Investigating the environemtal impacts from plastic bags Research Paper

Investigating the environemtal impacts from plastic bags - Research Paper Example The Case Against Plastic Bags The manufacturing process requires 12 million barrels of oil per year, creating over 100 billion plastic shopping bags (Gamerman). With only about a 5% recycling rate (inspiration green), the landfills will overflow with bags that are not recycled or reused. A number of wildlife groups report discarded plastic bags are eaten by a variety of land and sea creatures with fatal effects. These concerns and other create the larger argument for environmental stewardship: The Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968) and TANSTAAFL (Dolan, 1971). Both of these writings warn of the economic â€Å"free rider† problem that is the bane of environmental stewardship The free rider problem refers to the polluting or overuse of the natural resources since no tax or fee is associated with dumping. The tragedy of the commons is the overuse and overgrazing of the common land. Since each herdsman wanted to maximize profits, they exploited the free grazing land by adding m ore and more cattle. Soon, the grazing land was destroyed, unable to recover and nobody could feed their cattle. The herdsmen who believed in proper stewardship either went broke or joined the others in selfish overuse. Pollution and contamination work the same way. Traditionally, industry would dump waste into rivers, bury toxins on site and spew horrid smoke into the air because the water, land and air were considered a common good; and companies could dump waste at â€Å"no cost†. With the Environmental Protection Agency and State environmental departments cracking down on polluters with fines and criminal penalties, this practice has abated, but does continue to a lesser extent. The neo-tragedy argument includes recycling and the after-effects of environmentally resilient products. TANSTAAFL (Dolan) originated in science fiction by Heinlein; the acronym means â€Å"there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch†. Dolan adopted the acronym in order to present his economic argument that pollution rights should be sold as an economic good. A calculation of the maximum mass of each pollutant potentially and immediately sorbed into the environment would lead to an inventory of polluting rights. These rights would be sold at auction to industries with a waste disposal problem. Other constituents would have to design non-polluting mechanisms to compete. Obviously, the cost of pollution would be set by the market. (Dolan) The money raised through the auction plus fines on pollution cheaters would pay for remediation. The plastic bag opponents take this argument one step further and assign responsibility for individual litter and recycling to the manufacturer. As much as 4% of trash in landfills consists of plastic bags. (DOE) As consumers use more and more plastic bags, even to contain trash, the landfills will take longer to naturally reclaim the natural resource of land. In an interesting study, small communal group, the Hutterites, were observed . (Hardin, 3) The finding was that when the colony size approaches 150, individuals begin to under-contribute and over-demand. Smaller groups manage by shame; however, larger groups lose that capacity. The commonistic approach of the Hutterites loses manageability in larger

Personal reflection on design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal reflection on design - Essay Example ve teaching design to pass information across to the target group will aid in the learning process as pupils will be able to grab much of what they are being told (Agostinho, 2006). Moreover, teachers will be able to pursue their careers with much ease as they provide quality education without investing a lot of time. The core purpose of a teacher is to offer quality education to his/her students. This can only be measured through the outcomes of an assessment exercise (McAndrew, Goodyear and Dalziel, 2006, p. 216). I believe that a concerned teacher will offer an assessment exercise to her/his pupils after a lesson to assess how much the pupils have understood what has been presented. Consequently, the teacher’s satisfaction will be attained if only he/she will find out that the pupils have extensively comprehended what was taught. Waters and Gibbons (2004, p. 57) state that a teaching design can be conducted in order to: illustrate the tasks assigned to the pupils, the resources available to the students to assist them in carrying out those tasks and how as their teacher, you are going to offer them support. As a primary teacher I have had to go through a lot of challenges in my teaching career. While in college we were taught on how to prepare prior to conducting lessons (Goodyear, 2005, p. 85). Among the things you have to do before undertaking a lesson is to prepare a simple lesson plan. A lesson plan is to give a teacher a guideline on the sequence of events during the lesson and what he/she has to accomplish at the end of a lesson. During the early years of my teaching career I had problems with preparing a lesson plan because I considered it to be time wasting. With five years of practice in the teaching field, I understand only too well the essential role of a lesson plan (Waters and Gibbons, 2004, p. 61). Dealing with a young mind I have to be very careful with what I do or say. According to Goodyear (2005, p. 101) children in primary schools

