The Impact Of Hydroelectric Power Development Environmental Sciences Essay

Over the old ages, there has been increasing involvement in electricity coevals utilizing hydropower. However, it is merely late that the impacts of hydroelectric power workss on the environment have been recognized ; until now, it was assumed that hydroelectric power coevals was a clean and environmentally friendly electricity production method, compared to other methods. After extended research, it has been found that hydroelectric power production has some impacts that include production of nursery gases from the disintegrating flora that have been submerged in the dike, and implosion therapy of large land countries, rendering them unfit for agribusiness and other human activities, among others. Possibly the biggest impact from hydroelectric power production is the consequence it has on H2O quality. Dam building, for the intents of power production, can alter the measure and quality of H2O of a river. The disintegrating flora contains bacteria that may besides transform the quicks ilver found in basic reservoir stones into a H2O soluble signifier, which builds up in the fish organic structures and accordingly presenting a wellness hazard. This paper will research the impact of upgrading of bing hydroelectric power workss on H2O quality by, foremost, depicting typical proposed enterprises and options when upgrading bing hydropower workss, and so researching the environmental impacts of such proposed enterprises and options. 2.0 Description of proposed enterprise and options For any undertaking that aims at upgrading an bing hydropower works, the chief aim should be to increase efficiency and increase energy production and end product to the upper limit with no unwanted environmental impacts.2.1 Upgrading bing hydropower workssSeveral methods exist that can be used to increase the production of power at bing hydropower workss. Normally, these methods can be grouped into two: methods that increase the power production efficiency and methods that increase the useable H2O or caput volume. To better efficiency, old turbine smugglers and Gatess can be replaced with newer, more efficient designs ; coatings can be used to minimise loss of energy through clash in flow channels ; the public presentation of the turbine can be tweaked ; turbine smugglers can be replaced with newer 1s holding a similar design to cut down pits and other defects ; generator efficiency can be increased by rewinding them ; H2O escape can be reduced in Gatess and other constructions ; junk path cleansing can be bettered to minimise clash losingss ; and automated systems for aggregation and analysis of diagnostic informations can be set up. To increase the useable H2O or caput volume, the dam lift can be increased to increase the caput and storage capacity ; more turbines can be added to utilize the H2O that is being spilled ; put ining newer turbines and generators that have wider flow scopes ; and other alterations can be effected during distribution of storage and releases of the reservoir.2.2 Retrofiting dikes to develop new hydropowerThe chief activities during retrofitting a dike for hydropower coevals include: constructing sluicegates, consumptions, and a human dynamo that may, in high-head dikes, be located downstream, or, in dikes with low caput, replace subdivisions of the bing construction ; employment of extenuation actions to minimise the undertaking ‘s impacts ; hard-on of power lines to link the undertaking into the bing power grid ; and rerouting through the H2O turbines. Monitoring of quality of H2O, testing to forestall fish from come ining the turbine, edifice of fishing installations, and flow release conditions can do up the extenuation actions.2.3 Options to hydropower development at bing dikesWhen upgrading a hydropower works to better its bring forthing capacity, it is presumed it replaces the bing capacity since it is dearly-won to run because of high costs, for illustration disused workss or those that use dearly-won fuel, and the new capacity that is more expensive than hydropower coevals at bing dikes. To find the right capacity mix that the proposed hydropower ascent will replace, there is demand for a complete respect for future energy disbursals, the nature and location of bing and future hydropower workss, and environmental factors particular to a site.3.0 Environmental impacts of the proposed enterprise and optionsAs has been established, any hydropower development, and other methods of bring forthing power, causes several environmental impacts. The following subdivisions explore the impacts of hydropower ascents and besides for power coevals utilizing fossil fuels, which is the most likely option.3.1 impacts of upgrading bing hydropower workssNormally depending on the type of upgrade being done, the environmental impacts of hydroelectric works ascents are non as terrible when measured up against other energy development impacts. In fact, upgrades that merely necessitate the generators or turbines to be replaced, go forthing the reservoir ‘s volume and release timings unchanged, have few immediate impacts and may even hold several enduring environmental benefits. The ascents that see the volume and release timings change on the other manus may some permanent impacts.3.1.1 Water resources3.1.1.1 Construction ImpactsMinor ascents do non necessitate much work and therefore hold small or no impacts on the H2O resources, like eroding, oil spills, and riverbed break, among others. However, major ascents would necessitate more wide building and therefore the impact on H2O resources is increased. Activities in such ascents such as digging or heavy machinery usage during building addition the local creek beds ‘ and Bankss ‘ eroding, doing more sediment tonss and possible deposition downstream. The redistribution of deposits by building may hold harmful effects when the taint of the deposit is local. While enduring impacts on the H2O quality are improbable, building during ascents may take to short-run impacts like little oil spills. Due to the arrest of H2O flow in major ascents, short-run dewatering and stagnancy of the tailwater may happen, ensuing in high growing of algae and changing concentrations of dissolved O ( DO ) which finally adversely impacts aquatic life.3.1.1.2 Decreased AerationTurbines able to utilize higher flows may be installed during undertaking ascents where spillage of flow occurs via wasteweirs or Gatess because the bing turbines ‘ size can non utilize all the flow. During spillage, the spilled flow may slightly hold increased DO concentrations, or become aerated. When the tu rbines ‘ capacity is increased, there will be an addition in the flow per centum in the turbine, where aeration is minimum or absent. Entire concentrations of DO would diminish in undertakings where the DO concentration is low and an ascent would do less flow aeration during spillage. In undertakings where spillage happens during high flow periods merely, spillage may be used for power coevals because it does non hold important impact3.1.1.3 Improved Turbine AerationTo cut down jobs of H2O quality is some undertakings, turbine replacing may be the solution. In the hot season, stratification occurs in most deep reservoirs. At the underside is a bed of low DO concentrated cold H2O, which when released through the turbines means the tailwater will hold deficient DO concentration. To ease this job, the H2O can be aerated prior to go throughing it through the turbine. Research has shown that in a few workss where the turbines have been constructed to entrain air into the flow when it passes through them, aeration of the tailwaters is sufficient and economical ; aquatic life and efficiency may nevertheless be affected. In such undertakings, upgrading of old turbines may enable the installing of self-aerating turbines that accordingly may increase the DO concentrations of the tailwater, finally profiting the environment.3.1.1.4 Changes in reservoir storage and flow releasesAs seen, to upgrade bing hydropower workss, methods like increasing the turbines ‘ flow rates or increasing or changing reservoir storage, done by increasing the dike ‘s lift and altering the H2O release periods during the twelvemonth severally, can be used, which may impact the downstream and reservoir H2O quality such as altering the concentrations of DO and temperature of H2O.3.1.2 Air QualityThe impacts of hydropower workss ascents on the air quality are normally impermanent and minimum, and usually occur merely because of dust emanations and other emanations that have escaped from the equipment used in upgrade undertakings that need major building. In fact, hydropower ascents may positively impact the air quality by minimising coevals utilizing fossil fuel.3.1.3 Aquatic EcosystemsIt has been established that the alterations that may happen during building and operation activities during bing hydropower works upgrades impact aquatic life. While minor ascents do non significantly impact the H2O quality, major ascents may ensue in dirt eroding and deposit, chemical and building oil spillage, and break of contaminated deposits, which may impact aquatic life. Increased temperatures and reduced concentrations of DO, hapless tailwater quality, could ensue because of fluctuations in flow releases during building. Furthermore, because of go throughing lowly DO concentrated H2O through a turbine, instead than sloping the H2O over a dike, there could be decreased aeration which besides affects aquatic life.3.1.4 Riparian and tellurian ecosystemsBreak to riparian w etlands and home grounds due to building activities is the chief cause of the impacts of bing hydropower workss upgrade on tellurian ecosystems. However, these impacts, which depend on the site or undertaking, are normally insignifanct and merely a few undertakings may do important impacts. Upstream tellurian home ground may significantly be lost through flood because of developments that comprise heightening lifts of the dike. Short-run deposit and fluctuations in flow agendas during building, in add-on to equipment replacing inside edifices, is non likely to hold long-run impacts on tellurian ecosystems.3.1.5 Diversion3.1.5.1 Construction impactsRecreational installations will non be significantly impacted by minor hydropower works ascents except during a little building period. Major ascents on the other manus may impact recreational activities. With the possibility of the deposit loads increasing as a consequence of creek beds and bank eroding, the affected H2O quality may impac t recreational activities such as H2O skiing, fishing, yachting, and