Blood diamonds, how they originated and what's been done to clamp down Essay

Blood diamonds, how they originated and what's been done to clamp down on the industry - Essay Example However, militant groups gain access to diamonds fields in order to get access to money. The main reason that Diamonds have been able to fund civil wars is not just because they are present in conflict regions but also because diamonds are a concentrated form of wealth. Moreover they are fungible and are dealt by smugglers and arms dealers. Diamond trade is considered to be a very shady business considering that this business has financed and ‘funded wars, massive death, and refugee crisis in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Cote d’Ivoire’ (Bieri, 1). Diamond mines are often accompanied with some militant groups who want to control the diamonds mines in order to fulfill their own agendas. Many civil wars have been fought where the only source of funding for the militant groups were diamonds that were traded legally in the diamond market. The money received from these deals was then used to buy weapons to further fund civil wars. Even to this date, trade of blood diamonds continues as militant groups have been replaced by terrorist organizations such as the Al-Qaeda. Reports on blood diamonds and Al-Qaeda have revealed that Al-Qaeda has been funded to some extent by blood diamonds (Campbell, 213). Blood Diamonds have been the cause of many crimes against humanity. Militant groups that deal with blood diamonds require the services of the local people to mine these diamonds. The local people are forced to work pathetically in diamond mines just out of fear of these militant groups. In order to instill fear among the masses, a militant group by the name of RUF, amputated lips, ears, legs, breasts, and tongues of the local people. The trade of blood diamonds has also been the cause of 4 million deaths. In the 1990s, before relevant steps were taken to curb the problem, conflict diamond trade amounted to be between 3.7-20 percent of the total global diamond trade (Bieri, 1). All these diamonds were

Education system Essay Example for Free

Education system Essay Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment

New Beginnings in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf :: Whos Afraid Virginia Woolf

New Beginnings in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf  Ã‚   Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is a disturbing and powerful work. Ironically, it is disturbing and powerful for many of the same reasons. As the audience watches George and Martha tear savagely at each other with the knives of hurled words, sharpened on pain and aimed to draw blood, the way in which these two relentlessly go at each other is awful to see, yet strangely familiar. Like wounded animals, they strike out at those closest to them, and reminds one of scenes witnessed as a child between screaming parents from a cracked door when one is supposed to be in bed. In this age of psychoanalytic jargon, George and Martha are the quintessentially dysfunctional couple. Yet, with all their problems, Albee reveals that there is a positive core of feeling that unites these two troubled people and that helps them look beyond their self-created hell. The truth of their relationship is exposed layer by layer as the play progresses, like the peeling of an onion, and though the pattern of this truth appears vague at first, with each cycle of revelation, the pattern becomes more distinct, and the picture is fully revealed in the final, cathartic scene. One of the most consistent themes of the play is the question of George and Martha's "child," and all that this child, and children in general, symbolizes for them. The "child" seems not only a desire for fecundity within their relationship, but also a projection through which they express many of their personal desires, needs, and problems, and, in this context, the child's subsequent "death" signifies a mi lestone in their understanding of their marriage and of themselves. By the end of play, after much suffering and flagellation, George and Martha appear ready to deal with their lives in a new way. George and Martha have a history. They are also emotionally trapped by this history, especially that of their respective childhoods. As a consequence, both are plagued by low self-image and self-doubt. The audience learns of this history slowly, in bits and pieces. Martha tells Nick and Honey in Act 1 how she lost her mother early and grew up very close to her father. She was married briefly, but her father had the marriage annulled. She returned to live with her father after college, and met and fell in love with George.

Black Women in Art Essay -- essays research papers fc

Black Women in Art Historically and currently African American women use art as a way to express themselves, their emotions and as an act of resistance. In this paper, I will discuss the various ways two very influential artists, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson, use imagery to uncover and forefront the various forms of oppression that affect their lives as African American women. Since the late 1970s, African American art, as a form of self expression, explores issues which concern African peoples worldwide. During this time period, African American artists use symbols which represent the struggles, despair, hopes and dreams of a people striving to debunk prominent stereotypes and dismantle the intersecting oppressions of race, class and gender. Despite the long history of African American art, many black artists in contemporary society still have a difficult time getting their art viewed or accepted by the masses. Society, in general, tends to look at African art as ethnic, trivial, simple, folk art, perhaps even collectable, but not worthy of true in-depth exploration of fine art accreditation. However, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson disrupt these perceptions in their art. Lorna Simpson, a photographer, was born in New York during the sixties. Still residing there today, she remains active in the art world. Simpson brings much attention to a cause near and dear to her, the â€Å"situation of black women in society.† The ambiguity in her photographs allows the viewer to evaluate the meaning of her work and to draw their own conclusion with her spirit in mind. An excellent example of this is in her piece Counting(1991). The Albright-Knox Art Gallery helps interpret the piece: Lorna Simpson’s work, Counting, contains three images: a fragment of a woman’s body, a small brick hut, and a group of braids. The figure is anonymous and wears a white shift, Simpson’s preferred costume for her models. She likes the simplicity; she believes that it indicates what she terms "femaleness," without bringing up issues of fashion; and she also likes the fact that there are many possible interpretations for such an outfit. The times to the right of the figure might indicate work shifts, but the schedules are unrealistic if considered closely. Other possibilities for what they might mean are open to viewer interpretation. The central image shows a smoke house in Sout... ...e, the work is not answer oriented. It’s intentionally left open-ended. There’s not a resolution that just solves everything. This statement leaves the viewer free to form their own conclusion and remain open to various interpretations. Lorna Simpson and Laurie Cooper help to change the world for the better by addressing confrontational, silenced issues by opening the eyes of the world to all of the â€Å"isms† that plague society and gives us hope for the future. Both women subvert traditional imagery, physically and psychologically in prominent historic and current representations of African American’s historically and currently in American society. This subversion allows their artwork to escape the marginalization of African American art as seemingly â€Å"ethnic folk art† and exposes their works as tools for social progression. Bibliography 1. 2. 3. 4. Jorge Arango. â€Å"At Home with Lorna Simpson.† Essence Magazine, 2002, p.172 5. Audre Lorde. â€Å"Beyond the Margins† Words of Fire, The New Press, 1995, p.287

Advantages and Disadvantages of Forming a Civilization

There are many advantages of forming a civilization on a delta or near a river valley. One advantage is that there is plenty of fertile soil for farming. Hunters and gatherers needed to be able to produce their own food. In Mesopotamia, the Fertile Crescent, the Tigris and Euphrates flood and deposit rich soil for farming. Eventually, the farmers learned to irrigate the river water, which led to surplus food supplies. In Sumer, which is located on the delta of the Euphrates, the Sumerians were able to produce so much food that they did not need as many farmers.This led to division of labor, the specialization of jobs amongst the people. Instead of farming, a person could be a merchant and engage in trading surplus supplies. Now, the people can acquire things that they can not produce for themselves. Another advantage is that the people will have access to water, a natural resource. Water is needed for survival. People need water to drink, cook, and bathe. Other natural resources incl ude straw and water. The Sumerians mixed sand, water, and straw to make mud bricks. They used the bricks to make homes and other buildings such as ziggurats, religious structures.A third advantage is that the people can use the river to travel and trade. For example, the Egyptians use the Nile to transport their surplus supplies to the Mediterranean Sea or Isthmus of Suez, a major trading area connecting Africa and Asia. The Nile River flows north, so the Egyptians would not have to work as hard transporting their supplies. In the Huang River valley, the people use the Silk Road for trading. They transported their goods over land to the Mediterranean Sea where they traded. Finally, the natural barriers around these ancient river valleys are important because they protect the people from invasions.For example, in Egypt the Sahara Desert and the Libyan Desert protect the Egyptians on the south and west. The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea protect the Egyptians on the east and north, respectively. Because of these natural barriers, the Egyptians were able to preserve their civilizations for 3,500 years. Fertile soil for farming, natural resources, travel and trade, and natural barriers are a few advantages of forming a civilization on a river valley. Two disadvantages of forming a civilization on a delta or near a river valley is over irrigation and flooding.Over irrigation creates a shortage is water. As more and more farmers irrigated their land, the water supply decreased. In Mesopotamia, this became a major source of conflict. Eventually, the dispute over water led to the downfall of Sumer. Another disadvantage is flooding. Flooding damages crops and buildings. Flooding also prevents farmers from working. In Egypt, the river floods every year, thereby, preventing farmers from planting their fields. Although these are major concerns, the advantages of living in a river valley have far more advantages.

American Allegory essays

American Allegory essays Lester is lying in bed smiling contentedly at the ceiling. I feel like Ive been in a coma for the past twenty years. And Im just now waking up. (American Beauty). On the ceiling is Angela covered in deep red rose petals. Slowly the petals float down from her to Lester, showering him with lust. Does Lester Burnhams quote sound like a line from a comedy? Roger Ebert seems to think so. He has said the film is a comedy because we laugh at the absurdity of the hero's problems, and a tragedy because we can identify with his failurenot the specific details, but the general outline. Even though Ebert clearly packages American Beauty into the cookie cutter drama/comedy, the allowance he leaves in the last phrase should lead a person to reevaluate the films category. Comedy is defined as inciting within the viewer humor and mirth and ending happily (Konigsberg 59). Moreover, dark comedy allows laughter to be somewhat muted by our realization of serious implications and perhaps even by an unhappy ending (Konigsberg 59). The dark comedy definition fits American Beauty quite beautifully. The average person, however, would not equate muted laughter and an unhappy ending with comedy. We are left with only one alternative classification: the allegory. Allegorical films deal with expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence. It is very similar to a metaphor, which uses a seemingly unrelated object in place of another to show similarities (www.m-w.com). The Matrix, for example, can be considered an allegorical film. The audience walks away with an understanding that the movie did not have directly state. American Beauty accomplishes this. After watching the movie trailors, moviegoers expect a Lolita remake. American Beauty is linked to Mena Suvaris character Angela ...

