Dicuss the Roles of the Gods and Goddesses in the Iliad and Medea

The Iliad was one of Greek literature greatest works written by the poet Homer. The Iliad is unlike other oral literature from different times. The Iliad illustrates how people are faced with death every day, but find it difficult to determine the meanings of death are why death occurred. The Iliad (Book I) The Iliad concerns itself with the rage of Achilles and how it begins to break down the Achaean army, and how the tensions were change towards the Trojans. The Trojan War had been going on for about ten years before Achilles and Agamemnon entered the quarrel. The nonexistence of Achilles from the battle only lasted a couple of days and the epic ended shortly afterwards. The way I interpreted the poem it did not describe the origin or the end of the war that frames Achilles wrath. The main focus of this poem was the rage of a mortal which is also the heading of the poem. Another focus was also was the motivation and action of the gods. Before Homer goes into great depth regarding the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, he explained that he felt that Apollo was responsible for the conflict. The conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles highlights one of the strongest aspects of the ancient Greek systems. Agamemnon thought that as chief of the Achaean forces, he should receive the highest prize he was willing to upset Achilles. Both men Agamemnon and Achilles considered not embarrassing the other and decided to put their own interest before that of the people, which jeopardize the efforts of the war. The Iliad (Book XVI) This book refers to the death of Patroclus. Zeus comforts Poseidon after Hera tried to blame her for the havoc that was caused while Zeus was in a deep sleep. Zeus informed Poseidon that Hector will die after he kills Patroclus. Hector leads a charge against Achaeans after Apollo fills him and his soldiers with strength. The two armies fought almost to the Greek camps, but did reach the ships and Hector rallied the Trojans and inch by inch the Trojans advance until Hector is close enough to touch the ships. According to the books Hector stripped Achilles divine armor from Patroclus’s corpse and the fierce fight ended in partial success for the Greeks (pg 158).

Banned Books Essay

Throughout history, books have been the target of censorship. At times, these books are even banned from schools and public libraries because the content in them is thought to be too offensive. For this assignment, you will be reading one of these banned books. Which book you read is your decision, however you should keep in mind the appropriateness of your choice- make sure it is a book that your parents would not find objectionable. After you have read the book, you will be writing a persuasive essay defending whether or not the book should or should not be banned from a middle school library. Your essay should include a paragraph that summarizes the book as well as three logical, defendable reasons why the book should or should not be banned from a middle school library. While you may look up the reasons why the book has been challenged in the past, the thoughts expressed in the paper must be your own. You are expected to use the information about persuasive essays learned in class to format this paper. A rubric outlining the expectations will be posted on my Teacher Page. Your essay must be typed and follow the standard requirements for an essay: double-spaced, Times New Roman, one-inch margins. Any secondary sources or research that you use must be documented with in-text citations and included on a Works Cited page. If, at any time, you have questions regarding the book you are reading or the essay you are writing, please ask me.

Manchester United Economic Impact

c Impact Manchester United’s Economic Impact By Dalton Truax For Mike Pearson Sports Marketing & Management 28 February 2013 Introduction Manchester United is the most valuable sports club to exist so surely the club must make the city a lot of money every year, right? Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and the most popular soccer club in the world is Manchester United. There is no denial that Manchester United has had a huge cultural impact as well as made many social contributions to its locale, but what about the team’s economic impact?Manchester United has influenced the local and regional economy in many ways, with most of them being exclusively positive. Some of the ways the club has influenced the local and regional economy are through networking, the economic impact of the supporters, employment, real estate, multiplier effects, and marketing of the city. Networks, Suppliers, Supporters I will first focus on Manchester United’s economic impact through networking, suppliers, and attracted supporters. First and foremost, there is most definitely an economic impact as a result of networking and suppliers.Penn’s model illustrates how a soccer club can play a role in regional development, using three possible network types. [1] In the first model (Figure 1), the club operates as an isolated business. The development effect is limited to the income that is spent again in the local economy, the income multiplier. The second model (Figure 2) embodies the situation in which the club has relations with other local companies like suppliers, subcontractors, and others, where the club is the heart of the economical development. Read also Twitter Case StudyThe given companies depend very much on the club. The last model (Figure 3) describes a network that does not exclusively depend on the soccer club. This is the case with the sponsor and merchandising network of Manchester United. Although the sponsor and merchandising networks are mostly situated on a national level, some of these companies can have an impact on the local scale. [2] Figure 1 [pic] Figure 2 [pic] Figure 3[pic] Manchester United has a worldwide fan base. There are supporters clubs all over the world because of their popularity.Supporters have an economical impact on the regional and local economy because of what they spend on transport, drinks, food, etc. A study on Manchester United supporters shows us that a supporter spends an average of $25 on drinks, food, and other products per match. [3] If the supporters are from outside the region, they bring in money to the local economy. We have to take into account that the soccer related expens es by local supporters are not an extra input for the local economy. A very limited number of seats are reserved for the supporters of the opposing team. 0% of the supporters are local, 40% are from the northwest region outside of the local community, and from outside the regional community are another 30%. [4] This means that a total of 70% of the supporters can generate a positive economic impact for the local economy, and 30% can do this for the regional economy. There were 68,187 seats in Old Trafford in 2010 and around 40 matches a year. This results in a yearly net income of $4,221,560,700. On a regional scale, this results in $18,092,403,000 every year. 5] These supporters’ expenditures end up especially in the hands of the hotel and catering industry in the immediate area around the stadium. Hotels are almost always full on the day of games. The direct employment by the club also has an economical impact, which is magnified by the income multiplier. The players may al so influence the real estate market quite a bit; players often invest in residential developments and other real estate operations. It is assumed that the presence of soccer players in a neighborhood can add to the attraction of that neighborhood.Some real estate agencies even try to attract soccer players to luxurious neighborhoods just so that they can attract other wealthy people. [6] National Image Because of globalization, cities and regions worldwide have entered into a struggle for investment, tourism, and development. Marketing of the city is a very important tool when it comes to this. The question is which role sports, and more specifically soccer clubs like Manchester United, can play here. Entertainment is playing a bigger and bigger role in society as the years go by. So, how does the government view Manchester United in this matter?The government acknowledges the important role Manchester United plays as a catalyst for marketing of the city. They regard Manchester Unit ed mainly as a publicity channel for the region to attempt to attract tourists, as well as companies to the region. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council also uses the presence of Manchester United to further develop the area around the club. They have a long-term vision for the development of Old Trafford, the team’s historic stadium. The role of Manchester United in attracting businesses is very significant.The club can attract businesses itself but can only do this for businesses that benefit from the actual matches taking place, such as pubs and hotels. On the other hand, the club functions as a publicity channel for the region. It draws attention, and is always a good way to start a conversation. In this way, the club has indirectly made a large contribution to bring businesses and investments to the region. The brand name is known all over the world and puts Manchester on the map. Therefore it is of extreme importance that the club keeps a positive image and identity fo r the city.Conclusion We can conclude that Manchester United does not only have a cultural importance, but that they can also make an economical contribution by networking, the impact of supporters on surrounding businesses, and the role they might play in marketing for the city and regional development. The economic impact of Manchester United is vast and in many ways cannot even be described in numbers. ———————– [1]https://aow. kuleuven. be/geografie/toekomstigestudenten/onderzoek/vandenbroucke/fig1b_penn_model. gif [2]http://aow. kuleuven. e/geografie/toekomstigestudenten/onderzoek/vandenbroucke/index. html [3]http://www. foxbusiness. com/personal-finance/2011/12/20/5-pricey-nfl-stadiums-that-will-sack-your-wallet/ [4]http://www. telegraph. co. uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9795377/Twitter-map-finally-reveals-exactly-where-Manchester-United-fans-live. html [5]http://www. bloomberg. com/news/2012-02-21/manches ter-united-quarterly-profit-rises-31-on-finance-costs-sponsors. html [6]http://lifestyle. ezinemark. com/luxurious-houses-of-premier-league-players-773659074564. html

Biography of Fashion Designer Sandy Powell Essay

Biography of Fashion Designer Sandy Powell - Essay Example The essay "Biography of Fashion Designer Sandy Powell" analyzes the life of Sandy Powell. Having won three Oscars and two British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards and several nominations, Sandy Powell has already mastered the said craft. Apart from the ‘laurels’ that were garnered in her honor, it is her creations, which provided energy and color to the various characters that she dressed, that can be held as testaments to her love to costume designing and her excellence in such a relatively underrated field of the arts. Ever since her childhood, Miss Powell already has a strong adoration for clothes and dressing up that motivated her to learn how to sew at a very early age. Upon this infant skill, she used to create clothes for her dolls and dresses for herself. At the age of 14, her love for the craft was much reinforced when she witnessed a theater performance that showcased avante-garde costumes and flamboyant props. Since then, Miss Powell knew wha t she wanted to do professionally in the future. To achieve this dream, she acknowledged that she needed formal training; so she attended London’s Central School of Design, concentrating on Theatre Design. Halfway through the completion of the course, she left school to focus on an ‘actual training’ that entailed her own designs and creations in a fringe theater production side-by-side with a commitment with The Cholmondeleys, a London-based dance troupe. Consequently, when she met respected director, designer and author Derek Jarman., she did not realize that she was already entering the grand threshold of the cinema industry (Thompson 169). During their days back in school, choreographer Lea Anderson describes Powell as ‘fascinating and unique in her outfits.’ She further disclosed how Powell would frequently employed themes in her wardrobes, while shocking them the next day for another elaborate and distinct set of garments (Harries). Meanwhile, c elebrated theater designer and instructress Pamela Howard was once quoted to have said that there was completely nothing that she could teach Powell (Horn 11). Professional Costume Designer Miss Powell’s collaboration with Jarman, which continued for years, encompassed projects that brought the best of her creative juices: meticulously reviving period clothing and at the same time creating contemporary fashions, all on relatively low budgets. It is with this reason why critics appreciated her works that were truly exquisite yet believable. In 1986, she earned critical acclamation for her screen designs in Caravaggio, which were anchored on the painter’s life and works. The Last of England (1987), Edward II (1991) and Wittgenstein (1993) were legacies of their extended close working relationship. Her work, according to her, is always grounded on research. Before any design would proceed, she still first goes to the Internet or to library to study not only the specific c haracter that she needs to dress and the trend of clothing during the time but also the entire history of the period (Thompson 171). For her Elizabethan, Victorian and modern creations in Orlando, Powell earned her first nomination at the Academy Awards in 1993. A year after, she was at the helm of developing the costumes in the anthology film Being Human that featured different periods in history (Bronze Age to modern day) where her designs were of much significance. Since the early 90’s, Powell has been the designer of choice for director Neil Jordan’

For the Love of Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

For the Love of Water - Essay Example Major bodies and political institutes have gained control over the water distribution channels of the world and are making a lot of money at the expense of the poor persons. Water has now turned into an expensive commodity that can only be afforded by the well off while the rest have to do with spring water, or even dirty ditch water. Positive and negative externalities There are positive and negative externalities as far as water supply is concerned. The positive externalities are; the suppliers of the water are making millions as the commodity is in demand since we cannot do without water. It is the big corporations that are gaining from this business. These corporations are headed by persons who are believed to be associated with the World Bank. So as the World Bank imposes regulations on countries concerning the privatization of water supply then these corporations cash in. Privatization Privatization being the transfer of the ownership or business title to the private sector has turned the water supply system into a mess. Initially as the governments would supply water through their own ministries, there was sanity in the industry. As time went by, pressures have been exerted especially on the developing countries to privatize the water supply systems. Initially, the private sectors made the people believe that they were out to help them have water supply but this was not the case. It is common sense that as these companies supply water, they are in business and would want to make an extra coin for their investors. Privatization was meant to equip the cities with portable water and sewerage which did happen but only to those people who could afford the change. A lot of people who earn very little couldn’t afford the change and thus have to do with well water or borehole water where available. In other places in the world, the private sector connected water then charged for the water supply or consumption that people use. When these people are not ab le to pay for the water, it is cut off. These people have now turned rebellious and are reconnecting the pipes themselves to get the water. Some do this in the night. Advantages of privatization. Privatization though considered a bad omen by the people especially of the developing countries has its own advantages though not many. It has created employment as these corporations set up firms in these countries to supply water. These firms also contract persons to do the piping and sewerage construction, thereby creating money making avenues for the people on the ground. With the coming of the pipe water, it is believed that the rate of people getting water borne diseases was reduced as these water supplying corporations cleaned and disinfected the water. According to FLOW (2013) bad and infected water kills more than even AIDS and other diseases. Privatization was also a God sent blessing to the water bottling companies as the rate at which people are taking bottled water is very high and it created a booming business. To the people that were able to pay, sewerage and piped water is a blessing as compared to fetching water at a river or borehole. Disadvantages of privatization With these advantages came many disadvantages. People are excluded from portable water in cities. They don’t have water nor the money to buy the basic commodity. The kind of wages that these people get cannot allow them to have all the water that they would require to live healthy lives. They have to make do with very little water and do all they need to with this. What they can do away with like bathing daily, and cleaning their clothes, they don’t do on a daily basis but just when it is really necessary. The private water suppliers have neglected them. For these suppliers it is just

