Analyse and compare the ways in which Blake presents the contrasting ideas of ‘innocence’ and ‘experience’ in his poetry

William Blake was born on the 28th November 1757 and is considered one of the first ‘Romantic poets'. The Romantic era was a movement that began in the eighteenth century. Romantic poets who included Wordsworth, Keats and Coleridge believed in rebelling against society's values and the strict rules of poetry and art; these were the people who changed English poetry. At the end of the 1700's Blake published a book titled ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience: The two contrary states of the human soul' which contained poems on similar subjects but explored in the two states of innocence and experience. I shall compare four of Blake's poems in this essay: ‘The Lamb', ‘The Tyger' and ‘The Chimney Sweep' (which appears in both collections). ‘The Lamb' asks us to relate the lamb's image as the most innocent of God's creation, to that of its maker, the ‘lamb of God'. It begins with a question made by a child, who asks the lamb how it came to be and who made ‘thee'. ‘Thee' is the archaic form of the word ‘you' and Blake used it throughout the poem, which gives it a religious tone as this was a word used in the Old Testament. These first two lines are a rhyming couplet in tetrameter. When reading ‘The Lamb' magnificent images spring to mind, especially half way through the first stanza: â€Å"†¦ by the stream and o'er the mead† (meadow). This imagery is similar to descriptions made in the Old Testament book of Psalms. (Especially Psalm 23, â€Å"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want†) The second stanza starts in much the same way as the first, with two lines of tetrameter. This time, instead of a question, a statement is made, leading on to answer the query made in the first verse. Again, Blake uses the archaic form of ‘you': ‘Little Lamb I'll tell thee', to re-enforce the religious side of the poem. This stanza goes on to say that the lamb was created by the one ‘who calls himself lamb', in other words, Jesus. Jesus is seen as the figure of innocence in the Bible. Like most of Blake's work, God has been discussed about in this poem. Each stanza in ‘The Lamb' contains five rhyming couplets and the repetition at the start and end of each verse makes the poem sound slightly like a nursery rhyme consequently reflecting the child-like innocent qualities of the poem. It appears almost devotional and the rhythm helps to give it ballad-like qualities. The poem generally has a repetitive structure and rhyme scheme. Blake uses vocabulary similar to that of a pastoral poem. The answer to the question asked in the first stanza reveals the child's innocence and faith. It indicates that he accepts anything he is told without question. The child associates himself and the lamb with Jesus, and in the Bible Jesus shows kindness towards children. Imagery in the first stanza is descriptive and rural, for example ‘By the stream and o'er the mead'. This forces the reader to think of the happiness and innocence connected with the countryside. This contrasts with the second, which is more spiritual and straightforward. Although the question asked by the child in verse one is naive, it is also very significant. It is a simple question but one that can be thought about a little deeper. This quality is present in almost all of Blake's work – his poems can be read on a number of levels. ‘The Lamb' is a reminder of innocence in a time of war, revolution and industrial labour that was all taking place while Blake was writing. ‘The Tyger' is the experience counterpart to ‘The Lamb'; it too begins with a question. The narrator is asking who created the tyger: ‘What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry'. From then on each stanza contains more questions, which branch out from this first; the narrator suggests the creator of the tyger is like a blacksmith, using words such as ‘anvil' and ‘furnace' in his descriptions. He seems surprised that the creator of the lamb could also be able to create such an opposite character such as the tyger. Blake could be comparing the two sides of man; good and bad as well as innocence and experience. The poem is made up of six quatrains in rhyming couplets. It is in a regular, rhythmic tetrameter. The beat is very prominent and if read in a certain way could start to sound like a chant or a spell, this makes the reader feel entranced and in touch with the poem. Blake builds on the idea of comparing nature and art, suggesting that although the tiger is beautiful it is also very violent and this could perhaps reflect it's creator. An underlying question arises whilst reading ‘The Tyger': ‘what type of God could create such a scary beast but also a sweet lamb'. By evolving this question further the poem could be seen to be asking why God lets bad things happen, when he can also let such good things occur. It ends with a repetition of the first verse, but uses the word ‘dare' instead of ‘could'. Blake is suggesting that because the tiger is such a terrifying beast, it would take great daring from God to create it. The central question in both poems is similar, but unlike ‘The Lamb', ‘The Tyger' finishes without an answer. This could suggest that because ‘The Lamb' is in the innocence collection that the question more easily answered when thought about in a naive way. When thought about as it is in ‘The Tyger', at a more in-depth level, the question becomes more complicated. When ‘The Tyger' and ‘The Lamb' are directly contrasted they give a clear comparison of human nature, this shows that nothing is without its bad side, for example, there cannot be heaven without hell. In both poems Blake emphasises his main point in the first and last lines. ‘The Tyger' contains harsh verbs such as ‘grasp' and ‘seize' and also uses harsh sounding alliteration with the letters B, D and T: ‘Burning Bright,' however, in ‘The Lamb' Blake uses softer letters such as L and M: ‘Little Lamb' to show the gentle nature of the poem and creature being described. In both poems metaphors are used and reflect Blake's view on religion and God. In ‘The Lamb' Blake, through the eyes of a child, compares the creator, God, to the lamb itself: ‘For he calls himself a lamb. ‘ Here, Blake is describing Jesus, the ‘Lamb of God'. Blake often wrote about the same subjects in both collections, he sometimes named the poems identically, such as in ‘The Chimney Sweeper in ‘Songs of Innocence'. This poem deals with chimney sweepers and the effect being one takes on a young child's life. It tells of two little boys and their suffering. One of the boys, the eldest, narrates. On first glance, the poem seems full of joy and gives the illusion of ending happily. Looking deeper, it conveys a message of exploitation and child suffering. The poem in ‘Songs of Experience' tells of a boy grieving and how he has to go to work, to almost certainly meet his death, while his mother and father think they are doing the right thing. In the first stanza of the innocence poem, the narrator tells of how his mother died and how young he was. The juxtaposition of the words ‘died' and ‘young' cause tension in the first lines because death and youth are not often associated. The boy cries ‘weep, weep, weep' which has two meanings. At first it seems to be the boy crying, but to be a chimneysweeper you must advertise by shouting ‘sweep, sweep, sweep'. So by including this in the poem; Blake has indicated that the boy is so young he can barely pronounce words properly, yet he must go to work. In the next line, a second person pronoun is used which directly implies that the reader is directly responsible for the underage dangerous work being done; making the reader feel responsible and guilty. The second stanza tells the beginning of a dream had by a younger boy, Tom. He dreams that thousands of chimney sweepers are locked in coffins. The word ‘locked' links directly with the word ‘key' in the next stanza and causes tension between the two verses. Blake was said to have had many visions of various creatures and people. He claimed to experience them from early on. When he was nine years old he told his mother that he had seen â€Å"a tree filled with angels,† and not long after, in a field of workers gathering hay, a vision of â€Å"angelic figures walking†. He has incorporated his visions into this poem by using the idea of a dream. The third stanza contrasts with the second immensely. While the second is full of misery and contains words such as ‘black', ‘lock'd' and ‘coffins'; the third tells of freedom and hope. The phrase ‘their bags left behind' in line three is a metaphor for their troubles left behind on earth. Blake uses metaphors to conjure up imagery in the reader's head. The fourth stanza contains the main message of the poem. Tom awakes to an angel telling him that if he works hard on earth he will be rewarded in heaven. This is Blake ironically criticising the hypocritical society of his time. The experience poem is narrated in third person and the first stanza contains the same phrase as the innocence poem. The boy is crying ‘weep, weep' which again indicates his young age. The first line of the poem, ‘A little black thing among the snow', is a very significant one and brings to mind clear images of black against white. Again, Blake has used tension in the beginning of the poem to create strong imagery in the readers head at an early stage. In the second verse the child is speaking. He tells of how he was dressed in clothes of death and sent out to work as a chimneysweeper. Again, there is tension between the mention of ‘happiness' in the first line and the word ‘death' in the third. Ironically, the parents are being ‘good' by clothing the child, but on the other hand, they are clothing him in clothes of death to be a chimney sweep. The last verse is the boy telling of how he fools his parents. He dances and sings to make them think they are doing no wrong, when in fact they are sending their own child to his death. The last phrase, ‘heaven out of misery' is a very significant one. The concept of heaven only works if there is suffering as well. There would not be a heaven if there were not a hell. Blake tells how children are being exploited by the promise of eternal happiness for work on earth. Adult manipulation is very clear in this poem and Blake is being ironic by suggesting that suffering is the only path to happiness. Both poems contain clear messages. ‘The Chimney Sweeper' in ‘Songs of Innocence' shows that the children have a positive and naive outlook on life. They make the best of it and do not fear death; this is because they do not know the truth and are therefore innocent. An opposite message is conveyed in the poem of ‘Songs of Experience' in which the child blames his parents for putting him in such a dangerous position. He is less naive and blames ‘God & his Priest & King'. This is different from the innocence poem because the little boy has been influenced by society and has an ‘experienced' view. The theme of God runs throughout both poems. In the first, an angel appears and talks about heaven. The word ‘lamb' in the second verse links with the ‘lamb of God', representing Jesus and suffering. In the second poem, heaven is talked about and a church is mentioned in the beginning. Both poems play on the idea of how to get into heaven and the naivety of young children. The poems that I have analysed in this essay have all included the theme of God, as did nearly all of Blake's work. Blake hated organised religion, but on the other hand was a very spiritual and religious man. The times in which he lived forced church upon people, rather than leaving them to make up their own minds. Blake also had a hatred for formal education, which we can see in his poem from ‘Songs of Experience' titled ‘The School Boy'. He felt school was unnecessary and not having attended school himself thought that it ‘oppressed the soul's creative spirit'. Blake wanted his current society's attitude to change; he knew that sending innocent children out to work at such a young age was wrong. In some of his other poetry Blake concentrates on areas of society he would like to be changed, such as in ‘The Little Black Boy'. Blake thinks that the attitude white people have learnt to associate with black people is wrong and should be changed. Much of his inspiration came from the French and Industrial revolutions. In fact, he was so interested in the changes taking place in France, he wrote a poem ‘The French Revolution' in 1791. Blake was living in an ever-changing society, where traditional ideas and values were being questioned and new ones created – he wanted to be a part of it but in his own imaginative, visionary way. The ‘Innocence' collection could represent the way that the society of Blake's time thought and believed, and the experience collection, representing the way it really was. The people of Blake's time would just ignore problems such as child employment and education, hoping it would go away, but Blake knew something had to be done, and he talked about this in his poetry. Songs of Innocence' and ‘Songs of Experience' give comparative images of children, babies, religion and the general society. It shows how different everything seems when we are innocent. Although the two collections show ‘†¦ the two contrary states of the human soul', they seem to join together and weave the same themes throughout. Some of these ideas are included both collections of poems, but are talked about in contrasting ways, such as religion, children, education and death.

