Unit 9 Tourist Destinations Essay Example

Unit 9 Tourist Destinations Essay I am writing an article to outline how the characteristics of destinations affect the appeal to tourists and issues likely to affect the popularity of tourist destinations. What I mean by this is what characteristics affect its appeal to current leading tourist destinations, like economic and social characteristics. Throughout this article I am going to be analysing the issues that are likely to affect the popularity of tourist destinations.Some of the leading tourist destinations like France, US and the UK all have economic characteristics, like France for instance although it’s a small country they have fairly important economic power, the sectors vary: * Car industry – that reached its peak in 2005 selling nearly 5. 75 million vehicles worldwide. * Raw material production – Michelin is the first tyre producer, France ranks second together the UK concerning the plastic industry. Fashion and luxury goods industry – with about 25% of the market France is l eading in the perfumes and cosmetics sector, this whole industry is worth about 39 billion euros. * Main French farming foods – cereals – first producer in the U. E and fifth worldwide; Wine – second producer worldwide after Italy. Concerning global tourism revenues, France ranks third worldwide just after USA and Spain with 32. 8 million euros, France is the most visited country in the world reeling in 75. 1 million foreign tourists a year. In 2004 the population in France was 62 million, the GNP (gross national product) was 1. 90. 76 billion euros in 2004 along with the GDP (gross domestic product) at 1. 551 milliards, making the growth rate 2. 5% and inflation 2. 2%. France operates a mixed economy that combines socialist and capitalist characteristics, capitalism involves private ownership of capital and other means of production. Under socialism the government directs economic activity and owns all or part of most industries. The French government has a lot of control over the economy, owning shares in many of the countries largest companies.One of the most visited attractions in France is the Fontainebleau forest and castle is located 55. 5 kilometres south to the centre of Paris, with 13 million visits annually. Known for its variety of wildlife and activities, the Fontainebleau forest is and outstanding protected natural reserve. Its mini Alps rugged landscape and hilly terrain makes it perfect for rock climbers in training, it’s a paradise of wildlife with hundreds of species of fauna and flora. The second most visited place in France is Disneyland Paris, bringing in 12. million visits a year, Disneyland is a fun filled place for the whole family old or young your guaranteed a good time, this year is Disneyland’s 20th anniversary so that will most likely bring a good amount more visits to France. Frances highest mountain is the mount Blanc, its 781 feet high, there are also the Alps massif, central and Pyrenees Mount ains. In France they speak French, the religion in France is 90% catholic and 10% protestant, the literacy in France is 99% and the life expectancy is 71 for men and 79 for woman.The physical characteristics in France are fairly modern and up to scratch, every town has a clean water supply, adequate sanitation, more than enough utilities and a good service of transport. France is a republic, the fifth republic of France was establishes in 1958, it gave extensive powers to the presidents and ministers compared to the other western democracies. Its first president was General de Gaulle and his Prime minister was Michael Debre, it has been amended 17 times, most recently in July 2008 when the French congress (a joint convention of the two chambers of parliament) approved.The president must approve appointment of government, ministers, PM and presidents work together to form a government, in theory ministers are chosen by the PM in practice unless the president and PM are from different sides. The electoral system for parliamentary elections involves two rounds the first round a candidate can be elected by obtaining the majority of votes, the second round is a run-off between two or more candidates. The use of tourism for economic transformational reflect on the huge impact that tourist activity and the tourism industry has on political change

