Chemistry Titration Lab

Table 1: Data Collection Table – Contains all of the primary data directly obtained from the lab. Indicator | Initial volume of NaOH in burette (ml)  ±0. 05| Final Volume of NaOH in burette (ml)  ±0. 05| Final – initial Burette Reading (Volume of NaOH used) (ml)  ±0. 1| Qualitative Observations | Phenolphthalein | 0. 00 | 0. 90| 0. 9| At first when the base was being dropped into the vinegar there wasn’t a color change, however when the solutions came close to full titration, the solution would turn pink and once mixed would turn clear again| | 0. 90| 2. 30| 1. 4| | | 2. 30| 3. 20| 0. 9| | | 3. 20| 4. 0| 0. 9| | Bromothymol Blue | 8. 00| 9. 50| 1. 5| Solution turned from yellow to light green | | 9. 50| 11. 10| 1. 6| Solution turned from a bright yellow to bright blue rather than a light green indicating over-titration had occurred| | 11. 10| 12. 90| 1. 8| | | 12. 90| 14. 40| 1. 5| | | 14. 40| 15. 90| 1. 5| | Methyl Orange | 15. 90| 16. 90| 1. 0| Reaction o ccurred quick, over-titration occurred and solution turned from red to orange | | 16. 90| 17. 20| 0. 3| | | 17. 20| 17. 40| 0. 2| | | 17. 40| 17. 60| 0. 2| | | 17. 60| 17. 80| 0. 2| | Methyl Red | 0. 00| 5. 00| 5. 0| | | 5. 00| 7. 80| 2. | Solution turned from red to a light orange/yellow color| | 7. 80| 10. 70| 2. 9| | | 10. 70| 13. 60| 2. 9| | | 13. 60| 16. 50| 2. 9| | Bromocresol Green| 20. 80| 21. 20| 0. 4| Solution turned from yellow to light green | | 21. 20| 21. 60| 0. 4| | | 21. 60| 22. 00| 0. 4| | Table 2: Data Processing Table displaying the volume of NaOH required to titrate 10ml of vinegar and their corresponding concentration of acetic acid Indicator | Volume of NaOH required to titrate 10mL of Vinegar (ml) ( ±0. 1)| Concentration of Acetic Acid  ±0. 5 (mol/l) | Percent Uncertainty (%)| Percent Error (%) | Phenolphthalein| 0. | 0. 9mol/dm3| 11. 1| 3. 4| Bromothymol Blue | 1. 5 | 1. 5mol/dm3| 6. 7| 72. 0| Methyl Orange| 0. 2| 0. 2mol/dm3| 50. 0| -77. 0| Methyl Red | 2. 9| 2. 9mol/dm3| 3. 5| 233. 0| Bromocresol Green| 0. 4| 0. 4mol/dm3| 25. 0| -54. 0| Sample Calculations: Ex. The calculation of the concentration of acetic acid for phenolphthalein NaOH Volume: 0. 9ml NaOH Concentration: 1. 00mol/dm3 1. Convert Volume to Litres 0. 9 = 0. 0009L 1000 1. Calculate the moles of NaOH (n=CV) n= (1. 00mol/dm3) (0. 0009L) = 0. 0009mol 2. Calculate the concentration of the diluted acetic acid.Because acetic acid and sodium hydroxide have a 1:1 ratio, they have the same number of moles. C = 0. 0009mol = 0. 09 0. 01L 3. Calculate the initial concentration of acetic acid pre-dilution C1V1 = C2V2 C1(0. 01L) = (0. 09mol/L)(0. 1) Concentration of Acetic Acid = 0. 9mol/L Sample Calculations Continued 4. Calculating percent uncertainty = absolute uncertainty x 100 Measurement 1 Example: Calculating the percent uncertainty for the volume of NaOH required when methyl red is used = 0. 1 x 100 2. 9 1 = 3. 5% Therefore, the volume of NaOH required when methyl red is us ed as the indicator is 2. 9ml  ± 3. % 5. Uncertainty propagation for the volume of NaOH required for each indicator (0. 9  ± 0. 1) + (1. 5  ± 0. 1) + (0. 2  ± 0. 1) + (2. 9  ± 0. 1) + (0. 4  ± 0. 1) = 5. 9ml  ± 0. 5 6. Calculating percent error Percent error = Actual – accepted x 100 accepted Example: Calculating percent error for phenolphthalein Percent error = 0. 9 – 0. 87 x 100 0. 87 = 3. 4% Methyl Red Methyl Red Bromothymol Blue Bromothymol Blue Bromocresol Green Bromocresol Green Methyl Orange Methyl Orange Phenolphthalein Phenolphthalein Graph 1: Titration curve representing the effect of the volume of NaOH on the pH of the titration solution at end pointConclusion This lab tested the effect of the use of different indicators on the volume of NaOH required to reach the end point of the titration with acetic acid in vinegar. The equation for this reaction is: CH3COOH(aq) + NaOH(aq) NaCH3COO(aq) + H2O(l) The As one can see from graph 1 the results of this lab demonstrated that the indicators that required different volumes of sodium hydroxide to reach end point from least amount of volume required to most was with the use of; methyl orange, bromocresol green, phenolphthalein, bromothymol blue and lastly methyl red.Therefore, the highest volume of NaOH that was required to change the color of the vinegar occurred when using methyl red, and the smallest volume of NaOH that was required to change the color of the vinegar occurred when using methyl orange. Different indicators were tested as if the indicator is chosen well, then the endpoint will represent the equivalence point of the titration reaction; the point when the volume of titrant is equal to the amount of analyte (the acetic acid in the vinegar). An important factor to consider is hat indicators don’t change color at a specific pH.However, they do change color over a narrow range of pH values. Because vinegar has a pH of around 2. 