Is global warming happening and are humans to blam Essays

Is global warming happening and are humans to blame? These questions are being asked more and more frequently by people who believe Earth's temperature is climbing at an alarming rate. Our planet's ever changing climate has captured the attention of those who would agree that without a change in our behaviour, we will ultimately destroy the world we live in. In the following essay, I will describe the causes, effects and ways we could possibly slow down the effects of global warming. There are many causes of global warming. Some of the carbon emissions are just natural, like a volcano but most of the carbon emissions are man-made. The most important cause of global warming are the greenhouse gasses, most of which are generated by us humans. Some of the many greenhouse gasses include methane, chlorofluorocarbons, sulphur dioxide, water vapour and most importantly, carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gasses has been rapidly increasing after the 20th Century because of population growth, advances in technology and a bigger economy. One of the manmade causes behind global warming is ozone depletion. The ozone layer in the atmosphere is a layer of gas which blocks out harmful UV rays from the sun. Day by day the ozone is declining because of the use of chlorofluorocarbons. This gas is used in many places which include aerosols, refrigerators, and cleaning fluids which gradually release this gas. Without a shield to block the UV rays, the greenhouse gasses absorb it, wh ich ultimately increase global warming. According to research, it has been estimated to be an ozone hole which is twice the size of Antarctica. The effects of global warming are becoming more clear in the recent years, as there are more sources for greenhouse gas emissions. According to the US geological survey, bout 150 glaciers in Montana Glacier National Park have been affected in the last 100 years. Because of rapid climate change, this figure is now at 20 glaciers. The Earth is also getting warmer. This might sound like a good thing, but thousands of animal species will die out because of to hotter temperatures. It has been recorded that the year 2012 was the hottest year since 1895 and the year 2013 was the hottest since 1880. This means there will be longer summers and shorter winters which can disturb animal migration cycles. With warmer weather, there will also be a rise in sea level because there will be more ice melting, especially in the north and south poles. This rise in sea levels can cause many low-lying and inhabited islands to submerge underwater. Huge levels of climate change and globa l warming are making unpredictable weather and hurricanes more dangerous and powerful. An increase in global temperature can also have an effect on the atmosphere such as changes in air circulation in the atmosphere, heavy storms, declining ozone layer, occurrence of more hurricanes, floods, droughts and so much more. There are many programs and awareness campaigns wanting to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses which are run by governments, NGOs (non-government organisations), business leaders and private sectors. Some damage caused by of global warming cannot be reversed such as melting ice caps. We should try to reduce our carbon emissions now .. To reduce greenhouse gasses overdrive electric or solar powered cars. Instead of burning coal and other fossil fuels for energy, we can turn to renewable sources such as solar power, hydroelectric power and wind power. If every country adapted to these, we can slow down or even stop global warming. In conclusion, there is very little doubt that global warming will change our climate in the next century. So what are the solutions to global warming? First, there must be an international political solution for fewer carbon emissions. Second, funding for developing cheap and clean energy production must be increased, as all economic development is based on increasing energy usage. We must not pin all our hopes in global politics and clean energy technology, so we must prepare for the worst and adapt.