3 Major Ways Slaves Showed Resistance to Slavery

3 Major Ways Slaves Showed Resistance to Slavery Slaves in the United States used a number of measures to show resistance to slavery. These methods arose after the first slaves arrived in North America in 1619. Slavery created an economic system that persisted until 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment abolished the practice. But before slavery was abolished, slaves had three available methods to resist slavery: they could rebel against slaveholders, they could run away, or they could perform small, daily acts of resistance, such as slowing down work. Rebellions The Stono Rebellion in 1739, Gabriel Prossers conspiracy in 1800, Denmark Veseys plot in 1822, and Nat Turners Rebellion in 1831 are the most prominent slave revolts in American history. But only the Stono Rebellion and Nat Turners Rebellion achieved any success. White Southerners managed to derail the other planned rebellions before any attack could take place. Many slave owners in the United States became anxious in the wake of the successful slave revolt in Saint-Domingue (now known as Haiti), which  brought independence  to the  colony  in 1804 after years of conflict with French, Spanish, and British military expeditions.  Slaves in the American colonies (later the United States), knew that mounting a rebellion was extremely difficult. Whites greatly outnumbered slaves. And even in states like South Carolina, where whites made up only 47 percent of the  population by 1810, slaves could not take on whites armed with guns.   Importing Africans to the United States to be sold into slavery ended in 1808. Slave owners had to rely on a natural increase in the slave population to increase their labor force. This meant breeding slaves, and many slaves feared that their children, siblings, and other relatives would suffer the consequences if they rebelled.   Runaway Slaves Running away was another form of resistance. Slaves who ran away most often did so for a short period of time. These runaway slaves might hide in a nearby forest or visit a relative or spouse on another plantation. They did so to escape a harsh punishment that had been threatened, to obtain relief from a heavy workload, or just to escape the drudgery of everyday life under slavery. Others were able to run away and escape slavery permanently. Some escaped and hid, forming Maroon communities in nearby forests and swamps. When northern states began to abolish slavery after the Revolutionary War, the north came to symbolize freedom for many slaves, who spread the word that following the North Star could lead to freedom. Sometimes, these instructions were even spread musically, hidden in the words of spirituals. For instance, the spiritual Follow the Drinking Gourd made reference to the Big Dipper and the North Star and was likely used to guide slaves north to Canada. The Risks of Fleeing Running away was difficult. Slaves had to leave family members behind and risk harsh punishment or even death if caught. Many of the successful runaways only triumphed after multiple attempts. More slaves escaped from the upper south than from the lower south, as they were nearer to the north and thus nearer to freedom. Young men had the easiest time of running away because they were more likely to be sold away from their families, including their children. Young men were also sometimes hired out to other plantations or sent on errands, so they could more easily come up with a cover story for being on their own. A network of sympathetic individuals who helped slaves escape to the north emerged by the 19th century. This network earned the name the Underground Railroad in the 1830s. Harriet Tubman is the best known conductor of the Underground Railroad, helping over 200 other slaves escape after she herself reached freedom in 1849. But most runaway slaves were on their own, especially while they were still in the south. Runaway slaves would often choose holidays or days off to give them extra lead time before being missed in the fields or at work. Many fled on foot, coming up with ways to throw off dogs in pursuit, such as using pepper to disguise their scents. Some stole horses or even stowed away on ships to escape slavery. Historians are unsure of how many slaves permanently escaped. An estimated 100,000 fled to freedom over the course of the 19th century, according to James A. Banks in March Toward Freedom: A History of Black Americans. Slaves Retaliate With Ordinary Acts of Resistance The most common form of slave resistance was day-to-day resistance or small acts of rebellion. This form of resistance included sabotage, such as breaking tools or setting fire to buildings. Striking out at a slave owners property was a way to strike at the man himself, albeit indirectly. Other methods of day-to-day resistance were feigning illness, playing dumb, or slowing down work. Both men and women faked being ill to gain relief from their harsh working conditions. Women may have been able to feign illness more easily, as they were expected to provide their owners with children. At least some owners would have wanted to protect the childbearing capacity of their female slaves. Some slaves could also play on their masters and mistresses prejudices by appearing to not understand instructions. When possible, slaves could also decrease their pace of work. Women more often worked in the household and could sometimes use their position to undermine their masters. Historian Deborah Gray White tells of the case of a slave woman who was executed in 1755 in Charleston, S.C., for poisoning her master. White also argues that women may have resisted against a special burden under slavery, that of providing slaveholders with more slaves by bearing children. She speculates that women may have used birth control or abortion to keep their children out of slavery. While this cannot be known for certain, White points out that many slave owners were convinced that female slaves had ways of preventing pregnancy. Throughout the history of American slavery, Africans and African-Americans resisted whenever possible. The odds against slaves succeeding in a rebellion or in escaping permanently were so overwhelming that most slaves resisted the only way they could - through individual actions. But slaves also resisted the system of slavery through the formation of a distinctive culture and through their religious beliefs, which kept hope alive in the face of such severe persecution. Sources Banks, James A. March Toward Freedom: A History of Black Americans. Paperback, 2nd edition, Fearon Publishers,1974. Ford, Lacy K. Deliver Us From Evil: The Slavery Question in the Old South. 1st Edition, Oxford University Press, August 15, 2009. Franklin, John Hope. Runaway Slaves: Rebels on the Plantation. Loren Schweninger, Oxford University Press, July 20, 2000. Raboteau, Albert J. Slave Religion: The Invisible Institution in the Antebellum South. Paperback, Updated edition, Oxford University Press, October 7, 2004. White, Deborah Gray. â€Å"Let My People Go: 1804-1860† The Young Oxford History of African Americans, Hardcover, 1 edition, Oxford University Press, September 12, 1996.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

Personal Statement Example Big chunk of my life has been focused on the interest of assisting people having difficulties maintaining a normal life due to their disabilities, temporary handicaps and the likes. I also thought of becoming a nurse but I realized that it would not really hit the specialization I want in the short time I can allot for schooling. Due to this, I volunteered in a place called â€Å"Occupational Therapy for Productive Living.† The facility specializes in Adults and Pediatrics with hand and wrist injuries, conditions of the shoulders, tuning up motor skills especially people with arthritis, sensory processing and visual perception. This experience assured me more that I was in the right field of work. The physical weariness was worth the experience. During my stay at the facility, apart from the things I learned hands on, I craved for the culture this career will give me and I realized that it would be a life-changing venture for me. Due to these, I was placed in a more solid ground. Thinking about my career, whether I will have this as my stepping stone and maybe shift my field of work in future if I realize I can’t stand it or not is no longer the issue. My journey from choosing what career I should take on, the job outlook and the hours I spent at Occupational Therapy for Productive Living led me to a decision that this is a career worth the work and that suits my interest. Having said all these, I know there is one more step towards the goal I want to achieve. Although, an assistant to the occupational therapist itself, I know I need to get into a program that would equip me more with the things I will need in continuing my passion of becoming an occupational therapy assistant. I should learn the details of what an occupational therapist does to be in unison with the specifics the job entails. One of the schools I have checked was Touro College due to its viable proximity to my location. With its good