4 the equilibrium was firmly to th e left before the sodium hydroxide was added. Adding the sodium hydroxide will begin to shift the equilibrium to the right. As more and more base was added, for example with phenolphthalein, the pink eventually became so dominant that it could no longer be turned clear by swirling the beaker. If the light pink was achieved, then end point was perfectly reached and if the solution became bright pink then over-titration occurred.Although the majority of this lab occurred according to plan, there were a few minor anomalous results that occurred. For instance, the amount of NaOH used in the titration when the methyl red indicator was used was 2. 9ml. However, for one of these tests when using methyl red, the volume of NaOH required to reach the end point of the reaction was 5. 0ml. This was a clear anomalous result as it was very different from the consistent 2. 9ml of NaOH from the other trials. This anomalous result can be explained due to several systematic and/or random that will be discussed further on with their potential improvements.There were no error bars included in this lab. This is due to the fact that they would be non-existent as each titration was repeated until the exact same volume of NaOH was required to reach the end point for each different indicator at least 3 times. Figure 1: Representation of the various indicators used throughout the conduction of this lab and their pH levels. It also demonstrates their colors in acids and colors in bases as well as the color when end point is reached. This lab evidently demonstrated that phenolphthalein would be the best indicator to use.The justification for this is that every indicator has their own individual range of pH for the end points. When the end point occurs, it means there is slightly excess base. For phenolphthalein, the end point would be when the color of the solution changed into a very light pink color. As one can see from figure 2 the indicator phenolphthalein only changes color in basic solutions. This is a reason why it would be considered the best indicator for this experiment. This is because the end point for this experiment ranges in between a pH of 8. 2 and 10. , which as one can see is very similar to the pH ranges of phenolphthalein. This would cause the phenolphthalein to give the most accurate reading of the volume of NaOH required to reach the end point of its reaction with acetic acid. The reason the other indicators may not give the most accurate readings can be seen from the diagram below: Graph 2: This graph represents a simple visual of the effect of different indicators on the volume of base required to reach end point with an acid. The green block above represents the phenolphthalein in this lab as it has its pH ranges on the break of the curve.This means that the color change will be accurate in terms of changing color at the break point of the reaction Evaluation There are a variety of ways this lab could be furthered. This lab was done using a strong base (NaOH) and a weak acid (acetic acid). A way that this lab could be furthered would be to do the exact same lab using a weak base and a strong acid such as NH4OH (ammonium hydroxide which is a weak base) the same weak acid (acetic acid). This would skew the results in that a much higher volume of base would be required to reach end point with the acid. This is because it would be much more difficult to shift equilibrium o the right. For example, the phenolphthalein indicator only turns the solution pink in basic solutions. Because a weak base is what will be used, it would take much more base in order to reach end point of the reaction. There were a few errors that could have been improved throughout the conduction of this lab. One of the major errors occurred prior to the actual titration itself. This error occurred when the sodium hydroxide solution was being created. When the sodium hydroxide was being created, 1g of solid sodium hydroxide pellets had to be weighed us ing an electronic balance and then put in a volumetric flask.After this water was added to the sodium hydroxide pellets and diluted to the 150ml mark. The pellets were left in a dish in the open while we were getting other materials set up. This was definitely an error as the sodium hydroxide pellets absorb moisture from the air. This means that the sodium hydroxide was actually becoming heavier than 1g as it began absorbing his moisture. This affected results as there was a higher concentration of sodium hydroxide in the water than recorded. This could have affected the results in that less sodium hydroxide would have been required to reach the end point of the reaction.This would be considered a systematic error as the slightly increased mass of the NaOH would have been used for every trial as the same source of NaOH was used throughout. An improvement to this error would be to not put the sodium hydroxide pellets into the volumetric flask until the very last second. Also, the sod ium hydroxide was put into the volumetric flask and then the water was added, however adding the water first could minimize the time that the solid sodium hydroxide is left in the air.This step in the procedure could also be improved if it were possible to purchase this solid sodium hydroxide already measured out in grams so that they would only be in the open for a matter of seconds as they were being transferred into the volumetric flask. A systematic error that occurred throughout the process of this lab was over-titration. Over titration