Timed writing rewrite: the Prince

Leaders of countries or Princes must make decisions that not many will agree with, but are the best for the populace and he must make them, no matter the cost. Niccolo Machiavelli uses logos, ethos and distinct clear diction to prove the necessity for a ruler to be able to make unpopular decisions, in an excerpt from his book â€Å"the Prince† (1532). Throughout the excerpt Machiavelli uses logos to talk about this issue in a logical manner. His first step in approaching this topic is when he states to the reader that others have tried to discuss how a prince should act. Machiavelli states that he is doing something along the same lines but what he says is that a prince must be able to do what is not seen as the right thing in the eyes of his people. He then goes to talk about the qualities a prince must have in order to make those tough decisions because not everything that a prince does will be loved by the people so he must learn to deal with this. Machiavelli manages to address all of these points in his work while remaining logical and he uses ethos to try and show the reader a need for such rulers, who are capable of the doing the right thing for his people even if they disagree. An example of this attempt by Machiavelli to establish credibility can be found in lines 3 – 5 â€Å"being my intention to write †¦ useful to him who apprehends it †¦ to follow up the real truth of the matter than the imagination of it †¦ â€Å"this provokes a response from the reader that does have the effect it should have, it makes Machiavelli seem more credible in his argument and that this is not just some fairytale. That Statement made by Machiavelli shows how clear and precise his diction is and this helps him as he tries to prove that a prince must be able to unpopular things that will benefit his nation. The clear and focused diction that is used adds to this a whole new meaning of understanding where now those who are reading this book can picture what the government needs to do for the betterment of society as a whole. Machiavelli persuades his readers using logos and ethos and clear precise diction in his work the prince because he knows just how important it is for our president of a free state is necessary to helping the people.

Strength in Numbers

Brandee English 111 October 8, 2012 Strength in Numbers â€Å"Hi. I’m Jordan and I’m an addict slash abuser, I guess. † I watch my son shrug his shoulders and hunch over, clasping his hands in his lap after uttering these words. He speaks the words quietly, but his apathetic tone and body language read loud and clear. He doesn’t believe the words he’s saying and is merely being cooperative. After a loud and cheerful â€Å"Hello Jordan! † the group turns their attention to me. â€Å"Hi. I’m Brandee, and I’m Jordan’s mom. † We continue like this around the circle until every patient, parent, sibling and friend has been introduced and welcomed.Despite the warm, welcoming nature of everyone here, there is nothing pleasant about this. My 15 year old son is in rehab and this is family group therapy. We sit in a large circle in cold, hard plastic chairs with shiny metal legs. The room is large and cold with white painted concrete block walls and a stage at the front end. It feels less like a hospital and more like my sons elementary school auditorium. The large banners above the stage boldly spell out the â€Å"12 Steps to Recovery† and â€Å"The Serenity Prayer† and are a harsh reminder to me that this is no place a school play would be performed.There are about 20 of us altogether: 8 or 9 teenage patients and their loved ones, as well as Matt, the head counselor for this group. Most of the kids, the patients, are wearing sweatpants and socks or slippers. There is no need for shoes since they won’t be leaving tonight with their family members. Some of them won’t be leaving for a very long time. I sit in the circle for 30 minutes or so listening to the stories. Every patient has their own story, as it’s referred to by the staff. It’s their own personal truth about their journey into drug or alcohol use and subsequent abuse.They are encouraged to own up to th ese truths and reveal them to their loved ones and the group. One boy, just slightly older than my son, is leaving the hospital tomorrow. He sits with his mom and we all listen as he reveals his fears about returning to his old environment. Matt gives him some suggestions and advice and we move on to another patient. There’s a girl without any family present for this evenings group. She’s been in and out of programs several times already at the age of 16. This time it was a court order that placed her here for treatment and it will most likely keep her here for a long time.Another boy, Keldon, is around 17 years old and sits between his dad and his older sister, with his step-mom on the other side of his dad. He looks terrified and pale. He had overdosed the night before and almost died. Fortunately his family was able to have him transferred to this facility after the immediate medical need was attended to. The stories continue with horrific and elaborate tales of ove rdoses and multiple arrests for various reasons. Some were arrested for vandalism while under the influence. Some had stolen from their parents or even from stores.All had difficulties in school. Initially, I felt a bit of relief as I began to realize that my son’s story was so much less colorful than what I was hearing. After all, he’d only been arrested once, by my own doing, for sneaking out a window when he was grounded. I almost felt out of place and began to think maybe I had gone too far by bringing him here. What were either of us supposed to gain from sitting here listening to these kids sharing horror stories? I had brought him to this place searching for answers and I was only getting more fearful for his future with every person that spoke.When my son began to speak, to tell his story, all the frustration I had felt over the past several months began to rise to the surface. There was something about the way in which he told it that actually angered me. He s poke as nonchalantly as if he were reporting the weather on the local six o’clock news. He gave his truth, but with no emotion or expression whatsoever. I desperately wanted him to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. His choice to use and distribute drugs had been the cause of so much stress in our home and in this moment I found myself feeling almost entitled to see him express a little bit of remorse!I was already familiar with Jordan’s story. I had lived through it all first-hand. My discovery of his drug use had come via text messages and they had revealed to me far more than I had ever wanted to know. He had never thought to erase his messages, and the previous summer I had reason to confiscate his phone. Because it was unexpected, there had been a very incriminating text left on the screen when I grabbed his phone from his hands. I was compelled to read others stored on that phone and over the course of two days I read things that I don’t know to this day how to process completely.My sweet, quiet son had been living a secret double life for several months and I didn’t have a clue. How could this have been going on behind my back? Where were all the usual signs every parent reads about in parenting magazines, the ones I had always kept a watch for? I never considered myself naive and had such an open way of conversing with all three of my boys, and their friends. Ours was the house that all the kids gathered at. The core group of them had been friends since the second grade and I knew them all so well. If drugs could be brought into an equation like that, they could be brought in anywhere.Right under my nose, under my roof, on my watch, these kids began to experiment with various prescription drugs and marijuana. At the time of my discovery he was not only using drugs but was also playing the role of middle man, acquiring marijuana for his friends from some adults who were dealing in his father’s neighborhood. In this new, expanded group he was no longer the witty but quiet kid in the background. Here he was the â€Å"go to† guy and that power was something I feared would be as addicting and dangerous to him as the drugs he was involved with.A few months after the discovery, he was rushed to Riley Hospital with a spontaneous lung collapse. Thankfully, he healed quickly but we were told that he was prone to another collapse due to a condition on both of his lungs. The doctors warned him that any type of inhalation on his part would most definitely bring on another collapse and possibly even cause death. He had ignored the warning! He chose drugs and his new lifestyle over his health. He felt he had done well by cutting back on his almost daily marijuana use, but he was using alcohol as a substitute.He began binge drinking and it was a close call with alcohol poisoning that had led me to find this place. And now he sat in this circle and despite his cooperation with the program by te lling his story, he was behaving as if none of it mattered and I had overreacted. As all of this came back to me, I knew for the first time for certain that I had been right in bringing him here. My son was in denial and I no longer would doubt the certainty that I now felt about that. When he finished talking, I found myself unable to control my emotions or my words any longer.I started yelling at him and crying. â€Å"How can you sit there and behave as if this is all no big deal? †Another shoulder shrug. One thing I had noticed since we had first arrived the day before is that he would not look up at me. He would not even attempt to look me in the eye. Perhaps it was a sense of guilt he was feeling that caused this reaction, but to me it appeared he felt nothing at all. To me and everyone in the group he appeared quite apathetic. He simply could not see how any of this program applied to him.I sat there speechless, feeling completely helpless until suddenly Keldon’s step mom broke the silence and addressed Jordan directly. â€Å"What do you dream about doing, Jordan? † she asked him very gently. I wish I could say that this question tapped into something in him that made him aware of other interests and hopes and dreams that were being wasted on drugs. It didn’t. What I can say, however, is that one question, posed by a stranger, at that moment, had a profound effect on me. This woman’s son had almost died less than 12 hours prior and she was focused on reaching out to my son!The amount of genuine concern that she expressed with that one question is indescribable. The support and empathy continued to flow in our direction from other members of the group. These peoples’ stories may have advanced to a more extreme place than ours but they had all begun from almost identical places. They had all been there, done that, and completely understood the helpless feelings I had been experiencing I’ve never felt like sh aring my personal problems in a group setting would be beneficial for my own growth or healing.It seemed like an unnatural concept for complete strangers to open up to each other about their problems and feelings so readily. I, like my son, had come and participated because the program required me to do so. This place, this group, changed that perspective for me. I now know how empowering it can be to be surrounded by a group of people who understand because their stories have similar chapters as yours. I suddenly realized that the answers I had desperately hoped to find here would not come.There would be no answers given for how to get him to recognize and learn how to cope with his attachment to things that could harm him. Those were answers he would have to choose to search for when he was ready to accept them. The purpose of this group, and so many others like it that are held all over the country at any given time of day is to help people recognize they are not alone in their s earch for answers. A topic like drug and alcohol dependency is not something anyone feels comfortable discussing with even their closest friends and family.It is a subject that is dark and depressing and filled with far too many emotions to allow you to feel comfortable with openly talking about it. Unless you have been personally touched by addiction in some way there is not complete understanding of the fear and guilt combined with frustration and anger. It takes a group of strangers, brought together and sharing their stories, to bring comfort and support when there really are no answers. It took this group of strangers to show me how to accept a situation I can not change or fix and how to survive it.

