Submarine Warfare Essays - Submarines, Submarine Warfare, U-boat

Submarine Warfare Submarine Warfare The First "World War," also known as the Great War, took place after the turn of the century from 1914 to 1918, and was named this because it was the first conflict of global proportions. The war resulted in the loss of military lives and the near destruction of Europe. The massive destruction of the war was largely a result of the use of technology in warfare. The use of technology in warfare was a result of the industrial revolution at the end of the nineteenth century which brought mechanization and mass production to society. This brought the use of things never used or heard of into the war and included airplanes, submarines, and tanks, as well as radio communications, machine guns, and poison gas. The use of submarines played a major part in getting the U.S. to join the war. With the launching of the Dreadnought, the first battle ship to concentrate all artillery power to massive twelve inch guns and break the twenty knot speed barrier, the worlds navies became obsolete overnight. The world powers were rushing to build a new class of war ships to replace the older out dated ones. Germany and England soon became entrapped in a naval arms race, with each trying keep pace with the other's building program. When the War arrived in 1914, both Germany and England had navies made up of heavily armed capital ships, which were large heavily armed and thickly armored battle ships such as Destroyers. The world waited for the clash of Germany's high seas fleet and England's Grand fleet. The Great War ships only had a few encounters such as in the battle at Jutland and Dogger while the underestimated and largely overlooked submarine would play a revolutionary part. In the War's second month Germany's tiny U-boat fleet made up of only twenty six submarines and ranking fifth in size among the war's combatants demonstrated the tremendous offensive potential of the "Underseeboot". On September 5th, 1914 commanding officer on the U-21 Korvettenkapitan Otto Hersing found the British light cruiser Pathfinder moving toward his position, submerging the U-boat had only to wait till the Pathfinder was within his range. He fired a single torpedo and hit the Pathfinder accurately and the ship went down in under four minutes with heavy loss of life. The true eye opener came merely seventeen days later when the U-9, under the command of Kapitanleutnant otto Weddigen, sank three 10,000 ton British armored cruisers, Aboukir, Houge, and Cressy in the course of only one hour using five torpedoes. Approximately one thousand four hundred British sailors lost their lives in the attack and the loss of three capital ships was embarrassing to the British Navy. Naval establishments around the world sat up and took notice at that point. The sinking of the British cruisers had proven the submarine's worth to the military as an offensive weapon but its use against merchant shipping brought the weapon its own place in the military world. On February 4, 1915 angered by the British blockade of the North Sea, Germany declared the water around the British Isles a war zone. Germany now would sink all merchant vessels found in those waters without warning. This was the first time the world had seen a form of unrestricted submarine warfare on merchant shipping. As result England was receiving no goods from the outside world which was very nearly starving out England because of the unmerciful nature of the German attacks. The United States, long a neutral spectator to the war, found herself slowly being drawn into the conflict. Before her entry in 1917 a warning was sent by Germany that American waters would not be immune to the U-boat threat. Germans sent two voyages to the town of Newport, Rhode Island in that same year. After the United states entered the war on April 6, 1917 they waited for a reappearance of the submarines for months before seeing another U-boat. When they finally did it was for the sinking of the American ship S.S. Carolina. The S.S. Carolina was a five thousand ton passenger liner transporting over 217 passengers from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to New York City. When a message was intercepted by a wireless operator that the Isabel B. Wiley was sunk by a German U-boat, no more that fifteen miles away, the message was instantly sent to the S.S. Carolina. Captain Barbour then put his ship in a defensive zig zag pattern to make the ship a less easy target but it was too late. The U-boat had already fired shells in to

car jacking essays

car jacking essays Car Jacking is a nation wide problem. There are many horrifying tales that people have encountered. In April of 1999 a woman and her baby were car jacked in their hometown in Georgia. The mother stepped out of the car and was giving her baby a bottle when out of nowhere a man pushed her into the back seat of her car and he jumped into the front and took off. She was screaming and yelling and trying to fight the man. Then she realized she had a cell phone in her babies diaper bag. She managed to get to the phone and then she dialed 911 and left the line open. She was scared and nervous and didnt know where she was going or what was going to happen to her and her baby. She was trying to name out landmarks so the 911 operator could lead the police to them without the car jackers knowledge. The car started slowing down and she was getting ready to jump out when she suddenly realized that there was a car following them. A man got out of his van and jumped into the backseat with her and the baby. They heard sirens from a police car but it soon faded away. She knew the police were looking for her. She wondered how she could tell the police to come back to help them. She was talking to the kidnappers loud enough so the operator could hear, that police car cant be looking for you, they went by us. Soon the police came back and pulled the car over. Everything turned out fine because of this womans quick thinking. (Weingarden 1-3). Car jacking is a problem in the United States. There has been a rise of auto theft and car jacking in the past years. There are also ways to prevent this crime and tips to be aware of if you are ever in this situation. In United States they have recorded over 35,000 attempted car jackings in the last year and they are on the rise (Brewer 1). Also, a speculation is that all victims of car jacking are women and that is not true. Early one morning, tw ...

