Richard Matheson

Every author has a different style of writing and getting people to read it. If it's not exciting or different you won't want to read it. Richard Matheson's stories leave you thinking what just happened? Did that really happen? Richard Matheson uses situational irony to get you interested in reading. When reading Richard Matheson's â€Å"Girl of My Dreams† situational irony is shown. For example the story is about how Carrie dreams about people and a situation they are going to encounter, her husband Greg is controlling and cruel, to where he is making these families pay money for the information Carrie dreamed.Carrie had a dream about a boy getting hit by a car; Greg wanted ten thousand dollars in cash. â€Å"†Thursday, the fourteenth! † she blurted into the mouthpiece. â€Å"Two-sixteen in the afternoon! †Ã¢â‚¬  (Matheson). â€Å"He emphasized each repetition of the word with another savage blow across her face. † (Matheson) Greg had killed Carrie because she gave the information to the lady that Greg wanted ten thousand in cash from, but before she died she gave greg information â€Å"Street† she whispered, â€Å"†¦night.†She sucked in the wheezing, blood choked breath. â€Å"Greg. † She tried to sit up but couldn’t. Her expression was becoming one of terrified concern. She whispered, â€Å"Man†¦. razor†¦. you oh no! †Ã¢â‚¬  (Matheson). Richard Matheson’s â€Å"Girl of My Dreams† in the beginning would make you think why it is like this, and wouldn’t expect Carrie to die, but yet before she dies she has a dream about Greg and dies before she can give him what day, just like he was doing to the families.â€Å"Button, Button† Richard Matheson did the same with the Situational irony. The story was about a button that if it was pressed you would receive a payment of fifty thousand dollars but someone in the world would die. â€Å"She felt unreal as the voice informed her of the subway accident, the shoving crowd. Arthur pushed from the platform in front of the train. She was conscious of shaking her head but couldn’t stop† (Matheson). This was after she had pushed the button that her husband Arthur was against.â€Å"â€Å"My dear lady,† Mr. Stewart said, â€Å"do you really think you knew your husband? †Ã¢â‚¬ . Richard Matheson had us thinking that they could have ended up with the money and not knowing who died, but in the end it was a shock to us to find out it was her own husband who was so against it. These stories by Richard Matheson â€Å" Button, Button† and â€Å"Girl of My Dreams† both prove my point of how Richard Matheson uses Situational Irony in his stories to draw the reader in and keep his stories different and keep you in shock.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 17

