Libraries The Cure for the Unhappy

Which are the activities that make peoples life more tolerable? What can add happiness into ones life? We could name many various activities, like swimming and dancing, socializing and shopping, dating and listening to music. Their magical impact on ones mood is well known to everyone. Nevertheless, there are not so many people, who know, how enjoyable is the act of going to the library! According to U.K.s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the joy one gets by going to the library equals the joy one feels when getting his salary raised by $1,878. Sounds exciting, doesnt it? It is not like all the book-worms and literature lovers didnt know this before the study. There are not so many other things that can bring people the pleasure equal to the one reading brings. When a person turns around and sees endless shelves, filled with books, feelings of delight and happy disbelief overwhelm him. Where else could an individual feel happy if not in the place, where he can read whatever he wants and as much as he wants? Well, the Departments survey proved book-lovers guesses to be right in a scientific way. And only a month ago there was made a special Pew Research study, discoveries of which added even more value to the libraries. According to the results of this study, all library-goers and library-lovers are better at socializing with relatives, neighbors and friends, they show better technology knowledge than ordinary people and they also tend to form stable community ties. So, libraries do not just make people happy, they also make positive influence on their lifestyle, as well as views and manners. Unfortunately, despite the results of many surveys and studies that prove just how valuable and important the libraries are for education, social and cultural development (and that is not to mention the factor of happiness), the U.K. government doesnt care about it. During the last year, more than 493 libraries were closed or faced the possibility of closure because of the significant budget cuts and unreasonable policies. By the way, the situation in U.S. doesnt really differ the number of public libraries also decreases dangerously during the last several years. Still, thanks to volunteer help and enthusiasm of book-lovers, most public libraries manage to survive even when facing economic problems. And there is nothing to wonder about it. Libraries provide people with a possibility of self-education and make education itself simpler. They bring us aesthetic pleasure and allow those, who have not enough money to buy themselves as many books as they wish, to read everything they want for free. We can only hope that special surveys and studies will draw attention towards harsh situation with libraries economic conditions – and that it will help libraries to be preserved in a proper manner.

Comparing Do not go gentle and Ferne Hill by Dylan Thomas...

Comparing Do not go gentle and Ferne Hill by Dylan Thomas When reviewing the work of Dylan Thomas, one can see that he changes his style of language, such as using metaphors and imagery, to fit each poem accordingly. In the poems, Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, and Fern Hill, which are the poems I will be looking at in this presentation, he uses different techniques and language to make each poem more effective to the reader. I have chosen these works because they are his most well known, I shall start off by reading the poem â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  even if it was written after Fern Hill, as it is the most famous of all his works. Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night is addressed to Thomas father, giving him advice†¦show more content†¦Thomas is then able to compare these men to his father in the concluding quatrain. Dylan Thomas poetry is rich in imagery and metaphorical language. The opening line, Do not go gentle into that good night, contains an euphemistic metonymy for death. That good night is a word association for death, but is described as good in order to overcome the negative connotation usually attached with the idea of death. Also, the word gentle which is an adjective, is used instead of gently, the adverb which more commonly would be used. Thomas does both of these and is found describing the man and providing a tighter bond to the poem. In the line, Old age should burn and rave at close of day, old age can be seen as personification, but can also be interpreted as metonymy for his father. Burn and rave are strong emotions Thomas feels his father should take against the close of the day which is a metaphor for death. In the second stanza, the phrase dark is right represents a concise acknowledgement of the intellectual recognition how death is unavoidable; however, the awareness that his fathers words had forked no lightning is a metaphor for the failure to influence the powerful and brilliant forces in society (Grolier 231). In the next stanza, the line Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, the poet is now using imagery with the waters, however it can also be a metaphorical representation of life due to

Global Climate Change and Emissions