Operations Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operations Strategy - Essay Example 23). In order to ensure effective operations strategies and management, the operations managers ought to plan and control the production system and its interfaces within the organization and with the external environment (Warman 2013). This paper critically evaluates the main issues of operations strategy and management of Samsung Electronics and the successes of the company in addressing the issues. Operations strategy / management of Samsung Incorporated The electronics giant majorly focuses on the operations system in managing the whole process from the production to the distribution of its products (Warman 2013). The major aspects of operations system include the energy, materials, capital, labour, and information that are necessary for the flow of production processes besides determining the position of the company (Gong, Y 2013, p. 32). The key decision areas that the management of Samsung Inc. has focused on in strategizing and managing its operations include the capacity, pro cess technology, supply networks, development, and organization (Sang-Hun 2012). Samsung Electronics Company is the biggest electronics company in South Korea in terms of market capitalization besides the fact that it is the largest manufacturer of television globally. This market capitalization edge has led to the decision to detach the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) operations from the mainstream company (Warman 2013). This is a new business operation strategy that the company plans to implement from the year 2013 to 2014 in order to enhance the global competitiveness of the company. Indeed, this is a sure way to attract more market and generate more revenue especially considering the fact that the business environment of electronics is highly competitive (Gong, Y 2013, p. 33). This is a perfect example of process technology where Samsung Electronics separates business chains that thrive in the market from its main operations (Michell 2010, p. 34). Although the electronics giant saw a 10% drop in the total sales in the 2012 / 2013 financial year, the operations management are resilient in using modern technology. This ensures the introduction of more appealing products while at the same time managing the capacity of resources involved (Chang 2011, p. 53). This strategy has worked well for the company, as its shares have elevated to an unprecedented high of 5.1% following the announcement of the separation plan and in turn elevating the prospects for making profits (Mun 2010, p. 110). Lastly but most important, Samsung Electronics has a dedicated and extensive supply chain all over the world thus making it easier to distribute its products including the smartphones to the regional retail stores (Sang-Hun 2012). It is surprising that just a few years ago Samsung electronics was among the struggling electronics industries in the world especially considering the long journey that has seen the company climb the corporate ladder to be the leading electronics industr y (Warman 2013). Indeed, in 2012/ 2013 fiscal year, Samsung Electronics recorded an unprecedented high profits that was attributed the Liquid Crystal Display (LQD) television screens. Today, Samsung Electronics is the largest technology company in the world going by the total revenue base of the company. This came more so because of intensive and extensive marketing and operations strategies

Single parents in the military Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Single parents in the military - Article Example The discussion in this paper is mainly about single parents, but not in the general population, the main focus would be the single parents in the military. The United States Army consists of combat, and aviation and water transport service forces (Lawrence, 2002). It is well-ordered, trained and well-equipped in order to be capable of combating on land. It has two major responsibilities and they are (1) to prepare the land forces for war, and (2) expand the peacetime components needed by the army to fulfill the war’s needs. In the early 1990s, the number or single parents in the military increased (Zellman, Johansen, Meredith, & Selvin, 1992). Civilian single parents already encounter huge problems with their children that leads to work disruptions, thus, these problems is also likely to occur to single parents in the military as they work with longer and unforeseen hours. In 1992, single custodial parents in the military reached a number or 66,000 and this caused a slight problem as not all of them were able to leave for the Persian Gulf War (Sagawa & Campbell, 1992). The Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces, then, asked the Pentagon to review their policies regarding deployment of military personnel. The single parents in the military are not only the ones having the said dilemmas; there were also the dual military families or those whose parents are both in the military. In the early 1990s, 2.9% of the active duty personnel are dual military families (Zellman et al. , 1992). Along with single parents, they composed 7% of the active duty armed forces and were also hindered to be deployed for the Persian Gulf War due to their incapability of leaving their family behind. The Commission proposed not to allow single parents and dual military families to be deployed for the sake of their children (Sagawa & Campbell, 1992). This paper would focus on answering the problem of how

