Alternative energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Alternative energy - Essay Example The use of solar panels requires the use of the appropriate strategy, which will ensure that solar power is properly utilized (Black and Flarend 1-29). This paper seeks to explore the best strategy for the use of solar panels. More specifically, the paper strives to answer the question: what is the best strategy for use of solar panels? In addressing the essay question, the paper will explore the best strategy that can be employed to ensure the effective use of solar panels. The Best Strategy for Use of Solar Panels Solar panels play a crucial role in generating energy in homes. Many people living in sunny areas find it easy to use solar panels in creating energy at their homes. Solar panels are used to tap energy from the sun that can provide light during the night for lighting. Solar revolution has dramatically increased use of solar panels. Most people prefer to use solar panels in harnessing energy from the sun since they provide and readily available sources of energy. The energ y collected from the sun on a bright and sunny day can be collected through solar panels and converted to usable forms (Hantula 4-24). One of the best strategies for the use solar panels includes providing subsidies to those who wish to purchase solar panels. Governments should employ this strategy by providing tax incentives, policies that favour the user, and liberal imports of solar panels. Micro-financing can also act as one of the best strategies in order to ensure that people acquire solar systems in rural areas. The strategy aimed at cutting down the costs of solar panels is crucial as it will enhance widespread use of solar power, which emanates from solar energy. The strategy for the use of solar panels should focus on the benefits that come along with the use sola power. People should be encouraged to purchase solar panels since they utilize readily available resources such as the sun. Solar panels act as safe ways of harnessing energy since they can be used during the nig ht; moreover, they can be used for many purposes such as refrigeration, powering computers, as well as charging cell phones (Black and Flarend 1-29). The strategy for the use solar panels should also focus on the use of solar panels in remote areas. This is because solar panels can provide the best solution to the energy problems in remote rural areas where it is not possible to install electricity. The strategy for the use of solar panels should also focus on reducing the prices of the gadgets used together with solar panels. As such, the prices of batteries, charge controllers, and inverters should be subsidized in order to enable many people use solar panels in their homes. The other strategy for the use of solar panels includes the use of power purchase agreements to finance the purchase of solar panels. Such an agreement is crucial since it helps in the generation of funds that can be utilized in the purchase of solar panels. As a result, there will be widespread and effective use of solar energy that is harnessed through solar panels. Power purchase agreements are vital since they help in ensuring that there is immense growth in solar installations. As a result, many people purchase solar panels and adopt their use in their day to day activities (Hantula 4-24). The strategy for the use of solar panels should also embrace multiple uses of land. In order to maximize and reap maximum benefits from the use of solar

Executives and Legislatures Structures and Processes Essay

Executives and Legislatures Structures and Processes - Essay Example The US is a federal republic type of government while the Britain is a constitutional monarchy, but both of them are classified as parliamentary. In a parliamentary system, the government power is vested to three separate branches namely the executive, legislative, and judicial bodies. Executive Branch of the Government: US vs. Britain Under Britain’s uncodified constitution, the Monarch has the ultimate executive authority, who also acted as the head of state. Hence, Queen Elizabeth II is vested with the executive power; however, the executive functions are carried out by Her Majesty’s government headed by the Prime Minister (PM). Mr. David Cameron is the current PM, and as the head of government, along with cabinet ministers, he will assume the Queen’s real executive power. The PM is from the lower house and is appointed by the Monarch, which in turn would appoint his own ministers that would act as Secretaries of State. However, in the US federal republic type of government, the executive power is vested in the President, and the real power is not separated because he or she stands as the head of state and head of government. ... Britain The legislative or the law-making power in the US and Britain are vested in a bicameral parliament. The US parliament, known as the Congress, is composed of 2 branches: â€Å"the House of Representatives (Lower house) and the Senate (Upper house)† (Moss, 2012). Members of Congress are directly elected by citizens from 50 US states. The House of Representatives has a fixed term of 2-years with fixed members of â€Å"no more than 435† based on the 50 states demographic (United States House of Representatives, n.d.). In addition, the Senators are elected every 6 years and each of the 50 states is represented by 2 senators (United States Senate, n.d.). On the contrary, Britain’s legislative power is vested to 2 parliamentary chambers: the House of Commons (lower house) and House of Lords (upper house) (â€Å"UK Parliament,† 2010). However, the institution has a third element called the Crown (hereditary monarch). Members of Parliament (MPs) are fully e lected through a district election across Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Currently, there are 650 MPs and 765 Lords. The House of Lords is an appointed legislative body, which is divided into two: the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. The Lords Temporal is composed of life, and hereditary peers and the Lords Spiritual are represented by archbishops and bishops from the Church of England (â€Å"UK Parliament,† 2010). Also, the MPs are publicly elected during the dissolution of the parliament, which is every 5 years (UK Parliament, n.d.). However, the MPs are given a provision to call for an early formation of a new administration provided that the total casted votes are two-thirds of the districts. In this regard, the agents of socialization such as peers, church,

Characteristics of a Modern Nation State