Religious Traditions and History Essay Example for Free

Religious Traditions and History Essay Polytheism, the belief in many gods, is perhaps the oldest known religion. The best known example is the Greek/Roman mythology, which included Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite, among others. One trait that is true of most Polytheistic sects is that there is a god that is above all others. â€Å"All African religions are monolithic in the sense that there is a single High God, who is said to be the creator of the world, and of mankind, and a central source of order and of whoever sense is to be found. † Another example would be Zeus. Most ancient societies believed in gods that were in charge of specific areas, such as rain, fertility, and a god of nature. These types of societies cooperate with nature. This doesn’t mean that all Polytheistic societies revered the natural world. The Romans exploited the natural resources of their surroundings. One common thread in most of these societies is that, compared to other religions, Polytheism is much more tolerant with the individual. Hinduism and Polytheism Hinduism is a religion founded in India around 1000 B.C. The religions practice a form of Polytheism. This religion doesn’t believe in one form of a god. They believe in the authority of the Vedas and Brahmans. These fundamental beliefs differentiate Hinduism from monotheistic, believing in one god, and most of the world’s major religions. There are many different gods in the Hindu religion. The most common are Ganesha, Shiva, Hanuman, Durga, and Lakshmi. What developed was a caste or class system called ‘varnas’. The different castes were assigned a task that was fitting for their class. â€Å"The expansion of towns brought about an increase in the number of artisans who were organized in guilds (shreni).† This system was good for commercial activities. The main goals of Hinduism are life-affirming goals of Dharma (virtue), Artha (success) and Kama (pleasure), while the life-negating goal is that of moksha (release). All except moksha can be done in any part of a person’s life. Confucianism and Buddhism People think that Confucianism and Buddhism are one and the same. Confucianism, which originated in China, teaches honesty, kindness, respect the earth, and good moral character. Confucius had a distain about gods and spirits and preferred to try to understand man. â€Å"Confucius (the Master) is more correctly Kong Qiu or Kong Fuzi (551-479 B.C.). He was the founder of a way of life, philosophy, or religion named Confucianism after a Latinized form of the founders name.† Buddhism, which started at about the same time as Confucianism, was started by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Buddha, which means â€Å"the enlightened one†, which was the name he received from his followers. Buddhism is different from Confucianism in that it didn’t teach about the family or rituals of this world, rather it taught enlightenment which leads to nirvana. There are eight awarenesses of enlightenments. â€Å"Freedom From Desire, Satisfaction, Serenity, Meticulous Effort, Correct Remembrance, Samadhi, Wisdom, and avoiding idle talk.† The Chinese during this time asked the Buddhist monks, why do you not marry? Their answer was â€Å"Wives, children, and property are the luxuries of the world, but simple living and inaction are the wonders of the Way.† The Buddhist’s wanted was to live a simple life and reach enlightenment and thus nirvana. Christianity Christianity is a salvation religion. Christians and Buddhists turned to the idea of salvation around the same time. Salvation means escape your earthly bonds. If you don’t follow a righteous path, meaning free of sin, then you are destined to be cast into the pit of darkness, otherwise known as hell. The new testament of the bible is what guides these true believers. The Catholics say, for instance, that if you sin and repent by going to confession your sins will be forgiven. This is the only way to ensure that the soul is clean. The idea of all Christian orthodoxy is that they follow the teachings of Christ, which has many different interpretations. Thus it follows that when you die you will go to heaven. Some believe that the Earth is 6000 years old and believe that the bible is literally god’s word. They refuse to believe in science, saying that it’s flawed in some way. Others believe that the Earth is indeed older than 6000 years. These Christians believe that the bible is a parable, teaching them how to live everyday life as a Christian. Modern orthodoxy believes that Christian’s are observers of nature, rather than one with the Earth. Religion, Science and Nature Religion has a profound imprint on our natural surroundings. In general, the Eastern and most Polytheistic religions are more reverential toward nature. The Western religions tend to abuse nature. The invention of the plow is a prime example. The West thinks of it as a means to increase the food supply and disregards the environmental impact. The East and the Polytheist refer to it as â€Å"Mother Earth† and treat her much more delicately. The contrast between the two couldn’t be more stark. The East will try to balance their needs with nature. The West uses nature and sometimes destroys parts of it. The idea that we are separate from nature is a Western ideal. The East, in general, believes that we are one with nature and must take care of it. Science in the West was not in tune with medieval orthodoxy. It was interested in facts. The Eastern philosophy used science with a spiritual twist. Fang Yizhi observed of western science, â€Å"use a variety of techniques for swift computations, but they are still out of touch with general principles.† They used the mind and not the natural world. Summary There are many different religions that teach many different methods of how to live your life while on this world. Most worship one god, monotheistic, others worship many gods. Polytheists, which literally mean many gods, roots are seen in Greek/Roman mythology. Buddhism believes that there is no god, just a path to enlightenment. Once they’ve reached enlightenment, they’ve achieved nirvana. Confucianism and Buddhism are from China, but have very different belief systems. â€Å"Confucianism is perhaps best understood as an all-encompassing humanism that neither denies nor slights Heaven.† They believe that they are one with nature. Christians recognize only one god. They are labeled as a salvation religion. They hope to be able to break the bonds of this Earth by living a relatively good life with the reward being heaven. If you don’t accept Jesus into your life, you are destined to eternity in hell. It’s safe to say that the world’s religions have varied belief systems. Some believe in the after-life, while others believe that feel that we are Earth bound only. Most of the world believes in a single god. Polytheism and Hinduism say that there are many gods. They differ from Eastern religions in that they see themselves as observers rather than one with the Earth. The East and West see nature differently. While the West observe nature, the East embraces the idea of being part of nature. This is a very fundamental philosophy that can’t be overstated. The bottom line is that there are almost as many belief systems as there are people on Earth. It includes, but not only, monetary considerations, faith, and devotion. The only ones that know what’s going on, assuming there is an after-life, are the dead and buried. Citations The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 95 2 The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 334 3 The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 146 4 http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/china/f/022808Confucius.htm 5 http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/tp/awarenesses.htm 6 The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 103 7 Kevin Reilly, The West World: A History Of Civilization from the Ancient World to 1700, Page 349 8 http://www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/confucianism.htm

