Robespierre’s Justification for State Terror

Robespierre’s Justification for State Terror Maximilien Robespierre states, â€Å"What is the goal toward which we are heading? The peaceful enjoyment of liberty and equality. † (Bienvenu, p. 1, para. 1) The laws that have been passed by the royalty that are meant to bring long lasting righteousness, are laws that are recognized; these laws are not written any where but in the essence of all individuals. Robespierre was elected as the representative of the National Convention and joined a political club called the radical Jacobin party.Being apart of the Convention and the Jacobins, Robespierre took over the administrative power of the Republic. Because the Jacobins believed that France was in need of change and restructuring, and Robespierre was now the head of the Convention, he can develop such change. By doing so he argues that in the land, the use of ethics must be replaced with the use of pride, proposition for traditions, self-regard for arrogance, magnificence f or narcissism, prestige for money, and immorality of the sovereign for virtues and the phenomenon.He believed in democracy and the Republic of virtue. He felt that in order to set the basis of democracy within the people, the merge of both ending the war of independence and oppression must take place in order to put an end to the revolt. The essences of the Republic are virtue and equality. He explains how it is the development of virtue and the maintenance of equality that creates the Republic. Therefore, it is embraced or founded by an individual.He believed that the quality of being an admired government would be an advantage in gaining the trust of the citizens in order to create a strict and rigorous government, â€Å"†¦be trustful towards the people and severe towards itself. † (Bienvenu, p. 2, para. 2) Robespierre states the strengths and weaknesses of this theory: the strength being the triumph of truth rather than dishonesty, and the rights of the community†™s interests than the private. The purpose of both virtue and terror was that without terror it can be deadly, and if it is deadly, virtue is strong.If one did not hated crime, they were presumed to detest virtue. Social protection is for the passive citizens, and the ones who are violent are the ones who are the ones who to be apart of England and Austria. Towards the end, Robespierre mentions an idea of Aristocracy, in which he creates secret illicit laws instead of vigorously supporting his own country. He ends by saying that a cruel government can kill, being free is not for everyone, and if anyone disagreed with his ideas, they would be considered an enemy or traitor.Robespierre structures his argument by introducing the points he wants to make step by step. He starts off by informing the audience of what he thinks the land should contain, and how it should run. He gives examples of ideas, and substitutes them with what he thinks it should be instead. For instance, he would s ay, â€Å"good people in place of good society,† meaning he would replace a good society, and choose to have good citizens instead. (Bienvenu, p. 1, para. 2) Robespierre defines democracy in his own way, then goes on to describe how â€Å"the soul of the Republic is virtue [and] equality† (Bienvenu, p. , para. 6) is in his eyes. He mentions social protection, which is only for citizens who are passive. As this speech ends, Robespierre uses questions to bring the audience to a realization of the point[s] he was trying to bring out throughout the speech. He uses Aristocracy to back up his ideas. Towards the end, he leaves the audience with a riddle they must figure out in order to understand what he meant. Maximilien Robespierre violates all 17 articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.He did not give the citizens to participate in the making of the law or the government. They were not given the freedom to speak, write or print, and not everyone had equal rights. The ones that followed his ideas received special treatment, whereas, the ones who disagreed, were considered conspirators. They were sometimes imprisoned and other times killed. He did the opposite of of Article 5, and acts in a way that it hurt society. He killed 40,000 people and locked up 3,000. He did not allow society to use of public agents when required.Laws were created even though the people, and society did not agree. This is why, in 1794, Robespierre was sentence to death with the use of the guillotine, something he like to use for his executions. During the French Revolution, no one has caused as much dilemma as Maximilien Robespierre did. He believed in equality and virtue, however, he contradicted himself and was not aware that he was, in fact, biased. If he thought, heard or was even told that someone descended, they would have fell into the category of an enemy or traitor.He is represents the later Adolf Hitler, who was a dictator, in seve ral different ways. Two being that he tried to promote his beliefs to the people of his land, by infusing fear into the people of the land, and killing or injuring who ever would disagree with him. However, he did not discriminate as viciously as Hitler did. If Robespierre was to do what he did in the present society, he may have been sentenced to life in prison or capital punishment for attempting to corrupt the minds of others, and for killing as many people as he did.

