Thursday, November 28, 2019

Hawaii, With An Area Of 28,313 Sq. Km (10,932 Sq. Mi.), Is The Essays

Hawaii, with an area of 28,313 sq. km (10,932 sq. mi.), is the 43rd largest state in the U.S.; 6.9% of the land is owned by the federal government. It consists mainly of the Hawaiian Islands, eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs, and shoals. The major islands in order of size are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Nihau, and Kahoolawe. Population growth has increased by 80,000 persons over the past five years. Demographics show a large number of Hispanic origin: Asian Hispanics are the most populated with white Hispanic and Asian non-Hispanic following. Hawaii's economy has been long dominated by plantation agriculture and military spending. As agriculture has declined in importance, the economy has diversified to encompass a large tourist business and a growing manufacturing industry. Hawaii's economy has changed drastically since statehood. In 1958, defense, sugar, and pineapple were the primary economic activities, accounting for 40% of Gross State Product (GSP). In contrast, visitor-related expenditures stood at just over 4% of Hawaii's GSP prior to statehood. Today the positions are reversed; sugar and pineapple constitute about 1% of GSP, defense accounts for just under 11%, while visitor-related spending comes close to 24% of Hawaii's GSP. The movement toward a service- and trade-based economy becomes even more apparent when considering the distribution of Hawaii's jobs across sectors. The share of the economy's jobs accounted for by manufacturing and agriculture have declined steadily since 1959 and each currently makes up less than 4% of total jobs in the economy. At the same time, the shares of jobs in wholesale and retail trade and in services have risen, standing at about 23% and 28%, respectively. Since 1991, Hawaii's economy has suffered from rising rates of unemployment. This stands in marked contrast to the period 1980 to 1993, when the state enjoyed very low unemployment rates relative to the nation as a whole. But by 1994 the recession had raised Hawaii's unemployment rate to the national average (6.1%) for the first time in 15 years. In 1995, the state's unemployment rate improved slightly in the first eleven months of the year to 5.4 percent, a 0.6 percentage point decline from the first eleven months of 1994. Despite the lower unemployment rate, the total number of wage and salary jobs declined by 0.6 percent during the first eleven months of 1995. This was due in part to a fall in part-time jobs which are often held by persons who also have primary jobs elsewhere in the economy. The number of construction jobs declined by more than 7 percent in the same period. Other industries--namely, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, communications/utilities, and finance, insurance, and real estateexperienced declines in the number of jobs as well. Jobs in retail trade and services, however, increased 2.2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, reflecting an increase in visitor spending since 1994. Following a dismal first quarter due to the Kobe earthquake, there was steady growth in the tourism sector in 1995 with increases in the number of visitor arrivals and hotel room rates. The number of visitor arrivals to the State increased 3.2 percent during the first eleven months of 1995. The increase in the value of the Japanese yen vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar during this period contributed to a rise in eastbound visitors in the second and third quarter of 1995 by 11.8 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively. However, in the first eleven months of 1995, the number of westbound visitors remained flat. This year is the 11th year in a row that the U.S. has experienced reduced spending on national defense. The continued reduction is due to the decline in superpower tensions and the political disintegration of the Soviet and East European-block during this decade which have prompted the Congress and Administration to initiate significant cuts in the level of defense expenditures in recent years. However, because of the strategic location of Hawaii in the Pacific this changing military posture has not significantly affected Hawaii's $3.7 billion Federal defense sector. The construction industry continued its decline in the first eleven months of 1995. This loss was mainly due to decreasing demand exacerbated by higher interest rates during the first half of 1995, following a 12.4 percent drop in 1994. Another reason is that construction costs rose by 15 percent from 1992 to 1995, which is much higher than the consumer inflation rate of 8 percent during the same period. Agriculture jobs, including self-employed, showed a 6.6 percent decline in the first eleven months of 1995 from the same period in 1994. In the earlier part of the year, the agricultural work force fell to its lowest level in 21 years. Agriculture

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Discussion Leader Summation

Discussion Leader Summation Discussion Leader Summation The discussions for Unit 4 dealt mainly with the issues facing women as part of the peer review process and as candidates for the Nobel Prize. In all there were eight discussion threads and one Voicethread involving different aspects of these two issues. While much of the discussions were personal opinions and examples, many students were given an opportunity to voice their concerns about the current systems and possible ways of changing them to more equally recognize women scientists for their achievements. A key focus of this units discussion involved the practices of the Swedish MRC and competency scoring for men versus women. Overall, the vast majority of students did not think that the current system of evaluating women in peer review was fair. Interestingly, although there was consensus about the systems capacity for unfairness towards women, an overwhelming majority of students, especially female students, noted that they personally would not be discouraged by the current system. Perhaps this is a testament to the personal character of the students, but there was no denying that the current system presents an unleveled playing field in which women are forced to make up for their gender in other parameters of the peer review process. As a discussion leader, I noticed in several posts that many students were concerned that the system would never be perfect because it was administered by human beings. I took that opportunity to introduce the idea of revamping the system to focus more on complex computer programs for generating the applicants scores. There was a little feedback on this notion. The complexity of the programs algorithms as well as the capacity of a program to produce qualitative analysis served as primary shortfalls of the proposed computer review system. While students entertained the idea of totally revamping the current system, most students agreed that a possible solution to the problem could be to allow for more anonymity for the applicant in the review process. The second major focus of this units discussion involved the Nobel Prize and the lack of recognition of women for scientific achievement. Several questions were asked of the students including why they thought fewer women were receiving the Nobel Prize, if the time-gap issue denied due credit for scientific achievement, and how the students would confront such a time-gap between achievement and recognition. Although there were many individual answers to these questions, I saw trends in the answers. Most students pointed to History to answer the first question. While they acknowledged that women were not receiving due credit for their scientific achievements, many students showed optimism that history and culture are changing in a way that more women will be awarded the Nobel Prize in the future. The trend also showed that many students did not believe that the time between achievement and recognition took away from the accomplishments of the women scientists. When each student was as ked how they would confront the time-gap issue, the interesting aspect I noticed was that many of the answers were similar with respect to promoting awareness, but the answers varied with degree of passion and emphasis. In conclusion, I believe the discussions went very well. All of the students were courteous, thoughtful, and respectful of each others opinions. While I believe that a general awareness of the bias present in both the peer review process and Nobel Prize system has been made, more analysis in terms of solutions to the problems will undoubtedly need to be addressed in the future. For now, bravo to Group A for the willingness to discuss a true problem that faces todays women of science.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The True Devils in Salem Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

The True Devils in Salem Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible The True Devils in Salem English - The Crucible by Arthur Miller The True Devils in Salem In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great detail. There are many theories as to why the witch trials came about, the most popular of which is the girls' suppressed childhoods. However, there were other factors as well, such as Abigail Williams' affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges that neighbors held against each other, and the physical and economic differences between the citizens of Salem Village. From a historical viewpoint, it is known that young girls in colonial Massachusetts were given little or no freedom to act like children. They were expected to walk straight, arms by their sides, eyes slightly downcast, and their mouths were to be shut unless otherwise asked to speak. It is not surprising that the girls would find this type of lifestyle very constricting. To rebel against it, they played pranks, such as dancing in the woods, listening to slaves' magic stories and pretending that other villagers were bewitching them. The Crucible starts after the girls in the village have been caught dancing in the woods. As one of them falls sick, rumors start to fly that there is witchcraft going on in the woods, and that the sick girl is bewitched. Once the girls talk to each other, they become more and more frightened of being accused as witches, so Abigail starts accusing others of practicing witchcraft. The other girls all join in so that the blame will not be placed on them. In The Crucible, Abigail starts the accusations by saying, "I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" Another girl, Betty, continues the cry with, "I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!" >From here on, the accusations grow and grow until the jails overflow with accused witches. It must have given them an incredible sense of power when the whole town of Salem listened to their words and believed each and every accusation. After all, children were to be seen and not heard in Puritan society, and the newfound attention was probably overwhelming. In Act Three of The Crucible, the girls were called before the judges to defend themselves against the claims that they were only acting. To prove their innocence, Abigail led the other girls in a chilling scene. Abby acted as if Mary Warren sent her spirit up to the rafters and began to talk to the spirit. "Oh Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it's God's work I do." The other girls all stared at the rafters in horror and began to repeat everything they heard. Finally, the girls' hysterics caused Mary Warren to accuse John Proctor of witchcraft. Once the scam started, it was too late to stop, and the snowballing effect of wild accusations soon resulted in the hanging of many innocents. After the wave of accusations began, grudges began to surface in the community. Small slights were made out to be witchcraft, and bad business deals were blamed on witchery. Two characters in The Crucible, Giles Corey and Thomas Putnam, argue early on about a plot of land. Corey claims that he bought it from Goody Nurse but Putnam says he owns it, and Goody Nurse had no right to sell it. Later, when Putnam's daughter accuses George Jacobs of witchery, Corey claims that Putnam only wants Jacobs' land. Giles says, "If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!" Others also had hidden motives for accusing their neighbors. Once the accusations began, everyone had a reason to accuse someone else which is why the hangings got so out of hand. The wave of accusations can be likened to mass hysteria, in which the people involved are so caught up that they start having delusions of neighbors out to do them harm. One of the main accusers, Abigail Williams, had an ulterior motive for accusing Elizabeth Proctor. In The Crucible, Abigail believed that if she got rid of Goody Proctor, then John Proctor, her husband, would turn to Abby. John Proctor had an affair with Abigail, but for

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Italian Proverbs and Sayings