Characteristics of a Modern Nation State Describing the characteristics of modern nation-state by giving describing Nation, State Nation-state The nation is a culture group residing within the territory of the political state. A group of people are considered a nation if (1) they are permanent residents of a defined territory, (2) they exhibit some form of government, (3) they have a common culture, and (4) they declare themselves to be, and are considered by others to be, sovereign. When a group becomes a nation, older loyalties to family or tribe must be subordinated to the new political order, and a common literature, history, and a sense of a common future develop (Walter, 2004). States are independent political unit that claim exclusive jurisdiction over defined territories and over all of the people and activities within them. The governments are not always able to exercise this jurisdiction completely, but states can encourage or even force patterns of human activities to conform the political map. (Rubinstein, Service, Science, , 2002) The continuous growth in size and complexity of societies led people to seek political organization first in clans based on kinship, later in tribes that were collections of clans, and finally in city-states. Around the fifteenth century, city-states gradually began to emerge as nation-states. A nation-state is a specific form of state, which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation, and derives its legitimacy from that function. In the ideal model of the nation-state, the population consists of the nation and only of the nation: the state not only houses it, but protects it and its national identity. The nation-state did not always exist, and most of the present nation-states are located on territory that once belonged to another, non-national, state. They came into existence at least partly as a result of political campaigns by nationalists. The establishment of a nation-state can be considered the central demand of any nationalist movement. Japan is considered a nation as it has defined territories, government and the residents share a common culture. Moreover Japan traditionally seen as an example of a nation-state and also the largest of the nation states, with population in excess of 120 million. It should be noted that Japan has a small number of minorities such as Ryukyu peoples, Koreans, and Chinese, and on the northern island of Hokkaido, the indigenous Ainu minority. However, they are either numerically insignificant (Ainu), their difference is not as pronounced (though Ryukyuan culture is closely related to Japanese culture). Japan is also seen as a state due to the limited authority powers of the Emperor he is seen as a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people. Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people (National Diet of Japan, 2007) The Emperor effectively acts as the head of state on diplomatic occasions. Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan. Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, stands as next in line to the throne. Nation-state in Japan express a shared identity of its own population, it has national symbols, above all a national flag and a national anthem, often a wide range of national emblems. In fact it promotes the Japanese national identity in almost every area of human social and cultural life, from the national library to the national airline. Additionally it attempt to create and maintain national unity, and at least a minimal internal uniformity. Nation states have a cultural policy and a language policy for this purpose, and the educational system is often subordinated to this goal. The desire for uniformity had positive economic effects, because nation-states generally try to reduce internal disparities in income and regional GDP. Most have a regional policy for that purpose. How the United States fits the criteria of and functions as a modern nation-state The United States acts a modern nation-state as it is a sovereign territory as it includes a group of people who want to have their own government; furthermore Territories are geographical areas under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state, Sovereignty means authority to control, Territories are elements of states and we know that the united states of America have 50 states, the United states maintain borders and subdivide their territory for governmental purposes. The common values shared between Americans since the United States was founded in the 18th century, Americans have defined themselves not by their racial, religious, and ethnic identity but by their common values and belief in individual freedom (Friedman, 2008). Goals of American Foreign Policy The goals of U.S. foreign policy can be said to include the following: First, the central goal is to protect the nations physical security. This is a primary goal of every nations foreign policy, but the United States has been more successful in it than most. In fact, since the War of 1812, no foreign armies have occupied the continental United States. In contrast, the nations of continental Europe were overrun twice in the twentieth century and repeatedly in the nineteenth century. However the threat of terrorism may change the state of our security. A second goal is to protect the physical security of the principal allies of the United States. For instance, since World War II, the United States has committed itself to protect the nations of Western Europe through NATO), as well as to protect nations on other continents: Japan, South Korea, and Israel. European Union as a transnational entity: Discuss the major events which lead to the establishment of the European Union. From the ideas of establishing sovereign state characterized by a union federation and the association of sovereign member states confederation the main development in Europe was on supranational foundationwhich is the method of decision-making in multi-national political communities, wherein power is transferred or delegated to an authority by governments of member states, this was carried out to tomake war unthinkable and materially impossible (Fontaine, Europejskie, 2003), the most important events which lead to the establishment of the European Union were the foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1952, which was included six nations acted like an international organization serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union. The ECSC was the first organization to be based on the principles of supranationalism, later The Treaties of Rome were signed on 25 March 1957, by The Six countries, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany. The first Treaty established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the second Treaty established the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom). They were the first international organizations to be based on supranationalism, after the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) established a few years prior. Later two new communities were created separately from ECSC, The executives of the new communities were called Commissions, as opposed to the High Authority. The EEC would develop a customs union between members and Euratom would integrate sectors in nuclear energy. In 1973 the European Union started to witness expansion to include