Global Warming and the Effects Essay

Global warming refers to the heating of the air near the earth’s surface and oceans and this problem was first noted to happen in the 1950s period. Today the issue of global warming is one of the most widely discussed as it has serious implications to our environment. Global warming is as a consequence of human activities and its main contributor is the high level of greenhouse gases that are emitted to the atmosphere. One of these gases is methane, nitrogen dioxide, water vapors and carbon dioxide (CO2), which are emitted when fossil fuels such natural gas, oil, diesel and coal are burned. The issue of global warming has risen to the levels of concern today and days cannot pass without it being mentioned. If its effects are not mitigated the world will become an inhabitable place. The effects of global warming are many ranging from rise in global temperatures, forests destruction, melting and retreat of ice glaciers and thawing of snow that covers the mountains and destruction of the coastal ecosystems. This is what this research paper will basically focus on. It will discuss in depth the causes of global warming how these effects impact our society. This research paper is structured as follows; it starts with a brief introduction of what global warming is, its origin and how it has developed overtime, some examples of where it has already occurred will be given and then the conclusion. At the very end there is also a list of all the works cited, properly formatted in accordance with the MLA formatting style. Most people according to Weart (13) use the term global warming to mean climatic change but this is not true. The former is as a result of human activities and changes in the solar system but later is any change in the state of the average climate in terms of precipitation and weather over an extended period of time. The first effects of global warming were first noted in the mid 19th century and according to various reports given by different researchers, global warming results due to unchecked human activities. The world has experienced and witnessed changes in ice formation and melting not mentioning the abrupt rise in global temperatures. Though weather variations are something that is as old as mankind, its recent changes have awakened the conscience of men. Although there are periods when temperatures are a bit hot, there was unusual rise in temperatures in the period between 1980s and 1990s. This problem has continued up to the 21st century. â€Å"In terms of global average near the surface air temperature, the year 1998 was the warmest in the instrumental record and the nine warmest years in that record have occurred since 1990† (Houghton 2). The Graph below Shows How Global Temperature Has Increased Over Time Due to Global Warming. Gotten from http://globalwarming-awareness2007-arshad. com/global-warming-graphs. shtml The rise in the rates at which hurricanes, tornadoes and the general blowing of strong wind is also attributed to global warming. These effects were experienced in Western Europe especially in England in the late 1980s. No single human being can claim not to have contributed to the global warming as in one way or the other one must have been involved in cooking using fossil fuels and in transport. These are the major contributors of global warming because they increase the amount of carbon dioxide gas which is in the atmosphere. (Natural Resources Defense Council). The problem with greenhouse gases is that they trap hot air that is trying to escape from the ocean and earths’ surface something that has serious consequences. Carbon dioxide behaves like a blanket and a mirror. It traps hot air and sends it back to the ground thus there is a lot of water evaporation on the oceans thereby increasing humidity in the air. Also this humidity also behaves like CO2 which traps hot air thus making the air in the atmosphere even warmer (Haughton 12) Most of the global effects we are witnessing today were predicted long time ago by scientists for example the world meteorological organization (WMO) issued a warning in 2003 that there will be increase in weather changes and the examples that it gave were tornadoes, hurricanes and heat waves. Today these tornadoes are like the order of the day and are the effects of global warming. According to scientists, when ice glaciers melts, that water flows to the oceans which in turn floods and the problem that results is that even when there is a small storm water is blown to the earths’ surface. Human activities that contribute to global warming dates back to the Industrial Revolution period when labor became mechanized. Those machines used fossil fuels such as coal which emits large amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The current human activities are contributing largely to the global warming that human activities of the 19th century although the current global warming effects are not just as a result of these current activities but is as a result of human activities extended over time. According to a report that was produced by the World Meteorological Organization, the period from early 1990s up to 2007 has registered the highest degrees in terms of global temperature. The average global temperature for the year 2007 was estimated to be 0. 41oC above the average annual temperature of the 1960s of 14. 00oc Just like there are many environmental variables, the same applies when it comes to human activities which contribute to global warming. As per the IPCC’s fourth assessment report, since 1750, human activities with a very high probability were said to be the cause of global warming. The increase of global warming for the last fifty years has been due to the increase in greenhouses emissions. The Graph Below shows how the Concentration of Greenhouse Gas has increased In the Last 250 Years. It was accessed from http://earthsci. org/education/teacher/basicgeol/global_warm/global_warm. html These gases also destroy the ozone that protects some harmful sun rays from reaching the sun and that is why there are so many cases of cancer in the world. The main source of these gases is the fuels that are used on vehicles, planes and other machines such as generators and water pumps and the fuels that are used in households. What happens is that when sun rays reach the earths’ surface, they heat the surface while the excess heat is radiated back to the atmosphere. These rays are supposed to be lost in the space but because there is a lot of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the sunlight with longer wavelength are trapped by these gases (Silverstein and Nunn 53-54). Now the problem is that it leads to global warming in that these gases behave like mirrors that reflect back sun rays to the earth leading to overheating of the global temperature and this is what is referred by scientists as greenhouse effect. Even the water vapor that results due to overheating of the ocean surfaces is also a greenhouse gas. It is estimated that these vapors contribute 36 to 70 percent of the global warming while carbon dioxide accounts for 9-26 percent while others like methane and ozone contributes about 4-9 percent and 3-7percent respectively. Methane is always present in the earth and so when mining or soil erosion occurs due to human activities; it is exposed to the atmosphere. This methane combines