Royal Automotive Management

On The QT

On The QT On The QT On The QT By Sharon Opinions are divided on the origin of the expression on the QT, a slang expression which indicates that the subject under discussion is confidential. Most people agree that its simply an abbreviation of quiet, albeit a strange one, using the first and last letters. However, both the US and the UK claim first ownership of this phrase. US wordsmiths cite that countrys love of abbreviations, as evidenced by OK, PDQ and others, as evidence that on the QT fell into this tradition. The British claim comes via Robert Hendrickson, in The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. Hendrickson says that on the QT comes from a British ballad in 1870. However, this has been disputed as he provided no evidence for the claim. Back in the US, the Cambridge Jeffersonian of Ohio is reported to have published a vaudeville song from 1879 with the line: She tipples on the strict QT. George Moores A Mummers Wife seems to be the first place that the phrase appears in print. This was published in 1884. The phrase fell out of regular use for a while, then became popular once again as part of the tagline for LA Confidential in 1997: off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their SynonymsPeople vs. Persons

TMA04_B200B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TMA04_B200B - Essay Example Weber saw all large organisations as bureaucratic in nature and the need to control and regulate work routines. Emile Durkheim was much less concerned with matters of work and organisation than Weber and Marx (Lincoln, 2004) but did write substantially on culture, which has an indirect significance for the study of organisations. Weber argued that organizations are means of coordinating human activities and what they produce in a systematic way, and emphasized the role of controlling information in developing organisations as well as written rules related to its functioning. In short, his concept of the bureaucratic organisation is characterised by a clear hierarchical structure, rules and regulations, division of labour and specialisation etc. In a bureaucracy, roles and relationships are clearly defined, and it is based on a legal-rational type of authority derived â€Å"from the belief in the legitimacy of law† (Nickinovich, 2000, p. 267). Also in a bureaucracy, offices are clearly specified and officials are appointed on the basis of a contract being subject to a unified control and disciplinary system (Salaman reader, p. 98-99). Weber regarded bureaucracy as â€Å"the most efficient way of running large organisations† (Buchanan, 1997, p. 366) because of its rational basis, and likened them to sophisticated machines. He also associated it with precision, reliability and speed. It is the standardisation in terms of rules and procedures to govern employee behaviour and decisions taken according to set criteria, that gives bureaucracy its strength. This is because â€Å"rules serve to direct individual action in ways that promote the technical efficiency of the organisation† (Nickinovich, 2000, p. 268). Contrary to Weber regarding bureaucracy as efficient, in practice it is also considered to be inefficient, so much so that the term ‘bureaucracy’ now has some negative connotations as it did

Acids and bases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acids and bases - Essay Example Acids and bases exhibit different sets of properties that classify them along the pH scale. Concentration of hydrogen ions in aqueous acidic solutions classifies the substances bellow pH value of seven, neutral state, while hydroxide ions concentration classifies alkaline solutions above seven in the pH scale. Presence of cat ions and anions in the basic and acidic solutions, as chemical properties, allows for reaction between acids and bases to form ionic salts and covalently bonded water molecules. Acids also react with metals and carbonates to form salts together with hydrogen gas and water and carbon (IV) oxide respectively (Moore, p. 171; CK-12, p. n.p.). Hydrochloric acid for example reacts with sodium hydroxide to yield sodium chloride and water. Similarly, zinc reacts with hydrochloric acid to form zinc chloride and hydrogen gas (Moore, p. 171; CK-12, p. n.p.). Acids and bases have different sets of properties that can be used to investigate them. Effects of the properties such as the corrosive nature of acids can physically indicate their presence. Acids also have a characteristic sourness and turn a litmus paper to red, a feature that used to test for acidity (Files, p. 1). Moore explains that acids have a corrosive effect that burns the skin. The chemicals also react with metals to form salt and hydrogen as shown bellow. Similarly, acids react with carbonates to form salt, water, and carbon (IV) oxide and with bases to form salt and water. Sodium hydroxide for example react with hydrochloric acid forming sodium chloride and water while hydrochloric acid reacts with calcium carbonate to form calcium chloride, carbon (IV) oxide and water as shown bellow. Bases however, â€Å"taste bitter, feel slippery on the skin, react with oil and greases, react with litmus paper and turn it blue† and form salt and water upon reaction with

