Problem of USA exposed by the great depression

Problem of USA exposed by the great depression USA experienced a horrible economic meltdown that impacted on various aspects of economy such as farming and industrial sector; this was from from1929 to 1942[1]. The recession was triggered by various fiscal features such as the vast margin between the poor and the wealthy, government debts and surplus production of commodities only to mention a few.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Problem of USA exposed by the great depression specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business failure, depreciated stock prices, high unemployment rates are some of the negative impacts created by the depression[2]. The depression exposed various societal and economic problems faced by USA that they hardly knew. Since the depression was partially caused by the imbalanced allotment of resources, it revealed that the US economy suffered a colossal wealth imbalance. It indicated the huge margin that existed between the wealthy and the poor. Additionally, it meant that a significant proportion of national wealth was controlled by few tycoons who never even felt the impact during the depression. The depression also revealed how the US administration, commerce and financial entities were incapable of coping with the economic meltdown. This was evident when businesses were unable to sustain the depression leading to closure. Consequently, people lost their jobs leading to reduced purchasing power within the constraints of the economy[3]. In addition, many financial institutions such as banks reduced their operations due to a decrease in customer savings. This was indication that businesses had no mechanisms that would mitigate such a situation. The depression also revealed an incapacitated government that was unable to handle an economic crisis before it worsens[4]. It never had effective immediate strategies such as stimulus packages that would curb the situation but instead it relied on market forces, an approach t hat was unrealistic. The depression revealed a society with ineffective mechanisms that were incapable of handling an economic crunch. Instead of coming up with creative approaches of curbing the situation, the society (the poor) languished in poverty without any concrete efforts.Advertising Looking for critical writing on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The depression also revealed how prosperous person never cared much about the poor since to them it was an opportunity to gain more wealth at the expense of the poor. Due to doubts of their investment security, Americans lacked confidence on their economy. It was so long before they regained assurance of their financial system, a setback that accelerated the crisis[5]. This clearly pointed out how people in US had lost faith with their economy. Racism was at its peak to an extent that it was applicable even for the fewer jobs available. This exposed how immo ral the US society was at the expense of certain innocent races, especially at this crucial moment. Sometimes one may not understand problems that a country faces until an event that reveals them comes to pass. American’s suffered because they didn’t have effective instruments capable of preventing or minimizing the dreadful period. If only recognized their societal and economic weaknesses in time they could have come up with different approaches to limit the situation. Even though the economy of US was worst hit by the depression, some few individual emerged courageous and successfully regained back their economy, thank to President Franklin Roosevelt’s new ideas. This should act as an example to many states that have no mechanism to combat with recession. The lessons drawn from the recession are numerous and should serve as examples to different nations. Bibliography Constantinides, George. Harris, Milton. Stulz, Rene’. Handbook of the economics of Fin ance (Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2003) 106-134 Cravens, Hamilton. Great Depression: people and perspectives. (California: ABC-CLIO, 2009) 143 Footnotes Cravens, Hamilton. Great Depression: people and perspectives. (California: ABC-CLIO, 2009) 143 Cravens, Hamilton. Great Depression: people and perspectives. (California: ABC-CLIO, 2009) 143 Cravens, Hamilton. Great Depression: people and perspectives. (California: ABC-CLIO, 2009) 143 Cravens, Hamilton. Great Depression: people and perspectives. (California: ABC-CLIO, 2009) 143 Constantinides, George. Harris, Milton. Stulz, Rene’. Handbook of the economics of Finance (Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2003) 106-134

fiber optic communications essays

fiber optic communications essays Fiber Optics is a significant technology used in many different areas of communications. With the explosion of the internet, fiber optics can readily provide the capacity of data that is transmitted with its gigabit speeds. As more breakthroughs in technology occur, it will spread to every aspect of the industry. Telephones, Fax Machines, Radios, Television Broadcasting, and even satellites use this highly reliable light wave technology. The telecommunications industry receives the most benefits from fiber optics. It allows for the transmission of audio, video, and data information in high quality. Fiber optics uses light pulses directed down a tiny glass fiber in order to relay information. Two different types of fibers are in use today, single mode, and multimode. Each of these types of fibers are made of three different parts, the core, the cladding, and the buffer. While singlemode and multimode fibers are composed of the same components, they do still differ. Singlemode fibers are significantly smaller than multimode fibers. The core of the fiber is the most crucial part of any fiber. In the core is where the light signals themselves travel through. Because of how easily light refracts, the core must be completely transparent. Therefore, pure glass is not even transparent enough to transmit the signal and must be mixed with silica to attain perfection. The core is also the innermost and smallest part of a fiber, having a diameter of only eight microns. The average human hair has a diameter of approximately 100 microns, making the core of a singlemode fiber about 1/13 the size of a human hair. Because the technology would not work if the light did not bounce down the fiber, the core must be encased in a covering that refracts the light and prevents any escape of light waves. For this, there is a layer of glass outside of the core called the cladding layer. In order for the cladding to refract the light wav...