new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community (the EUs predecessor) in 1952. In 1992 Maastricht Treaty was signed on February 7th which established the European Union when it came into effect on 1 November 1993 became effective; since then, the EUs membership has grown to twenty-seven with the most recent expansion to Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. Major institutions and nations which forms the European Union. The European Union is composed of 27 sovereign Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The contemporary function of the European Union. The function of the European Union (EU) is to enable closer relations between the member states. This is in order to make the most of the collective abilities of the member states, for example free trade, freedom of movement, freedom of job choice. It enables a lot of the beaucracy that used to be involved with those issues to be by passed. The EU was also formed as a counter balance to the position of the United States as the only global super power. The E.U does not belong to specific country, each member state has a say in the running of the EU. The EU was formed mainly out of need for stability in Europe after the Second World War, and was a product of firstly economic agreements, which still form the main basis of todays EU. Describe two examples of foreign policy objectives for the European Union. The first objective of the EU is to use a decisive diplomacy to be a key player in international issues ranging from global warming to the conflict in the Middle East. The basis for the EUs common foreign and security policy (CFSP) remains soft power: the use of diplomacy backed where necessary by trade, aid and peacekeepers to resolve conflicts and bring about international understanding. The second objective is to have governments in charge, foreign and security policy is one area where essential authority remains with EU governments, although the European Commission and, to a lesser extent the European Parliament, are associated with the process. Key decisions are taken by unanimous vote. Analyze how nation-states and transnational entities engage in foreign policy to achieve their interests. Analyze how nation-states and transnational entities engage in foreign policy to achieve their interests analyze the consequences of this interaction for international politics. Nation-states interests basically shapes the foreign policy of a nation, as the Nation-states needs; for instance when development is needed in the economical section the foreign policy of that nation changes to meet the needs for nation-state objectives therefore it starts to establishing or maintaining good relationship with other nations to enhance trade business. Taking the United States as an example; the United States signed the North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) on January 1st 1994. Linking the US, Canada and Mexico. Another example is when Americans felt the lack security after September 11th attacks; the foreign policy of Unites States lunched war on terror which involved in a war against extremists in Afghanistan and another war to disarm Iraq from the possessing alleged weapons of mass destruction, Similarity the EU nation-state which represent the interest of all EU countries by shaping the foreign policy to maintain the peace in Europe and the efforts to reduce global warming. In conclusion the development of national states has been of vital importance in the modern world. Principally, the loyalties and beliefs of nationalism have been motivating forces in the organization of complex, technological societies in the urban-industrial period. They have also been important forces in establishing and maintaining international antagonisms. References Fontaine, Pascal, Europejskie, Uniwersytet. (2003).Studia europejskie. 2003. Friedman, K. (2008). American identity: ideas, not ethnicity. Retrieved from http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/February/20080307154033ebyessedo0.5349237.html National Diet of Japan, Initials. (2007, January 10).The Constitution of japan. Retrieved from http://www.sangiin.go.jp/eng/law/index.htm Rubinstein, David, Service, British, Science, British, , Brit. (2002).International bibliography of sociology. Routledge. Walter, C., Opello, (2004).The Nation-state and global order: a historical introduction to contemporary politics. Boulder, US: LYNNE RINENNER.

Our Kinds of People :: essays research papers fc

Cultural capital is specialized knowledge. They are symbols that you are given access to because of your upper class status. The children’s club Jack and Jill is full of these symbols. It is believed that the original Jack and Jill nursery rhyme was French and written about the beheadings of King Louis XVI and his bride Queen Marie Antoinette. The lyrics were changed to make the song more appealing to children. It later became a tale of sacrifice. In Our Kinds of People the children had to make sacrifices when in the club, and because of their association other children teased them (Graham, 1999, p.35) On all the Jack and Jill chapter websites that we came across the first thing it states underneath the chapter name is, â€Å"Providing nurturing and guidance for our future leaders† (www.jjfarwest.org/phoenix/). The phoenix chapter goes on to list their mission statement as follows; â€Å"Our mission is to provide an avenue for our children to develop bonds that will f oster spirituality, strong leadership skills, achievement and lifelong friendships. These bonds will lead to strong, positive images, promote sharing and caring, and support our children as they participate in age appropriate community and educational activities† (www.jjfarwest.org/phoenix/). Each year, the organization publishes an annual yearbook called Up the Hill, which features photos and reports from local chapters as they detail service, cultural, and social activities of the prior year. (Graham, 1999, p. 34)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The many different chapters, as well as the prestigious clubs for the men and women, portray cultural capital. They all must hold keys to get accepted into the groups. In Preparing for Power they needed to hold certain keys to be able to further their lives in the elite group. We think that the processes were very similar in both books. In Preparing for Power as well as the movie, Born Rich, it talked about living up to your family name and following in your parent’s footsteps. In Our Kinds of People it is just as important, although the context differs slightly, in that with the blacks it was not only a class issue but a color issue as well. In the book Lawrence Otis Graham even mentions that he had his nose altered and was instructed from his grandmother at a young age to stay out of the sun so his black skin didn’t get any darker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We think that Graham’s concerns about there being black elite are justified.

