Design for sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design for sustainability - Essay Example Design for sustainability refers to the philosophy of designing products or objects that are environmentally friendly and conform to the principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability. Design for sustainability is also known as environmentally sustainable design or simply sustainable design The aim of design for sustainability is to completely get rid of negative environmental effects or impacts through skillful and sensitive design. Its manifestation does no want resources that cannot be renewed, has minimal impact on the environment and relate humans to the natural environment. Therefore, when designing a product, companies should incorporate environmental and social factors throughout the life cycle and supply chain of the product with respect to their socio-economic surrounding (McAloone and Bey, 2009). The life cycle of a product begins from extracting, processing and supplying of the raw materials and energy required for the product. It then proceeds to the produc tion, distribution, consumption (reuse and recycling) and ultimate disposal. It is important to note that sustainability has no absolute value; the sustainability of any product is an allusive quality that will differ from one product to another (McAloone and Bey, 2009). Due to global concerns over environmental and social problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, health and pollution, most industries have improved their products to meet sustainability criteria or principles in order to out do or out shine their competitors. However, there are some companies that have not adapted this principles of sustainability and their products seem to be so unfriendly and unsustainable, for instance, the plastic bags (Diehl and Crul, 2007). The plastic bags were initially considered to be more sanitary and friendly to the environment as compared to the deforesting paper bag. They are cheaper to make, sturdy and easy to carry. However, with recent findings, they have proved to be very much environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable. Plastic bags are made from flimsy plastics which are not easy to recycle. They easily blow into trees and water bodies thereby killing marine life. They also take much of the required landfill space. In addition, plastics are made from polyethylene (a by product of oil refining) which is a non renewable resource. According to Mendis (2009), the oil used in making plastics is about 4% of the world’s total oil production. Plastics are also produced using a lot of electricity as compared to the paper bags; they require four times as much energy produce and 85 times as much to recycle (Mendis, 2009). The chemicals and inks used in making the plastics can also leak and pollute the environment, particularly the soil and water bodies. When burned, the chemicals and inks in the plastics produce noxious compounds that are a threat to the human life. Plastic bags are non biodegradable; they take about 400 to 1000 years to disa ppear. Plastic bags also have the tendency of causing suffocation among children. It is estimated that about twenty five children (below one year) in the US suffocate each year because of the plastic bags (Mendis, 2009). The plastic bags are also a threat to the life of most animals. About 105,000 sea animals such as dolphins, penguins, whales and turtles die yearly due to plastic bags. Most of these animals mistake the plastic bags for food, ingest them and eventually die (Mendis, 2009). For instance the turtles always mistake the bags for jellyfish. And since the plastic bag are non digestible, they will intact even after the animal dies and decomposes. Thus, it lies in the sea and gets ingested with another animal. Having mentioned the impacts of plastic bags on the environment and how it is unsustainable, it is wise to explore ways of making it environmentally friendly or give alternative for it. To protect the environment, it is therefore important to consider the following alt ernatives to plastic bags: use

