Friday, November 29, 2019

A Trampwomans Tragedy free essay sample

A Trampwomans Tragedy According to  The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Thomas Hardy’s poems often â€Å"illustrate the perversity of fate,† â€Å"the disastrous or ironic coincidence,† or â€Å"some aspect of human sorrow or loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Greenblatt). In â€Å"A Trampwoman’s Tragedy,† a narrative poem about people who make terrible decisions that yield terrible consequences, Hardy utilizes irony and fate to explore traditional gender roles and their effects on the human condition. The poem contains the sorrow, regret, and anger that are characteristic undertones in much of Hardy’s poetry. In â€Å"A Trampwoman’s Tragedy,† Hardy uses characters that embody negative gender stereotypes to emphasize the themes of destined justice and loss. There are two female characters in the poem, the speaker and Mother Lee, and they both portray, through their actions and inactions, negative female stereotypes. For example, the speaker of the poem is presented as a manipulative tease. She also seems rather stupid and careless because she lacks the foresight to predict the negative consequences of her unnecessarily cruel joke. We will write a custom essay sample on A Trampwomans Tragedy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hardy writes in section five, â€Å"I teased my fancy-man in play/And wanton idleness. It appears the speaker is presenting her actions as a harmless joke, yet she uses the adjective â€Å"wanton† to describe how she teased her lover. This adjective was originally used only to describe women, and a few of the most common definitions for â€Å"wanton† include â€Å"unchaste,† â€Å"ill-mannered,† and â€Å"undisciplined† (Oxford English Dictionary). Hardy’s use of â€Å"wanton† suggests that the speaker is incapable of controlling her actions, so she uses her time to create manipulative games that have serious consequences. For example, her game utilizes of a classic female method of manipulating men: pregnancy. Women who force men into further commitment through false pregnancy are the ultimate immoral manipulators. Also, the title of the poem, and the speaker’s actions throughout most of the story, give the impression that the female speaker may not be faithful to one man, so manipulation through pregnancy would be a convenient way for her to find a lasting mate without being stifled by concepts like faithfulness and fidelity. Hardy creates, with the speaker of his poem, a female character that commits deeds that amount to a classic woman-causes-the-fall-of-man situation on an individual scale. The only time in the poem when the speaker demonstrates intelligence is when she is manipulating men and causing destruction. She effortlessly causes two men to fall into her trap, yet she is incapable of using that same intelligence to think about possible outcomes for her actions. If Hardy intended for readers to believe that the speaker has genuine feelings for her lover, the best possible interpretation of her character is that she is stupid and misguided. If Hardy intended for readers to believe that the speaker does not feel real love toward her lover, then she is cruel and morally bankrupt. No matter what Hardy’s intentions, however, both interpretations lend themselves to negative female stereotypes. The only other female character in the poem, Mother Lee, represents gender negativity, as well. â€Å"Mother† was often a term used to address women who lacked education or money, and was also a title occasionally used to convey â€Å"mock respect† (Oxford English Dictionary). If this is the case in the poem, it is emphasized by the lack of insight that Mother Lee lends to the situation. She is a character that seems to serve little purpose in the story, except to be the silent companion of the speaker. Mother Lee, as she is represented, is an older and quieter version of the speaker. She says nothing when the speaker is playing her games, and she fails to react in a significant way to any occurrence in the poem, violent or otherwise. Furthermore, â€Å"Mother† implies that she should be a mentor or maternal figure. She fails at either role because she offers no input to help or guide any of the characters. Where the speaker is stupid and reckless, Mother Lee is complacent and uncaring. Mother Lee is useless as a character, except to emphasize her uselessness, so Hardy may have included her for the purpose of depicting another negative female image—that of an indifferent spectator, contributing nothing to a dangerous situation. The male characters are also representative of negative gender stereotypes. John is motivated to participate in the speaker’s manipulation by either sex with the speaker or competition with her lover. Although the speaker initiates the interaction with John by placing his hand on her waist, he finishes it by pulling her into his lap. He is an active participant, and because the game becomes physical, he seems at least partially motivated by sex. Also, the speaker refers to John as â€Å"jeering John,† both when she introduces him and when she