Gaming Impact Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gaming Impact Study - Essay Example New Jersey is one of the states, which provides funding for education and treatment programs for people with a gambling problem. Due to the efforts of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, the activity has been kept under manageable limits. One of the commendable efforts of the Control Commission has been to impose a partial ban on smoking in the casinos. In New Jersey, the tax is 9.25 percent on gross gaming revenue, which the state uses to benefit senior citizens and people with disabilities. There are reports that New Jersey casino revenues fell by 10 pct. in January 2008 as compared to January 2007. The 11 casinos in Atlantic City reported a 10 percent decrease in total revenue in January 2008, with every gambling hall, even the formidable Borgata, showed a decline. Revenues declined across the board, whether it was slot games or table games. The casinos reported decreases that ranged from 21 percent at the Tropicana and Trump Marina, to 0.8 percent at Trump Plazai. Another factor contributing to the decline in revenues could be the competition offered from casinos recently opened in Pennsylvania . The impact of Pennsylvania slots on Atlantic City has been dramatic. Last year's total revenue for the 11 casinos was down by almost 10 percent as compared to the previous year. A major part (almost one-third) of the casinos' revenues is cont

Ethanol Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethanol - Assignment Example However, this desirability is dependent on the production method from a varied range of biomass resources (First generation and second generation). In general Bioethanol shows great promise as a replacement for fossil fuels. The production of bioethanol is however cumbered with problems both in the acquisition of biomass and its eventual processing to the final product. Pollution, water utilization and soil degradation are some of the major drawbacks in bioethanol development. Also, fossil fuels used in production, food versus fuel problems, coupled with conflicts in competing land use interests (Larsen, Johansen & Schramm 2009). Current ethanol production are associated with N2O a more potent greenhouse gas for this reason bringing into contention the potential of bioethanol in reducing greenhouse gases and the overall objective of controlling global warming. The land cultivated for feedstock, other than economically empowering farmers, improving infrastructure and technology is likely to increase cabondioxide emissions at a greater rate that outweighs the advantage of the bioethanol. Cheap feedstock’s and high energy efficiency crops are present trends in bioethanol production. Industries that previously did not utilize their waste materials are persistently using this waste for the production of ethanol. Ethanol as fuel differs from gasoline based on properties. Ethanol is hygroscopic and prone to contamination by water, and this is further complicated by the fact that its production is favored by maintaining an optimal amount of water (Larsen, Johansen and Schramm 2009). Ethanol also has poor blending capabilities with both diesel and gasoline when it contains water and use of fuel containing some water is an issue. Problems with engine start have been reported in cold climates and also the inflammable and volatile properties of ethanol. Ethanol content in gasoline used for regular vehicles is limited up to 10% blend. However, there are vehicles

Responding to a Prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Responding to a Prompt - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the language of British and English culture had a huge impact on Southern China and Hong Kong’s society for over one hundred years. The early contacts between the European merchants and missionaries on one side and the Chinese officials and emperors, on the other hand, clearly accepted the high social standing of the Chinese. Even after China’s defeat in the 1840 Opium Wars, the country’s rulers and public regularly encouraged the notion of restoring China’s honor. Every war, even when China was defeated resulted in more nationalist awareness among the Chinese. Even when they were affected by Japanese modernization after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the Chinese distinguished between fundamental values and techniques for use. Adopting Chinese tradition as the foundation and applying Western ideals for application was a concept advanced by some Chinese philosophers in the late 19th century.This paper stresses that  the developments after the Chinese Revolution showed that all foreign impacts were partially incorporated into the domestic struggles resulting in unique Chinese experiments and strategies. Even when China opted to adopt Western theories and methods, concepts about society and nature they did it from a standing of independence and self-confidence. Unlike India, China was not a colony. It was a semi-colony under different domination by the Japanese and European powers.

UK politics 4 articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UK politics 4 articles - Essay Example Which may or may not apply to the situation in the United Kingdom. The Daily Mail report also implied that Britain is not taking the threat of Redding seriously as it is a claim that tends to come around every year. Although various incarnations of this request have made its way to the higher ups in Britain, nobody has taken it seriously due to the expenses entailed in its implementation. Along with the request for equal rights, the Eurocrats were also calling for the creation of their own versions of MI5, MI6, and GCHQ. All in an effort to prevent electronic security breaches. A move that does not sit well with the U.K, because of the prohibitive costs of doing such a ting. Just like all other countries in the world today, Britain is being affected by tax problems and the citizens of the nation seem to be paying the most price for it. In a show of affiliation with the people and a concern for their financial needs, British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to return every penny of tax money to the public in the form of tax cuts. This move of his is believed to be a sign that the Conservative party will be placing the discussion of taxes at the forefront of next years electoral campaign. As expected the plan did not sit well with all Conservatives, some of whom believe that more taxes should be collected from people falling under the 40p tax band. Divisiveness within the party is not a good thing going into an election year. Disagreements and debates have already been sparked even as the prime minister continues to argue that the move to rebate taxes is a good thing because it will not only balance the budget of the British government, but also create a more â€Å"responsible† British society. As the face of British politics continues to evolve into the 21st century, it is becoming more and more likely that the Conservative party shall be losing is

Group work questions1&2(detail description in the attachment) Essay

Group work questions1(detail description in the attachment) - Essay Example One excuse for non-performance is impossibility. This generally means, under Australian law, that it is objectively impossible, which means that it would be impossible for anybody to perform the contract under the given circumstances (Schaffer et al, 1993). In this case, impossibility would not apply – incurring extra costs that are due to the other party’s misfortune does not make performance impossible, and the breach was only partial, not a full breach, so this would not apply. Frustration of purpose is the other excuse for non-performance (Knell v. Henry, 2 K.B. 740). This is where there is no value in performing the contract. Moreover, even though the contract had become more expensive to Northwest because of the higher bank costs, this is not an excuse nor is a frustration of purpose – Tsakiroglou& Co. Ltd. V. Noblee Thorl GmbH (1962) AC 93 states that just because the cost of performing a contract increases, that is not an excuse for non-performance. This was echoed in the ruling of Transatlantic Financing Corp. v. United States, 363 F.2d 312 (D.C. Cir. 1966). One issue that Northwest might use, under the CISG Article 79, is that it was not under obligation to perform while an impediment to performance exists. This is if the impediment is beyond the party’s control – the delay and error of PhilOre’s bank was beyond Northwest’s control; the impediment wasn’t reasonably foreseeable at the time of the contract; the impediment was unavoidable; and notice was given to other party of the effect on the contract. As for PhilOre, Northwest breached the contract to it, not just because the shipment was so late, but also because the shipment was incomplete. The reason why the shipment was incomplete was Northwest’s fault, so PhilOre should have some recourse on performing its part of the contract. According to Schaffer et al. (1993), a partial shipment could be considered to be a fundamental breach if i t presents a serious problem to the buyer and cannot be quickly remedied. If the breach is considered to be fundamental, then the buyer doesn’t have to accept delivery or pay for the goods. This is only if the buyer gives notice of avoidance. However, Northwest has to be given the chance to cure, even if the shipment is incomplete, as it is here (Schaffer et al., 1993). The seller has the chance to cure until the time for performance expires. This means that the seller has the chance to cure by substitution or replacement goods if it can be done by the date of performance called for (CISG Article 37). Northwest tried to cure the defect by supplying PhilOre with a Taiwanese supplier at no extra cost. That said, according to the second fact pattern, there were more delays, which were beyond both parties’ control. However, these events did not make performance of the contract impossible, only impracticable and might excuse the further delay. When the ore shipment did not conform to the seller’s warranty about purity, there was a cure, but the cure delayed the shipment further. Therefore, PhilOre should have been entitled to the damages that it incurred because the shipment was delayed. However, there was a mistake on the part of Northwest, in that it shipped ore that was more pure than what it had previously warranted, and more pure than what PhilOre had paid for. The English case of Bell v. Lever Brothers [1931] UKHL 2 states that a contract is only voidable in the event of a

Compare and contrast the ways that social media marketing can help Essay

Compare and contrast the ways that social media marketing can help organizations to market their products - Essay Example At the final section of the report, it has been analysed and observed that social media marketing not only helps in marketing products/services efficiently, but also provides immense facilities of creating long term and healthy relationship benefits with the existing as well as potential customers. In the modern age, social media has become one of the essential parts of human lives. It is often observed that more than 250 million people are the users of social media sites today. Perhaps it is owing to the benefits offered by social media as one of the most effective and convenient forms of communication between the people. With a similar consent, the business organisation has been using social media as their marketing tool for their products. Notably, social media marketing was in some way present from the traditional business module itself. Few of the traditional social media used for the promotion of the product are newspapers, radio and magazines, which were also denoted as the modern one-way communication tools at often instances. However, at a certain point of time, the feel for the development of newer social media marketing tools motivated organisations to perform better due to the number of such instances. For example, in the traditional era of social media development s, it was perceived to be impossible for the customers to give their feedbacks or comments to the organisation. However, in case of modern social media tools and the organisations adopting those, it has helped the business organisation to create their own contents for successful promotion of the product gaining better flexibility in their approach. Apparently, it aids the business organisation in promoting their products in a cost effective manner and allow its customers to view the product for free through easy access to the social networking sites (Zarrella, 2010). It has been

