Hot water System Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hot water System - Case Study Example Subsequently, it refers to the condition where the lost revenue or the cost of production for the water system pipes ought to be considered as such. Question 4: 4. Describe the process you would use in sizing the storm water drainage system for a commercial building? Assume that these buildings dimensions are 100’ x 200’ and that the roof will be tapered such that there are two low points, each of equal square footage. What size roof drains are needed? You need to coordinate with the site contractor to determine what size storm water main to run to the front of the building; describe the process you would use to determine the storm water main size and identify the size. 4. It is important to note the system pressures where isolation valve, regulating assemblies and the static pressures at the plumbing zones. A critical roof tank solution is to ensure that the mains water is sufficient and enough to cover or supply the whole building, and thus the aim would ensure suffic ient upward and downward pressure. Question: Section 3: Refer to the Spring Valley plans in D2L and answer the following questions regarding the Drainage, Waste, and Vent systems. (30 Points) Question: 1. Describe the process you would use to determine the total drainage fixture unit (DFU) load on the building sewer for each of the two buildings. What is the total DFU load for each building? (10 points). Referring to the Spring Valley plan the drainage fixture unit it would be important to use the DWV method or the drain, water and vent technique.

The Role Of Efficient Market Hypothesis

The Role Of Efficient Market Hypothesis Corporate finance provides the skills which Spry Plc needs to identify and select as corporate strategies that add value to the firm such as investments. Throughout this paper, capital market and efficient market hypothesis has been discussed critically to evaluate Spry Plcs market position; then possible finance sources has been discussed to obtain finances, and lastly cost of capital and its consequence on large companies has been assessed (Lo, Mamaysky and Wang, 2000); (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994). Capital markets are the place where Spry Plc can meet investor who has finance to offers for long term. This finance may be equity finance involving the issue of new ordinary share or debt finance from a wide range of loans and debts securities. Capitals market is also a place where investors buy and sells company and government securities (Grossman, Sanford and Stiglitz, 1980); (Campbell, 1987); (Lakonishok, and Smidt, 1988). Capital markets are divided by two parts: primary market and secondary market. primary market help the companies to issues new securities to the new or existing shareholders by marking a public issue or right issues. This can help company perform better to influence shareholders that the company is willing to be stronger over the time both financially and operationally (Lo, Mamaysky and Wang, 2000); (Shiller, 1981); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). Secondary market is the market in which previously issued securities are traded. An active secondary market after the Initial Public Offering (IPO) provides the pre-IPO shareholders with a chance to convert some of their wealth into cash makes it easier for the Spry Plc to raise additional capital later and makes it easier for the company to use their stock to acquire other companies. This is to ensure Spry Plc stock will trade in an active secondary market before they incur the high costs of an IPO (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988); (Campbell and Shiller, 1988). The Role and Importance of Capital Market The primary role and importance of the capital market is to raise long term funds for corporation while providing a platform for the trading of securities. This is to protect increment of the market share and price of securities to protect their investments in future (Lo, Mamaysky and Wang, 2000) (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995). Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) asserts that financial markets are efficient or that prices on traded assets such as share and fixed interest securities are already reflect all known information. In can state that the companies may expect that they can develop more efficient market, more random the cycle of price changes generated by such a market and the most efficient market of all is one in which price changes are completely random and changeable (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988); (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). The role and importance of Efficient Market Hypothesis Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) information is defined as anything which may affect the share price that is not known in present and appears randomly in the future. The role of EMH is how Spry Plc mangers consist of analyzing and investing appropriately based on an investors tax consideration and risk profiles (Ariel, 1990); (Poterba, and Summers, 1988) (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001); (Roll, and Shiller, 1992). EMH will not consistently outperform the market by using any information that the market already know except through luck. The share prices may not determine to future stock performance example the market may not know about an events which will lead to lower profits. This can not be controlled by anyone when the share prices will be changing depending on the markets (Grossman, Sanford and Stiglitz, 1980); (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995); (Fluck, Burton and Quandt, 1997). Weak form of Efficient Market Hypothesis In this stage all past market prices and data are fully reflected in the price of securities and stock. It is based on information about event shaping the Spry Plc may not fully replicate in price. This state that future price movements are determined entirely by information not contained in the price series (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988); (Lakonishok, and Smidt, 1988). Semi-strong form of EMH This form emphasize that all publicly available information is fully reflected in securities prices. This implies that neither fundamental analysis nor technical analysis techniques will be able to reliably produce excess return (Campbell, 1987) (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995). Strong form of EMH This states that all information is fully reflected in securities price. A markets need to exist where investor can not consistently earn excess return over a long period of time (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001). Sources in Finance Corporate finance is an area of finance dealing with financial decision makes and the tools and analysis used to make those decision. Organization must ensure that the company are making good finance decision and all decision made are profitable for the organization (Poterba, and Summers, 1988); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). Sources of finance are divided into external finance and internal finance. One example of internal finance is retained earnings which are known as company profit. Another internal sources is often overlooked is the saving generated by more efficient management of working capital. This states that the company has sufficient cash savings in accounts to pay off all the debts owned as bank overdraft, trade creditors, and other debts (Campbell and Shiller, 1988); (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994). External finance is available which can be split broadly into debt and equity finance. External finance comes from outsource to invest and will pay-off based on terms agreed with interest (Ariel, 1990). Equity Finance Share capital is issued by capital and converted into small units become share of the companies. Shareholder is the person who is holding the company share. There are two types of share normally issues by company: ordinary share and preference share capital (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). Ordinary Shares Capital Ordinary share is important source of raising long term capital by Spry Plc. It represents the ownership of a company. Ordinary share capital will not get the fixed dividend but shareholder will get the basic interests from the company. Ordinary shareholders have the power to vote for the rights and they have the right to choose managing directors (Shiller, 1981); (Fluck, Burton and Quandt, 1997); (Rasches, 2001). The important merits of raising funds through issuing ordinary share are as follows (Samuelson, 1965); (Odean, 1999): There will not be a mandatory burden for the company to pay dividend to equity shareholders yearly. Ordinary shareholders have the right and power to vote who will be in the management committee of the company. Ordinary share issue can be time consuming and it is considered risky. Company has less control over the management as it is decided by shareholders (Ariel, 1990); (Roll, and Shiller, 1992). Preference Shares Capital Preference shareholders enjoy a superior position over equity shareholders in two ways. Preference shareholder will receive a fixed rate of dividend out of net profits of the company before any dividend is declared for ordinary shareholders. Preference shareholders do not have any vote rights (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988) (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995). The merits of preference share as follows (Basu, 1983): Preference share is a safety share to invest and company will provide a reasonably steady income in the form of fixed rate of return. Shareholder does not have the right and power to vote for management. Preference share often is not able to raise enough fund desired by the company (Ball, 1978). Retained Earning A company generally does not distribute all its earnings amongst the shareholders as dividends. This is the profits which show in the financial statement how much the organization gains for a year and can be retained in business for future use (Grossman, Sanford and Stiglitz, 1980) (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001). The merits of retained earning as a source of finance is as follows (Samuelson, 1965); (Odean, 1999): As the funds are generated internally, there are greater choices and flexibility available. It may lead to increase in the market price of the equity shares of a company Retained earning will not held the organization to use the capital wisely. Misuse is often occurred in this policy (Campbell, 1987); (Roll, and Shiller, 1992). Debt Finance Bank loan Bank provides funds for different purpose as well as for different time periods. For example, if Spry Plc borrows money from the bank with good understanding there can be different type of repayment like extended period, overdraft, term loans etc. though the borrower is required to provide some security assets of the firm before a loan is authorized by a commercial bank (Campbell and Shiller, 1988); (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). The merits of raising funds from a commercial bank are as follows (Keim, 1983): Banks provide funds when companies are in need and timely. Loan amount can be increased according to business needs and can be repaid in advance when funds are not needed. Bank often requires mortgage of assets in order to approve loan. Sometimes it takes too many formalities which take time (Ariel, 1990); (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001); (Nicholson, 1960). Debentures Debentures are an important tool for raising long term debt capital. A company can raise funds through issue of debentures which bear a fixed rate of interest. The debenture issued by a company is an acknowledgment that the company has borrowed a certain amount of money from public, which promises to repay at a future date with interest (Lo, Mamaysky and Wang, 2000); (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994). . The merits of raising funds through debentures are given as follows (French, 1980): The issue of debentures is suitable in the situation when the sales and earnings are relatively stable. As debentures do not carry voting rights, financing through debentures does not affect organizational control of equity shareholders on management. Issuing debentures is risky when company business market is not good and incurs losses because debenture amount must be paid regardless of company gains profit or losing business (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988); (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001). Cost of Capital When investors provide a corporation with funding they expect the company to generate an appropriate return on those funds. From the companys perception, investors expects return is a cost of using the funds and it is called as cost of capital. A variety of factor influence a companys cost of capital. The cost of capital is also a key factor in choosing the mixture of debts and equity used to finance the company and is a critical element in business decision (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) The cost of capital used to analyze capital budgeting decision is a weighted average of the components cost. Therefore, Spry Plc managers should strive to make the company more valuable and that value of a company is determined by the size, timing and risk of free cash flow (FCF). A companys value is the present value of its FCFs, discount at the WACC (Shiller, 1981). The formula of Weighted Average Cost of Capital as follows: Value = FCF 1 + FCF 2 (1+WACC) (1+WACC) 2 Cost of Equity Companies can raise common equity in two ways there are (Fama,1970): Directly by issuing share. Indirectly by retained earnings. Mature company issue new share of common stock. In fact if there are less than 2 percent of all new corporate funds come from the external equity market because of high floatation cost, investors perceived issuing equity as a negative signal with respect to the true value of the companys stock. An increase in the supply of stock will put weight on the stock price, forcing the company to sell the new stock at a lower price than existing, before the new issue was announced (Campbell and Shiller, 1988) (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994); (Nicholson, 1960). Rate of return (rs) is investors expectation to earn that return by simply buying the stock of the company. Therefore, rs are the cost of common equity raise internally by reinvesting earning (Poterba, and Summers, 1988); (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001). Whereas debts and proffered stock are contractual obligations that have easily determined cost, is more difficult to estimate rs. There are few methods to compute such as Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), Discount Cash Flow (DCF) and others. CAPM approach is to estimate the risk free rate, estimate the current expect market risk premium, estimate the stocks beta coefficient and substitute the preceding values into the CAMP equation to estimate required rate return on the stock (Ariel, 1990); (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995); (Jensen, 1968). Ks = Krf + à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ (Km Krf) Cost of Debt Cost of Debts determines the rate of return debts holders required to pay. Companies use both fixed and floating rate debt straight and convertible debts and debt with sinking and without sinking funds and each form has a somewhat different cost. Therefore, Spry Plc should know at the start of the planning period, the exact types and amounts of debt that will be used during the period. The types used will depend on the specific assets to be financed and on capital market condition as they develop over time. The relevant cost is the marginal cost of new debt to be raised during planning period. The after tax cost of capital is used to calculate the WACC (Lo, Mamaysky and Wang, 2000); (Nicholson, 1960). After tax component cost of debt = Interest rate Tax Saving = rd r d T = rd (1-T) Market value of equity and debt The formulation of market value of equity and debts as below: Market value of common equity (Market value common equity + market value of debt + Markey value of preference equity) In this stage, market value use to compute how much company share values at the market. The market value for equity is let publicly traded company is simply the price per share multiplied by the number of share outstanding. It can state market value of equity is similar to trade in ordinary share in market. The market value of debts similar to the company traded bonds. Most companies have a large banks loan. Therefore, this is one of the debts company holds. Preferred stock holders are fixed to gain the dividend by the company and percentages term is based on net profit for the years. The cost of common equity is usually determined using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (Grossman, Sanford and Stiglitz, 1980); (Fluck, Burton and Quandt, 1997). The formula to compute it is WACC = Weight of Preferred Equity * Cost of Preferred Equity + Weight of Common Equity * Cost of Common Equity + Weight of Debt * Cost of Debt * (1 Tax rate) Importance of cost of capital Considered as the opportunity cost, cost of capital is the minimum return required by an investor. On the other hand, for shareholders cost of capital is the dividend rate they expect to gain along with the gain on values of chares. Besides, for loan holders, cost of capital is the rate of interest for the loan provided. So company must perform well to maintain all returns effectively; other wise this finance providers will sale or transfer their funds to others with better rate or return (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). Capital Structures A company can obtain a long term financing in the form of equity, debts or some combination. The firms mixture of debt and equity is called as capital structure. The capital structure decision includes a companys choice of target capital structure, average maturity of its debts and specific source of financing it chooses at any particular time (Ariel, 1990); (Cooper, Dimitrov and Rau, 2001); (Jensen, 1968). Traditional Approach Traditional approach defined as an optimal capital structure. This is to compute how much the firms total value leverage for the year. When the investor is to invest their money in the company with a higher risk they may get higher interest and income. But when shareholder perceived higher risk and cost of equity is raise to the point at the level, the cost of debt will be more expensive than equity. So the company need to pay more interest and will bust to them when operate (Campbell, 1987); (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994). Miller and Modigliani (I) Miller and Modigliani (I) [MM] first analyze that leverage is the value of any firm is established by capitalizing its expected net operating income (EBIT) at a constant rate that is based on the companys risk. The first proposition establishes that under certain conditions, a firms debt-equity ratio does not affect its market value. This developed a trade off theory of capital structure. It show that dents is useful because interest is tax deductible but also that dents bring with it costs associated with actual or potential bankruptcy. The optimal capital structure strikes a balance between the tax benefits of debts and the cost associated with bankruptcy (Lo, Mamaysky and Wang, 2000); (DeBondt, Werner and Thaler, 1995). Miller and Modigliani (II) The second proposition establishes that a firms leverage has no effect on its weighted average cost of capital provided the cost of equity capital is a linear function of the debt-equity ratio. This stage is showing that under some conditions, the optimal capital structure can be complete debt finance due to the preferential treatment of debt relative to equity in a tax code. MM (II) is to determine that the expected return of portfolio equal with WACC of expected return of the securities in the portfolio. This proves that Proposition II is more flexible compute compare with MM (I) for the company because signaling models use financial decisions to reveal information to make decision (Grossman, Sanford and Stiglitz, 1980); (Poterba, and Summers, 1988); (Keim, and Stambaugh, 1986). Implications of cost of capital on capital structure Using cost of capital on capital structures bring the implications that the firm must earn a minimum rate of return to cover the cost of generating funds for investments if the firm wish public to buy bonds and stocks (Campbell and Shiller, 1988); (Lakonishok, Schleifer and Vishny, 1994). Conclusion Achieving the goal of corporate finance required that any corporate investment is financed appropriately. Investment in a new market may have risk which is very often unknown. Therefore, management must identify and aware of the risk and plans accordingly with financing mix and impact the valuation to reduce capital structure that results in maximum value (Fama, Eugene and French, 1988); (Fluck, Burton and Quandt, 1997).