begins her game. The act of â€Å"jeering† means that John has a condescending, and perhaps mocking, attitude. When the speaker’s lover murders John, Hardy writes that â€Å"He let out jeering Johnny’s life. By referring to him as â€Å"jeering Johnny† on the occasion of his death, Hardy accomplishes two things: 1) He establishes that John’s â€Å"jeering† or attitude is part of the reason for his death, and 2) He conveys that dominance has been established between the two men. The only time John is referred to as â€Å"Johnny† is after he is stabbed. By using the diminutive of Johnâ₠¬â„¢s name, Hardy establishes that the men fight for nothing more than dominance and sex, making the two men seem animalistic and unreasonable. The presentation of a violent male existence that is ruled by competition and sex plays on the common archetype of the aggressive man fighting for a woman. The speaker’s â€Å"fancy-man† symbolizes negativity in a more subtle way; he evolves from a seemingly calm and courteous gentleman to an aggressive and impulsive animal in a few poetic lines, suggesting that his professed feelings are fabricated. When â€Å"fancy-man† first asks the speaker about the child she carries, he does so it in a very respectful fashion. He says, â€Å"My only Love to me: ‘One word,/ My lady, if you please! Whose is the child you are like to bear? When she implies that the child is John’s, the speaker’s lover, in response, reacts in a very typically male, aggressive way toward competition and heartbreak. Instead of being overcome by sadness or openly conveying his feeling of betrayal, he fails to think through his actions, and a useless, unseeing anger clouds his more benign thoughts or emotions. His inability and unwillingness to think through his extreme actions provide evidence of his lack of genuine respect for his lover, implying that his feelings for her may have been forced as a result of pregnancy. Although, at first, it seems the speaker and her lover share genuine feelings of love and affection, neither party considers the other when they make decisions. Because the characters fit the mold of extremely negative gender stereotypes, they act in ways that are immature and unreasonable. The stupidity of their actions is matched by the tragedy of their fates. The end of the story, then, serves as a kind of destined justice during which John and the speaker’s lover are punished with the loss of their lives, and the speaker s punished with the loss of her lover, her companions, and her baby. In an ironic twist of fate, we discover that the speaker is truly faithful to her lover and her lover genuinely concerned with her well-being, yet their stereotypical roles and the decisions they make within them sufficiently conceal their true benevolent feelings in a veil of seeming maliciousness, jealousy and stupidity. Because the characters are confined to these roles, their actions yield punishment far exceeding that of a typical prank, which is how the chain reaction ending in death and destruction begins. The speaker and her accomplice, although their crimes were nothing more than a fabrication meant to tease, suffer the greatest punishment. Though all the characters experience loss as a result of their actions, it is the two characters involved in the initial joke who suffer the most. Mother Lee dies quietly in a way that seems the least like punishment, which is fitting because she played a role in the action only through her silence. Furthermore, the ghost of the speaker’s lover â€Å"smiled, and thinned away† when the speaker tells the truth. Despite the fact that his actions cause his own death, Hardy allows the readers to believe that â€Å"fancy-man† finds happiness after death because the truth pleases him at last. In contrast, John dies a painful, bloody death as a result of his apparent betrayal, and the speaker loses everyone and is forever cursed to wander alone. Hardy concludes the poem with the lines, â€Å"’Tis past! And here alone I stray/Haunting the Western Moor. Because the speaker’s actions set into motion every terrible occurrence in the poem, directly or indirectly, her loss is the greatest. Her character is reduced to little more than a ghostly apparition, caught between life and death, wandering alone forever. The punishment and loss that are evident at the end of the poem affect the people involved most deeply in the conflict. Hardy allows the punishment to fit the crime creating a sense justice and fairness are key threads in the fabric of fate. Thomas Hardy’s â€Å"A Trampwoman’s Tragedy† fits the characteristic mold of his poetry. He presents his usual themes in a very interesting way, however, by drawing attention to negative gender stereotypes and their consequences. Although it seems as if Hardy is presenting an anti-feminist viewpoint, he follows it with an equally disdainful criticism of his own gender. Hardy, therefore, is making a rather ambiguous statement about strict gender roles and is, instead, focusing his attention on the consequences of the behavior that the negative gender roles warrant. He maintains his characteristic ironic view of loss and its distinct role in the course of life. In this poem, however, the amount of loss one experiences is directly related to one’s misdeeds, creating an impression of inescapable justice.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Literary Analysis of all Quiet on the Western Front essays