Italian Proverbs and Sayings Italian is a language as fertile as the vineyards that dot the peninsulas countryside from north to south, and as a result, it’s also rich in short, pithy sayings. Didactic or advisory in nature, Italian proverbs are generalizations couched in specific, often metaphorical expressions, like niente di nuovo sotto il sole, meaning theres nothing new under the sun or troppi cuochi guastano la cucina, which means that too many cooks spoil the cooking. The Study of Proverbs Italian proverbs can be very amusing: Bacco, tabacco e Venere riducono luomo in cenere, but they are of linguistic interest and often show lexical change. In academic circles, scholars concern themselves with la paremiografia and as well as la paremiologia, the study of proverbs. Proverbs are part of an ancient tradition common to every part of the world, and there are even Biblical proverbs. Linguistic experts point out that proverbiando, simpara; by speaking and parsing out proverbs, one learns about the language, the traditions, and the mores  of a culture. The statement itself is a take on the famous Italian proverb: Sbagliando simpara (One learns from his mistakes), which implies that both native speakers and new students of Italian can increase their grammar aptitude, and vocabulary by studying quotes and sayings. You Say Pentolino, I Say†¦ The Italian language, reflecting the pastoral heritage of the country, has many proverbs that refer to horses, sheep, donkeys, and farm work. Whether termed an adagio (adage), a motto (motto), a massima (maxim), an aforisma (aphorism), or an epigramma (epigram), Italian proverbs cover most facets of life. There are proverbi sul matrimonio, proverbi regionali, and proverbs about women, love, the weather, food, the calendar, and friendship. Not surprisingly, given the large variety of regional differences in the Italian language, there are also proverbs in dialect. Proverbi siciliani, proverbi veneti, and proverbi del dialetto Milanese, for instance, reflect this diversity and show how a common idea may be given different local references. For example, here are two proverbs in Milanese dialect that show the similarities and differences in construction and pronunciation: Milanese dialect: Can ca buia al pia no.Standard Italian: Cane che abbaia non morde.English translation: Barking dogs dont bite.Milanese dialect: Pignatin pien de fum, poca papa ghà ¨!Standard Italian: Nel pentolino pieno di fumo, cà ¨ poca pappa! (or, Tutto fumo e niente arrosto!)English translation: All smoke and no fire! A Proverb  for Any Situation Whether you are interested in sports or cooking, romance or religion, there is an Italian proverb thats appropriate for any situation. Whatever the topic, remember that all Italian proverbs embody a general truth: I proverbi sono come le farfalle, alcuni sono presi, altri volano via. Or, Proverbs are like butterflies, some are caught, some fly away.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Criminal law (case study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal law (case study) - Essay Example Actus reus of murder (and manslaughter) is the unlawful act that's done deliberately and is a significant cause of death of some person. If the court is able to prove that the defendant had intention to kill (that is, mens rea) then it is murder, not manslaughter. Running from home in panic, Joe pushed his brother who hurt himself when hit the ground. Later his brother went home and died at night from head trauma. Joe can be accused both of battery and manslaughter. Since there is an ambiguity about the term "touching" concerning battery (e.g., the Court of Appeal in Wilson v Pringle [1986] 2 All ER 440 stated that to prove battery "the touching must be proved to be a hostile touching"), we will analyze the third case later. Post-traumatic stress disorder is "an anxiety disorder in which a particularly stressful event, such as military combat, rape, or a natural disaster, brings in its aftermath intrusive mental images of experiencing a traumatic event, emotional numbness and detachment, estrangement from others2" etc. One of the common responses of people with PTSD is uncontrollable behaviour that can be expressed in fits of anger (Chemtob et al., 1997) towards other persons or even assault on them. According to Mental Health Act 1983, there are different kinds of PTSD patients' treatment, e.g., hospitalisation, guardianship, supervision and treatment. The story tells us nothing about it, but since it will be essential later, we assume two probable situations: there was no medical treatment and control of Joe's disorder; there was medical supervision and treatment, but Joe was considered harmless at that time as there were no more measures provided. Having had flashback caused by victim's actions, Joe had lost the sense of reality and behaved according to his traumatic experience. The victim screamed and it caused Joe to have an imaginary return in the traumatic situation and probably to treat the victim as an enemy soldier. Joe's mind has created a delusive situation in which ex-soldier believed that his actions are correct: such belief in moral and legal rightfulness is the first reason to plead diminished responsibility (see Bratty v AG for Northern Ireland (1963) AC 386 at 409). The second factor is total loss of control. Since there were cases when partial loss of control didn't make an acquittal (e.g., in Broome v Perkins (1987) Crim LR 271), the defendant must prove that he had no possibility to control his actions, for the burden of proof in the case of insanity lies with the defendant. Then we must prove that either insanity or automatism took place. The factor that triggered flashback was external that should prove automatism, but Joe's reactions were atypical because of his mental illness that is the inner factor. There is an opinion that "if the defendant loses control because of an illness, that is, some internal factor, he can only plead insanity" (Hill v Baxter (1958) 1 QB 277). But there is the external factor in our case, the victim's scream. We should point that Joe's reaction was atypical and unexpected, and also can refer to the case of R v Rabey (1997) (Canadian case), in which defendant battered his

Chapter Four Reading Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chapter Four Reading Response - Assignment Example t of Egypt whereas Ashoka fought for power and control in India in addition to devotion in Buddhism and imperial religion (Wilkins, Schultz and Linduff 94). I responded negatively to the Arch of Titus, Rome. This was marble over concrete core commissioned by Titus (Wilkins, Schultz and Linduff 95). Additionally, I responded negatively to Flora from the Villa of Arianna at Castellammare di Stabia. This is given that, they both symbolize inconsequential meanings, for example, the Flora signified silk garments that men should not define themselves with and the Arch of Titus represented the suppression of the Jewish movement and flattering control over Jerusalem. I would like to learn more about the Buddhist Monument specifically the Great Stupa at Sanchi. This is considering that I admired the extensive value of this piece of art and its religious significance. I find it simply out of the ordinary piece of arts. How was it possible to preserve the religious value of the Great Stupa at Sanchi from the prehistoric times in early Buddhism to the present day? Finding answers to this question, entails carrying out research which include, consulting art experts and searching the library data base of ancient arts and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Land Law Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Land Law Coursework - Essay Example ee’s action.3 S 36 (2) of the said Act states that a court may adjourn the proceedings, or suspend execution of judgement, postpone delivery of possession for a period it thinks fit, if the mortgagor approaches it as a result of mortgagees’ proceeding to take possession of the mortgaged property. The court can do so if it is convinced that the mortgagor will pay the sum due within a reasonable time.4 The reality is, or literally speaking, a mortgagee has the right take possession of the mortgaged property even the next day of mortgage unless the agreement stipulates otherwise as held in Four Maids Ltd v Dudley Marshall (Properties) Ltd. 5. The decision states that mortgagee enjoys an absolute right to repossess a mortgaged property as conferred s.95 (4) of the Law of Property Act 1925,6 unless the mortgagee has contracted himself out of repossession. This decision was applied in Owen v Cornell [1967] 7where in a question arose whether the principal mortgagee could take possession when he had already assigned the debt to Sub-mortgagee. The court held that because the principal mortgagee had reserved to himself the right of reversion by one day, he could exercise his right under s 95(4) of Law of Property Act 1925. Position would have been different if he had not reserved the right under the sub-mortgage agreement and the sub-mortgagee would have prevailed. Thus, in Credit & Mercantile Plc v Marks8, sub-mortgagee was held to have the right of possession as it was involved a registered land wherein the principal mortgagee had relinquished his right of repossession on assignment of debt to the sub-mortgagee. The court observed that since the principal mortgagee had transferred his right to collect his debt, he had no right to complain of default. Thus, the mortgagor need not have defaulted in mortgage repayments as commented by Clarke LJ (at 253) of Ropaigealach decision for the mortgagee to take to take possession of the property the mortgagor lives in

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Discuss the use of directed evolution in enzyme technology Essay

Discuss the use of directed evolution in enzyme technology - Essay Example Moreover, the synthesis of molecules in the laboratory requires the aid of enzymes. However, scientists have had challenges in designing highly specific enzymes that exhibit remarkable stability for use in the different processes that require enzymes. Initially, they relied on rational design, but the products of this process did not prove desirable. The emergence of the directed evolution enzyme technology in the 1990s has served to alter the production of enzymes. This process relies on selected parent gene, subjection to a mutagen until they yield variants of the parent gene selected. This paper will discuss the process of directed evolution enzyme technology (Simpson 2012, p. 54). Prior to the development of the directed evolution concept, the application of enzymes in a diverse range of processes presented salient challenges. As many enzymologists have described, enzyme specificity is the most critical aspect in the functioning of any enzyme. The enzyme must exhibit exemplary specificity for its substrates. This serves to increase its efficiency in the catalysis process. However, many of the enzymes developed for use in many processes exhibited limited specificity (Soetaert & Vandamme 2007, p. 146). Moreover, whereas many processes were designed to occur at remarkably high temperatures, many enzymes proved unstable. Evidently, many of the enzymes exhibited low and undesirable reaction rates, and the rates of substrate conversion proved slow. In other cases, product inhibition occurred, retarding the process. These challenges necessitated the development of a procedure that could serve as a reliable method for the production of enzymes with desirable qualitie s. As highlighted above, the process of rational design that comprised of screening produced DNA libraries and subsequently engineering them did not address most of these setbacks (Arnold & Georgiou 2003, p. 54). The minimal success in rational design is

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Importance of communication plan in trail transport Essay

Importance of communication plan in trail transport - Essay Example Despite the existence of various transport methods that are fully researched on, the trail system has been neglected and even not cared for because of the social perception (Ministry of Health Promotion). The involvement of organizations such as Rail-to-Trails and other organizations has helped change the perception of the society. Through highlighting of the benefits of the trails the organizations have helped shape the use of trail transport in the country (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Organization). Rails-to-trails offer several support activities for the use of trails in transport. The organization advocates and influence policy development both for the state and national governments. In addition, the company offers technical assistance to the local trail builders to ensure their design factor in issues of safety and environmental conservation. Through defending the federal Trail banking statute, the organization supports government efforts in the process by developing the necessary support and watchdog activities. The research carried out by the organization helps in shaping the belief and the nature of the existing trails (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Organization). Trails are important because they improve the health of the community by encouraging involvement in physical activities.