ETs And UFOs :: essays research papers

ET’s & UFO’s   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nearly 600 years before Christ was born, the biblical prophet Ezekiel saw something unusual, very unusual, that he tried to explain; “And I looked and behold a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures.'; Since then, several similar Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO’s) are reported around the world. The Romans, the Greeks, moreover the great emperor Charlemagne saw it… saw what? For Christians, there is no doubt about it; Ezekiel described angels coming down on Earth bringing messages from God. However, this is not the only possible explanation. Where scientists see a complex natural phenomenon, others will see a “wheel in the middle of a wheel'; simply as an extra-terrestrial vehicle observing our planet Earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie ‘UFO’s, It Has Begun’ seems to be persuading enough to prove that extra-terrestrials do visit Earth. Burnt grass, cattle mutilations, capturing aliens, photographs, strange powder; all this evidence is presented in the movie. Unfortunately, most of it is incomplete, and there is nothing that could explain the sightings, besides, incredible film techniques and mysterious music highlights the obvious bias of the movie. On the other hand, 96 per cent of all the sightings can be explained by today’s science, that are identified as Venus, the Moon, reflections of light, electric charges, and weather balloons. The remaining 4 per cent maybe flying saucers which scientists deny the idea. Truly, if we think about the unimaginable time and energy needed for such an interstellar journey, it seems that visits of ET life forms to earth are quite unlikely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stanley Miller showed in 1953 that organic molecules can be made if ammonia, water vapour and hydrogen were irradiated. Therefore, scientists do have a strong belief that ET’s exist. An American astronomer, Frank Drake, tried to detail the probability of life elsewhere in the galaxy, and according to him, 10 per cent of nearly 400 billion stars in our galaxy are similarly like our sun. Therefore about 40 billion are possibly life-giving stars, and of these, maybe only 4 billion are like our Earth. The remaining 90 per cent are either too hot or too cold. Of course life and intelligence are not the same, and that means that our Earth is surrounded by at least 400 galactic neighbours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later on, humans decided to launch signals into space with modern technology, in hope to make contact with aliens.

Rizal as Inspiration

There is nothing wrong to study Rizal’s works and doings. For me, it’s a good thing to know and understand his history. Rizal became a hero because of his accomplishments not because he was made to be. In his writings, he mentioned characters and scenarios related in reality. It focuses his ideals and misery in our country. Indeed, he is an inspiration but only some people sees that. Many Filipino knows Rizal is our national hero and being a hero is what they knew about him and that is wrong. It is more than that. It is not enough only knowing him as a hero. We should also understand and learn something from him.Fighting for a freedom of a country is not a simple thing. I know you will needed so much courage, knowledge and a presence of mind. Like him, he used the power of his mind to fight for good and that’s we should try to imitate from him. The social cancer Rizal mentioned still exist today and we are the one living in present so I think we should at same as him. But not literally same. Being patriotic is also what made me inspire him. His selfless love in our country is remarkable. The values he has is also what we need to have. He inspired readers through his words. His real words.Rizal has become the constant model that inspires man and woman across the land to dream and work for its realization no matter the cost is brings for the sake of nationhood and promoting the liberty for the people. He also proven education is the answer to our struggle nation. So we student should value education because in the future we are the one who will get benefit from it. That’s why I will strive hard to get my diploma because I believe someday I can also do remarkable things for our next generation. Education will helped us broadened our minds, so that we’re not confined to our countries and comfort zones anymore.