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Many poets and story writers write their stories based upon events and aspects of their life. They do this because it is so relatable and easy to write about because there is some truth in the words. Edgar Allan Poe is said to be one of these because his stories actually relate to his tragic, love stricken life. He is known to lead an overall depressing life that was full of loss and grief of loved ones. So because of this, Poe suffered most of his life. But although he had many misfortunes, he resorted to his passion of poetry to help him. Poe wrote many stories and poems that both reflected and represented his life. Stories such as Annabel Lee strongly show this as it is about the death of a loved women. Edgar Allan Poe was a mysterious man that accomplished many feats and went on to become one of the world’s most famous poets, although he also had a devastating life. On January 19th, 1809, Edgar Poe was born in Boston (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). He began his tragic life at a young age of three years old when his mother died and father left him (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Then as an orphan, young Edgar was adopted by his uncle, a tobacco merchant, John Allan, and his wife Frances (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). After years of school, Poe was admitted to the University of Virginia at only sixteen, but stayed for only one semester because of lack of financial aid from Allan (Giordano). Angry with Allan, Poe decided to enlist into the army as a private (Giordano). There, he published his first book in 1827, â€Å"Tamerlane and Other Poems,† and his career as a writer spiraled outward from there (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Poe continued to write and publish small books, earned little money, and did what he could to get noticed. He soon had another book published and by this point, he had a great fan base and was considered a celebrity in Baltimore (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). His readers felt his work was so unique and sometimes even asked for autographs from Poe. From this publicity, he was earning good money. But the good fortune didn’t last long and he was soon at the poverty level again and moved back and forth from New York to Virginia, submitting stories to and working for different magazines, getting small amounts of money here and there. Then, in 1841, while working for Grahams Magazine (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† NNBD), Poe wrote the first ever detective story, a murder mystery. It was titled â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue† (Giordano). The public had never seen this kind of story so it immediately became famous and Edgar’s fame rose even higher. Poe had created a whole new topic in literature and some agree that this was his greatest contribution to world literature. In the next several years, Poe lost his wife Virginia but continued writing novels and stories in his grief (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Gale). This is said to be a basis for inspirations for his stories such as Annabel Lee and others (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). He once said â€Å"The death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world. † (LeVert 12). When not further loved, Poe tried to commit suicide in Boston (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† NNBD). In this state of depression, Poe wrote the poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† using his favorite theme, the grief a man feels when he loses women (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Poe died on the October 7th due to complications related to a brain lesion (Giordano). This was the end of the tragic life of poet Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe led an influential but very rough life. He was usually in need of money despite his fame, but wrote a total of 30 books alongside starting a whole new genre of writing. This author/poet wrote some of the best stories and poems and although he wasn’t so lucky in the events of his life, he will always be remembered as a great influence on American Literature. One of the stories Poe wrote relating to the â€Å"death of a beautiful women† was Annabel Lee wrote in 1849, approximately 5 months before his death. This makes sense because throughout his life, Poe had lost many women to death in his life including his mother and his only wife Virginia, who died two years prior to the poem being written (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). There has been debate on who this tragic story is about but most believe that is was truly written for Virginia, who he had married when she was 13 years old and died in 1847 (Giordano). This is supported by the fact that Virginia was Edgar’s only marriage, and the only one of his girlfriends that had died (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Also, in the poem, the narrator says that he fell in love with â€Å"Annabel Lee† when they were children and he did make her his wife (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). The famous poem is about, again, the death of a beautiful woman named Annabel Lee and the eternal love after death he fells for her. The narrator says that â€Å"even winged seraphs of heaven coveted her and me† meaning that even the angels in heaven were jealous of the love he and Annabel shared (Giordano). Like Poe’s love for Virginia, the narrator expresses great loss and sadness when she dies, losing his one true love. As also implied in the poem, he sits by her grave at night just to be near his loved one. This shows the divine love he had for â€Å"Annabel Lee† (Giordano). Annabel Lee is a prose poem written in the first person and was first published in Sartain’s Union Magazine. As it was so close to his date of death, it was his very last completed poem (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Edgar Allan Poe had a great impact in the poetry and the overall literature world. He was a very mysterious man who lived a tough life and went through several struggles including death of loved ones. But from these losses and hardships came the inspiration for incredible poems like â€Å"Annabel Lee†. He wrote some of the world’s best poems, short stories, and novels and in doing so introduced the first detective story to America. The inspiring work he produced will be read and cherished forever.

HR professionals in organizational changes

HR professionals in organizational changes Compared with traditional HR professionals, current HR managers have been more and more involved in organizational activities beyond their own function. The aim of this essay is to discuss the role HR professionals in organizational changes. Alfes, K., Turss, C., and Gill, J. (2010) The HR Manager as Change Agent: Evidence from the Public Sector, Journal of Change Management, 10,1: 109-127. In this article, Alfes et al. argued that how human resources department contribute to day-to-day management of change program is still unclear. Thus, the author used data from two public sector organizations, including a borough council and a general hospital in the UK to investigate the HR practitioners involvement based on two axes, including process and content, and proactivity vs. reactivity. Their study identified four key roles of human resource managers, including Change Driver, Change Focused, Human Resources Focused and Responsive. This article is helpful to my study since it provides solid evidence about the role of HR manager as change agent. The main limitation of this study is that only two cases are involved. Therefore, the authors suggest further studies that test how their framework can be applied to a wider range of cases. This study forms the basis of my study, since my topic is the HR managers role in managing changes. McGuire, D., Stoner, L. Mylona, S. (2008) The Role of Line Managers as Human Resource Agents in Fostering Organizational Change in Public Services, Journal of Change Management, 8,1:73-84. In this article, McGuire et al. reviewed the role change of line managers during the process of commercialization of the public sector. The authors try to develop a model describing the content, inhibitors and enablers of line managers role as HR agents in organizational change. This article reviewed a wide range of studies in this field and identified a series of enablers and inhibitors of line Managers involvement in HR process. This article is useful to my study, since McGuire et al.s findings suggested that HR functions are not only performed by staff in HR department, line managers also contribute to HRM in organizational changes. The main limitation of this study is that it does not provide any real cases showing the application of their model. Therefore, whether this model is applicable to real case analysis is still unknown. This article will not form the basis of my study. However, it provides me important clue about the role change of managers. Francis, H. (2003) HRM and the beginning of organizational change, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16, 3: 309-327 In this article, Francis suggested that human resource (HR) is closely associated with polices and performance issues of an organization. The author examined the role of HRM in regulating changing based on Ford and Fords (1995) conceptual framework. This study focuses on the role of HRM in generating conversation during the process of changes and applied the framework into analysis of a large UK manufacturing firm. This article is helpful to my study since it provides me a real case to understand how HRM contribute to shift of conversation during the process of change. The main limitation of this study is that it did not suggest sequential movement under different types of conversation. Therefore, the author suggested that further study can be conducted to discuss the how hard or soft change mechanisms can be applied to different situations in order to achieve successful organizational change. This article forms the basis of my study and provides me important information about how to initiate changes by using HRM tools. Truss, C. (2008) Continuity and change: the role of the HR function in the modern public sector, Public Administration, 86,4: 1071-1088 Truss argues that the New Public Management in the UK may bring significant changes to the role of human resource management. Therefore, the author examined whether the HR management has become more strategies based on data collected from 134 interviews with senior and middle line managers in six public sectors organizations in the UK. This study typically distinguished the differences between administrative and strategic HR functions and assessed the extent to which the managers in the organizations play the roles. This study is helpful to may study, as Truss found that new strategic role and conventional role of HR managers are both required for managing changes. The major limitation of this study is the small sample size and the associated possibility of the generalisability of the findings. Besides, not all categories of public organizations were involved in this study. Thus, the author suggested larger scale studies in the future. This article forms the basis of my research. It offers important clue about the extent of change of HRM in the UK public sector. Guest, D.E. and King, Z. (2004) Power, innovation and problem-solving: the personnel managers three steps to heaven? Journal of Management Studies, 41, 3: 401-423. Guest and King (2004) argued that the environment changes during the past 30 years have made Karen Legges (1978) analysis of personnels role (conformist innovator, deviant innovator and problem solver) more limited to current organizations. Thus, the authors try to explore the extent to which the role of HRM has altered. They conducted interviews with 48 senior managers in order to identify the changes. Typically, they focus on changes in features of vicious circles and the ambiguities and found that a large proportion of current HR managers failed to conquer the problems identified by Legges (1978). The major limitation of this study is also the small sample size, only 48 interviews were conducted. Thus, further study based on a larger scale is required. This study will not form the basis of my study. However, it provides me important comparative information about how HRMs roles in the past and in current business organizations. Alfes et al.s (2010) review of previous studies found that HR managers may play four different roles including Change Driver, Change Focused, HR Focused and Responsive within an organization. However, their own data showed that in organization A, HR managers role can be quite proactive since they are involved in all aspects of change process, such as help design the program and provide advice to line managers. Truss (2008) also suggested that HR managers role has become more strategic and diversified. Compared with traditional HR managers, current HR professionals are more involved in organizational changes. Since organizational change is a complex process that requires efforts from all functions of an origination, a part of the responsibility of HR managers also shift to other functions. McGuire et al.s (2010) study supports this point of view. They provided evidence about how line managers contribute to HRM and also discussed the enablers and inhibitors of this role sharing. Based data of organization B, Alfes et al. (2010) suggested that the role of HR managers is more responsive in this organization. They are not involved in all aspects of organizational changes. Even involved, they largely play a role as advisor, rather than change driver. The role difference of HR managers is due to different requirement of different organizations. According to As Legge (2005), HR managers can play both roles as conformist innovators and deviant innovators. The former role requires them closely follow organizational parameters, while the later role requires them to drive change within an organization through challenging prevailing norms. However, in reality, Guest and King (2004) argued that the proactive role of HR managers is less acceptable in some organizations. Guest and King (2004) found many line managers are reluctant to accept HR managers involvement in their work. And the HR department interventions can even lead to timeconsuming procedures resented by the line managers. Thus, this requires skills of HR managers to handle the relationship appropriately. Francis (2002) argued that power relations between different functions of an organization which is based on disposable resources of the parties can significantly affect the conversation during the period of change initiative. Inappropriate manner of conversation initiated by HR managers can become a barrier to organizational change. They further argued that conversation across different functions and levels of managers should be used as a medium by HR managers in the process of negotiation. However, the author did not provide suggestion about how the hard or soft HR interventions can be applied. Becker and Huselid identify the key challenges associated with development of strategic human resource management (SHRM) through reviewing a wide range of empirical studies, they emphasize the importance of the nature of fit and contingencies in SHRM and argues that SHRM, which was initially an HR-c entric paradigm, has gradually become a shared responsibility of HR professionals, line managers, and senior executives. The role of HR professionals in organizational change resembles to a contributor, rather than a leader. Conclusion To sum up, HR managers role in organizational change can be both responsive and proactive according the demand of an organization. Geneally, HR managers role has become more strategic no matter they are proactive or responsive to organizational changes. However, to play the proactive role that gives interventions to other department or functions successfully, HR managers should pay attention to the manner of conversation.

