The Palestine-Israel Conflict and the United States Essay - 2

The Palestine-Israel Conflict and the United States - Essay Example History identifies land ownership and religion as the main problems in the conflict. The two societies believe that the subject land is their ancestral land and that they have a right over its ownership. Religious differences could also play a secondary role in facilitating the conflict through undermining resolution initiatives (Whitbeck 1; Khalidi 4-5). The conflict has been a serious one and its gravity can be identified from its effects and failure to find a solution over the long time of the conflict’s existence. Even efforts by international institutions such as the United Nations has failed to resolve the problem and this means that involved parties have intensive interest that they are not willing to compromise (Whitbeck 1). The conflict has manifested in diversified scopes that include large number of Arab refugees (Childers 1) and the level of oppression that Palestine citizens experience under Israeli forces (Carter 1). The scope of the problem that establishes land ownership in the conflict indicates the cause of the conflict. The urge to posses land for a Jewish nation led to immigration into the location that was occupied by the Palestine. The Zionist movement then led to violence that forced Palestine from their homes. Even though different explanations are offered for the Palestine emigration, all the versions point to the violent move by the Zionists. Some Palestine moved out of their homes because of the Zionist violence while others moved because of a directive from their Arab leaders who presumably planned a war in the region. In either case, the relocation of the Palestine from their land and the perception among Israelis that the remaining Palestine citizens should leave the area remains the cause of the continuous conflict. Related to interest in the land and the relocation of Palestine citizens is the United Nation’s recommendation of land allocation between the Zionists and the Palestine.

Obesity Trends in the United States Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obesity Trends in the United States - Case Study Example At the same time, there was no reduction of the obese American’s percentage in any State of the country. According to the statistics given in the mentioned above report, there are more than 30 % of children in the United States that are overweight. The same report warned that the countrywide obesity leads to an increase in various chronic diseases among the population. The latter, in turn, stimulates the growth of budget expenditures on health care. For the fifth year in succession the statistics shows that the highest percentage of obese adults is in Mississippi. It is almost 35% of the total population. In addition, in Mississippi is the highest number of obese children between 10 and 17 years (44.4%). Since 1980’s, the percentage of obese children in the United States has tripled. According to the recent analysis by the Trust for America’s Health, Obesity could contribute to millions of cases diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, and cancer in the next two decades (TFAH & RWJF, 2012).   What is the reason for the rise of the American gluttony in the last 30 years? Many theories have been put forward. Some researchers see economic reason for the obesity: fatty food is cheaper that the other. Some blame the manufacturers who modified products so that consumers turn into food addicts, eating more high-calorie sweet specialties. The researches at Princeton University found that fast food products can be as addictive as heroin (BBC, 2003). Sweet desserts and beverages account 25% of all calories consumed by Americans, 5% make salty snacks, and 10% percent make vegetables and fruits. Among favorite dishes traditionally are burgers, pizza, and potato chips. The increase in the number of obese people in the United States is, inherently, due to the expanding number of fast foods and increase of the portions produced. The size of the first McDonald’s burgers has significantly increased up till now, as well as the volume

Normal Flora And Bacteria Identification Biology Essay

Normal Flora And Bacteria Identification Biology Essay The human body is naturally inhabited by a wide variety of microbes, collectively referred to as normal flora. To investigate the diversity of these microbes at different sites of the body, swabs were taken from the skin behind the ear and back of the throat and cultivated on blood agar and mannitol salt agar plates. Based on colony morphology and Gram staining, Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli were tentatively identified as the most prominent normal flora cultured from the skin and throat respectively. Aim: To cultivate normal flora present on human skin and in the throat using differential selective media. To identify the specific bacteria grown from each region by observing the morphology of the colonies on the agar plates and Gram stained slides. Introduction: The human body is inhabited by a wide variety of microbes. In a healthy human internal tissue are normally free of microorganisms whereas surface tissues are in constant contact with environmental organisms and become readily colonized by certain microbial species (Toddar 2005). The mixture of organisms regularly found at any anatomical site is referred to as the normal flora or normal biota. Each body surface has its own characteristic