History of the Automobile Essay

Starting in the late 1700’s, European engineers began tinkering with motor powered vehicles. Steam, combustion, and electrical motors had all been attempted by the mid 1800’s. By the 1900’s, it was uncertain which type of engine would power the automobile. At first, the electric car was the most popular, but at the time a battery did not exist that would allow a car to move with much speed or over a long distance. Even though some of the earlier speed records were set by electric cars, they did not stay in production past the first decade of the 20th century. The steam-driven automobile lasted into 1920’s. However, the price on steam powered engines, either to build or maintain was incomparable to the gas powered engines. Not only was the price a problem, but the risk of a boiler explosion also kept the steam engine from becoming popular. The combustion engine continually beat out the competition, and the early American automobile pioneers like Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford built reliable combustion engines, rejecting the ideas of steam or electrical power from the start. Automotive production on a commercial scale started in France in 1890. Commercial production in the United States began at the beginning of the 1900’s and was equal to that of Europe’s. In those days, the European industry consisted of small independent firms that would turn out a few cars by means of precise engineering and handicraft methods. The American automobile plants were assembly line operations, which meant using parts made by independent suppliers and putting them together at the plant. In the early 1900’s, the United States had about 2,000 firms producing one or more cars. By 1920 the number of firms had decreased to about 100 and by 1929 to 44. In 1976 the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association had only 11 members. The same situation occurred in Europe and Japan. The first automobile produced for the masses in the US was the three-horsepower, curved-dash Oldsmobile; 425 of them were sold in 1901 and 5,000 in 1904–this model is still prized by collectors. The firm prospered, and it was noted by others, and, from 1904 to 1908, 241 automobile-manufacturing firms went into business in the United States. One of these was the Ford Motor Company which was organized in June 1903, and sold its first car on the following July 23. The company produced 1,700 cars during its first full year of business. Henry Ford produced the Model T to be an economical car for the average American. By 1920 Ford sold over a million cars. At the beginning of the century the automobile entered the transportation market as a toy for the rich. However, it became increasingly popular among the general population because it gave travelers the freedom to travel when they wanted to and where they wanted. As a result, in North America and Europe the automobile became cheaper and more accessible to the middle class. This was facilitated by Henry Ford who did two important things. First he priced his car to be as affordable as possible and second, he paid his workers enough to be able to purchase the cars they were manufacturing. This helped push wages and auto sales upward. The convenience of the automobile freed people from the need to live near rail lines or stations; they could choose locations almost anywhere in an urban area, as long as roads were available to connect them to other places. Many states in the US established motor fuel taxes that were used only to build and maintain highways helping the auto highway system become self-supporting. Popularity of the automobile has consistently moved with the state of the economy, growing during the boom period after World War I and dropping abruptly during the Great Depression, when unemployment was high. World War II saw a large increase in mass transit because employment was high and automobiles were scarce. The rapid growth of car owners after World War II, particularly in the United States and Western Europe demonstrated the population’s favor towards automobiles. During the war, automobile motors, fuel, and tires were in short supply. There was an unsatisfied demand when the war ended and plenty of production capacity as factories turned off the war machine. Many people had saved money because there was little to buy, beyond necessities, in the war years. Workers relied heavily on mass transportation during the war and longed for the freedom and flexibility of the automobile. A historian has said that Henry Ford freed common people from the limitations of their geography. The automobile created mobility on a scale never known before, and the total effect on living habits and social customs is endless. In the days of horse-drawn transportation, the practical limit of wagon travel was 10 to 15 miles, so that meant any community or individual farm more than 15 miles from a city, a railroad, or a navigable waterway was isolated from the mainstream of economic and social life. Motor vehicles and paved roads have narrowed the gap between rural and urban life. Farmers can ship easily and economically by truck and can drive to town when it is convenient. In addition, such institutions as regional schools and hospitals are now accessible by bus and car. Yet, the effect on city life has been, if anything, more prominent than the effect on the farms. The automobile has radically changed city life by accelerating the outward expansion of population into the suburbs. The suburban trend is emphasized by the fact that highway transportation encourages business and industry to move outward to sites where land is cheaper, where access by car and truck is easier than in crowded cities, and where space is available for their one or two story structures. Better roads were constructed, which further increased travel throughout the nation. As with other automobile-related phenomena, the trend is most noticeable in the United States but is rapidly appearing elsewhere in the world. Before the automobile, people both lived in the city and worked in the city, or lived in the country and worked on a farm. Because of the automobile, the growth of suburbs has allowed people to live on the outskirts of the city and be able to work in the city by commuting. New jobs due to the impact of the automobile such as fast food, city/highway construction, state patrol/police, convenience stores, gas stations, auto repair shops, auto shops, etc. allow more employment for the world’s growing population.

Pollution Essays - Waste Management, Waste, Environmental Toxicology

Pollution Essays - Waste Management, Waste, Environmental Toxicology Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but damages us also. It has cause many problems ranging from lung cancer to the greenhouse effect. It is all among us and but we continue to live in our own filth. What is the reason behind this flawed logic? In this paper I will examine the problems and solutions for this issue. Automobiles are undeniable the greatest source of pollution. The noise pollution created by cars is immense. Another polluting effect of cars is the heat it creates. This heat makes it unpleasant to be near the car while its running. And of course the most famous of the automobiles evils is the exhaust. The toxic fumes given off as a byproduct of the combustion engine are slowly deteriorating our lungs and our atmosphere. The exhaust is extremely toxic to human beings. But why do we do continue to drive these walking time bombs. Some people will say it is progress, but the majority drives it for the convenience. Why walk four miles in four hours when you can drive the same miles in four minutes? Another popular source of waste is the post-consumer market. American citizens throw away millions of tons of garbage each year, and this trash has to go somewhere. While there are projects underway to clean and reuse this refuse most of it gets dumped into huge landfills. These landfills are disgusting festering blisters on our country's landscape. But people continue to consume and throw away more and more in the name of convenience. As they see it, when things get old, throw it away and get a new one. They blame the government for the trash problem, but the truth blame should be placed on themselves. The last great source of pollution lays in the businesses. Although not common, businesses have been known to dump their waste products into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence that really is not your concern, but you're wrong. Each time one of these companies pollutes there are horrible consequences to pay. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. It contaminates our drinking water and soil. It causes entire communities of humans (not to mention animals) to move on to new places not to return for at least a century. The pollutants dumped by industry are so concentrated that a single barrel can destroy an entire lake's ecosystem. Not only do companies dump chemicals, but also hot water. This hot water kills most life it comes into contact with, but also causes an overgrowth of algae that covers the surface of the lake, or pond, and blocks the light from reaching the bottom. This means the plant life cannot grow, which mean the small bacteria and other microorganisms can't grow which means fish can't feed which means the ecosystem dies. Pollution like any other problem can be solved, but this is a long process. Individuals can do their part to save the environment as well as themselves. Instead of driving, carpool, take the bus or any other method of mass transit. This will cut down on pollution made by cars each year, not to mention your gas bill. When it comes to the trash problem, take the time to sort your trash and place it in the appropriate recycling bins. By recycling we reduce the amount of waste piled onto the landfills. As for consumption, pay attention to how the products you buy are manufactured and how they are packaged. Avoid those products made in 'unfriendly' ways towards our mother earth. If a product encourages the destruction of land, or is of completely no use don't buy it. And finally voice your opinion in the polls. If each individual did their part, we will be creating a better world for ourselves as well as our children. July 27, 1998 English 1A