Powerful Plots 3 Expert Tricks for Building a Story Arc - Freewrite Store

Powerful Plots 3 Expert Tricks for Building a Story Arc - Freewrite Store The Ingredients of a Story Arc Authors are often divided over the issue of whether to plan out a whole novel in detail or just start writing - but one thing that all writers agree on is the need for a powerful story arc. Your story arc is what gives your novel structure and makes it satisfying for your readers. Without it, you have a story that meanders around, getting nowhere, and it doesn’t matter how beautiful your prose is - without a story arc, you’ll leave your readers woefully dissatisfied. The Ingredients of a Story Arc If you consult a dictionary for a definition of a story arc, you’ll see something like this: â€Å"(in a novel, play or movie) the development or resolution of the narrative or principal theme† (Oxford English Dictionary). As something that develops and then resolves, the story arc has a shape to it - and the things that give it its shape are rising and falling emotion and tension, and character development. When these ingredients are used effectively, you have a powerful story arc that keeps your readers hooked - which is what every author (should) want. As far back as Aristotle (4th Century BCE), the great writers have understood that the formula for an effective story arc involves a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning sets the scene and introduces the characters and theme of the novel. The middle builds the tension and increases the emotional investment from the reader. Finally, the end provides a resolution. It doesn’t have to be a complete resolution (although some readers prefer that), but there does need to be some kind of resolution. Expert Advice on Creating a Powerful Story Arc 1. Build Your Story Arc with the ‘5 Ws’ Every writer should be familiar with the 5 Ws - Who, What, Where, When and Why - but you may not have realized how much power they can wield when you’re building your story arc. To get the most out of the 5 Ws, you need to ask yourself a set of questions that will guide the way that your plot develops: Who Questions: Who are your protagonists and how might they grow or diminish to create tension Who are your antagonists and how will their development impact on the narrative and your protagonists? Who in your cast of characters do you want your readers to sympathize with most - and how might subverting this create tension in your story arc? What Questions: What motivates your characters, and how might these motivations be challenged in the course of your story? What impact might misguided motivations have on your character - and how can this be used to create tension? Where Questions: Where does your story take place, and how might unexpected changes in setting cause difficulties for your characters and build the tension in your story? When Questions: When in your story’s timeline would it be most effective to raise the tension? When might your readers be least likely to expect something to occur that can build emotion and tension? Why Questions: Why will your readers be emotionally invested in your story - and how can you subvert this as part of your story arc? 2. Don’t Be Afraid to Break from Tradition There are, of course, different types of story arc - and while the rise-then-fall formula is one of the most popular formulas in use, there are also a number of archetypal plot arcs that have been successfully used by writers over the centuries. In fact, using an archetypal story arc can give your novel’s plot a lot more power since it breaks from what many readers come to expect. If you want to try using an archetypal story arc, you have five different options to choose from - according to researchers from the University of Vermont and the University of Adelaide. These have been classified into types of narrative: Rags to riches (rise) Riches to rags (fall) Man in a hole (fall then rise) Cinderella (rise then fall then rise) Oedipus (fall then rise then fall) A lot of these story arcs are based on taking your readers on an emotional journey. Rags to riches stories, for example, gain reader investment by creating a character that can be sympathized with and create a positive emotional journey of escaping hardship, which resolves with a typical happy ending. These types of stories are really popular - because they create a sense of hope and fairness. However, rags to riches stories have been so overused that readers are now demanding more, and the Oedipus type of story arc is the one that readers seem to reach for the most, closely followed by Man in a Hole story arcs. It can be helpful to create a visual representation of the different types of archetypal story arcs to help you plan these developments into your plot. For example, a visual representation story arcs in the study mentioned above looks like this: (Top Row, left to right: Rags to riches; Man in a hole; Cinderella Bottom Row, left to right: Riches to rags; (Icarus - the traditional rise-then-fall); Oedipus (Credit: Reagan et. al/ University of Vermont) With a visual representation of your story arc, it’s easy to plot on the main events in your story and uncover more opportunities for creating high emotional stakes. If you’re not one for detailed plot outlines, a visual story arc allows you to keep your writing following the story arc without having to plan out every chapter or scene. 3. Exploit the Power of Sub-Arcs Depending on the length of your story or novel, building sub-arcs, or lesser arcs into your story can be really effective. These sub-arcs can be in addition to, or as part of, your main story arc. For example, if you’re opting for a traditional rise-then-fall story arc, you could have a sub-arc that is based around a different theme in your story that follows more of a rise-then-fall-then-rise or fall-then-rise-then-fall format. Using sub-arcs helps you to build a stronger dramatic structure into your story and is really effective in keeping your readers on the edge of their seats as they read. There are a lot of benefits to using sub-arcs in your stories, too. For example: You can create different types of tension at different points in the story - for example when the tension is lessening in your main story arc, you could build tension in a sub-arc to maintain your readers’ engagement. You have more opportunities to develop your characters and make your readers more invested in them. You can create multiple situations where it seems like your characters have everything to lose - which creates even more dramatic tension. When you’re using sub-arcs, creating a visual outline of your novel is pretty crucial. Building sub-arcs into your story can be complex, so it’s important that you’re able to see where you are in both the main story arc and your sub arcs - or you could end up with a mess instead of a defined arc. It’s these kinds of muddled middles that put readers off and leave them frustrated - so don’t skip creating a visual outline of your arc and sub-arcs. Plotting your arcs and sub-arcs on graph paper or using an app on your computer or phone can be done relatively quickly - and as your story develops it’s easy to make adjustments and add more details onto your diagram as you go along. This way, you’ll avoid the problem of adding too many sub-arcs or too many points of tension and keep a clear dramatic structure in your story. There are plenty of story arc templates you can download online, like this one:    Wielding the Power of Story Arcs Whatever type of fiction you write, whether it’s science fiction, literary fiction, crime and thrillers, horror or anything else, you need to start plotting using story arcs. Your readers will thank you for it - and your readership will grow, too. Story arcs are a simple tool that can make the difference between a good story and a great story. Many authors who don’t like to plot their novels in advance see story arcs as restricting their creativity - but in fact, story arcs can fuel your creativity, allowing you to visually see more opportunities for developing characters and building tension. You don’t have to do a detailed outline to use story arcs, and you’re sure to find that rather than being restrictive, story arcs give you the structure that you need to unleash your creative juices onto the page.       About the author: Ariella is an experienced copywriter, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Driven by a passion for writing and content creation she takes pride in producing articles that deliver the latest information in an engaging manner and marketing campaigns that deliver exceptional results. Ariella has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Creative Writing (First), an MA in Theology and Ministry, and is a published author of three novels and a bestselling non-fiction book. A creative at heart, Ariella has 14 years’ industry experience and always aims to keep abreast of current trends and developments. She lives in the UK with her three beagles Zeke, Hope, and Sandy, who always make life interesting.