is when too much of the base is added to the solution and the reaction passes end point. For example, the color that one would attempt to achieve when perfectly titrating using phenolphthalein is a light pink color.However, for all of our trials the solution turned a bright fuchsia color when using phenolphthalein implying it had over-titrated. This error could definitely have been improved. The improvement for this error would be to use a buret te with a smaller opening. This would allow decreased room for the error of over-titration. This is because one would have more control over the volume of base released by the burette allowing for more control. Another systematic error that occurred repeatedly throughout the conduction of this lab was that the temperature of the room did not stay constant.Therefore, the temperature of the solutions including the indicators was not constant. Temperature changes could have occurred in the lab without being noted. This is a problem as it slightly changes the color change pH range of indicators. As one can see below, these are the effects on various common indicators’ color change ranges with an increase in temperature: Table 3: Table representing common indicators and the effect of changing temperature drastically on the color change range. Although the temperature would not have fluctuated drastically in the classroom there were still potential fluctuations that were not accoun ted for.This would have caused the end point to appear to be occurring at different times than expected for that indicator. The way this error could be improved would be to conduct the lab in an area where the temperature is closely and easily monitored. Conducting this lab in a classroom with the door frequently opening and shutting let in a draft therefore this lab should be conducted in an area with no interruptions that may effect temperature. Also, temperature can be monitored so that it can be at least accounted for in one’s results and the changes in temperature can be used as an explanation for the behaviour of the indicators in each test.Another section of the procedure of this lab that requires improvement relates to the indicators used. The indicators used throughout the process of this lab had pH ranges of around 2-3 increments. For example, phenolphthalein changes color over a pH range of around 8-10. This means that one would not be able to tell exactly what pH the final solution was when it reached end point from the indicator. This could be improved if indicators were produced that did not have a range of pH values in which they change color but one specific pH range where it changes the color of the solution.This would improve the lab as it would allow scientists to know exactly at which pH the end point of the reaction was reached exactly when it happens. For example, this specific experiment is supposed to reach end point between pH values 8-10, however having an indicator that changes color at pH 8, one that changes color at pH 9 and one at 10 would allow for a more accurate result. An additional random error that occurred throughout the process of this lab was that rarely a drop of NaOH wouldn’t come out of the burette completely straight and would end up getting stuck to the side of the beaker.This would have caused the volume of NaOH required to reach end point of the reaction to appear greater than it actually was. This is because NaOH was leaving the burette but not going into the beaker containing the vinegar and indicator. Although one cannot control the behaviour of the burette with the NaOH other than potentially using a burette with a thinner opening allowing for less room for the NaOH to fall from obscure angles, one can control beaker size.By increasing the size of the beaker containing the vinegar and the indicator, one is able to reduce the likelihood of the NaOH not going directly into that beaker. This would mean that there wouldn’t be as much NaOH lost from the burette that isn’t accounted for. Often in the real world, titration experiments are performed regularly. This is because titration is a process of determining the concentration of a substance in an unknown solution, in which a known reagent is added to that unknown solution in order to produce a known reaction such as a color change.A real world example of this is biodiesel production. Acid-base titrations are used in the production of biodiesel in order to determine the acidity of waste vegetable oil (one of the main ingredients in biodiesel production). pH paper is used to test a small sample in order to represent the pH of the entire batch. This allows one to determine how much base is required to achieve the desired pH. Bibliography Websites: â€Å"Chemical Analysis by Acid-Base Titration. †Ã‚  AcidBaseTitration. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"ChemTeacher.   ChemTeacher. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Sample Lab Report. †Ã‚  Sample Lab Report. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Titration Lab Report. †Ã‚  Titration Lab Report. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . Books: Textbook: Talbot, Chris. Chemistry for the IB Diploma. London: Hodder Murray, 2009. Print.

