How Far Does ‘The Fall of The House of Usher’ Meet With The Conventions Of Gothic Fiction? Essay

The Gothic novel dominated English literature from 1764 when ‘The Castle of Ortranto’ by Horace Warpole was published, until the early to mid 19th century. The Gothic novel is characterised by darkness, dense forests, old castles, dreary rooms and melancholy characters. Although Gothicism began to relinquish its dominance around 1815, it influenced many emerging genres and can still be seen in some of today’s popular styles. Stephen King, a famous horror writer, draws on suspense, the fear of loneliness and the fear of the unknown whilst Anne Rice, the current ‘queen’ of gothic fiction draws on much the same themes as ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. Her latest novel ‘Blackwood Farm’ is set in a huge house in the middle of nowhere and tells the story of a young man trapped in a neither living nor dead world where he is haunted by a spirit which prevents him from belonging anywhere. The Fall of the House of Usher is set on a ‘dark, soundless day in the autumn’, an ideal setting for a Gothic tale. Autumn, with its cold dreary months following the warmth of summer and nothing to look forward to apart from the hardships of winter, gives an immediately depressing feel to the story. The clouds are said to be â€Å"low in the heavens† making the reader aware of a grey oppressive sky, again referring to darkness and shortage of sunlight. As the narrator approaches of the house he describes it as having â€Å"bleak walls† and â€Å"eye like windows†. The latter of these gives the reader a feeling of the house watching him like a person. The reader can sense the narrator’s apprehension. Poe uses descriptions such as â€Å"rank†, meaning a strong rancid odour, a certain indication that something in some way has gone bad. And then he describes the â€Å"white trunks of decayed trees† thus highlighting the ghostly, â₠¬Å"death like† setting. The narrator seems very unnerved by the setting and this is portrayed when he says â€Å"nor could I grapple with the shadowy fancies the crowded upon me as I pondered†, as if he is scared or wary of the objects around him. The plot fits perfectly into the Gothic genre. It contains a strange man with an unknown illness, a house which in some way has a powerful negative effect on the family and a person who either returns from the dead or was entombed alive. All this is set in a vast and ancient decaying house surrounded by a bleak forest. The background to the story is that the narrator has been asked to visit by the owner of the house who was a boyhood companion of his. The narrator hasn’t seen or even given much thought to this man for many years. We are made aware of the loneliness of the life Roderick Usher, the owner, when the narrator speaks of not really knowing his friend very well. As a child Roderick was excessively reserved. It seems strange that the only person he feels able to call on in his time of need is someone who doesn’t feel he knows him very well. We are also told that there are no other branches of the Usher family. The story starts with the narrator approaching the h ouse alone through the bleak setting. The reader is aware of his vulnerability and starts to feel concerned about what lies ahead. The narrator approaches the house nervously and trying to calm his anxiety, looks into a lake. The image reflected, however, is even more horrific and chaotic than what he was imagining previously and this throws the narrators mind into a state of temporary disarray. This is a theme prevalent throughout the story but is usually displayed by Roderick Usher not the narrator. Nearing the house the narrator notices a fissure running from the roof of the house to the ground, this is not dwelt on at the time but is very relevant to the ending of the story. Once inside the house the narrator is led through many â€Å"dark and intricate passages† to meet Roderick Usher. He finds him much changed and describes him as â€Å"terribly altered†. Not only does Usher look physically ill but he also seems to been in a very agitated state of mind â€Å"alternately vivacious and sullen†. There are moments when Usher seems hopeful that his guest will be able to help him and talks o f â€Å"the solace he expected me (the narrator) to afford him†. At one point he describes his illness as a â€Å"constitutional and a family evil, and one for which he despaired to find a remedy† but then immediately says that it is a â€Å"mere nervous affection† which will soon pass. He seems almost haunted by the things he is afraid of and confides in the narrator as to what he feels will be the death of him. It is fear, a most crucial component of Gothic literature. Our introduction to Lady Madeline, Usher’s twin sister, is brief, no more than a sighting but we are told of her mysterious illness and later her death. The narrator assists Usher, who is anxious to prevent doctors from interfering with his sisters body, to entomb Madeline in a vault. After this Usher’s mental health goes into rapid decline. On the â€Å"seventh or eighth night† after her entombment the narrator retires to his room but feels troubled and cannot sleep. Usher knocks at his door, also troubled and demanding in a rather hysterical manner â€Å"And you have not seen it?† In an effort to calm him the narrator grabs a book and starts reading to Usher. As he reads, noises described in the book seem to be mirrored within the house. Even after this has happened twice the narrator tries to remain calm so as not to further excite the unstable Usher. However when it happens a third time the narrator can no longer contain his alarm and rushes over to Usher who seems to be having a complete breakdown. Usher declares that the noises were Madeline breaking free from her tomb were they had placed her still living. Terrified he feels her presence outside the door † I tell you that she now stands without the door†. The door flies open and there is Madeline who falls heavily upon her brother who dies of fright just as he predicted. The narrator flees from the house and looking back from a safe distance sees the fissure which he had noticed on his arrival widening and then the walls of the house collapsing until the whole building disappears into the tarn. Poe plays with the readers emotions by alternating the dramatic and sinister with the relatively normal. The typically gothic setting at the beginning of the story and the narrators reaction to it â€Å"a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit† draw the reader in and create an unsettling mood. Poe depicts the house and its surroundings in detail so we are thoroughly immersed in it. In the opening paragraph Poe describes the setting and the narrators feelings in great detail. In this part of the piece Poe is unrestrained by having to follow the details of the storyline. He is free to show off his talents at description of both setting and human emotions whilst creating a powerfully gothic atmosphere. â€Å"I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled lustre by the dwelling, and gazed down – but with a shudder even more thrilling than before – upon the remodelled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree-stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows† Once settled into the house the narrator appears to develop some sort of routine to his days with Usher. Whilst the narrators life is not exactly normal in the strict sense of the word as Ushers grip on sanity is fragile and some of his behaviour very peculiar, the reader is reassured by the calm and sensible voice of the narrator. Though even within this period of relative calm Poe often inserts accounts of some of Usher’s bizarre behaviour such as his improvisations on guitar. The apparent death of lady Madeline signals the start of the build in tension to the climax of the story. The narrator has to help Usher deposit her coffin in a small, damp, copper lined vault which lies â€Å"at great depth, immediately beneath that portion of the building in which was my own sleeping apartment†. The vault is sealed with a massive iron door after the coffin lid has been screwed down. On the final night of the story the narrator is anxious, too anxious to sleep. The reader is not used to this so feels anxious too. We are told of the tattered draperies which â€Å"swayed fitfully to and fro upon the walls† it creates unease. When Usher comes into the narrators room he is in a very agitated state. He throws open the window to the storm and to the â€Å"unnatural light of a faintly luminous and distinctly visible gaseous exhalation † which enshrouds the mansion. The ghostly sight makes the narrator shudder and he tells Usher that the air is â€Å"chilling and dangerous to his frame†. The suggestion of cold chilling air makes goose bumps rise on the readers skin, the same effect that fear would have. Then the narrator reads to Usher taking the reader away from the unnerving atmosphere in the room only to be brought back suddenly when noises in the house mirror the noises described in the story. This becomes increasingly alarming as it happens not twice but three times. The reader identifies strongly with the narrator and so feels the fear that he feels. By the time Madeline appears at the door the reader is at his most anxious and it would probably be very anticlimactic if the story didn’t climax with the violence that it does. Poe’s use of intricate language is extensive and well structured. In the first paragraph he uses a large number of adjectives as this is the most descriptive part of the story. He refers to the â€Å"melancholy House of Usher†. Here he uses personification to assign a human emotion to the house. This could refer back to the narrators own emotions but I think it probably reflects the atmosphere of the house, also described as â€Å"dull† and â€Å"dark†. Poe also compares the narrators feelings to the â€Å"after dream of the reveller upon opium†. The experience of opium taking would have been well known to his readers as it was readily available and frequently taken among the middle and upper classes. The effect of opium taking that he is referring to is not the ‘high’ but the terrible low as one plunges back into reality after the ‘high’. Poe tends to use words that sound old-fashioned (archaic nouns) and also words that g ive his descriptions more atmosphere. When he writes â€Å"no goading of the imagination could torture into the aught of the sublime†, we are given perfect examples of both of these devices. He could have used ‘shape’ or ‘create’ instead of ‘torture’ but to add to the sinister feeling of the first paragraph he uses the later word which carries much more painful connotations. He also uses the word ‘aught’ an archaic noun meaning ‘anything’. Again he could have used a much simpler word but ‘aught’ gives his writing weight. The use of archaic nouns would make his writing seem old fashioned which would be beneficial to Poe, firstly because readers of his work at that time would consider him a greater writer, and secondly because the use of archaic nouns give his writing a stronger link with the medieval foundations of Gothicism. Poe also strengthens the gothic feel of his story by commenting on the architecture. In the sixth paragraph he refers to a â€Å"†Gothic archway†. The archway is symbolic of entering so he is reminding the reader that they are entering a Gothic world, one where anything could happen. In the same paragraph he also has the narrator led through â€Å"many dark and intricate passages† by a silent valet, these things are commonplace in Gothic novels. The valets silence is menacing and the dark, intricate passages give a claustrophobic feel to the house, much the same as the windows which are said to be â€Å"so vast a distance from the black oaken floor as to be altogether inaccessible from within†. This is most certainly symbolic Poe is giving the reader a sense of the difficulty of escape and of being trapped. Poe uses symbolism a lot to reflect the sate of mind of the characters. He writes â€Å"musical instruments scattered about†, we know that music is an important part of Ushers heritage and something which he is fond of . One would expect these instruments to be treated with care and the fact that they are scattered about mirrors Ushers disordered state of mind. Poe also uses complex adjectives such as â€Å"phantasmagoric†, in this case to describe the armorial trophies. Phantasmagoric means an effect where objects appear to rush towards the observer with increasing size. This makes the trophies very threatening and creates a feeling of paranoia. Later in the story, when Madeline is taken to the vault Poe mentions a â€Å"donjon-keep† used in feudal times. Another archaic word (meaning dungeon) but also alluding to a more sinister background behind the ancient family and its mansion than the art, music and charity that the narrator has spoken about. A dark and sinister past is very typical in Gothic novels. In the dramatic final speech that Usher makes Poe uses repetition to great effect. â€Å"Not hear it? – yes I hear it, and have heard it. Long – long – long â⠂¬â€œ many minutes, many hours, many days, have I heard it†¦.† This draws attention to Ushers agitated state of mind. He cannot speak without repeating himself. We are given the impression that he is hurrying his words mumbling them intensely like a madman. To give us this impression Poe, for the first time in the story uses a lot of short simple words. He builds up the pace of the speech until just before the end using â€Å"the horrible beating of her heart† to pre climax the words â€Å"MADMAN! I TELL YOU SHE NOW STANDS WITHOUT THE DOOR!† The first part of the speech is very effective at building tension so that when her beating heart is mentioned the readers heart is racing. The climax line is delivered with the opening word â€Å"MADMAN†. Usher seems to be addressing everyone, not just the narrator but himself and the reader as well because if we believe she is alive then we are ‘mad’ too. There was not enough air in the vault to keep her alive for so long. ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ meets the conventions of Gothic fiction well. The Gothic novel was characterised by intense images of vast dark forest landscapes, large castles with dreary interiors and forlorn characters. All of these are portrayed to full effect and the use of adjectives which may have seemed a little excessive, tied in with the atmosphere of the story and actually played off the excessive madness of Usher. The house provides a supernatural mystic background, it is very old with many dark and sinister secrets and the â€Å"donjon-keep† provides a direct connection to the medieval roots of the Gothic. Poe creates for the reader a feeling of apprehension and unease which leads to fear and then to terror. All are essential elements for the Gothic novel. This novel still has an appeal to readers in 2002 as a classical book but at the time it was originally published its genre was fairly common and that’s why when he could, Poe had to use is talent of manipulating the readers mind to full effect. Although his style seems old fashioned to us, I feel that this style of writing has greater impact on the reader than a modern gothic author such as Ann Rice because the language ties in more closely with the roots of the gothic.