Globalization in Business

Globalization in Business Globalization is probably the most important force affecting businesses today. The technological developments of the recent times have made international commerce a necessary paradigm for all businesses. This is because it has become easy to import labor without the physical transfer of workers. In addition, it is easy to sell goods and services to people who live in far off places without the necessity of opening a front office in their locality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Globalization in Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order to have a truly global business, the following three things are important to consider. These are; an investment in a robust information technology system to support business processes, development of cross cultural interaction capacity and thirdly, development of strategic partnerships to leverage on the expertise of global carriers (Gilson, 2010). Firstly, information techno logy systems for global commerce include an appropriate website, online support for products, reliable servers and information exchange infrastructure, and online security tools. As an international business, a website is the front office and makes it possible for everyone interested in using your services to have access to primary information. In addition to this, there is need to have a strong support infrastructure to ensure the site changes according to the needs of the clients and that it is kept safe from cyber crime. Secondly, it is important to have the capacity to engage with clients in different parts of the world. This calls for cross cultural interaction capacity. It may mean having a local website for each language represented in the target market, and in this case, also having support staff with an understanding of the local languages (Flannes Levin, 2005). However, culture goes far deeper than language. Developing an understanding of the various cultural issues that affect the conduct of business in different parts of the world will give the venture a strategic advantage. Finally, there will be need to develop strategic partnerships with online vendors and other online carriers to facilitate the international business (Pavlovich, 2005). It is very expensive for an individual company to develop its own international supply and distribution network. Online vendors make these processes easy. They have already developed the infrastructure for supporting international commerce hence it is cheaper to use their services to enter the international market (Froeb McCann, 2009). For instance, it is convenient to use PayPal as an online payment facilitator, rather than building that capacity internally from scratch.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the issue of regulation, it is true that for every benefit produced, there is a cost inc urred. Regulation normally seeks to protect interests other than profits hence regulation usually leads to reduced profits (Boella, 2000). This may be because of the use of quota systems, limiting of market penetration, or an absolute ban on the exchange of certain good and services. In situations where regulation establishes a monopoly, the absence of competition leads to reduced standards of service and loss of motivation for innovation (Boella, 2000). In such markets, customers bear with either overpriced goods or poor quality offerings. While the company makes profits, monopolies rarely live up to their full potential just because there is no competition. In some cases, the industry stagnates and never fully recovers. In conclusion, expansion in today’s business environment requires appropriate information technology infrastructure as a business support system. In order to launch operations globally, there is need to work with online vendors producing key business support service in order to cut down on business development costs. It also calls for the development of cross cultural relations capacity. References Boella, M. (2000). Legal Aspects. In A. Ingold, I. Yeoman, McMahon-Beattie (Eds.), Yield Management (pp. 20-27). London: Cengage Learning. Flannes, S., Levin, G. (2005). Essential People Skills for Project Managers. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts. Froeb, L., McCann, B. T. (2009). Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Gilson, S. (2010). Creating Value Through Corporate Restructuring: Case Studies in Bankruptcies, Buyouts, and Breakups . New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Globalization in Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pavlovich, K. (2005). Marriages and Divorces: Strategic Alliances in the Networked Economy- A Case of New Zealand. In Strategic Management in the Aviation Industry (pp. 327-3 50). Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing.

Free Essays on Ebonics

, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a considerable community and established by long usage† (â€Å"Language†). This can be considered a definition of Ebonics as well. One cannot determine what Ebonics is simply based on these definitions, though. In fact, debates have taken place all over America trying to determine if Ebonics should be considered a language or not. Ebonics has also created many problems for young students in the classroom. Ebonics is considered incorrect English, and as a result black students are penalized for using it. Society has a wide range of opinions about the changes Ebonics is creating in America. There are many questions and concerns pertaining to Ebonics: What is it exactly? What effect does it have on teachers and students in the classroom? How is it treated in society? Ebonics is one of the few dialects that is extremely difficult to classify. No other vernacular in the U.S. has attracted so much attention. â€Å"[Ebonics] is clearly the most heavily investigated varie... Free Essays on Ebonics Free Essays on Ebonics Ebonics The English language is highly complex and ever-changing. Over the years, certain groups of Americans may develop a particular way of expressing themselves in English. For example, African Americans have created their own dialect called Ebonics. Ebonics has been evolving ever since the age of slavery when African Americans were first introduced into America. This vernacular has developed so much that some people argue that it is a language all in itself. Others say it is just a version of English slang. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, slang is defined as â€Å"the special vocabulary used by any set of persons of a low or disreputable character; language of a low and vulgar type; [†¦] the cant or jargon of a certain class or period† (â€Å"Slang†). Many individuals would say that this definition qualifies as Ebonics. However, language is defined as â€Å"the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a c onsiderable community and established by long usage† (â€Å"Language†). This can be considered a definition of Ebonics as well. One cannot determine what Ebonics is simply based on these definitions, though. In fact, debates have taken place all over America trying to determine if Ebonics should be considered a language or not. Ebonics has also created many problems for young students in the classroom. Ebonics is considered incorrect English, and as a result black students are penalized for using it. Society has a wide range of opinions about the changes Ebonics is creating in America. There are many questions and concerns pertaining to Ebonics: What is it exactly? What effect does it have on teachers and students in the classroom? How is it treated in society? Ebonics is one of the few dialects that is extremely difficult to classify. No other vernacular in the U.S. has attracted so much attention. â€Å"[Ebonics] is clearly the most heavily investigated varie...

Cause and effect of smoking during pregnancy Essay

Cause and effect of smoking during pregnancy - Essay Example Research studies carried out recently show that the child of a smoking mother is almost doubly at risk in contacting very serious respiratory tract diseases in its early stages of life and usually leads to hospitalization. Another major cause for this is that many societies are well known for their high rate of smoking and even since the 1800’s, people are quite aware of the fatal effects it has on health. But in the 19th century, the correlation between maternal smoking and the rate of LRI (Lower Respiratory Infection) was determined. A clinical research was carried out to determine the effect or impact that parental smoking had on children who were constantly exposed to it, and the Odds Ratio was calculated, based on the LRI, for hospitalization. The risk calculated was age related and the OR’s of prevalence of serious LRI were 1.71 (95% CI, 1.33-2.20) and 1.25 (95% CI, 0.88- 1.78) for children aged 0.2 years and 3 to 6 years respectively. (Li JS, Peat JK, Xuan W, Berry G, 1999) Other studies have shown a link between maternal smoking and a high incidence of respiratory problems including impaired lung infections. Some studies have shown harmful effects of placenta - borne exposure at the time of pregnancy including breast milk, as well as air- borne exposure right after delivery. More recent evidence, of the effect of smoking mothers on their off spring, shows that immunity plays a major role in determining this, proving to be an important mechanism. Another cause for children inflicted with wheezing and other respiratory problems was due to dust mites found in the homes of smoking mothers. According to a study undertaken by Noakes, he suggests that â€Å"Maternal smoking is associated with impaired neo-natal toll- like- receptor mediated immune responses†. (P.S Noakes, Eur. Respir. Journal, 2006) Another major factor that contributed to an adverse effect on pregnant smoking mothers was the lack of social support render during

Comapre And Contrast The Inner Coffin Of Tutankhamuns Sarcophagus With Essay

Comapre And Contrast The Inner Coffin Of Tutankhamuns Sarcophagus With Nike (Victory) Of Samothrace - Essay Example Furthermore, it talks about the techniques and speaking styles that existed and the differences between the styles and techniques. Then it concludes with brief summary of the two main topics. Introduction Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus The Tutankhamun tomb always contained four gilded shrines that are nested inside each other to decrease their sizes. A quartzite red Sarcophagus was inside the shrine that protected the three anthropoid coffins shaped by a man. Gilded wood was used to make the first two coffins but the final one was made of solid gold. This solid gold coffin was used to house King Tut mummy and the fabulous golden death mask. On the other hand, sarcophagus is defined as the stone container that is used to house a coffin to the Egyptian mummy. Generally, the word sarcophagus was the name of the stone coffins which were not sunk underground2. It is also known as ‘possessor of life’ that related to their belief of afterlife and deceased were ev entually going to be reborn. Sarcophagus was mainly used as an external layer that protected the royal mummy of Tutankhamun body. It contained three netted layers of coffins which were anthropoid or man-shaped. Tutankhamun Sarcophagus was made of red quartzite; it is rectangular in shape measuring about nine feet high five feet wide and nine feet long. It is protected by a series of three gold Anthropoid coffins nested within each other. The Pharaoh Tutankhamun mummy was covered with a death mask. Each and every section of the king Tut web addresses all topics providing interesting information and facts about the Golden age pharaohs in Egypt. Nike victory of Samothrace In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory. Homers don’t personify Nike. It was discovered in 1863. It was created to both honors Nike the goddess and the sea battle. It usually conveys a sense of triumph and action. Moreover, it portrays artful drapery that flows through the futures which were conside red ideal to the Greeks. The Samothrace winged victory was also called the Nike of Samothrace, a third century marble sculptor, presumably originated from Rhodian. Despite its incompleteness and significant damage, victory was considered a great surviving sculpture masterpiece from Hellenistic period. This statue shows mastery form of movement that impresses artists and critics since its discovery3. According to the Greeks, their victory goddess (Nike) was a very beautiful lady endowed with wings. The exceptional monument rose upon Samothrace isle that was set in a niche which overlooked the great god’s sanctuary and celebrate sea success. Here, the goddess stands on prow of galley; it resisted the gusty storm while putting her right arm high. This was an ex-voto of the victory by Rhodians which was won at the 2nd century start. Compare and contrast Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus against the Nike victory of Samothrace. Tutankhamun coffin consist of gilded shrin es nested one inside the other hence the innermost is covered with a stone sarcophagus while the Nike of Samothrace stood originally on the marble bow of a sculpted worship, a monument that commemorated a victory of naval. Inside the Tutankhamun, there are three coffins, the innermost being made of 110 kg of solid gold where Pharaoh body is being laid wearing the famous gold mask. However, Nike of Samothrace is designed in manner that seems as if she is landing a fierce headwind with her great wings still