Immanuel Kant's critique of happiness as an ethical principle Term Paper

Immanuel Kant's critique of happiness as an ethical principle - Term Paper Example Immanuel Kant's critique of happiness as an ethical principle In his deontological theory, which is based on duty, he emphasized on the pre-eminence of reason that lead to the actions. He indicates that it is a person’s duty to act morally by obeying the moral law. He mentions, â€Å"Everyone must admit that if a law is to have a moral force, that is, to be a basis of an obligation, it must carry with it absolute necessity† (Kant, 1785, p.51) ii. Kant defines duty as practical and unconditional necessity of action which holds true for all rational beings. (Kant, 1785, p. 26) Kant describes happiness as a natural purpose of life. He quotes, â€Å"All rational beings that are dependent; and thus one purpose that they not only can have but that we can assume they all do have as a matter of natural necessity. This purpose is happiness† (Kant, 1785, p. 20). Kant, however, finds happiness as an ambiguous feeling. He says, â€Å"The concept of happiness is so indefinite that, although each person wishes to attain it, he can never give a definite and self-consistent account of what it is that he wishes and wills under the heading of wanting happiness† (Kant, 1785, p. 21). A person’s perception of happiness is dependent on his experiences in life. A person might feel that wealth will give him happiness; someone else may want knowledge while those who feel that life itself gives pleasure may wish to have long life. However, they may not know with wealth comes anxiety in them and envy and maneuverings of others; which make the person unhappy. Knowledge may show a person the dreadfulness of evils which he was ignorant of and hence scare him. Long life accompanied with continuous illness is a burden more than a boon. Hence they may not feel as happy as the imagined on their achievement. Additionally, if a person pursues happiness, he can only get bits and pieces of advice which may be frugality, diet, restraints etc. and not detailed guiding principles as we have in case of moral laws. To explain the path of actual happiness, Kant (1785) mentions, â€Å"the completed idea of happiness requires the thought of an absolute whole—the thought of a maximum of well-being in my present and in every future condition† (p. 21). Kant (1785) adds, â€Å"There couldn’t be an imperative that in the strict sense commanded us to do what makes for happiness, because happiness is an ideal not of reason but of imagination, depending only on empirical grounds. (p. 22). Thus, a person will achieve what he imagines as happiness, depends on several factors that can impact his future states and that there is not even remote possibility that he will take up a single action that can deviate him from his mission of complete happiness. In any scenario, it is not possible for a human being to have the kind of foresight and capability to plan and achieve his sources of happiness in such a manner. Hence he can never be happy as understood in a common man’s language. Kant has expla ined that an action based on impulse to satisfy one’s feelings cannot always be right. Such an action that is motivated by some sort of inclination can never be based on moral laws. Also, what makes a person happy can be cause of other person’s unhappiness. It cannot be ethical to make another human being unhappy. Thus Kant has explained the meaning of happiness in a manner that it does not play any role in the ethical system. Alternatively he has chosen to define happiness as the end purpose of any human being’s life and not an ethic. He says: Humanity might survive even if