In spite of my sorrow over Seth, I was still ready for a storm. It hadn't really registered at the time, but when I woke up on New Year's Day with a wine-induced headache, I accepted the startling truth: I was challenging Hell. Who did that? No one, that's who. My friends had hinted as much, and I certainly had plenty of myths and pop culture to enlighten me about the futile human dream of thwarting Hell's will. I had my own experience to go on too. I'd signed away my soul for all eternity. There wasn't much wiggle room with that. And yet, in spite of all the things I'd seen and all the people Hell had crushed, here I was, daring to say Hell had no claim on either my soul or Seth's. I expected to hear about it immediately. I expected a huge uproar, perhaps in the form of Jerome showing up in my condo in all his brimstone glory, threatening me for my impertinence. At the very least, I expected a letter of acknowledgment from Hell, something along the lines of, Thank you very much for your inquiry. We will respond to you within 4?C6 weeks. Nothing. New Year's Day passed quietly. So did the next. I continued my pattern of packing and making Las Vegas preparations, all the while holding my breath for The Next Big Thing. I thought something would surely happen a week later, when the long-awaited bowling tournament came around. Jerome and Nanette had flipped for it, and he'd won, meaning we got to hold the match here in Seattle. It saved us from making a trip to Portland, but for the sake of fairness, Nanette got to pick the bowling alley. Rather than our dive at Burt's, she chose a more upscale place, not far from the mall I'd worked at. I hadn't seen Jerome since I'd filed the petition and was ready now to face his wrath. I didn't know if Nanette's lesser immortals would know about the request, but I felt certain she would by now. She and Jerome might be rivals of sorts, but at the end of the day, they were both committed to Hell winning. I was trying to thwart that and wouldn't have been surprised to find her sharing in Jerome's outrage. â€Å"Good luck,† Roman told me, as I prepared to leave the condo. â€Å"Remember to watch your footing.† I sighed. â€Å"I wish you were coming with me.† He offered me a small smile. â€Å"Me too. All that work, and I won't even get to see my students' final exam.† Roman could hide his nephilim signature from greater immortals, but considering the way his kind were hunted, we'd decided it would be best if he steered clear of Nanette while she was in town. Jerome's agreement to let Roman stay was both highly unusual and dangerous. If another archdemon discovered the truth, both Roman and Jerome would be in a lot of trouble. â€Å"I'm afraid of what I'll face from Jerome,† I said. â€Å"Don't be.† Roman came forward and rested his hand on my shoulder. â€Å"You're not doing anything wrong. They did. You're strong, Georgina. Stronger than them, stronger than Hell.† I leaned my head against him. â€Å"Why are you so nice to me?† â€Å"Because Carter's not your only fan.† When I looked back up, I saw Roman's green eyes were deadly serious. â€Å"You're a remarkable woman, just by your own nature. Smart. Funny. Compassionate. But what's really great is that you're so easy to underestimate. I did when we first met, you know. And Hell is now. No matter what their reaction to your appeal is, I guarantee most of them doubt you have a chance. You're going to prove them wrong. You're going to break the unbreakable. And I'll be there helping you, as much as I can.† â€Å"You've done enough,† I told him. â€Å"More than enough. More than I could have ever asked. Now you get to sit back and let me do . . . well, whatever I have to do now.† â€Å"Georgina, there's something you need to know. . . .† His face grew troubled. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Oh God. You haven't heard something from Jerome that I haven't, have you?† â€Å"I – † He bit his lip as he paused, then shook his head. His features smoothed out. â€Å"Forget it. I'm just going to worry you over nothing. You focus on bowling tonight, okay? Show those Portlandians that . . . fuck, I don't know. That you're a force to be reckoned with in the bowling alley.† I laughed and gave him a quick hug. â€Å"I'll see what I can do. How about we talk when I get back, okay? We'll grab a drink.† I knew there was something big here he wasn't telling me, no matter how easily he'd tried to brush it off. â€Å"I'd like that. Good luck.† When I arrived at the bowling alley, Peter nearly sank in relief when he saw me. I think he'd been afraid I'd show up without my Unholy Rollers shirt. Through whatever means Hell possessed, all the other patrons in the alley were playing on one side. The other half was empty, save for two lanes occupied by my colleagues. I was the last to arrive and approached with trepidation, unsure of my welcome. Jerome was sprawled comfortably in a chair, and while it was in better shape than the ones at Burt's, I'm not really sure it deserved the thronelike airs he was putting on. Nanette sat across from him, looking equally regal. Her pale blond hair was rolled into an elegant coif, giving her kind of a Grace Kelly look. Her dress was a pale blue shift with a fuzzy gray cardigan over it, the innocence of the look clashing with the unnecessary vampish sunglasses she was wearing. â€Å"Ah, Georgie,† said Jerome. â€Å"Right on time and in team colors.† He favored Nanette with a lazy smile. â€Å"Ready for some humility?† â€Å"Yours?† she asked him. â€Å"Always.† Neither gave me much more attention than was due for the last person to fill a team spot. No mention of the contract, no mention of my petition. Glancing around and taking in the full roster here, I saw that Mei had also come to watch the spectacle. The demoness was dressed in corporate black, matching her bluntly cut black hair and heavy eyeliner. Only her red lips provided color to the palette. She most certainly knew about my situation, but like her superiors, she barely glanced my way. Carter was there, which I had not expected. Nanette and her cronies were clearly uneasy about this. Although all greater immortals, be they angels or demons, shared a certain world weariness with immortality and the Great Game, few were able to bond over it so well as Carter and Jerome. Their relationship was unique, and Nanette clearly felt no camaraderie with the angel. Whereas I received little of her attention simply because I was an underling, Carter she ignored as though he didn't even exist. He gave me a small smile as I sat down, his gray eyes full of amusement. He was sitting with my friends, perfectly at ease, while Nanette's bowling team regarded him warily. I hoped maybe his presence would throw off their game. There were four of them, just like us, though they'd actually drafted Nanette's lieutenant demon, Malachi, to play for them. Rounding them out were a succubus named Tiara, an imp named Roger, and a vampire named V. â€Å"What's the V stand for?† I asked. He just stared at me, face blank. They were an impressive-looking bunch, with deep red bowling shirts and sparkling black embroidery that read DEVIL MAY CARE on the back. â€Å"That's not even a real team name,† Peter whispered to me disapprovingly. â€Å"And those sparkles are just tacky.† Like ours, their shirts were standard button-ups with their names on the front. Only Malachi's was different, with a small designation declaring him Captain. I guess he needed to make sure his status was asserted over that of the lesser immortals. There was something lean and sinister about them, and in our baby blues, I felt downright cute and cuddly. A waitress came by with drinks, and once Jerome had a glass of scotch in hand, he deemed proceedings fit to start. There was a part of me that wouldn't have minded a gimlet or two, but I didn't think alcohol was the best call just now. It had nothing to do with team solidarity or messing up my game. When surrounded by unknown and possibly untrustworthy immortals, it was always a good idea to keep your wits about you. And when you were possibly on Hell's radar for dissension, it was an excellent idea. In my usual lucky way, I ended up having to go first. With all my worries about Seth and the contracts, my mind wasn't exactly focused on all of Roman's good instructions, but I nonetheless did my best to recall his training. I ended up hitting seven and then two pins. Not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. My teammates cheered me voraciously, both because Peter had sent us all a lengthy e-mail earlier in the day about â€Å"pep† and because with our track record, nine wasn't that bad. Tiara went after me, and as she retrieved her ball, Cody whispered to me how she'd gotten in a fight with management earlier because she'd wanted to wear stilettos on the lanes. She'd apparently conceded to wear proper bowling shoes in the end, but unless there'd been a significant trend change in the industry, she'd ended up using her shape-shifting powers to make the shoes more to her liking. They were gold and encrusted with jewels. Yet those weren't the worst part of her attire. That came in the form of her Devil May Care shirt, which I was pretty sure had shrunk about three sizes since I arrived. The buttons that were still actually fastened looked like they were about to burst. I winced as all that cleavage walked past me, and I wanted to cover my eyes when she reached the lane and bent over unnecessarily far, in order to give everyone a solid view of her ass. Her jeans were nearly as tight as the shirt. â€Å"That is not a regulation stance,† declared Peter. He studied her critically for a few moments. â€Å"I believe she's trying to distract us.† I scoffed. â€Å"Oh, you think?† â€Å"Hey!† Peter elbowed Cody and Hugh who – judging by their gaping mouths – were not catching on to Tiara's ruse as easily as the rest of us. â€Å"Focus. Remember what you're playing for: Jerome's good will.† â€Å"Nothing wrong with looking,† said Hugh. â€Å"Besides, there's no way she can hit anything with that – â€Å" His words cut off as Tiara threw. Her ball blasted into the pins and knocked all ten over. With a little smirk and a lot of hip swaying, she strutted back proudly to her seat. â€Å"Shit,† said Hugh. â€Å"Ready to focus yet?† asked Peter. The imp shook his head, still in awe. â€Å"I don't think it's going to matter, not if they all bowl like that.† â€Å"They can't all bowl like that,† countered Cody. But he didn't sound so sure. Noticing our consternation, Tiara favored us all with a glossy-lipped smile. â€Å"We can call it quits right now if you want. We can go back to my hotel and have a party.† She tossed her highlighted curls over one shoulder, and her gaze rested on me. â€Å"I can also give you some styling advice if you want.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I muttered. â€Å"This is why I hate other succubi.† I could almost give Hell credit for finding me the only appealing one in Vegas, even if it had been part of a more elaborate scheme. Tiara soon became the least of our worries as her teammates took their turns. Strikes and spares all around, quickly surpassing our mix of erratic spares and . . . whatever it was Peter threw. As we moved further into the game, I glanced over at Jerome and saw that his smile had vanished, as had his cocky good mood. At least I could feel confident it had nothing to do with my contract. V proved to be the most startling of the bowlers. Whenever his turn came, he walked up unhesitatingly, didn't even pause or aim, and threw strikes every time. Every time. He also never spoke a single world. â€Å"How is he doing that?† exclaimed Cody. He glanced at Carter, who was watching everything with quiet amusement. â€Å"Is he using some kind of power?† â€Å"No illicit ones,† said Carter. â€Å"Just his own God-given . . . er, Hell-given abilities.† I hadn't really been worried about the other team cheating or Nanette helping them. I knew Jerome would keep her in check, and Carter's angelic presence was kind of a safeguard against dishonest activity. But his words struck something within me. â€Å"Of course,† I murmured. â€Å"He's just using what he's got: enhanced reflexes and senses. He's a vampire. He's physically better at everything.† No wonder it didn't seem like he needed to aim. He probably was; he was just doing it really, really fast. I turned to Cody and Peter. â€Å"How come you guys can't do that?† Silence met me. â€Å"Cody's our best player,† pointed out Hugh. â€Å"True,† I admitted. Cody had learned very quickly, and I supposed the difference in his and V's abilities made sense simply because V had been playing a lot longer. â€Å"But how do you explain Peter?† Nobody had an answer for that, least of all Peter. Cody actually seemed to draw inspiration from V and the realization that being a vampire should provide some natural ability. Cody's already solid performance soon improved, and I wished Roman could see him. Still, it wasn't enough to save us in that first game. We lost pretty terribly. Since Jerome and Nanette had agreed to â€Å"best of three,† this meant we had two more chances for redemption. I had mixed feelings about this. Jerome's face was growing stormier, so there was some comfort in thinking we might be able to head off his wrath. On the other hand, I wouldn't have minded ending this as quickly as possible. Maybe the Devil didn't care, but I was growing increasingly sick of the other team. I was pretty sure Tiara's outfit was getting increasingly tighter and more revealing. Although he never spoke, V's smug expressions conveyed condescension levels that words never could. And yet, neither of them was as bad as Roger the imp. Every time he got a strike or a spare, he trumpeted his victory with some sort of money-related expression, such as â€Å"Jackpot !† or â€Å"A penny saved is a penny earned!† Sometimes they didn't even make any sense in the situation, like when he shouted, â€Å"It's like throwing pearls before swine!† When he started inexplicably quoting lyrics to â€Å"Can't Buy Me Love† at the start of the second game, I really thought I was going to lose it. Cody nudged me. â€Å"He's getting tired. So is Tiara.† I glanced up at the scoreboard. It was a slight change, but those two were showing fewer strikes than spares and sometimes not even getting spares. Malachi remained consistently good, and V remained unstoppable. Over on our team, Peter and I hadn't changed, but Cody had continued – and was succeeding – in trying to prove his vampire skills. Hugh was also improving slightly, a phenomenon we'd seen with Roman sometimes. It was as though the imp needed to warm up in order to remember how to avoid his arm's tendency to throw curves. I exchanged glances with Cody. â€Å"I don't know that it's enough.† â€Å"You've done better than this in practice,† he told me gently. â€Å"I know you've got a bunch of stuff going on, but try to think if Roman was here. What he'd say. Then look at Jerome's face and tell me you don't want us to come out on top.† I didn't really care about Jerome keeping his pride around Nanette, but my friends' well-being did concern me. I knew their happiness would be directly influenced by Jerome's unhappiness. Sighing, I answered Cody with a resolute nod and tried to step up my game, racking my brains for all the words of wisdom that Roman had given me over the last couple of weeks. I admit, I hadn't always been paying as much attention as I could have. Nonetheless, something started clicking for me. I was a long way from being a pro anytime soon, but between me, Cody, and Hugh, we slowly began to keep up with Nanette's team. It was so subtle and so gradual that when we won by two points, everyone – including my teammates and me – could hardly believe it had happened. We all stared at the scoreboard in stunned silence. Only Carter was able to get anything out. â€Å"That,† he told Roger exuberantly, â€Å"is how a bird in the hand gets up before the early worm.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense,† said Roger. Carter pointed at the scoreboard. â€Å"Neither does that, but there you have it.† Nanette's cool composure had vanished. I don't know if beating Jerome meant that much to her or if people in Portland just took bowling really seriously, but she immediately demanded a five-minute break. We watched as she pulled her team to the far side of the alley and gave them a talk. Judging from her wild hand motions and occasional expletives, it didn't sound like a very heartening talk. I glanced over at Jerome, who still kind of seemed to be in disbelief. â€Å"Any words of wisdom for us, boss?† I asked. He considered. â€Å"Yes. Don't lose.† Cody was already clinging to Peter's arm. â€Å"You have to come through for us here. We barely beat them just now, and you know she's putting the fear of God in them. That alone is going to give them some improvement. If you can just . . . I don't know. Get fewer splits. Do something. We can win this, but we need you.† Peter threw up his hands. â€Å"Don't you think I would if I could?† When Nanette and friends returned, they showed us that they were adding a new strategy to their repertoire: catcalling. Every time one of the Unholy Rollers went up to play, we were serenaded with insults about everything from our appearance to our abilities to our bowling shirts. That last one really set Peter on edge, and Tiara picked up on it quickly. â€Å"Did you pick that up at a thrift store? Oh, wait, they screen their items first. They'd never take a piece of shit like that.† â€Å"What's with that color? It's like a reject from a boy's baby shower.† â€Å"If your crappy shirts are going to say ‘Unholy Rollers,' shouldn't you at least be rolling the ball? That was more of a caber toss.† Peter took it all in silence, but I could see him becoming increasingly agitated. Hugh grimaced and leaned toward me. â€Å"She's really not that funny. I'd expect better from a succubus.† â€Å"At least Peter isn't doing any worse,† I said. â€Å"He's just getting splits in new and interesting ways.† â€Å"Which aren't going to save us, though,† said Cody grimly. It was true. We were staying even with them, but just barely. And when we were halfway through the game, it became clear we were slipping. Jerome was looking pissed off again, and Nanette's confidence had returned. â€Å"Come on, you guys,† said Carter, whom I hadn't expected to become a cheerleader. â€Å"You can do this. You're better than them.† It wasn't the angel's enthusiasm that changed the course of the game, however. It was when V finally spoke. Peter had just thrown his ball and amazingly knocked down four pins, which left behind a kind of three-way split I'd never even known was possible. We were all taken back. â€Å"You are the worst vampire I've ever seen,† said V, staring at the pins wide-eyed. I don't know what it was about those words that succeeded where our encouragement and Tiara's bad fashion taunts had failed. But suddenly, Peter became a vampire. And not just any vampire. A vampire who could bowl. From that point forward, everything he threw was a strike. And much like V, Peter didn't even deliberate it. He just walked up and threw, letting his vampire reflexes do the work. He quickly surpassed everyone on our team in skill, even Cody. Really, the only person who could match him was V. But it was enough, and somehow, against all odds, we won the third game. Hugh, Cody, and I erupted into cheers and traded high fives with Carter. Peter remained much more stoic, however, and regarded the other team coolly. â€Å"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched,† he told Roger. To Tiara, Peter said, â€Å"That shade of red makes you look like you have jaundice.† He paused. â€Å"And like a whore.† To V, Peter said nothing. Nanette and Jerome promptly got in an argument, most of which involved her making outlandish claims about how unfair it was to have two vampires on one team and how best of five would be the real determining factor. Jerome bantered back with her cheerfully. He was so smug about our victory, you would have thought he had thrown every ball himself. Seeing her consternation was just icing on the cake for him. â€Å"Well,† he said at one point, â€Å"we could do two more games, but your team seems terribly worn out. Perhaps once they have some time to recover mentally and physically, we can – â€Å" Jerome stopped and cocked his head, like he was hearing music the rest of us couldn't. A strange look came over his face. â€Å"Shit,† he said. â€Å"What?† asked Nanette. She seemed to realize something other than bowling had caught his attention. Near me, Carter had gone perfectly still. â€Å"I have to go,† said Jerome. And he went. Just like that, the demon vanished. I glanced around quickly, but no humans seemed to have noticed, thanks largely to our part of the bowling alley being deserted. Still, teleporting out like that in a public place was pretty irregular behavior for a greater immortal. Even irreverent demons generally knew enough to be discreet among humans. â€Å"Well,† said Nanette. â€Å"I guess there's no such thing as good winners. Sportsmanship is a lost art.† I thought that was a stretch coming from her, particularly after her team's verbal tirade. In fact, they soon all degenerated into arguing amongst themselves, each one making a plea to Nanette about how the loss had been someone else's fault. â€Å"Georgina,† said Carter, drawing my attention back. The smile he'd worn at our victory was gone. â€Å"I think it's a good idea if you go home.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"We should celebrate.† For the first time since the fallout with Seth, I actually felt like having fun with my friends. â€Å"We need to call Roman too.† â€Å"Let's go to my place,† said Peter. â€Å"I can make up a meze platter in no time.† â€Å"Fine, fine,† said Carter, casting a glance over at Mei. She was still in her seat, trying to observe all conversations at once. â€Å"Let's just leave now. I'll teleport you when we're in the parking lot.† I tried to protest that, but Carter was too insistent on simply getting us all out of there. Minutes later, my teammates and I were headed out to the parking lot, still crowing over our victory and how Peter was the undisputed hero of the night. â€Å"Georgina?† I came to a halt. There, standing near my car, was Seth. Even in the harsh light of the parking lamps, everything about him seemed soft and inviting. The messy hair. The way he stood with his hands in his pockets. The Flock of Seagulls shirt that I could just make out underneath his flannel coat. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, taking a few steps forward. My friends had come to an uncertain stop behind me. They all knew about my rocky state of affairs with Seth and watched me nervously. Seth glanced at my backup and then at me. â€Å"I . . . I wanted to talk to you.† â€Å"That's not what you said the last time we talked,† I said. The harsh words were out before I could stop them. I knew I should jump on the chance to talk, on Seth's willingness to talk at last . . . but some hurt place in me responded first. â€Å"I know,† said Seth. â€Å"I probably don't deserve it. But . . . I've been thinking about a lot of things, and then there's all this weirdness going on I don't quite understand . . . like, my mom moving in with you? And do you know why all these toy ponies keep showing up on Terry's doorstep?† â€Å"Why don't you come over to our place and have your heart-to-heart there,† said Peter. â€Å"It'll go better with hummus and wine.† Staring at Seth, I felt my heart ache. This could be it, just like Carter had said at New Year's, about how Seth and I still managed to come back to each other. I swallowed, both scared and anxious. â€Å"Maybe I should meet you guys later,† I said. â€Å"Seth and I can go somewhere and talk first.† â€Å"Georgina,† said Carter anxiously, â€Å"you really need to – â€Å" The car seemed to come out of nowhere, and, considering the way things worked in my world, it might literally have done so. All I knew is that one moment we were all standing around in the dark parking lot, and the next, a car was speeding toward us. Or rather, toward me. I couldn't discern any make or model and certainly not the driver. I probably wouldn't have known him or her anyway. All I saw were rapidly approaching headlights, heading toward where I stood alone, out in the open between my friends and Seth. When the car hit me, there was an intense moment of pain that radiated through my whole body. Then I felt nothing. My sight shifted, and I had the surreal sense of looking down on my sprawled body while my friends hurried to me and the car sped away. Some were trying to talk to me, some were calling 911. Some were talking to each other. The scene began to dissolve in my vision, fading to black. And not just the scene. Me. I was dissolving. I was losing all substance. I was becoming nothing. But as I faded away, as the world faded away, I heard a few last words from my friends before their voices also faded. â€Å"Georgina! Georgina!† That was Seth, saying my name like a prayer. â€Å"She's not breathing,† said Cody. â€Å"And she doesn't have a pulse. Hugh! Do something. You're a doctor.† â€Å"I can't,† Hugh said softly. â€Å"This is beyond me. Her soul . . . her soul's not here.† â€Å"Of course it is!† said Cody. â€Å"Souls stay with their immortals.† â€Å"Not in this situation,† said Hugh. â€Å"What are you talking about?† exclaimed Seth, voice cracking. â€Å"Carter! You can fix this. You can fix anything. You have to save her.† â€Å"This is beyond me too,† said Carter. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"There's still one thing you can do,† said Hugh. â€Å"One thing you have to do.† â€Å"Yes,† agreed Carter, voice full of sorrow. â€Å"I'll go get Roman. . . .† And then they were all gone. I was gone.