Abortion as an Ethical Issue Essay Example for Free

Abortion as an Ethical Issue Essay In our everyday lives, we have to deal with a variety of different ethical issues. We as individuals with our different thought processes deal and view with these issues in different ways. Abortion is one of the most controversial ethical issues within the health care profession. Abortion is a topic that can cause heated ethical discussions within the healthcare community. Abortion contains legal and ethical issue. Abortion mean ending a pregnancy before the fetus (unborn child) can live independently outside the mother. An induced or â€Å"therapeutic† abortion is caused deliberately in order to end the pregnancy. The practice of abortion is legal in the United States. Abortion law has many sources-constitutions, legislative statues, administrative regulations, and court decisions. The foundation of abortion law is the United States Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court (McBride, 2008). Constitutional law does not directly regulate abortion, but it sets limits on the powers of the states and the federal government to regulate abortion. The authority to regulate abortion has been reserved to the states by the Constitution because Article I, which covers the legislative branch. This does not give Congress explicit authority to regulate medical practice. Nonetheless, Congress does get involved in abortion policy through its power to spend money and regulate interstate commerce (McBride, 2008). The Court has established this constitutional law of abortion through a series of decision, called case law, especially Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. States do not have constitutional authority to prohibit the medical practice of abortion before the fetus is viable; any laws that make abortion criminal before viability would be unconstitutional. After viability, that is, when an unborn child is able to live on its own outside the mother, state governments have the authority, but not the obligation, to prohibit abortion, except when medical judgment decides that abortion is necessary to save the life or health of the mother (McBride, 2008). This means that abortion is legal in the United States without condition before the fetus is viable. After viability, abortion is prohibited in some but not all states except when the health or life of the mother is in danger. Roe v. Wade gave strength to a woman’s right to privacy in the context of matters relating to he own body (Pozgar, 2008). This would include how a pregnancy would end. The Supreme Court also has recognized the interest of the states in protection potential life and has attempted to spell out the extent to which the states may regulate and even prohibit abortions. In Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court held the Texas penal abortion law unconstitutional, stating this: â€Å"State criminal abortion statutes†¦that except from criminality only a lifesaving procedure on behalf of the mother, without regard to the stage of her pregnancy and other interests involved is violating the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (Pozgar, 2008). With Doe v. Bolton, the Supreme Court went on to describe what regulatory measures a state lawfully may perform during the three stages of pregnancy. In the companion decisions, Doe v. Bolton, where the Court considered a constitutional attack on the Georgia abortion statute, further restrictions were placed on state regulation of the procedure. The provisions of the Georgia statute establishing residency requirements for women seeking abortions and requiring that the procedure be performed in a hospital accredited by The Joint Commission were declared constitutionally invalid (Pozgar, 2008). In the case law Planned Parenthood v. Casey the Supreme court affirmed Pennsylvania law restricting a woman’s right to abortion. The Court was one vote shy of overturning Roe v Wade. The Supreme Court ruling, as enunciated in Roe v. Wade reaffirmed: The constitutional right of women to have an abortion before viability of the fetus, as first enunciated in Roe v. Wade. The state’s power to restrict abortions after fetal viability so long as the law contains exceptions for pregnancies that endanger a woman’s life or health. The principle that the state has legitimate interests from the outset of the pregnancy in protecting the health of the woman and the life of the fetus. About three years ago, a difficult situation presented itself upon me. I was sitting in the doctor’s office six weeks after giving birth to my first-born. I was there to get my Mirena ® birth control. The doctor walks in and asks me if it could be possible that I was pregnant. I told her no I received birth control Depo-Provera ® right before being discharged from the hospital. The doctor then says well let me have my nurse do a blood test so that we can know for sure, and make sure it’s not just a chemical pregnancy. A couple of days passed and I return to the doctor’s office to receive my results. My doctor tells me what I had been dreading. I was pregnant again with our second child. I went home with my newborn and I cried until my husband came home from work. I cried because this news was much unexpected. We had carefully planned the timing for our first-born. We were in a perfect financial situation to be able to commit to one child. Two infants would really be pushing our financial limits. I was thinking how unfair this was. I had taken every precaution to ensure that I would not get pregnant, but I somehow ended up pregnant. When my husband came home that afternoon I was still crying, and I explained the whole situation to him. My husband was overjoyed at the news of having another child. I was confused by his emotions because I thought he would be feeling overwhelmed as I was. After I told my husband, I also told him that I was planning to get an abortion. He wanted to know the reasoning behind my decision. I told him that we were only financially equipped for one child, but two children would cause a financial burden. I refused to bring a child into this world knowing that I could not financially take care of that child. I know that people are quick to say why not give the child up for adoption. Anyone who can say that I know they have never experienced a pregnancy before. Could you imagine the emotional distress of having to give up a child that you have carried around and nurtured from almost ten months? You would also be giving your child up to a couple that you would probably only get to see after passing the baby along. Also, imagine the emotional aspects of the child. The child would be thinking about how their birth parents were able to give them away. My husband and I talked over the financial aspect over it, and decided with help from various family members that we could survive. We would just have to make sacrifices within our everyday lives. During my sonogram appointment when I was four months pregnant I received another dose of bad news. At first the doctor saw what he thought were cysts on the brain. The doctor then told me that I should terminate the pregnancy because of the difficult life the child was about to go through. I thought long and hard about what the doctor was saying. I felt like I had a strong support system that would help me get through any obstacle that life throws my way. Finally, the birth of my youngest takes place, and she was diagnosed with Lissencephaly. Lissencephaly is the condition of having a smooth cerebrum without convolutions(Merriam-Webster). Before we were discharged from the hospital, my husband and I were told to take her home, and treat her as if she is normal, and not to expect her to live past three months old. My daughter just had her third birthday May 5. This is why I have a deontology view on abortion. The deontology view is compatible to the abortion pro-choice decision. Utilitarianism really does not have a lot to say on this issue because there are too many other issues tied into the ethical issue. They would probably have arguments about if the fetus is a person or even if someone has the right to determine what goes on in their own body. They would also argue about if it were okay to kill a baby why not an adult. In my opinion, these are two different topics. We would assume through virtue ethics that killing a human adult is wrong. Don’t get me wrong killing an adult human is wrong because that is life that has already been birthed, and established. Abortion should be a choice that we are able to make on our own. This is my body I should be able to freely decide what to do with it. We are able to freely tattoo and pierce our bodies without any type of interference from the government. So why can I not make a decision to end a pregnancy that I carefully tried to avoid. I also feel that abortion when done early on in the pregnancy would not cause any harm to the fetus. According to pregnancy. rg a fetuses nervous system does not develop until after five weeks into the pregnancy. After that period the baby has already began to develop major organs and the nervous system. An egoist view on abortion would be based on one question. According to socyberty. com, an egoist would focus on what will be in her best interest. This would not mean the woman is selfish or self-centered. For example, maybe the women would be in a predicament where she would be a single mom. On the other hand, maybe she has not emotional of financial support to help er care for the child. In her case, her best interest would be to abort the child because it is in her best interest. Egoism states that everyone should act in her or her own self interest, regardless of the interest of others, unless their interest also serve as hers(http://socyberty. com/issues/abortion-an-ethical-analysis/). With the abortion this women can now complete her education. Others might argue that she could have just gotten a job, and still have been able to attend school. When making decisions you need to think of every possible scenario. What is there is a complication early in the pregnancy that requires complete bed rest or hospitalization. If this were to happen, where would her income come from? She would have to drop out of school. She would then have six months to get back into school or she would have to begin the repayment of her student loans. How can she do any of this without financial support? There are several ethical views on abortion. All the different views would explain why or why not to have an abortion. Abortion can be a controversial ethical topic. No one person will ever have the same stance on the topic. It is one of those topics when you just have to agree to disagree. You will just have to respect and listen to the opinions that others have on this ethical issue.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Dairy Processing Industry In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay

The Dairy Processing Industry In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay Nowadays, the dairy industry is categorized into two distinct production areas. The primary production of milk is principally on farms, whereby cows and other animals, such as goats, sheep, and among others, are bred for the production of milk for human consumption. The processing of milk has for main objective of extending its saleable life and keeping quality. This can be achieved by a number of food transformation and preservation techniques. Milk can be heat treated, can be prepared variously in a dehydrated form like butter and milk powder, thirdly by freezing, for instance, ice cream and other frozen desserts and finally by fermentation like yoghurt, cheese, ghee, kefir and among others. 1.1.1 Profile of the dairy processing industry in Mauritius Mauritius has one of the strongest economies in Africa, with a per capita GDP close to U$3,900. Its economy has been heightened greatly over the past 15 years and the main sectors, which have driven the performance, were the textile, tourism and sugar industry. However, studies prepared by the Imani Development Consultants (2004), for the Regional Agricultural Trade Expansion Support Program, have demonstrated that the local dairy is a very small sector with only about 5000 dairy cows, producing about 4 million litres of milk, which represent only 5% of the total requirements. Hence, Mauritius does not have the resources and capacity to produce milk efficiently. About 1 million litres of the milk produced, through reconstitution from powder milk, is marketed as pasteurised milk by the Agricultural Marketing Board and other dairy industries. Likewise the Imani Development Consultants (2004) added that the consumption trend of most dairy products has considerably increased over the past 5 years from 12,800 tons in 1995 to 22,000 tons in the year 2002. This trend is expected to continue with the rising standard of living of the Mauritian population. There is now a growing market for UHT milk despite the fact that milk powder is widely preferred by the population. Australia and New Zealand remain the principal suppliers of dairy products to Mauritius. There are various renowned dairy products brands in most supermarkets and retail shops. Although Mauritius is not a milk producing country, it has three main dairy products manufacturers, namely Maurilait Ltd., INNODIS Ltd., and Laiterie de Curepipe, which are producing mainly yoghurt, ice cream, sterilised milk and flavoured milk, using imported raw materials. 1.1.1.1 INNODIS Limited INNODIS Limited is one of the main food and grocery distributors and producers in Mauritius. It is a large company engaged in different sectors, ranging from poultry, rice milling, consumer goods, frozen foods, dairy production and among others. The company has invested profusely to bring over a high performance in quality and reliability of its products and this has nowadays led to an annual turnover of Rs 2.5 billion (Anon2, 2010). The dairy Plant of INNODIS Ltd was set up since 1952, with an Ice Cream business activity, manufacturing Nestle products under the brand name Dairymaid. It has nowadays developed close partnerships with South African licenses and has integrated other production lines of yoghurt, nectars, and sterilized milks under the brand name of DairyVale, Ceres, Twin Cows and Ole respectively. Ice Cream production includes 45% of the total production, followed by 30% of yoghurt production and a remaining of 25% for nectars and sterilized milk (pers. comm., 2010). The dairy plant of INNODIS Ltd has adopted a food safety management system, for instance, the HACCP Codex Alimentarius Standards and adheres to the Nestle and Ceres Standards in order to keep up consistency in quality of products and work within the factory. The installed capacity of the dairy processing plant is 2million Litres of milk per year and is presently being used at 90% of its capacity milk (pers. comm., 2010). 1.2 Dairy Processing Waste 1.2.1 Water consumption Water is the principal raw material and cleaning constituent in the food processing sector. In the dairy processing industry, substantial volumes of water is used for cleaning equipment and work areas to maintain the hygienic conditions, in cooling departments like in cooling towers and in energy production for example in boilers. Water also accounts for a large proportion as raw material in the reconstitution of milk powders for the production of liquid milk, yoghurt, ice cream, butter, cheese and among others. Rates of water consumption can vary significantly based on the scale and capacity of the plant and type of processing, whether batch or continuous processes. The type of mix being generated, the methods and cleaning equipments being in use as well as considering the human factor with inference to the practices of the operatives on the production departments can also affect drastically the consumption of water in the dairy processing. A typical range for water consumption in reasonably efficient plants is 1.3-2.5 Litres water/Kg of milk intake (UNEP, 2000). In most parts of the world, fresh water is becoming scarcer with the evolution of climatic phenomenon like droughts and el lino and as such, the cost of water is rising and the true environmental costs of its supply are being taken into consideration. Water has thus become an increasingly valuable commodity and its efficient use is being now emphasized on drastically. There can be effective water management strategies for reducing water consumption and this can involve technological solutions or equipment upgrading. Moreover, a dairy plant waste load can be curbed down considerably by monitoring the amount of water used and reducing the amount of product lost into the effluent. This control will all depends upon the machine set-up and the operators practices. Stopping wastage at its source will therefore be less costly and more practical than end-of-pipe waste treatment. By doing so, the water expenditure can be declined up to 0.8-1.0 Litres water/kg of milk intake (UNEP, 2000). Techniques described in the publication made by the UNEP in 2000 are well defined accordingly: Continuous rather than batch processing is better to be introduced as it prevents frequent cleaning. Automated cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems allow less dismantling of equipments and therefore less use of water. Flow meters are placed at different spots of the processing line to control and monitor the flow of water for manual cleaning procedures. High pressure rather than high volume is preferred for cleaning surfaces. Compressed air can be used also. Re-circulating or re-using clean water which may have been used for rinsing to other activities which is not a commodity for cleaning and processing. 1.2.2 Waste water discharge Water discharges are produced mainly in the dairy industry by processing operations but also by clean water which are released from cooling water and steam and evaporator condensates. This discharge ultimately becomes the effluent, which contains predominantly milk and milk constituents which have been lost from the process. According to studies made by the UNEP (2004), milk loss can be as high as 3-4% with the main source of loss being residues which remain on the internal surfaces of vessels and pipes, draining of mix from machines before filling, spills during emptying tanks and overflowing of vats or hoppers. Likewise, the organic load of the effluent varies greatly with the type of cleaning practices being applied. Batch processes will normally require a greater and frequent cleaning. Thus, the COD level can reach up to about 8 Kg/m3 milk intake. 1.2.2.1 Characteristics of waste water and their impacts on the environment The characteristics of the waste water generally vary from different types of dairy products owing to their different constituents and ways of processing. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Organic components which is within the dairy waste water consists of mainly proteins like whey and caseins, lactose and fat and these can affect the ecosystem depending on their solubility and biodegradability to lead further to an organic pollution of the environment. These can be determined on a laboratory scale by using the BOD and COD factor. Microorganisms, specifically bacteria, require and degrade organic nutrients for their survival and simultaneously they consume oxygen. The oxygen used can be measures and the BOD and COD. BOD is measured as the amount of oxygen that is consumed by bacteria while decomposing waste over an incubation period of 5 days at a temperature of 20  °C. The COD can be enumerated as the oxygen equivalent for the decomposition of organic matter and oxidation of inorganic chemical such as ammonia and nitrite. One litre of whole milk is equivalent to approximately 110 Kg BOD5 or 210 Kg COD (UNEP, 2000). Moreover, mandatory regulations from the Environment Protection Act 2002 (EPA) have shown that there should be a minimum of 120 mg/ L of COD and 40mg/ L of BOD (Appendix 1). Hence, it is a must to abide by the legislation as prescribed. Whey loss One major contributing element to a dairy plants effluent load is the cumulative presence of high concentration of milk, which contains a large proportion of the salty whey. Whey is also added as an inclusion the mix composition of ice cream. Hence, with these losses occurring during pipe work is uncoupled during tank transfers or equipment is being rinse, there can be greater release of the whey concentrates and other isolates like lactose and caseins to the effluent system. The main concern with whey loss is that it increases the BOD level of the effluent system. Hence, it is a must that green manufacturing practices are taken so that milk or any other dairy products and intermediates are not drained out into the effluent system. Other measures currently being used now is that whey, being used as an additive in certain dairy products, can be re-processed from the dairy industry waste. An investigation carried out in 11 dairy plants by Ostojic and others (2005) have demonstrated that 78.5% of whey, in the form of milk, has been discharged into the waste water contributing to the organic pollution of the environment. This contamination can therefore be prevented by transforming the whey into food, animal feed and pharmaceuticals. Process of vacuum concentration and filtration needs to be performed to obtain the whey proteins. Table of waste water characterisitics -still compiling normative data 1.2.2.2 Waste Water Treatment Options Absorption Ponds Absorption ponds are popular for dairy wastewater disposal but as with the ridge and furrow systems they are not constructed as much today because of concern about compliance with environmental laws. Typically absorption ponds were used by the smaller dairies where there is small wastewater volume. As these small dairy plants have closed, many of these absorption ponds have been taken out of service. Absorption ponds can still be used; however, it requires internal treatment of the waste water. Activated enzymes can be added to degrade the organic waste. Then, the waste water is collected by waste water carries to be further treated by the public or municipal treatment plant. Biological Tower This could be considered a modern filter where wastewater is pumped down over a support covered with a media which allows microbiological growth. The microorganisms or bacteria consumes the organic waste of the wastewater as food and eventually sloughs off for collection into a clarifier. The biological tower is typically used as an initial treatment unit before sending the effluent for full treatment by the public authority. Activated Sludge Activated sludge is a conventional process for treating dairy industries waste water using air and a biological mixture composed of bacteria and protozoan. Air or oxygen is introduced in a primary treated effluent combined with the organisms used to develop the biological floc. In this way, organic matters like biological constituents of milk, ammonia, nitrates and phosphates are removed and converted into carbon dioxide and nitrogen eventually. The effluent is the clarified and is collected for disposal. The sludge or waste mud produced can be also treated. A typical activated sludge system can be shown in the figure below: Figure 1 An Activated Sludge Process (Beychok, M., 2007) Aerated Lagoons Aerated lagoons have been a common method of wastewater treatment for dairy plants that directly discharge to surface water like rivers and sea. Generally these systems are several large ponds connected in series with floating surface aerators or submerged air diffusers. 1.2.2.3 Treatment of waste water in Mauritius The effluent from the dairy plants should normally be treated at some extent on the site or sent to the local treatment systems. For instance, in Mauritius, the St Martin waste water treatment plant treats the wastewater from the Upper Plaines Wilhems as well as the regions of Lower Plaines Wilhems. The plant has a designed capacity of 69,000 m3 per day. The treatments consists of a primary step whereby there is screening of the effluent. Then, the secondary treatment constitutes of disintegration and removal of grit (Institute for Environment and Legal Studies, 2010). The final treatment phase is disinfection using ultra violet technology. Currently, the St Martin treatment plant has a capacity of approximately 25,000-30,000 m3 per day and this treated water is used mostly for irrigation purposes (Anon, 2007). 1.2.3 Energy consumption According to research carried out by the United Nations Environmental Program (2000), about 80% of a dairy plants energy is catered by the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural oil or gas) in a boiler system to generate steam and hot water for evaporative and heating processes. The remaining 20% is met by the public electricity for running electric motors, refrigeration and lighting. The age and capacity of a plant, the level of technology and automation and the number of products being manufactured, largely affect the energy consumption of a dairy industry. Processes, which involve intensive heating, concentration and drying, for instance spray-dried of milk powder, entail much energy. Nevertheless, milk, which needs partial heat treatment and packaging, requires less energy. A typical range for energy consumption in plants processing milk is 0.5-1.2 MJ/kg of milk intake (UNEP, 2000). A good energy management program will identify uses of energy for a dairy factory and can highlight areas for improvement. Substantial savings of energy can be easily made with no investment of capital, via simple housekeeping and green productivity practices. Energy savings of up to 25% are possible through switch-off programs and the fine tuning of existing processes, and an additional 20% can be saved through the use of more energy-efficient equipment and heat recovery systems. By doing so, energy consumption for the processing of milk can be reduced to as low as 0.3 MJ/kg of milk intake (UNEP, 2000). Some energy-saving initiatives are listed below, and these can represent a best practice for the dairy industry. An energy management circle can be set-up within the dairy plant to identify issues and monitor them. Energy-efficient lightning can be installed. Efficient refrigeration compressors can also be set-up. There should be regular tagging and measurement of energy consumption of each machine and this can easily help to indentify bottle-necks within the system. Steam and air leaks and other pipelines should be repaired as soon detected. 