Gibbons v Ogden Decision Fair or Unfair :: essays papers

Gibbons v Ogden Decision Fair or Unfair The decision in the Gibbons v. Ogden case is, in my opinion, a very just and fair one. Many believe it to be the first anti- trust decision in U.S. history. The economic results cannot be over-estimated, a different decision could have resulted in completely different circumstances than with which we are accustomed to today. The free flow of commerce, which we seem to almost take for granted in modern economics and business, may have never been a possibility without decisions such as this. Monopolies did not allow for equal division of business and therefore was unjust. If all men are created equal they should be given equal opportunities. The New York Livingston-Fulton monopoly clearly subjected any potential competition to harsh conditions that would make it impossible for them to keep up in their business. Travel by steamboat was much faster than any other means in the time of this case and to give complete control to only one partnership was unfair. Under the constitution Congress has the right to regulate commerce. Although the monopoly was a form of internal state trade regulation it directly impacted on inter-state trade after a number of states passed laws to come back at the New York monopoly. Therefore, Congress had the right to intervene and end the monopoly. To completely understand the impact of the Gibbons-Ogden decision it is necessary to understand the situation surrounding it. In 1798 Robert R. Livingston secured an exclusive twenty year grant from the New York legislature. By the terms of this grant he could exclusively navigate by steam the rivers and other waters of the state, provided that within two years he should build a boat which would make four miles an hour against the current of the Hudson River. The legislature had no faith whatsoever in the project but the decision was still made against the many jeers. The terms of the grant were not met and it was renewed in 1803, this time to Livingston and his new partner, Robert Fulton. It was renewed once more in 1807 and finally that August Fulton’s steamboat made its first successful trip from New York to Albany. The following year the Legislature, fully aware of the practical significance of Fulton’s achievement, passed a law stating that for each new boat navigated on New York waters by Fulton and Livingston that they should be provided with a five year extension to their monopoly, which may not exceed thirty years.

The Dustbowl of America in the 1930s :: American America History

The Dustbowl of America in the 1930s The Dust Bowl of North America refers to a catastrophe in the early 1930's when vast areas of the Midwestern and Western farm lands of America became wastelands. This occurred due to a series of dry years which coincided with the extension of agriculture in unsuitable lands. Droughts and dust storms caused by poor tillage practices devastated farms and ranches of the Great Plains; therefore, causing a great exodus of its inhabitants to other, more fertile, lands. The problem had become so great that a nation wide effort was made to resolve the problem. Beginning in 1935, extensive efforts were made by both federal and state governments to develop adequate programs for soil conservation and for the rehabilitation of the dust bowl. Eventually, thanks to government aid, farming became possible again in the Dust Bowl; consequently, farmers have learnt many valuable lessons from this dilemma. The European settlers who first arrived at the Great Plains found hardy grasslands that held the fine-grained soil in place in spite of the long recurrent droughts and occasional torrential rains. A large number of the travelers settled down in this area and built farms and ranches. These land uses led to soil exposure and great erosion. The cattle ranches were very profitable for the settlers; unfortunately, this led to overgrazing and degradation of the soil. In addition, farmers began to plow the natural grass cover and plant their own crops. Without the original root systems of the grass to anchor the soil, much of it blew away. The wide row crops were very disastrous because between the crops, the land was kept bare; as a result, this area was exposed to the elements. Also, the nutrients in the soil were used up by the plants faster than they could be replaced. The soil had become exhausted. The Great Plains are a vast expanse of land located in a region east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. Precipitation in the region is sparse because it is found in the rainshadow of the Rockies; as a result, rain is very unpredictable as to when it will fall so farmers had to make due with what they had back in the 1930's. This lack of water created a hard dry soil that was very difficult to cultivate for agricultural purposes. The farmers, however, continued to cultivate the land and eventually disaster struck.

Biblical Influence and Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea :: Old Man and the Sea Essays

Biblical Influence and Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea Many times, stories by Ernest Hemingway have much religious influence and symbolism. In The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, numerous occurrences in the life of Santiago the fisherman are similar to the incidents recorded in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The names of the characters translated from Spanish to English are just one of those many similarities. The characters in The Old Man and the Sea are in actuality, major figures in the New Testament. Santiago is an old man, yet he had young eyes. No matter how defeated he was, he would never show it and he would look on the brighter side of things. In my mind, these traits make Santiago a god-like figure. Manolin, which translates into Messiah, is Jesus (Stoltzfus qtd in CLC 13:280). Santiago is the "father" who teaches his symbolic son and disciple, Manolin. After catching the largest marlin, Manolin will leave his parents in order to follow the teachings of Santiago, his master, just as Jesus did (Stoltzfus qtd in CLC 13:280). Pedrico is actually Saint Peter, Jesus' closest apostle and a great fisherman (Wilson 50). Peter helped Jesus fish for souls as Pedrico helped Manolin fish for food. Santiago gives Pedrico the head of the mutilated marlin which symbolizes Saint Peter as head of the Christian church and the first Pope (Stoltzfus CLC 280). In the story, there are many references to the crucifixion of Jesus. Santiago's badly injured hands evoke the hands of the crucified Jesus and three other situations reinforce this theory (Brenner, The Old Man and the Sea, Story of a Common Man 37). First, Santiago's marlin is approached by a pair of shovel nosed sharks. "Ay', he said out loud." (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea 107) There is no meaning of "Ay", but perhaps it is the sound a man makes as his hands are nailed to wood (Brenner, The Old Man and the Sea, Story of a Common Man 38). Next, once back on shore, Santiago climbs the hill to his shack, with the mast on his shoulder, falling several times (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea 121). This is an obvious reference to Christ's struggle to carry the cross up the hill Cavalry (Crossan, The Historical Jesus 163).