Effect of Ionic Pollution on Aerosol Nucleation

Effect of Ionic Pollution on Aerosol Nucleation EFFECT OF IONIC POLLUTION ON AEROSOL NUCLEATION  AND CLOUD FORMATION ABSTRACT Atmospheric aerosol particles have a strong impact on the global climate and that is the main reason for many observed events of new aerosol formation being not understood. Forwarding, to explain these events one of the theory put is that the presence of ions can enhance the formation of aerosols in the atmosphere. This theory is called ion induced nucleation and in this paper, the state of observations and theory within the field is reviewed. While evidence for ion induced nucleation is accumulating the exact mechanism is still not known and more research is required to understand and quantify the effect. Keywords: Atmospheric aerosols, climate change, ion nucleation, nucleation rate, bulk nucleation Shivani Avasthi Deptt. Of Physics, Raj Kumar Goel Institute of Technology Ghaziabad U.P. [emailprotected] INTRODUCTION The role of ions in the production of aerosols is among the least understood, but potentially is an important process in the Earth’s atmosphere. Observation has shown that the nucleation of aerosol particles can occur under conditions that cannot be explained by classical nucleation theory [8]. Several ideas have been put forward to solve this nucleation problem, e.g. ion-induced nucleation [11, 13]. However, experimental investigations exploring the role of ions in particle production are scarce and often at conditions far removed from those relevant for the lower part of the atmosphere [1]. Since production rates at the size of 3 nm were observed to be 1–10 cm-3s-1, and numerical simulations yielded nucleation rates of initial stable clusters (approx. 1 nm) around 0.1–1 cm-3s-1, it is suggested that ions are active in continuously generating a reservoir of small thermodynamically stable clusters that can then rapidly grow in the presence of condensable vapours [9, 10, 12]. These results demonstrate that ions probably play an important role in the production of new aerosol particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. The chemical composition of aerosols is widely varied from largest size of fine mineral dust, to soot, to sulphate and nitrate salts. Human activities, especially fossil fuel burning, produce a lot of aerosols. In general, aerosols are more abundant over continents than over the oceans, which have consequences in form of the clouds that form there. Because aerosols interact with radiation and are crucial to cloud formation, they can strongly affect climate. Not all aerosol particles can be used to form a cloud droplet: certain criteria apply. Those aerosols meeting these criteria are called cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). There are 2 types of aerosol which can act as CCN: The aerosol is insoluble but wettable (or hydrophilic), and sufficiently large. A surface is wettable when water collects on it in a thin film rather than bunching into drops (the opposite of a wettable surface is called hydrophobic, the classic example being a well-waxed car). 2. The other way for an aerosol to act as a CCN is for it to be soluble and large enough. Though there is still a size restriction, it is much less stringent than in the previous case. Because there are many more small aerosols than larger ones, this is the most common way for cloud droplets to form. Aerosols are present throughout the atmosphere and affect Earth’s climate directly through backscattering of sunlight and indirectly by altering cloud properties [4]. A ternary nucleating agent such as ammonia has been proposed to enhance the nucleation process by stabilizing early cluster formation [14]. Another possibility is that ions, produced mainly by galactic cosmic rays, can play an important role to give out the observed nucleation rates [13]. In this paper the role of ions in aerosol nucleation is reviewed. Two areas: Theory and Experimental studies are described in separate sections. In theory section, the various theories are mentioned to understand the nucleation. Experimental studies covers all measurements performed in the atmosphere from studies of the general behaviour of ions to particle nucleation observations where the role of ions is considered. This section also describes laboratory measurements from nucleation events to investigations of single reactions. Finally the state of the field is summarized. THEORITICAL APPROACHES A competition between the growth and evaporation of molecular clusters is called as Nucleation. For a stable cluster to be formed an initial energy barrier must be overcome – this barrier is due to the surface tension of the cluster. The height of this barrier is determined by the temperature and concentration of the nucleating species. There are several good introductions to nucleation theory as mentioned by Curtius [2]. This section deals with how the addition of an electrical charge alters the nucleation process. Thermodynamic theory The classical approach to bi- molecular homogeneous nucleation uses thermodynamics for the nucleation rate J is given as J = J0 exp (-à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  G*/kT) (1) where the pre exponential factor J0 = (2 ÏÆ' /Ï€ m)1/2 Ï 2v /Ï l depends upon the kinetics of the system and à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  G* is the free energy of formation of the critical cluster (the required cluster size to overcome the energy barrier), k is the Boltzmann’s constant, T the temperature, Ï v is the density of the supersaturated vapour , m is the mass of monomer molecules, Ï l the bulk liquid density. Kinetic theory One of the first kinetic models was developed by Yu et al. [17] in order to simulate exhaust plumes from aeroplanes. Coagulation processes were so fast that the thermodynamic solution did not apply and the evolution of heat in the plumes resulted in very high ion concentrations. Coagulation, condensation and evaporation were treated, and neutral, positive, and negative clusters were examined from 0.56 nm up to 0.56 ÃŽ ¼m size with individual bins for the first five molecules and bin sizes increasing by 20% per bin. All the parameters used were calculated from theory. It was concluded by the theory that the effect of changing ion concentration is highest when the ion production and Fig. 1- Gibbs free Energy barrier (Curtius, [2]) the pre-existing aerosol surface are low to begin with and when condensable gas concentrations are high. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES Ion nucleation A review of atmospheric ion formation and different mechanisms for nucleation via ions was given by Harrison [6]. Large positive cluster ions (mass 2500 amu) were detected in the upper troposphere for the first time in 2002 using a large ion mass spectrometer [3]. The most common ions measured were composed of water, acetone, and a proton. Two larger modes were also detected. The lesser of these could be explained by the uptake of sulphuric acid but there were insufficient amounts of condensable gases to explain the largest measured particles by any other means than attachment of small aerosols to the ion clusters. The required concentration of these aerosols was 2.5 * 104 cm-3 and their presence could not be explained by homogeneous nucleation, which strongly indicated that the ions participated in the formation of clusters. The particles formed during a nucleation event were overcharged with negative ions indicating the participation of negative ion chemistry in the nucleation process. However little change in the number of small cluster ions (stable ions with a diameter of (~1.5 nm) was observed during the events, contrary to what would be expected from ion-induced nucleation (INU). This was possibly due to mixing of air parcels or a decrease in the ion condensation sink to other particles previous to the events. An instrument to measure the charged fraction of particles in nucleation events has been developed by Laakso et al. [7]. Particles were passed through a charger that could be turned on and off, and the size distribution was then determined by a differential mobility particle size counter with a switchable polarity to measure either positive or negative ions. A charged fraction above the expected equilibrium was detected in many cases indicating a contribution from INU. Negative overcharging was more common than positive. In order to test the theories and understand what to look for in field studies it is necessary to do experiments under controlled conditions. There are three main approaches to experimental investigation of INU. One approach explains the ion nucleation. Second approach operates on a macroscopic level trying to determine the influence of ions on bulk nucleation. The second approach is to investigate the molecular reactions taking place in an attempt to understand each step in the mechanism of particle formation. Bulk nucleation The first of this kind of experiments are the ones conducted by Wilson [16] where an expansion chamber was exposed to various kinds of ionizing radiation, and an increase in density of the resulting fog was reported. With the advent of particle counters more detailed studies became possible, and the relation between generated particles and radiation doses of alpha rays, beta rays, and x-rays were reported [10]. The doses used were from 1 to 15 rads forming ion concentrations orders of magnitude above atmospheric levels, and using this span of doses the particle production rate was increased by more than a factor of 100. Molecular reaction By investigating directly the molecules involved in the nucleation process more information about details of the mechanism may be revealed. It was found that the mole fraction of sulphuric acid approached that of neutral clusters with increasing cluster size [15]. Small negative clusters had more sulphuric acid than neutrals and the small positive clusters had less. The clusters did not grow to the sizes expected from the rate of collision between clusters and sulphuric acid, meaning that detachment of sulphuric acid played an important role. It was also shown that growth was more effective for negative than for positive clusters. A later study using the same setup determined the hydration constants for the clusters and using the obtained data together with data from Froyd et al. [5], the authors simulated the obtained mass spectra. SUMMARY Evidence for the importance of ions in aerosol nucleation is accumulating. We have shown above experimental studies, as well as the theoretical formulations which indicate that INU is a real effect, even under atmospheric conditions. In some studies the effect of ions is seen directly [12]. Some of the studies presented here indicate that the contribution from INU is just a few percent, compared to other nucleation mechanisms [7]. On the other hand there are also studies which point to ions as being a dominant source of new particles [18]. Models also do not agree where in the atmosphere INU can take place [9].The main question being whether it can happen in the boundary layer or not, and more data is required to improve the theories. One major obstacle to overcome in order to quantify the effect of INU is to determine the exact mechanism. It is well established that sulphate species play an important role, however the participation of other compounds cannot be ruled out. However, more investigations under atmospheric conditions are required to confirm and quantify the effect at varying temperatures and pressures. To further elucidate the potential impact on cloud formation, growth from freshly nucleated particles to cloud droplets must be investigated. REFERENCES. [1] Bricard, J., F. Billard, G. Madelaine: Formation and evolution of nuclei of condensation that appear in air initially free of aerosols, J. Geophys. Res. 73(1968) 4487– 4496. [2] Curtius, J.: Nucleation of atmospheric aerosol particles, C. R Phys. 7(2006), 1027-1045. [3] Eichkorn, S., F. Arnold, R. Busen: Massive positive and negative ions in the exhaust of an aircraft jet engine at ground-level: mass distribution measurement and implications for aerosol formation, Atmos. Environ. 36 (2002), 1821–1825. [4] Forster, P., V. Ramaswamy, P. Artaxo: Changes in atmospheric constituents and in radiative forcing in climate change, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007, 171–180. [5] Froyd, K. D. and E. R. Lovejoy: Experimental Thermodynamic of Cluster ions, J. Phys. Chem. A 107(2003 a), 9812–9824. [6] Harrison, R. G.: Cloud Formation and the possible significance of charge for atmospheric condensation and ice nuclei, Space Sci. Rev. 94 (2000), 381–396. [7] Laakso, L., A. Hirsikko, M. Kulmala: Detecting charging state of ultra-fine particles: instrumental development and ambient measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 7(2007), 1333– 1345. [8] Lee, S.H., J. M. Reeves, J. C. Wilson: Particle formation by ion nucleation in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, Science 301 (2003), 1886–1889. [9] Lovejoy, E. R., J. Curtius, K. D. Froyd: Atmospheric ion induced nucleation of sulfuric acid and water, J. Geophys. Res. 109 D (2004), 8204–8214. [10] Megaw, W. J. and R. D. Wiffen: The generation of condensation nuclei by ionizing radiation, Pure Appl. Geophys. 50(1961), 118–128. [11] Raes, F., A. Janssens, R. Van Dingenen: The role of ion-induced aerosolformation in the lower atmosphere, J. Aerosol Sci. 17 (1986), 466–470. [12] Svensmark, H., J. Pedersen, M. B. Enghoff: Experimental evidence for the role of ion in particle nucleation under atmospheric conditions, Proc. Roy. Soc. A 463 (2007), 385–396. [13] Turco, R., P. Zhao, F. Yu: A new source of tropospheric aerosols: Ion-ion recombination, Geophys. Res. Lett. 25 (1998), 635– 638. [14] Weber, R. J., P. H. McMurry, L. Mauldin: A study of new particle formation and growth involving biogenic and trace gas species, J. Geophys. Res. 103(1998), 16385–16396. [15] Wilhelm, S. D. and F. Arnold: Ion-induced aerosol formation: new insights from laboratory measurements of mixed cluster ions, Atmos. Environ. 38(2004), 1734–1744 [16] Wilson, C. T. R.: The Effect of R ¨ontgen’s Rays on Cloudy Condensation, Proc. Roy. Soc. 59 (1895), 338–339. [17] Yu, F. and R. P. Turco: The formation of aerosols in stratospheric aircraft plumes: Numerical simulations and comparisons with observations, J. Geophys. Res. 103(2008), 25915– 25934. .

