Introductions
The article discusses how Russia is trying to make inroads with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs by offering them military support and financial deals. Therefore, the author argues that this is part of a larger strategy by Russia to increase its influence in the Middle East and counter the US. Hence America should be aware of Russia’s attempts to gain influence in the Middle East and take steps to counter it (Andrew Weiss, 2018). America should maintain its close relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs and offer them military and economic support. The US should also continue to work with Russia on issues like combating terrorism and resolving the Syrian conflict.
Russia has increasingly engaged with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs in recent years. While this rapprochement is partly motivated by the desire to offset Western influence in the region, it is also driven by opportunism. Russia is seeking to take advantage of the Gulf Arabs’ vulnerability, caused by low oil prices and internal divisions, to expand its influence. Russia has often sought to build closer ties with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states (Andrew Weiss, 2018). This is partly because Russia views these countries as key players in the Middle East and wants to increase its regional influence.In recent years, Russia is looking to take advantage of the rift between Saudi Arabia and the United States. In order to build closer ties with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states, Russia has been pursuing several different initiatives. For example, Russia has been working to increase military cooperation with these countries. Additionally, Russia has been seeking to increase economic ties, such as by investing in regional energy projects.
Several factors are driving Russia’s opportunistic inroads into the region. First and foremost is the desire to counter the influence of the United States. For decades, the US has been the dominant outside power in the Middle East, and Russia sees an opportunity to challenge this hegemony (Andrew Weiss, 2018). In addition, Russia is motivated by the desire to secure lucrative arms deals and other economic benefits. The Gulf Arabs are some of the biggest buyers of Russian weapons, and Moscow is keen to maintain and expand this market. There are also a number of energy deals that have been signed between Russia and Gulf Arab states in recent years.
The United States should be concerned about this trend, as it could further erode its influence in the region. The Trump administration has already taken steps to counter Russia’s inroads, such as by selling weapons to the Gulf Arabs and increasing military cooperation with Saudi Arabia. However, more needs to be done.
The U.S should continue to strengthen its military cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs. It should also provide economic assistance to help them weather the current crisis. In addition, the United States should work to resolve the divisions within the Gulf Arab states, as this would make them less susceptible to Russian influence (Andrew Weiss, 2018). Ultimately, the United States needs to continue to engage with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs, both diplomatically and economically. If it fails, it risks losing its influence in the region to Russia.
Russia has increasingly engaged with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs in recent years. While this rapprochement is partly motivated by the desire to offset Western influence in the region, it is also driven by opportunism. Russia is seeking to take advantage of the Gulf Arabs’ vulnerability, caused by low oil prices and internal divisions, to expand its influence.
Conclusion
The article discusses how Russia is trying to make inroads with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs and how the US should respond. The US should be careful not to let Russia take advantage of the situation and should instead work to build stronger relationships with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arabs.
References
Andrew S. Weiss, J (2018). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/
What Is Fracking And What Are Its Effects On Water Quality? Writing Sample
Fracking is a process of extracting oil and gas from shale rock. The process involves drilling into the ground and pressing a high-pressure combination of water, sand, and chemicals into the ground to release the gas. It has been successfully used in the U.S. Several drilling procedures have produced over 7 billion barrels of oil and more than 600 cubits of gas (Brantley et al., 2018). On average, the process can take five days to be completed. Once the fracturing process is accomplished, the well is considered “completed” and is now ready to release oil or gas for years to come, according to Brantley et al. (2018). Fracking is a major activity in the American superpower story that has fostered vital benefits nationwide. Through this process, the unemployment rate has been reduced, energy prices have decreased, and a clean air environment has been promoted by reducing greenhouse gases (Brantley et al., 2018). The advancement of technology to cater to vertical and horizontal fracking has significantly contributed to increasing gas and oil extraction in the U.S. in recent years.