English is Broken Here Essay

English is Broken Here: Notes on Cultural Fusion is a series of essays where Coco Fusco examines the work of Latino performance artists born in the United States of America and the themes of â€Å"otherness† and culture clash. Fusco’s work depicts cultural fusion thru live performances. She meant to educate people thru her work of art and being the â€Å"other,† even posed herself with Gomez-Pena, a performance artist, under public scrutiny. They created a live exhibit of various complex societies having multi-faceted traditions, rituals and lots of different languages. This might only appeal superficially to mainly white audience but they made a difference in this kind of performance. They stirred the audience’s imagination and sense of cultural awareness. Comments gathered from the audience regarding Housekeeper’s Diary varied to some extent. There were those who talked about their own discomfort of not understanding their housemaids or on how to treat them humanely. Some might have even lauded their maids to feel important and cheerful despite their indifference. Fusco and Gomez-Pena performed live in museums and municipal buildings to know the public reactions. They exhibited themselves as indigenous tribal members. They were in a cage on display as â€Å"two undiscovered Amerindians† from the island of Guatinau. Coco Fusco describes the performance in â€Å"The Other History of Intercultural Performance,† as: â€Å"Our plan was to live †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ authentic Guatinaui male genitals for $5 (p. 9). † People watching them did not know what to believe in. Some of the audience thought that the performance was real. However, such presentation, no matter how believable or not, could only mean taking a second look on what is really going on in the daily lives of people. The curiosity of people paying just to have a peek on the male genitalia of Gomez-Pena acting as Guatinaui is somewhat a spectacular thing to some, as if the genitalia of the fictional Guatinaui is different from the existing humans. Among artists and scientists during the Renaissance, it was a prevailing belief that the artwork or study of the male form was in itself an artwork or study of God, thus they placed value on sculpture of the male form as one of the highest works of art. In the case of Fusco’s and Gomez-Pena’s live performance, it was their priceless work of art as it was tangible. In the course of their live exhibits, others would feed Fusco and Gomez-Pena with bananas and posing with them for some souvenir photos. A realization regarding the performance might have hit into some audience such as acting out their own fantasies in life. Another part of the essay is what Fusco wrote as: â€Å"Gomez-Pena found the experience of being continually †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of public objectification (p. 57). † In her perspective as a woman with varied experiences in life, the performance would make her deflect the scrutiny and objectifications of the audience. The possibility of having undergone more serious and debilitating experiences in life might have made her stronger and more open as accepting people’s objections and criticisms as well. While to Gomez-Pena, the experience of being exposed to people being someone else has depressed him to some extent. Psychologically, their performance also made an impact to themselves, which actually opened their minds as well and not only the audience that they wanted to observe them. What they did was something not all can do. It would take a lot of courage, determination and imagination for them to execute such a unique performance, a unique work of art, just to educate people on the existence of various cultures and expose them to the consequences of cultural fusion.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 1

One HIS FINGERTIPS SLID ALONG my back, applying hardly any pressure, yet sending shock waves over my flesh. Slowly, slowly, his hands moved across my skin, down the sides of my stomach to finally rest in the curves of my hips. Just below my ear, I felt his lips press against my neck, followed by another kiss just below it, then another, then another. †¦ His lips moved from my neck toward my cheek and then finally found my mouth. We kissed, wrapping ourselves closer together. My blood burned within me, and I felt more alive in that moment than I ever had. I loved him, loved Christian so much that – Christian? Oh no. Some coherent part of me immediately realized what was happening – and boy, was it pissed off. The rest of me, however, was still actually living in this encounter, experiencing it as though I was the one being touched and kissed. That part of me couldn't break away. I'd merged too much with Lissa, and for all intents and purposes, this was happening to me. No, I told myself sternly. It's not real – not for you. Get out of there. But how could I listen to logic when every nerve of my body was being set on fire? You aren't her. This isn't your head. Get out. His lips. There was nothing in the world right now except his lips. It's not him. Get out. The kisses were the same, exactly as I remembered with him. †¦ No, it's not Dimitri. Get out! Dimitri's name was like cold water hitting me in the face. I got out. I sat upright in my bed, suddenly feeling smothered. I tried kicking off the covers but mostly ended up entangling my legs even more. My heart beat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality. Times sure had changed. A long time ago, Lissa's nightmares used to wake me from sleep. Now her sex life did. To say the two were a little different would be an understatement. I'd actually gotten the hang of blocking out her romantic interludes – at least when I was awake. This time, Lissa and Christian had (unintentionally) outsmarted me. In sleep, my defenses were down, allowing strong emotions to pass through the psychic link that connected me to my best friend. This wouldn't have been a problem if the two of them had been in bed like normal people – and by â€Å"being in bed,† I mean â€Å"asleep.