Acid Rain :: Free Essay Writer

Modern society is becoming overwhelmed with great amounts of pollution from cars, factories, and an overabundance of garbage. The immense amounts of sulphur dioxide emitted into the air causes high levels of acid in the atmosphere. When this sulphuric acid is absorbed into moisture in the air, poignant rainfalls can be damaging to the external environment. Acid rain is a serious problem with disastrous effects. Each day this serious problem increases. Many people believe that this issue is too small to deal with right now, but this issue should be met head on and solved before it is too late.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acid rain is defined as any rainfall that has an acidity level beyond what is expected in non-polluted rainfall. Any precipitation that has a pH value of less than 5.6 is considered to be acid precipitation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main causes of acid rain is sulfur dioxide. Natural sources that emit this gas are volcanoes, sea spray, rotting vegetation, and plankton. However, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, are largely to be blamed for approximately half of the emissions of this gas in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nitric oxide and nitric dioxide are also components of acid rain. Its sources are mainly from power stations and exhaust fumes. Like sulfur dioxide, these nitrogen oxides rise into the atmosphere and are oxidized in clouds to form nitric acid. Acid rain has drastic effects on our environment. It causes lakes and rivers to become acidic, killing off fish. Short-term increases in acid levels kill lots of fish, but the greatest threat is from long-term increases, which stop the fish reproducing. Plants and algae in lakes also suffer from increased acid levels. When the pH gets down to 4.5, virtually everything is dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How does acid rain affect humans? Among one of the serious side effects of acid pollution on humans are respiratory problems. The SO2 and NO2 emissions give rise to respiratory problems such as asthma, dry coughs, headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best approach to acid rain is to reduce the amount of Nitrogen Oxides and Sulfur dioxides being released into the atmosphere. Fitting a catalytic converter to a car can reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides by up to 90 percent, but they are very expensive, and cause more carbon dioxide to be released, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sulfur Dioxide emissions from power stations can be reduced before, during, or after combustion.

Virtuosity in Othello :: Literary Analysis, Shakespeare,

The character Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s play Othello holds on to her dignified behavior until the very end, when her life is taken by her jealous husband, is indicative not only of her chaste mind, but also of her virtuous fortitude. Women of that time were largely seen mostly one of two extremes – either virtuous or licentious. Desdemona’s strength as a virtuous woman are clearly illustrated in two pivotal scenes in Shakespeare’s play: in her poise when confronted with her husband’s collapse of his gentlemanly facade; and in the dignified way she faces her own demise head-on, feeble on affirmations, yet overflowing with grace. In Act 4, Scene 2, Desdemona proves herself as a lady in her discussion with the evil Iago, who, unbeknownst to her, is the cause of her chagrin. Although she bewails that Othello has called her a whore, she herself does not stoop to insults. Proudly, she declares, â€Å"Unkindness may do much† and, in a moment of disturbing foreshadowing, states â€Å"And his unkindness may defeat my life† (IV.ii. 164-65). Though virtuous to a fault, she remains dignified and affirms, â€Å"I cannot even say ‘whore.’ / It does abhor me now I speak the word; / To do the act that might the addition earn / Not the world’s mass of vanity could make me† (166-69). During the tragic conclusion of the play, in Act 5 scene 2, Othello suffocates his adored Desdemona in the erroneous belief of her infidelity. She nevertheless departs with dignity. She does not wail but instead she merely states: â€Å"O, falsely, falsely murdered!† (130). One is left to wonder if she is referring to herself or to Cassio; regardless, these words are simply matter-of-fact and are not the emotion-driven cries one would normally expect from a person facing her own execution. Through her dying breath, Desdemona states clearly, â€Å"A guiltless death I die† (136). Her mistress Emilia, obviously overcome with emotion, pleads to Desdemona to name the killer, crying, â€Å"Help! Help, ho! Help! O lady, speak again!† (134) and â€Å"O, who hath done this deed?† (137). With a quiet composure on her deathbed, Desdemona cryptically tells Emilia, â€Å"Nobody—I myself. Farewell† (138). Was she a self-loving character who had the ability to love others unconditionally? Or was she a fool who accepted her worldly fate in the belief that, by doing so, she was being righteous? Othello appears to be more of a weak character to succumb to misguided vanity and jealousy than Desdemona in meeting her own end with dignity.