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Triathlon - Essay Example Many of the enduring triathletes prefer to be resilient to pain and tend to carry their impacted and sometimes senseless (without knowledge) injuries throughout each race till to the finish line. Medical cover is to be arranged at the finish of an Ironman event taking place at Lanzarote in early October. In order to achieve adequate medical support and care, health issues that are common to triathletes must be outlined. Ironman at Lanzarote is considered to be one of the most arduous, all-terrain event for any fittest and able-bodied triathlete. The Ironman event is expected to include three major sub-events consisting of 3.8km swim, 180km bike race, and 42.2km run to the finish line. Any appropriate medical cover can only be provided by priori understanding of different types of illnesses or injuries based on previous therapeutic experiences and gathering of medical information from past records seen in other Ironman races. Most triathletes naturally undergo rigorous cross physical training and are less likely to develop any kind of muscle imbalances. An issue with many young, amateur and firt-time triathletes is that they usually underestimate their fitness level and skill such that they may be good in one event but that does not automatically translate into adaptation for another. All bodily injuries can be classified as either internal or external fatalities. The latter injuries may be knee injuries, wrist fractures, sore toes and blisters, cold shoulder and other injuries from improperly adjusted bicycles [16]. Only a small amount of competitors experience this sought of external injuries. One of the more common medical problems is the triathlete sustains a bad sunburn a few days before the actual race. A serious and unattended sunburn (such as a second degree burn with blisters) can have a damaging effect on how the body is able to adjust the coherent body temperature and sweat loss during exercise. This naturally decrease the ability to control body temperature and sweating can have a negative impact on the triathlete's race outcome. Most injuries that befall triathletes are overuse injuries such as tendonitis or muscle strains, as opposed to acute ones (like when fall of a bike and bruise something). While overuse injuries are fairly common among triathletes, they are relatively easy to prevent and treat, if they are careful. The most effective way to prevent overuse injuries is to prevent and reverse the muscle imbalances that contribute to most of them and allowing the body to have sufficient time to properly recover from any stress developed during training. Through the nature of the postures and repetitive motions involved, triathletes tend to develop particular imbalances that are associated with particular injuries. To correct imbalances, they need to stretch muscles that tend to become shortened through training and strengthen muscles that tend to become weakened. Triathletes should frequently stretch their calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, lower back, neck, and chest, and should regularly performing func tional exercises that strengthen the hips, butt, abdomen, upper back, and shoulders [3, 7, 16, 20]. Tendons and muscles need to have adequate time to recover fully from increases in training to especially prevent chronic injuries. Poor technique is also associated with a majority of

Assignment based on a book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment based on a book - Essay Example In the pursuit of a multicultural and tolerant Canada, it is really important. There are now increased numbers of attempts to study on and assimilate with aboriginal peoples both socially and culturally. Consequently, we must understand that why the aboriginal populations in the country declined and are still declining. Investigations are going on to understand this. In the present paper, we will enumerate some most important factors that are responsible of the decline in the population of aboriginal peoples in Canada with special focus on British Columbia. Discussion The first and most important factor of that contributed to the decline of the aboriginal populations in Canada is European colonization. British Columbia was no exception to this. Europeans not only extended their socio-cultural influence in this region located in western Canada but also they brought their regional rivalries with them. The most prominent example of violence and imperialism can be noted as the Nookta Cri sis. Nookta Crisis started in the 1790s when British and Spanish imperialists confronted each other in the region. Both the parties sought to capture the fur trade of the region. The western coasts of Canada constituted an important trading corridor (Crump 2010). Regardless of local culture and aboriginal people, the imperialist and colonist forces started a sequence of conflicts and battles. After driving out the Spanish from this area, the British colonists now focused their attention on the aboriginal peoples in the region. Now in order to clear hunting grounds and establishing trade centers for fur trade, colonists started to take away land and property of the aboriginal peoples either through treaties or by wars. Evidently due to these wars, several local aboriginal chiefs were disgraced and many of aboriginal fighting men were killed. Consequently, like rest of Canada, aboriginal populations of British Columbia too had to face systematic â€Å"cultural oppression and social m arginalization through the actions of European colonizers and their institutions† (Healing Traditions: The Mental Health of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada 2009, p. 7). The second most important factor was the enactment of the Indian Act (1876). This Act is in force even today (of course with minor amendments). The Act systematically restricted free movement of the aboriginal peoples. Participation in cultural festivals like Sun Dance was prohibited. Numerous techniques were implemented to Europeanize the natives. â€Å"For example, until quite recently, the patrilineal descent recognized by the Indian Act resulted in the removal of Indian status from many First Nations women (and their children) who married non-First Nations men† (Healing Traditions: The Mental Health of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada 2009, p. 11). In the above quotation, the term First Nations denotes aboriginal peoples. Furthermore, different social strata were created to provide different facilities to t he different groups of Native Indians in the country. Although the Indian Act (1876) puts emphasis on the fact that the wellbeing of aboriginal people rests with the government of the country, the Act has been often utilized to disunite and

International Business in Emerging Markets Term Paper

International Business in Emerging Markets - Term Paper Example In this age of free trade and globalization, international business has evolved to occupy a very significant position in world economics. Transnational is a contemporary term synonymous to multi-national companies. Broadly speaking these transnational companies run their business in different countries of the world and plays a major role in controlling the economic assets of those countries by owning equity capital stake. Transnational companies are characterized by their enormous financial resources, vast technical resources, and extensive global reach. They evolved in the late 19th century as a consequence of changing environmental forces and rising demand for global efficiency, national responsiveness, and worldwide learning.To get a clear picture, the organizational characteristics can be divided into three broad heads viz., the configuration of assets and capabilities, role of overseas operations and development and diffusion of knowledge. TNCs or MNCs have their operations dece ntralized and are nationally self-sufficient. The top executives of these companies keep a keen eye on the various economies of the world and take timely initiatives to exploit opportunities. Knowledge is developed and retained within each unit but technology is brought from the center. Though international companies can better leverage the knowledge and capabilities of the parent company, cost-intensive resource configuration and operating systems make it less viable in the totality. Transnational companies work on a broader perspective of business and over time has redefined the way the world conducts business. It strives to achieve global competitiveness and international flexibility in business.Transnational companies recognize workforce efficiency and innovation as two very important parameters for achieving global competitiveness. As such while certain resources are best centralized within the parent company operation, some others are decentralized. Centralization is not neces sarily at home. Products that are primarily labor intensive might have their production plants built in low wage countries like Singapore and Mexico. Such flexible arrangements complement the benefits of economies of scale; helps lower the cost of inputs and also provide ready access to scarce resources. Decentralization, on a local-for-local basis, also helps reap potential economies of scale and protect against exchange rate shift.