† â€Å"God,† I muttered, sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My voice was muffled in a yawn. Couldn't Lissa and Christian have seriously kept their hands off each other until waking hours? Worse than being woken up, though, was the way I still felt. Sure, none of that making out had actually happened to me. It hadn't been my skin being touched or my lips being kissed. Yet my body seemed to feel the loss of it nonetheless. It had been a very long time since I'd been in that kind of situation. I ached and felt warm all over. It was idiotic, but suddenly, desperately, I wanted someone to touch me – even just to hold me. But definitely not Christian. The memory of those lips on mine flashed back through my mind, how they'd felt, and how my sleepy self had been so certain it was Dimitri kissing me. I stood up on shaky legs, feeling restless and †¦ well, sad. Sad and empty. Needing to walk off my weird mood, I put on a robe and slippers and left my room for the bathroom down the hall. I splashed cool water on my face and stared in the mirror. The reflection looking back at me had tangled hair and bloodshot eyes. I looked sleep-deprived, but I didn't want to go back to bed. I didn't want to risk falling asleep quite yet. I needed something to wake me up and shake away what I'd seen. I left the bathroom and turned toward the stairwell, my feet light on the steps as I went downstairs. The first floor of my dorm was still and quiet. It was almost noon – the middle of the night for vampires, since they ran on a nocturnal schedule. Lurking near the edge of a doorway, I scanned the lobby. It was empty, save for the yawning Moroi man sitting at the front desk. He leafed halfheartedly through a magazine, held to consciousness only by the finest of threads. He came to the magazine's end and yawned again. Turning in his revolving chair, he tossed the magazine on a table behind him and reached for what must have been something else to read. While his back was turned, I darted past him toward the set of double doors that opened outside. Praying the doors wouldn't squeak, I carefully opened one a crack, just enough to slip through. Once outside, I eased the door shut as gently as possible. No noise. At most, the guy would feel a draft. Feeling like a ninja, I stepped out into the light of day. Cold wind blasted me in the face, but it was exactly what I needed. Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails. The sun peeped at me from between lead-colored clouds, further reminding me that I should be in bed and asleep. Squinting at the light, I tugged my robe tighter and walked around the side of the building, toward a spot between it and the gym that wasn't quite so exposed to the elements. The slush on the sidewalk soaked into the cloth of my slippers, but I didn't care. Yeah, it was a typically miserable winter day in Montana, but that was the point. The crisp air did a lot to wake me up and chase off the remnants of the virtual love scene. Plus, it kept me firmly in my own head. Focusing on the cold in my body was better than remembering what it had felt like to have Christian's hands on me. Standing there, staring off at a cluster of trees without really seeing them, I was surprised to feel a spark of anger at Lissa and Christian. It must be nice, I thought bitterly, to do whatever the hell you wanted. Lissa had often commented that she wished she could feel my mind and experiences the way I could feel hers. The truth was, she had no idea how lucky she was. She had no idea what it was like to have someone else's thoughts intruding on yours, someone else's experiences muddling yours. She didn't know what it was like to live with someone else's perfect love life when your own was nonexistent. She didn't understand what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it made your chest ache – a love you could only feel and not express. Keeping love buried was a lot like keeping anger pent up, I'd learned. It just ate you up inside until you wanted to scream or kick something. No, Lissa didn't understand any of that. She didn't have to. She could carry on with her own romantic affairs, with no regard for what she was doing to me. I noticed then that I was breathing heavily again, this time with rage. The icky feeling I'd felt over Lissa and Christian's late-night hookup was gone. It had been replaced by anger and jealousy, feelings born of what I couldn't have and what came so easily to her. I tried my best to swallow those emotions back; I didn't want to feel that way toward my best friend. â€Å"Are you sleepwalking?† a voice asked behind me. I spun around, startled. Dimitri stood there watching me, looking both amused and curious. It would figure that while I was raging over the problems in my unfair love life, the source of those problems would be the one to find me. I hadn't heard him approach at all. So much for my ninja skills. And honestly, would it have killed me to pick up a brush before I went outside? Hastily, I ran a hand through my long hair, knowing it was a little too late. It probably looked like an animal had died on top of my head. â€Å"I was testing dorm security,† I said. â€Å"It sucks.† A hint of a smile played over his lips. The cold was really starting to seep into me now, and I couldn't help but notice how warm his long leather coat looked. I wouldn't have minded wrapping up in it. As though reading my mind, he said, â€Å"You must be freezing. Do you want my coat?† I shook my head, deciding not to mention that I couldn't feel my feet. â€Å"I'm fine. What are you doing out here? Are you testing security too?† â€Å"I am security. This is my watch.† Shifts of school guardians always patrolled the grounds while everyone else slept. Strigoi, the undead vampires who stalked living Moroi vampires like Lissa, didn't come out in sunlight, but students breaking rules – say, like, sneaking out of their dorms – were a problem night and day. â€Å"Well, good work,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad I was able to help test your awesome skills. I should be going now.† â€Å"Rose – † Dimitri's hand caught my arm, and despite all the wind and chill and slush, a flash of heat shot through me. He released me with a start, as though he too had been burned. â€Å"What are you really doing out here?