Question: Discuss about the Global Climate Change and Emissions. Answer: Introduction Climate change is a massive change in the weather patterns of the earth. It involves a shift in the general climate of a place. The term Climate change is specific in its usage and usually refers to a change in the climate of the earth (A.G. Russell, 2007, p. 143-152). Unlike weather change which takes place within a short time, climate change takes a long time. This could be hundreds of years or may even go up to millions of years. The report, therefore, has explored the entire topic of climate change, causes of the climate change, its impacts and the mitigation. The report is specifically built on the case study of Fiji. Causes of climate change Climate change is caused human activities or natural occurrences. Some of the natural activities that cause climate change include volcano eruption. Mans activities can also cause a climate change (Nelson and Palmer, 2007, p. 440-452). Humans burn fossil fuels which produce carbon. The emission of CO2 significantly contributes to global warning. Climate change is gradual but yet continuous. Currently, the temperatures of the earth are increasing. The earth is becoming warmer. The temperatures of the earth have gone up with about one degree. This change in temperatures seems small but has got a lot of effects on the earth (Boisvenue, et al. 2006, p. 1-12). Effects of climate change to the globe One of the effects of climate change includes global warming. Global warming means that some places will become hotter causing ice and snow to melt while other locations will experience colder winters. Again, most climate scientists have observed that climate change has also caused oceans to rise. The weather patterns have changed and some places are experience more rainfall, yet others less rainfall and this has, therefore affected the times of the year (Tagaris, et al. 2008, p.348-448). Fiji receives an annual average temperature of between 20-27 0c. Moreover, it receives variation in temperature during the day and night. Further, the country receives temperature change from season to the other. And the most recorded temperature varies according to the surrounding oceanic environment. The South Pacific convergence Zone movements largely determine the type of rainfall experienced in Fiji and this result to variation in the rainfall patterns in the country (Lal, 2003). The monsoon winds (trade winds) substantially determine the climate of Fiji and blows from the East to South East. Furthermore, the climate of Fiji considerably differs because of the El Nino South Oscillation. The Suva region the El Nino Events brings dry seasons that are drier and cooler, unlike the La Nina effects that carry wetter conditions. Also, the Tropical cyclones are experienced and majorly affect Fiji between November and April. Therefore, the climate pattern of Fiji is variable, and thus i t becomes tough to make an accurate prediction of the weather. It is because the change determinants are many and when the assessment is based on one factor, the climate will change based on the other that was not put into consideration. How climate change have affected Fiji Fiji has been majorly influenced by climate change. The coastal resources have been affected in many ways. For instance, the coasts of Fiji are experiencing coral bleaching due to increased sea surface temperatures. This has reduced coral growth, and therefore shoreline stability has reduced. Coral growth is necessary for aquatic life such as fisheries and other marine life. In addition to this, storm patterns have changed. The increase in storm magnitude has increased coastal erosion and inundation (Emanuel, et al. 2008, p. 347-367). The rising sea levels of Fiji due to climate change have also affected this country in a great way. It has experienced rising sea levels, and this has led to floods in the farms neighboring the water masses during high tide (Allan, et al. 2005, p. 200-250). The rise in the sea level has caused flooding which has invaded the Fiji residents in the homes. It led to displacements in various villages of Fiji. Many people have been forced to relocate, and even the government has come up with a program called climate change refugee (Juanes and Beland, 2004). This program has been concerned with handling the people displaced due to climate change. Also, it has also dealt in constructing fish ponds for the people in places which has been affected by the issues of climate change (Moore, et al. 2005, p. 1169-1177). The change has led to an increase in the frequency of epidemics. The outbreaks have resulted from the torrential rains. It is just one, but we have other water-borne diseases that have mostly affected the residents of Fiji as a result of floods and heavy rainfall (Gibson, 2012, p.23-50). Climate change has also affected Fijis tourism. Responsible Parties for Climate Change in Fiji Fiji is one of the countries that emit a lot of carbon to the environment (greenhouse gases). And the emissions are from industries and burning of fossils. The country has therefore shown the willingness to curb this and reduce the emissions. However, the country faces challenges attributed to pricing, lack of information, lack of standards for its imported machinery and appliances (Parmesan, 