Renewable Energy Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renewable Energy - Research Proposal Example The trend of FDI is common among developed countries of the world including the United States. In the US, technologies have been developed and utilized efficiently to meet the needs of renewable energy in the country (Nations, 2010). However, with the increasing population and their demands of daily use for home, businesses and transport, it has become important to secure basis for the USs future energy needs and so the need of FDI in the energy sector. In an official report by OCO Global (2012), it was stated that the United State is facing challenges and lack of opportunities in terms of Foreign Direct Investment. Though, during the government of former president Bill Clinton it was noticed that $1 billion were invested in coal plant and a great many improvements had been made in solar and wind turbines. It is evident from the fact, at that time 1900, jobs were opened in solar energy sector and 3,300 jobs were offered in wind turbine sectors of energy industry. FDI market reports have revealed that there is an exceptional form of political and social force that prop up the development and evolution of renewable energy sources. On the other hand, it has been evaluated by the researchers that political leaders of the US and other countries as well emphasize on clearer and more sustainable sources of renewable energy that can help the country to fulfill future needs of the population (Energy Politics, 2012). AEO (2012) report discusses that previous and present both governments has always targeted to have set goals, when it comes to alternatives for renewable energy sources. Likewise, in the United States the New Energy for American program has a 25 percent target for coming years particularly focusing 2025. Payne and Yu, (2011) report discusses that an increasing flow of FDI in the United State can potentially accelerate the economic growth and

Design for United Natural Foods Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design for United Natural Foods Inc - Essay Example The rampant global warming portrays as the biggest threat to the company’s objectives. This is due to increase in food shortage due to drought, increase in the federal government restriction on greenhouse wastes to the environment and fluctuations of oil fuel prices due to economic changes. LEED will reduce production costs by almost 50% due to the reduction power usage and the reduction of over reliance on electricity and diesel (United Natural Foods, Inc. 2014). The use of renewable energy reduces carbon dioxide emissions, thus reducing taxes on environmental pollution. The use of recycled materials to build its warehouses has increased the space by 185%, making enough room for production and storages at a cheaper cost. The reduction in lighting power by 18% helps reduce expenses (United Natural Foods, Inc. 2014). This reduction in production costs will hence increase the profit margin, making the company restore its competitive advantage. The ability to conserve the environment will improve the goodwill of the company that will be useful for successful

The Effect of Poverty on Children Living in West Africa and Britain Essay

The Effect of Poverty on Children Living in West Africa and Britain - Essay Example Increasingly, poverty is understood and measured in relative terms; it is not having access to those resources that one sees is taken for granted in one’s own society by others. Growing up in poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life; diet and health suffer, housing is often sub-standard, accident-proneness is high, and illnesses are long-standing. It is also been shown through research that children born to poor parents are likely to have reduced weight and height at birth, are less likely to excel academically and have poorer attendance records in school. Adults who grew up in poverty are more prone to ill-health, unemployment, homelessness, arrests for criminal offences, drug and alcohol abuse and abusive relationships. It is often the case that children in poverty stay in poverty well into their adult life as well and remain in the same quarter of income distribution as their parents. Some of the main reasons why children fail to break this cycle of poverty are missing periods of school, being in care, being known to police, misuse of drugs, teenage parenthood and being out of education either having to work or otherwise. What is Poverty? The widely accepted definition of poverty is having an income which is less than 60% of the national average (excluding the wealthiest members of society). The ‘poverty line’ is defined in terms of 69 percent of the median household income, adjusted for household composition. Peter Townsend defines poverty emphasising its relative nature: Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary.