resident biota made up of particular microbial species (Ingraham Ingraham, 2004). The type of bacteria found in a certain location depends on environmental needs such as ideal temperature, pH, physiology and available nutrients. For example, areas such as the armpit, navel or the back of the throat harbour more microorganisms due to the added moisture, higher body temperature and greater concentration of skin surface lipids (Baron 1996). To aid in the isolation and identification of individual types of bacteria present in our normal flora specialized growth media can be used. Selective media is used to either encourage or inhibit growth depending on the phenotype of the organism. In addition, differential media can help identify between two closely related bacteria that have small phenotypic differences (Ingraham Ingraham, 2004). Blood agar and mannitol salt agar are examples of commonly used media that are both selective and differential, aiding in the growth promotion, identification and discrimination of common human normal flora. This study aims to investigate and identify the normal flora diversity found on the human body using these standard microbiology techniques. Methods: Resident bacteria were sampled from two anatomical sites, the skin behind the ear and the back of the throat. Blood agar and mannitol salt agar plates were used; incubation time was 24 hours at temperature of 37ÂÂ °C. Gram staining tests and haemolysis were applied to detect colonies and identify them. Results: A number of different colonies were observed on both agar plates following isolation of normal flora from the skin and throat. Table 1 outlines the colony description, blood agar haemolysis and subsequent Gram stain from both anatomical sites sampled. On both plates Cocci bacteria were identified; Gram positive were present at both BA plates, and Gram negative bacteria were only identified at the back of the throat. Types of haemolysis were also different: beta type for sample from the skin, and gamma type for throat sample. Table 2 presents the findings of normal flora colonies grown on mannitol salt agar. The differences between MSA colonies were more significant than between BA colonies: samples from the back of the throat were Gram negative, and samples from the skin behind the ear were Gram negative. Based on these observations and knowledge of the most abundant normal flora at each site, a preliminary identification of the bacteria isolated was made. The bacteria in the throat is most likely Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria is most likely to be identified at the skin. Table 1: Colony morphology and Gram stain of resident microbes from the skin and throat, isolated on blood agar. Site Colony Morphology Haemolysis Cell Morphology Gram Stain Throat Filamentous flat shaped Gamma Cocci Enterococcus aureus Escherichia coli Gram negative and Gram positive Skin Circular convex shaped Beta Cocci Staphylococcus aureus (25% common) Streptococcus pyogenes (5% rare) Gram positive Table 2: Colony morphology and Gram stain of resident microbes from the skin and throat, isolated on mannitol salt agar. Site Colony Morphology Colour Cell Morphology Gram Stain Throat Punctiform flat shaped No color Cocci Neisseria sp. Neisseria meningitides Escherichia coli Proteus sp. Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Haemophilus Influenza Spirochetes Gram negative Skin Punctiform flat shaped Small pink or red colony Cocci Staphylococcus Epidermidis Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus pyogenes Corynebacteria (Bacilli) Gram positive Discussion: To investigate the diversity of normal flora, areas from the skin and throat were sampled and the resident bacteria isolated on blood agar and mannitol salt agar plates, prior to Gram staining. BA plates are differential: MSA plates are selective and differential. Cultures grew on each half of the plates. The results obtained at BA and MSA plates are different; this may result from several factors: sampling variations, growth variations and approximateness of estimates produced by Gram staining. For throat swabs, results were negative and positive at BA plate, and only negative at MSA plate; for skin swabs, Gram results were positive at both plates. At both halves of the plates major colonies could be identified. Generally, it was expected to testify greater variety of bacteria at the throat swab compared to skin swab basing on the difference of environments (humidity, higher temperature, exposure to different microorganisms). During the experiment, a slightly greater diversity was indeed observed. Escherichia Coli was determined as major colony at throat sample because BA plate demonstrated gamma haemolysis and the throat swab shown Gram-negative results both times (and Gram-positive results only at BA plate). Different shapes of colonies also correspond to this identification as E. Coli does not have a particular cell arrangement. Staphylococcus aureus were determined as type of colony for skin swab since of its colony type, beta haemolysis reaction and Gram-positive stain, 25% common. Also, Staphylococcus aureus is common for the normal flora of humans found on nasal passages, skin and mucous membranes (Bauman 2008), In order to make more detailed analysis, it is possible to perform catala se test. To make a conclusion, the results of the experiment demonstrate the diversity and preliminary identification of common normal flora found resident on the skin and throat.

