Responsible factors for climate change

Responsible factors for climate change By definition, climate change is an average long-term shift in weather patterns that is manifested by altering in the contributing factors including precipitation, temperature and pressure among other indicators. Climate change can be a consequence of a modification in variability typified by extreme weather conditions, for example, erratic rainfalls that cause floods.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Responsible factors for climate change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The earth’s climate is synonymous to this variability, however, its long-term climatic state is harmonized by the energy balance â€Å"between the incoming and the outgoing energy† (Ewing, 2012). As such, any external factor (climate forcers) affecting this energy balance may lead to climate changes. Importantly, these factors occur in different time-periods. Hence, the factors that affected climate change centuries back may not be the ones standing currently. Climate forcers can be categorized into two groups including human and natural causes. In addition to the duo, there are other changes that happen internally within the climate system, affecting the climate either as short-lived or long-lived. These modifications may be attributed to the atmospheric circulations among others factors. Human beings contribute to climate change when they engage in burning of fossil fuel, deforestation activities notwithstanding. These effects have been aggravated further since the inception of the era of industrial revolution. As a consequence, the face of the land has been altered tremendously, and the atmosphere is filled with fumes dominated by carbon dioxide gas, one of the greenhouse gases. These changes constitute what we can consider ourselves ‘climate forcers,’ who are responsible for destabilizing the earth’s energy system. To this end, the overall effect on the earth’s atmosphere has been a warming effect. The cumulative effect of the gas emissions on the planet is called the greenhouse effect. This is the reason of the global warming, and as such, it is believed that it may lead to erratic weather patterns, consequently affecting both the social and economic activities of man.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from the human activities, natural factors are other elements responsible for climate change. Such activities as volcanicity and the Sun insolation are among the external factors central to climate change. These two basically fall within the timescale of the contemporary causes of climate change. The duo have a significant effect on the incoming energy, however, volcanicity has a short-lived effect on the climate change. The intensity of the Sun insolation has considerably increased since the inception of the industrial revolution. This h as been estimated to have increased by ten folds, consequently affecting climate significantly. The internal elements within the climate that affect the climate change could be due to the emitted gases that stem from human activities. These gases, for example, CO2, can be classed as long-lived because they take a while before they are eliminated from the atmosphere. Conversely, the short-lived gases, for instance, methane, clear off the atmosphere very fast. Class aside, if remained unchecked, short-lived gases have a potential of causing adverse climate change. They are responsible for the greenhouse effect. The history of the climate trend Climate has been changing to the worst since the era that is called industrial revolution. On analyzing the trend of the world’s mean temperature dating back to the 19th century, one can underscore the fact that, indeed, the Earth is experiencing global warming. In the 1960s, though, there was a compelling evidence of a shifting trend whe re experts reported that the planet was cooling. Nevertheless, new findings stipulated that this was a brief interruption and the trend would assume the previous modification process in the 1970s. These findings elicited a serious debate among climatologists with some predicting a sustained cooling trend over time. To this end, they cited a phase of a sustained natural cycle or perhaps the elements of smog and dust particles that continue to fill the atmosphere due to the human activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Responsible factors for climate change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Those predicting otherwise believed that the effects of the greenhouse gas emissions would surpass those due to the concentration of particles in the atmosphere, and as such, global warming would resume. In a conclusion, the two opposing groups acknowledged the fact that their stands were just mare guesswork. In the meantime, th ere were advances in the climatology science. Nonetheless, in 1970s, the view that the warming would resume triumphed highlighting that the cooling was a brief interruption. With the turn of the century, the warming effect aggravated further as evident by the changing temperatures even at the depth of the ocean base. To scientists, this was a compelling evidence of a gross change in climate that had never been witnessed before. The specific pattern â€Å"of changes, revealed in objects ranging from ship logs to ice caps to tree rings, closely matched the predicted effects of greenhouse gas emissions† (Bredenberg, 2012). Ideally, one would wonder how meteorologists came up with the conclusion that the world was warming. Indeed, the journey to establishing of this fact was not an easy feat. Scientists had to deal with voluminous and uncertain data collected over a long period of time, and using different methods to come up with the conclusion. Among the pioneer groups of scient ists who tried to establish this fact were the NASA and the Climate Research Unit (CRU), a British based group. In their research, they reached an almost similar answer that the planet’s average temperatures had raised by at least 0.50C in the past century. In the meantime, several other groups over the world were dedicated to measuring the weather patterns. Vitally, while some were engaging in careful, recording and securing of records in archives, the others were busy standardizing the instruments.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even with these data, no scientist would stake a claim that the world would warm in the future, especially with the 1940-70 dip as shown in below (fig. 1). With these findings, one is tempted to hold the thought that the current highs could be temporal. Current geopolitical response to climate change One may notice the tug of war concerning the causes of climate change that continue to illicit mixed reactions among the science and anti-science zealots. On one hand, science holds the thought that the planet is experiencing global warming, and that the anti-science zealots are embedding efforts meant to stem this trend. On the other hand, the anti-scientists hold the view that global warming is not a consequence of the human activities, and that the scientists’ views are for selfish gains meant to transform the world’s economy. Surprisingly, the skeptics consider that even if the planet is warming, it is not a cause for alarm. Some critics of the scientific view base th eir argument on the alleged dishonesty amongst scientists. To this end, they cite the ‘Climategate Scandal’ as one of their evidences of scientists’ dishonesty. The details of the scandal, as revealed later, showed that someone had hacked into the server of the CRU and sent more than 1000 e-mails to people all over the world with a plot to falsify an average global temperature trend. This allegation was investigated by several agencies from both the US and the UK, revealing that the scientists were genuine in their findings. If not enough, skeptics find dishonesty in an e-mail that was written by Phil Jones to Micheal Mann, both from the CRU, disputing the latter’s chart as a ‘trick’ to mean that he was hiding a temperature decline (Ewing, 2008). However, in a bid to dilute skeptical views, scientists have a well established database in the blog, DeSmogBlog, of the individuals who are in dissent industry of global warming. Some critics hold th e view that the idea of the man-engineered global warming emanates from neo-colonialism. As such, the idea is meant to shift focus of the development agenda from the developed economies to the third world economies. The opposing faction, however, believe that the skeptics’ view that global warming is not a man-made effect is a tactic to bar governments from interfering with their businesses (free-market). Free-market fundamentalists feel that governments are threatened by the fact that free-markets can resolve both the social and economic problems if given a freehand. Moreover, they tend to think that market fundamentalism has been a principal factor in determining the US’s public policy debates in the past three decades. If not enough, critics argue that most of these scientists holding the consensus view were cold-war research artillery, and that following the crumple of the Soviet Union, they sought solace in another global issue in the name of global