Natural gas is one of the largest sources of the world’s energy contributing to approximately 24% of the energy sources. A central shale rock layer is found in Marcellus in the United States. This rock lies underneath New York and Virginia. Brantley et al. (2018) mention that the fracking process consumes high amounts of fracking fluids comprising water, sand, and a mixture of chemicals pressed underground to break the shale rock layers with the required gasses. Approximately twenty million liters of water are consumed in every fracking well during the hydraulic process (Hill, 2022). In recent years, technological advancement has made gas extraction feasible. However, some side effects of this process are harmful to people’s health. The water bodies around the drilling sites are highly affected. According to Hill (2022), research has shown that eleven chemicals used in the hydraulic process are categorized under endocrine disruptors. These chemicals can majorly destroy a person’s hormonal system and cause cancer. UNEP also ascertained that three-quarters of the chemicals used in the hydraulic process could adversely affect a person’s sensory organs, respiratory system, immune system, and endocrine system (Brantley et al., 2018). Further, a number of the reported chemicals were found to be carcinogenic and mutagenic.
Over the years, findings have continually claimed that there is more gas in water wells situated near drilling sites. In Pennsylvania, many lawsuits have been filed against fracking companies for contaminating the water supply for the people (Hill, 2022). Researchers have detected methane in several water samples from water sources around 1 kilometer from a gas drilling site (Brantley et al., 2018). Preferential flow via fractures gives way to the movement of chemicals from fractured shale to water bodies. There is adequate evidence to ascertain that natural vertical flow transports contaminants toward the surface. In situations where more significant components of methane were traced in water bodies situated around one kilometer from the drilling site, researchers show potential ways leading to this occurrence to include contaminants transport via the rocks, fractures, faults, and open boreholes (Hill, 2022). When a drilling company uses broken or faulty equipment, they will release unwanted substances from the fracking process into the water flow. Many drilling companies have embraced cementing and sealing (Brantley et al., 2018). The role of the steel casing and cement application is to prevent any gasses found within the rocks from spreading into the surrounding. Any faultiness in the casing will allow unwanted gasses and contaminants to penetrate into the water flow (Hill, 2022).
Many studies have concluded that the possibility of water pollution around drilling sites is adequately higher than sites not located near the sites (Brantley et al., 2018). However, when the hydraulic process is operated and maintained rightly, it should not cause any harmful effects on the ecosystem. Also, lethargy and negligence contaminate the water supply near drilling sites (Hill, 2022). Indeed, countries do not have sufficient laws and regulations that control the hydraulic process. This means that water supply contamination does not exist yet at high levels. According to Brantley et al. (2018), a primary byproduct of the drilling process includes flow-back waste mixtures that can be harmful to the air and soil if no proper disposal is administered.
Furthermore, many fracking companies secretly dispose of their waste products, including fluids, into water bodies, which people use as drinking water sources. A study has shown that 47% of fracking sites were founded in water basins with high water stress, further implying the need for reform governing disposal rules (Brantley et al., 2018). In 2004, the U.S. Environmental Agency further stated that the hydraulic process posed no danger to the water supply (Brantley et al., 2018). This statement gave the drilling fracking companies more power to continue spilling contaminants into water bodies. During this time, the health of many was put in danger, with hundreds suffering from respiratory and waterborne diseases (Hill, 2022). Later, it was found that industrial and political pressures influenced this statement issued by the EPA.
When the water, which is mixed with chemicals and sand for fracking, comes back to the surface, the water has a possibility of containing heavy metals and radioactivity. This water is often disposed of reluctantly without the sense of protecting the people’s water supply. The wastewater containing these metals should be first contained in tanks before being disposed of or cleaned up for re-uses. Nevertheless, many fracking companies dispose of it (Brantley et al., 2018). If an individual consumes these metals while drinking the water, the human body cannot discharge them, and they continue amassing inside the body. These metals can lead to major long-lasting issues, mainly in the brain. They can reduce mental and central nervous function (Hill, 2022). also, this can cause more harm to the kidneys, liver, or lungs which later can cause cancer. Young children are at a high risk of being affected by these harmful metals because their bodies develop, as stipulated by Brantley et al. (2018). When the metals keep accumulating, children may develop problems with learning and memory impairment problems, which may also result in hyperactivity.