Nathan Hawthorne :: Literary Analysis, Young Goodman Brown

In Nathan Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† the plot is carried through each stage of Freytag’s Pyramid. I will be discussing the rising action, climax, falling action, and discovery and reversal. I will explain why each of these sections are important to the reader. The complications begin as Goodman Brown walks out the door. The tensions between Goodman Browns own self and his wife Faith begin the rising action of the story. The first complication is between Goodman Brown and Faith. Goodman Brown has an errand, which, he never discloses to Faith or the reader. She asks him not to go, because she feels that something is wrong, he insists that he must leave her. I believe this undisclosed errand is to raise suspense for the reader. The next complication is as Goodman Brown turns away to leave. He is hesitant and starts to question his own judgments. He justifies his actions by forecasting that after this errand he will never leave Faiths side. The road he walks toward brings more tension. â€Å"The dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind,†(325). The description of the road brings suspense to the reader. He said â€Å"There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,† (326) then he spots a figure of a man. Goodman Brown nervously follows the old man as they talk and walk down the road. Goodman Brown notices the old man’s staff â€Å"which bore the likeness of a great black snake,† (326). The man rushes Goodman Brown down the trail. Goodman Brown eventually stops and said â€Å"It is my purpose now to return whence I came,† (327). The devilish old man persistence to continue down this long darken trail rises suspense. It makes the reader wonder, what is so important? Does Goodman Brown run away or keep going? This brings the third complication. In the forest Goodman Brown sees Goody Cloyse once his spiritual advisor and teacher. The devilish old man throws down his staff and she disappears. This make Goodman Brown believe that she is a witch. He also sees Deacon Gookin and the Minister in the ominous forest. This brings a burden to Goodman Brown that he can hardly stand. These are supposed to be the three purest of the townspeople. Yet, he sees them in a place â€Å"where no church have ever been gathered or solitary Christian prayed,† (329).

Workplace Discrimination Against Women

Workplace discrimination happens when a worker is subjected to unfavorable or unfair treatment based on nationality, caste, religion, gender and race. This means that discrimination against women at the workplace is gender based. It is inclusive of the workers who suffer retaliation due to their refusal to accept work place discrimination. The federal law is against workplace discrimination is all areas i. e. recruitment, training, promotion, demotion and disciplinary actions. The laws that protect people against unfair treatment do so based on the protected characteristics rather than the personality or the performance of the worker.Discrimination can therefore end up being subjective to a large extent and this means that what one person may consider discriminatory, another person might not (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). Forms of workplace discrimination against women Women have a right not to be discriminated against in the workplace as dictated by the international laws. However, the real ity on the ground is that people do not necessarily comply with the law and this means that women are still discriminated against. They are discriminated against in several ways. One, they lack access to the labor market.Studies claim that the rate of unemployment is higher among women compared to men (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). It also indicates that women have a lower participation in labor force when compared to men. There are also more women working at part time jobs than men although this might not be their choice. They further indicate that compared to men, there are more women who work for jobs they are overqualified. Statistics continue to show that among the discouraged workers i. e. the unemployed people who have stopped looking for jobs due to the unavailability of work, there are more women than men.These people are usually shut out of employment due to cultural, social, structural barriers or basically discrimination (Chirwa, 1999). Secondly, there is a big wage gap between employed men and women doing the same kind of work. Women get 15-30% less for work of same value done by men. Studies show that women are not safeguarded by higher educational achievements especially where high positions count. In several countries, the more educated a woman is, the bigger the wage gap (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). Despite the fact that women live longer than men, in a lifetime, they earn less.This makes them to be less advantaged when it comes to conditions for pension insurance. They also get lesser pensions on