Part Seven Chapter 3

The coffins lay side by side on biers at the front of the church. A bronze chrysanthemum oar lay on Krystal's, and a white chrysanthemum teddy bear on Robbie's. Kay Bawden remembered Robbie's bedroom, with its few grimy plastic toys, and her fingers trembled on the order of service. Naturally, there was to be an inquiry at work, because the local paper was clamouring for one, and had written a front-page piece suggesting that the small boy had been left in the care of a pair of junkies and that his death could have been avoided, if only he had been removed to safety by negligent social workers. Mattie had been signed off with stress again, and Kay's handling of the case review was being assessed. Kay wondered what effect it would have on her chances of getting another job in London, when every local authority was cutting numbers of social workers, and how Gaia would react if they had to stay in Pagford †¦ she had not dared discuss it with her yet. Andrew glanced sideways at Gaia and they exchanged small smiles. Up in Hilltop House, Ruth was already sorting things for the move. Andrew could tell that his mother hoped, in her perennially optimistic way, that by sacrificing their house and the beauty of the hills, they would be rewarded with a rebirth. Wedded for ever to an idea of Simon that took no account of his rages or his crookedness, she was hoping that these would be left behind, like boxes forgotten in the move †¦ But at least, Andrew thought, he would be one step nearer London when they went, and he had Gaia's assurance that she had been too drunk to know what she was doing with Fats, and perhaps she might invite him and Sukhvinder back to her house for coffee after the funeral was over †¦ Gaia, who had never been inside St Michael's before, was half listening to the vicar's sing-song delivery, letting her eyes travel over the high starry ceiling and the jewel-coloured windows. There was a prettiness about Pagford that, now she knew that she was leaving, she thought she might quite miss †¦ Tessa Wall had chosen to sit behind everyone else, on her own. This brought her directly under the calm gaze of St Michael, whose foot rested eternally on that writhing devil with its horns and tail. Tessa had been in tears ever since her first glimpse of the two glossy coffins and, as much as she tried to stifle them, her soft gurglings were still audible to those near her. She had half expected somebody on the Weedon side of the church to recognize her as Fats' mother and attack her, but nothing had happened. (Her family life had turned inside out. Colin was furious with her. ‘You told him what?' ‘He wanted a taste of real life,' she had sobbed, ‘he wanted to see the seamy underside – don't you understand what all that slumming it was about?' ‘So you told him that he might be the result of incest, and that I tried to kill myself because he came into the family?' Years of trying to reconcile them, and it had taken a dead child, and Colin's profound understanding of guilt, to do it. She had heard the two of them talking in Fats' attic room the previous evening, and paused to eavesdrop at the foot of the stairs. ‘†¦ you can put that – that thing that Mum suggested out of your head completely,' Colin was saying gruffly. ‘You've got no physical or mental abnormalities, have you? Well then †¦ don't worry about it any more. But your counsellor will help you with all of this †¦') Tessa gurgled and snorted into her sodden tissue, and thought how little she had done for Krystal, dead on the bathroom floor †¦ it would have been a relief if St Michael had stepped down from his glowing window and enacted judgement on them all, decreeing exactly how much fault was hers, for the deaths, for the broken lives, for the mess †¦ A fidgeting young Tully boy on the other side of the aisle hopped out of his pew, and a tattooed woman reached out a powerful arm, grabbed him and pulled him back. Tessa's sobs were punctuated by a little gasp of surprise. She was sure that she had recognized her own lost watch on the thick wrist. Sukhvinder, who was listening to Tessa's sobs, felt sorry for her, but did not dare turn around. Parminder was furious with Tessa. There had been no way for Sukhvinder to explain the scars on her arms without mentioning Fats Wall. She had begged her mother not to call the Walls, but then Tessa had telephoned Parminder to tell them that Fats had taken full responsibility for The_Ghost_of_ Barry_Fairbrother's posts on the council website, and Parminder had been so vitriolic on the telephone that they had not spoken since. It had been such a strange thing for Fats to do, to take the blame for her post too; Sukhvinder thought of it almost as an apology. He had always seemed to read her mind: did he know that she had attacked her own mother? Sukhvinder wondered whether she would be able to confess the truth to this new counsellor in whom her parents seemed to place so much faith, and whether she would ever be able to tell the newly kind and contrite Parminder †¦ She was trying to follow the service, but it was not helping her in the way that she had hoped. She was glad about the chrysanthemum oar and the teddy bear, which Lauren's mum had made; she was glad that Gaia and Andy had come, and the girls from the rowing team, but she wished that the Fairbrother twins had not refused. (‘It'd upset Mum,' Siobhan had told Sukhvinder. ‘See, she thinks Dad spent too much time on Krystal.' ‘Oh,' said Sukhvinder, taken aback. ‘And,' said Niamh, ‘Mum doesn't like the idea that she'll have to see Krystal's grave every time we visit Dad's. They'll probably be really near each other.' Sukhvinder thought these objections small and mean, but it seemed sacrilegious to apply such terms to Mrs Fairbrother. The twins walked away, wrapped up in each other as they always were these days, and treating Sukhvinder with coolness for