Genetically Modified Crops and Framing Research Paper

Genetically Modified Crops and Framing - Research Paper Example Having knowledge of the structure of the DNA gave biologists insight into the processes of DNA translation and transcription. Scientists were able to understand how genes interacted with the environment and how they could be isolated from the DNA strand. This allowed scientists to manipulate genes and change the characteristics of organisms. Recent breakthroughs in science and the process of how genes code for proteins have enabled scientists to even create organisms. Genetically modified crops are a creation of genetic engineering and the processes of gene manipulation. Crops were selected that had the desired features and their genes were manipulated and isolated to make crops with the desired qualities. These crops were called genetically modified, transgenic or genetically engineered crops; hence the phase genetically modified (GM) refers to that breed of crops that has been altered through genetic engineering (Forman 8). Genetically modified crops are aimed to provide commercial and social advantages (Silberglitt 22). The golden rice contains high levels of beta-carotene that is not present in rice and so allows animals to make vitamin A. In countries like Bangladesh, rice is the staple diet, and so many people and children face severe deficiency of vitamin A, suffering from blindness and high mortality. Genetic engineers predict that the growth and consumption of golden rice in Asian countries can counter the stark conditions of malnutrition, mortality and blindness that is common in these areas. Although the traits of crops are changed to make them more resistant, concerns over the safety of the crops have risen dramatically over time and has fueled heated debates in the Europe, and to a lesser extent, in the US. In a nutshell, the basis for such debates is that transgenic organisms are a new breed, and can be likened to tampering with nature. They can impact both the environment and humans negati vely and may

Education is an Essential for the Success of a Person Essay - 1

Education is an Essential for the Success of a Person - Essay Example Some benefits of education for the professional life of a person include the increased number of job opportunities,   career evolution, good salary package, improvement in decision-making skills, opportunity to excel in professional life, and ability to raise opinions based on knowledge. There are different types of education, such as, school education, drug education and sex education, which play their roles in their relevant fields of life. Use of Illegal drugs has become a common youth issue. Providing drug education to adults is the best way to control the use of illegal drugs at the workplaces. â€Å"Education and outreach are becoming major parts of establishing a more effective program to keep drug abuse out of the workplace† (Oliver). Sex education also holds great importance in the life of a person. It helps society deal properly with many critical issues, such as teen pregnancies and abortions. Educators can make children aware of the consequences of doing different types of illegal sexual activities in order to stop them from doing any illegal sexual activity. School education brings a number of benefits to children. It not only helps them develop good personalities but also makes them progress in their professional lives. Education increases the confidence of children, which is one of the key success factors. Without confidence, a person cannot do anything properly in his/her life. A person gains confidence when he/she becomes aware of different social and political issues, and that awareness comes through education. Education also improves the decision-making skills of a person, which makes him/her take correct decisions regarding any matter of life.  

Porfirian Diaz and his role in the Mexican Revolution Research Paper

Porfirian Diaz and his role in the Mexican Revolution - Research Paper Example Foreign turmoil could not be seized by Diaz and in 1877 there was a military conflict with U. At the ends of his first –term ruling, Porfirio did not appeal for the second term . During Diaz reign there were no civil wars in Mexico. Nevertheless, this benefit cost much to the country. The introduction of agrarian reform, which enabled the privileged class to own all lands, was a negative feature of Diaz regime. Farmers had to pay their debts in order to survive. A high increase of price led to starving in the country. There were no homes for more than 16% of population . Foreign investors were attracted to the country by the options of land owning and poor people were forced off from their lands even those, who owned vast landholding. The high inflation rates of US led to depression of 1907 and prices were life were huge for Mexicans. Porfiriato introduced the laissez-faire policies, but these policies could not facilitate the process of inflation. When the economy was on the edge of crisis, middle and upper class did not support Porfiriato policies anymore. Foreign banks introduced stricter regulations for credit and the government raised taxes. The wages for workers remained low and Porfiriato could not manage to bridge the gap of inflation growth and required money for daily living of people. In spite of political and social turmoil in the country, there was a need to reelect the President and Francisco Madero claimed that there was a need for Mexico to return to the Constitution of 1857 . 4. Dictatorship of Diaz was undermined and was strictly criticized by the people. Madero underlined the necessity to introduce political and not social reforms. He criticized Diaz dependence on the foreign capital and the growing number of American businessmen. Diaz was reelected and the anger intensified in the society. Villages

Education is an Essential for the Success of a Person Essay - 1

Education is an Essential for the Success of a Person - Essay Example Some benefits of education for the professional life of a person include the increased number of job opportunities,   career evolution, good salary package, improvement in decision-making skills, opportunity to excel in professional life, and ability to raise opinions based on knowledge. There are different types of education, such as, school education, drug education and sex education, which play their roles in their relevant fields of life. Use of Illegal drugs has become a common youth issue. Providing drug education to adults is the best way to control the use of illegal drugs at the workplaces. â€Å"Education and outreach are becoming major parts of establishing a more effective program to keep drug abuse out of the workplace† (Oliver). Sex education also holds great importance in the life of a person. It helps society deal properly with many critical issues, such as teen pregnancies and abortions. Educators can make children aware of the consequences of doing different types of illegal sexual activities in order to stop them from doing any illegal sexual activity. School education brings a number of benefits to children. It not only helps them develop good personalities but also makes them progress in their professional lives. Education increases the confidence of children, which is one of the key success factors. Without confidence, a person cannot do anything properly in his/her life. A person gains confidence when he/she becomes aware of different social and political issues, and that awareness comes through education. Education also improves the decision-making skills of a person, which makes him/her take correct decisions regarding any matter of life.  

Information Security Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Security Planning - Essay Example The company needs to be prepared to combat virus attacks, ingress of unsolicited visitors and possible attacks by competitors on the company's information bank. To provide a safe and working repository of information, it is essential that the company has a well planned security policy in place. 2. The information security should be compliant to IS 17799 standards. This would bring about periodic security audits and would also ensure that there is a clear security policy in line with the objectives of the company. 3. To ensure that there is well defined acceptance criterion and milestones for every security measure and that this adhered to. And that these criterion and the mile stones are in line with the cost and budgeting dictated by the management of the company and to develop a comprehensive information security education policy. 4. To ensure that the company is in a state of readiness to combat potential disasters. Prevention and identification of crime, fraud and theft in the work place by ensuring both physical and logical security. A security review or audit is done to identify the existing security, the degree of protection needed, locate the weaknesses in the system and recommend security steps that are needed. This should also throw out information that has to be secured. Out of the list of jobs that need to be done for the security betterment a priority list is to be made in order of importance for security and the tentative cost for effecting the same. Priorities are laid down based on the company objectives and policies that are critical to company targets. In some of the locations, virus attacks could be frequent and these need to be countered on a priority basis may be because they are eating out on the productive time of the employees of the company and data get lost. In some cases, it might be that the data is getting out of the company through physical means in the form of CDs or flash drives. 3 Establish the feasibility of implementing. A comprehensive list of jobs that has to be carried out and their feasibility in the company needs to be established and accordingly 'what-is-possible' list is produced. 4 Identify whether the planned actions will fit into the budget. Based on the priority and the feasibility list the plan is further fine tuned with another constraint namely, the budget. If the budge should allow then the needed actions may be done, else they get pruned. 5 Need for security is to be fixed. Based on all these factors, the needs for the security is finally fixed and then the requirements are made into one single list. 6 Fix the responsibility for implementing. Using this list, it is important that the responsible person for each activity is fixed and the same is implemented through that specific person. 7 Train the people in the company and create a secure culture. In order to ensure that the implemented security measure continues to bear fruit, the employees of

Columbia Gs Admission Essay Essay Example for Free

Columbia Gs Admission Essay Essay My name is Edgar Martinez. I was born in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) 34 years ago. My childhood was pretty normal. My parents had enough to provide for my little brother and I. My father was a local councilman at the time my mom a homemaker. I always wanted to be a politician like my father I admired him as a matter of fact I still do. I graduated from High School in 1995 and soon after and got drafted to go the Colombian Army. I was sent to Santa Marta a small town located a 200 miles north from my hometown. There I encounter my first experience with the real word and left for good my childhood. In the middle of deployment my father a secretary of Energy for the national government was kidnaped . After that life was never going to be the same. We waited and waited and waited †¦.. and waited. And after a few weeks a platton of navy seals of some sort rescue my father and he was brought back to us alive and almost well. The trauma of being in captivity was devastating for him and the family . My parents desided to send me to the US to be in a safer place. Little did I know I would never return to live in the place I was born. I came to the US in 1997 directly from Cartagena to Salt Lake City.