warming to see k the world control. The response to climate change due to global warming is a universal issue defying commitments to the nations where the greenhouse gas emissions are more pronounced. This is owed to the fact that the greenhouse gases defuse rapidly and evenly over the world. To this end, the UN has been the platform, upon which responses to climate change has been addressed. Global bodies established under the UN umbrella, for instance, the Kyoto Protocol and the UNFCCC (United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change), have made massive steps in trying to reverse this change. Chiefly, international policies have been adopted globally at a national cum regional level, signaling a consolidated approach aimed at stemming this change. The objective of the UNFCCC (formed in 1990) was to stabilize the greenhouse gases by the turn of the 21st century. However, subsequent meetings prior to the 21st century led to the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol in the year 1997. Its objecti ve focused on the developed economies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% with their respective 1990 levels as a baseline. This had to be achieved by the year 2012. This was not an easy feat to achieve, and as such, it took three meetings for the stakeholders to reach the Marrakesh Accord, which outlined the processes that were to be followed to achieve the Kyoto Protocol (Nicole, 2004). Importantly, in order for the Kyoto Protocol to be a legally binding document, it had to be ratified by more than 55 nations. The Annex 1 nations had to make up the 55 nations ratifying the protocol in order to account for at least 55% of the total emissions of the 1990 levels. For political and economic reasons, the US chose not to ratify the Protocol even though its emissions accounted for more than 25% of the total greenhouse gas emissions emanating from the developed economies. One political reason that the US chose not to ratify the Protocol is that the treaty was partial. To this, the US claims that the design of the treaty would leave out some economies known for their massive greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the US has been reluctant to ratify the Protocol for the reason that it would result in job losses by its citizens. Akin to the US, the Australian government temporarily failed to confirm the Protocol only to ratify it in 2007. Russia validated the Protocol after a while in the year 2004. The countries that were party to the treaty relied on three flexible means including Emission Trading, Joint Implementation (JI), and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to achieve the Kyoto Protocol. However, many investors hold a negative view over the JI and CDM mechanisms, citing too much bureaucracy involved in getting an approval. Vital remedies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions One of the remedies that governments ought to apply is the need to engage in the energy conservation practices. Economical utilization of energy goes all the way to reducing the levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) a great deal. Designs meant for appliances at homes should aim at enhancing energy efficiencies. The state of California is a typical example of a region in the US that has taken its own initiative to engage in efficient utilization of energy. As such, striking research shows that between 1976 and 2005, this state has maintained its energy requirements at a fairly constant rate. This is opposed to the rest of the US, where the energy requirements had increased by 60%. Another striking revelation is that the total energy losses by the US economy surpass the total energy requirements of the Japanese economy. This shows that the Japanese machinery designs are energy-efficient. Economies should adopt sequestration models meant to capture CO2 instead of releasing it to the atmosphere (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2010). Another remedy that governments should adopt is the use of alternative sources of clean, renewable sources of energy instead of us ing bio-fuels. Among the major contributors of GHGs is coal. This energy source is far less efficient in its utilization (30% efficient). Among the clean, renewable energy sources that fit the billing one could name solar and wind energy. These two can play a major role in curbing GHG emissions. Another alternative is the use of nuclear energy. However, it is risky since some nations might use it as an arsenal. Therefore, to use it, all nations should be honest. Urbanization is one of the ‘enemies’ of the GHG-free atmosphere. It comes with deforestation, a practice that is believed to deny the atmosphere the ‘lungs’- which is meant to clear the CO2 from it. While urbanization and industrialization change the world’s face in the name of creating wealth, these two practices are suicidal to the atmosphere. They basically utilize the land, a limited resource, without replacing it, leaving the land bare and depriving it of its ‘lungs’. To cu rb this trend, afforestation practices ought to be given a global attention and enhance the GHG-free atmosphere. Transport industry and hence the gasoline industry are the ones that contribute immensely to the GHGs, globally. There is need for engineers to come up with the engine designs that are more sensitive to our environment. The designs should be a hybrid formation of gasoline/electric engines to limit on the gasoline requirements. This would go all the way to limiting the GHG emissions into the atmosphere. In addition, some economies have adopted safe utilization policies whereby transportation to public destinations/institutions has to be done using a bigger unit (a bus) as opposed to smaller and numerous units (cars). This would curtail the GHG emissions. Future solutions to climate change After adopting the energy-efficient designs as well as conservation strategies, the void left to suffice the energy requirements has to be met by the GHG-free renewable energy sources. Th is has to be provided by the wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy. The use of the wind energy as a ‘green power’ has been among the buzzwords of the greenhouse-free atmosphere advocates. It is a renewable source of energy that can be converted to mechanical energy, and eventually electrical energy before it is utilized. Ideally, to generate electricity, the site where the plant is mounted should be favorably windy in order to drive the giant turbines for generating electricity. The energy generated from wind can be used in home appliances as well as to drive industrial machines. Engineers have come up with the efficient turbine designs that can achieve maximum output from the wind power. The solar energy is another source of ‘green power’. This energy is derived from ultraviolet rays that emanate from the Sun. Through different mechanisms, this energy can be converted to electrical energy or can be used directly to serve the peoples needs. To c onvert the solar energy to electrical energy, one applies a photovoltaic cell. However, the efficiency of the solar energy is dependent on the insolation received per day. The maximum insolation got in a region is influenced by the latitude and the season of the same. To this end, the regions falling within the equator zone receive maximum insolation at midday. Moreover, one can use larger panels in regions that experience limited insolation to meet his/her needs. Directly, one may use the solar energy for heating and lighting. This is one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels since it is clean and renewable. The hydroelectric power is a ‘green power’ that may help in mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions. This energy is derived from water that drives a turbine to generate power. However, this energy is limited to regions that have no waterfalls. Nonetheless, they generate enough electricity that can be supplied to a far place. The energy received from this source can be used domestically as well as for driving industrial machines. Biomass is another source of energy, an alternative to fossil fuel though it is not a GHG-free source of energy. Recently, in such economies like Brazil, the use of biodiesel is slowly becoming popular. Akin to biomass, we do have fuel cells, which are powered by coal to generate electricity. Finally, the geothermal power accounts for another source of ‘green power.’ This form of energy is limited to regions that are endowed with hot springs. As such, this form of energy is not common. Nonetheless, the energy derived from this source can be converted to electricity to find application both domestically and in industries. References Bredenberg, A. (2011). The Climate Change Controversy – What’s It Really About? Green and Clean Journal, 2(3), 3-7. Ewing, R. (2008). Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change. Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute. Nicole, N. (2004). United States Problems with the Kyoto Treaty. New York, NY: New York University Press. U.S. Department of Transportation. (2010). Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions. South Melbourne, Australia: Thomson Learning.