The Right to Clean Water Is Non-Negotiable

The Right to Clean Water is Non-Negotiable Paula Weyand American Sentinel University â€Å"The International Council of Nurses (ICN) believes that the right to clean water is non-negotiable† (ICN, 2008). The ICN calls for all nurses and professional organizations to work with local government to lobby for safe water. Nurses should also work with national and international entities to ensure safe water supply and to protect the global water supply from intentional sabotage. Nurses can begin by lobbying for regulations that provide access to safe water for all people.The ICN’s position statement for universal access to clean water supports the Millennium Development Goal Seven (MDG7), the number of people without access to safe water and basic sanitation will be cut in half by the year 2015 (WHO, 2013). Clean water is necessary for optimum health. Statistics The ICN Position Statement, universal access to clean water, is important for nurses because â€Å"dirty water and poor sanitation kill more children than AIDS, Malaria, and Measles combined† (â€Å"World water day 2013,† n. . ). More than one billion people do not have access to clean water and more than two billion people do not have access to â€Å"improved sanitary facilities† (WHO, 2013). World Health Organization, WHO, also reports that more than two million people die every year, due to mostly preventable diarrhea conditions. Many of the two million that die every year due to lack of clean water, and lack of sanitary conditions, are children under the age of five (WHO, 2013).Drop in the bucket is a non-profit organization that builds wells and sanitation systems at schools in Africa; they report â€Å"more people have access to a cell phone than a toilet† (â€Å"Solutions,† n. d. ). World Water Day Many groups are working to meet the MDG 7: WHO, UNICEF, CARE USA, Drop in the bucket, and many more. World Water Day 2013 is March 22; this day is set aside t o raise awareness that many of our global population do not have the basic sanitary needs that most of us in the United States take for granted.Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE USA, suggests that â€Å"we must work together to raise awareness† and that â€Å"on World Water Day, March 22, join us by standing in solidarity with people in poor communities† (CARE USA, n. d. ). Meeting MDG7 will also help meet Millennium Development Goal Two, MDG2, achieving universal primary education, Goal Three, MDG3, promoting gender equality and empowering women and Goal Four, MDG4, reducing child mortality. Dirty Water Complications Cleaning up the water is not as simple as it may initially sound. To have clean water there must also be basic sanitation.In many areas of the world, people get their drinking water from the same place that they wash in. WHO reports that over one billion people defecate in the open, causing environmental contamination (2013). The open defecating cau ses increased incidence of cholera, shigellosis, hepatitis, salmonellosis, and possible infestation of worms. Clean water and soap are also necessary for hand washing. Miller, and Gibson indicates that not having enough clean water can also contribute to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, problems with incontinence, constipation and urinary tract infections (2012).Education is needed to teach the importance of good hygiene. In areas without clean water access, the burden to get clean water is on women and girls. The women must walk to the nearest clean water, sometimes spending hours walking every day to obtain the clean water. Women would have more time to earn an income if they were not spending time fetching water for their family. â€Å"Over 40 billion work hours are lost in Africa [due] to the need to fetch drinking water† (â€Å"Billions struggle without clean water or basic sanitation,† 2005).CARE USA encourages women to lead their families and communities i n teaching and educating the importance of essentials, like hand washing (n. d. ). Many of the schools do not offer clean water, if the children want water to drink, or to clean with, they must carry it to school in containers. Some children will avoid using the open latrines at school because of flies, foul odor, and lack of privacy. If the girls are going to school, they will usually quit school at the age of puberty because of the embarrassment associated with the menstrual cycle, and the lack of soap and water (CARE USA, n. . ). Having basic sanitary abilities and clean water can keep the girls in school, fulfilling MDG3. Due to lack of basic sanitation, girls will often hold their bowel movements until it is dark, which increases the risk of being attacked by wild animals, bitten by bugs or snakes, or being raped (â€Å"Four ways toilets change girls' lives,† n. d. ). Care USA promotes a program called SWASH, (school wash), and works to provide clean latrines, soap and w ater, and touts that the program â€Å"prevents disease† and the girls will stay in school (CARE USA, n. d. ). Ending Open DefecationContamination of water by fecal coliform is usually due to poor management of resources (Massoud, Al-Abady, Jurdi & Nuwayhid, 2010). â€Å"Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) is supported by UNICEF and is in 50 countries around the world† (UNICEF, n. d. ). The individuals from the communities work together to end open defecation, by setting their own goals, and working together to design a program to suit the needs of the community. Even areas of extreme poverty such as Sudan have been able to have success in five communities demonstrating that poverty is a barrier that can be overcome. No operation in the world can provide toilets for 1. 1 billion people. They have to do it for themselves – with support. And we’ve found, in fact, that it is only when they do it for themselves that the changes are achievable and sustainable† (UNICEF, n. d. ). When a goal is set by the people who are trying to achieve it, they are more likely to be inspired to succeed. Water Treatment Options A centralized solution to the rural communities of the globe is not a practical solution. Solutions need to be available where the people are, at the point of use.One way to clean the water is by boiling. Boiling water costs roughly ten dollars per person, per year. Wood for the fire is not available everywhere and the smoke from the fire can cause respiratory problems. Another way to clean water is with a sand filter, but most sources suggest this is not practical due to the size and cost. The size is too large for the average family and the space is not available to store the unit. Using bleach is another option to treat water. Bleach is relatively cheap water treatment. A con to using bleach is that there can be a bleach odor or taste.Solar disinfection is another method being used to treat water. It is not as effective if the water has a high level of turbidity. Procter and Gamble PUR water purification system is a disinfection system that is easy to use and works well at removing pathogens. PUR can leave a ‘bleachy† taste and odor. Using the PUR water treatment system cost approximately six dollars per person, per year (â€Å"Water, sanitation, and health in developing countries,† n. d. ). Successful Ideas Drop in the bucket has several inspirational ideas on how to assist communities in obtaining clean water and basic sanitation.Using â€Å"sewage eater flush toilets† in areas that have open pit latrines is an improvement in sanitation. The toilet does not use electricity, and it treats the sewage using microbial activity. This is a low maintenance option due to the microbial activity being self-sustaining. The sewage eater flush toilets do not smell, or attract flies, and never fill up. Drop in the bucket recommends hand washing after using the restroom to de crease the spread of pathogens and disease. Since it is not recommended that a water source be near the sanitary facilities, Drop in the bucket supports use of a â€Å"round about†.The â€Å"round about† is essentially a merry-go-round, and uses the energy of children at play to pump water to a water tower near the sanitary facilities. The water tower provides water for the hand washing stations that are located at the base of the tower. Drop in the bucket supports â€Å"essential flow funding†. â€Å"VSLA program is a highly structured system of saving, borrowing and lending money generated from local contributions that provides a financial incentive for those in the community to maintain the wells† (â€Å"Solutions,† n. d. ).The program is set up to maintain water supplies for communities and is operated by members of the community. The well and pump are installed, and local members of the community are trained to maintain and repair the well. Th e persons trained also get paid to maintain the well. The community members pay a small fee for use, which is then used for maintenance of the well. The money can be loaned to members of the community and used to encourage business ventures within the community (â€Å"Solutions,† n. d. ). The system provides a sense of pride through independence, and cohesiveness within the community.United States Water The United States has well established water and sewage systems in place, but has other problems. Many towns and cities have chemicals in their water supply that can cause cancer, lead poisoning, kidney failure, Parkinson’s disease, and many other illnesses. In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act was created. At that time 91 contaminants were listed as unsafe to be in the drinking water. There are now more than 60,000 chemicals in the U. S. Since 1974 we have learned that many of the contaminants that were thought safe in large amounts are not safe in small amounts.The EP A has determined healthy levels of most of the chemicals, but the legal levels have not been updated. Communities are required to treat the water supply to keep the levels of contaminants below the legal level, when many times the healthy level is significantly below the legal level. In 2009 the New York Times published a series called Toxic Waters. This series listed several cities that have serious problems with their water supply. Arsenic levels in three cities were at levels that are associated with Cancer, the cities are Scottsdale, Arizona, Reno, Nevada and El Paso Texas, and these cities were still below the legal limits.Also, Uranium levels were high enough to cause kidney damage in Edmond, OK, Millville, NJ, and Pleasantville, NJ; again the levels were below the legal limits. In Los Angeles, a water reservoir was known to have chemicals in it that when exposed to the sun became carcinogenic; the reservoir was covered in black plastic balls to prevent the sun from entering t he water. The reservoir is now an eye sore and the community does not understand why it needed to be done if the water tested below the legal limits (Duhigg & Palmer, 2009).What’s In Your Water? Go to http://www. ewg. org/tap-water/ to find out what is in your water. In my area, the water supply has contained high levels of lead, radium 226, radium 228, alpha particle activity, and tetrachloroethylene. I was shocked. Jet fuel can be in the water supply in the United States and it will still comply with federal regulations, per the Safe Drinking Water Act. The contaminants that are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act have not been updated since 2000.There has been inaction on updating the list of regulated contaminates because communities fear higher prices for their water, industry and businesses fear the cost will be too high to remove the contaminants and have lobbied against more regulations. The lobbyists have been successful. Conclusion The community needs to be awa re of contaminates in their water supply and take steps to make changes. Talk to your congressman and representative, encourage them to update the Safe Drinking Water Act, using the knowledge that is currently available from the EPA, and make regular updates to the act.On a local level registered voters should approve tax increases for improved sanitation in the water department, to make the water safe to drink; the choice is to pay now or pay later with your health, an easy choice. If clean water were available to all people, there would be less sickness globally, and nurses could concentrate on other medical needs. In the long term, the fiscal savings will be significant. Nurses can support the ICN position that â€Å"the right to clean water is non-negotiable† (ICN, 2008) by supporting and joining professional organizations that lobby for clean water.There are also many opportunities for volunteering and fund raising that support the cause. The Millennium Development Goal Seven target, to cut in half those that are without clean water by 2015, should be met, but that sanitation part of the goal will not be met (â€Å"Billions struggle without clean water or basic sanitation,† 2005). The WHO/UNICEF Thematic Report on Drinking Water indicates that meeting the 2015 goal for safe water will still leave 672 million people without safe drinking water (2011). Without meeting this goal, girls will not get needed education, and children will continue to die from preventable diseases, as will adults.Florence Nightingale indicated that nurses should use the best methods that are available, that we should learn and practice those methods and that â€Å"health is not only to be well, but to use well every power we have† (Nightingale, 1851). References Billions struggle without clean water or basic sanitation. (2005). Journal of Advanced Nursing,  49(2), 223. Duhigg, C. , & Palmer, G. (2009, December 16). That Tap Water Is Legal but May Be Unhealth y. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/12/17/us/17water. html? pagewanted=6 Four ways toilets change girls' lives. n. d. ). Water. org. Retrieved from http://power. water. org/post/four-ways-toilets-change-girls-lives/ Massoud, M. , Al-Abady, A. , Jurdi, M. , & Nuwayhid, I. (2010). The challenges of sustainable access to safe drinking water in rural areas of developing countries: case of Zawtar El-Charkieh, Southern Lebanon. Journal Of Environmental Health, 72(10), 24-30. Miller, J. , & Gibson, S. (2012). Positive impact of water on children’s health and wellbeing. British Journal Of School Nursing, 7(1), 8-9. Nightingale, F. (1851). The institution of Kaiserswerth in the Rhine.London: London Ragged Colonial Training School. Solutions. (n. d. ). Drop in the Bucket. Retrieved from https://www. dropinthebucket. org/solutions/#toilets The facts about water. (n. d. ). CARE USA. Retrieved from http://www. care. org/careswork/whatwedo/health/water. asp UNICEF. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. unicef. org/ UNICEF and World Health Organization. (2011). JMP Thematic Report on Drinking Water 2011. Drinking water equity, safety and sustainability. Retrieved from www. wssinfo. org. Water, sanitation, and health in developing countries. n. d. ). Yale University. Retrieved from http://www. yale. edu/env/elimelech/Research_Page/sanitation/Sanitation_Presentation_2. pdf World Health Organization (WHO) (2013). MDG7: ensure environmental sustainability. Retrieved from www. who. int/topics/millennium_development_goals/mdg7/en/index. html World Health Organization (WHO) (2013). Water supply, sanitation and hygiene development. Retrieved from www. who. int/water_sanitation_health/en World water day 2013. (n. d. ). Drop in the Bucket. Retrieved from http://www. dropinthebucket. org/learn/