People With Substance Abuse Problems

People With Substance Abuse Problems Why People Develop Problems with Substances   Psychological and sociological theories as to why people develop problems with substances and their application vary; some theories relate to genetics others to the environment. Most Theories focus on particular features of the rate of drug use: Illicit drugs, Alcoholism, Addiction, The drug experience-how and why people use them, Individuals, Society, Career. Social learning is just one of the theories that try to explain the use of substance misuse. A degree of difference is found in societys attitudes and behaviours. Learning depends on priority, intensity, time and involves practice, motivation, attitude, and meaning. (Edwin Sutherland 1939). Thinking about different theories on behaviour can help us to understand why and how some people have substance problems, for example, Behavioral theories: behavioural psychology or behaviourism is based on all behaviours being learned through conditioning. Cognitive theories:focus on internal thoughts such as motivation, attention, decision making and problem solving. Developmental theories: think about learning, development and growth. Humanistic theories: look at human beings being basicaly good. Personality theories: looks at the behaviours, thoughts and feelings that make each person an individual. Social psycology theories: focus on explaining social behaviours. (Psychologist World) Applying these theories can assist in understanding why some people depend on substances while others do not. Looking at society as a whole does not give a clear picture as to why some people develop substance dependency. If you look at different areas of society you start to see deprived areas, poverty, unemployment, peer pressure, boredom or pressures from work, family history or a pre-disposition to substance problems as well as the environment that a person is brought up in could influence someones substance dependency. If a child is born to a mother that is dependant on drugs or alcohol then the child may be born with a predisposition to that specific dependency, if a child is raised in an area where drugs and alcohol are freely available then they could be pressured by peers to consume the available substances. This is seen commonly among teenagers when they start to experiment with new things and where peer pressure to be the same as everyone else can entice a young person to start taking a substance to please or maintain relationships with peers. This can lead to long term dependency that can continue into adult hood especially if the child has a predisposition to substances or has an addictive tendency, causing the cycle to continue. Societys attitude towards alcohol problems has been largely accepted as the Scottish way of life according to the 2004 Scottish social attitudes survey carried out by the Scottish government. Cultural Attitudes Every person in Scotland has a part to play in reviewing their attitudes and behaviours, and contributing to the debate about how we collectively address these problems. (Carolyn Churchill, 2010) Alcohol problems are estimated to cost Scotland around  £3.56 billion per year in NHS, social work, police, emergency services, and the wider economic and human costs. Alcohol misuse not only affects the health and wellbeing of individual drinkers, but also have a major impact on family relationships, the wider communities as well as society as a whole. (Alcohol Focus Scotland) Through using these services society is trying to reduce the amount of substance abuse within Scotland. This is however an uphill struggle and until attitudes change it will be left to the medical profession, police and emergency services and the social work department to fire fight the problems within the Scottish communities. Social justice is concerned with equality of justice, not just in the courts, but in society as a whole. This idea stresses that people have to have equal rights and opportunities from the poorest to the wealthiest in society deserve equal chances and opportunities. New legislation may assist the problem however it is the attitude of the individual that will ultimately start to change the attitude of society as a whole. Criminal Justice law changed in 2010 this gave courts more flexibility in the way they were able to sentence people that passed through the courts. This now allows courts to look at ways of reparation without using short term imprisonments. Statutory Orders are those non-custodial sentencing options available to all Sheriff Courts in Scotland. This allows greater choice of sentance for the sherriff. Using Social Enquiry Reports, Community Service Orders, Probation Orders (including those with a requirement of unpaid work), Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work, Supervised Attendance Orders, Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, Restriction of Liberty Orders, Statutory Throughcare, Voluntary Assistance and the Throughcare Addiction Service, Home Circumstances Reports, Diversion from Prosecution and Bail Information, the sheriff can now look at the crime and the persons background and apply a decision/sentence that is proportionate to the crime. (Criminal Justice Act 2010) Safer and stronger communities are at the heart of Scottish Government policy. Communities that people are proud to belong to, where they feel safe and have confidence that justice and fairness will prevail, where people take responsibility for each other and for their own actions. (People and the Law) Youth justice is closely connected to Getting it Right for Every Child which underpins the principals of agencies involved with young people. Getting It Right For Every Child is the Governments policy for addressing the needs of all children and it provides the framework within which public agencies can work better together with a focus on improving outcomes for children. Building the capacity of families and communities to engage in activities that support children is central to this approach. The Early Years and Early Intervention Framework being developed jointly by the Scottish Government and CoSLA will ensure a strong focus on what needs to be done to ensure that all children, including the most vulnerable, get the best start in life. (The Road to Recovery) Youth justice is about intervening at an appropriate time with a plan and a good framework for the intervention. Multi agency co-operation is needed for this to work effectively using a range of procedures and practices dealing with young people who are putting themselves and/or others at risk or offending. Scotlands childrens hearing system was initiated by a change to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and is now part of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and is at the heart of youth justice. Since its introduction children under the age of 16 are only considered for prosecution in an adult court if the crime they have committed is deemed to be very serious such as murder. The hearing system deals with children and young people who are in need of care and protection as well as those who have displayed offending behaviours. Youth justice traditionally worked with children from the age of 8 to 16 but has recognised the need to start preventative work with younger children to support them in the transition from children to adults in a more positive way. In recognising this youth justice introduced several preventative measures including restorative justice in schools, safer school partnership, and positive activities for young people, targeted youth support and targeted mental health in schools. The government also introduced the Youth Justice Re-investment Pathfinder Initiative this allows local authorities to act as Pathfinders to develop ways locally of reducing offending and re-offending without a custodial sentence. Assessing, Planning and Intervention Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is a good place to start when assessing the needs of children and their families. GIRFEC takes a holistic view of the child GIRFEC has an integrated, common approach to gathering information about a childs well-being. It uses three tools, the Well-being Indicators: identify record and share concerns, and take action as appropriate My World Triangle: Triangle helps practitioners gather relevant information to look at the strengths and pressures affecting a child and their family. The triangle is deliberately offered from the childs view to reinforce the Getting it right for every child principle that children should always be kept at the centre. The Resilience Matrix: help organise and analyse information. All children can be: Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, Responsible Citizens and Successful Learners. To achieve this all children need to be Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Respected and Responsible and Included. These are known as the wellbeing indicators and are remembered by the acronym S.H.A.N.A.R.I. (GIRFEC) Doing a GIRFEC assessment takes a multi agency view where social work, health and education professionals have a part to play in the assessment process. An assessment should be appropriate, proportionate and timely, once an assessment is done a more holistic picture about the needs of the children and the family has been obtained allowing the practitioner to plan a course of action for the children and family. Through careful planning strategies and interventions can be put into place to allow the children and family to move forward. All interventions and strategies need to be consensual so the whole family need to be involved in the planning and decisions made to ensure their commitment to the action plan. Intervention strategies will vary depending on the family and the problems they are facing. Using evidence based practice the best relevant information based on the best practices in the field of social work, health and education will achieve the most desirable outcome for the fam ily, this also allows for the assessment and intervention to be transparent and informed. The Key Capabilities document has four headings which together form the Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection: Effective Communication, The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) codes of practice describe communicating as being done in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way. Knowledge and Understanding, this includes keeping up to date with relevant legislation, being accountable, using professional judgment and knowledge based social work practice, working effectively as a professional. Professional Confidence and Competence include, carrying out duties accountably, using professional judgment and knowledge based social work practice. Values and Ethical Practice, Work at all times within the professional codes of practice, ethical principles and service standards that underpin high quality social work practice, by applying these to any assessments or interventions it is possible for the practitioner to take an non-judgemental and anti discriminatory approach to the clients and there issues. Assessment of the Key Issues Affecting this Family Dean has already been involved in a previous incident involving alcohol where he had assaulted Sandra and her brother in front of the children while he was under the influence of alcohol. Dean has been working with the social worker in an attempt to rectify his relationship with Sandra. Through getting drunk and losing control he has committed a serious offence Dean needs help with his problematic drinking, aggression and anger management as his actions will have a lasting effect on the children and Sandra. Resilience varies from child to child some children do not develop any problems either as children or adults. Families being together in harmony and good social networks are just two of the ways a child builds their resilience however the issues faced by Nathan and Jordan are numerous, they may have to take on responsibilities far beyond their years which effects their education and peer relationships, they may suffer physical and psychological health issues, domestic violence and child abuse, there are concerns regarding anti social behaviour increasing the risk of aggression towards others, hyperactivity or conduct disorders, emotional and attachment disorders and neglect. Building resilience in this situation will need a good level of self esteem, confidence and self efficiency as well as the ability to adjust to change and problem solving skills. There are implications for the childrens safety and welfare which may become a child protection issue. Dean and Sandra are in crisis which would imply that a short piece of intervention work could be used to rectify this situation. Working with Dean and Sandra on new skills to avoid this type of situation and setting achievable goals and supporting them they should be able to continue to work on their relationship as they were before this incident happened. As a longer term intervention such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy could be a useful tool in this situation, by getting Dean to think about his own thoughts, emotions, physical feelings and actions may assist Dean at looking at his behaviours thoughts and feelings differently and try to take a more positive look at how he can deal with similar situations in the future. This is about getting Dean to view situations in a more positive way therefore being able to handle the situation in a more positive way. This work is not a quick fix for Deans behaviours and he needs to want to take part for it to work. Sandra should be included in part of this therapy as she seems to be one of the objects of Deans anger as does Sandras brother. (PSYCH) Dean would also benefit from working with people who have experience in substance related problems such as his GP or a voluntary group. Dean would have to be in agreement with these strategies for them to work. Giving Dean options allows him to take charge of the situation and enables him to move forward at a pace he is comfortable with. If Dean is working voluntarily towards resolving his alcohol, anger and aggression issues it may help his assault case when it goes to court. The impact on the family will be minimized if dean and Sandra are working together to tackle this situation and work through the problems they are now facing as a family unit supporting each other and the children to a mutually beneficial outcome for the family and wider society. Words 2274 Case Study The role of the social worker in criminal justice From 1 February 2011 a Social Enquiry Report will be called a Criminal Justice Social Work Report. When a sheriff or judge wants to know more about an accused persons background, they will ask for a Criminal Justice Social Work Report. If a person is likely to be going to jail for the first time, the court must have a report. The report provides the court with the information needed to decide the most appropriate way to deal with offender. A Criminal Justice Social Work Report is written by a social worker, who contacts you by letter and asks you to attend an interview. The social worker will ask for information about your, current circumstances, personal and social history, previous offences, and current or previous supervision. At the end of the interview the social worker will explain to you what sentencing options are available to the court.