Free Will and Divine Foreknowledge Essay

Augustine discusses a critical issue which is the incompatibility of man’s free will and God’s foreknowledge. So the question is, do we really have free will in spite of the fact that God foreknows everything? If God knows what must necessarily happen next, then how do have the free will to make our own choices? Augustine comes up with a series of arguments to prove that we sin by our own will with no intervention of the divine foreknowledge. Augustine first argued a characteristic of God that He has free will, and that He has foreknowledge of his own actions. Therefore, both God’s will and foreknowledge go along with each other. From this point he then assumes that man’s will and God’s foreknowledge are both compatible. But can we compare God with man? And is this argument convincing enough? More elaboration has to be given in order to make it more convincing. Augustine then proceeds to do so. He states that people who do not believe in the compatibility of free will and divine foreknowledge are those who â€Å"are more eager to excuse than confess their sins† (p. 73). That means that people who always blame others for their own wrong doings rather than admitting it are those who claim that we have no free will and that everything is already known by God, and that nothing can be changed, which they also use as a justification for their wrong actions. These people live their life by chance, leaving everything according to the circumstances rather than trying to take good actions. An example for that is the beggars, who always try to take money from people without giving anything in return or even having a job, although they have the ability to do so. But because of their laziness and their belief that this is what they were created to be, they leave everything to happen by luck and according to God’s foreknowledge that couldn’t be changed (p. 73). Augustine then moves to another point which is the relation between the will and the power to achieve that will. He states that the will itself is within our power. Therefore, our desire to commit certain acts is a power that we own. But if we will something that is not within our power then it is not considered as a will because we can only will what is within our power. Augustine then discusses that if something good happens to us then it is accordance to our will, not against it. So for example, being happy, although God foreknows that you will be so, doesn’t mean that we are happy against our will. Thus, God’s foreknowledge of our happiness doesn’t take away our will to be happy (p. 76). And so, he concludes that if God foreknows our will, then definitely this will is going to occur, and so it will be a will in the future. Consequently, his foreknowledge doesn’t take away our will. And since that what we will is in our power, God foreknows our power and He will not take it away. Hence, we will have that power because God foreknows it (p. 77). So Augustine made it clear â€Å"that it is necessary that whatever God has foreknown will happen, and that he foreknows our sins in such a way that our wills remain free and are with in our power† (p. 77). However, the fact that God’s foreknowledge of our sins is consistent with our free will in sinning still stays questionable. Taking into consideration the fact that God is just, so how does He punish our sins that happen by necessity? Or is God’s foreknowledge not an obligation? The topic is still confusing so Augustine then proceeds to make it clearer. To conclude, Augustine succeeded in coming up with a good argument showing that man’s free will and God’s foreknowledge are both compatible. The sequence of his ideas made his argument understandable and convincing for any reader. As a reader, I’ve always thought about that subject but didn’t receive any answers. However, reading â€Å"On Free Choice of the Will† made everything clear for me and made me well convinced that God’s foreknowledge doesn’t intervene with our own choices that we make. Works Cited Williams, Thomas. On Free Choice of the Will. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company

Speak like a chemist Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Speak like a chemist - Case Study Example these huge clouds of smoke from exhausts of motor vehicles is responsible for dark atmospheres in Los Angeles and is the one that makes it very difficult for people to see even some times making it impossible to see objects as near as twenty metres away (Becerra et al., 2013). The same smoke causes damage to crops in that the fine carbon particles finally rest or settle on the leaves of the plants within the locality and cover tiny pores on the leaves referred to as stomata. These tiny pores are very essential for the plants and help the plants to lose excessive water while at the same time helping the plant to access direct sunlight which enables the plants to make their own food through photosynthesis. Once these pores are blocked, it becomes difficult for the plants to lose excessive water and at the same time makes it difficult for the plant to make its own food, hence the plants finally die. Moreover, the smoke from busy traffic irritates the eyes and makes them to start tearing, not forgetting the bad smell that is associated with some forms of air pollution in Los Angeles (Becerra et al., 2013). This explanation has a similar meaning to the original explanation offered in before further explanation, but the explanation appears to be much simpler to understand, especially for a lay man. The accuracy of the information still remains, but the use of scientific terms is minimized as much as possible. The information in the explanation therefore becomes easy to

Plasmid analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plasmid analysis - Essay Example The blue plasmid DNA did not contain any of the restriction sites for Hind III or Sac I. Introduction Plasmids are the extra chromosomal DNA molecules which are mostly double –stranded, circular and covalently closed molecules, varying in size from 1 kb to 200 kb. (Sambrook and Russell 2001). They are found in many bacterial species. They replicate independently and use a variety of mechanisms to maintain their copy number. They contain the gene codes for the enzymes that are important for the bacterial hosts. The plasmids act as vectors in the molecular biology experiments. The vectors are the carrier DNA molecules into which the foreign gene of interest is inserted and expressed in the host. This DNA is now called recombinant DNA (Roberts and Murray 1976). This recombinant DNA is able to express the Foreign DNA in the bacteria. These vectors replicate inside the host cell along with the inserted DNA. These vectors are of two types: expression vectors (expression of the clone d gene to give the desired protein) and cloning vectors (produce millions of copies of cloned DNA) (Sambrook and Russell 2001). Restriction endonucleases are the enzymes that cut the DNA at the specific sequences. There are about 200 different restriction enzymes (Siwach and Singh 2007). ... The restriction mapping is used to identify the plasmids. The number of DNA fragments and the size of the DNA fragments depend upon the action of the restriction enzyme (Kruezer and Massey 2008). These DNA fragments thus obtained are separated using the Agarose gel electrophoresis. Restriction mapping consists of three important steps. They are restriction enzyme digestion, agarose gel preparation and sample loading (Kruezer and Massey 2008). Results and Discussion: The nutrient agar plate was inoculated with E.coli, and the antibiotic discs were placed in the four quadrants. Figure1: Antibiotic profile against tetracycline in E. coli DH5alphaE:: pMTL84445 After inoculation at 37 degree Celsius for overnight, it was observed that the antibiotic disc of tetracycline had a clear zone. This indicates that the E.coli culture is resistant to kanamycin, chloramphenicol and ampicillin. There is very little sensitive to tetracycline. Figure 2: Antibiotic resistance profiling: Table 1a : Anti biotic resistance profiling of kanamycin control Kanamycin control E. coli DS941::pRRK Antibiotic disc Zone diameter in mm Chloramphenicol 30 Kanamycin 0 Tetracyline 10 Ampicillin 0 E.coli DS941::pRRK bacteria was found to be very sensitive to Chlormaphenicol and comparatively sensitive for Tetracycline antibiotics. The bacteria showed resistance to kanamycin and Ampicillin. Table 1b : Antibiotic resistance profiling of chloramphenicol control Chloramphenicol control: E. coli DS941::pAV35 Antibiotic disc Zone diameter in mm Chloramphenicol 0 Kanamycin 27 Tetracyline 32 Ampicillin 0 E. coli DS941::pAV35 bacteria were found to be very sensitive to Kanamycin and Tetracycline and resistant to Chloramphenicol and Ampicillin.