† He was using the stop fooling around voice, so I gave him as truthful an answer as I could. â€Å"I had a bad dream. I wanted some air.† â€Å"And so you just rushed out. Breaking the rules didn't even cross your mind – and neither did putting on a coat.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"That pretty much sums it up.† â€Å"Rose, Rose.† This time it was his exasperated voice. â€Å"You never change. Always jumping in without thinking.† â€Å"That's not true,† I protested. â€Å"I've changed a lot.† The amusement on his face suddenly faded, his expression growing troubled. He studied me for several moments. Sometimes I felt as though those eyes could see right into my soul. â€Å"You're right. You have changed.† He didn't seem very happy about the admission. He was probably thinking about what had happened almost three weeks ago, when some friends and I had gotten ourselves captured by Strigoi. It was only through sheer luck that we'd managed to escape – and not all of us had gotten out. Mason, a good friend and a guy who'd been crazy about me, had been killed, and part of me would never forgive myself for it, even though I'd killed his murderers. It had given me a darker outlook on life. Well, it had given everyone here at St. Vladimir's Academy a darker outlook, but me especially. Others had begun to notice the difference in me. I didn't like to see Dimitri concerned, though, so I played off his observation with a joke. â€Å"Well, don't worry. My birthday's coming up. As soon as I'm eighteen, I'll be an adult, right? I'm sure I'll wake up that morning and be all mature and stuff.† As I'd hoped, his frown softened into a small smile. â€Å"Yes, I'm sure. What is it, about a month?† â€Å"Thirty-one days,† I announced primly. â€Å"Not that you're counting.† I shrugged, and he laughed. â€Å"I suppose you've made a birthday list too. Ten pages? Single-spaced? Ranked by order of priority?† The smile was still on his face. It was one of the relaxed, genuinely amused ones that were so rare to him. I started to make another joke, but the image of Lissa and Christian flared into my mind again. That sad and empty feeling in my stomach returned. Anything I might have wanted – new clothes, an iPod, whatever – suddenly seemed trivial. What did material things like that mean compared to the one thing I wanted most of all? God, I really had changed. â€Å"No,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"No list.† He tilted his head to better look at me, making some of his shoulder-length hair blow into his face. His hair was brown, like mine, but not nearly as dark. Mine looked black at times. He brushed the unruly strands aside, only to have them immediately blow back into his face. â€Å"I can't believe you don't want anything. It's going to be a boring birthday.† Freedom, I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said instead. â€Å"What do you – † He stopped. He understood. He always did. It was part of why we connected like we did, in spite of the seven-year gap in our ages. We'd fallen for each other last fall when he'd been my combat instructor. As things heated up between us, we'd found we had more things to worry about than just age. We were both going to be protecting Lissa when she graduated, and we couldn't let our feelings for each other distract us when she was our priority. Of course, that was easier said than done because I didn't think our feelings for each other were ever really going to go away. We'd both had moments of weakness, moments that led to stolen kisses or saying things we really shouldn't have. After I'd escaped the Strigoi, Dimitri had told me he loved me and had pretty much admitted he could never be with anyone else because of that. Yet, it had also become clear that we still couldn't be together either, and we had both slipped back into our old roles of keeping away from each other and pretending that our relationship was strictly professional. In a not-so-obvious attempt to change the subject, he said, â€Å"You can deny it all you want, but I know you're freezing. Let's go inside. I'll take you in through the back.† I couldn't help feeling a little surprised. Dimitri was rarely one to avoid uncomfortable subjects. In fact, he was notorious for pushing me into conversations about topics I didn't want to deal with. But talking about our dysfunctional, star-crossed relationship? That was a place he apparently didn't want to go today. Yeah. Things were definitely changing. â€Å"I think you're the one who's cold,† I teased, as we walked around the side of the dorm where novice guardians lived. â€Å"Shouldn't you be all tough and stuff, since you're from Siberia?† â€Å"I don't think Siberia's exactly what you imagine.† â€Å"I imagine it as an arctic wasteland,† I said truthfully. â€Å"Then it's definitely not what you imagine.† â€Å"Do you miss it?† I asked, glancing back to where he walked behind me. It was something I'd never considered before. In my mind, everyone would want to live in the U.S. Or, well, they at least wouldn't want to live in Siberia. â€Å"All the time,† he said, his voice a little wistful. â€Å"Sometimes I wish – â€Å" â€Å"Belikov!† A voice was carried on the wind from behind us. Dimitri muttered something, and then shoved me further around the corner I'd just rounded. â€Å"Stay out of sight.† I ducked down behind a bank of holly trees that flanked the building. They didn't have any berries, but the thick clusters of sharp, pointed leaves scratched where my skin was exposed. Considering the freezing temperature and possible discovery of my late-night walk, a few scratches were the least of my problems right now. â€Å"You're not on watch,† I heard Dimitri say several moments later. â€Å"No, but I needed to talk to you.† I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alberta, captain of the Academy's guardians. â€Å"It'll just take a minute. We need to shuffle some of the watches while you're at the trial.† â€Å"I figured,† he said. There was a funny, almost uncomfortable note in his voice. â€Å"It's going to put a strain on everyone else – bad timing.† â€Å"Yes, well, the queen runs on her own schedule.