Literary Analysis of all Quiet on the Western Front essays War causes many losses, including countless human lives, property, money, and innocence. The loss of innocence unravels the very core of existence. Prior to World War I, Paul Baumers character enjoyed his youthful exuberance, yet as the war progresses, his naivete vanishes and he becomes hardened by the violent environment. The reality of the war exacerbates Pauls soul as he changes from boy to man. In Erich Maria Remarques novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul metamorphoses through symbolism, irony, and imagery resulting in a loss of innocence. Pauls inner change, expressed by imagery, begins to appear in his physical features. Remarque illustrates this when he writes, Our faces are neither paler nor more flushed than usual; they are not more tense no more flabby yet they are changed. This look into Pauls thoughts presents a clear picture of the outer changes conflicting with inner turmoil. Even though violence destroys coherent thinking, the soldiers remain unchanged in appearance. Pauls description of several graphic scenes also portrays the lack of emotion that often occurs in war. Pauls change occurs instantly when he experiences the difference between the comforts of home and the horrors of war. The period of leave which Paul takes, almost unwillingly, finalizes his knowledge that the war drastically changed his life. His encounter with the books in his room symbolizes the transformation from an innocent, curious boy to a determined yet hardened soldier. This symbol brings about the turning point of the novel as Paul states, Speak to me take me up take me, Life of my Youth you who are care-free, beautiful receive me again , realizing the impossibility of a return to his former life. Paul knows now, thanks to this symbol, that though his former life meant nothing, his future life also lacks significance. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Durkheim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Durkheim - Essay Example For myself, I found out how a functioning community could be formed with a purpose and over a certain moral outlook. I believe Randall Collins helped me to view my experience as stemming from certain concepts in Emile Durkheim and in Erving Goffman's theories of interaction ritual. Discussion Randall Collins outlined several important points of Durkheim in going over the recent history of sociology, its theory, and while also developing the theories of Erving Goffman interaction ritual. I stood as an 'outsider' that one day before walking up the stairs to the meeting room of the organization which I should call here the Volunteer Tutor Society (VTS). The organization had a good track record. It had placed groups of trained volunteers into several elementary schools of the city's African American community to conduct hour long tutoring sessions with groups of African American students who were in need. I saw myself as an 'outsider' who sought to become a member of 'insiders', a group that was already socially functioning. In Collins' words I sought the social situation in which "individuality and egotism are oriented toward socially constructed goals" (p. 22). There was a situational reality that was taking place. It was one VTS had already formed from which they reflected a successful record with over several years of contracts with the city's school administration. I wasn't aware of all the challenges, but I knew there were many in educating the youth. Also I wasn't particularly a racially minded individual, although I had friends who would have questioned my motives and who would have probably criticized me. I wasn't the 'do-goody' type and was actually rather shy. But I have always been a person of purpose and I was intent on doing my so-called part in changing the world. All of these things were going through my mind as I entered the room. The room was filled. There were a few people sitting at long tables at the front facing the audience of about 50 or 60- so people sitting on unfolded metal chairs. I immediately felt a difference as most of the people were African American women of different colors. From the way they dressed, I could see most of them were professionals or middle class. There were also a few African American men, young and old and dressed all kinds of ways. Some seemed to have just come from a good job and some looked as if they had come from the community, dressed plain. One person was dressed in African garb. The ages were from young to what seemed like old and retired age. This wasn't the first time I had been with this group of people, as we had all met a few weeks ago to take tests. The ones present, and myself, had apparently passed the tests. But what was most interesting about the group was that there were other 'outsiders' like myself. There were even a couple of oriental faces, and there were whites, a couple of white men and three white women, me being the fourth. I took a seat, waiting in anticipation for what would happen. I guessed I had gotten there just in time for things to start. People were tossing empty cups of coffee into the trash or setting back into their seats with napkins of cookies. A young woman entered from a side room that had the administrative office and I immediately recognized her as the operating manager. What was strange was that she was white and also I

