackie Robinson that simply did not a chance. This can relate to athletes that never made it to the big leagues because of their attitude problems or simply succumbing to their bad surroundings. In â€Å"Fences† Troy’s downfall is a bad experience of being a good black baseball player just coming up in the wrong era. According to Letzler, â€Å"the critics have joined Troy in being â€Å"angry that he, a great player who hit .432 with thirty-seven home runs, never played for the majors while white Selkirk †¦ played right field for the Yankees† (Birdwell 89), despite Selk irk’s â€Å"paltry† hitting† (301). On the surface, Troy just might seem jealous of someone like Jackie Robinson but he surely had the stats to back up his talk. As you can see the white baseball players during that time were given more room for error. That is particularly sad because the black players like Troy were not given any room for error at all, they simply just were not given a chance in reality. Baseball can be truly seen as metaphor for life in America. As just like it takes certain ingredients to be successful in life those sameShow MoreRelatedJackie Robinson: A Major League Baseball Player592 Words   |  2 Pages Jackie Robinson was the first African-American major league baseball player. He went through the struggle of being the only black player in a white mans game. He changed the way the world looked at African-Americans. Jackies full name is Jack Roosevelt Robinson. He was the youngest of five kids and was also raised by his single mother. He was born January 31, 1914 and died October 24, 1972. He would have been 53 years old when he died. His death was caused by heart disease and diabetes whichRead MoreJackie Robinson Is Not The Best African American Baseball Player Of His Time1545 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough Jackie Robinson was not the best African-American baseball player of his time, his attitude and ability to handle racist harassment led the way for the rest of his race to play Major League Baseball, amongst other sports. Being accepted into professional sports also helped African-Americans become more easily accepted into other aspects of life. Jackie s impact in the world for the black population is enormous. According to Jessie Jackson, A champion wins a World Series or an OlympicRead MoreJackie Robinson Was The First African American Baseball Player On A Team s Roster Essay1759 Words   |  8 Pagesand voice to bring about change in society. Jackie Robinson was the first African American baseball player on a team’s roster. Not only did he change the sport of baseball forever, but impacted millions of African Americans and his impact continues to affect lives today. The first African American baseball player, Jackie Robinson and unfortunately that is all the majority of Americans know him for. Personally, I had no intensive knowledge on Robinson before this course. I knew what the rest ofRead MoreJackie Robinson848 Words   |  4 PagesJackie Robinson was born in Cairo. The year Jackie was born was 1919 to a family of farmers. His Mother name is Mallie Robinson. She raised Jackie and four other of her children. They were the only black family around and people gave them a hard time about living around them since they were the only black family on the block. Jackie was the very first black baseball player ever to join the white man’s league. Jackie Robinson started playing baseball in 1947. He was the first player who played inRead MoreJackie Robinson: A Brief Biography724 Words   |  3 Pages Jackie Robinson Brave, courageous, daring, bold, these all describe the baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Jackie was the first African American major league baseball player. (Jackie Robinson official website) Things were not always easy but he had many supporters and motivators to keep him going.( Britannica encyclopedia) Since Jackie never gave up through all of the harsh comments and criticism as he carried on being the first African American baseball player, African Americans are now allowedRead MoreJackie Robinson s Life Is Not A Spectator Sport837 Words   |  4 PagesJackie Robinson In the words of pro baseball player Jackie Robinson, â€Å"Life is not a spectator sport. If you re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you re wasting your life.† Robinson is a true symbol of hard work and dedication. Robinson was one of the first African American baseball players to play on a major league baseball team since the 1880s. Robinson helped to crush the stigma that existed between the segregated leagues. His hard workRead MoreJackie Robinson And The Civil Rights Movement1617 Words   |  7 Pages In 1947, Major League Baseball changed forever because of hall of fame player Jackie Robinson. As a result of discrimination and segregation in America it was very difficult for black people to exercise their rights during this time period. Throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s Jackie Robinson’s baseball career dramatically changed as he was the first African American Major League Baseball player. However after signing to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers integration started to become a reality in someRead MoreJackie Robinson: Braking The Color Barrier in The Major League 1170 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Hey Jackie, you should play baseball.† Jackie Robinson had no intention to play baseball. Jackie Robinson had to deal with many racial comments and put downs, but Jackie never gave up and ended up as a Major League hero. Jackie played many sports in high school and he was good at all of them. He lettered in every sport he played in high school. After high school, he didn’t have any intention to play sports anymore. Jackie actually enlisted in the army. He served two years and he ranked second lieutenantRead MoreEssay on Jackie Robinson960 Words   |  4 Pages Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919. He was born in Cairo, Georgia and was the youngest of five children. He had a grandfather that was a slave, Jackie’s dad was a sharecropper and Mallie, Jackie’s mother, was a maid. His dad ran away from the family when Jackie was only an infant. Jackie fought racism in his California childhood, at collage and throughout his whole life. During his childhood at California he was always picked on at school. Kids taunted him so much and so badly thatRead MoreAmerica s Favorite Pastime And Jackie Robinson Essay1661 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica’s Favorite Pastime and Jackie Robinson The game of baseball has been intertwined in our history. It has been there through the wars and the civil rights movements. The game has seen it all. There have been great players who have put their career’s on hold to fight for their country. â€Å"More than 500 major league baseball players during World War II, including stars like Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Joe DiMaggio†. There is one player that didn’t have to put his career on hold to fight for his

The Negative Effects of Bottled Water free essay sample