† Alberta sounded frustrated, and I tried to figure out what was going on. â€Å"Celeste will take your watches, and she and Emil will divide up your training times.† Training times? Dimitri wouldn't be conducting any trainings next week because – Ah. That was it, I realized. The field experience. Tomorrow kicked off six weeks of hands-on practice for us novices. We'd have no classes and would get to protect Moroi night and day while the adults tested us. The â€Å"training times† must be when Dimitri would be out participating in that. But what was this trial she'd mentioned? Did they mean like the final trials we had to undergo at the end of the school year? â€Å"They say they don't mind the extra work,† continued Alberta, â€Å"but I was wondering if you could even things out and take some of their shifts before you leave?† â€Å"Absolutely,† he said, words still short and stiff. â€Å"Thanks. I think that'll help.† She sighed. â€Å"I wish I knew how long this trial was going to be. I don't want to be away that long. You'd think it'd be a done deal with Dashkov, but now I hear the queen's getting cold feet about imprisoning a major royal.† I stiffened. The chill running through me now had nothing to do with the winter day. Dashkov? â€Å"I'm sure they'll do the right thing,† said Dimitri. I realized at that moment why he wasn't saying much. This wasn't something I was supposed to hear. â€Å"I hope so. And I hope it'll only take a few days, like they claim. Look, it's miserable out here. Would you mind coming into the office for a second to look at the schedule?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Let me check on something first.† â€Å"All right. See you soon.† Silence fell, and I had to assume Alberta was walking away. Sure enough, Dimitri rounded the corner and stood in front of the holly. I shot up from my hiding spot. The look on his face told me he already knew what was coming. â€Å"Rose – â€Å" â€Å"Dashkov?† I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low so Alberta wouldn't hear. â€Å"As in Victor Dashkov?† He didn't bother denying it. â€Å"Yes. Victor Dashkov.† â€Å"And you guys were talking about†¦Do you mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was so startled, so dumbstruck, that I could barely get my thoughts together. This was unbelievable. â€Å"I thought he was locked up! Are you saying he hasn't been on trial yet?† Yes. This was definitely unbelievable. Victor Dashkov. The guy who'd stalked Lissa and tortured her mind and body in order to control her powers. Every Moroi could use magic in one of the four elements: earth, air, water, or fire. Lissa, however, worked an almost unheard of fifth element called spirit. She could heal anything – including the dead. It was the reason I was now psychically linked to her – â€Å"shadow-kissed,† some called it. She'd brought me back from the car accident that had killed her parents and brother, binding us together in a way that allowed me to feel her thoughts and experiences. Victor had learned long before any of us that she could heal, and he'd wanted to lock her away and use her as his own personal Fountain of Youth. He also hadn't hesitated to kill anyone who got in his way – or, in the case of Dimitri and me, use more creative ways to stop his opponents. I'd made a lot of enemies in seventeen years, but I was pretty sure there was no one I hated as much as Victor Dashkov – at least among the living. Dimitri had a look on his face I knew well. It was the one he got when he thought I might punch someone. â€Å"He's been locked up – but no, no trial yet. Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time.† â€Å"But there's going to be a trial now? And you're going?† I spoke through clenched teeth, trying to be calm. I suspected I still had the I'm going to punch someone look on my face. â€Å"Next week. They need me and some of the other guardians to testify about what happened to you and Lissa that night.† His expression changed at the mention of what had occurred four months ago, and again, I recognized the look. It was the fierce, protective one he got when those he cared about were in danger. â€Å"Call me crazy for asking this, but, um, are Lissa and I going with you?† I had already guessed the answer, and I didn't like it. â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No.† I put my hands on my hips. â€Å"Look, doesn't it seem reasonable that if you're going to talk about what happened to us, then you should have us there?† Dimitri, fully in strict-instructor mode now, shook his head. â€Å"The queen and some of the other guardians thought it'd be best if you didn't go. There's enough evidence between the rest of us, and besides, criminal or not, he is – or was – one of the most powerful royals in the world. Those who know about this trial want to keep it quiet.† â€Å"So, what, you thought if you brought us, we'd tell everyone?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Come on, comrade. You really think we'd do that? The only thing we want is to see Victor locked up. Forever. Maybe longer. And if there's a chance he might walk free, you have to let us go.† After Victor had been caught, he'd been taken to prison, and I'd thought that was where the story had ended. I'd figured they'd locked him up to rot. It had never occurred to me – though it should have – that he'd need a trial first. At the time, his crimes had seemed so obvious. But, although the Moroi government was secret and separate from the human one, it operated in a lot of the same ways. Due process and all that. â€Å"It's not my decision to make,† Dimitri said. â€Å"But you have influence. You could speak up for us, especially if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some of my anger dimmed just a little, replaced by a sudden and startling fear. I almost couldn't say the next words. â€Å"Especially if there really is a chance he might get off. Is there? Is there really a chance the queen could let him go?† â€Å"I don't know. There's no telling what she or some of the other high-up royals will do sometimes.† He suddenly looked tired. He reached into his pocket and tossed over a set of keys. â€Å"Look, I know you're upset, but we can't talk about it now. I have to go meet Alberta, and you need to get inside. The square key will let you in the far side door. You know the one.