Brutus as a Tragic Hero

Julius Caesar is regarded as one of William Shakespeare’s greatest works of literature. It is mainly based on is mainly based on the assassination of Julius Caesar. Brutus, a servant and close friend to Julius Caesar. was ironically the ringleader for Caesar’s assassination. Brutus thinks that if he assassinates Julius Caesar he will be doing what was best for Rome. In this play, Brutus is often referred to as the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must be noble, demonstrate hubris, demonstrates hamartia, and experiences an epiphany.Brutus fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero since he has all of the characteristics. A tragic hero requires be noble. Shakespeare made Brutus noble in this play by making him always wanting to do what is best for Rome. He incorporates that by making Rome Brutus’s top priority. When Brutus was discussing the assassination with the other assassins, he states, â€Å"No, not on oath. If not the face of men, the sufferance of our souls, the time’s abuse– if these be motives weak, break off betimes, and every man hence to his idle bed.So let high-sighted tyranny rage on till each man drop by lottery†¦ † (2. 1. 124-9). Brutus explains how the current state of Rome is strong enough to hold themselves together rather than swearing to each others’ loyalty. He proves his nobility by saying how the sadness and suffering of the Romans including themselves should not only be their motivation to assassinate Caesar, but should also be creating a brotherhood amongst them. In other words, Brutus believes that a Roman’s word should be their loyalty rather than swearing on it.Shakespeare also shows Brutus’s nobility indirectly when Caesar was being assassinated. Before Caesar died, he looked to over to Brutus and he said, â€Å"Et tu , Brute? – Then fall Caesar! † (3. 1. 85). â€Å"Et tu, Brute† means â€Å"Even you, Brutus† in Latin, and this shows that Caesar knows that there must be a noble purpose if Brutus was involved. In that manner, this quote also shows Caesar’s respect for Brutus as a person. If the dictator of Rome respects his servant, than the servant must be noble to his empire, thus, Brutus is a noble person.Not only do tragic heros need to be noble, but they also have to demonstrate hubris. Hubris is excessive pride or self-confidence. Brutus shows his excessive pride and confidence is when he acted on his decisions rather than others. For example, when Brutus assassinated Caesar, Mark Antony wanted to create a speech at his funeral. Cassius tries to tell Brutus what could go wrong, but Brutus stubbornly says, â€Å"I will myself into the pulpit first and show the reason of our Caesar’s death†¦ It shall advantage more than do us wrong† (2. . 257-63). Brutus doesn’t even consider what Cassius has told him. It is as if he already decided not to listen to Cass ius’s since he thinks his thought is superior. Another example of Brutus’s self-confidence was before the battle of Brutus and Cassius against Mark Antony and Octavian. Brutus asks Cassius on the opinion of if they should attack the enemies or wait for them. Cassius thinks it would be better to wait for the enemies, but Brutus says, â€Å"Good reasons must of force give place to better†¦The enemy, marching along by them, by them shall make a fuller number up, come on refreshed, new added, and encouraged; from which advantage we cut him off if at Philippi we do face him there, those people at our back† (4. 3. 233-42). Brutus explains that good reasons give away for better ones. He also explained how the enemies will gain more soldiers for their army on the way to them, but they could nullify that advantage by going towards them. Although Brutus provides a reason to why his claim is better than Cassius’s claim, he still gives the impression that he is superior to Cassius.Brutus’s hubris can also give the impression that he thinks better about than himself than he does others. Either way, this causes Brutus problems. Tragic heroes normally suffer hamartia as a result of their hubris. Hamartia is another word for tragic flaw. Brutus demonstrates hamartia in his naivety. One way this was demonstrated was when Brutus was discussing the assassination and they wanted Cicero to get involved. Cassius, Casca, Cinna and Metellus all believed that Cicero should be involved to. Once Brutus made his decision, he stated, â€Å"O name him [Cicero] not!Let us not break with him, for he will never follow anything that other men begin† (2. 1. 161-3). Brutus did not even speak persuasively; he just exclaimed his opinion and everyone agreed with him all of a sudden. This shows that the Cassius, Casca, Cinna and Metellus might be just trying to use Brutus to get rid of Caesar. Another way Brutus demonstrates hamartia is him being manipu lated too easily. Cassius flattered Brutus and Brutus let the compliments get to him. One example is when Cassius compared Brutus’s and Caesar’s names.Cassius tries to flatter Brutus by saying, â€Å"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings. ‘Brutus,’ and ‘Caesar. ’ What should be in that ‘Caesar? ’ Why should that name be sounded more than yours? † (1. 2. 149-53) Cassius explains to Brutus that they were the ones to determine their own fate and not the stars. In other words, he is trying to tell Brutus they are inferiors at their own will. This gives an impression that Cassius is trying to make Brutus feel guilty about himself.Then Cassius attempts to fire up Brutus by saying that his name is equally capable of ruling Rome. The devious Cassius easily manipulates Brutus, and Brutus’s self confidence helped him believe all of Cassius’s compliments were true. Brutus w ouldn’t know about his tragic flaw until he lost everything. An epiphany is where someone has a sudden realization of something. Aristotle define epiphany in a tragedy where the tragic hero realizes his/her mistake or mistakes made. In Julius Caesar, Brutus had an epiphany when he was getting ready to fight Octavian and Mark Antony’s army.In the tent discussing his plans with Cassius, he confesses that his wife, Portia, died. Brutus sadly explains: â€Å"She [Portia] is dead†¦ Impatient of my absence, and grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony have made themselves so strong– for with her death that tidings came– with this she fell distract, and (her attendants absent) swallowed fire†¦ Speak no more of her†¦ † (4. 3. 171-83). Brutus is upset that his wife is dead and realizes that he dragged her into this mess. He accuses himself for losing the love of his life, and this creates a sensation of pity.This is the turning point in the play where Brutus starts to believe that killing Caesar was not right. Brutus also experiences an epiphany at the end of the story, after his defeat against Mark Antony and Octavian. Having lost everything, Brutus decides to murder himself. Brutus’s final words were, â€Å"†¦ Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will† (5. 5. 56-7). With these meaningful last words, Brutus creates a sense of pity for himself. Brutus was never sure of whether he should have killed Caesar or not, and he proves it with these words.To kill himself â€Å"with half so good a will† he gives the impression to where he is curious about what the condition would Rome be like with Caesar still in power. Aristotle's definition of a tragedy seems to fit all the tragedies today. He states that the tragic hero must have the following traits: must be of noble birth, must show excessive pride, must show a tragic flaw, and must learn from his/her mistakes. This universa l map of tragedy fits William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in a perfect manner. Although one could argue that Brutus is not the tragic hero, he best fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero in Julius Caesar.

Reading the world ideas that matter, Third Edition Assignment

Reading the world ideas that matter, Third Edition - Assignment Example This association of children drawn from different races sharing a common pursuit of knowledge is important in achieving racial unity. Children learn to share their strengths to solve problems together than to focus on their natural racial differences.â€Å"Children should be surrounded with things of nature which have their own educational value. Their minds should be allowed to stumble upon and be surprised at everything that happens in today’s life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There is an emphasis on natural settings and surprise of knowing that are brought out in this quote. It is important Tagore encourages the importance of practical learning by arousing curiosity in children. When children learn through nature, there are surprised life’s happenings. Therefore, a curiosity in learning is created. This curiosity stimulates the brain to find out things and explore their world. These sources help us to learn several aspects of life among them education and democracy. A critical awa kening is encouraged in me and the general society where teachers and learners are encouraged to embrace practical education. As a learner, I have additionally, learnt the importance of nature in a child’s learning process as well as the role of nature in stimulating a critical mind. Finally, education is among the best ways of fighting racism and a tool for achieving unity.The classmate argues that parents should not dictate on the passions of their children and that the future would be great if people passionately worked on their passions.

Acid Rain in Hamilton Ontario Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Acid Rain in Hamilton Ontario - Research Paper Example The acid rain in turn pollutes the lakes making them acidic, which kills the fishes and other species in water, also affecting the trees which die due to acidic nature of the rain. Humans are also affected as they have to encounter various health issues. As a response, various short term and long term measures are being taken which have effectively reduced the emissions; however a lot needs to be done as the hazards of the problem are too severe to ignore. Acid rain has become a severe environmental hazard in the recent past due to the environmental implications it leaves on the ecosystem as well as on the human health. As a basic phenomenon, due to pollution in the environment owing to industrial waste or other reasons nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide are released in the atmosphere which is evaporated. These evaporated chemicals descend back on earth in the form of acid rain, creating severe hazards for the environment. Acid rain is one of the most crucial concerns for North America and Canada, as industrial emissions released in the atmosphere are surpassing the limits causing environmental hazards. According to a recent research, this problem has been predicted to continue for at least another 60 years. Hamilton Ontario located in Eastern Canada can be taken as a case study to inquire about the issue in detail, as this locale has been a victim of acid rain in the past and strong actions have been implemented to resolve the issue1. In context to the Hamilton Ontario, the first concern related to the causes behind the severity of the issue in this area. Since Ontario lies in Eastern Canada, the cloud approaches this area from the US. The industrial wastes emitted through the factories running in the US emit suphur and nitrogen containing acidic chemical in the environment which pollute the clouds2. When the winds blow east, they carry the clouds along which cause acid rain to drop over the area in the form of rainwater.

Social Performance of Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Performance of Organizations - Essay Example The focus of the company has been restricted in the production and supply of oil related products and services. However, the company has been faced with several environmental challenges including the famous oil spills in the sea (Okbor, 2001, p. 23). The spillage caused the death over fifteen workers in the process. In spite of the challenges posed, the company does not have challenge with the volume of oil and gas produced but has been facing competition from other market related factors and companies. The major issue affecting BP is the failure to address major spillage catastrophe such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill. The spillage is a major environmental safety incident that affected the performance of the company. It led to negative publicity, which in turn affected the organization through suits such as the case of the company against the employees. During the hearing, the company pleaded guilty to 11 counts of felony and manslaughter. In addition, they pleaded guilty of two misdemeanors and one felony count for providing wrong information to the congress. Environmental safety is an issue that has affected the company negatively owing to the 2010 incident which created a negative perception. The pleading guilty of the company affected its public image and led to serious challenges in conducting business. In fact, the company spent a lot of money on fines and penalties which totaled to $4.5 billion in fines and penalty (Crane & Matten, 2007, p. 14). The amount is the large st in the company history. Despite the conclusion of certain cases, there is still challenge on the pending cases which are scheduled to end this year. In overall, the organization faces damages of close to 17.6 billion in the trial. The Deepwater incident of 2010 is a major catastrophe for the company in terms of business and the public image. The focus of the world today is on the protection of

Frida Kahlo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Frida Kahlo - Essay Example The essay "Frida Kahlo" analyzes the art and life of Frida Kahlo. She wasn’t a very fertile artist: her heritage contains about 143 works, 55 of them being self-portraits. Through all her life painting was the method of survival, the only way she could tell about her sufferings and pains. As you know, at the age of eighteenth she got into a very serious accident when riding in a bus. A metal rod pierced her from abdominal down to the region of hips, damaging her genitals and depriving of the ability to bear children. Numerous fractures and other injuries actually crippled this tiny woman, who managed to rise on her feet again. As the consequence of the crash Kahlo went through 35 operations and suffered awful pains and health problems all her life. The woman never lost her spirit, painting the major support in troubles. The work I have chosen is one of self-portraits. It is called The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth, Me, Diego, and Mr. Xolotl.It is one of Kahlo’ s late works, dedicated to her relations with Diego Rivera. Frankly speaking, it is not quite clear who is Mr. Xolotl. Perhaps it is a big animal sleeping in the foreground of the picture just in the black right hand of the Universe. It is a very philosophical and lyrical painting, demonstrating surrealistic preferences of Kahlo. The Universe and the Earth (Mexico) are personified. The Universe is a big human, which is neither man nor woman, the right part of it being black, which symbolizes both night and black race.

Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marks and Spencer - Essay Example Additionally, they employ over 78,000 people all over the world (Marks and Spencer, 2012a). Financial Analysis of M&S: Despite global recession the company has managed to increase its revenues from its UK and international operations. An important point to make here is that M&S is a UK based brand with 50% of its stores being in UK. Its revenue generation is mostly derived from UK operations which accounts for 90% of the total revenue of the company. Profitability: The company has shown steady increase in the revenues in the last three years. In 2011 the revenue increased by 2%, followed by the same in 2012. However, the operating profits in the last two years have not increased in the same line. In 2011, the operating profit was ?836.9m which fell to ?746.5m, resulting in operating profit margin of 9.53% in 2011 and 8.84% in 2012. This clearly shows that company’s cost control is weak and the cost of goods sold has not increased in the same line as revenues. The reason for su ch instability in profits for 2012 is the expansion and improvement plan the company is implementing till 2013 which will result in increased sales and satisfied consumers in the future. Because of the very reasons the company has experienced increased cost of sale, interest expense, administrative and selling expenses. Similarly, the company’s net profit margin has also decreased from 8.13% in 2011 to 7.54% in 2012. The company’s return on capital employed (ROCE) has been increasing at a slow pace from being 17.24% in 2010, 19.0% in 2011 which declined to 18.8% in 2012. The reason for declining ROCE can be linked to decline PAT of the company accompanied by an increase in the total assets. (Marks and Spencer. 2012a) Liquidity: The company’s gearing ratio has decreased in last three years. In 2010, the company had a gearing ratio of 108.6% which was a lot, in year 2011, the company reduced it long term liabilities and the ratio fell to 76.91% which further was d ecreased to 74.54% in 2012. The reason of falling gearing ratio is the decrease in the total liabilities of the company, which is beneficial as it will reduce in lower interest payments. However, company’s liquidity/cash flow position might get affected in order to pay off liabilities. The company’s interest cover has remained steady over the past 3 years. Despite decreasing profits, the company is able to maintain an interest cover of average 6 times. This is because the company has shown good planning here regarding the payments of interest and has reduced the liabilities accordingly with the fall in profits. The company’s current and quick ratios have decreased over three years. The company had a current ratio of 0.8 times in 2010 which has decreased to 0.73 times in 2012. This shows the instability in the liquidity position of the company. The biggest reason of the fall in the current assets of the company is the decrease in the cash in hand and bank which h as fallen to ?196.1m in 2012 and was ?470.2m in 2011, though the other current asset of the company, i.e., the stock has increased. Additionally, the company’s current liabilities have also increased tremendously which was ?2955.5m in 2011 and increased to ?3126.8m in 2012. These factors have contributed to the company’s low current and quick ratios. It seems that company’s management aimed to payoff its long term liabilities to save the interest payments and improve the profitability. This has caused a

Mass midia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mass midia - Essay Example Information sharing in digital platform has formed the newest trend in mass communication. Digital media, such as social sites and digital newspapers has enhanced the feedback process in terms of speed, accuracy and availability of specific information about respondents (Campbell 2012). Traditional mass media includes radio, televisions, newspapers and magazines. The feedback mechanism in these media is complex in nature due to lengthy manual process. Submitting a feedback to a media house regarding a program involves writing a letter to the program manager or a newspaper editor. This process is tedious in nature and can sometimes be futile. This is because the feedback letters may get misplaced or loss due to incorrect addresses. In addition, the process takes a lot of time and the feedback may lose its importance during transit. The cost of tendering a feedback is a hindrance in traditional mass media. This is because sending of feedback is requires posting letters that may not be beneficial to the audience. As such, traditional means of mass media receive less feedback. Digital feedback mechanisms have proven to be more efficient and are already phasing out traditional feedback mechanism. This is because many mass media platforms have gone online where respondents can post feedback at the click of a button. This makes the feedback process costless and thus more feedback is received. In addition to quick tendering of feedbacks, the editors of the news receive the feedbacks immediately and may respond accordingly. This enhances the relationship between the audience and the news media (Levine 2012). This has an overall advantage of expanding the audience base of the digital media platforms. Moreover, feedback in digital media has been boosted by the fact that the audience can chat and discuss over contentious issues. This creates royalty between the audience and the news vendor. From the feedbacks received, the number of

A detailed analysis of The Red-Headed League Essay Example for Free

A detailed analysis of The Red-Headed League Essay In 1888, A Study in Scarlet was published, bringing together the infamous duo of Holmes and Watson and in the creation of Holmes, earned Conan Doyle his fortune. Scandal in Bohemia and the following stories of his characters journey into the world of crime solving appeared in The Strand magazine. The 1880s saw a growing market for popular fiction and at a mere sixpence a week, it had anxious people rushing to the stands for literary entertainment, amusement and escapism. The double act of Holmes and Watson is very effective in the short stories by Conan Doyle. Holmes is often described in the short stories with extended imagery, often like creatures and monsters.  His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange, lank bird, with dull grey plumage and a black top-knot.  This imagery helps to reinforce the idea that his sharp and piercing eyes give the impression that he is very alert. Holmes is also described as having a tall, gaunt figure with slick black hair and hawk-like yet austere facial features. He is portrayed as being a blunt and impatient man. At the beginning of The Red-Headed League after Watsons initial intrusion, he pulls Watson abruptly into the room and he is anxious for Mr. Jabez Wilson to recommence his narrative. Watson, on the contrary, is a polite man. When he walks in on Holmes and Wilson having the conversation, he apologises and starts to withdraw. The choice of Watson as the narrator for these short stories is very effective. From the beginning, it is clear that they are very close friends, and the feeling of this friendship is made tangible in The Final Problem, as Watson mourns the tragic death of Holmes. Another reason Watson is effective as the storyteller, is that compared to Holmes amazing powers of logic and deduction, he seems more like a normal person. He, like the reader, is amazed by Holmes skills, yet he does not understand them. During the denouement of The Red-Headed League, Watson helps the reader understand how Holmes came to his conclusions by asking him the questions that are in the readers mind, such as, But how could you guess what the motive was? and, how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night? This satisfies the reader and adds realism it helps them accept it is possible. Also, as Watson is left in the dark until the conclusion, it emphasises Holmes ingenuity and powers of deductive reasoning. Throughout The Red-Headed League, there are many clues that enable the mystery to be solved. The idea of the Red-Headed League was so bizarre that there had to be something beyond the obvious evidence. Holmes chuckles after the reading of the advertisement found in the newspaper and concludes that it is a little off the beaten track. The strange factors that surround the hiring of Wilsons assistant, Vincent Spaulding, make the reader (and the characters) quite dubious of his authenticity. Vincent worked at half wages and he had been with Wilson about a month before he showed Wilson the advertisement for The Red-Headed League and recommends strongly that he applies. When Holmes and Watson go to Mr. Wilsons shop to meet the assistant, Holmes notices the knees of his trousers. All of these ideas are evidently significant to solving the mystery, but the significance cannot be seen by anyone else but Holmes. The scene with Holmes, Watson, police agent Mr. Jones (of Scotland Yard) and Mr. Merryweather, the bank director, sitting in the pitch darkness is effective at building the atmosphere and mood needed for the finale. Watson depicts the scene with fantastic imagery. As they wait in the earth-smelling passage in absolute darkness, Watsons nerves are worked up to a pitch of expectancy. This illustrates the anticipation being felt by the characters and the readers themselves. Watson says there is something depressing and subduing about sitting in the sudden gloom and the cold, dank air. Although he is excited about their scheme, he realises the darker side to the outcome. After sitting in the darkness for a period of time, and after Watson thinks that the night must have almost gone, and the dawn be breaking above them, Watsons limbs become weary and stiff. Watson is physically starting to feel very uncomfortable in that situation, yet he fears to change his position. His hearing becomes very acute and he can start to distinguish the deeper, heavier in-breath of the bulky Jones from the thin sighing note of the bank director. This details how still and silent the characters are in this intense moment. Suddenly, his eyes catch the glint of a light. Starting as a lurid spark, it turns into a yellow line before an almost womanly hand appears from the gash. The culmination of the action will soon be played out before the reader. At this point, you can see how Conan Doyle has created the tension for the reader and how this will affect their enjoyment of the concluding pages. The Final Problem has a very different theme. As soon as the first paragraph has been read you can sense the feeling of desolation as Watson writes with a heavy heart and speaks of the singular gifts by which Holmes was distinguished. The whole story has a disheartening ambience. This is reinforced by the surprise and very uncharacteristic entrance of Holmes. He acts very unusually and Watson seems confused. Holmes use of euphemisms is unanticipated, as he is usually a very blunt and straightforward man. Yes, I have been using myself up rather too freely'  He also uses heroic understatement here for effect. You can also detect the use of present participles as soon as Holmes presence is felt, he starts flinging the shutters together and persists in bolting them securely. The word bolted has a very aggressive sound and therefore helps to visualise Holmes urgency and distressed nature. Their brief and minimal exchange is particularly dramatic.