swimming, among others ; such activities may besides be affected by rare minor spillage of oil and lubricators. During upgrade building, there may be dewatering and stagnancy because of controlled flow, which consequences in unwanted growing of algae and low concentrations of DO, accordingly impacting activities like fishing. Open stones, awful odors, loud blares, dust, harmful gas emanations, and eroded Bankss, among others may besides impact the aesthetics and therefore the recreational activities.3.1.5.2 Long term ImpactsDecreased aeration in downstream dike H2O is among the permanent impacts of hydropower works ascent on recreational activities. New turbines decrease the DO concentration, impacting aquatic life and finally fishing activities. Recreational activities may besides be impacted in undertakings where high flow-capable turbines are used because there will be different flow agendas for impoundings. Alt erations in the downstream flow graduated table or programming may impact the aquatic life, therefore impacting recreational activities.3.1.6 Dam Safety and FloodingConcerns for dike safety are normally as a consequence of major, non minor 1s, hydropower works ascents which involves promoting the reservoir degrees that consequences on more structural tonss on the dike, accordingly compromising the general dike ‘s safety factor. In most upgrade developments, deluging frights are uncommon. Still, among the methods of increasing coevals at bing reservoirs is to minimise flood storage so as to do more H2O available for coevals. There would, as a consequence of this lessening in inundation storage, be an increased concern for downstream implosion therapy ; different sites have different impacts and magnitude of the excess implosion therapy.3.1.7 Energy security benefitsAlthough it will non significantly to the U.S. ‘s entire power grid, the ascent of bing hydropower workss wo uld supply inexpensive and valuable energy signifier that is local and renewable, therefore is non susceptible to foreign ordinance or fuel scarcenesss. The value of energy ensuing from such ascents is felt more during peak demands, even though it may sometimes turn out undependable, particularly during low flows or when more flow releases are required to better H2O quality and aquatic life.3.2 Impact of new hydroelectric power at bing dikesWhen an bing dike is developed by put ining new hydropower workss, many advantages are realized, minus the several bad environmental effects experienced during hydropower development at new dikes. This is because at bing dikes, the impacts caused by stream ictus such as submerging of tellurian home ground, obstructor of fish migration, alteration in volume and timing of downstream flow, among others, have already been felt ; more impacts may still be felt during retrofitting.3.2.1 Water resources3.2.1.1 Construction ImpactsThere may be some imper manent impacts on H2O resources that result from the building activities during retrofitting. Erosion at the site of building and the accidental discharge of unearthed stuffs into the watercourse may do the tailwaters to hold sediment tonss. Furthermore, the building activities may do spillage of oil and perturbation and distribution of contaminated deposits present at a dike. These impermanent impacts normally end after building is complete.3.2.1.2 Change in flow release formsDue to alterations in release agendas of H2O in hydropower workss, the downstream may hold harmful effects like interrupting aquatic life, recreational activities, and increasing eroding of the bank. As such, flow alterations are normally prohibited because they may take down the dike ‘s capacity to run into its initial marks.3.2.1.3 Changes in tailwater quality due to alterations in release liftWater in a retrofit hydropower workss can be extracted from lifts separate from the initial impounding ‘ s backdown lift. During summer, the quality of H2O in deep storage reservoir normally fluctuates with lift. An impounding, with cold H2O normally holding low concentrations of DO in its lower lifts and warm H2O holding high concentrations of DO in the higher lifts, is caused by thermic stratification. In such graded impoundings where the bing release is through a wasteweir or high lift Gatess at the top, there would be fluctuations in downstream quality during hot conditions from high to low concentrations of DO and high to low temperatures when there is installing of a hydropower works retreating from low lifts. There is normally a high heavy metal concentration like Mg and Fe, irritant compounds, in yatter discharged from low lift. Rarely, shallow impoundings may besides hold stratified H2O quality.3.2.1.4 Change in reserve H2O quality due to alterations in release liftVariations in the backdown lift from a reservoir, in add-on to the impacts discussed before, may besides impact q uality of H2O in the impoundment upstream of the dike. A gate release replacing with a turbine consumption at even the slightest lift alteration for case may take down the volume of cold H2O on the reservoir ‘s underside and raise the warm H2O volume in the reservoir in hot conditions. These fluctuations may impact temperature of H2O, production of algae, concentration of DO, and other issues of H2O quality at changing times and sites in the reservoir. Reservoir simulation theoretical accounts are employed in the anticipation of the compound, unpredictable, and site-exclusive impacts. Changing the backdown lift may sometimes be utile for the H2O quality in the reservoir, and sometimes harmful.3.2.1.5 Nitrogen Super impregnationHydropower upgrade undertakings cause nitrogen ace impregnation and later the fishes ‘ gas bubble infection which causes the formation of gas bubble in a organic structure of the fish which may kill. Three conditions may ensue in the formation of n itrogen ace impregnation: when releases from the reservoir are really aerated, when air is entrained into severely constructed sluicegates, and when N saturated H2O from inside the reservoir is discharged to tailwaters. Nitrogen ace impregnation does non by and large have big impacts in hydropower development at retrofitted dikes.3.2.2 Air QualityAs has been established, impacts of air quality of retrofitting dikes are similar to hydropower works ascent ‘s local, impermanent and minimum impacts. Happening merely during building, effects may include get awaying dust emanations and equipment usage emanations and are by and large minimum compared with other emanations.3.2.3 Aquatic ecosystemThe aquatic resources during building from dike retrofitting are impacted the same manner as during ascent of bing hydropower workss. There is nevertheless greater opportunity for the impact on aquatic resources, by degrading the H2O and home ground quality, to be more, peculiarly from H2O deb asement, because of the major building in this option. Despite the already bing reservoir and the beings ‘ version to the H2O environment, get downing of hydroelectricity production may alter the releases ‘ volume and timing. Consequently, there may be instant and more terrible H2O degree fluctuations in the tailwaters and reservoir, which destroy critical shallow-water home ground for aquatic life. Furthermore, when lowly concentrated DO, cold, deep H2O is discharged from stratified reservoirs will degrade the quality of H2O of the tailwaters and negatively impact the ecosystem adapted to deep warm, extremely concentrated DO H2O releases.3.2.4 Dam safety and implosion therapy3.2.4.1 Dam safetyRetrofiting hydropower dike has a few dike safety concerns. Because building may necessitate removing of some of the bing dike ‘s parts, there is a possibility of the dike ‘s basis or construction weakening if improperly done.3.2.4.2 DelugingDesign-specific, the buildin g of hydropower workss at dikes with low-head may upsurge the implosion therapy upstream ‘s rate and graduated table. If there is the slightest obstructor in the flows ‘ way due to building, the upstream inundation lifts would increase.3.2.5 Energy security benefitsAlthough it will non significantly to the U.S. ‘s entire power grid, energy from retrofitting dikes would supply inexpensive and valuable energy signifier that is local and renewable, therefore is non susceptible to foreign ordinance or fuel scarcenesss. The value of energy ensuing from such an option is felt more during peak demands, even though it may sometimes turn out undependable, particularly during low flows or when more flow releases are required to better H2O quality and aquatic life.3.3 Impacts of coevals utilizing fossil fuelsMost of U.S. power production capacity is due to the usage of fossil fuels ( coal, gas and oil ) . The power that would hold been produced by hydropower is so got from th e usage of these fossil fuels.3.3.1 Water resourcesThe coevals of fossil-fuels can take to a figure of effects to H2O resources. In most instances fossil fuels workss are normally constructed following to big H2O organic structures to supply H2O for chilling or to thrust ahead as agencies of conveyance for the fuels. The building of these workss besides interferes with the land countries taking to eroding and as a consequence taking to residue tonss in the H2O organic structures. Coal excavation and transit are the chief effects of coal- power coevals to legion H2O organic structures. In the humid parts coal mines have for a long period triggered serious pollution of H2O organic structures due to altering of the river channels ( because of direct excavation effects, hydrologic alterations to watershed, and increased residue tonss ) and drainage of acids from mines. Although these impacts can be controlled, to a certain extent they can non be wholly avoided. In waterless countries, these effects are less compared to those in humid countries. However, impacts such as change of groundwater can happen. Even though, the transit of fossil fuels by flatboat on H2O resources can do minor impacts, other agencies of transit such as coal slurry grapevines, can ensue into terrible impacts on local H2O organic structures. The lavation of coal at the power works or mine to better its combustion or emanations qualities ; big sums of H2O are consumed every bit good as pollut ion as a consequence of these procedures. Water resources can besides be degraded due to production and transit of gas and oil used in the production of electric power. These effects can be due to offshore oil production and oil spills in the class of refinement and transit. The production of fossil-fuel power workss is the root to several pollution effects to H2O organic structures. Cooling H2O is required by these