Marco Polo :: Biographies Biographical Essays

Marco Polo is one of the most well-known heroic travelers and traders around the world. In my paper I will discuss with you Marco Polo's life, his travels, and his visit to China to see the great Khan. Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco's father, Niccolà ¹, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China (1260-69) as merchants. When they left (1271) Venice to return to China, they were accompanied by 17-year-old Marco and two priests. Early Life Despite his enduring fame, very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family of merchants. He also lived during a propitious time in world history, when the height of Venice's influence as a city-state coincided with the greatest extent of Mongol conquest of Asia(Li Man Kin 9). Ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol Empire stretched all the way from China to Russia and the Levant. The Mongol hordes also threatened other parts of Europe, particularly Poland and Hungary, inspiring fear everywhere by their bloodthirsty advances. Yet the ruthless methods brought a measure of stability to the lands they controlled, opening up trade routes such as the famous Silk Road. Eventually,the Mongols discovered that it was more profitable to collect tribute from people than to kill them outright, and this policy too stimulated trade(Hull 23). Into this favorable atmosphere a number of European traders ventured, including the family of Marco Polo. The Polos had long- established ties in the Levant and around the Black Sea: for example, they owned property in onstantinople, and Marco's uncle, for whom he was named, had a home in Sudak in the Crimea(Rugoff 8). From Sudak, around 1260, another uncle, Maffeo, and Marco's father, Niccolà ¹, made a trading visit into Mongol territory, the land of the Golden Horde(Russia), ruled by Berke Khan. While they were there, a war broke out between Berke and the Cowan of Levant, blocking their return home. Thus Niccolà ¹ and Maffeo traveled deeper into mongol territory, moving southeast to Bukhara, which was ruled by a third Cowan. While waiting there, they met an emissary traveling farther eastward who invited them to accompany him to the court of the great Cowan, Kublai, in Cathay(modern China). In Cathay, Kublai Khan gave the Polos a friendly reception, appointed them his emissaries to the pope, and ensured their safe travel back to Europe(Steffof 10).