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Forces of Capitalism and Global Economic Interdependence Research Paper

The Forces of Capitalism and Global Economic Interdependence - Research Paper Example According to the United Nations Human Development Index, the development includes a variety of attributes and is not solely an economic consideration. The Human Development Index, or HDI, explores development using a wide net and combines a variety of social indicators in its index to account for development including life expectancy, rates of literacy, GDP per capita, educational opportunity, standards of living, and opportunities for advances for women, etc. HDI is used to measure the development of a particular country and focuses on a variety of indicators to do so. Sustainable development, the belief that development can sustain itself, promotes development not only now but also in the future. Development which is long-term and not focuses only on the immediacy is said to be sustainable. The UN Human Development Index explores the sustainability of development and views development through a wide lens. Since the purpose of this analysis is economic development however, the follo wing will focus more on economic modes of development, while keeping in mind the important indexes put forth by the United Nations. The following will discuss capitalist development as the primary engine of economic growth in a global era (United Nations 2008). Capitalism is arguably the most well-known model of economic development and growth and is responsible for the globalization of international trade, foreign capital and the growth and development of much of the Western world (excluding Cuba and including Australia, which is commonly included in economic analyses of the â€Å"West†).

Monday, November 18, 2019

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Book Review - Essay Example to the authors, a small group of remarkable leaders and scholars has been changing the world by influencing people’s behavior and they encourage the readers to be influencers. They maintain that it is essential to find vital behaviors as big problems succumb to changes in just few behaviors and that changing behavior requires changing minds. In the second part of the book, the authors deal with the six sources of influence to make change inevitable and they are personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability. Personal motivation is important to make the undesirables desirable and to overcome reluctance and resistance by connecting to values. Personal ability helps one in surpassing one’s limits and it is important to overinvest in learning how to master skills and emotions, because new behavior requires new skills. Social motivation is another important source of influence as it straps up peer press ures. Another significant factor is social ability which amplifies influence through just-in-time teamwork. Structural motivation and structural ability help one in designing rewards and demanding accountability and changing the environment. â€Å"There is a growing body of knowledge as well as impressive supply of real-life success stories that teach exactly how to change almost any human behavior. Read the scholarly works of Dr. Albert Bandura. Then watch what Dr. Mimi Silbert does at Delancey Street. These two influencers alone demonstrate that, if you know what you’re doing, you can indeed change remarkably resistant behavior.† (Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan and Switzler, 2007, p 253). Therefore, Influencer: The Power to Change Anything is an essential book dealing with the strategies to develop influencers who can replace bad behaviors with powerful new skills, motivate others to change, and make things happen. In a reflective exploration of the book Influencer: The Power to Change

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Alternative Sources Of Energy