Concepts in social psychology: Analaysis

Concepts in social psychology: Analaysis Social Psychology Introduction Social psychology may be called one of the oldest sub-disciplines of psychology (Crisp Turner, 2010). From the primary social psychological research, it has been an inseparable part of the broader discipline (Crisp Turner, 2010). Social psychology may be perceived as having some sort of identity crisis because of too different approaches. Nevertheless, this is incorrect. Social psychology is as strong as it has ever been. This may be proved by the emergence of numerous other sub-disciplines, which have appeared around it, and have applied mainly social psychological theories and concepts (Crisp Turner, 2010). Social psychology is a goal-oriented sphere, which tries to realize the psychological and social needs of human beings. There are several principles that concern the practice of social psychology. These are: discovering the self, thinking about others, influencing others, relations building, and group dynamics. Discovering the Self In spite of the huge amount of literature on the topic of self there is still no agreement upon the clarification of it (Glaveanu). The majority of researchers try to avoid the â€Å"unanswerable† query of what self is, and their approaches are supported more by the inherent awareness rather than precise clarifications (Glaveanu). Similar to the notion of consciousness, the self is mentioned among those concepts, which are never precise, unified and clear-cut (Glaveanu). The pioneering explorers in the field of self thought that the individual’s experience occurs in the brain (Glaveanu). However, only the evolvement of a self forces the person to realize that the experience is their own. These days, the self has been characterized either as the place from where the individual sees the globe and acts towards it, or as an energetic and cooperative process (Glaveanu). All other clarifications are concentrated on the notion of properties or on finding operational criteria for â€Å"searching† the existence of self (Glaveanu). Researching the self is one of the fundamental ideas of social psychology. It tries to investigate how a person sees the self within the social context. Basically, the idea is to find out how people treat themselves and their relations with other humans. Self-concept, Awareness, and Self-schemas Self-concept is a fundamental issue in the sub-discipline of social psychology (Boyce, 2008). It embraces two essential elements: self-structure and self-content. It relates to data, which influences humans’ classification of the self (Boyce, 2008). This embraces values, beliefs, self-knowledge and self evaluation. Self-structure touches upon the way the data concerning the self is arranged (Boyce, 2008). Self-concept allows people to separate themselves from other people (Boyce, 2008). In its turn, self-awareness is also a crucial concept in social psychology. It concerns the capability of people to separate themselves from other people and the surroundings (Myers, Abell, Kolstad, Sani, 2010). It presupposes awareness concerning ones’ character, values, emotions, strengths and weaknesses. It influences humans’ self-image and, hence, influences their feelings concerning self and other people. Inappropriate awareness of self may cause self-image, which is not a genuine depiction of a human being (Myers et al., 2010). Therefore, self-awareness has a crucial influence on human conduct and relations with other individuals. Social psychology tries to investigate aspects, which influence self-awareness, and psychologists help people in improving self-awareness (Myers et al., 2010). Acknowledgement of the notion of self starts with the values, by which people define, who they actually are (Myers et al., 2010). These values are recognized as self-schemas and are the construction blocks, with which the character is created (Myers et al., 2010). Self-schemas are the figures, through which humans estimate themselves and other humans (Myers et al., 2010). If a person thinks that they is stout, then this idea is a schema through which he sees himself (Myers et al., 2010). He also treats other humans relatively through the same schema. The acting self is another significant component of the detection of the self (Boyce, 2008). It is accountable for those acts, which are performed by people (Boyce, 2008). The sub-division of psychology tries to understand the elements, which drive the active self. These elements are: the external environment and the judging self. People whose deeds are impacted by the environment exhibit outer locus of control. In turn, humans, whose deeds are triggered by the judging the self exhibit inherent locus of control (Boyce, 2008). There are two more important concepts defining the self: self-esteem and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy concerns individual’s perception about theur ability to perform some acts, which are required if they wants to manage certain circumstances (Boyce, 2008). This concept determines how humans react on different circumstances; hence, this concept influences the human conduct (Boyce, 2008). People with a low sense of self-efficacy usually believe that different conditions are out of their control, and they try to rely on other people (Boyce, 2008). Self-esteem concerns the level at which a person values the self (Boyce, 2008). This concept predetermines conduct and relations with other people. In its turn, it depends on how people estimate themselves (Boyce, 2008). Self-evaluation usually leads to either negative or positive self-esteem. Humans, who expose positive self-esteem, demonstrate confidence in their skills and cheerfulness (Boyce, 2008). Conversely, individuals with low self-worth demonstrate limited confidence in their skills. They care about what other people think of them (Boyce, 2008). Thinking about Others Social psychology also studies thinking about other people. A person’s view of other people is an amazing determinant of the person’s conduct and relations with others. Social psychology embraces such an important concept as attribution, which concerns the fashion in which a human being attaches meaning to the specific event or issue (Crisp Turner, 2010). There are two major variants of attribution; internal and external. Internal type takes place when an individual associates the incidence of events with aspects, which are within their power (Crisp Turner, 2010). External attribution occurs when a person attributes the incidence of events to aspects, which are beyond their control (Crisp Turner, 2010). Attribution predetermines how the person interprets the conduct of others. Hence, attribution has a crucial influence on relationship with other members of the society (Crisp Turner, 2010). At the same time, attitudes and behaviors influence how people perceive others (Plous, 2003). Attitude relates to an individual’s manner of estimating humans or different issues. Attitudes are shaped by several aspects, such as personal observations and experiences, social norms and roles (Plous, 2003). Attitudes help people to create strong opinions concerning dissimilar issues (Plous, 2003). It embraces emotional and cognitive aspects. Emotional aspect refers to the feeling created by an issue, whilst the cognitive aspect concerns the ideas created by the issue (Plous, 2003). Attitude frequently influences behaviors in a way that sometimes human beings can change the attitudes to adapt to their behaviors (Plous, 2003). Prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination influence interaction with others as well (Plous, 2003). Stereotype relates to image held by a person concerning a certain group of people. Stereotyping causes bias and prejudice. It relates to certain attitude towards members of a certain community due to the presence of certain stereotype (Plous, 2003). In turn, prejudice causes discrimination. Discrimination relates to positive or negative acts towards members of a certain group due to prejudice (Plous, 2008). All three concepts have crucial influence on conduct and relations (Plous, 2003). Influencing Others: Persuasion Social psychology also investigates how a person affects other humans. It relates to how an individual applies the power of persuasion to make others accomplish their goals. It should be mentioned that human relations mainly rely on unconscious system of give and take (Bressert, 2006). Robert B. Cialdini has been investigating the significance of persuasion in affecting social relations (Bressert, 2006). He has recognized six major principles of influence: 1. Reciprocation: one good turn deserves another. 2. Commitment and Consistency: pursue through. 3. Social Proof: when uncertain, go after the crowd. 4. Liking: trust people you like. 5. Authority: be a real member of the team, listen to professionals. 6. Scarcity: appreciate unusual (Bressert, 2006). Hence, persuasion is the procedure during which a human being tries to stimulate people to change their behaviors and attitudes regarding some issue. In order to attract the audience the persuader has to reveal their own credibility. Humans, who are considered unreliable, cannot convince others successfully (Crisp Turner, 2010). The person also has to expose a high degree of proficiency as people like an assurance expressed by the persuader (Crisp Turner, 2010). The persuasion message should be precise, clear and consistent. At the same time, the listeners should also expose commitment to the course advanced by the persuader. Low commitment may obstruct the persuasion practice (Crisp Turner, 2010). Obedience and Conformity Obedience and conformity are also crucial elements of social impact. Conformity is an inclination of a person to presume similar values, attitudes, and behaviors as other members of the grouping he or she is attempting to fit in (Fiske, 2010). Moreover, many people will follow the group even when they have seen something different with their own eyes (Fiske, 2010). While conformity concerns some alteration to fit into a group, obedience has more to do with the degree of authority of the human being performing the impact (Fiske, 2010). If people are considered to be the leaders, listeners are far more likely to reply to them by agreeing with the requests they make (Fiske, 2010). It may be explained by the dictatorial character of the person, it could also be due to fear of punishment if compliance is not about to happen (Fiske, 2010). Hence, obedience takes place when somebody acts in a way he does not normally act due to a leader’s orders. Conformity is more interconnected with social pressure and impact, whilst obedience not merely embraces a hierarchy but is caused more by respond to a leader rather than social impact (Fiske, 2010). As for aggressive behavior, aggression relates to behaviors, which are directed toward hurting another person. It relates to the act, which is planned to cause harm to another human being. Aggression can be either hostile or instrumental. Instrumental aggression occurs when an individual uses the aggressive behaviors in order to accomplish some goals (Crisp Turner, 2010). Hostile aggression takes place when the sole purpose of the aggression is to cause damage (Crisp Turner, 2010). Aggression has social and psychological implication, which makes it a crucial subject of study in social psychology (Crisp Turner, 2010). Social psychology also concentrates on evolving prosocial behaviors, which are directed towards assisting other humans (Crisp Turner, 2010). Unlike people demonstrating aggressive behavior, humans with prosocial behavior demonstrate concern for other people’s rights and emotions (Crisp Turner, 2010). Prosocial conduct is a vital aspect of human relations similar to relationship building, attraction and love. Social psychology assists people in relations and love (Plous, 2003). Relations are developed when one individual becomes dependent on another for some issues. Constructing relations starts with the initiation of cognitive interdependence, when people with the relationship learn about one another via interaction and exposure (Crisp Turner, 2010). The relations proceed to the behavioral interdependence, when humans within the relationship change the behaviors of other humans (Plous, 2003). Individuals in the relations become conscious of the requirements of the other party and change the behaviors to make them in agreement with the requirements. The relations can also move on to the emotional interdependence stage that is also recognized as the familiarity stage, which is an optimistic emotional tie and sense of connectedness among humans (Plous, 2003). Group Dynamics Social life presupposes different groups. There are four main types of groups: The intimacy group, which relates to humans, who are united by a strong emotional tie (Crisp Turner, 2010). The first group consists of relatives, friends, and romantic relationships (Crisp Turner, 2010). The task group, which relates to humans, who are united for the aim of achieving a certain task. The group embraces colleagues or schoolmates (Crisp Turner, 2010). The social group: these are humans, who are united by social aspects, for instance, sex, religion, nations or race (Crisp Turner, 2010). The loose association, which relates to humans united by elements that are least binding. For example, loving the same music (Crisp Turner, 2010). Groupthink is the inclination of a group to make decisions via consensus. Groupthink takes place in groups, which have a strong unity, leadership and which are separated from outer influences (Crisp Turner, 2010). One of the outcomes of groupthink is that it supports the ideas of the most dominant members of the groupings. Thoughts from the least powerful members of the groups are neglected. Groupthink can also cause loss of human identity and independence (Crisp Turner, 2010). In turn, social dilemmas relate to circumstances, under which the interests of a group crash with the aims of members of the groups (Plous, 2003). All members of the group obtain lower collective advantages by making choices, which favor individual gain than by making choices supporting collective gain (Plous, 2003). Maybe, in the future social psychologists will resolve this dilemma. Future of Social Psychology Future tendencies of social psychology will be far more integrated because of cross-cultural studies, with better technological resources and better professional ethics. Culture, especially, multiculturalism will play a huge role in the future tendencies as it enables the psychologists to test their hypotheses over varied groups of people to realize whether the ideas apply across dissimilar nations and cultures. Today, social psychology deals with the psychological and social issues, which are demonstrated by the existing surroundings. In the past and the present, the scientists have been driven by such issues like racism, sex, altruism, wars and HIV (Crisp Turner, 2010). In the future, different promising issues like globalization can drive this field as it is leading to the alliance of diverse nations of the globe. This may transform the way people interact. Advanced technology will also influence social psychology. Lately, the globe has seen amazing changes in the technology sphere. This has started to influence the way individuals live and communicate (Crisp Turner, 2010). Social psychology can investigate the impacts of technologies. The other issues, which can create a central area of concentration in the area of social psychology, embrace terrorism, health, global warming and current and future ecological issues (Crisp Turner, 2010). Conclusion Social psychology is a goal-oriented sphere that makes an attempt to recognize the social and psychological needs of humans. There are several principles concerning the practice of social psychology. These are: discovering the self, thinking about others, influencing others, relations building, and group dynamics. The debates around the sphere of social psychology may force people think that it experiences an identity crisis. However, in fact, the social psychology is stronger than it has ever been before. Many different disciplines emerge on the basis of social psychology. Moreover, this discipline is at its height, and it is likely to be further accelerated by multiculturalism, technological advancement, globalization, health and environmental issues. References Boyce, K. (2008). Self-structure and Self-concept Clarity: Evaluative Integration as a Means to Increased Self-clarity. Michigan: ProQuest. Bressert, S. (2006). Persuasion and how to influence others. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/persuasion-and-how-to-influence-others/000137 Crisp, R., Turner, R. (2010). Essential Social Psychology. USA, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Ltd. Fiske, S. (2010). Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology. New Jersey: Wiley. Glaveanu, V. (n.d.). The Self in social psychology: towards new perspectives. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/229337/The_Self_in_Social_Psychology_Towards_New_Perspectives Myers, D., Abell, J., Kolstad, A., Sani, F. (2010). Social Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Plous, S. (2003). The psychology of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination: An overview. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination (pp. 3-48). New York: McGraw-Hill.

AIDS :: Health Medicine Medical HIV Essays

AIDS AIDS, a severe immunological disorder caused by a virus that leaves the victim unable to fight infections. The AIDS epidemic is becoming a severe health menace throughout the world, but particularly in Africa, mainly South Africa. In â€Å"Battling AIDS in S. Africa†, an article from The Chicago Tribune, Pooven Moodley’s discusses why AIDS in Africa is a world problem. He states that nearly 1,600 Africans become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, each day. In 16 countries throughout Africa, the AIDS epidemic affects more than one-tenth of the adult population is infected, according to Peter Piot, the executive director of UNAIDS, in a statement made to the Security Council. With these devastating statistics, AIDS is becoming the first health and development issue to be considered a threat to global security, making it a world problem. AIDS is now at the top of the agenda of the organizations that make up the UN and the World Bank/IMF Development Committee. AIDS in Africa is such a world problem that the U.S. government has declared the crisis â€Å"a threat to U.S. national security† (Moodley). The rest of the world will also be affected; therefore, the disease will be threatening to other states in no time. This can be blamed on the â€Å"domino theory†. According to Moodley, a 1999 White House report stated, â€Å"As goes Africa, so will India, Southeast Asia, and so on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Researchers and health professionals have many theories and opinions as to what caused AIDS to become an out-of-control epidemic. Piot discusses how AIDS is linked to poverty because of the costs of the drugs needed to control the HIV virus. According to Jon Jeter’s â€Å"South Africans Criticize Leader’s Views on AIDS†, an article from The Washington Post, he explains South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki’s views of the HIV virus and AIDS and how his beliefs do not help the fight against AIDS. Mbeki declares that AIDS is not caused by HIV and will not provide life-saving drugs to pregnant women to reduce the risk of mother-to-child infection. President Mbeki believes that the United States and pharmaceutical companies are part of a conspiracy to falsely link HIV and AIDS to promote the sales of antiretroviral drugs (Jeter). The issue of South Africa not trying hard enough to stop the spread of AIDS is also exhibited in an article fr om Village Voice.