Analysis of Raleghs Nature, that washed her hands in milk Essay

Analysis of Ralegh's "Nature, that washed her hands in milk" Nature, that washed her hands in milk† can be divided structurally into two halves; the first three stanzas constitute the first half, and the last three stanzas make up the second half. Each stanza in the first half corresponds to a stanza in the second half. The first stanza describes the temperament of Nature, who is, above all, creative. This first stanza of the first half corresponds to stanza four, the first stanza in the second half of the poem. Stanza four divulges the nature of Time, who, unlike Nature, is ultimately a destroyer. Time is introduced as the enemy of Nature, and Ralegh points out that not only does Nature â€Å"despise† Time, she has good reason for it (l. 19). Time humiliates her: he â€Å"rudely gives her love the lie,/Makes Hope a fool, and Sorrow wise† (20-21). The parallel between the temperaments of Nature and Time is continued in stanzas two and five. Stanza two describes the mistress that Nature makes for Love. This mistress, who is made of â€Å"snow and silk† instead of earth, has features that are easily broken (3). Each external feature is individually fragile: her eyes are made of light, which cannot even be touched, her breath is as delicate as a violet, and she has â€Å"lips of jelly† (7-8). Her demeanor is unreliable, as well; it is made â€Å"Only of wantonness and wit† (12). It is no surprise that all of the delicate beauty Nature creates in stanza two is destroyed by Time in stanza five. Time â€Å"dims, discolors, and destroys† the creation of Nature, feature by feature (25-26). Stanzas three and six complete the parallel. In the third stanza, the mistress is made, but in her is â€Å"a heart of stone† (15). Ralegh points out that her charm o... ...s known to outlast flesh once a body has died. Time spoils the insides of the mistress, as well; he â€Å"doth dull each lively wit,/And dries all wantonness with it† (29-30). The poet’s preservation of the order of creation and demolition helps to present Time as a methodical destructive force. Time is in no hurry to get rid of the mistress or beauty, but he certainly will perform his task to completion. Careful word choices and syntax aid Ralegh’s depiction of Time, as well. Reading â€Å"Nature, that washed her hands in milk† feels like a lesson and a story at the same time because the syntax is short and to the point. Each stanza ends with a rhyming couplet, giving a self-contained feeling to each phrase, which lends to the aphoristic feel of the poem. Both Ralegh’s plain style and his use of parallel structure serve as vehicles to convey the meaning of his poem.