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation Abstract This research provides guidance as to the most successful style of renewable energy in replacing the current dominant fossil fuels in the future. This success is based on a number of key variables, not least the implications of cost, management and longevity that are intertwined with developing, installing and running a renewable energy source. The case-study focused on the four main types of renewable energy, solar power, wind power, biomass energy and geothermal energy and came to some interesting conclusions. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research was used, with the majority of the findings coming from the qualitative research. However, the quantitative research was in the form of two case studies highlighting the effectiveness of two types of renewable energy in certain household situations and how the energy can replace that of traditional fossil fuels. The findings show that while no one particular renewable energy type gained a majority backing from the research, knowledge about these types of energy is still perhaps too limited for any person to make a correct and informed choice as to the development of renewable energy. The qualitative research indicated that there are many strengths and weaknesses to each type of energy, while the quantitative research stressed that in certain situations renewable can be very effective. Another key finding of the literature was that general knowledge and understanding of renewable energy is not at an acceptable level in terms of the general public and leads to the recommendation of increased awareness. Aims and Objectives This section is designed to provide a detailed overview of the research aims and objectives of the present dissertation and the research questions that the study will try to answer in as comprehensive a manner as possible within time and resource constraints. Research Aim The aim of this study is to establish the possible options for renewable energy available in the United Kingdom for future use. This will be conducted through a comparative analysis of the four main types of renewable energy currently available, solar energy, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The main aim of the research is to: o Identify successful alternatives to the non-renewable energies in the United Kingdom In order to achieve this, a number of objectives will need to be met. The aim of the research is to be able to conclude with clarity, the most attractive option or options available to the United Kingdom and its government in terms of renewable energy, for the current day and moreover, into the future. The uncertain prospect of the traditional non-renewable energies, coal, oil and natural gas, have meant that renewable energies have had to be developed with the aim that in the future, these newer, more environmentally friendly options will gradually take over the burden of energy supply in the United Kingdom. Research Objectives Based on the research aim outlined in the previous subsection, the research objectives that the present study will seek to achieve are as listed below: o To undertake an investigation into the four main sources of renewable energy; these include Solar Energy, Wind, Biomass and Geothermal energy. o To gain an understanding of the history and development of these energies is needed to fully understand the extent to which the United Kingdom can rely on them in the future. o An analysis of the benefits and disadvantages of each particular type of renewable energy o To explore how well the government is backing renewable energy with incentives o To examine the financial implications – to gain an insight to how much renewable energy will cost in installation, what grants are available? o To examine design implications – installation of renewable sources, aesthetic, dimensional requirements. Research Questions There are particular research questions that will need to be addressed when attempting to analyse possible future energy alternatives. These include: * How significant is the extent of cost when attempting to replace non-renewable energies with the more environmentally friendly types? * How far does the government wish to develop all four types of energy? Do they have a particular idea as the market share that each one should ideally hold on providing energy to the United Kingdom? * What can history tell the research about the likelihood that these renewable energy methods will succeed over a longer period? * Can (and will) these renewable energies ever fully replace the non-renewable energies that the United Kingdom (and globally) has relied heavily and dependently upon since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? The research will attempt to address these questions and objectives whilst trying to meet the aim of the entire project; identifying successful long term strategies to replace dwindling non-renewable energy sources with abundant renewable sources while still enabling the United Kingdom to grow and hold its position of relative power and influence on a global scale. 1: Introduction Ever since the realisation that non-renewable energy sources (coal, oil and natural gas) are exactly as the description suggests, and that the level of these are reducing rapidly due to the global appetite for energy consumption in the continuing race for power, influence and development, it has been apparent that renewable energy sources would have to be developed to enable this global growth to continue. The United Kingdom, whilst overtaken in recent years by countries such as the United States and China in terms of energy consumption, has had a history intertwined with this notion. The Industrial Revolution, beginning in the United Kingdom in the 18th Century, acted as a catalyst for the rapid consumption of a large proportion of the world’s traditional, non-renewable energy sources. This has led to the necessity of developing renewable energy forms to supplement these more traditional energy types, with the aim to take over the burden of energy supply in the future. Brown (cited in Miller Spoolman, 2008:211) states that in terms of history, the 19th Century belonged to coal and the 20th Century to oil. However, the 21st Century will belong to the sun, the wind and energy from within the earth. This belief is widely held for a number of reasons and highlights the importance that the development of renewable energy sources has on the current agenda of policy makers and governments on a global scale. However, this will prove to be a difficult challenge. As Sawin (2004) stresses, over the previous decade, the World Bank funding for fossil fuel projects (totalling $26.5 billion) far exceeded that for renewable energy (Sawin, 2004:13). It is this type of obstacle that can make the development and mainstreaming of renewable energy difficult to implement and is why it is so crucial to research this issue, highlight the financial costs of renewable energy as a long term successor to the fossil fuels and increase public knowledge of renewable energies an d their benefits. The renewable energy options are possibly limited to four main types. Whilst many various options have been and are being developed by researchers and scientists, only four are currently at a stage where they could develop enough energy to be able to supplement and then eventually succeed non-renewable energy. These are highlighted as solar energy, wind power, biomass and geothermal energy (Tiwari Ghosal, 2005:17). These four types of energy will therefore form the focus of the research with each particular strand of energy being investigated to establish whether it is feasible that any one (or perhaps a combination) of these energies can ever be relied upon to replace fossil fuels. This is the long term aim of renewable energy, whilst at the current time, they are still on the periphery in terms of usage when compared to non-renewable energy forms. The research will identify strengths and weaknesses of each of the four types of energy, particularly focusing on people’s opinions and other variables such as cost, performance and design issues that may gain or lose support depending on the results. The research will be conducted through two different approaches. Firstly, there will be a qualitative analysis of the literature available on each of the four main sources of renewable energy. This coupled with official government information detailing about each type of energy will form the majority of the research. In this manner, the proposed research will be qualitative based. However, the success of the mixed method approach to research, as championed by Maxwell (2005:183), highlights that the research should include quantitative data research as well. This will be conducted through two case studies, analysing the effects of two of the renewable energy sources on a small scale. These will be focused around particular individ uals’ attempts to use a form of renewable energy to replace more traditional fossil fuel energy in their home. The quantitative data achieved by these two samples will provide evidence as the success of the renewable energy type in replacing more established non-renewable energy in an everyday life situation. This will enable the research to identify key areas that surround the debate over renewable energy sources and the suitability of each of the four main types in their possible future role as the majority providers of energy to the United Kingdom. 1.1: Solar Energy Solar energy is perhaps the most prominent of all the renewable energy sources currently available. Solar energy has existed in many forms for thousands of years (Craddock, 2008:28). He stresses that early users of solar energy include the Romans who used the suns’ rays to heat their rooms and designed south facing windows to make use of the heat provided by the sun. In the modern era, technology has developed rapidly and solar energy is now seen as much technical and efficient than ever before. The literature review will analyse solar energy and emphasise the strengths and weaknesses of the energy as a possible candidate for large scale usage on a national level. As Figure 1 highlights, when the sun’s rays shine upon a solar panel, the effect converts the light energy to electrical energy. In this instance, the power from the solar panel is directly proportional to the amount of light shining on it, so if the light from the sun is three times as bright on a particular day than the previous day, then you will receive three times the power. (Stubbs, 2008:4) The development of solar energy has occurred due to the understanding that our current way of life cannot continue if we remain economically dependent on fossil fuels. A champion of solar energy, Scheer (2004) supports the theory that it is imperative that we make comprehensive use of solar energy, not just to augment fossil fuels but to replace them before they either run out or critically damage the world through pollution and dangerous emission levels (Scheer, 2004:4). There are two main formats that solar energy takes. These are passive and active formats (Craddock, 2008). A passi ve solar energy system uses the sunrays directly to heat water or gas. The active system converts the sun’s energy into electrical energy by using a photovoltaic semiconductor material called solar cell (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). The researcher also provides evidence that solar power can be relatively low in terms of its efficiency stating that the electrical power output of the solar panel, arrived at by multiplying the solar power input by the efficiency of the panel (Figure 2), can often produce a low amount of energy. The energy produced in the equation above is only high enough to power two light bulbs. This can be countered by increasing the size of the panel and the efficiency of the panel. These two changes will increase the output (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). Developments made recently should, according to Jones (2003:48), allow solar cells to operate more efficiently. The recent innovation of solar concentrators is used in solar thermal technology to generate heat to power turbines. With solar concentration technology, mirrors or lenses focus light onto specifically designed cells. The older versions of solar cells have solid absorbing layers that require clear skies and direct sunlight to produce energy. However, new solar concentrators follow the sun’s path through the sky during the day allowing a better chance at finding direct sunlight. This highlights that solar power is increasing in efficiency and from a relatively un-technical beginning, solar power is now a real possibility at pr oviding alternative power to fossil fuels in the future. 1.2 Wind Wind power is perhaps the most striking of all of the recent developments in renewable energy. The wind turbines that adorn high peaks across the country are constant reminders of the attempts by the government and industry to develop renewable energy. Wind power is generated through the utilisation of large scale convective currents that carry heat from lower latitudes to more northern destinations. These create rivers of air that are used by newly developed wind turbines to generate power. (Figure 3) Winds are strongest at high peaks and specifically more frequent and at their strongest along the shores of lakes, seas and oceans, restricting the placement of wind turbines to coastal regions in many parts of the world (Gipe, 2004:24) As Figure 4 highlights, the power of wind can be increased to almost two hundred percent of its normal speed as it reaches the crest of a peak, thus ensuring the positioning of the wind turbines. These have led to many criticisms of the aesthetics of the turbines, given that they are large and seen as imposing by some onlookers. The wind turbines can produce a large volume of energy but are dependent on nature and days of unusually low wind speed can reduce the effectiveness of the turbines remarkably. When the wind speed is above the level needed to produce the maximum efficiency, no power losses are achieved in the system. It is only when the wind speed drops below the necessary level that the efficiency of the wind turbine drops (Hau, 2006:489). There are a number of strengths and weaknesses of wind power and these will be assessed in the literature review. However, the UK has increased its share of the wind turbine market recently (at an average rate of 35% per annum) in its attempts to increase the percentage of which all electricity generated will come from renewable sources by 2020 (This has been set at 20% : Government White Paper, 2003). There are various types of wind turbines, in different shapes and sizes, developed to harness the wind power at a particular geographical location. The main two versions of the modern wind turbine are based around the axis. The two different types are the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. The horizontal axis (Figure 5 above) is the most commonly seen in the United Kingdom and is popular due to the high efficiency rating. The higher the tall tower base, the higher the wind speed and the more output that can be created. This is why the horizontal axis is the most popular. However, this is also one of the disadvantages with complaints arising about the sight of these wind turbines on the horizon from many locals when they are installed. Vertical axis wind turbines (Figure 6) are less common in the United Kingdom. These vertical axis turbines are less common due to the fact that they are generally less efficient, because of the nature of its rotation and the stress on the blades. This leads to frequent replacements and therefore a higher cost. They are, however, less tall than horixontal axis wind turbines and therefore less of a distraction on the horizon for those that are angered by the horizontal axis types. 