Motion Sickness Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Motion Sickness Ever felt carsick, airsick or seasick? Motion sickness is the most common medical problem associated with travel. As a child I was always told that "it was in my head," that if I wanted to, I could make it go away. I was made to believe that motion sickness was a psychological problem. To certain extend it is true that it is in my head, but it is not a psychological defect, but rather, a disorder that occurs when conflicting sensory information is sent to the brain. This mild and self-treatable disorder can affect anyone, but recent studies seem to imply that motion sickness may affect certain groups of people more than others. This paper will discuss the causes of motion sickness and will question the genetic and racial implications as contributing factors. The anatomy of balance Balance is maintained by a complex interaction of sensory parts of our body. The first are the inner ears, which monitor the directions of motion (such as side to side, back to front, up and down, and turning). Some people may feel dizzy without having to be spinning or turning. This dizziness is sometimes caused by an inner ear problem. Changes of fluids in the semicircular canals of the inner ear are one of the attributing factors of motion sickness. (1). Second, the eyes monitor where the body is in space and also the direction in which the motion is taking place. Third, the skin pressure receptors (joints and spine) send messages to the brain to inform what part of the body is down and touching the ground. Lastly, the muscle and joint sensory receptors are in charge of informing the brain which parts of the body are in motion. Through the interaction of all these parts, the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal c... ...should therefore, not be used or imply that motion sickness is part of one's self identity. It is true that some individuals are naturally prone to motion sickness since childhood (including myself), but this should not be because one is Latino or African-American. In fact, I dismiss the notion that race has anything to with one having motion sickness. Perhaps, it would've been better to investigate the environment and conditions of where people are located; there may be risk factors related to one's location in a geographical space. References 1)What Causes Motion Sickness http://www.bcrescue.org/carsickness.html 2)Dizziness and Motion Sickness http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/balance/dizziness.cfm?o=0 3)What's Motion Sickness http://community.healthgate.com/ 4)What Causes Motion Sickness http://www.motion-sickness.net/aboutms2.htm<br>

Gran Torino Essay

Does the movie Gran Torino glorify violence and gun culture in the United States make specific reference to events in the film? The movie Gran Torino does glorify, justify violence and gun culture in the United States when used for the greater good as the military or police do to save lives of many civilians every day. The protagonist Walt Kowalski known as simply Walt well he’s a character he loves using his gun as if it was his culture after all he is a retired veteran. He demonstrates in this movie that it is only by facing the sometimes overwhelming obstacles and difficulties of life that an individual can truly be at rest even by guns. In the movie Walt is the main contributor to justifying violence and gun culture including saving sue and her friend from near death as well as the Hmong saves Thao from Latino gang, saving Tao from the Hmong gang also his cousins and for everyone’s greater good giving up his life to save Tao and his family from anymore danger. As sue and her date are walking down the street they are confronted by bunch of street thugs(the black gang) who try to sexual abuse sue and threaten to hurt her date. Walt brings justice to this by standing up to the gangbangers they exchange words Walt pulls out his pistol to scare off the gangbangers and in successful with doing that he takes sue back home. Also Thao is saved from a gang by gang as he was walking the Latino gang try to interact with him but he puts his head down and keeps walking then his cousin comes around and saves him from death As he uses force and gun use to potentially save her life which does diligence and glorifies the use of gun violence. Thao is caught by Walt when he tries to steal the 1972 gran Torino as part of a gang initiation he fails at doing so. His family finds out about this miss deed and in order to restore honour Thao must pay his dues to Walt. The punishment that Thao receives is to work for Walt for 2 weeks in those few weeks. He is harassed for failing his initiation and helping Walt. Walt sees Thao for who he truly is in the time they spend together, and lends his helping hand going as far as to get Thao a job.one of the Hmong gang members Thao cousin saw him walking back from work and thinks Thao is trying to make him look bad in the eyes of the family. He is viciously beaten by the gang bangers, his tools are also broken and in vengeance Walt along with his trusty pistol goes after one the gang member and beats the living hell out of him. Walt tells the gang that if they ever touch Thao or his family again  he will kill all of them. The gang does not listen to Walt’s warning and drive by shoot there house and seriously injure sue. Walt Kowalski’s actions are glorified and considered valiant efforts to protect the Hmong family. In the end the most glorified moment is when Walt gives his life up, which not cannot be given back to cease all gun battle and violence to restore peace. Walt does this for the Hmong family in the days before his death Thao had asked him to help retaliate for the drive by shooting Walt tells Thao that they will retaliate but plan it out and tells Thao to come back tomorrow at four. Walt the next went to get a haircut and a suit fitted as well as to get a confession from father Janovich.When Thao returns they go to the basement, Walt locks him in and tells him he’s going to end this Thao deeply protests. As Walt shows up he calls the gang bangers out there ready with the automatic weapons Walt sports a cigar as he pulls for a light the gang it’s a gun and open fire taking Walt’s life the police are called and there are witnesses this finally puts rest to the violence. To conclude the movie Gran Torino does glorify, justify violence and gun culture in the United States when used for the greater good as the military or police do to save lives of many civilians every day. You never need an argument against the use of violence; you need an argument for it.Walt uses violence a lot but it is seen as good including saving sue and her friend from near death as well as the Hmong gang saves Thao from Latino gang, saving Tao from the Hmong gang also his cousins and for everyone’s greater good giving up his life to save Tao and his family from anymore danger. Ultimately use the use of violence and gun culture brought quite the opposite safety and happiness this was justified in the events in the film, sometimes in real life issues.

A research proving that the act of abortion is not immoral Essay

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Since 1969, abortion has been legal in Canada. However, it was only allowed under special circumstances which included, high-risk pregnancies and pregnancy as a result of rape. Abortion without federal restrictions has been legal since 1988 in Canada. With the advanced technology of today, abortion can be done both surgically and non-surgically. Furthermore, many today may believe that abortion should be illegal as it is considered to be â€Å"inhumane†. Nevertheless, because of the time the abortion takes place, the situations that make abortion the only option and avoiding birth defects, one can come to the conclusion that abortion is not immoral. This fact can be proven throughout the research done by medical professionals and people who have had to get an abortion done. The universal definition of abortion states that abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by either a surgical or non-surgical method before the fetus is able to sustain independent life (up to 24 weeks). Abortion ranges in two different forms, surgical and non-surgical. There are 2 types of surgical procedures which are Vacuum Suction Curettage (VSC)  and Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA). Throughout the first twenty weeks of pregnancy, the fetus has now developed the entire skeletal figure, all major organs are functioning, and this would include the heart, stomach, liver, kidney, and brain. By twenty weeks, the fetus can now kick, grasp with his or her hands, hair is visible and vocal cords are working. Stated by Dr. Paul Ranali, a neurologist studying at the University of Toronto, there is evidence of the fetus feeling pain during the abortion procedure (Pollitt, 2011). Although it is unusual that one would have an abortion this late in the pregnancy, abortion can take place any time during the first trimester of pregnancy which is up to 24 weeks, the fetal brain is completely developed at the age of 20 weeks. The brain has the full complement of brain cells as an adult would have therefore made the fetus ready to receive pain signals from the body (Johnson, 2011). Overall, many still allow the abortion to take place after knowing this information. Because the abortion process takes place at such an early stage in the pregnancy, many do not seem to consider the fetus as a human, therefore, disregarding the slurs (murdering the fetus) that are typically said. The main cause for abortions would be the fact that they are unplanned pregnancies. As stated in the Annual Abortion Survey in the United States (AAS), â€Å"on average, women give at least  3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 3/4 say they cannot afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner† (Annual Abortion Survey- USA, 2013). Because of these reasons, it is unfair to bring an innocent child into the world where they would not receive the care that is needed. Also stated in the AAS, twenty-one percent of women included a physical problem with their health among reasons for having an abortion  and eleven percent admitted that they went along to get an abortion due to the fact that they were victims of rape. Those who do not wish to have a child because of financial situations can be understood by those who believe abortion is immoral because raising a child in today’s time is known to be expensive to those who make an average salary of $34,000. While considering having a child, one must be able to provide basic necessities such as diapers and formula. The costs of diapers can range from $10.00 – $50.00. The costs of baby formula can range from $15.00 – $50.00 (Evers, 2013).   If one cannot provide their child with the essential needs, they should not bring them into the world. If on e cannot provide for their child, it can also cause a strain on the mother and father’s relationship due to overwhelming stress and pressure. Also, studies in the United States have shown, those who are not financially stable and continue with their pregnancy, are more likely to become unemployed, to be on public welfare, to be below the poverty line, and to later on in life, become victims of domestic violence (Evers, 2013). Because many do not want to be placed in a situation where they are in danger or not capable of raising a child, they choose to abort the potential child. A birth defect is defined as a health problem or physical change which is present in a baby at the time he or she is born. Birth defects can occur either from genetic factors or even environmental factors. The genetic causes could be inheritance, single gene defects, multifactorial inheritance, teratogens or a chromosome abnormality.   Luckily, only three out of every one-hundred babies are born with a birth defect (Williams, 2007). Many birth defects can be diagnosed before birth with specialized prenatal diagnosis test. Birth defects that are considered as chromosomal abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome can be diagnosed before birth by examining the amniotic fluid from the placenta. A commonly used test that screen for birth defects and mainly Downs Syndrome would be Alpha-fetoprotein. Alpha-fetoprotein measures the levels of alpha-fetoprotein in the blood. This screening may be included as one part of a two, three, or four-part screening, often called a multiple marker screen. The other parts may include the following: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Estriol (Williams, 2007). Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is extracted from the placenta cells. High levels may indicate a fetus with Down Syndrome. Estriol is  a hormone produced by the placenta and by the fetal liver and adrenal glands. Low levels may indicate a fetus with Down Syndrome. Other birth defects that are a leading cause of infant mortality would be heart defects and missing organs and limbs. These birth defects are noticed through ultrasounds just before the pregnancy goes to twenty weeks. It was founded that roughly two percent of all pregnancies are complicated by a major birth defect. Of that two percent, ninety-three percent of the women decided to terminate the pregnancy before the child is born into a life of suffering (Williams, 2007). Thus concluding that women mainly resort in abortion in order to protect a child from being born with a disability that could lead them i n a life where it would be difficult for them to survive. In conclusion, one can say that abortion is not an immoral act due to the fact that at the time abortion takes place the fetus has not yet become a human, the situations that make abortion the only option which shields the unborn child from being born into a world where they cannot be taken care of and avoiding birth defects. This fact has been proven throughout this essay by the research done by medical professionals and people who have gone through this experience. Bibliography Abortion Laws Worldwide. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2015, from https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/460/abortion-laws-worldwide Annual Abortion Survey-USA. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ Children’s Health. The  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nemours Foundation, 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 8 Mar. 2015. . â€Å"Description of Types of Abortions, Abortion Procedures, How They Work, What to Expect.† Description of Types of Abortions, Abortion Procedures, How They Work, What to Expect. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. . Evers, J. (2013, February 1). Religious views on abortion. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://www.spuc.org.edu/youth/student_info_on_abortion/religion Guralnick, M. J. (2010). Early intervention approaches to enhance the peer-related social competence of young children with developmental delays: A historical perspective.  Infants and Young Children, 23, 73–83. Hirsch, L.(2010). â€Å"Genetic Testing.† KidsHealth – the Web’s Most Visited Site about Johnson, M. (2011, January 1). Abortion. Retrieved March 4, 2015, from http://www.cfsh.ca/your_sexual_health/abortion/ Pollitt, K. (2011). Pro: Reclaiming abortion rights (pp. 29-43). Religious views on abortion. (2012, January 1). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://www.spuc.org.uk/youth/student_info_on_abortion/religion Sanghavi, D. (2013, January 1). Texas’ Bill Would Ban Abortions at the Time Testing Reveals Fetal Defects. Retrieved March 2, 2015, from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/07/texas_ Williams, M. (2007). Abortion (pp. 34-59). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Balance Sheet and Sylvan Essay