† I did. â€Å"Yeah. Thanks.† I was sulking and hated to be that way – especially since he was saving me from getting in trouble – but I couldn't help it. Victor Dashkov was a criminal – a villain, even. He was power-hungry and greedy and didn't care who he stepped on to get his way. If he were loose again†¦well, there was no telling what might happen to Lissa or any other Moroi. It enraged me to think that I could do something to help put him away but that no one would let me do it. I'd taken a few steps forward when Dimitri called out from behind me. â€Å"Rose?† I glanced back. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. He paused, and his expression of regret turned wary. â€Å"And you'd better bring the keys back tomorrow.† I turned away and kept going. It was probably unfair, but some childish part of me believed Dimitri could do anything. If he'd really wanted to get Lissa and me to the trial, I was certain he could have. When I was almost to the side door, I caught movement in my peripheral vision. My mood plummeted. Great. Dimitri had given me keys to sneak back in, and now someone else had busted me. That was typical of my luck. Half-expecting a teacher to demand to know what I was doing, I turned and prepared an excuse. But it wasn't a teacher. â€Å"No,† I said softly. This had to be a trick. â€Å"No.† For half an instant, I wondered if I'd ever really woken up. Maybe I was actually still in bed, asleep and dreaming. Because surely, surely that was the only explanation for what I was now seeing in front of me on the Academy's lawn, lurking in the shadow of an ancient, gnarled oak. It was Mason.

Steps To Reduce Greenhouse Gases Environmental Sciences Essay

1. Fossil fuels have been the primary beginning of energy fuelling the planetary demands of power since long. Dependence on them chiefly stems from the fact that they are easy available, inexpensive and economical in transit every bit good as extraction. Coal, Oil, Natural Gas have all been used since long and even been exported/imported between states keeping a balanced demand and supply. So much so that the usage of fossil fuels has been in trend for such long times that most of our engineering and equipment using them as fuels are designed consequently. The biggest drawback of our dependance on fossil fuels is the release of CO2 into the ambiance thereby taking to planetary heating as besides the fact that it is a non-renewable beginning and will sooner or subsequently exhaust taking to a nothingness. Effectss of Fossil Fuel on Environment Renewable Energy Resources 3. In contrary to fossil fuels, renewable energies are reversible in nature and can invariably be replenished without the fright of being drained out of our environment. Wind, Solar, Hydro & A ; such like signifiers of renewable energy will maintain on supplying electricity without any idea of them being blown off from our planet. Such energies which can travel on to maintain bring forthing electricity without cut downing beginning energy itself are renewable energy. Wind Energy 4. Wind engineering has become really dependable, runing with handinesss of more than 98 % and holding a design life of 20 old ages or more. Furthermore, as the costs of air current turbines have steadily declined, proficient dependability has increased. The factors that presently limit wind energy ‘s market incursion include variableness, public credence and grid dependability. However, recent developments in electricity market reform, which promote better grid integrating and improved direction of natural rhythms of renewables, decrease the technological barriers that have constrained market incursion. In the country of air current energy, continued R & A ; D is indispensable to supply the necessary decreases in cost and uncertainness to gain the awaited degree of deployment. Other R & A ; D precedences include increasing the value of calculating power public presentation, cut downing uncertainnesss related to technology unity, betterment and proof of criterions, cut downing the cost of storage techniques, enabling large-scale usage, and understating environmental impacts. Further enlargement of air current power will advance important decreases in nursery gases. With farther deployment support, wind power may go by and large competitory with conventional engineerings by 2015-20 and off-shore air current will probably go competitory to a grade after that. Solar 5. Solar energy is already being widely used in certain states, whether it be for hot H2O production, warming, illuming and other power demands. The photovoltaic ( PV ) market has grown extensively since 1992. R & A ; D attempts, together with market deployment policies, have efficaciously produced impressive cost decreases nevertheless market deployment is concentrated with Japan, Germany and the United States accounting for over 85 % of entire installed capacity. However, PV still has a batch of range for R & A ; D with focal point on bettering the balance-of-system constituents for both grid connected and stand-alone applications. Even with these supports, PV is non expected to be by and large competitory until after 2020 – although it will go on to vie good in a turning scope of market niches in which the cost of deployment supports is moderate. Hydro 6. One of the biggest advantages of a hydroelectric composite is that the undertaking produces no direct waste, and has a well lower end product degree of the nursery gas, C dioxide ( CO2 ) , than fossil fuel powered energy workss. Worldwide, an installed capacity of 777 GWe supplied 2998 TWh of hydroelectricity in 2006 which was about 20 % of the universe ‘s electricity, and accounted for about 88 % of electricity from renewable beginnings. It is an highly flexible engineering from the position of power grid operation supplying one of the lowest cost options in today ‘s energy market, chiefly because most workss were built many old ages ago and their installation costs have been to the full amortised. Once the high up-front capital costs are written off, workss can supply power at