Economy and Global Warming Essay

The global warming is viewed as dangerous process not only according to the environmental issues. Now it is often viewed in regards with its impact on the economy. Recently it was claimed that the increase of the rate of global warming led to the higher damage costs. Among the main tasks of the economics of global warming is estimation of the economic costs of global warming, their evaluation and distribution as well as evaluation of the cost of the actions, which are devised for fighting the global warming process. In this process economists rely on the data obtained from the number of sources. The newest findings and current data are discussed at a number of annual conferences and meetings. In April 2007 there was an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conference. Representatives of over 120 nations were present there is order to discuss the ways of mitigation of the global warming process as well as economic and societal costs of these actions. As the result of the conference there was an approval of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. The main idea of this report is that benefits of mitigation of global warming are worth all the mitigation costs incorporated in this process (Coleman, 2007). Economic impacts of global warming First of all I’d like to set the discussion and explain why the question of the global warming is so topical for the economists. During the last few decades there were a number of researches focusing on the economic damage of the global warming. As the result of these researches there appeared a number of reports on the aggregate net economic costs of damages caused by the global warming and the climate change. These costs are usually defined in terms of the social cost of carbon (SCC), which can be defined as the estimation of the future expenses of the world economies caused by the global warming from carbon dioxide emissions, which are done in the present. Thus, according to numerous reports SCC in 2005 was estimated as US$ 43 per tonne of carbon (tC) (IPCC Summary for policymakers, 2007) Very valuable idea of the influence of global warming on the economy was provided by Professor Robert O. Mendelsohn of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in Copenhagen Consensus: A series of studies on the impacts of climate change have systematically shown that the older literature overestimated climate damages by failing to allow for adaptation and for climate benefits. These new studies imply that impacts depend heavily upon initial temperatures (latitude). Countries in the polar region are likely to receive large benefits from warming, countries in the mid-latitudes will at first bene fit and only begin to be harmed if temperatures rise above 2. 5C. Only countries in the tropical and subtropical regions are likely to be harmed immediately by warming and be subject to the magnitudes of impacts first thought likely. Summing these regional impacts across the globe implies that warming benefits and damages will likely offset each other until warming passes 2. 5C and even then it will be far smaller on net than originally thought† (Mendelson, 2007). Valuable findings were presented in the report of Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President of the World Bank Nicholas Stern known as ‘The Stern Review† published in 2006. In this repost Nicolas Stern claims that if no actions are undertaken climate change will produce a very negative influence on economic growth (Peston, 2006). According to Stern’s findings there is a possibility of recession up 20 % of global GDP in case no mitigation of global warming is undertaken. In order to be able to prevent this nations should join their forces for the sake of investing 1 % of global GDP for fighting the negative impact of global warming process (Stern, 2007). Cost estimates According to IPCC TAR (Synthesis Report) annual mitigation costs range from $78 billion to $1141 billion, which constitute from 0. 2 % up to 3. 5 % of present-day world GDP. However, the researchers also realize that some nations of the world are unable to contribute to the mitigation of global warming due to the low level of their economic development. If the burden of mitigation is placed only on more economically-powerful nations, they should donate approximately 0. 3 % – 4. 5 % of their GDP. This percent is high, however, as the researchers state due to the constant economic growth of the world economies, this percentage will decrease with time. One more estimation was done in terms of cost per tonne of carbon emission avoided, which is said to be from $ 18 to $ 80 (House of Lords, 2005). The mitigation costs are every country’s concern. Moreover, according to Lord Peter Levene, chairman of Lloyd’s of London, it is essential that every company should include in its risk analysis the threat of climate change (Business Insurance, 2007). Benefits Numerous researchers tried to estimate the cost of the benefits from the mitigation of global warming. Thus, according to the report of Nordhaus and Boyer based on the Kyoto Protocol the benefits from mitigation for world economies would constitute approximately $ 120 billion. However, this benefit is not accepted by all researchers. McKibbin and Wilcoxen for example state that there cost benefits are too low. They state that in spite of the fact that â€Å"other studies reach similar conclusions, the emissions targets agreed in the Kyoto Protocol are irreconcilable with economic rationality†. In this idea they support the other researcher – Tol, who has the same viewpoint ( McKibbin & Wilcoxen, 2002). On the contrary to the findings of the Kyoto Protocol, the estimates of benefits as stated in Stern Review are much higher and constitute approximately 5 up to 20 % of GDP. The difference is of course very considerable. However, it was stated that benefits depend on the number of factors. Among the most essential of these factors are the discount rate, the use of welfare weighting for positive influence on poor nations of the world, a greater emphasis on the negative impact on the natural environment and the application of the newest scientific estimates of this negative influence (Stern, 2007). However, it should be mentioned that the benefits of the mitigation actions are not limited solely to environmental improvement. They have a number of other concealed benefits, which depend on the application of definite technologies. For example, in case the technologies aiming at the reduction of oil use are applied, this will produce great benefits for the country economy due to the lower influence of oil price rises on the economy. This is a very valuable benefit for a number of countries, which are currently importing oil and experience great economic losses from oil price rises (IPCC Summary for Policy Makers, 2007). One more concealed benefit of mitigation actions is connected with the problem of deforestation. Once it is stopped, this will produce considerable benefits due to the increase of biodiversity, tourism promotion, benefits for indigenous people, greater possibilities for research and even in some cases this could save money otherwise spent on protective actions against extreme weather events (Stern, 2007). Optimal strategies for mitigation One of the most essential questions is the relation to the topic of mitigation of the negative impact of global warming on the world economy is the question of the possible strategies, which can be applied in this process. It was estimated that definite financial and technological strategies could be the best for the elimination of the harmful impact of greenhouse gas on the environment. Among these financial and technological strategies I’d like to name the following ones: Trading of carbon emissions Application of the carbon tax Better regulation technologies Application of the hybrid systems of user and permits fees Improvement of energy efficiency Development of nuclear power and renewable energy sectors aiming at decrease of carbon emission (Board on Natural Disasters, 1999). It was stated in numerous researches that these actions, especially is taken in combination, will produce the greatest influence on the mitigation of the global warming and climate change and thus will be beneficial for the world economies. Cost distribution One more question under discussion is the distribution of costs associated with fighting global warming. It is obvious that the costs and benefits cannot be distributed evenly. Mitigation costs are distributed unevenly both between the countries and inside each particular country. This differentiation is greatly due to the existence of the following factors: low-lying countries have a greater risk of floods, so they are more concerned with the issues of the global warming and its mitigation is more beneficial for them; – other countries, which are particularly at risk of the negative impact of global warming are African countries, which is greatly due to the increased drought typical for these areas. Definitely, mitigation of climate change and global warming is extremely beneficial for them, however, they are unable to contribute a lot to the mitigation actions due to the low economical development; poor countries contribute less to mitigation actions but due to the low level of technologies and science they are the main ones who emit greenhouse gasses and pollute the environment (Peston, 2006). Inter-relationships It is obvious that fighting global warming and climate change should be a concern of all countries of the world and they should join their forces and distribute expenses associated with this more or less evenly. Bastianoni claims that there exists great difference in methodologies applied for the defining the responsibility of each country for greenhouse gas emissions. In this respect I’d like to name the following: – the geographical approach, which is based on the IPCC guidelines for GHG inventory; – the consumer responsibility approach, which is grounded on the Ecological Footprint methodology; – the Carbon Emission Added (CEA) approach, which has much in common with the Value Added Tax accounting (Bastianoni, 2004). Due to this differentiation in methodologies we can observe great difference in application of the responsibility of each country for emissions of greenhouse gasses, which has a consequent influence on the design of the policy of mitigation. Reports on Economy and Global Warming In regards with the actions of the world community aimed at the mitigation of the global warming I’d like to name two major reports, defining possible losses from the climate change and benefits of mitigation of global warming as well as regulating economic policies aiming at fighting these processes. The first report under discussion is the Kyoto Protocol. This is an agreement, which was made during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The main idea of the Kyoto Protocol is the actions aimed conducted by the countries, which aim at the reduction of emission of carbon dioxide and other five gases contributing to the global warming, and engagement in trading of emissions (Buonanno, Carraro & Galeotti, 2003). The Kyoto Protocol is genially international. Now it joins over 170 countries, which constitute 60 % of all countries, all over the world in common concern of mitigation global warming and climate change. Till November 2007 only the US, Australia and Kazakhstan did not join this process and did not ratify the act. The Kyoto Protocol is a long-time plan, which is in valid till the end of 2012. However, it doesn’t mean that the actions, started by this treaty will end after 2012. Most likely the Kyoto Protocol policies will be continued through some other treaty (Malakunas, 2007). United Nations Environment Program explained the main essence and policies of the Kyoto Protocol in the press release: The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5. 2 % compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this limitation represents a 29 % cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions of six greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs – calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12. National limitations range from 8 % reductions for the European Union and some others to 7 % for the US, 6 % for Japan, 0 % for Russia, and permitted increases of 8 % for Australia and 10 % for Iceland (Crichton, 2003). Of course, as any other policy The Kyoto Protocol has its supporters and critics. Support The main idea of the supporters of the Kyoto Protocol is that it is very important for the whole world due to the fact that it is aimed at the establishment of the policies and actions mitigating global warming and fighting climate change. Of course the main supporters of the protocol are the governments of the countries, who signed it with the European Union being the most prominent and active supporter. Among the other actions, which show the compliance to the main ideas of the Kyoto Protocol, is the claim of several Canadian corporations, which also reported their support of the mitigation of global warming and stated that the Kyoto Protocol would be only a first step in this process (Global Warming: What is it? , 2007) Opposition However, the Kyoto Protocol has also raised a wave of opposition. The first group of critics maintains the critical idea towards the existence of the global warming and climate change processes at all. The believe that the Kyoto Protocol was design just for the sake of making the process of money shift to the third world easier and argue that with useless spending of money will slow the economic and technological growth of the powerful countries of the world, who will try to solve the problem which never existed instead of investing money to the development of their economies (Lockwood & Frohlich, 2007). The other critics support the necessity of the actions for mitigation of global warming, however, they either believe that the expenses will outweigh the benefits or consider that goals established by the Kyoto Protocol are unattainable and far too optimistic and won’t change the situation with the global warming and climate change considerably (Houghton, Ding, Griggs, 2001).