Inatimate Object Essay Essay

In my personal opinion, Mr. Rizzo would be a book because there are plenty of things that you can learn from him. For example you can learn life lessons, football, volleyball, and wrestling skills, and math skills. Particularly I think the book he would be, would be a â€Å"Boys Handbook† type. I say this because Mr. Rizzo is a coach of all boys’ sports, is a good teacher at the things he teaches, and is very smart. Rizzo is a pre-algebra teacher in the Brackman Middle School. My eighth grade year having him as a math teacher helped me understand the concepts of algebra a lot better than I did. The way he teaches things he shows examples and works hand-in-hand with a student who may need the extra help (one reason why I believe he’s such a great teacher). Also, Mr. Rizzo showed my class a lot of tips, and tricks that can help you work through confusing algebraic equations. I’m very happy that I was able to have Mr. Rizzo as my teacher because a lot of things he had taught me helped carry through my first Algebra 1 course as a freshman. In this book that Mr. Rizzo may be as an inanimate object, someone could learn math skills, tips, or tricks, like what he verbally taught me in the classroom. Also, Mr. Rizzo is a great athletic coach. He coaches wrestling and football at the middle school level, and varsity volleyball in the Barnegat High school. He had a scholarship for wrestling back in the day, but it was unfortunately taken away after he got into a fight in school and accidentally hit his wrestling coach’s wife in the face as she tried break up the fight that he was in. As a wrestler I know everything I know from Mr. Rizzo. I entered the Brackman Middle School gym my sixth grade year knowing absolutely nothing about wrestling. From then on I just constantly learned move, after trick, after combination, and more from him. As a football player I was coached by Rizzo for only one season when I was in eighth grade. He was my defensive coach for me and the rest of the linebackers. Not knowing much about the position because I used to play the defensive line in recent years, he taught me a lot of new ways to play, holes to hit, coverage zones, and more. I’ve never played on a volleyball team but what I hear firsthand from players of Rizzo’s, is that he is nothing but a good coach. Between talking to Rizzo at wrestling, football, or in the classroom, my mind was always being blown by stories he had to tell about what has happened in his life, his family, what he had been through, and more. He changed my outlook on the future and made me realize that if you don’t work hard to succeed you’ll go nowhere in life. From stories of all the jobs he had worked to support himself and his family, different jobs to do, places to end up in life really showed me that you need to work hard to have a good life. What Rizzo had taught to me over the three years I’d see him on a regular basis, was that whatever you do, you have to put your mind to and give it your all. Also that nothing in life comes easy to you and that you have to work for things. What I learned from him I believe will have a very large and positive impact on my future. In conclusion, if Mr. Derrick Rizzo were to ever become an inanimate object I believe that he would be a book. This book would not be just a regular one, but something can help many people, with many things. It can definitely increase someone’s math smarts by a lot, by helping explain how to work through big problems, how to graph, simplify, and much more. You can learn a lot of tips and tricks in a lot of sports. Different ways to play defense in football, what holes to hit, who to cover, and what to do. In wrestling you can learn takedowns, pin combinations, escapes, and more; and how to play and do things in volleyball. Also, it can really change the way that people may look at life and think about or approach things. It would not only help and positively benefit people; it will also show why Mr. Rizzo is such an interesting person.

Unraveling of cultural meaning and sociological dimensions of Sex and the City by means of an ideological analysis

In 1998, TIME Magazine ran a front-cover story questioning the relevancy of feminism today. It asked: â€Å"Is feminism dead? â€Å"1 (Bellafante 29/06/98). The breeding pit of Naomi Wolf, Gloria Steinem, Germaine Greer and the rest of radical clan had allegedly been buried. Instead, fictitious feminist icons like Ally McBeal, Bridget Jones, the Spice Girls, Charlie's Angels, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Carrie Bradshaw, have taken part of the flightiness of contemporary feminism. The newfangled feminist motto, as the Spice Girls proclaimed, is Girl Power – and that's as far as it goes – muting the traditional voices of a civil rights movement which once declared the ‘personal to be the political'. The shift from a radical movement to a rather disinterested feminist condition is particularly evident in the TV hit-series, Sex and the City. The widely-acclaimed show has popularly blended upbeat feminist maxims with the everyday-life of four single women in their 30s, engaging in their self-contained universe, New York City. Often defined as the prototype of feminism stepping into the boundaries of mainstream popular culture, the series has never lacked an explicit exploration of the single woman and implicit reinforcement of female sexuality. But does the embracement of intellectual, financial, and sexual freedom automatically spell a valid feminist message? Although the depiction of sexually explicit images has rendered the series progressive and controversial, its critical standing should be instead attributed to the feminist archetypes it attempts to embody. The progressive portrayals of women in the mainstream media have led to the suggestion that the breakdown of traditional gender-specific stereotypes could potentially render any cultural text feminist (Berger 1995, p. 29). Particularly the advent of a multiplicity in feminisms, from radical and Marxist to liberal and postmodernist, has translated feminist thought into an increasingly blurred and unfixed discourse. Given this hypothetical assumption of a cultural crisis in feminist practice and theory, this essay is concerned with the deconstruction and unraveling of cultural meaning and sociological dimensions of Sex and the City by means of an ideological analysis. Accordingly, the following essay attempts to look at how cultural context shapes feminist strategies and concerns. At this point, it should be noted that the Third-wave agenda of Sex and the City does not necessarily suggest a forging of an entire movement, but rather what a feminist movement might look like for a generation which has largely been affected by the Mothers of Feminism. SEXHAUSTED FEMINISM In every episode of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw, the lead character and protagonist of the show, types a question on her laptop raising issues of sex, men, and relationships. In the very first episode, she wondered: â€Å"Can women have sex like men? â€Å". The frankness of this question promptly sets the controversial, yet revolutionary tone of the show. As elaborated in subsequent episodes, the answer to Carrie's question is a clear yes – without apologies. On this level, the show deliberately enters into the territory of feminism with its gender play, attempting to breakaway from traditional sex-role definitions. This in itself resembles the radical forms of the feminist movement in the 1970s which embraced consciousness-raising as a tactic. If consciousness-raising is the â€Å"systematic attempt to break though ideological assumptions† (Brown 1990, p. 14), then Sex and the City does indeed successfully elude prevalent constructed installations of male/ female functions in sexual intercourse. However, the use of sexually explicit images to override traditional sexual imbalances adds fuel to both, feminist applause and criticism. Given the precedence of sexual depictions