even lower cost degrees, as such systems normally operate without major replacing costs for 50 old ages or more. The ground why globally merely approximately 5 % of the hydropower potency have been exploited through little graduated table sites is due to entree to transmittal systems, environmental and societal concerns. Biomass 7. Biomass stuffs have been used since millenary for run intoing countless human needs including energy with its chief beginnings being trees, harvests and carnal waste. Until the center of 19th century, biomass dominated the planetary energy supply with 70 % part. Soon, the biomass beginnings contribute 14 % of planetary energy and 38 % of energy in developing states. Globally, the energy content of biomass residues in agribusiness based industries yearly is estimated at 56 exajoules, about a one-fourth of planetary primary energy usage of 230 exajoules. Biomass burning for heat and power is a to the full mature engineering offering both an economic fuel option and a ready disposal mechanism of municipal, agricultural and industrial organic wastes. 8. However, the industry has remained comparatively dead over the last decennary, even though demand for biomass ( largely wood ) continues to turn in many developing states. One of the jobs of biomass is that stuff straight combusted in cook ranges produces pollutants, taking to terrible wellness and environmental effects, although improved cook range programmes are relieving some of these effects. A 2nd issue is that firing biomass emits CO2, even though biomass burning is by and large considered to be â€Å" carbon-neutral † because C is absorbed by works stuff during its growing, therefore making a C rhythm. First-generation biomass engineerings can be economically competitory, but may still necessitate deployment support to get the better of public credence and small-scale issues. Biofuels 9. Biofuels are a broad scope of fuels which are in some manner derived from biomass and screens solid biomass, liquid fuels and assorted biogases. They are deriving increased public and scientific attending, driven by factors such as oil monetary value spikes, the demand for increased energy security, and concern over nursery gas emanations from fossil fuels. Bioethanol is an intoxicant made by fermenting the sugar constituents of works stuffs and is made largely from sugar and amylum harvests. Biofuels provided 1.8 % of the universe ‘s conveyance fuel in 2008 while investing into its production capacity exceeded $ 4 billion worldwide in 2007 and is growing.More modern signifiers of bio energy include biomass-based power and heat coevals, co-firing, bio fuels for conveyance and short rotary motion harvests for energy feedstock. These are more advanced and each has its ain alone benefits. 10. Biomass is attractive for usage either as a stand-alone fuel or in fuel blends, such as co-firing wood with coal, or blending ethyl alcohol or biodiesel with conventional petroleum-based fuels. Anaerobic digestion has strong potency in states with ample resources. Electricity generated from biomass is based on steam turbine engineering. Many parts of the universe still have big untapped supplies of biomass residues, which could be converted into competitively priced electricity utilizing steam turbine power workss. Co-firing is a low-priced and low-risk manner of adding biomass capacity. Co-firing systems that use low-priced biomass supply can hold payback periods every bit abruptly as two old ages. 11. In add-on, biomass can replace up to 15 % of the entire energy input in a power works, frequently with few alterations other than the burner and feed consumption systems. Co-firing is of peculiar involvement in developing states, because it improves the economic and ecological quality of many older, coal fired power workss. Bio fuels from agricultural biomass production are another well-developed transition engineering. Biomass grown every bit dedicated energy harvests can supply new economic chances for husbandmans and forest proprietors. The primary barriers to increased usage of biomass on a larger graduated table are the cost of systems required for dedicated feedstock production, harvest home, and transit, every bit good as the fuel transition engineerings. With farther R & A ; D and deployment support in 2020-30, these engineerings could accomplish commercialization. Geothermal 12. Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable energy that comes from resources runing from shallow land to hot H2O and hot stone found a few stat mis beneath the Earth ‘s surface, and down even deeper to the highly high temperatures of molten stone called magma. Geothermal heat pumps can tap into this resource to heat and cool edifices. These power workss are capable of runing 24Ãâ€"7 and globally there is a possible for bring forthing about 85 GW of power over the following 30 old ages. However, the restriction to tapping this resource is the handiness which is limited to merely few countries of the universe, the largest being the United States, Central America, Indonesia, East Africa and the Philippines. Challenges to spread outing geothermic energy include really long undertaking development times, and the hazard and cost of explorative boring. Action Plan to Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuel 13. Solar Energy. This beginning is seen to hold the highest potency for the hereafter amongst assorted renewable energy beginnings. Some steps for working this rich resource are: – ( a ) Make solar warmers compulsory, through edifice byelaws and incorporation in the National Building Code. ( B ) Ensure the debut of effectual mechanisms for enfranchisement and evaluation of makers of solar thermal applications ( degree Celsius ) Facilitate measuring and publicity of these single devices through local bureaus and power public-service corporations. ( vitamin D ) Support the upgrading of engineerings and fabrication capacities through soft loans, to accomplish higher efficiencies and farther cost decrease. ( vitamin E ) Make installing of solar panels on the roofs of new edifices compulsory to obtain portion of the power demands through it. ( degree Fahrenheit ) Set up autochthonal fabrication capacity. ( g ) Promote off-grid applications so that power coevals is at the ingestion point itself and therefore does away with land and environment related concerns. 