Reaction paper to the article The Role of Children in the Design of Essay

Reaction paper to the article The Role of Children in the Design of New Technology - Essay Example Is this was Druin proposes three main roles for children in the design process. Specifically these involve: user, tester, informant, and design partner. In this way children are tasked with becoming directly involved in the design process through engaging with the games and providing feedback. At later stages in the development they are tasked with actually giving advice to the designers about how the technology or game could be changed. The research then gives expansive consideration to the specific processes within these stages. A considerable amount of past research is advanced that considers how child-design interactions have been advanced in the past. Eventually the researchers advance the notion of cooperative inquiry. This aspect of the collaborative framework articulates how the child can best be utilized to gain insights on the design process. During the article’s conclusion the researchers establish a graph that articulates the historical evolution of human-computer interaction (HCI). This demonstrates that children have increasingly been given the opportunity to provide their insight into the design process. There are a number of considerations related to this article. One of the most prominent considerations is that the divisions the author establishes -- user, tester, informant, design partner – are highly simplistic in nature. In this way they constitute less an innovative framework and more a way of articulating common sense ways of engaging with children. While the author advances a number of research on the subject, in many instances this past research does not form a functional gestalt. Instead, it merely offers disparate ways that children have been used in the design process. Still, the researcher’s perspective on cooperative inquiry is effective in that it provides a structured process that can be used for a large variety of applications. In this way the researchers argue that the child and adult collaboration

Canadas Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Canadas Health Policy - Essay Example The Chapter discusses how social structure and healthcare policy correlate. How is the correlation of social structure and health Socioeconomical factors are deterrent of health. There is no question that income levels have direct link to health. For example, social classes of higher income are more likely to report their health as good. Those below the poverty level are more likely to address their health as poor. How does socioeconomical status affect people psychologically, physically, and emotionally These variables are referred to as stressors. Stressors are interconnected with the bodies physiological results its common knowledge that high levels of emotional issues are heavy influence on common diseases such as respritory illnesses and even worse illnesses. The example given in this chapter done by Kiecolt-Glaser, Malarkey, Cacioppo on page 169 discusses how abusive relationships between married man and women lead to decreased levels of proved decreased levels of health protecting hormones. This decrease was much more promanate with women then with men. The Social Gradient discussed on page 164 and beyond details into deeper theory into how social class influences health. This distribution of inequality of classes within a country has different healthcare reactions due to the actual country. Comparative examples of how social status affects countries would be alcohol related deaths in France, coronary diseases in Great Britain. Easily states, different illnesses in different countries. The Social Gradient is indirect support of the main theme of SES. Human's relative position in society is a factor but not as stated further into the chapter. Stressors have a larger impact of an individual's health. However, it's a well knows fact that higher income levels are more likely to care better and seek better levels of care. This Chapter addresses the basic fundamentals that create the demographic data needed in shaping Canada's Healthcare Policy. Economists value the state of the economy, culture, and distribution of wealth among the country when deciding in care coverage and reimbursements. How are the needs of the citizens distributed across the country This is just a surface scratch of how the Canadian government formulates and controls healthcare and provides access to all its citizens. Socio-economoical class fits inside both Interpretivist and Positivist Approach. If the premise for Interpretivist is the truth is experienced, then social experience needs to be witnessed first hand and the voices of the people of the community must take a very active role in forming health policy. Positivist Approach asks the questions how truth and facts. This is the scientific and analytic approach based on empirical evidence. Demographic Data can be collected, analyzed, trended and statistically manipulated in order to conclude on such ideals as income levels influence heart attacks. How does the status of social groups form healthcare policy The different groups address the different needs of patient population throughout the country. Do these groups require different levels of care and coverage The current healthcare policy as a universal policy promotes equality among the social classes. Many classes in society have the same basic needs

Cellular Respiration II review packet - General Biology I Essay

Cellular Respiration II review packet - General Biology I - Essay Example 1. Interference of interruption of processes of cellular muscles can lead to twitting of muscles, muscle pulls and even cardiac arrest. Muscle pulls and cardiac arrest that be fatal if efforts are not made to restore the normal supply of oxygen that may be causing the muscle pull. Extreme cases of muscle pulls or cardiac arrest have resulted in death. As such, it is important to attend quickly to these sudden symptoms immediately they occur to avoid them turning fatal. 2. The oxygen that we inhale combines with the glucose at the cellular level through a process of oxidation of organic molecules in a process called aerobic respiration. Oxidation of oxygen and glucose results in the production of carbon dioxide exhaled, water, energy and heat. 3. A running student must revert to walking when the rate of energy consumption is far much higher than the rate in which the student is breathing in. such student can maintain the running by inhaling and exhaling a little bit faster. If he or she does not, then she/he must revert to walking to reduce on the energy

Identify the one event introduced in the post-Civil War era that you Essay

Identify the one event introduced in the post-Civil War era that you feel best represents Twain's imagery of the Gilded Age and explain your reasoning for this selection - Essay Example ndals had become more common to the extent that similar events were being referred to as â€Å"Grantism,† a term that effectively captured greed and dishonesty of leaders of the time. The then citizens thought that funds from these investments were eventually used to bankroll Republican Party operations (Elder, 2002). This is especially true considering that the dealings led to the creation of the Liberal Republican Party. Regardless, the actual loophole for these corrupt Gilded Age deals was the then prevailing spoils system, in which better-endowed people used their influence to reward their relatives, friends and corrupt business allies with lucrative government tenders (Gerrard, & Newell, 2006). As Gerrard and Newell (2006) said, an ever-growing citizenry, however, began to acknowledge the fact that the civil service needed urgent reform. The Dawes Act of 1887 for example, was a major piece of legislation which mandated the president to oversee the granting of land and citizenship to Indians (Gerrard, & Newell, 2006). The Act arguably set the pace for more accountability by state officers as evidenced in the Manifest Destiny, when it comes to the allocation of national resources. Manifest Destiny sought to correct acts of greed and dishonesty that were synonymous with the Gilded Age and build a better society where every community had a

Evaluating Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Aristotle Essay Far from being a social constraint, or perhaps a force that elicits fear of being caught, the motives that move a person to choose what is good and avoid what is evil draw well the fine line that separates actions that may be regarded as moral, or those that are immoral. Ethics is important, if not necessary in relation to human living. At the very least, this science helps maintain the fundamental order of and within a society. This is possible because ethics is not only a theory that informs people about what is good or bad, it also asks them to adhere to the principles it teaches. It is thus both informative and formative, or both a theory and practice, consistent with how it is commonly defined: â€Å"the discipline dealing with what is good and bad, and with moral duty and obligation† (Merriam-Webster). But what would perhaps be an equally interesting point to look at is the diverging manner by which many people believe to be the basis of moral action. Key to understanding this would be to ask: why be moral? It may help to cite three notable thinkers who have given their own take of the matter. Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill on Ethics Aristotle’s most eloquent articulation of his ethical theories figures in his infamous work called Nicomachean Ethics. In it, his overarching concern to prove that ethics is chiefly related to the concept of â€Å"ends† (or purposes) can be learned. According to Aristotle, every human activity hopes to achieve the â€Å"end† or the â€Å"good† to which it is pursued – e. g. , â€Å"in medicine this is health, in strategy victory, in architecture a house† (Nicomachean Ethics, 7). While Aristotle further contends that there are activities which are pursued for its own sake – and not for the sake of arriving at a good apart from the activities themselves (Nicomachean Ethics, 1) – his work manifests a greater emphasis laid on the goal-orientedness of all human activities. Now, Aristotle further maintains that human life too has an inherent end that needs to be pursued. He thinks of this fundamental human good as happiness – â€Å"the best, noblest, and most pleasant thing in the world† (Nicomachean Ethics, 8). And he himself argues that it is an end that must be pursued not for the sake of anything else, but precisely because it is a chief good in itself (Nicomachean Ethics, 7). Ethics for Aristotle is therefore basically a virtuous accordance of all human activities relative to happiness. This is where his virtue ethics takes shape. In order for all men to attain happiness, Aristotle believes that everyone needs to develop a virtue – a habit of acting that promotes an excellence in one’s use of reason. This is what Aristotle in essence implies when he says that â€Å"happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue† (Nicomachean Ethics, 13). Immanuel Kant’s is a philosopher who elevated ethics into the realm of metaphysics – that is, it is a science drawn from a priori principles (read: from demonstration or logic and not from a particular experiences) but are applied to definite situations in life as well (Kant, 1). This implies that ethics is something that must be applied for all men, in all places, and at all times. Simply put, ethics for Immanuel Kant is both necessary and universal in scope. It is necessary because all men are obliged by the dictates of their reason to obey moral laws; it is universal because moral laws care for no exception. Which is why, Kant believes that moral laws are â€Å"categorical imperatives† – a law that â€Å"concerns not the matter of the action, nor its intended result, but its form and the principle of which it is itself a result†, because it is â€Å"conceived as good in itself† and that it conforms to reason (Kant, 18-19). If only to clarify, Kant here states that a moral law must be obeyed neither on account of the benefit it brings nor the pleasure it elicits, but precisely because it is good in itself. In a way, a moral law is an empty formulation about duty; meaning, it is something that needs to be obeyed on account of nothing else but the adherence to the law itself. Should it be asked how one can arrive at a knowledge of moral law which is both necessary and universal, Immanuel Kant suggests that one can test human actions in reference to, say, this particular formulation: â€Å"act only on a maxim that you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† (Kant, 23). John Stuart Mill meanwhile proposes a philosophy of ethics based on a more utilitarian perspective. In his work entitled Utilitarianism, he regards the outcome of an activity as the basis for evaluating the ethical repercussions of any action. He articulate this idea quite clearly in saying, â€Å"†¦utility or Happiness (must be) considered as the directive rule of human conduct† (Mill). In other words, ethics is based on how one carefully weighs in the maximum amount of happiness that may result from choosing an action, against the background of a host of alternative options. He even calls this approach the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle† – the â€Å"ultimate end with reference to and for the sake of which† all human activities become â€Å"desirable† (Mill). It works under the premise that before a person acts, he or she would have first appreciated which decision would turn in the best returns or outcomes, both in terms of quality and quality. Mill’s ethical philosophy, one may quickly notice, runs in serious contradiction with Aristotle and Kant, whose theories have taught the necessity of adhering to a virtuous life or to a moral imperative not on account of any purpose, but solely because of good inherent in the act itself. As Mill himself notes, â€Å"according to the utilitarian opinion, the end of human action, is necessarily also the standard of morality† (Mill). By Way of Conclusion: My Definition of Ethics Based on the above discussed ethical notions – its basis, nature and implications – I wish to conclude this paper with a proposal to define ethics as a norm that forms human freedom and, like Immanuel Kant, a law that must be universal and categorical. Firstly, I find that the tendency to define morality in terms of obligation does not at times appreciate the full weight of human freedom. But morality is precisely a human endeavor not only because humans have reason, but more importantly because actions stem from the fundamental use freedom as well. Moral acts, one must carefully note, are arrived at only with the proper education and nurturance of human freedom. It is in fact drawn from the basic premise that human freedom is at its best when one is able to use it to build up one’s welfare, as well as those of others. I am of the opinion that anyone who wish to expound on the ethical standards of an action must first begin with the evaluation of human freedom. In this way, ethics can shed light into the need to use the faculty of freewill for the sake of the goodness inherent in itself – as Aristotle and Kant have argued –, and directed towards the goodness of something else – as Mill has on the other hand proposed. Second, in an ethical theory where human freedom is of critical importance, it is thus wise to adopt the logic from which Immanuel Kant derives his categorical imperative. As one would notice, Kant’s maxim â€Å"do something as though you would want that action be done for all people† touches on two fundamental areas of ethics – the decision of the person, or human freedom, and the universality of the scope of moral laws. I find Kant here to be a great source of insight. With his theory, I believe that I can adopt the position that ethics is a science that forms human freedom because, in Kant’s maxim, the subjective capacity for self-determination is tempered by the duty to obey objective laws. Kant’s categorical imperative does little to undermine freedom, as it does try hard to protect the universal applicability of moral law. In this regard, I would therefore say that Kant’s ethical theory is the best position to take, at least from the perspective of ethical notion that I have chosen to adopt. References Aristotle. â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics†. 29 June 2008, http://classics. mit. edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen. 1. i. html â€Å"ethic. † Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008. Merriam-Webster Online. 29 June 2008 http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/ethic Kant, Immanuel. â€Å"Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals†. 29 June 2008 http://www. scribd. com/doc/2225702/kantfundamental143 Mill, J. S. â€Å"Utilitarianism†. 29 June 2008 http://utilitarianism. org/mill2. htm

