Christianity and Justice Essay

Christianity emphasises justice, while others emphasise compassion; this statement is fundamental in the belief of Christians. Justice means to have moral rightness that is based on ethics, civil laws, natural laws and religion. One of the Ten Commandments states, â€Å"Love thy neighbor as thy self†. This Statement was repeated seven times in the Bible, once in the Old Testament and six times in the New Testament. It is quite clear to me that our capacity to have this kind of love must be foremost in the mind of God, this also demonstrates that all individuals should be treated equally and as you would like others to treat you. Justice equated to equality. The Christian bible has many examples from both the old and New Testament that gives examples of Jesus wanting all his followers to treat each other in a just way. E. g. when he came across a lady who had been caught in the act of adultery and the crowds wanted to stone her to death and Jesus reminded them that they were all guilty of sin and they he who had not sinned should cast the first stone. Jesus throughout the many encounters with believers and non-believers has spread the message of justice and peace. In Isaiah 56:1 this is what the Lord says â€Å"Maintain justice and do what is right, ? for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. This conveys Christianity as a religion, is based on the belief that all people should be treated equally and those who fault should be forgiven. It is a religion based on forgiveness and therefore a religion, which places value on justice. Example from the New Testament is Luke 16 – The Rich Man and the Beggar, the is about a rich man who was greedy and did not share his wealth nor listed to the guidance that was offered to him while on earth and the beggar who lived a poor but good life and shared what little he had with others. On death both men were judged by God and the rich man asked if he could return to warn his bothers so that they could change their ways and God answered that all people are treated equally and all have the same opportunities to follow his example and that he would not be given special privileged just because he was rich on earth. An example of a similar scenario is the quote â€Å"Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit† found in Matthew 5:1-13 Throughout the ages the faith of Christianity continues to demonstrate that its followers choose to live a life based on justice that comes from equality. The church does not value its members by their individual wealth or social standing and many not for profit organizations are Christian based. These were commenced to give people Christian or otherwise a fair go and an opportunity to participate on an equal standing in our community. Families who take advantage of this assistance do so in times of hardship. Organizations such as Centacare – Catholic community services or Anglicare – Anglican based are there to service the community, as a whole regardless of religious believes. Their service to the community is to ensure a level of equality for all. Jesus’ teachings were about looking after one another, being equal and not judging or discriminating against someone. Martin Luther was determined to focus on Jesus’ teachings, as the â€Å"somewhat corrupt† practices performed by the Vatican became Particularly troubling to him, as it was against the nature of divine justice, which Jesus had once shown. Martin Luther wanted the adherents of Christianity to be able to access the teachings of Jesus Christ without the Vatican selling indulgences, which was basically the buying of forgiveness of sins instead of repentance and/or penance. In conclusion, I believe the quote â€Å"Christianity emphasises Justice, while others emphasise compassion† is still in practice in today’s society as it was in the days of Jesus.

Review intermediate macroecon

How do we measure standard of living Measuring the standard of living in a country is to use real national income per capita. This is found that dividing real national income (GAP or GNP) by the total population. 2. How can European unemployment be reduced? Central bank should decrease interest rates, and allow for an increase in demand, and unemployment would decrease. They need to be less protective, to eliminate these labor market rigidities, and to adopt US style labor market institutions 3. What are the benefits of the Euro?No more changes in the relative price of currencies for European firms to worry about, no more need to change currencies when crossing borders. 4. What has contributed to the high economic growth of China? A. The first Is high accumulation of capital. The Investment rate exceeds 40% of output, a high number. Compared to US which Is 17%. More capital means higher productivity and higher output. B. The second is rapid technological progress. By making Chinese f irms work with and learn from foreign firms, the productivity of the Chinese firms has increase dramatically. Chapter 2 1.What Is GAP, value added approach A measure of aggregate output in the national income accounts (The market value of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the US) VALUE ADDED: Sales – Intermediate goods Intermediate GOOD: is a good used in production of another good. Some goods can be both final goods and intermediate goods. (EX: Final: Potatoes sold directly to consumers/ Intermediate: Potatoes used to produce potato chips) 2. Nominal and Real GAP Nominal: sum of quantities of final goods produced times their current price. Nominal GAP increases over time for 2 reasons: a.Production of most goods increase ever time. B. Prices of most goods also increase over time. Real: Sum of quantities of final goods times constant (rather than current prices) 3. GAP Deflator: the ratio of nominal GAP to real GAP in year t ICP: The cost of a given list of goods and services consumed by a typical urban dweller Inflation: A sustained rise in the general level of prices Inflation rate: The rate at which the price level increase over time. 4. Labor Force and Discourage workers Labor Force: The sum of those employed and those unemployed Discourage Workers: A person who has given up looking for employment. . Unemployment rate and Labor force participation rate Unemployment rate: The ratio of the number of unemployed to the labor force Labor Force Participation rate: The ratio of the labor force to the total population of working age (non-institutional civilian population) Chapter 3 1. MAC, multiplier (CLC): The effect on consumption of an additional dollar of disposable income 2. Consumption function A function that relates consumption to its determinants 3. Determination of output in Goods Market 4. Keynesian cross 5. What shifts the Z line 6. Determinants of Investment 7. Shifts of the IS curve