retirement. This kind of discrimination is global affecting even the first world nations despite the existence of laws protecting women against discrimination. Thirdly, we have the issue of glass ceiling. This is the practice where women are least considered when promotions are being done. Most companies have 90% and above of men in their executive positions and the same kind of percentage of women in the lowest positions. In most cases, the higher a post is, the lesser the chance of a woman occupying it.This is irrespective of the educational level of the woman. In fact, women who manage to be at the executive positions are usually an exception to the rule. Even in the companies which are female dominated, you still find more men in the executive positions (Gregory, 2003). The major reasons for such problems are as a result of discrimination against women. The society makes women to compensate or pay a gender penalty as mothers. Most employers do not want to handle the hassles which come with motherhood and therefore, they solve the problem by employing more men than women.However, studies indicate that employers incur an increased cost of 1% or less of gross income of women workers when they hire a woman than when they employ a man. Other than the economic reasons, women are also discriminated against as a result of misguided preconceptions and stereotyping about women’s abilities and roles, leaders hip style and commitment (Landrine & Klonoff, 1997). Sociological perspectives Workplace discrimination against women can be looked at through three sociological perspectives.The first perspective of functionalism which is built upon two emphases: a) use of similarity between society and individuals and b) applying scientific methods to the social world. The first emphasis on the society’s unity makes functionalists to hypothesize about people’s needs which have to be met in order for a social system to be there. It also makes them to consider the ways through which those needs are met by social institutions. The similarity between individuals and society is focused on the homeostatic features of social systems i. e. social systems are there to maintain balance when it is disturbed by external shocks.This is basically achieved through socializing society members to certain common norms and values which enable consensus to be achieved. In the cases where socialization i s not fully sufficient to achieve so, some social control mechanisms are used to either reinstate conformity or isolate the people who can not be conventional from the society. These include gossip, sneering and sanctions (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). The second emphasis asserts that the social world can be studied just like a physical world. Functionalists view social world as real and as one which can be observed through interviews and social surveys.It also assumes that the values of the investigator’s do not have to interfere with search for laws which govern social system’s behavior. This perspective tries to show that people’s behavior is usually molded by the forces in the society. Individuals are treated as puppets whose behavior is as a result of the internalized expectations and the social structure of where they were brought up or live. In relation to workplace discrimination against women, functionalists would argue that men discriminate ag ainst women because that is the way the society is (Landrine & Klonoff, 1997).Conventionally, women were treated as home makers and children bearers and men as the bread winners. Although the world has evolved and women have become educated, the society still feels that men should provide and women should take care of their families. Working and earning are only seen as additional benefits of women in the society but they have to fulfill their roles as mothers and homemakers. It is not a wonder then when men do not find women competitive enough to handle the roles which men have always thought that they are theirs. At the same time, men may not feel that women should get better positions in a men’s world.The issue of maternity leaves and sick offs for pregnant women make men view them as incompetent. This explains why men are against women climbing up the ladder. Functionalists claim that is the way the social structure dictates (Chirwa, 1999). The second perspective is symbo lic interactionism. This is a sociological perspective about the society and self which was founded by pragmatists. It dictates that people’s lives are lived in the symbolic field. People derive symbols from social objects which have shared meanings which they create and maintain during social interactions.Symbols usually give provision to the ways through which reality is constructed through communication and language. Reality then becomes product of the society and people’s culture, society, minds and self are based on such symbols. These are the ones which determine human conduct (Gilliland, Steiner & Skarlicki, 2007). In relation to workplace