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Classical Mythology - Essay Example Fans of a particular stable/faction identified themselves with their stable colors in those race competitions. The stables encouraged this loyalty by establishing an equivalence of â€Å"clubhouses† in Rome to entertain their fans. This trend later spread to other cities as chariot racing grew. Charioteers who rose to heroism and some to freedom after they died had their victories written on their gravestones. Charioteers with decorated careers had monuments erected with engravings of their victories and achievements either by themselves or by others (Roberts, p150). Historical evidence indicate that, almost all the charioteers came from a very low social class (slaves) with exception of a few. The charioteers started very young, rose to fame and eventually died while still young. From the evidence, Roman charioteers lead a similar life path. A majority rose from slavery, started racing very young, bought their freedom and finally died while still young (most died before attaining thirty years). From sources 2, 3, 4, and 7, the charioteers started their racing careers young and met their demise before their thirties. Source 2 describes the life and achievements of Fuscus. He was 24 years old and a driver for the Green Company. He won 53 times and was the first driver to win on the first day of racing. A pillar was erected in the consulate of Gaius and Marcus Servilius and curved with his achievements. Source 3 does not provide the name of the driver as his name was not engraved on his gravestone. He died at the age of 25 in the consulate of Appius Annius. He was a driver for the blue stables. Crescens was born in Mauritius (evidence suggests that, he was of an African origin). He started racing when he was 22 years in the consulate of Lucius Vipsanius. He was a driver for the blue faction. Just like the other drivers he died before reaching the age of 30 years. Finally, Marcus Aurelius. He died at the age of 29 years. His career

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Critically evaluate the global enviromental governance of climate change - Essay Example With all these aspects evident in modern society, various stakeholders in the society have become increasingly involved in looking for the best ways to address global environmental threats. The global strategies that have been identified and used in addressing environmental threats constitute various approaches adopted and facilitated by communities, environmental groups, international businesses, and organizations (Speth and Haas, 2007). These global strategies constitute global environmental governance, which constitutes diverse efforts and strategies aimed at policy-making and government initiatives. The primary objective of such initiatives is to look and suggest for ways of preserving global environment while ensuring environmental sustainability (Speth and Haas, 2007). The performance of global environmental governance across the world varies, and the process has been characterised by numerous challenges, instances of success, and moments of failures. Therefore, it becomes impo rtant to evaluate the global environmental governance with the aim of identifying and suggesting strategies that can be used to improve the process. Global Environmental Governance Evidence is profound concerning the geometric increase in human population, while resources available remain constant or increase arithmetically. The net effect of this increasing imbalance in the world is the pressure exerted on the available resources and constant degradation of the environment. Human activities in modern world are characterised by increased degradation of the environment, including deforestation and reduction in vegetation to give way for infrastructural development, pollution of air and water resources, and destruction of natural fauna and flora habitats and water catchment sources. Increase in these problems has forced different stakeholders at the global level to come out and strongly advocate for proper resource management and adequate preservation of the environment through adopti on of diverse strategies at the global level (Harris, 2012). Global environmental governance has numerous definitions. For example, Speth and Haas (2007) regard global environmental governance to be the total sum of all different strategies that individuals, institutions, and other stakeholders initiate in order to manage the common affairs of environmental matters. In most cases, global environmental governance involves a collaborative cooperation between governments, NGOs, citizens’ movements, multinational corporations, global mass media, and global capital markets in undertaking management, preservation, and sustainability of the environment through rule and regulation enforcement and compliance (Winter, 2006). Similarly, Levy and Newell (2005) perceive global environmental governance to constitute a broad range of political, economic, and social structures and processes that largely shape and limit actors’ behavior towards the environment. In this manner, environm ental governance at global level can be seen to include different strateg

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Outsourcing in Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the concept of migrating internal business processes or functions to an outside organization may seem quite appealing on the surface. Reducing internal resource constraints and corporate expenditures and increasing quality may make service providers a potent draw. Today more types of services are available than ever before. Among other things, we can choose to outsource our network infrastructure, e-mail services, Web applications, and collaboration activities. Over the last decade, the attitude of businesses toward outsourcing has undergone a change of opinion reflecting the need to compete globally and focus on core competencies. Most processes have traditionally been kept in-house where it was thought they could be controlled most effectively. For many companies, an outsourcing decision represents the longest and largest financial commitment the company will make. The selection of an outsourcing partner will directly affect the comp any's growth and future performance. In short, the outsourcing decision is critical to the company's future success. However, without careful planning and preparation, our outsourcing project can easily result in lost revenue, added expenses, and, potentially, litigation. In order to reach efficiency that believed can obviate company from bankruptcy, a lot of method and concept are have been developed. One of them is by doing outsourcing. However, besides promising many strategic benefits, it also brings consequence of the appearance of strategic risk. The growth of outsourcing over the last century has been driven by the ever-expanding quest to improve productivity, reduce costs, and deliver greater value to customers and shareholders. Outsourcing decision is taken by all managed to improve their company performance that is related to process business, which is not representing core competence or core business. Expected by â€Å"delivering† the management process to other co mpany (as a business partner), which is owning core business in the area, process with the optimal performance will be created.