Alternative Sources Of Energy Bio-fuels are formed from biomass, normally plants seeds, and liquid bio fuels can be use for transportation. We are one of the worlds leading distributors of bio fuels and we are developing enhanced bio fuels that could see CO2 reductions and a sustainable alternative fuel source. The two main forms of bio fuel today are ethanol and FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters), which have largely relied on food crops such as wheat or sugar cane as their source. We are working to find a source material that does not compete with food crops, to develop a conversion process that will produce low CO2, and to produce efficient fuels. Our bio fuels research includes finding alternative feedstocks. We are looking into finding tough new enzymes to break down the cellulose in plants such as straw. Algae have potential as a sustainable source of vegetable oil that could be used for the production of bio fuel for diesel engines. It is early days but algae hold promise, as they grow rapidly and can be cultivated in ponds of seawater and minimise the use of fertile land and fresh water. Alternative Energy The world has plenty of potential renewable energy sources, but each has its own technical challenges. Scientists are working to develop alternative energy sources that are sustainable, clean and convenient. Fossil fuels are expected to remain the worlds main source of energy for decades to come but sustainable, clean and convenient energy sources will also be needed in the mix. Todays most widespread biofuel, ethanol, is commonly made from starchy or sugary plants. Hydrogen is seen by many as the fuel of the future, but it still has a long way to go. It is an energy carrier, in the same way as electricity, and so must be produced from another substance. Most commonly, hydrogen is produced using steam that reacts with methane and converts it into hydrogen and carbon. It can also be produced from water through electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be stored and converted to energy via hydrogen fuel cells, now available for cars. In hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a chemical reaction inside the fuel cell usually between hydrogen and oxygen creates electricity for the motor and the only resulting exhaust pipe emission is water vapour. We are learning as much as possible about hydrogen refuelling and how to meet future customer needs. We are involved in research and demonstration projects and have already opened a cluster of commercial hydrogen filling stations. biomass Biomass is any plant derived organic matter available on a renewable basis, including dedicated energy crops and trees, agricultural food and feed crops, agricultural crop wastes and residues, wood wastes and residues, aquatic plants etc. The energy in biomass can be harnessed in waste-to-energy plants or cogeneration plants. Waste-to-Energy Plants All incinerable waste not recovered, reused or recycled is sent for incineration at the waste-to-energy plants operated by the National Environment Agency. The combustion of municipal waste including renewables in the waste produce heat, which is recovered to generate electricity. The electricity generated is fed into the electricity grid. The biomass in Singapores municipal waste are mainly wood waste, horticultural waste, food waste and waste paper. Waste-To-Energy Plants Turbine Capacity (MW) Ulu Pandan Incineration Plant 16 Tuas Incineration Plant 46 Senoko Incineration Plant 56 Tuas South Incineration Plant 80 Biomass Cogeneration Plants Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, both of which are used. Through the utilisation of the heat, the efficiency of cogeneration plant can reach 80% or more. Cogeneration therefore offers energy savings ranging between 15-40% when compared to the supply of electricity and heat from conventional power stations and boilers. Cogeneration plants that use biomass fuel are carbon-neutral compared to those using fossil fuels. Two companies, M/s ECO-IEE Pte Ltd and M/s Bee Joo Industries Pte Ltd have biomass cogeneration plants. The ECO cogeneration plant has a turbine capacity of 0.53 MW and uses wood waste as fuel. The Bee Joo cogeneration plant has turbine capacity of 1.0 MW and uses wood waste and horticulture waste as fuel. Alkaline fuel cells (AFC) Alkaline fuel cells use compressed hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. They normally operate at 70-90 °C, with 300-5000 W of power at about 25-30% system efficiency. The Apollo astronauts used alkaline fuel cells to provide both electricity and drinking water. However, pure hydrogen fuel was used. More information on AFCs may be found here. TOP Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) Phosphoric acid fuel cells use phosphoric acid as the electrolyte to produce electricity. Types of fuel that PAFCs can use include anaerobic digester gas, natural gas, gasoline, etc. They operate at 190-215 °C, generating up to 200 kW of power at about 35-40% efficiency. The internal parts of the fuel cell must be able to withstand the corrosive acid. More information on PAFCs may be found here. TOP Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (also known as polymer electrolyte fuel cells) use a polymer-based electrolyte, typically in a thin, permeable sheet. This membrane must not leak or crack, while a platinum catalyst must also be coated on both sides of the membrane. The operating temperature is about 70-90 °C, with outputs of between 1W and 20 http://www.nccc.gov.sg/renewables/fct.shtm (1 of 2) [17/7/2010 2:07:03 AM] Fuel Cell Technologies kW of power. System efficiency is about 30-35%. The low temperature makes PEMFCs suitable for use in homes and cars. The fuel (typically hydrogen) must also be highly purified. Natural gas