Pledge of Allegiance and Freedom of Religion Essay

Pledge of Allegiance and Freedom of Religion - Essay Example He believed that the Pledge of Allegiance, due to the inclusion of the phrase â€Å"under one God† violated the Establishment Clause of the constitution that clearly states that Congress shall never enact any â€Å"law respecting the establishment of religion†. He believed that the phrase infringed on his right to raise his daughter based upon his personal religious beliefs. The United States Pledge of Allegiance does include a reference to â€Å"one God† in the latter part of the pledge and this is oftentimes challenged by others who misunderstand the reference to one god as an endorsement of a specific religion rather than a unifying statement meant to bring the country together, united under a belief that there is a God. Not that there is only one God being promoted as the sole religion of the nation. It is not possible for the people who wrote the pledge to endorse any single religion because of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment. However, the United States is a country that was established upon many religious beliefs which helped unite the nation and our forebears wished to make reference to the same in the pledge. There was actually nothing political about it when the pledge was originally written. A political religious statement was the farthest thing from the minds of the authors of the pledge. Michael Newdow, the man who dog gedly pursued the case all the way to the United State Supreme Court was the non custodial father of a daughter who attended school in the Elk Grove Unified School District. It was his belief that the pledge violated his right to educate his child in the religion of his belief which is why he pursued an Establishment Clause argument against the phrase he deemed offensive to himself and his beliefs. Unlucky for him, both the lower courts and the U.S. Supreme Court did not find any reason to side with him in their rulings. He failed in all 3 of his attempts to pursue the case. It was the decision of the Supreme Court that the phrase â€Å"one nation under God† could not be challenged (â€Å"Court Dismisses Pledge Suit†) even while not clearly defining the separation between church and state. One of the reasons that Newdow lost his case was because he was not the legal guardian of his daughter. His ex-wife had sole legal custody of the child which also covered the decisio n as to where and how she would be attending school. As such, he did not have any legal authority on behalf of his daughter to file suit against the school district. It was the opinion of the court that the children who recite the Pledge of Allegiance do so without any violation to the U.S constitution. The judges who favored this ruling include Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Clarence Thomas. The Establishment Clause is one part of the U.S Constitution that often comes under fire from the atheists and other religious groups because of their belief that Congress often tries to force religion upon people even though the First Amendment clearly states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion.† That is why under the Establishment Clause, there are provisions that prohibit the establishment of a national religion by Congress and does not allow the U.S. government to have a preference for one religion over anothe r. This is the point where misinterpretations often occur. There is a common misinterpretation that the Pledge of Allegiance promotes Christianity. That is because our constitution was founded upon the Christian principles that existed during that time. As such, most of the policies from that era reflect that belief. But the pledge does not specifically make mention of a â€Å"Christian God†

The Relevance of Employee Engagement Indices as A Performance Research Paper

The Relevance of Employee Engagement Indices as A Performance - Research Paper Example Three articles have been chosen based on the following criterion: the relevance of these articles to the subject under examination. These articles are analyzed below focusing on their value for achieving the objectives of the proposed study. The first article is that of Siddhanta and Roy (2010). The specific article focuses on the relationship between employee engagement and productivity. The examination and the evaluation of this relationship is one of the study’s objectives. The article has been considered as important for the proposed study because of the following reasons: a) it helps to explore one of the study’s objectives, meaning especially the involvement of employee engagement in enhancing productivity in institutions; b) it presents a thorough analysis of the role of engagement within modern organizations. Also, engagement, as a concept, is explained in the context of its relationship with different aspects of the organization, such as ‘productivity, pr ofitability and customer satisfaction’ (Siddhanta and Roy, 2010, p. 172). The article of Siddhanta and Roy (2010) is based on literature review, meaning that no empirical research has been conducted for exploring the issues discussed in the article. The authors have used ‘integrative literature reviews’ (Siddhanta and Roy, 2010, p. 172) aiming to address all issues related to the subject under examination. At the same time, the findings of the literature review are presented using ‘a descriptive study manner’ (Siddhanta and Roy, 2010, p. 172). This technique helps to secure the credibility of assumptions produced through the findings of the literature. Furthermore, the findings of empirical research conducted by large firms such as Gallup and Hay Group (Siddhanta and Roy, 2010, p. 172) are presented and discussed in combination with the findings of the literature review. The specific practice further increases the credibility and the validity of the authors’ assumptions on the issue under examination. Under these terms, the study of Siddhanta and Roy (2010) is valuable for understanding the current position of engagement as a factor influencing organizational performance. The article of Bhatla (2011) focuses on the effect of employee engagement on employee performance. In this way, the impact of employee engagement on organizational productivity is verified especially since employee performance directly influences the performance of the organization, either in the short or the long term. The specific study is also related with one of the objectives of the proposed study. More specifically, as already explained, the proposed study aims to show the potential influence of employee engagement in increasing productivity in institutions. The study of Bhatla (2011) shows how employee engagement can affect employee performance; as a result, the role of employee engagement in organizational productivity is also made clear. One of the most important advantages of the article of Bhatla, compared to other studies related to the specific issue, is the following one: Bhatla has emphasized not only the theoretical but also on the practical aspects of employee engagement. More specifically, in the study of Bhatla, all aspects of employee engagement are explored using the literature published in this field. Moreover, a series