Lsi Paper

The Self-Actually scale measures a way of thinking that results in the highest form of personal fulfillment. I scored on the high range. And according to the results I tend to have a great deal of confidence in myself and in my ability to make things better. My healthy outlook can positively influence my personal development, relationships, and effectiveness at work. I am able to determine what situation requires and act to improve it.Because I tend to be a person of principle, In my ability to make things better. While I may feel temporarily guilty over things I could have prevented, negative situations don't tend to worry me to a great extent. I use my available resources well, and make the most of any situation. While I can become fully involved in projects that interest me, I tend to leave situations I don't find as satisfying: my motivation to do something comes completely from within.I have many interests, and are open to new people and experiences. Others typically admire my c onfidence, spontaneity, and the Joy I experience In simply living. To become more self – actualities It suggests me to accept others with fewer conditions, restructure unpleasant tasks to make them more enjoyable, make it a point to do the things I enjoy regularly, see problems as opportunities for growth and development, live each day in the present and know myself.And the benefits I will gain when I am more self actualities is greater professional success, enhanced creativity and ability to be innovative,stronger acceptance of myself and others, the ability to set and act on personal goals, greater flexibility and divisiveness, Improved perspective and Judgment, openness to new experiences, increased satisfaction and happiness and the ability to relax and enjoy myself.The Humanistic-Encouraging 1 o'clock position: The Humanistic-Encouraging scale measures our interest In people, our tendency to care about others, and our ability to encourage them to Improve. I scored on the medium range closer to the higher range. And according to the survey I tend to often demonstrate concern for others and can be supportive of them. Because I generally try to encourage people in their efforts to improve, others probably see me as inspirational. I recognize the value of costive feedback and frequently use it as a motivator.To become more Humanistic- Encouraging it suggests met o think about qualities I admire in someone who was in some way responsible for my growth and development, increase my Interest In those around me, solicit Ideas and feedback, learn to accept people for who they are, put myself in someone else's place. The benefits would be improved ability to lead, manage or teach, closer, more rewarding relationships, more respect for others, feelings of satisfaction derived from encouraging others, the ability to achieve higher- laity results through seeking others' input, more patience, the ability to act as a mentor to others. Eve 2 O'clock position: Nine Titillate scale measures our degree AT commitment to forming and sustaining satisfying relationships. This style represents a need for social interaction and interpersonal contact. I scored on the high range and according to the survey results I tend to be most effective and comfortable in the company of others. I will generally strive to improve and maintain those relationships that are important to me. I value teamwork, cooperation and mutually rewarding legislations.I express my liking for a people, and because I am tactful and considerate of others' feelings, they tend to like me in return. The suggestions to become more affiliated are; to work at getting to know one person well, practice communicating effectively, communicate my sociability by smiling often, touching when appropriate, and making eye contact, learn to express my thoughts and feelings, take a motivational course or Join a professional, civic or recreational group.As a result there would occur satisfying relations hips, the ability to express my linings openly and honestly, a â€Å"support system† of friends, increased productivity at work due to more cooperative relationships, an interesting social life that includes interactions with a variety of people, feelings of comfort and ease around people, the ability to work well and cooperate as part of a team. Approval 3 o'clock position:The Approval scale measures our need to be accepted by others to increase or sustain our feelings of self-worth.I scored on the high range and according to the survey I typically work too hard to gain the approval of others. If I do not get people's full acceptance, tend to feel anxious. Although I may not always agree, I probably â€Å"go along† with others too easily and often. To reduce a need for approval I should voice my own opinions, learn to become more self-directed by setting some personal goals, realize that approval-seeking can result in one-sided relationships, practice facing confronta tions, talk to myself when you encounter disapproval.The benefits would be reduced levels of stress, heightened interest in personal growth and development, the belief that my opinions matter, improved relationships based on mutual respect, the ability to relax and be myself around there, confidence in my ability to handle conflict, stronger, well-defined beliefs, convictions and goals, more energy to devote to enjoying life and the knowledge that people's opinions cannot Jeopardize your sense of personal security.Conventional 4 o'clock position: The Conventional scale measures our tendency to act in a conforming way. While some conformity is necessary in life, too much can be restrictive. I scored on high range and according to the results I probably see rules as more important than ideas. My overly conservative behavior can keep me from trying new things. I may have difficulty taking even small risks. In a sense, being conventional involves trading my creativity and spontaneity fo r feelings of security.My tendency to hide behind regulations and procedures can involve discounting my own beliefs and opinions. To become less conventional it suggests me to recognize that conventionality is a way of hiding myself and avoiding developing as a person, ask myself if my life is how I want it to be, or if it has become merely adherence to rules and others' expectations, break out of my routine and do something -? anything -? different, focus on my own unique strengths and skills, look for ways to do thingsTransiently at work Ana at none Ana listen to myself. Becoming less conventional can result in the freedom to Express myself, creative, innovative approaches to tasks, self- set standards and goals, a stronger, more individualized sense of self, renewed belief in myself, increased flexibility, the confidence to fulfill your potential and spontaneity. Dependent 5 0†² clock position: The Dependent scale measures the degree to which we feel our efforts do not count .I scored on medium range closer to the higher range according to that I may find that my feelings of dependency are eroding my ability to get things done. When making decisions, I am are likely to seek the opinions of others not because my value participative decision-making, but because I feel safer when others set the course. To become more independent the survey suggests to learn something new.Take an assertiveness training course, or read a book on the subject, realize that no one can make me happy or unhappy, set a few small goals, strive to make decisions independently and take the initiative and assume a leadership role. Becoming more independent can result in these benefits like a sense of control over my life, self-set standards and goals, the ability to accomplish tasks ore efficiently, improvement in the quality of my relationships and the ability to take risks when appropriate.Avoidance 6 o'clock position :the Avoidance scale measures our tendency to use the defensive s trategy of withdrawal. We do this by hiding our feelings, or by shying away from situations we find threatening I scored on the medium range closer to the higher range and according to that I may have difficulty giving myself credit for my strengths: instead, ‘tend to focus on my shortcomings. I may choose to criticize myself when I make mistakes, rather than learning from them and moving forward.To become less Avoidance-oriented it suggests to determine what is threatening me and provoking unavoidable behavior, focus on my feelings, recognize that your personal worth is unrelated to your accomplishments, setbacks, relationships, or feelings, accomplish one small task every day and concentrate on interacting with people who provoke feelings of insecurity in me As a result I would me more confidence to take moderate risks, there will be reduced stress-related symptoms, greater opportunities for personal growth, fewer feelings of guilt and self-doubt, the ability to relax around others, a heightened awareness of my feelings and the ability to express the and broader interests and increased involvement in activities Oppositional 7 o'clock position :The Oppositional scale measures our tendency to use the defensive and aggressive strategy of disagreeing with others, and to seek attention by being critical and cynical. I scored on the medium range closer to the high range according to this I can be highly Judgmental and critical at times.I may not be easily influenced by the opinions of others and occasionally go out of my way to take a rigid, opposing view. Although I am are capable of admitting my mistakes,' tend to see greater fault in others than I do immensely. I most often blame others when feeling pressured or when things aren't going my way. To become less Oppositional; realize that instead of admiring me for my oppositional stands, others probably view me as an obstacle to overcome,withhold the urge to reject an idea until I fully unreason It, see ton ers' criticism AT you In a more positive align, praise toners more often and recognize that others have something valuable to contribute.The benefits are the ability to use my insight and questioning techniques in a more productive, sees antagonistic way, a more accepting attitude toward criticism, and the ability to learn from it, greater acceptance of my need to be closer to others, the ability to listen more effectively and gather all the facts before giving an opinion and an increased appreciation for the benefits of sincerely praising others Power 8 0†² clock position:The Power scale measures our tendency to associate our self-worth with the degree to which we can control and dominate others. I scored on the high range according to that I can be domineering and like to feel in charge at all times. I tend to feel threatened and helpless when not in absolute control, yet typically remain unaware of what is causing these feelings. It is generally difficult for me to accept cr iticism from any source. Most people are uncomfortable being open and honest with me because of my insensitive, abrupt manner. I may place an unhealthy amount of importance on status and prestige, and typically will not hesitate to manipulate people.My tendency to see people as objects to be maneuvered can negatively affect my relationships. While I may use the Power style successfully in the short run, using this style regularly can be destructive -? both to e and to those with whom I interact. Suggestions to become less Power-oriented; Seek feedback on my behavior from neutral sources, examine the quality of my relationships, I may be tying immense of self-worth to my ability to control situations and people, concentrate on developing some personal goals, try a more tactful, friendly approach to others and watch their reactions, increase your confidence in others by delegating assignments, spend more time listening, recognize that your need for power could be based on fear.Becomin g less Power-oriented can result in a ore effective, respected approach to my Job, more satisfying, productive relationships, reduced probability of stress-related medical symptom and increased confidence in the abilities of others. Competitive 9 o'clock position: The Competitive scale measures our need to establish a sense of self-worth through competing against and comparing ourselves to others I scored on the high range and according to it I tend to focus more on winning than on performance excellence. My preoccupation with being admired might cause me to overestimate my abilities, and I may rush into projects without fully realizing their implement. I generally like to be the center of attention, and are therefore susceptible to feelings of Jealousy and new when others draw attention from me.Rather than working with others cooperatively to achieve a goal, I tend to work against them in hopes of emerging as â€Å"better† than they are. This can put considerable strain on m y relationships -? others may tire of my competitive drive and prefer to avoid me. The survey suggests to use achievement-oriented thinking, participate in recreational sports strictly for fun, accept the fact that you can't be â€Å"the best† at everything, when oh make a mistake or perform poorly, resist the urge to obsess over it or blame others and collaborate on a project and work closely with another person. The Detentes AT Decoded less complete are enlarge-quality results willingness to cooperate with others, satisfying relationships and the ability to relax and enjoy life.Perfectionist 10 o'clock position :The Perfectionist scale measures the degree to which we feel a driven need to be seen by others as perfect. I scored on the high range and according to that I probably have difficulty simply doing my best. I tend to seek recognition by making sure that some or all areas of my life are flawless. Although I am task-oriented, I frequently see high-quality results as un satisfactory because they don't meet my unrealistic standards. To demonstrate my competence, I often set goals for myself that are higher than anyone else's. I tend to expect too much from others as well, causing them to see me as rigid and demanding.My perfectionist tendencies can actually limit my productivity at work , and its effects on my health can result in cardiovascular problems, frequent headaches, migraines, sleeplessness, ulcers, and anorexia. Constantly striving to be seen as perfect becomes a vicious circle: if I choose to let it, this drive could begin to rule my life. Suggestions to become less Perfectionist are ; recognize that your drive to be perfect is self-defeating and that it is rooted in my basic values about life. Understand that my work is not my worth, talk about your behavior with someone who knows you well, alter my standards in some activity, Just to see how the results differ and recognize that giving up my perfectionist behavior will actually improve my ability to accomplish things.Becoming less Perfectionist can result in; reduced emotional and physical symptoms of stress more realistic performance standards, increased managerial effectiveness, a more balanced life, with time for relaxation, increased productivity, more trusting, open relationships and the ability to accept failure and learn from it Achievement 1 1 o'clock position :The Achievement scale measures a way of thinking that is highly associated with personal effectiveness. I scored on the medium range closer to the higher range according to that I probably have a healthy desire for achievement and tend to be confident of my own judgment and abilities. Because I am typically direct, honest and consistently able to meet challenges, I can be effective in a leadership role. Suggestions to become more Achievement-oriented are ; assess where I am now, study my LSI profile, target where my effort can make an immediate, measurable difference, set goals around anything to he lp make goal-setting a habit, make it a point to take moderate risks, be supportive of myself. Lsi