2006, p.367-669). Establishment of Advisory benchmarks on environmental issues, particularly the climate change and its social and economic impacts. Provision of education to people about the current climate change (Feresi, et al. 2000, p.123-140). Seek for funding from established States to aid in meeting the cost of catastrophe and drought preparedness, among others. Building of infrastructure to survive adverse weather events. Adhering to the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Programme regarding climate change issues. Political and economical measures Building an economy that relies on renewable sources of energy as opposed to carbon fossils. The government should increase the regulation climate on the levels of carbon emissions from the companies. Funding the research and development intended to explore energy efficiency and clean energy. Support innovative activities. It can be through partnering with the private and non-govern-mental organizations regarding reducing carbon IV oxide emissions. Climate measures A forestation and establishment of sustainable forest management to remove the green house from the atmosphere. Reduce the energy consumption. The reduction of power consumption will play a vital role in reducing the level of carbon IV oxide emitted in the air. Minimize the reclamation of the mangrove for residential areas. Health and water measures Adopting water sediment measures to reduce soil erosion as well as stagnation of water. Adopting flood control measures, for instance, river bed excavation Management of water resources. Flood management activities will reduce the spread of water-borne diseases. Utilizing land use controls and soil conservation. Agriculture Develop new farming systems. Strengthening land planning. Land planning is all about identifying the localities to plant particular species of plants. Use of sustainable production techniques. Energy Enhancing access to the reliable source of energy. As a result, people will adopt the use of renewable sources of energy that is environmental friendly as opposed to fossil fuels that causes global warming. Promoting the use of renewable power source. The government should enact sustainable bill regarding energy use. Conclusion Wrapping up, climate change is a matter of concern. Human causes of global warming can be prevented while the natural forces are beyond our control. We thus need to play our part in adhering to the discussed measures and take precautions regarding the natural causes. But majorly, human activities are the principal cause of climate change around the globe. Everyone, therefore, has a collective responsibility for ensuring that the environment is kept clean. It is paramount to focus the mitigation explored in the presentation in keeping the environment free from pollution. Furthermore, most of the current adverse environmental occurrences can cease and the Earth will again be a good place to live with predictable climate patterns. References Allan, J.D., M. A. Palmer, and N. L. Poff. (2005). Freshwater ecology In: T.E. Lovejoy and L. Hannah (Eds), Climate Change and Biodiversity. Yale University Press, New Haven, pp.200-250 A.G. Russell. (2007). Impacts of global climate change and emissions on regional ozone and fine particulate matter concentrations over the United States: Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, pp143-52. Boisvenue, C. and S.W. Running. (2006). Impacts of climate change on natural forest productivityevidence since the middle of the 20th century. Global Change Biology 12:1-12. Emanuel, K., R. Sundararajan, and J. Williams. (2008). Hurricanes and global warming: results from downscaling IPCC AR4 simulations. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 89:347-367. Feresi, et al. (2000) Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment for Fiji: Pacific Island Climate Change Assistance Programme (PICCAP), p. 123-140 Gibson, Nevil. (2012). "Air Pacific reverts to original Fiji Airways name". National Business Review, pp. 23-50 Juanes, F., S. Gephard, and K.F. Beland. (2004). Long-term changes in migration timing of adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo solar) at the southern edge of the species distribution: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 61:2392-2400. Lal, Brij V (2003). "Fiji Islands: From Immigration to Emigration. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://www.migrationinformation.org/profiles/display.cfm?ID=11014, on 21st December, 2016 Moore, A.M. and M.A. Palmer. (2005). Agricultural watersheds in urbanizing landscapes: implications for conservation of biodiversity of stream invertebrates. Ecological Applications 15:1169-1177. Nelson, K.C., and M.A. Palmer. (2007). Stream temperature surges under urbanization and climate change: data, models, and responses. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 43:440-452. Parmesan, C. (2006). Ecological and evolutionary responses to recent climate change. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 37:637-669. Tagaris, et al. (2008). Global trends and variability in soil moisture and drought characteristics, 19502000, from observation-driven simulations of the terrestrial hydrologic cycle. Journal of Climate 21:432458.