How could the Holocaust have beet prevented Essay Example for Free

How could the Holocaust have beet prevented Essay You have probably heard about a period of time, not so long ago, known as The Holocaust. A holocaust, according to Websters dictionary, is a complete destruction by fire (Stadtler, 1). In Europe, during this period, there was a complete destruction by fire of Jewish homes, Jewish businesses, Jewish neighborhoods, and Jewish people. This destruction was carried out under the direction of Adolf Hitler, during the years 1939-1945, but it actually began earlier, in 1933, when Hitler came to power in Germany. In my opinion, the Holocaust, which was caused by ignorance, could very well have been prevented. There were many powerful nations, such as the United Stated, the USSR, and Britain, whose leaders and militaries could have stepped in and helped the Jewish people who were facing extremely brutal persecution. Throughout most of the war, the American government clung to the delusion that the Nazis were persecuting the Jews because of their political or religious beliefs. The U.S. closed its gates to emigration from Europe in 1940-1941, when Jews were still allowed to emigrate. Anti-Semitism in America actually increased during the war and started to decline only at the end of it (Bauer, 297). A Soviet attitude toward the murder of the Jews simply did not exist. While fighting a desperate battle for its own survival, Britain saved the Jews of Palestine, North Africa, and much of the British Empire from the fate of European Jewry. The British fought only for themselves, but the defense of their own interests coincided with the defense of civilized humanity, including the Jews (Bauer, 296). The May 1939 White Paper on immigration to Palestine stated that immigration to Palestine would end after 75,000 had been admitted between 1939 and 1944. When war broke out, the British decreed that no enemy nationals could enter Palestine, which in effect, closed the doors to those who needing rescue most, specifically the European Jews trying to escape the Nazis. At first, the thought of such destruction in Europe was incomprehensible to other Nations. They heard of what was occurring, but did not believe it, and therefore did nothing. The suffering of hundreds of thousands, soon of millions, was evident for consciences to be aroused, for steps to be taken.  Nothing was done (Bauer, 297). I feel the ignorance of these Nations was the cause of the loss of 6 million lives. Had these Nations not turned their heads away and ignored what was happening, they could have saved many lives and prevented the Holocaust. By allowing emigration from Europe into their countries, by trying to negotiate with Hitler, or if worse came to worse, assassinating Hitler, things might have been different. By not recognizing the events leading to the Holocaust and of the Holocaust, they also caused the Holocaust along with Adolf Hitler. The Holocaust could only have been prevented by the World Powers, but they failed to do so because they were so ignorant. During the 19th century, European Jewry was being emancipated, and in most European countries, Jews were achieving some equality of status with non-Jews. Nonetheless, at times, Jews were vilified and harassed by anti-Semitic groups. Indeed, some anti-Semites believed that Jewry was an alien race not assimilable into a European culture, but they did not formulate any coherent anti-Semitic campaign until Hitler came to power. Germany was defeated in World War I after a four year struggle that left its people exhausted and divided. The harsh peace terms of the Versailles Treaty placed a heavy economic burden on them. Before the war Germany had thought of itself as Europes greatest nation. Now it was confused, bitter, and economically crippled, its wealth drained to pay the vast sums demanded by the Versailles Peace Treaty. Rising inflation left many Germans poor and others jobless. Political differences exploded in assassinations and street fighting. The new democratic government of Germany, the Weimar Republic, was unable to prevent disorder and caused people to lose faith in democracy. With Germans of all outlooks desperately seeking solutions for the nations problems, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party began their climb to power. Hitler was gifted with effective political talents. He offered an explanation for Germanys defeat, and a vision of Germanys future destiny, that played upon the fears, prejudices, and hopes of many Germans. He promised to rebuild  Germanys power and restore its prosperity (Isaacman, 16). This won the support of many Germans. Hitler was such an effective speaker that anything he said was believed even if it was not true. Hitler believed that the German people were part of an Aryan race, a superior group that should be kept pure to fulfill their mission of ruling the world. He felt that the Jewish people were sub-human, when in actuality they were virtually the same as his Aryan race. Not only did Hitler have a personal hatred toward the Jewish people, but he also blamed them for stabbing Germany in the back after Germanys defeat in World War I. Hitler used them as scapegoats because they were a minority and were easy to put the blame on. Historians agree that the Holocaust resulted from a confluence of various factors in a complex historical situation. That anti-Semitism festered throughout the centuries in European culture is centrally important; the Jews were (and are) a minority civilization in a majority environment. In periods of crisis, instead of searching for the solution of such crisis within the majority culture, the majority will tend to project blame for the crisis on a minority which is both familiar and weak. As the originators and bearers of an important part of civilization, the Jews are a father civilization against which pent up aggressions are easily unleashed (Bauer, 330). Anti-Semitism had always played a role in Nazi propaganda, for Hitler blamed most of Germanys problems on the Jews. Anti-Jewish laws of every kind were passed. Jews could no longer be judges, lawyers, teachers, government officials, army officers. Jewish doctors could not treat non-Jewish patients, Jews could not employ non-Jews, and Jews and non-Jews could not have social relationships. Jewish property was taken by the government, Jewish businesses were closed down, Jewish children could not attend public schools. All the media were utilized to spread anti-Jewish messages. On the street, Jews were mocked, tormented, and even beaten for no other reason but being Jewish. Jewish people were forced to wear Star of David armbands and were often attacked by storm troopers. On November 9-10, 1938, known as Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass), hundreds of synagogues