her defection to the outsider, Gaia Bawden.) Sukhvinder kept waiting for somebody to stand up and talk about who Krystal really was, and what she had done in her life, the way that Niamh and Siobhan's uncle had done for Mr Fairbrother, but apart from the vicar's brief reference to ‘tragically short lives' and ‘local family with deep roots in Pagford', he seemed determined to skirt the facts. So Sukhvinder focused her thoughts on the day that their crew had competed in the regional finals. Mr Fairbrother had driven them in the minibus to face the girls from St Anne's. The canal ran right through the private school's grounds, and it had been decided that they were to change in the St Anne's sports hall, and start the race there. ‘Unsporting, course it is,' Mr Fairbrother had told them on the way. ‘Home-ground advantage. I tried to get it changed, but they wouldn't. Just don't be intimidated, all right?' ‘I ain' fuck – ‘ ‘Krys – ‘ ‘I ain' scared.' But when they turned into the grounds, Sukhvinder was scared. Long stretches of soft green lawn, and a big symmetrical golden-stoned building with spires and a hundred windows: she had never seen anything like it, except on picture postcards. ‘It's like Buckingham Palace!' Lauren shrieked from the back, and Krystal's mouth had formed a round O; she had been as unaffected as a child sometimes. All of their parents, and Krystal's great-grandmother, were waiting at the finishing line, wherever that was. Sukhvinder was sure that she was not the only one who felt small, scared and inferior as they approached the entrance of the beautiful building. A woman in academic dress came swooping out to greet Mr Fairbrother, in his tracksuit. ‘You must be Winterdown!' ‘Course ‘e's not, does ‘e look like a fuckin' buildin'?' said Krystal loudly. They were sure that the teacher from St Anne's had heard, and Mr Fairbrother turned and tried to scowl at Krystal, but they could tell that he thought it was funny, really. The whole team started to giggle, and they were still snorting and cackling when Mr Fairbrother saw them off at the entrance to the changing rooms. ‘Stretch!' he shouted after them. The team from St Anne's was inside with their own coach. The two sets of girls eyed each other across the benches. Sukhvinder was struck by the other team's hair. All of them wore it long, natural and shiny: they could have starred in shampoo adverts. On their own team, Siobhan and Niamh had bobs, Lauren's hair was short; Krystal always wore hers in a tight, high pony tail, and Sukhvinder's was rough, thick and unruly as a horse's mane. She thought she saw two of the St Anne's girls exchange whispers and smirks, and was sure of it when Krystal suddenly stood tall, glaring at them, and said, ‘S'pose your shit smells of roses, does it?' ‘I beg your pardon?' said their coach. ‘Jus' askin',' said Krystal sweetly, turning her back to pull off her tracksuit bottoms. The urge to giggle had been too powerful to resist; the Winterdown team snorted with laughter as they changed. Krystal clowned away, and as the St Anne's crew filed out she mooned them. ‘Charming,' said the last girl to leave. ‘Thanks a lot,' Krystal called after her. ‘I'll let yer ‘ave another look later, if yeh want. I know yeh're all lezzers,' she yelled, ‘stuck in ‘ere together with no boys!' Holly had laughed so much that she had doubled over and banged her head on the locker door. ‘Fuckin' watch it, Hol,' Krystal had said, delighted with the effect she was having on them all. ‘Yeh'll need yer ‘ead.' As they had trooped down to the canal, Sukhvinder could see why Mr Fairbrother had wanted the venue changed. There was nobody but him here to support them at the start, whereas the St Anne's crew had lots of friends shrieking and applauding and jumping up and down on the spot, all with the same kind of glossy long hair. ‘Look!' shouted Krystal, pointing into this group as they passed. ‘It's Lexie Mollison! Remember when I knocked yer teeth out, Lex?' Sukhvinder had a pain from laughing. She was glad and proud to be walking along behind Krystal, and she could tell that the others were too. Something about how Krystal faced the world was protecting them from the effect of the staring eyes and the fluttering bunting, and the building like a palace in the background. But she could tell that even Krystal was feeling the pressure as they climbed into their boat. Krystal turned to Sukhvinder, who always sat behind her. She was holding something in her hand. ‘Good-luck charm,' she said, showing her. It was a red plastic heart on a key-ring, with a picture of her little brother in it. ‘I've told ‘im I'm gonna bring ‘im back a medal,' said Krystal. ‘Yeah,' said Sukhvinder, with a rush of faith and fear. ‘We will.' ‘Yeah,' said Krystal, facing front again, and tucking the key-ring back inside her bra. ‘No competition, this lot,' she said loudly, so the whole crew could hear. ‘Bunch o' muff munchers. Le's do 'em!' Sukhvinder remembered the starting gun and the crowd's cheers and her muscles screaming. She remembered her elation at their perfect rhythm, and the pleasure of their deadly seriousness after laughter. Krystal had won it for them. Krystal had taken away the home-ground advantage. Sukhvinder wished that she could be like Krystal: funny and tough; impossible to intimidate; always coming out fighting. She had asked Terri Weedon for two things, and they had been granted, because Terri agreed with everyone, always. The medal that Krystal had won that day was around her neck for her burial. The other request came, at the very end of the service, and this time, as he announced it, the vicar sounded resigned. Good girl gone bad – Take three – Action. No clouds in my storms †¦ Let it rain, I hydroplane into fame Comin' down with the Dow Jones †¦ Her family half carried Terri Weedon back down the royal-blue carpet, and the congregation averted its eyes.