Ancient Egyptian Religion As S :: essays research papers fc

Ancient Egyptian Religion as Seen in Art and Architecture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the hot Egyptian sun beats down upon his head, the archeologist realizes his time is drawing to a close. The local government had allotted a period of two weeks for the expedition to take place, and the thirteenth day is now in its peak. The search for the tomb of the great king Menes has, thus far, been a complete failure. The archeologist begins to feel a bit queasy, realizing his sudden failure; however, a cavalcade of shouts suddenly penetrates the intensely hot air. He strains his burning eyes to find the source of the commotion. Then he sees it: the corner of some ancient edifice is peeking sleepily from the sand and grit that buried it so long ago.  ³Could this be it, ² the archeologist asks himself, still in awe over the pale stone that his eyes now gaze upon. It seems almost impossible that the tracks of a culture so great could be covered by such an inadequate foe as time. But even now as he gazes upon the tomb in success, the archeologist sees no culture behind these artifacts; he merely sees the makings of a fortune.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It will be nearly fifty years before the people represented by these pieces of time are honored for their diverse culture. Once vast and thriving, the Ancient Egyptian culture was a center of commerce, philosophy, and religion alike. The people had a culture like that of no other group in history; however, its complexity has led to many misconceptions about the Ancient Egyptian populace. The ever-popular archaic art style of a figure in profile surrounded by hieroglyphs has become the world ¹s favorite view of the Egyptian. As a result of this ignorance, the cultural aspects of this society are not fully appreciated. One of the greatest little-known truths about the people of this society is that they based almost everything they did around their spiritual beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the life of Egyptian people, religion [played] a far more   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  important part than modern man can imagine. With the peoples   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of antiquity, as in Europe in the Middle Ages, belief in gods or in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  one god [formed] the focal point of man ¹s world-outlook. Religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [provided] the stimulus to art and philosophy and a matrix for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the development of moral principles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Woldering 28) This similarity between everyday tasks and belief in the gods lead to advances in numerous aspects of this society.

Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites as Tourism Essay -- Tourism

In discussing the viewpoint that pilgrimage to sacred site is a form of tourism there are certain terms that require definition: pilgrimage, sacred and tourism. The Oxford English Dictionary, (OED, 2012) defines pilgrimage as ‘a journey undertaken to a place of particular significance or interest’. It is usually as an act of religious devotion, homage and respect and those on a pilgrimage are referred to as Pilgrims. Waterhouse (2009, p199) defines religion as ‘a system of practices, institutions and beliefs that provide meaning to life and death’. Waterhouse’s definition not only encompasses the five main religions but also the various sub divisions and alternative religions. Tourism is defined by OED (2012) as ‘the theory and practice of touring, travelling for pleasure’ and thus a person on tour is defined as a tourist. The OED (2012) defines sacred as ‘dedicated, set apart, exclusively appropriated to some person or some special purpose’. This essay will discuss the view that pilgrimage to sacred sites is a form of tourism by outlining the debates surrounding sacred sites and between different factions. The essay will then apply these arguments and ideas to Stonehenge and Avebury. It will also look at the associations of Pilgrimage and Tourism within the ideologies surrounding leisure and their application to Glastonbury. The definition of sacred as a place separate from the secular world has different connotations and meaning for different individuals and groups. The main academic argument is between the ideas that the site is inherently sacred or is the product of human effort. Eliade (1961) argues that the ‘manifestation of something of a wholly different order, a reality that does not belong to our world in objects tha... ...ity, pp.10-34 Pike, J. (2008), ‘Leisure, Laziness and feeling good’, in Brunton, D. (ed), Place and Leisure AA100 Book 4, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.3-10 Reader, I. (2012), ‘Pilgrims and Pilgrimage: place and Journey in Cultures and Faiths Worldwide’, available from http://www.york.ac.uk/projects/pilgrimage/content/faiths.html accessed on the 11/5/12 ‘Sacred Space and Landscape’ (2008) (aa100DVD Video), Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2008), AA100 Illustration Book (Plates for Books 3 and 4), Milton Keynes, The Open University. Waterhouse , H. (2009), ‘The Dalai Lama’, in Moohan, E (ed), Reputations AA100 Book 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.197-229 Wolffe, J. (2008), ‘Tradition and Dissent in English Christianity’ in Price, C (ed), Tradition and Dissent AA100 Book 2, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp71-106

Todd Carnes

1. Discuss how the corporate culture at Ben & Jerry's, as described in this case, influences the daily implementation of ethical decisions in the firm. The company believes that the â€Å"product, economic, and social† aspects of its mission statement are equally important, that mutual respect from everyone in the communities in which they are part of are necessary for a socially responsible (and ethical) existence. This vision lays the groundwork in which the company operates.They espouse a somewhat fun and unorthodox culture, from the way they name their administrative positions, to their product branding. They also feel strongly about supporting the community—when they offered their initial stock to the public, it was only initially restricted to Vermont residents. The concept of â€Å"caring capitalism† is being consciously followed in such a way that the company operates not for the sole purpose of profit.Since its inception, Ben & Jerry's operated with the improvement of the lives of its employees and the community in mind—from creating charity projects, giving to environmental causes, and implementing streamlined employee compensations—Ben & Jerry’s tries to stick to its core values and always gives something back to the community. 2. [†¦] In what other ways could Ben & Jerry's demonstrate to stakeholders its commitment to ethical and socially responsible conduct? In Ben & Jerry's Social Audit, its social missions and environmental accomplishments are clearly outlined.However, there were concerns that employee morale is low, mostly because of the assumption that the company, particularly the top management, does not/would not remain committed to its values. Since employees are in the core of the organization’s mission and values (and are therefore major stakeholders in the company), Ben & Jerry's should not take this matter lightly—they should create more initiatives and opportunities to affirm their commitment to the community. 3. [†¦] How can such companies protect their core values as they grow from small firms into large ones and/or are acquired by multinational conglomerates?Companies like Ben & Jerry’s, which start out small but are ultimately acquired by conglomerates (such as Unilever) can protect their ethical and social platforms first by a legally binding pre-acquisition agreement to the effect that the constituents of the original companies top management is preserved, and that whoever are the progenitors of the company’s ethical and socially aware paradigm remain in control and thus have the ability to preserve the moral foundations of the company.Upon acquisition, said management should not allow the safety buffer of the new umbrella company to make them complacent about upholding their original goals. The company should keep up public and internal awareness of the company's ethical and social responsibilities. Public awareness, in particu lar, will be a positive driving force for the company's goals.