Exceptionalism, Isolationism, and expansionism with reference to Essay

Exceptionalism, Isolationism, and expansionism with reference to videos and assigned readings - Essay Example An examination of a developed country’s foreign policy such as America is essential in determining the importance of an effective foreign policy. A critical analysis of the American foreign policy portrays an interconnection of exceptionalism, isolationism, and expansionism. A manifestation of this interconnection is clearly seen during the Mexican - American War. This is because the war arguably marks the first steps of America’s rise to a global power. The Mexican – American War revolved around territorial disputes between America and Mexico. This implies that the entire Mexican – American War can be considered to be based upon American expansionism. This is because America sought to expand its territories into Mexico in areas considered to have some significance. America claimed that the border was at Rio Grande while Mexico argued that the border was at Nueces River. A border at Rio Grande meant that Mexico would lose a significant portion of land to America. In 1945, President Polk sent American troops under the leadership of General Zachary Taylor to the Nueces River to take over the disputed land. Polk’s actions can be considered to have been facilitated by his position as provided by America’s foreign policy where the president is recognized as the commander in chief of the army and navy. America’s presence was met by opposition from the Mexican troops at a time that saw the death of 11 Ame rican soldiers and imprisonment of several more (The Mexican American War, 2006). However, this was followed by a series of other conflicts in Mexico in which the American troops occasionally emerged victorious and consequently the occupation of Mexico City by Americans. In addition to increased expansion interests to the South, America also had keen interest in expanding the Northern borders such as California. This period that saw increased concentration on expansion can be considered to have marked America’s first attempts of becoming a

Compare the beginning of the novel and Sinises film version Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Compare the beginning of the novel and Sinises film version Of Mice and Men Essay The opening of the novel and the film differ from each other in many ways. The film has a tense and dramatic start where as the novel is set in a quiet and peaceful woodland area as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail. The film opens with a haunting, chilling melody lingering in the background of a black screen with white credits appearing for several minutes. Sinise puts the credits at the beginning rather than at the end so that he adds to the drama at the beginning and doesnt ruin the ending with them. As the music fades the black background remains with the occasional, faint beam of moonlight, streaming through the open cracks in the wagon of a train. The camera shot focuses on a lonely figure, crouched in the corner, looking by the expression on his face as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, as the frequent train whistles drown out his thoughts. This makes the audience curious about who the man is, which makes them want to watch on to find out the identity of this mysterious character. Suddenly the film explodes into colour in a dramatic style as a panic-stricken woman, with her dress ripped, runs towards a group of men working on a ranch. The next clip is of the group of men, carrying guns on horseback, all laden in denim chasing two apparently un-armed men. These two men are Lennie and George, who are racing through the grassy shrubs of the plains. A sense of danger and menace is created as George is continually looking over his shoulder and dragging Lennie along as the men on horseback continue to hunt the two men. We later realise that this is symbolic of the two mens relationship, as George always has to look over his shoulder in real life. It symbolises a mother always looking over her shoulder to see if her baby is all right. Both of the men fall into a stream and hide under the overgrown reeds and grass from the prairie. The men pass by the stream and this causes a sense of excitement and tension within the audience. The first close up on Lennie shows us his big, frightened eyes, worried like a child, with his dilated pupils reflecting the sunlight. The heavy breathing stops but both men remain silent, and as time goes by the crickets begin to chirp and the audience get a chance to get their breath back. It then goes back to a train noise and by this time night has fallen. Both men jump onto a train, Lennie goes first and is hoisted up by George; this is symbolic of a mother picking up her child after it has fallen down, or is struggling to get up. Lennie tells George that he is tired, so George tells him to lie down and go to sleep. Lennies jacket is wet so George helps him to take it off. This action is symbolic of the mother/child relationship that the two men have. George takes Lennies jacket off like a mother undressing a child. The beginning of the novel is very different as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail. He creates a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere by using phrases such as fresh and green with every spring and the leaves lie so deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them. Unlike this, the film shows an exciting chase in a tense and dangerous atmosphere. The first time you see Lennie and George in the novel they are calmly walking through the trees and peacefully drinking from the pool. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down as he drank from the surface of the green pool. This is another symbol of Lennie behaving like a child. On the other hand when we first see Lennie and George in the film they are running away from a gang of rampant ranchers, seething for their blood. In the film they are both wearing different clothes. George is wearing denim and Lennie is wearing dungarees to make him look like a big kid. This differs from the novel as Steinbeck has the two men in identical dress. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Also they both wore black shapeless hats. The end of the novel is also very different to the end of the film. At the end of the novel Lennie hides in the bush where George said it was safe. While he waits he hallucinates and sees an enormous rabbit appear and speaks to him, telling him that he has done wrong and has let George down for all that he has done for him. Then his Aunt Clara appears and starts scolding him for his behaviour. This does not happen in the film as the audience may loose attention and it takes the edge off the seriousness of the atmosphere, that Sinise tries to create. At the end of the film George is looking for Lennie, trying to reach him before the angry mob do and painfully kill him. George runs to find Lennie, running as at the beginning of the film, but this time running by himself, running and falling, which is symbolic of his prediciment with Lennie. George finally finds Lennie wandering at a cut by the stream. Lennie runs to George and falls over in the water by Georges feet. Lennie persists to cuddle George like a child cuddling its mother. There is a long focussed camera shot of George and Lennie in the water. This is the first time we see George taller than Lennie and this is symbolic of the parent/child relationship they have with each other. The camera focuses on them for several seconds to emphasise this aspect of their relationship and to show how close the two men are. In the novel the two men are not in the water when they cuddle and there is no indication that George is bigger than Lennie. They are both on the banks near to the water. Sinise just adds this part in to the film to make it look as if Lennie has just fallen over emphasising his helplessness. In the novel Lennie asks George to tell him the story of how it is gonna be, and after several attempts George shoots him in the head and helps him die painlessly and with a certain amount of dignity. At the sound of the shot the men appear and surround George. They think there has been a struggle and George has shot Lennie in self-defence, only Slim realises what has really happened. Although George is left all alone there is the possibility that Slim and he will develop a closer friendship. Many changes were made from this original ending in the film version. When George was telling Lennie the story of how it was gonna be he shoots him first time after Lennie says and I get to tend the rabbits. Lennie, who was crouched on his knees, is curled up like a baby or an embryo with George standing over him after he had been shot. Once again this is symbolic of the mother child relationship between them and also symbolises Lennie being like a child. The final camera shot on them both expands on a large shot of the pool where George told Lennie it was supposed to be safe. The audience visualises the trust Lennie had in George and this is emphasised in this scene. The next shot goes back to the beginning where it is George who was on the train sitting in the corner lonely and isolated. He has a flashback and remembers the good times that he and Lennie had. In this flashback they both walk side by side, smiling and laughing, Lennie puts his arm around George like a child wanting affection from his mother. This caption is in slow motion to make the audience remember how good the friendship was between the two and to make the audience feel sorry for the lonely George. It then goes silent, the picture fades to a black screen and it ends. Another major difference between the novel and the film is the way in which Curleys wife is portrayed. In the novel she is pictured as a flirtatious tart, where as in the film she is depicted as pretty and only gently flirts. In the novel she is seen as being a tart. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers. This extract clearly shows that she is unsuitably dressed for her surroundings. She wore backless shoes (mules) with ostrich feathers on the instep, with a red dress. This was not the clothing you would expect to be worn on a ranch. She only dresses this way so the men pay attention to her because she is bitterly lonely. In the film Curleys wife is seen as very different to this as she has a very pretty face and is only slightly flirtatious, whereas in the novel she blatantly flirts with Lennie. When she asked Lennie what had happened to Curleys hand, Lennie immediately looks at Candy for help and with no reply, he turns his gaze downwards towards his lap. This shows the reader a side of Lennie that is trying to reach out for help like a young child. Needing guidance he vaguely replies, Curley got his hand caught in a machine. Curleys wife laughed Ok machine. Ill talk to you later. I like machines. She picks out Lennie as he is the weakest and probably the most likely to fall for her charm due to his mental immaturity. Again she persists to flirt with Lennie when the four are talking about George. Lennie says Thats the guy, and hes gonna let me tend the rabbits, to which Curleys wife adds Well if thats all you want, I might get a couple rabbits myself. She comes across as very manipulative in this pa rt of the novel. In the film, she seems very lonely, and director Sinise adds a scene, which is not in the novel. In this scene Curleys wife tells George and Lennie of how Curley broke all of her records, which are her only company. This makes the audience feel sorry for her, as she is very lonely as if she has lost all of her friends. In the novel the reader sees Curleys wife as being lonely, but they do not feel sorry for her as she has a very nasty nature. An example of this is when she is in Crooks room and continually calls the men bindle stiffs and bindle bums. She says, they left all the weak ones here. She repeats this vicious nature when saying, Standin here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs a nigger an a dum-dum an a lousy ol sheep an likin it because they aint nobody else. Crooks tells her to get out of his room and she bombards him with a vicious racial assault saying, Listen Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny. This inner personality is only released when she is most lonely, as she believes that Curley cannot satisfy her emotionally or physically, in a marriage she is in to escape a spiral of her self-loneliness. This results in her need to lust for the other men on the ranch, as this may be her only chance to find the happiness she secretly yearns for. This tone that she speaks to people in is exempt from many parts of the film as the director tries to make the audience feel sorry for her, whilst in the novel you are made to think that she deserved to be killed due to the way she threatened Crooks. I feel Sinise did this to make you feel sorry for her when she dies and to bring Georges killing of Lennie into a deeper prospective. The age of Curleys wife also differs in both the novel and the film. In the novel Curleys wife is merely the tender age of fifteen/sixteen, whilst in the film she is portrayed as a much older and more mature age. My personal favourite between the novel and the film, is the novel as it is an epic and thrilling read. I think that the film version is very emotional, and the director Sinise portrays the novel in a different way, although the detail and description of the film can never compare with the original novel. You will find that in most cases the film cannot reproduce the same empathy and imagination used when the author first creates their masterpiece.