Brinkley’s a Survey of Us History Chapter 29: the Cold War Essay

1) Origins of the Cold War a) Sources of Soviet-American Tensions i) Rivalry emerged b/c of different visions of postwar world * US foresaw world where nations got rid of traditional beliefs, such as military alliances, and used an international organization which would resolve disputes * Soviet Union sought to control areas of strategic influence * Vaguely similar to traditional European balance of power * Churchill also envisioned this b) Wartime Diplomacy i) Tensions began in 1943 b/c of Allied refusal to open second front through invasion of France * at Tehran Conference, Roosevelt and Stalin formed good relationship * Stalin agreed to help US in Pacific once war with Germany was over in exchange for the opening of the second front in France * But, dispute over governance of Poland showed signs of future disagreements being clearly visible * Roosevelt and Churchill were willing to give Soviet Union some of Poland, but wanted the Polish govt in exile in GB to take control again * Stalin wanted pro communist govt to take control c) Yalta i) Meeting of Big Three at Yalta in 1945 * In turn for Stalin’s promise to help the US out in the Pacific, Roosevelt promised Stalin land back that was lost in the Russo Japanese War * Also led to plan to create United Nations * General Assembly and Security Council * Every member was recognized in the General Assembly * In Security Counsel, there were 5 permanent representatives (USA, GB, France, Soviet Union, China), each of which would have veto power ii) There was also a lot of disagreement * One was over future of Polish govt (independent and democratic vs. Communist) * Stalin eventually agreed to allowing an unspecified number of democratic Poles into the govt and consented to hold â€Å"free and unfettered elections† on an unspecified future date * Elections did not take place for more than 40 years * Another was over the future of Germany * US wanted a reconstructed and reunited Germany * Stalin wanted heavy reparations and to ensure a permanent dismemberment of the nation * finally agreed to commission and each Ally given German â€Å"zone† * decision on reparations would be decided at a future commission * and at an unspecified date, Germany would be reunited (but there was no agreement on how the reunification would occur * as for the future of the rest of Europe, the conference produced a murky accord that the establishments of govt’s â€Å"broadly representative of all democratic elements† and â€Å"responsible to the will of the people† * Soviet interpretations of the accords differed sharply from those of the Anglo-American interpretation * In the weeks following, Roosevelt watched with growing alarm as the Soviets raised pro communist govts all over central and eastern Europe and refused to make the changes to Poland as he promised 2) The Collapse of the Peace a) The Failure of Potsdam i) After Roosevelt’s death in April 1945, new Pres Truman decided US needed to â€Å"Get Tough† w Soviets to honor Yalta accords * Truman had little leverage to compel the Soviet Union to listen to him, therefore he was forced to settle with little ii) Potsdam Conference in July ended w/ Stalin receiving increased land w/ new Polish-German border * US refused to allow German reparations from other Allies’ zones to go to Soviets but US recognized new communist Polish govt under Soviet influence * Allied zones would unite as one country (West Germany) and be separate from Soviet’s part of Germany (East Germany) b) The China Problem i) US had vision of open world â€Å"policed† by major powers * But vision troubled by unpopular and corrupt Chinese govt under Chiang Kai-shek (supported by US aid during civil war) who battled communists under Mao Zedong * By 1945, communist controlled  ¼ of the population * Because US didn’t want to support communists, they were forced to support Chiang ii) B/c Kai-shek govt sure to collapse, US sought to create new, Pro-West Japan by encouraging industrial development, lift trade restrictions * Vision of open, united world was giving way to an acceptance of a divided world with a strong, pro American sphere of influence c) The Containment Doctrine i) US no longer sought â€Å"open† world but rather set out to â€Å"contain† Soviet expansion * As Stalin tried to win control over the vital sea routed in the Mediterranean (Turkey), communist forces threatened to overthrow govt in Greece * new Truman Doctrine sought aid for those forces ($400 million) in Turkey and Greece opposing take-over of Communist forces under Soviet influence * its basis was that the US should â€Å"support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressure† * it worked, Soviet pressure taken off of Turkey and Greek govt regained control d) The Marshall Plan i) Sec of State George Marshall 1947 plan to provide aid to all Eur nations (for humanitarian reasons, to rebuild and ensure it could become self reliant again, to create markets for US goods, and to strengthen Pro-US govts against communists) * this included the Soviet Union, but was rejected by them and their Eastern satellites * was accepted by 16 Western European nations * April 1948, congress approved creation of the Economic Cooperation Administration to administer the Marshall Plan * channeled billions of $ to aid economic revival * by end of 1950, European industrial production had risen 64%, communist strength in member nations declined, and opportunities for US trade revived e) Mobilization at Home i) US maintained wartime military levels, established Atomic Energy Commission to continue nuclear research * Congress approved new military draft and revived the Selective Service System * Nuclear weaponry became central place in US arsenal * In 1950, Truman admin. Approved the development of the new hydrogen bomb * A nuclear weapon far more powerful than anything the US used in WWII ii) National Security Act of 1947 reshaped major military and diplomatic institutions * created Department of Defense to oversee and combine all armed services * created National Security Council (NSC) in White House was created * would govern foreign and military policy * created Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to collect information * As Cold War progressed, they also engaged secretly in political and military operations on behalf of American goals f) The Road to NATO i) Truman merged German â€Å"Western zones† into the West German republic * Stalin responded on June 24, 1948 by blockading Western Berlin * Truman, unwilling to risk war by militarily challenging the blockade, responded w/ airlift to re-supply inhabitants * In spring of 1949, Stalin lifted the now ineffective blockade * Federal Republic became govt of west Germany, Democratic Republic of east ii) To strengthen military position US and Western Eur nations in April 1949 created North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as alliance to protect all members against threat of Soviet invasion (12 nations agreed to take part) * Attack against one would be attack against all * Countries would provide a standing military force in Europe in case of Soviet attack * Soviet Union and communists responded by in 1955 forming