Importance of Environmental Care in Business

Importance of Environmental Care in Business The partners There are numerous significant choices which were touched base at when the unexpected mishap happened. The events and occasions that took place amid the occurrence ended the life of various people. The partners, for this situation, involve each who was influenced by the activities that happened amid the mishap. This incorporate; workers of Amtrak, the organization itself, its clients who were on the prepare, the railroad line proprietors, the holder of the towboat, the team and the skipper of the watercraft, the administration manufacturer of the scaffold, and the drift watch. The interests of the partners There are different advantages that the partners specified had. One of the interests is that they expected arrangement of security and insurance. Because representatives, their enthusiasm for the association is that they ought to be given generous compensations which coordinate with the administrations which they offer in the gathering. Additionally, employer stability and fulfillment is another intrigue which the specified partners may have towards the association. For the administration, its advantage is to guarantee that the representatives are ensured and that the specialists are shielded from any unsafe demonstrations. Additionally, the legislature has an enthusiasm for ensuring that the workers are not abused. The vast part of the corporate social duty falls under Amtrak since it is the primary partners. In any case, different partners had a role to play in regards to corporate social obligation. There are four angles which relate to the corporate social responsibility of the various partners amid the event of the mishaps. These incorporate; moral, legitimate, monetary and magnanimous. Corporate social duty In the ethical viewpoint, Amtrak has a social duty of guaranteeing that the social group where the occurrence happened is adjusted. After the mischance, it is the responsibility of the association to ensure that all individuals who were influenced unintentionally are paid. Additionally, they ought to make sure that the requirements of different people are met. Additionally, Amtrak ought to work towards upgrading its open connections. It ought to likewise put new decides that will restrain the event of the mischance. The administration additionally has one of the partners has a part to play in regards to the episode. Since it is entrusted with the obligation of securing the representatives, it ought to work towards observing if Amtrak has utilized qualified faculty in the association to guarantee that the clients are given sufficient administrations. In the lawful angles, there are a variety of aspects that ought to be put into thought. Amtrak ought to consider researching the reason for the crash. In that capacity, it ought to remunerate the families whose individuals kicked the bucket in the mischance. It ought to likewise react to the claims that are probably going to develop after the event of the crash. In the episode, it is apparent to illustrate that the reason for the mishap was not strikingly discovered. This is because the tugboat commander and the individual in charge of working the train were not in charge of the crash. Despite the way that the association was not lawfully in charge of the event of the mishap, it ought to assume its part of repaying its representatives. The administration likewise has a legitimate obligation of guaranteeing that the property of the people required in the mischance is not altered. In the financial perspective, Amtrak has a duty of ensuring both its partners and stockholders. Uniquely, the proprietors of the association who are the stockholders are probably going to be influenced more therefore of the mishap. All things considered, they will be changed with respect to back. Hence it is the duty of Amtrak to guarantee that the proprietors, representatives and the travelers are protected. The travelers ought to likewise be adjusted. Since Amtrak shapes a huge part of the financial cosmetics of the U.S, the occurrence is probably going to influence the stock exchange. It is, in this way, primary that the association guarantees that it concocts stringent measures to keep away from the unsettling power of the market and losing of significant financial specialists from the monetary structure. Concerning liberal perspective, it will-will fit for the administration, proprietors of Amtrak, the clients, and all the specified partners to hold hands and think of a philanthropy store that will help in the financing of the people who endured the tragedy. Moreover, an activity they ought to cooperate in helping the encompassing group. Conclusions and proposals Summarily, it is fundamental to bring up that the partners required in the occurrence activities in reacting to the social obligation to the encompassing group. From the perspectives recorded over the partners ought to guarantee that every one of them has a generous impact in alleviating the dangers related with the mischance. Additionally, they ought to ensure that they errand all the conceivable measures that will help in decreasing the risks of mishap event. Consequently, they ought to guarantee that the legal, moral, monetary and generous viewpoints. All things considered the partners will assume their parts in corporate social duty. References Halbert, T. (2015). Law and Ethics in the Business Environment, 8th Edition. [Kaplan]. Retrieved from https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781305483125/, Garner, A. Huff, W. (1997). The Wreck of Amtraks Sunset Limited: News Coverage of a Mass Transport Disaster. Disasters, 21(1), 4-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-7717.00041