Internal Conflicts in Hamlet Essay Example

Internal Conflicts in Hamlet Essay Example Internal Conflicts in Hamlet Essay Internal Conflicts in Hamlet Essay Throughout different contexts, perspectives change. With these changing perspectives, composers collaborate with one another in order to attain a heightened understanding of the context. The enduring quality of Hamlet arises from its textual integrity, and its exploration of universal themes relating to the human condition. As such, the cohesive nature of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1601) is enhanced through Gregory Doran’s’ film interpretation Hamlet BBC (2009). An analysis of this contemporary production elucidates the concepts from the original play, exploring the deceptive facades of the protagonist and antagonist. Further we can observe the inter-play of duty on identity and judge the notions of mortality in order to realise the fragility of life. Both texts remain relevant in relating with the modern audience and more specifically, the symbolisation of the ‘mouse trap. ’ The notion of verisimilitude, which is chronic to humanity is exemplified in Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet through the characters of Hamlet and Claudius. Noblemen such as King Hamlet were seen as individuals chosen by God; therefore Claudius’ fratricide against King Hamlet was seen as a supremely sinful deed in that context. The serious nature of his crime necessitated his facade. The use of first-person collective and plosives in ‘Our dear brothers’ death†¦ and our whole kingdom be contracted in one brow of woe’ (1. 2. 1-4) emphasizes Claudius’ overwrought attention in maintaining his ‘honest’ and ‘honourable’ image. The notion of illusion against reality is further emphasised in the paradox of ‘that we wisest think on him†¦ With one auspicious and one dropping eye’ which conveys Claudius’s insincerity and reflects man’s deceptive capabilities. Hamlet’s feigning of an ‘antic disposition’ symbolises his deceit in hiding his renaissance ideologies. Hamlet’s aphoristic statement â€Å"that one may smile, and smile, and be a villain†, after hearing of Claudius’s murderous act, evokes the central concern of the play in which the line between masquerade and authenticity is blurred. Doran’s interpretation of Hamlet also deepens the contemporary audiences’ understanding of the difficulty in distinguishing between truth and illusions. In our post-modernist humanist society the film portrays Claudius as a multifaceted individual. Over the progressive passing of time, there has been a lowering of standard and apprehension towards the royal families of today; hence Doran’s Hamlet (2009) interprets Claudius as the victim in the after –math of King Hamlets’ murder, rather than Hamlet. This is evident in the use of chiaroscuro and ominous, non-diegetic music in the background as Claudius presents his soliloquy ‘Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven;’, which portrays him as exposed and helpless. This is juxtaposed with Hamlet in the darkness, portraying him as sinister and secretive. The additional quirky facial expression on Hamlet captured by a POV shot during the ‘mouse trap’ scene is presented to heighten this discreet, dark atmosphere on Hamlet. Hamlet’s sustainment of his overzealous, insane actions during his soliloquy emphasizes the directors’ interpretations on Hamlet being mad in reality. Therefore, the tenuous nature of truth allows us to question mankind’s nature and how appearances can easily interfere with our perception of reality. Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, through the characterisation of its protagonist, examines the justifiability of the universal notion of revenge. Hamlet faces an internal conflict to seek revenge against Claudius due to the conflicting notions of chivalric vengeance and the Renaissance ideal of divine retribution. The torment of the protagonist is conveyed in the soliloquy â€Å"O that this too too solid flesh would melt†, which depicts his deep anguish in fulfilling his fate as the avenger. (Do you have any ideas for contextual info? Shakespeare’s Hamlet indicates that rather Hamlet desiring to seek revenge for his father, he was merely forced into the action. The use of metaphor accompanied with war imagery ‘suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune†¦ To die, to sleep†¦ Ay, there’s the rub’ are used to highlight Hamlet’s conflicting dilemmas on suicide and spirituality. Hamlet’s contemplation of suicide emphasizes that the pressure of his duties laid down by the ghost has ultimately acted as a catalyst in initiating his down-fall. This can be concluded that Hamlets’ fate has been pre-determined, caused by a series of chain of events linked to the time period when King Hamlet was alive. This emphasizes the delicate, yet complicated structure of mortality how one course of action can dramatically change one individuals’ life. Hamlets’ contemplation in regards to his spiritual morality reflects and relates to the general dilemma of modern society, further proving that Hamlet remains relevant in society regardless of time. The use of personification ‘The undiscovered country†¦ puzzles the will†¦ thus conscience does make cowards of us all’ (3. . 79-83) foreshadows Hamlets’ existential conscience preventing him from taking revenge on Claudius quick enough. Contrastingly, Doran’s adaptation portrays Hamlet as an incompetent and demotivated individual in regards to his duties and identity. This emulates the ill-attentive, careless nature of the contemporary so ciety of today. The use of comical non-diegetic sound and a slanted crown on Hamlets’ head portrays him as care-free and ignorant of the situation he is in. Contrastingly, a more serious side of Hamlet is shown during the scene of Claudius’ soliloquy. Hamlets’ grim facial features in the darkness compared to Claudius under the light emphasizes Hamlet as being very sincere in regards to the revenge of Claudius. This is very puzzling as the directors’ overall interpretation of Hamlet differs from the serious nature of him in this scene. Through the director’s adaptation, this can be concluded as Hamlets’ inconsistency also shown throughout the course of the play. The concepts of revenge and retribution are seen strongly through Hamlets’ ponder on existentialism and the futile depth of his revenge. The use of allusion and repetition of Alexander the Great ‘Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust’ emphasizes that it is pointless in achieving for great things if in the end; we all are reduced to dust. This further reflects the care-free attitudes of the individuals in the modern society. Doran’s adaptation of Hamlet is a model exemplar of this concept by viewing revenge as a thrill-seeker in the eyes of Hamlet. Doran portrays Hamlet as very lively and excited during the scene of the ‘mouse trap’ displaying him as taking the whole situation as a game he must win through his facial features. Any other ideas? Ran out) This is assumed that it has been deliberately done by the director in order to contrast from the mundane lives of the contemporary society. In conclusion, the fluid nature of the universally coherent themes within Hamlet remains relevant in society regardless of time. Individuals obtain a heightened understandi ng of this play through the collaboration of unique ideas. Doran additionally further highlights Hamlet’s sinister image through the absence of light on Hamlets’ face during the scene of Claudius’ soliloquy.

3 Reasons to Always Keep One Foot in the Job MarketÂÂ

3 Reasons to Always Keep One Foot in the Job Market   You have a job and you’re mostly happy with it. But even if you’re mostly thrilled with it, it’s always a good idea to stay sharp and keep your options open–if only to negotiate better pay, bonuses, etc. Here are three things you can and should do to ensure you’re always a hot commodity and get recognized for your talents. Keep your contacts closeNearly 75% of all job-seekers get hired through networking. All the more reason to expand your network, make new connections, and keep your existing contacts sweet–even when you have a job. If you ever do need to shop around, you’ll have your network already in gear. It’ll seem much more genuine to ask for help if you’ve kept in touch all along.Keep your resume road-readyThere’s nothing worse than needing a new job in a hurry and having and out-of-date resume. Keep your resume current, as well, by doing a bit of monthly scheduled maintenance to include new training, skills , and expertise,0 or even new responsibilities. When or if you ever meet a head hunter, you’ll be ready to present your best self on paper without having to scramble.Stay in the loopStay current and regular. Generate an online presence on social media and networking sites like LinkedIn and then maintain that presence. Make a schedule for articles and blog posts and website updates, even tweets. The more you keep up your brand, the easier it will be to sell it (translation: yourself) if you ever have to.If you follow this roadmap, you’ll never find yourself in a desperate situation. You can do your job with the confidence that you can easily find another one, given all the great groundwork that you’ve been laying.

Public International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Public International Law - Essay Example To stop the influx of the people from the mentioned countries, the Immigration Act 1971 came into being. According to which only those Britishers who have strong links with the United Kingdom, the  Channel Islands  and the  Isle of Man had the right to abode, live and seek employment in the United Kingdom and the cited Islands2. Gone are the days when Indians, Africans and the Carribians were on the priority list of job seekers in the United Kingdom. The people of mentioned countries joined Armed Forces and Factories to help the Britishers to fight against their enemies in the World War-II and to produce war related products. Another factor of migration to Britain on the mass scale was the wages of working in the Armed Forces and the Factories, which were higher in Britain as compared to their homelands3. International Laws The International Law, unlike national laws has to address certain laws, rules and regulations, customs (interaction with the people of different countries) , respective governments, businesses entities besides rights and responsibilities in dealing with the sovereign states. The apex body responsible for making international laws must take into consideration the international norms; agreements; treaties; accords, UN charters, protocols; tribunals; memoranda’s; legal precedents of the International Court of Justice etc to adhere and to abide by the member countries4. The diverse legal systems and different historical backgrounds of different countries have compelled the countries to address international law including common law and civil law. It covers all the aspects of domestic laws, substantive laws, procedures and the remedies. The international law is heavily dependant on a) Principle of Comity   b) State Doctrine  and c) Sovereign Immunity5.   Keeping in mind the importance of International law, the developed world hires to address international issues in many of its agencies. The prominent entities are a) State Depa rtment b) Commerce and Environmental Protection Agency. There are number of lawyers who are working in a) United Nations b) World Bank c) Bureaus of American States d) International tribunals e) International Court of Justice and f) certain intergovernmental establishments. Apart from that mentioned above, there are NGOs who keep an eye on the international issues, including but not limited to, development activities, protection of human rights, environment laws, power sector, trade, arms control, drugs, human trafficking and transitional justice6.    National Laws of USA According to the US Nationality Act of 1952 (INA) â€Å"any person who is not a citizen or a national of the United States is considered as Immigrant.† U.S. Immigration law further provides a detailed guidance to the immigrants in terms of residence and naturalized citizenship, wherein they will avail full citizenship rights. It includes regulatory body, which deals with the immigrants, who intend to enter in the US with reference to how long he or she will remain in the country and when he will leave the country7. As far as the duties and obligations of US law enforcers are concerned, they can be termed as shared responsibilities. For example, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking care of its responsibilities towards a) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) b) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Community Development - Ku'nsaka Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Community Development - Ku'nsaka - Essay Example Ku’nsaka was formed in January 1997 by a group of friend who felt that there was a gap in the community for facility provision for the African-Caribean community. A large proportion of the Ku’nsaka community is from the Southern part of Africa mostly from Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Ku’nsaka also welcomes a wide range of people who are in need of their services as it believes that they could benefit from its services. Ku’nsaka works towards providing the Black, and Ethnic Minority community is served with necessities that some community members need but are not in a position to acquire. Within the office premises, Ku’nsaka has a project office telephone facility, this is to ensure that the service users who do not own a telephone can use the guidance of the office staff. The members who have basic knowledge of computers have the use of computers in the office. The office workers help users with benefits applications that require performing online. Service users also have the facility to borrow equipment such as lawn mowers or vacuum cleaners and other domestic equipment. Books and leaflets are available in different languages to facilitate those with language and communication problems. Ku’nsaka provides service users with advice relating to welfare benefits, housing and financial problems as well as issues relating to health and education. Since the user does not use English as their first language, Ku’nsaka provides that confidential setting that some users need for someone they can trust to read and interpret their correspondence. There is a spirit of community involvement at Ku’nsaka as people feel confident enough to plan or organise activities with the help of staff and get involved in community group activities. At Ku’nsaka, offering support serves as a way of creating conditions conducive to the Black and Ethnic Minority community. It is also a way of enhancing their social functioning and self-esteem as