Challenges faced by Technology Business-Free-Samples for Students

Tech organizations are bigger and more varied as compared to the others. This rapidly growing and expansive field attracts the investors and venture capitalists. However, I found that the technology companies face various unique challenges that the start-ups of other companies may not have to face.   Major challenges faced by the tech companies are as follows – Continuous change – continuous changes in the technology as compared to other industries lead to the start-up issues. Lot of pressures are there for quick move and beating the competitor for finding a solution. Owing to these factors, investors think twice before investing in tech companies. Partnership decisions – as the new business partnership with any other company from the same field may sound great. However, as the stakes are comparatively higher for the start-up of tech companies the operations can be ruined easily if the mainstream technologies become obsolete. Therefore, as the chances of financial losses are higher, most of the investors do not find the tech companies as profitable investment option. I found that sometimes the tech start-ups find it difficult for using the start-up loan or bank loan as the funding option. It may take long time for a platform or app for becoming profitable. For instance, Twitter, one of the widely used social network still making loss in each year. Some funding options for tech companies are as follows – Bootstrapping – this is a funding option that will use my own resources for generating a product that is minimum viable and releasing that in the market as early as possible and thereafter, feedback from the audience will be taken for improving and refining the product (Jonsson and Lindbergh 2013). Instead of investing too much money and time for creation of a product that I feel is perfect, it will be a wise decision to create a product as per the requirement of the potential customer. The main advantage of this funding is I will be able to work more efficiently for the final product and gain customers those may assist in generating profit in initial stages (Albert et al. 2014). Crowd funding – this type of funding is divided into reward-based crowd funding and equity crowd funding. Under equity option, the investors will invest their money for my business and will get equity as return (Mollick 2014). On the other hand, under reward-based option, people invest their money in my business and will receive reward in return. The main advantage of this form of funding is that with the reward-based option, I will have full control and under the equity-based option I can offer the investor exactly the same that I will feel comfortable with. It will also assist me in showcasing the fact that there is an active market for my proposal (Sahm et al. 2014). However, the crowd funding is considerably time consuming and requires big commitment for success Albert, M., Bartlett, J., Johnston, R.N., Schacter, B. and Watson, P., 2014. Biobank bootstrapping: is biobank sustainability possible through cost recovery?.  Biopreservation and biobanking,  12(6), pp.374-380. Jonsson, S. and Lindbergh, J., 2013. The development of social capital and financing of entrepreneurial firms: From financial bootstrapping to bank funding.  Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,  37(4), pp.661-686. Mollick, E., 2014. The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study.  Journal of business venturing,  29(1), pp.1-16. Sahm, M., Belleflamme, P., Lambert, T. and Schwienbacher, A., 2014. Corrigendum to â€Å"Crowdfunding: Tapping the right crowd†.  Journal of Business Venturing,  29(5), pp.610-611.