Effectiveness Of Bottom Up And Top Down Environmental Sciences Essay

Effectiveness Of Bottom Up And Top Down Environmental Sciences Essay Urban poor communities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate. This is due to many reasons, such as densely populated cities and poor housing structure. There are many ways to reduce the vulnerabilities of the urban poor to climate change. One of the key ways to deal with the impacts of climate change and thus increase resilience to climate change, is to adapt to these changes. This essay will focus on adaptation rather than mitigation, to enable a more detailed analysis of top-down verses bottom-up approaches. This is not to say that mitigation is not important or that adaptation should replace mitigation strategies. Rather that adaption is solely explored to better analyse which approach is best. This can be achieved either through bottom-up approaches or top-down strategies. Top-down usually refers to management at the city and national level such as municipal authorities. Bottom-up approaches are self-protection efforts made by households and communities t hemselves, based on local knowledge (OBrien et al 2006). However, there is no clear definition and often it can be uncertain where top-down starts and bottom-up begins. The aim of the essay is to evaluate whether a top-down or bottom-up approach is more effective to deal with the impacts of climate change on urban poor communities. In order to achieve this aim, the essay will be split into three main parts: part one will outline arguments that a top-down approach is most effective for dealing with the impacts of climate change, looking at approaches from within disaster risk reduction. However the second part will challenge this and explore debates that a bottom-up approach is more successful, through asset-based adaptation. On the other hand, the third part will argue that there is a need for a more participatory approach that incorporates local communities within top-down strategies, referred to as collaborative planning (Healy . The analysis will be supported by examples from current and past practices in the Global South. The conclusions reached areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Part one: top-down The adverse effects of climate change are already evidentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and developing countries are [the] most vulnerable. (World Bank 2003) Urban settlements in the developing world are beginning to face increasingly severe weather events as a result of climate change. Urban poor communities will be increasingly forced to cope with higher incidents of flooding, air and water pollution, and heat stress. Cities in developing countries are particularly at risk due to their high density populations, expansive informal settlements, poor land management and lack of infrastructure, such as adequate drainage channels (Tanner et al 2008). Thus, urban poor communities are one of the most vulnerable to the changes in climate. Bohle et al (1995) argues that to reduce vulnerability there needs be a reduction in the exposure of potentially harmful effects of climate change, an increased ability to cope with disasters and the process of recovery needs to be strengthened (Wilbanks and Kates 1999). One of the key ways of achieving all three of these aspects to reduce vulnerability is to adapt to the changes in climate and reduce the risk of disaster. This can be done through top-down approaches at the city or national level. In general, efforts to improve the ability of whole populations to recover from disasters are usually tackled through public policy intervention at the national scale. Thus, top-down approaches are needed to direct and implement adaptation strategies to increase resilience (Adger et al 2005b). The concept of resilience refers to the ability to persist and adapt in the face of climate shocks and stresses (Tanner et al 2008). This can be achieved through disaster risk reduction (DRR) which increases the resilience of local communities through reducing the vulnerability of people and property, better land management practices and improvement in preparedness. DRR includes hazard reduction, such as improving drainage, and preparedness for response and recovery s uch as insurance schemes. DRR involves building response capacity and managing climate risk (Sutanta et al 2008). National governments take the lead in identifying the dangers to communities and in developing strategies to cope with, and adapt to, changing circumstances. One of the ways to deal with the impacts of climate change is through disaster risk management (DRM). DRM refers to both disaster risk reduction (prevention, preparedness and mitigation) and humanitarian and development action (emergency response, relief and reconstruction). For example Tanner et al (2008) states that in Bikol region in the Philippines, there was access to safe land which reduces the disaster risk and increases the resilience of poor communities to climate change. This can only be achieved through top-down processes as city and municipal governments in developing countries are usually primarily responsible for infrastructure and service provision that is essential for the reduction of vulnerability to many environmental hazards (Tanner et al 2008). For example, Dodman and Satterthwaite (2008) point out that acti ons in Durban, one of South Africas largest cities, illustrate how top-down initiatives can increase the resilience of the urban poor in cities. The municipality has incorporated climate change into long-term city planning, addressing the vulnerability of key sectors in coastal infrastructure and disaster management (DRR). Furthermore, early warning systems are essential to reduce the impact of disasters and these are developed from the top-down, increasing the resilience of the urban poor to climate change related disasters. For example the Ningbo government in China, have established early warning systems using high-tech instruments. Tanner et al (2008) states that in 2005, when typhoon Kanu hit Ningbo, the government was able to reduce damage to the city by taking action earlier and evacuating thousands of people avoiding thousands of casualties (Tanner et al 2008). The vulnerability of the urban poor also depends on many factors that influence the amount of damage that a particular hazard can cause. There are different types of vulnerability, such as socio-economic fragility, which affect how resilient urban communities are to climate change (Cardona et al 2004). Assets held by individuals and households are influenced by external factors, such as government policies. Therefore, the efficiency of land administration and management can help build the adaptation capacity of poor people in urban areas. If land policies and management are simple and compatible with the urban poor, so the urban poor can access affordable land, then this will be one of the most effective ways to deal with the impacts of climate change (Moser et al 2010). Stern (2007) argues that to develop resilient cities there needs to be an improvement in urban planning and provision of public services and infrastructure, which can only be achieved from the top-down (OBrien et al 2006). For example, in Indonesia, DRR has been integrated into spatial planning which has resulted in a reduction of vulnerability to natural hazards (Mitchell 2003). Moser et al (2010) also identifies politico-legal vulnerability, such as a lack of tenure rights. A lack of tenure rights means that communities face a lack of services and infrastructure, increasing their vulnerability to disasters. This relates to climate change-related issues as it means inhabitants have weak incentives to increase the resilience of the housing structures and as mentioned above, often live in the most hazardous sites. This can only be solved from a top-down perspective as programmes to secure tenure are not possible without government support. Thus, sustained political support is needed, as well as adequate urban planning methods and a substantial commitment of financial and human resources, which all come from the top-down. Moser et al (2010:56) argues that from a policy perspective clarifying tenure rights and developing coherent urban land policy frameworks is of the utmost importance for building resilience of the urban poor to negative climate change impacts. This also provides long term solutions to the impacts of climate change (Dodmam et al 2010). Linked to this, urban poor communities are vulnerable in that many live in extreme poverty. There are important linkages between urban poverty and vulnerability to disasters and climate change (Dodman and Satterthwaite 2008). Carraro et al (2007) argues for the importance of considering climate concerns in the development context. Thus, one of the most effective ways to deal with the impacts of climate change is to include adaptation and DRR within development goals, which can only be done from the top-down. Poverty eradication will increase the resilience of local communities to extreme climatic changes, while also addressing the underlying factors which may lead and/or have led to a disaster (Sutanta et al 2008). In Latin America, it has been common for some time to define disasters as failed development (OBrien et al 2006:70). As Schipper and Pelling (2006:29) argue, measures to mitigate the risk of disaster need to focus on reducing vulnerability within the context of development , thus the most effective way of addressing the risks posed by climate change and disasters is to lessen the underlying factors causing vulnerability to these phenomena. DRR is often given a low priority by national and international organisations and so for top-down strategies to be effective then measures to address climate change should be integrated with national development programmes (Wamsler 2009). Consequently, poverty reduction as well as adaptation from the top-down would be the one of the most effective ways to deal with the impacts of climate change (Stern et al 2007, Tearfund 2008). However, the second part of the essay will go on to explore arguments that bottom-up approaches are needed. Part two: Bottom-up On the other hand, top-down responses are often only seen through the lens of disaster. DRR only responds to disasters and does not take other climate change related issues into account. This presents a very partial picture of predominant patterns of weather changes and the sources of resilience of local communities. This is a key flaw Moser et al (2010) identified that urban populations in Kenya and Nicaragua were increasingly experiencing smaller, micro-level severe weather problems. These problems are not considered disasters by the major national institutions. Therefore, the adaptation needs of such communities are often ignored by national and international policy communities as the impacts are slow and incremental, but still have serious negative impacts for the majority of the worlds urban poor (Moser et al 2010). Dodman et al (2010) argue that DRR, driven from the top-down, alone is not effective to respond to climate change as it does not take into account the longer climati c changes. Thus community-based adaptation is an effective way to reduce the vulnerability of low-income groups. Bottom-up approaches are often seen as the most effective way to deal with the impacts of climate change because adaptation also responds to the slower changes in weather patterns. Bottom-up approaches to increase the resilience of poor communities by reducing the risk of disaster and adapting to changes