CNS Breathe Strip Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CNS Breathe Strip Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example The company has used prominent people in Japan, the United States, and in Italy as their public relations since they will have an impact on the consumer choices after being seen using the breathing strip. For example in Italy, they used a Valentino Rossi, who is a famous motor cycle racer to promote the breathing strip. Since people will want to emulate they people the find famous, they started using the breathing strip to take care of their breathing problems, and this increased sales for the product. The company also embarked on a campaign in all the countries it supplies the breathing strip to know the needs of consumers by conducting market research to know the consumer needs, for example, when it first introduced the strip in the united states, it was black and recorded high sales since it meant it should be used at night. However, when the same product was introduced in England, it had a negative impact since people there wanted it to come in a lighter color to indicate that it is helpful for breathing. This prompted the company to change the color of their product so that it can be tailored to meet the needs of the target market. CNS’s brand image is strong as many people around the world are using it, and this is owed to the company’s advertising strategies. The company has many markets, the price of the product is not the same in all the markets, and they consider the market constraints in the target market before setting the price. This implies that users of the breathing strip will be willing to pay for the product provided it treats their breathing problems regardless of the price. The company embarks on extensive advertising campaigns to ensure that consumers are aware of the product. The company uses television advertising to promote the use of the product in most of its market since it has a wide coverage, implying that the advertisement will reach a wide audience. It also has a large market at convenience shops meaning that people do not have to have a prescription in order to buy the breathing strips. Valentino Rossi increased awareness of the breathing strip in Europe, and he uses the strip for most of his racers and on the two occasions when he did not use the strip, he lost the races and since then he has been using the nasal strip. This was a big boost to the company’s sales since people all over Europe with breathing problems started using the strip to help them in breathing, and the company increased their sales. People‘s culture and their way of life are important considerations when determining the market approach to be used in a certain market. This is because the beliefs of people ought to be incorporated in the marketing approach to ensure that they respond positively to the company’s product. In New Zealand, rugby is one of the most treasured sport in the country, and this means that the marketing approach for CNS would have to include some aspect of the game. Rugby is deeply rooted in the society and their national rugby team would be a good base for the marketing campaign. CNS could use one of the prominent players of the All Blacks team to market the product. Since the

Information Technology determines contemporary social change. Discuss Essay

Information Technology determines contemporary social change. Discuss giving examples - Essay Example In the current century, we started tapping the celluloid, uranium, electromagnetism, and now the photon. To neutralize harmful germs, we even employ the services of the bacterium. Another great invention is mathematics, derived naturally from the Homo Sapiens' ability to conceive quantity. Spectacular tool making is not possible without the continuous development of mathematics. Our species has gone this far, equipped with only a few pounds of brain matter, a small and frail anatomy, and natural senses limited to a mere five (sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing). Given these leaps, it has been necessary to come up with a set of social codes to regulate behavior and ensure continuous order. The law, it is said, operates to regulate behavior and maintain the cohesiveness of a given society. In order to maintain its role as bulwark, it capitalizes on and gains credence from the idea that there is but one set of "correct" rules and that legal decisions are but logical outcomes of tested principles that are empirically-replicable. Perhaps there are very few modern developments that have posed a challenge to this notion of the law and the legal system than the advent of the Internet. Precisely because of the uniqueness of the medium and the vastness of its breadth, there has been great difficulty imposing regulatory mechanisms on its use - thereby leading, in many cases, to its abuse. There can be no denying that information technology plays an important role in the molding of social values and in the legitimization of personal perceptions. In the United States, 98% have at least one television, 70% have more than one television, 70% have cable, and 51% of households with children have a computer. (Paik, 1994) For example, on the issues surrounding Internet obscenity, Petrie (1997) found that "because the Internet is a unique communications technology, it does not fit squarely into the conceptual scheme of traditional obscenity law." (p. 638). In a nutshell, the Internet, also called the information superhighway, is a communications network wherein computers from all over the world may instantaneously communicate and exchange images with each other through the benefit of a modem and an Internet Service Provider. There is no one central source that can filter out images or regulate the flow of information. The internet cannot be shut down at will. On the issue of hate speech, The danger posed by the internet is that more often than not, it is the medium of choice of racial supremacist groups who thrive on the relative safety and untraceability that the Internet provides. Hier (2000) presents three reasons: First, there exists a considerable gap between the public images that racial supremacist groups attempt to present in the Internet and a far less benign image that emerges upon closer analysis; second, exemplified by the Freedom-site, the internet has facilitated a greater degree of solidarity between racial supremacist organizations; and third, given the impersonal nature of the internet, there exists a certain degree of danger that otherwise ordinary citizens will become more susceptible to the ideology of racial supremacism. (p. 471) The problem is not merely that the technology allows for unprecedented reach and scope. More significantly, the problem is that the law and all its traditional structures are ill-equipped to handle this revolutionary form of

The Sixtieth Century and Beyond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

The Sixtieth Century and Beyond - Essay Example In 1505, Martin Luther changed his career path to become a monk after a life-threatening experience that changed his perception of religion. He gained spiritual enlightenment through his profound religious studies. Martin Luther believed that the key to salvation was not enslavement to religious dogma, but the faith of an eternal life (Bainton 456). Due to his skepticism and open-mindedness, Martin Luther was later excommunicated from the Roman Catholic. John Calvin was also an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. He was banished from Paris for his support of Martin Luther. He later settled in Geneva where he continued his religious teaching. In addition, Calvin was saddened by the immorality in the French Catholic church. Through his numerous scholarly works, Calvin provided a protestant response to the Catholicism. Modern Protestantism traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that was perpetuated by both Calvin and Luther. The Presbyterians are a result of Calvinism. The Protestant denomination rejects most of the teachings and beliefs of the Roman church. However, some Protestant churches such as the Anglican have adopted most of the Catholic beliefs while others have little association with the Catholic Church. The adherence to biblical teachings is common in both denominations. The age of discovery is the period in the 15th century that featured the European global exploration. It entailed the discovery of Africa by the Portuguese as well as the Spain discovery of America in 1492 (Wallerstein 78). Historians refer to the period as a link between modern era and middle ages. European exploration overseas led to colonization and slave trade. As a result, this leads to culture transfers, relocation of human population, and spread of infectious diseases between the western and eastern hemisphere. The spice trade dominated the whole of Europe, Africa, and Asia where spices such as pepper, Cinnamon and ginger were traded.  

Environmental Pollution Scenario - Phoenix Area Essay

Environmental Pollution Scenario - Phoenix Area - Essay Example The essay "Environmental Pollution Scenario - Phoenix Area" discovers Environmental Pollution Scenario. Sustainability can only be ensured if all involved stakeholders are on board when decisions are taken and implemented. In order to take and keep all involved stakeholders on board, it would be necessary to keep their interests in view when taking and implementing such decisions. A total of seven measures have been proposed in order to deal with the pollution based problems faced by Phoenix, Arizona. However, not all of the proposed solutions are implementable within the constrained budget of $18 million. Therefore, only four of the proposed measures will be implemented in full swing while the remaining budget will be kept in place to cover contingencies such as escalation in costs or need for increased commitment. This proposal seeks to implement. The total cost for these measures adds up to $14.7 million and thus leaves $3.3 million for contingency measures. The first measure for pollution reduction will concentrate on encouraging alternative transportation measures in order to reduce the load on roads and to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. The recent spike in car usage to commute around Phoenix is a major contributor to pollution in and around the district. Alternatively the focus could have been shifted to pollution control for point sources but these sources represent pollution creation that is comparable to the use of fossil fuels in vehicles. The inertia posed in point control would be too large.... Alternatively the focus could have been shifted to pollution control for point sources but these sources represent pollution creation that is comparable to the use of fossil fuels in vehicles (Newman & J., 1999). Furthermore, the inertia posed by affected businesses in point control would be too large to amount to something substantial. Hence, it was decided to vie for encouraging alternative transportation arrangements through a pervasive campaign based on public contact making. The next measure to reduce pollution is the promotion of fuel efficient cars. The contention here is to reduce the amount of fossil fuels being consumed in vehicles being used around Phoenix. In this fashion the amount of emissions produced by vehicles will reduce thus leading to reduced contribution for the greenhouse effect. In order to facilitate the transition to more fuel efficient vehicles, people buying more fuel efficient vehicles could be provided subsidies such as reduced taxes on fuel efficient ve hicles, reduced gasoline rates etc. There may be initial opposition from certain automobile dealers who deal with large gas guzzling vehicles but over time this is expected to subside. Moreover, the initial opposition to fuel efficient vehicles is expected to be insignificant compared to opposition for other measures (Nagurney, 2000). Also it is expected that automobile dealers will switch over to selling more fuel efficient vehicles once market demand for these vehicles rises. The third measure being planned is the development of green spaces or urban forestry in and around Phoenix in order to serve as natural barriers and filters for the pollution being produced. In addition the development of urban forested areas will ensure that the heat island effect is

The Sixtieth Century and Beyond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

The Sixtieth Century and Beyond - Essay Example In 1505, Martin Luther changed his career path to become a monk after a life-threatening experience that changed his perception of religion. He gained spiritual enlightenment through his profound religious studies. Martin Luther believed that the key to salvation was not enslavement to religious dogma, but the faith of an eternal life (Bainton 456). Due to his skepticism and open-mindedness, Martin Luther was later excommunicated from the Roman Catholic. John Calvin was also an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. He was banished from Paris for his support of Martin Luther. He later settled in Geneva where he continued his religious teaching. In addition, Calvin was saddened by the immorality in the French Catholic church. Through his numerous scholarly works, Calvin provided a protestant response to the Catholicism. Modern Protestantism traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that was perpetuated by both Calvin and Luther. The Presbyterians are a result of Calvinism. The Protestant denomination rejects most of the teachings and beliefs of the Roman church. However, some Protestant churches such as the Anglican have adopted most of the Catholic beliefs while others have little association with the Catholic Church. The adherence to biblical teachings is common in both denominations. The age of discovery is the period in the 15th century that featured the European global exploration. It entailed the discovery of Africa by the Portuguese as well as the Spain discovery of America in 1492 (Wallerstein 78). Historians refer to the period as a link between modern era and middle ages. European exploration overseas led to colonization and slave trade. As a result, this leads to culture transfers, relocation of human population, and spread of infectious diseases between the western and eastern hemisphere. The spice trade dominated the whole of Europe, Africa, and Asia where spices such as pepper, Cinnamon and ginger were traded.  