over other forms of pivotal feminist inquiries, Sex and the City becomes highly vulnerable to the male gaze. This sets out two significant contradictory aspects of the series – one which arises from feminist discourse and the other developed through the dominant ideology of patriarchy. While sexual freedom is undoubtedly a bold proponent of feminist theory, the female characters in Sex and the City also adhere to a traditional exhibitionist role of being looked at and displayed (Mulvey 1989, p. 19). The four characters as sexual objects have fused male voyeurism and desire with that of feminist narrative, taking the postmodern voyeur into new, but also familiar ideological regions. The struggle in determining the ideological position of Sex and the City does not end here. Feminist author, Camille Paglia, argued that the series was a victory for the â€Å"huge wing of us pro-sex feminists† over the â€Å"1980s anti-porn, anti-sex wing of feminists† (cited in Maddox 09/02/04). Paglia's comments underscore the feminist refusal of a fixed and static ideological premise. In 1985, for example, two anti-porn feminist activists, Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin (cited in Califia 1994, p. 123), argued that pornography should be eliminated as a matter of public policy because the â€Å"bigotry and contempt it promotes†¦ diminish opportunities for equality of [women's] rights†. The competing sub-ideological codes underpinning the overall ideology of feminism is further appropriated by the show itself. Ultimate pro-sex feminism is best embodied by the character of Samantha Jones, a PR executive, who orders sex a la carte, with no emotional commitments attached. In stark contrast, an idealist view of romantic relationships is upheld by the character of Charlotte York, a conservative art dealer, who is reluctant to solely attribute sex with female lust. But the puzzling and contradictory ideological signals of the lead characters of Sex and the City are indeed part of the show's postmodern feminist agenda. In order to negotiate how the politics of feminism has been negotiated in Sex and the City it is important to recognize the essence of postmodern- or third-wave feminism. As opposed to other traditional feminist forms, postmodern feminism is much more open to new considerations of gender. Instead of affixing a precondition for feminist thought, postmodern feminists stress the way men and women interact with one another, discarding traditionalist notions of gender naturalness and normality (Bessant and Watts 2002: 48). Rather, feminists with postmodern sympathies argue that we need to acknowledge human diversity, asking â€Å"What is the natural woman anyway? â€Å". This gives primacy to the postmodern acceptance that gender cannot be separated from culture. WIMMIN OR WOMEN ? Singlehood and the breakdown of the family unit are the acclaimed elements in labelling the series feminist. All main characters of Sex and the City fulfil meaningful functions that engender economic, intellectual, and sexual liberation, stimulating the formation of an alternative ideology – a crucial component for building a social movement in the 21st Century (Ryan 2001, p. 305). However, despite the storyline of Sex and the City invoking an alternative ideology, it does not essentially disagree with dominant ideologies. Although the strong bond and friendship between the four leading characters incites a theme of sisterhood throughout the series, the uniting of four basically diverse individuals into a group with common interests in matters of sex, men, and relationships lacks a counterbalancing framework that opposes and attempts to revamp the political and economic structures of society. As Green (1998, p. 1) importantly affirms, â€Å"†¦ in the contemporary post-feminist era, patriarchal traditions in visual culture are seemingly challenged, yet ultimately produced†. Patriarchal and capitalist codes are therefore not only naturalized in Sex and the City, but merged into feminist discourse. Perhaps the most revealing statement Sex and the City makes about its feminist outlook lies in Carrie's first effective ideological statement: â€Å"New York is all about sex and hence not about marriage†. At first glance, this appraisal of singlehood through the romance genre might seem to present a paradox. Despite the glorification of female bonding and alternative family forms, the seemingly counter-ideological premise of Sex and the City only ascends in the show's first few seasons. Its post-feminist sentiments are subsequently watered down, negotiated, and limited by the dominance of the romance genre to the extent that by the end of the entire series, two of the main characters are married and the other two in a faithful monogamous relationship. This happily-ever-after formulaic conclusion is of strict adherence to the clichid literary styles of the Hollywood romance genre, as opposed to a groundbreaking counter-cultural narrative. In an interview with Candace Bushnell, the author who created Sex and the City, renowned feminist and author of the Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf, asked her if she believed the characters of the show to be feminist (Wolf 2003, p. 17). â€Å"They're obviously feminist,† she responded. â€Å"You can be a feminist but that doesn't contradict the human desire for love. † But such ‘human desire for love' is particularly safeguarded by Hollywood and the producers of Sex and the City as well. Here, love is portrayed as a prescribed condition for marriage as if romantic love through â€Å"emotional dramas are virtually the only acceptable means of moving towards marriage† (Weisser 2001, p. 257). Indeed, disgruntled feminists of the second-wave have unconditionally asserted that the prevalence of love â€Å"justifies our exploitation by men and simultaneously ensnares us into oppressive relationships with them†. To advance the flourishing of romance in a seemingly natural and neutral manner, Sex and the City is brought to a close with an absence of scenes of what succeeds the ever-after ending. Wexman reaffirms that â€Å"Hollywood films erase contradictions by making the happy ending coincide with the monogamous marriage as culmination of romantic passion and freezing this passion in an eternal moment of unproblematic unhappiness† (cited in Evans and Delayto 1998, p. 7). Ideologically, Sex and the City reinforces a â€Å"desperation theme† (Dines and Humez 2003, p. 129). The implications of such are substantiated when Charlotte cries, â€Å"I have been dating since I was 15, when is my Mr. Right going to come along? In another episode, Carrie similarly bemoans her single status during Charlotte's wedding, saying, â€Å"I would die to have a strong man catch me when I fall†. And although Miranda Hobbes, a successful lawyer and single mother, asks early-on in the series, â€Å"Why do we get stuck with old maiden and spinster and men get to be bachelors and playboys? â€Å", she later draws a surprising revelation: â€Å"I must not end up old maiden or spinster†. The retreat into desperation and marriage as a strategy towards addressing cultural anxieties is at the forefront in Sex and the City, yet is unsuccessful in acknowledging feminist discourse. Instead, Sex and the City is manufactured as a cultural product which translates romance and marriage into woman's ultimate sexual and political identity. The characters of Sex and the City do not entirely – if at all – escape traditional gender role expectations. By adhering to the framework of dominant ideologies, the women are confined to specific gender, sexual, racial, ethnic and class stereotypes. All four characters are White, upper-middle class, attractive, feminine, and heterosexually appealing. This further extends to the show's predominant representation of marriage as a monogamous Judeo-Christian value. It can therefore be argued that the effect of such representations boils down an ideological impact of mainstream capitalist and patriarchal norms, instead of a preponderance of