Branches of Philosophy Essay

1. Logic Logic is the science and art of correct thinking. It attempts to codify the rules of rational thought. Logicians explore the structure of arguments that preserve truth or allow the optimal extraction of knowledge from evidence. Logic is one of the primary tools philosophers use in their inquiries; the precision of logic helps them to cope with the subtlety of philosophical problems and the often misleading nature of conversational language. 2. Ethics. Ethics is the study of the nature of right and wrong and good and evil, in terms both of considerations about the foundations of morality, and of practical considerations about the fine details of moral conduct. Moral philosophers may investigate questions as sweeping as whether there are such things moral facts at all, or as focused as whether or not the law ought to accord to rape victims the right to an abortion. 3. Metaphysics Metaphysics is the study of the nature of things. Metaphysicians ask what kinds of things exist, and what they are like. They reason about such things as whether or not people have free will, in what sense abstract objects can be said to exist, and how it is that brains are able to generate minds. 4. Epistemology Epistemology is the study of knowledge itself. Epistemologists ask, for instance, what criteria must be satisfied for something we believe to count as something we know, and even what it means for a proposition to be true. Epistemology is sometimes referred to as the â€Å"theory of knowledge. † 5. Axiology Axiology is philosophical the study of value; the investigation of its nature, criteria, and metaphysical status. More often than not, the term â€Å"value theory† is used instead of â€Å"axiology. † 6. Aesthetics Aesthetics is the study of value in the arts or the inquiry into feelings, judgments, or standards of beauty and related concepts. Philosophy of art is concerned with judgments of sense, taste, and emotion. Other Divisions of Philosophy 1. Philosophy of the Mind 2. Philosophy of the Person 3. Political Philosophy 4. Social Philosophy 5. Philosophy of Language 6. Philosophy of Science 7. Philosophy of Art 8. Philosophy of Language 9. Philosophy of Religion 10. Philosophy of Law 11. Philosophy of Education 12. Philosophy of History _______________________________ Cruz, Corazon L. 2005. Philosophy of man (third edition). Mandaluyong City: National bookstore Divisions and definition of philosophy. 2005. Available at http://philosophy. lander. edu/intro/what. shtml. Retrieved last November 8, 2010. Gripaldo, Rolando M. 2008. Philosophy, Sophism/Sophistry, and Pilosopo. Included in The philosophical landscape : A panoramic perspective on philosophy. Quezon City: C&E Publishing. Vuletic, Mark I. 2010. What is philosophy? Available at http://www. vuletic. com/hume/ph/philosophy. html. Accessed last November 8, 2010.