Gender Representation of Children's Television cartoon Essay

Gender Representation of Children's Television cartoon - Essay Example from choices of clothes to toys etc. This prejudice also alters the behavior of parents for instance, for girls it can be seen that they are treated delicately while boys are usually treated discourteously. Due to the behaviors of families towards labeling children as boys and girls, within the 18 months of their birth, infants begin to learn the dissimilarities between two genders by themselves. In this way, between 18 to 20 months, the gender identity begins to be constructed. The idea of gender differences becomes clear in the minds of children by the age of two. â€Å"Although they have not fabricated a view of their own gender, they can differentiate females and males and learn to divide the world between women and men. They define behaviors of woman and man (stereotypes about sexuality)†. For instance, in a study which was conducted with the children below age of 2, children acknowledged that boys like to play with cars while girls like to play with dolls and boys like t o push whereas girls like to cry. They define activities of adults as belonging to male and female. They also define colors according to gender. At this age, children are able to determine their own gender correctly and they understand that gender is a permanent characteristic. In later years, children’s communication with friends and in their schools also leads them to construct biased attitudes towards the two genders. One of the most vital contributing factors in internalizing gender stereotypes in children is Media. Katz and Boswell (1986) identified that among children, media and peers are more effective than parents in developing gender identification. For children, many television programs are integrated with gender discrimination intensively.... For children, many television programs are integrated with gender discrimination intensively. In TV programs, it can be clearly seen that one of the two genders is posed as dominant while others are insignificant characters. A large number of programs reveal male as more dominant and powerful character as compared to female character. Many of the shows that are being shown on TV are ordinary lives of ordinary people reflected on the screen. According to Mutlu, (1999) â€Å"Shortly, television is the extension of people's common, ordinary feelings and interests on screen† (Mutlu, 1999). As Williams states, â€Å"most of the television programs are extensions of daily talk† (Williams, 1992). Therefore, it is possible that all the contents of TV programs are actually society’s beliefs, ideas and traditions that are broadcasted on TV. It is really important for parents to know what their children are watching. Television exposes children to those things from which pa rents are striving to protect the m especially drug abuse, violence etc. Along with the actual television programs, children also get influenced by what they see in advertisements during commercial breaks. There are many negative aspects of watching too much TV. Watching TV too much can cause bedtime resistance and anxiety around sleep. It is also followed by shortened duration of sleep. Another study suggested that there is a strong relationship between watching too much TV and aggressive behavior of children. Children who spend significant amount of time in watching TV during early adulthood and adolescence are more likely to act aggressively against others. Watching too much TV also causes the problem of overweight and inactiveness among children. In TV programs, gender discrimination is also actually a

Politics and the Media, News Coverage Analysis Assignment Research Paper

Politics and the Media, News Coverage Analysis Assignment - Research Paper Example The significant aspect of immigration is fundamentally described as the transfer of individuals or people from one particular country to other in order to make permanent settlements. In this similar context, several political figures and intellectuals of the United States referred to the country as the nation of immigrants. This is owing to the reason that in excess of 23 million immigrants particularly from the European nations had become enduring residents of the US between the years 1880 and 1920 (Jimenez, â€Å"Introduction†). It has been apparently observed that the immigration policies of the US have become a widespread political debate for last few decades. It is in this context that the present President of the US i.e. Barack Obama has been recognized to take speedy action towards providing the opportunity for legal residency relating to the significant concern of the US immigration policy. Moreover, it has also been viewed that ratings or polls have been conducted for the approval or the disapproval of the new immigration policy that is especially designed for the illegal immigrants in the US. In this similar context, the ratings or the polls have eventually acquired the attention of the Americans and raised the political image of President Obama (The New York Times Company, â€Å"Obama Urges Speed on Immigration Plan, but Exposes Conflicts†). The New York Times is regarded as one of the renowned American based daily newspapers, which was founded in the year 1851 in New York City. It has been viewed that the newspaper published one similar kind of article relating to the US immigration policies entitled â€Å"Immigration and Emigration† in recent days that was of quite narrative type (The New York Times Company, â€Å"Immigration and Emigration†). Conversely, The Washington Post is the other American based daily newspaper that was established in the year 1877 in Washington D.C. The newspaper has been identified to publish several articles linked with the US immigration policies in recent days that are of quite narrative type (The Washington Post Company, â€Å"Company Profile†). Thesis Statement This paper intends to critique the news coverage concerning Obama’s initiatives towards making immigration comeback and speedily working upon the US immigration plan. 1. How Does The News Story Conform T o Prevailing Standards Of Newsworthiness? What Criteria Are Present In The Story? How Do These Criteria Appear To Be Driving This Story? The news story that was published by the newspaper The New York Times, conforms to prevailing standards of newsworthiness by depicting Obama’s one of the significant initiatives towards facilitating a large number of unlawful immigrants residing in the US on a clear pathway to nationality or residency. There