unorthodox feminist beliefs. I ? NEW YORK Its credit sequence flaunts famous landmarks like the Chrysler Building, World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge, or Fifth Avenue. New York City, the alleged capital of the world, is proactive in bestowing the four characters their freedom and is implicitly a fifth representational character in Sex and the City. As Richards (2003, p. 48) affirms, â€Å"More often than not it seems impossible that they could enjoy and indulge is such sexual freedom in any other American city†. Drawing on what Carrie once said – â€Å"New York is all about sex, and hence not about marriage† -renders New York a ‘singles ghetto'. Fostering singlehood through the visual projection of the city is advanced by separating the singles from the marrieds. Single women walk, live and breathe at the very heart of the postmodern city, whilst married people are confined to the private spaces of suburbia – Connecticut or the Hamptons. To survive in a metropolitan city like New York, Sex and the City suggests that one must be single. Samantha, for example, affirms that â€Å"this is the first time in the history of Manhattan that women have had as much power and money as men†. Although an abundance of exterior shots establishes a sense of postmodern reality and familiarity of the Big Apple, Samantha's observations of Manhattan potentially exclude many women from the social boundaries of Sex and the City and hence, from feminist discourse. Race is a significant factor in terms of how the series sets up criteria for who becomes a feminist. Sanders (2004, p. 7) argues that the surnames of the leading characters – Bradshaw, Jones, York, Hobbes – would not look out of place in a â€Å"white-shoe investment bank†. For a city that has flourished into a global hotspot for multiculturalism and become the permanent address of many foreign immigrants, New York is depicted as distinctly White, outwardly projecting a message that only Whiteness is given access to the highest level of rewards, including that of an entire ideology. Confining feminism to women of a White and middle-class background naturalises feminism as an elitist establishment, undermining the struggle of minorities. Women who have failed to achieve economic freedom, lesbians who have yet to achieve sexual freedom, or single women with children, are all but entirely excluded. The prevailing milieu of inequitable feminist sentiments, however, is fuelled by the narrative and visual structures of the romance genre. Green (1998, p. 30), for example, attributes the romance genre to a â€Å"white racial consciousness inseparable from our notion of love, heroism, and public life†. The absence of the Other therefore â€Å"embodies the most basic material meaning of our social order in its very lack of embodiedness†. Accordingly, the social order of Sex and the City invites lipstick lesbians to its culture, while macho femmes are completely iced out. A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO SHOES The construction of feminine identity and womanhood is a crucial quality perpetuated in Sex and the City. Not only are the four main characters perceived as naturally beautiful and aesthetically appealing, but their fetishised consumption of commodity products endorses patriarchal capitalism. The second-wave of feminism in the '60s and '70s charged consumerism for penetrating the inequitable model of female identity that was â€Å"deeply conservative† (MacDonald 1995, p. 6). Yet the series has come close to resemble a spin-off weekly PR event, boosting luxury brands from Fendi and Manolo Blahnik to Prada and Jimmy Choo. As a consequence, it may be argued that Sex and the City masks the socio-political nervous system of feminism, by portraying females in a narrow range of settings and activities, thus abiding to stereotypes determined as uniquely feminine (Soo Ching 2003, p. 12). The four characters are very rarely seen at work, but are financially capable to much on-screen shopping, socialising at parties, lunching on a day-to-day basis, and dating wealthy professional men. Bailey (2003, p. 10) illustrates the embedded paradox: â€Å"Sex and the City lacks a larger political agenda, but is still concerned with effects of individual choices on individual lives†. Derived from the Marx's analysis of capitalist societies and his term â€Å"commodity fetishism†, Wolfgang Haug (1987, p. 8) determined products in a capitalist society to be designed to â€Å"stimulate in the onlooker the desire to possess and the impulse to buy†. There is a bold connection here between the culture of women's magazines and Sex and the City. Feminist media critics have raised concern over the monolithic compositions of a â€Å"woman's world† imbued in women's magazines (Bignell 2004, p. 216). The ideological composition of women's magazine represent feminine identity as set a set of social conventions, norms, problems and desires, passed on and appropriated by the series itself. But as McCracken (1993, p. 136) argues, â€Å"within the discursive structure, to be beautiful, one must fear being non-beautiful; to be in fashion, one must fear being out of fashion; to be self-confident, one must first feel insecure†. Underlying the production of patriarchal capitalism in Sex and the City, feminism therefore endangers, rather than enhances, the concept of strengthening women's civil rights. In this instance, capitalism, via feminist discourse, masks the essence of consumer goods as being produced in an inherently patriarchal system for patriarchal gain. Product placement in the series not only accomplishes commodity hegemony, but automatically weakens the show's ties with feminism. Instead, the absolute value of feminism is commodified, which Goldman (1992, p. 130) readily labels â€Å"commodity feminism†. He argues that â€Å"commodity feminism depoliticises and individualises feminism and defuses its potential political impact†. From this perspective Sex and the City can be argued to render invisible the questions of economic status, work and social power for women. According to Bignell (2004, p. 217), the fascination with self-indulgent and pretentious activities like shopping and socialising, is a focus â€Å"relatively trivial aspects of women's lives†, as opposed to raising concern over abortion, the sexual division of labour, the representation of women in politics, or the stereotypical images pursued by the media. CONCLUSION It has been more than 40 years since Betty Friedan attacked the role of women in marriage through her writings in the Feminine Mystique. Although the time-worn pages of her book might have dried out and been stacked away, feminism is indeed still alive. As evidenced by the various ideological traditions and perspectives in reading Sex and the City, one cannot conclusively determine whether the nature of the show is feminist or non-feminist. Rather, it should be acknowledged that contemporary feminism bears an abundance of ideological contradictions and complexities. This is not to say that feminism is indefinable, but part of a shift from its initial historical beliefs and assumptions. It is again arguable that postmodern feminism has severely misdirected the elements of feminism to an irrational and apolitical uncertainty. Although it may be argued that the postmodern version simply defines feminism in a flexible and relaxing way, its discourse is invariably formalised by those in power. Feminism is ideologically withheld in Sex and the City by reinforcing traditional gendered stereotypes and a consumerist culture based on the dominant ideologies of patriarchy and capitalism, respectively. Although embellished with postmodern feminist rhetoric, Sex and the City enforces a restrictive social space for women fused with the boundaries romantic love and marriage. However, despite its limitations, Sex and the City deserves acknowledgement for the (admittedly negotiated) challenge it poses to feminist assumptions, as well as the return of women's rights on the social agenda.

Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effective Evaluation Methods Useful for Evaluating Effective Training Essay

For over a hundred years the concept of both cost-benefit evaluation and cost-effective evaluation methods has been used for numerous fields and industries to see the positive and negative sides of undertaking a project. These methods has been used to analyze public health; transportation; and etc. Each and every company would rather see more of profits than losses. Employers see that their employees and the trainings are investments to their business. Hence, employers need to have assurances that the trainings that they give out to their employees would be both beneficial to the employers in terms of profit and as well as return of investment (ROI). In order to gain much profit, the employers need to have their employees be up to par with industry standards with avant-garde skills through effective training. Employers do take note that in order to have highly qualified employees they need to give effective and quality training. Using the above mentioned evaluation methods would let the employers know: how much it would cost them to train their employees; the duration of the training – would determine the effectiveness and implementation of the skills. Then again these methodologies are not full-proof as there are numerous factors to be taken note of, to guarantee one hundred percent success rate of these trainings such as: the capabilities of their employees, the willingness of their employees to learn these trainings; and finally applying them during operation. The use of these evaluation methods can be a rough guide to corporations and institutions, to name a few, to see the quality and assess projected costs of trainings and steps to be taken. With such projections yielded by these methods one may be on track with their project management and asset management.

Photosynthesis

The leaves are the part of a plant where most photosynthesis takes place. If you cut a leaf in half and look at the cut end, it would look like this: Key: 1. Waxy cuticle: this gives the leaf a waterproof layer, which lets in light. 2. Upper epidermis: provides an upper surface. 3. Palisade cells: contain chloroplasts. 4. Spongy mesophyll: collection of damp, loosely packed cells. 5. Lower epidermis: layer of cells on the lower surface. 6. Air space inside the leaf: allows contact between air and moist cell surfaces. 7. Stoma: a hole in the leaf through which gases diffuse. . Guard cells: change shape to close the stoma. One unique feature of leaves is that they have tiny holes in them to let carbon dioxide and oxygen enter and exit. The hole formed between these cells is called a stoma. A stoma is just a hole. It is controlled by two guard cells, which change shape to either open or close the hole. Something makes water enter the cells by osmosis and so they swell up and change shap e, but no one is quite sure of the trigger. The stomata (air holes) on plants are normally open during the day and closed at night.These stomata are found on the undersides of leaves. This is because if they faced the sunlight, some of the plant's precious water could evaporate out of them. [IMAGE] Guard cells Hole Open stoma Closed stoma Photosynthesis is the way that plants make their food using energy from sunlight. This is the word equation: [IMAGE] Plants use the green dye (or pigment) called chlorophyll to pick up the energy from the sunlight. Plants make sugar and use some of it for energy to keep them alive (respiration) but they also use some for growth and repair by making fats and proteins.However, it is not always sunny so plants need to be able to store some of the sugar they make, so they convert it to a storage carbohydrate (starch). Plants could use starch or glucose. Starch is insoluble (it does not dissolve in water) while glucose is soluble. This means that if sta rch is used, less water is required to keep its food stored. The amounts of water, carbon dioxide, sunlight and temperature can all affect how effectively a plant carries out photosynthesis.The amount of water is effected by how much is taken up through the roots and how much is lost from the leaves. If less water is available in the leaf then photosynthesis will occur more slowly. Similarly, if there is less carbon dioxide around then photosynthesis will occur more slowly. There wont be enough of the fuel (substrate) to get the reaction to work. If there is less sun, which usually means it is cooler too, then there is less energy for photosynthesis and it occurs more slowly. So photosynthesis works best when it is warm and sunny.Aim === The aim of my experiment is to determine whether or not the intensity of light will affect the rate of photosynthesis in a plant. To do this, I am going to observe Canadian pond weed (Elodea) under varying light intensities. The Elodea will be subme rged in water. I will count the amount of oxygen given off in this experiment by counting the number of bubbles produced. I used Canadian pondweed because of its unusual ability to emit bubbles of gas from a cut end, when placed in water. IntroductionPhotosynthesis occurs only in the presence of light, and takes place in the chloroplasts of green plant cells. Photosynthesis can be defined as the production of simple sugars from carbon dioxide and water causing the release of sugar and oxygen. The chemical equation for photosynthesis can be expressed as: sunlight [IMAGE]Carbon dioxide + water sugar (glucose) + oxygen + water CO2 + H2O C6H2O6 + O2 + H2O All plants need light in order to photosynthesise. This has been proven many times in experiments, so it is possible to say that without light, the plant would die.The reason that light intensity does affect the rate of photosynthesis is because as light (and therefore energy) falls on the chloroplasts in a leaf, it is trapped by the c hlorophyll, which then makes the energy available for chemical reactions in the plant. As the amount of sunlight (or in this case light from a bulb) falls on the plant, energy is absorbed. This means that energy is available for the chemical reactions, and so photosynthesis takes place. The more light there is that falls on the leaf in the first place, the quicker the rate that the reaction can take place.There are many factors which will affect the rate of photosynthesis, including light intensity, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. The maximum rate of photosynthesis will be controlled by a limiting factor. This factor will prevent the rate of photosynthesis from rising above a certain level, even if the other conditions needed for photosynthesis are improved. It will therefore be necessary to control these factors throughout the experiment so as not to let them affect the reliability of my investigation into the effect of light intensity.Predictions ——â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ I predict