in climate at the community, household and individual level. Dodman et al (2010) describes how Federations in the Philippines have been successful in working towards community-led saving schemes to improve housing, and thus reduce the vulnerability to disasters. Improving communities capacity to deal with climate change through DRR will also improve their ability to cope with future hazards (Tearfund 2008). Furthermore, creating policies to help reduce the risk of disasters will also improve opportunities more generally (Wisner et al 2004). Another way to increase resilience is to adapt assets such as housing to be more resilient to future weather events. One theoretical approach to respond to climate change is the asset adaptation framework. The framework focuses on asset vulnerability to climate change and identifies climate change adaptation from the bottom-up. These adaptations also work towards the slower changes in climate that affect the urban poor. Moser et al (2010) uses this framework to show how communities in Mombasa, Kenya and Estelà ­, Nicaragua are vulnerable to climate change in terms of individual assets such as human and social capital, and also in terms of household, small business and community assets such as financial and productive assets. Many poor communities in the Global South live in poorly constructed housing that is often self-built and unplanned, and thus provides little resilience to extreme weather events. Moreover, Yahya et al (2001) argue that in many developing countries, meeting gove rnment standards is impossible for many urban poor communities, forcing them to remain in self-built structures. This means urban poor communities often live in areas most at risk to natural hazards, such as flooding, because this is where either the land is cheapest or they live illegally. Thus, adapting assets to climate change at the community level is effective for dealing with the impacts of climate change. As part of the asset-adaptation framework identified by Moser et al (2010), adapting assets is one of the keys ways to reduce the vulnerability of the poor from the bottom-up, as individual assets, such as housing, were considered the most important aspects to building resilience. The key to the development of an asset-based adaptation framework therefore is the identification and analysis of the connection between vulnerability and the erosion of assets (Moser et al 2010:8) Assets therefore have a role in increasing the adaptive capacity of the urban poor. The asset adaptation framework identifies strategies to adapt assets to climate change. These strategies aim to build resilience, protect assets during extreme weather and rebuild them after such events. Moser et al (2010) found a variety of responses to the increasing severity of local weather patterns. For example in the city of Mombasa, inhabitants dug water passages in case of flooding, while small business owners constructed concrete walls to protect against flooding. As extreme weather events increase in frequency and intensity then solidly constructed housing becoming increasingly important. In Mombasa, most of the bottom-up responses to weather events revolved around adapting housing to reduce damage that would be caused by future weather events. They also protect assets during extreme weather events, such as in Mombasa they place sandbags in the doorways of houses during floods to limit the amount of damage. Communities also rebuild after such events, to ensure assets are resilient to future disasters. For example inhabitants in Esteli, replanted trees and plants, to reduce flood damage, while those living in Mombasa accessed weather forecasters which informed people of the occurrence of severe weather. These strategies have proved successful in dealing with the impacts of clim ate change, as they reduce damage to assets and thus reduce the vulnerability of the urban poor to future extreme weather events. Dodman et al (2010) also stated that asset adaptation at the community level were effective. They used examples from the Philippines, where community-based action is used in post disaster reconstruction of temporary and permanent housing and relocation. These strategies are effective when dealing with many aspects of climate change. Adger et al (2005a) argue that the most effect level of governance is bottom-up approaches. Rayner (2010) also argues that bottom-up strategies are best through improved adaptation to climate change. He argues that climate change policies should be designed and implemented at the lowest level. He also argues that approaches should focus on adaptation, which has the potential to bring real benefits to local communities. Adaptation is local in character and therefore a bottom-up approach. Part three: both On the contrary, Rayner (2010) also recognises that climate change is a multilevel governance problem. Therefore some aspects may need to be governed from the top down. However, it can be difficult to define which a top-down is and bottom-up approach and sometimes they overlap. Therefore, for policies to be most effective a combination of both should avoid confusion. As Tanner et al (2008) point out municipal governments in developing countries often do not have adequate provisions in order to deal with increased climate hazards such as flood management. The financial capacity of these governments is weak and often the division of tasks between different levels of government remains unclear, leading to inefficiencies. Therefore, adaptation at the community level is effective, but it still needs the support from local governments. The success of a strategy depends not on the scale but on how that action meets the objectives of adaptation, and how it affects the ability of others to meet their adaptation goals. Thus, the most effective way to adapt to the changes in climate would be a collaboration of both approaches. Developing countries should draw upon what Healey (1997) refers to as collaborative planning, which is the theory that local communities should be more involved and enlightened in decision making. The urban poor are often excluded fro m deliberations because of the informal nature of their communities and tenure arrangements, which generally lead to a level of invisibility and lack of voice in relation to all formal planning processes (Moser et al 2008). Nawrotzki and Oluwagbuyi (2008) recommend that combining top-down and bottom-up approaches will increase the effectiveness of policies. Therefore, the best method to reduce the impacts of climate change should be led from the top-down, to address issues such as poverty and politico-legal vulnerability, but should also include the interests of local communities. Involvement of poor and marginalised groups in decision-making will ensure a city can improve the conditions for those living in informal settlements or living in exposed locations (Dessai et al 2001). This has been achieved in Kerala, India, where political consciousness and awareness of rights and responsibilities is high at every level, resulting in a high turnout at elections. Kerala also has neighbour hood groups to represent the poor, which consist of 20-40 people who meet once a week to discuss problems in their communities and seek solutions (Tanner et al 2008). Schemes that work in isolation can often have negative impacts in the long term, and do not take into account wider effects and process. Dodmam et al (2010) points out that isolated activities in separate communities will be unable to meet broader goals without the support of local officials, and be unable to meet the adaptation needs of a large number of people (Hounsome and Iyer 2006). Combining governmental programs, NGO intervention and adaptation measures by local people to the problem of climate change will decrease the vulnerability of the urban poor (Nawrotzki and Oluwagbuyi 2008). A supportive legal system and local government is also important for supporting locally developed responses to achieve effective climate change adaptation (Dodman and Satterthwaite 2008, Satterthwaite et al. 2007). This will also help to strengthen antagonistic relationships between the urban poor and governments, as often adaptation activities may become perceived as a threat by informal settlers, and an excuse to evict them (Wilbanks and Kates 1999). In Mombasa, there is a lack of trust of governments outside agencies must gain the trust of local communities (Moser 2010, Bicknell et al 2009). Moser et al (2010) argues that if local communities are not involved then government policies will not be full informed as to what is best for the urban poor and may make their situation worse. Moreover, because changes in climate and an increase in extreme weather events will mostly negatively affect the urban poor, their participation in decision making is crucial for building resilience (Tanner et al 2008). Nour (2011) states that in Egypt, there has been a shift to incorporate local communities in urban upgrading and development interventions, for instance, there has been a community-based maintenance of local drains. There has been a joint responsibility of government agencies, the community and the private sector for garbage collection and the improvement of the environment. Nour (2011) argues that without community participation, attempts to achieve sustainable results are bound to fail. This therefore improves from top-down perspectives which are externally imposed and expert oriented. Roy and Ganguly (2009) state that participatory planning has been a success in West Bengal since the 1970s and this form of planning result in local people feeling ownership of these plans. Furthermore, the Stern Report (Stern 2007) argues that effective adaptation at the community-level, would include deliberation about actions being decided by communities rather than being imposed from above. There fore climate change adaptation should be in the form of multi-level governance (Bulkeley 2010). Community based strategies are often in isolation from one another and there is no overarching authority controlling them. Conclusion the conclusions reached are that top-down strategies are ultimately necessary, but that these must incorporate local communities priorities The conclusions reached are that a top-down approach that engages with local authorities and communities is the most effective. Top-down approaches need to also include support for local responses such as community-based adaptation. Local communities should be involved in higher decision making. Thus the most appropriate adaptation responses will often be multi-level responses. In effect, the diversity of climate change means that the most appropriate adaptation responses will often be multi-level responses. (Adger 2005: 924) in the future there needs to be connected between responses at all levels. DRR should involve a large array of stakeholders, including local communities, NGOs, local and national governments, scientists, school communities, faith groups, private sector institutions, etc. Schipper and Pelling (2006). Disaster risk reduction is largely a task for local actors, albeit with support from national and international organisations, particularly in humanitarian action. efforts in Sri Lanka in response to the 2004 tsunami indicate that policymakers are not viewing the reconstruction phase as an opportunity to take into account the potential adverse effects of future climate change-induced sea-level rise in their plans, Reducing vulnerability is a key aspect of reducing climate change risk. . In reality, national governments will take the lead