Free Essays on Illiad

Homer’s epic, the Iliad, cam be depicted as a horrible, bloody war or a celebration of heroism brought about by the great soldiers of the Achaeans and Trojans. Many people die in vain because of arrogant and emotional decisions made by men. The war also brings out the heroic qualities of the men fighting against each other. The Iliad is one of the greatest Greek writings of all times showing both the brutality and heroism of war. The Iliad shows the brutality of war by the many unkindly deaths throughout the epic. Homer describes many deaths in violent, anatomic detail. The plague that Agamemnon brought upon the Achaeans is one example of the brutality of war. The plague was made because of a selfish Achilles. Other examples would be by the way Patroclus and Hector is killed. Apollo kills Patroclus because of his honor for Achilles. Hector is brutally killed by Achilles because of the death of his dear friend Patroclus. Hectors body was treated so badly after his death that it was an insult to him. Like all wars, most of the deaths serve as a purpose of showing the reader that no death is insignificant or easy. The characters of the Iliad have different ways of showing heroism. In the time of the Trojan War, there was an unwritten code of heroic conduct that the bravest warriors followed. Hector is a hero in his own way. Although he died in a very dreadful way, the Trojans all celebrated him as a great hero of their time. The Greeks also treat Patroclus as a hero after his death. He was given a great celebration in his honor. Achilles was possibly the most valued hero of Greek time. When Priam begs Achilles for Hectors body, they share moment of realization of what has been lost to the long war. Surprisingly, Achilles agrees to return Hectors body so he can have a proper burial. Throughout the poem, Achilles, Hector, and Patroculus all became more mature, which is why we can look back at them as being the grea... Free Essays on Illiad Free Essays on Illiad Homer’s epic, the Iliad, cam be depicted as a horrible, bloody war or a celebration of heroism brought about by the great soldiers of the Achaeans and Trojans. Many people die in vain because of arrogant and emotional decisions made by men. The war also brings out the heroic qualities of the men fighting against each other. The Iliad is one of the greatest Greek writings of all times showing both the brutality and heroism of war. The Iliad shows the brutality of war by the many unkindly deaths throughout the epic. Homer describes many deaths in violent, anatomic detail. The plague that Agamemnon brought upon the Achaeans is one example of the brutality of war. The plague was made because of a selfish Achilles. Other examples would be by the way Patroclus and Hector is killed. Apollo kills Patroclus because of his honor for Achilles. Hector is brutally killed by Achilles because of the death of his dear friend Patroclus. Hectors body was treated so badly after his death that it was an insult to him. Like all wars, most of the deaths serve as a purpose of showing the reader that no death is insignificant or easy. The characters of the Iliad have different ways of showing heroism. In the time of the Trojan War, there was an unwritten code of heroic conduct that the bravest warriors followed. Hector is a hero in his own way. Although he died in a very dreadful way, the Trojans all celebrated him as a great hero of their time. The Greeks also treat Patroclus as a hero after his death. He was given a great celebration in his honor. Achilles was possibly the most valued hero of Greek time. When Priam begs Achilles for Hectors body, they share moment of realization of what has been lost to the long war. Surprisingly, Achilles agrees to return Hectors body so he can have a proper burial. Throughout the poem, Achilles, Hector, and Patroculus all became more mature, which is why we can look back at them as being the grea...