that as the intensity of light increase, so will the rate of photosynthesis. I also predict that if the light intensity increases, the rate of photosynthesis will increase at a proportional rate until a certain level is reached, and the rate of increase will then go down. Eventually, a level will be reached where an increase in light intensity will have no further effect on the rate of photosynthesis, as there will be another limiting factor, in this case probably temperature. Preliminary work =============== Initially, to determine a suitable range of levels of light intensities at which to record results for my experiment, I did a preliminary investigation in which I recorded the number of bubbles of oxygen given off in a given time at various light intensities. To alter the light intensity, I placed a lamp at various distances from the plant. I also therefore needed a way of accurately measuring the light intensity, and I did this using a light intensity mo nitor. I obtained the following results:Light intensity (%) Number of oxygen bubbles collected 100 38 95 51 90 45 85 36 80 33 75 14 70 7 65 1 60 0 Although this is a very quick, simple and efficient way of obtaining an idea of the trends for the graph, and the boundaries for the measurements, this experiment was not in itself in my opinion accurate enough to be the basis of my main experiment. This lack of accuracy was mainly due to the fact that by simply counting the bubbles, I was relying on each bubble being exactly the same size, which they clearly were not.The preliminary experiment will give me a best fit curve to which I can compare my main graph, and also points at either end of my results at which it is clear to see light intensity has little or no effect. Here, it was in fact at a light intensity of around 95% when it seems that another factor such as temperature or carbon dioxide concentration has become a limiting factor. In my main experiment, it will not be necessary to take readings above this point. It also shows that while my outer limits are justified, it will be better to take more readings between the current light intensity values of around 60 – 95%.I will take readings at 60%, 62. 5%, 65%, 67. 5%, 70%, 72. 5% aâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ This way I will obtain more results between an accurate value scale. Here are my results from my preliminary experiment: [IMAGE] Method Input variables Light intensity – This is to be varied by increasing and decreasing the distance from the light source to the plant Output variables Volume of oxygen (rate of photosynthesis) – This is to be measured by finding the number of bubbles of oxygen produced in a 30 seconds. Carbon dioxide concentration – This can affect the rate of photosynthesis, since if there is too little CO2, it can become the limiting factor.In this case, as long as the experiment is done over a short period of time, the amount of carbon dioxide used up by the plant will not b e sufficient enough to cause the carbon dioxide concentration to become the limiting factor. If my experiment were to be performed over a longer period of time, this would become a problem. Water availability – Water is also required in the photosynthesis reaction, and when it is lacking, the plants' stomata close to prevent further water loss. This closing of the stomata cells also leads to little carbon dioxide being able to diffuse through.Clearly, in a water plant, (like the pondweed) as long as the plant is fully submerged in water at all times, this will not be a problem. Temperature – Enzymes are used in the photosynthesis reactions of a plant. Therefore, temperature will increase the rate of photosynthesis, until a point at which the enzymes weaken and work at a slower rate. I am going to perform the experiment at 22 degrees, checking the temperature frequently in case the heat given off from the light should slightly raise the temperature, in which case I shal l simply refill the beaker with more water after each experiment.Apparatus list A § Desk lamp A § Elodea pondweed A § Clamp A § Water A § Thermometer A § Test-tube A § Beaker A § Cold water A § Stopwatch A § Light intensity meter Cut a stem of Canadian pondweed of about 7cm in length. Fill a test-tube with water, and place it in a clamp. Then place the test tube into a beaker of cold water. Insert a thermometer into the beaker, and record the temperature at the beginning and end of each experiment, (as a precaution against a significant unexpected rise in temperature).Set up a lamp at a set distance from the plant, ensuring that this distance is from the filament of the lamp to the actual pondweed, rather than the edge of the beaker. The light intensity must be measured in the same way as described in the preliminary experiment. When bubbles are being produced at a steady rate, start the stopwatch and count how many oxygen bubbles are produced in 30 seconds. Repe at this experiment three times for accuracy. Following the aforementioned method, I obtained these results: Light intensity (%) Number of bubbles counted Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 95 52 0 50 90 47 48 46 85 37 39 39 80 35 32 33 75 12 13 10 70 4 2 3 65 1 0 2 60 1 0 0 From these results, I have worked out one set of average results and drawn a graph to show them. The results are rounded up to integers because the â€Å"number of bubbles counted† is discrete data (ie – â€Å"4 and a half bubbles† would not be appropriate). ===================================================================== Light intensity (%) Average number of bubbles counted 95 51 90 47 85 38 80 33 75 12 70 3 65 1 60 0 *****Analysis***** ================== *****My graph was in the form of a best-fit curve.I drew it as a curve rather than a straight line because of the clear pattern of the points. This meant that the rate of photosynthesis increased as the light intensity increased. This was because ph otosynthesis is a reaction, which needs energy from light to work, so as the amount of energy available from light increased with the rise in light intensity, so did the amount of oxygen produced as a product of photosynthesis. My graphs showed that the relationship between the light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis was non-linear, as both graphs produced a best-fit curve.However, as I expected in my hypothesis, it does appear that for the very first part of the graph, the increase in rate is in fact proportional to the increase in light intensity (i. e. a straight line) and I can show this by taking some readings from the graph: Results from graphaâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ =================== From these results, I am able to say that an increase in light intensity does certainly increase the rate of photosynthesis. The gradual decrease in the rate of increase of the rate of photosynthesis (the shallowing of the curve) can be attributed to the other factors limiting the