The Joy Luck Club :: essays research papers

-The Sisters of Misunderstanding-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parents always want what is best for their children, regardless of culture or ethnicity. In The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, and in â€Å"Life With Father† by Itabari Njeri, the parents express their parental methods upon their daughters. Children will all react differently to their parent’s methods, as do Waverly, June, and Itabari, but they still share a common resentment for their parents. It is shown in the two stories how parental methods expressed to children can be misinterpreted, thus influencing the child’s behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  June’s mother wants her to become a successful piano player. The problem with this is that June possesses no talent or determination to do so, so she doesn’t practice. Her mother cleans an old deaf piano teacher’s apartment in exchange for June to be taught piano, but the teacher can’t correct June when she makes a mistake, because he cant hear. June’s mother encouraged her to practice and would always brag about how good she was to everyone. June’s mother enjoyed having pride in her daughter, as she thought her daughter was a representation of how successful she was herself. June did not appreciate this at all. After making a fool of herself at the talent show she vowed to never play piano again. Her mother’s wishes for her success were mistaken for her mother’s selfishness. June thought her mother was only pushing her to find something in her daughter that was not in herself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waverly was the same as June, in that her mother also wanted her to become great at something. Waverly’s mother saw her being a child prodigy of chess. Once she saw that Waverly was good at it, she encouraged her to play. Waverly enjoyed chess and took it upon herself to get good at chess. June could possibly have been successful with the piano, but she would not embrace her mother’s hopes to that degree. It seemed that Waverly had an ability inherited from her mother to conceal feelings and strategies, much like what is needed to win a chess match. Waverly got along better with her mother than June did, but June’s mother pushed her in a direction she didn’t want to go in, rather than taking credit for success. Both actions were misconceived however.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waverly has the ability to humiliate June, as she did at the New Year’s dinner. Those with self-confidence such as Waverly easily insult June.