similar Warsaw Pact g) Reevaluating Cold War Policy i) 1949 saw Soviet Union explode first atomic weapon and collapse of Nationalists in China to Mao’s Communists ii) To reevaluate foreign policy, National Security Council released report NSC-68 saying that the US could no longer rely on other nations to take initiative in resisting communism * US should lead noncommunist world and oppose communist expansion everywhere it existed * Also called for US to expand military power dramatically * Defense budget was now 4 times the previously projected figure 3) American Society and Politics After the War a) The Problems of Reconversion i) After end of war Truman attempted to quickly return nation to normal economic conditions, but problems ensued ii) No economic collapse (many thought nation would go back into a depression) b/c of several things * increase in spending on consumer goods from savings gathered during war * a $6 billion govt tax cut * Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill of Rights) * provided education + economic aid to returning soldiers that further increased spending iii) Problems because of spending lead to high inflation * Caused Truman to sign a bill similar to wartime Office of Price Admin. (OPA) * Inflation also caused union strikes in automobile, electrical, steel, railroad (shut down whole nation’s railroad line), and mining industries (led by John L. Lewis * Truman used military and govt power to stop the strikes (military on railroads, govt on mine workers) * displacement of some minorities and women b/c of returning soldiers to labor * 80% of them wanted to keep working * Postwar society in which many women had to provide for themselves created a high demand among them for paid work * Many went into service sector b) The Fair Deal Rejected i) After Jap surrender Truman proposed â€Å"Fair Deal† to enact liberal reforms * included raising minimum wage, enacting Fair Employment Practices Act, expanding Social Security, a program to ensure full employment through use of federal spending, public housing and slum clearance, govt protection of scientific research, and creating nation health insurance plan ii) Fair Deal opposed by Republican conservatives who gained majority in both Houses of Congress in 1946 elections * Repubs sought to reduce govt spending (get rid of New Deal programs) and economic controls, cut taxes for wealthy, refused to raise wages * Also refused to increase SS, provide more funds to education, or support power projects in West * As inflation soared, Republicans pretty much just told the public to deal with it (Sen. Robert Taft) iii) Repubs wanted to decrease powers unions gained in 1935 Wagner Act * passed Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947 (Taft-Hartley Act) * made â€Å"closed-shop† illegal (a workplace in which no one could be hired unless they were part of a union) * Although it stil permitted â€Å"union shops†, it allowed states to pass â€Å"right to work† laws which prohibited this * Outraged workers and union leaders denounced the measure as a â€Å"slave labor bill† * Truman vetoed it, but both houses easily overruled him * Did not destroy labor movement, but it damaged weaker unions in lightly organized industries * Made more difficult the organization of workers who had never been union members at all (women, minorities, most workers in the South) c)The Election of 1948 i) Truman sought to make re-election about reforms but electorate saw him as weak * Tried to pass reforms leading up to election but they were all struck down by Congress * Didn’t have much support within even his own party * Southern Dems (Dixiecrats) split off and formed the States Rights Party after they became angry with Truman over his proposed civil rights bill * Gov. Strom Thurmond was their Presidential nominee * Progressives also broke off and formed new Progressive Party with Henry A. Wallace as their candidate * Other Dems who didn’t break off attempted to dump Truman in 1948 * The Americans for Democratic Actions (ADA) attempted to persuade Dwight D. Eisenhower to contest the nomination, but he refused * Dems were forced to enter Truman as their nominee ii) Repubs nominated Thomas Dewey and seemed to be in strong position to win, but intense campaigning by Truman and his platform to reduce inflation, help common man, repeal Taft-Hartley Act, help farmers, and his strong civil rights support for blacks allowed him to win Pres * Dems also won both Houses of C d) The Fair Deal Revived i) New Dem Congress allowed for minimum wage increase, Social Security expansion, and housing (National Housing Act of 1949provided the construction of 810,000 homes for low income families) * but were hostile to Fair Deal programs expanding education aid, national healthcare, and civil rights * rejected civil rights bill that would have made lynching a federal crime, abolished the poll tax, and established a new Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) ii) Truman did end govt hiring discrimination, desegregated armed forces * Supreme Court in Skelley v. Kraemer rules community â€Å"covenants† meant to bar blacks from residential neighborhoods were now unenforceable by courts e) The Nuclear Age i) Nuclear weapons viewed w/ fear b/c of threat from Soviet Union * expressed in pop culture, film noir (things such as The Twilight Zone, comic books about super heroes), and govt preparations for nuclear attack (air raid drills, emergency radio broadcast drills, fallout shelters) * but public also awed by technological potential of nuclear power (Dreams of prosperity and unlimited + cheap electricity) 4) The Korean War a) The Divided Peninsula i) Korea divided at 38th Parallel by US and Soviets into Communist North and Southern government of capitalist Syngman Rhee (supported by US) * north had a strong, Soviet equipped army * south had small one that only dealt with internal affairs ii) Nationalists in North invaded S in 1950 in effort to reunite countries * unknown if North asked for Stalin’s approval, but once it began, the Soviets certaintly supported them * on June 27, 1950, US won UN resolution calling for support of S. Korea armies * Russia unable to veto b/c boycotting Security Council at time for their refusal to allow communist China into Council * On June 30, 1950, US ordered their ground forces into Korea * Gen. Douglas MacArthur was to assume command over UN forces there * War was seen as †containment† effort but also as a â€Å"liberation† * After US beat North troops back into North Korea, Truman ordered to pursue the communists into their own territory * Wanted to create â€Å"a unified, independent and democratic Korea b) From Invasion to Stalemate i) Gen MacArthur (head of UN forces) able to advance far into North, but new communist Chinese govt feared American forces and therefore entered conflict in Nov 1950 * UN offensive stalled and then collapsed * Through Dec of 1950, outnumbered US forces fought a bitter, losing battle against the Chinese, constantly retreating ii) Within weeks, UN armies forced to retreat to 38th parallel * Eventually took back land lost and got back to 38th parallel once more * Long stalemate then ensued until 1953 iii) Truman wanted peace and not new