Paper The Self-Actually scale measures a way of thinking that results in the highest form of personal fulfillment. I scored on the high range. And according to the results I tend to have a great deal of confidence in myself and in my ability to make things better. My healthy outlook can positively influence my personal development, relationships, and effectiveness at work. I am able to determine what situation requires and act to improve it.Because I tend to be a person of principle, In my ability to make things better. While I may feel temporarily guilty over things I could have prevented, negative situations don't tend to worry me to a great extent. I use my available resources well, and make the most of any situation. While I can become fully involved in projects that interest me, I tend to leave situations I don't find as satisfying: my motivation to do something comes completely from within.I have many interests, and are open to new people and experiences. Others typically admire my c onfidence, spontaneity, and the Joy I experience In simply living. To become more self – actualities It suggests me to accept others with fewer conditions, restructure unpleasant tasks to make them more enjoyable, make it a point to do the things I enjoy regularly, see problems as opportunities for growth and development, live each day in the present and know myself.And the benefits I will gain when I am more self actualities is greater professional success, enhanced creativity and ability to be innovative,stronger acceptance of myself and others, the ability to set and act on personal goals, greater flexibility and divisiveness, Improved perspective and Judgment, openness to new experiences, increased satisfaction and happiness and the ability to relax and enjoy myself.The Humanistic-Encouraging 1 o'clock position: The Humanistic-Encouraging scale measures our interest In people, our tendency to care about others, and our ability to encourage them to Improve. I scored on the medium range closer to the higher range. And according to the survey I tend to often demonstrate concern for others and can be supportive of them. Because I generally try to encourage people in their efforts to improve, others probably see me as inspirational. I recognize the value of costive feedback and frequently use it as a motivator.To become more Humanistic- Encouraging it suggests met o think about qualities I admire in someone who was in some way responsible for my growth and development, increase my Interest In those around me, solicit Ideas and feedback, learn to accept people for who they are, put myself in someone else's place. The benefits would be improved ability to lead, manage or teach, closer, more rewarding relationships, more respect for others, feelings of satisfaction derived from encouraging others, the ability to achieve higher- laity results through seeking others' input, more patience, the ability to act as a mentor to others. Eve 2 O'clock position: Nine Titillate scale measures our degree AT commitment to forming and sustaining satisfying relationships. This style represents a need for social interaction and interpersonal contact. I scored on the high range and according to the survey results I tend to be most effective and comfortable in the company of others. I will generally strive to improve and maintain those relationships that are important to me. I value teamwork, cooperation and mutually rewarding legislations.I express my liking for a people, and because I am tactful and considerate of others' feelings, they tend to like me in return. The suggestions to become more affiliated are; to work at getting to know one person well, practice communicating effectively, communicate my sociability by smiling often, touching when appropriate, and making eye contact, learn to express my thoughts and feelings, take a motivational course or Join a professional, civic or recreational group.As a result there would occur satisfying relations hips, the ability to express my linings openly and honestly, a â€Å"support system† of friends, increased productivity at work due to more cooperative relationships, an interesting social life that includes interactions with a variety of people, feelings of comfort and ease around people, the ability to work well and cooperate as part of a team. Approval 3 o'clock position:The Approval scale measures our need to be accepted by others to increase or sustain our feelings of self-worth.I scored on the high range and according to the survey I typically work too hard to gain the approval of others. If I do not get people's full acceptance, tend to feel anxious. Although I may not always agree, I probably â€Å"go along† with others too easily and often. To reduce a need for approval I should voice my own opinions, learn to become more self-directed by setting some personal goals, realize that approval-seeking can result in one-sided relationships, practice facing confronta tions, talk to myself when you encounter disapproval.The benefits would be reduced levels of stress, heightened interest in personal growth and development, the belief that my opinions matter, improved relationships based on mutual respect, the ability to relax and be myself around there, confidence in my ability to handle conflict, stronger, well-defined beliefs, convictions and goals, more energy to devote to enjoying life and the knowledge that people's opinions cannot Jeopardize your sense of personal security.Conventional 4 o'clock position: The Conventional scale measures our tendency to act in a conforming way. While some conformity is necessary in life, too much can be restrictive. I scored on high range and according to the results I probably see rules as more important than ideas. My overly conservative behavior can keep me from trying new things. I may have difficulty taking even small risks. In a sense, being conventional involves trading my creativity and spontaneity fo r feelings of security.My tendency to hide behind regulations and procedures can involve discounting my own beliefs and opinions. To become less conventional it suggests me to recognize that conventionality is a way of hiding myself and avoiding developing as a person, ask myself if my life is how I want it to be, or if it has become merely adherence to rules and others' expectations, break out of my routine and do something -? anything -? different, focus on my own unique strengths and skills, look for ways to do thingsTransiently at work Ana at none Ana listen to myself. Becoming less conventional can result in the freedom to Express myself, creative, innovative approaches to tasks, self- set standards and goals, a stronger, more individualized sense of self, renewed belief in myself, increased flexibility, the confidence to fulfill your potential and spontaneity. Dependent 5 0†² clock position: The Dependent scale measures the degree to which we feel our efforts do not count .I scored on medium range closer to the higher range according to that I may find that my feelings of dependency are eroding my ability to get things done. When making decisions, I am are likely to seek the opinions of others not because my value participative decision-making, but because I feel safer when others set the course. To become more independent the survey suggests to learn something new.Take an assertiveness training course, or read a book on the subject, realize that no one can make me happy or unhappy, set a few small goals, strive to make decisions independently and take the initiative and assume a leadership role. Becoming more independent can result in these benefits like a sense of control over my life, self-set standards and goals, the ability to accomplish tasks ore efficiently, improvement in the quality of my relationships and the ability to take risks when appropriate.Avoidance 6 o'clock position :the Avoidance scale measures our tendency to use the defensive s trategy of withdrawal. We do this by hiding our feelings, or by shying away from situations we find threatening I scored on the medium range closer to the higher range and according to that I may have difficulty giving myself credit for my strengths: instead, ‘tend to focus on my shortcomings. I may choose to criticize myself when I make mistakes, rather than learning from them and moving forward.To become less Avoidance-oriented it suggests to determine what is threatening me and provoking unavoidable behavior, focus on my feelings, recognize that your personal worth is unrelated to your accomplishments, setbacks, relationships, or feelings, accomplish one small task every day and concentrate on interacting with people who provoke feelings of insecurity in me As a result I would me more confidence to take moderate risks, there will be reduced stress-related symptoms, greater opportunities for personal growth, fewer feelings of guilt and self-doubt, the ability to relax around others, a heightened awareness of my feelings and the ability to express the and broader interests and increased involvement in activities Oppositional 7 o'clock position :The Oppositional scale measures our tendency to use the defensive and aggressive strategy of disagreeing with others, and to seek attention by being critical and cynical. I scored on the medium range closer to the high range according to this I can be highly Judgmental and critical at times.I may not be easily influenced by the opinions of others and occasionally go out of my way to take a rigid, opposing view. Although I am are capable of admitting my mistakes,' tend to see greater fault in others than I do immensely. I most often blame others when feeling pressured or when things aren't going my way. To become less Oppositional; realize that instead of admiring me for my oppositional stands, others probably view me as an obstacle to overcome,withhold the urge to reject an idea until I fully unreason It, see ton ers' criticism AT you In a more positive align, praise toners more often and recognize that others have something valuable to contribute.The benefits are the ability to use my insight and questioning techniques in a more productive, sees antagonistic way, a more accepting attitude toward criticism, and the ability to learn from it, greater acceptance of my need to be closer to others, the ability to listen more effectively and gather all the facts before giving an opinion and an increased appreciation for the benefits of sincerely praising others Power 8 0†² clock position:The Power scale measures our tendency to associate our self-worth with the degree to which we can control and dominate others. I scored on the high range according to that I can be domineering and like to feel in charge at all times. I tend to feel threatened and helpless when not in absolute control, yet typically remain unaware of what is causing these feelings. It is generally difficult for me to accept cr iticism from any source. Most people are uncomfortable being open and honest with me because of my insensitive, abrupt manner. I may place an unhealthy amount of importance on status and prestige, and typically will not hesitate to manipulate people.My tendency to see people as objects to be maneuvered can negatively affect my relationships. While I may use the Power style successfully in the short run, using this style regularly can be destructive -? both to e and to those with whom I interact. Suggestions to become less Power-oriented; Seek feedback on my behavior from neutral sources, examine the quality of my relationships, I may be tying immense of self-worth to my ability to control situations and people, concentrate on developing some personal goals, try a more tactful, friendly approach to others and watch their reactions, increase your confidence in others by delegating assignments, spend more time listening, recognize that your need for power could be based on fear.Becomin g less Power-oriented can result in a ore effective, respected approach to my Job, more satisfying, productive relationships, reduced probability of stress-related medical symptom and increased confidence in the abilities of others. Competitive 9 o'clock position: The Competitive scale measures our need to establish a sense of self-worth through competing against and comparing ourselves to others I scored on the high range and according to it I tend to focus more on winning than on performance excellence. My preoccupation with being admired might cause me to overestimate my abilities, and I may rush into projects without fully realizing their implement. I generally like to be the center of attention, and are therefore susceptible to feelings of Jealousy and new when others draw attention from me.Rather than working with others cooperatively to achieve a goal, I tend to work against them in hopes of emerging as â€Å"better† than they are. This can put considerable strain on m y relationships -? others may tire of my competitive drive and prefer to avoid me. The survey suggests to use achievement-oriented thinking, participate in recreational sports strictly for fun, accept the fact that you can't be â€Å"the best† at everything, when oh make a mistake or perform poorly, resist the urge to obsess over it or blame others and collaborate on a project and work closely with another person. The Detentes AT Decoded less complete are enlarge-quality results willingness to cooperate with others, satisfying relationships and the ability to relax and enjoy life.Perfectionist 10 o'clock position :The Perfectionist scale measures the degree to which we feel a driven need to be seen by others as perfect. I scored on the high range and according to that I probably have difficulty simply doing my best. I tend to seek recognition by making sure that some or all areas of my life are flawless. Although I am task-oriented, I frequently see high-quality results as un satisfactory because they don't meet my unrealistic standards. To demonstrate my competence, I often set goals for myself that are higher than anyone else's. I tend to expect too much from others as well, causing them to see me as rigid and demanding.My perfectionist tendencies can actually limit my productivity at work , and its effects on my health can result in cardiovascular problems, frequent headaches, migraines, sleeplessness, ulcers, and anorexia. Constantly striving to be seen as perfect becomes a vicious circle: if I choose to let it, this drive could begin to rule my life. Suggestions to become less Perfectionist are ; recognize that your drive to be perfect is self-defeating and that it is rooted in my basic values about life. Understand that my work is not my worth, talk about your behavior with someone who knows you well, alter my standards in some activity, Just to see how the results differ and recognize that giving up my perfectionist behavior will actually improve my ability to accomplish things.Becoming less Perfectionist can result in; reduced emotional and physical symptoms of stress more realistic performance standards, increased managerial effectiveness, a more balanced life, with time for relaxation, increased productivity, more trusting, open relationships and the ability to accept failure and learn from it Achievement 1 1 o'clock position :The Achievement scale measures a way of thinking that is highly associated with personal effectiveness. I scored on the medium range closer to the higher range according to that I probably have a healthy desire for achievement and tend to be confident of my own judgment and abilities. Because I am typically direct, honest and consistently able to meet challenges, I can be effective in a leadership role. Suggestions to become more Achievement-oriented are ; assess where I am now, study my LSI profile, target where my effort can make an immediate, measurable difference, set goals around anything to he lp make goal-setting a habit, make it a point to take moderate risks, be supportive of myself.