Contemporary Economic Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Contemporary Economic Policy - Essay Example What is needed is not less than an energy revolution itself. This World Energy Outlook demonstrates how that might be achieved through decisive policy action and at what cost. It also describes the consequences of failure. Take oil for example, which is the world's essential supply of energy and will remain so for many years to come, even under the most optimistic of assumptions about the pace of growth and exploitation of alternative technology. But the sources of oil to meet rising demand, the cost of producing Oil and the prices that consumers will need to pay for it are extremely uncertain and constantly fluctuating, perhaps more than ever. The surge in prices in recent years drastically ending in the price spike of 2008, joined with much greater short-term price instability, have highlighted just how sensitive prices are to short-term market imbalances. They have also alerted people to the ultimately finite nature of oil (and natural gas) resources. In fact, the immediate risk to supply is not one of a lack of global resources, but rather a lack of investment where it is needed. Upstream investment has been rising rapidly in nominal terms, but much of the augmentation is due to heaving costs and the need to battle rising decline rates - especially in higher-cost provinces outside of OPEC. Today, most capital goes to exploring for and developing high-cost reserves, partly because of limitations on international oil company access to the cheapest resources. Expanding production in the lowest-cost countries will be central to meeting the world's needs at reasonable cost in the face of dwindling resources in most parts of the world and accelerating decline rates everywhere. 1. Introduction: The United Kingdom has been a net importer of energy resources (Oil and Gas) the energy sector itself has a big chunk in the over-all economy of the nation. However with the ever fluctuating and unpredictable fuel prices, it does not seem like a feasible approach to depend on traditional energy resources. A better and more mature energy policy needs to be prepared and implemented. The purpose of this paper is to highlight key energy consumption trends in the UK, review the energy policy and come up with a better approach towards dealing with the economic impact of energy. The energy industries in the UK play an innermost role in the economy by producing, transforming and supplying energy in its various forms to all sectors. They are also major contributors to the UK's balance of payments through the exports of crude oil and oil products (National Statistics Publication 2007). i) 4.8 per cent of GDP; ii) 8.6 per cent of total investment; iii) 44.3 per cent of industrial investment; iv) 137,800 people directly employed (5 per cent of indus

Bariatric Surgery: Types and Applications

Bariatric Surgery: Types and Applications The rise of bariatric surgery is partly due to the epidemic of obesity in the United States. Because of this epidemic, the number of bariatric surgeries in 2003 was near 103,000. This number was up from 16,000 in 1992. Americans have increased in extreme obesity. Lack of exercise, failure of diets, the desire to want everything right now, has fueled the explosion of the medical procedure. There are so many obese people who are faced with weight induced disease and health complications such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, high LDL cholesterol, stroke, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints), sleep apnea and other breathing problems. Those with these weight induced diseases have found that bariatric surgery can make many of these issues dissipate. Medical professionals are now even considering reducing the weight guidelines for bariatric surgery for people with these medical issues. Although the surgery has given a new lease on life to many, it is imperative that we remember that the procedure is a surgery. Basically, bariatrics is a field of medicine take specializes in treating obesity. When a patient undergoes bariatric surgery, they undergo a type of operation that should help promote weight loss. At this time, only those who suffer from severe obesity qualify for bariatric surgery. The results that are desired from bariatric surgery is to produce weight loss in the patient by restricting food intake by through a surgical process. There are currently four kinds of operations that are offered in the United States at this time. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch (BPD-DS), vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and adjustable gastric band (AGB) are all types of bariatric surgeries. Each type of surgery has risks and benefits. Each patient must decide with their doctor which option will work better for them. Generally food will move along the digestive tract as enzymes and juices absorb nutrients along with calories. The stomach can hold aro und three pints of food at a time. After leaving the stomach, digestion speeds up. Food moves from the duodenum, to the rest of the 20 foot long small intestine. The food that has not been digested once the food reaches the large intestine is stored there until elimination. Bariatric surgery makes some type of change to this process, in order to promote weight loss. Jejunoileal Bypass was the first operation created just to cause a patient to lose weight. This surgery was first performed at the University of Minnesota in the 1950s. Physicians no longer recommend a Jejunoileal Bypass as a bariatric surgical procedure. The risk that come with global, permanent and severe malabsorption was thought to be too be to dangerous to the patient. This procedure must also be followed by vital, long term follow ups to be successful. Many patients had to have this procedure reversed in order to live. In this surgery, called JIB for short, the stomach is left intact. The bypass induces a state of malabsorption because it bypasses most of the intestines. This procedure may have given excellent weight loss to patients but many suffered from complications like vitamin A D deficiencies, protein calorie malnutrition, kidney stones and diarrhea. One major complication was the toxic overgrowth of intestinal bacteria. This caused problems like skin trouble, arthritis, flu-like symptoms and even liver failure. Thankfully, the jejunoileal bypass is no longer performed due to its life threatening metabolic consequences. Gastric Bypass was also developed in the late 1960s by Drs. Ito and Mason. It was developed from the observation of weight loss from patients that had undergone surgery for ulcers. In these surgeries, part of the patients stomach had to be removed. At first, surgeons performed the surgery with a loop bypass. It was soon recognized that this caused bile reflux. Physicians started performing the operation in 1977, with a piece of intestine that is now joined to a very small stomach. This is to keep bile from getting to the upper stomach and esophagus. This procedure is now called Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure or RYGBP. It is a mixed restrictive and malabsorptive procedure. The amount of intestine that is bypassed in this particular procedure is not enough to cause malabsorption of nutrients and proteins but the portion of intestine that is bypassed is the site where most of the absorption of iron and calcium should take place. Because of this, the most common long term complicatio n of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure is anemia and osteoporosis. Patients who undergo this procedure should prepare for using a mineral supplement long term. The way in which the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure works is multifaceted. It is thought that many of the behavioral changes patients feel after surgery has to do with hormone alterations and neural signals that are produced in the GI tract. Many patients feel a reduction in hunger and after they eat, feel full sooner. Many no longer suffer from bad food cravings and take a liking to healthy foods. Then there is a syndrome called dumping which is a sensitivity to sugar, that most patients experience. This may include palpitations, diarrhea, and other symptoms. These results happen within ten to thirty minutes of eating foods that consist of high amounts of sugar. In 1994, the Roux-Y gastric bypass was performed as a laparoscopic procedure and has quickly enhanced the surgery. Most patients lose less blood, have shortened hospital stays and less down time when they undergo the laparoscopic procedure, although the operation in more challenging and takes longer than the open procedure. The most common weight loss surgery is now the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure. Most patients say that they have an increase in their quality of life. It has been proven to result in a durable weight loss and improvement in obesity related comorbidities. Illnesses such as diabetes, high cholesterol, liver disease, high blood pressure and many more have been proven to be control, improved or even cured. There is a procedure that uses gastric rings to control the size of the stoma in vertical banded gastroplasty. It is called the Ring Gastric Bypass. Surgeons use these rings to maintain the size of stoma and reduce stretching. This procedure has become a rational operation that is used to control obesity. With the ring functioning as the stoma, postprandial emesis is limited. The patient has the opportunity to eat various foods like meats and vegetables without problems. This surgery results in much more weight loss than in standard gastroplasty. Some complications of ring gastric bypass are marginal ulcers, stenosis, incisional hernia and staple line breakdown. In the surgery, biliopancreatic diversion, there is a change in normal digestion by making the stomach smaller and bypassing part of the small intestine, so that you take in less calories. There is a biliopancreatic diversion with or without a duodenal switch. In the biliopancreatic diversion surgery without the duodenal switch, some of the stomach is cut away. The remaining part of the stomach is then connected to the bottom part of the intestine. When surgeons do the duodenal switch, only a little part of the stomach is taken away. The rest of the stomach stays attached to the duodenum and then the duodenum is attached to the lower part of the small intestine. It is thought that this process would help to prevent ulcers. Because the duodenum is more tolerant of the acids from the stomach it is much more resistant to ulceration. Cutting away part of the stomach should help reduce the presence of acid. This surgery increases the amount of gastric restriction, helps the patient get th e right amount of protein, and decreases the dumping syndrome. Dumping is associated with this surgery as well, although it occurs less often with biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Introduced in 1978, Gastric Banding is a purely restrictive bariatric procedure. Dr. Wilkinson developed a nonadjustable gastric banding to go around the upper part of the stomach. Ultimately, the dilatation of the pouch resulted in unsatisfactory weight loss. Dr. Molina, retried the gastric segmentation procedure in 1980. The stomach pouch was made smaller than in Dr. Wilkinsons procedure and a Dacron vascular graft was used to go around the upper stomach. This was eventually replaced because the graft adhered to the liver. Dr. Kusmak in 1983, used a band of silicone to go around the stomach to create a smaller stoma and smaller gastric pouch. In order to make the band adjustable this band was modified later. In 1986, Kuzmak created a silicone and with an inflatable balloon. The device was attached to a reservoir that is beaneath the skin, so that medical practitioners could adjust the band. When the balloon gets blown up, the band gets tighter and reduces weight. When the opposite happens to the balloon, the band gets loose and weight loss is reduced. This device can also be inserted laparascopically. At this time there are many types of adjustable bands available in the United States, none have been seen to be better than the other. In an adjustable band procedure, an intestinal bypass is not a part. Weight loss from restriction of food intake is how this procedure works. The impact on co-morbidities and rapid weight loss is less favorable when compared to the gastric bypass. There are groups who have had to undergo re-operation for long term complications. Some of the complications from this procedure are perforation, band erosion, hernia, band slippage, and a need for a revision. In the early 1970s gastroplasty was designed as a safer alternative to the RYGBP and the JIB. The first purely restrictive operation to treat obesity was made possible by mechanical staples. Riginally gastroplasty was done hotizontal and involved stapling the stomach into a small part by only leaving a small opening for food to pass between the upper to the lower stomach pouchs. This had very poor results for long term weight loss and was stopped. The vertical banded gastroplasty was then introduced. In this procedure there is a low mortality and deficiencies of micronutrients is virtually an abscent. Because of long term studies, VBG is being performed less often. Research shows that cases of weight regain and severe heartburn are high when compared to other procedures. There are many new, up and coming bariatric surgeries and trends in development stages. In 1996, Gastric pacing was first introduced in humans but is still considered experimental. It is an attempt to provide durable and significant weight loss that is non-malabsorptive and nonrestrictive. The mechanisim disrupts normal gastric myoelectrical activity, called an IGS, implantable gastric stimulator. Pulses are used to disrupt eating, causing you to feel full earlier. There have been setbacks with gastric pacing because of mechanical problems with the electrical leads. Clinical trials for this procedure are ongoing. The EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner, also known as the endoluminal sleeve, is now in the late-stage clinical trials. It is thought that patients may get the benefits of surgery with a simple sleeve, incredible. Data shows that obese individuals achieved almost normal blood sugar levels in a week with uncontrolled diabetes using the endoluminal sleeve liner. As more benefits of bariatric surgery come to light, there has been a push to offer it to more people with lower body mass indexes. As diabetes continues to increase, more people will turn to bariatric surgery for its curative powers. Also we will see an increase in programs for obese teens as studies are showing that surgery quickly improves heart health for them. Less invasive bariatric procedures are currently being developed. There is a procedure being developed called Transoral gastroplasty. In this procedure, surgeons hope to change the stomach anatomy without any cuts, so that after a small meal, patients will have a feeling of fullness. As the waistline of Americans continues to get larger, bariatric surgery will continue to increase and flourish. With increased knowledge and research, obesity has started to be seen as a molecular disease that has potential molecular explanations. As study continues, bariatric surgery will continue to advance. There may be a time when people will finally be able to avoid this intriguing and dangerous disease called obesity. Does Society Create Monsters? Analysis of Frankenstein Does Society Create Monsters? Analysis of Frankenstein Does Society create monsters or are we born that way? Society is the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community. Does society create monsters or are they formed when someone is born? People in the world love to fit in and do everything one can do to be perfect. Children grow up watching elders and people in the world doing things whether it is good or bad. When people watch someone do something and that person gets attention for it, everyone runs to do that certain thing or wear that certain outfit or talk that certain way because people love attention and now days people are willing to do anything for it. The monster showed significant signs to prove he tried to be good, by trying to help people. The story Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is a story about tragic events that happen because a creature is in need of love and attention, only because the monster sees people giving others love and attention. Victor Frankenstein creates a monster without knowing that there would be negative sides effects to this powerful creation. Not knowing everyone Frankenstein loved would die because of him not making the right choice. The monster never understood what it was like to be treated normal, the only person who even treated him nicely was an old blind man who had no idea what he looked like until his children came home and told him. So should one believe that he was born a monster or did society make him this way? The story A Modest Proposal shows that society can create monsters. The towns people had many problems; the biggest one of all was the children. Many people couldnt afford to have them causing people to lose money and then being forced to live on the streets. Finding a solution to this problem was very difficult but one guy did come up with one and many took it seriously. Many people thought that eating the children and infants would lower the population rate and less people would be forced to live on the streets, because they would have less people/children to fend for.   These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg for sustenance for their helpless infants, who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbados. (Jonathon Swift) The quote above shows how desperate the mothers and p eople were because of the children. There is an honest question though; if one person had not come up with this idea would anybody else have thought about it? Is society to blame? Although Frankensteins monster made many mistakes and did kill several people because he wanted Frankenstein to be as unhappy as he was, does not mean that he did not have a good heart.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner the man sailing on the boat shoots the albatross for no reason but because he wanted to. God save thee, ancient mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus! Why lookst thou so? With my crossbow I shot the albatross. (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) The mariner had no reason to shoot it, but because he thought it would be cool and a good idea, to please society. In all truths nobody really agreed with shooting the albatross and everyone got punished for this mistake that could have been prevented. Frankenstein was born and raised with parents who loved and supported him. Yes these people helped raise him and helped him become who he was but nobody forced him to be good or bad. A person could be born good or bad but society does have a big impact and helps one become who they will be for the rest of their life. The innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by heaven, whom to bring up to good, and whose future lot it was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery, according as they fulfilled their duties towards me. (Mary Shelley) So the question still remains, does society create monsters or are the born that way? With the evidence above could only make one feel that the monster tried to be as good as possible but with the events happening he couldnt truly be happy and every time he tried to find happiness something bad ended up happening. The monster wasnt treated the way he should have been, if society would have treated him better would the monster have hurt all the people he did? Citation Page Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, Penguin Group, 1963 Swift, Jonathon., A Modest Proposal, Beverly Chin et, al publisher, Glencoe McCraw Hill 518-524 Coleridge, Samuel., Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Beverly Chin et, al publisher, Glencoe McCraw Hill 715-735