with other gases in the atmosphere and it releases carbon dioxide. Population is another factor that has contributed to the rise in global temperature. There is no direct link of overpopulation to global warming but through an intricate process it contributes. When population increase, it means people will require more food and demand for more food means that more agricultural lands will be cultivated. Scientifically we know that trees help in purifying air by absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so when vegetation cover is cleared the chances of global warming to result are high as greenhouses gases remain uncontrolled. Also, to some extent green vegetations lead to global warming. When green vegetation rot they release a smelly gas. This gas is methane and is one of those greenhouse gases. Again as people demand more food, they devise ways of increasing food production and one way of doing this is by using animal manure which contains a lot of methane. People are forced to keep animals so as they would get this manure thus indirectly leading to the global warming. As population grows, more energy is needed in the production sectors. Fuel usage increase in the production companies so as to meet the ever increasing demand for products. Population increase mean more transport demands, this leads to an increase in the number of vehicles resulting to more emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Apart from human causes, there are also natural causes of global warming. Sun which is part of the solar system could also contribute to the global warming. If there happens to be output changes in terms of the heat that the sun produces, global temperature could rise. Another natural factor that could contribute is if there happens to be a change in the shape of the orbit that earth as a planet follows. If one point is closer to the sun then, global temperature at that particular period of time could rise. All these causes of global warming lead to several negative consequences. One of these effects is the increase in precipitation. As more and more water evaporates and is trapped in the clouds it then falls as precipitation. When the oceans are heated by the sun, evaporation occurs leading to heavy rain that has negative results for example it leads to floods and soil erosion. (Victor 31-33) Another effect associated with global warming is the thawing of mountain glaciers. In the period between 1550s and 1850s there was a lot of glaciers but this has subsequently decreased over time. It is estimated that the world glaciers with the exception of ice sheets and caps in the Antarctic and Arctic regions has gone down by 50 percent. The reduction of these glaciers has been witnessed in Himalayas Mountains, Alps, Rocky Mountains and Pyrenees. The consequences of melting of these glaciers are many and one of them is flash slides, increase in landslides not mentioning the overflow of the glacial lakes. It also makes some rivers to become seasonal, during summer time they become dry and then gain water during winter. When glaciers melt, water levels in the ocean go up and it destroys the ecological system of the coastal areas because these floods engulf the coastal dry lands. Global temperature interferes with the balance and the length of the seasons. This will affect farmers who sow their seeds in a particular time predicting to be harvested at a particular time. â€Å"Farmers are planting the seeds according to the seasons and rain, but since the rains are getting disturbed and also the climate is getting shifted, the sowing time is difficult to predict, which will lead to poor production hence shortage of food grains† (Global warming, 2008). Marine life is also under extinction threats due to global temperature change. Many marine species have already succumbed to high temperatures in the seas. Penguins which live in coral leafs are the worst affected. Global warming leads to the destruction of the coral reefs and this leads to the interference in penguin’s life cycle resulting to many deaths. Also global warming leads to the retreat of ice in the sea. Though sea water absorbs sun’s heat, this ice reflects back some of the heat. If this ice melts away, sea water will get hot leading to the rise in temperature. According to a report made by the IPCC Fourth Assessment, it was predicted that forest fires will increase in some regions of the world like in the Mediterranean Europe. Global warming has no direct link to the bush fires but the thing is, there will be shortage of rain in those regions thus increasing the chances of forest fires being spread in large scale. When fire burns, carbon dioxide is emitted to the air and since this fire will clear all the remaining vegetations that would absorb some carbon dioxide, a lot of carbon dioxide will be released more than the natural cycle can handle and what will result is global warming due to green house effects. (Natural Resources Defense Council) Global warming also destroys the ozone layer that is in the atmosphere. This layer prevents the harmful sunrays such as ultra violet rays from reaching the earth. These rays lead to increased cases of skin cancer. To conclude this research paper, it is in order to say that global warming leads to the rise of the average global temperatures and have serious consequences on the environment. The main contributor of global warming is human activities although to some extent some natural factors such as alteration of the earth orbit could result to temperature rise. Global changes started to be witnessed in the mid 19th century but of late the effect are many and on the increasing trend. Its many effects have served as an awakening call to many governments to come up with various strategies that could help to reverse the trend. Global warming mostly results from fossil fuels which emit carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases include; ozone, methane, water vapors and nitrogen dioxide. What these gases do is that they trap hot air that is trying to escape from the ground resulting to overheating of both the ocean and ground surfaces. The effects of global warming are many and includes; rise in temperatures, forest fire outbreaks, thawing and retreat of glaciers, overflowing of rivers and lakes, disruption in the balance of seasons, extinction of some species especially those that live in seas, desertification, coastal lands being engulfed by floods and increase in diseases such as cancer and malaria. Works Cited: Global Warming. Global Warming Awareness. 2008. Accessed on October 30, 2008 from http://www. globalwarming. org. in/global-warming-facts. php Houghton J. Theodore. Global Warming: The Complete Briefing. Cambridge University Press, 2004 Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Global Warming: Consequences. 2008. Available at http://www. nrdc. org/globalWarming/fcons. asp Silverstein, A. and Nunn, L. S. Global Warming. Twenty-First Century Books, 2003 Watson R. The Natural Causes of Global Warming. 2007 http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/300649/the_natural_causes_of_global_ warming. html? cat=47 Weart S. R. The Discovery of Global Warming. Harvard University Press, 2003. Victor, David G. The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to Slow Global Warming: And the Struggle to Slow Global Warming. Princeton University Press, 2001