workss in the condensation of steam after it has been recycled in the boilers. The cooling H2O can be used one time and channeled to come up H2O or it can be recycled through the chilling tower let go ofing the heat out to the ambiance. Significant temperature addition and vaporization in the receiving H2O organic structure can besides be caused by chilling procedures. Water is likewise consumed by the chilling towers through vaporization and the discharge of blow down H2O, which contains higher concentrations of dissolved solids.3.3.2 Air qualityThe major beginning of air emanations is due to the usage of fossil fuels in power coevals as compared to the usage hydroelectric coevals. Some of these emanations include ; dust discharged from coal hemorrhoids and mines, vehicles used in excavation and transit of these fossil fuels, the storage and use of crude oil and gas besides release hydrocarbon emanations and emanations from burning. Air quality as an impact of fossil- fuel production is of the greatest concern as it leads to the emanation of burning merchandises such as S dioxide, azotic oxide, atoms and C dioxide. Approximately 70 % sulfur emanations, 40 % of azotic oxide emanations and 10 % of particulate emanations of U.S. are produced during fossil- fueled power production. With most emanations coming from oil and coal burning, natural gas- fuel workss have significantly lowered air emanations. The chief concerns are sulfur dioxide and azotic oxides ; they non merely affect human wellness but besides contribute to acidic rain and dry deposition. Particulates can likewise hold terrible effects on human wellness, conditions and visibleness. Carbon dioxide emanations are besides possible subscribers to planetary heating. Ever since the 1950s, a steady rise in the emanations of C dioxide has been experienced. Whereas about half of the emitted C dioxide released remains in the ambiance lending to planetary heating, the staying half is either dissolved into oceans or taken up by workss or sequestered.3.3.3 Aquatic ecosystemSeveral of the impacts due to the building and operation of fossil-fueled power workss to aquatic ecological resources are really different both in sort and magnitude to the impacts brought approximately by several hydropower replacements. Unless a chilling lake is created by the dodo fuel works, the loss of aquatic home ground will be relativity little, compar ed to those due to upgrading or retrofitting of already bing reservoirs. This will be much less compared to the sum of riverine home grounds that would be lost due to a new hydroelectric impounding. Entrainment, encroachment and chemical and thermic discharges are some of the effects brought approximately by the operation of a chilling system capacitor of a dodo works to aquatic beings. Large sums of solid wastes such as burning ash and scrubber sludge are besides produced by coal-burning power workss. If non controlled, leachates form coal and ash hemorrhoids can degrade the H2O quality every bit good as holding toxicant effects on the aquatic beings. Furthermore, aquatic communities over a big geographical country can see important H2O quality effects and habitat loss associated to the whole fuel rhythm ( coal and oil excavation, polish or cleansing, and ash deposition ) . Aquatic beings in widespread countries can likewise be affected by acerb deposition from fossil fuel workss.3.3.4 DiversionThe state ‘s uninterrupted dependance on fossil fuels as the chief beginning of production for electrical power has appeared to hold important effects on recreational avocations in assorted countries. During the air inversion episodes in some of the major metropoliss in the U.S. , air quality effects due to the burning of coal are already impacting people with respiratory complications who the usage some of these recreational resources. In New England and other parts of the U.S. , acidic depositions from coal burning is said to hold affected fishing in assorted lakes. Drain of acids from coal mines has non merely affect fishing but white water canoeing and kayaking, yachting, swimming, hike and the overall aesthetic qualities of watercourses in Appalachia and in other topographic points. Through the surface excavation of coal recreational chances such as hunting, hike and nature observation can be disturbed throughout the U.S. However, through renewal, these sites may heighten some of these recreational resources. Increased concentrations of nursery gases in the ambiance can besides convey with it impacts to recreational resources such as alteration in the precipitation measures and governments of a part, more serious or more perennial air inversions, raising or take downing of reservoirs capacities, legion or more terrible major storms in the coastal countries, rise in the sea degree, altering of wildlife home grounds, and change of wildlife migration waies and times. Any out-of-door recreational avocation will be significantly be affected by all these. The boring rigs near the refineries for gas and oil used in power coevals can likewise consequence in H2O quality impacts from rigs, oilers or grapevines which may take to occasional oil spills both onshore and offshore. Recreational activities such as fishing, yachting, swimming, and nature observation can besides be affected as consequence of these impacts. Refinery installations ( with both ocular and olfactive effects ) are frequently seen to be noxious topographic points doing them incompatible with recreational resources. Aesthetic enjoyment of such recreational resources can be reduced where there are grapevines. Drilling, production and other research activities due to increased used of gas and oil can hold possible negative effects on these diversion resources particularly in wildlife safeties and delicate offshore locations. In Western United States, in some of the comparatively pristine environment where natural gas desulfurization installations are located near the boring rigs ; ocular, audile and olfactive impacts could be produced where this gas is found. Activities such as hike, runing and nature observation could besides be affected.3.3.5 Energy security benefitsSupplies form Coal and domestic gases are considered to be unafraid energy resource suppliers. In the United States, coal is known to be the richest unrenewable energy resources. Although, fossil-fueled workss are considered to be extremely dependable, they can be besides be affected by terrible conditions conditions such as drouths ( that consequence into inefficient chilling doing it expensive for power production ) . Following the day-to-day rhythm demands, fossil-fuel power workss are non all that efficient. In the quest to extenuate this inefficiency, pumped storage hydroelectric power undertakings and gas turbine workss though less ef ficient are frequently used because the turbines respond rapidly to altering demands. Environmental impacts which involves air emanations both regional and globally and the high ingestion of H2O are some of the factors that limit the development of new fossil-fueled workss at assorted sites. 4.0 Decision

The Road

Why do you think McCarthy has chosen not to give his characters names? How do the generic labels of â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† affect the way you /readers relate to them? While reading The Road, a novel written by Cormac McCarthy, I was jerked from the warmth, comfort, and safety of my home and thrown into a cold, dark, and desolate world, walking alongside â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy†. McCarthy composes his work so graphically that readers are drawn right into the story.I believe Cormac McCarthy wanted the figures in this book to be universal, so that the reader could imagine him/her self as â€Å"the boy† or â€Å"the man† at any given moment, and to be able to feel as they do. To do this McCarthy did not designate the characters in his book with names, and because of this, I was able to connect with â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† on a personal level and envision myself uniting with them in their chilling journe y. As the reader, I was deeply overwhelmed with many mixed emotions such as compassion, sadness, happiness, disgust, remorse, and fear.I have pity for the characters in the book The Road, because â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† have to pass day to day struggling to survive in a frigid bleak world where food is scarce â€Å"They squatted in the road and ate rice and cold beans they’d cooked days ago. † â€Å"Already beginning to ferment. †(McCarthy 29). The landscape is blackened, and mankind is almost extinct â€Å"The mummied dead everywhere. †(McCarthy 24). As I read on I noticed myself connecting more deeply with the characters.When the boy’s mother takes her own life, I was deeply saddened and my heart broke for â€Å"the boy† simply because his mom, someone he cherished and loved so much, had given up on hope and faith and deserted him. I just wanted to take hold of the child and comfort him even though at this moment he has no clue his mother has left. I also felt sorry for â€Å"the man†, one, because he has to tell his child where his mother is â€Å"For the love of God woman. What am I to tell him? † (McCarthy 58), and two, because his love and best friend was in such despair and there was nothing he could do to impel her to stay.As a mother, in some ways, I also felt sorry for the mother in this book, because most women dream of the day she will have a child of her own to love, care for, and teach, but this mother had to give birth to her son after the great catastrophe, and instead of bringing her tears of happiness, it brought tears of sorrow. She now knows that she has to raise her son in this dark and barley habitable world and that it will be a constant struggle to survive. â€Å"My heart was ripped out of me the night he was born†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McCarthy 57).On the other hand though, I am also disgusted with the mother for the one reason that she gave up, and now her family , especially her child, has to suffer the consequences due to her actions, but again, given that I put myself in her situation, would I do the same thing? While reading I also felt deep sadness in many parts, for one instance, when â€Å"the man† dies, at this point in the book I had tears streaming down my face. â€Å"He slept close to his father that night and held him but when he woke in the morning his father was cold and stiff. † â€Å"He sat there a long time weeping†¦ (McCarthy 281). â€Å"He knelt beside his father held his cold hand and said his name over and over again. †(McCarthy 