Goal Setting Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Goal Setting Worksheet Essay 1.Describe one academic goal that you have created using the SMART criteria. How do SMART criteria contribute to your academic goals? One goal I have created is to continue to attain the highest points possible each week in college. SMART criteria contribute to my academic goal by helping me identify what I need to focus on to complete this goal. By concentrating on how to set my goal to the guidelines of SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realist, and Timely) I am able to set reasonable steps to complete this goal within the timeframe specified. 2.Describe one professional/career goal you have created using the SMART criteria and Career Plan Building Activities results. How did the results of the Career Interest Profiler and Career Plan Building Activity on Competencies contribute to your professional goal development? Using the SMART criteria I have set a goal to research jobs I am interested in pertaining to the IT field and find out which certifications I will need on top of my degree to help me attain that edge over other prospective candidates. The results from my Career Interest Profiler and Career Plan Building Activity on Competencies reaffirmed my choices on the career I have chosen. As the other career fields I have been interested in were also on the profiler I feel like I am in connection with my competencies and am pursuing a career that I will not only excel at, but be happy with. 3.Describe the stress and time-management strategies you have learned this week that will help you achieve your goals. Of the stress and time management strategies I have learned this week I feel that overcoming procrastination will aid me the most. There are times when the list of things I need to accomplish by the end of the week seems quite daunting, and sometimes I feel procrastinating tendencies. The ultimate cure for this is for me to stop making excuses and accomplish my tasks at hand. Another helpful strategy for me will be utilizing a planner. With all of the time consuming tasks that I will need to accomplish, having them allocated to time slots and dates on a planner will help keep me organized, ensure to not miss deadlines, and effectively de-stress me at the same time. 4.Describe how you will balance academic expectations and your personal and professional responsibilities. I will balance academic, personal, and professional responsibilities and expectations by creating a time chart and not overextending my abilities. I plan to assess each aspect of my life pertaining to academic, personal, and professional goals by effectively prioritizing each in its order of importance or necessity to me. By doing this I can then effectively plan my time to meet my perspective responsibilities as well as eliminate unnecessary stress. 5.How can understanding the importance of SMART criteria and your career interests and competencies help you move towards your career and academic goals? Understanding the importance of SMART criteria and my career interests and competencies can help me achieve my career and academic goals by allowing me to see which areas I am competent in and which areas I need to focus my time on to be more proficient in. Knowing where your weaknesses are is the first step to improving on them and advancing in your career or academic goals. By utilizing SMART criteria I can set realistic and obtainable goals for myself, effectively not setting myself up for failure. If I am able to set a goal to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely I am sure to succeed at not only completing them successfully, but completing goals within a reasonable amount of time as well.