Eugene Ionesco’s Existentialist Views Essay

– Eugene has written 28 plays. His most famous works include The Lesson (1951), The Chairs (1952), and Rhinoceros (1959). -Eugene has been recognized as a leading writer in the Theatre of the Absurd. His plays break theatrical archetypes of plot and sequence; explore mortality, and introduce existential conundrums while utilising over imaginative, unrealistic and out of the blue humor. The line between fiction and reality is consistently blurred as Ionesco depicts meaningless worlds ruled by chance. Was made a member of the French Academy in 1970, and won a number of prizes including the Tours Festival Prize for film, Prix Italia, Society of Authors Theatre Prize, Grand Prix National for theatre, Monaco Grand Prix, Austrian State Prize for European Literature, Jerusalem Prize, and honorary doctorates from New York University and the universities of Leuven, Warwick, and Tel Aviv. Contribution to Existentialist Thought and Relation to Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are Dead – Eugene’s greatest contribution to existential thought comes from developing the building blocks for theater of the absurd. Eugene popularized nonrepresentational writing techniques to a point which audiences found it acceptable, and used basic existential concepts in his plays, inspiring future writers such as Tom Stoppard. – Eugene constantly refers to two main themes throughout his writings; loneliness and isolation; and having no control over one’s fate. The setting of The Chairs provides a great example, in which an old couple 90s only have each other in their small house on an island, which represents the isolation. Guil and Ros are always alone in their absurd existentialist thought which does not seem to bother anyone else, which leads them unable to relate to the people around them and feel alienated. They are physically isolated in their un-determinable location; however they are also mentally isolated. The two characters have no memory of their past, and as such they cannot retain any future purpose or goals they may want in the future; they are isolated to the present, and as such they can only react to things happening around them, rather than seeking tasks for the betterment of themselves. Guil expects that the letter they are bringing to the king will tell him their next task in life. He says â€Å"[t]here may be something to keep us going a bit. † Ros then asks, â€Å"And if not? † to which Guil replies, â€Å"Then that’s it, we’re finished† (Stoppard, 96). Stoppard shows here how little control Ros and Guil have over their own life. – Eugene’s work focuses on human existence and trivia of everyday life. Rhinoceros is bold enough to say â€Å"sometimes I wonder if I exist myself†. Eugene constantly challenges the meaning of life and what it means to exist in his writing. Stoppard compliments this topic as well, as demonstrated when Guil and Ros first gain consciousness on the boat. Guil converses with Ros by saying â€Å"‘we’re not finished, then? ’ ‘Well, we’re here, aren’t we? ’ ‘Are we? I can’t see a thing. ’ ‘You can still think can’t you? ’ ‘I think so. ’ You can still talk. ’ Ah! There’s life in me yet. ’ â€Å"(88). Stoppard explores the idea of living within a conscious mind, and no body, and only had thought and a voice in the dark. – Restraint due to social norms is another major theme throughout Eugene’s writing, specifically in Rhinoceros. One of the main reasons Eugene wrote Rhinoceros, was to explore the mentality of those who so easily succumbed to Nazism. Ionesco wanted to mock the German fascist movement by having characters in his book all turn into rhinoceros’s because everyone was talking about it and doing it themselves, which leads to one of Eugene’s main existential opinions: that â€Å"one must break away from conformity and commit oneself to a significant cause to give life meaning†. Eugene has people in his plays repeat ideas others have said earlier, or simultaneously say the same things. Not only do Guil and Ros constantly repeat each other when they lack the originality or purpose to say something new, Stoppard takes lines directly from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and has Guil and Ros unknowingly change to Shakespearean English and speak Shakespeare’s words whenever they converse with other characters from Hamlet, for example when first meeting Claudius, they say â€Å"We both obey/ And here give up ourselves in the full bent/ To lay our service freely at your feet/ To be commanded† (27-28). Their inability to control their language and their conformity with the original play demonstrates the lack of control they have over their destiny, as if it was planned.

Research controversy surrounding the constitutionality of using civil Paper

Controversy surrounding the constitutionality of using civil junctions against gangs - Research Paper Example Law enforcement department simply requires to present concrete and enough evidence associating the person to the named gang. The law enforcement agency should provide the identity of people they hang out with, the color of clothes they wear and the tattoos on their body. Due to this, gang injunctions in the US have elicited a heated debate and controversy. Civil rights lobbyists argue that the strategy and the system is not effective and that it violates human rights. They assert that it is unconstitutionally wrong to allow gangs to operate legally. This according to the civil rights movement motivates racial profiling and suppressive policing. Further, they assert that it criminalizes young individuals who may never have done or committed some crimes (O'Deane 48). Wearing wrong colors or a minor mistake or being spotted conversing with a known gang member can be sufficient to get you listed as a gang member. Once an individual is on the list, it is difficult to get a job and difficu lt to escape the area that funnels you into a gang. Law enforcement agents have used injunctions for a long time in fighting gang violence in California. It was first used in Los Angeles in the 1980s; the strategy has proved ineffective in fighting gang violence. ... Supporters of gang injunctions have asserted that the various limitations and threat of penalties act as a deterrent to criminal activities. Nevertheless, in case the reason injunctions are successful has nothing to do with the penalties and limitations that draw the attention of civil rights lawyers. The answer centers on what happens to the gang members when police officers give them evidence they possess of their criminal activities. Traditionally, police officers conceal the information before letting the case to proceed to trial. The law enforcers assume that informing the criminals or gang members about the evidence they have collected against them only assists them defend themselves during trial. However, the success of the gang injunctions is psychological in that by informing the criminals know that they are being monitored, they eventually change and modify their actions and behaviors (Grogger 77). Civil gang injunctions emerged out of extreme anxiety. In the early 190s, th e Los Angeles law enforcers were finding it to control and manage the gangs and these gangs were almost taking control of the city. Assault, homicide, and robbery rates were increasing rapidly. The drug business seemed to be increasing. The gang fights and shooting happened in daylight in public areas. Due to these heinous and criminal activities, gang injunctions were introduced as a strategy for the law enforcement agencies to control the gang activities in the city. Police officers and other law enforcers got a civil court injunction forbidding gang activity in some cities such as Pomona, West Covina, and Santa Ana in Los Angeles. The civil injunctions saw police officers address gang members as a group