281). At one part in the book, remorse, disgust, sadness, and compassion were the stirred emotions that hit me all t once. It was the time when a thief robs â€Å"the boy† while he is asleep on the beach. When â€Å"the boy† was first robbed I was angry and disgusted with the thief who had robbed a sleeping innocent child, I could never see myself doing th is especially in a situation where food is hard to come by and staying warm is almost impossible!When they finally catch up with the thief â€Å"the man† points the gun at him and threatens to shoot him. â€Å"The boy† is pleading with his father not to kill the thief. â€Å"The man† says to the thief â€Å"Take your clothes off. †(McCarthy 256). â€Å"Take them off every goddamn stitch. † (McCarthy 256). Eventually the thief is completely naked, â€Å"the boy† and the thief are begging â€Å"the man† not to do this, but the man looks at the thief and says â€Å"You didn’t mind doing it to us. †(McCarthy 257). Now I feel that the thief is getting what he deserves.When they leave the thief standing in the road â€Å"the boy† becomes extremely upset, â€Å"And They set out along south with the boy crying and looking back at the nude and saltlike creature standing there in the road shivering and hugging himself. â⠂¬  â€Å"Oh Papa, he sobbed. †(McCarthy 258). I am now starting to feel the compassion the boy has towards the thief â€Å"He was hungry, Papa. † â€Å"He’s going to die. †(McCarthy 259). They finally take the thief’s clothes back and pile them in the middle of the road and I am glad of this.Later as they were lying down at camp I believe the man was starting to feel guilty, and he spoke â€Å"I wasnt going to kill him, he said. † â€Å"But the boy didnt answer. † â€Å"They rolled themselves in the blankets and lay there in the dark. † â€Å"He could tell the boy was awake and after a while the boy said: but we did kill him. †(McCarthy 260). When â€Å"the boy† made this comment I felt deep remorse and disgust in myself for having felt so harshly toward the thief in the beginning.I also felt happiness and relief in this story when â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† found the underground shelter beh ind the house in the field, I felt as if I was there with them discovering the grand riches this den held! â€Å"Oh my God, he whispered. † â€Å"Oh my God. † â€Å"What is it Papa? † â€Å"Come down. † â€Å"Oh my God. † â€Å"Come down. † (McCarthy138). â€Å"Crate upon crate of canned goods. † â€Å"Tomatoes, peaches, beans, apricots. † â€Å"Canned hams. † â€Å"Corned beef. † â€Å"Hundreds of gallons of water in ten gallon plastic jerry jugs. †(McCarthy 138).In this underground hideaway was everything they needed to survive. I was so overwhelmed with joy and comfort that I forgot for a moment about the cruel cold world above. During many portions of this novel I experienced also many sensations of fear. The most prominent passage is where â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† come across a house and both are vulnerable due to fatigue and starvation. â€Å"They’d had no food and littl e sleep in five days and in this condition on the outskirts of a small town they came upon a once grand house sited on a rise above the road†(McCarthy 105).As they start toward the house â€Å"the boy† becomes frightened and â€Å"the man† or father tries to reassure him that everything is okay and that they have to go inside. At this point I am feeling a little uneasy about the two entering the house. As they cross the porch â€Å"the boy† is trying to convince his father not to go inside, agreeing with the boy I imagine myself in his shoes and I am pleading for â€Å"the man† not to enter. â€Å"The man† is determined and tells the boy â€Å"We’ve got to find something to eat. † â€Å"We have no choice. †(McCarthy 106).When inside the home â€Å"the boy hung on to his hand. † â€Å"He was terrified. † (McCarthy 107). While investigating the house they come across a door in a room next to the kitchen that m ight have been considered a pantry at one time. â€Å"In the floor of this room was a door or hatch and it was locked with a large padlock made of stacked steel plates. †(McCarthy 108). â€Å"The boy† again tries to plead with his father to leave, and I again right along with him, but now my tension and curiosity is starting to rise a bit, wondering what is underneath this door. The man† believes there is a significant reason for this door being locked, so he makes his way to the tool shed â€Å"half dragging the child and went sorting through tools† (McCarthy 109). He retrieves a shovel, heads back into the house, and pry’s the door open. Now I am holding my breath just waiting for the outcome, good or bad, I do not know, but I am very anxious. â€Å"He started down he rough wooden steps. He ducked his head and then flicked the lighter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McCarthy 110).â€Å"Coldness and Damp. † â€Å"An ungodly stench. † (McCarthy 110). What came next caught me completely off guard! Huddled against the back wall were naked people, male and female, all trying to hide, shielding their faces with their hands. † â€Å"On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened and burnt. † â€Å"The smell was hideous. † â€Å"Jesus, he whispered. †(McCarthy 110). Now I am in a complete state of shock, fear, and disgust. Unbelievable! All at once I am feeling the fear and shock of â€Å"the man†, â€Å"the boy†, and the mangled victims that have been terrorized, probably raped, eaten or at least half dismembered and eaten by the wicked and ruthless barbarians! Then one by one they turned and blinked in the pitiful light. † â€Å"Help us, they whispered. † â€Å"Please help us. †(McCarthy 110). My heart is now beginning to race. When they finally reach the top of this grave, â€Å"He shoved the boy through the hatch and sent him sp rawling. † â€Å"He stood and got hold of the door and swung it over and let it slam down and he turned to grab the boy but the boy had gotten up and was doing his little dance of terror. †(McCarthy 111).As if this horrific and vivid image engraved in my head was not enough, McCarthy immediately throws me into a sheer state of terror and panic. â€Å"†¦ the boy was pointing out the window and when he looked he went cold all over. † â€Å"Coming across the field toward the house were four bearded men and two women. † â€Å"He grabbed the boy by the hand. † â€Å"Christ, he said. † â€Å"Run. † â€Å"Run. † I had to literally set the book aside, go outdoors, calm down, and smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves. Finally my heart rate returned to normal and I picked up the book and continued to read.After I completed this part in the story and discovered that â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† had escaped I got up ch ecked on my children to reassure myself that they were asleep safe and warm in their bed, I quickly ran back through the house like a child with a sense of fear that something was going to jump out and grab me at any moment, I jumped in the bed got as close to my husband as possible and eventually drifted off to sleep. When I finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I was astonished at how deep I was able to connect with the characters and the fact that this book touched me as deeply as it did.It also made me think what if†¦? In reality if this were to happen would I have the courage and strength of â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† or would I be like the mother as McCarthy states it â€Å" †¦a faithless slut†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (57), who has taken death as a new lover. Over all I personally believe that this novel was absolutely fantastic, even though I had nightmares for a few nights after I had completed the book. This just goes to show what a great writer McCarthy is, he touches his readers so deeply they even dream about his work. I would defiantly pick up this book and read it again just for fun. The Road The post-apocalyptic novel â€Å"The Road†, written by Cormac McCarthy was published in 2006. [1] It deals with the journey of a father together with his son, who try to reach the coast after America, its nature and civilisation has been destroyed by some catastrophe. Therefore some important issues are implied: travelling, fear of death, nuclear war, goodness, religion, cannibalism and of course the relationship between father and son. Maybe that is the reason why McCarthy dedicated the novel to his son: John Francis McCarthy. In 2007 McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for this novel. 2] In 2009 the Novel was made into a film, also called â€Å"The Road† and directed by John Hillcoat. [3] There are some interesting aspects, regarding the similarities and differences between the novel and its cinematic adaptation. The Novel Cormac McCarthy tells the story of a journey, made by father and son. They survived a nuclear catastrophe, which is not described in detail and want to go south in order to reach the coast. They have a card in order to carry their habits. They hope for a humanitarian climate, nourishments and other peaceful survivors. Due to the apocalypse, they have to deal with a lot of trouble during their trip. In order to survive despite the lack of food, a lot of people became cannibals. Cannibalism is no option for the man and his son, because they belong to the good ones. Therefore they have to be carful who they trust and their search for food is more difficult. In addition they have to take care for their clothing, especially for their shoes because it is very cold since the catastrophe. [4] â€Å"Mostly he worried about their shoes. That and food. Always food. † (McCarthy, 2006: 17) [5] The most problematic aspect is the fathers task to raise his son under such circumstances without neglecting the sense of humanness. The world he knows was completely destroyed and there is no common childhood. The son has to cope with aspects like cannibalism and suicide very early. He also has to accept the circumstance, that his father is going to die sooner or later and that he needs to be able to live on his own when the time comes. His father tries to prepare him as good as he can. McCarthy tells the story among 287 pages. He uses 3rd person narration, where the narrator is omniscient, because he knows about thoughts, dreams and fears of the father and his son. His style of writing without chapters stresses the travel motive. It highlights the fact that the protagonists have to go on and on until they reach the coast and that there are no other important stages in between. Another important technique is the avoidance of names which means that both protagonists remain