Report on 2g Spectrum Essay Example

Report on 2g Spectrum Essay This is the biggest scam till now in India. The Supreme Court said that this 2G Scam is the mother of all the Scams. The 2G spectrum scam involved officials in the government of India illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for frequency allocation licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones. The shortfall between the money collected and the money which the law mandated to be collected is 1,76,379crore rupees or USD 39 billion. The issuing of licenses occurred in 2008, but the scam came to public notice when the Indian Income Tax Department was investigating political lobbyist NiraRadia. The governments investigation and the governments reactions to the findings in the investigation were the subject of debate, as were the nature of the Indian medias reactions. The discussion around the reactions to the 2G spectrum scam became known in the media as the NiraRadia tapes controversy. A Raja ,the Ex-Minister of Communications andInformation Technology , is an Indian politician from the DMK, who sold the licences and played a key role in 2G Scam and also who knows full details regarding 2G Scam. Generally , Tele Communication companies have to take licence from Government by paying large amounts for their operations and also Government have many rules to give permission for new companies in Tele Communication. So,due to Raja , many companies got the licences very cheaply and also many new companies started their services with out eligibilitycriteria,which is illegal. Following is the information given by Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG): * On nov 11th,The Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) announced that revenue loss for India due to Raja at Rs. . 8L Cr. CAG indicts Raja: * CAG says Raja caused Rs. 177,000crore loss to India. * Licences issued in 2008,pegged at 2001 prices. * Raja’s ministry sold spectrum to 9 companies in 2008 using faulty amp; outdated policy,causing Rs. 140,000 crore loss. * Doled out additional airwaves to existing telecos beyond what they were entitled to,causing an additional loss of nearly Rs. 37,000 crore to exchequer. * Raja gave dual l icence permits to RCOM amp; Tata tele in 2008 using old policy , causing a loss of up to Rs. 37,000 cr. Raja ignored advice of Telecom RegulatoryTRAI , Finance Ministry amp; Law Ministry on pricing airwaves at realistic amp; market-driven rates. * He ignored Prime Minister’s advice also to favouring some corporates,Raja flouted all norms. * Raja dished out pan-India airwaves for Rs. 1651 Crore despiteS tel offering Rs. 13,752croreamp; even willing to inhance this offer if the government were to receive a higher bid. * Six of the nine companies that were given licences did not fulfill the eligibility criteria , but communications ministry (Raja)did not reject their applications. The Six companies are: 1. Etisalat 2. Datacom(Videocon) 3. Unitech(which coded majority control to Norway Telenor) We will write a custom essay sample on Report on 2g Spectrum specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Report on 2g Spectrum specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Report on 2g Spectrum specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 4. AllianzInfratech 5. Loop Mobile 6. S Tel Criteria for working out potential loss Rates offered On the basis of Categoryby S Tel 3G auction New Licences Rs. 657525cr Rs. 102497cr Dual Technology Rs. 24591cr Rs. 37153cr Beyond contracted Quantity of 6. 