Improving School Lunches (for Kids and the Environment)

Improving School Lunches (for Kids and the Environment) Now that many schools have stopped selling sodas and other unhealthy vending machine items to their students, improving the nutritional quality of cafeteria school lunches is on the agenda of many parents and school administrators. And luckily for the environment, healthier food usually means greener food. Connecting School Lunches with Local Farms Some forward-thinking schools are leading the charge by sourcing their cafeteria food from local farms and producers. This saves money and also cuts back on the pollution and global warming impacts associated with transporting food long distances. And since many local producers are turning to organic growing methods, local food usually means fewer pesticides in kids’ school lunches. School Lunches Linked to Obesity and Poor Nutrition Alarmed by childhood obesity statistics and the prevalence of unhealthy foods offered to students in schools, the Center for Food and Justice (CFJ) in 2000 spearheaded the national Farm to School lunch program. The program connects schools with local farms to provide healthy cafeteria food while also supporting local farmers. Participating schools not only obtain food locally, they incorporate nutrition-based curriculum and provide students with learning opportunities through visits to the local farms. Farm to School programs now operate in 19 states and in several hundred school districts. CFJ recently received significant support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to expand the program to more states and districts. The group’s website (link below) is loaded with resources to help schools get started. USDA Offers School Lunch Program in 32 States The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also runs a Small Farms/School Meals program that boasts participation in 400 school districts in 32 states. Interested schools can check out the agency’s â€Å"Step-by-Step Guide on How to Bring Small Farms and Local Schools Together†, which is available free online. Chef Alice Waters Teaches School Lunch Cooking Classes Other schools have taken the plunge in their own unique ways. In Berkeley, California, noted chef Alice Waters holds cooking classes in which students grow and prepare local organic fruits and vegetables for their peers’ school lunch menus. And as documented in the film, â€Å"Super Size Me,† Wisconsin’s Appleton Central Alternative School hired a local organic bakery that helped transform Appleton’s cafeteria fare from offerings heavy on meat and junk food to predominantly whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. How Parents Can Improve School Lunches Of course, parents can ensure that their children eat well at school by forgoing the cafeteria offerings altogether and sending their kids to school with healthy bag lunches. For on-the-go parents unable to keep up with a daily lunch making regimen, innovative companies are beginning to sprout up that will do it for you. Kid Chow in San Francisco, Health e-Lunch Kids in Fairfax, Virginia, New York City’s KidFresh and Manhattan Beach, California’s Brown Bag Naturals will deliver organic and natural food lunches to your kids for about three times the price of a cafeteria lunch. But prices should change for the better as the idea catches on and more volume brings costs down.