can also be reformed to produce hydrogen for fuel cells. More information on PEMFCs may be found here. TOP Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) Molten carbonate fuel cells use high-temperature carbonates (of sodium or magnesium) as the electrolyte for generating electricity. Hence, the normal operating temperature is around 600-650 °C, producing 250 kW 2 MW of power at about 45-50% efficiency. Waste heat produced by the reaction can be utilized to maximize system efficiency. This also means that MCFCs would be too hot for home applications. More information on MCFCs may be found here. TOP Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) Solid oxide fuel cells use a hard, ceramic compound of metallic oxides (of calcium or zirconium) as the electrolyte. They normally operate at about 700-1,000 °C, producing up to 100 kW of power. System efficiency is around 50-55%. At such temperatures, reformers are not necessary for producing hydrogen from fuels, eg natural gas. Waste heat from SOFCs can also be recovered for use in other applications, eg making more electricity. However, SOFCs are large in size, hence limiting its applications. More information on SOFCs may be found here. Introduction The tide moves a huge amount of water twice each day, and harnessing it could provide a great deal of energy around 20% of Britains needs. Although the energy supply is reliable and plentiful, converting it into useful electrical power is not easy. There are eight main sites around Britain where tidal power stations could usefully be built, including the Severn, Dee, Solway and Humber estuaries. Only around 20 sites in the world have been identified as possible tidal power stations. A few years ago, tidal powermeant tidal barrage. But these days there are other options as well. How it works: Tidal Barrages These work rather like a hydro-electricscheme, except that the dam is muchbigger. A huge dam (called a barrage) is built across a river estuary. When the tide goes in and out, the water flows through tunnels in the dam. The ebb and flow of the tides can be used to turn a turbine, or it can be used to push air through a pipe, which then turns a turbine. Large lock gates, like the ones used on canals, allow ships to pass. If one was built across the Severn Estuary, the tides at Weston-super-Mare would not go out nearly as far thered be water to play in for most of the time. But the Severn Estuary carries sewage and other wastes from many places (e.g. Bristol Gloucester) out to sea. A tidal barrage would mean that this stuff would hang around Weston-super-Mare an awful lot longer! Also, if youre one of the 80,000+ birds that feeds on the exposed mud flats when the tide goes out, then you have a problem, because the tide wont be going out properly any more. Advantages Once youve built it, tidal power is free. It produces no greenhouse gases or other waste. It needs no fuel. It produces electricity reliably. Not expensive to maintain. Tides are totally predictable. Offshore turbines and vertical-axis turbines are not ruinously expensive to build and do not have a large environmental impact. Disadvantages A barrage across an estuary is very expensive to build, and affects a very wide area the environment is changed for many miles upstream and downstream. Many birds rely on the tide uncovering the mud flats so that they can feed. Fish cant migrate, unless fish ladders are installed. Only provides power for around 10 hours each day, when the tide is actually moving in or out. There are few suitable sites for tidal barrages Is it renewable? Tidal energy is renewable. The tides will continue to ebb and flow, and the energy is there for the taking. Can tidal energy work in Singapore? Windmill under the sea The New Paper 11 Nov 08; This week, Singapore hosted the International Energy Week where policy makers from all over the world met academics and industry players to talk about energy options and strategies for the future. CHNG CHOON HIONG looks at tidal energy as it is used in the UK while TEH JEN LEE asks whether it could work here. PICTURE a 37m-tall, 1,000-tonne windmill that is submerged under the sea and you get a good idea of what the SeaGen Tidal Energy generator is. 11 November 2008 PICTURE a 37m-tall, 1,000-tonne windmill that is submerged under the sea and you get a good idea of what the SeaGen Tidal Energy generator is. Situated in Strangford Narrows, off the coast of Northen Ireland, the SeaGen is the worlds first commercial-scale tidal energy turbine, harnessing the virtually inexhaustible energy carried by tidal currents. Tidal currents are caused by the gravitational interaction between the earth and the moon arising from their relative motion. As such, the tidal cycle is perfectly predictable, an advantage over power generated by wind and sunlight. There are, however, some drawbacks in harnessing tidal power. It has some prerequisites which limit its use to just a few regions in the world. There are also worries such as the possible disruption of marine life and the ecosystem. However, the concerns about damaging the ecosystem are yet to be firmly established. Costing