Sound Scripting - Word Stress and Intonation

Sound Scripting - Word Stress and Intonation Word stress and intonation within sentences is very important to correct English pronunciation. In Mark Powells book Presenting in English, there are sound scripting exercises which help learners become more expressive by taking sentence intonation skills to the next level. These examples use a method of bolding key content words and CAPITALIZING the most important words chosen for the best emotional impact. This starts off with a simple sentence paragraph that an intermediate student might use to practice and ends with a more advanced selection that is typical of a presentation. Paragraph 1 Our school is the best in town. The teachers are friendly, and very knowledgeable about English. Ive studied at the school for two years and my English is becoming very good. I hope you will visit our school and try an English class. Maybe we can become friends, too! Paragraph 1 With Sound Scripting Markup Our school is the BEST in town. The teachers are friendly, and VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE about English. Ive studied at the school for two years and my English is becoming VERY GOOD. I hope you will visit our school and try an English class. MAYBE we can become FRIENDS! Listen to Example Paragraph 2 In this day and age, facts, statistics, and other numbers are used to prove everything. Intuition, gut feelings and personal preferences are all out the door. Of course, there are some who are trying to battle this trend. Recently, Malcolm Gladwell wrote Blink, a best-seller which explores the usefulness of making split-second decisions based on intuition rather than careful consideration of all the facts and figures. In this book, Gladwell argues that initial impressions - or gut-feelings - are quite rational. However, that this split-second thinking process moves faster than what we usually associate with thinking. If you are one of these people - and there are many of us - Blink provides proof that youre actually quite a rational human being. Paragraph 2 With Sound Scripting Markup In this day and age, facts, statistics and other numbers are used to prove EVERYTHING. Intuition, gut feelings and personal preferences are all OUT THE DOOR. Of course, there ARE some who are trying to battle this trend. Recently, Malcolm Gladwell wrote BLINK, a best-seller which explores the USEFULNESS of making SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS based on INTUITION rather than careful consideration of all the facts and figures. In his book, Gladwell argues that INITIAL IMPRESSIONS - or GUT-FEELINGS - are quite rational. However, that this split-second thinking process moves FASTER than what we usually associate with thinking. If YOU are one of these people - and there are MANY of us - Blink provides PROOF that youre actually quite a RATIONAL HUMAN BEING. Listen to Example You can  practice this type of exercise further with help from our lesson on using a focus word to help with English pronunciation in general.

Develop a consumer behaviour report to be submitted to the M.D of a Essay

Develop a consumer behaviour report to be submitted to the M.D of a fashion clothing brand of your choice to outline the key issues facing the company in terms - Essay Example The Armani brand has a diverse appeal because it has line catering for special groups. Some of these consumers include the mature classy kind, young trendy consumers, children, wealthy and middle income consumers. The fashion industry is a competitive industry. There are a number of industries that could be viewed as Armani’s competitors. Some of these include; Christian Dior who has received acclamation for depth in his designs, Yves Saint Laurent has received acclamation for modernity in their designs, in 2006 they incorporated Asian themes in their clothing lines. Gucci received an award for being the highest selling brand from Italy in the year 2006. Gucci has acquired a reputation in the music industry by securing a market there. Gucci also made smoking tuxedos last fall. The clothing line is located all over the world. This implies that there is a wide client base for the company. Economies in those countries are improving and the need for clothes has increased. This means that the market is quite receptive at this moment. It is highly valued in Hollywood and fashion generally. It earns three billion euros to prove this point. It has a number of challenges that include: overstretching the line by venturing into too many products, having a strong personality behind the line- he may pass away and leave the brand hanging; it also has too many lines that may appear as if they are offering the same products. Armani Collezioni: this is the second most expensive clothing line in the Armani brand. This product focuses on the more mature consumer who is not looking for ‘hip’ clothes but prefers classy ones. The line is sold in various high profile department stores like David Jones and Harvey Nichols. Emporio Armani: this clothing line focuses on younger consumers. It offers a variety of trendy wear like jeans and t-shirts. It is an intermediate line that is not too expensive or too available either. It is found in boutiques and departmental

The Ginge Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Ginge Industry - Essay Example The demand for space has driven exploration and globalization. Its value has not just been recognized economically but also socially as an element of culture and scientifically for its potential in pharmacology and medicine. Considering the Europe naval race for the Asian spice islands which laid the foundation for imperialism in the 14th and 15th century, there is no doubt that it is an industry of world importance. One of the spices that have figured well in the spice trade is ginger, a spice that seems inconsequential today but was once considered as an indication of class and culture (Hutton & Cassio 2003). Estimates of the global spice industry have been generally positive, growing by about 5% since 1998 (Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] 2005). The industry is dominated by India followed by Indonesia and China, which is exhibiting the most significant growth in recent years (see Appendix A). Spice production in Thailand from 1998 to 2001 list garlic, ginger, hot pepper, chili pepper, shallot, clove and pepper as key products (â€Å"Ginger† 2003). In previous years, there has been a focus on peppers because of rising in world prices. However, subsequent declines in global indices have also been credited for the deceleration of the industry. Appendix A also documents the 2001 standing of the Thai spice industry worldwide. Based on estimates done by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MAC), it estimates the value of the industry to US$19.36 million in 2001 (FAO 2005). As seen in Appendix B, pepper cultivation represents the bulk of spice production in country. Thus, though there has been decline in the price of the commodity, the size of its market supports its role as primary spice commodity for the country. The bulk of revenues from the trade of spices are supported significant domestic consumption but the main motivation for players in the Thai spice industry is to supply international demand. As seen in Appendix C, Thai spice exports make up the majority of total production. Ginger Cultivation and Trade China holds market leadership in the ginger category, 25% of the total world production, eclipsing spice trade leader India ("Ginger", 2003). However, though China ranks as the world's leader in production, export of ginger has been dominated by Japan. This is because much of China's production has been directed to its domestic markets (FAO 2005). Cultivation of ginger was