Death by Highlighter :: Graduate College Admissions Essays

Death by Highlighter I woke up Tuesday morning with a strange sense that I was not alone in bed. Something was jabbing me in the left hip. I opened one eye tentatively. It was 8:47 a.m., and I did not want to be awake. I investigated the source of the jabbing feeling to discover, to my horror, a florescent yellow, uncapped highlighter that I had let slip after falling asleep while reading a report on science and engineering at Duke. I shuddered, moved the higlighter to a more innocuous location on the floor, and went back to sleep. The perils of highlighters, however, extend well beyond my now-fluorescent-yellow sheets, nightgown and left hip. Having highlighted my way through three years of college, four years of high school and a few years of junior high, I have reached the shocking conclusion that highlighters have undermined my education. Before the days of transparent yellow markers, readers took notes on reading, or wrote in ball-point pen in the margins, forcing themselves to transmit information from words on a page to coherent thought to at least somewhat coherent squiggles on the page. The highlighter offers a seductive shortcut--the reader can bypass the "coherent thought to squiggle" step of the process and simply smear interesting passages with fluorescent ink, no analysis required. Particularly impressive phrases may merit an emphatic mark in the margin, and, on rare occasions, the holder of the fluorescent wand may even add a note in blue or black ink. Regardless, however, the marker-wielding reader generally smears large tracts of text with ink, never bothering to summarize or paraphrase information. I know the pathological symptoms of highlighter-addiction because I am a victim. I shouldn't have turned out this way--I had a strictly traditional fifth-grade history teacher who required us to take notes on our reading in outline form. But something happened in high school, I think in European History, when I realized I could never write down every iota of information in our menacingly dense text book--so I grabbed hold of a highlighter and started marking interesting facts in bright yellow. I meant to make notes in the margins, but there wasn't time . . . and so I launched myself down the highlighter path to mental oblivion. Highlighters should shoulder at least as much of the blame as MTV for Generation X's short attention span and anti-intellectual leanings. Death by Highlighter :: Graduate College Admissions Essays Death by Highlighter I woke up Tuesday morning with a strange sense that I was not alone in bed. Something was jabbing me in the left hip. I opened one eye tentatively. It was 8:47 a.m., and I did not want to be awake. I investigated the source of the jabbing feeling to discover, to my horror, a florescent yellow, uncapped highlighter that I had let slip after falling asleep while reading a report on science and engineering at Duke. I shuddered, moved the higlighter to a more innocuous location on the floor, and went back to sleep. The perils of highlighters, however, extend well beyond my now-fluorescent-yellow sheets, nightgown and left hip. Having highlighted my way through three years of college, four years of high school and a few years of junior high, I have reached the shocking conclusion that highlighters have undermined my education. Before the days of transparent yellow markers, readers took notes on reading, or wrote in ball-point pen in the margins, forcing themselves to transmit information from words on a page to coherent thought to at least somewhat coherent squiggles on the page. The highlighter offers a seductive shortcut--the reader can bypass the "coherent thought to squiggle" step of the process and simply smear interesting passages with fluorescent ink, no analysis required. Particularly impressive phrases may merit an emphatic mark in the margin, and, on rare occasions, the holder of the fluorescent wand may even add a note in blue or black ink. Regardless, however, the marker-wielding reader generally smears large tracts of text with ink, never bothering to summarize or paraphrase information. I know the pathological symptoms of highlighter-addiction because I am a victim. I shouldn't have turned out this way--I had a strictly traditional fifth-grade history teacher who required us to take notes on our reading in outline form. But something happened in high school, I think in European History, when I realized I could never write down every iota of information in our menacingly dense text book--so I grabbed hold of a highlighter and started marking interesting facts in bright yellow. I meant to make notes in the margins, but there wasn't time . . . and so I launched myself down the highlighter path to mental oblivion. Highlighters should shoulder at least as much of the blame as MTV for Generation X's short attention span and anti-intellectual leanings.