Does Malaysia Need The Green Belt Concept Environmental Sciences Essay

Does Malaysia Need The Green Belt Concept Environmental Sciences Essay Malaysia is moving forward to be an industrialized economy. Malaysia moved from material production to manufacturing. The Malaysia manufacturing sector contributed 32% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007, exports of manufactured products account for 75% of Malaysias total export in 2007. The manufacturing industries have become the economys main source of growth in recent years. According to the Third Industrial Masterplan (IMP3) 2006 2020, twelve industries in the manufacturing sector have been targeted for further development and promotion (Table 1). These industries are strategically important in contributing to the greater growth of the manufacturing sector, in terms of higher value-added, technology, exports, knowledge content, multiplier and spin-off effects and potential to be integrated regionally and globally. But, on the other side, the future target might also encourage environmental degradation if there is no comprehensive plan toward sustainable industrial development is taken into consideration. Table 1: Exports and Investments Targets for the 12 Targeted Manufacturing Industries Source: Ministry of International Trade and Industry Environmental protection through pollution prevention and the meeting of environmental standards by waste treatment of the effluents in the various industries have not worked in many countries. The problem of industrial environmental pollution is particularly serious in developing countries where the enforcement of environmental regulations is not strictly enforced. Malaysia can experience high chances of negative environmental impacts due to its efforts to boost the rapid industrialisation of its economy. Many aspects of the residential environment and living conditions of houses located near industrial areas potentially affected. Evidence shows that plants can reduce the pollution level. In develop country they have come out with a Greenbelt Plan to buffer the urban and industrial area from spreading its pollutants. A greenbelt is an area of land that is preserved for a non-urban land use. The term of greenbelts tend to share two features, an open landscape (green) and a linear shape (belt). All this while, greenbelt was not being strongly addressed on developing country due to its target on economic growth. Develop country like United Kingdom and Canada have come out with their own Greenbelt Plan. Greenbelts in the UK have had a profound effect on the landscape around urban areas, for the most part achieving their purposes of keeping the countryside open and preventing new development except for agriculture, forestry and recreation. The London Green Belt was created in response to the unchecked and sprawling growth that took place in that city during the 1920s and 1930s. 1.2 Issues and Problems Statement Rapid industrialization can have a detrimental effect on the environment which is related to several including resource use, water and air pollution as well as waste generation. The severity of these environmental consequences may vary, depending on the technologies used in the industrial production process and its organization. Malaysias rapid economic and industrial growth is characterized as a mixed-use urban areas development that incorporates residential industrial areas. These residential areas support the industry by providing them human resources. This growth produces both positive and negative impacts on housing development. The lack of usable arable land for urban development further results in some housing estates being nestled within industrial establishments as consequences to urban sprawl. Current status of green efforts in Malaysia is focusing on commanding and controlling the wastes occurring during the manufacturing stage of a product. In Malaysia, only big businesses have committed to voluntary initiatives towards green industrial development and this approach is yet to be accepted by SMEs (small and medium enterprise). Landscaping the industrial areas by the development of greenbelts is an effective way of mitigating industrial pollution.The effectiveness of green belts differs depending on location and operation. They are often being eroded by urban rural fringe use and sometimes, development encroached over the green belt area, resulting in the creation of satellite towns which, although separated from the city by green belt, function more like suburbs than independent communities. 1.3 Objectives of Study i) To clarify the importance of industrial greenbelt for economic growth whilst minimizing environmental degradation. ii) To identify the significant aspect that should be considered for green industrial development. iii) To give a recommendation for effective strategies of Greenbelts Plan for industrials area towards achieving sustainable industrial development. 1.4 Significance of Study Greenbelts in urban areas particularly in industrial are important to the ecological health of any given region. The various plants and trees in greenbelts serve as organic sponges for various forms of pollution, and as carbon sequestration to help offset global warming. On the other hand, industrial activities in urban areas have caused cities to maintain higher temperatures than their surrounding countryside and these phenomena is known as an urban heat island. Parks and greenbelts will reduce temperatures while the Central Business District (CBD), commercial areas, and even suburban housing tracts are areas of warmer temperatures. Greenbelts are also important to help urban dwellers feel more connected to nature. All cities should earmark certain areas for the development of greenbelts to bring life and colour to the concrete jungle and serving a healthy environment to the urbanities. The future risk from rapid expanding of industrial development should be investigate and must be seriously taken into consideration. Therefore, through the establishment of planned greenbelts it can helps in limiting urban sprawl. 2.0 EVOLUTION OF GREENBELT CONCEPT 2.1 History of Greenbelt Concept The idea of greenbelt was inspired by Sir Ebenezer Howard, a British social reformer, at the beginning of the twentieth century. Howard proposed Garden City which would not only be free of pollution but would also be antidote of polluted cities. The garden cities would be surrounded by a green backcloth of agricultural land providing local employment opportunities as well as open space for recreation. It was British architect and planner Raymond Unwin, a town designer and contemporary of Howards, who coined the term greenbelt (Ruth and William, 1994). In 1898 the concept was developed to tackle the problems associated with the planning of new towns located outside the periphery of London, which was then sprawling far into the countryside. The Garden City Concept is one out of many attempts to reduce and solve social problems during the Industrialization Period. The problems occurred, as more and more farmers became workers in the factories. The living conditions became worse, due to the fact that many workers settlements were located next to the industrial areas or within the cities. Figure 1 illustrates diagram of The Three Magnets where Howard analysed why people move to city or to the country side. Howards proposal emphasized the integration of the town, the country. He found out that both have advantages and function as magnets. He started with discussions of the optimum size for towns whereby a central city of 58,000 people surrounded by smaller garden cities of 30,000 people each (Figure 2). Green space or greenbelt and agricultural land will be as major component in the garden city whereby the permanent green space would separate the city and towns and serving as a horizontal fence of farmland. The requirement of the greenbelt or agricultural land for the Garden City in Howards view was 5,000 acres of the total 6,000 acres. Therefore, his solution was to develop a city structure which contains the advantages of a city and those of the countryside. The main objective of the concept is to found a new city. Figure 2: Ebenezer Howard, Garden City. Figure 1: Garden Cities of To-morrow; The Three Magnets, Ebenezer Howard, 1902 In the United States, Franklin Roosevelt tried to adapt Howards new town concept as part of its resettlement program. In the American concept of greenbelt, relatively wide band of rural land or open space surrounded a town or city. The term greenbelt meant, generally, any swath of open space separating or interrupting urban development. The designated land is controlled through regulation or public or quasi-public ownership (such as the Nature Conservancy) to retain its natural character and provide a resemblance of rural ambience in urban areas (Ruth and William, 1994). 2.2 A Greenbelt as a Development Plan Component A greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an urban area instead of around it. In essence, a green belt is an invisible line encircling a certain area, preventing development of the area allowing wildlife to return and be established. The green belt policy was pioneered in the United Kingdom in the 1930s after pressure from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and various other organizations. There are fourteen green belt areas, in the UK covering 16,716 km ², or 13% of England, and 164 km ² of Scotland; In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail. The fundamental aim of green belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open, and consequently the most important attribute of green belts is their openness. 2.2 Categories of Greenbelt A greenbelt principal purpose is to protect open space for natural, cultural, or scenic resources, to separate urban communities, to preserve and conserve natural resources and agriculture. Therefore, greenbelt can be categorized as below. Figure 3: Category of Greenbelt 2.2.1 Shelter Belts and Wind Breaks A shelterbelt is usually a barrier longer than a wind break and consists of a combination of shrubs and trees intended for the protection of field crops and the conservation of soil and water. A wind break is a barrier for protection from winds commonly associated with vegetable gardens and orchards. (Abbasi and Khan, 2000) The objectives of creating shelterbelts are: to protect agricultural land to shelter population in a city-from hot wind blast to arrest particulate matters as much as possible to shelter live-stock to control sand movement to provide healthy habitat 2.2.1 Forest Belts Forest belts is consists of protected natural forest. The objectives of preserving forest belts are: to protect watershed area to protect wildlife and its habitat to act as major carbon sequestration to preserve the exotic and indigenous species of forest vegetation to achieve environmental equilibrium with development 2.3 Greenbelt Encroachment by Urbanisation There is no doubt that human civilisation has had a negative impact on biodiversity and since the industrial revolution the negative impacts have only increased with processes such as over fishing and hunting, agriculture, the use of herbicides and pesticides and urban sprawl (Hunter, 2007). Rapid urban growth has led to the problems of urban sprawl, ribbon development, unregulated development, high cost for urban infrastructure, and pollution due to the inadequate disposal of urban and industrial waste. All such issues involve land. Land can be used for agriculture, forestry, grazing, industrial and urban uses, utility corridors, roads, waste disposal and recreation. With the increase of urban population, more and more green areas have to be converted into urban use. Large cities on the other hand need to have the land to spread out. Increase in population will put the pressure on land to serve a better accommodation and facilities for human needs. Industrial development will provide job for people, but in the same time it provides an opportunity to the developer to clear up the land for housing development. When there is housing development, other kind of development will follows, such as commercial retail areas and school. 3.0 THE GROWTH OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATE 3.1 Industrialization Evolution Ever since Industrial Revolution from late eighteen century, economic progress and development have been closely identified with industrialization. This thinking has continued to influence policy makers especially so in developing countries (Jomo, 1993). Since the early 1970s, it has been widely recognized that to ease the problems of poverty and mass unemployment encountered in developing countries, industrialization should play a key role in the economic growth of these nations. The types of industries deemed most suitable for promotion in developing countries are the small and medium-scale industries. These industries are generally less capital intensive than large-scale industries and hence are more spread out in terms of ownership. Establishment of small and medium-scale industries could thus lead to a more equitable distribution of income. Former studies on development of small-scale industries have concluded that an effective means of promoting the growth and dispersal of small and medium-scale industries is the provision of proper sites for the establishment of these enterprises. These sites should preferably be located in an industrial estate which is defined as a tract of land which is subdivided and developed according to a comprehensive plan for use of a community of industrial enterprises (Fong 1980). In other words, an industrial estate can also be known as an industrial park. An industrial park is defined as a large tract of land, sub-divided and developed for the use of several firms simultaneously, distinguished by its shareable infrastructure and close proximity of firms. Types and synonyms of industrial parks include industrial estates, industrial districts, export processing zones, industrial clusters, business parks, office parks, science and research parks, bio-technology parks and eco-industrial park (Peddle, 1993). 