Concepts in Buddhist life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Concepts in Buddhist life - Essay Example We will inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. It does not follow however that it would always be suffering. There are also positive experiences such as ease, comfort and happiness. The key to understanding life is that it is impermanent and that one must live it to the fullest even though it may be full of hardships because we only have such a short time in this world. The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursue of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe. The cessation of suffering can be attained through the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment or simply put, by attaining dispassion. All clinging and attchment must be extinguished. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. This aspect of Buddhism lays out the ways to end suffering. It serves as a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions. It ultimately aims to enable the

INLAND TRANSPORTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INLAND TRANSPORTATION - Essay Example Herne Organics will also have a distribution pattern that is determined by the proximity of the respective clients. Shifts for deliveries will be organised around this concept. Lastly, a lot of support will be needed in terms of the trained drivers, efficient mechanics and experience in supply chain management. The latter essay is an examination of the transport options available to a company that specializes in organic vegetables and salads. This business was initially a small one, however, following re-investment and expansion in the sector, the company now focuses on production of organic products. There is a need to look at some of the avenues available to the company in terms of vehicle fleet management. Additionally, financial and operational challenges will be examined with strict adherence to the UK vehicle and operator serve agency’s rules and regulations. Herne Organics has the option of either outsourcing or owning their fleet of vehicles for transportation. If the company chooses to outsource this business function, then it stands to benefit from the great experience that the transporting company will have. Since such experts have worked with so many other businesses, then they are likely to develop solutions that are well suited to this company. (Emp, 2007) If the company chooses to own its fleet of vehicles then they may have to dedicate a lot of finance and time towards running this fleet. By outsourcing, the Kent Limited will be spared from this hustle and bustle. Outsourcing also, transfers some of the risks that arise out of owning one’s fleet. This is usually because of the need to maintain an operational lease. Additionally, vehicles require a lot of maintenance and this eats onto the company’s profits. By outsourcing, the company can eradicate this issue. If the company opts to own its fleet of vehicles, it would have

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Essay Example for Free

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Essay The novel â€Å"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time† by Mark Haddon is a very unique novel. It is unique in many ways as it’s written through the eyes of someone with Aspegers Syndrome and this condition is explored throughout the novel. The novel is about a fifteen year old boy called Christopher who has Aspegers Syndrome. This condition doesn’t allow him to understand things the way people without this condition would. The novel shoes how Christopher grows up, some of the experiences he goes through and how he copes with and understands life. The themes in the novel are growing up, living with special needs and the most important theme family relationships. â€Å"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time† has a unique style in that it has been written through the eyes of a person with Aspegers. As it has been written through the eyes of a person with Aspegers it is different to most novels and reveals the writers personality. The narrator, Christopher Boone, who has Aspegers can’t understand people and has to include every detail and explain everything he says. The narrative style is written in a logical way with lists and diagrams. Using lists and diagrams in the novel helped us understand Christopher’s condition more. As that is the way he thinks and works things out so he can comprehend them. Also as we see everything form Christopher’s point of view it conveys to us that he sees the world with perfect clarity. In part of the novel Christopher talks about how he doesn’t like metaphors. Christopher doesn’t like them because they confuse him and he doesn’t understand them. â€Å"He was the apple of her eye. † Christopher does not understand this metaphor because he sees it as a lie. He sees it as a lie because an apple in someone’s eye has nothing to do with liking someone. Since they have nothing to do with each other it makes Christopher forget about what they were talking about in the first place. This section adds tour understanding of Christopher’s problems because as he has Aspergers he only sees the world in black or white. Metaphors are a grey area so he can’t process them in his brain. Throughout the novel Christopher struggles to interact with other characters and finds it difficult to understand them. For example, at the beginning of the story when the policeman is talking to Christopher he finds it difficult to interact with him. â€Å"The policeman took hold of my arm and lifted me onto my feet. I didn’t like him touching me like this and this is why I hit him. † Since Christopher has Aspergers he doesn’t like being touched. If someone touches him he feels like he is being attacked and reacts to it. This is why he hit the policeman. Another reason why Christopher finds it difficult to interact with other people is that he can’t understand facial expressions. As he can’t understand facial expressions he finds it hard to know what people are saying and therefore finds it difficult to interact with them. In part of the novel it explains why Christopher doesn’t ‘get’ jokes. He says â€Å"I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them. † he doesn’t understand jokes because as he has Aspergers Syndrome he has to analyse and think everything through in a logical way before understanding what things mean. For example, â€Å"His face was drawn by the curtains were real. † Christopher doesn’t understand this joke because after he has thought about it he realises that â€Å"drawn† has three different meanings. This confuses Christopher and because of his condition it makes him feel like three people are talking to him at once. This helps us to understand they way he thinks and sees the world too. Due to the nature of Christopher’s condition he is unaware of the problems he causes for his parents. Since he has Aspergers it causes his parents to argue and eventually causes his mother to leave. His parents would argue because his mother couldn’t cope with Christopher’s actions. For example, one time his mother couldn’t cope was when she took him shopping. And you crouched down on the floor and put your hands over your ears and you were in the way of everyone so I got cross†¦But you shouted and knocked those mixers of the shelf. † This situation upsets her and causes a row between his parents. After a while both his parents cant cope with arguing anymore so his mum then leaves. She leaves because she believes her husband is better with Christopher and she feels inadequate to deal with him. Christopher is unaware of the problems he causes because that is just the way he thinks. This gives us a better understanding of how he thins and deals with problems to having Aspergers. As the novel goes on the relationship between Christopher and his father change and conflict develops between them at the beginning their relationship is very positive and strong. For example, when Christopher gets taken to the police station his father shouts at the police in defence of his son. This shows that’s he cares about Christopher and that he is not angry at him fro getting taking to the police station. Also when his father sees Christopher inside the cell they both hold up their hands and their fingers touch. This s how they show that they love each other as Christopher hates to be hugged or touched. Their relationship begins to deteriorate when his father banged his fist on the table really hard so that the plates and the cutlery jumped around. He also shouts at Christopher. This was the first time his father had lost his patience with him. Later in the novel Christopher made a huge mistake which made the relationship fall apart. His father found the book Christopher was writing and reacted by swearing at him and eventually hit him. This made their relationship hit rock bottom and Christopher began to become scared of his father. The Christopher find out that his father had lied about is mother being dead and that he killed Wellington. After he finds out he cant trust his father anymore. This causes him to run away to find his mother. When he is at his mothers house his father comes to her house shouting and demanding to see Christopher but he doesn’t want to speak to him but their relationship wills never be the same again. As Christopher has Aspergers he is obsessed with certain things for instance, he likes everything to be in an order and good days and blacks days. He works out if he’s having a good day or a black day from cars. If he saw three red cars it was a good day and if he saw four yellows it was black days. He also is obsessed with maths and physics because he likes them and he is very good at them. He likes so much as they only have one answer and are straightforward which helps him to understand them. In the novel Christopher explains his dream. In his dream everyone on the earth is dead except from the people who don’t understand facial expressions like Christopher. Everyone dies because they all catch a virus. They catch the virus because of the meaning of something an infected person says and what facial expressions they do when they say it. After everyone is dead and there is only people left like Christopher, he can do whatever he wants and never see anyone as they all like being alone. The symbolic significance in the dream is that everyone who is alive is like Christopher. Therefore in the dream Christopher fits in and life is a lot easier because everyone tells the truth and no emotions are included. So they all understand each other and they are all happy. One key scene in the novel is when Christopher finds the letters from his mother and realises she isn’t dead. When he first realised what was going on he felt sick and confused. This is the first time we can see Christopher experiencing emotional pain. He doesn’t know what to do so he just sits curled up in a ball for a long time and doesn’t speak. This scene helps us to understand Christopher’s condition as it shows us that when Christopher is confused or emotional he doesn’t speak or do anything so that he can either analyse what’s happening or to try put the subject out of his mind. Another key scene in the novel is when Christopher talks about when people tell you what to do it normally doesn’t make sense or it’s confusing. For example, keep of the grass signs. He thinks that they should say â€Å"keep off the grass around this sign or keep of the grass in this park. † people without Aspergers would understand this sign but as Christopher has Aspergers this sign confuses him. It confuses him because he thinks abut it logically and realises that there is a lot of grass that you are allowed to walk on. This scene also helps us understand Christopher’s condition because it shows us that everything he sees he has to be able to understand it logically to be able to understand it at all. In conclusion, I think the novel was really good. I liked how it was written through the eyes of someone with Aspergers as it helped you understand the novel more and also taught you about people with the condition. I also think that because it was written in narrative style it helped you to respond to Christopher better and really understands what he was going through and how he seen the world from his point of view.