Government to Limit Use of Cars Essay

Government agencies have been told to stop using official vehicles one day a week based on their license plate numbers, according to a notification for an energy-saving and emission reduction program to be implemented across the country.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨The program, part of government efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable development during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), was published on the central government’s official website Tuesday.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨According to the program, the measures were specially designed for various fields, such as enterprises and schools.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Some Web users applauded the government’s efforts, while others questioned the feasibility of limiting the use of government vehicles. Lian Peng, a freelance writer, wrote on his Sina Weibo microblog that it was difficult to distinguish private cars from official ones, and the ban would result either in drivers using two license plates, or the government buying more vehicles. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨A pilot project for government agencies to use bicycles will be launched. Government workers’ autos were also encouraged to be parked one day a week based on plate numbers.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Niu Fengrui, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, praised the positive efforts made by the government to reduce emissions. However, such efforts would not have apparent effect, Niu told the Global Times Tuesday.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Niu suggested that the root of the problem was energy supply, and the fundamental approach should be to develop technologies and adopt better equipment to improve efficiency, as well as change lifestyles and production methods.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Zhu Lijia, director of the public research department of the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times such measures will not actually promote the reform of the official vehicle system, and would not impact the core of the system. Military told to cut emissions The government’s efforts to save energy and reduce harmful emissions have spread to a new front: the country’s military.   The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police should work to build energy-efficient barracks and develop energy-saving models for logistics, consumption and training, said a nationwide emission-reduction plan. â€Å"Efforts to save resources in the military are an important part of the country’s energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts,† the plan said. It lays out that the PLA will scale down administrative expenses, make greater efforts to conserve fuel, procure environmentally friendly products and recycle military uniforms. PLA garrisons will coordinate their use of civilian vehicles with local governments to enhance transportation efficiency. Xinhua Introduction It is possible that no invention has had as profound an effect on society as the passenger automobile. It did not take long after its introduction in the early part of this century for the auto to quickly become the primary means of transportation in the United States, where there are now 752 motor vehicles for every 1,000 people (World Almanac 211). While no other country can match the excessive automobile use of the U.S, it’s not for lack of trying. Even in China, where the use of bicycles by its citizens is legendary, the number of cars has been doubling every five years for the past 30 years (World Resources Institute, hereafter â€Å"WRI† 172). But reliance on cars is not without its problems&emdash;the most obvious being air pollution and energy consumption. Pollution: General Pollution by cars causes lung cancer, respiratory problems, urban smog, and acid rain (Brown 25). By 1970, after decades without government regulation, air quality had become a serious problem. The first federal Clean Air Act was passed during the Nixon Administration to curtail the ever-increasing amount of pollution caused by automobiles and industry, and Congress passed an updated version in 1990 (WRI 182). However, the Clean Air Act didn’t prohibit pollution; it simply defined an â€Å"acceptable† amount. Further, the legislation addressed only certain airborne contaminants, while ignoring others. Perhaps most significantly, although bad air was outlawed, it still exists. More than half of the people in the U.S. live in areas that failed to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year (30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, hereafter â€Å"30 Simple Things,† 11), and around 80 million Americans live in areas that continually fail to meet these standards (WRI 63). Despite the Clean Air Acts, the reality is that air pollution continues to be a major public health problem. As bad as the air is in the U.S., in other countries which have waited too long to address the pollution caused by cars, it’s worse. Mexico City, Sà £o Paulo, New Delhi, and Bangkok are grappling with serious air problems. And much of that pollution is caused by private automobiles (Brown 25). Pollution: Ground-Level Ozone One way cars create pollution is by contributing to the amount of ground-level ozone (not to be confused with the atmospheric ozone layer). In the atmosphere, the ozone layer shields the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation rays. But on the ground, ozone is another matter, causing hazy smog and respiratory problems. Most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles, which account for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog) (30 Simple Things 11). The seriousness of ground-level ozone should not be underestimated. According to the World Resources Institute: Ozone pollution has become widespread in cities in Europe, North America, and Japan as auto and industrial emissions have increased. †¦ Breathing ozone concentrations of 0.012 ppm&emdash;levels typical in many cities&emdash;can irritate the respiratory tract and impair lung function, causing coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain †¦ Evidence also suggests ozone expo sure lowers the body’s defenses, increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections (65). Pollution: Lead Cars also pollute by emitting lead from leaded gasoline. Although the use of lead in gasoline is banned in the United States, leaded gasoline is common in other countries. In fact, of the countries for which data is available, 43% use nothing but leaded gasoline. Many of the rest use at least some leaded gasoline in their energy mix. This is a definite cause for concern: One of the oldest metals used by humans, lead is a cumulative neurotoxin that impairs brain development among children and has been connected to elevated blood pressure and resulting hypertension, heart attacks, and premature death in adults. Emissions from vehicles is the largest source of lead exposure in many urban areas (WRI 266-267). The effects of all this pollution on human health are unsettling. A study of U.S. cities found that mortality rates were 17-26% higher in cities with the dirtiest air compared to those with the cleanest air. Not surprisingly, the study also found correlations between bad air and lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease. The risks translate roughly to a two-year shorter life span for residents of dirty-air cities. On a global basis, estimates of mortality due to outdoor air pollution range from about 0.4-1.1% of total annual deaths (WRI 63-64). In the U.S., 30,000 people die every year from automobile emissions (â€Å"Bicycling and Our Environment† 1). [Also see our separate page on lead.] Pollution: Global Warming Perhaps even scarier than the direct damage to our bodies from auto pollution is the fact that car emissions are contributing to an overall warming of the entire planet, which could destroy the world’s food chain. Cars emit carbon dioxide (CO2), a heat-trapping gas. In fact, they emit a lot of it: 20 pounds per gallon of gas burned (NRDC 12, Zuckermann 29). Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have increased by 30% since preindustrial times, and much of that increase is directly related to the burning of fossil fuels. According to the Worldwatch Institute: â€Å"CO2 levels are now at their highest point in 160,000 years, and global temperatures at their highest since the Middle Ages† (Brown 26). The effects of this global warming are frightening: rising sea levels, dying coral reefs, spreading of infectious diseases, and extreme weather conditions, including droughts, rare forest fires, historic floods, and severe storms. Even more frightening, these events are not just pr edictions&emdash;they’re happening right now (Brown 26). Energy Use The amount of energy used by automobiles is staggering. Transportation of all types accounts for more than 25% of the world’s commercial energy use, and motor vehicles account for nearly 80% of that (WRI 171). In numerical terms, the figures are hard to comprehend. The world used over a trillion liters of motor gas in 1995. And the U.S. accounted for 46% of that total (WRI 266-267). In fact, America’s gasoline consumption easily outstrips its production. The U.S. currently imports over half its oil (52%) even more than it did before the oil crises of 1973 and 1979. This dependence on foreign oil has significant economic consequences, and many observers feel that protecting â€Å"our† right to oil was the real reason for the U.S./Iraq war of 1991. Americans use large amounts of gasoline not just because they drive so much, but also because they’re extremely wasteful about how they drive. The NRDC notes: â€Å"Most cars on the road carry only one person. In fact, we have so much extra room in our 140 million cars that everyone in Western Europe could fit in them with us.† If every commuter car in the U.S. carried just one more person, we’d save eight billion gallons of gas a year. The one-person-per-car scenario also greatly contributes to traffic congestion, which in turn wastes even more energy&emdash;about three billion gallons of gas a year (30 Simple Things 52-53). But changing Americans’ habits doesn’t seem likely any time soon, as the failure of â€Å"High-Occupancy Vehicle† (HOV) lanes makes clear. To encourage commuters to carpool, some communities have designated one lane of traffic on certain roadways as HOV lanes. Commuters can drive in this lane only if there are at least two people in the vehicle. The reasoning is that commuters will want to carpool so they can ride in the uncongested HOV lane rather than being stuck in traffic in the normal lane when riding by themselves. But as Michael Bluejay points out, these lanes don’t always succeed in encouraging carpooling. A friend and I recently had occasion to drive through Dallas during rush hour, and I had my first opportunity to see how an HOV lane worked. Basically, it didn’t. We passed hundreds and hundreds of single-occupant cars in the regular traffic lanes as we zoomed by in the practically-empty HOV lane. It struck me as really crazy: Whenever I try to encourage people to ride bikes more and drive less, they always whine to me about how ‘convenient’ it is to drive. Well, exactly how ‘convenient’ is it to sit in your car at a complete standstill, adding 30-60 minutes to your morning commute? That’s convenience?! The experience demonstrated to me how far people were willing to go to avoid carpooling. They were willing to sit there like morons, stuck hopelessly in traffic, for the ‘luxury’ of being the only person in their vehicle. Although I was disappointed that the HOV lanes didn’t seem to work, I was at least pleased to realize that all those greedy motorists were being punished with even more traffic congestion, since the HOV lane meant that there was one fewer lane to move all those cars. Summary Automobiles are responsible for a tremendous amount of air pollution and wasted energy. These problems impact people all over the world, both motorists and non-motorists alike, by affecting their health, their economies, and their communities. Legislation to address air pollution has been only partially successful, and air quality continues to be a major concern in countries all over the world. As for energy use, one can only hope that world leaders find a better way to address this problem than fighting wars over an increasingly shrinking supply of oil. More stats are available in our Car Almanac. Works Cited â€Å"Bicycling and Our Environment.† Austin Cycling News. Aug. 1998: 1. Bluejay, Michael. â€Å"HOV Lanes.† Bicycling in Austin. Feb. 1998. 22 June 1999. http://BicycleAustin.info Brown, Lester R., et al. State of the World: A Worldwatch Institue Report on Progress Towards a Sustainable Future. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1999. 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. Los Angeles: South California Edison, 1990. World Almanac and Book of Facts. 1996 Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac Books, 1995. World Resources Institute. 1998-99 World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Zuckermann, Wolgang. End of the Road. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 1991. Car Pollution Statistics Driving cars effects more than air quality. Car pollution statistics point to ground pollution, resource reduction (mining and petroleum products), and health issues as other problems derived from out motorized society. Air quality is an important reason to pay attention to car pollution, but there are other reasons too.