1.2.3.1 Greenhouses Gases (GHGs) With the profuse combustion of fossil fuels (coal, kerosene, fuel oil, diesel oil, etc.) nowadays to make power to run industrial machines, heat water and operate distribution vehicles, a potential amount of GHGs is being evolved in the atmosphere. leading to the so-called drastic environmental effect, Global Warming. According to the IPPC (1997), water vapour is the most important GHG, contributing 36-70% to global warming; carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane add to 9-26% and 4-9% respectively, while ozone contributes 3-7%. As related to fossil fuel combustion, CO2, methane and nitrous oxide are the most important GHGs. The problem with GHGs is that over the last few years the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere, especially CO2, has greatly increased. Greenhouse gases are like a blanket around the earth, making the atmosphere warmer. They absorb the heat from the earth, and re-radiate it to space, and the other half goes right back to the earths surface. Thus, with the slight increase in temperature in the atmosphere, the circulation patterns of the ocean and wind currents are altered causing climatic changes. 1.2.4 Solid wastes and packaging Dairy products such as milk and yoghurt are typically packed in plastic-lined paperboard cartons known also as tetrapak, High density polyethene (HDPE) cups, plastic pouches or reusable glass bottles. Moreover, ice cream is known to be filled in HDPE tubs and cups as well as paper-lined cones. Other products, such as butter and cheese, are wrapped in foil, plastic film or small plastic containers. Milk powders are commonly packaged in multi-layer kraft paper sacs or tinned steel cans, and some other products, such as condensed milks, are commonly packed in cans. Breakages and packaging mistakes cannot be totally avoided. Improperly packaged dairy product can often be returned for reprocessing or recycling. However, the packaging material is generally discarded. At INNODIS Dairy Plant, it is known that bottles used for sterilized milk can be recycled, yet HDPE cups and tubs remain unprocessed and disposed at Mare Chicose Land Fill (Pers. Comm., 2010). 1.3 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Life cycle thinking is an essential element to sustainable development. It is about going beyond the traditional focus on production site and manufacturing processes so to include the environmental, social, and economic impact of a product or a process over its entire life cycle [United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), 2007]. The producer has therefore for responsibility for their products from cradle to grave and should aim at developing products, which have enhanced performance in all stages of the product life cycle. The life cycle management tools expand from Cleaner Production Assessment (CPA), Cumulative Energy Requirements Analysis (CEPA), and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). All these techniques helps in the implementation of the green concept, namely the 6 Re Philosophy, which are defined by UNEP (2007) furthermore below. Figure 2 6 Re Philosophy throughout the product lifecycle (UNEP, 2007) 1.3.1 Definition of LCA Life Cycle Assessment is a methodological technique that applies life cycle thinking in quantitative way on the environmental analysis of activities associated to products, processes or services. A holistic focus will be placed on products/ services by assessing the upstream to downstream activities of their process flow. Therefore, LCA determines the potential environmental sequentiae of products, processes or services, throughout its life cycle, i.e., from raw material acquirement to production, usage, and finally disposal. This is the so-called cradle to grave approach (Environment, Health and Safety Committee, 2005). The Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) (Boudouropoulos et al., 1999), has well defined the Life Cycle Assessment as an important environmental management tool used to evaluate environmental burdens associated with a product, process or an activity, by identifying and quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment, to assess the impact of those energy and materials uses and releases on the environment, and evaluate and implement opportunities to affect environmental improvements. The assessment includes the entire life cycle of the product, processes, or activity, encompassing extraction and processing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, use/re-use/maintenance, recycling and final disposal. Hence, in all activities implicated during the life cycle of a product or service, resources are consumed from the environment and wastes are generated back into the environment. This can be illustrated in the schematic diagram below. Figure 3 The life cycle of a product with the input of resources and output of waste (Chen, 2008) LCA has its roots in the 1960s, when the scientists who became concerned about the rapid depletion of fossil fuels, established it as a move towards understanding the consequences of energy consumption. The concept of environmental LCA was further developed from the idea of comprehensive environmental assessments of products, which was conceived in Europe and in the USA in the late 1960s and early 1970s (Hunt, 1998). It is a relatively new and cutting-edge environmental decision support tool and young discipline, as it provides quantitative environmental and energy data on products and processes (Mwangome, 2009). Although still under development, LCA has been standardised by the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) as an element in the ISO 14000 series. The principles and guidelines of the LCA are found within the standards of the ISO 14040; the ISO 14041 to ISO 14043 describes the methodology of the LCA process. 1.3.2 Principles of the LCA Generally, an inventory of relevant inputs of resources, like water, raw materials including packages, energy and fuels, and outputs of detrimental wastes such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, solid wastes, nitrates and phosphates, released to the environment, are identified, quantified and compiled. Their potential burdens on the environment and ecosystem are determined and evaluated, and immediate measures and practices for improvements specific to the objectives of the assessment are found and assessed for use. Through such a systematic overview and perspective, the shifting of a potential environmental burden between life cycle stages or individual processes can be detected and possibly avoided. To be able to carry out the methodology of the LCA, a functional unit of the product should be taken and it is defined by the reference unit of the product being in study, for instance 1L of bottled water can be evaluated from cradle to grave. The sum of each impact at each specific step or stage of the process flow help to provide an assessment score to determine the hotspots of the entire life cycle of the process. Therefore, measures to mitigate environmental impact have to be prioritized and emphasized on the hotspots. 1.3.3 Life Cycle Assessment Methodology The life cycle assessment occurs in four main phases which fully explains the different steps and order for it to be carried out. Phase 1 Goal and Scope Definition The first stage is specifically the planning which implies defining and describing the product, activity, and process to be analyzed. The aims of the assessment are established and the life cycle steps and impact categories like energy or water use are identified and reviewed. Phase 2 Life cycle inventory analysis This stage involves identifying and quantifying inputs like energy, water, materials and land usage and the outputs releases to the environment like air emissions, solid waste, water discharge, energy lost during the entire lifecycle. Phase 3 Life cycle impact assessment At this phase, the consequences of the material consumption and environment releases to human health and the eco-system, like acidification, global warming and ozone depletion are evaluated. Table : Description of some lifecycle impact categories (Narayanaswamy et al., 2002) Lifecycle Impact Categories Description Global Warming The release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) have a warming effect on the atmosphere is known as global warming. Acidification Acid gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide have the ability to produce acid rains when condensed and this therefore increases the acidity of the land and soil and cause even damages of buildings and other infrastructures. Eutrophication Releases of phosphates and nitrates in the underground water or in rivers can cause algae to bloom out, endangering the freshwater ecosystem. Human toxicity Some pollutants such as dioxine or dichlorobenzene can be absorbed in food stuffs and cause the death or disability of humans. Dryland salinity Clearing of native lands can cause the increase of seawater logging catchments areas rising the salinity of the land. Phase 4 Life cycle Interpretation The findings from the inventory analysis and impact assessment are combined together so as to reach conclusions and recommendations which are consistent with the goal and scope of the assessment. The most significant impact and hotspot in the life cycle of the product, process or activity are simultaneously identified. 1.3.4 Applications of Life Cycle Analysis Life cycle assessment has had a wide application in the dairy industry and has started from farm to fork. In dairy farming, LCA has been used specifically in the quantification of greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly in countries like New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Netherlands. Moreover, pertaining to milk processing activities like butter, yoghurt, sterilized and pasteurized milk, spray-dried milk, ice cream and among others, studies have not been done at a scientific level but also by reputated international industries, such as Unilever and Nestlà ©. The aim of these multi-national corporations is to mitigate their misuse of resources and pollution problems and have noticed several positive economic and environmental outcomes (Narayanasawmy et al., 2002). It has been utilized in different formats. Many companies have used LCA as for establishing an eco-labelling scheme and therefore communicating about the environmental aspects about a particular product or service to consumers and stakeholders. Likewise, it is a useful tool to develop business strategies and policies and amplify the market shares. When combined with strategic decision models, LCA can be applied as an important supporting tool for business managers. Moreover, Life Cycle Assessment can be applied as a product and process improvement and design and thus allowing companies to comply with their local environmental regulations and laws. 1.3.4.1 International Studies based on LCA A life cycle assessment was applied to the dairy industry in Mainland Portugal in 2005. The objective of the research was to evaluate the milk production and agriculture practices using the LCA. The goal of the LCA also consisted of identifying the relative contribution of each one of the different cow milk products, for instance, milk, yoghurt and curd cheese (Castanheira et al., 2005). The functional unit was 1L of raw milk. The boundary of the lifecycle flow was at raw milk processing, whereby packing and delivery to consumer were not considered. In the inventory analysis stage, the impact categories considered were mainly global warming, followed by photochemical oxidation, eutrophication and acidification. Results have shown that the production of milk for consumption has the greatest consequences on the environment due to 49% global warming, 51% acidification and 57% eutrophication with 60% release of ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4). In the milk production process meant for consumption, there was also a great impact from COD and nitrates, which has been seen as the main source of contamination of underground rivers. As from the curd cheese production, there was high emission of carbon dioxide, which is normally the principal contributing factor of GHGs in Portugal. This is owing to the high consumption of different forms of energy during the milk transformation to cheese (Castanheira et al., 2005). Yoghurt production had the least burden on the environmental in the Mainland Portugal with only 6% contribution of COD to waterlines. In addition, it was seen that most burdens are found at the raw milk production in the lifecycles of all milk for consumption, cheese and yoghurt flows. Another study was performed in Italy by the ENEA (Italian Agency for new Technology, Energy and the Environment) and ERVET (Regional Agency for the Development of Emilia-Romagna), whereby the whole lifecycle of butter production was investigated (Masoni et al., 1998). The main objective of the study was to stress on the difficulties underwent by the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and try to establish a simpler methodology for LCA. Optimization or resources like water, energy and reducing wastes in terms of solid wastes, emissions of GHGs, and contamination of water were also focused. The functional taken was 5Kg butter delivered in 250g lot, under two alternative primary packaging, one by polyethene coupled with paper and secondly, aluminum foil integrated with a waxed greaseproof paper. The steps evaluated were from cream production to post-consumer waste management, using the Simapro software. The sensitivity analysis conducted by Masoni and others (1998) for polyethene packaged butter revealed less accurate data can be used for most ancillary material processes, without impairing the overall inventory results. For instance, it was found that about 80% of water and 55% of energy were wasted at the raw material stage, with a total emission of approximately 55% CO2 and 50% NO2, and released of 53% of solid waste and heavy metals in waters. The emissions and heavy metal contamination were greater at the butter production compared to raw material processing, distribution and waste management. The solid wastes disposal was however drastic during the raw material processing. Moreover, the LCA study has not been completed for the cheese in aluminium packaging. It has been finally observed that a shortage of resources like capital, technological levels and awareness to environmental management can be limitations for an approach towards LCA as a decision-making tool for SMEs. Whilst investigating the environmental impacts of the LCA in the Kenya, Mwangome (2009) has restricted her study to the energy consumption only. The importance of the research was upon aiming the operation efficiency based on the size of the studied dairy companies against the transportation process in the chain. The functional unit was allocated to 1Kg of processed milk. The LCA methodology was utilized to investigate the energy balances between inputs and outputs and from data obtained the environmental consequences were processed as carbon dioxide. The farming stage was observed to be the hot spot with the most consumed energy compared to the steps in the life cycle. It was therefore seen that Diesel was the main element contributing to the high emission of CO2, though wood and electricity were also a commodity for energy provision to dairy plants. Hence, this observation has helped to find measures to curb down the use of fuels and therefore bringing up eco-efficiency within food supply chains. Likewise, Netherlands is known to be a principal producer of milk for ready use. Observations have been made that the emissions of greenhouse gases and c