Ballads of Remembrance by Robert Hayden :: Robert Hayden

In 1962 Robert Hayden wrote a collection of poems entitled Ballads of Remembrance. This collection is comprised of 36 poems that are separated into 4 groups. Each group refers to a different focus of remembrance; for example, one group focuses on the struggle of African Americans in terms of finding identity and a sense of transcendence. "Those Winter Sundays" is part of the group of poems that focuses on remembrances of Hayden’s childhood, past, and personal struggles. Hayden had an extremely harsh and conflicted childhood. His parents were divorced at a young age, and his mother left him with a foster family in Detroit whose name, Hayden, he ended up adopting. He grew up in a very poor neighborhood called Paradise Valley, which was not a "paradise" at all. He had separate issues with his foster mother and father, who were both stern people. His father encouraged Robert to gain an education in order to lift himself out of poverty. Yet, at the same time, his father found it difficult to communicate with his foster son, who always had his head in a book or was constantly studying. The lack of verbal communication between his father and himself can be seen in his poem "Those Winter Sundays." The overall impression of the poem is that love can be communicated in other ways than through words; it can be communicated through everyday, mundane actions. For example, in the poem, the father awakens on "Sundays too" to warm the house with a fire and polish his sons shoes. There is a sense of coldness in the beginning of the poem through the lines: Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold. Hayden’s father is not only bringing physical warmth to him by making the fire; he is also bringing spiritual warmth to him. By the end of the poem, the reader feels an overall sense of warmth as the poet comes to a better understanding of his father’s unappreciated actions. In terms of Romanticism, the idea of transcendence seems to be present in the poem in regard to the fact that the father-son relationship is beyond words. The relationship exists, but it is difficult to articulate. Also the idea that Hayden is rising to a deeper understanding of his relationship with his father is present. There are lines in the poem that state: When the rooms were warm, he’d call, And slowly I would rise and dress.