anonym. This technique highlights the aspect, that in case of a nuclear catastrophe, this scenario could happen to anyone. The father and his son serve as representatives for humankind. In addition there are no concrete names of places which indicates, that this scenario could not just happen to anyone, it could also happen anywhere in the world. There are two more aspects, which remain unclear. The first one is the fate of the mother. The book does not make clear what happened to her because for them, it does not matter. She is gone and that is all they need to know. Secondly there are no details mentioned when it comes to the catastrophe which also indicates that it is not important what happened. The man and his son are alive and so they have to challenge the circumstances, indifferent what caused them. â€Å"The clocks stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions. (†¦) A dull rose glow in the windowglas. (McCarthy, 2006: 52) McCarthy creates a very desperate imagery. His preferred chosen words are dark and sad. He uses short sentences, which guarantees that the novel is written in a minimal, but tough very closely style. [6] â€Å"No list of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one’s heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes. † (McCarthy, 2006: 54) Even the dialogues between father and son or between them and strangers they met are very short. In addition there are a lot of details described, no matter if they are tolerable or hardly shocking. â€Å"They could smell something cooking. Let’s circle around, the man said. (†¦) They left their food cooking. (†¦) What is it? He said. What is it? The boy shook his head. Oh Papa, he said. He turned and looked again. What the bay had seen was a charred human infant headless and gutted and blackening on the spit. † (McCarthy, 2006: 198) The two unnamed Protagonists The son is about 10 years old and was born after the catastrophe. That is why he does not know the world as it was before. He has although no childhood like one would think of. He has to grow up without his mom, knowing that his father will also fade away one day. Therefore he has to learn very much important skills in a short amount of time. He has no real toys and no other kids around him. In contrast he knows how to kill himself and feels responsible for his father, who became ill. It is important to say, that the son serves as a symbol for hope. â€Å"He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke. † (McCarthy, 2006: 5) Not only for his father, also for other people they met. For example Ely, the second stranger they met thought that he was an angel. Within the story the young boy grows from a child with a lot of questions and fears to a boy with a big sense of humanity, who knows a lot about the world he lives in and feels responsible for other people. â€Å"The man squatted and looked at him. I’m scared, he said. Do you understand? I’m scared. (†¦) You’re not the one who has to worry about everything. The boy said something but he couldn’t understand him. What? he aid. He looked up, his wet and grimy face. Yes I am, he said. I am the one. † (McCarthy, 2006: 259) The father can be characterized as a reactor. Whenever it comes to violent actions he is just acting in self-defence. He knows the world as it has been before the catastrophe, and feels sorry for his son but he also knows that he can not hold the horror away from him. He faces the fact that his son h as to live on his own one day and that it is his job to make sure that he will be able to do so. Therefore he is distrustful when it comes to strangers. He always reminds his son to be less helpful and a bit more wary but often he does not succeed. In addition he is very ill and weak. The only reason why he is able to go on without committing suicide is his son. Everything he does is for him. â€Å"He held the boy close to him. So thin. My heart, he said. My heart. But he knew that if he were a good father still it might well be as she had said. That the boy was all that stood between him and death. † (McCarthy, 2006: 29) Ending The ending of the novel is a happy one. They manage to reach the coast and the father dies in peace. After some days other survivors appear. There is another man, a woman and two other children, a boy and a girl. The boy talks to the man and makes clear that they belong to the good guys who â€Å"carry the fire†, which means that they do not kill and eat other people. After he made that clear, it is okay for him to go with them. Therefore the ending implies a new beginning, because it could be possible that the boy and the girl create descendants one day, which would be a first step to get a new population. â€Å"The woman when he saw him put her arms around him and held him. (†¦) I am so glad to see you. She would talk to him sometimes about God. He tried to talk to God but the best thing was to talk to his father and he did talk to him and he didn’t forget. † (McCarthy, 2006: 286) The Movie The movie â€Å"The Road† was published in 2009. John Hillcoat (Director) and Joe Penhall (Screenplay) produced a cinematic adaptation of the novel with the same title and story which takes 111 minutes. The role of the father is played by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee plays the role of the son. [7] As already said, the story is almost the same. There are just a few changes within it. For example there are some flashbacks to the time before the catastrophe and shortly after it, when the mother was still alive. In addition there are some omissions because of details which would have been too shocking, like the passage with the infant corpse. [8] Despite those supplements and omissions Hillcoat and Penhall did a really good job. They managed it to copy the imagery of McCarthy’s special style of writing into the atmosphere of the film. Therefore they used a number of techniques. [9] The depressive and sad atmosphere is easily created by mostly grey and brown colours. Furthermore the film was produced in wintertime, when there automatically lies snow and the trees are without leaves. The film implies no ordinary scenery, because it is not a complex story. The contrast comes when the flashbacks to the time before the catastrophe are shown. The colours change into very intensive ones, it is summer and you always hear nice piano music. One could also argue that the piano serves as a symbol for the presence of the mother and for civilisation because it represents culture. When the father remembers his wife there is always piano music which accentuates the scenes. Later in the film he has to cut an old piano into pieces in order to get wood for a fire. This is a clear indication that he is angry with his wife because of her decision to commit suicide. Those scenes are different to the few passages about the mother in the book. She is not a big issue in the novel. Within the book the story is told by an omniscient 3rd person narrator. In the cinematic adaptation the man tells the story. This is a contrast to the book, where the actions, feelings and thoughts of the man are part of the narration. On the one hand one could argue that this contrast is problematic because in the end the father is going to die and the way of narration could be too personal. But on the other hand Hillcoat and Penhall had to choose someone who tells the story and they had no other opportunity if they want to have the option of flashbacks and omniscience. According to the protagonists there is one other existing difference. In the book the boy seems to accept his fate and tries to make the best out of it. He grows up very fast and is rather adulty than childish. In the film he collects some artefacts like a broken comb of his mother, wears her clothes and also has a few toys. He is often scared and cries when he is. All in all, the boy is played like a child and not as grown up as he is described in the book. The overlapping aspect is the importance of â€Å"to carry the fire†. He is always asking if someone carries the fire, which means not to kill other people and disregard morality and values. The biggest difference between the novel and its cinematic adaptation is the ending. In the book it is described as a happy end. The father dies, the son meets another family who also carries the fire and can go with them. In addition the family has a daughter, which means that there is a new beginning for civilisation implied. This procedure is the same at the end of the film but there are some details which change the situation. Firstly the thumbs of the veteran are missing or garbled. That was also the case when they met the thief who has stolen their cart with all their goods. Those missing fingers can lead to the suggestion that he had been a member of a cannibalism commune. This would also fit to the question why a family should voluntary incorporate another hungry child. In fact there is no food left and every additional person is a risk at the same time. One also has to remember that they have a dog in the movie, which is pure luxury according to the circumstances they live in. According to those details there are two possibilities: either they are just as friendly and careful as the boy and it is an act of charity, or they see their chance in getting extra food without killing someone of their family or group. Novel or Movie? In my opinion both works are really great. I like the novel of McCarthy very much because of his style of writing and the atmosphere within the story. The dialogues are short, concise and therefore fit totally in. In addition the characters with their actions, thoughts, feelings and dreams as well as the ending of the story are simply realistic. There are some differences when it comes to the cinematic adaptation but those are no reasons for regarding the film as inferior. As already said, I think that Hillcoat and Penhall did a great job because it must have been very hard to transport McCarthy’s style of writing into a movie. What I like most is the ending of the film. It is less clear than in the book and every viewer can decide which option seems to be more realistic. I think the interpretation of the ending refers to ones personal character traits. If the viewer is as prudent, distrusting and sometimes hopeless like the father he will maybe be more likely to see it critical. In contrast a viewer who is as optimistic as the son will probably see the details as unimportant and therefore recognize the ending as a happy end, like the one of the book. This opportunity of individual interpretation is a great aspect of the movie.Bibliography McCarthy, Comac. The Road. New York: Vintage Books, 2006 http://www.buecher.de/shop/krimi–thriller/the-road/mccarthy-cormac/products_products/detail/prod_id/22749892/session/0c16e28341622398e76f09549b0dc89c/ (23.02.2012) http://www.cormacmccarthy.com/works/theroad.htm (23.02.2012) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/ (23.02.2012) http://sweetcheese.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/41jilx9r0rl_ss500_.jpg (23.02.2012) http://quaterlyconversation.com/the-road-by-cormac-mccarthy-review (23.02.2012) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/ (25.02.2012) Movie: â€Å"The Road†, Universum Film GmbH: 2009 http://www.beyondhollywood.com/the-road-2008-movie-images-gallery/the-road-movie/ (25.02.2012)