The Arguments For And Against Wind Power

The Arguments For And Against Wind Power The idea of wind power as a sustainable energy source and a renewable replacement to the current method(s) of energy generation manages to divide opinion almost evenly. Due to the realisation of the damage being caused to our planet there has been a major emphasis on exploring new ways of acquiring energy or a source of energy. There will inevitably be pros and cons of wind energy to consider, more specifically wind turbine energy and with the aid of research and data analysis to illustrate arguments for both sides it will be become comprehensible that there are feasible reasons as to why I am somewhat sceptical. Wind power is an environmentally friendly and natural alternative form of energy that can be conserved and made useful by wind turbines. Wind turbines convert this energy into electricity, an energy by which the majority of human being as a race has become entirely dependent on. Whilst the reliance on electricity has increased, so too has the recognition of the possible affects current methods of energy generation has on the planet. Wind turbines are being looked at as a possible replacement for fossil energy for example. We know for sure that one day methods like burning fossil fuels will no longer be available. There is no doubt that alternatives are to be found for the sake of the future of the planet. These alternatives must be renewable and if possible inexhaustible. The question is, are wind turbines the answer? Personally I feel that without a dramatic progression wind power may not have enough to maintain its challenge against the diminishing cheap natural gas and Middle Eastern Oil. However as we consume the final remaining years of the natural gas and oil the apparent affects on the Earth and therefore the necessity for a replacement is there for all to see. Wind power is certainly an issue that divides people. Globally the underlying support has begun to surface but there is still a lack of concern amongst those who dont feel there is much to worry about with regard to the current state of affairs or at least thats the way it seems The quality of wind turbine has progressed as the technology has been explored; one only has to look at the windmill which is an early example of todays wind turbine. With any debate like this though you must identify and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages. There are a number of issues that fall into both categories and I by assessing these issues in the context of importance I will portray my point of view http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Doesburgermolen.jpg/200px-Doesburgermolen.jpg(Figure 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doesburgermolen.jpg Above is the Does burger windmill. Windmills like these were used primarily to grind grain, although they were also used to pump water from low-lying land. Modern Wind turbines have evolved from this idea and usually consist of three blades. They are designed in such a way that the tip speed is high but torque ripple is low, thus giving it high reliability. An example is the turbine below in Denmark. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Turbine_aalborg.jpg/200px-Turbine_aalborg.jpg(Figure 2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turbine_aalborg.jpg History http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Wind_turbine_1888_Charles_Brush.jpg/200px-Wind_turbine_1888_Charles_Brush.jpg(Figure 3) The worlds first automatically operated wind turbine was built in Cleveland in 1888 by Charles F. Bush. It was as high as 60 feet, had a 12 kW turbine and weighed in excess of four tons. (Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wind_turbine_1888_Charles_Brush.jpg ) If you study the history of the wind turbine there are obvious trends of development. Initially the Persians light devices driven by drag proved to be pioneering and the majority of turbine ideas today are adapted in some way from this early interpretation. persian.bmp (27790 bytes)(Figure 4) It is clear that despite the lack of effectiveness due to the amount of the rotor that does not interact with the wind the idea however is a good on taking into consideration the times and resources. As you look further along in time you recognise the increased use of materials for drag devices. Go forward again and the modern era designs revert back to light efficient aerodynamic lift devices. Early windmills consisted of vertical sails which were an adaptation of the earliest use of wind power, sail boats. There were no drawings or documentation detailing the very first designs, but below is an example of a Persian design that was then copied by the Americans in the 19th Century. http://www.telosnet.com/wind/images/panemone.jpg(Figure 5) The earliest known use was for grain grinding and later for water pumping, and even as living quarters. The most modern have been the three blade design but the vertical designs have not been abandoned. The initial windmills found in Europe had the horizontal-axis configuration. Realising that structurally the efficiency would increase, they evolved to vertical-axis. This dealt with the problem of losing up to half of the rotor collection area. Over time there was an incremental improvement in efficiency of the windmill sail. The most advanced windmill sail shared the same characteristics of a wind turbine blade. The mills were almost like the electric motors of their time. Their applications ranged from irrigation, grain-grinding, the common water-mill, saw milling of timber, and even the processing of other commodities such as cocoa, paints and tobacco. In the 19th century the use of large tower mills in Europe declined as the popularity of steam engines increased. Further wind power development came from America where they introduced much smaller systems. An example of this is the steel-bladed water pumping windmill made in the Mid West of America in the late 1800s. http://www.telosnet.com/wind/images/fanmill.jpg(Figure 6) Most of these mills had tails to orient them into the wind, but some were weather-vaning mills that operated downwind of the tower. Speed control of some models was provided by hinging sections of blades, so that they would fold back like an umbrella in high winds, an action which reduced the rotor capture area to reduce thrust. The most important refinement of the American fan-type windmill was the development of steel blades in 1870. Steel blades could be made lighter and worked into more efficient shapes. They worked so well, in fact, that their high speed required a reduction (slow-down) gear to turn the standard reciprocal pumps at the required speed. (Darrell Dodge: http://www.telosnet.com/wind/early.html ) Figure 6 and quote above is an illustration of how the mills evolved and were getting ever closer to the turbine designs of today. It was from these types of designs and applications that in the late 19th sparked the idea of using these multi-blade windmill designs to generate electricity. Thus bringing about Charles F Bushs design shown in Figure 3. Despite its success for more than twenty years, there were limitations in its ability to produce electricity. The low speed and high solidity of the rotor failed to reach the output potential of a modern design. Cost One of the main arguments a cynic such as myself will bring to the table is the initial outlay required to erect a wind turbine. Although costs such as maintenance, subsequently may not be excessive the cost to build and put up just one can be. Professor Tony Day of London South Bank University provided an enlightening Costs Chart that highlights just some of the initial costs one faces when you think about installing a residential wind turbine. This chart was taken from a presentation given by Tony Day. It demonstrates the costs that were endured in an example project he undertook. This chart was also from the same presentation. These are typical costs that are to be expected for the installation of some wind turbines. These are ball park figures and an example of only some of the costs. It is likely that there are many more to consider which will only increase the outlay. The more productive in terms of power output turbines will cost a lot more. A large Megawatt wind turbine can cost up to 1 million US dollars and gets much more expensive when to consider a wind farm. Other Considerations One of the most important elements to consider is how much power we can create and make useful from a wind turbine or wind turbine farm. At present the reward maybe isnt as satisfying as the initial cost would demand. Aside from cost though to ensure optimum opportunity to produce high levels of energy the following must be regarded: High wind sites it is important to situate a wind farm in an area where it is very windy. An average minimum wind speed of 12-13 miles per hour (6 meters per second) is mandatory. Proximity of existing infrastructure High voltage lines can be extremely expensive to establish so it is important to consider their proximity to the turbines. Access Whether onshore or offshore you need to