On January 1 2007, Pillar purchased 60% of the common shares of Sylvan for $4,500. On that date, Sylvan had common shares of $1,250 and retained earnings of $3,000. Fair values were equal to carrying values for all Sylvan’s net assets except inventory, capital assets and notes payable. The fair value of inventory was $60 more than book value, the book value of capital assets was $100 greater than fair value and the Notes payable had a fair value of $150 less than book value. Assume that all shares of Sylvan have the same value and no control premium was paid at the date of acquisition. The Consolidated Financial statements will be prepared using IFRS Entity Method. The financial statements for Pillar and Sylvan for the year ended December 31, 2010 were as follows: Balance Sheets December 31, 2010 $000’s PILLAR SYLVAN Cash $680 $435 Accounts receivable 1,755 1,025 Inventory 2,849 1,790 Capital assets—net 3,976 3,000 Investment in Sylvan 4,500 Total assets $13,760 $6,250 Current liabilities $400 $255 Notes payable 5,800 1,185 Common shares 2,000 1,250 Retained earnings 5,560 3,560 Total $13,760 $6,250 Statements of Income and Retained Earnings Year Ended December 31, 2010 PILLAR SYLVAN Sales and all other Income $4,040 $2,710 Cost of sales 1,600 1,140 2,440 1,570 Amortization (480) (310) Other expenses and losses including taxes (500) (210) Net income 1,460 1,050 Additional information: numbers in $000’s 1. Capital assets are to be amortized over an average remaining useful life of 8 years at January 1, 2007 and the notes payable mature on December 31, 2011. Goodwill impairment losses for 2008 and 2010 were $240 and $300 respectively. Straight line amortization is acceptable for all acquisition differentials. 2. At December 31, 2010, Sylvan’s inventory included goods purchased from Pillar for $760. Total purchases from Pillar in 2010 were $1000 all priced at mark-up’s averaging 25% of Pillar’s cost. 3. On December 31, 2009, the inventories of Pillar contained $500 of merchandise purchased from Sylvan. Sylvan earns a gross margin of 30% on all sales to Pillar. During December 2010, Pillar purchased merchandise from Sylvan for $900 and did not pay for$250 of the purchases by December 31, 2010. 40% of the inventory was resold by Pillar before the year end. 4. On July 1, 2010, Sylvan sold a new tract of Land to Pillar for $170. On December 1, 2009, Sylvan had bought the land for $200. The fair market value of the land at July 1, 2010 was $220. 5. On September 30, 2008, Pillar sold Land to Sylvan for $100. The land had a book value of $60 on the date of the sale. 6. On December 1, 2010, Pillar and Sylvan declared and paid dividends of $150 and $100 respectively. 7. Both companies pay taxes at the rate of 40%. Assume all intercompany Transactions are taxed at 40% REQUIRED: Please use a GREEN BOOKLET 1. Prepare a Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2010. (22 Marks) 2. Prepare an independent calculation of ENDING Consolidated Retained Earnings at December 31, 2010. (11 marks) 3. Assume Pillar wishes to use the equity method in their General Ledger, calculate Investment income from Sylvan for the year ending December 31, 2010 (10 Marks) NOTE: This question will help you prepare for the technical question on the midterm. Do more than the question asks so that you are prepared for any possible questions you may be asked: Eg. Prepare a Consolidated Income statement and an independent calculation of Consolidated Net Income attributable to Parent company shareholders Calculate the Investment Income under the equity method: Note the only difference between the equity method used when significant Influence is present and the equity method used in the general ledger of the parent when control is present is the treatment of downstream transactions. According to IAS 28.28 all unrealized intercompany profits are eliminated proportionately between investor and investee. Therefore if investor owns 30% of investee, 30% of all unrealized profits/losses are removed. When control exists the parent eliminates upstream proportionately with NCI and downstream unrealized profits are eliminated 100% from parent. Check figures: At December 31, 2010 Goodwill at acquisition ($3,140) $2,600 Consolidated total Assets $17,615.6 Capital assets $6916 Consolidated Retained Earnings $5331.28 NCI Balance Sheet $2924.32 Consolidated Net Income Entity $2052.1 Attributable to Parent shareholders 1754.78 Attributable to NCI $297.32 Investment account Balance sheet :equity method $4,271.28 Investment income equity method 2010 $354.78(removing 100% downstream)