Water Pollution in China Essay Example for Free

Water Pollution in China Essay River like blood in Roxian, Guangxi About one third of the industrial waste water and more than 90 percent of household sewage in China is released into rivers and lakes without being treated. Nearly 80 percent of Chinas cities (278 of them) have no sewage treatment facilities and few have plans to build any and underground water supplies in 90 percent of the cites are contaminated. Water shortages and water pollution in China are such a problem that the World Bank warns of â€Å"catastrophic consequences for future generations. † Half of China’s population lacks safe drinking water. Nearly two thirds of China’s rural population—more than 500 million people—use water contaminated by human and industrial waste. In summer of 2011, the China government reported 43 percent of state-monitored rivers are so polluted, theyre unsuitable for human contact. By one estimate one sixth of China’s population is threatened by seriously polluted water. One study found that eight of 10 Chinese coastal cities discharge excessive amounts of sewage and pollutants into the sea, often near coastal resorts and sea farming areas. Water pollution is especially bad along the coastal manufacturing belt. Despite the closure of thousands of paper mills, breweries, chemical factories and other potential sources of contamination, the water quality along a third of the waterway falls far below even the modest standards that the government requires. Most of China’s rural areas have no system in place to treat waste water. A study by China’s Environmental Protection Agency in February 2010 said that water pollution levels were double what the government predicted them to be mainly because agricultural waste was ignored. China’s s first pollution census in 2010 revealed farm fertilizer was a bigger source of water contamination than factory effluent. water pollution by Caijing Water pollution—caused primarily by industrial waste, chemical fertilizers and raw sewage— accounts for half of the $69 billion that the Chinese economy loses to pollution every year. About 11. 7 million pounds of organic pollutants are emitted into Chinese waters very day, compared to 5. 5 in the United States, 3. 4 in Japan, 2. 3 in Germany, 3. 2 in India, and 0. in South Africa. Water consumed by people in China contains dangerous levels of arsenic, fluorine and sulfates. An estimated 980 million of China’s 1. 3 billion people drink water every day that is partly polluted. More than 600 million Chinese drink water contaminated with human or animal wastes and 20 million people drink well water contaminated with high levels of radiation. A large number of arsenic-tainted water have been discovered. China’s high rates of liver, stomach and esophageal cancer have been linked to water pollution. In many cases factories fouling critical water sources are making goods consumed by people in the U. S. and Europe. Problems created by China’s water pollution are not just confined to China either. Water pollution and garbage produced in China floats down its rivers to the sea and is carried by prevailing winds and currents to Japan and South Korea. Water pollution and shortages are a more serious problem in northern China than southern China. The percentage of water considered unfit for human consumption is 45 percent in northern China, compared to 10 percent in southern China. Some 80 percent of the rivers in the northern province of Shanxi have been rated â€Å"unfit for human contact. † A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center before the 2008 Olympics found that 68 percent of the Chinese interviewed said they were concerned about water pollution. Effects of Water Pollution in China Waters that used to team with fish and welcome swimmers now have film and foam at the top and give off bad smells. Canals are often covered layers of floating trash, with the deposits particularly thick on the banks. Most of it is plastic containers in a variety of sun-bleached colors. Deformities in fish such as one or no eyes and misshapen skeletons and a decreasing numbers of rare wild Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze has been blamed on a paint chemical widely used in Chinese industry. China is the largest polluter of the Pacific Ocean. Offshore dead zones — oxygen-starved areas in the sea that are virtually devoid off life — are not only found in shallow water but also in deep water. They are mainly created by agricultural run-off—namely fertilizer—and reach their peak in the summer. In the spring freshwater creates a barrier layer, cutting off the salt water below from the oxygen in the air. Warm water and fertilizers cause algae blooms. Dead algae sinks to the bottom and is decomposed by bacteria, depleting oxygen in deep water. Water Pollution and Health and Protests Nearly two thirds of China’s rural population—more than 500 million people—use water contaminated by human and industrial waste. Accordingly it is not all that surprising that gastrointestinal cancer is now the number one killer in the countryside, More than 130 residents of two villages in Guangxi Province in southern China were poisoned by arsenic-contaminated water. Arsenic showed up in their urine. The source is believed to be waste from a nearby metallurgy factory. In August 2009, a thousand villagers gathered outside a government office in Zhentouu township in Hunan Province to protests a the presence of the Xiange Chemical factory, which villagers say has polluted water used to irrigate rice and vegetables and caused at least two deaths in the area. Sources of Water Pollution Major polluters include chemical factories, drug manufactures, fertilizer makers, tanneries, paper mills. In October 2009, Greenpeace identified five industrial facilities in southern China’s Pearl River delta that were dumping poisonous metals and chemicals—such as beryllium, manganese, nonylphenol and tetrabromobisphenol— into water used by local residents for drinking. The group found the toxins in pipes that led from the facilities. In February 2008 the Fuan textile factory, a multimillion dollar operation in Guangdong Province that produces enormous quantities of T-shirts and other clothes for export, was shut down for dumping waste from dyes into the Maozhou River and turning the water red. It turned out the factory produced 47,000 tons of waste a day and could only process 20,000 tons with the rest being dumped into the river. It latter quietly reopened in a new location. Polluted Chinese Rivers and Lakes China has some of the worlds worst water pollution. All of Chinas lakes and rivers are polluted to some degree. According to a Chinese government report, 70 percent of rivers, lakes and waterways are seriously polluted, many so seriously they have no fish, and 78 percent of the water from Chinas rivers is not fit for human consumption. In a middle class development near Nanjing call Straford a polluted river has buried underground in giant pipe while a new ornamental river, rally a lake, has been built above it. According to one government survey, 436 of China’s 532 rivers are polluted, with more than half of them too polluted to serve as sources of drinking water, and 13 of 15 sectors of Chinas seven largest rivers are seriously polluted. The most polluted rivers are in the east and south around the major population centers with the pollution getting worse the further downstream one goes. In some cases each city along a river dumps pollutants outside their city limits, creating increasingly more pollution for the cities down stream. Chinese environmentalist Ma Jun said, ‘What’s not receiving attention is the destruction of the river ecosystem, which I think will have long-tern effects on our water resources. ’ Many rivers are filled with garbage, heavy metals and factory