2MHZ Rs. 36729cr Total Rs. 0316cr Rs. 176379cr WEB Of Allegations: * CAG says telecom ministry had flouted every canon of financial propriety,rules and procedures. * Raja issued licences to ineligible applicants:85 of 122 licences issued in 2008 were illegal as these cos had disclosed incomplete information , submitted fictitious documents and used fraudulent means to get permits. * Allianz Infratech ,Datacom(Videocon), Unitech(Telenor), S Tel, Loop Mobile and Etisalat were not eligible for mobile prmits. * Swan Telecom appeared to act as a ‘front company’ on behalf of Anil Ambhani-led Reliance Telecom. Profit list for spectrum changed in Punjab amp; Maharashtra to favour Swan. * Telecom ministry gave undue benefits to RC OM amp; Swan. Spectrum of Controversies: Spectrum Scam: * Amount paid by new Telecos for a pan-India licence in 2008: Rs. 1,651crore. * Estimated loss to exchequer on selling licences cheap:Rs. 140,000crore. Easy Money: * Swan Telecom taken the licence for Rs. 1537 crore and sold 45% stake to UAE’s Etisalat for $900m(Rs. 4200 cr). * Unitech taken licence for Rs. 1661 crore and sold 60. 00% to Norway’s Telenor for $1. 1 billion(Rs. 6200 cr). S Tel sold 49% to Bahrain’s Batelco for about $225m. * On nov 14th Raja quit as congress refuses to relent and KapilSibal taken the charge. Actions Taken By The Government To Prevent The 2G Scam: * Enforcement Directorate(ED) has writeen to countries from where money was received by Indian firms for details on investors amp; source of funds. * It is also examing role of prominent corporate lobbyist who is alleged to have player a role in influencing the way the permits were awarded to new companies. * Opposition (BJP)to press for Joint Parliamentary Committee probe. Janata Party President SubramaniamSwamy filed a complaint in Supreme Court on Raja. So, the issue is in SC. * The Telecom Regulatory has asked the Government to cancel 62 of the 122 licences issued by former Telecom Minister A Raja. * The CAG in its report said 85 of 122 licences given to six companies , notably Uninor,Videocon,LoopMobile,STel,Etisalat and AllinzInfratech were illegal as these firms were not eligible to obtain them. * ED quizzes NiiraRadia,who is a lobbyist amp; owner of Vaishnavi Corporate Communications that handles PR for of all Tata companies for role in 2G Scam for 7hours. Supreme Court given the case to CBI for investigation. * CBI raids Raja across the Spectrum. * CBI searches Raja houses in Delhi,Chennai. * SC questions Rs. 10,000cr loa ns to new licences. * Court asked CBI to examine the feasibility of probing the allocation of radio spectrum since 2001,when BJP-Led NDA Government was in power. * Judges appealed to be critical of a decision by SBI to lend Rs. 2500 cr to Uninor. * CBI told to court that they will complete the investigation in 3 months,later they told they need 6 months time. Some Of The Other Actions To Prevent 2G Scam: * The proceedings of the parliamentary committees should be made available to the media and public,so that people can understand the issue clearly. * The Government must take the serious and severe decisions especially in these type of scams,so that no one tries to cheat. * Government has to prove itself by arresting the illegal persons,whether they are anybody. * Both media and the general public must create an awareness that the government is a trustee of public money and assets and the people are the real owners. Media has played an important role in curving a public opinion . So,alert citizen and conscientious media. * Creating fast track prosecution. Finally†¦. Main issues in 2G Spectrum Scam: * 2G licences at throwaway prices * Rules bent,no procedures followed. Cut-off date advanced * No auction,no bids. First-come-first-served. * Swan Telecom licence:Rs. 1537 crore Sold 45% stake:Rs. 4200crore * Mobile subscriber base: 2001:4 million 2008:350 million * Unitech Wireless licence:Rs. 1661 crore Sold 60% stake:Rs. 6200crore * Revenue Loss:1. 8L Crore Licences issued in 2008,pegged at 2001 prices. * Law Ministry,FinanceMinistry,TRAI and PM’s advice ignored. * Government Revenue: 2G:Rs. 10772crore 3G:RS. 1 Lakh crore Souces: Economic Times Ndtv. com Wikipedia. com Rediff. com Report on 2G Spectrum Scam Submitted by: Dileep Madhur