Why Project Fail

Why Projects Fail Computer projects fail when they do not meet the following criteria for success: It is delivered on time. It is on or under budget. The system works as required. Only a few projects achieve all three. Many more are delivered which fail on one or more of these criteria, and a substantial number are cancelled having failed badly. So what are the key factors for success? Organisations and individuals have studied a number of projects that have both succeeded and failed and some common factors emerge.A key finding is that there is no one overriding factor that causes project failure. A number of factors are involved in any particular project failure, some of which interact with each other. Here are six of the most important reasons for failure. 1 . Lack of User Involvement Lack of user involvement has proved fatal for many projects. Without user involvement nobody in the business feels committed to a system, and can even be hostile to it. If a project is to be a success senior management and users need to be involved from the start, and continuously throughout the development.This requires ime and effort, and when the people in a business are already stretched, finding time for a new project is not high on their priorities. Therefore senior management need to continuously support the project to make it clear to staff it is a priority. 2. Long or Unrealistic Time Scales Long timescales for a project have led to systems being delivered for products and services no longer in use by an organisation. The key recommendation is that project timescales should be short, which means that larger systems should be split into separate projects.There are always problems with this approach, but the benefits of oing so are considerable. Many managers are well aware of the need for fast delivery, leading to the other problem of unrealistic timescales. These are set without considering the volume of work that needs to be done to ensure delivery. As a result these s ystems are either delivered late or only have a fraction of the facilities that were asked for. The recommendation here is to review all project plans to see if they are realistic, and to challenge the participants to express any reservations they may have with it. . Poor or No Requirements Many projects have high level, vague, and generally unhelpful requirements. This has ed to cases where the developers, having no input from the users, build what they believe is needed, without having any real knowledge of the business. Inevitably when the system is delivered business users say it does not do what they need it to. This is closely linked to lack of user involvement, but goes beyond it. Users must know what it is they want, and be able to specify it precisely.As non-lT specialists this means normally they need skills training. 4. Scope Creep Scope is the overall view of what a system will deliver. Scope creep is the insidious growth in the scale of a system during the life of a pro ject. As an example for a customer bills, then these bills will be provided on the Internet, and so on and so forth. All the functionality will have to be delivered at one time, therefore affecting time scales, and all will have to have detailed requirements. This is a management issue closely related to change control.Management must be realistic about what is it they want and when, and stick to it. 5. No Change Control System Despite everything businesses change, and change is happening at a faster rate then ever before. So it is not realistic to expect no change in requirements while a system s being built. However uncontrolled changes play havoc with a system under development and have caused many project failures. This emphasises the advantages of shorter timescales and a phased approach to building systems, so that change has less chance to affect development.Nonetheless change must be managed like any other factor of business. The business must evaluate the effects of any cha nged requirements on the timescale, cost and risk of project. Change Management and its sister discipline of Confguration Management are skills that can be taught. 6. Poor Testing The developers will do a great deal of testing during development, but eventually the users must run acceptance tests to see if the system meets the business requirements.However acceptance testing often fails to catch many faults before a system goes live because: Poor requirements which cannot be tested Poorly, or non planned tests meaning that the system is not methodically checked Inadequately trained users who do not know what the purpose of testing is Inadequate time to perform tests as the project is late Users, in order to build their confidence with a system, and to utilise their experience f the business, should do the acceptance testing.To do so they need good testable requirements, well designed and planned tests, be adequately trained, and have sufficient time to achieve the testing objectives . Conclusion These six factors are not the only ones that affect the success or failure of a project, but in many studies and reports they appear near, or at the top of the list. They are all interlinked, but as can be seen they are not technical issues, but management and training ones. This supports the idea that IT projects should be treated as business projects.