Customer Lifetime Value †A Case Study Essay

A Your manager asks you what you think might explain the differences in p, r, and AC between the three groups. What would you say? i Group 1’s higher â€Å"p† could be due to the fact that this group of students doesn’t have the meal plan that undergrad students who live on (or close to) campus have. Additionally, some MBA students may have longer classes than the typical undergad student, especially on weekends. The MBA students may be more inclined to buy more food to save and snack on during class sessions. The retention probability through a certain time â€Å"r† is expected to be higher for undergrad students who live on or closer to campus and can easily walk to the sandwich shop. MBA students still have a high retention rate, but following the completion of their MBA program, they’re less likely to drive to Ike’s for food since they commute to school (especially if they have a good sandwich shop from where they commute). Regarding â€Å"AC†, the cost to promote Ike’s for people familiar with the area (Group 2) is expected to be lower because the Bay Area natives already have some knowledge of Ike’s. The â€Å"AC† for Groups 1 & 3 are higher because Ike’s must promote their business to people who have most likely never heard of the sandwich shop through ads, Facebook, or coupons. b What do you think could be done to improve CLV for any of the groups? Describe a specific action that can be taken by Redhead and explain how it alters the variables and CLV in the table for one or more groups. ii I expected the CLV for Group 3 to be higher considering the distance from the school. It could be so low due to the meal plan those students might have, but by decreasing the â€Å"AC† from 25 to 20, â€Å"CLV† will increase from 2. to 7. 5. The can be done by focusing their advertising efforts aimed at students to strictly on campus efforts. Perhaps they could also utilize social media for free advertising and introduce a â€Å"punch card† where after a certain amount of sandwiches bought, the customer can get a free one. This would possibly help increase the retention rate of all groups, especially Group 1 where these MBA students don’t have an on campus meal plan and often look for good food and money saving incentives off campus. Additionally, if the retention rate for Group 1 went from . 0 to . 825 through the use of the â€Å"punch cards† and even coupons for a free drink or chips, the CLV would increase from 7 to 11. 667 – almost putting Group 1 even with Group 2. And if the retention rate for Group 3 went from . 825 to . 85 through the use of the â€Å"punch cards† again, the CLV would increase from 2. 5 to 6. 875. I believe that by using more free social media advertising (decreasing AC) and increasing retention rate â€Å"r† through â€Å"punch cards† and coupons, the CLV for all groups will increase.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Multimedia Computer Science Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Multimedia Computer Science Essay Multimedia is a combination of text, graphics, sound, animation, and video, interactive electronic or digital means of manipulation delivered to the user. Multimedia elements, including text, video, sound, graphics and animation. Used in the multimedia elements are present. Multimedia is only these elements are combined into a powerful new tool. The media elements in the world’s leading business and multi-platform multimedia services, video games and digital entertainment. Our work with our customers to provide the best solutions, while also providing the multimedia services they need to do this in order to achieve its market. We can create a very exciting and interesting and innovative and cost-effective technology, and then sell the item. Therefore, multimedia continues to play a huge role in keeping the attention and interest of the online advertising. . Interactive multimedia animation mode converted into a static image, therefore, to attract and encourage people to click on ads. Today there are thousands of sites on the Internet, the competition for customers in an unprecedented height. What ideal can be separated from your site depends on the nature of competition has been registered on your site any multimedia elements. Multimedia elements, such as through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. So I would like to discuss about the multimedia elements in Twitter. Video is one of the multimedia elements that can be promote through by Twitter. . Promoting videos involves embedding your links into several highly trafficked websites. People can easily watch your company or product videos. Music helps your company or brand to easily connect emotionally with its consumers. Animated images can be used to provide product demonstrations and presentations of the award-winning. You can easily demonstrate the features and benefits of your product and, therefore, to encourage consumers to try them out. Interactive video or image, but al so to help your business build relationships with consumers can watch your company’s product commercials and respond by posting their views or comments. If you provide useful feedback, then you can easily establish long-term lasting relationships with consumers. When shooting video ads, graphics, or composer, you need to pay a lot of attention. You must produce the quality of work, not only interesting, but also cited the induced action. If you can not be delivered or the production quality of the multimedia elements, and then hire a professional multimedia experts, should be your next best choice. Multimedia marketing to produce amazing results, if it is a correct implementation. Conversely, if you produce a substandard video or graphics, then your company’s image or reputation will be severely damaged. Therefore, you need to carry out a thorough study, so that you can come up with creative multimedia concepts, the interest of many consumers. Employ a creative multime dia agency or corporate guarantee, provide you with high-quality multimedia concepts, it is possible to improve your website traffic or sales. Element in Twitter Out of all the elements, the most influential text on the quality of interactive multimedia. In general, the text provides important information. The text as a cornerstone of the tying of other media elements.