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Women and Child Welfare and Development Ministry - Essay Example A classic use of color technique has been significantly and vigorously applied in the dresses worn by the characters in the ad to demarcate between the sexes – male and female – in a distinctive manner. However, the simple but inappropriate words used in the ad are particularly catchy (the hook). The positioning (layout) of the parents on the sides with their daughter at the center portrays a protective and guidance role bestowed upon parents to the upbringing of their young ones. The relative sizes of the images in the ad are unequal. The parents are relatively taller than their daughter (placed at the center), perhaps to reinforce their positions as the center of admiration and modeling. The inclusive features of the ad authoritatively expose (purpose) to the parents/guardians (the target audience) the likely inflicted injury to young brains impacted by what they hear around them. Children, especially those at the age of school beginners, are usually very attentive to the happenings around them. As a matter of fact, parents/guardians become the initial locus of attention to their children before spreading their wings during later stages of development. Thus, whatever they do or say has the possibility of having a lasting impact in the life of a child.   Being the target audience, the inappropriate words in the ad are specifically associated with them – adults. Indeed as expected, the perceptiveness of a young mind is clearly at work: picking and retaining whatever crosses the ear into the brain (role of the text). Through the ad, a lad pours out what is in the mind: a clear indication that what is absorbed from the surrounding environment influences thoughts. Evidently, a child is not just a passive member of a family but an active partaker of what the environment offers (message). Without a doubt, the ad calls on the parents/guardians (message) to keep watch over their utterance to avoid imparting negative traits to those under their

Health Care Policy Making in the Federal System Essay Example for Free

Health Care Policy Making in the Federal System Essay Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act Open policymaking in the United States is molded on a basic level by American federalism. Federalism in the United States is defined as â€Å"a governmental system whereby power and authority are shared by national and state governments, with ultimate authority derived from the people†Ã‚  (Levin-Waldman, 2012). The interaction between the levels makes a muddled approach process. Government policymakers and bureaucrats at diverse levels of the elected framework – national, state and local – regularly have truly distinctive interests and points of view on how specific policies ought to be developed and implemented. In regards to health care policy, the national government has accepted essential obligation, with states playing a significant but auxiliary role. For national and state policymakers, there are three key objectives in healthcare policy: control services expenses of health care, improve the quality of health care, and allow for all citizens to have access to health care. The challenge is to beat the long-standing status of the U.S. as a nation with high medical costs paired with deficient coverage for a number of its citizens. On March 23, 2010, after a multitude of debates and votes, Congress approved and President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (obamacarefacts.com). This is the most comprehensive health care law passed at the national level, and possibly the most controversial too. This enactment is giving a real test of American federalism. Each state is required to create an exchange in which people can look for a competitive plan. This online exchange will offer individual people, families, and small businesses a venue in which to review suitable and affordable plans. In the event that a state does not make an exchange, the national government will do so. There are many debates surrounding this new law as many feel it will do more harm than good. Under the law, tens of millions of uninsured will get access to competitive, quality, health insurance. In order to help cover the many millions who require monetary assistance, there are new taxes, generally felt by the upper income levels. These taxes are in the form of mandates; either as an individual mandate or an employer mandate. These mandates require individuals to obtain coverage, get an exemption, or pay a fee. However, it is estimated that over half of those uninsured prior to this new law, will be able to obtain free or low cost coverage thru their State’s exchange. Similarly, employers with an equivalent of 50 full time employees must provide health insurance coverage to their employees or they will have to pay a fine. This has prompted some businesses to cut employee hours to avoid meeting the criteria, although small businesses can qualify for up to 50% of their employees premium costs. (healthcarereform.procon.org) While the law allows young adults to remain on their parents plans until the age of 26, there is concern that the premiums these young adults could be paying on their own would help offset the rise in premiums due to the sick. In order for the premiums to remain low, there needs to be a significantly large healthy pool of insured. Their premiums will offset the expenses the insurance company will have to pay for the claims of those that are sick. If healthy young adults remain on their parent’s plans longer, it decreases the cushion the insurance company has to cover such claims. Since you cannot be dropped from your plan when you become sick, insurance companies must cover the sick and this causes premiums to rise. (healthcarereformprocon.org) Many question whether or not the government can enforce such a law. The U.S. Constitution makes no reference to health care policy or services as rights. To play a role in such, the national government must turn to less particular parts of the Constitution, for example, the  obligation to promote the general welfare, provide equal protection under the laws, or regulate commerce among the states. State constitutions by and large make no particular reference to health awareness as a commitment of state government or right of residents. Likewise with the national government, state power around there rests principally on more general protected provisions to promote the benefit of everyone. The law was presented to the Supreme Court and upheld by a vote of 5 to 4. â€Å"The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pay a financial  penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax,† Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. â€Å"Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.† (nytimes.com). Conclusion Policymaking in our federal system is laden with challenges. In health care, policymakers and other government authorities at all three levels of government assume vital and interconnected parts. Policymaking in our federal system has served the United States well for a long time, yet it remains a real test. It is uncommon that one level of government can bring an approach through to its fulfillment. Rather, most arrangements incorporate an imperative intergovernmental element. The unpredictability of intergovernmental policymaking and the numerous purposes of potential restriction in an elected framework put a premium on practicing successful initiative and making intergovernmental connections. To push ahead in the 21st Century, national, state and local policymakers will require a full set of administration and interpersonal abilities to unite all parties in the federalism process of policy making. References Levin-Waldman, O. M. (2012). American government. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Liptak, A. (2012, June 28). Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law, 5-4, in Victory for Obama. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Good for America? (2010, September). Retrieved from http://healthcarereform.procon.org The Pros and Cons of Obamacare. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://obamacarefacts.com

Corporate Social Responsibilities in Kuwait

Corporate Social Responsibilities in Kuwait Corporate social responsibilities (CSR) are a form of corporate self regulation inducted into business models. The term Corporate Social Responsibilities was coined in the early 1970s that is after many multinational companies were born. CSR policies of corporate organizations are aimed at providing a positive impact of their actions on customers, employees and shareholders. In other words, its goal is to improve the social environment of communities, it is an organizations means of giving back to the community. This improvement is channeled through nurturing growth and development of communities, including elimination of detrimental practices that affect the public sphere. When a company is said to take part in corporate social responsibility, it means that they have ethical, social and moral responsibilities towards the community and society in which they are operating. Another important responsibility include in the CSR is the return given to investors and abiding by the national rules in the business dealings and functions. According to the traditional view of corporate social responsibility, it was related to the key stakeholders of the company only, which are its stockholders or owners. However today the corporate social responsibility of the business is required in every aspect of the business whether they are the suppliers, customers, investors, employees, government, social groups or owners etc (RFB, 2010). 