be able to access your site, initially to set it up but also subsequently to maintain it. Advantages Wind power is renewable, plentiful and much less affects the planet than power generated by fossil fuels. It is currently the UKs leading renewable energy source overtaking hydropower and currently accounts for around 2% of the UKs electricity supply. There are no waste products and wind is naturally, readily available. If a small home wind turbine was installed in an ideal location, you could be less dependent on fossil fuel energy and wind power could be a replacement, even if it is just boiling your kettle! Electricity that is generated by wind bares no CO2 emissions and cannot be exhausted and due to the simplicity of their mechanical processes, a wind turbines running cost can be next to nothing. Depending on where you seek your information it is suggested that in a prime location, position and if installed accurately a turbine designed to power a house can potentially provide about 30% of a households electricity. It will probably take up to ten years though for them to pay from themselves. Widen the scope to a large scale wind turbine farm and the potential is there for it to be a big player within energy generation game, unfortunately it isnt there yet. Disadvantages The unpredictability of the wind is a major issue. Many think that the worlds weather is changing and becoming more unpredictable. If the areas that are high in wind become less so once wind farms are erect what would happen? A backup energy source would require a traditional polluting method of energy generation and would rather defeat the object! Apart from the initial costs already discussed you have to consider the planning permissions also. It isnt always straight forward for a wind farm to spring up. Even home wind turbines will require permission from the council. How much electricity generated is dependent on the speed and direction of the wind which isnt something that we can control. Location is vitally important but not always available and depending on the location you need to consider, obstructions and the height of the turbine. There are many groups who feel that wind turbines cause damage to habitats and can be dangerous to birds. There are also those who despise their appearance and what they do to the environment aesthetically. Noise pollution is also an issue although there are wind turbines that seem to have minimised if not eradicated this problem. There arent as many sites available as initially thought and those people who wish to have a personal wind turbine are required to test the wind speed for 3 months with an anemometer. Power Output To calculate the amount of power a turbine can actually generate from the wind, you need to know the wind speed at the turbine site and the turbine power rating. Most large turbines produce their maximum power at wind speeds around 15 meters per second (33 mph). Considering steady wind speeds, its the diameter of the rotor that determines how much energy a turbine can generate. Keep in mind that as a rotor diameter increases the height of the tower increases as well, which means more access to faster winds. Rotor Size and Maximum Power Output Rotor Diameter (meters) 10 17 27 33 40 44 48 54 64 72 80 Sources: Danish Wind Industry Association, American Wind Energy Association At 33 mph, most large turbines generate their rated power capacity, and at 45 mph (20 meters per second), most large turbines shut down. There are a number of safety systems that can turn off a turbine if wind speeds threaten the structure, including a remarkably simple vibration sensor used in some turbines that basically consists of a metal ball attached to a chain, poised on a tiny pedestal. If the turbine starts vibrating above a certain threshold, the ball falls off the pedestal, pulling on the chain and triggering a shut down. This information from howstuffworks.com shows how the rotor dimensions and its proportionality to power out. It portrays that an ideal wind speed is 33 mph. This is before it becomes dangerous. As already discussed a wind speed of about half of this is mandatory before you even think about building a wind turbine. When monitoring or calculating power output you must consider the correlation between it, the wind speed and the frequency of the wind speed. Below is a chart taken from Professor Tony Days presentation on wind turbines: The blue graph illustrates how the frequency and value of wind speed and what it means for power output. It confirms that at an average wind speed of about 6-8 metres per second, you can produce about 300 300kW of power. At this specific location you only get this about 8-9% of the time. And in that lies a problem. For wind power to be considered a major alternative you need a more frequent and reliable wind speed to ensure high levels of power is generated all the time. More to the point, the power that would be generated by wind farm for example given turbines of this specification; it would be a struggle to power a city let alone a nation. Whats next? There is clearly some way to go if the future of wind turbines is to overcome some peoples turbulent views. There are ideas in the pipeline and future design which will go some way to harnessing the energy more effectively to produce more power. Whilst residential wind turbines take the best part of a decade for you to see pay back on an investment the American Wind Energy Association suggest that payback can been seen a lot earlier with regard to wind farms. Overall, wind farms cost in the area of $1,000 per kW of capacity, so a wind farm consisting of seven 1.8-MW turbines runs about $12.6 million. The payback time for a large wind turbine is about three to eight months, according to the American Wind Energy Association. If this information is to be believed this payback time is reasonable but this does not take into consideration the initial cost of land, transmission lines and other infrastructure that are crucial to wind power systems. As time has gone on there have been some quite dramatic falls in the costs of wind energy. As technology improves the trend will continue it is just a question of how quickly. New ideas and designs are coming to light now also, for example the vertical axis turbine which seems to bare some advantages over its older brother is being reinvented all the time despite being a fairly new idea. Its design allows you to place the gear box and generators closer to the ground and there is no need to orient them in the direction of the wind. Also they can be kept closer together as they do not have a slowing affect on the air that a horizontal turbine would which means more can be build within a given space. Every Government wants to increase the amount of power generated by wind but the major stumbling block is always economic. Especially right now, cost of steel and turbines has increased immensely following the economic downturn so initial costs of a wind turbine are even higher. Even though wind will never run out, this makes it very difficult to budget for big plans to be implemented. Conclusion Whilst wind turbines present a great argument for clean reusable energy, there are issues that are positioned on the odds against category. It is widely believed that despite signs showing a change in the planets eco system the promotion of wind turbines has come about because of lobbying by industrialists as opposed to straightforward economics or science. Have we really caused as much damage as the green amongst us have suggested? Or has there been an overreaction? One issue you cannot ignore is that fossil fuel is exhaustible, maybe not in our life time but we certainly owe it to those who will inherit our planet to ensure they enjoy energy in the same way that we have. Costs of these machines are initially very high and many are only designed to last 25 years which adds a sting to an otherwise acceptable running cost. At the moment when running wind turbines coal generated power still has to be available as a backup which begs the question, are we really reducing our carbon emissions? Also the power generation from traditional methods is high and whilst it lasts is constant. There are no off days that can come about where the weather is concerned. Many also despise the look wind turbines and are against the damage visually that a wind farm can cause. There is also a very real danger to birds and the migration of birds as many have been injured by this new phenomenon. In an ideal world if wind power was to take over all wind farms will need to operate at 100% capacity 100% of the time which just cannot happen. The realistic operating maximum is about 50% and many wind farms fall below that now based on data from Ofgem, the energy regulator. Wind power is certainly one option we can turn to on a small scale its attributes will come in handy to an extent. But unless there are vast improvements in the technology and power output turbines will remain an entity that is perceived as useless by many because it produces derisory amounts of electricity at monumental cost. One could say, Too much wind and not enough puff!.