Operations Management - 'iPhone' Supply Chain Management and Networks Essay

Operations Management - 'iPhone' Supply Chain Management and Networks - Essay Example nded that Schumpeter’s â€Å"creative destruction† analogy is central to effective operations management and the supply chain network in the contemporary business model and envisaged entrepreneurial vision as the force of sustained, long term economic growth, with the gales analogy symbolic of the destruction of monopolistic markets, which facilitated abuse of market position and power (Reinert, H., & Reinert, E.S., 2006) Schumpeter further argues that internal innovation within a business operational framework produces lower costs, which in turn permits companies to sell products at lower prices, which is referred to as dynamic efficiency (Utterback, J. 1996). This in turn highlights a key element of Schumpeter’s model that competition for innovation as opposed to competition for customers is the most important (Utterback, J. 1996). Indeed, the proliferation of Apple’s growth as a brand and business phenomenon in the digital arena arguably symbolises Schumpeter’s â€Å"creative destruction† model in its operations management and supply chain as it â€Å"enables organisations to control the quality of inputs and the opportunity to expand using existing skills† (Boddy, 2005). Moreover, Schumpeter’s view of entrepreneurial innovation embodies the â€Å"gale of creative destruction† as the continuing cycle of innovation, which renders existing technology, skills and equipment obsolete. Innovation in this context essentially becomes essential as the foundation of dynamism in line with Schumpeter’s theory that the evolution and sustainability of a successful business model is not dependant on how capitalism administers existing models, but rather with how it destroys them through creativity to survive long term growth (Metcalfe, J.S. 1998). From Schumpeter’s â€Å"gale of creative destruction† theory proposition, large companies benefit from economies of scale associated with segmented working practices, and in addition technological advances are generally

103 marketing plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

103 marketing plan - Term Paper Example After the change of its name from Apple Computer Incorporated to Apple Inc., the most fascinating phone model; iPhone was introduced in the market. The future indicates how the efforts expressed through globalization flexibility make sense. The iPhone 5C has been aligned in relation to market demand and customer buying behavior. While it is a good idea for Apple Inc. to use the vertical marketing control, it is important that opens up its software and hardware for easy access to the outside market. Failure to do so gives applications like Android and Windows a chance to enjoy a huge market share. For the last five years, Apple Inc. constantly increased its revenue from 84.02 million to 101.25 million. The profits recorded a steady growth from 62.94 million to 68.45 million with the profit margin growing from 58.35% in 2009 to a almost constant rate of 65% in 2012 and 2013. However, the growth rate was highest in 2011 with 30.23% after recording the lowest growth rate in 2010 with a -0.90%. Thereafter, the growth rate recorded a sharp decrease in 2012, double the previous year to 15.54% and further dropped in 2013 to 0.82%. There has been a steady rise in the company’s stock price since the iPhone’s launch in 2009. It kicked off at $20.18 and increased at an increasing rate to $24.90 in 2010. The same was evident until it hit the high knot in 2013 with a $30.26 growth. From the above understanding about market segments and how to position its brand, the company summarized the iPhone’s marketing capability as flexible and convenient even for professional use because of its value added features. This makes everything easy because Apple Inc. is already an established brand since it always produces the most effective and technologically advanced gadgets (Robert Mohns). As an added advantage, the company has little time focusing on its brand and thus gets enough time to drill the iPhone in the