2. Concepts related to Corporate Social Responsibility: There are several concepts and issues that have emerged today related to the corporate social responsibility. The CSR should now be addressed by the companies in various contexts and some of them are illustrated as follows: 2.1 SOCIAL ISSUES Due to the operation of the businesses having different internal environment and different cultural values, several social issues can emerge. Some of the social issues that emerge are mainly because of the operations of the business. The social issues would include all type of problems that can arise in a society because of the business. These can be environmental e.g pollution because of business operations, the cultural issues, ethical issues or technological issues etc. 2.2 CSR related to Stakeholders: Any individuals, organization, societies or elements of the environment that have a stake in the company and is affected by as well as affects the business is known as its stakeholder. Businesses have a number of stakeholders and it must ensure that the rights of all the stakeholders are delivered to them. For example the workforce of the company has some legal rights as well ethically and morally the company should give the workforce some rights related to the operations of the business. For example In a firm, the health and safety of the employee is the legal responsibility as well as the ethical responsibility of the organizations. The companies have various stakeholders as mentioned before. The stakeholders can be further categorized as the primary stakeholders and the secondary stakeholders. The primary stakeholders of the company are the ones that can impact the organizations business operations. While the secondary stakeholders are the one that can have both direct and indirect impact on the operations of a business. The primary ones are said to have a direct stake and these include the employees, the suppliers, communities, the customers, regulatory bodies, future generations, shareholders, government and business partners etc. even the nature and the environment that a company can have an effect on are a part of its primary stakeholders. The secondary stakeholders even if do not have a direct stake but can be positively or negatively affect by the decisions or operations of the company. These include the interest groups, social groups, political groups etc. The rights of the primary stakeholders of a company are often protected by the laws because they often have a legal link and have a direct connection with each other. on the other hand, the secondary stakeholders might not have legal rights and privileges but the Equity holders are the main stakeholders of any concern. Every organization has to fulfill some is a moral and legal duties and rights of their respective owners. Some of these include, seeking to make sure that the prime stakeholders receive an adequate return on what they have invested in the firm. This is not the only right but the basic right. Besides, the owner, employees are also major players in the business, they also have both moral and legal requirements that the firm must meet. The businesses also have a special obligation to its customers in connection with the marketing, advertising, production and quality of products. The products are also expect to offer functionality, safety and value of local communities. All these duties listed for the firm to follow can significantly affect the activities of national organizations and therefore a direct participation in their activities and other enterprises to do business with. Many social commentators also suggest that companies are directly responsible for future generations and wildlife. 2.3 Environmental Issues. Companies have long been criticized for their negative impact on the natural environment in which they operate. The negative impact of the firm on the environment can be related to terms natural resources and pollution and global warming. In many of the organizations there are no proper systems for waste management. Many firms use fossil fuels that release high quantity of carbon dioxide that is said to be one of the bigger contributors of global warming, and there are social pressure on government and businesses to meet strict standards for environmental and be volunteers in the change process of production which would be less damaging to the environment. Other issues related to the natural environment include acid rain, waste disposal, deforestation, and soil degradation. (Environmental leader, 2010).If an organization does not comply with the standards of environmental responsibility then they not just lose their respect in the eyes of the customers but also face opposition from g overnment, NGOs and various pressure groups. 2.4 Global Issues. More and more organizations today operate in a global environment. The globalization of trade seems to be an irreversible trend, but there are many opponents to it. Critics point out that globalization leads to exploitation in developing countries and workers, environmental degradation and increasing human rights violations. They also argue that globalization benefits mainly the wealthy, widening the gap between rich and poor. Proponents of globalization argue that open markets lead to an increased standard of living for all, higher wages for workers worldwide, and economic development in poor countries. Many large multinational companies are in scope and will continue to face legal, social and ethical issues posed by the increasing globalization of trade. 2.5 Technology Issues Another contemporary social problems relating to technology and its impact on society. For example, the Internet has opened up many new opportunities for marketing goods and services, but also opened up new opportunities for abuse of the companies. Issues of privacy and security of confidential information is handled. Biotechnology companies face issues regarding the use of embryonic stem cells, genetic engineering and cloning. All these things are ethical and social implications. As technological capabilities continue to advance, it is likely that the liability of companies in this sector will increase significantly. Research shows that companies are developing a reputation for being socially responsive and ethical enjoy better performance. But the final motivation for companies to engage in corporate social responsibility should not be an economic motive, but the moral and ethical. (RFB, 2010). 3. Corporate Social Responsibility in Kuwait: CSR is a tool that aids the organization on its mission and serves as dynamic guide as to the organizations principles. There is no formal act of legislation pertaining to CSR; however ISO 26000 is considered as an International Standard for CSR. Public sector organizations adopt the triple bottom line policy; People, Planet, Profit. Along with the mushrooming of multinational companies the scrutiny of their business activities have also increased. This means that organizations who adopt CSR policies have a greater chance of survival. Adoption of corporate responsibility supports business objectives; it results in increase in compliance, reputation and relationships which in turn increase shareholder value and profitability of the company. The International Business Report (IBR) 2008 states the three major reasons for incorporation of CSR in businesses are; Recruitment/Retention of Staff at 65%, Cost Management at 63% and Public attitudes/building brand at 56%. Other reasons perceived to promote CSR are tax reliefs that are provided by the government and investor relations. Tax reliefs are a tool that governments possess by which it may force a change in the attitudes of companies. This tool can be used to force companies to incorporate a CSR policy in their business models. Investors of the company have an impor tant say within company matters. Multinational companies are on the look for local and foreign investors. This provides Investor an edge to influence companies to adopt CSR plans. The Kuwait CSR conference, which is held annually, promotes incorporation of CSR within businesses and also discusses the performance enhancement that CSR offers. A CSR award ceremony held annually in Kuwait to appreciate the contributions made by organizations to Kuwaiti communities. This awards event honors companies for their achievements on the CSR front. Both the conference and award ceremony encourage organizations to adopt a CSR policy. A report by International Business Machines (IBM) Institute for Business Value voiced that companies are viewing CSR as a growth opportunity rather than a policy concerning regulatory-compliance or philanthropic issue. The report further states that 68% of the companies that were surveyed had interest in generating revenue through CSR based activities. Customer concern is considered to be the chief driver of CSR actions however 76% of companies state that they dont completely understand the customers CSR concerns while 16% of organizations claimed that they are able to engage with customers regarding CSR activities. The three major domains which have received contributions from organizations are health care, education and financing aid and charitable trusts. Within the health care domain, organizations sponsor construction of hospitals, medical centers as well as purchasing of equipment. Corporations also design programs that increase awareness of diseases and disorders among the population. In 1999, a telecommunications company; Zain, sponsored and supervised the construction of Sabah Ear-Nose-Throat Hospital. The Kuwaiti Projects Company (KIPCO) initiated a dyslexia campaign. The goal of the campaign was to increase awareness of dyslexia among students and professional alike. For this deed, KIPCO was honored with CSR award. The Annual report of Kuwait Finance House (KFH) 2007 highlighted that the organization provided KD 1.250 million to Bait Al-Zakat (Kuwait Zakat House), increases the provisions allocated for the construction of 15 ambulance centers on the motorways worth KD 1.450 million. The second major domain covered by organizations is education. Organizations aim to educate the local communities not only in traditional educational settings but also in educating in awareness of pollution of the environment, development of discipline and personal skills in young individuals, providing training to young professionals through internships. A Kuwait based multinational petrochemical company; EQUATE, sponsors educational programs, research programs and provides scholarships and awards for higher education. The company not only reaches out to students and educational institutes but also believes in knowledge transfer to regional companies. EQUATE also initiated the pollution free Kuwait campaign whose aims were to decrease the level of pollution in Kuwait and to create awareness of the effects of pollution within the masses (KMPG, 2010). The third area is that of financing relief efforts and charitable trust. Organizations donate allocated funds to trusts from their own accounts. Companies also allot a fixed portion of a sale towards charity. For Example, on the sale of a cell phone a company may forward 5% of its profit to chosen charity .Kuwait airways coupled with Kuwait Red Crescent to provide relief for the less privileged. This association resulted in the launch of a relief project Balsam, whose goals were to provide remedial measures for the needy. The collection of donations for this project is unique in its manner. Kuwait airways collected foreign currency donations from its passengers. These currencies were then forwarded to Kuwait Red Crescent where they were utilized as needed. Even though the report published by IBM Institute of for Business Value highlights that CSR is not focusing on compliance but on generation of revenue streams. The incorporation of CSR in local and multinational companies in Kuwait has provided a positive outlook to social activities. This not only has increased faith of the consumers within the companies but also has proven a source of proper ethical behavior for the companies themselves. 