African American Women in Early Film Essay -- Hollywood Movies Film Bl

African American Women in Early Film   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In early film many African American actresses portrayed roles as mammies, slaves, seductresses, and maids. These roles suppressed them not allowing them to show their true talents. Although they had to take on these degrading roles, they still performed with dignity, elegance, grace and style. They paved the way for many actresses to follow both blacks and whites. These women showed the film industry that they were more than slaves, mammies, and maids. These beautiful actresses showed the film industry that they are able to hold lead parts and even carry the whole cast if need be. Phenomenal actresses such as Hattie McDaniels, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Waters, Nina Mae McKinney, and Dorothy Dandridge, to name a few, are African-American stars who paved the way for so many African-American actresses today despite the hardships that they were faced with. These women displayed beauty, intellect and talent, which allowed the stars that followed that they do not have to just settle for stereoty pical roles. In early film there was much propaganda and even today, which lead to these demeaning roles that they had to betray, Professor Carol Penney of Yale-New Haven writes, â€Å"Film is one of the most influential means of communication and a powerful medium of propaganda. Race and representation is central to the study of the black film actor, since the major studios reflected and reinforced the racism of their times. The depiction of blacks in Hollywood movies reinforced many of the prejudices of the white majority rather than objective reality, limiting black actors to stereotypical roles† (1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hattie McDaniels, a trailblazer amongst African-American film, acquired many firsts for African-American actors. McDaniels was the first African-American to sing on the radio, first to receive an Oscar for best supporting actress in Gone with the Wind. She was also the first African-American to star in a sitcom in 1951 that featured an African-American actress in the title role (Pax 1). â€Å"McDaniels appeared in more than three hundred films during the twenties and thirties. Her career was built on the ‘Mammy’ image, a role she played with dignity† (Smith 7). She received much flack from the blacks because of the roles she played in film and on radio. Blacks felt that she was degrading the race but her reply was to these views were... ...reen and feel that they are beautiful too. Work Cited The African-American Almanac, 1997. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. â€Å"Ethel Waters.† Online. 10 March 2005. Available: www.http://www.redhot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   jazz.com/waters.html. â€Å"Honoring Black History Month.† Pax Stars. Online. 10 March 2005.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Available: www.http://www.pax.tv/bios/one-bio.cfm/hattie-mcdaniel. â€Å"Nina Mae McKinney.† South Carolina African American History Online. Online.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   11 March 2005. Available: www.http://www.scafam-hist.org/aahc/. â€Å"Pearl Bailey.† Black History: Virginia Profiles. Online. 13 March 2005. Available: www.http://www.gatewayva.com/pages/bhistory/1996/bailey.shtml. Penney, Carol. â€Å"Black Actors inamerican Cinema.† Yale-New Haven Teachers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Institute. Online. 12 March 2000. Available:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/cirriculm/units. â€Å"Pioneer black actress Dorothy Dandridge has a famous cast of modern-day  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   admirers.† Online. 12 March 2005. Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.http://ohio.com/bj/fun/tv/0299/002827htm.

Japanese Comfort Women Essay

It is estimated that between one and two hundred thousand female sex slaves were forced to deliver sexual services to Japanese soldiers, both before and during World War II. These women were known as comfort women and the Imperial Conference, which was composed of the emperor, representatives from the armed forces and the main Cabinet ministers, approved their use by Japanese soldiers. Walkom) The term â€Å"comfort women† refers to the victims of a â€Å"premeditated systematic plan originated and implemented by the government of Japan to enslave women considered inferior and subject them to repeated mass rapes,† said Michael D. Hausefeld, one of over 35 lawyers in his firm representing the former sexual prisoners in a class action lawsuit currently pending against the Japanese government. (Eddy) Since ancient times, prostitutes in Japan chose to sell their bodies either for family, poverty, or for saving her husband and her children. More or less, their sacrifices were seen as positive. But, being forced to become comfort woman by Japanese is seen as negative. The difference between the Japanese prostitutes and comfort women is that the comfort women did not choose to be trapped as a sex slave and they were not paid for what they did. In 1931, when the Japanese army invaded Manchuria, â€Å"comfort houses† made their first appearances. These comfort houses were created to provide the Japanese soldiers with outlets for their sexual needs. In the beginning, there were only a few comfort houses but after the Nanjin Massacre occurred in 1937, many more were added, basically to every place that the Japanese were stationed. (Walkom) After the Japanese soldiers slaughtered thousands of Chinese people in the Nanjin Massacre, they barbarically raped an insurmountable number of women. As a result, anti-Japanese sentiments grew and it became harder to fully occupy these lands. The government set up comfort houses to decrease disorder and give the approximately two million soldiers a place to satisfy their sexual needs. The Japanese did not have enough prostitutes to supply the needs of the soldiers so they commissioned civilians to develop comfort houses. At the time, only a small percentage of Japanese women were mobilized to â€Å"work† in comfort houses and they were all prostitutes to begin with. The majority of the comfort women were actually Korean women, who were forcibly taken from Korea to service the needs of the Japanese soldiers. After the war, the Japanese government destroyed all evidence of their involvement in Japanese comfort houses, enforcing that commercial businessmen were responsible for the movement of women. Many of the comfort women were kidnapped or deceived into voluntarily working in comfort houses. Once they were there, they were trapped and forced into prostitution. Some women reported that Japanese agents offered them good jobs or education. Others were told that each family in the village had to donate a daughter to the war effort. Many others were offered food, shelter and factory jobs. The Japanese also kidnapped young, unmarried girls when they had a shortage of comfort women. The ages of the girls in the comfort houses ranged from 15 to 19, with the minority exception of some younger girls and some older, married women. The girls were transported between military bases like cargo, under heavy guard in army trucks, trains, ship and bus. They were forced to lose their virginity before arriving at the bases to prepare them for having sexual intercourse with tens of soldiers every day. Many women contemplated death after this, as they believed their virginity to be more precious than life. (Henson) When living in the comfort houses, the comfort women lived in fear and desperation. They were unable to leave, as they were heavily guarded. Each day, they were penetrated by as many as 50 soldiers, until they were sore and bloated to the point of not being able to open their legs. If they were infected with a sexually transmitted disease, they received injections known as Injection 606. If infected enough times, they lost their fertility. In Japan, infected women were killed. Their food was mixed with cyanide, their bodies taken to a cave and finally, the cave was blown up with a grenade. The comfort houses made money off these women and it is believed that the Japanese government paid them, as most of the soldiers paid by coupons. As soon as the war was finished, the Japanese Imperialist guards disappeared without trace. Most comfort women describe the experience this way, † Suddenly, the soldiers came no more, and upon asking we found that the war had ended. † In other regions, as the Japanese committed â€Å"harikari†, the women were forced to do the same. In extreme cases, the women were put in a cave and blown up. After the war, many of the comfort women were too sick to be moved and were taken under the care of the American army. Most of the women were left with no place to go, as they were in a strange country with no money, and were too humiliated to go home. According to one comfort woman, † my body’s wasted, therefore I do not dare go home in fear of being ignored and looked down upon. † Even after the war ended, the comfort women were not free. Their guilty minds and inferiority complexes kept them from returning home and they stayed in foreign countries. The small amount that married, were often forced to separate after the fact that they were comfort women was known, or they were divorced because they could not have children. The victims are still suffering the pain physically and psychologically. More than half of them could not get pregnant, and most of them have chronicle diseases. Furthermore, the psychological impact on these women made them felt themselves dirty, ashamed that they disgraced themselves and isolated themselves from others. They are either afraid of getting married, or unable to ask for any commitment from their lovers. For those who got married, their marriage was unstable and unhappy due to their past. Some thought that they must have done something evil in their previous life that they have to be punished in this life. (Hicks) They go to tempos to chant sutras, to confess, to pursue liberation, and they even commit suicide. Although the period of time they spent at the Japanese military base was a small part of their life, what they had experienced caused an incurable impact on their health, marriage, mind, and social adaptation. Although the Japanese government continues to deny or minimize their involvement with comfort women, their defense is unraveling. A conference on â€Å"Japanese Crimes Against Humanity: Sexual Slavery and Forced Labor† was held last year, in which Japanese researchers delivered papers which claimed that the Japanese military, the rest of the government, and Japanese industry were all involved in the decision to provide sex slaves for the country’s soldiers. (Chunghee) Japanese historian Hirofumi Hayashi said: â€Å"The establishment and development of the military ‘comfort women’ system†¦ as not only carried out by the total involvement of every section of the military but also by administrative machinery at every level of the Japanese state†¦ In addition, we should not overlook that Japanese companies were their accomplices. † (Chunghee) Researchers from the Center for Research and Documentation of Japan’s War Responsibilities in Yo kohama showed that Japanese rubber companies were under government contract to supply 20 million condoms a year to armed forces once the decision had been made to provide sex slaves to the soldiers. Rumiko Nishino wrote that â€Å"high-ranking adjutants† commissioned by Cabinet and sub-Cabinet-level government officials implemented the distribution of the condoms. The availability of condoms to the general population became â€Å"almost nil. † (Chunghee) Last year, the Japanese appeals court overturned an earlier ruling that orders the government to compensate women who were forced to serve as sex slaves during World War II. Both sides had appealed that ruling. The plaintiffs because they thought the compensation was too small, and the government because they refused to pay. Duke) In deciding in favor of the government, the Hiroshima High Court said abducting women to use them as forced laborers and sex slaves was not a serious constitutional violation. Tokyo has admitted that its wartime army had set up brothels, and forced thousands of Koreans, Filipinos, Dutch and Chinese to serve as prostitutes, but it has refused to compensate these victims. Historians say as many as 200,000 women were forced into sexual slavery during World War II.