more than  £8.5 million ($20 million) in development, the SeaGen is commissioned for operation till 2013. During this time, it will generate 1,200kW of clean renewable power, enough to provide for the electrical needs of 1,000 UK households. Can this work in Singapore? USING current technology, Singapore cannot harness tidal energy because our mean tidal range of about 1.7m is too low. The New Paper 11 Nov 08 USING current technology, Singapore cannot harness tidal energy because our mean tidal range of about 1.7m is too low. Mean tidal range is the difference in height between mean low water and mean high water levels during spring tides, which occur during new moon and full moon, when there is greatest variation in tides. The tidal range is low all around South-east Asia because of the configuration of the land fairly straight coastlines which are surrounded by seas. In contrast, there are beaches in some countries elsewhere with a tidal range of more than 10m. For example, in the Bay of Fundy on the Atlantic coast of North America, home to the worlds highest tides, the tidal range has been measured in excess of 15m. These high tides produce swift-flowing currents when the tide is coming in and going out. In Singapore, because of the low tidal range, the tidal currents are not strong enough to generate electricity. It would be like trying to get power from water flowing through a monsoon drain. Professor Teh Tiong Sa, visiting senior fellow at the Tropical Marine Science Institute, said: To have viable energy from tides, the higher the tidal range the better. For Singapore, its too low to even think about it now, unless technology changes and things become more efficient. Singapore, August 12 Somewhere off the coast of Invergordon in Scotland on Thursday, the worlds largest tidal turbine will be unveiled, marking a turning point in the global renewable tidal energy industry. This turbine, which can generate consistent electricity to power 1,000 British homes, may be located thousands of miles from Singapore but it represents a key moment for the city-states growing clean technology or cleantech industry. This is because the AK1000 turbine, as it is called, was tested in Singapore waters and designed on Singapores shores during key periods of its 10-year research history. Chief executive Timothy Cornelius of Atlantis Resources Corporation the firm behind the turbine said the unveiling and installation of the one megawatt turbine was the culmination of 10 years of hard work and belief from all partners and staff. It is an important milestone not only for Atlantis, which has invested S$100 million of private investors funds into developing the turbine to date, but for the global marine power industry, he said. This is when ocean power generation goes from being in the research space to the commercial space. The company, which originated in Australia before moving its headquarters to Singapore five years ago, is now looking at possible locations to build a manufacturing plant that will mass produce its turbines for commercial application. Dwindling fossil fuel resources and growing concern on its negative impact on global climate change has resulted in a global race for clean energy in recent years. Tidal energy has potential to be a key energy source for a world grappling with rapid urbanisation. Apart from Scotland, countries such as Japan and India have vast untapped tidal energy resources that could be converted into renewable energy, thus reducing the countrys reliance on fossil fuels, said Mr Cornelius. If all goes well, the firm will begin looking to list on an Asian bourse possibly in Singapore next year, he added. He credited the companys success to its move to Singapore, where the firm had access to a highly-skilled labour workforce and research collaborations with institutions such as Nanyang Technological University. It now has a local staff of 15. Singapore has strong intellectual property laws too, which was a key pull factor for us, he said. The turbine was also tested in the southern waters of Singapore near the Raffles lighthouse in 2008 to collect key data. Its waters are however too busy due to shipping routes for tidal energy to be tapped, added Mr Cornelius. When installed, the AK1000 turbine weighing 150 tonnes and at a height of 22.5 metres, will sit at a dedicated berth at the European Marine Energy Centre, located in Scotlands Orkney. It costs about US$3 million for one turbine and the payback period is five to 10 years depending on the flow rate of the waves, he added. Cleantech director Goh Chee Kiong of the Economic Development Board said yesterday that Atlantiss presence in Singapore will increase the vibrancy of the fast-growing cleantech industry here. This project affirms Singapores attractiveness as a global home for cleantech businesses, said Mr Goh, who also highlighted that Atlantis benefitted from Singapores strengths in existing industry clusters such as precision engineering, offshore and marine. Atlantis said it is now actively pursuing projects in the Asia Pacific region, especially to power hungry markets. We are confident of developing tidal power as a credible new renewable asset class in Asia, said Mr Cornelius. Source: The Straits Times