Artemis Temple Essay Example for Free

Artemis Temple Essay She presided over the transition of a woman from virgin (parthenos) to married woman (gyne) and protected the virginity of those who were unmarried or wished to remain virgins (2). Artemis also oversaw marriage, childbirth and assisted with child-rearing (3). Virginity was especially emphasized in the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus: only virgins and men were allowed access and married or sexually active women were excluded under penalty of death. Artemis is commonly regarded as a fertility goddess, mostly because of the multitude of ‘breasts’ that cover her cult image (4). This essay will discuss three aspects of the Ancient Temple of Artemis, the style, the restoration of its architecture and its importance. The temple of Artemis was built around 550 BC and was the first temple to be entirely of marble and the largest temple ever built. The temple was financed by the wealthy king of Lydia and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron. Marshy ground was selected for the building site as a precaution against future earthquakes. The foundation was laid on a bed of packed charcoal and sheepskins, the column drums and architraves moved from the quarry, relates Vitruvius, by fitting them with large wheels and then, like rolling axles, having them pulled by oxen (5). It resembles the classical Greek temple: a stoic rectangular structure with mighty columns (6). The temple measured 350 by 180 feet and from the outside, its most striking feature was its more than 100 marble columns. Since it was built in the Ionic architectural style, the columns were decorated with sculptural reliefs at their bases and rosettes in their capitals (7). There were two rows of columns stretched across the front of the temple, standing about 21 feet apart and extending from the front to the back of the temple at 17 feet apart. The door in the pediment along with two windows was intended for Artemis own use (8). Inside the temple was the statue of Artemis herself, which was built from gold, silver, ebony and other stones. The temple brought in merchants, kings, and sightseers, many of donated jewellery and other treasures to Artemis and her temple. Its splendor also attracted many worshipers and pilgrims, strengthening the cult of Artemis (9). Since she was an influential figure, her fame went higher as soon as her temple was built. The Temple of Artemis was a very famous and attracted visitor from far and near. Its purpose was both a religious institution and market place. The market place itself had small models of the temple and its goddess Artemis for the fellow tourists as souvenirs to take with them. The columns at the front were decorated with intricate sculptures. It was built to honor Artemis as inside the temple was an inner room called the sanctuary that housed  a magnificent statue of the goddess. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times, each time it was built more impressively than the time before it. The first time it was destroyed was on the night of July 21, 356 BC, a man named Herostratus set fire to the temple in an attempt to immortalize his name (10). It caused the roof to cave in, the columns collapsed, and the statue of the goddess crashed to the ground. After the town created a law stating whoever mentioned his name would be put to death immediately. In the following two decades the temple was restored with the help of Alexander the Great. But then again in 262 AD, the temple was destroyed by the Goths and later swamped by floods, but still the residents of Ephesus vowed to rebuild it (11). However this time it was not rebuilt due to the high construction costs. A little later the temple began to lose its importance and many people were switching to Christianity and the town was completely isolated. There were attempts made to reconstruct the temple, but so far only a couple columns have been erected upon the remaining foundation.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Green Building