Public Relations Campaign Planning

Public Relations Campaign Planning Research and Situational Analysis The term ‘brain drain’ refers to the outflow of entrepreneurial skills and talent hindering productivity and, possibly, prospects for economic growth (Tyson, 2011). The Malaysian brain drain dilemma is attributed to political, economic, social and cultural causes (Tyson, 2011). The current world average of brain drain stands at about 5 per cent, whereas Malaysia’s was at 10 per cent in the year 2000. (Foo, 2011). Out of a population of 27 million, there are an estimated 1.5 million Malaysians living abroad. The last decade brought much scrutiny and substantial media analysis on the topic of brain drain in Malaysia. Emphasis was put on numbers of skilled Malaysian-born people emigrating and its lasting effects on the Malaysian economy (Foo, 2011). In a study conducted by Foo, by examining destination country characteristics, it has been found that some of the key determinants of the brain drain dilemma include religious diversity, high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, proximity to home country, and English language usage. The main causes of brain drain, however, are deeply rooted and entrenched in the Malaysian society. In recent years a large of Malaysian emigrants proved to young non-Bumiputeras, In a survey conducted by the World Bank, the chief reason Malaysians aboard cite as their reason for leaving the country is social injustice. The respondents cited unequal opportunities in attaining scholarships and places in higher learning institutions (Azlan, Jeram, Sivapragasam, Tyson, 2011). Another large number cited the lack of career prospects and unattractive salaries in Malaysia as a deterrent in the decision of coming back to Malaysia. All these matters, of course attribute to the various government policies that encourage race-based incentives rather than merit-based ones. The policies in question are the economic models that uphold the ‘special’ Bumiputera rights and the revisionist Ketuanan Melayu policies (Azlan, Jeram, Sivapragasam, Tyson, 2011). The barriers are the main causes identified in instigating the talent exodus or brain drain in Malaysia. The government needs to acknowledge that the brain drain is at the cost most of national development, future competitiveness and productivity (Azlan, Jeram, Sivapragasam, Tyson). To help counter the brain drain dilemma, under the Prime Minister’s Department and the 10TH Malaysian Plan, Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), was established in the year 2011 in hopes of activating and facilitating initiatives that will help to put an end to the outflow of the country’s talent. The corporation will be working closely and establishing affiliations with many Malaysian Government agencies and leading companies. TalentCorp boasts a plethora of affirmative programmes to engage and attract Malaysian talents that have settled overseas while also focusing on nurturing and developing those already within Malaysia. Network-building between these talents are also prioritized. Although still new, TalentCorp claims to have a clear vision in running their organisation, which is to build effective partnerships, and make a difference in addressing Malaysia’s talent needs to enable the country to reach its aspiration of a high-income nation (About Us: TalentCorp, 2011). TalentCorp also possesses a one-stop centre to deal with related matters pertaining to immigration and government documentation. To analyse TalentCorp deeper, SWOT analysis can be utilized to identify the corporation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. One main strength that TalentCorp has is it is run by a group of relatively young professionals, all around 25 to 40 years of age, all led by Johan Mahmood Merican. This means that the management itself could relate and acknowledge the stakeholders because of the similar age and similar experiences they may have gone through, and vice-versa. The new brains will bring a much needed vigour and vitality to the scene, especially when the old existing policies were set up by policy makers and politicians who are of an older generation. The corporation’s new and affirmative action team hopes to create a distinctive competence in managing the talent in Malaysia, unlike their predecessors. The main weakness of TalentCorp would be the age of the organisation itself. Since it is a newly set up organization, it may not have prominence and influence in the society yet. As a corporation, it has limited visibility and only gained nationwide exposure for a limited amount of time during the conception of the corporation. Ever since that, there has been virtually no mention of the corporations in major media platforms, even though articles and commentaries criticizing the nature of the corporation pops up from time to time in mainly opposition online media. This results in many young Malaysians in and outside of the country to fail to acknowledge TalentCorp and become aware of what it functions as. One opportunity that TalentCorp has is that it is in collaboration with many other Government agencies. Currently, it is working together with the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Public Service Department (JPA) among others. With all these partnerships at its disposal, TalentCorp can benefit greatly from the resources, manpower, and intellectual property to come up with even better policies in the benefit of its stakeholders. The main threat that the corporation faces is the target audience themselves. The professionals who are living aboard already made that difficult decision to migrate in hopes of greener pastures elsewhere. It is important to know that most of the emigrants are of non-Bumiputera stock, mainly comprising of Malaysian Chinese. Looking back at the main causes of brain drain, while abroad, these people have become accustomed to being rewarded based on their personal performance and merit, unlike the Bumiputera-rights based policies they have been subjected to in Malaysia. While TalentCorp, with its various incentives and affirmative action plans might be able to convince them that there are opportunities abound in the homeland, the professionals will be doubtful of the existence of a meritocracy-based, level-playing field, back home. This raging doubt coupled with the many unpleasant happenings in the country they have come to know from a globally wired world may be the biggest deterrent of them returning home. TalentCorp needs to realize all these and investigate further into the issue. Action Planning Objectives In relation to public relations management campaign strategies, the main objectives of TalentCorp are to be evaluated. The objectives of this corporation are: To optimise Malaysian talent; To attract and facilitate global talent; and To build networks of top talent To analyse the objectives, the SMART objective approach should be used. The objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. In the case of TalentCorp’s objectives, they merely state the obvious, without specifically stating the details of what has to be done. There is little information on how the objective is supposed to be measured and attained, with the absence of actual quantifiable figures. The lack of a specific time-frame suggests that there is no specific time-period for corporation’s activities to be carried out. The objectives instead should be presented as: to optimize Malaysian talent by 50% among Malaysians by the end of 2014, Key Messages The key messages that should be prominent during the entire course of the campaign are: Suicide can be prevented through early detection and professional intervention. Suicide is not the solution, seek professional help. Suicide is a growing problem in Malaysia. Target Public TalentCorp’s the primary target audience or the group and the current focus of their campaign are Malaysian citizens currently staying and working overseas. Although this target public is the essence of establishing the whole programme, emphasis should also be given to Malaysian students currently pursuing tertiary education, who are contemplating on staying in their host country when studying overseas in the future, as they are the future of the country. The secondary target public are the journalists and a variety of media houses to promote the agenda of TalentCorp to future primary target audience and the Malaysian public. Strategies Based on the objective of optimizing Malaysian talent, these three strategies have been put forward: Raise career awareness by of ETP career opportunities for tertiary students through physical and virtual channels and involving selected company partners and key sectors Build platforms to optimise talent-Manage assignment of scholars- Establish early involvement of industry in university life- Encourage collaboration of companies, industry bodies and learning institutions to develop structured internships Enhance school-to-work transition- Upskill to address critical skills gaps in key sectors- Advocate policy change Build HR community and advocate best practices Based on the objective of attracting and facilitating global talent, these strategies have been put forward: Outreach to Malaysians abroad- Assist key industries and companies to meet talent requirements through facilitation and outreach programmes Facilitate returning talent- Facilitate ease of entry for global talent Address policy impediments on entry of global talent Enhance expatriate facilitation- Facilitate ease of entry for global talent Pilot catalytic initiatives for policy refinement Based on the objective of building networks of top talent, these are the strategies that have been put forward: Build networks of future leaders -Develop networks for leadership pipelining Private-Public Sector and Intra-Private Sector Talent Cross Assignments Develop diaspora networking platforms- Develop networks of professional diaspora and eminent Malaysians to assess opportunities in Malaysia or contribute from abroad Engage expatriate community- Engage expatriate community to develop networks Communication Tactics The tactics can basically be separated into two categories; public campaign tactics and media campaign tactics. This is because the different target publics need different strategies to be communicated to. But there should always be a realisation that both types of tactics are very-much dependent on each other and are interlinked. For Malaysian talents already living overseas, professional outreach programmes like sector-focused networking programmes for the Malaysian diaspora are organised in major cities around the world. In these programmes, the participants can be connected to potential employers and explore available opportunities back home. Student outreach programmes can help TalentCorp engage with top Malaysian students aboard. Possible collaborators to look into are the Education Ministry, Jabatan Perkhidmtan Awam or JPA and various student associations. To facilitate returning talent, a programme called the Returning Expert Programme (REP) was introduced, with tax cut incentives, Permanent Resident (PR) status for foreign spouses, and potential positions in Malaysia’s leading companies. There is also a REP Club, which functions to provide a sense of inclusiveness within the community and network building. One public campaign tactic that will directly resonate with the suggested primary target public, Malaysian tertiary students who are contemplating to contribute to the brain drain is to have career fairs and road shows by collaboration with universities and local leading companies. The face-to-face interaction between the students and employer creates channels of raising awareness in job environments and requirements. Besides that, a regularly updated organisational website will be set up for easy information access that will also serve as an online portal for career awareness and career guidance in attaining jobs in local companies. Building a presence in social media platforms, such as creating a Facebook page or creating a Twitter account will resonate with the young, tech-savvy individuals of the target public. Another public campaign tactic is to have upskilling programmes and internship opportunities with leading companies for tertiary education students that will function as a fast track to their career in Malaysia. Competitions could be held to increase the visibility of TalentCorp in the minds of the students. Working together with JPA, TalentCorp established the Scholarship Talent Attraction Retention (STAR) programme, whereby a scholarship bond requires the scholars to work with leading companies in Malaysia. Publishing and printing collaterals such as posters and pamphlets that are distributed to institutions of higher learning will drive the message of these youth-targeted programmes and of the organisation itself to town. For the media tactics to be carried out, we have to realize that the media plays a crucial role in disseminating any information gained from the client, whereby in this case, is a corporation which is under the purview of the government, to the target audience. Ultimately, in essence, no campaign is successful without a media relations campaign. Hence, as PR practitioners it should be wise to plan out the tactics through a wide range of media. By building the campaign around a newsworthy event like the talent and student outreach programmes, the likelihood of the media houses, especially print media, carrying the stories and key messages will be very high. The measures taken to ‘place’ news stories will be very important. The media tactics that will be used in the campaign are: Press Releases The press release announcing the proposition of the event and the campaign in general, would be sent to the database of journalists, newsdesks of major media and even online news organisations. The media targeted in this tactic are print media and online media. Media Briefing Before an actual press conference is called upon the issue, there could be a small-scale media briefing to let individual or a small, select group of journalists know about the event and the intended key messages to be delivered. A smaller, more intimate session will allow issues to be clarified better and helps develop relationships with journalists as well. The media targeted in this tactic are print media and online media. Press Conference A national-level outreach programme or event ultimately calls for a press conference to be conducted. Through the press conference, larger groups of journalists and media houses could be targeted. The press conference provides the organisers a controlled environment to unveil statements and deliver their intended key messages accurately. Nevertheless, a press conference can also be an uncontrolled environment as the organisers are subjected to media enquiries and questions. A separate evaluative press conference could be held after the event as well. A media kit containing press statements, profile of the organisation, pamphlets and souvenirs will be provided to all the journalists present. The media targeted in this tactic are print media, broadcast media, and online media Television and Radio Utilising broadcast media such as television and radio, can be used to address and portray issues clearly. Interviews and talks featuring credible opinion leaders, government officials, and the organisers and management team of TalentCorp themselves will help set the campaigns agenda clearly. Radio could also add an interactive element to the programs aired by encouraging the participation of interactive callers, otherwise known as ‘Talkback-Radio’. Also, the broadcast media have a great audience penetration. Evaluation Since this is public relations campaign, the evaluative measures should focus and assess the impact of the public relations efforts. But before the summative evaluation, implementation checking and formative monitoring should be conducted to correct any discrepancies and assess the progress of the campaign (Lattimore, Baskin, Heiman, Toth, 2013). To measure the worth of public relations efforts, an impact analysis could be conducted. The audience coverage addresses whether the intended audiences were reached. One could track the media coverage of all the events and activities that have been promoted. For print publication, special electronic databases can be used to track specific key words and terms related to the event. Google News offers a similar service too. The cumulative index of readers of the posts about the campaign and the TalentCorp programmes could also be assessed. In terms of broadcast media, its audience interactivity allows one’s to gauge the number of inquiries, opinions and requests for advice. We could also take the program tune-in rate to account. At the end of each outreach programme and personal engagements with the publics, a survey could be handed out to a select few of the attendees to measure and evaluate the audience response. This could also be done electronically by including a feedback section in the corporation’s website. Besides that, we could also assess the number of hits on the organisation’s website, especially when journalists or other interested parties follow up mentions of the event in other media. For newspapers, we can monitor the number of press-releases that have been issued and comparing it with the newspaper take-up rates. Campaign exposure can also be measured by press cuttings. With or without consensus, the position  of the Malaysian government is quite clear: the brain drain is detrimental to national  development, productivity and future competitiveness. Therefore the government continues  to experiment with policy initiatives in order to reduce, or even reverse, the brain drain,  pinning a significant amount of hope on the newly created Talent Corporation led by Johan  Mahmood Merican. Most of the initiatives to date have been about economic reform and  have been driven by technocrats, leaving a void that needs to be filled with pragmatic and  robust political analysis. For instance, in a somewhat controversial editorial, Mokhtar (2010)  opined that the talent exodus can be explained by disillusionment linked to rising crime, a  tainted judiciary, human rights abuses, and an outmoded education system. While the  general assumption is that Chinese and Indian Malaysians have a greater tendency to leave  because of their pendatang (so journer, alien) status – being guests in a bumiputera (Malay)  land – increasing numbers of Malays have emigrated as well, disillusioned by corrupt  practices as well as the rigid confines of state Islam (Mokhtar 2010).

Shapes Investigation :: Papers

Shapes Investigation Summary I am doing an investigation to look at shapes made up of other shapes (starting with triangles, then going on squares and hexagons. I will try to find the relationship between the perimeter (in cm), dots enclosed and the amount of shapes (i.e. triangles etc.) used to make a shape. From this, I will try to find a formula linking P (perimeter), D (dots enclosed) and T (number of triangles used to make a shape). Later on in this investigation T will be substituted for Q (squares) and H (hexagons) used to make a shape. Other letters used in my formulas and equations are X (T, Q or H), and Y (the number of sides a shape has). I have decided not to use S for squares, as it is possible it could be mistaken for 5, when put into a formula. After this, I will try to find a formula that links the number of shapes, P and D that will work with any tessellating shape - my 'universal' formula. I anticipate that for this to work I will have to include that number of sides of the shapes I use in my formula. Method I will first draw out all possible shapes using, for example, 16 triangles, avoiding drawing those shapes with the same properties of T, P and D, as this is pointless (i.e. those arranged in the same way but say, on their side. I will attach these drawings to the front of each section. From this, I will make a list of all possible combinations of P, D and T (or later Q and H). Then I will continue making tables of different numbers of that shape, make a graph containing all the tables and then try to devise a working formula. As I progress, I will note down any obvious or less obvious things that I see, and any working formulas found will go on my 'Formulas' page. To save time, perimeter, dots enclosed, triangles etc.