Government to Limit Use of Cars Essay

Government agencies have been told to stop using official vehicles one day a week based on their license plate numbers, according to a notification for an energy-saving and emission reduction program to be implemented across the country.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨The program, part of government efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable development during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), was published on the central government’s official website Tuesday.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨According to the program, the measures were specially designed for various fields, such as enterprises and schools.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Some Web users applauded the government’s efforts, while others questioned the feasibility of limiting the use of government vehicles. Lian Peng, a freelance writer, wrote on his Sina Weibo microblog that it was difficult to distinguish private cars from official ones, and the ban would result either in drivers using two license plates, or the government buying more vehicles. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨A pilot project for government agencies to use bicycles will be launched. Government workers’ autos were also encouraged to be parked one day a week based on plate numbers.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Niu Fengrui, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, praised the positive efforts made by the government to reduce emissions. However, such efforts would not have apparent effect, Niu told the Global Times Tuesday.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Niu suggested that the root of the problem was energy supply, and the fundamental approach should be to develop technologies and adopt better equipment to improve efficiency, as well as change lifestyles and production methods.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Zhu Lijia, director of the public research department of the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times such measures will not actually promote the reform of the official vehicle system, and would not impact the core of the system. Military told to cut emissions The government’s efforts to save energy and reduce harmful emissions have spread to a new front: the country’s military.   The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police should work to build energy-efficient barracks and develop energy-saving models for logistics, consumption and training, said a nationwide emission-reduction plan. â€Å"Efforts to save resources in the military are an important part of the country’s energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts,† the plan said. It lays out that the PLA will scale down administrative expenses, make greater efforts to conserve fuel, procure environmentally friendly products and recycle military uniforms. PLA garrisons will coordinate their use of civilian vehicles with local governments to enhance transportation efficiency. Xinhua Introduction It is possible that no invention has had as profound an effect on society as the passenger automobile. It did not take long after its introduction in the early part of this century for the auto to quickly become the primary means of transportation in the United States, where there are now 752 motor vehicles for every 1,000 people (World Almanac 211). While no other country can match the excessive automobile use of the U.S, it’s not for lack of trying. Even in China, where the use of bicycles by its citizens is legendary, the number of cars has been doubling every five years for the past 30 years (World Resources Institute, hereafter â€Å"WRI† 172). But reliance on cars is not without its problems&emdash;the most obvious being air pollution and energy consumption. Pollution: General Pollution by cars causes lung cancer, respiratory problems, urban smog, and acid rain (Brown 25). By 1970, after decades without government regulation, air quality had become a serious problem. The first federal Clean Air Act was passed during the Nixon Administration to curtail the ever-increasing amount of pollution caused by automobiles and industry, and Congress passed an updated version in 1990 (WRI 182). However, the Clean Air Act didn’t prohibit pollution; it simply defined an â€Å"acceptable† amount. Further, the legislation addressed only certain airborne contaminants, while ignoring others. Perhaps most significantly, although bad air was outlawed, it still exists. More than half of the people in the U.S. live in areas that failed to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year (30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, hereafter â€Å"30 Simple Things,† 11), and around 80 million Americans live in areas that continually fail to meet these standards (WRI 63). Despite the Clean Air Acts, the reality is that air pollution continues to be a major public health problem. As bad as the air is in the U.S., in other countries which have waited too long to address the pollution caused by cars, it’s worse. Mexico City, Sà £o Paulo, New Delhi, and Bangkok are grappling with serious air problems. And much of that pollution is caused by private automobiles (Brown 25). Pollution: Ground-Level Ozone One way cars create pollution is by contributing to the amount of ground-level ozone (not to be confused with the atmospheric ozone layer). In the atmosphere, the ozone layer shields the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation rays. But on the ground, ozone is another matter, causing hazy smog and respiratory problems. Most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles, which account for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog) (30 Simple Things 11). The seriousness of ground-level ozone should not be underestimated. According to the World Resources Institute: Ozone pollution has become widespread in cities in Europe, North America, and Japan as auto and industrial emissions have increased. †¦ Breathing ozone concentrations of 0.012 ppm&emdash;levels typical in many cities&emdash;can irritate the respiratory tract and impair lung function, causing coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain †¦ Evidence also suggests ozone expo sure lowers the body’s defenses, increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections (65). Pollution: Lead Cars also pollute by emitting lead from leaded gasoline. Although the use of lead in gasoline is banned in the United States, leaded gasoline is common in other countries. In fact, of the countries for which data is available, 43% use nothing but leaded gasoline. Many of the rest use at least some leaded gasoline in their energy mix. This is a definite cause for concern: One of the oldest metals used by humans, lead is a cumulative neurotoxin that impairs brain development among children and has been connected to elevated blood pressure and resulting hypertension, heart attacks, and premature death in adults. Emissions from vehicles is the largest source of lead exposure in many urban areas (WRI 266-267). The effects of all this pollution on human health are unsettling. A study of U.S. cities found that mortality rates were 17-26% higher in cities with the dirtiest air compared to those with the cleanest air. Not surprisingly, the study also found correlations between bad air and lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease. The risks translate roughly to a two-year shorter life span for residents of dirty-air cities. On a global basis, estimates of mortality due to outdoor air pollution range from about 0.4-1.1% of total annual deaths (WRI 63-64). In the U.S., 30,000 people die every year from automobile emissions (â€Å"Bicycling and Our Environment† 1). [Also see our separate page on lead.] Pollution: Global Warming Perhaps even scarier than the direct damage to our bodies from auto pollution is the fact that car emissions are contributing to an overall warming of the entire planet, which could destroy the world’s food chain. Cars emit carbon dioxide (CO2), a heat-trapping gas. In fact, they emit a lot of it: 20 pounds per gallon of gas burned (NRDC 12, Zuckermann 29). Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have increased by 30% since preindustrial times, and much of that increase is directly related to the burning of fossil fuels. According to the Worldwatch Institute: â€Å"CO2 levels are now at their highest point in 160,000 years, and global temperatures at their highest since the Middle Ages† (Brown 26). The effects of this global warming are frightening: rising sea levels, dying coral reefs, spreading of infectious diseases, and extreme weather conditions, including droughts, rare forest fires, historic floods, and severe storms. Even more frightening, these events are not just pr edictions&emdash;they’re happening right now (Brown 26). Energy Use The amount of energy used by automobiles is staggering. Transportation of all types accounts for more than 25% of the world’s commercial energy use, and motor vehicles account for nearly 80% of that (WRI 171). In numerical terms, the figures are hard to comprehend. The world used over a trillion liters of motor gas in 1995. And the U.S. accounted for 46% of that total (WRI 266-267). In fact, America’s gasoline consumption easily outstrips its production. The U.S. currently imports over half its oil (52%) even more than it did before the oil crises of 1973 and 1979. This dependence on foreign oil has significant economic consequences, and many observers feel that protecting â€Å"our† right to oil was the real reason for the U.S./Iraq war of 1991. Americans use large amounts of gasoline not just because they drive so much, but also because they’re extremely wasteful about how they drive. The NRDC notes: â€Å"Most cars on the road carry only one person. In fact, we have so much extra room in our 140 million cars that everyone in Western Europe could fit in them with us.† If every commuter car in the U.S. carried just one more person, we’d save eight billion gallons of gas a year. The one-person-per-car scenario also greatly contributes to traffic congestion, which in turn wastes even more energy&emdash;about three billion gallons of gas a year (30 Simple Things 52-53). But changing Americans’ habits doesn’t seem likely any time soon, as the failure of â€Å"High-Occupancy Vehicle† (HOV) lanes makes clear. To encourage commuters to carpool, some communities have designated one lane of traffic on certain roadways as HOV lanes. Commuters can drive in this lane only if there are at least two people in the vehicle. The reasoning is that commuters will want to carpool so they can ride in the uncongested HOV lane rather than being stuck in traffic in the normal lane when riding by themselves. But as Michael Bluejay points out, these lanes don’t always succeed in encouraging carpooling. A friend and I recently had occasion to drive through Dallas during rush hour, and I had my first opportunity to see how an HOV lane worked. Basically, it didn’t. We passed hundreds and hundreds of single-occupant cars in the regular traffic lanes as we zoomed by in the practically-empty HOV lane. It struck me as really crazy: Whenever I try to encourage people to ride bikes more and drive less, they always whine to me about how ‘convenient’ it is to drive. Well, exactly how ‘convenient’ is it to sit in your car at a complete standstill, adding 30-60 minutes to your morning commute? That’s convenience?! The experience demonstrated to me how far people were willing to go to avoid carpooling. They were willing to sit there like morons, stuck hopelessly in traffic, for the ‘luxury’ of being the only person in their vehicle. Although I was disappointed that the HOV lanes didn’t seem to work, I was at least pleased to realize that all those greedy motorists were being punished with even more traffic congestion, since the HOV lane meant that there was one fewer lane to move all those cars. Summary Automobiles are responsible for a tremendous amount of air pollution and wasted energy. These problems impact people all over the world, both motorists and non-motorists alike, by affecting their health, their economies, and their communities. Legislation to address air pollution has been only partially successful, and air quality continues to be a major concern in countries all over the world. As for energy use, one can only hope that world leaders find a better way to address this problem than fighting wars over an increasingly shrinking supply of oil. More stats are available in our Car Almanac. Works Cited â€Å"Bicycling and Our Environment.† Austin Cycling News. Aug. 1998: 1. Bluejay, Michael. â€Å"HOV Lanes.† Bicycling in Austin. Feb. 1998. 22 June 1999. http://BicycleAustin.info Brown, Lester R., et al. State of the World: A Worldwatch Institue Report on Progress Towards a Sustainable Future. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1999. 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. Los Angeles: South California Edison, 1990. World Almanac and Book of Facts. 1996 Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac Books, 1995. World Resources Institute. 1998-99 World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Zuckermann, Wolgang. End of the Road. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 1991. Car Pollution Statistics Driving cars effects more than air quality. Car pollution statistics point to ground pollution, resource reduction (mining and petroleum products), and health issues as other problems derived from out motorized society. Air quality is an important reason to pay attention to car pollution, but there are other reasons too.| Car pollution is considered by most people to be a decreasing problem, but it’s actually increasing, due to the large number of cars that are driven each day. Measures are being taken to reduce air pollution, including the manufacture of hybrid cars, the creation of new environmentally friendly fuels, and more, but those measures don’t touch all of the car pollution issues. Learning about car pollution statistics can open your eyes to the myriad problems. If you realize the importance of making changes in your life and car driving habits, then you can make changes to help decrease the amount of car pollution that you release into the air. * FTIR Gas AnalyzerGas purity and emissions monitoring by MKS Instruments On-Line Analyzer†¨www.ccrprocessproducts.com/FTIR†¨ * Car pollution statistics can give you the knowledge that you need to compel you to make changes in your life to lessen your impact upon the environment. Here are a few car pollution statistics that you need to be learn about and be aware of: * SUV’s release up to forty-seven percent more car pollution than the average-sized car. * The amount of car pollution that is released from cars is much more than the amount of pollution released by a nuclear power plant. * Ozone pollution is primarily due to the pollution that is released by cars. Seventy-two percent of nitrogen oxides and fifty-two percent of hydrocarbons, which is a component of smog, are released by cars. * The Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health published a study that suggested that most childhood cancers are caused by air pollution, which can be caused by cars and more. * There are 752 cars for every 1,000 people in the United States. * In China, the number of cars that are driven has doubled every five years for the past thirty years. * Thirty-thousand people in the United States each year die from conditions that are caused or exacerbated by car pollution. * Half of the people in the United States live in areas that fail to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year. * Eighty million people live in areas that are continually not living up to these standards. * SUV’s release 28-gallons of carbon dioxide into the air for every gallon of gasoline that is used. * Car pollution has numerous effects, both physically and environmentally, like acid rain, smog, lung cancer, and respiratory problems. As you can see from the above car pollution statistics, cars have a huge impact upon the health of the citizens, the air, and the environment. That is why it is so important that we find ways to make changes in our lives to help decrease the amount of pollution that we release by driving our car. By using alternative fuels, considering hybrid cars, driving less, and more, you can help make your impact upon the world a little less harsh. Consider these car pollution statistics the next time that you get into your car. You may find that your trip is not as important as you think. Energy Consumption and the Environment Impacts and Options for Personal Transportation (Revised 2-4-96) In 1973, petroleum shortages caused by the OPEC oil embargo launched the world’s industrialized nations on a search for more efficient homes, factories, and transportation systems. After two decades of attempts to economize, energy use in the residential sector is about the same, industrial energy use is down, and transportation energy use is up. Today, we are more concerned with the other side of the coin – the environmental problems and long-term economic perils of unbridled energy consumption.Trends in Transportation Energy Consumption:Transportation now consumes more than 20% of the world’s total primary energy and produces much of the world’s air pollution. In just 30 years, the number of cars in the world will soar from today’s 400 million or so, to more than one billion. Private transportation will then need 2-1/2 times more energy and produce 2-1/2 times more air pollution. If global trends are projected to year 2100, the world will need 10 times more total energy, and transportation will consume 40% of this much larger pool.(1)Energy Use, Global Warming, and Climatic Changes:Energy use and emissions trends point to significant economic, political, and social problems for future generations. The greenhouse effect alone could have devastating effects on economies. Without intervention, the buildup of greenhouse gases could reach twice the pre-industrial level as early as 2030. The resulting global warming effect could raise sea levels enough to threaten wetlands, increase coastal flooding, and accelerate coastal erosion. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that sea levels will rise an average of 6 to 20 inches by 2050. In addition, many unmanaged ecosystems will probably be lost. Changes in rainfall patterns will likely result in more severe droughts, more intense tropical storms, and ultimately, dislocations and reductions in agricultural output. (Despite the increased crop yield associated with higher carbon dioxide levels, the resulting climatic changes are expected to shift agricultural production to regions having less productive topsoil, which would then result in diminished total yields.)About 75% of human emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important man-made greenhouse gas, is caused by the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use has caused an imbalance in the earth’s normal carbon cycle. Normally, biologic growth absorbs carbon from the environment and then releases it back into the environment when it decays or is burned. New growth then absorbs the carbon again, and the amount of carbon in the environment remains roughly the same. Since the last ice age, the level of carbon in the atmosphere (in the form of carbon dioxide) has varied only about 5%. However, fossil fuel use has upset the balance.Over the earth’s history, large amounts of carbon had been removed from the environment and become locked away beneath the surface where it was ultimately transformed into fossil fuel deposits. Since the industrial revolution, humankind has been removing these deposits, burning the fuel, and releasing the carbon into the atmosphere. The result is a rapid buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide that is unprecedented in the history of human life on earth. No one knows the precise effects, b ut for better or for worse, average temperatures will increase and global weather patterns will change. Limited Supplies of Traditional and Inexpensive Energy:Nearly 40% of the world’s energy now comes from petroleum, and another 21% comes from natural gas.(2) Together, these finite natural resources supply about 60% of the world’s energy. If oil and natural gas consumption continued to double every 15 to 20 years as it had for the 100 years preceding 1973, the earth’s entire original endowment of these resources would be 80% depleted in another 30 years or so. As early as 1970, new oil and gas discoveries had dramatically declined and have remained low. In the ’80s, experts estimated that U.S. reserves would last about 35 years at existing pumping rates. More recently, estimates have been revised downward. Considering known reserves and estimated undiscovered deposits, U.S. oil will be depleted in about 10-12 years at present pumping rates. And new finds will make little difference on a worldwide scale. A new Prudhoe Bay discovery would provide the world with about six months’ oil supply, and a new North Sea find would equate to about three years’ supply.