throughout Germany were burned by Nazi mobs, windows of Jewish shops were smashed, and thousands of Jews were arrested. Kristallnacht was a signal to Jews in Germany and Austria to leave as soon as possible. Several  hundred thousand people were able to find refuge in other countries, but a similar number, including many who were old or poor, stayed to face an uncertain fate (Stadtler, 12). The countries of Europe and the United States too, only admitted a small number of Jews. Had these countries made an exception for these people who were being treated poorly in their home countries there would have been a smaller amount of lives lost in the years to come. Throughout the 1930s, conditions for the Jews in Germany worsened. Some people in the United States refused to buy German products in an effort to put pressure on Hitler, but it did not help. This was not enough, the United States was a strong world power and could have done more to aid the Jewish people of Germany. What could a small amount of people not buying German products do? Absolutely nothing because Germany was much stronger than these few people; the aid of an entire nation was needed, not the aid of a few people. Since no one was stopping Hitler, he proceeded to enlarge Germanys territory. Threatening to use force if he did not get his way, he gained control of Austria in 1938 and of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Later in 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland, World War II broke out. During the early years of the war, Hitlers armies conquered most of Europe. Millions of Jews were now under German rule, and Hitler felt he was at last in a position to solve the Jewish Question. As Hitler saw it, the Jewish Question was simply the fact that the Jews existed. Therefore, the final solution emerged as a way to destroy them. Throughout Europe, in all the countries under their control- Poland, Western Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy, France, Holland, Denmark, Norway- the Jews were rounded up and confined in concentration camps or ghettos. Stripped of their property, brutalized, terrified, and disoriented, they were forced to work as slave laborers in abominable conditions. Many died of starvation and disease. Others were shot or beaten to death. Before long, rumors of this brutality reached capitals of the world, but nothing was done. As the war against the Jews progressed, however, the Nazis turned to large scale centralized killing operations. Jews from all over Europe were loaded into trains and shipped to death camps, among them, Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor. LOCATION OF GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS In the death camps, human life was destroyed quickly and efficiently (Isaacman, 19). Under the whips of cruel SS guards, the Jewish victims were herded off the trains and into gas chambers, where they were exterminated by a poisonous gas. Millions of non-Jews were also systematically killed- political opponents, Slavic peoples, and other minorities. In the case of the Jews, the Nazis were determined to annihilate an entire people. Some Jews fought back at every possible opportunity. Some Christians, too, tried to help. Taking great personal risks, they hid Jewish friends in their homes or cellars. Many of these people were caught and killed by the Nazis. People willing to take such risks were few and far between in Europe. Had other nations of the world been as righteous and as brave as these people, and combined their efforts, this attempted annihilation of the Jewish people could have been prevented. To some Nazis the final solution was more important than anything else. Though Germany was hemmed in by enemies and fighting for its life, they diverted valuable resources to the extermination machine (Isaacman, 20). Trains that could have carried ammunition to the front were used to transport Jews to death camps. Soldiers who could have been defending their country were instead sent to round up and guard Jewish civilians. After several years of war, Hitler knew he could not defeat America and the other Allies, but he was determined to win at least one victory by wiping out the Jews (Isaacman, 20). The United States and other world powers were too focused on the war to maintain their pride. While in Germany Hitler was trying to wipe an entire people off the face of the Earth. If these other nations of the world were not so ignorant, the lives of six million people  could have been saved. Hitler and his Nazi Party treated the Jewish people so inhumanely. He and his party felt that the Jews were biologically different, when in fact they were and are not. Every human being is equal and should be treated equally. No one is superior to anyone else, even though some may have an egocentric attitude. In 1945, Hitler committed suicide. Rather than correcting his errors, Hitler took the easy way out by committing suicide. The ultraorthodox Jewish theology justifies the Holocaust as an act of God, a punishment for sins committed by the Jewish people against their God. Others feel that the Holocaust was a result of mans betrayal to God. I feel that the Holocaust is not at all justified. During the Holocaust, six million Jewish people died, that is more than one-third (about 34 percent) of the Jewish population. From the liberated Nazi camps, weeping skeletons of men and women emerged. Among them were 200,000 Jews. These have to be added to the 210,000 that survived in France, about 37,000 in Belgium, 20,000 in the Netherlands, about 1,900,000 in the Polish-Soviet area, 350,000 in Rumania, 130,000 in Hungary, and smaller numbers elsewhere. Including Soviet Jewry, part of whom were never under Nazi rule, about 3 million Jews were left in Europe out of the original 9 million Jews before the war (Bauer, 334). As I stated before, there is only one thing and one thing only that caused this horrid event called the Holocaust, ignorance. Not just ignorance of the United States and the other world powers, but the ignorance of Hitler and his Nazi Party as well. Had the U.S. and other nations offered aid to the Jewish refugees, and opened their doors to these refugees, they would have saved many lives. Instead, they were just as guilty as the Nazis by helping in the destruction of an entire race. WORKS CITED PAGE Bauer, Yehuda. A History of the Holocaust. New York: Franklin Watts, 1983. Chartock, Roselle, Jack Spencer. The Holocaust Years: Society on Trial. New York: Bantam Books, 1978. Des Pres, Terrence. The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Holocaust. Microsoft Encarta (CD ROM). 1993. Stadtler, Bea. The Holocaust: A History of Courage and Resistance. New York: Behrman House, Inc., 1973. Isaacman, Clara. Pathways Through the Holocaust. New York: Ktav Publishing House, Inc., 1988.