Feasibility Study of Ibs in Sarawak

Feasibility Study of IBS in Sarawak Afdal Haziq bin Mohamad Salehe Department of Civil, Faculty of Engineering, University Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Abstract This is a feasibility study of Industrialised Building System (IBS) in Sarawak. IBS implementation in Sarawak is still slow and thus this study is carried on to identify the factors that cause the problem so that proper solution can be carried on.The aim of the study is to increase the IBS implementation in Sarawak so that productivity and quality of the construction projects in this state can be improved. In order to achieve the aim, three objectives need to be met which are: 1) To understand the concept of Industrialised Building System (IBS); 2) To identify the challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak; 3) To find the solutions to overcome the barriers thus, ensure that IBS implementation in Sarawak can be improved.Collection of data is done by distribution of questionnaires to important constructio ns players such as engineers, consultants, supervisors and architects from construction sites within Kota Samarahan and Kuching City. The results determined the critical factors of challenges as well as finding the solutions to improve the IBS implementation based on the level of agreements of the respondents. As a result, this study has determined the critical factor of barrier and challenges which slow down the IBS progress in Sarawak is the awareness factor especially amongst the contractors.Besides, the study also found the solutions in term of awareness, knowledge, cost, acceptance and role of the government in order to improve the IBS progress in the construction industry in Sarawak. The finding of this study hopefully will be helpful for further future research as well as reference for the authority in order to improve the IBS implementation in Sarawak. Keywords: Industrialised Building System INTRODUCTION Construction industries play important roles in the development of bui ldings as well as economical of a country.According to the report by CIDB (2000), it is highlighted that construction sector are more than just economic where as the products of construction whether directly or indirectly through provision of bigger infrastructure and buildings has contributed largely towards the production of wealth as well as increasing quality of life of the citizen [1]. With the increasing knowledge and experiences of construction technology, now, many construction can be done faster with reduce cost, but still with optimized quality.One of the construction technologies that have been developing in many countries is precast concrete or as known as Industrial Building System (IBS). IBS is basically pre-cast concrete components where it is later on installed together to become a building or structure. It also may be defined as construction which system components are manufactured in a factory, on or off site, positioned and assembled into structures with minimal a dditional site work. The construction concrete components will be produce off-site and then will be transported to the construction site and assemble [2].In Malaysia, IBS has been introduced in early 1964 by Ministry of Local Government and Housing. The Ministry aims to provide low cost houses for low income citizens group. Since then, housing programmes for low income citizens is being carried on and by 1966, the Ministry has launched two pilot project in two major cities which are Pekeliling Flats in Kuala Lumpur and Rifle Range Road Flats in Penang. However, Pekeliling Flats in Kuala Lumpur has been demolished to be replaced by new development [3].With the latest 9th Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, as government are aware of the benefits that come from the application of IBS, many encouragement of IBS usage have been conduct. Two of the latest major initiatives are the release of the Treasury Circular Letter No. 7 Year 2008 and the announcement of the Action Plan for IBS Implementation in Government Projects (Pelan Tindakan Pelaksanaan IBS dalam Projek-Projek Kerajaan)[4]. It replaces the earlier instruction released on 6th July 2005 by Treasury for the usage of 50 percent IBS content in all government projects.Released on 31st October 2008, the Treasury Circular Letter was issued to all Secretary Generals, Heads of Federal Department, State Secretaries, Heads of Federal Statutory Bodies as well as to all local authorities. The essence of the instruction is the usage of Open Building, Malaysian Control design and 70 percent IBS Score for all projects. Agencies are required to submit periodical reports of IBS project implementation to the central monitoring agency. Exemptions are offered for certain classes of projects and the IBS Centre will function as the main technical reference centre.Sarawak, which is one of the fast developing states in Malaysia, constructions are happening all over the parts of the state. However, applications of IBS in the construction ind ustries in Sarawak are still far left behind. Sarawak just implemented IBS after a few decades after the introduction of IBS in Malaysia in 1964, as several projects using IBS was started in 2006 in Kuching areas [5]. Therefore, this study was performed in order to increase the IBS implementation in Sarawak so that productivity and quality of the constructions projects in this state can be improve.The aim of this research is to improve the IBS implementation in Sarawak so that productivity and quality of the constructions projects in this state can be optimized. In order to achieve this aim, several objectives must be met which are: i. To understand the concept of Industrialised Building System (IBS) ii. To identify the challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak. iii. To find the solutions to overcome the barriers to ensure that IBS implementation in Sarawak can be improved. 2. research methodologySecondary data will be needed in literature review part which aims to achieve the first objective which is to increase the understanding of the IBS concept. Primary data will be a strong evidence to achieve the second objectives which is identification of challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak. This will also help in achieving the third objective which is finding the solution to overcome the barriers in improving the implementation of IBS in Sarawak. Three approaches have been lineout for this study to gather the relevant data. The approaches are: i. Literature review i. Questionnaires Literature Review Literature review in this study is important in term of gathering the secondary data. This is to increase the resourceful information needed for this study for better understanding. The informations is gathered from wide range of media such as books, guidelines, previous thesis, journals, and new articles related to Industrialise Building System (IBS) and company related to them in Sarawak or Malaysia such as SCIB and CIDB. This also helped in achieving th e first objectives which aim of increasing the understanding of IBS concept.Questionnaires List if question has been prepared for the purpose of collecting primary data. Questionnaire can be an efficient data collection tool when the researcher knows exactly on the information that is needed and how o measure the variables of interest. Thus, all questions should be clear, understandable and obtain no ambiguity. Data validation has been done after the questionnaires had been collected. In the process of data validation, the responses obtained from the questionnaires have been for accuracy and suitability for his research purpose.Respondents for the questionnaire in this research are site workers, site engineers, site supervisors, foremen, management staff and production manager of several sites in Sarawak. The questionnaire has been given by hand to the respondents for determining the barrier and challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak. This is to gather information and eviden ce which is not available from literature review. In order to achieve the second objectives, Part B of the questionnaires which is on the challenges and barrier of IBS implementation has been filled by respondent who involved in construction field.In order to achieve the third objective which is to find the solutions in improving IBS implementation in Sarawak, Part C is provided which discussed on the suggestion and solutions criteria which have been filled by the respondent based on their level of agreement. The questionnaires have been given to various experience construction player such as developer contractors, consultant and supplier in Sarawak. This is to obtain their pc involve has been based on their experience in construction industry. Data Analysis Method The data collected from the questionnaires will be analyzed by using Likert Scaling method. 3. esult and discussion Objective (i): To understand the concept of Industrialised Building System (IBS) The first objective was achieved by finding and explaining wide informations about IBS and been discussed in Chapter 2, Literature Review. Many resources from internets, journals, project papers as well as newspaper is used in gaining information on IBS. In Chapter 2, starting from definition of IBS, discussion on the history as well as the general knowledge on IBS is discussed. Then, some discussion on current construction method in Malaysian construction industry is carried on to compare the IBS methods with the conventional method.In addition, more detailed information on IBS is provided such as, IBS in Malaysia and Sarawak which elaborated on the progress of IBS implementation in Malaysia as well as Sarawak, and also the need of IBS which discussed on the reasons why should IBS be implemented. Apart from that, knowledge on feature of IBS, types of IBS, the sequence of construction for IBS method, advantages of IBS, and challenges of IBS implementation in Malaysia also been provided in Chapter 2 which i s at page 12 until 38. All of this information aims to increase the knowledge and understanding the concept of Industrial Building System (IBS) to a higher level.The knowledge of IBS need to be improves especially amongst the construction players as well as citizens in Sarawak so that IBS implementation in this state can be increase. Objective (ii): To identify the challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak As discussed before, Part B of the questionnaires distribution assessment is conducted as to achieve the second objective which is to identify the challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak. These factors are the factor that is discussed in Chapter 2 on challenges of IBS implementation in Malaysia [2]. Another factor has been add on is Green Building Index (GBI).IBS is more towards GBI as wastage on site is reduced and pollutions due to work and progress done on site can be prevented. Green Building Index(GBI) was the world first tropical green tool design and developed b y Persatuan Arkitk Malaysia (PAM) and Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM). Implementing Green Building Index will need more knowledge and experience since it is also a new tool in the construction industry. There are five main factors provided in the Part B section for construction players to rank according to their agreement on challenges of implementation of IBS in Sarawak, which are: i.Awareness ii. Knowledge iii. Cost iv. Acceptance v. Green Building Index (GBI) Summary of overall main challenges of IBS implementation in Sarawak Table 1: Scale Index of overall challenges factor by construction players Scale| Level of agreement| Index| 1| Strongly Disagree| 3. 31? Min index