CFCs,Ozone Depletion and the Ozone Hole Assignment

CFCs,Ozone Depletion and the Ozone Hole - Assignment Example These CFCs rise up to the atmosphere, destroying the layer. The chlorine atom of a CFC reacts with an oxygen atom of the ozone molecule, resulting in two molecules of oxygen. The ozone is destroyed. An important long-term effect of the destruction of the ozone layer is a rise in the ultraviolet radiation near the earth. This in turn is a reason behind rising skin cancer, degrading of several substances like plastics, paints and fabrics, and reduced yield of major crops. It was reported by the Environmental Effects Panel in 1991 that the consequences of â€Å"a sustained 10% loss of ozone† would be a 26% rise in the occurrence of non-melanoma skin cancers (Anderson, Sarma and Sinclair, 31). A 1% loss would result in an increase of 100,000 to 150,000 cases of cataract-induced blindness throughout the world. The resulting rise in ultraviolet radiation would be responsible for a rise in the occurrence of melanoma. It was due to such drastic consequences that the Montreal Protocol was set signed by 24 nations on 16th September 1987 (Maunder 38). According to this Protocol there has to be a reduction in the consumption of CFCs by particular amounts, which would greatly reduce the degree of damage

The Apollo Group Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Apollo Group Case Study Analysis - Essay Example The University of Phoenix Company has grown over time as a for-profit university. The university has the adult working population being its main target other than the high school leavers who enroll in the traditional classroom educations. In addition, the University seeks to give affordable and quality online education to the adult population who are reachable through intensive marketing strategies of recruiters. However, their marketing strategies are against the federal laws and therefore, the university has to adopt different marketing and education strategies to maintain profitability. The key issues that face the University of Phoenix include technological advancement and traditional college expansion weakness. The University of Phoenix needs to upgrade its technology for quality and effective e-learning among its students. Technology would mean that the company must incur extra costs that are potentially huge, and thus may affect its profitability. The sophisticated virtual college platform has a negative potential on the profitability of the company, since its total cost will increase while revenue remains constant. Moreover, the need for expansion of the traditional classroom education will also imply that the university will have to incur extra classroom setup costs. Online learning faces the challenge of massive student dropouts and lack of quality in the online education sector. The company has therefore undertaken to provide quality instructor contact with a small number of students per instructor. The company also faces the problem of retaining students and changing its marketing strategies to be consistent with the federal law. Primarily, federal law prohibits the marketing strategy of the University of Phoenix, where high pressure recruitment strategies were against the federal regulations.  

The Subiaco Centro project (Transit-oriented develepments) Research Proposal

The Subiaco Centro project (Transit-oriented develepments) - Research Proposal Example The project is aimed to expand the land usage opportunities in the Subiaco area and balance and complement the existing community fabric, while promoting alternative transport usage. Following are some of planning innovations that went into the project: Transit oriented development Community engagement Affordable housing Heritage conservation Reason for the selection of the topic: In the past, developmental design in the city of Perth has largely been oriented towards mobility through cars and other automobiles. However, with the development of the Subiaco-Centro project, this focus has now shifted from car-friendly planning to development that is grounded not only in land usage policies but also on the principle of actively pursuing the opportunities of transit-oriented development. This shift in focus has come with a significant challenges as well as opportunities, and the primary reason that I have selected this subject for my research is the fact that it presents a wide array of topics that need exploration. Since this project is not only focused on the creation of a safe, sustainable and harmonious city, there is also a major emphasize on re-inventing the city’s transportation system and provide easy and equal access to different modes of transportation. In this regard, the concept of transit-oriented has given rise to a lot of issues and I intend to not only study and research the various opportunities that have arisen due to this, but also explore the various obstacles that have been a part of this project. In the course of my research, I intend to study the following: The vision behind this project and the significance of creating development around public transportation. Current transport infrastructure designs. The need and demand for transit-oriented development design in Perth. The Socio-Economic effects of this type of development. The opportunities presented by maintaining a balance between high level of transit accessibility and land usage providing affordable housing. The research paper will take from current existing literature on these topics and compare the trending opinions with what has happened/is happening in Perth, and how it will effect the population, environment and economy of the city. Potential Sources of Information: Journal Articles: Theoretical discussions about the topic, cast studies documenting other instances of TOD in different countries etc. Reports/Other Documents: SRA planning schemes, Subiaco Redevelopment Act 1994, project information, Scheme texts/maps Websites: Subiaco Redevelopment Authority, Western Australian Planning Commission, City of Subiaco Proposed Structure of the Paper: 1. Introduction – A discussion about the fundamentals issues examined in the paper 2. Transit-oriented development in the Subi-centro project - A discussion about the history of TOD, the motivation behind incorporating it into Perth’s developmental designs, the vision behind the plans. - The Key pl ayers (Dept. of planning, private investors, SRA) - The objectives of the Subi-Centro project (in terms of development centred around transit modes in Perth) 3. The Obstacles and Opportunities arising due to TOD - A discussion about the demand for TOD in Perth - The attitudes of the residents of the city about this change of developmental designs. (Through a discussion of stakeholder interviews conducted

Major Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12500 words - 1

Major Assignment - Research Paper Example In area, Chile is slightly bigger than Texas or France and it is 756,946 sq.km long and lies on the 380 latitude and its southernmost tip where Horn Island is situated where there is a cape which is lying on the 560. Hence, some part of the Chile lies inside the tropics and this region is the nearest continental land on the planet to the snowy expanse of Antarctica. Chile claims the ownership for these region. Hence, there is a large variation in latitude from north to south, there has been great dissimilarities in climate. Valley, oasis, arid deserts, rain-forests, tranquil green pastures, icy glaciers, mountain-framed lakes and rocky archipelagos are natural beauties that adorn Chile. Along the lines of latitude, Chile’s geographical division can be identified as forest Chile, desert Chile and Mediterranean Chile (Collier & Sater 2004: xix). Chile lies on the south-west of Pacific coast of South America. The whole nation is comprised of a thin strip of land protruding North-South. It has a maximum breadth of 420 kms which has around 2,006,096 sq.km of which only 756,626 sq.km are considered to be continental whereas the balance area is comprised of the Chilean Antarctic. Chile is a small nation situated in the Southern South America bordered by the South Pacific Ocean lying between Bolivia, Peru and Argentina. Its geographic coordinates are 710 W & 300 W. Chile has a total continental area of 756,626 sq.km out of which about 12,290 sq. km is occupied by the water and 743,812 sq.km is filled by the terrestrial. Chile owns two islands namely Isla Salary Gomez and Easter Island. It shares largest land boundary of 6339 kms with Argentina (5308 km) and Bolivia (860) and smaller portion with Peru (171 km). It shares a long coastal line of 6345 km. As per 2011 statistics, Chile has an arable land of 1.74%, it is developing permanent crops just only in 0.06% and other