What Is The Expression Theory Of Art Essay -- essays research papers

Art has evolved and regenerated itself many times during our human existence. These differences are defined through changes in styles under various theories. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, a style known as Expressionism became popular. During this movement the artists were trying to use their artwork as a tool of expression toward life. It was mainly dominant in the nonrepresentational arts, such as abstract visual arts and music. It also was probably one of the most difficult movements to understand because the whole point of the piece lay within the artist. Not only was it a movement, it defined the act of art as a whole. From the beginning of time, each work of art, excluding replicas, show a way of expressing one's self. Every artist puts a piece of his or herself into their artwork. Who really is to determine what that work of art was meant to express? One might ask, "Since most artwork is used as a way for an artist to express him or herself, what makes this expression period anything special?" On the general level "Expressionistic art, whether literature, painting, music, or cinema, often involves intense psychic disturbance and distortion in the perspective adopted by the artwork." "It is remote from the objective or realistic portrayals of the world, as well as from the happier emotions." To bring a more defined meaning to the overall theory of expressionism, two philosophers play a large role. The first notarized expressionistic philosopher was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy who was followed by his counterpart R.G. Collingwood: a twentieth-century English philosopher. Together they hold the two best known expositions of the expression theory. What make these two analyzers important is not what they agreed on, but rather on how they contrasted. They both conclude that during the expression theory, the main concern was to express emotion. The one question that draws the two apart is "What does it mean to express an emotion?" They attempt to conclude this question, by providing the answers to a few others. What the nature of art is? Why we make and appreciate art? Why the arts are so valuable? The best way to go about describing their thoughts is to state one of the thinkers discoveries followed by a thorough investigation of the second's, beginning with Leo Tolstoy. He begins his arg... ...correspondent real life events. "If the music does not evoke a real emotional response in a listener, according to this school of thought, this response should be considered inappropriate." No matter whose view you take they all have their faults. Making a theory on art is not the same as making a theory in science. With science you have guidelines that can be proven. There are very few guidelines in art that can be backed up by fact. The ideal of defining a theory in art is based on emotions as well. Both Tolstoy and Collingwood are using their emotions in order to judge other emotions. If I were forced to pick a philosopher to side with, I would probably lean toward Collingwood, since he leaves more area for variety. He places more of the wealth of the emotional art within the artist themselves rather than a third party. If it were totally up to me I would leave the decision on whether a work is good or not between the artist and whomever was viewing it at that time. What I might think as a good piece of work and what might evoke emotions in me might not do the same for another who might consider themselves experts, but does that really make my opinion less valuable?