| Car pollution is considered by most people to be a decreasing problem, but it’s actually increasing, due to the large number of cars that are driven each day. Measures are being taken to reduce air pollution, including the manufacture of hybrid cars, the creation of new environmentally friendly fuels, and more, but those measures don’t touch all of the car pollution issues. Learning about car pollution statistics can open your eyes to the myriad problems. If you realize the importance of making changes in your life and car driving habits, then you can make changes to help decrease the amount of car pollution that you release into the air. * FTIR Gas AnalyzerGas purity and emissions monitoring by MKS Instruments On-Line Analyzer†¨www.ccrprocessproducts.com/FTIR†¨ * Car pollution statistics can give you the knowledge that you need to compel you to make changes in your life to lessen your impact upon the environment. Here are a few car pollution statistics that you need to be learn about and be aware of: * SUV’s release up to forty-seven percent more car pollution than the average-sized car. * The amount of car pollution that is released from cars is much more than the amount of pollution released by a nuclear power plant. * Ozone pollution is primarily due to the pollution that is released by cars. Seventy-two percent of nitrogen oxides and fifty-two percent of hydrocarbons, which is a component of smog, are released by cars. * The Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health published a study that suggested that most childhood cancers are caused by air pollution, which can be caused by cars and more. * There are 752 cars for every 1,000 people in the United States. * In China, the number of cars that are driven has doubled every five years for the past thirty years. * Thirty-thousand people in the United States each year die from conditions that are caused or exacerbated by car pollution. * Half of the people in the United States live in areas that fail to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year. * Eighty million people live in areas that are continually not living up to these standards. * SUV’s release 28-gallons of carbon dioxide into the air for every gallon of gasoline that is used. * Car pollution has numerous effects, both physically and environmentally, like acid rain, smog, lung cancer, and respiratory problems. As you can see from the above car pollution statistics, cars have a huge impact upon the health of the citizens, the air, and the environment. That is why it is so important that we find ways to make changes in our lives to help decrease the amount of pollution that we release by driving our car. By using alternative fuels, considering hybrid cars, driving less, and more, you can help make your impact upon the world a little less harsh. Consider these car pollution statistics the next time that you get into your car. You may find that your trip is not as important as you think. Energy Consumption and the Environment Impacts and Options for Personal Transportation (Revised 2-4-96) In 1973, petroleum shortages caused by the OPEC oil embargo launched the world’s industrialized nations on a search for more efficient homes, factories, and transportation systems. After two decades of attempts to economize, energy use in the residential sector is about the same, industrial energy use is down, and transportation energy use is up. Today, we are more concerned with the other side of the coin – the environmental problems and long-term economic perils of unbridled energy consumption.Trends in Transportation Energy Consumption:Transportation now consumes more than 20% of the world’s total primary energy and produces much of the world’s air pollution. In just 30 years, the number of cars in the world will soar from today’s 400 million or so, to more than one billion. Private transportation will then need 2-1/2 times more energy and produce 2-1/2 times more air pollution. If global trends are projected to year 2100, the world will need 10 times more total energy, and transportation will consume 40% of this much larger pool.(1)Energy Use, Global Warming, and Climatic Changes:Energy use and emissions trends point to significant economic, political, and social problems for future generations. The greenhouse effect alone could have devastating effects on economies. Without intervention, the buildup of greenhouse gases could reach twice the pre-industrial level as early as 2030. The resulting global warming effect could raise sea levels enough to threaten wetlands, increase coastal flooding, and accelerate coastal erosion. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that sea levels will rise an average of 6 to 20 inches by 2050. In addition, many unmanaged ecosystems will probably be lost. Changes in rainfall patterns will likely result in more severe droughts, more intense tropical storms, and ultimately, dislocations and reductions in agricultural output. (Despite the increased crop yield associated with higher carbon dioxide levels, the resulting climatic changes are expected to shift agricultural production to regions having less productive topsoil, which would then result in diminished total yields.)About 75% of human emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important man-made greenhouse gas, is caused by the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use has caused an imbalance in the earth’s normal carbon cycle. Normally, biologic growth absorbs carbon from the environment and then releases it back into the environment when it decays or is burned. New growth then absorbs the carbon again, and the amount of carbon in the environment remains roughly the same. Since the last ice age, the level of carbon in the atmosphere (in the form of carbon dioxide) has varied only about 5%. However, fossil fuel use has upset the balance.Over the earth’s history, large amounts of carbon had been removed from the environment and become locked away beneath the surface where it was ultimately transformed into fossil fuel deposits. Since the industrial revolution, humankind has been removing these deposits, burning the fuel, and releasing the carbon into the atmosphere. The result is a rapid buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide that is unprecedented in the history of human life on earth. No one knows the precise effects, b ut for better or for worse, average temperatures will increase and global weather patterns will change. Limited Supplies of Traditional and Inexpensive Energy:Nearly 40% of the world’s energy now comes from petroleum, and another 21% comes from natural gas.(2) Together, these finite natural resources supply about 60% of the world’s energy. If oil and natural gas consumption continued to double every 15 to 20 years as it had for the 100 years preceding 1973, the earth’s entire original endowment of these resources would be 80% depleted in another 30 years or so. As early as 1970, new oil and gas discoveries had dramatically declined and have remained low. In the ’80s, experts estimated that U.S. reserves would last about 35 years at existing pumping rates. More recently, estimates have been revised downward. Considering known reserves and estimated undiscovered deposits, U.S. oil will be depleted in about 10-12 years at present pumping rates. And new finds will make little difference on a worldwide scale. A new Prudhoe Bay discovery would provide the world with about six months’ oil supply, and a new North Sea find would equate to about three years’ supply.(3)Each year, the demand for oil is increasing by an amount equal to Kuwait’s entire annual production, and for the first time, OPEC has no substantial excess production capacity. Because of declining and more costly-to-recover petroleum reserves, prices are expected to begin rising in the mid to late ’90s, and continue to rise thereafter.(4)Alternative Fuels:The challenge of alternative fuels is primarily an economic one. Although the volumetric cost of methanol (made from natural gas) and ethanol (made from corn) is on par with gasoline, a car running on ethanol consumes 50 percent more fuel and an ethanol car consumes about twice the fuel per mile traveled, in comparison to a car running on gasoline. Consequently, per-mile fuel costs are greater. Natural gas is less costly on a per-mile basis than toda y’s gasoline, but supplies are finite and the high cost of natural gas vehicle systems generally offset the lower cost of the fuel itself. Although environmentally friendly, hydrogen is both technically and economically challenging due to its high production costs and the difficulty of storing hydrogen on-board vehicles. Alternative fuels do not save primary energy, but they are cleaner than gasoline. Carbon dioxide levels remain essentially unchanged when alcohol fuels are made from renewable biological feedstocks.Renewable Fuels:Renewable biomass fuels, such as ethanol and methanol, may become economically competitive with petroleum motor fuels by year 2000. But much remains uncertain about the world’s capacity to produce biomass in quantities sufficient to meet future energy needs. Already, about half the world’s solar energy captured by photosynthesis is used by humans, primarily for food and forest products. Total primary energy use in the U.S. amounts to about 31 times more energy than is harvested as crops and forest products, and about 40% more energy than is captured by all forms of U.S. vegetation, combined. Considering all agricultural crops, forests, lawns, gardens and wild vegetation, the energy contained in annual U.S. vegetation growth totals about 54 quads (quadrillion BTUs), and in year 1990 total U.S. primary energy consumption amounted to approximately 81 quads.Because of limitations in water supplies, nutrients, and arable lands, the amount of energy obtainable from the world’s agricultural resources is limited. Even in the U.S., which has more arable land per capita than any other nation on earth, it may be infeasible to produce biomass fuels in quantities sufficient for the nation’s energy needs. According to Dr. David Pimentel, Cornell University, the U.S. has the agricultural capacity to support a population of about 200 million on biomass energy – only if per capita energy consumption were reduced to half its present level. Worldwide, the ability of the ecosystem to sustain a population at an equivalent of U.S. consumption in the ’90’s is probably limited to about two billion people, or one-third of the existing population.(5) Unfortunately, U.S. population is expected to reach 500 million in 60 years, and worldwide population will reach 12-15 billion near the end of the 21st century. Economic Implications:The world is entering a period of escalating consumption, declining reserves of traditional energy feedstocks, higher energy costs, and increasing environmental stress, which could have vast economic, political, and social ramifications. As environmental limitations are approached, ecosystems become more unstable. In the future, ecosystem management and environmental maintenance will become more the responsibility of humans rather than nature. The economic impact of higher energy costs will be compounded as the cost of environmental protection and repair is included in the fundamentally higher cost of energy. As a result, varying degrees of negative economic effects are likely.Ultimately, a fundamental restructuring of the way in which energy is produced and consumed, as well as its value and role in the economy, must occur, regardless of the particular energy technology. Reducing the energy intensity of industrialized societies is the most environmentally sound and least economically harmful strategy. Energy use must be constrained if the interrelated problems of energy supplies, environmental degradation, and economic well-being are to be solved.Transportation’s Role:Transportation is essential to modern economies, and that sector is almost totally dependent on oil as a source of energy. The ability to freely and inexpensively move goods and people is a fundamental link in the economic chain. Today, large changes in the price or supply of oil send shock waves rolling through the world’s financial institutions. Transportation is the most rapidly growing consumer of the world’s energy, and the largest share of transportation’s energy goes to passenger travel. In developed countries, passenger travel accounts for about 70% of the total energy consumed by transportation.The Automobile’s Impact on Transportation Energy Consumption:The automobile is responsible for nearly 90% of the energy consumed for travel in the U.S., about 80% in Western Europe, and nearly 60% in Japan.(6) Today, there are approximately 400 million cars in the world, and sometime around year 2030 the world’s automobile population will surpass one billion. If driving habits remain unchanged, cars will have to become nearly three times more energy-efficient by 2030 just to maintain that sector’s present consumption. If energy use trends are projected to year 2100, transportation would then have to be twenty times more energy-efficient, which roughly equates to 400 mpg cars (automobile fleet-average fuel economy is now about 20 mpg).Cars in the U.S. have become more energy-efficient over the past two decades, but other developed countries are losing ground and actually consuming more fuel per passenger mile traveled.(7) Europeans are turning more to private cars, and as a result transportation trends and energy use patterns are converging with those of the U.S. But the greatest increase in transportation energy consumption will occur in the developing world. By year 2010, India is expected to have 36 times more cars than in 1990. China will have 91 times more cars, Mexico will have 2-1/2 times more cars, and Eastern Europe and the countries of the former U.S.S.R. will probably double their automobile population. The rest of the developing world will experience a 300% increase over the same period. In comparison, the number of cars in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, and Japan will have grown by only 12%-15%.(8)The Automobile’s Role in Atmospheric Pollution:In a typical U.S. city, motor vehicle emissions account for 30%-50% of hydrocarbon, 80%-90% of carbon monoxide, and 40%-60% of nitrogen oxide emissions. Cars and light trucks are responsible for about 20% of the nation’s carbon dioxide, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Motor vehicle carbon emissions are essentially proportional to total fuel consumed.