PA585 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR Essay

PA585 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR - Essay Example Responsibility of local governments is increasing day by day but their financial position does not improve with the same speed. Hence local governments resort to intergovernmental transfers for small amounts to meet school related expenditures. Though this is the fact, financial aid from the state and the federal is on a reducing trend. When federal aid was reduced during the Reagan era, state funds came to the rescue of local governments to suffice their revenue needs. Later, state support also declined because it had to manage its budgets. Hence decrease in revenue has led to a collective slowdown in the economy of local regions. (Fahim, 2005). On the whole, the service delivery of local government to citizens is affected which is in turn controlled by political driven policies. This has raised arguments on the role of the American government with respect to its function and costs. Poor funding from federal programs has created an impact on the local government leader’s responsibilities and tasks, opinion on elected leaders and questions the role of citizens and the method with which local governance is carried out. Citizens feel that local governments are more dependable and efficient than the federal or state authorities. Hence citizens require the local government to play a detailed role in terms of requirements, priorities and methods to solve their issues. Though citizens require good service from the government they are reluctant to pay high amount of tax to avail better services. This has put the local government in a thoughtful condition where the government is in a position to implement innovative methods to draft budgets and manage funds in order to maintain a good relationship with citizens. Councils, governing bodies, boards, managers and staff who form the members of the local government structure are responsible to carry out the affairs of the citizens in

Dystopian society Essay Example for Free

Dystopian society Essay Societies that are futuristic in settings are what we call a dystopian society. Dystopia is literary the opposite of what a utopian community will be like. In dystopia, everything is distorted where people are ruled by either a strong-opposed individual through the use of militarism or technologies and also by technology themselves. Citizens of a dystopian community doesnt hold their own rights and are usually treated inhumanely, creating a fearsome and dark environment. Short stories such as The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson typically follows a dystopian society. The author first introduces the story to be a utopian community where she describes the day as clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green (Para. 1). This entices our feeling of comfort and invites us to see what this day is all about, not knowing of what might happen in the end. The fact that Jackson first introduces us into such a calming scenery but ends it in such a misery, dehumanizes the mindset that such a perfect community can hide such monstrous activity. Dehumanization is a great deal in this short story where the villagers are blindly following the tradition of stoning the lotterys winner to death and treating the event like a festivity. Dehumanization is also seen through the villagers actions such as: The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions; most of them were quite. wetting their lips. not looking around (Para. 20). Jackson creates this sense that these villagers have done it so many times that they dont even care anymore and just what this lottery to be over with, so that they can go back to their daily lives. The villagers were describe as quite because they dont want to make the lottery any longer than it is already and it can also be taken up as an acceptance to the events that follows. Some are wetting their lips which creates this anxiousness and ill-minded thoughts of wanting to kill someone. Excitement that they too will have a bountiful year again through the sacrifice of one of their own. Fear is yet another convention of dystopia that Jackson utilizes in this short story. Fear of the unknown by the audience and the fear of death. Fear is seen through the character of Tessie Hutchinson, who in the beginning of the story where like everybody else. She was nonchalant to the event and was conversing with the villagers like normal people would but all of this changes after she was picked by the lottery. She screams and tell everyone how it isnt fair, it isnt right (Para. 80), which contradicts her actions in the beginning. Fear is also seen where the villagers were not looking around (Para. 20), which describes how they individually doesnt want to see the faces of the people who they will have to kill or know that they can be the one to die that day. The black box that contains the papers of the lottery is a symbolism of fear in the story. It presents death not only by the use of the color black but also because it holds the one paper that is the deciding factor of being the winner of the lottery. This is seen as the villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool (Para.4), where they are unconsciously afraid of the lottery but doesnt protest about its effects. Work Cited Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics. Readwritethink.org. ReadWriteThink, n.d Web. 18 Jan 2013 The Lottery. American Literature. N.p, n.d Web. 18 Jan 2013