The Grandmother

A writer's life can be characterized by danger and excitement. Those who pursue their vocation with passion and dedication cannot possibly live a dull life.   A writer’s life is full of danger because he or she will have to go the unconventional route in order to succeed. It is also a life of excitement because the unpredictable effects of the written word can either make a person famous, rich, or dead depending on the content and place where the piece was written.Bozena Mencova is the first major female writer ever produced by present day Czechoslovakia – formerly known as Czech Republic – in the middle of the nineteenth century. And this writer epitomizes the twin attribute of danger and excitement. Her life was fraught with risks because she had the misfortune to be born in a land torn by politics, ideology, and race. Furthermore, she lived in a time when women are considered a distant second to their male counterparts.Yet, her life was also full of exciteme nt. She was able to show that talent rises to the top irregardless of gender and economic status. One of her celebrated works is the story of a grandmother (Babieka) who was torn between love and duty, in which the writer has interwoven her views on social, political, and even religious forces that are shaping her country.BackgroundThe interesting life of Bozena Nemcova did not begin and end in her being a fiction writer. In fact, Nemcova is also a â€Å"†¦poet, journalist, collector and editor of folk narratives; key figure of the Czech National Revival and representative of the national literary canon. And if this was not enough she was one of the first to publicly address the question of women's identity and   their position in society† (Haan, Daskalova, & Loufti, 2006).Bozena Nemcova was born in 1820, almost two hundred years after the Germans defeated the armies of the Czech Republic. The intense â€Å"Germanization† of the populace resulted in the deterior ation of Czech literature and culture. The National Revival that occurred in the 19th century in which Nemcova played a major part was in response to the decline and The Grandmother is one of the major literary works that serves to awaken nationalistic fervor (Iggers, 1995, p. 49).The GrannyThe story of â€Å"The Grandmother† is a well-written piece. It is enjoyable to read because it came from another time and place, with the added bonus that it came from another language. It is always good to read translated works because it gives the reader a window to another culture. In most cases the study of these types of literature results in the realization that there is much in common even between two different people groups, race, culture, and nationalities.This is especially evident when reading the introductory part of the story. Grandmothers in many parts of the world can relate to â€Å"Granny† – of growing old and living alone, their children far away having the ir own families. The dilemma, on whether to live independently or move in with one of the children is also common problem around the globe.The trend continues when Granny began the journey from her ancestral hometown to a â€Å"foreign† land where her daughter now resides with her husband and children. The universality of the story persisted in the longing of the grandchildren to know their grandmother and the same strong emotions were reciprocated by the grandma.Then the story begins to show its unique flavor when Granny began to settle in. After a while, Granny began to notice the difference in language, culture, and manners being demonstrated in the household of Mr. Prosek. It was a clash between the new and the old, between the traditions of the countryside and new rules of modern living. In the story Granny remarked to herself that she hardly recognized her daughter because her idea of her is that of a merry country girl and here she is now, poised, elegant and yet there is something that is missing.This nagging feeling is symbolic of what is going on in the hearts and minds of Czech intellectuals at that time. They were torn between the acknowledged benefits of the cultural and technological exchange with the Germans and at the same time uncomfortable because deep-down the real self is suppressed unable to break free in song and merriment.Religion has always been a friction point and in this case, Nemcova would like the reader to know the inner struggle of the native Czechs when it comes to a seemingly haphazard view of God by their new rulers. In the story Granny always â€Å"cross† herself and wanted her convictions to rub-off on the children and the whole family.In the latter part of the story one gets a huge dose of these types of comparisons. Mencova was able to contrast the differences in culture when he wrote about the pilgrimage to a church in Svatonovice. On the way the children saw what they were deprived of; it is the joy and spi ritual blessing that can be found in going back to their roots which is the intricate traditions of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the beauty of the countryside with its own unique wisdom and charms.The story of The Grandmother is not only about symbolisms pointing to National Revival of ancient Czech culture, religion and its traditions. It is much more than that. It is also a piece where Nemcova was able to pour his heart out to express ideas and queries not acceptable in society. In one section of the story, Nemcova introduced Victorka to contrast it with the character of the grandmother. Victorka was imprudent and speaks her mind. By doing so she was able to communicate what may have been going through her mind and heart. This is because Nemcova had an unhappy marriage to a man 15 years her senior (Iggers, 1995).ConclusionIn 1620 the Czech army was defeated by the Hapsburg army. This period began the decline of Czech culture and literature. Intense â€Å"Germanization† occurred, the expected result after victors would normally insist that their culture and language is far superior to the vanquished foe. And in most cases, the weakened spirit of the defeated people willingly oblige to the cultural bullying. In the case of the Czech Republic, Craig Craven remarked, â€Å"The Czech language had not died out, but it had retreated to the countryside and the kitchen to become the patois – slang or nonstandard language – of peasants, cooks, and servants† (2006, p. 88).The above-mentioned discussion serves as the backdrop of The Grandmother written as a response to the   Revival; Czech intellectuals doing proactive steps to regain lost ground in terms of culture, literature, and national identity. In these patriotic times Mencova was moving from town to town with his patriot husband and in the process was exposed to the politics and ideologies of the day. Thus, she began to be influenced by a new breed of Czech natives yearning fo r the good old days.This hope of a new and better Czech Republic based on long forgotten ideals is very much evident in the story. As one would recall Granny reacted to the fact that her son-in-law did not speak Czech, only German while her children and grandchildren on the other hand – including the servants in the household – can easily speak her native language. This made Granny uncomfortable and made her to contemplate going back to her quaint little village.She was persuaded to stay and to keep her mind off the things that bothered her, she began to plunge herself to work as some kind of an overseer to the household servants. Then she began noticing other things like the modern technology that made her more uncomfortable. This is also a symbol of the dilemma with regards to accepting the obvious benefits of German influence – especially in technology – while on the other hand rejecting the negative impacts such as the loss of piety especially when it comes to the traditional church.Aside from the nationalistic undertones of the â€Å"Granny† what attracts the reader to an in-depth study of this piece of literature stems from the realization that this is a 19th century work of fiction, written by a woman in a time and place where tremendous odds are stacked against her. And yet she prevailed and showed her countrymen and the whole world that talent and a burning passion for truth is enough to overcome all obstacles.Lacking in formal training and education required for a serious writer, Nemcova was able to compensate with her enormous talent. It is amazing to read a fine work, with such a vivid description of Czech rural lifestyle and the power of her prose to make the characters come alive. It is difficult to go through the story without agreeing to her insights or without wondering if Nemcova was really writing fiction because the dialogue could have easily have been recorded from actual conversations.In this regard Nemc ova should not only be emulated and celebrated as a writer but also as a heroine. She is a shining example for a country that has seen better times. She is also a good role model for all women who struggled to find their place in a male-dominated society. But her story should be retold in places where women are treated as objects and not as human beings. Her life will surely convince them that they can rise above it all if only they can focus on something other than themselves.Works CitedCravens, Craig. Culture and Customs of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Westport, CT:Greenwood Press, 2006.Haan, F., K. Daskalova, & A. Loutfi. A Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements andFeminism. New York: CEU Press, 2006.Wilson, Neil. Prague. CA: Lonely Planet, 2007.Iggers, Wilma. Women of Prague. Providence, RI: Berghahn Books, 1995.