Wyatt Earp :: essays research papers

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp Wyatt Earp was born on March 19, 1848. He is the son of Nicholas Earp, a lawyer/farmer and Virginia Earp and was born at 406 South Third Street, Monmouth, Illinois. Wyatt was given the name of his father's Army captain. When Wyatt was quiet young, his two older brother, James and Virgil, went off to fight in the Civil War for the Union. A story is told in which Wyatt tried to run away and join the Army, but his father caught him in a corn field and took him back to the house. As a young man Earp was a stagecoach driver, railroad construction worker, surveyor, buffalo hunter, and lawman. In his early adulthood, Wyatt married and his wife died shortly after of Typhoid fever. Wyatt was devastated and went off and got into some trouble for horse stealing. Later, he became a stagecoach driver and traveled to Los Angeles, Ca and Prescott, Arizona. Wyatt also hunted buffalo for so me time. There are rumors that it was during this tiem that Wyatt met Bat Masterson. In 1876 he became chief deputy marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, a lawless frontier town. Within a year, having brought relative peace to Dodge City, he moved on to Deadwood in the Dakota Territoy. In the fall of 1879, Wyatt and his brothers Morgan and Virgil journeyed by horseback down to Tombstone, Arizona. There he furthered his reputation as a gunfighter, first as deputy sheriff of Pima Co. and later as deputy U.S. marshal for the entire Arizona Territory. Earp and three of his brothers, together with the American frontiersman Doc Holliday, participated in the famous O.K. Corral gunfighter in 1881, during which they killed several suspected cattle rustlers. The following year, Ike Clanton attempted to kill Wyatt and Morgan while they were playing pool; Morgan was killed.