Stonegate pub company performance Essay Example for Free

Stonegate pub company performance Essay The Stonegate pub company is privately owned which concentrates in pubs and bars in the UK. It was started in the year 2010 and currently have more than 620 bars and pubs all over in the country. In the same year the company acquired over 330 managed pubs from M and B. This gave the company operational power to run. The company takes great care of all its target customers as it has various joints as in: student bars, traditional pubs, night clubs and all kinds of pubs. This makes the company attract all kinds of customers depending on their needs. In 2011, the company joined with the Town and pub company forming a large pub operator which would become the largest in the country. This in return led to the company acquiring lettuce brands, Yate’s and slug. Stonegate company also involves itself in selling of drinks and food that is seasonal favorites. Being one of the largest companies in the country, Stonegate company keeps books of accounts which can be evaluated. The company’s return on capital in the year 2012 is far much higher than that of 2011. This in return has increased the shareholders amount in the year. Since the return on capital in 2012 is greater than in 2011, the company indicated growth. The Gross profit of the company increases from 8.7% to 12.3% due to the increase of sales from 264,671 to 484623. The gross profit of the company indicates that the company is in the right direction towards its development. Net profit margin of any company will show how much it earns after tax deductions per dollar. When it is high, the firm comfortably controls its costs and favorably competes (BAKER, 2005, 62). In 2011 it had 0.41% compared to 4.5% in 2012 and could therefore earn more in 2012 after the tax had been deducted per dollar. The company, hence records higher amount of sale as time goes by. Gearing measures the financial leverage of a company and compares the ration between financial aid by lenders and shareholders. In 2011 it was 47.9% as compared to 159% indicating the country borrowed more than in the previous year. Interest cover shows the ability of a company to repay interest on an outstanding debt. In 2012 the ratio is at 3.5 times as compared with 0.95 in 2011. This indicates the ability of the company to repay has increased. On the other side the company’s current ratio came from 0.77:1 in 2011 to 0.74:1 in 2012. This shows that it was in a position to pay debts comfortably in 2011 while it struggles in 2012 which is not a comfortable place for any company in theworld. Liquidity ratio of a company shows its ability to pay short term debts. Stonegate company had a ratio of 0.69: 1 in 2011 and 0.62: 1 in 2012 showing the ability to repay short term debts reduced in 2012. Stock turnover is the amount of times that stock is sold over a given period of time. The company had a stock turnover of 9 times in 2011 as compared to 6 times in 2012. This indicates that the stock is sold at a fast pace in 2012 as compared to 2011. Debtor collection period is the period in which the business receives money sold on credit. Many businesses sell on credit to increase their sales. In 2011, Stonegate company had a debtor collection period of 43 as compared to 25 in 2012. This shows that the company would be able to get money sold on credit more often in 2012 which leads to development. Credit payment period on the other side represents the number of days a company takes to repay a credit transaction. The shorter the period the busy the business, hence faster development since this indicates faster inflow of cash. In 2011 it was 24 days compared to 12 in 2012. In 2012 therefore, Stonegate company had the power to repay back its debts within half the time spent in the previous year. This indicates growth in financial aspects of the company. The number of days a company takes to realize cash from its inventory is operating ratio. The company has an operating ratio of 28 days in 2011 and 19 days in 2012. The company enjoys fast money in the latter year,which in turn leads to faster development as compared to 2011. Stonegate company compares with other companies in the market and competes effectively. In the year 2011, Net Profit before interest and tax on sales is 0.64% compared to 12.3% in 2012. The company records growth in the latter year as compared to other companies. Labor cost of sales in 2011 is at 26.5% as compared to 28% in the year 2012. In comparison to other companies, the company is paying more of its money in wages and salaries in 2011 than in 2012. This poses dangers in any company. Overhead costs of sales refer to other costs other than labor. These costs may include rent and insurance. In relation to other companies, the company had a figure of 8.2% and 6.7% in 2012 indicating a reduction in the rate of overhead cost. Reduction in overhead costs which may be escapable, benefits the company as it is an additional expense on the side of the company’s budget (Tracy, 2013, 237) . The company’s current ratio in 2011 is at 0.77 and 0.74 in 2012 compared to other companies. This shows lack of strength to pay its debts faster as the years progress. On the side of acid test, the company had a ratio of 0.69: 1 in 2011 and 0.62:1 in 2012. It shows that the company could not comfortably depend on its current asset to pay its current debts in the year 2012 as compared with 2011 in relation to other countries. It therefore shows that the company depends on its own inventory in paying these debts. Stonegate company recorded a favorable rate of stock turnover as compared between the two years 2011 with 9 times and 2012 with 6 times. This shows effective competition with other companies in the market. The company may be lagging behind other companies due to the use of some strategies it takes in its dairy production. The company records tremendous improvement in the financial sector as witnessed by the large amount of profits and sales in 2012 compared to 2011. This shows improvement in the management part of the company which brings aboutbetter methods of production. This is what in return brings the positive change experienced in the company. According to Davenport (2013, p. 27), IT IS due to data-keeping in the company that parties may be able to know where the company is going astray and where they are right. This also helps in decision making . Although the company seems to be walking in the right direction, the business still lags behind other companies in the market due to its strategies. Some of these strategies include gearing. For instance Stonegate company depended much on the lenders as opposed to the shareholders in 2012 as compared to the year 2012. Lenders require a large amount of interests on loans given to the companies and may even ask for repayment within a short period of time (Moles et al, 2011, p. 642). Interests associated with these loans reduces the profit margin as evidenced in the Stonegate company. Other competing companies used the money from the shareholders as this would be somehow permanent as compared to money from the lenders. In this regard, the rate of gearing