(9) Unfortunately, in the coming decades the greatest growth in the automobile population will occur in developing countries which can least afford clean technologies. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities estimates that, because of rapidly increasing automobile populations, developing countries will be emitting 16.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually by year 2025, or about four times as much as developed nations. Problems Are Interdependent:Transportation energy consumption and environmental health are interrelated issues. Relieving the demand side of the equation simultaneously relieves the rest. If vehicle fuel economy were doubled, for example, transportation emissions would be essentially cut in half, even if there were no improvement in emission control technologies. If petroleum consumption were cut in half, reserves would be effectively doubled, even though no new deposits had been discovered. With a doubling of vehicle fuel economy, the same number of vehicle miles could be supported on half the investment in exploratory drilling, half the recovery, refining, and delivery expenses, and half the damage to the environment. The same interrelationships would exist with alternative energy sources, regardless of the particular technology.Although each problem, from emissions and resource burdens to economic factors, may yield to their own targeted efforts, alleviating the fundamental proble m simultaneously reduces the entire spectrum of associated difficulties. The Automobile as a Transportation System:Mass transit is often mentioned as an alternative to private cars, but the most effective mass transit system in the world is the automobile. An automobile transportation system provides schedules and routes that are tailored to individual needs. In addition, users individually purchase, maintain, and fuel the transportation device, and only the relatively inexpensive roadways require public funding.The primary tradeoffs for this otherwise ideal system are high energy intensity and high emissions.(10) However, if the automobile is to survive as an economically sound and viable transportation system its energy consumption and harmful emissions must be reduced.The Potential Impact of New Technologies:Today, automobiles operate at approximately 15% efficiency, which means that about 15% of the energy contained in the fuel is delivered to the drive wheels as useful work. According to the best estimates, it may be possible to double automobile energy efficiency (using conventional powertrains) to about 30% before we run out of ideas. At 30% powertrain efficiency a 20- to 25-mpg sedan would then achieve fuel economy of 40 to 50 mpg. Advanced power systems and reduced vehicle roadloads are necessary in order to make significant gains in automobile energy intensity.Electric cars produce significantly fewer harmful emissions, and they save about 10% to 30% in primary energy (over the entire energy chain). Advanced fuel cell vehicles using methanol reformed on-board into hydrogen may be as much as 2-1/2 times more efficient than today’s cars. Practical automobile fuel cells, however, present enormous economic and technical challenges.In the final analysis, technology alone may not be able to solve the world’s energy problems: partly because of the limitations of technology, but primarily because of the economic realities of alternative energy systems. And even the most optimistic estimations of the energy savings obtainable with advanced-technology systems still fall short of accommodating the long-term forecasts of transportation’s energy needs.A reduction in personal transportation energy intensity is essential in order to reduce the economic impact and technical hurdles of new energy systems and more costly energy supplies. Energy conservation is the most economically sound and environmentally friendly option.Factors That Affect Personal-Transportation Energy Consumption:Transportation energy consumption depends on the mass being transported and the distance it is transported. The technologies employed determine the efficiency at which the mass is transported. Consequently, energy consumption can be reduced by developing more efficient transportation technologies, or by reducing the transported mass and/or the distance traveled.The factors of distance and mass are determined largely by social and economic structures, and by vehicle layout and configuration. In order to reduce the distance and mass factors, Paulo Solaria envisions self-sufficient cities like Arcosanti in Arizona in which automobiles are no longer needed. Telecommuting, or working at home and transferring information, rather than people, is another approach designed to reduce overall distance and mass.With revised architectures, and new business and social structures, it is possible to significantly reduce society’s transportation energy needs. The difficulties of such revisions arise from the economic burdens of restructuring cities, and the psychological resistance to large scale changes in social and business structures. The technologies, however, are largely available or just on the horizon.Reducing the transported mass, independently of the distance traveled, can also fundamentally reduce transportation’s energy requirements. Moreover, mass reduction need not affect travel habits, social and business structures, or the architecture of cities. The opport unity for a large reduction in mass becomes apparent when one considers that the vehicle itself is responsible for approximately 92% of the transported mass, while the occupants account for only 8%.(11) Most of the automobile’s energy is consumed to transport itself. Mass reduction alone can save more energy than the most advanced powertrain concepts.Matching Vehicle Size to Trip Requirements:From the traditional perspective, the â€Å"identified problem† contributing to the automobile’s high energy intensity is low vehicle occupancy. Transportation energy intensity is a measure of the energy consumed per passenger mile traveled. When a vehicle is lightly loaded, energy intensity goes up because the vehicle consumes about the same amount of energy (fuel), regardless of the number of occupants. Operating large, multi-passenger cars with only one or two occupants is therefore considered the most wasteful habit affecting the world’s consumption of transportation energy.Worldwide, automobiles operate, on average, with about 1.6 to 1.8 occupants. In the U.S., approximately 87% of all automobile trips occur with two or fewer occupants. The average for work related trips is 1.1 occupants per vehicle. One- and two-occupant trips acco unt for approximately 83% of all vehicle miles traveled in the U.S.(12)If the same number of travelers were condensed into half the cars (car pooling), total automobile energy consumption would be reduced by half. But condensing occupants into fewer vehicles essentially defeats the automobile’s primary benefit. Trips must then accommodate the needs of other occupants, and the automobile is no longer a private and personal means of transportation.Traditionally, occupancy-rate is considered a behavioral by-product and therefore outside the bounds of vehicle technology. However, if the â€Å"identified problem† were redefined, it can easily become a simple technical problem. If the definition were â€Å"inappropriate vehicle size† (rather than underutilization of large cars), the solution would then be to resize vehicles so they more closely match trip requirements. Since one- and two-occupant trips predominate, it naturally follows that a category of smaller vehicles designed for one- and two-occupant local and commuting trips would be beneficial.Low-Mass Vehicle Safety:Small, lightweight cars are normally associated with an increased risk of harm. Traffic accident statistics generally support the relationship between vehicle size and injury/fatality rates, with the potential fo r harm increasing in proportion to the decrease in vehicle size. (The exception is in Japan, where a special category of lightweight â€Å"kei† cars actually have a lower fatality rate than conventional large cars.) But with better vehicle designs, historical data can quickly become outmoded. Cars built today are four times safer than vehicles built in 1969, and they are approximately 10% smaller and 20% lighter. This is due primarily to improved safety engineering and modern safety systems.Although occupant protection becomes more challenging as vehicle size is reduced, it is technically feasible to produce significantly smaller and lighter vehicles that have a high degree of safety. Advanced â€Å"hard shell† concepts designed to increase low-mass vehicle safety are already under development in Switzerland. This new approach utilizes a rigid exterior that is largely identical to the rigid passenger compartment of conventional cars. During a collision, the rigid exterior of the smaller car causes the less rigid deformation zone of the larger car to yield and absorb energy. Passenger ride-down space (for deceleration) in the low-mass car is provided inside the vehicle, rather than by the traditional exterior deformation zone. Occupant deceleration is controlled by elastic restraints and air bags. (13)Vehicle use patterns and operating environment are also important. Cars that operate primarily in the urban environment do not necessarily have to match the crashworthiness of larger cars in order to provide equally safe transportation.New Products and New Market Appeals – The Giant Oil Well Under Detroit:Market positioning, the implied messages in a product’s theme and advertising appeals, can capitalize on today’s environmental and energy concerns, and ultimately have a powerful effect on energy consumption and pollution. The necessary consumer motivations and interests already exist. A shift in thinking that disengages manufacturers and consumers alike from the association of size and mass in relation to value in automobile design is an essential part of reducing transportation’s energy consumption.Significantly smaller and lighter cars, both electric and conventionally powered, are normally envisioned as cheap, underpowered, and unsafe vehicles that have little appeal. Once this premise is accepted, vehicle attributes consistent with the vision naturally emerge and an outline of market potential, profitability, and even vehicle styling and safety then follows suit according to the core idea. These details can quickly change when the vehicle and the market are seen from a different perspective.By adopting a new perspective on automobile design, new marketing opportunities and new product ideas can begin to take shape. By emphasizing innovative safety features, visually impressive driver information systems, advanced vehicle control and crash avoidance systems, and attractive vehicle layouts and styling, smaller urban cars and commuter cars can emerge as safe, marketable, and even superior, transportation products. Innovative product packaging and marketing appeals are essential for a successful transition to electric urban cars and fuel-efficient commuter cars.Despite today’s â€Å"green† orientation, sacrifice and conservation are not especially marketable attributes. New vehicle types must satisfy consumers’ complex psychological needs while appealing to their broad social concerns. Energy conservation and environmental protection must be positioned as an upscale product attribute, rather than as a necessary sacrifice in the name of economic and environmental health. Energy conservation and emissions reduction are not primary consumer benefits. When manufacturers address environmental concerns with attractive new vehicle themes that satisfy consumers’ psychological needs, a marketable new category of products will have emerged, and passenger-travel energy consumption could be reduced by nearly two-thirds.A Sustainable Paradigm for a Fully Industrialized World:Alternative cars alone will not create a system for long-term sustainability with the expected populations. Although transportation will be tomorrow’s largest single energy consumer (as much as 40% in the long term), combined industrial and residential needs will account for a larger portion of society’s total energy needs.Future generations will probably have to adapt to more expensive energy, and use the world’s resources more prudently. This does not necessarily point to a world of stifling scarcity, but more to a new sense of responsibility, and a new paradigm for product design and the lifestyles that interrelate to form the overall production/consumption/pollution matrix. Changes in attitudes and behavior patterns can have an enormous impact on the cost to the ecosystem in resources and pollution. Population control and new business and social structures are essential; and new technologies are needed as well.Today’s developed economies, which account for only one-fourth of the world’s inhabitants, have been fortunate to have abundant and cheap fossil energy supplies to fuel their transition into an industrialized world. In a sense, today’s developed societies are similar to yesterday’s pioneers, blazing the technology trail to a new frontier of sufficiency and sustainablity for the world’s future community of developed nations. Abundant and clean energy from nuclear fusion, along with fuel cell cars and rapid-recharging, extended-range, battery-electric cars, are probably the best hopes for meeting long-term transportation and energy needs. And new frontiers must be pioneered in attitudes and values, which ultimately convert to resource consumption and environmental degradation as they guide behavior. Just as alternative cars do not necessarily imply dull product design or reduced transportation quality, new values and social structures do not necessarily imply compromised lifestyles.