The idea of travelling through space, even living Essays

The idea of travelling through space, even living Essays The idea of travelling through space, even living and working on other planets, has fascinated people for centuries. Despite numerous setbacks and daunting expenditures, travelling in the outer space has never failed to attract people's attention and provoke controversy. Sixty years after the first Moon landing, people question whether the feat, previously thought of as a giant leap for mankind, has substantially benefited people's lives. In my opinion, landing on the Moon has enormous relevance for the quality of life, albeit not always explicit.The first implication of Moon landing is reflected in the likelihood of travelling on other planets. Moon, as the object in the outer space closet to the Earth, can serve as a launch site for the journeys to other planets. Having no atmosphere, the Moon is a permanent base for people to observe the universe easily and provide them with sufficient evidence they require for decision making on a great many significant issues, which are likely t o have direct impact on them. For example, one can learn more about the treat of potentially hazardous objects that are Likely to hit the Earth and destroy our civilization.Another remarkable breakthrough made by the Moon landing is that it reignites people's enthusiasm in the natural sciences. When today's youths become increasingly interested in such subjects as commerce, finance and business, space exploration successfully attracts and retains talents in space-related technologies. These young minds are convinced that travelling the unknown of the universe is feasible despite many challenges. They are inspired to think for the future, instead of being preoccupied with contemporary issues only.It should also be noted that the Moon has water, the basic resource for people's survival, and it abounds in solar energy, a clean and readily obtainable resource. It is also believed that minerals are plentiful there to be exploited. Some day, if people are forced to move off the Earth, the Moon might be the best shelter. Although people have not yet fully explored this possibility at this stage, preliminary investigation is imperative.Based on the above-mentioned facts, one can conclude that the Moon landing greatly impacts on distant future, although its effect is not apparent for the time being. The Moon is the eventual gateway to other planets and potentially the place of residence for the future generations. The scientific knowledge and economic benefits to be gained by building a sustainable Moon base are huge.