Conclusion And Evaluation Of Osmosis Potato Lab - 889 Words

Saam Baharmand Period 5 11 October 2014 Conclusion and Evaluation of Osmosis Potato Lab Hypothesis: I believe that the O Molar (M) solution of sugar and distilled water will be isotonic because there is no sugar in the solution. This Hypothesis was not supported by the results of the lab. 1) The line graph of the data collected shows the least amount of change in mass (1.8%) in the potato soaked in the 0.2M sugar solution. This means that the potatoes soaked in the 0.2M solution were the most isotonic of all the potatoes. 2) The beginning mass of the potato soaked in 0.2M solution was 10.6g and the ending mass was 10.8g. This data collection proves that there was no significant loss or gain of mass in the potato (soaked in 0.2M sol.) thus making it isotonic. 3) The percent (%) change in mass of the potato in the 0.0M sugar solution was recorded on the graph at 31.8%. This means that there was a significant increase in mass of the potato thus making the solution hypertonic and the potato cells hypotonic. Variables Independent: 5 interval sugar solutions of 0.0M, 0.2M, 0.4M, 0.6M, and 0.8M (mixed with distilled water) Dependent: % Mass Change of potato after 24 hours in solution Quantitative Relationship: When the intervals of sugar solution change, the % mass of the potato changes as a result. The 0.2M solution proved to the most isotonic while the 0.0M and 0.6M potatos proved to be the most hypotonic and hypetonic respectively. The potato of the 0.2M sol.Show MoreRelatedPotato Cubes Mass Lab Report1117 Words   |  5 Pages 2. Research Question: How will a potato cube’s mass change if put in a mixture of Glucose and Salient together vs a potato cube just being put into a solution with Glucose or Salient. 3. Background Information: Diffusion is where particles move from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration. Osmosis is the diffusion of water. Glucose (sugar) will not diffuse as much as Salient because there is already sugar inside of the potato so not as much water be affected by diffusionRead MoreEffect of Different Concentrations of Salt on Potato Cell Mass1461 Words   |  6 Pages Aim To investigate the effects of increasing salinity on potato cell mass. Background Information This experiment is based upon osmosis. Osmosis can be defined as the net movement of water molecules from a region with high concentration to a region with low concentration. This movement must take place across a partially permeable membrane such as a cell wall, which lets smaller molecules such as water through but does not allow bigger molecules to pass through. This processRead MoreMicroscopy, Cell Structure And Function1208 Words   |  5 Pagescell structure and function TASK 3 Write a scientific report on osmosis experiment showing the: Aim, Introduction, and Hypothesis. Risk assessment, Procedure, Results, Analysis and conclusion, Evaluation, Sources or error, Anomalous results, Biological or industrial significance, Health and safety. A.C.2.2 AIM: Investigating the effect of Different concentration of Sucrose on Osmosis in potato chips. INTRODUCTION: First of all, Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from an area of high waterRead MoreThe Effect of Solution Concentration on Osmosis1491 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effect of Solution Concentration on Osmosis The aim of my experiment is to find out the effect of sucrose solution concentration on osmosis in potato cylinders. To do this I will conduct an experiment. Introduction To carry out my experiment, I will place the potato tubes into a solution containing part sucrose and part water. The potato tubes will all be cut out of the potato using a cork borer and will all be cut to the length of 25mm. This will remainRead More Investigate the Osmosis of Potato Cells in Various Salt Solutions2525 Words   |  11 PagesInvestigate the Osmosis of Potato Cells in Various Salt Solutions Introduction I have been asked to investigate the effect of changing the concentration of a solution on the movement of water into and out of potato cells. I will be able to change the input of my experiment. The input variable will be the concentration of the solution. The 100% solution is sodium chloride dissolved in water (salt water). This will be referred to as the 100% solution from now on. But the type of solution is notRead MoreOsmosis Internal Assessment - Biology Higher Level3984 Words   |  16 Pages| The effect of salinity on osmosis of solanum tuberosum L.(potatoes) | Biology HL Internal Assessment – Year 10 | | Teresa Nguyen | | Table of Contents 1 DESIGN 2 1.1 Defining the problem 2 FOCUS QUESTION 2 HYPOTHESIS 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2 INVESTIGATION VARIABLES 3 1.2 Controlling Variables 3 TREATMENT OF THE CONTROLLED VARIABLES 3 CONTROL EXPERIMENT 4 1.3 Experimental Method 4 MATERIALS 4 RISK ASSESSMENT 5 METHOD 5 2 DATA COLLECTION and PROCESSING 7 2.1 Recording RawRead MoreOsmosis in Different Concentrations2449 Words   |  10 PagesI am going to investigate osmosis when potato is placed in different   concentrations of sucrose. I am aiming to witness osmosis in 5   different concentrations of sucrose. I will use 5 varying   concentrations so that I have a wider spread to compare the results,   and check that I don’t have any anomalies   Prediction   Osmosis  is the process of diffusion of water molecules from a weaker   solution into a stronger solution, through a semi  permeable membrane.   The tiny pores in the membraneRead MoreThe Four Main Types Of Tissues2505 Words   |  11 Pagescell structure and function TASK 3 Write a scientific report on osmosis experiment showing the: Aim, Introduction, and Hypothesis. Risk assessment, Procedure, Results, Analysis and conclusion, Evaluation, Sources or error, Anomalous results, Biological or industrial significance, Health and safety. A.C.2.2 AIM: Investigating the effect of Different concentration of Sucrose on Osmosis in potato chips. INTRODUCTION: First of all, Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from an area of high waterRead MoreDiffusion And Osmosis And The Cell Membrane2124 Words   |  9 Pagessolute concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The diffusion of free water across a selectively permeable membrane, whether artificial or cellular, is called osmosis. The movement of water across cell membranes and the balance of water between the cell and its environment are crucial to organisms. (Diffusion And Osmosis - Difference And Comparison | Diffen). A semi-permeable membrane known as the cell membrane surrounds the living cells of both plants and animals. Both solute concentrationRead More The effect of osmosis in potato cells with different concentrations of sucrose solution1887 Words   |  8 PagesThe effect of osmosis in potato cells with different concentrations of sucrose solution Aim: To test the effect of different concentrations of sucrose solution to osmosis in a potato cells by putting potato pieces in test tubes of water containing different concentrations of sucrose solution. Scientific Theory: Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane from a region of high water concentration to a region of low water concentration