(3)Each year, the demand for oil is increasing by an amount equal to Kuwait’s entire annual production, and for the first time, OPEC has no substantial excess production capacity. Because of declining and more costly-to-recover petroleum reserves, prices are expected to begin rising in the mid to late ’90s, and continue to rise thereafter.(4)Alternative Fuels:The challenge of alternative fuels is primarily an economic one. Although the volumetric cost of methanol (made from natural gas) and ethanol (made from corn) is on par with gasoline, a car running on ethanol consumes 50 percent more fuel and an ethanol car consumes about twice the fuel per mile traveled, in comparison to a car running on gasoline. Consequently, per-mile fuel costs are greater. Natural gas is less costly on a per-mile basis than toda y’s gasoline, but supplies are finite and the high cost of natural gas vehicle systems generally offset the lower cost of the fuel itself. Although environmentally friendly, hydrogen is both technically and economically challenging due to its high production costs and the difficulty of storing hydrogen on-board vehicles. Alternative fuels do not save primary energy, but they are cleaner than gasoline. Carbon dioxide levels remain essentially unchanged when alcohol fuels are made from renewable biological feedstocks.Renewable Fuels:Renewable biomass fuels, such as ethanol and methanol, may become economically competitive with petroleum motor fuels by year 2000. But much remains uncertain about the world’s capacity to produce biomass in quantities sufficient to meet future energy needs. Already, about half the world’s solar energy captured by photosynthesis is used by humans, primarily for food and forest products. Total primary energy use in the U.S. amounts to about 31 times more energy than is harvested as crops and forest products, and about 40% more energy than is captured by all forms of U.S. vegetation, combined. Considering all agricultural crops, forests, lawns, gardens and wild vegetation, the energy contained in annual U.S. vegetation growth totals about 54 quads (quadrillion BTUs), and in year 1990 total U.S. primary energy consumption amounted to approximately 81 quads.Because of limitations in water supplies, nutrients, and arable lands, the amount of energy obtainable from the world’s agricultural resources is limited. Even in the U.S., which has more arable land per capita than any other nation on earth, it may be infeasible to produce biomass fuels in quantities sufficient for the nation’s energy needs. According to Dr. David Pimentel, Cornell University, the U.S. has the agricultural capacity to support a population of about 200 million on biomass energy – only if per capita energy consumption were reduced to half its present level. Worldwide, the ability of the ecosystem to sustain a population at an equivalent of U.S. consumption in the ’90’s is probably limited to about two billion people, or one-third of the existing population.(5) Unfortunately, U.S. population is expected to reach 500 million in 60 years, and worldwide population will reach 12-15 billion near the end of the 21st century. Economic Implications:The world is entering a period of escalating consumption, declining reserves of traditional energy feedstocks, higher energy costs, and increasing environmental stress, which could have vast economic, political, and social ramifications. As environmental limitations are approached, ecosystems become more unstable. In the future, ecosystem management and environmental maintenance will become more the responsibility of humans rather than nature. The economic impact of higher energy costs will be compounded as the cost of environmental protection and repair is included in the fundamentally higher cost of energy. As a result, varying degrees of negative economic effects are likely.Ultimately, a fundamental restructuring of the way in which energy is produced and consumed, as well as its value and role in the economy, must occur, regardless of the particular energy technology. Reducing the energy intensity of industrialized societies is the most environmentally sound and least economically harmful strategy. Energy use must be constrained if the interrelated problems of energy supplies, environmental degradation, and economic well-being are to be solved.Transportation’s Role:Transportation is essential to modern economies, and that sector is almost totally dependent on oil as a source of energy. The ability to freely and inexpensively move goods and people is a fundamental link in the economic chain. Today, large changes in the price or supply of oil send shock waves rolling through the world’s financial institutions. Transportation is the most rapidly growing consumer of the world’s energy, and the largest share of transportation’s energy goes to passenger travel. In developed countries, passenger travel accounts for about 70% of the total energy consumed by transportation.The Automobile’s Impact on Transportation Energy Consumption:The automobile is responsible for nearly 90% of the energy consumed for travel in the U.S., about 80% in Western Europe, and nearly 60% in Japan.(6) Today, there are approximately 400 million cars in the world, and sometime around year 2030 the world’s automobile population will surpass one billion. If driving habits remain unchanged, cars will have to become nearly three times more energy-efficient by 2030 just to maintain that sector’s present consumption. If energy use trends are projected to year 2100, transportation would then have to be twenty times more energy-efficient, which roughly equates to 400 mpg cars (automobile fleet-average fuel economy is now about 20 mpg).Cars in the U.S. have become more energy-efficient over the past two decades, but other developed countries are losing ground and actually consuming more fuel per passenger mile traveled.(7) Europeans are turning more to private cars, and as a result transportation trends and energy use patterns are converging with those of the U.S. But the greatest increase in transportation energy consumption will occur in the developing world. By year 2010, India is expected to have 36 times more cars than in 1990. China will have 91 times more cars, Mexico will have 2-1/2 times more cars, and Eastern Europe and the countries of the former U.S.S.R. will probably double their automobile population. The rest of the developing world will experience a 300% increase over the same period. In comparison, the number of cars in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, and Japan will have grown by only 12%-15%.(8)The Automobile’s Role in Atmospheric Pollution:In a typical U.S. city, motor vehicle emissions account for 30%-50% of hydrocarbon, 80%-90% of carbon monoxide, and 40%-60% of nitrogen oxide emissions. Cars and light trucks are responsible for about 20% of the nation’s carbon dioxide, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Motor vehicle carbon emissions are essentially proportional to total fuel consumed.(9) Unfortunately, in the coming decades the greatest growth in the automobile population will occur in developing countries which can least afford clean technologies. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities estimates that, because of rapidly increasing automobile populations, developing countries will be emitting 16.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually by year 2025, or about four times as much as developed nations. Problems Are Interdependent:Transportation energy consumption and environmental health are interrelated issues. Relieving the demand side of the equation simultaneously relieves the rest. If vehicle fuel economy were doubled, for example, transportation emissions would be essentially cut in half, even if there were no improvement in emission control technologies. If petroleum consumption were cut in half, reserves would be effectively doubled, even though no new deposits had been discovered. With a doubling of vehicle fuel economy, the same number of vehicle miles could be supported on half the investment in exploratory drilling, half the recovery, refining, and delivery expenses, and half the damage to the environment. The same interrelationships would exist with alternative energy sources, regardless of the particular technology.Although each problem, from emissions and resource burdens to economic factors, may yield to their own targeted efforts, alleviating the fundamental proble m simultaneously reduces the entire spectrum of associated difficulties. The Automobile as a Transportation System:Mass transit is often mentioned as an alternative to private cars, but the most effective mass transit system in the world is the automobile. An automobile transportation system provides schedules and routes that are tailored to individual needs. In addition, users individually purchase, maintain, and fuel the transportation device, and only the relatively inexpensive roadways require public funding.The primary tradeoffs for this otherwise ideal system are high energy intensity and high emissions.(10) However, if the automobile is to survive as an economically sound and viable transportation system its energy consumption and harmful emissions must be reduced.The Potential Impact of New Technologies:Today, automobiles operate at approximately 15% efficiency, which means that about 15% of the energy contained in the fuel is delivered to the drive wheels as useful work. According to the best estimates, it may be possible to double automobile energy efficiency (using conventional powertrains) to about 30% before we run out of ideas. At 30% powertrain efficiency a 20- to 25-mpg sedan would then achieve fuel economy of 40 to 50 mpg. Advanced power systems and reduced vehicle roadloads are necessary in order to make significant gains in automobile energy intensity.Electric cars produce significantly fewer harmful emissions, and they save about 10% to 30% in primary energy (over the entire energy chain). Advanced fuel cell vehicles using methanol reformed on-board into hydrogen may be as much as 2-1/2 times more efficient than today’s cars. Practical automobile fuel cells, however, present enormous economic and technical challenges.In the final analysis, technology alone may not be able to solve the world’s energy problems: partly because of the limitations of technology, but primarily because of the economic realities of alternative energy systems. And even the most optimistic estimations of the energy savings obtainable with advanced-technology systems still fall short of accommodating the long-term forecasts of transportation’s energy needs.A reduction in personal transportation energy intensity is essential in order to reduce the economic impact and technical hurdles of new energy systems and more costly energy supplies. Energy conservation is the most economically sound and environmentally friendly option.Factors That Affect Personal-Transportation Energy Consumption:Transportation energy consumption depends on the mass being transported and the distance it is transported. The technologies employed determine the efficiency at which the mass is transported. Consequently, energy consumption can be reduced by developing more efficient transportation technologies, or by reducing the transported mass and/or the distance traveled.The factors of distance and mass are determined largely by social and economic structures, and by vehicle layout and configuration. In order to reduce the distance and mass factors, Paulo Solaria envisions self-sufficient cities like Arcosanti in Arizona in which automobiles are no longer needed. Telecommuting, or working at home and transferring information, rather than people, is another approach designed to reduce overall distance and mass.With revised architectures, and new business and social structures, it is possible to significantly reduce society’s transportation energy needs. The difficulties of such revisions arise from the economic burdens of restructuring cities, and the psychological resistance to large scale changes in social and business structures. The technologies, however, are largely available or just on the horizon.Reducing the transported mass, independently of the distance traveled, can also fundamentally reduce transportation’s energy requirements. Moreover, mass reduction need not affect travel habits, social and business structures, or the architecture of cities. The opport unity for a large reduction in mass becomes apparent when one considers that the vehicle itself is responsible for approximately 92% of the transported mass, while the occupants account for only 8%.(11) Most of the automobile’s energy is consumed to transport itself. Mass reduction alone can save more energy than the most advanced powertrain concepts.Matching Vehicle Size to Trip Requirements:From the traditional perspective, the â€Å"identified problem† contributing to the automobile’s high energy intensity is low vehicle occupancy. Transportation energy intensity is a measure of the energy consumed per passenger mile traveled. When a vehicle is lightly loaded, energy intensity goes up because the vehicle consumes about the same amount of energy (fuel), regardless of the number of occupants. Operating large, multi-passenger cars with only one or two occupants is therefore considered the most wasteful habit affecting the world’s consumption of transportation energy.Worldwide, automobiles operate, on average, with about 1.6 to 1.8 occupants. In the U.S., approximately 87% of all automobile trips occur with two or fewer occupants. The average for work related trips is 1.1 occupants per vehicle. One- and two-occupant trips acco unt for approximately 83% of all vehicle miles traveled in the U.S.(12)If the same number of travelers were condensed into half the cars (car pooling), total automobile energy consumption would be reduced by half. But condensing occupants into fewer vehicles essentially defeats the automobile’s primary benefit. Trips must then accommodate the needs of other occupants, and the automobile is no longer a private and personal means of transportation.Traditionally, occupancy-rate is considered a behavioral by-product and therefore outside the bounds of vehicle technology. However, if the â€Å"identified problem† were redefined, it can easily become a simple technical problem. If the definition were â€Å"inappropriate vehicle size† (rather than underutilization of large cars), the solution would then be to resize vehicles so they more closely match trip requirements. Since one- and two-occupant trips predominate, it naturally follows that a category of smaller vehicles designed for one- and two-occupant local and commuting trips would be beneficial.Low-Mass Vehicle Safety:Small, lightweight cars are normally associated with an increased risk of harm. Traffic accident statistics generally support the relationship between vehicle size and injury/fatality rates, with the potential fo r harm increasing in proportion to the decrease in vehicle size. (The exception is in Japan, where a special category of lightweight â€Å"kei† cars actually have a lower fatality rate than conventional large cars.) But with better vehicle designs, historical data can quickly become outmoded. Cars built today are four times safer than vehicles built in 1969, and they are approximately 10% smaller and 20% lighter. This is due primarily to improved safety engineering and modern safety systems.Although occupant protection becomes more challenging as vehicle size is reduced, it is technically feasible to produce significantly smaller and lighter vehicles that have a high degree of safety. Advanced â€Å"hard shell† concepts designed to increase low-mass vehicle safety are already under development in Switzerland. This new approach utilizes a rigid exterior that is largely identical to the rigid passenger compartment of conventional cars. During a collision, the rigid exterior of the smaller car causes the less rigid deformation zone of the larger car to yield and absorb energy. Passenger ride-down space (for deceleration) in the low-mass car is provided inside the vehicle, rather than by the traditional exterior deformation zone. Occupant deceleration is controlled by elastic restraints and air bags. (13)Vehicle use patterns and operating environment are also important. Cars that operate primarily in the urban environment do not necessarily have to match the crashworthiness of larger cars in order to provide equally safe transportation.New Products and New Market Appeals – The Giant Oil Well Under Detroit:Market positioning, the implied messages in a product’s theme and advertising appeals, can capitalize on today’s environmental and energy concerns, and ultimately have a powerful effect on energy consumption and pollution. The necessary consumer motivations and interests already exist. A shift in thinking that disengages manufacturers and consumers alike from the association of size and mass in relation to value in automobile design is an essential part of reducing transportation’s energy consumption.Significantly smaller and lighter cars, both electric and conventionally powered, are normally envisioned as cheap, underpowered, and unsafe vehicles that have little appeal. Once this premise is accepted, vehicle attributes consistent with the vision naturally emerge and an outline of market potential, profitability, and even vehicle styling and safety then follows suit according to the core idea. These details can quickly change when the vehicle and the market are seen from a different perspective.By adopting a new perspective on automobile design, new marketing opportunities and new product ideas can begin to take shape. By emphasizing innovative safety features, visually impressive driver information systems, advanced vehicle control and crash avoidance systems, and attractive vehicle layouts and styling, smaller urban cars and commuter cars can emerge as safe, marketable, and even superior, transportation products. Innovative product packaging and marketing appeals are essential for a successful transition to electric urban cars and fuel-efficient commuter cars.Despite today’s â€Å"green† orientation, sacrifice and conservation are not especially marketable attributes. New vehicle types must satisfy consumers’ complex psychological needs while appealing to their broad social concerns. Energy conservation and environmental protection must be positioned as an upscale product attribute, rather than as a necessary sacrifice in the name of economic and environmental health. Energy conservation and emissions reduction are not primary consumer benefits. When manufacturers address environmental concerns with attractive new vehicle themes that satisfy consumers’ psychological needs, a marketable new category of products will have emerged, and passenger-travel energy consumption could be reduced by nearly two-thirds.A Sustainable Paradigm for a Fully Industrialized World:Alternative cars alone will not create a system for long-term sustainability with the expected populations. Although transportation will be tomorrow’s largest single energy consumer (as much as 40% in the long term), combined industrial and residential needs will account for a larger portion of society’s total energy needs.Future generations will probably have to adapt to more expensive energy, and use the world’s resources more prudently. This does not necessarily point to a world of stifling scarcity, but more to a new sense of responsibility, and a new paradigm for product design and the lifestyles that interrelate to form the overall production/consumption/pollution matrix. Changes in attitudes and behavior patterns can have an enormous impact on the cost to the ecosystem in resources and pollution. Population control and new business and social structures are essential; and new technologies are needed as well.Today’s developed economies, which account for only one-fourth of the world’s inhabitants, have been fortunate to have abundant and cheap fossil energy supplies to fuel their transition into an industrialized world. In a sense, today’s developed societies are similar to yesterday’s pioneers, blazing the technology trail to a new frontier of sufficiency and sustainablity for the world’s future community of developed nations. Abundant and clean energy from nuclear fusion, along with fuel cell cars and rapid-recharging, extended-range, battery-electric cars, are probably the best hopes for meeting long-term transportation and energy needs. And new frontiers must be pioneered in attitudes and values, which ultimately convert to resource consumption and environmental degradation as they guide behavior. Just as alternative cars do not necessarily imply dull product design or reduced transportation quality, new values and social structures do not necessarily imply compromised lifestyles.