1.3 Biomass Biomass energy is defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel source derived from recently dead biological material. This is opposed to fossil fuels that come from long dead biological material. Biomass constitutes the largest non-hydroelectric renewable source of primary energy in the United States and its presence is growing rapidly in the United Kingdom (Turner Doty, 2009:443). This is highlighted by Chiras (2006:21) who stresses that many countries are now turning to biomass as an alternative fuel source due to its relative ease in creating energy and the low cost involved. Biomass includes a wide assortment of solid fuels, such as wood, and liquid fuels such as ethanol derived from corn and biodiesel, a liquid fuel made from vegetable oils. The wide variety of forms that biomass can take can be found in figure 7. Biomass is remarkably popular as an energy source, as stated previously due to the low cost and relative ease at obtaining the materials needed for conversion. The three main conversion types are anaerobic digestion, fermentation to alcohol and the thermal process which produces a range of fuels and by-products including methane, methanol and ethanol that can produce heat, power and light, as well as fertilizers and fibres that can be used to produce food, textiles and plastics. (Figure 8) This range of products and power that it can produce make it very flexible and attractive to those who support the development of renewable energy. However, one key advocate of biomass energy states that currently most use of biomass energy is not clean or sustainable. The pollution caused by burning wood, manure and agricultural waste is causing severe health problems. It is also true that some energy crops have a bigger energy and environmental cost than they return. Thomas (2007:44) indicates that if biomass is to be a vital part of the future energy mix then there needs to be methods developed to process and use it in sustainable way over a long period of time. Biomass energy has accounted for over thirty percent of the United Kingdom electricity generation from various renewable energy types over the past five years. This amount is only second to that of hydro power (Institute of Physics Report, 2010). Although the total amount generated by renewable energy is still relatively small compared to that of traditional fossil fuels, it highlights that if biomass can be developed on a larger more industrial scale, and if more environmentally friendly processes can be created, then the usage of biomass technology may increase dramatically in the near future. Support within the United Kingdom exists for the development of the biomass energy industry. A recent report (European Wind Energy Association, 2009:524) highlights that the United Kingdom government has developed grant schemes (funds reserved from the New Opportunities Fund) for investments in energy crops and biomass power generation of at least  £33 million over three years. This will ho pefully enable the biomass industry to develop cleaner, more sustainable methods of creating biomass energy that can be used on a much larger scale. 1.4 Geothermal Geothermal energy is identified as power extracted from heat stored in the earth. It has a long history of use, from simple ways such as bathing to the modern use; that of generating electricity. In recent years, geothermal power has developed but still only supplies around 0.5% of the global electricity. Geothermal power is identified as cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. However there are setbacks in the development of the energy. The main negative aspect of geothermal energy is that it is has been historically limited to regions that are close to or on tectonic plate boundaries (Craddock, 1998) Geothermal power works through a relatively simple process, exploiting the heat of the earth and transforming it into electricity. Figure 9 highlights how this process occurs. Capehart (2007) underlines the abundance of geothermal power and states that the resource base for the power can be drawn from shallow ground to hot water and rock several miles below the Earth’s surface to even further down, to molten rock known as magma (Capehart, 2007:377). There are three types of geothermal power plants operating in the world today. These are dry steam plants, flash steam plants and binary cycle plants. Dry steam plants directly use geothermal steam to turn turbines. Flash steam plants pull deep, high pressure hot water into lower pressure tanks and use the resulting flashed steam to drive the turbines. Binary cycle plants pass moderately hot geothermal water by a secondary fluid to flash to vapour and then this vapour then drives the turbines (Capehart, 2007:337). Geothermal energy is seen as very reliable in that it has an average system availability of 90-95%. This is far higher than other sources of renewable energy. There is however a negative aspect in the aesthetics of the geothermal power plants, with many scholars highlighting the unattractive nature of the plants (figure 10) as well as negative public opinion on this matter (Saunders, 2007). The benefits of geothermal power have been harnessed by countries such as Iceland and the United States for a number of years but only now is the United Kingdom beginning to realise the potential of this renewable energy process. An article by Morris (2009) notes that with the recent development of planning for the United Kingdom’s first geothermal energy plant, the most suited region may be that of Cornwall due to the granite located there lending itself to the process. Morris (2009) emphasises that those behind the Eden scheme believe that Cornwall could provide as much as 10% of the United Kingdom’s electricity for the next one hundred years from geothermal plants. He also identifies other granite basements in the north of England and the north-east of Scotland. Geothermal power is therefore a currently underdeveloped source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom but has the potential to become a reliable and environmentally friendly source of power over the next few decades. The development of technology should also help to strengthen the support behind geothermal energy, given that at any location on earth, deep down in the core there is the potential energy for geothermal power. If developments can be made the energy to be harnessed away from tectonic plate boundaries, then the power of geothermal energy could perhaps become unrivalled when compared to other renewable energy sources. The literature review will continue this debate as to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular renewable energy resource. 2: Literature Review This literature review will provide part of the secondary research into the research question posed at the beginning of the work. The aim; to identify successful alternative renewable energy sources to replace that of non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) that currently are in demand today. Morgan (2007:9) stresses that while fossil fuels bring enormous benefits to the world, in term of the production of mass energy that has allowed global industry and technology, as well as levels of living to rise rapidly in the last one hundred and fifty years, there a number of negative aspects to non-renewable energy sources. The limited nature of the resources is one, but also the affects that the use of coal, oil and natural gas has on the environment is also a key factor in the need to develop renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly. Therefore this literature review will attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the four main renewable energy types; solar, wind, biomass and geothermal and highlight a possible successful candidate or candidates that could take over in producing the large majority of global energy. In this manner, the four main types will need to be analysed in a number of key areas; cost, effectiveness, affect to the environment and aesthetics. Cost A good overview is provided by Freris Infield (2008). They highlight that after the United Kingdom government set the target of achieving 20% renewable energy in electricity supply by the year 2020, it became possible to analyse a cost for the proposed energy developments. An analysis completed in 2003 suggested that the extra cost for the development of renewable energy processes would represent an additional 0.3p/kWh on consumer electricity bills. This was focused primarily on wind power, as wind power is expected to contribute the majority of the renewable energy target (Freris Infield, 2008:215). Other scholars also support the view that wind power is the most expensive of the renewable energy processes. Ackermann (2005:300) acknowledges that the use of wind energy in remote areas is an exceedingly expensive option when trying to harness power from the earth, rather than using non-renewable energy sources. Quaak, Knoef and Stassen (1999) indicate their preferred method, through cost analysis, is that of Biomass. They state that the initial start up costs are less expensive than wind, solar and geothermal energy plants and also the longevity of the plants as compared to that of wind turbines (that need parts replacing on a regular basis) is a key factor in the cost analysis and that biomass is by far the cheapest of the renewable energy sources currently available (Quaark, Knoef Stassen, 1999:1). However, although Walker (2007) identifies that biomass is currently the cheapest form of energy, the scholar also states that solar power could become, over time, the cheapest form of energy. While solar panels are expensive, this is only because of the low number of them. Walker (2007:7) notes that solar cells would become dramatically less expensive if more people bought them, allowing the solar cell companies to reduce prices due to a healthy competition. The simple nature of solar power, combined with a drop in prices could aid the overall cost of the energy source, allowing it to become cheap and competitive with other renewable energy sources. Sass Duffield support the view of the cheap costs of geothermal energy as opposed to wind, biomass and solar energies. They state that geothermal energy, despite high initial installation and start-up costs, can dramatically lower monthly energy bills and therefore in the long term, or within a few years, the cumulative energy savings e qual the extra up-front costs and can become less expensive than other forms of energy. An interesting viewpoint is provided by Orr (2009:23) who indicates that at the current time, none of the existing renewable energies are cost effective and it is why governments across the globe are having to provide grants to develop them. The competitive nature of global society means that only cost effective and profit generating products succeed. Therefore, designers of renewable energy processes need to find ways to lower the costs of purchase for these energies in an attempt to rival cheaper and more established fossil fuel production. It is only in this way that renewable energies can hope to develop rapidly; to the benefit of the Earth. Effectiveness and reliability The effectiveness and reliability of an energy source is the most fundamental issue that surrounds its development. An energy that has low levels of effectiveness and low reliability rates will usually never be mass developed, due to the restrictive nature and high costs to gain a substantial yield. Wind power is suggested to have a relatively high effectiveness rating by Spilsbury Spilsbury (2007). However, other scholars stress that wind power is the least effective of all of the different renewable energies due to the loss of potential power through its design (Petersen, 1999). Other energies such as geothermal, with a 95% availability (Bracaloni et al, 1995) have a far higher efficiency rating. Quaark, Knoef Stassen (1999:52) also highlight the relative low efficiency rating of biomass energy, stating that conditions at times only allow a 25-35% efficiency rating. Lomborg (2001:134) stresses that the efficiency of solar cells is also around the 20% mark, indicating that geother mal energy is far more efficient that other forms of renewable energy. Environmental effects One of the key weaknesses of the fossil fuels and their use in energy production today is the negative effects that they have on the environment. The creation of carbon dioxide from the processes needed to create energy from coal, oil and natural gas has acted as a catalyst in lowering climate conditions across the globe. Therefore, one of the main aims for new renewable energy sources is to promote an environmentally friendly strategy. Lomborg (2001) identifies that one of the renewable energy sources being discussed lacks this strategy. Lomborg stresses that biomass energy production gives rise to a slew of pollution problems such as suspended particles, sulphur, nickel, cadmium and lead. This is supported by the Council of Europe (no date) who indicate that the weakness of biomass energy is that it produces relatively large amounts of fine particles and often also other air pollution like polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Compared to this, the Council stress that wind energy only causes some carbon dioxide and fine particle emissions in the construction phase, whereas solar energy appears to be the most environmentally friendly of the renewable energies. Chiras (2009) identifies this and supports the notion that solar power is perhaps the most environmentally friendly of all of the renewable energies. The construction phase causes less emissions than any other renewable source and the fact that industrial plants (such as that used for biomass and geothermal energy) are not required for solar power means that like wind power, once constructed there is no harm to the environment, with the solar panels soaking up the heat of the sun and transferring this into energy. Aesthetics The aesthetics of renewable energy is a key factor in gaining support for possible renewable energy sources. Gipe (2004) stresses that wind power often comes under a lot of scrutiny due to the developments of horizontal axis wind turbines that dominant certain landscapes. Gipe indicates that communities are generally against these being developed because of the ugly aesthetical factor. However, he also notes that due to the nature of wind turbines and wind energy, these locations are generally remote and therefore do not affect the majority of people. There is also the development of wind turbines at sea, which could possibly aid the reduction of resentment towards wind turbines. Moreover, Scheer (2007:200) underlines that the rejection of wind power on grounds of aesthetic landscape pollution is treacherous and short-sighted and cites key examples of previous architecture such as skyscrapers as precedents. He also argues that the benefits of wind power far outweigh any argument on a esthetics and therefore feels it is a pointless debate. Chandrasekharam and Bundschuh (2002) feel that there is a similar argument for geothermal and biomass energy plants. The aesthetic factor may often be overriding but the success of creating environmentally friendly (geothermal in particular), renewable energy should outweigh any decision as to the aesthetical impact of these new sources of energy. Summary A number of key concepts were analysed in this literature review. The review suggests that opinions over renewable energy sources and their potential success rates are divided. While there appears to be agreement in the literature over the importance of developing renewable energy sources due to the fact that fossil fuel supplies are decreasing dramatically and that they have an adverse effect on the environment, there is real debate as to the preferred methods of renewable energy. Perhaps the most important contributing factor may come down to cost, and the literature review suggested that the current cost for all renewable energy forms are too high and