The Challenger essays

The Challenger essays As the 1980's approached, the launch of a space shuttle was almost as routine as a trip on an airliner. Space travel had been successful on 24 missions. Most people thought the danger of space travel was nearly eliminated. On January 28, 1986, they were proven wrong. The orbital Challenger was preparing to make it's tenth flight. Everyone in America watched as the seven crew members prepared for Mission 51-L. One of the seven crew members was Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher and civilian, to fly in space. This fact made this particular launch very famous. The commander of the Challenger was Francis (Dick) Scobee. Scobee was married with two children. He obtained his B.S. Degree in Aerospace from the University of Arizona in 1965. Soon after graduation he entered the Air Force pilot training program. After obtaining his pilot's wings he began his assignments, including a tour in Vietnam. Scobee gained more then 6500 hours of flight time as an Air Force test pilot. He entered NASA's astronaut corps in 1978. Scobee was the pilot of mission STS-41-C, the fifth orbital flight of the Challenger. This mission proved that shuttles could repair satellites in orbit. Michael Smith was the shuttle pilot on board the Challenger and the father of three children. He earned a M.S. Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also worked as a test pilot for the US Navy, receiving more than 4300 hours of flying time. In May 1980, Smith was selected to become a NASA astronaut and a year later he received his first assignment as a space shuttle pilot. He was to be pilot of the Challenger. This was Smith's first space flight. There were three mission specialists on the Challenger. Judith Resnik was one of them. Resnik earned a B.S. Degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and later received a Ph.D. in the same field. She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1...

Making Essay Writing for High School Students Tolerable

Making Essay Writing for High School Students Tolerable Making Essay Writing for High School Students Tolerable If you want to make essay writing for high school students tolerable, it is important to understand how to write your essays better and faster. Knowing how to make essay writing go by faster, you can make completing academic assignments less painful. Making essay writing tolerable is easily done if you follow three simple steps and start reducing the amount of time it takes to finish your work. Rather than worrying about your writing assignment for weeks on end, get in some early preparation and maintain self-belief that you really can do it: Understand Your Task You want to read over your prompt first and foremost because nothing is worse than starting on an assignment only to find after a great deal of effort that you were traveling down the wrong path. As you are reading over your prompt highlight any keywords. If you need to use a dictionary to look up the meaning of words that are unfamiliar to you, try to search out the task words which are included in your prompt to indicate what things you actually need to do. Some examples of task words include compare, contrast, discuss. You want to identify the topic words which also indicate the subject such as the character of Romeo or the causes of WWII†. Finally, you want to look out for limiting words which restrict your discussion to a specific area such as during the 18th century, or chapters 1-4†. Research in a Smart Way When you are preparing, you want to be selective about the reading you complete as a part of your background research. Use sources that are accessible and relevant. As you are completing your research, you want to write down notes copiously. But as you take notes, make sure you include the information in your own words. This is particularly important. If you write down any quotes or any statistics you want to make sure you acknowledge the source; and keep track of the bibliographic information. Remember that no final product should have more than 10% direct quotes, so you need to be selective about the quotes that you use. Consider Many Ideas You want to brainstorm different ideas in response to your prompt. Write down any relevant points you can think of and make notes of quotations which come to mind as you are completing your research. Use brainstorming techniques such as mind mapping to help stimulate any lateral thinking that might jog any ideas in the back of your mind. Overall, when you have learned how to improve your writing skills and make your essay writing go by faster. Crafting papers can be much less painful when you use the skills above. As a high school student, the more tricks you have in order to expedite the writing process, the easier it will be for you to get through any writing task.

Mise en scene in Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007) Essay

Mise en scene in Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007) - Essay Example this girl Juno finds a way to get out of this sticky situation not by resorting to abortion but by instead going through with the pregnancy and finding good adoptive parents and securing a better future for her child. The film is, first of all, divided into the 4 seasons starting with autumn and so on. Somehow, this division of the film by season assisted in the transition of the whole story from Juno realizing her problem up to the time she gives birth and after. The movie starts with a long shot of Juno looking at a living room lounging chair, with a gallon of orange juice on her right hand, a closer shot of the same scene and then Juno’s face in close-up showing the actress’ face as reminiscent, sad and worried all at the same time. Juno narrates the cause of her mood then a flashback is shown and the viewers begin to understand the importance of the chair to the story – it was where Juno had sex with her boyfriend and the reason she got pregnant. The scenes are set in the local village where Juno resides, her home, her school, the local store, etc. Some scenes are shown of the house where the adoptive parents of Juno’s baby lived which left a good impression on Juno and her plans to give her baby to a good couple who love each other and who are capable of raising an equally good family. Narratives by the lead actress are used all throughout the film to shorten parts of the story which would otherwise draw attention from the main character to the other sub-plots. Although the main topic of the film is sex and teenage pregnancy, the presentation of the shots was tastefully done and only suggestive scenes were shown especially in the part when Juno and her boyfriend did the act. Scenes significant to the pregnancy like the ultrasound and the actual delivery of the child were also included which rendered more credence to the film since it seemed like the actress really got pregnant and gave birth. The costumes were also r ealistic with the lead