Second Language Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Second Language - Assignment Example It is noticing that ensures that input becomes intake before any processing takes place. This is a pre-requisite for the learner's integration into the developing inter-language system. Noticing thus the first stage in second language acquisition. (Gass, 1988) Balestone emphasizes on the importance of noticing by calling the "real gateway to subsequent learning". (Balestone, 1994) This has been asserted by Lynch as well who claims that noticing is the most essential ingredient of successful language learning. (Lynch, 2001) Various other researchers have marked out and pointed the importance of noticing in second language acquisition. Sharwood and Rutherford are to name a few. They believe that noticing leads to the other subsequent stages before the language is acquired in its entirety. After noticing, the processing phase takes form and once processing starts, the language gets integrated into the learner's mind. However noticing can be of various, forms. It can be in both conscious as well as unconscious states of mind. According to some authors, the assertion that "noticing the gap" is a conscious process is not right. They feel that it can't be a conscious process and there are far too many differences in languages that can be acquired consciously. It is not as simple as it looks like, but is a rather complex. Apart from this Truscott has criticized these founding's claiming that the foundations of hypothesis in cognitive psychology is weak and it can't be based on rational theory of languages. He feels that noticing is not a very legitimate and strong factor in second language acquisition. He believes that noticing is only important for the acquisition of met linguistic language which is acquiring the ability to change words, fill gaps, adapt to sentence manipulations and dictate grammar rules. Noticing acts a mediary between the input and the memory systems. Spotlight consciousness is given by short term memory and is instantiated by various influences on noticing. These are the main factors that influence noticing: Instruction, silence, task demand, perceptual silence, skills, frequency and comparing. Instruction plays an important role in laying the foundations for expectation settings about the language which are noticed by observers and adapted accordingly. Another language feature that is of considerable importance is frequency which comes up due to repeated use of the language by teachers. This helps the learner notice the features of the language and eventually learn them accordingly. Skills set required to be incommunicado for a particular language is yet another important element that assists noticing of language in humans. Q2) Corrective Feedback in Second Language Learning What are the types of feedback Different terms have been used interchangeably that identify corrective feedback in the second language acquisition literature. Some of these terms are corrective feedback, negative evidence and negative feedback. According to Chaudron (Chaudron, 1992) the word corrective feedback can be layered down to mean different things. A "treatment of error" could mean any teaching behavior that follows after an error has been made. These steps aim to inform the learner of the facts of the error. The treatment will not be observed from the student's response but it would rather work to

English as an Academic Language in UAE Research Paper

English as an Academic Language in UAE - Research Paper Example ELT professionalism evolved on the basis of diverse sources. One such source was the development of educational programs focusing on adult foreign language learning throughout the European countries and UAE. Another valuable source in the development of ELT was the exponential growth of anthropological and structural linguistics in the United States of America. Moreover, the influence of anthropological and structural linguistics development has not only been limited to the territorial boundaries of the United States but has also permeated and influenced the educational system of United Arab Emirates. The third most important source in the development of ELT professionalism was the education in British colonial states. An important aspect of ELT development in colonial states was: first, the development was a perfect reflection of the events that happened in the metropolis, and second, it simply failed to address the cultural, political and social educational needs of the inhabitants of the vast British Empire. Thus, the colonized people were more or less treated as puppets loyal to the British officials. However, certain factors posed obstacles in the development of ELT professionalism. One such factor was the development of other European languages such as French. (Wodak, R., & Corson, D.1997).

Langauge structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Langauge structure - Assignment Example Arabski (1979 pp.135-143) says that making errors is part of the process of acquiring a language and is mostly influenced by transference and simplification. English and Arabic languages are different in many ways and as expected Arab speakers encounter many phonological, morphological and semantic problems when learning English. Arabic speakers do not recognize how to use adjectives in sentences. This is because in Arabic adjectives come after the noun whereas in English adjectives come before the noun. Most Arabic speaks erroneously transfer their knowledge of adjectives during the course of learning English (Cruse 1986 pp.40). This paper will discuss how Arab speakers struggle using adjectives while giving specific learner errors. The discussion will focus on some published language teaching material and it will analyze, compare and evaluate these errors. Project Description Theoretical Framework Studying errors second language learners make is a field that has created a buzz amon g linguists. Several theories have been advanced, and one such theory is the Contrastive Analysis This is a process that explains the comparative aspects of the Mother tongue (MT) and the Target Language (TL). James (1998) provides examples for instance consonant clusters, tense and comparison of the form and meaning of the two languages. This according to Fries (1945) is supposed to determine the oddities that result to interference and error. The reason being a second language learner may find some aspects of the target language easy to learn and others hard. The assumption second language learners make is that it will be easy to learn those aspects that are similar to their native language and very difficult to learn those aspects that are different from their native language. Contrastive Analysis has been conducted on many languages. Khuwaileh and Al Shoumali (2000) studied the writing of Arabic learners of academic English. He was focusing the frequent errors on coherence tense errors, lack of cohesion and parts of speech errors. The study compared the Arabic language and English. Bataineh (2005) investigated the problems Arab learners of language and translators’ encounter when translating Arabic sentences. The focus was on articles. Contrastive Analysis has faced some criticism and thus other theories emerged to fill the gap. The theory advocating for the existence of a â€Å"psychological structure latent in the brain† brought in the idea of Interlanguage (IL) seen in the process of learning a second language. Selinker (1972 pp.209-231) claimed that second language learners created some interim grammars in trying to achieve the target language but this vocabulary changes depending on the task of extraction and the context. IL is influenced by Transfer of training, Language transfer, Strategies of second language communication, Overgeneralization and Strategies of second language learning. As it is impossible to acquire a second language w ithout making errors, many linguists have invested time and resources in analyzing errors and why they occur. There are several reasons for studying errors. According to Corder (1975 pp.122-154) errors can tell a linguist how much a second language learner has acquired and what other aspects of the language require to be emphasized. Also as, James (1980) put it, errors are also markers of how the process of acquiring a second

Workers Compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Workers Compensation - Essay Example The employees are assured that their employer is concerned about their well-being, and this makes them be devoted to working in order to meet the organizational goals. Workers Compensation is the most ancient form of social insurance, and it was introduced in the United States close to a hundred years ago to provide medical services and money grants to employees who are hurt at the workplace, and still avoid cases of misuse of the compensation. This paper will provide a brief history to Workers Compensation by explaining the Code of Hammurabi and the current state laws pertaining to Workers Compensation. The Code Of Hammurabi was written in the 18th century, and it was a law made by an ancient king of Babylon. It is still in practice today because its main basics of law are applicable in today’s world. King Hammurabi’s laws insisted on the eye for an eye way of dealing with situations, and this is applied in compensation procedures. The law of Hammurabi provided fiscal reimbursement for injuries, and it consisted of compensation schedules that would mean that a specific injury was compensated with specific rewards or payments. This procedure is applied in today’s compensation of workers since when they are injured in the workplace they are compensated based on the intensity of the injury.

Academic Degree and Abundant Natural Resources Essay Example for Free

Academic Degree and Abundant Natural Resources Essay When I say educated man, I do not refer to the individual who has read a thousand books and magazines, however important reading may be to the life of the mind. One of the most unfortunate things in this country is that so much is read by so many who do not know what to read. Because of cheap paper and printing, comics, pulp magazines and cheap literature have replaced the classics and the great masterpieces. As a consequence, an enormous mental garbage has been piled up beyond our collective capacity to liquidate. Writers of history a hundred years from now, in assessing the quality of education in the Philippines, may have ample reason to say that our schools have produced a vast population able to read, but unable to distinguish what is worth reading. It was Mark Twain, I believe, who said he never allowed his schooling to interfere with his education. When I use the term educated man, I do not mean the individual who has memorized a thousand facts and assembled in his mind a million data, on the basis of which he has earned a string of academic degrees. I do not mean to minimize the importance of memory, for it is stating the obvious when I say we should be able to observe, sort out and remember relevant facts so we may have a sound basis for each judgment. Of Themistocles, it has been said that he knew by heart the names of twenty thousand citizens of Athens; and Cyrus, it is recorded, knew every soldier in his huge army. Indeed, how refreshing it would be for our youth to learn by heart Jesus inimitable Sermon on the Mount, the magnificent soliloquies of Shakespeare, the unforgettable dialogue of Plato and in our own land, the lofty language of Arellano and Laurel, the trenchant outbursts of Manuel Quezon and the elegant prose of Claro M. Recto. How inspiring it would be for our young men and women to remember the historic landmarks in our struggle for freedom — from the heroism of Lapu-Lapu to the lonely battle of Del Pilar at Tirad Pass, from the field of Bagumbayan where the young Rizal met his tragic death to the dark dungeons of Fort Santiago, where the youth of the land suffered a thousand times and met a thousand deaths! Nor do I minimize the significance of degrees and diplomas in a degree-conscious society such as we have, except to emphasize the danger of mistaking a degree for intellectual worth. A college graduate has once been described as one who at the end of his studies is presented with a sheepskin to cover his intellectual nakedness. When I say educated man, I do not refer to the skilled engineer, the able trial lawyer, the talented musician, the gifted writer, or the expert surgeon. Far be it from me to underrate the importance of skills and talents. Sometime ago, I made reference to the fact that while we have abundant natural resources in this country, we do not have sufficient skills to make this country great. Japan is relatively poor in natural resources, with land scarcely enough to sustain her tremendous population, but despite a war that laid waste her towns and cities, she has recovered and come back with greater vigor because she has a people of abundant skills. But I would like to submit the proposition that one becomes a great scientist, an able lawyer, or a noted writer, only because he is first — and pre-eminently a good man. An abundant talent employed to serve an evil end is a prostitution of divine endowment. What, then, is the educated man? Is he the man who has read a lot? Partly yes, because his reading is serious and discriminate and uplifting. Is he the man who remembers many facts and events? Partly yes, because the training of memory is a wholesome discipline that requires effort and application and because one cannot make a sound judgement without respect for remembered facts. Is the educated man, then, one who because of his skill is able to provide for himself and his family? Partly yes, since education should teach us how to make a living. But there is one thing we should always remember and it is this — that far more important than the making of a living, is a living of life — a good life, a meaningful life, an abundant life. The educated man lives this kind of a life, because he has opened the windows of his mind to great thoughts and ennobling ideas; because he is not imprisoned by the printed page, but chooses to make a relentless, rigorous analysis and evaluation of everything he reads; because he is less interested in the accumulation of degrees than in the stimulation of his mind and the cultivation of a generous spirit; because his interest is less in knowing who is right but more importantly, in discerning what is right  and defending it with all the resources at his command; because he can express himself clearly and logically, with precision and grace; Because he is not awed by authority, but is humble enough to recognize that his best judgment is imperfect and may well be tainted by error or pride; because he has a deep reverence for the inherent worth and dignity of every human being, as a creature of God; because he has a healthy sense of values, a breadth of outlook and the depth of compassion which a purposeful education generates; because whenever he talks about good government he is prepared and willing to sacrifice himself for it; and because he lives a life of relevance to the world in which we live, a sharing in the problems of his time and doing whatever he can with intelligence and fairness and understanding.