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

William Jobling Essay -- Papers

William Jobling We have been exploring the true story of William Joblings tragic life. He was a miner from Jarrow in Newcastle, who in 1832, whilst on a miners strike, was falsely accused of the murder of a local magistrate called Nicolas Fairles. The real murderer was Ralph Armstrong, one of Joblings best friends and fellow miner. The stimulus came from a plaque that accompanied a statue of William Jobling in Jarrow. All improvisations came from that initial stimulus. As the stimulus was about a time long ago, and of a topic I was unfamiliar with, mining, I thought it would prove to be difficult. This story provides lots of interesting and exciting stimulus for drama through its various themes such as friendship, despair and betrayal. My group chose to follow the themes of comradeship, poverty, deceit, despair and friendship. These themes are especially evident in parts of the plot where the following characters and relationships are presented: Comradeship must have played a vital part in Joblings life when everyone agreed to go on strike. People like Armstrong and Hepburn, the leader of the strike, must have displayed comradeship to agree or to devise such a venture. So we decided our first scene would be around the fabricating of the strike. Times must have been hard when the miners were on strike and no money was coming in to the households. Jobling's and other miners' wives and families must have suffered from poverty at these times. Our second scene was to be an informative improvisation about these hardships. To leave your best friend to blame for a murder you committed is extremely deceiving. Deceit... ... went to plan. Everyone was mature and played their part well. It proved to them that making an effort does count. My only disappointment was the lighting in the murder scene. I had planned that every time Armstrong struck Fairles, there would be a blackout then the lights would return. The synchronising of this was bad and didn't give the effect we wanted. If I have learnt anything from this piece, it would be that using your rehearsal time wisely is essential in producing a high quality play plus it doesn't take years off your life in worry. I would also make it clear to other people in my group, that if they weren't prepared to put in sufficient effort and compromise then they would have to find another group as I didn't enjoy having to make all the decisions and trying to motivate people who couldn't care less. William Jobling Essay -- Papers William Jobling We have been exploring the true story of William Joblings tragic life. He was a miner from Jarrow in Newcastle, who in 1832, whilst on a miners strike, was falsely accused of the murder of a local magistrate called Nicolas Fairles. The real murderer was Ralph Armstrong, one of Joblings best friends and fellow miner. The stimulus came from a plaque that accompanied a statue of William Jobling in Jarrow. All improvisations came from that initial stimulus. As the stimulus was about a time long ago, and of a topic I was unfamiliar with, mining, I thought it would prove to be difficult. This story provides lots of interesting and exciting stimulus for drama through its various themes such as friendship, despair and betrayal. My group chose to follow the themes of comradeship, poverty, deceit, despair and friendship. These themes are especially evident in parts of the plot where the following characters and relationships are presented: Comradeship must have played a vital part in Joblings life when everyone agreed to go on strike. People like Armstrong and Hepburn, the leader of the strike, must have displayed comradeship to agree or to devise such a venture. So we decided our first scene would be around the fabricating of the strike. Times must have been hard when the miners were on strike and no money was coming in to the households. Jobling's and other miners' wives and families must have suffered from poverty at these times. Our second scene was to be an informative improvisation about these hardships. To leave your best friend to blame for a murder you committed is extremely deceiving. Deceit... ... went to plan. Everyone was mature and played their part well. It proved to them that making an effort does count. My only disappointment was the lighting in the murder scene. I had planned that every time Armstrong struck Fairles, there would be a blackout then the lights would return. The synchronising of this was bad and didn't give the effect we wanted. If I have learnt anything from this piece, it would be that using your rehearsal time wisely is essential in producing a high quality play plus it doesn't take years off your life in worry. I would also make it clear to other people in my group, that if they weren't prepared to put in sufficient effort and compromise then they would have to find another group as I didn't enjoy having to make all the decisions and trying to motivate people who couldn't care less.