Journeys End by RC Sheriff :: English Literature

Journey’s End R.C Sheriff wrote Journey’s end in 1928. The play was written 10 years after the war had finished to let people’s emotions feelings and emotions about the war settle down. The play is set near the end of the war, in 1918, along the western front in France. Sheriff set the whole play in one setting so it is easier to stage, it personalizes it, and it creates a sense of entrapment. The whole play is set in the trenches, which are very confined, damp and cold. They were most likely inhabited by rats and the dugouts most likely smelled. The final scene is set in the dugout, at dawn just before a German attack is expected. At he beginning of the scene â€Å"There is no sound except the distant mutter of the guns.† But later on in the scene â€Å"There comes the faint whistle and thud of falling shells.† Towards the end pf the scene the noise from the shells being dropped intensifies and continues like this until the end of the play. R.C Sheriff uses comedy in the play to lighten the mood and to add relief from the depression of war. The party scene was a scene where everyone forgot about the war and started to lighten up. At the beginning of this scene the audience most likely expects the mood to be unsettled and things to be tense between the characters, this is because of the arguments that happened between the characters the night before. â€Å"Towards dawn, the candles are no longer burning.† Mason is framed in the doorway against the very lights. â€Å"There comes the rasp of a striking match-a tiny flame- and a candle gleams.† Mason the wakes Stanhope up. This depicting the way he is breaking the tension from the previous night’s argument and how he is lightening the mood, be it with a hot cup of tea or with his tactful handling of Hibbert later on. In â€Å"Journey’s End† the lighting is very important because it outlines what kind of mood different parts of the scene are. For example, at the start of Act 3 Scene 3, it is half past five on the morning the attack is expected. The lighting would be very dark, creating a depressing atmosphere. Near the end of the scene, as Raleigh is dying, â€Å"The faint rosy glow of the dawn is deepening to an angry red.† At this point the lights would slowly turn red, representing death, blood and pain. The audience think Hibbert is a coward, mainly because he tried to o home, complaining of neuralgia, when he was fine at the party, and he takes his time over everything he does.

Computers And Strategic Games :: Technology Thinking Papers

Computers and Strategic Games We all know that computers can help a jumbo jet land safely in the worst of weather, aid astronauts in complex maneuvers in space, guide missiles accurately over vast stretches of land, and assist doctors and physicians in creating images of the interior of the human body. We are lucky and pleased that computers can perform these functions for us. But in doing them, computers show no intelligence, but merely carry out lengthy complex calculations while serving as our obedient helpers. Yet the question of whether computers can think, whether they are able to show any true intelligence has been a controversial one from the day humans first realized the full potential of computers. Exactly what intelligence is, how it comes about, and how we test for it have become issues central to computer science and, more specifically, to artificial intelligence. In searching for a domain in which to study these issues, many scientists have selected the field of strategic games. Strategic games requ ire what is generally understood to a high level of intelligence, and through these games, researchers hope to measure the full potential of computers as thinking machines (Levy & Newborn 1). From the beginning, some have argued that computers would never be good at strategic games until humans themselves understood how they themselves played and then modeled computers to play the same way. Most computer scientists felt that humans carried out highly selective searches, and programmers initially set out to have their programs do the same. It was believed that special-purpose computer languages in which gaming concepts could be easily expressed were necessary. There were some that argued that although human intuition could not be programmed, it was required for top-level play. Computers have improved gradually over the years from the point of barely making legal moves to the current state of being world-class players. On the surface, they do not seem to imitate the human thought process, but upon closer examination, one begins to sense that they do. How exactly do computers play strategic games? The best way of answering this question is to look at how computers play the g ame of chess, as this game in order to be mastered requires what we consider to be the highest level of intelligence. Among all the strategic games, the game of chess has been studied the most by AI researchers with the objective of making chess-playing machines that can defeat the best human players.