Effective Teaching Strategies for Deaf Students

Effective Teaching Strategies for Deaf Students What protocol would you put in place to ensure that pupils hearing aids and other amplification equipment are working optimally and used appropriately and that other aspects of your role in relation to audiology are met? Give the rationale for the procedures that you have specified. How would you evaluate the effectiveness of procedures that you have established? Rationale From the outset it is essential to determine what a ‘protocol is? As stated in the online Ask Oxford Dictionary protocol has many definitions, the one I believe provides a clear definition in this instance is â€Å"The accepted code of behaviour in a particular situation†. (Ask Oxford, Nov 2009) An educational establishment where children are using hearing aids and other amplification equipment would benefit from a protocol being in place. This would ensure that children using amplification equipment are accessing the curriculum at an optimal level. Teachers of the Deaf have a duty to ensure that each childs equipment is working and allowing them to learn and thrive within their educational environment by carrying out the protocol that is in place. It is therefore the duty of the teachers of the Deaf to carry out checks on the equipment. A protocol is therefore required to ensure that all Teachers of the Deaf are carrying out the same procedures and there is consistency through out the school. â€Å"Teachers should aim to give every pupil the opportunity to experience success in learning and to achieve as high a standard as possible.† (NCDS, 2005, p.5) By carrying out the checks, Teachers of the Deaf establish good practice and in turn aim to allow pupils to succeed. The children benefit when the protocol, which the school employs, is shared with parents and carers. Listening and learning take place in both the home and school environment. This would extend the â€Å"accepted code of behaviour† to the home life optimising the childs access to everyday learning experiences. With the need for a protocol established it is also necessary for that protocol to become a routine as to how, when and why Teachers of the Deaf should apply the specialised knowledge they have within their specific educational establishment. â€Å"Teachers of the deaf are specialist teachers, whose firm base in audiological knowledge is a fundamental part of their specialism† (Malthy and Knight, 2000, p.vii) Putting into practice a clear set of guidelines allows for each individual, working with children using these devices, to know who is responsible for each area and who to report faults to. This is the case, especially when multi-agency teams are involved in an individuals learning. To answer the question outlined I intend to: Describe the setting to which the protocol applies to Discuss the aims of the protocol and whom it applies to Review and evaluate the effectiveness of the protocol in relation to practice and research Protocol Setting The setting to which this protocol applies to is unique, in Scotland, in the sense that it is a mainstream school where hearing-impaired children are fully integrated into mainstream classes. Children have access to a full curriculum, which enhances their educational experience. (See Appendix 1 for a full policy statement) Teachers of the Deaf are also used in a unique way they are class committed in a mainstream environment with no more than four hearing impaired children in their class. It is important now to emphasise that the teachers have a responsibility and a duty of care to hearing and hearing impaired pupils in class. It is recognised in Watson. L and Parsons.J (1998) that the majority of Teachers of the Deaf are working in mainstream schools either as part of a unit or in peripatetic work but in this setting children are fully integrated into mainstream classes. This setting provides a real life setting for the children as hearing and hearing-impaired peers work together as they would in everyday life. This allows an inclusive ethos to develop educating respectful and open-minded individuals. It allows for the development of a safe and secure environment where all children feel valued and equal. Aims The aims of the protocol are clearly set out in the Aims of the Audiology Programme (Appendix 1). They are in bold and easily identified on the page. This is of great benefit to Teachers of the Deaf and other individuals that encounter the document. The mix of visual diagrams and the clear print allows this section to be user friendly and less intimidating to the user. The initial statement presents a positive and motivating aim for everyone involved. I will look at each aim individually and discuss how effectively the protocol (Appendix 2) achieves those aims. All pupils with a hearing impairment will be assessed regularly through a range of tests. Included in the protocol are the schools own testing strategies, which are of great importance as they make the protocol more meaning full to the individual establishment as these tests will differ depending on establishment. In Appendix 2, the protocol outlines the different checks that would take place to ensure that pupils hearing is assessed regularly. The G.A.P assessments are included in each child record and include a variety of linguistic and speech tests that are outlined in Appendix 2 and are carried out by the in house Speech Therapists. The Ling Speech Sound Test could be included in this however; it is outlined in the actual protocol. It will be used to gather information on how well a pupil is able to identify frequency elements in sounds. Ideally, this should be carried out before teaching and listening takes place to ensure that the amplification equipment is working optimally. If the test highlights any frequency issues, the stetoclip can be used to investigate further. In the event of everything, appearing to be working properly the issue can be raised with the educational audiologist on their visit to the school. They can then investigate and adjust amplification equipment to ensure opt imal teaching and learning conditions are maintained. Tympanometry tests are carried out and a record kept in each pupils file. This provides information on the middle ear. It looks like an audiogram, which can be difficult to interpret. If the information from this was translated into a report that was more understandable Teachers of the Deaf could use this information and translate it positively into their teaching environment so that it makes learning more accessible to the child and in turn meets the needs of the pupil. Other tests included in the protocol are Pure Tone Audiograms aided and unaided. These tests are usually used to determine the degree of deafness. The tests are carried out using different frequencies and intensities. The tests can be conducted through air conduction, using headphones or bone conduction using a bone conduction headband. Air conduction: this is where the individual wears headphones, the tester then selects pure tones from different frequencies and intensities. This test relies on the person being tested to be honest. Once the test is completed the range of deafness is apparent however the cause is not. Bone conduction: this is conducted in a similar way to air conduction. Maltby and Knight (2000) explain that it determines the nature of deafness. The signals are passed through the skull bone and travels to the cochlea. â€Å"The difference between the air conduction result and the bone conduction result is known as the air-bone gap and this indicates the extent of any conductive hearing loss.† (Maltby and Knight, 2000, p.34) The results produced are displayed on an audiogram. It is important to emphasise that these tests are not carried out by Teachers of the Deaf but by audiologists. However, it is important that Teachers of the Deaf are aware of them and how results can be used to improve a pupils residual hearing. This brings me to the point I made earlier on how the audiogram can be difficult to interpret. It would be of great advantage to teachers, parents, and other professionals if the information were transposed into a report, which can be used to benefit the child. The use of pupils residual hearing will be maximised Many factors can contribute to ensuring that a childs residual hearing is maximised. In Appendix 2 it outlines the documentation and assessments, each individual will undertake during their time in school. This part of the protocol needs to be looked at as Record of Needs is being replaced with Additional Support Plans and Co-ordinated Support Plans. This highlights the need for the protocol being a working document and not something that is just produced to meet audiology requirements. In completing these assessment such as Pure Tone Audiograms aided and unaided and Tympanometry Records all agencies involved will be able to contribute to the action that should be taken within the educational environment to maximise the pupils residual hearing. In addition to this it is of great importance to consider the acoustic setting as this contributes to how well residual hearing is maximised. This leads on to the next aim. The acoustical settings for learning will be monitored and acted upon where necessary. In every classroom, there is background noise and this contributes to how effective a hearing aid can be. â€Å"Hearing aids work well when there is little or no background noise† (Maltby and Knight, 2000, p.61) However, this is unrealistic to attain within an educational environment. Children are often working in groups and teaching can take place in whole class settings where they can be further away than what would be desired for optimal hearing. The hearing aid volume can be increased however this will amplify the background noise that is present also. A quiet learning environment is one, which would provide optimal learning conditions however in a mainstream school this is unlikely. The increased class effects noise. Areas, which contribute to background noise within a mainstream class are, movement, chairs being pushed and pulled, bags being accessed and the rustling this produces, increased amounts of talking, group activities going on independently when other direct teaching is taking place. All of these can lead to a poor acoustic setting. It would therefore be beneficial for the protocol to include measures for the Teachers of the Deaf to assess this before teaching in this environ ment. They could use a sound level meter, which encourages the teacher to put his or herself in the position of the deaf child and try to remove any pieces of furniture, which are not essential which sounds can reflect off. The teachers are also able to position themselves around the class identifying where the best place for a deaf child to sit within the class is. This allows for greater access to teaching and learning and ultimately reducing some of the background noise. As the background noise does not only come from the people inside the class, it is important for the teacher to do this so that outside noises are reduced. Traffic, toilets, general outside activity, weather can all be heard in the classroom. (Maltby and Knight 2000) It would therefore be of great value for the protocol to offer ways of minimising background noises within the classroom setting however it doesnt provide ways of making the classroom acoustically sympathetic. Reducing background and reverberation could be set out in guidelines and could provide suggestions. â€Å"An acoustically good environment is crucial for effective classroom listening †¦ schools provide an acoustically hostile environment that particularly disadvantages hearing aid wearers.† (Maltby and Knight, 2000, p.54) Therefore, guidelines within the protocol should encourage the use of carpets, curtains blinds, acoustic ceiling tiles and soft materials, which can in turn absorb and reduce the amount of background noise. (BATOD, 2001) This will help promote the fruitful learning environment outlined in Appendix 1. As classrooms are, in general, noisy places to be it would also be of great value that the protocol takes into account classroom management strategies, laying out rules for talking and listening. Establishing a whole school approach would provide consistency for not only the children but also the Teachers of the Deaf who undoubtedly have varied teaching styles and approaches. â€Å"†¦It is the teachers responsibility to maintain discipline and cooperation and thus reduce noise levels. Ensuring only one person talks at a time. (Maltby and Knight, 2000, p.58) Fm and Sound Field systems help reduce the amount of background noise as this amplifies one source of sound benefiting the hearing aid or cochlear implant user. This will allow for enhanced teaching and learning taking place and allow the learner to become more focused and interactive with the lesson in hand. It is therefore of great importance that they are utilised effectively. Sound Field systems not only benefit hearing-impaired children in the class but those of hearing children as well. This is due to the teachers voice being amplified and making it clear for all present in the room. Brett and McCraken (1998) have referred that some authorities are not using the system successfully and in turn not providing children with the heightened sensory provision. The system not only increases the volume of the person using it but also helps eliminate noises in the classroom, which can be controlled such as movement, chairs moving, quiet discussions. This has outlined the importance of monitoring the acoustic setting for the children it has also highlighted areas in which the protocol could be improved to optimise the service provided to the children. Including these areas would make Teachers of the Deaf and Teachers of the Deaf in training more aware of areas which can be detrimental to the learning environment and moreover have a negative impact on the childs learning. The amplification needs of each pupil will be assessed and addressed. Each child is an individual and in turn, each child has individual needs. So it is of the utmost importance that Teachers of the Deaf regularly assess the equipment each child uses. This will ensure that faults are highlighted quickly and fixed without any real issues arising for the child and their learning. Brett and McCracken (1998) outline the particular needs of a Hearing Aid wearer and provide outline for assessing the equipment. These include making sure that hearing aids are well fitted and that the individual is able to hear in a range of environments. These are of great importance in a school as children are moving from area to area rather than being stationary in the one environment. This is where the acoustic setting assessments are monitored and acted on if necessary. Tests are carried out, which were discussed in the first aim, to gather information. This information can then be used to make decisions regarding amplification equipment of each individual making sure that Teachers of the Deaf are meeting the needs of each child. The amplification equipment and technology will be working to optimum effect and will be used effectively. It is essential that this aim is addressed in the protocol as teachers and parents should be checking the childs amplification equipment on a daily basis. This will allow problems to be detected quickly and rectified. In turn, this will maximise the potential learning that, the child has access to and allow the child to engage fully in their learning and the social interactions, which can take place within the classroom. This is concurred by Maltby and Knight; they believe that auditory equipment if working properly will enhance the learners experiences and the overall progress which a child can make. This setting is one, which uses oral communication, and not signing so any problems with amplification equipment is extremely detrimental to the childs development. â€Å" †¦ without effective exposure to the sounds of the environment and particularly of speech the opportunity to develop spoken language will be diminished.† (Maltby and Knight, 2000, p.38) The mainstream protocol for this setting outlines how to check all different kinds of amplification equipment. However it may need updated as, no child now wears the Sprint (the body worn processor) as this just adds to the bulk of the protocol and the amount of paper which you have to go through especially if you are new to the school. In addition to this upon evaluating the protocol, I also feel that there should be a checklist record for each child, keeping track of any issues with equipment. This could be a simple tick list to ensure that time constraints do not impose an issue for the teachers. This would provide useful information for the educational audiologists when they visit asking if there have been any problems. This is of greater use in the lower end of the school where the children are less able to vocalise any issues, which they may be having. As it is just now, there is no such method of recording and Teachers of the Deaf are making notes on an informal basis with no consistency being formed throughout the establishment. Parents should be considered also; they could be consulted on what would be easily managed for them at home, so that the protocol can be continued there, as it is of great importance that the equipment is at an optimal level there also. Appendix 2 outlines the checks, which should be carried out on a daily basis. Daily checks begin with a visual check. By looking closely at the casing of a hearing aid or cochlear implant cracks can be identified. Moulds and tubing can be looked at and the build up of wax or condensation can be apparent. It has been argued that it is not the role of the Teacher of the Deaf to clear wax obstructions from tubing and ear moulds (NCDS, 2005) in the case of children there might not be anyone else. In meeting the overall aim of the protocol â€Å" †¦ to provide a fruitful learning environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  it is essential that we do what we can to meet each childs individual needs. In the setting which this protocol applies, as stated before it is an oral one, it is important that the older children become responsible for checking their equipment and that the Teachers of the deaf promote each individuals independence and provide support for these checks only when needed. In this setting, other equipment is used also Radio aids and Sound Field systems are in place to provide further amplification. These have been included in the protocol along with whose responsibility it is to check these and how often the checks should be carried out. â€Å"Deaf pupils who are being educated orally without any sign support will be highly dependent on amplification, both in the form of personal hearing aids and other equipment, for example radio aids.† (Gregory, Knight, McCracken, Powers and Watson, 1998, p.138) This quote highlights the greater importance placed on amplification equipment in a mainstream school and the necessity for it to work optimally. This equipment is what the children solely rely on to communicate effectively with. Radio aids should be checked monthly using a test box. This can highlight any problems with equipment and it will ensure that the hearing aid is producing sound at a high intensity this should also be carried out across a number of frequencies. It is also important that hearing aids and processors also be checked monthly to ensure that they are in line with the manufacturers specifications. Teachers of the Deaf are not responsible for these tests and are not fully trained in the technologies used to carry out these tests however they should be aware that they take place and of their importance in ensuring that amplification equipment works at its optimal level. In this setting and as stated in the protocol (Appendix 2) the Depute Head is responsible for ensu ring these tests are completed. I am of the opinion it would be beneficial for the protocol to outline what a Teacher of the Deaf should do when the equipment is not working properly. For example if shoes or links are faulty are there temporary replacements, or are there contacts in place with manufacturers to highlight faults. It would not be the responsibility for the Teacher of the Deaf to contact manufacturers directly but that of the Depute Head however there needs to be a record or pro-forma included in the protocol for passing this information on the Depute Head to guarantee that any problems are rectified quickly. Evaluation The technology surrounding audiology and amplification equipment is evolving so the first point is that the protocol should be regularly evaluated and adapted to ensure that it fits the requirements of the equipment being used. As I stated previously there are steps and procedures included in the document that no longer apply to children in the school, I am not saying this should be discarded completely however it can be removed from the working document until required, if ever required again. The steps are clear and it is identify who is responsible for each job; however some equipment is checked annually. I feel that as there is a heavy daily reliance on these pieces of equipment and there is a strong argument that these checks should be more frequent. This would allow for problems and issues to be identified and rectified more quickly. Especially when these equipments help achieve the aims outlined in the protocol (Appendix 1) In addition to more frequent checks it would beneficial to have a check list and record sheet this would benefit, not only Teachers of the Deaf but parents, audiologists and other professionals that work with the children. It would allow for quick reference for any issues children are having with their hearing aids or cochlear implants and would highlight any recurring problems. This information would be recorded in a consistent format providing continuity throughout the school. It would also be provided to parents to allow them to keep checks on their childs equipment. With everyone using the same format, the child can be encouraged to become more responsible for maintaining and checking their own equipment. Not only does audiology evolve but also education and the way we approach teaching and education is continually evolving so the protocol should be updated with these changes. That is in Appendix 1 the policy statement outlines that the establishment follows the 5-14 guidelines. This is still the case however the Curriculum for Excellence is becoming the more dominant tool in the planning and implementing of lessons and therefore should now be included also. The greatest indication of how successful the protocol has been is whether it is still meeting the needs of the children it poses to serve. It would therefore be good sense to establish a working party within the establishment to evaluate how well it is doing this, and adapt it to be more successful or it could be added for discussion to the agenda of the Hearing Impairment meetings, which are held regularly. This would incorporate views of everyone working with the document and not just a selected few on the working party. Conclusion The protocol, which appears in Appendix 2, is one, which is already in place, and I have broken it down and looked at the aims that it says it achieves. As a Teacher of the Deaf, this protocol is established and has to be adhered to. It is an important agreement, which has to be followed by all Teachers of the Deaf, to ensure that the needs of each child within a class are being met. â€Å"One way to ensure the teacher of the deaf and other professionals working with deaf children are meeting their obligations is to devise an audiology protocol.† (Course Team University of Birmingham, 2009, Unit 4 p.80) I feel that this protocol has plus points and negative ones. It achieves all of the aims outlined however it has not been updated in some time. With new equipment, needing to be included i.e. our new FM system and older amplification equipment, which is not currently in use needing to be removed. It would also benefit from additions, some parts being condensed into a daily check sheet, which would be more time efficient as it operates within a mainstream school. This would allow for even younger children becoming more familiar with the checks they should carry out. Moreover, I feel there should also be a place for a parental part of the protocol as they are a vital part of their childs life. Even though it is heavy on wordage, it does include pictures of the equipment in question allowing for quick finding of the part of the protocol, which relates to children in your class. The protocol does establish the roles of individuals and the duties and responsibilities that they have. It also states timelines for different checks whether they are daily, weekly or annually. It outlines what should be present in each class for carrying out checks, e.g. First Aid Kit. To conclude I do feel that this protocol does suffice but would benefit from regular updates as needs change and children within educational establishments continually move on. As a teacher and particularly for Teachers of the Deaf it is important to meet the needs of every child. As a profession we endeavour to do this and having a protocol allows for consistency and continuity throughout the stages. We have ambition for all our young people and we want them to have ambition for themselves and to be confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens. All Scotlands children and young people need to be nurtured, safe, active, healthy, engaged in learning, achieving, included, respected and responsible if we are to achieve our ambition for them.† (December 2009, Scottish Government) In managing the protocol more successfully, we will achieve the above aim as set by our Government and all the aims outlined within the document of the establishment. In doing this the needs of all children that are taught, within the setting, are met.