Alaotra Grebe

Many of our wetlands today house our animals so they may mate and accommodate our resources so we may survive. We treat this land carelessly; polluting it and not becoming aware of our damages until it is too late.This is notably true by the recent acknowledges extinction of the Alaotra grebe. The Birdlife International announced its extinction in May and how the introduction of alien fish to the wetlands killed off the species. We must learn from the extinction of the Alaotra grebe and prevent other species from this destiny of life.Alaotra GrebeThe Alaotra grebe, scientifically known as Tachybaptus rufolavatus of the Madagascan wetlands joins the list of the Five Great Extinctions in the history of the planet Earth. The bird species was last spotted in 1985 and it has now been confirmed to be extinct (Walker, 2010).Scientists claim that the Alaotra Grebe is the first extinction that has been caused by man and therefore becomes the sixth great extinction to be recorded in the histor y of the earth (Wu, 2010). The other five earlier extinctions include the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction that swept the dinosaurs from the face of the Earth (McCarthy, 2010). This extinction was characterized by 75 percent of the species being wiped out in the last 65 million years (McCarthy, 2010).A meteorite that hit the earth is suggested to have resulted to this great catastrophe. Another example of extinctions was the Triassic-Jurassic extinction which occurred in about 205 million years ago and a number of non-dinosaur species got wiped (McCarthy, 2010). The dinosaurs were then left with minimal terrestrial competition. The last 251 million years also saw the vanishing of 96 percent of marine species and an additional 70 percent of land species (McCarthy, 2010).This extinction was known as the Permina-Triassic or The Great Dying. Another prolonged extinction, the late Devonian took over 2 decades from 360 to 375 million years ago (McCarthy, 2010). The fifth extinction, the Ord ovidician-Silurian was recorded as the second worst of all extinctions and it happened between 440 and 450 million years ago (McCarthy, 2010).Alaotra grebe was a medium sized rusty-colored bird which inhabited Lake Alaotra and areas surrounding Madagascar. The bird was thought of having problems flying for long distances perhaps because of having tiny wings. The bird lived sedentary mainly inhabiting the lakes and the surrounding ponds. The Alaotra grebes started vanishing in 1980s when only 12 birds were spotted at Lake Alaotra in December 1982. In September 1985, two birds were spotted in Lake Alaotra near Andreba.Afterwards in 1985, 1986 and 1988, some of the birds sharing same characteristics with Alaotra grebe were spotted although these birds were just thought to be hybrids of grebe and another species. Experts made surveys and visits to Lake Alaotra in 1999 and 2000 but never found any species of grebe or any of the birds of the genus Tachybaptus. This was an indication of fu ll extinction since there have not been any direct observations that have been made on the species.Chances of having the birds surviving at present are negligible since recent visits to Lake Amparihinandriamabavy which is near Lake Alaotra have shown no evidence of the grebe species surviving. As a result, officials of BirdLife International announced that the bird was extinct and declared that the species be included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of the Five Great Extinction (McCarthy, 2010).This extinction is yet another whip to environmental economics as scarce resources such as biodiversity keep vanishing from our wetlands. In the future, these resources will no more be seen by our children as more extinction continues to take place. Birds form an important part of our environments in sustaining the food web and acting as tourist attractions thus earning income. The vanishing of Alaotra grebe means that these benefits are no more going to be realized in the future.Madagascar and Environmental EconomicsThe Madagascar wetlands form an essential site for birds as well as other biodiversity. The wetlands are a source of food and water to the Madagascan populations and to millions of people globally. However, these wetlands are very fragile environments and can be polluted and disturbed easily as in the case of Madagascar (Wu, 2010).Madagascar has been an example so that the world can learn that human actions on biodiversity can have grave consequences to the environment and the world economy (Wu, 2010). Elsewhere in Cuba, people introduced alien species and the Zapata rail is feared of extinction (Patt, 2010).   The introduction of exotic fish and mongooses has had serious impacts on the Zapata rail and joins the Madagascan case of Alaotra grebe extinction (McCarthy, 2010).Fishermen in Madagascar are blamed to have caused the serious environmental damage by covering much of the lake with nylon nets. The monofilamen t nylon nets have the potential of killing diving waterbirds. While the fishermen in Madagascar introduced the nets after significant extinction of Alaotra grebe had occurred, this action is blamed to have led to further extinction of the remaining grebe species.The goal of the government in Madagascar as well as in the entire world in the protection of biodiversity has been missed. According to policy makers and scientists, the vanishing of the rusty-colored bird, Tachybaptus rufolavatus was due to the failure of the government of Madagascar to prioritize an important aspect of conservation of the delicate and sensitive biodiversity.The extinction of the grebe species has significant effect to the country’s economy. It can be said that the plan for the people of Madagascar to have more fish by killing the grebe species was a missed target.While it is a common practice for governments to check for solutions that will mitigate pests and diseases affecting the fish industry, th e introduction of carnivorous fish was a missed target according to Gross and Williams (2010). The economists may agree that the action was reasonable as the fish pests were eliminated but the same argument must be exposed to political and ethical criticism.It however seems that nothing makes people persuaded other than financial gain and the people of Madagascar were easily lured with financial benefits. As a consequence, the helpless grebe species continued to be decreased to extinction level for the sake of money obtained from fish trading.Environmental economists in deed differ from other financial economists in one aspect: the valuing of biodiversity among all other benefits. While the actions to kill the birds using nylon gillnets and drowning them could result to more fish as the competition pressure would be reduced, environmental economists would view this as a loss to the entire biodiversity.The importance of wild nature for societies and industries is frequently mentioned as a political argument and an additional interest to protect our biodiversity. It was necessary for the government of Madagascar to have this approach of environmental economists to save the dear bird species Alaotra grebe.

Fort Sumter essays

Fort Sumter essays Fort Sumter was a turning point in determining the outcome of the Civil War. Fort Sumter was built on a man-made island of seashells and granite. It was a pentagon shape that was fifty feet high and the walls were eight to twelve feet thick. Fort Sumter is located in South Carolina. It was a defense system for Charleston Harbor. It was named after a Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. For one of the causes of the Civil War was that the South demanded that fort Sumter be turned over to its new government. United States troops were to leave the fort. President Abraham Lincoln refused to let them. Lincoln said that Fort Sumter belonged to all of the people of the United States, not just to South Carolina. The people of South Carolina were determined to have the fort. They threatened to starve the men stationed there. Lincoln sent food and supplies to the men stationed there. The Carolinians fired on the ship and, then they fired on the fort and destroyed it. That was how the war began On April 13, 1861, Fort Sumter surrendered after heavy bombardment to Confederate forces. Accounts of this victory created wild excitement in North Carolina. The Union was deeply saddened that war had started. On the other hand, the South was President Lincoln had a major role in the Civil War. Lincoln refused to withdraw soldiers from Fort Sumter. He sent a supply ship after the South threatened to stop supplying them. He differed with other northern leaders by that the other leaders told him to back out and Lincoln did not listen to them. He refused to let the South leave the United States. Lincoln proclaimed a blockade on April 16, 1861. The blockade extended from Virginia to Texas. At the time, it was impossible for the federal government to enforce a blockade of the coastline measuring almost four thousand miles and containing one hundred and eighty-nine harbors. ...