went up from 47.9 in 2011 to 159 in 2012. This is one of the areas where the company is lagging behind its peers and care must be taken to avoid collapse of the company in the future. The company’s current ratio went down and it could not be able to repay short-term debts as it used to do in the previous year. Decrease in the current ratio of a company may be brought about by such factors as an increase in the amount borrowed reducing the company’s current assets due to repayment of the debts (Kaya Banerjee, 2014, p. 25). Although this money leads to increase in the level of profits, the company should avoid it. Net profit margin, which increases due to this approach helps in the payment of the debt, though it does not fit the amount borrowed. Another rich area that the company is lagging behind is in the payment of wages and salaries. The amount used in 2012 was far much more than the amount spent in the year 2011. This is even after keeping all the other factors constant. Stonegate company’s acid tests proved that it could not depend on its current assets to pay its current liabilities. The company could therefore depend on its inventory to pay these debts.Being unable to pay short term debts by the company is a concern that needs to be addressed in order to prevent collapse of the company.On the other side, the company enjoys improvement in the rate of stock turnover indicating that the products are moving at a higher speed in 2012 compared to 2011. The overhead costs also go down,adding up to the profit margin of the company. Care must be taken to avoid doing away with an overhead cost that is vital to the business for example insurance. This is because overheads costs are an important part in the running of businesses. Stonegate company has adopted strategies that make it compete favorably with other competitors. This has enabled it to remain relevant in the market. It has offered services to all round customers with the number of joints that supply drinks and food. To have powers in the market, the company joined hands with the Town and pub company to form a large company and the largest private company that is in the pub business. It also acquired more than 330 pubs from M and B which gave the company powers to enter the market in full force leading to almost forming a monopoly. In return, Stonegate company has continued to record high amount of profit associated with an increase in the amount of total sales. Due to this factor, it has recorded tremendous development and growth of the structures and the number of workers. An increase in the amount of profits as time goes may be attributed to the increase in the amount of sales sold (Kumar, 2008, p. 62 ). As compared with other companies in both 2011 and 2012, the company records an increase in the amount of profit and sales. This has given the company more resources to deal with the operations of its duties that lead to efficiency and growth. This accounts for the increase in the number of employees’ salaries who increases in number due to increase in the operation of the company. This has in return increased net profit margin of the company showing the positive trend the company is heading to. Rate of stock turnover also reduces in the years under scrutiny. This has led to faster movement in and out of inventory which results in higher returns indicated in the working ratios of the company. The ratio between the shareholders and the lenders also increases during the latter year. This indicates that the company has resulted in the use of the lender’s money as opposed to shareholders’. This in return has made Stonegate company unable to pay short term debts using its current assets since most of its money is borrowed money. This is a major concern for the company to consider and correct. Relying on lenders money may seem risky in the event that they give out money with a lot of requirements that leaves the company in a servant position. The loans also attractthe interest that is additional cost which adds to the expenses of the company in return reducing the profit. Using money from the shareholders who are somehow long time as compared to loans is more easier and efficient. They ask for interests after an agreed period of time without their investment value as opposed to lenders who asks for both (Jiang et al 2010, p. 3602). Stonegate’s debt collection period has reduced in the years in discussion. This indicates good mechanisms and strategies in debt collection and incredit selling. This has enabled the company to reduce its credit repayment period. Managing these important trading strategies by the company has led to growth and improved operations a great achievement in the side of the company and its associates. An area of concern is the ratio of wages and total sales that increased in the year 2012 as compared to 2011. This increase in the ratio indicates that the company would be using more money to pay labor in the latter year as compared to the total output in the same year. This is a point of consideration that Stonebic company should take into account and make the necessary improvements.Stonegate company,continues to report increased revenues as in 2003 it stood at  £470.3m (Wingett Williams, 2014, p. 168). Conclusion             The Stonegate pub company is a competitive company in the market that offers drinks to its esteemed customers. The company keeps records of its finances an indication of a company that follows the set regulations for success in business. The company continues to grow in the amount of sales and profits attributed by the reduction in the rate of stock turnover, debt recollection period and debt repayment period. The company also uses a lot of funds from lenders, which increases its operating capital which in return results in the growth of its structures. The company through its many joints holds all kinds of customers in its different joints as involvement in fresh foods gives it additional customers who do not drink. References Baker, H. K., Powell, G. E. (2005). Understanding Financial Management A Practical Guide. Oxford, Blackwell Pub. Davenport, T. H., Kim, J. (2013). Keeping Up With The Quants: Your Guide To Understanding And Using Analytics Firms, Journal Of Accounting, Business Management, 21, 2, Pp. 23-35 Jiang, W, Li, K, Shao, P 2010, When Shareholders Are Creditors: Effects Of The Simultaneous Holding Of Equity And Debt By Non-Commercial Banking Institutions, Review Of Financial Studies, 23, 10, Pp. 3595-3637 Kaya, H, Banerjee, G 2014, The Impact Of Monetary Policy And Firm Characteristics On Firms Short-Term Assets, Liabilities, Term Structure Of Debt And Liquidity Ratios: Evidence From U.S. Industrial Kumar, V. (2008). Managing Customers For Profit: Strategies To Increase Profits And Build Loyalty. Upper Saddle River, N.J., Wharton School Pub. Moles, P., Parrino, R., Kidwell, D. S. (2011).Corporate Finance. Chichester, Wiley. Tracy, J. A. (2013). Accounting Workbook For Dummies.Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley Sons. Wingett, M, Williams, R. 2014, Stonegate performance in line with peers, Publicans Morning Advertiser. Business Source Complete168, p. 15 Source document