chemicals. Suzhou Creek in Shanghai stinks of human waste and effluence from pig farms. There have been devastating fish kills caused by the release of chemicals into the Haozhongou River in Anhui province and Min Jiang River in Sichuan Province. The Huai flows through densely populated farmland between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Bottlenecks and elevation changes make the river both prone to flooding and collecting pollutants. Half the checkpoints along the Huai River in central and eastern China revealed pollution levels of â€Å"Grade 5 or worse, with pollutants detected in ground water 300 meters below the river. The Huai river in Anhui province is so polluted all the fish have died and people have to drink bottled water to avoid getting sick. Some places have water that is too toxic to touch and leaves behind scum when it is boiled. Here, crops have been destroyed by irrigation water from the river; fish farms have been wiped out; and fishermen have lost their livelihoods. The South-North Water Transfer Project—which will travel through the Huai basin—is likely to deliver water that is dangerously polluted. The Qingshui River, a tributary of the Huai whose names means â€Å"clear water,† has turned black with trails of yellow foam from pollution from small mines that have opened up to meet the demand for magnesium, molybdenum and vanadium used in the booming steel industry. River samples indicate unhealthy levels of magnesium and chromium. The vanadium refineries foul the water and produce smokes that deposits a yellowing powder on teh countryside. The Liao River is also a mess. Gains made with new water treatment facilities have been canceled out by higher than ever levels of industrial pollution. In May 2007, 11 companies along the Songhua River, including local food companies, were ordered to shut down because of the heavily-polluted water they dumped into the river. A survey found that 80 percent exceeded pollution discharge limits. One company turned off pollution control devices and dumped sewage directly into the river. In March 2008 contamination of the Dongjing River with ammonia, nitrogen and metal-cleaning chemicals turned the water red and foamy and forced authorities to cut water supplies for at least 200,000 people in Hubei Province in central China. Cancer Villages and Polluted Waterways in China According to the World Bank, 60,000 people die each year from diarrhea, bladder and stomach cancer and other diseases directly caused by water-borne pollution. A study by the WHO came with a much higher figure. Cancer village is a term used to describe villages or towns where cancer rates have risen dramatically because of pollution. There are said to be around 100 cancer villages along the Huai River and its tributaries in Henan Province, especially on the Shaying River. Death rates on Huai River are 30 percent higher than the national average. In 1995, the government declared that water from a Huai tributary was undrinkable and the water supply for 1 million people was cut off. The military had to truck in water for a month until 1,111 paper mills and 413 other industrial plants on the river were shut down. In the village of Huangmengying—where a once-clear stream is now greenish black from factory wastes—cancer accounted for 11 of the 17 deaths in 2003. Both the river and well water in the village—the main source of drinking water—have an acrid smell and taste produced by pollutants dumped upstream by tanneries, paper mills, a huge MSG plant, and other factories. Cancer had been rare when the stream was clear. Tuanjieku is town six kilometers northwest of Xian that still uses an ancient system of moats to irrigate its crops. The moats unfortunately don’t drain so well and are now badly contaminated by household discharges and industrial waste. Visitors to the town are often overwhelmed by the rotten egg smell and feel faint after five minutes of breathing in the air. Vegetables produced in the fields are discolored and sometimes black. Residents suffer from abnormally high cancer rates. One third of peasants in the village Badbui are mentally ill or seriously ill. Women report high numbers of miscarriages and many people die in middle age. The culprit is believed to be drinking water drawn from the Yellow River downstream from a fertilizer plant. The waters around Taizhou in Zhejiang, the home of Hisun Pharmaceutical, one of China’s largest drug makers, are so contaminated with sludge and chemicals that fishermen complain their hands and legs become ulcerated, and in extreme cases need amputation. Studies have show that people who live around the city have high cancer and birth defect rates. Polluted Yangtze, Pearl and Yellow Rivers Chinas three great rivers—the Yangtze, Pearl and Yellow River—are so filthy that it is dangerous to swim or eat fish caught in them. Parts of the Pearl River in Guangzhou are so thick, dark and soupy it looks like one could walk across it. In recent years pollution has become a problem on the Yellow River. By one count 4,000 of China’s 20,000 petrochemical factories are on the Yellow River and a third of all fish species found in the Yellow River have become extinct because of dams, falling water levels, pollution and over fishing. More than 80 percent of the Hai-Huaih Yellow river basin is chronically polluted. In October 2006, a one kilometer section of the Yellow River turned red in the city of Lanzhou in Gansu Province as result of a â€Å"red and smelly† discharge from a sewage pipe. In December 2005, six tons of diesel oil leaked into a tributary of the Yellow River from a pipe that cracked because of freezing conditions. It produced a 40 mile long slick. Sixty-three water pumps had to be shut down, including some in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. The Yangtze River is polluted with 40 million tons of industrial and sewage waste. Half of China’s 20,000 petrochemical factories lie on its banks. About 40 percent of all waste water produced in China—about 25 billion tons—flows into the Yangtze, of which only about 20 percent is treated beforehand. The pollution has taken its toll on aquatic life. Fish catches from the river declined from 427,000 tons in the 1950s to 100,000 tons in the 1990s. The Yangtze is in danger of becoming a â€Å"dead river† unable to sustain marine life or providing drinking water. According to report by the Chinese Academy of Sciences released in April 2007 the Yangtze is seriously and largely irreversibly polluted. More than 600 kilometers of its length and almost 30 percent of its major tributaries are in critical condition. Sections of the Grand Canal that have water deep enough to accommodate boats are often filled with trash sewage and oil licks. Chemical waste and fertilizer and pesticide run-off empties into the canal. The water is mostly brownish green. People who drink it often get diarrhea and break out in rashes. Polluted Lakes, Canals and Coastal Areas in China Dead fish in Hangzhou pond Studies have showed that the quality of coastal waters are deteriorating quickly as a result of land-based pollution. The study found that 8. 