buy custom The Work of an Information Technology essay

buy custom The Work of an Information Technology essay The work of an Information Technology professional focuses on the use of technology in developing an organization with information services. The work entails networking, installation of backup or recovery systems, domain setup, and hardware installation. Work in the context of an It professional in a university entails providing infrastructure services for the institution. Some of these services include project management, linking users to IT services and process improvement, for instance, an Information Technology Infrastructure Library. The main aim of an IT professional in such an institution is to ensure that sound infrastructure links the organizations technical and service structure thus; provide a conducive environment for learning. The impact of IT work can be seen in the improvement of effectiveness of service delivery to students and staff, a very important facet in organizational development (Marilu, Kathleen Keith 2006). The outcome of the work conducted by IT professionals entails putting efforts on all members of the organization to work towards improving organizational operations. This will enable the organization to serve its students and staff while fulfilling its mission and vision. These operations can only be achieved if the information technology systems are well installed and operated. Information security is the one of the key challenges facing IT professionals. Every person is using the web to exploit opportunities and rsources that come with it. However, there are also people and organizations who have already spelt doom for the IT profession. Hackers use the same web to attack and bring down information systems belonging to various organizations. In the past, companies relied on IT professional in managing computer, information, and network security. The increasing threat to the systems has forced companies to hire information security personnel to help in managing all security issues. The other challenge is that IT experts need to undergo further training than in the past. They have to be trained in engineering security and operations management among other complex issues that surround information sensitive organizations. IT experts have to be knowledgeable in the novel technologies used in e-commerce. Most organizations embrace these new technologies without knowing that even the hackers are developing novel ways of hacking. New systems are of key interest to hackers since most organizations are not conversant with their operations. It is vital to note that, an IT professional has to think ahead, brainstorm any imaginable threat like fraud, and mitigate it. E-commerce sector comprises of Business-to-Business enterprises and Business-to-Customer. The problem of network security is a very big issue to the IT professionals. Trojans, worms and viruses can be sent through constant e-mails, spam, and messages that may appear to be of no harm to many people and organizations. IT professionals have many opportunities in the Information Technology sector. One can train as an IT information expert and his work will be to detect any threat to the information systems of an organization. IT professionals can also use their skills to build systems that are hacker-proof and sell to several organizations. On the same line, they can take advantage of the knowledge in their field and use it to establish e-commerce activities that will earn them income. In the real world development, for instance, in Kansas University, IT professionals have set up an information systems that enables the university to achieve its goals. Information services delivery has been very effective especially with the set up of an information system library that is in use by both students and staff. The structure of information services at the university enables students to access services, thus the creation of an organizational learning infrastructure. The challenges at the University involve safeguarding the information systems from hackers (Sambamurthy, Brown, 1999). The networks have also to be protected since hacking may damage the whole network. The opportunities involve working as an information security expert to mitigate the threats posed by hackers. In my opinion, the IT field is full of many opportunities for students who intend to study this field. One can work as an information security expert, design systems that are hacker-proof or start an e-commerce enterprise. Buy custom The Work of an Information Technology essay

The Objective of Good Social Work Practice is to Treat Everyone the Essay

The Objective of Good Social Work Practice is to Treat Everyone the Same - Essay Example As the report declares individuals regardless of their age are treated the same way without regard for the different needs that they may have. Such view of mental health, however neglects the fact that unlike adults, children have a three-fold interest in the outcomes that result from acquiring mental health care, particularly the interests of the current child to ensure welfare and the interests of the adult-to-be in order to live a productive life, in addition to the fact that children’s interests as patients should also be considered. By not recognizing the inherent differences between adults and children, the possibility of hurting a child’s development, especially in an age of immaturity, in favour of providing uniform mental health care becomes apparent. This discussion stresses that not all social workers are also created equal, such that as Tom Wilks argues, â€Å"[v]alues play an important role in the construction of social workers’ professional identities†. Thus, the manner social workers engage in with their clients and make assessments and decisions regarding them are guided by value statements that consequently affect their actions. Placed within the context of practice, these values play an integral role in the social worker’s ability to make sense of the situation surrounding a specific case. However, in the context of prescriptive policies that can be too restrictive on the actions social workers, their ability to make sense of a particular case and properly assess a client or patient can be endangered.

Examine Child Protection with a view to analysing and evaluating it in Essay

Examine Child Protection with a view to analysing and evaluating it in relation to Every Child Matters - Essay Example The program also intends to place the responsibility of child protection across all involved agencies. Finally, to prime the involved institutions to come up with solutions tailored to suit the unique circumstances of each case. Viewing this comprehensive child development program from a historical perspective gives us a better understanding of some of these objectives. For example, weak accountability and poor integration had for long been the bane of the support systems of yesteryears. Poor co-ordination and low standards of accountability had led to public distrust with these institutions. The various component agencies were not properly integrated which resulted in inefficiency and redundancy. For instance, â€Å"some children are assessed many times by different agencies and despite this may get no services. Children may experience a range of professionals involved in their lives but little continuity and consistency of support.† (Youth Justice: The Next Steps) Another area of concern with the older system was the general sense of apathy on part of child health-care professional. Unless health-care professionals approach their work with dedication and compassion, their effectiveness is always going to be sub-standard. Hence, the Every Child Matters program proposes ways in which a career in child-care is seen as attractive by the professionals. The cultural norms of the English society is as much to blame for this situation; as the roles assumed by child-care workers largely goes unappreciated and undervalued. This is reflected in the fact that for long the national vacancy rate in these services had hovered around the 10 percent mark, which is one of the highest in the industrial world. The relation between socio-economic background and child delinquency is an acknowledged fact. Hence, the government had realised that child protection should consider this important aspect of a child’s life as well. The