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation Abstract This research provides guidance as to the most successful style of renewable energy in replacing the current dominant fossil fuels in the future. This success is based on a number of key variables, not least the implications of cost, management and longevity that are intertwined with developing, installing and running a renewable energy source. The case-study focused on the four main types of renewable energy, solar power, wind power, biomass energy and geothermal energy and came to some interesting conclusions. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research was used, with the majority of the findings coming from the qualitative research. However, the quantitative research was in the form of two case studies highlighting the effectiveness of two types of renewable energy in certain household situations and how the energy can replace that of traditional fossil fuels. The findings show that while no one particular renewable energy type gained a majority backing from the research, knowledge about these types of energy is still perhaps too limited for any person to make a correct and informed choice as to the development of renewable energy. The qualitative research indicated that there are many strengths and weaknesses to each type of energy, while the quantitative research stressed that in certain situations renewable can be very effective. Another key finding of the literature was that general knowledge and understanding of renewable energy is not at an acceptable level in terms of the general public and leads to the recommendation of increased awareness. Aims and Objectives This section is designed to provide a detailed overview of the research aims and objectives of the present dissertation and the research questions that the study will try to answer in as comprehensive a manner as possible within time and resource constraints. Research Aim The aim of this study is to establish the possible options for renewable energy available in the United Kingdom for future use. This will be conducted through a comparative analysis of the four main types of renewable energy currently available, solar energy, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The main aim of the research is to: o Identify successful alternatives to the non-renewable energies in the United Kingdom In order to achieve this, a number of objectives will need to be met. The aim of the research is to be able to conclude with clarity, the most attractive option or options available to the United Kingdom and its government in terms of renewable energy, for the current day and moreover, into the future. The uncertain prospect of the traditional non-renewable energies, coal, oil and natural gas, have meant that renewable energies have had to be developed with the aim that in the future, these newer, more environmentally friendly options will gradually take over the burden of energy supply in the United Kingdom. Research Objectives Based on the research aim outlined in the previous subsection, the research objectives that the present study will seek to achieve are as listed below: o To undertake an investigation into the four main sources of renewable energy; these include Solar Energy, Wind, Biomass and Geothermal energy. o To gain an understanding of the history and development of these energies is needed to fully understand the extent to which the United Kingdom can rely on them in the future. o An analysis of the benefits and disadvantages of each particular type of renewable energy o To explore how well the government is backing renewable energy with incentives o To examine the financial implications – to gain an insight to how much renewable energy will cost in installation, what grants are available? o To examine design implications – installation of renewable sources, aesthetic, dimensional requirements. Research Questions There are particular research questions that will need to be addressed when attempting to analyse possible future energy alternatives. These include: * How significant is the extent of cost when attempting to replace non-renewable energies with the more environmentally friendly types? * How far does the government wish to develop all four types of energy? Do they have a particular idea as the market share that each one should ideally hold on providing energy to the United Kingdom? * What can history tell the research about the likelihood that these renewable energy methods will succeed over a longer period? * Can (and will) these renewable energies ever fully replace the non-renewable energies that the United Kingdom (and globally) has relied heavily and dependently upon since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? The research will attempt to address these questions and objectives whilst trying to meet the aim of the entire project; identifying successful long term strategies to replace dwindling non-renewable energy sources with abundant renewable sources while still enabling the United Kingdom to grow and hold its position of relative power and influence on a global scale. 1: Introduction Ever since the realisation that non-renewable energy sources (coal, oil and natural gas) are exactly as the description suggests, and that the level of these are reducing rapidly due to the global appetite for energy consumption in the continuing race for power, influence and development, it has been apparent that renewable energy sources would have to be developed to enable this global growth to continue. The United Kingdom, whilst overtaken in recent years by countries such as the United States and China in terms of energy consumption, has had a history intertwined with this notion. The Industrial Revolution, beginning in the United Kingdom in the 18th Century, acted as a catalyst for the rapid consumption of a large proportion of the world’s traditional, non-renewable energy sources. This has led to the necessity of developing renewable energy forms to supplement these more traditional energy types, with the aim to take over the burden of energy supply in the future. Brown (cited in Miller Spoolman, 2008:211) states that in terms of history, the 19th Century belonged to coal and the 20th Century to oil. However, the 21st Century will belong to the sun, the wind and energy from within the earth. This belief is widely held for a number of reasons and highlights the importance that the development of renewable energy sources has on the current agenda of policy makers and governments on a global scale. However, this will prove to be a difficult challenge. As Sawin (2004) stresses, over the previous decade, the World Bank funding for fossil fuel projects (totalling $26.5 billion) far exceeded that for renewable energy (Sawin, 2004:13). It is this type of obstacle that can make the development and mainstreaming of renewable energy difficult to implement and is why it is so crucial to research this issue, highlight the financial costs of renewable energy as a long term successor to the fossil fuels and increase public knowledge of renewable energies an d their benefits. The renewable energy options are possibly limited to four main types. Whilst many various options have been and are being developed by researchers and scientists, only four are currently at a stage where they could develop enough energy to be able to supplement and then eventually succeed non-renewable energy. These are highlighted as solar energy, wind power, biomass and geothermal energy (Tiwari Ghosal, 2005:17). These four types of energy will therefore form the focus of the research with each particular strand of energy being investigated to establish whether it is feasible that any one (or perhaps a combination) of these energies can ever be relied upon to replace fossil fuels. This is the long term aim of renewable energy, whilst at the current time, they are still on the periphery in terms of usage when compared to non-renewable energy forms. The research will identify strengths and weaknesses of each of the four types of energy, particularly focusing on people’s opinions and other variables such as cost, performance and design issues that may gain or lose support depending on the results. The research will be conducted through two different approaches. Firstly, there will be a qualitative analysis of the literature available on each of the four main sources of renewable energy. This coupled with official government information detailing about each type of energy will form the majority of the research. In this manner, the proposed research will be qualitative based. However, the success of the mixed method approach to research, as championed by Maxwell (2005:183), highlights that the research should include quantitative data research as well. This will be conducted through two case studies, analysing the effects of two of the renewable energy sources on a small scale. These will be focused around particular individ uals’ attempts to use a form of renewable energy to replace more traditional fossil fuel energy in their home. The quantitative data achieved by these two samples will provide evidence as the success of the renewable energy type in replacing more established non-renewable energy in an everyday life situation. This will enable the research to identify key areas that surround the debate over renewable energy sources and the suitability of each of the four main types in their possible future role as the majority providers of energy to the United Kingdom. 1.1: Solar Energy Solar energy is perhaps the most prominent of all the renewable energy sources currently available. Solar energy has existed in many forms for thousands of years (Craddock, 2008:28). He stresses that early users of solar energy include the Romans who used the suns’ rays to heat their rooms and designed south facing windows to make use of the heat provided by the sun. In the modern era, technology has developed rapidly and solar energy is now seen as much technical and efficient than ever before. The literature review will analyse solar energy and emphasise the strengths and weaknesses of the energy as a possible candidate for large scale usage on a national level. As Figure 1 highlights, when the sun’s rays shine upon a solar panel, the effect converts the light energy to electrical energy. In this instance, the power from the solar panel is directly proportional to the amount of light shining on it, so if the light from the sun is three times as bright on a particular day than the previous day, then you will receive three times the power. (Stubbs, 2008:4) The development of solar energy has occurred due to the understanding that our current way of life cannot continue if we remain economically dependent on fossil fuels. A champion of solar energy, Scheer (2004) supports the theory that it is imperative that we make comprehensive use of solar energy, not just to augment fossil fuels but to replace them before they either run out or critically damage the world through pollution and dangerous emission levels (Scheer, 2004:4). There are two main formats that solar energy takes. These are passive and active formats (Craddock, 2008). A passi ve solar energy system uses the sunrays directly to heat water or gas. The active system converts the sun’s energy into electrical energy by using a photovoltaic semiconductor material called solar cell (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). The researcher also provides evidence that solar power can be relatively low in terms of its efficiency stating that the electrical power output of the solar panel, arrived at by multiplying the solar power input by the efficiency of the panel (Figure 2), can often produce a low amount of energy. The energy produced in the equation above is only high enough to power two light bulbs. This can be countered by increasing the size of the panel and the efficiency of the panel. These two changes will increase the output (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). Developments made recently should, according to Jones (2003:48), allow solar cells to operate more efficiently. The recent innovation of solar concentrators is used in solar thermal technology to generate heat to power turbines. With solar concentration technology, mirrors or lenses focus light onto specifically designed cells. The older versions of solar cells have solid absorbing layers that require clear skies and direct sunlight to produce energy. However, new solar concentrators follow the sun’s path through the sky during the day allowing a better chance at finding direct sunlight. This highlights that solar power is increasing in efficiency and from a relatively un-technical beginning, solar power is now a real possibility at pr oviding alternative power to fossil fuels in the future. 1.2 Wind Wind power is perhaps the most striking of all of the recent developments in renewable energy. The wind turbines that adorn high peaks across the country are constant reminders of the attempts by the government and industry to develop renewable energy. Wind power is generated through the utilisation of large scale convective currents that carry heat from lower latitudes to more northern destinations. These create rivers of air that are used by newly developed wind turbines to generate power. (Figure 3) Winds are strongest at high peaks and specifically more frequent and at their strongest along the shores of lakes, seas and oceans, restricting the placement of wind turbines to coastal regions in many parts of the world (Gipe, 2004:24) As Figure 4 highlights, the power of wind can be increased to almost two hundred percent of its normal speed as it reaches the crest of a peak, thus ensuring the positioning of the wind turbines. These have led to many criticisms of the aesthetics of the turbines, given that they are large and seen as imposing by some onlookers. The wind turbines can produce a large volume of energy but are dependent on nature and days of unusually low wind speed can reduce the effectiveness of the turbines remarkably. When the wind speed is above the level needed to produce the maximum efficiency, no power losses are achieved in the system. It is only when the wind speed drops below the necessary level that the efficiency of the wind turbine drops (Hau, 2006:489). There are a number of strengths and weaknesses of wind power and these will be assessed in the literature review. However, the UK has increased its share of the wind turbine market recently (at an average rate of 35% per annum) in its attempts to increase the percentage of which all electricity generated will come from renewable sources by 2020 (This has been set at 20% : Government White Paper, 2003). There are various types of wind turbines, in different shapes and sizes, developed to harness the wind power at a particular geographical location. The main two versions of the modern wind turbine are based around the axis. The two different types are the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. The horizontal axis (Figure 5 above) is the most commonly seen in the United Kingdom and is popular due to the high efficiency rating. The higher the tall tower base, the higher the wind speed and the more output that can be created. This is why the horizontal axis is the most popular. However, this is also one of the disadvantages with complaints arising about the sight of these wind turbines on the horizon from many locals when they are installed. Vertical axis wind turbines (Figure 6) are less common in the United Kingdom. These vertical axis turbines are less common due to the fact that they are generally less efficient, because of the nature of its rotation and the stress on the blades. This leads to frequent replacements and therefore a higher cost. They are, however, less tall than horixontal axis wind turbines and therefore less of a distraction on the horizon for those that are angered by the horizontal axis types. 