3 billion tons of sewage was released in Guangdong Province’s coastal waters in 2006, 60 percent more than five years earlier. Altogether 12. million tons of polluted â€Å"material was dumped in waters off the southern province. Some lakes are in equally bad shape. China’s great lakes—the Tai, Chao and Dianchi—have water that is rated Grade V, the most degraded level. It is unfit for drinking or for agricultural or industrial use. Describing Chinas fifth-biggest lake a Wall Street Journal reporter wrote: The slow, hot days of summer are here, and sun-fed algae is starting to clot the milky surface of Chao Lake. Soon a living scum will carpet a patch the size of New York City. It will quickly blacken and rot  The smell is so terrible you can not describe it. † Canals, See Changzhou, Places Apple Accused of Making a River Runs Black In March 2012, Peter Smith wrote in The Times, Beyond the brick cottages of Tongxin runs Lou Xia Bang, once the soul of the farming village and a river where, until the digital revolution, children swam and mothers washed rice. Today it flows black: a chemical mess heavy with the stench of China’s high-tech industry — the hidden companion of the world’s most famous electronics brands and a reason the world gets its gadgets on the cheap. Source: Peter Smith, The Times, March 9, 2012] The article then goes on to describe how the town of Tongxin was being affected by chemical waste from local factories that, as well as turning the river black, has caused a â€Å"phenomenal† increase in cancer rates in Tongxin (according to research by five Chinese non-governmental organisations). The factories have grown up in the last few years and make circuit boards, touch screens and the casings of smartphones, laptops and tablet computers. As usual in these cases, Apple as mentioned – although the evidence appears to be a little sketchy as to whether these factories are actually players in the Apple supply chain. [Source: Spendmatter UK/Europe blog] Smith wrote in the Times: â€Å"Workers at the Kaedar factory, five metres from a kindergarten where children have complained of dizziness and nausea, have secretly confirmed that products had left the factory bearing the Apple trademark. † Red Tides, Salt Tides an d Algae Bloom in China Algae blooms, or eutrophication, in lakes are caused by too much nutrients in the water. They turn lakes green and suffocate fish by depleting the oxygen. They are often caused by human and animal waste and run off of chemical fertilizers. Similar conditions create red tides in the sea. The government estimates that $240 million worth of damage and economic loses was caused by 45 major red tides between 1997 and 1999. Describing a red tide near the town of Aotoum that left the seas blanketed with dead fish and fishermen badly in debt, a fisherman told the Los Angeles Times, The sea turned dark, like tea. If you talk to the fishermen around here, theyll all break into tears. In some places the Chinese have tried to minimize the damage caused by algae blooms by pumping oxygen into the water and containing the blooms by adding clay which acts as a magnet for algae. A lack funds keeps China from tackling the problem using more conventional means. A severe drought in 2006, caused large amounts of seawater to flow upstream on the Xinjiang River in southern China. In Macau salinity levels in the river jumped to almost three time above the World Health Organization standards. To combat the problem water was diverted into it from the Beijiang River in Guangdong. Water Bodies Struck by Algae Blooms in China Red tides have increased in their numbers and severity in coastal areas of China, particularly in Bohai Bay off eastern China, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Large red tides have occurred around the Zhoushan Islands near Shanghai. In May and June 2004, two huge red tides, covering a total area size of 1. 3 million soccer fields, developed in Bohai Bay. One occurred near the mouth of the Yellow River and affected an area of 1,850 square kilometers. Another struck near the port city of Tianjin and covered nearly 3,200 square kilometers. It was blamed on the dumping of large amounts of waste water and sewage into the bay and rivers leading into the bay. In June 2007, coastal waters off the booming industrial town of Shenzhen were hit by one the biggest ever red tides. It produced a 50 square kilometer slick and was caused by pollution and persisted because of a lack of rain. There were large algae blooms in freshwater lakes throughout China in 2007. Some were blamed on pollution. Others were blamed on drought. In Jiangsu Province the water level in one lake dropped to its lowest level in 50 years and became inundated with blue-green algae that produced smelly, undrinkable water. Lake Tai Pollution Lake Tai is often choked with industrial waste from factories producing paper, film and dyes, urban sewage and agricultural run-off. It sometimes is covered with green algae as a result of nitrogen and phosphate pollution. Locals complain of polluted irrigation water that causes their skin to peal, dyes that turn the water red and fumes that sting their eyes. Dams built for flood control and irrigation have prevented Lake Tai’s from flushing out pesticides and fertilizers that flow into it. Particularly damaging are phosphates which suck out life-sustaining oxygen. Starting in the 1980s a number of chemical factories were built on its shores. As of the late 1990s there were 2,800 chemical factories around the lake, some of which released their waste directly into the lake in the middle of the night to avoid detection. Lake Tai Algae Blooms Algae bloom in Lake Tai In the summer of 2007, large algae blooms covered parts of Lake Tai and Lake Chao, China’s third and fifth largest freshwater lakes, making the water undrinkable and producing a terrible stench. Two million of residents of Wuxi, who normally rely on water from the Lake Tai for drinking water, couldnt bathe or wash dishes and hoarded bottled water that rose in price from $1 a bottle to $6 a bottle. Some turned on their taps only to have sludge emerge. The bloom on Lake Tai lasted for six days until it was flushed out by rain and water diverted from the Yangtze River. The bloom on Lake Chao did not threaten water supplies. Reporting from Zhoutie, near Lake Tai, William Wan wrote in Washington Post, â€Å"You smell the lake before you see it, an overwhelming stench like rotten eggs mixed with manure. The visuals are just as bad, the shore caked with toxic blue-green algae. Farther out, where the algae is more diluted but equally fueled by pollution, it swirls with the currents, a vast network of green tendrils across the surface of Tai Lake. [Source: William Wan, Washington Post, October 29, 2010] â€Å" Such pollution problems are now widespread in China after three decades of unbridled economic growth. But whats surprising about Tai Lake is the money and attention thats been spent on the problem and how little either has accomplished. Some of the countrys highest-ranking leaders, including Premier Wen Jiabao, have declared it a national priority. Millions of dollars have been poured into the cleanup. And yet, the lake is still a mess. The water remains undrinkable, the fish nearly gone, the fetid smell lingering over villages. [Ibid] At Tai Lake, part of the problem is that the same industrial factories poisoning the water also transformed the region into an economic powerhouse. Shutting them down, local leaders say, would destroy the economy overnight. In fact, many of the factories shut down during the 2007 scandal have since reopened under different names, environmentalists say. † [Ibid] â€Å"Tai Lake is the embodiment of Chinas losing fight against pollution. This summer, the government said that, despite stricter rules, pollution is rising again across the country in key categories such as emissions of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain. Just months before, the government had revealed that water pollution was more than twice as severe as previous official figures had shown. † [Ibid] The algae bloom on Lake Tai was caused by toxic cyanobacteria, commonly called pond scum. It turned much of the lake florescent green and produced a terrible stench that could be smelled miles away from the lake. The Lake Tai bloom became a symbol of China’s lack of environmental regulations. Afterwards a high-level meeting on the lake’s future was convened, with Beijing closing down hundreds of chemical factories and promising to spend $14. 4 billion to clean up the lake.