Culture of Conflict in the Philippines

Culture of Conflict in the Philippines The markers of globalisation such as the imperatives of economic liberalisation, fiscal reform, and migratory flows, which is one of tidal waves of global information, have restructured social relations existing all over the world. Even though the globalisation has been called as an integrating force, cultural conflicts have presently become the most rampant and widespread form of international violence as globalisation has accelerated (Crawford, n.d.). Undoubtedly, it is said that members of any kind of culture can hold varying degrees of commitments towards the predominant values of such culture, however being in opposition to such cultural values can set the stage for cultural conflicts. A situation similar to above can clearly be seen by examining the continuing cultural conflict that the government of Philippines have with armed communist as well as Islamic insurgent groups, which has been developed through the international interventions (Peleo, 2007). Philippines has a long history of cultural conflict, with armed groups that mainly consist of Muslim separatists, clan militias, and communists, and criminal all of which are active in the country (BBC 2012). The Muslim separatists comprises the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front), the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and the Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaf and The MILF are breakaway groups of the MNLF (BBC 2012). On the other hand, the communist insurgency is propagated by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) military wing, the NPA (New Peoples Army). Since the beginning of the communist insurgency in 1960s, the government of Philippines has persistently fought with the benefit of its superior equipments, training, as well as communications. However, the government failed to resolve the conflicts mainly owing to its failure of addressing the root causes of the communist insurgency such as the social injustice, imperfect democratic process, inequitable distribution of wealth, and inconsistent delivery of services etc (Peleo, 2007). The Muslim insurgency can similarly be regarded in an ambiguous way. In contrast to the communist insurgency, this movement had not determined to replace the national government through a revolution. Accordingly, the insurgency of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) took a secessionist form with the intention of establishing a Muslim state in the areas of southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The ongoing struggle between the Philippine government and the communist as well as Muslim guerrillas has the emergence of limited internal conflicts (Brown, 1996) that may be solved yet through negotiations and stricter law enforcements. However, the formal peace talks amongst and the insurgent representatives and the government began in the 1970s and keep on until today have yet to present a final ending to the armed cultural conflict. This conflict spreads through all aspects of Philippine governance Political and security (Peleo, 2007) and both the insurgents and the government have denounced each other since the cause of the slow development of the country. Furthermore, since the 1970s, the insurgents and the government have sought to boost international involvements in a domestic’ political conflict. Nevertheless, it can be note that the international support, recognition, as well as financial and material aid gained by the government as well as by the Muslim and communi st insurgencies have not significantly diminished the hostility amongst the insurgents and Philippines government. Rather, the promise of such international aids for domestics’ cultural conflicts appears to both parties as a means of gaining military advantage sand coercive political leverage. The evidences as to the international influences on cultural conflicts in many countries existing in the world demonstrate that such international influences have not completely been effective in successfully avoiding or mitigating such cultural conflicts. In particular, Philippine insurgents have mainly been persuaded by the supposition that the foreign governments continue to and directly influence the Philippines governance (Peleo, 2007). In other words, the decisions of beginning, intensifying, reducing, or ceasing armed resistance have been encouraged by insurgents’ perceptions towards international supports for efforts of the national government for the anti-insurgent. Throughout history, the Philippines governments have all the time deferred to foreign states’ decisions on a wide range of social, political, and economic issues. Especially, much of political culture of Philippines is able to be attributed to a variety of foreign influences. For instance, the Phili ppines country was a colony of Spain during the 16th century to the late 19th century and was redeveloped subsequently as a commonwealth by the US until 1935. It was also occupied by Japan during the period of 2nd World War, and after its liberation, the country was aligned with the US till the end of the Cold War. Filipino insurgent groups were active throughout these periods, and opposed not only foreign occupations but also the Filipinos who were said to be perceived as having gained the government office through foreign endorsements. The European Union and the United State have alleged that the local insurgent groups in Philippines have expanded their capabilities and are regarded as the foreign terrorist organizations. These allegations, which were made from the perspective of the global war on terror, indicate that Philippine insurgents constitute a security threat not only for the government of Philippine but also for the US, the EU, and other foreign governments around the world. Accordingly, this renewed international interest in the insurgent conflict in the Philippine and provides evidences to the insurgents’ durability and the continuing appeal as to the idea of resistance towards a collaborationist government (Peleo, 2007). According to Reuters (2014) Muslim rebels in Philippines, on 27th May 2014 has signed a final peace negotiation, to end the conflict together with the international supports from countries including the United State. However, as far as above facts pertaining to the continuity of cultural conflicts in Philippines are concerned, this peace deal does not seems to work in long run since potential threats as to lasting peace will remain, ranging from a small breakaway of MILF faction to criminal groups, Islamist militants connected to al Qaeda as well as feuding clans (Reuters 2014). Moreover, the sustainability of peace talks between the Philippines government and insurgents may vary with the current government reactions and political stability of the country. In view of the above, it can be identified that a proper mechanism that goes beyond the peace talks is required for Philippines to cope with its cultural conflicts with various insurgents. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reduce the implications of such cultural conflicts that were exercising by people such as cultural and religion division, barriers in building care and trust for people, the continuity of culture of violence, and exposure to an environment of armed conflict together with a violent family feuds, poor access to health, education and social services (Sumndad-Usman, 2014), all of which eventually lead people to suffer and turn into rebels or bandits. Hence, it is prudent for the Philippines government to specifically admit to the systemic weaknesses within its governing regime which can motivate insurgents to resist. The government may need to sacrifice its privileged position as the victim of the insurgents’ security threats so that it can concede the legitimacy of grievance of insurgents. Although, this course of action may carries political risk to a certain extent, in particular for the government of a small state depending on a big-power state for the security, such confidence-building measure can ultimately convince both the insurgents as well as the government and that their interests are served by eliminating armed conflicts from political interactions, and by ruling out foreign influences on national governance and security issues. References Peleo, A. (2007), Living with a Culture of Conflict: Insurgency and the Philippines, Retrieved from: http://www.politicalperspectives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CIP-2007-01-04.pdf, (Accessed on 30th September 2014) Crawford, B. (n.d.), Globalization and Cultural Conflict: An Institutional Approach, Retrieved from: http://aannaim.law.emory.edu/ihr/worddocs/jamail1.doc, (Accessed on 1st October 2014) BBC (8 October 2012), Guide to the Philippines conflict, Retrieved from: www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17038024, (Accessed on 2nd October 2014) Sumndad-Usman, B. R.(25 July 2014), Building a Culture of Peace in the Philippines and Beyond, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bai-rohaniza-sumndadusman/building-a-culture-of-pea_b_5529494.html, (Accessed on 2nd October 2014) Reuters (27 March 2014), Philippines, Muslim rebels sign final peace deal to end conflict, Retrieved from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-philippines-rebels-idUSBREA2Q1W220140327, (Accessed on 2nd October 2014)