discrimination against women, the society has created symbols which guide its thinking regarding how things should operate. For example, the society looks at men as leaders, heroes, heads and people who show others the way forward.The symbol that the society has created regarding women is that of submission, weakness and peopl e who follow instructions which have already been made by men. When a woman becomes a leader, she goes against the symbols that the society has already established. This is expressed in almost all aspects of life. In movies, the heroes are always men and when we have women, they are created as people who can not make decisions. On the other hand, men who are led by women are seen as weak. This can therefore explain why men do not want to give women leadership positions because that is a symbol of weakness.When women are subjected to this kind of life, they also accept their position as followers and the ones in leadership positions are seen as exceptions to the symbols in a society (Gregory, 2003). Finally, we have the conflict theory as the third perspective of looking at discrimination against women at the workplace. This theory argues that individuals and social classes or groups in a society have different quantities of resources, both non-material and material and that the grou ps which have more usually make use of their power to take advantage of the ones with less power.Its believed that the people in power make use of it in order to keep their favorable positions. They use it to keep the less powerful from gaining as this would only jeopardize their position. This can then explain why women are discriminated against at the workplace. Men have had power for a long time which they gained from the favorable position that the society places them in. However, women have catch up and they also have power in terms of money and education and this threatens the men’s position in the society.Men in leadership use their power to act as barriers towards women’s progression because they do not want them taking their favorable positions. When women are discriminated against in terms of less payments and lack of career advancement, they lose their leverage to gain the power which is to the advantage of men (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). Conclusion Discriminatio n against women makes them to be offered employment which is not gratifying. They get jobs which may not allow career advancement, jobs paying less and work which is precarious.They are also subjected to mobbing, bullying, sexual and moral harassment as well as unfriendly corporate culture. All these contribute to lower labor force participation among women which translates to economic loss in terms of higher social security and unemployment benefits, reduced tax income and lowered economic growth. This means that if men could appreciate the changes in the world and embrace the idea of career women who have equal opportunities as men, this would not only promote sound economic goals but also, it would improve social cohesion in America.

Climates and Climate Related Factors Essay

Tropical wet climates or wet equatorial climates are usually found in areas near the equator as the name states. These areas include the Amazon, Congo, Southeast Asia and are sometimes found in the trade wind belts. The Koppen symbol for this type of climate is Af. This climate has the smallest temperature range in the world being between 2 and 3.6 degrees. These areas don’t have a dry season because of the close proximity to the equator which covers 5-10 degrees. The weather remains constant being warm and wet year around. Tropical wet climates see 60-100 inches of rain annually and experience convective thunderstorms. This climate is known for being seasonless due to the consistency in day to day weather. The reason for thse constant weather patterns is mainly location. The latitude position allows sun coverage directly above creating uniform insolation. Also, the ITCZ creates the year around humid, unstable air. These weather conditions create oxisol and latosol soils which are the least fertile; however, are an ideal location for tropical rainforests to emerge. Tropical rainforests and selva are home to animals such as birds, reptiles and insects. Those who live in these types of climates may use the weather to their advantage with agriculture, forestry, and with slash and burn cultivation. Tropical savanna climates are found further from the equator extending to 25Â °N and S latitude. The Koppen symbol for this type of climate is Aw. Characteristics that make this climate distinctive is the alternation of a wet and dry season. Locations that experience the Aw climate are Africa, S. America, and N. Australia. Winters in this climate are dry with clear skies and are associated with subtropical highs. The summers are wet with many thunderstorms anf convectional rain of the ITCZ. The tropical savanna sees an average of 35 to 70 inches of rain annually which mostly comes from the