1.3 Biomass Biomass energy is defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel source derived from recently dead biological material. This is opposed to fossil fuels that come from long dead biological material. Biomass constitutes the largest non-hydroelectric renewable source of primary energy in the United States and its presence is growing rapidly in the United Kingdom (Turner Doty, 2009:443). This is highlighted by Chiras (2006:21) who stresses that many countries are now turning to biomass as an alternative fuel source due to its relative ease in creating energy and the low cost involved. Biomass includes a wide assortment of solid fuels, such as wood, and liquid fuels such as ethanol derived from corn and biodiesel, a liquid fuel made from vegetable oils. The wide variety of forms that biomass can take can be found in figure 7. Biomass is remarkably popular as an energy source, as stated previously due to the low cost and relative ease at obtaining the materials needed for conversion. The three main conversion types are anaerobic digestion, fermentation to alcohol and the thermal process which produces a range of fuels and by-products including methane, methanol and ethanol that can produce heat, power and light, as well as fertilizers and fibres that can be used to produce food, textiles and plastics. (Figure 8) This range of products and power that it can produce make it very flexible and attractive to those who support the development of renewable energy. However, one key advocate of biomass energy states that currently most use of biomass energy is not clean or sustainable. The pollution caused by burning wood, manure and agricultural waste is causing severe health problems. It is also true that some energy crops have a bigger energy and environmental cost than they return. Thomas (2007:44) indicates that if biomass is to be a vital part of the future energy mix then there needs to be methods developed to process and use it in sustainable way over a long period of time. Biomass energy has accounted for over thirty percent of the United Kingdom electricity generation from various renewable energy types over the past five years. This amount is only second to that of hydro power (Institute of Physics Report, 2010). Although the total amount generated by renewable energy is still relatively small compared to that of traditional fossil fuels, it highlights that if biomass can be developed on a larger more industrial scale, and if more environmentally friendly processes can be created, then the usage of biomass technology may increase dramatically in the near future. Support within the United Kingdom exists for the development of the biomass energy industry. A recent report (European Wind Energy Association, 2009:524) highlights that the United Kingdom government has developed grant schemes (funds reserved from the New Opportunities Fund) for investments in energy crops and biomass power generation of at least  £33 million over three years. This will ho pefully enable the biomass industry to develop cleaner, more sustainable methods of creating biomass energy that can be used on a much larger scale. 1.4 Geothermal Geothermal energy is identified as power extracted from heat stored in the earth. It has a long history of use, from simple ways such as bathing to the modern use; that of generating electricity. In recent years, geothermal power has developed but still only supplies around 0.5% of the global electricity. Geothermal power is identified as cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. However there are setbacks in the development of the energy. The main negative aspect of geothermal energy is that it is has been historically limited to regions that are close to or on tectonic plate boundaries (Craddock, 1998) Geothermal power works through a relatively simple process, exploiting the heat of the earth and transforming it into electricity. Figure 9 highlights how this process occurs. Capehart (2007) underlines the abundance of geothermal power and states that the resource base for the power can be drawn from shallow ground to hot water and rock several miles below the Earth’s surface to even further down, to molten rock known as magma (Capehart, 2007:377). There are three types of geothermal power plants operating in the world today. These are dry steam plants, flash steam plants and binary cycle plants. Dry steam plants directly use geothermal steam to turn turbines. Flash steam plants pull deep, high pressure hot water into lower pressure tanks and use the resulting flashed steam to drive the turbines. Binary cycle plants pass moderately hot geothermal water by a secondary fluid to flash to vapour and then this vapour then drives the turbines (Capehart, 2007:337). Geothermal energy is seen as very reliable in that it has an average system availability of 90-95%. This is far higher than other sources of renewable energy. There is however a negative aspect in the aesthetics of the geothermal power plants, with many scholars highlighting the unattractive nature of the plants (figure 10) as well as negative public opinion on this matter (Saunders, 2007). The benefits of geothermal power have been harnessed by countries such as Iceland and the United States for a number of years but only now is the United Kingdom beginning to realise the potential of this renewable energy process. An article by Morris (2009) notes that with the recent development of planning for the United Kingdom’s first geothermal energy plant, the most suited region may be that of Cornwall due to the granite located there lending itself to the process. Morris (2009) emphasises that those behind the Eden scheme believe that Cornwall could provide as much as 10% of the United Kingdom’s electricity for the next one hundred years from geothermal plants. He also identifies other granite basements in the north of England and the north-east of Scotland. Geothermal power is therefore a currently underdeveloped source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom but has the potential to become a reliable and environmentally friendly source of power over the next few decades. The development of technology should also help to strengthen the support behind geothermal energy, given that at any location on earth, deep down in the core there is the potential energy for geothermal power. If developments can be made the energy to be harnessed away from tectonic plate boundaries, then the power of geothermal energy could perhaps become unrivalled when compared to other renewable energy sources. The literature review will continue this debate as to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular renewable energy resource. 2: Literature Review This literature review will provide part of the secondary research into the research question posed at the beginning of the work. The aim; to identify successful alternative renewable energy sources to replace that of non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) that currently are in demand today. Morgan (2007:9) stresses that while fossil fuels bring enormous benefits to the world, in term of the production of mass energy that has allowed global industry and technology, as well as levels of living to rise rapidly in the last one hundred and fifty years, there a number of negative aspects to non-renewable energy sources. The limited nature of the resources is one, but also the affects that the use of coal, oil and natural gas has on the environment is also a key factor in the need to develop renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly. Therefore this literature review will attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the four main renewable energy types; solar, wind, biomass and geothermal and highlight a possible successful candidate or candidates that could take over in producing the large majority of global energy. In this manner, the four main types will need to be analysed in a number of key areas; cost, effectiveness, affect to the environment and aesthetics. Cost A good overview is provided by Freris Infield (2008). They highlight that after the United Kingdom government set the target of achieving 20% renewable energy in electricity supply by the year 2020, it became possible to analyse a cost for the proposed energy developments. An analysis completed in 2003 suggested that the extra cost for the development of renewable energy processes would represent an additional 0.3p/kWh on consumer electricity bills. This was focused primarily on wind power, as wind power is expected to contribute the majority of the renewable energy target (Freris Infield, 2008:215). Other scholars also support the view that wind power is the most expensive of the renewable energy processes. Ackermann (2005:300) acknowledges that the use of wind energy in remote areas is an exceedingly expensive option when trying to harness power from the earth, rather than using non-renewable energy sources. Quaak, Knoef and Stassen (1999) indicate their preferred method, through cost analysis, is that of Biomass. They state that the initial start up costs are less expensive than wind, solar and geothermal energy plants and also the longevity of the plants as compared to that of wind turbines (that need parts replacing on a regular basis) is a key factor in the cost analysis and that biomass is by far the cheapest of the renewable energy sources currently available (Quaark, Knoef Stassen, 1999:1). However, although Walker (2007) identifies that biomass is currently the cheapest form of energy, the scholar also states that solar power could become, over time, the cheapest form of energy. While solar panels are expensive, this is only because of the low number of them. Walker (2007:7) notes that solar cells would become dramatically less expensive if more people bought them, allowing the solar cell companies to reduce prices due to a healthy competition. The simple nature of solar power, combined with a drop in prices could aid the overall cost of the energy source, allowing it to become cheap and competitive with other renewable energy sources. Sass Duffield support the view of the cheap costs of geothermal energy as opposed to wind, biomass and solar energies. They state that geothermal energy, despite high initial installation and start-up costs, can dramatically lower monthly energy bills and therefore in the long term, or within a few years, the cumulative energy savings e qual the extra up-front costs and can become less expensive than other forms of energy. An interesting viewpoint is provided by Orr (2009:23) who indicates that at the current time, none of the existing renewable energies are cost effective and it is why governments across the globe are having to provide grants to develop them. The competitive nature of global society means that only cost effective and profit generating products succeed. Therefore, designers of renewable energy processes need to find ways to lower the costs of purchase for these energies in an attempt to rival cheaper and more established fossil fuel production. It is only in this way that renewable energies can hope to develop rapidly; to the benefit of the Earth. Effectiveness and reliability The effectiveness and reliability of an energy source is the most fundamental issue that surrounds its development. An energy that has low levels of effectiveness and low reliability rates will usually never be mass developed, due to the restrictive nature and high costs to gain a substantial yield. Wind power is suggested to have a relatively high effectiveness rating by Spilsbury Spilsbury (2007). However, other scholars stress that wind power is the least effective of all of the different renewable energies due to the loss of potential power through its design (Petersen, 1999). Other energies such as geothermal, with a 95% availability (Bracaloni et al, 1995) have a far higher efficiency rating. Quaark, Knoef Stassen (1999:52) also highlight the relative low efficiency rating of biomass energy, stating that conditions at times only allow a 25-35% efficiency rating. Lomborg (2001:134) stresses that the efficiency of solar cells is also around the 20% mark, indicating that geother mal energy is far more efficient that other forms of renewable energy. Environmental effects One of the key weaknesses of the fossil fuels and their use in energy production today is the negative effects that they have on the environment. The creation of carbon dioxide from the processes needed to create energy from coal, oil and natural gas has acted as a catalyst in lowering climate conditions across the globe. Therefore, one of the main aims for new renewable energy sources is to promote an environmentally friendly strategy. Lomborg (2001) identifies that one of the renewable energy sources being discussed lacks this strategy. Lomborg stresses that biomass energy production gives rise to a slew of pollution problems such as suspended particles, sulphur, nickel, cadmium and lead. This is supported by the Council of Europe (no date) who indicate that the weakness of biomass energy is that it produces relatively large amounts of fine particles and often also other air pollution like polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Compared to this, the Council stress that wind energy only causes some carbon dioxide and fine particle emissions in the construction phase, whereas solar energy appears to be the most environmentally friendly of the renewable energies. Chiras (2009) identifies this and supports the notion that solar power is perhaps the most environmentally friendly of all of the renewable energies. The construction phase causes less emissions than any other renewable source and the fact that industrial plants (such as that used for biomass and geothermal energy) are not required for solar power means that like wind power, once constructed there is no harm to the environment, with the solar panels soaking up the heat of the sun and transferring this into energy. Aesthetics The aesthetics of renewable energy is a key factor in gaining support for possible renewable energy sources. Gipe (2004) stresses that wind power often comes under a lot of scrutiny due to the developments of horizontal axis wind turbines that dominant certain landscapes. Gipe indicates that communities are generally against these being developed because of the ugly aesthetical factor. However, he also notes that due to the nature of wind turbines and wind energy, these locations are generally remote and therefore do not affect the majority of people. There is also the development of wind turbines at sea, which could possibly aid the reduction of resentment towards wind turbines. Moreover, Scheer (2007:200) underlines that the rejection of wind power on grounds of aesthetic landscape pollution is treacherous and short-sighted and cites key examples of previous architecture such as skyscrapers as precedents. He also argues that the benefits of wind power far outweigh any argument on a esthetics and therefore feels it is a pointless debate. Chandrasekharam and Bundschuh (2002) feel that there is a similar argument for geothermal and biomass energy plants. The aesthetic factor may often be overriding but the success of creating environmentally friendly (geothermal in particular), renewable energy should outweigh any decision as to the aesthetical impact of these new sources of energy. Summary A number of key concepts were analysed in this literature review. The review suggests that opinions over renewable energy sources and their potential success rates are divided. While there appears to be agreement in the literature over the importance of developing renewable energy sources due to the fact that fossil fuel supplies are decreasing dramatically and that they have an adverse effect on the environment, there is real debate as to the preferred methods of renewable energy. Perhaps the most important contributing factor may come down to cost, and the literature review suggested that the current cost for all renewable energy forms are too high and