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay on One Hundred Years of solitude -- essays research papers fc

Believed by many to be one of the world’s greatest writers, Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez is a Colombian-born author and journalist, winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature and a pioneer of the Latin American â€Å"Boom.† Affectionately known as â€Å"Gabo† to millions of readers, he first won international fame with his masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude, a defining classic of twentieth century literature. Whether writing short stories, epic novels, or nonfiction, Gabo is above all a brilliant storyteller, and his writing is a tribute to both the power of the imagination and the mysteries of the human heart. In Gabo’s world, where flowers rain from the sky and dictators sell the very ocean, reality is subject to emotional truths as well as physical boundaries. It is a world of great beauty and great cruelty; a world where love brings both redemption and enslavement; and a world where the lines between objective reality and dreams are hopelessly blurred. It is a world very much like our own. On Translation and Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez – A speech delivered by Edith Grossman at the 2003 PEN Tribute to Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez. Serenade – Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez tells the story of his parents’ courtship and marriage in the New Yorker. The Power of Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez – A New Yorker article from September 1999. Shipwrecked – Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez’ New York Times op-ed piece on Elià ¡n Gonzà ¡lez. Love in the Time of Cholera Film – July 22, 2004, The Guardian. Stone Village has acquired the...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

American Film Industry Essay -- Media History, Cinema

The American film industry has become the most dominant over all other national cinemas. Millions of people now watch feature films all over the world but there is, and always has been one prevailing place where the films originate and this is the ‘cinema of the United States of America’ better known as Hollywood. This essay will explain how Hollywood has become the dominant force over all the other national cinemas in relation to historical factors which have affected the high quality of the films, the economic supremacy of Hollywood’s budgets and revenues, aswell as the glamour of high-profile actors and actresses. Through discussing each of these concepts and comparing the success of Hollywood to other national cinemas, in particular British cinema, we can discover how it has become the most dominant cinema in the past to this present day. Before looking into the rise to dominance of Hollywood, we must gain an insight into the history of the cinema industry. The first practices of cinema entertainment was with Thomas Edison’s invention of the kinetoscope in 1896, which gave the audience the chance to view nickelodeons in fairgrounds and later on short films but it wasn’t until 1903 with the ‘Great Train Robbery’ (directed by Edwin Sporter) The pistol shot used in the Great Train Robbery is used in more contemporary films such as James Bond. The audiences started to show interest as now the cinema developed a narrative for the first time with the story shown through a series of various camera shots. It was then that longer movies with more complex story lines and innovative editing were released, and cinema’s possibilities as a form of market as well as entertainment were then recognised. The Motion ... ...gn markets and America’s investments in them could be jeopardized by restricting distribution. The 1948 Anglo-American Film Agreement, allowed American companies to withdraw only a fraction of their huge annual profits, in exchange for the abolition of import quotas. As Balio (1976: p397) points out, the Americans held veiled advantages under the act- ‘American companies could spend there frozen earnings in Britain†¦ to acquire story rights and buy real estate and studios.’ Similar terms could be found in the 1948 Franco-American Film Agreement, where ten million dollars of ‘blocked’ profits could be used to co-produce films with French companies and gain distribution rights. It is through Government collaborations such as this that Hollywood was able to attain the status of an expansive commercial enterprise within the U.S. and indeed outside it that it has today.

Media Violence Essay

With each final draft submitted, a Student/Teacher Memo must be included. This memo will take the place of a cover page. This memo asks you to answer the following questions: 1. What was your purpose? What effect were you trying to achieve? There are a total of three minor purposes in this paper: first, to define media violence; second, to write why media violence should be extinguished from the society; third and final, to write how media violence could be extinguished from the society. The overall purpose, on the other hand, is to encourage the extinguishing of media violence by laying out its negative effects, particularly to the youth society. 2. What was interesting about the process you went through in writing this paper, and what did you learn from it? The interesting thing about the process when I wrote the paper was the portion when I was asking myself why, indeed, has youth violence continued to prevail, even if there had been laws and regulations in relation to controlling this event. I realized that the law had not really sunk into the lives of the citizens. 3. What was the most difficult about this paper, and what did you learn from the attempt? The most difficult portion was trying to explain, in detail, how media violence affects the behavior of a child or a youth. From that attempt, I learned that, in an argumentative paper, there is nothing better than having many references around. 4. What do you see as the strengths of the paper, and what would you try to do if you were to revise it some more? I think that the strengths of the paper have something to do with the exhaustive description of each stage†¦ each picture that can be brought to light. If I would revise it some more, though, I would add extra pages on more exact proposals, and more on the negative consequences of the proposals. 5. What’s not a part of your paper that you think might help a reader understand or appreciate it more? What didn’t you put in? Are there certain events or feelings or memories that led you to write on this topic or to take this approach? I think it would be better if there are portions on the laws and regulations that were approved or amended by the constitution in connection to media violence. It would also be good to insert a true-to-life case where media violence appeared to be the major cause of crime in a youth’s life episode. 6. What feedback or reactions did you get at various times in this paper, and how much did you make use of them, if at all? Any other kinds of help-from classmates? teachers? others? My recent feedbacks or reactions were fine. I used them to increase information that is more detailed and descriptive. Yes, there is always help from teachers and friends. 7. What kind of feedback or response would you like from your reader? I would definitely want a feedback that is positive and inspiring. Name Professor Course 6 June 2008 Proposal Argument: Media Violence Should Be Extinguished from the Youth Society David Buckingham wrote that â€Å"[R]epresentation begins at a very young age† (16). The television, for example, displays an array of shapes, colors, and sounds. For those who are below the age of two, the television may appear to be a ‘magic window’ where tiny creatures live and exist. By the time they reach two years old, they seem to understand that the television is a medium that displays things and events. Then by the time they reach kinder, they get to have the ability of perceiving the relationship between pictures in the media and those that are in real life. As they enter elementary, they get to see that there are different types of shows, such as cartoons or entertainment shows; they start to explore the relationship between reality and fiction. By middle childhood, they get to have the ability to get motivated or inspired by pictures represented in the media. By early adolescence, they begin to develop social understanding on what they perceive, relating it to real-life incidents, and creating a tendency to relate things in life with what they see or hear in the media. This paper talks of the negative effects of media violence to the youth society. In the end, it will be evident what media violence is, and how and why media violence should be extinguished from the youth society. In connection to media, intense guidance is greatly needed when and before a child reaches the adolescence period. Media has its greatest power over the youth during this vulnerable state of early adolescence, for it is the time when they perceive images according to their belief and understanding, labeling them as positive or negative, based on their perception of what it is†¦ then they act out what they see in it.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Marketing Mix in Ports