Adobe and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act :: Hackers Hacking Computers Technology Essays

Adobe and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1. The Background. In July of 2001 a Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov , an employee of ElcomSoft arrived at DefCon9 hacker conference which was held in Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas. DefCon conferences were designed for hackers from around the world to meet in Las Vegas and display their skills, while checking the innovations and techniques of other hackers (www.defcon.com). ElcomSoft is a privately owned software development company with headquarters in Moscow, Russia which specializes in Password Recovery software, Advanced Disk catalog, Advanced Registry Tracker and E-Book Processing software. (note: the e-book processing software is still advertised on the company's website: www.elcomsoft.com). Dmitry Sklyarov gave a speech, titled "eBooks security - theory and practice" about ElcomSoft's software which was designed to crack protections on Adobe Systems' eBooks. Here is what the software was doing: "Advanced eBook Inscriber, or simply AEBIN, is a program to convert Sealed eBooks in Microsoft Reader (.LIT) format to Inscribed ones. Sealed eBooks can be created with Microsoft Reader Content SDK (available for free) or various 3rd party tools; AEBIN allows to add any purchaser-specific information (such as purchaser's name or order number) to the Sealed eBook, so that information will be shown on the cover page of the book when it is opened in Microsoft Reader. This reinforces honest usage by consumers." 1. Adobe charged Sklyarov and ElcomSoft with violating a 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. "The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) was the foundation of an effort by Congress to implement United States treaty obligations and to move the nation's copyright law into the digital age... Key among the topics included in the DMCA are provisions concerning the circumvention of copyright protection systems, fair use in a digital environment, and online service provider (OSP) liability (including details on safe harbors, damages, and "notice and takedown" practices). Resources on these and other topics are included below." 2. (note: while I was opening an Adobe PDF format document with DMCA, my computer froze twice, causing me to loose most of my essay). FBI agents arrested Sklyarov on July 17, 2001 after his presentation and charged with distributing a product designed to circumvent copyright protection measures (the AEBPR) (www.freesklyarov.org). He was booked in jail and then released on $50,000 bail, but was not allowed to go back to his family in Russia, or leave United States for that matter.

Renewable energy development on U.S. tribal land Essay

The expansion in the world economy has led to increase in energy demand and created an energy crisis in the process (Johansson 1). Petroleum production dwindles every year with also cartels such as OPEC hiking the price of oil at their wish. Evans states that renewable energy has been the centerpiece of eco-energy planning. Yet all renewable energy sources are not created equal and some are far more sustainable in the long term than others. Nuclear energy which is also renewable has been costly and is faced with the hindrances such as the Non-nuclear Proliferation treaty. Laughton notes the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, safety and potential consequences of power plant failure has become a matter of public concern (3). Tidal hydroelectricity is another renewable energy which a country can turn to but has been expensive, since massive structures must be built in a difficult saltwater environment. Considering the economies of producing electricity and the inherent authority of indigenous tribes which are not delegated by congress, wind electricity remains the only option for renewable wind energy development on U. S. Tribal Lands. Economics of Wind Energy: Advantages of wind energy Wind energy is considered as simple, widely distributed, and also environmental friendly. However, Environmental Impacts of Wind-energy Projects notes that there have been issues of time crowding, space crowding, compounding effects, nibbling and thresholds which all touches on the environment (26). Wind energy is a cheap way of producing power large scale. Currently, on average, it costs about 5 cents per kilowatt-hour to produce wind energy. This is cheaper that all other forms of alternative energy (Mills, 2006). Wind energy has reduced the effect of greenhouse effect as it produces no pollution. This is because there are no fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity from wind energy. Besides, wind energy is permanent type of energy. Therefore, its harness means there will be ten times of energy that is used readily available. Unlike the nuclear power plant, energy is readily available. With advent of new technologies, its extraction is becoming much more efficient. The wind is free, and we are able to cash in on this free source of energy (Mills, 2006). Wind energy can be generated even in the very remote locations, such as mountain communities and remote countryside. Wind turbines can be a range of different sizes in order to support varying population levels. Wind energy can also assist in diversifying the economies of rural communities by providing new sources of income, jobs for people who set up and maintain the turbines or manage wind farms, meteorologists and surveyors to structural engineers as well as operators. Statistics show that every megawatt of new wind capacity creates 15-19 jobs and about 60 person-years of employment. Besides, wind farms can be tourist attractions. Wind turbines take up less space than the average power station. Windmills only have to occupy a few square meters for the base; this allows the land around the turbine to be used for many purposes, for example agriculture.