Purpose And Importance Of Tertiary Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay

Purpose And Importance Of Tertiary Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay The main purpose of the tertiary treatment is to ensure that the treated water which is to be released on to the environment is biologically accepted by all other fresh water organisms such as weeds and algae. This part of the treatment includes processes like physical water treatment, lagooning, and excessive nutrient removal processes.to ensure that the discharged water is raised in effluent quality before proceeding to the final stages. In physical water treatment, much of the residual suspended matters are removed using only physical processes such as sedimentation  method and the infamous filtration method. In the sedimentation  method, the water is place in a certain tank to allow all the remaining heaver objects to sink down to the bottom of the container. After few hours went most of the dense object are separated from the water, the cleared effluent or waste stream is removed. Sedimentation is one of the most common methods, quite often used at the beginning and the end of many water treating processes. Another physical method that is commonly used in the sewage water treatment system is the filtration method. In filtration, the water is allowed to pass through filters to separate the contaminating solids from the water. Sand filter is a common filter used in this process. In a number of wastewater treatment methods, semi-solid contaminants like grease and oil are allowed to float on the surface of the wat er, and then they are physically removed. Besides the in lagooning where lagoon is a stationary system having a continuous flow: several ponds working in parallel in which the inlet flow and the outlet flow are equals form lagoon plants. The lagooning technique is a natural and very efficient technique that consists in the accumulation of wastewater in ponds or basins, known as biological or stabilization ponds, where a series of biological, biochemical and physical processes take place. In these ponds or lagoons, certain types of the microorganism are actually supported as these biological agents help in treating the water further by removing the fine particulates. These types of biological ponds are usually classified as anaerobic ponds or oxidation ponds depending on the shape, depth, organic rate, level of treatment of that particular lagoon itself. The excessive nutrient removal is the most viral step in the last stages of the water treatment before the water is released to the environment. When the previously treated water comes to this area of the system, the nutrients level mainly nitrogen and phosphorus in the water is checked. Where if found in excess, the excessive nutrient removal step is carried out. This is because if the unchecked water supply is to be released into the natural water system (river, pond, etc.) it will cause a sudden increase in the native microorganism population of that certain water system. Some of the native microorganisms which are commonly found in ponds today are usually weeds, algae, and cyanobacteria. Therefore, after the sudden rapid grown in the population of these microorganisms, the number of algae for example, becomes unsustainable which causes most of them to die and eventually decay. The following decay process would substantially increase the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in that par ticular pond, which would cause the other fresh water living organism such as fishes to die as well. Firstly, the nitrogen removal process is carried out. There are various methods of removing nitrogen, each with advantages and disadvantages. However, the biological treatment method is used most commonly. With this method, organic nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen is converted into nitrous and nitrate nitrogen in an aerobic environment, and is dispersed into the atmosphere as anaerobic nitrogen gas. Therefore the gas is removed from the water and released to the atmosphere. And as there is no secondary pollution, this can be called an effective method. In the removal of phosphorus is usually carried out using a method called enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). The first process in EBPR is the mainstream biological treatment process. Where the utilizing of aerobic and solids separation zones and the provision of return activated sludge are carried out. The next is a first side stream process for anoxic/anaerobic selection of desirable BPR organisms such as the polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). Finally, a second side stream process serves to ferment organic material in some of the return activated sludge to produce food utilized in the first side stream selection process. The system permits the three processes to be separated from each other by creating two side streams, allowing all three processes to be controlled separately and optimized in satisfying their own specific goals. Besides this biological method, the removal of phosphorus can also be done via chemical precipitation, usually with salts of iron, alu minum, or lime. Chemical precipitation is usually more reliable, easier to operate, and requires smaller equipment footprint than biological removal. But the main back draws of this chemical method is that it may form excessive sludge production as hydroxides precipitates and the chemical used in this method might be considered expensive. The importance of Wastewater Treatment in our society Water scarcity is the major problem that is faced all across the world. Although 2/3rd of the earths crust is made up of water but all this water is not available for drinking and for other human activities as either it is locked in the form of ice or present in the form of vast saline oceans and seas. It has been found out that 97% of the total water is salty that is of no use to human and animals (except marine animal) and the remaining three percent is available as freshwater. More than half of this three percent is locked in glacier and less than 0.01% is available as fresh water. So water resources are less as compare to human demand for water. Above this, the major part of water that can be consumed is getting polluted because of human activities. This polluted and untreated water is causing abundant water borne diseases. Then the world is facing a huge climatic change which is further aggravating the water problem. Some of the regions are getting more rain water than earlier and some are getting almost negligible. Experts even believe that the next World War would not be for oil or land but it will be for water. Also because of improper use of water and lack of water treatment, the problem of water crisis will further increase where 884 million people are already not getting easy access to safe drinking water. And a further 2.5 billion people are getting difficult access to water for disposable and sanitation. Agriculture is also overusing and polluting the ground water thus depleting the natural source of water. So here water treatment plants will play important role. Water crisis at present is the biggest problem according to the United Nations. Almost 25 countries of Africa, parts of China, Peru and Brazil in Latin America, some parts of Middle East like Iran, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay are some of the countries that are facing the water crisis. Even other parts of the world are facing the varied levels of the water crisis. Because of acute shortage of water, the food problems are getting aggravated. About 40 million people in Africa are facing the problem of food shortage. It is expected that if the similar conditions will persist then there will be 500 million till 2025 who will suffer from these problems. Nature has its role but the major water problem is arising because of its increasing consumption and faulty usage. Major chunk of the problem can be solved if the wastewater treatment is taken very seriously and precautions at every step are taken to improve the water quality.

Essay --

Michael is struggling to remember small things. Michael is struggling to pay attention to his studies and is also stressing at work. He is told things and quickly forgets them or he’s hearing information and not being able to remember what he learned. Michael complains that he is stressing about work, but could that be causing him to forget things so quickly? Michael is suffering from what is known as short term memory. Short term memory allows limited space in a person’s mind which only allows the mind to remember up to seven items at one time. In order for short term memory to be stored it would have to be rehearsed which would cause it to be stored as long term memory which would stay in your mind for a long time. Short term memory or working memory can be manipulated in your mind causing you to forget something that you just heard. Michael is taking in this information but the information is being stored in his short term memory where something else might practically overwrite it and cause him to forget. Have you ever wondered how memories form? Memories are formed through conn...

Longitudes and Attitudes, by Thomas Friedman :: September 11th Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Longitudes and Attitudes†, written by Thomas Friedman, is a collection of columns, broken by September 11th’s great catastrophe and including material from his diary. The book displays his outstanding strengths as a commentator along with a few weaknesses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Longitudes and Attitudes† is a collection of his more recent columns and a diary of supporting incidents. It relates to the theme that has consumed him in his career. This theme is given point by Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the attack of 9/11.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tom Friedman went to work as a journalist in Beirut, Lebanon soon after securing a masters degree from Oxford University in Middle Eastern Studies. Employed by United Press International in 1978, he soon transferred to the New York Times and covered the Syrian destruction of that country’s own town of Hama, the Israeli Lebanese invasion, the massacre of Palestinians in refugee camps, the evacuation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, etc. In 1995, he became the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times with carte blanche--unlimited travel budget and no supervision as to content. He has written two books and collected three Pulitzer Prizes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his current job, Friedman writes a 740-word column twice a week. It appears in many of the world’s newspapers and on the Web. This latest book, Longitudes and Attitudes, is a compendium of his more recent columns and a diary of supporting incidents. The text relates to the theme that has consumed him in his career: the failure of the Arab nation to develop, democratize, and compete properly with the West. This theme is given point by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the attack of 9/11.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Friedman’s ideas are presented primarily through many columns that he had written for he New York Times. Their datelines stretch from December 15, 2000 to April 20, 2003 and from Jerusalem, Israel to Peshawar, Pakistan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this book, Friedman presents a coherent picture of forces in the Middle East that have led to the Israeli- Palestinian confrontation and to bin Laden and his group of terrorists. Friedman’s articles describe meetings, discussions, and arguments he had with people at all levels of society through out the Middle East. From his extensive travels and through dynamic interactions with the people he derived intense insights into how 9/11 came about, why, and what should be done about it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His arguments and conclusions are well thought through, so much that they draw opponents to reason with him.