The Queer Prison Abolitionist Movement Essay -- Prison Abolitionist, I

It would be misguided to discuss queer prison abolitionist movements without first thoroughly examining the place of the prison system in the neoliberal imperial project of enemy production (both inside and outside the boundaries of the state). The contemporaneous production of exterior and interior enemies (terrorists and criminals respectively), movement toward and legislation for ostensible (and, importantly, homonormative) queer â€Å"equality,† the criminalization of radical activism through increased surveillance, torture, disappearance, and imprisonment, and the exponential growth in the transnationally funded prison system is symptomatic of what, in the article â€Å"Intimate Investments,† Anna M. Agathangelou, M. Daniel Bassichis, and Tamara L. Spira deem the â€Å"imperial project(s) of promise and nonpromise† (Agathangelou, Bassichis, and Spira 120). Agathangelou, Bassichis, and Spira argue that, inherently a part of empire’s promises to some groups of safety and inclusion in global capitalism is a process of othering by which other groups are constructed as â€Å"enemy others,† and by which yet other groups are rendered â€Å"‘other Others’ whose life and death do not even merit mention or attention† (123). At the heart of this process lies the imperialist drive to establish and protect the new world order via what M. Jacqui Alexander deems the process of â€Å"incorporation and quarantining† (Alexander qtd. in Agathangelou, Bassichis, and Spira 127). This process serves the imperialist ends of militarization by constructing â€Å"enemies† which must be contained and/or killed; it also provides a backdrop against which newly legitimized homonormative queer identities can be conceptualized. In other words, by creating classes of racially sexualized... ...plex. Eric A. Stanley and Nat Smith. 1st ed. Oakland: AK Press, 2011. 267-79. Print. Girshick, Lori. â€Å"Out of Compliance: Masculine-Identified People in Women’s Prisons.† Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison industrial Complex. Eric A. Stanley and Nat Smith. 1st ed. Oakland: AK Press, 2011. 189-208. Print. Nair, Yasmin. â€Å"How to Make Prisons Disappear: Queer Immigrants, the Shackles of Love, and the Invisibility of the Prison Industrial Complex.† Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison industrial Complex. Eric A. Stanley and Nat Smith. 1st ed. Oakland: AK Press, 2011. 123-39. Print. Nemec, Blake. â€Å"No One Enters Like Them: Health, Gender Variance, and the PIC.† Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison industrial Complex. Eric A. Stanley and Nat Smith. 1st ed. Oakland: AK Press, 2011. 217-31. Print.

Can You Imagine a World Without a Superpower?

Coined by Dutch-American geo-strategist Nicholas Spykman in 1943, the political term ‘superpower’ is used to refer to a country with the ability to influence events or project power on a global scale. ’ It is difficult, if not impossible to envisage a world without a superpower. There are a number of reasons to support this assumption. We begin with the first and most blaring- It is simply difficult to imagine a world without a superpower because history itself has shown that there has yet to come a time when one or more powers do not rise above its counterparts in terms of economic and/or political factors to the extent that they are able to impact various issues on a global level. From the ancient civilizations such as the Persian, Roman, Mongol, Portuguese and Spanish empires to the Russia during the Cold War and the USSR today, we have yet to observe a period of time when the world has observed an equitable balance of power. It can be argued that just because it has not happened yet, does not mean it will not happen one day. This is a firm basis for a counter-argument, however, it must be understood that in the foreseeable future, with more and more powers working towards this ‘superpower’ status (examples include China, Brazil, India and Russia), a world without superpowers is merely a sanguine, idealistic idea. Another issue that would make a world without a superpower a seemingly utopian concept is the difficulty of administrating such a world. Indeed, if no policing power (such as the USA) had the ability to influence global issues, the world would lack a clear sense of direction. Indeed, major decisions would probably be taken by a representative, multilateral body such as the UN (without a system of permanent seats). In such a scenario, it would be quite difficult to please all the parties involved and a conflict of interest would be inevitable. In a setup such as today, whereby the United States largely acts as the dominant political enigma, at least decisions are made and issues addressed. For example, in 1991, when the USSR was finally removed from its position as the dominant power of Eastern Europe, its surrounding sphere of influence fell into a spiral of economic and political despair. One can only imagine the repercussions if this happened on global level. According to Professor Niall Ferguson at New York University’s Stern School of Business ‘power, like nature, abhors a vacuum. In the history of world politics, it seems, someone is always the hegemon, or bidding to become it. ’ This idea proposed by professor Ferguson, is based on the theory that inherently, every country would like power. It is this elusive pull of power and all that it brings with it that would make a world without a superpower merely a product of idealism.