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Put the independent variable on the x-axis, put the dependent variable on the y- axis. 3. Label each axis with a quantity and a unit. 4. Give the graph a detailed title that includes the independent variable and the dependent variable. 5. Take a screen shot of the graph and paste it here. Conclusion: 1 . Summarize in one sentence whether or not the changes of the two share a pattern 2. Point out any strange results that may have occurred. Can you explain them? 3. Write a sentence that compares the results to the hypothesis. 4. Explain the conclusion scientifically.This means you interpret the data by explaining what the patterns mean. Use scientific language, and be specific. Do research to find explanations. Cite the sources here. [Remember to write the full source at the end in the Works Cited list. ] 1 . Yes there is a pattern between these two results. As more atmospheric CA, I see that the altitudes of Arctic Ice are decreasing. However, there are some strong winters that make t he melted ice change back to sate in water. But also this effect is starting to get a problem. Strong Winters haven't been occurring much as the sass's. . I had asked Ms Suzanne why the Arctic Ice's extent changes back to ice. She said it's because of the strong winters that occur. Another source I found from the Internet is that strong winters aren't tough as it used to be during 1900 to 1980. 3. More greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels will rise. 4. In conclusion, in the fact that if all the Arctic Ice melts the worlds sea level would rise. However, my hypothesis was wrong. Sea levels wouldn't rise if all the ice in the Arctic would melt. This is because it takes all the world's ice to make sea levels increase.If carbon dioxide emissions get worse the sea's level would rise up to about 62 meters. Atmospheric carbon dioxide can cause more consequences than Just sea level intensities. It can cause extinction for the animals that live in cold climates and the many lives of public he alth will get an impact from greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, since we can't destroy carbon dioxide we can maybe reduce the fossil fuel combustion and oil productions. We can maybe produce cars that are powered by electricity. 1. This is where you list all the sources you cited in your lab report. . Make sure this list only has sources you already cited in parenthesis 0. 3. Make sure the first word in parentheses is also the first word in the entry on the works cited list. 4. Indent after the first line of each entry. â€Å"Global Warming. † Facts, Causes and Effects of Climate Change. Web. 17 May 2014. Silverman, Jacob. Why Is Arctic Ice Melting 50 Years Too Fast? â€Å"Housework's. Housework. Com, 05 swept. 2007. Web. 18 May 2014. â€Å"Early Warning Signs of Global Warming: Arctic and Antarctic Warming I CUSCUS. † unto of concerned scientists. CUSS. Web. 20 May 2014.Teacher Decision Student Opinion Level descriptor The student is able to: 1-2 collect and presen t data in numerical and/or visual forms accurately interpret data state the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation 3-4 collect and present data in numerical and/or visual forms correctly accurately interpret data and describe results outline the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation 5-6 collect, organize and present data in numerical and/or visual forms correctly accurately interpret data and describe results using scientific reasoning describe the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation 7-8 collect, organize, transform and present data in numerical and/or visual forms correctly accurately interpret data and describe results using correct scientific reasoning discuss the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation Carbon dioxide emissions Carbon dioxide emanations from Annex I states have established since 1990 but are turning quickly in developing states ( non Annex I states ) at a rate of about 4 % per twelvemonth which is reflected in the universe emanations which are turning approximately 600 million dozenss of CO2 per twelvemonth. Carbon dioxide emanations are the dominant constituent of nursery gas emanations, but represented in 2006 merely 69,6 % of the entire emanations. The staying 30.4 % are methane ( CH4 ) , azotic oxide ( N2O ) and fluorinated gases with high planetary warming possible ( GWP ) which are: SF6 ( sulphur hexafluoride ) , HFCs ( hydrofluorcarbons ) and PFCs ( perfluorcarbons ) . ( Figure 4 ) . Normally one expresses GHG emanations in CO2 equivalent. Entire emanations in 2005 were about 45 Gtons of CO2.equivalent of which 30 Gtons of CO2. To cut down CO2 and other GHG emanations became therefore one of the most pressing undertakings we are confronting today. There are two attacks to manage this job:utilize energy more expeditiously, accordingly breathing less CO2 and widening the life of fossil fuels militias.increase the part of renewable energies in the universe energy matrixNational authoritiess every bit good as some sectors of the productive system ( industry, transit, residential and others ) can follow these solutions in differentiated grades.In industrialised states, which have already reached a high degree of energy ingestion â€Å" per capita † , energy efficiency is the â€Å" low hanging fruit † attack that can be more easy implemented. Renewable energies can besides play a important function.In developing states where energy ingestion â€Å" per capita † is low, and the demand for the growing for energies services is inevitable, it can be done integrating early, in the procedure of de velopment, clean and efficient engineerings every bit good as renewable energies, following a different way than that done in the yesteryear by today ‘s industrialised statesWe will discourse hereafter the potency of energy efficiency, renewable energies and emanations merchandising strategies in accomplishing the aims of cut downing nursery gas emanations.RENEWABLE ENERGIESTable I lists the renewable energy used in the universe at the terminal of 2008 by all types of renewable beginnings, every bit good their annual growing rates. Traditional biomass is left out of this tabular array because it is used chiefly in rural countries as cooking fuel or wood coal in ways that are often non renewable, taking to deforestation and dirt debasement Renewables ( including big hydro ) represented, in 2008, about 5 % of the universe? s entire primary energy ingestion but are turning at a rate of 6.3 % per twelvemonth while entire primary energy supply is turning at a smaller rate of about 2 % per twelvemonth. Taking into history the appropriate efficiency and capacity factors* the Numberss in Table I can be converted into the entire primary energy part from renewables ( Table II ) and Figure 6. An extrapolation of the part of renewables up to 2030 on the footing of the rates of growing in the last 10 old ages is shown in Figure 7. To give an thought of the attempt that would be needed to control CO2 emanations up to 2050 the IEA produced late two scenarios of what would be required in footings of renewables in the electricity sector. The consequences are shown in Table III. In the IEA Scenarios atomic energy and coal and gas fired thermic power workss ( with C gaining control and storage CCS ) are included. These Numberss are really big but give an thought of the attempt required to forestall a ruinous clime alteration. The chief policy instruments used to speed up the debut of renewables in the energy system of a figure of states are â€Å" feed in duties † and â€Å" renewable portfolio criterions † ( RPS )â€Å" Feed-in † duties: this is a policy adopted by authoritiess to speed up the debut of renewable energy beginnings in their matrixes. Power companies are obliged to purchase renewable energy from independent manufacturers, at a fixed monetary value above the mean cost of production. These incremental costs of renewable energy over fossil fuels can be transferred to consumers. Germany has had striking success with feed-in duties over the last two decennaries, providing 15 % of its energy demands through renewable beginnings. The German attack involves guaranteed fixed payments for 20 old ages designed to present a net income of 7 to 9 per centum. The rates charged vary by energy beginning and are tied to the cost of production. The rates paid for new contracts decline yea rly, coercing the green energy sector to introduce.Renewable Portfolio Standards: such attack topographic points an duty on electricity supply companies to bring forth a specified fraction of their electricity from renewable energy beginnings ( typically 10-20 % ) . Certified renewable energy generators earn certifications for every unit of electricity they produce and can sell these along with their electricity to provide companies. RPS-type mechanisms have been adopted in the UK, Italy and Belgium, every bit good as in 27 States in the US and the District of Columbia. Regulations vary from province to province, and there is no federal policy. Four of the 27 provinces have voluntary instead than compulsory ends. Together these 27 provinces account for more than 42 per centum of the electricity gross revenues in the state.Renewable energies are being introduced in a important manner in many states peculiarly in Europe in the signifier of distributed generation* ( ) ( largely renewab le ) which seems to be the attack to be used in big graduated table in the hereafter. ( Figure 8 )ENERGY EFFICIENCYThe sum of energy required to supply the energy services needed depends on the efficiency with which the energy is produced, delivered and used. Additions in energy efficiency are normally measured by indexs, one of which is called energy strength and defined as the energy necessary ( E ) per unit of gross domestic merchandise ( GDP ) . I = E/GDP Decrease in the energy strength over clip indicate that the same sum of GDP is obtained with a smaller energy input as shown in Figure 9. In footings of CO2 emanations for the OECD states means a decrease of emanations of approximately 350 million dozenss of CO2 per twelvemonth. The grounds for such diminution are a combination of the undermentioned factors.structural alterations in industrialised and passage states which can come from increased recycling and permutation of energy-intensive stuffs improved material efficiency and intensified usage of lasting and investing goods,displacements to services and less energy-intensive industrial production, andimpregnation effects in the residential and transit sectors ( i.e. , a bound to the figure of autos, iceboxs, telecasting sets, etc. , that a society can absorb ) .Since more than 80 % of the energy used in the universe today comes from fossil fuels the decrease in energy strength is reflected in a decrease in C strength ( I=CO2/GDP ) which is shown in Figure 11. As can be look there is a steady diminution in the C strength in OECD states. In non-OECD states there was besides a diminution but it has stabilized after the twelvemonth 2000. Over the following 20 old ages the sum of primary energy required for a given degree of energy services could be cost-effectively reduced by 25 to 35 per centum in industrialised states. Decreases of more than 40 per centum are cost-effectively accomplishable in transitional economic systems within the following two decennaries. In most developing states? which tend to hold high economic growing and old capital and vehicle stocks? the cost-efficient betterment potency ranges from 30 to more than 45 per centum, comparative to energy efficiencies achieved with bing capital stock. The combined consequence of structural alterations and efficiency betterments could speed up the one-year diminution in energy strength to possibly 2.5 per centum. How much of this potency will be realized depends on the effectivity of policy models and steps, alterations in attitude and behaviour, every bit good as the degree of entrepreneurial activity in energy preservation and material efficiency. Standards ( e.g. , constructing codifications ; intelligent consumers, contrivers, and determination shapers ; motivated operators ; market-based inducements such as certification markets ; and an equal payments system ( ) for energy ) are cardinal to the successful execution of energy efficiency betterments.EMISSIONS TradingIn add-on to national attempts to control GHG emanations through increased energy efficiency steps and the usage of renewable energy beginning trading emanations is a scheme used to command pollution by supplying incentive s for accomplishing decreases in the emanation of pollutants. Usually it is called a? cap and trade? system and the manner is plants is the followers: A cardinal authorization ( normally a authorities or international organic structure ) sets a bound or cap on the sum of a pollutant that can be emitted. Companies or other groups are issued emanation licenses and are required to keep an tantamount figure of allowances ( or credits ) which represent the right to breathe a specific sum. The entire sum of allowances and credits can non transcend the cap, restricting entire emanations to that degree. Companies that need to increase their emanation allowances must purchase credits from those who pollute less. The transportation of allowances is referred to as a trade. In consequence, the purchaser is paying a charge for fouling, while the marketer is being rewarded for holding reduced emanations. An early illustration of an emanation trading system has been the SO2 trading system under the model of the Acid Rain Program of the 1990 Clean Air Act in the U.S. Under the plan, which is basically a cap-and-trade emanations trading system, SO2 emanations were reduced by 50 per centum from 1980 degrees by 2007. Some experts argue that the â€Å" cap and trade † system of SO2 emanations decrease has reduced the cost of commanding acerb rain by every bit much as 80 per centum versus source-by-source decrease? . ( ) At the international degree the Kyoto Protocol ( KP ) adopted in 1997 and which came into force in 2005, binds most developed states to a cap and trade system for the six major nursery gases. In malice of being a signer of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) , the United States is the lone industrialised state ( i.e. , under the KP Annex I ) which has non ratified and hence is non bound by it. Emission quotas were agreed by each take parting state, with the purpose of cut downing their overall emanations by 5.2 % of their 1990 degrees by the terminal of 2012. Under the Treaty, for the 5-year conformity period from 2008 until 2012, states that emit less than their quota will be able to sell emanation credits to states that exceed their quota through usage of the undermentioned flexibleness mechanisms:Joint Implementation undertakings ( JI )Clean Development Mechanism ( CDM )International Emissions Trading ( IET ) .The 2nd commitment period of the KP, t ogether with a long-run concerted action under the UNFCCC, will be discussed by states at the terminal of 2009.THE EUROPEAN UNION EMISSIONS Trading SCHEME ( EU ETS )The European Union Emission Trading System ( EU ETS ) is the largest multi-national, emanations merchandising strategy in the universe, and is a major pillar of EU clime policy. Under the EU ETS, the authoritiess of the EU Member States agree on national emanation caps which have to be approved by the EU committee, allocate allowances to their industrial operators, path and formalize the existent emanations in conformity against the relevant assigned sum. In the first stage ( 2005-2007 ) , the EU ETS includes some 12,000 installings, stand foring about 40 % of EU CO2 emanations, ( 2.4 billion dozenss of CO2 equivalent ) covering energy activities ( burning installings with a rated thermic input transcending 20 MW, mineral oil refineries, coke ovens, production and processing of ferric metals, mineral industry ( cement cinder, glass and ceramic bricks ) and mush, paper and board activities. The strategy, in which all 15 member provinces that were so members of the European Union participated, nominally commenced operation on January 1st, 2005, although national registers were unable to settle minutess for the first few months. The first trading period of the EU ETS ran for three old ages, from January 1st, 2005 until the terminal of 2007. With its expiration foremost phase allowances became invalid. The end of the test period was chiefly to derive experience with cardinal elements of the trading system in order to hold a to the full operational system for 2008-2012 when conformity with binding decreases would be required under the Kyoto Protocol. ( Table IV ) The monetary value of allowances increased more or less steadily to its peak degree in April 2006 of approximately? 30 per metric ton CO2, but fell in May 2006 to under? 10/ton on intelligence that some states were likely to give their industries such generous emanation caps that there was no demand for them to cut down emanations. When the publication of 2005 verified emanations informations in May 2006 highlighted this over-allocation, the market reacted by well take downing the monetary value of allowances. Monetary values dropped sharply to? 1.2 a metric ton in March 2007, worsening to? 0.10 in September 2007, because allowances could non be carried over or? banked? and used in the following trading period. Although the first stage ended disastrously, because the allowances could non be banked to the following stage, it did non impact on the monetary values for contracts for 2008, the first twelvemonth of the 2nd stage. Market participants knew already in 2007 that stage II would be more rigorous in relation to the cap and less indulgent in relation to allowances, which explains the high monetary values for 2008 allowances. The first EU ETS Trading Period expired in December 2007. Since January 2008, the 2nd Trading Period is under manner which will last until December 2012. Presently, the installings get the allowances for free from the EU member provinces ‘ authoritiess. Besides having this initial allotment on a plant-by-plant footing, an operator may buy EU allowances from others ( installings, bargainers, the authorities ) . In January 2008, the European Commission proposed a figure of alterations to the strategy, including centralized allotment ( no more national allotment programs ) by an EU authorization, a bend to auctioning a greater portion ( 60+ % ) of licenses instead than apportioning freely, and inclusion of other nursery gases, such as azotic oxide and per-fluorocarbons. These alterations are still in a bill of exchange phase ; the mentioned amendments are merely likely to go effectual from January 2013 onwards, i.e. in the 3rd Trading Period under the EU ETS. Besides, the proposed caps for the 3rd Trading Period foresee an overall decrease of nursery gases for the sector of 21 % in 2020 compared to 2005 emanations. The EU ETS has late been extended to the air hose industry every bit good, but these alterations will non take topographic point until 2012. In add-on, the 3rd trading period will be both more economically efficient and environmentally effectual. It will be more efficient because trading periods will be longer ( 8 old ages alternatively of 5 old ages ) , and a significant addition in the sum of auctioning ( from less than 4 % in stage 2 to more than half in stage 3 ) . The environmental effectivity will be guaranteed by a robust and yearly worsening emanations cap ( 21 % decrease in 2020 compared to 2005 ) and a centralised allotment procedure within the European Commission. A robust â€Å" secondary † market for C certifications exists through which investors bank on the future value of the EU ETS certifications altering many times. However the ETS doesn? T include conveyance, therefore this action is limited to industrial procedure and energy sector.Joint IMPLEMENTATION ( JI )Joint execution is one of flexibleness mechanisms set Forth in the Kyoto Protocol to assist states with binding nursery gas emanations marks ( alleged Annex I states ) meet their duties. In this mechanism any Annex I states can put in emanation decrease undertakings ( referred to as â€Å" Joint Implementation Projects † ) in any other Annex I state as an option to cut downing emanations domestically. In this manner states can take down the costs of following with their Kyoto marks by puting in nursery gas decreases in an Annex I state where decreases are cheaper, and so using the recognition for those decreases towards their committedness end. The procedure of having recognition for JI undertakings is slightly complex. Emission decreases are awarded credits called Emission Reduction Units ( ERUs ) , where one ERU represents an emanation decrease bing one metric ton of CO2 equivalent. The ERUs come from the host state ‘s pool of assigned emanations credits, known as Assigned Amount Units, or AAUs ( ) . After a long preparatory procedure JI undertakings began to take form. As of June 2009, 207 undertakings have been submitted. If all implemented they will take to emanations decrease of 338,048 million times CO2 equivalent in the period 2008-2012. The great bulk of the undertakings are in the Russian Federation and Eastern European states. The figure of JI undertakings by type is given in Figure 14. So far the lone certifications issued ( ERUs ) emanations decrease units are 651 thousand CO2 equivalent for coal bed/mine methane.CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM ( CDM )The Clean Development Mechanism is an agreement under the Kyoto Protocol leting industrialised states with a nursery gas decrease committedness ( called Annex B states ) to put in undertakings that cut down emanations in developing states as an option to more expensive emanation decreases in their ain states. A important characteristic of an sanctioned CDM C undertaking is that it has established that the planned decreases would non happen without the extra inducement provided by emanation decreases credits, a construct known as â€Å" additionality † . The CDM allows cyberspace planetary nursery gas emanations to be reduced at a much lower planetary cost by financing emanations decrease undertakings in developing states where costs are lower than in industrialised states. The CDM is supervised by the CDM Executive Board ( CDM EB ) and is under the counsel of the Conference of the Parties ( COP/MOP ) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) . By June 1 2009, 4,417 undertakings have been submitted which if all implemented correspond to 2,931,813 million dozenss of CO2 equivalent. It represents approximately 1 % of the entire necessary attempt to control GHG emanations until 2050. Approximately 75 % of the CDM undertakings are in China. In contrast to emanations merchandising strategies which are actively traded in the stock market JI and CDM are project-based dealing.THE STIMULUS PACKAGEA important sum of the stimulus bundle adopted by a figure of authoritiess to confront the fiscal crisis of 2007/2008 is made of investings in so called? green? activities. They amount to 6 % of the entire recovery bundles announced by authoritiess ( US $ 184.9billion dollars ) . ( Figure 17 ) China and the US remain the leaders, in nominal footings, of the green stimulation activities, allowing US $ 68.7 billion and US $ 66.6 billion severally. The sector break-down shows that energy efficiency ( Figure 18 ) remains at the bosom of the low-carbon financial stimulations. Accounting for every bit much as 36 % of the entire US $ 184.9 billion, the sector will have a encouragement of some US $ 65.7 billion globally, chiefly via edifice efficiency undertakings. In add-on to that, US $ 7.9 billion has been announced for research and development in energy efficiency. The 2nd major victor is electricity grid substructure. More than US $ 48.7 billion has been earmarked for its development and ascent, accounting for some 26 % of the entire financess. The Department of Energy has already disbursed US $ 41.9 million in grants for fuel cell energy undertakings. Furthermore, US $ 101.5 million has been directed to weave energy research and elaborate programs have been disclosed on US $ 2.4 billion to be spent on C gaining control and storage and US $ 4 billion for grid ascents. Detailss of about US $ 1.3 billion, out of US $ 2 billion to back up energy scientific discipline research, have besides been confirmed and there are now merely some US $ 725 million staying to be allocated.