The Human Perception of Pain in Conjunction with the Mind-Body Problem

The Human Perception of Pain in Conjunction with the Mind-Body Problem There is more research surfacing supporting the notion that people can control their pain. What is left under-examined is the notion of whether the pain is mediated by the brain, mind, or both. We all know that pain is an instinctive "sense" if you will, necessary to the survival of all living beings. Without pain, it would go unrecognized and exacerbate to the point of death. Pain is a protective mechanism essential to survival. There are three important claims here: One is that pain is actually a perception. The second, is the brain mediates the suppression of pain through a "gate" in the spinal cord. Lastly, since pain is a perception, the mind may decide the degree to which the "gate" is open, which therefore influences to amount of pain reaching the brain. Recent research provides evidence that certain brain structures mediate the spinal cord gate. Still controversial is whether receptivity to pain is biological in origin and completely dependent on the brain, or whether the min d, the entity in an individual responsible for thought, and feelings, conscious or unconscious, controls the nervous system and in the end manipulates one's perception of pain. Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage" (1). When pain is described in these terms we can see that pain is a perception, sort of like seeing and hearing. When pain is processed there are a number of brain structures activated, commonly referred to as the "central pain matrix" (2). It may seem irrelevant to delve into pain signal activation in the brain since it is seemi... ...that one's entire perception of pain may be conscious in origin and simply correlate to the mechanisms of the brain, rather than stem from just the brain entirely. References 1)Pain Anatomy http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~ranney/painanat.html 2)The Human Perception of Pain http://dubinserver.colorado.edu/prj/nva/humanperception.html 3)Brain Pain Pathways http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/Psych289/Biotutorials/19/intro.shtml?sso=true 4)Modification of pain within the spinal cord http://www.manbit.com/obstetspain/obnlp3.htm 5)The Skeptics Dictionary http://skepdic.com/mind.html 6)Mind and Body Interactions http://www.mindbody.org/ 7)Mind-Body-Medicine http://www.mind-body-medicine.com/ 8)Mind and Body Wellness http://membrane.com/ncata/lynn/ 9) Carlson, Neil R., Physiology of Behavior. Needham Heights: A Pearson Education Company, 2001.

Technology and Individualization in Education Essay -- Technological I

Technology and Individualization in Education Technology is a major influential factor in the progression of education. Technology has allowed for many positive advances in education, allowing for more efficient, more individualized learning. The introduction of computers in education has provided countless benefits to students, and enhanced learning greatly. Students now have a much broader wealth of information in which they can get knowledge from, and more specialized learning. Education will continue to be benefited by technology as progression continues. Individualization in education should be an ultimate goal, and this can only be achieved through technology. Technology should continue to be an influential factor in education. Computers have been the most influential form of technology to affect education. Many experts are critical of computers in the classroom. Dennis Gooler suggests that computers institute a gender gap, and that serious questions need to be addressed before computers are allowed in classrooms. He says that boys are much more inclined to use computers, and that girls will be left behind in the technology craze. I think that the way to solve this problem is to have computers in schools and promote their use by both genders. Computers allow for students to learn individually, and to gain access to a plethora of knowledge that has recently become accessible. There are many ways that computers have benefited learning. Studies have proven that computers in the classroom cause students to get better grades, because their learning is based on personal learning styles. Before computers were invented, all papers had to b e typed out in typewriters. Computers have made typing papers much easie... ...ucation. Our society is in a constant state of progression through technology, and it is only right that education is included. Education is positively effected by technology in many ways, and will continue to be benefited, until individualized education is achieved. Advancement occurs all throughout the Bible, and the importance of education is stressed. I believe that God is pleased when the two come together for an advantageous outcome. Works Cited 1) Gooler, Dennis D. â€Å"Computers in the Classroom: What is the effect on the Gender Gap?† Stanford March 1998: 1-10. www.Google.com. 9 November 2001.

CEO of Ventura Electronics Essay

Financial statement analysis is done by every successful corporation, as your team at Ventura Electronics very well knows. â€Å"Comparisons within a company are often useful to detect changes in financial relationships and significant trends† (Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 653). Financial statement analysis is done by horizontal analysis, vertical analysis, and ratio analysis. â€Å"Horizontal analysis, also known as trend analysis, is a technique for evaluating a series of financial statement data over a period of time (Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 54). If Ventura Electronics is interested in determining any increase or decrease in, for example, net sales (as an amount or percentage) than horizontal analysis are appropriate. Vertical analysis analyzes more specific data on the financial statement. â€Å"Vertical analysis, also called common-size analysis, is a technique for evaluating financial statement data that expresses each item in a financial statement as a percen t of a base amount†(Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 656). Ventura Electronics can not only analyze the relative size of each category on the financial statement, but can also see the percentage change in the individual asset, liability, and stockholders’ equity. Ventura Electronic can also use this analysis when comparing its financial statements to the competition. The last tool commonly used for financial statement analysis is ratio analysis. These ratios are useful in evaluating the financial health and performance of a company. In ratio analysis we use three different ratios; liquidity ratios, solvency ratios, and profitability ratios. Liquidity ratios are important because it evaluates the short-term ability of a business to pay their obligations as well as meet their unexpected cash flow needs. When Ventura Electronics wants to measure the ability of the company to survive over a long period of time then solvency ratios are appropriate. Profitability ratios evaluate the income of the business or their operating success over a given period of time. Ventura Electronics would find this ratio very important in analyzing the company’s income and to evaluate the ability for the business to obtain debt and equity financing, its liquidity position, and its ability to grow. As CEO, this ratio would be useful when determining the managements operating effectiveness. It is very important for Ventura Electronics to provide â€Å"full and transparent information that will not confuse or mislead users of the financial statements† (Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 61) this is called quality of earnings. When Ventura Electronics performs a financial statement analysis to evaluate the financial performance of the company using the methods above, it is important to maintain a high quality of earnings. Factors that affect quality of earnings are; alternative accounting methods, pro forma income, improper recognition, and price-earnings ratio. Though financial statement analysis is important for Ventura Electronics, it also has its limitations  The limitation of financial statement analysis occurs with ratio analysis. Though this analysis is very useful to the company in analyzing internal factors, Ventura Electronics cannot compare ratios to their competitors accurately. Differences in accounting methods limit ratio analysis in comparing companies. As the CEO you understand the importance of knowing where the company stands as compared to its competitors. Ratio analysis also limits Ventura Electronics to analyze the definite future of the organization. They do not account for industry trends, technological changes, changes in consumer tastes, changes in broad economic factors, and changes within the firm itself. Though ratio analysis has its limitations; horizontal and vertical analysis makes up for these limitations. So as you can see, if the methods for financial statement analysis listed above are used, Ventura Electronics can receive a great knowledge and insight into how successful the company is and could be and make proper decisions based off these evaluations.

Ozone Depletion and Global Warming Essay

There is no doubt that global warming is fast becoming a serious issue at this time. However, not all people are aware of the negative effects that global warming and ozone depletion can bring. They are also not aware of the fact that their day-to-day actions can contribute largely to the phenomenon. While ozone depletion and global warming is hard to deal with, there are numerous ways where people can contribute to the environment so that the situation will not become much worse than what is seen today. If people would like to help improve the environment, they should start within themselves by changing some of the ways they run the household. Recycling and reusing is a very practical thing to do especially nowadays when everything is high in terms of their cost. Recycling can decrease the amount of garbage that will be sent out to landfills. People should also choose to buy products made out of recycled materials. It is also important to conserve energy by turning appliances off when they are not in use, or by using Energy Star qualified products, or by modifying the house and using green power or installing solar panels. Spreading the word and participating in activities and programs that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can also significantly help. Changing household ways can be easier compared to that of the workplace setting because there are less people to instruct and there are fewer appliances to check. Still, when working, people should always utilize office equipment such that they are only used when needed. Things that are not usually used should be powered off but things that are mostly used should not be turned off every time because constantly switching them on and off can use up more energy. Employees and companies should also make it a point to recycle and reuse their materials, especially paper. Papers should only be used for important communication or reports. Other less important things should be communicated through the Internet by email or instant messages.