Wall Street Crash

The businessman and two university students talked about their political point of view. Moreover, the boy looked at the businessman, stared at him, without once blinking his eyes or shifting his stare. The businessman knew about that so he struck up a conversation with the young boy and asked him that who he traveled with. The boy answered that his father was along and led them the way to find his father.Therefore, he minted at a long box and said there was his father who was shot in Detroit. The businessman promised that he would fix that immediately. That is a reason why one of the students laughed and asked about the millions of America lost their jobs and many also lost all their savings. In the story, the businessman who had a social position met the young boy whose father was shot in Detroit. The crisis of this story is the boy stared the businessman without once blinking eyes or shifting stare. Moreover, the boy led the way to find his father and pointed at a long box where hi s father was there and told he reason why his father died.The conflict is showed about the differences between rich and poor or knowledge between people who are on the outside and people who are on the inside. In addition, the businessman promised that he would fix the mistake – just for the boy, it is the story's central conflict resolved. With regard to me, I think as one on the students in this story that this resolution of the businessman is not satisfying and logical. Because this mistake do not make only the boy and his father were borne, the million people bore it too. With the foreshadowing, the look of boy for the businessman was a staring.It was just like a curious look; but it was also a vague look. The author arranges the causal connections between events are clear and logical because in the beginning of story, the † I † character got on the train and he met the order characters then they had had a conversation before they found the boys father. In thi s story, the boy and the businessman are the story protagonist because they are two characters who have connection with the other characters and become the factors to resolve any vents or situations. The AD character is the boy and the businessman.The AD character is two university students and the † I † character because the boy and the businessman were showed their character clearly by the author. For instances, the boy showed eagerness, curiousness and his thinking apparently, when the businessman and two students had a conversation or when the businessman asked him where his father was and his thinking about the massacre at Detroit. With the businessman, he presented his angry and abrupt feeling or an expression of satisfaction on his face when one of dents had a wrong or right answer for his questions.Moreover, the businessman showed a sharp gasping feeling when the boy pointed his father's place. With two university students and the † † character, they are the antagonists so the author do not present carefully their actions and feeling on each event. Like the † I † character, we cannot see the character's speech all through the story. In addition, two university students showed their felling when they felt angry with the businessman's answer for their wonder – riots and disturbances. With regard to the story setting, it was written in early sass.This story describes an episode that takes place on a train going away from Detroit to come New York. At this time, in any trains, they were the major means of travel for both rich and poor people of the united States. Moreover, â€Å"On the outside† shows the reader to see the effect of recovering economically from the stock market crash of 1 929 through ten years. It made millions of American lost their jobs and many also lost their savings, become poor and did not have anything. In the story, the author uses metaphor for he depraved economic to make poor people do not have the justice at this time.In addition, the simile was used to compare the thinking about riots and disturbances between rich people and poor people. The author also used the synecdoche to talk about rich people and poor people at this time and the character of synecdoche is the businessman- rich people, the boy and his father – poor people. The style and language of this story are informal because the author uses the short sentences for all answers and † Bosh † is an impolite word which the businessman said with student when they gave a rang meaning about riots and disturbances.In † On the outside the † I † character is the author. The fur coat was worn by the businessman and made him sunk deep in it which is a key factor. Therefore, we can easily see that a fur coat showed for us to know and imagine about the rich of businessman. In this story, the author used the first narrator. Finally, the story was named after† On the outsi de † because the author wanted to imply that people who are not in one or some troubles do not know and understand about the internal problems and meaning of these problems.

Free Essays on Educational Auto

Throughout life everyone always asks themselves the same question, especially when starting college; â€Å"What do I want to be when I grow up?† For me that question always seems to have an answer: I want to be a teacher. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. I am not sure if it was from playing teacher as a child, realizing the impact that teachers have had on my life, or even the love of math, but the thoughts of teaching were always there. As kids my brothers and sisters would play school in the basement. I have three sisters and three brothers so the classroom was always full. We would all gather around the little table and the teacher would write our assignments on the chalkboard. We would use our old copybooks to write in so it was just like we were in school. I always wanted to be the teacher, but being second to the youngest I sometimes got overruled. I never seriously thought then that one day I would be studying to become a teacher, I just knew that it was one of my favorite games. Even though this was my favorite game I do not think that I actually thought of being a teacher until I met my third grade teacher, Mrs. Dudash. Up until then I had moved from school to school and had always been the new kid. I had been to four different schools already and I was ready to stay in one place. I would have to say that up until then I did not like school. Since my family and I were all over the news due to our unusual life style when I started at a new school people already â€Å"knew† me and had opinions about me. It was not until I started school at Mother of Divine Providence in the second grade that I began enjoying school. Within the first couple days of class, I met two girls that would turn out to be my best friends for six years. My first year there was fun. I met new people and made my First Holy Communion, but third grade was awesome, I had this amazing teacher, Mrs. Dudash that was so... Free Essays on Educational Auto Free Essays on Educational Auto Throughout life everyone always asks themselves the same question, especially when starting college; â€Å"What do I want to be when I grow up?† For me that question always seems to have an answer: I want to be a teacher. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. I am not sure if it was from playing teacher as a child, realizing the impact that teachers have had on my life, or even the love of math, but the thoughts of teaching were always there. As kids my brothers and sisters would play school in the basement. I have three sisters and three brothers so the classroom was always full. We would all gather around the little table and the teacher would write our assignments on the chalkboard. We would use our old copybooks to write in so it was just like we were in school. I always wanted to be the teacher, but being second to the youngest I sometimes got overruled. I never seriously thought then that one day I would be studying to become a teacher, I just knew that it was one of my favorite games. Even though this was my favorite game I do not think that I actually thought of being a teacher until I met my third grade teacher, Mrs. Dudash. Up until then I had moved from school to school and had always been the new kid. I had been to four different schools already and I was ready to stay in one place. I would have to say that up until then I did not like school. Since my family and I were all over the news due to our unusual life style when I started at a new school people already â€Å"knew† me and had opinions about me. It was not until I started school at Mother of Divine Providence in the second grade that I began enjoying school. Within the first couple days of class, I met two girls that would turn out to be my best friends for six years. My first year there was fun. I met new people and made my First Holy Communion, but third grade was awesome, I had this amazing teacher, Mrs. Dudash that was so...