James M. Cain s Mildred Pierce - 765 Words

The process of converting a work of art from one medium to another often requires a significant alteration of the content to fit the form and standards of the new medium. Adapted from 300-page novel to a 2-hour movie, Michael Curtiz’s Mildred Pierce is a prime example of a loose Hollywood adaption that makes drastic changes in characters, narrative configurations, and framing structure to conform to the standards and expectations of American cinema. Most ostensibly, the movie employs murder as a framing device and a hook to draw the audience’s attention to Mildred’s story, therefore transforming the linear, chronological plot of the novel into an episodic and achronological one. As a result, in Curtiz’s film adaptation of James M. Cain’s Mildred Pierce, we see several plot points in the story abbreviated and diminished, and many of the themes in the novel either lost or reduced. Both versions of Mildred Pierce depict the struggle of a woman during the post-Depression era to become independent after separating from her husband. In the book as well as the movie, Mildred’s actions and trials are a result of her desire to please Veda. She struggles to find a job and hustles to keep her restaurant business together to become financially independent so she can afford Veda the lavish lifestyle she craves. Near the beginning of the movie, we see a heartbroken Mildred who just discovered that the dress she has worked so hard to buy for Veda is nothing more to her than just a rag.Show MoreRelatedJames M. Cain s Mildred Pierce And The Movie Version ``896 Words   |  4 Pagesdisloyalty to the original author and readers. However, in 1945 Warner Bros. produced the movie Mildred Pierce based on the same name novel written by James M. Cain. This film not only became an exception in this general view, but also amazed the audience and even Cain himself by extraord inary performances and unique edit technique and literary point of view. There are a few distinctions between Cain’s Mildred Pierce and the movie version, mostly with the ingenious use of different point of views in severalRead More Themes in the Novel and Movie Adaptation of James Cain’s Mildred Pierce1573 Words   |  7 PagesAdaptation of James Cain’s Mildred Pierce In contemporary film making, â€Å"Hollywood-ization† generally refers to the re-creation of a classic work in a form more vulgar and sexually explicit than the original in an effort to boost movie attendance. After all, sex and violence sell. However, from the mid-1930’s to the 1950’s, â€Å"Hollywood-ization† referred to the opposite case where controversial books had to be purified to abide by the Production Code of 1934.[1] This occurred to many of James Cain’sRead More James M. Cains Novel Mildred Pierce: Comparing the Book and Movie Version869 Words   |  4 PagesJames M. Cains Novel Mildred Pierce: Comparing the Book and Movie Version Mildred Pierce is one of the greatest novels written by James M. Cain. After the success of the novel, the Hollywood film came out, produced by Jerry Wald. The novel and the movie are very different from each other. â€Å"James M. Cain sent several letters of complaint to producer Jerry Wald, objecting to the changes Wald wanted to make, especially the dramatic idea of making Veda a washout musically and putting her inRead MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pagescomplete control over design decisions, the personnel of the department, the assignment of tasks, and the attribution of credit. In the autocratic system that prevailed at MGM Gibbons had complete control. According to the director, Pandro S. Berman, He was the most influential person on the lot except for the owners, Nick Schenk in New York and Louis B. Mayer in Culver City (Affron 17). Gibbons was nominated for the Academy Award for Art Direction 40 times. He received