rate of photosynth esis.As light intensity increases, the photosynthetic rate is being limited by certain factors, such as carbon dioxide and temperature. These factors do not immediately limit the rate of photosynthesis, but rather gradually. As light intensity increases further, so the rate of photosynthesis is being limited by other factors more and more, until the rate of photosynthesis is constant, and so is almost certainly limited in full by another factor. Overall, both graphs and my results support my predictions fully.My idea that the rate of photosynthesis would increase with light intensity was comprehensively backed up by my results. This is because a higher light intensity involves a greater level of light energy, which can then be transferred to a special protein environment designed to convert the energy. Here, the energy of a photon is used to transfer electrons from one chlorophyll pigment to the next. When enough energy has been gathered at a reaction centre, ATP can be synthesised from ADP. The oxygen collected in the experiment is in fact the by-product of this reaction, and so it is lear to see that the more light energy, the more ADP is being converted into ATP and more oxygen is produced as a result. Evaluation ========== Although I feel that my experiment was sound overall, I thought there were many points at which the accuracy was not perfect. As I have already stated, my preliminary experiment was not accurate enough to justify being used as my main experiment. This was mostly due to the fact that I was relying on all the bubbles being the same size, which they clearly weren't, however many of the smaller inaccuracies also apply to my main experiment.Firstly, the distance between the light sources and the Canadian Pondweed were not measured to a very high degree of accuracy, especially when you note the fact that the distance should have been measured exactly from the filament of the light bulb to the centre of the plant. It is possible here to find a percentage error. I estimate that the error could have been up to 0. 5cm and I will find the percentage error for the largest and smallest reading using this estimate: Percentage error = possible inaccuracy total reading % error distance 10 5cm 1 50cm Percentage error is just how much your guess was off from the actual value. The formula is: |estimate – actual|/actual * 100% [That is: the absolute value of (the estimate minus the actual) all divided by the actual, all multiplied by 100%. ]* It is clear to see that the percentage error is much less for the larger distances. Although I was not actually using the distances as part of my results, I used them as a marker for where the lamp was placed each time, as I assumed that the light intensity would be the same each time at a particular distance. Therefore, any inaccuracies in measuring the distances, i. e. f a distance was slightly different when doing the actual experiment from the distance at which I earlier measured the l ight intensity, an error would ensue. The second major inaccuracy was in measuring the volume of oxygen given off. When reading the syringe there could have been an error of 0. 25mm, and again it is possible to find a percentage error. % error volume 3. 57 7ml 50 0. 5ml For the smallest volumes this is clearly a massive error, and to improve this, it would be necessary to do the readings over a longer period of time, therefore increasing the volumes, and in turn reducing the percentage errors.Another error would have been due to background light in the vicinity. We tried to reduce this error by closing all blinds in the laboratory, but due to practical reasons, we could not all perform the experiment in a separate room, and we therefore experienced light pollution from other student's experiments. This would have had a very marginal effect on my results as a whole, but to eliminate this problem completely, it would have been necessary to perform the experiment in a totally dark room . A further inaccuracy was in the heat generated by the lamp.As I have earlier described, temperature has a very noticeable effect on the rate of photosynthesis, and so any increase in the temperature of the pond water would have had serious effects on the accuracy of my results. To ensure this did not happen, I monitored the temperature of the water before and after every reading, to check that the temperature did in fact not rise. It turned out not to be a problem, as over the short period of time taken by my experimental readings, the temperature did not rise at all.However, if I were to extend the time of my experiment to 5 minutes for each reading for example, which would have the effect of reducing other percentage errors, I would have to find some way of keeping the temperature constant. One way of doing this would be to place a perspex block between the lamp and the plant, which would absorb most of the heat, while allowing the light energy to pass through. As I mentioned in my planning, carbon dioxide concentration could have been an error in the experiment. However, I feel that due to the short period of time taken there is very little chance that the oncentration would ever have been so low as to become the limiting factor. Again if I were to carry out the experiment over a longer time period, it would have been necessary to add sodium hydrogen carbonate to the water to increase the carbon dioxide concentrations. The last inaccuracy, though a small one, was in the time keeping. The main problem here was in when to begin the minute. If for one reading, the minute was started just after one bubble had been produced, and in another reading it was just before, this could have had a negative effect on the accuracy of my results.I therefore ensured that in each case I started the stopwatch just after a bubble had been produced, thus heightening the accuracy. Overall, I felt that due to the small volumes of oxygen involved, my experiment was not as accurat e as it could have been, however I believe it was accurate enough to support and justify my hypotheses. Improvements could have been made as I have stated, mainly by simply increasing the time taken. However, due to practical time constraints in taking the readings for my investigation, and some consequential problems relating to time extension, I could not in fact make these adjustments.The other obvious way of increasing the reliability of my results would be to take many repeat readings and find an average. To extend my enquiries into the rate of photosynthesis, I could perhaps try to link in some of the other limiting factors to the same experiment, as well as investigating them in their own right. It could also be interesting to explore the effects of coloured lights on the rate of photosynthesis, which could lead to the question of whether or not other types of light, such as fluorescent lights or halogen lights, would have a different effect on the rate of photosynthesis.