summer season. The average annual tempeteature range is 5 to 15Â °. A surplus of the water supply comes during the summer. These weather conditions create a laterite soil type making it an ideal location for grasslands and tall grasses to thrive. These grasslands are home to lions, gazelles and zebras. Those who live in these locations can create ranches with animals or use the wildlife to their advantage for ecotourism. The tropical monsoon climate is similar to the tropical savanna climate in the way they both have wet summers and dry winters. The Koppen symbol for this climate is Aw. This type of climate is found in areas such as southeast Asia, western Africa, northeastern South America, the Phillipines, northeastern Australia, and some islands of the East Indies. It isn’t uncommon to see 30 inches of rain within two or three months in the summer. The annual total rain in inches falls within 100 and 200. There is a surplus of rainfall in the summer and a deficit in the winter. The tropical monsoon climates are dominated by offshore winds and seasonal reversal of winds. Latosol soils, red or yellow in color, are found in the Aw climate allowing deciduous forests with some grasses to grow. Birds, reptiles and insects call this climate home. Those who live in tropical monsoon climate can build plantations, grow rice or sugarcane. The tropical desert climate, or Bwh, is found in North Africa and southwestern Eurasia. Moist winds are kept out of this area by the Andes mountains. These locations are found 25-30 degrees N and S latitude. The tropical desert climate experiences very hot summers and mild winters. The annual temperature ranges 15 to 25Â °F with scarce rainfall typically less than 12 inches. Climatic controls that cause these weather patterns are cool ocean currents that cool any air that comes across it and subsidence from subtropical highs. The desert has aridosol soil which is fertile, but requires irrigation. Snakes, birds, reptiles and rabbits call the tropical desert climate home. Those who call the tropical desert home can create jobs by salt mining. The steppe climate, or Bsh, is very similar to the tropical desert climate and surround the Bwh climates except on the western side. They are found mostly on the edges of the desert. Rainfall is somewhat greater than the tropical desert climate and temperatures are slightly moderated with hot summers and mild winters. The weather system is controlled by cool ocean currents and is affected by the rain shadow of mountains. The steppe climate has short grasslands making it an ideal home to many reptiles, snakes, birds, and rabbits. Chestnut/brown soils allow these grasses to grow. Those who call the steppe climate home may take up cattle ranching to earn an income. The humid subtropical climate, represented as Cfa Cwa and Cwb, is located at 30 degrees latitude on eastern sides of the continents. Some locations that experience this type of climate include North America, South America, and Eurasia. The summers at this latitude are warm and hot, while the winters are mild to cold. During the summer, the average temperature ranges between 75 and 80 degrees. These climates receive convectional rain during the summer and cyclonic rain during the winter. Annual precipitation is abundant between 40 and 65 inches. The location of the humid subtropical climate plays a huge role on the climate. It is located in between and on up tilted side of subtropical high pressure cells. There is gray/brown or yellow podsol soil in this climate allowing forest growth. Forests also bring along the forest animals such as deer, raccoons, and black bears. This also makes it an ideal farming area. The Mediterranean or sometimes referred to as the Dry- summer sub-tropial climate, is known as Csa or Csb. These C climates are located 35 degrees North and South latitude. Some locations that experience this type of climate include Southern Europe, Central Chile, and the South tip of Africa. Summers in these locations are hot and dry with wet, mild winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 25 inches. Rainfall in the Mediterranean is cyclonic. A large amount of the precipitation falls in the winter and summers are mostly rainless. These weather patterns are controlled by the subtropical high pressure cells. There is a deficit of rain in the summer and a surplus in the winter. The soils in these C climates can be very fertile if irrigated. The soil is a chestnut/brown pedical which is very dry with an abundance of calcium. Chaparrals thrive in this type of climate. They take on a brown/yellow color in the summer and become green in the winter. Mountain lions, bears, deer, coyotes, gofers and birds call this climate home. These areas are used for agriculture with irrigation in the winter. Moving further from the equator at 40-60 degrees North and South latitude is the West Coast Marine climate. The koppen symbols for this type of climate are Cfc and Cfb. Some major locations within this climate are Western and Central