Advantages and Disadvantages of Green Building Green building was developed in the 1970s, during the energy crisis, when people finally realised that they needed to save energy and alleviate environmental problems. The idea originated on the United States, as they were one of the largest contributors of pollution in the world. Due to the fact that Buildings account for a large amount of land, energy and water consumption, and also contribute hugely to air pollution, green building aims to reduce the environmental impact buildings have on the environment. Practices and technologies used in green building are constantly improving. Many are different from region to region, however there are fundamental principles that must be followed. Green building is an outcome of a design philosophy, which focuses on increasing the efficiency of 4 main resources: Energy Water Materials Health Along with increasing efficiency, green buildings also aim to reduce the impact buildings have on human health and the environment during the buildings lifecycle. This is achieved by improved design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of waste materials. It is generally agreed that green buildings are structures that are sited, designed, built, renovated and operated to energy-efficient guidelines, and that they will have a positive environmental, economic and social impact over their life cycle. Green specifications provide a good set of guidelines for the building industry, but these are still in the process of being formalised into UK regulation and many are open to interpretation.† (Source: www.sustainablebuild.co.uk) Green building requires a holistic approach that looks at each component of a building and how it relates in context with the whole building. This allows us to look at the impact the building will have on the wider environment and community around it. Green Building is a difficult approach, which needs builders, architects and engineers to think creatively, and increase the level of integration throughout the project. There are several resources and published guides that can help builders with the green building process, such as BREEAM (Building and Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), the Code for Sustainable Homes, and EcoHomes. In Conclusion: â€Å"Green Building is not simply about protecting the biosphere and natural resources from over-exploitation or over-consumption, nor is it simply about saving energy to reduce our heating bills. It considers the impact of buildings and materials on occupants and the impact of our lives on the future environment.† (Source Tom Woolley, Sam Kimmins, Paul Harrison and Rob Harrison 1997. Green Building Handbook. Oxford: Spon Press . 5.) Green Building Essentials There are four main criteria that need to be considered in green building. They are: Materials. Energy. Water. Health. Materials The materials used in Green Building projects need to be: From a natural, renewable source that has been managed and harvested in a sustainable way. Obtained locally in order to reduce the embedded energy costs of transportation. Sourced from reclaimed materials at nearby sites. Materials are graded using green specifications which look at their life cycle and analyse them in terms of their embodied energy, durability, recycled content, waste minimisation, and their ability to be reused or recycled. Some examples of building materials that are considered green include: Renewable plant materials such as straw. Timber from sustainably managed forests. Recycled stone Recycled metal. Products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable eg. linoleum, sheep wool, compressed earth blocks, rammed earth, clay, flax linen, cork, sand stone, and concrete. Building materials should be sourced and manufactured locally to the building site where possible in order to minimise the energy used through transportation. It is also desireable for building elements to be manufactured off-site, then delivered when needed. The benefits of this include minimising waste and maximising recycling as manufacturing is in a set location. Energy Energy consumption is a major issue, which green building principles aim to address. Nearly all UK houses are extremely inefficient when it comes to heating and lighting consumption. One method of reducing heating and ventilation costs for a building is to incorporate Passive Solar Design. This is when the suns energy is used for heating and cooling various living spaces. These passive systems are extremely simple in design, having very few moving parts and usually require no mechanical systems therefore they have a minimal maintenance issue. Common features of passive solar heating include windows that can be opened and closed. Passive solar design incorporates the use of thermal mass also. This is when materials such as masonry, concrete and water actually store heat for a period of time this can prevent rapid fluctuations in temperature. High levels of insulation and energy-efficient windows can help to conserve a lot of energy from escaping through the buildings envelope. In regards to lighting a building, natural daylight design reduces the need for electricity in a building while improving the occupants health and productivity. Green buildings also incorporate energy-efficient lighting, low energy appliances, and renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels. Water Reducing water consumption in a ‘Green’ House is an important aspect in many of the green building rating systems. It is therefore essential that water can be recycled around the house. This can be achieved by installing greywater and rainwater harvesting systems which will re-use water for tasks like watering plants or toilet flushing. Incorporating water-efficient appliances in kitchens and bathrooms, such as low flow showerheads, self-closing or spray taps, low-flush toilets, or waterless composting toilets, will all aid in reducing the amount of water required for the day to day running of the house. Health This aspect of Green Building refers to the health of the buildings occupants. Using non-toxic materials in construction will help to improve indoor air quality, which can reduce the rate of respiratory illnesses such as asthma. The materials and products used in a green design need to be emission-free and have very little or no VOC (Volatile organic compound) content. They also need to be moisture resistant in order to prevent moulds, spores from growing inside the house. Indoor air quality can be improved through ventilation systems and using materials in the construction of the house that control humidity and allow a building to breathe. A major factor which isnt included in the main four topics I have discussed above is what happens after the construction of the building has been completed. It wont matter how sustainable the design and construction stage of the project was if the building is not maintained responsibly. This needs to be considered at the planning stage of construction and the occupant must be briefed on the green building concept. They should also be informed that in order to keep the ‘green’ status the building will have, careful and considerate maintenance methods will need to be employed, with the possibility of the need to upgrade aspects of the building to keep up to date with changing regulations and standards. It is also important that the occupier continues green practices such as recycling throughout the life-cycle of the building. A green building should provide cost savings to both the builder and occupant. It should also benefit the community through the use of local labour. Advantages and Disadvantages of Green Building I am going to first outline some of the disadvantages of green building, as most people tend to focus only on the positive aspects. Considerations such as cost, funding, material availability and location restrictions must be taken into account when planning a green build project. One of the most common disadvantages of Green Building is the additional cost incurred. This is due to the increase in the quality of construction methods and materials used. Although energy savings can balance the extra costs out, it is still seen as a disadvantage the fact that extra money needs to be spent at the construction stage. Eco-friendly building materials are often difficult to find in many areas of the UK, which can lead to prices being much higher than standard building materials. While projects close to larger cities may have no difficulty finding green building materials, suppliers may be scarce in other areas. Many materials require special ordering, which could increase costs. Some other materials may only be available through Internet orders, which will increase the cost due to shipping and handling. The green building market is becoming much more competitive due to the increase in demand for this type of construction, and Green Building costs are predicted to decrease in the near future. Apart from the initial cost of green building, finding a mortgage company or bank that offers loans for a building that is not built in the traditional way may be difficult. The time taken to complete a green building can also be viewed as a disadvantage. Green building projects encourage the use of recycled materials and trying to source these can add to the time to complete a certain stage of the build that the contractor and client haven’t allowed for in the project. One overlooked disadvantage is the fact that in recent years houses have become more airtight, which has added to the problem of indoor air quality. Houses have become so sealed that there is now an increase in indoor pollution. An example of how this can occur is if a builder decides to use some recycled material but is unaware of any chemicals that may be contained in it. The chemicals may give off volatile organic compounds, which have in fact been found toxic to humans. Most green building guides have a section on Indoor Air Quality, ventilation, filtration systems, and suggestions for low or no VOC products in the building process to address this issue. The benefits of green building are what most people want to know nowadays, and below are some of these advantages. They have been categorised into three main areas, Environmental, Economic and Social Benefits. Environmental Benefits: Reduction of Emissions: Using green building techniques such as solar power and daylighting increase the energy efficiency of the building, and also cut down harmful emissions released by fossil fuels. This can help reduce air quality issues such as smog and acid rain. Conservation of Water: Significant water savings can be created by introducing methods such as rainwater and greywater harvesting. These methods use and recycle various water sources, which can then be used for irrigation in gardening and for flushing toilets. Stormwater management can also be helpful to the environment by reducing localised flooding, which can carry pollution into water sources, and erosion. Rainwater harvesting and using building materials that are permeable for driveways can help reduce this risk. Waste Reduction: Green building promotes increased efficiency both during and after the construction phase. Recycling and reusing waste materials will lead to a decrease in the amount of waste that needs to be dumped in landfills. Economic Benefits: As I mentioned above, some people believe green building to be too expensive. Previous studies have shown that costs are not substantially higher than traditional developments. As long as the designer and client have decided to go down the route of green building, the high construction costs can usually be avoided. Although the costs may be higher at the beginning of a projects life cycle, they can be recouped throughout the life of the building. Due to the increased efficiency from green design and new technology, operation costs from heating, electricity and water can all be reduced dramatically, resulting in a low payback time on the money invested at the beginning of the project. Green buildings can also be sold or rented quicker, and at a premium rate because of the low maintenance and utility bills. This will prove to be a unique selling point if the cost of fuel continues to rise. Social Benefits: Another very impressive advantage of a green building is its ability to improve the occupier’s health. Conditions such as respiratory problems, skin rashes, nausea and allergies, which can result from insufficient air circulation, poor lighting, mould, toxic adhesives and paints, can be significantly reduced in a green built house. This is because green building emphasises the need for proper ventilation and the reduction in use of toxic material, which will create a healthier living environment. Another key element of green building is the need to preserve the natural environment. This can provide a variety of recreation and exercise opportunities. Green buildings also seek to facilitate alternatives to driving, such as bicycling by awarding points for providing bike docks (In the Code for Sustainable Homes), which eases local traffic while increasing personal health and fitness. Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Green Building Below are the disadvantages and advantages summarised in point form. Disadvantages: Initial cost. Funding for projects from banks hard to get. Location Factor. Availability of Materials. Timescale. Implications on air quality due to the use of some recycled materials. Advantages: Environmental Benefits. Reduction of Emissions. Conservation of Water. Reduced localised flooding. Waste reduction. Economic benefits. Low utility bills. Increase in likelihood for the property to be sold or let. Social Benefits. Improvement to the occupant’s health. Preservation of the natural environment. Increased recreation and exercise opportunities. As you can see there are significantly more Advantages than Disadvantages of Green Building. Green Building Rating Systems In this section of my report I am going to give a brief introduction to the main Green Building rating systems used in the UK. These systems review a building or construction project, and score it on different sections. Points are usually awarded for issues addressed and an accreditation is awarded depending on the amount of points scored when the project is completed. Although I have focused on Green building in houses, I will look at some systems that are used for commercial building and civil engineering works. Below are some of the systems I will be discussing: BREEAM BREEAM is an abbreviation for the ‘BRE Environmental Assessment Method’. BREEAM is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the primary measure used to describe a buildings environmental performance.† (Cited from the BREEAM website – www.breeam.org) BREEAM was established by the BRE in the UK in 1990 as and aid to help measure the sustainability of new buildings. BREEAM has grown since then with reular updates according to changes in building regulations and government legislation. The BREEAM guidelines cover many different types of building, including Industrial, Residential, Education, Healthcare and Retail. The BREEAM guidelines were last updated in 2008. In this upgrade, a new two stage assesment process was introduced. This means that the building will be assesed at the design stage and also after the completion of construction. Mandatory scoring credits were introduced and a new rating level of BREEAM Outstanding was created. The BREEAM standard is not only being used in the UK, it is fast turning into a global accreditation. The BRE have set up a new division called BREEAM International. This division has already created versions of BREEAM for Europe and the Gulf, adapting them in accordance to local regulations. The information below is also from the BREEAM website. This information outlines the reasons why BREEAM should be used: BREEAM provides clients, developers, designers and others with: * Market recognition for low environmental impact buildings. * Assurance that best environmental practice is incorporated into a building. * Inspiration to find innovative solutions that minimise the environmental impact. * A benchmark that is higher than regulation. * A tool to help reduce running costs, improve working and living environments. * A standard that demonstrates progress towards corporate and organisational environmental objectives.† (Cited from www.breeam.org) BREEAM addresses wide-ranging environmental and sustainability issues and enables developers and designers to prove the environmental credentials of their buildings to planners and clients. * BREEAM uses a straightforward scoring system that is transparent, easy to understand and supported by evidence-based research * BREEAM has a positive influence on the design, construction and management of buildings * BREEAM sets and maintains a robust technical standard with rigorous quality assurance and certification† (Information sourced from the BREEAM website – www.breeam.org) CEEQUAL CEEQUAL stands for, The Civil Engineering Environmental Awards Scheme. It is a scheme for improving the sustainability of civil engineering and public sector projects, in the UK. The aim of CEEQUAL is to encourage civil engineering companies to achieve improved environmental and social performance in the specification, design and construction areas of their projects. Launched in September 2003, CEEQUAL was mainly developed by the ICE (Institute of Civil Engineers) and various government departments and agencies also gave their support to the idea and helped to finance the initiative. Since 2003, CEEQUAL has grown to be the main scheme for assesing the sustainability of civil engineering works. In 2008 CEEQUAL was included in the Government report â€Å"Strategy for Sustainable Construction† as a scheme to be used that can comply with the governments design agenda for civil engineering works. Just like the BREEAM assessment, CEEQUAL uses a credits or points to score various aspects of a civil engineering project, including environmental aspects such as, water, energy and land usage, as well as other categories such as nuisance to neighbours, waste minimisation and management, archaeology, community amenity and ecology. A project that has achieved an award from CEEQUAL will show the public that the designers, contractors and clients, have completed a project that is above the minimum environmental standards, which will portray that they care about sustainability in the construction industry. Benefits of CEEQUAL: * Provides a benchmark standard for environmental performance; * Demonstrates the commitment of the civil engineering industry to environmental quality; and celebrates the achievement of high environmental standards in civil engineering projects A CEEQUAL Award for a civil engineering project identifies an organisation that: * Measures and compares standards of performance; * Respects people and the society in which it operates; * Undertakes its work in an ethical and sustainable manner; * Acts in a socially and environmentally responsible way; * Protects and enhances the environment; and * Is concerned about the major impacts of construction on the environment and the earth’s resources. Source http://www.cpdni.gov.uk/index/guidance-for-suppliers/ceequal.htm There are several different CEEQUAL Award levels that a project can achieve, depending on the percentage number of points scored against the scoped-out question set. These are: * more than 25% Pass * more than 40% Good * more than 60% Very Good * more than 75% Excellent Five types of award can be applied: * Whole Project Award, which is normally applied for jointly by or on behalf of the client, designer and principal contractor(s) * Client Design Award * Design Only Award, applied for by the principal designer(s) only * Construction Only Award, applied for by the principal contractor(s) only * Design Build Award, applied for the designer(s) and constructor(s) of a project. Irish CEEQUAL Certified Projects Below are some examples of the Civil Engineering projects that have achieved CEEQUAL Awards in Ireland in the last few years: 2008 – 2009 Awards: * Custom House Square, Belfast Award: Excellent  § Derry City Centre Public Realm Award: Excellent  § Armagh Environmental Improvement Scheme Award: Very Good  § Downshire to Whitehead Sea Defences Boneybefore to Edenhalt (section 3) Award: Good  § Balloo Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Centre, Bangor Award: Very Good  § Moneymore Flood Protection Scheme Award: Excellent  § N229 Newtownards Road Environmental Improvements Award: Excellent  § Belfast City Centre Streets Ahead Award: Excellent  § Knockmore Lurgan Track Upgrade Award: Excellent 2006 – 2007 Awards  § N7 Naas Road Widening Interchange Scheme Award: Very Good  § Carran Hill water treatment works Award: Excellent 2003-2005 Awards: * abbey Kircubbin Wastewater Treatment Works Award: Excellent * Newtownstewart Bypass Award: Very Good (Source http://www.ceequal.com/all_awards.htm) LEED LEED stands for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED in 1998. The scheme was created to offer an American equivalent to BREEAM, a green building scheme that was created in 1990 in the UK. Aswell as being a US equivelant to BREEAM, LEED was invented to help define what green building was, by recognising environment leadership in the construction industry. By doing this LEED also hoped to raise awareness of the benefits of green building and try to create some competition in the green building market. The LEED evaluation method is voluntary and covers all types of buildings such as, homes, offices and retail space. The main division of the LEED initiative is ‘LEED for New Construction’. This LEED assessment is also used on some international building projects. LEED has eight key categories where LEED points can be achieved. 1. Location and Planning 2. Sustainable Sites 3. Water Efficiency 4. Energy Atmosphere 5. Materials Resources 6. Indoor Environmental Quality 7. Innovation in Design 8. Regional Priority In each of these six categories, multiple points can be achieved when specific needs have been met. The more points achieved, the higher the LEED rating will be. LEED has also introduced certain criteria, which is mandatory in each level of LEED. The LEED assessment is a two-part process, involving a design phase review and also a construction phase review. After these reviews, a LEED certificate can be presented if the project is up to standard. This table compares the old LEED v2.2 points system with the new LEED v3 system. (Table has been sourced from the Reed Construction Data website – http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/articles/read/leed-rating-system/) Below is a table showing the nine different rating systems and also the five overarching categories to correspond with the specialities available through LEED. A comparison between BREEAM and LEED More and more organisations are realising that having green credentials is a must in todays society. This is because the public are more sustainably aware thanks to the increased coverage for the subject of sustainability in the news and papers. Having a Green Building as part of your companies assets will show that you want to reduce the impact you have on the environment, as well as cutting utility bills and increasing the occupants health. With this increase in green buildings, there is now competition between the method of assement. For years, BREEAM has been the main environmental assessment method for UK buildings. Now with the expansion of LEED out of America there is increased competition. The principles of BREEAM have also spread worldwide, and while similar assesment methods have been created for other countries, BREEAM and LEED are the main methods used today. The way in which projects are assesed is the main difference between BREEAM and LEED. BREEAM uses assessors that have been trained by the BRE, who check for evidence in the building and score it against the specified criteria. The BRE then check the assesors report and award a BREEAM certificate. LEED on the other hand does not require a trained assesor, however points are awarded if a LEED Accredited Professional is used. Evidence from the project is gathered and submitted to the USGBC who will review it and award the appropriate certificate. Both BREEAM and LEED help to keep the market to improve building design. Both also regularly update their scoring criteria to keep up with changing regulations. BREEAM is more relevant in the UK as it uses UK policies, however LEED can be used as a global accreditation. BREEAM will more than likely be the favoured system in the UK, as it has backing from the government as they require BREEAM ratings for all of their buildings. Below is a table that compares the similarities of BREEAM and LEED: (Table sourced from http://www.bsria.co.uk/news/breeam-or-leed/) Code for Sustainable Homes The ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ is an environmental impact rating system for houses in the UK. The Code was launched in December 2006, and addresses new standards, above current building regulations, for energy usage and sustainability issues. The aim of this new code is to try and decrease the impact that housing has on the environment. The code was created to try and help relieve the problems we have brought upon ourselves through climate change. Buildings contribute nearly half of the UK’s carbon emissions. In order to reduce these emissions by 80% by 2050, housing needs to become more sustainable. Following this code can help minimise the environmental damage that has occurred during the construction process in the past. It also gives homebuilders the chance to create a revolutionary design for new homes to be put on the housing market, promoting a more sustainable lifestyle. Adopting the code for sustainable homes is a major step in reaching the Government target of all new homes being zero carbon from 2016. A house that is built in accordance to the code for sustainable homes will be more energy efficient, use less water and create less carbon emissions. This in turn is better for the environment. Houses that follow the code are built in a more efficient way as they use materials that are from sustainable sources. Because they are built in a more efficient manner, less waste is created, and the use of recycled materials is promoted. Due to the increase in quality and efficiency, running costs will be lower than that of a traditional build. This way of sustainable building also encourages the occupier of the house to try to live a more sustainable lifestyle. The Code for Sustainable homes has 9 separate categories with set scoring points covering: 1. Energy/CO2. 2. Water. 3. Materials used in the home. 4. Surface water run-off. 5. Waste. 6. Pollution. 7. Health and Well-being. 8. Management 9. Ecology When the client incorporates a specific feature they are awarded points. At the end of the build these points are added together, and the total score forms the basis of a 1-6 star rating system. The code for sustainable homes uses a ‘star’ rating system, which ranges from 1 to 6. Level 1 equates to a 10% improvement over current Building Regulations energy standards, Level 3 is a 25% improvement on building regulations, and level 6 is a Zero Carbon house. A home rated as 6 stars will have achieved the highest sustainability rating. Diagram showing the points scoring to achieve each code level: (Source – The Code for Sustainable Homes) In February 2008, the Government decided that all new homes must have a rating against the Code for Sustainable Homes by May 2008. Also whenever houses are sold it has been made madatory that they have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). If a house has not been assessed for an EPC then it will receive a rating of zero. This was brought in as an incentive for builders and developers to aim to score higher ratings in the Code for Sustainable Homes as home buyers could now easily see a house’s performance from the EPC. Below is an copy of the EPC carried out for my house: Diagram explaining 1*, 3* and 6* energy requirements: Diagram sourced from â€Å"Greener Homes for the Future†. In 2006 the Government made publ