Lyrics to the Christmas Carol Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Lyrics to the Christmas Carol Gloria in Excelsis Deo The refrain of the French Carol translated into English as Angels We Have Heard on High is in Latin as Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Below is one version of the English version of the carol from the same source. The translation from French to English is by Bishop James Chadwick (1813-1882). Review the translations in English and French and learn about the songs history as well as its place in pop culture as we know it today. History of the Music The Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard on High was originally written by James Chadwick but played to music from the song Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes. The French carol translates as The Angels in our Countryside and was originally created in Languedoc, France despite not knowing who the original composer was. The song meaning is about Jesus Christ as a newborn child and the many angels singing and praising his birth. In Pop Culture Dozens of popular artists have covered the song, from independent singer-songwriters such as Josh Groban, Brian McKnight, Andrea Bocelli, and Christina Aguilera. Groups of musicians and bands such as The Piano Guys, Bad Religion, Bayside, and Glee have also created notable versions of the famous carol.  Translations to the song may also be found in Scottish Gaelic, Portuguese, German, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese amongst others. The English Translation (Angels We Have Heard on High) Angels we have heard on highSweetly singing oer the plains,And the mountains in replyEchoing their joyous strains.RefrainGloria, in excelsis Deo!Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Shepherds, why this jubilee?Why your joyous strains prolong?What the gladsome tidings beWhich inspire your heavenly song? Refrain Come to Bethlehem and seeHim whose birth the angels sing;Come, adore on bended knee,Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Refrain See Him in a manger laid,Whom the choirs of angels praise;Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,While our hearts in love we raise. Refrain The French Version (Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes) Les anges dans nos campagnesOnt entonnà © lhymne des cieux;Et là ©cho de nos montagnesRedit ce chant mà ©lodieux.Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Bergers, pour qui cette fà ªte?Quel est lobjet de tous ces chants?Quel vainqueur, quelle conquà ªteMà ©rite ces cris triomphants?Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Ils annoncent la naissanceDu libà ©rateur dIsraà «l,Et pleins de reconnaissanceChantent en ce jour solennel.Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Bergers, loin de vos retraitesUnissez-vous leurs concertsEt que vos tendres musettesFassent retentir dans les airs:Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Cherchons tous lheureux villageQui la vu naà ®tre sous ses toits,Offrons-lui le tendre hommageEt de nos coeurs et de nos voix!Gloria, in excelsis Deo,Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

The Role of Food in Understanding Chinese Culture Assignment

The Role of Food in Understanding Chinese Culture - Assignment Example Hierarchically, culture is a significant factor that divides food variability. Individuals’ with the same culture share same eating habits. As a result, they share the same food variables assemblage. Individuals belonging to distinct cultures share different food variables assemblage (Chang 1). This is a clear proof that food choices vary from culture to culture. Within similar cultures, food homogeneity is not mandatory. As a matter of fact, there exist a small range of food variable manifestations in various social situations. Individuals belonging to distinct occupations or social classes eat differently. People in mourning, on festive occasions or on routine occasions consume differently. Different eating codes are upheld by different religious sect. In various life stages, women and men eat differently. The eating differences might be as a result of taste preferences, but some are determined by an individual culture. Explaining these differences, identifying and relating them to other social life facets are of great significance. The availability of natural resources determines the food style of a culture. That is the main reason why the Chinese food is characterized by the animals and plants assemblages that have existed in their land for a long period of time. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the role of food in understanding Chinese culture. Role of food in understanding Chinese culture Chinese cooking involves the combination of food stuffs. For example spices, meats, fruits, vegetables, legumes and starch staples. In the category of spices we have the ginger, red pepper, cinnamon and spring onion, for meats we have dog, pork, mutton, beef, chicken, goose, venison, fishes and pheasant, with fruits we have the apricot, peach, plum, apple, pear, jujube date, mountain haw, orange, litchi and longan, under vegetables we have Chinese cabbage, amaranth, malva, turnip, mushroom, radish and mustard green, legumes consists of broad bean, s oybean, mung bean and peanut and lastly starch staples comprises of rice, millet, maize, wheat, sweet potato and kao-liang. Given the fact that ingredients varies from culture to culture, Chinese foods have a local attribute due to the used ingredients. It is not efficient and effective to use ingredients for purposes of characterization; however, they can be used as a good start. With regards to food, Chinese are not that nationalistic as they do not resist imports. This is evidenced by the presence of foreign foodstuffs adoption since the beginning of history. Goats, sheep and wheat were perhaps brought into China in the prehistoric time from Western Asia, whilst many vegetables and fruits came into the country from Central Asia. Furthermore, sweet potatoes and peanuts originated from the coastal traders (Jacques 135). As a result, all these ingredients became part and parcel of Chinese food. Up to date, dairy products and milk have not occupied a place that is prominent in the Ch inese cuisine. In comparison to other food traditions, the Chinese culture of preparing food from ingredients that are raw to morsels that can be eaten involves the combination of interrelated and complex variables. Shopping for fresh fruits on daily basis is significant for all the cooking in China. Unlike the United States fast food society, live sea food, vegetables and seasonal fruits are often selected to ensure freshness. In that case, snappy crabs,

Skyfrance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Skyfrance - Essay Example As people we are habituated to perform a certain function, with change this habit of repeating a similar task is breached. When change is enforced upon people they feel helpless about not being able to alter the happenings and thereby react in a negative manner to the change. The role of Jane and all staff at Skyfrance should be to support the employees and help them adapt to the change by accepting the change. It should be realized that the change should not be simply enforced on someone instead a feeling of motivation to decide on the changing circumstances should be instigated by the management. Firstly, the Kubler Ross transition cycle. It describes 5 stages of receiving catastrophic news. These 5 stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The reaction of the staff can be better understood by this model. The staff is perhaps still in the initial stage of denial or anger, where they feel that the changes taking place are not really going to take place. They may feel that if they do not serve the customers the change will not take place. It should thereby be communicated that the change will be initiated whatever the condition may be. They could perhaps also be feeling a sense of anger as they may feel challenged by the change and their possible role in the new structure of the company. Also Jane should ensure that people are informed that such feelings are normal and acceptable during a change process. The ADKAR model for individual change management describes 5 blocks for successful change management. These are awareness (why change is required), desire (to support in change), knowledge (of how to change), ability (to implement new skills and behavior) and reinforcement (to sustain the change). Perhaps the staff is still not aware of why the change is required and thereby may feel threatened by the change. The company should thereby provide the