The importance of discussing this issue is advantageous because the public is unaware that tap water is more favourable than bottled water. Choosing tap water over bottled water is beneficial because it preserves the environment, is cheaper to consume, and, in most cases, is a healthier choice. There are several problems surrounding bottled water; the most important issue involves how it effects the environment. Manufacturing and shipping products, pumping water, and recycling bottles are reasons that contribute to the fact that bottled water is disastrous for the environment. Bottled water industries pollute the environment through manufacturing and shipping products. One form of pollution caused by bottled water is gas emissions: â€Å"The energy required to manufacture and transport the bottles to market severely depletes our supplies of fossil fuels and adds to greenhouse gas emissions† (Natural Life, 2007, p. 10). The plastic that makes up bottles, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is made from oil and generates more than 100 times the toxic emissions than other plastics. We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Bottled Water or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all the plastic water bottles in the United States, which diminishes available fossil fuels even more (Knopper, 2008). Also, the amount of water PET requires to create one plastic bottle is significantly higher than the amount of water that the bottle will contain. This, in conjunction with the water used to fill the bottles, is a threat to wells, streams, wetlands, and lakes, which is causing stress on ecosystems. Shockingly, â€Å"Bottling companies can pump up to 500 gallons per minute, or even more, out of each well, and many wells run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year† (Natural Life, 2007, p. 0). This surprising statistic can only mean that the levels of water available from municipal sources are decreasing, threatening available drinking water from taps. Moreover, billions of plastic bottles, which is approximately equivalent to 65,000 tons, are thrown out every year; this is an adequate amount of bottles to circle the gl obe five times a week (Carlson, 2010). More than 80 percent of plastic bottles are not recycled: â€Å"Americans throw away 1,500 plastic bottles every second. Most end up in landfills, where they can take hundreds of years to break down† (Crane, 2011, p. 2). A significant amount of bottles that end up in landfills have floated into the Pacific Ocean and have formed an island of plastic that is twice the size of Texas. When these bottles begin to disintegrate, birds and fish ingest the tiny pieces of plastic, resulting in death (Knopper, 2008). Interestingly enough, even the few bottles that are recycled in the United States are shipped to landfills in India, where they are down-cycled. Down-cycling means the plastic is turned into lower quality products to be eventually thrown out. This process, in turn, uses more oil and gas, which leads to more emissions (The Story of Stuff Project, 2010). Based on the amount of pollution produced and water depleted, it is evident that bottled water negatively impacts the environment. Canadians spent a shocking $650 million on bottled water in 2005, an amount that has continued to increase drastically since then (Kingston, 2007). â€Å"Over the past five years, Canadian bottled water sales increased more than 50 percent† (Adeland, 2011, p. 221). These statistics are alarming because bottled water should be considered less favourable than tap water since it costs significantly more. Monetarily speaking, â€Å"Ounce for ounce, [bottled water] can cost as much as 2,000 times more than tap water† (Crane, 2011, p. 11). Also, for the most part, bottled water is basically packaged tap water: â€Å"Much of the bottled water for sale comes from municipal taps (40 percent in the U. S. )† (Natural Life, 2007, p. 10). Essentially, consumers are paying 2,000 times more for bottled water than the price for water that could easily be poured from the kitchen faucet. The amount of oil that is consumed for shipment and production of plastic bottles is the main reason why the price of bottled water is marked up so high. In addition to paying higher costs for bottled water, consumers’ tax dollars are responsible for paying to recycle the bottles. â€Å"More than four billion pounds of plastic water bottles go into landfills each year. This costs $70 million of taxpayers money each year in the United States alone† (Adeland, 2011, p. 230). The bottled water industry has made their products readily available and more convenient making it is easier to purchase a bottle of ater than it is to pour a glass of water from a tap. This results in a high demand for the product and, therefore, costs to manufacture, ship, and purchase bottled water are extreme. Besides being costly to the environment and to users, consuming bottled water does not come without health concerns. The plastic in bottled water, PET, breaks down and releases toxic chemical s into the water. â€Å"A study of 132 brands of bottled water in PET bottles stored for six months found that significant levels of antimony, a toxic chemical used in the bottle’s productions, had leached into the water† (Kingston, 2007, p. 0). The natural breakdown of this plastic can only allow for PET water bottles to be recycled a few times, each time risking more contaminants to be released in the water to be ingested by consumers. In regards to treatment and filtration, bottled water manufacturers are not as closely monitored as municipal water plants. â€Å"For instance, city tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria, but FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition† (Natural Life, 2007, p. 9). Another example of how bottled water is not as regulated as tap water involves testing for contaminants. For instance, Toronto, Ontario’s tap water must meet standards regarding 160 contaminants while bottled water benchmarks are less then six (Kingston, 2007). Sullivan and Leavey (2011) report on a study they conducted which tested the presence of 17 heavy metals in six different sources of bottled natural spring water. Fourteen of the 17 heavy metals tested in this study were detected and each of the brands of bottled water contained heavy metals. Arsenic contaminated all six sources in the highest concentration. These findings are not exclusive to natural spring water. In 2004, Coca-Cola recalled half a million Dasani water bottles in the UK due to excessive levels of bromate, a potentially harmful chemical. In 2007, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, recalled Jermuk Classic Sparkling Mineral Water for containing excessive levels of arsenic (Kingston, 2007). Arsenic is a mineral that is known to cause cancer and is linked to skin damage and circulatory issues with exposure to high concentrations. The contaminants in the plastic bottle itself, as well as in the packaged water, demonstrates that bottled water can have adverse influences on health. There are several, significant reasons why bottled water is surrounded by controversy: bottled water negatively effects the environment, the financial health of consumers, and the publics over all health. Evidently, an increase in bottled water consumption leads to a snowball effect of undesirable events. As discussed, oil is needed to produce the plastic used for bottled water, which effects the environment through gas emissions.