3.2 Industrial Estate Development in Malaysia Figure 4: Malaysias Industrial Development Phase (1867 1957) Export of agricultural products minerals (1957 1969) Import Substitution Industrialization Strategy (ISI) (1970 1980) Export Oriented Industrialization Strategy (EOI) (1981 1986) Import Substitution Industrialization Strategy (ISI) (1987 1996) Export Oriented Industrialization Strategy (EOI) (1997 2005) Recovery Period (EOI) Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 (2006 beyond) EOI Phase 7 Malaysias industrial development can be classified into seven phases according to industrial strategies (Figure 4). The first phase was during the British colonial rule (1867-1957) which was largely limited to export of agricultural products and minerals mainly rubber and tin. The period immediately after independence (1957-1969) is the second phase largely dominated by the Import Substitution Industrialization strategy (ISI). Export Oriented Industrialization strategy (EOI) was introduced in 1970 until 1980, followed by the second round of ISI from 1981 up to 1986, an constitute the third and fourth phase respectively. The fifth phase marked the return to EOI in 1987 till 1996. The Asian crisis and the recovery period constitute another phase from 1997 up until 2005. The final phase was in 2006 and beyond where Malaysian economy hopes to move towards global competitiveness. In early 1970s it has been realized that rapid economic development in developing countries leads to an acute inequality in income distribution. To prevent massive dissatisfaction among their citizens, developing countries were urged to achieve economic growth (particularly industrial growth) with distribution of income as their development goal. Malaysia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and in many ways a Third World success story. From a country dependent on agriculture and primary commodities in the sixties, Malaysia has today become an export driven economy spurred on by high technology, knowledge based and capital intensive industries. The establishment of industrial estates in the locations where such activities are desired became a good way of promoting growth and dispersal of industrial activities which can accelerate the economy of the country. Industrial estates are specific areas zoned for industrial activity where infrastructure (such as roads, power and other utility services) is provided to facilitate the growth of industries and to minimize the impacts on the environment. Industrial estates may include effluent treatment; solid and toxic waste collection, treatment, and disposal; air pollution and effluent monitoring; technical services on pollution prevention; quality management (quality assurance and control); and laboratory services. In the context of economic strategy, State Economic Development Corporations (SEDCs) were established by the various Malaysian states to stimulate industrialization through the development of industrial estates in the respective states. The industrial estates to be established by these SEDCs are envisaged to be in the form of improved tracts of land, with access roads and utility services. Industrial land so developed are leased out (usually for 99 years) to interested entrepreneurs. The lower rates are for industrial land developed in the rural areas, while the higher rates are for such land developed in the urban areas. Currently, Malaysia has over 200 industrial estates or parks occupying a total of 16,000 hectares and 13 Free Industrial Zones (FIZs) developed by government agencies, namely, the State Economic Development Corporations (SEDCs), Regional Development Authorities (RDAs), port authorities and municipalities throughout the country. New sites, fully equipped with infrastructure facilities such as roads, electricity and water supplies, and telecommunications, are continuously being developed by state governments as well as private developers to meet demand. Specialised parks have been developed in Malaysia to cater to the needs of specific industries. Examples of these parks are the Technology Park Malaysia in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur and the Kulim Hi-Tech Park in the northern state of Kedah which cater to technology-intensive industries and RD activities. 3.3 Environmental Impacts from the Industrial Estates The effects on the environment connected with industrial activities are mainly related to the production of industrial wastes either from its emission or effluent discharges. Figure 5 illustrates on the possible environmental impacts of industrial estates. POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES Spills Contaminated soil lost future land use Disposal of solid wastes Local nuisances such as noise, lighting transport Landscape disturbance Ozone depleting greenhouse gases Habitat degradation Air Pollution Freshwater Pollution Marine Pollution Risks from hazardous waste Exposure to toxic chemicals Figure 5: Possible environmental impacts of industrial estates Industrial development may always cause changes to the physical environment. Under natural condition, landuse changes can be absorbed by the physical environment through interactions of the various components to attain a dynamic equilibrium state. Rapid human disturbance will create imbalance to the environmental ecosystem as well as to human quality of life. There are a number of forms of industrial pollution. One of the most common is water pollution, caused by dumping of industrial waste into waterways, or improper containment of waste, which causes leakage into groundwater and waterways. Industries release pollutants which impact air quality that lead to photochemical smog, haze and acidification. Due to industrial discharges, and the indiscriminate disposal of raw materials, land pollution takes place. Both, air and water pollution will affected human beings, birds and aquatic life. Ozone depletion is another result of industrial pollution. Chemicals released by industries will affect the stratosphere, one of the atmospheric layers surrounding earth. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The emission from industries will removes some of the ozone, causing holes; to open up in this layer and allowing the radiation to reach the earth. Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer and has damaging effects on plants and wildlife. Activities in industrial estates also can cause noise pollution. Industrial noise refers to noise that is created in the factories which is jarring and unbearable. Sound becomes noise only it becomes unwanted and when it becomes more than that it is referred to as noise pollution. Heavy industries like shipbuilding and iron and steel have long been associated with Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Continuous exposure to noise pollution leads to hearing impairment especially for people who are working in the industry and common people as well. It has been scientifically proved that noise more than 85 decibels can cause hearing impairment and does not meet the standards set for healthy working environment. 4.0 A RATIONALE FOR AN INDUSTRIAL GREENBELT 4.1 Current Status of Greenbelt Consideration in Industrial Estate As highlight in earlier chapter, current status of green efforts in Malaysia is focusing on commanding and controlling the wastes produce during the manufacturing stage of a product. Green efforts in Malaysia can be classified into four groups as follows: Broad Guiding Principles: Establishing common principles and statements of intent across subscribing organizations. Process Based Management Systems: ISO 14001 is a well known example of a process based environmental management system. Performance Based Systems: Public disclosure of industrial pollution programs is examples of voluntary programs with clear performance standards. Process-based Systems with Performance Elements: Establishing a hybrid system that combines a structured management system approach with specific performance requirements. Unfortunately, there is no specific guideline and regulation of creating and preserving greenbelt in developing industrial estates as many parties seen it as a secondly important factor. In Malaysia, Kulim Hi-Tech Park is the first in country that can be seen as well planned fully-integrated high technology park. Besides providing one of the best infrastructures, the Parks Masterplan also emphasizes on the quality of life within a self-contained township. Amenities incorporated in the plan include a shopping centre, a hospital, educational institutions and recreational facilities. But still, we are lacking in controlling the development over-exploitation the land resulting which can resulting environmental deterioration. 4.2 Pollution Status Caused by Industrial in Malaysia The two major environmental issues in Malaysia caused by industrial activities are atmospheric pollution and solid and hazardous wastes (Khidir and Suhaiza, 2009). 4.2.1 Atmospheric Pollution Atmospheric pollution has long been associated with the burning of fossil fuels, the resulting sulphur dioxide being a major atmospheric pollutant. Combustion of motor fuels causes an added influx of volatile organic compounds (VOC), coupled with carbon dioxide (CO2) and Nox, nitrous oxides. In Malaysia, local and transboundary emissions play very important roles in determining the status of the atmospheric environment (Hassan, Awang and Jaffar, 2006). The major pollutants observed are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3) and total suspended particulate matter, in particular PM10 (Hassan, Awang and Jaffar, 2006). Industries including power stations, motor vehicles and open burning activities remain the major sources of air pollution in the country. In 2008 a total of 22.971 industrial sources were identified to be subjected to Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations, 1978. The breakdown of industrial sources by states is as shown in Figure 6. The highest number of stationary pollution sources was in Johor (8141:34%) followed by Selangor (4127:18%) and Perak (2956:12.9%). This is possibly due to the large industrial area in Johor and Selangor that contributed to the pollution. Besides that, both states have a rapid landuse development resulting to the environmental degradation. As to particulate matter, the highest contributor was industries (40%) followed by power stations (25%), motor vehicles (14%) and others (21%) (Figure 7). Source: *DOE, Environmental Quality Report 2008. Figure 6 : Industrial air pollution sources by state in Malaysia, 2008 Motor vehicles Power station Industrial Others 4,557 (14%) 7,784 (25%) 12,664 (40%) 6,667 (21%) Source: *DOE, Environmental Quality Report 2008. Figure 7: Particulate Matter (PM) emission load by sources (metric tonnes),2008 4.2.2 Solid and Hazardous Wastes Growing affluence and increasing concentration of population in urban areas have increased the generation and types of solid waste produced. Solid waste management is one of the most important issues of local authorities; where much money is spent in the collection and disposal of solid waste (Hassan et. al, 2000). Toxic and hazardous wastes are also one of the major issues in Malaysia. Currently, Malaysia produces about 10000 tonnes of waste every day, equal to 0.8 to 1.5 kg per capita (MGCC, 2006). According to Hassan, Awang and Jaffar, 2006, the amount of solid waste collected in Malaysia is 70 percent of waste generated The remaining 30 percent not collected ends up in illegal dumping sites, or is diverted at source or during collection for recycling purposes. The illegal dumping sites can cause leachate which possibly will contaminate the soil as well as the waterways. The recycling activities amount to only 5% of total waste generated. Manufacturing industry 6,830 (38.73%) Sewage treatment plants 9,524 (54.01%) Agro-based industry 491 (2.78%) Animal farm (Pig farm) 788 (4.48%)Solid, toxic and hazardous wastes become pollutants to the water. In 2008, 17,633 water pollution point sources were recorded. These comprise of sewage treatment plants (9,524:54.01%) inclusive 668 Network Pump Stations), manufacturing industries (6,830: 38.73%), animal farms (788:4.48%) and agro-based industries (491:2.78%) as shown in Figure 8 (Department of Environment). Source: DOE, Environmental Quality Report 2008. Figure 8 : Composition of water pollution sources by sector, 2008 Manufacturing industry was in the second place of water pollution sources. This is due to the expanding of industrial estates in the country. Compared to 2007, there are declining in water quality trend of river basins in 2008 (Figure 9). From 94 clean river basins were recorded, it reduce to 79 in 2008. Whereas, the number for both, slightly polluted and polluted river were increased. Figure 9 : Riber basins Water Quality Trend based on BOD subindex (1998-2008) Source of Pollution (Activity): Sewage, agrobased manufacturing industries. Pollution Indicator (Parameter): Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Clean Slightly polluted Polluted Source: *DOE, Environmental Quality Report 2008. From all those charts and statistics, there are evidences to shows that industrial estates have become one of the major contributors to environmental pollution in the country. Therefore, there is need for an alternative plan on how to overcome this problem eventhough special requirements and regulation has been put into efforts but still there is declining in environmental quality. 4.3 Greenbelt as Environmental Pollution Abatement In the context of environmental pollution abatement, a greenbelt has been defined as a strip of trees of such species, and such a geometry, that when planted around a source, would significantly attenuate the air pollution by intercepting and assimilating the pollutants in a sustainable manner (Ruth and William, 1994). The concept of greenbelt as a source of pollution abatement was recognized initially by three nations: The U.S.A., Britain and Kenya (Ruth and William, 1994; Gareth et al., 1992; Andy, 1991; Parsons, 1990). In reality greenbelts almost always include other vegetation, especially shrubs, which also play some role in capturing pollutants. But trees are the mainstays of greenbelts, and often greenbelt plantation is simply referred as trees eventhough other types of vegetation is also established and nurtured. 4.3.1 Air Pollutants Removal by Vegetation Plants remove pollutants from the air in three ways: (i) Absorption by the leaves, (ii) Deposition of particulate and aerosols on leaf surface, and (iii) Fallout of particulate on the leeward (downwind) side of the vegetation because of the slowing of the air movement (Tewari, 1994; Rawat and Banerjee, 1996). Vegetation acts as CO2 sink and some species have the capacity to utilise air pollutants effectively. Several plants have the capacity to collect the dust suspended in the atmosphere and dilute the concentration of toxic and harmful gases. Trees have been reported to remove air pollutants like hydrogen fluoride, SO2, and some compounds of photochemical reactions and collect heavy metals like mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) from the air (Hill, 1971; Lin, 1976). After absorbing the air pollutants, trees change them to harmless metabolites through various physiological processes. Of course each and every plant cannot be an agent of air pollution control; only those which can tolerate pollutants can act as attenuators. All-in-all, increasing vegetation in the cities, towns, and industrial establishments holds great potential to combat air pollution. Substantial evidence is available to support the view that plants in general and trees in particular function as sinks for gaseous pollutants. 4.3.1 Soil and Water Pollutants Removal by Vegetation Surface water streams are also affected by industrial effluents and organics. Most of the treated industrial