Logistics Management Due Date: Word Count: Abstract This essay investigates the Port of Long Beach (POLL) with the aim of identifying the business and marketing environment and ascertaining its major marketing opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses.Based upon this internal and external environmental evaluation, the up's of the extended marketing mix are analyses in relation to Poll's current marketing strategy. Finally, suggestions on how Improvements to Poll's marketing strategy, with specific reference to the analysis of he extended marketing mix are proposed and the impacts of such suggestions are detailed. Research comprised of academic literature, Industry Journals, reports and websites In relation to the organization Itself and Its affiliates.What was found was that the Port of Long Beach's key marketing strategies were based upon environmental stewardship, community, Industry and government relations, Infrastructure and transportation, trade and commerce and organiza tional effectiveness. It was also recognized that the marketing strategy that POLL employ Is highly sophisticated, covering all facets of the extended marketing mix. Poll's facilitating effective delivery of service to their major customers, East Asia, which accounts for 90% of its throughput.POLL was analyses and segmented according the up's of the extended marketing mix. Its key marketing strategies included environmental stewardship, community, industry and government relations, infrastructure and transportation, trade and commerce organizational effectiveness. POLL have focused this strategy, in conjunction with partnerships on their customer base, primarily East Asia which accounts for 90% of trade and also consumers within its local hinterland. Finally, changes to Port of Long Beach's marketing strategy are put forth and also the potential impacts of such changes are detailed.Table of Contents Abstract Contents Price Process Evidence Introduction ii Table of iii Introduction 1 Task 1 1 Task 2 3 Product 4 4 Promotion 5 People 5 6 Physical 6 Task 3 7 Conclusion 8 References 10 The rise of globalization and subsequent increased freight volumes has required seaports to become customer-focus oriented, proactive and adaptive in a highly competitive freight market, encouraging trade facilitation both within the port wrought its logistics and supply chain and internationally (Cannon 2004), (Cannon 2008), (Strategic Plan 2009).It follows then that seaport marketing must also develop and adapt in order to create value and also customer satisfaction. This essay will investigate the Port of Long Beach's (POLL) overall business from a marketing perspective, profiling the industry, the markets within the industry, its customers, this evaluation, the up's of the extended marketing mix are analyses in relation to Poll's current marketing strategy. Finally, suggestions on how improvements to Poll's marketing strategy, with specific reference to the analysis of the extend ed marketing mix are proposed and the impacts of such suggestions are detailed.Task 1 Summaries key organizational and marketing information from your Assignment 1 Case Report, in order to provide the context for your response to Questions 2 and 3 below. Pollinator & Khakis (2011) suggests that When shippers are confident about the volumes of cargo they will need to move or they feel that transport is of too great strategic importance, they may decide to take the shipping risk themselves'. Whilst POLL do possess fully automated facilities, they do not do so in partnership with any major shipping lines.The absence of any major partnership agreements has left the door open for POLL to sign such agreements with Orient Overseas Container Line (COOL) and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MASC.), ensuring that the majority of all cargo owned by MASC., COOL and their alliance partners will now pass through Poll's terminals and not Poll's (Porter 2013). The impact of the partnerships has been imme diately reflected through a 10. 1 percent increase in container throughput in the second quarter of 2013, which simultaneously saw a 9. Percent decrease from POLL (Canada, California Ports Grow West Coast Market Share 2013).Newly developed on- dock rail facilities, gray chassis pool and Green Port Gateway have greatly improved the ports competitiveness and efficiency whilst allowing for greater network connectivity through to east U. S. As far as the Ohio River (Port of Long Beach), (UNCLAD 2013). Kettle, Brown, Burton, Deans & Armstrong (2013, p. 243) states ‘Business buyers are influenced heavily by factors in the current and expected economic environment'. This statement has never been more evident than in hipping following the Global Financial Crisis (SGF) in 2008/2009 and more recently the European debt sovereign crisis.Subsequent austerity measures have seen a shift in trade routes from Asia to Europe now heading to the west coast of the U. S. , placing POLL and POLL in primary position to receive increased volumes of cargo (UNCLAD 2012). POLL is aware of its impact on the environment and have answered with their award winning Green Port Policy, which seeks to reduce and eliminate the pollution generated by the port. POLL wish to not only be the busiest and most efficient port in North America, but also an environmental innovator and leader (Port of Long Beach 2013).Critically evaluate the marketing mix of your chosen organization, using relevant marketing theory. The advent of globalization and the subsequent increase in seaport competition has required seaports to differentiate their product through the provision of value-added services and continually evolving marketing strategies (Cannon 2004). Port of Long Beach's key marketing strategies were based upon environmental stewardship, community, industry and government relations, infrastructure and transportation, read and commerce and organizational effectiveness (Port of Long Beach 2013).PRODUCT The product of a port can be separated into its core product and its actual product (Kettle, Brown, Burton, Deans & Armstrong 2013). POLL seeks to create value and competitive advantage through its complex and highly integrated service offering, enabled through its cargo handling services and value-added services. POLL possess both dedicated container and bulk cargo terminals, with supply chain capabilities that allow network access as far as the Ohio River.Network connectivity is enabled pacifically through on-dock rail, across 10 piers and 80 berths that are serviced by 66 post-Panamas gantry cranes, allowing for efficient transshipment and storage of cargoes. Channel and berth depth have been deepened in order to accommodate many of the larger container vessels capable of carrying 13,000 TIES. POLL encourages trade facilitation through its harbor services, tug/towing, piloting, consulates, marine surveyors, U. S. Customs, freight forwarders, customer brokers, and shipping agents .Supporting services such as waste disposal, medical facilities, tortes and bunkering are also available. Additionally, POLL provides value-added services such as cold storage and bonded warehousing (Port of Long Beach 2013), (Strategic Plan 2009). PLACE Place of the product involves company logistics and marketing activities concerned with delivering the company's service. A ports location is imperative to its ability to attract and retain customers. POLL is situated in the heart of the most populous extensive hinterland access, allowing it to be served by 140 shipping lines with connections to 217 seaports.Poll's location and network connectivity allows for the shiest chance of frequency, reliability, profitability and relative convenience. High traffic volumes of its major competitor and harbor neighbor, POLL, results in increased traffic flows and congestion that would otherwise belong to POLL, however POLL is able to reduce this effect as five of Poll's container terminals are connected with on-dock rail facilities, that increase the efficiency of traffic flow and reach of the port past the immediate through to the extended hinterland in the east U.S. (Cannon 2008), (Kettle, Brown, Burton, Deans & Armstrong 2013) (Port of Long Beach 2013), Strategic Update 2009). PRICE Price is the amount of money the customer has to pay to obtain the product (Kettle, Brown, Burton, Deans & Armstrong 2013). It is difficult to compare port tariffs among ports accurately because of diversity in their systems and regulations, the existence of pricing by long-standing agreements and the influence of the exchange rate. This is indicative Poll's Tariff No. , which continually states that tariffs and charges are assessed in accordance with and based upon each and every of the limitations, agreements, covenants and conditions set forth'. POLL, however, does adopt a mix of efficiency pricing and relationship pricing, as each strategy is specifically applied to the type of customer and relationship. Efficiency pricing applies to customers requiring the lowest available prices. This pricing strategy is more applicable to short-term transactional based customers. Relationship pricing is offered to those that are either profitable in the long-term or have the clear potential to grow.Port charges encompass navigation, berth and cargo operational services, all of which are either based on size of ship, time in port or size/volume of cargo. Other business related costs include real estate, licensing and management services incurred from or by port-related services (Berry & Hydra 1996), (ESCAPE 2002), (Port of Long Beach 2013) PROMOTION Promoting a port is suggested as being a means of communicating with current and potential customers, with its purpose being to raise awareness of what the port offers and to influence customer attitudes and behavior towards the port (Bernard 1995), (Somers and De Wiled 1997).POLL seeks to promote itself through the development of a positive brand image, conveying network connectivity, sailing frequency, liability, service quality and professional management (Branch 1998), (Port of Long Beach 2013). POLL has formed partnerships with leading European and Asian shipping companies, each of which are part of shipping alliances that allows it to promote its services globally (Porter 2013). POLL further promotes itself through its website, annual reports and strategic plans, outlining its clear directive for the future, one that balance their role as a facilitator of international trade with our strong partnership.PEOPLE Cannon (2008) states ‘Establishing a relationship with a customer and building loyalty emperies two parts, the initial marketing to attract the right relationship over time so that the financial and other objectives of both parties are achieved. ‘ It follows then that marketing communications play an important role in customer relationship management. POLL have a clear focus on employing talented and motivated people, with the aim to empower them at all levels that encourages them to develop and enhance the relationship in order to maintain customers. Gumminess 1994), PROCESS Customers migrate to other service providers when the process is poorly managed and lets them down (Kettle, Brown, Burton, Deans & Armstrong 2013). In order to lessen the risk of losing competitive advantage, customer relationship management within ports has evolved into the development of partnerships. Decisions by POLL marketing and management are indicative of this evolution with the recent contractual arrangements with COOL and the subsequent development of Terminal Operating Shipping Lines (TOSS).Vertical integration allows COOL to exert market power through upstream or downstream integration, whilst POLL benefit from the resultant higher volumes of cargo and technologically advance cargo systems, improving service delivery (Bishop 2009) (Porter 2013). PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Services are mostly intangible. Thus the meaning of other tools and techniques used in marketing is important as customer tend to rely on physical cues to help them evaluate the product before they buy it (Kettle, Brown, Burton, Deans & Armstrong 2013) (Marketing Teacher 2013).POLL and the local government have both invested heavily in regards to the internal and external environments resulting in aesthetically pleasing views both inward and outward from the port. Restaurants, tourist shops, parks, bikes and public transport facilities lie directly adjacent and opposite POLL, increasing the ports community integration and acceptance. Such external projects, matched with modern, sophisticated internal infrastructure projects are becoming increasingly attractive to all stakeholders and customers, as POLL leads the way in efficiency and environmental stewardship, both domestically and internationally.How could your chosen organization improve their marketing mix in view of the evaluation you conducted an d the strategies you recommended in your Case Report? Whilst POLL have invested heavily in their own employees and long-term customers, it seems that they could do more in relation to the greater public. The greater public, whilst benefiting from increased trade volumes, efficiency, environmental standards and community-friendly amenities, are not utilized in their full capacity. Increasing public involvement within the port has many benefits and repercussions, should issues arise.Cannon (2008) propounds that port developments are hampered by community concerns and the need for environmental performance, which is mirrored by Giuliani & O'Brien (2008) who state that citizen concerns about ports environmental impacts shape public policy, which can lead to policy intervention and increased costs or loss of customers. Increased involvement allows the public to take a vested interest in the operations of the port, boosting public perception, thus allowing for greater public investment an d increased brand image, greatly reducing the potential for public backlash should negative publicity in regards to the port arises.The development fully automated facility in conjunction with private investors, MASC., COOL and their alliance partners, could discourage competing shipping lines, not involved in such alliances from investing in POLL, and in some instances lead to discriminatory treatment. Bishop (2009), states ‘Ports and ocean carriers may also get onto conflict because of resource scarcities, for instance when dedicated terminals are allocated to a single shipping line, hence pushing other carriers to operate via ports elsewhere'.POLL could adjust their strategy in relation to such firms by taking them from transactional based customer and developing customer relationships. Whilst this strategy may not be applicable to all smaller sized shippers, it is through the development of relationships with medium to larger sized shipping lines, not a part of shipping al liances, where POLL could increase market share whilst at the same time decrease POI-As competitive advantage. The U. S. Has replaced Europe in relations to exports, however the increased volumes can have both a positive and negative effect on hinterland connections with the rest of the U.S. The development of infrastructure and processes within the port are only as effective as its network connections with the hinterland. Ensuring network inevitably improve its perceived port efficiency to an Asian, global and domestic markets that demand it. Although rising cargo volumes can create congestion within the vast networks connecting POLL with its hinterland, an opportunity lies within to market to major injecting intermediate and multimedia firms.Forming alliances or partnerships with such firms could secure reliability through the supply chain into the future and in turn reduce costs to importers, increases perceived reliability in the Asian market and also increases appeal and potent ial for importers to utilities the facilities POLL has to offer. The promotion of high efficiency and reliability to the East Asian consumer base that accounts for 90 percent of Poll's container throughput could prove the difference in perceived competitive advantage, resulting in cargo volumes transferring from POLL to POLL. ConclusionThe Port of Long Beach and the way in which the extended marketing mix have shaped its marketing strategy has been analyses. POLL was found to be in a highly competitive environment, specifically due to the close proximity of its larger rival, POLL. In order to regain competitive ground, POLL have entered into partnerships through the signing off long-term lease with a major shipping line COOL and allowed further private investment from MASC., in order to achieve better economies of scale, improved operational efficiency and better asset utilization to sure up profitability.This matched with newly developed, environmentally sustainable infrastructure, will enhance its capability to capitalist on shifting trade routes from Asia to the U. S. Then the marketing strategy of POLL was analyses and segmented according the up's of the extended marketing mix. Its key marketing strategies included environmental stewardship, community, industry and government relations, infrastructure and transportation, trade and commerce organizational effectiveness.POLL have focused this strategy on their customer base, primarily East Asia which accounts for 90% of trade and also consumers within its local hinterland. The up's; product, place, price, rumination, people, process and physical evidence were individually analyses with specific reference to POLL and its stakeholders including its customer base and POI-A. Lastly, three suggestions as to how POLL could improve aspects of their marketing mix in view of the evaluation conducted are provided.