world war w/ China * Gen MacArthur publicly opposed peace effort (Martin letter) and was relieved of command by Pres in April 1951 * He believed that we should have attacked China through either an invasion or bombing * He had wide popular support, therefore when he was relieved, there was wide public outrage * 69% of American people supported him c) Limited Mobilization i) War led to only limited economic mobilization, since it had little American military commitment. Govt still tried to control wartime economy in several ways * Truman created Office of Defense Mobilization to combat rising inflation and discourage high union wage demands * These failed * govt seized RRs and steel mills when workers walked off the job in union strikes * Costly strikes followed (especially in Steel Mills) and workers got most of what they wanted as there was little Truman could do and his actions were both rash and ineffective * The supreme court disallowed him from continuing to seize the steel mills because they said he was exceeding his authority * increased govt spending stimulated economy as many thought we were on the verge of a recession ii) Inability of US to quickly end â€Å"small† war led to growth of fears of growth of communist at home and triggered second major campaign against it * public was angry that so many lives were being lost (140,000 dead or wounded) 5) The Crusade Against Subversion a) HUAC and Alger Hiss i) Another â€Å"Red Scare† prompted by fear of Stalin and Communist growth (â€Å"loss† of China, Korean frustrations, Soviet development of the bomb) * many sought to blame US communist conspiracy ii) Anti Communist fervor merged from the Repubs seeking to use anticommunist feelings to win support against Dems, and Dems trying to stifle that issue * Congress created House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 to investigate communist subversion * Created by the Repubs to prove that under Dem rule, the govt had tolerated communist subversion * Went after Hollywood first iii) Public more concerned with HUAC investigation into former State Dept official Alger Hiss in 1948 that revealed some complicity w/ communists * Were tipped by a former member of the communist party that was now working for the Time magazine * He had â€Å"microfilms† of the documents that were supposedly passed by Hiss to the Soviet Union in 1937 and 1938 * He could not be tried for espionage because crimes happen too long ago, but because of the efforts of Richard M. Nixon, he was convicted of perjury and served several years in prison * increased fear of communist infiltrations b) The Federal Loyalty Program and the Rosenberg Case i) Truman began 1947 program to determine â€Å"loyalty† of fed employees * this was partly because of Republican attacks, and partly to encourage support for the President’s foreign policy initiatives * President authorized sensitive agencies to fire people deemed â€Å"bad security risks† * By 1951,more than 2,000 govt employees had resigned under pressure and 212 had been dismissed * FBI monitored radicals (J. Edgar Hoover) * 1950 Congress passed McCarran Internal Security Act forcing communist groups to register w/ government ii) Explosion of atomic bomb by Soviets led to famous Rosenberg trial to find out how Russia had learned of technology so quickly * Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a communist couple whom the govt claimed had been the masterminds of the conspiracy * Despite appeals and protests from sympathizers, they both died in the electric chair on June 19, 1953 * They both proclaimed their innocence to the end iii) HUAC, Rosenberg trial, â€Å"Loyalty† program, Hiss ordeal, McCarran Act, and international events all lead to national anticommunist hysteria at national, state, and local level * Schools, labor unions, universities, state and local govts, all sought to purge themselves of real or imagined subversives iv) A fear settled over the country of not only communist infiltration, but being suspected of communism yourself c) McCarthyism i) Rather unknown Wisconsin Rep. Sen Joseph McCarthy in 1951 began leveling charges of communist agents in State Dept and other agencies * He claimed to â€Å"hold in my hand† a list of 205 known communists currently working in the US State Department * Within weeks, he was also accusing other agencies * His new subcommittee was at the fore of anticommunist hysteria and partisan politics * He accused many people even though he had little solid evidence d) The Republican Revival i) Korean stalemate and fears of internal subversion led to Dem disappointments * Truman was very unpopular and therefore withdrew from the Presidential contest ii) Dems nominated Adlai Stevenson (viewed as liberal and Repubs saw him as being weak on Communism) * Repubs nominated popular Gen Dwight Eisenhower and VP Richard Nixon (became famous for his crusade against Hiss) * Eisenhower talked of Korean peace, Nixon of communist subversion * Nixon also attacked Democratic â€Å"appeasement†, â€Å"cowardice†, and â€Å"treason† * Both promised to â€Å"clean up the mess in Washington† iii) Eisenhower won election by huge margin & Republicans gained control of both Houses of Congress

Three Mile Island essays

Three Mile Island essays 1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor Incident Three Mile Island is a nuclear power station located in Middletown, Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River, just ten miles south of the Pennsylvania state capital Harrisburg, and is also the site of the worst commercial nuclear disaster in United States history that took place on March 28, 1979 (Nuclear Disaster, 1997). The pilot-operated relief valve (PORV) on the reactor cooling system opened like it was supposed to and then about ten seconds later it should have closed but it remained open, leaking very important reactor coolant water to the reactor coolant drain tank. The operators believed the PORV had shut because instruments showed them that a signal was sent to the valve but they did not have an instrument indicating the valve's actual position. High-pressure injection pumps automatically pushed replacement water into the reactor system (Three Mile Island, 2001). As water and steam escaped through the relief valve, cooling water surged into the pressuriser, raising the water level in it. Operators responded by reducing the flow of replacement water. Their training told them that the pressuriser water level was the only dependable indication of the amount of cooling water in the system. Because the pressuriser level was increasing, they thought the reactor system was too full of water. Their training told them to do all they could to keep the pressuriser from filling with water. If it filled, they could not control pressure in the cooling system and it might rupture (Three Mile Island, 2001). Steam then formed in the reactor cooling system. Pumping a mixture of steam and water caused the reactor cooling pumps to vibrate. Because the severe vibrations could have damaged the pumps and made them unusable, operators shut down the pumps. This ended forced cooling of the reactor. However, as reactor coolant water boiled away, the reactor's fuel core was uncovered and became ev...