Slavery and Human Decency :: American America History

Discrimination is very old in its origins. From the earliest periods of human existence, groups developed prejudices toward others and then discriminated against those whom they regarded as different or inferior. Many attempts were taken to maintain or increase power, prestige, or even wealth; groups found it easy to invent or accept the idea that others were somehow inferior to them and thus not deserving of equal treatment. Among the many differences that could be used as a basis for discrimination, people quickly discovered that physical appearance was the easiest to identify. It required no subtle analysis, no careful contemplation, but only a superficial glance at those visual features that would later be used to identify "race". The shape of one's nose, color of one's hair, or even the color of one's skin describes the universal nature of what we now call racial consciousness. Slavery is a perfect example. Racial animosity grew in both the North and South, and in many instances led to physical violence. The era of slavery should have been called the era of inhumanity. Slavery was inhumane, barbaric, and ultimately disgusting. In 1800 the population of the United States included 893,602 slaves, of which only 36,505 were in northern states (Phillips 18). Slaves were treated as if they were a piece of meat. The defined characteristics of slaves are as follows, " their labor or services are obtained through force; their physical beings are regarded as the property of another person, their master; they are entirely subject to their master's or owner's will" (Phillips 17). Slave life according to historians has never been and will never be classified as a so-called idyllic experience. There was little in the way of recreation and other forms of entertainment to pass the time. It must be remembered that, slaves had no time they could call their own. Rarely did slaves get any "free time" at all, but when they did it was spent recuperating from long sixteen-hour workdays. Most slaves were no t well taken care of. Many slaves went for days without eating, and in turn this caused their work pace to slow. According to Collier, plantation slaves worked sixteen-hour days in the summer, and were only given three pounds of bacon or pork and roughly twelve quarts of cornmeal a week (26). Many slave owners or overseers would peruse the plantations and lash out at any given slave particularly because they simply weren't working hard enough.

Should You Buy a Harley Davidson? :: Harley Davidson

I have conversed with many other motorcycle riders about what motorcycle is the best. Many riders had wanted, ordered or already purchased a Harley. Reasons I hear from other riders and potentially interested persons as to why they have to have a Harley: It is the only real American made motorcycle. A Harley is the best motorcycle on the road. Harley Davidson is the oldest motorcycle company. A Harley Davidson is a good investment. American riders do not want to ride "Jap Junk." Riders do not want to start on something small and have to trade up. Fact: Harley Davidson is not the only American made motorcycle. There is a myth that Harley is the only American made motorcycle. To believe that, you would need to overlook the Honda of America plant in Marysville, Ohio and the Kawasaki Plant in Nebraska. Both are manufacturing plants, not assembly plants. That means that Honda does not ship in boxes of parts and put them together here as part of some evil conspiracy. Simple fact, it makes good business sense to manufacture their motorcycles in the USA. Manufacturers will be the first to tell you that the work force here is skilled, the U.S. suppliers and vendors produce excellent pieces. Take a good look at the contemporary Harley Davidson; it has quite a collection of foreign made parts. I do not have a problem with this; lets just keep it in perspective. Finally, manufacturers cannot just claim something is "Made in the USA." The Federal Trade Commission has specific criteria for what percentage of the parts must be ma de and sourced in the USA. There have been years where a larger percentage of a Honda Goldwing was USA made and sourced than a Harley Davidson. Everyone wants to think their motorcycle is "the best." I have owned several different brands of motorcycles. I would not call any of my former motorcycles "the best." Yes, maybe they were the best sport bikes in a given year, or touring model, or trail bike at the moment. Each and every motorcycle I have owned had room for improvement. What would make a Harley Davidson the best? Best should be defined as a motorcycle that suits you and your primary use for it. Should You Buy a Harley Davidson? :: Harley Davidson I have conversed with many other motorcycle riders about what motorcycle is the best. Many riders had wanted, ordered or already purchased a Harley. Reasons I hear from other riders and potentially interested persons as to why they have to have a Harley: It is the only real American made motorcycle. A Harley is the best motorcycle on the road. Harley Davidson is the oldest motorcycle company. A Harley Davidson is a good investment. American riders do not want to ride "Jap Junk." Riders do not want to start on something small and have to trade up. Fact: Harley Davidson is not the only American made motorcycle. There is a myth that Harley is the only American made motorcycle. To believe that, you would need to overlook the Honda of America plant in Marysville, Ohio and the Kawasaki Plant in Nebraska. Both are manufacturing plants, not assembly plants. That means that Honda does not ship in boxes of parts and put them together here as part of some evil conspiracy. Simple fact, it makes good business sense to manufacture their motorcycles in the USA. Manufacturers will be the first to tell you that the work force here is skilled, the U.S. suppliers and vendors produce excellent pieces. Take a good look at the contemporary Harley Davidson; it has quite a collection of foreign made parts. I do not have a problem with this; lets just keep it in perspective. Finally, manufacturers cannot just claim something is "Made in the USA." The Federal Trade Commission has specific criteria for what percentage of the parts must be ma de and sourced in the USA. There have been years where a larger percentage of a Honda Goldwing was USA made and sourced than a Harley Davidson. Everyone wants to think their motorcycle is "the best." I have owned several different brands of motorcycles. I would not call any of my former motorcycles "the best." Yes, maybe they were the best sport bikes in a given year, or touring model, or trail bike at the moment. Each and every motorcycle I have owned had room for improvement. What would make a Harley Davidson the best? Best should be defined as a motorcycle that suits you and your primary use for it.

Blood As An Image In Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood in MacBeth to represent treason, guilt, murder and death. These ideas are constant throughout the book. There are many examples of blood representing these three ideas in the book. Blood is mentioned throughout the play and mainly in reference to murder or treason. The first reference to blood is in MacBeth's soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 33-61, when Macbeth sees the bloody dagger floating in the air before him. Also in this soliloquy on line 46 he sees "on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood", this means that there is blood on the handle and spots of blood on the handle. This is implying that the dagger was viciously and maliciously used on someone. Shakespeare most likely put this in as premonition of murder and death to come later in the story. The next reference, although indirect, in Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 5-11 is when Lady MacBeth talks about smearing the blood from the dagger on the faces and hands of the servants that she drugged. In Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 11-12, "I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss them". Notice how she said THEIR daggers. She is setting up the innocent servants of the king, making it look like they committed treason. Also in this scene is the first reference of blood pertaining to guilt. MacBeth says this in Act 2, Scene 3, Line 60, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" This is an example of blood representing guilt, because MacBeth wi...