14. Wind. Although all sectors of renewable energy are being developed, weave power programme has been the fastest growth. The undermentioned enterprises will help in to the full working the air current potency: – ( a ) Projects under the Clean Development Mechanism ( CDM ) supply a farther inducement to weave energy development. ( B ) A consistent national renewable energy policy to to the full recognize the air current energy potency. ( degree Celsius ) Though Renewable Portfolio Standard ( RPS ) and FiT ( Feed in Tariffs ) can co-exist in theory, they need to be good managed to avoid inefficiencies. ( vitamin D ) Set up air current farms at off shore locations and along the seashore line. ( vitamin E ) Promote R & A ; D in this field with investings from developed states to help companies like Suzlon who are already planetary leaders. 15. Hydroelectricity. Harnessing H2O as a resource to bring forth power has been employed globally and a reasonably high grade of success has been achieved, nevertheless the undermentioned enterprises will impart farther impulse to the attempts: – ( a ) Undertake little micro hydel undertakings for rural electrification tapping into minor H2O resources at distant topographic points. ( B ) Streamline clearance processs, to include understating the clip rhythm for countenances of undertakings with particular accent on hastening environmental clearances, as besides on rehabilitation and relocation issues. ( vitamin D ) Though the populace sector has played a major and about sole function in developing hydropower in private owned independent power manufacturer ( IPP ) manner is still to catch on. The chief intent should be to bring forth assurance in prospective entrepreneurs/developers and offer footings and conditions, which will be attractive and cover undue hazards, without endangering consumer involvements. 16. However, on the whole to make maximal possible and hike the necessary investing in renewable energy, it is indispensable to present clear, stable and long-run support policies, carefully designed to guarantee that they operate in harmoniousness with bing apparatus.

Black People and Roberta Essay

Determining the race of Twyla and Roberta from the clouded descriptions in Recitatif is a rather difficult task. The evidence in my opinion leads me to believe that Roberta is white and that Twyla is black. In this paper I will identify situations in this story that reinforce my opinion. I will also explain how minority group treatment influenced my perception of the events in this story. My early impression of Roberta was that of a spoiled country girl with little or no education that opinion was based on her inability to read and her waste of food at meal times. Finishing all your food is a strong force in many black families this waste can be construed as a connection to Roberta being white. The first verbal indication is Roberta’s mother’s refusal to greet Twyla’s mother Mary. This is a strong image of prejudice in my opinion. Roberta’s mother said nothing. She just grabbed Roberta and stepped out of line. Roberta’s mother’s disinterest in meeting a woman of the opposite race makes a convincing argument that she is white and in her mind better than associating with blacks. In the next scene the families were eating Lunch. Twyla made the observation that â€Å"The wrong food is always with the wrong people. † And the connection that â€Å"Maybe that’s why I got into waitress work later-to match up the right people with the right food. † There is a common stereotype that black people love chicken. So the white Roberta having the â€Å"black† chicken could be considered a Mitch match and since Roberta is white she should not have the chicken. The next piece of evidence comes much later when the two old friends are reunited in a supermarket. They have exchanged pleasantries and discussed how well there lives are going. It is obvious to the reader that Roberta is well off financially. Roberta makes the comment â€Å"I was dying to know what happened to her, how she got from Jimi Hendrix to Annandale, a neighborhood full of doctors and IBM executives. Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think they own the world. † This statement shows that Twyla is aware of how easy it is for white people to raise their economic class. It can be implied that Roberta made the large advance because she was of the proper â€Å"white† race to make such advancement. The final piece of evidence is When Twyla confronts Roberta on her poor behavior at their encounter in Howard Johnson’s Roberta says â€Å"Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black-white. You know how everything was. † Roberta here identifies the strong pressure she felt from her peers to not associate with the â€Å"lower† black race. My first indication of Twyla’s race was the way her mother Mary introduced herself. She used the phrase â€Å"Twyyyyyla, baby! † the term â€Å"baby† is commonly associated with older black females. Mary’s reaction to Roberta’s mother’s refusal to shake hands coupled with the loud outbursts on the way to the chapel are also part of what society has deemed as black female behavior. Mary is described wearing â€Å"those ugly green slacks that made her behind stick out† There is a stereotype that black women have large behinds. These examples leads me believe Roberta’s mother is black and so the daughter must be of the same race. Throughout the story Roberta is always depicted in a lower class than Roberta always overshadowed by Roberta. Roberta marries into a higher social standing and has an implied superiority throughout the story. The statement â€Å"Everything is so easy for them. They think they own the world. † Is a common opinion about the social standing of whites in the United States. There are a lot of conflicting data to for both sides of this argument. In my opinion though there is much more evidence that leads the reader to believe that Roberta is white and Twyla is black.