4. Example of Corporate social Responsibility in Kuwait: The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) long been a leader in addressing environmental sustainability issues. In early 1990, Kuwait in front of the worst environmental disaster in recent history, in the wake of the late Iraqi government on the country. Oil wells and gathering centers were in flames, and the uncontrolled flow of oil was filled with hundreds of huge oil lakes and miles and miles of shoreline contamination. It was imperative that the countrys oil infrastructure can be restored and its environment. Today, Kuwait has the worlds seventh largest oil exporter and holds approximately 10% of global oil reserves. KOC is the effective management of oil and gas upstream, acting in Kuwait and the storage of crude oil and deliver it to the tank for export. Significantly, KOC has also helped to clean and protect the environment, embracing corporate social responsibility and the launch of a series of bold initiatives on sustainability, using the latest technologies and industry best practices. Emissions monitoring for regulatory compliance and CSR Kuwait KOC EPA Data from multiple sources while minimizing the Rolling risk of errors or omissions Provide an accurate analysis in real time which translates into better decisions faster Overall 90% reduction in time spent on emissions data collection, processing and reporting from various systems Saved weeks of work and improved accuracy by automating the deployment analysis of corporate sustainability reporting in Gift HSE staff to focus on higher value tasks and increase productivity Koc Health, Safety and Environment Group uses essential result in multiple production facilities, with an unlimited number of users accessing the system via a software-as-a-Service or SaaS implementation is supported by BP Consultancy (PCB ). KOC and the PCB has started using the essential Air module to collect and manage air emissions data Standardization of data, coding data, models, process flows, data models and other functions to generate a wide range of reports and update system dashboards KOC. In the process, KOC not only fulfill its commitments to corporate responsibility, he also streamline the critical operations of the company.

William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay -- A Rose for Emily, William

William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily In the story â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, William Faulkner, the author talks about a life of a woman and the town she lived in. The story begins just when miss Emily died. The author doesn’t tell us much about that time except that many people were interested to see what was in her house. As the story progresses, the author decides to jump all the way to the beginning when miss Emily was still a young woman and her father was still alive. During that time, the town felt bad for poor miss Emily and thought that she was going to die with out a husband by her side, since her father didn’t like any men that liked his daughter. Later on, the author gets to the time when her father just died. Miss Emily felt so alone that she decided to keep her dead father’s body in the house, and not let anyone take him away from her. After the neighbors kept coming to the city council and complaining about the fowl smell that was coming from miss Emily’s house, the judge sent a few men to put lime around the house to kill the smell. As the reader later finds out, the smell was coming from miss Emily’s father’s decaying body. Finely the authorities took the dead body out of the house and buried it. As the story goes on, the reader is told that the town was being renovated, streets being paved and such. With the renovators, came a young man, by the description, he was a handsome young man. The town kept talking as they always did, gossiping about miss...

Inventing A Writing Technology :: Teaching Writing Education Essays

â€Å"Inventing† A Writing Technology When we originally were given the criteria for this assignment, I knew right away what it was that I was going to do. I love being creative and sharing my ideas with other people, I like to think of myself as somewhat of an original person. My idea would initially satisfy all of the given criteria: permanence, portability, creativity, and naturalness of the components used to compose my creative piece of writing. Growing up, my brother and I would venture out when the creek was frozen and play on the ice for hours on end. One of the things we would do was carve out the ice to make picture, games and such. I knew that for his project, using ice would be an excellent idea. I knew it was fairly easy to do, it would stay there for as long as the creek continued to be frozen, and if necessary, it could be cut out and taken along to wherever I needed to go. When I arrived at my parent’s house, I headed straight for the creek with the plan in mind only to find that the ice was snow covered. I was down, but not out. After shoveling the ice, I was ready to begin my carving only to find that the ice was bubbly and definitely not smooth enough to be a recognizable writing surface. My plan was shot, I had come home for nothing. From this point on, I was forced to come up with an alternative plan of action. I thought of many things to use such as sticks and stones, but they would all sink into the snow if I placed them there and where not very portable or permanent if laid upon the ice. After weighing my options and a great deal of thought, I caught a glimpse of one of the many trees that line my creek bank. On the tree were many jagged icicles one of which I decide to use as my writing tool. My surface became the dreaded snow that was the culprit behind my initially foiled plan.

Biology and Chemical Warfare Essay -- science

Biology and Chemical Warfare Introduction Chemical and Biological Warfare, use of harmful or deadly chemical or biological agents as weapons of war. These agents can kill many people and are considered weapons of mass destruction. Chemical weapons are made up of poisonous chemical compounds, whereas biological weapons are living microorganisms. Toxin weapons contain poisonous chemical products of living organisms and are sometimes classified separately. Chemical and biological weapons can cause injury in several ways. Most cause injury or death when inhaled, and some cause injury through contact with skin or through ingestion of contaminated food. A chemical or biological attack usually involves dispersing agents into the air. This can be done in various ways, such as firing artillery shells that burst in mid-air, or using airplanes to spray the agents over an area. If released outdoors, these types of weapons can be affected by weather conditions. Rain would reduce the effectiveness of the agents, and wind might spread them in unexpected directions. Because chemical and biological agents are seen as random, dangerous, and particularly cruel weapons, they have rarely been used. In the 20th century, chemicals were used extensively as battlefield weapons only in World War I (1914-1918) and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). The release of the nerve agent sarin in a Tokyo subway in 1995 was a rare terrorist chemical attack. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention are the most recent international agreements prohibiting these types of weapons, and both have been signed by many countries. Nevertheless, analysts contend that following the Iran-Iraq War, more countries began to secretly develop chemical and biological weapons, and the threat of their use has become greater. Iraq in particular has been accused of stockpiling such weapons, and Iraqi resistance to United Nations weapons inspections in the late 1990s raised international awareness of the need for stronger efforts to control biological and chemical weapons. II. Chemical WarfarePrint section Chemical warfare involves the use of chemical compounds to kill or seriously injure an enemy. Several countries began eliminating their chemical weapons stockpiles in the 1990s, but the threat of their use still exists. A. Chemical AgentsPrint section... ...s, an explosive release is not necessary. Members of Aum Shinrikyo attacked the Tokyo subway by packing sarin in plastic containers. To release the nerve agent, they pierced the containers with sharp umbrella tips. The leaking liquid and vapor affected thousands of passengers. Microorganisms are generally more fragile than chemicals, and some might not survive an explosion. But several, like anthrax spores, do remain potent after an explosive release. In any case, United States Army tests have shown that biological agents can be broadly dispersed in a variety of non-explosive ways. In the 1950s and 1960s the Army released bacteria and chemical particles in hundreds of tests in populated areas throughout the country. Agents were sprayed at San Francisco from a boat offshore, dispensed from slow-moving cars in Minneapolis and St. Louis, and released from light bulbs dropped in the New York subway. The bacteria and chemicals in the tests were not as dangerous as actual warfare agents, although they posed some risks to the exposed populations. They demonstrated that an enemy or terrorist could expose millions of people to disease-causing organisms by a variety of simple techniques.