Environmental Law in Kenya

How can Environmental Law be effectively enforced in Kenya? For environmental law to be effectively enacted in Kenya their needs to be emphasis on the need for a universal environmental ethic. There needs to be a concern on the ability to provide information that changes behaviour towards the environment i. e. not stopping at awareness creation but to also go through education & advocacy. This led to the enactment of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act. (EMCA).With the enactment of the EMCA, the fundamental principles on the environment espoused in various multilateral environmental agreements and intellectual discourse were incorporated into Kenyan law. Therefore it is based on the recognition that improved co ordination of the diverse sectoral initiatives is necessary for better management of the environment. To facilitate a coordinated approach to environmental management, EMCA establishes several organs as discussed below which help in the effective enforcement of e nvironmental law: ) National Environmental Council It is responsible for policy formulation and directing, setting national goals and objectives, determining policy and priorities for the protection of the environment and the promotion of cooperation among the public and private bodies engaged in environmental protection programmes. The council is responsible in regards to international treaties, conventions and agreements relating to the management of the environment to which Kenya is a party or should be a party.i) National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) It is responsible for the following: (a) Co-ordinate the various environmental management activities being undertake by the lead agencies and promote the integration of environmental considerations Into development policies, plans, programmes and projects with a view to ensuring the proper management and rational utilization of environmental resources on a sustainable yield basis for the improvement of he quality of hum an life in Kenya; (b) Take stock of the natural resources in Kenya and their utilization and conservation; (c) Establish and review in consultation with the relevant lead agencies, land use guidelines; (d) Examine land use patterns to determine their impact on the quality and quantity of natural resources. (e) Carry out surveys which will assist in the proper management and conservation of the environment; (f) Advise the government on legislative and other measures for the management of the environment or the implementation of relevant international conventions, treaties and agreements in the field of environment,g) advise the government on regional and international environmental conventions, treaties and agreements to which Kenya should be a party and follow up the implementation of such of such agreements where Kenya is party; (h) Undertake and co-ordinate research, investigation and surveys in the field of Environment and collect collate and disseminate information about the fin dings Of such research, investigation or survey; I) mobilize and monitor the use of financial and human resources for environmental Management; (J) identify projects and programs or types of projects and programs, plans and policies for which environmental audit or environmental monitoring must be conducted under this Act; (k) Initiate and evolve procedures and safeguards for the prevention of accidents Which may cause environmental degradation and evolve remedial measures where Accidents occur; l) Monitor and assess activities, including activities being carried out by relevant lead Agencies, in order to ensure that the environment is not degraded by such activities, environmental management objectives are adhered to and adequate early warning on impending environmental emergency is given;(m) Undertake, in co-operation with relevant lead agencies, programmes intended to enhance environmental education and public awareness about the need for sound Environmental management as well as for enlisting public support and encouraging the effort made by other entities in that regard; (n) Publish and disseminate manuals, codes or guidelines relating to environmental Management and prevention and abatement of environmental degradation; (n) Render advice and technical support, where possible, to entities engaged in natural Resource management and environmental protection so as to enable them to carry out Their responsibilities satisfactorily; o) Prepare and issue an annual report on the state of the environment in Kenya and in This regard may direct any lead agency to prepare and submit to it a report on the state Of the sector of the environment under the administration of that lead agency; (p) Perform such other functions as the Government may assign to the Authority or As are incidental or conducive to the excise by the Authority of any or all of the functions provided under this Act. iii) Provincial and District committees The committee is responsible for the followi ng: A) is responsible for the proper management of the environment within the province or district in respect of which they are appointed. (b) Perform such additional functions as are prescribed by this Act or as may, from time to time, be assigned by the Minister by notice in the Gazette.There are certain mechanisms that are set in place for the protection and conservation of the environment, framework environmental laws also provide for the management of specific environmental aspects, whether they are of a sect oral nature or of cross sectoral nature or both. These mechanisms include: -Environmental Impact Assessment This is a tool that helps those involved in decision making concerning development programmes or projects to make their decisions based on knowledge of the likely impacts that will be caused on the environment, whether negative or positive. Whether the impacts are negative and likely to result in significant harm, decision makers will be able to decide what kind of m itigating measures should be taken to eliminate or minimise the harm. Therefore the EIA is an anticipatory and where there is harm, a preventive mechanism. By using theEIA both environmental and economic benefits can be achieved such as reduced cost and time of project implementation and design, avoiding treatment/ clean up costs and impacts of law and regulations. -Environmental auditing and monitoring This is a process that assesses the nature and extent of environmental concerns at an existing facility or any other site where the existence of industrial pollution problems is identified or anticipated. Enforcement of Environmental Law Most environmental enforcement strategies derive from legal requirements that must be met by individuals, facilities whose operations or activities may cause undesirable environmental impacts. These environmental impacts are an essential foundation for environmental and public health protection.Environmental actions may include applying one or a comb ination of the following actions: †¢ Inspections and monitoring to determine the compliance status of the regulated community and to detect and to respond to violations. †¢ Negotiations with violators or facility managers to develop mutually agreeable schedules and approaches for achieving compliance. †¢ Awareness creation to sensitise the regulated community on the requirements to be met †¢ Taking legal action where necessary to compel compliance and: †¢ Compliance promotion among the regulated community. 2. Discuss why health and safety laws are necessary for any worker? Health and safety may be perceived as an investment or loss within an organization.Accidents happen and it is imperative for organizations to strive towards a ‘zero’ rate because they can prove very expensive if a company is deemed liable. Employers may be expected to invest a relatively minimal initial outlay for risk assessment and hazard identification procedures – w hich may or may not require consultancy fees, installation of modern equipment or staff training – but in reality these can all be viewed as an investment rather than a loss and there is no arguing with the fact that an injury free workplace is a safe workplace. All employers were required to ensure, in so far as ‘reasonably practical’, the safety, health and welfare at work of their employees and to carry out an annual review of safety statements specifying how it is managed.On the other hand, employees are obliged to co-operate with their employer and report any circumstances that may pose a serious threat to health and safety. In the opinion of Hoyle (2004), â€Å"Accident prevention is primarily the responsibility of individual workers. † The promotion of health and safety within an organization can be seen as an investment. If employees keep healthy, their productivity will be good and this can promote profits. With safety the same applies. In a safe environment there are fewer injuries, more productivity, more profits and less worker compensation insurance premiums, etc. The financial implications of accidents and ill-health are often overlooked or underestimated, especially relating to absenteeism.Apart from still having to pay the absent employee’s wages, employers could also be faced with additional wages for replacement staff, overtime and lost time spent on investigations and meetings, increased costs due to reduced productivity, possible contract penalties and external consultancy fees, all of which can add up to substantial hidden costs (TSSA). In fact, organizations with active training programmers in health and safety – such as OHSAS 18001 – have many advantages, including fewer work-related injuries and lower healthcare costs, improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, lower insurance premiums and compensation claims and a higher rate of worker retention and employee satisfaction. Workers’ compensation claims due to workplace accidents and occupational ill-health appear in the papers every day. And costs facing organizations include investigation time, wages paid for lost time, clerical time, decreased output of injured worker upon return and the loss of business and goodwill.Unfortunately, in smaller firms where major injury rates tend to be higher, conviction could ruin a company. Many small organizations harbor a negative view of the business benefits of corporate and social responsibility. They see the implementation and maintenance of appropriate operational standards as a waste of time, money and staff resources because of the required controls, practices and procedures and other overheads which they regard as a drain on their limited resources. While some employers may see health and safety as a loss, this will only occur when an organization has failed to take reasonable steps to prevent injury and non-injury accidents and ill-health. The advantages of revent ive policies can be financially beneficial, an added investment is that they ‘can also consist of benefits that are harder to express in money, such as morale, productivity or quality gain. ’ Nevertheless, employers must undertake suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to health and safety in their workplace and appropriate arrangements must be made to review preventive and protective measures, assess their efficacy and level of legal compliance and establish a sound health and safety culture. A risk assessment is a hazard identification process to identify what could cause harm to people. It forms part of the preparation of a Safety Statement and helps employers to manage the health and safety of their employees.Employers are legally required to do everything that is ‘reasonably practicable’ to ensure that identified hazards will not injure anyone. They should also ensure that all employees are familiar with the relevant contents of the Safety Stateme nt, especially when revisions have been made. Improving health and safety need not cost the employer a lot of money. Even changing the way a particular task is performed can reduce the risk of injury. For example, placing anti-slip material on a slippery floor is a relatively inexpensive precaution when compared to the financial implications of a bad fall. Any safety measures introduced â€Å"need only be proportional to the real risks involved and should be sufficient to control, eliminate or minimize any risk of injury† (ibid).Managing health and safety in the workplace is not just a legal requirement, it also makes commercial sense. Many investors closely monitor health and safety performance with a view to increasing investment opportunities. Simple and relatively inexpensive steps like arranging courses such as First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire and Electrical Safety, Health and Safety and Stress Management, etc. for all employees is most definitely a good investment for a ny forward-looking organization and the potential dividends for both staff and employees are immeasurable REFERENCES Environmental Management and Coordination Act 2000 Okidi et al, Environmental Governance in Kenya: Implementing the Framework law. East African Publishers, 2008

Assess the impact of new technologies on the music industry – Discuss the significance and implications of these developments