In conclusion, even though fracking can provide more oil and gas resources to a country, drilling permanently negatively affects the environment. Soil, air, and water are contaminated byproducts of the process. This is because the process uses toxic chemicals. These chemicals majorly affect the water bodies located one kilometer from the drilling sites. When people use contaminated water, the toxic chemicals can lead to problems in the respiratory, hormonal, immune, and endocrine systems. Also, the heavy metals emitted from the process can cause cancer, especially in children. Although some countries have set rules and regulations governing fracking, many countries have not enacted them. However, many fracking companies violate these laws. Therefore, states need to build and implement laws that will ensure the safety of water bodies around the fracking sites.
References
Brantley, S. L., Vidic, R. D., Brasier, K., Yoxtheimer, D., Pollak, J., Wilderman, C., & Wen, T. (2018). Engaging over data on fracking and water quality. Science, 359(6374), 395–397. https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aan6520
Hill, E. L., & Ma, L. (2022). Drinking water, fracking, and infant health. Journal of Health Economics, p. 82, 102595. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629622000157
Why Depression In Gay Teens Causes Suicide Essay Example For College
In recent days there have been rampant deaths of depressed teens who are gay (Whitemore&Smith,2018). These deaths are not a result of natural death but due to suicide. Their death increase has various diverse effects on society which may be direct (Eliason,2010). Therefore, this study on nine gay teens shall help us understand why depression in them causes suicide. There are different natural causes of death, but is suicide one of them?
Moreover, is it preventable? The deaths are preventable whenever the depression cause is established (King&Vidourek,2012).In this area, we shall help educate prevent preventable causes of depression in gay teens and also lower the rate of suicide(Labarbera,1996). Fortunately, we will have the opportunity to learn about depression issues that affect teen gays, why they result in suicide, and provide relevant solutions as to why individuals in this group feel that committing suicide is the best way to deal with such situations (Walling,1993).
Unfortunately, depression has its genesis in many instances, which may be caused by the society around them (Eliason,2010). There are various ways in which depression may be facilitated among the people with these gay teens live. In many cases, society tends to reject people who are said to be gay. Rejection makes these teens feel that they are not loved and that anything they do is rejected, making them feel unfit and depressed, ending up committing suicide. Therefore they will desperately suffer since they lack effective communication channels for their grievances, forcing some of them to kill themselves. It is a challenge to the people surrounding such people to show love and compassion to them. Luckily, this act shall ensure that they feel free to express their feelings and ideas. Also, Society counselors should be able to treat the information given to them with confidentiality to gain trust; it shall also ensure that they feel free and may end up changing what they do(King& Vidourek,2012).
Depression strategies for gay teens are not understood and developed since they result in mental health problems among gay teens that may facilitate suicide. Proper funding should be issued to institutions that deal with gay teen research and studies (Whitemore& Smith,2018). This shall ensure enough ideas on how to deal with them and a declaration of depression as a disease. Also, laws protecting gay teens should be implemented to prevent them from all kinds of frustrations that make them depressed. These laws shall ensure that they prevent or lower the rate of bullying and victimization, lowering depression.
Meanwhile, all stakeholders should know that depression in gay teens causes suicide. That understanding shall ensure all depressed teens are handled with care and love. This will ensure that the chances of depression causing death among teen gays are minimized. Also, all relevant authorities should be made effective and teen-friendly to ensure they are easily accessible to gay teens (Labarbera,1996). Parental guidance must also be availed to all teens in such situations. It shall help reduce the number of teens involved in such behaviors. Therefore society and parents should not neglect their guidance roles to their young generation. Also, the affected ones should be appropriately advised on the impacts of such practices so that they may curb the practice.
References
Eliason, M. (2010). Introduction to the special issue on suicide, mental health, and youth development. Journal of Homosexuality, 58(1), 4–9.
King, K. A., & Vidourek, R. A. (2012). Teen depression and suicide: Effective prevention and intervention strategies. The Prevention Researcher, 19(4), 15-18.
LaBarbera, P. (1996). The gay youth suicide myth. The Journal of Human Sexuality, 65.
Walling, D. R. (1993). Gay Teens at Risk. Fastback 357. Phi Delta Kappa, PO Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789.
Whitmore, L. M., & Smith, T. C. (2018). Isolating the association of sleep, depressive state, and other independent indicators for suicide ideation in United States teenagers. Archives of suicide research.