Excerpt from The Once and Future King

â€Å"It was the unfair rape of their Cornish grandmother which was hurting Gareth—the picture of weak and innocent people victimized by the resistless tyranny—the old tyranny of the Gall—which was felt like a personal wrong by every crofter of the Islands.   Gareth was a generous boy.   He hated the idea of strength against weakness.   It made his heart swell, as if he were going to suffocate.   Gawaine, on the other hand, was angry because it had been against his family.   He did not think it was wrong for strength to have its way, but only that it was intensely wrong for anything to succeed against his own clan.He was neither clever nor sensitive, but he was loyal—stubbornly sometimes, and even annoyingly and stupidly so in later life.   For him it was then as it was always to be: Up Orkney, Right or Wrong.   The third brother, Agravaine, was moved because it was a matter which concerned his mother.   He had curious feelings about her, which he kept to himself.   As for Gaheris, he did and felt what the others did† (White, 223).The theme of this passage is the duty of man to fight against tyranny. The Orkney brothers recall the story their grandfather’s murder and of the forced marriage of Ingraine (the lady of Cornwall and their grandmother) to Uther the former king of Pendragon. These Orkney boys consider their grandparents to have been wronged by those connected to the Kings of England. Gawain goes on to say, â€Å"And this, my heroes [†¦] is the reason why we of Cornwall and Orkney must be against the Kings of England ever more, and most of all against the clan Mac Pendragon† (White, 223).In their mind it is their duty to continue being opposed to those who provoke and harm others. The story they tell is of immense importance to the plot, as they make an initial connection between the Orkney clan and the house of King Arthur. It places the boys in the place of victims and the reader suspects from this incident that despite their future places as knights in King Arthur’s court, they may end up being opposed to all that (they believe) Arthur stands for.The use of this image to support the theme highlights the fact that duty may rise up in the form of revenge against tyrannical acts. The graphic nature of the image shocks the reader to attention, yet it also highlights the irony of the position to which King Arthur has risen. Although the king is a decent person, the throne on which he sits is tainted by the unjust acts of past kings. The selected quote shows the level of challenge that awaits Arthur in gaining the trust of his subjects, despite the duty that he too has toward righting wrong.It hints that many of his subjects believe in the cruelty of kings and expect a high level of disregard from the ruler of their state. It also justifies Arthur’s desire for might to be use for right rather than for the sake of power, and it highlight’s Art hur’s own duty to fight for justice. It shows how people have truly been affected by the unjust actions of kings in the past, and legitimizes the selection of the well-meaning Wart as the divinely chosen King Arthur.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Ancient Persian Rulers Timeline (Modern Iran)

Ancient Persian Rulers Timeline (Modern Iran) In ancient history, there were 3 main dynasties that controlled ancient Persia, a western name for the area that is modern Iran: Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sasanids. There was also a period when the Hellenistic Macedonian and Greek successors of Alexander the Great, known as Seleucids, ruled Persia. Early mention of the area is from Assyria c. 835 B.C., when the Medes occupied the Zagros Mountains. The Medes gained control of an area extending from the Zagros Mountains to include Persis, Armenia, and eastern Anatolia. In 612, they captured the Assyrian city of Ninevah. Here are the rulers of ancient Persia, by dynasty, based on Dynasties of the World, by John E. Morby; Oxford University Press, 2002. Achaemenid Dynasty 559-530 - Cyrus the Great529-522 - Cambyses (son)522 - Smerdis (Bardiya) (brother)521-486 - Darius I, the Great485-465 - Xerxes I (son)464-424 - Artaxerxes I, Longimanus (son)424 - Xerxes II (son)424 - Sogdianus (brother)423-405 - Darius II, Nothus (brother)404-359 - Artaxerxes II, Mnemon (son)358-338 - Artaxerxes III (Ochus) (son)337-336 - Artaxerxes IV ( Arses) (son)335-330 - Darius III (Codomannus) (great-grandson of Darius II) Macedonian Conquest of the Persian Empire 330 Seleucids 305-281 B.C. - Seleucus I Nicator281-261 - Antiochus I Soter261-246 - Antiochus II Theos246-225 - Seleucus II Callinicus Parthian Empire - Arsacid Dynasty 247-211 - Arsaces I (conquered Parthia c. 238)211-191 - Arsaces II (son)191-176 - Priapatius (son)176-171 - Phraates I (son)171-138 - Mithridates I (brother)138-128 - Phraates II (son)128-123 - Artabanus I (son of Priapatius)123-87 - Mithridates II, the Great (son)90-80 - Gotarzes I80-77 - Orodes I77-70 - Sinatruces70-57 - Phraates III (son)57-54 - Mithridates III (son)57-38 - Orodes II (brother)38-2 - Phraates IV (son)2-AD 4 - Phraates V (son)4-7 - Orodes III7-12 - Vonones I (son of Phraates IV)12-38 - Artabanus II38-45 - Vardanes I (son)45-51 - Gotarzes II (brother)51 - Vonones II51-78 - Vologases I (son or brother)55-58 - Vardanes II77-80 - Vologases II78-110 - Pacorus (son of Vologases I)80-90 - Artabanus III (brother)109-129 - Osroes112-147 - Vologases III129-147 - Mithridates IV147-191 - Vologases IV191-208 - Vologases V (son)208-222 - Vologases VI (son)213-224 - Artabanus IV (brother) Sasanid Dynasty 224-241 - Ardashir I241-272 - Shapur I (son; co-regent 240)272-273 - Hormizd I (son)273-276 - Bahram I (brother)276-293 - Bahram II (son)293 - Bahram III (son; deposed)293-302 - Narseh (son of Shapur I)302-309 - Hormizd II (son)310-379 - Shapur II (son)379-383 - Ardashir II (nephew)383-388 - Shapur III (son of Shapur II)388-399 - Bahram IV (son)399-420 - Yazdgard I (son)420-438 - Bahram V, the Wild Ass (son)438-457 - Yazdgard II (son)457-459 - Hormizd III (son)459-484 - Peroz I (brother)484-488 - Balash (brother)488-497 - Kavad I (son of Peroz; deposed)497-499 - Zamasp (brother)499-531 - Kavad I (restored)531-579 - Khusrau I, Anushirvan (son)579-590 - Hormizd IV (son; deposed)590-591 - Bahram VI, Chbn (usurper; deposed)590-628 - Khusrau II, the Victorious (son of Hormizd IV; deposed and died 628)628 - Kavad II, Shiroe (son)628-630 - Ardashir III (son)630 - Shahrbaraz (usurper)630-631 - Boran (daughter of Khusrau II)631 - Peroz II (cousin)631-632 - Azarmedukht (daughter of Khusrau II) 632-651 - Yazdgard III (nephew) 651 - Arab Conquest of the Sasanid Empire At the end of the ancient period, war with Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire weakened the Persians enough that the Arabs gained control.