Understanding Early Man : Scientific Discovery vs. Emotionally Driven Hypothesis :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

Understanding Early Man : Scientific Discovery vs. Emotionally Driven Hypothesis The ways in which we attempt to determine the history of early man say much more about who we are today, and who we will be tomorrow, and who we want to be today, and who we want to be tomorrow, than they do about who we were in the past. This statement comes from a person who knows little about science, and less about the specific scientific techniques used in archeological excavation and analysis. But it seems to me that much of the observations that are made in the study of early man are predicated as much on new theory as they are on old observation, and much of the old observation seems to be based on how humans act now, rather than in the past. For instance, an entire new field of study known as "Evolutionary Psychology" is based on the premise that we can understand who we are today based on how we have evolved, and what we have evolved from. Evolution, is more or less a proven fact, analogous to gravity, it is a theory that we have used to understand countless other phenomena in the world around us. But there is no theory about how early man behaved, how he evolved, or even, what he looked like, that comes even close to being as widely accepted. In other words, this new field of study is based on science that does not yet exist, and might not ever exist, and the thinking behind it is similar to thinking behind the study of early man. Evolutionary psychologists use things we don't know about who we were then to try and understand who we are now, and anthropologists use things we don't know about who we are now to try and understand who we were then. Our debates about these early human ancestors echo our debates about our present and our modern history to such a degree, that in some ways, this echo seems to cast doubts on the entire process of examination.A great debate in history departments around the world who study the Twentieth Century concerns what is known as the "Great Man Theory." This theory supposes that the major events, and major social changes, of the past century were due more to the actions of a handful of men and women (usually those in positions of great power, or those who made important scientific discoveries) rather than to the actions of the majority.

Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen of Homer’s Odyssey Essay exam

The Ideal Women of Homer’s Odyssey      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Greek society treated women as secondary citizens. Restrictions were placed on the social and domestic actions of many aristocratic women in ancient Athens.   The women depicted in Homer's Odyssey, on the other hand, are the ideal.   Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen are all women with exceptional liberty and power.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before comparing the women of the Odyssey to those of Athens, it is beneficial to take a look into the lives of the latter.   A respected woman was to have characteristics including obedience, virtue, refinement, productivity, honor, beauty, talent and intelligence (social consciousness).   Sarah B. Pomeroy has studied this aspect of ancient life and discusses it in her book, Families in Classical and Hellenistic Greece.   She states that women from this Athenian polis (city-state) are part of their husbands' oikos.   Though, these women have some power within the oikos, their primary responsibility was the procreation of sons.   They held very little and most likely no political power.   They lived by guidelines set by society which were fairly restrictive.   They must not do tasks out of doors, for then they would become "the potential prey of rapists and seducers" (Pomeroy 21).   The wife must be kept chaste and pure, an d so there was a need for a slave-woman. Not only were the women not allowed outdoors, but they were not to come into contact with strangers, particularly men.   For, men would vie "to win honour for themselves at the expense of other men's honour, and wives were often mere adolescents" (Pomeroy 21). These "mere adolescent" wives were not only confined in their roles as women, they were also physically confined within the walls of ... ...ncient times.   Perhaps the men were in fear that the women, were they in the position of power, would be as repressive as men.   For whatever the many reasons for the situation in which the women lived, the truth holds that they are invaluable to society.   There may not be a female president for some years to come, but without women in modern society, there would be no male presidents either. Works Cited Aeschylus.   "Agamemnon."   Greek Tragedies. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore.   Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1953.   1-61. Homer.   The Odyssey.   Trans.   Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996. Pomeroy:   Pomeroy, Sarah B.   Families in Classical and Hellenistic Greece: Representations and Realities.   New York: Oxford UP, 1997. Pomeroy2:   Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity.   New York: Oxford UP. Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen of Homer’s Odyssey Essay exam The Ideal Women of Homer’s Odyssey      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Greek society treated women as secondary citizens. Restrictions were placed on the social and domestic actions of many aristocratic women in ancient Athens.   The women depicted in Homer's Odyssey, on the other hand, are the ideal.   Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen are all women with exceptional liberty and power.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before comparing the women of the Odyssey to those of Athens, it is beneficial to take a look into the lives of the latter.   A respected woman was to have characteristics including obedience, virtue, refinement, productivity, honor, beauty, talent and intelligence (social consciousness).   Sarah B. Pomeroy has studied this aspect of ancient life and discusses it in her book, Families in Classical and Hellenistic Greece.   She states that women from this Athenian polis (city-state) are part of their husbands' oikos.   Though, these women have some power within the oikos, their primary responsibility was the procreation of sons.   They held very little and most likely no political power.   They lived by guidelines set by society which were fairly restrictive.   They must not do tasks out of doors, for then they would become "the potential prey of rapists and seducers" (Pomeroy 21).   The wife must be kept chaste and pure, an d so there was a need for a slave-woman. Not only were the women not allowed outdoors, but they were not to come into contact with strangers, particularly men.   For, men would vie "to win honour for themselves at the expense of other men's honour, and wives were often mere adolescents" (Pomeroy 21). These "mere adolescent" wives were not only confined in their roles as women, they were also physically confined within the walls of ... ...ncient times.   Perhaps the men were in fear that the women, were they in the position of power, would be as repressive as men.   For whatever the many reasons for the situation in which the women lived, the truth holds that they are invaluable to society.   There may not be a female president for some years to come, but without women in modern society, there would be no male presidents either. Works Cited Aeschylus.   "Agamemnon."   Greek Tragedies. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore.   Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1953.   1-61. Homer.   The Odyssey.   Trans.   Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996. Pomeroy:   Pomeroy, Sarah B.   Families in Classical and Hellenistic Greece: Representations and Realities.   New York: Oxford UP, 1997. Pomeroy2:   Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity.   New York: Oxford UP.

Cassius Clay - Muhammad Ali :: essays research papers

Cassius Clay better known as Muhammad Ali is by far the greatest boxer of all time. "King of the World" by David Reminick is a very detailed biography of Muhammad and good documentation how boxing used to be. The book takes you on a journey behind the scenes of Alli’s rise to the top and boxing run in with La Costra Nostra. On an October afternoon in 1954 when Cassius was 12 he left his 60 dollar red Schwinn outside the Columbia Auditorium to visit a bazaar. When he and his friends left he realizes that his new bike was stolen. Cassius was in a tearing rage and someone said that there was a police officer in the basement of a boxing gym. He went in demanding a statewide bike hunt and threatening to beat the hell out of whoever had stolen it. The officer Joe Martin asked Cassius if he could fight, and Cassius said no, so Martin invited him to come to the gym and learn how to box, so he could get pay back on the bicycle thief. This is the story of how Cassius first got interested and determined to become a great boxer. He also showed determinations when he brought home and Olympic gold medal. He trained very hard for our country and did a really good job. Even back then he ran his trashed talked his opponents, like in his first match he fought he one by a spit decision, after he found out he had one he shouted he would soon be "the greatest of all time". Know one knew at the time that his boasts would soon be the truth. Cassius mouth has gotten him a lot of key matches in his career. He gained his first title shot form Sonny Liston this way. One of his famous quotes was "I’m so mean I make medicine sick." He ran his mouth so often that people thought he ran his mouth just to psyche him self-out for the matches. That is said to be how he one all of his matches. Before the Liston fight he charted a bus around with signs that read "We all love Cassius Clay", "Without Cassius the game is dead! "March on Liston’s camp." "BEAR HUNTIN’." Cassius first heavy weight title shot was against Sonny Liston a very big man who would give Mike Tyson a good run for his money. Cassius Clay - Muhammad Ali :: essays research papers Cassius Clay better known as Muhammad Ali is by far the greatest boxer of all time. "King of the World" by David Reminick is a very detailed biography of Muhammad and good documentation how boxing used to be. The book takes you on a journey behind the scenes of Alli’s rise to the top and boxing run in with La Costra Nostra. On an October afternoon in 1954 when Cassius was 12 he left his 60 dollar red Schwinn outside the Columbia Auditorium to visit a bazaar. When he and his friends left he realizes that his new bike was stolen. Cassius was in a tearing rage and someone said that there was a police officer in the basement of a boxing gym. He went in demanding a statewide bike hunt and threatening to beat the hell out of whoever had stolen it. The officer Joe Martin asked Cassius if he could fight, and Cassius said no, so Martin invited him to come to the gym and learn how to box, so he could get pay back on the bicycle thief. This is the story of how Cassius first got interested and determined to become a great boxer. He also showed determinations when he brought home and Olympic gold medal. He trained very hard for our country and did a really good job. Even back then he ran his trashed talked his opponents, like in his first match he fought he one by a spit decision, after he found out he had one he shouted he would soon be "the greatest of all time". Know one knew at the time that his boasts would soon be the truth. Cassius mouth has gotten him a lot of key matches in his career. He gained his first title shot form Sonny Liston this way. One of his famous quotes was "I’m so mean I make medicine sick." He ran his mouth so often that people thought he ran his mouth just to psyche him self-out for the matches. That is said to be how he one all of his matches. Before the Liston fight he charted a bus around with signs that read "We all love Cassius Clay", "Without Cassius the game is dead! "March on Liston’s camp." "BEAR HUNTIN’." Cassius first heavy weight title shot was against Sonny Liston a very big man who would give Mike Tyson a good run for his money.