Police Stop and frisk Essay

Is New York City’s Stop and Frisk law infringing upon Americans rights? In 2011, 685, 724 people were stopped and frisked by the police. This is a record high by more than 50,000 stops in New York City, 87% of the stops were either black or Latino, raising the question of is this morally ethical due to racial profiling (NYCLU, 2014). Why should an individual be stopped and frisked without probable cause? Stopping and frisking without probable cause is an act of racism, profiling someone due to their skin color is wrong, unethical, and creates an outlook that only, or mostly speaking people of color are our criminals of society. Black and Latino are not the sole criminals commiting just as many violent acts or same severity of crimes more than other people of society, so why should people of color be a higher concern than some not of color? If the laws of New York City say that any individual can be stopped and frisked, every person should be searched equally, instead of predominantly people of color. After all, every person of every race commits the same crime, and must be seen as an equal threat to society. For example, in The East Side of New York, police are heavily profiling. 50% of the population consists of blacks, and 39% percent being Hispanic. Only 8% of the residents over the age of 25 have a college degree (NYC, 2014). This has been a notorious area for police officers to stop and frisk. This is a prime example of a poor neighborhood being exploited to police abusing their power to stop and frisk being based upon the socio economic status of this specific neighborhood consisting of 89% colored individuals. â€Å"Today is the beginning of a long-overdue process: the reform of the NYPD to end illegal and racially discriminatory policing, said Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights† (Fox News, 2014). Vincent Warren is The Executive Director of The Center of Constitutional Rights, also known as the CCR. This legal organization is in sole purpose in the effort to defend the rights of The United States constitution to defend the decloration of human rights (CCR, 2014). â€Å"Vince oversees CCR’s groundbreaking litigation and advocacy work which includes using international and domestic law to hold corporations and government officials  accountable for human rights abuses; challenging racial, gender and LGBT injustice†(CCR, 2014). It is important to note that organizations that are being supported by people such as Vincent Warren are going to high extremes to ensure the constitutional rights of every person, specifically speaking the counter argument of the stop and frisk laws are an injustice in not in New York City, but in every area of The United States. â€Å"For too long, communities of color have felt under siege by the police, and young Black and Latino men have disproportionately been the target,† he said in a news release. â€Å"We are eager to finally begin creating real change†(Fox News, 2014). It is important to note people with high political power such as Vincent Warren are advocating of change of the stop and frisk laws, making this topic of the morals behind the stop and frisk laws are wrong, and reform is necessary to protect The Constitutional rights of the people of America. The entire point of The Constituion is to protect â€Å"The People†. The main goal of the colonization of the Americas is to make life for the people, protecting the rights of every person, not to take away freedom or rights. There must be reform in order to ensure people are following the princples and morals being based upon in which The United States of America is formed. Not only are high ranking officials protecting the rights of people such as Vincent Warren, but the judges and prosectuors themselves who are prosecuting the people who are being arrested under the stop and frisk laws are in fact supporting the change of these laws. This is extremely vital to aknowledge due to the fact that the people who are being involved in the actual punishment of criminals are defending the rights of people, and specifically people of color as in the notorious East side of New York City. For example, â€Å"A judge ruled last year that the New York Police Department had discriminated against blacks and Hispanics when stopping, questioning and sometimes frisking people on the street. The judge ordered major reforms to the department’s implementation of the policy† (Fox News, 2014). With the support of the CCR (Center for Constitutional Rights) along with the encouragement of the Judges to amend the laws of stop and frisk is vital to the response that the stop and frisk laws must be taken more seriously to ensure that the princples upon which The United States of America is founded upon are being followed. I strongly believe the stop and  frisk laws are a complete infringement upon any single individuals constitutional rights. Politicians argue that the stop and frisk laws have been eliminating crimes off of the streets at a significant rate, but this does not excuse police force to profile and allow the judicial system to prosecute people who are being searched without probably cause. Probably cause clearly states, â€Å"sufficient reason based upon known facts to believe a crime has been committed or that certain property is connected with a crim e. Probable cause must exist for a law enforcement officer to make an arrest without a warrant, search without a warrant, or seize property in the belief the items were evidence of a crime†(Hill, 2014). Why should the laws obtaining to probable cause even exist if the law of stop and frisk is demonstrating the hypocritical aspect of probable cause? Probable cause completely cancels out when stop and frisk laws allow police officers to randomly search somebody when there is no clear evidence or reason for someone to be searched. The laws of stop and frisk must continue to reform, constitutional rights are very important to protect. As being stated by politicians and people working under the Justice System, the stop and frisk laws are wrong, and must be thrown out. Bibliography â€Å"Stop and Frisk Statistics in New York City Neighborhoods – Google Search.† Stop and Frisk Statistics in New York City Neighborhoods – Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Stop-and-Frisk Data | New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) – American Civil Liberties Union of New York State.† Stop-and-Frisk Data | New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) – American Civil Liberties Union of New York State. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. http://www.nyclu.org/content/stop-and-frisk-data/. Light, Michelle. â€Å"East New York, Brooklyn.† N.p., n.d. Web. . â€Å"Lawyers: NYC Agrees to Reforms in Stop-and-frisk.† Fox News. FOX News Network, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. .