Europe, the Western side of North America, and New Zealand. For this latitude, these areas experience very mild winters as well as mild summers. Westerly winds adjacent to the ocean are the reason for the mild summer and winters. It is wet year around due to oceanic influence with an annual rainfall between 30 and 50 inches received mostly in the winter. Podsol or spotosol is the soil type this climate allowing needle leaf forests with some deciduous trees to grow. Deer, bears, birds and other forest animals call this climate home. These forests may be used people for lumbering to gain a profit on the lands. The mid-latitude desert and steppe climates are also very similar. First, the mid-latitude desert climate, or Bwk, can be found distant from the ocean and surrounded by mountains. Some of these locations include central Eurasia, North American and southern South America. The Bwk region receives most of its precipitation during the summer when warming is occurring. This warming also causes the ice to melt and create more of a water supply. The winter is dominated by severely low temperatures and anticyclonic conditions. These low temperatures create a much lower annual temperature range than the subtropical desert climate. The most fertile soil in the world is found in the mid-latitude climate allowing grasslands to grow. These grasslands are home to grass eating animals and the lands are used for animals to graze. The mid-latitude steppe climate, or Bsk, isn’t much different from the desert climate. It’s mainly used as a transition between desert and humid climates. Some areas that experience these climates are in found in the interior southwest of the United States such as Colorado. The temperatures in the Bsk climate are similar to the desert climate; however, have more precipitation and lesser temperature extremes. These climates are similar in the way that they are both grassland oriented, home to grass eating animals, and the land is used for animals to graze. Moving even farther from the equator, between 35 and 55 degrees North and South latitude, is the Humid Continental climate, or Dfa, Dfb, Dwa, and Dwb. Eurasia and North America are a couple locations that have this type of climate. They experience long, very cold winters and hot summers. Precipitation is not high ranging only between 20-40 inches. Westerly winds and storms, especially in the winter play a key role in the weather conditions. The average winter month temperature is usually between 10 and 25 degrees F. Gray-brown podsols are found in the humid continental climate as well as prairie grasses and mixed forest, deciduous and evergreen. There is a large variety or mammals and birds. The humid continental climate is ideal for farming. 50 to 70 degrees North and South latitude is the Continental Subarctic climate, or Dfc, Dwd, Dfd, and Dwc. Locations that experience this climate are Western Alaska across Canada, Eurasia, and Scandanavia. There are extremely cold winter conditions in these D climates with a light amount of snow that falls during the winter; however, little melting takes place until the summer. Cyclonic storms alternate with prominent anticylonic conditions. The annual precipitation is 5-20 inches. Also, continentality is also a key factor in the reason for the cold winters and hot summers. The absolute annual temperature variation has sometimes been as dramatic as -90 degrees F to 98 degrees F. Podsolization occurs here making the soil cold and wet. This is an area where evergreen trees will thrive and be a home to animals such as deer, birds, bears and elk. Many people use these locations for forestry. The last two climates are Tundra and the Icecap which are both cold climates. The Tundra, or ET climate, is located pole ward of the margins and occupies small coastal areas in the Antarctic. The warmest month will only reach up to 32 degrees F making it extremely difficult for plant life other than small bushes and grasses to grow. The ET climate experiences long, cold winters and cool summers. Most of the precipitation falls during the summer, but is less than 10 inches annually that falls mostly in the form of snow. There is a low evaporation level due to the low temperatures. Tundra soil is found in these climates. Polar bears and some birds can tolerate the coldness of the ET climate and many people use these animals for fur trapping. The last climate is the Icecap or EF climate. Antarctica and Greenland are two locations that experience these freezing weather conditions. 50 degrees F is the average temperature of the warmest month found on the very edge of the Tundra. More towards the center of the tundra, temperatures don’t exceed 32 degrees F. There is a sparse amount of precipitation in this climate with only less than 5 inches all in the form of snow. The cause for these freezing temperatures is mostly the latitude location. Also, the distance from sources of heat cause cold temperatures. There is no soil type here, with no vegetation and no economic activity.