Written Questionnaires for Investigating Students’ Career Aspirations

A questionnaire is a set list of questions. Positivists see questionnaires as useful because they produce statistical data which correlations and cause and effect relationships can be drawn. Positivists in particular see questionnaires because they produce statistical data from which correlations and cause and effects relationships can be drawn. Advantages of using questionnaires are very useful for getting large quantities of basic information on career aspirations. The pupils are geographically scattered group.It is easier to research a large sample size of pupils. This can easily be done by posting the questionnaires to them, as Connor and Dewson did in 2001 when they posted 4,000 questionnaires out. Positivists see this as useful because they want to be able to make generalisation by using a representative group. It can be particularly useful when researching sensitive issues. Their anonymity may overcome pupils' embarrassment such as questions about financial support etc. As a r esult, the response may be more likely to be higher to reveal details of their experience.However, it depends on whether the pupils and parents are reassured that their anonymity will be safeguarded. Questionnaires are much better to find data which can be compared and analysed, and are therefore particularly useful for testing hypotheses about cause-and-effect relationships present in pupils’ career aspirations, such as correlation between family income and pupils aspirations. From this analysis, we can make statements about the possible causes of poor pupil aspirations and which children are most likely to have them. Positivists therefore favour this more compared to interpretivists.However there are also many limitations of using questionnaires for investigating pupils’ career aspirations. For example questionnaires are only snapshots of time. They give a picture of social reality at only one moment in time, and for something such as career aspirations which change constantly and are never really fixed always. Furthermore trends in career aspirations are always likely to be present; this means that information could possibly be biased or incorrect. This is why interpretivists tend not to use written questionnaires.Another limitation of using written  questionnaires for investigating pupils’ career aspirations is that they are a very inflexible method as argued by interpretivists. Once the researcher has found out the pupils career aspirations, no other areas of interests can be explored. This contrasts with more flexible methods of research such as unstructured interviews, which allows the research to go in different directions, as preferred by interpretivists. In conclusion, there are several strengths as well as limitations of using written questionnaires, however in the case of investigations pupils’ careers aspirations written questionnaires are useful and insightful.

Regulation of the Citric Acid Cycle by NADH Essay Example

Regulation of the Citric Acid Cycle by NADH Essay Example Regulation of the Citric Acid Cycle by NADH Paper Regulation of the Citric Acid Cycle by NADH Paper Regulation of the Citric Acid Cycle by NADH The Citric Acid Cycle is regulated mainly by the availability of substrates and by feedback inhibition by its products (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle). One such example of product inhibition is the regulation of the cycle by the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), three molecules of which are formed in one turn of the cycle. NADH –specifically, a high [NADH] / [NAD+] ratio – also inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase, which is the enzyme that converts pyruvate to the acetyl-CoA that enters the cycle in its first step. This ratio increases in conditions of fatty acid oxidation, for example, during starvation. The increase in the [NADH] / [NAD+] ratio inhibits the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, which will then effect into a sparing of carbohydrates. In conditions such as starvation, this sparing of carbohydrates makes sense. Moreover, NADH inhibits the enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase and ÃŽ ±-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, which catalyze two of the reactions in which NADH is formed. Along with ATP, which also inhibits the two enzymes, levels of NADH increase when the cell has abundant energy stores. Increased NADH levels, therefore, serve to signal the cell that it does not need to produce as much energy through the citric acid cycle (Champe, Harvey, Ferrier, 2005). Regulation of Fatty Acid Catabolism The catabolism of fatty acids is regulated by several factors, depending mostly on the nutritional status of the individual. This is because fatty acids serve as the body’s major fuel storage reserve (Champe, Harvey, Ferrier, 2005). In starvation states, the low insulin/glucagon ratio favors degradation of fatty acids, usually in the muscle and in the liver. Once the fatty acids are fully oxidized, they yield acetyl-CoA, which are then further processed by the citric acid cycle to yield the energy especially needed by the body during timesof starvation. On the other hand, after a carbohydrate-rich meal, the insulin/glucagon ratio increases. This stimulates fatty acid synthesis, as a way of storing excess energy. When fatty acid synthesis is occurring in the cytosol of the cell, levels of malonyl CoA increase, and this compound inhibits the carnitine shuttle that transports long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria. Without the carnitine shuttle, fatty acid oxidation cannot proceed and is therefore inhibited (Champe, Harvey, Ferrier, 2005). This is only logical, since the body still has enough energy derived from the carbohydrate-rich meal and does not need the acetyl-CoA that would otherwise have been formed from fatty acid catabolism. Regulation of the Urea Cycle Urea is the form in which amino groups that are derived from amino acids are disposed. When an individual ingests a protein-rich meal, levels of glutamate and arginine increase. Glutamate is added to acetyl-CoA to form N-acetylglutamate, in a reaction that is activated by arginine. In other words, a meal rich in proteins results in increased levels of N-acetylglutamate. N-acetylglutamate, for its part, is an essential activator for carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I, which is the enzyme that governs the rate-limiting step in the urea cycle. It therefore increases the production of urea. In short, a meal rich in proteins – of which amino acids are the building blocks – stimulates, through N-acetylglutamate, the production of urea. This is necessary since urea is the form in which these amino acids are disposed by the body. Thus, this helps maintain the nitrogen balance in the body. References Champe, P. C., Harvey, R. A., Ferrier, D. R. (2005). Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry. Philadelphia: Lippincott Wiliams Wilkins. Citric Acid Cycle. (2008). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle

Free Essays on River Blindness

In 1978 William C. Campbell approached Roy Vagelos his laboratory director for approval to develop a drug that similar to Ivermectin that would be acceptable for human use, used to kill worms in cattle and other types of animals that could kill the microorganism that causes River Blindness. Vagelos knew that by approving this project he was exposing Merck and its share holders to a drug that could not be sold, because the majority of people who needed the drug could not afford it. He also knew if he did not approve the project he would be standing in the way of perhaps wiping out a dreadful disease. Vagelos was staring a major moral dilemma right in the face. River Blindness was immediately identified in 1893 but, by the 1970’s more than 85 million people were at risk to be infected in 35 developing countries Africa, Latin America, and Mexico. The World Health Organization (WHO) was already taking measures to try and control the humpbacked Black Fly which is the carrier of the disease. The Black Fly carries the disease much like a mosquito with malaria, it bites a person infected with malaria and then bites an uninfected person thus spreading it through the bite. Even though fleets of trucks, helicopters and airplanes spraying insecticide were used the size of the area made it nearly impossible to try and destroy an animal that is so deeply entrenched in an eco system larger than France. Two of the drugs that were being administered were diethycarbamazine and suramin but the administration of the drug was too difficult in the areas in which they were treating and sometimes the reactions were lethal. Campbell with the go ahead given by Vagelos began research into a drug called ivermectin it was used as a heart worm for horses, dogs and cats. He found further that in the horses it destroyed a parasite called Onchocerca cervicalis which was very similar to Onchocerca volvulus the parasitic cause of river blindness. He studied with... Free Essays on River Blindness Free Essays on River Blindness In 1978 William C. Campbell approached Roy Vagelos his laboratory director for approval to develop a drug that similar to Ivermectin that would be acceptable for human use, used to kill worms in cattle and other types of animals that could kill the microorganism that causes River Blindness. Vagelos knew that by approving this project he was exposing Merck and its share holders to a drug that could not be sold, because the majority of people who needed the drug could not afford it. He also knew if he did not approve the project he would be standing in the way of perhaps wiping out a dreadful disease. Vagelos was staring a major moral dilemma right in the face. River Blindness was immediately identified in 1893 but, by the 1970’s more than 85 million people were at risk to be infected in 35 developing countries Africa, Latin America, and Mexico. The World Health Organization (WHO) was already taking measures to try and control the humpbacked Black Fly which is the carrier of the disease. The Black Fly carries the disease much like a mosquito with malaria, it bites a person infected with malaria and then bites an uninfected person thus spreading it through the bite. Even though fleets of trucks, helicopters and airplanes spraying insecticide were used the size of the area made it nearly impossible to try and destroy an animal that is so deeply entrenched in an eco system larger than France. Two of the drugs that were being administered were diethycarbamazine and suramin but the administration of the drug was too difficult in the areas in which they were treating and sometimes the reactions were lethal. Campbell with the go ahead given by Vagelos began research into a drug called ivermectin it was used as a heart worm for horses, dogs and cats. He found further that in the horses it destroyed a parasite called Onchocerca cervicalis which was very similar to Onchocerca volvulus the parasitic cause of river blindness. He studied with...