Over the years, the development of new technology has caused significant changes in the music industry. The presence of radio and digital radio, digital television, mini discs and the Internet has created challenges and opportunities for the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) and RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) alike. Radio works in parallel with the record industry because airplay determines to some extent, the chart position of an artist or group. If chart success is dependent on radio, then radio is an important tool to the music industry. To show just how important, ‘pluggers' are employed to approach disc jockeys to play their bands music for promotion and chart placement. Furthermore, the introduction of digital radio has excluded some of the restrictions of area broadcasting so people have more access to music. This is significant because radio now has a larger audience than before and more people are being influenced. This changes the way music is purchased and determines the success of artists and the record companies. Digital television works in the same way as radio in that the music channels help promote singles through the playing of music videos. Specialized channels and radio stations target specific audiences – this is known as narrow casting – which let every genre of music be heard enabling audiences to make up their own minds about what they like. As homogenous music exists alongside specialist music produced mainly by A and R (Artist and Repertoire), record companies want to target the right audiences for maximum exposure and therefore corresponding sales. For example, the channels ‘MTV Hits', ‘The Box' and ‘Smash Hits† play mostly pop music, whereas channels like ‘Kerrang', ‘Q' and ‘MTV2†³ specialize in alternative and rock music. The Internet has proved to be both helpful and challenging to the music industry. For record companies, it advertises and sells their music and is an easy way for people to purchase singles and albums. The introduction of selling CD's on the Internet has not meant that high-street stores will go out of business as not everyone buys music from their computers. For example younger people do not have credit cards and are therefore not able to buy music on the Internet. Instead, it has provided record companies with another profitable venture, as now there is more access to buy music. The downside of the Internet for the music industry is the emergence of MP3. This compresses material without altering the end product so it can be downloaded onto PC. Many millions of people now download music for free and burn the songs onto a blank disk. This is illegal but available and at present because of the mass numbers of people doing it, the BPI and RIAA cannot stop it from happening There are many arguments in favour of downloading, but the music industry insists outright that it should be banned. Their arguments against file sharing are that it deprives artists (and record companies) of royalties. The money gained from selling music provides an incentive to actually make it – if there is no money then there is no incentive and it will discourage artists from recording music. However, some artists may not consider money to be the main incentive to make music and even record straight to MP3 format. For example, David Bowie, the ‘Beastie Boys' and ‘Muse' do this. Other implications of downloading music are that if profits continue to fall, record companies will take fewer risks and not introduce new bands with different styles of music. This means that music will become even more predictable and formulaic which in turn creates a limited choice for the consumer. They also claim that it could undermine the record industry. The industry does feel threatened as in 1999 two hundred free music websites were shut down. Record companies say that the industry will be weakened because of MP3, and eventually smaller, independent record companies would disappear and again, people's choice in music will be limited. However, it can be argued that through buying albums choice is already limited. File sharing actually allows audiences more freedom to obtain the music that they want to hear, rather than paying for an album and only liking two out of ten songs. Alongside the threat of Internet downloading is the existence of mini disks and mini disk players. This causes a problem for the record industry as people can hold an extensive collection of music from a variety of different genres on one small disk for the price of a blank mini disk rather that a compilation compact disk for about fifteen pounds. The new technologies discussed above have a mixture of positive and negative outcomes for the record industry. They benefit from some – for example radio and digital television, even the Internet, but suffer from other developments such as file sharing. In order to compete with the ever-growing demand for music that is cheap and readily available, then it is advised that the industry make a number of significant changes that will benefit themselves and the consumer.

Greenpeace International: On the Forefront of Environmental Activism Essay

Perhaps the most notable obstacle that Greenpeace International faced during the course of its existence as an environmental activist organization is the time when the Rainbow Warrior was struck down by two underwater mines. The incident led to the discovery of the involvement of the French Government through its network of spies overseas. Eventually, the ordeal became a high-profile case that involved international bodies which also took its toll on Greenpeace International. Not only did the organization had to face the need to finance a replacement for Rainbow Warrior, they also had to take more caution in ensuring the safety of their personnel despite intimidations and threats to life and property (20th Anniversary of the Bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, 2005). The bombing of Rainbow Warrior became a precedent for Greenpeace International to further strive to achieve its goals of promoting the welfare of the environment for the benefit of humanity. The organization is currently facing the challenge of proving the innocence of Greenpeace Japan Campaigns Director Junichi Sato together with Toru Suzuki before the theft charges filed against them. If proven guilty, both accused members of the organization may face jail time for a maximum of ten years. In the long run, the possibility of having a decision unfavorable to the interests of the organization may eventually adversely affect the safety of the whales situated in the marine waters of Japan. On the other hand, the case, if the accused individuals are proven innocent beyond reasonable doubt, can serve as a future deterrent to whaling expeditions in Japan guised under the rug of scientific research. Embezzlement of whale meat may no soon become a footnote to written history as far as the environmental concerns in Japan go (Justice for the Tokyo Two – Justice for Whales, Coming Our Way? 2009). There are a few more obstacles that the organization is currently facing and has dealt with in the past. For the most part, none of these obstacles have struck down the efforts of the group. Despite the growing number of people hurling both legal and extra-legal impediments to the activities of Greenpeace International, it remains fervent in its aim to protect the natural environment. (2) Social justice is a very broad concept and, therefore, it should encompass all possible aspects of the society. Part of its concerns should be the protection of the natural environment. Environmental protectionism ought to be a major concern especially today since the erosion of the natural environment across continents has direly affected the lives of countless people. With a huge number of the global population dependent on the resources taken from the environment, it is easy to understand why the imperative to protect it is urgent and called for. A society existing under the helm of justice is secure insofar as its continued survival is concerned. Depriving the environment of the rightful protection it deserves diminishes the available source of natural wealth for the people. In the end, the lack of concrete protective measures for the environment can lead to the collapse not only of the environment but also of the entire human civilization (Kuzmiak, 1991). The premise is simple: we cannot live without the ample resources provided by nature. To neglect the need to protect the environment is to neglect the welfare of our generation and the generations that will soon follow. Similarly, to destroy it is to destroy our own lives and our hopes for a world devoid of the hazards of the hustle and bustle in the ever expanding concrete jungles of cities. (3) Environmental protectionism is necessary in achieving social justice because the environment is the foundation of everything else that we know of in this planet. The absence of such protective measures, no matter how radical they may stand in contrast to the status quo, will certainly reduce our chances of surviving as a race. The social perception of Greenpeace International is the idea that there is an urgent need to actively promote and protect the environment amidst the different social forces that seek to use environmental resources to great lengths without even giving sufficient room for environmental concerns. People should actively engage themselves in efforts to curb the disintegration of the natural environment as a direct result of human factors. Human beings alone have the power to effect change in their natural surroundings especially when taken in the context of the use and abuse of the environment by several public and private entities. Protecting the environment can go to great lengths especially in the form of directly meddling with the private activities of private groups, to the point of causing harm, financial or physical, to those who are at the wrong side of the fence. The political perception of the organization is the idea that governments should prioritize environmental concerns. For instance, the organization has recently called upon United States President Barack Obama to reassess the so-called bogus climate bill released in Congress (Democrats Pass Bogus Climate Bill, 2009). It serves as a concrete example of the political pressure being exerted by the organization on the upper branches of the government. With that in mind, it is easy to understand that the organization very well considers political avenues in meeting their goals to protect the environment. With the growing environmental concerns throughout the years of the organization’s existence, it is apparent that the organization itself has dramatically changed through time. For the most part, the organization has grown more active than what it used to be in the later parts of the twentieth century. Moreover, the organization has become more actively involved in directly meddling with the activities of individuals and groups which they see as threats to the environment. (4) There are several previous actions of Greenpeace International which have been politically adapted. For example, the supporters of the organization heeded the call to write to their Representatives in Congress and inform them of the people’s clamor for safer toys for children up to 12 years of age. Eventually, the US Congress passed a law that will ban children’s products that contain the toxic chemical â€Å"phthalates† (US Congress Announces Ban on Toxic Chemicals, 2008). Another example is the organization’s victory during the early parts of the 1970s, especially the cases of protesting US nuclear testing at Amchitka Island in Alaska and France’s efforts to do atmospheric tests of their weapons somewhere in the regions of the South Pacific. In December 2007, the Irish government listened to the call of the organization to end the use of incandescent light bulbs and acted accordingly; the government announced its move to ban the use and production of incandescent light bulbs in Ireland which became the first country to do so among the European Union members (Greenpeace Victories, 2008). The latter example is a turning-point in history precisely because it marks the initial departure from the long-standing practice of using light bulbs on a massive scale that are not friendly to the environment. These examples, among others, present the idea that Greenpeace International has been successful in some of its efforts to protect the environment. Several laws were passed in favor of the environmental concerns of the organization. Also, several protests resulted to drastic changes in the activities of sovereign governments. References 20th Anniversary of the Bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. (2005). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from http://www. greenpeace. org/international/press/releases/20th-anniversary-of-the-bombin Democrats Pass Bogus Climate Bill. (2009). Retrieved May 24, 2009, from http://www. greenpeace. org/international/news/waxmanbill-180509 Greenpeace Victories. (2008). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from http://www. greenpeace. org/international/about/victories Justice for the Tokyo Two – Justice for Whales, Coming Our Way? (2009). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from http://www. greenpeace. org/international/news/justice-for-the-tokyo-two-ju Kuzmiak, D. T. (1991). The American Environmental Movement. The Geographical Journal, 157(3), 265-278. US Congress Announces Ban on Toxic Chemicals. (2008). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from http://www. greenpeace. org/international/news/congress-announces-ban-on-toxi