Free Essays on Book Of Job V. Aristotles Poetics

Book of Job vs Aristotle’s Poetics Aristotle was, arguably, the greatest single thinker that has ever walked the earth. His thoughts and writings covered all aspects of life. So important were his works that to not know them was, until not too long ago, considered uncivilized. He composed a set of standards which have been applied throughout the ages to determine, in a scholarly fashion, what indeed is and what is not true drama. Although Job was written many years before Aristotle laid his ideas to paper, it is an example of what drama should be, according to the regulations established in Poetics. One of the first standards that Aristotle set up was the idea of extremes. This idea, established in section II of Poetics, calls for the â€Å"good† characters to be overly good and â€Å"bad† characters exceedingly bad. Job is without peer in the land of men, being â€Å"perfect and upright.† (Job 93). Additionally, he is even given credit with being the â€Å"greatest of all men in the east.† (Job 93). Job is forced to deal with troubles created by Satan himself, the epitome of evil. The factions of absolute good and unqualified evil square off in this early drama. Aristotle was extremely adamant that the â€Å"change of fortune† must be from good to bad. However, the reduction in stature must not be caused by some debauchery of the character’s but rather by some â€Å"error or frailty† in order to elicit more of an emotional response. This allows the audience to empathize with the character rather than being shocked by the action. (Poetics 973). Job fits this prerequisite quite well. Events cannot get much worse than when a person loses all ten of his children, over ten thousand of his animals, his entire household, and his wealth to boot. Job is the archetype of the innocent victim. His fortune changes from the ultimate measure of wealth to the lowest measure of despair. Again, this action is not caused by any o... Free Essays on Book Of Job V. Aristotle's Poetics Free Essays on Book Of Job V. Aristotle's Poetics Book of Job vs Aristotle’s Poetics Aristotle was, arguably, the greatest single thinker that has ever walked the earth. His thoughts and writings covered all aspects of life. So important were his works that to not know them was, until not too long ago, considered uncivilized. He composed a set of standards which have been applied throughout the ages to determine, in a scholarly fashion, what indeed is and what is not true drama. Although Job was written many years before Aristotle laid his ideas to paper, it is an example of what drama should be, according to the regulations established in Poetics. One of the first standards that Aristotle set up was the idea of extremes. This idea, established in section II of Poetics, calls for the â€Å"good† characters to be overly good and â€Å"bad† characters exceedingly bad. Job is without peer in the land of men, being â€Å"perfect and upright.† (Job 93). Additionally, he is even given credit with being the â€Å"greatest of all men in the east.† (Job 93). Job is forced to deal with troubles created by Satan himself, the epitome of evil. The factions of absolute good and unqualified evil square off in this early drama. Aristotle was extremely adamant that the â€Å"change of fortune† must be from good to bad. However, the reduction in stature must not be caused by some debauchery of the character’s but rather by some â€Å"error or frailty† in order to elicit more of an emotional response. This allows the audience to empathize with the character rather than being shocked by the action. (Poetics 973). Job fits this prerequisite quite well. Events cannot get much worse than when a person loses all ten of his children, over ten thousand of his animals, his entire household, and his wealth to boot. Job is the archetype of the innocent victim. His fortune changes from the ultimate measure of wealth to the lowest measure of despair. Again, this action is not caused by any o...

Based on Tesco Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Based on Tesco - Assignment Example A motivated workforce results in increased performance, thus an improvement of the firm’s profitability. Therefore, Tesco may motivate its staff by way of providing monetary rewards, non-financial rewards, training, and development. Training is of increasing significance of firms seeking to gain competitive advantage amongst the competitors. Various schools of thought have come to a conclusion that training and development is a human resource practice that may considerably influence the success of a company. Tesco’s growth could be improved by use of on the job-training, mentorship programs, coaching programs, use online marketing tools, and evaluating the effectiveness of the training and development programs. The other element that can affect the performance of a firm is reward. The provision of financial and non-financial rewards impact positively on the firm’s performance, financial gain, and employee motivation, and job satisfaction. Both the monetary incent ives and non-monetary benefits, such as work-life balance, flexible working hours, rewards and recognition, leave, and vacation time not only motivate employees, but also staff turnover. As a result, there is proportionate correlation between rewards, training, learning, and development, with firm performance and growth. The universal competition and rapid changes put emphasis on the significance of human capital within a firm. An organisation’s success depends on the performance of the employees. Employees are considered as essential resources in the growth and development of the firm. In this regard, the success and growth of an organisation in any industry is reliant on its human resources. Even though there are numerous factors that play a major role, a firm needs to have effective employees in order to stay competitive and financially solvent. Motivation and satisfaction are viewed as the core element in the development of human capital in any

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 1 - SLP Essay

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 1 - SLP - Essay Example ay, infertility is a global problem and â€Å"It is estimated that one in six couples face difficulties in conceiving† (Major causes of infertility, 2009, para.1). The major cause of infertility among men is due to the tube blockage or any obstructions in the tubes which take the sperm, problems with the sperms like low sperm counts, inability of the sperm to move through the tube and an abnormal shape of the sperm and sperm allergy which means the immune reactions of the sperm. Infertility among females is because of some of the factors like growing of uterus lining to the outside of the uterus, ovulation problems, female tube blockage and developing chromosomal abnormality by way of damaging eggs. There are three ways to treat infertility and they are intake of medicine, conducting surgery and doing artificial insemination. It is found that the treatment is very effective among many couples. Northern California fertility Medical Center provides In Vitro Fertilization and Vasectomy Reversal and Infertility Treatment for the people who are inflicted with infertility throughout the world. In Vitro Fertilization which is â€Å"known as assisted reproductive technology, or ART, the ability of physicians to retrieve mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilize them outside of the body before returning them to the uterus has made it possible to overcome many causes of infertility.† (Assisted reproductive technologies: In vitro fertilization, 2008, para.1). It is the fertilization in glass and it has a number of stages in this process like ovulation induction, egg retrieval, fertilization and embryo placement. Washington State Nursing Association is an organization dedicated to provide quality nursing practice and education and in the treatment of infertility it also uses reproductive technology to meet the needs of the patients all over the world. West Texas Physicians Assistant Association and Alaska Midwife Association are very distinguished associations for