Can Porters Value Chain Help Us Identify the Source(s) if Tesco's Essay

Can Porters Value Chain Help Us Identify the Source(s) if Tesco's Competitive Advantage - Essay Example With more than 240,000 employees, Tesco operates 164 and 2715 in USA and UK respectively (Annual Report, 2011). Tesco is widely known, as it always thrives to constantly communicate its brand message to potential customers, as a company that ‘creates value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty’. Tesco’s Value Chain Analysis The primary aim of Value Chain analysis is to find sources of a company’s competitive advantages. In order to do this, company can be divided in to several activities so that the strategically relevant activities become evident (Bischoff, 2011, p. 3). More specifically, value is an extremely important concept to strategic management and marketing as well. Porter’s Value Chain proposes an organizational system composed of systematic transformation process with inputs and outputs to a distinct stage. Customers perceive and measure value in consideration of money they are willing to pay. If the marketer can make a difference b etween the total cost and the value which in turn equal to that of product’s price, he can generate profit. ... The support activities include administrative infrastructure management, HRM, IT, procurement etc. When it comes to the Value Chain Analysis of Tesco, it can be observed that the company has taken measures to ensure delivering of maximum values to its customers. As depicted below, Tesco’s seven strategies explained in its Annual Report, 2011 exhibit its focus on consumer choice. It is giving greater emphasis on green-retailing. As a global business, it is trying to make a difference in how effectively it can tackle the climate change issues (Annual Report, 2011, p. 15). Both these and its online home delivery system, which was reckoned as highly successful (Child, 2002, p. 135) are major inbound logistics that contribute to its values offers to the customers and profits it proposes to generate as well. In both its home and foreign markets, Tesco operates through a replenishment systems and distribute its goods in its own brands. Moreover, the company thrives on innovation. As far as outbound logistics are concerned, the company is highly successful in going global. As Child (2002, p. 135) noted, Tesco is very successful in delivering fastest organic growth of any retailer in the world. Its non-food business has grown by 18 % in 2000. Tesco was not simply globalizing its business, but rather, it thought of a strategy ‘Think Global, Act Local’ by which it positively approached to understanding of responsiveness of cultural vagaries as well as attitudes of foreign customers (Griffith, p. 4). Tesco in UK has emerged as part of routine, and therefore, it not just seized opportunities but rather it became part of a country where it launched its store and people too became part of it. This has eventually contributed greater to

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Business - Essay Example In simple terms, diversity can be viewed as difference. In the workplace, diversity is defined by Bell (2007) as attracting, recruiting and retaining persons from a wide talent base regardless of their religious affiliation, race, class, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status and any other groupings. This ensures the organizations recruits individuals with a wide range of skills and from different economic, social and cultural backgrounds. There are often group conflicts in organizations that hinder a good working relationship and attainment of company objectives yet diversity is highly valued in organizations. The big question is, â€Å"how can diversity work for organizations?† To answer this question, this paper will compare and contrast various views from different authors regarding diversity in the workplace. The trends that have necessitated diversity will also be discussed. It will also evaluate the diversity in practice i n two organizations: HSBC and Wells Fargo. It will discuss the importance of diversity in the two companies. Some companies develop a diverse workforce to comply with laws but for other organizations, diversity is much more than just a policy as it is the key to success. Besides compliance, companies that have an inclusive workplace environment enjoy a lot of benefits which will be discussed later. The challenges facing implementation are also worth noting. Global Trends Various global demographic, economic and legislative trends have over the years necessitated the development of diversity in workplaces. According to Mor Barak (2011) there has been a workforce decline in various countries thus the need to engage immigrant workers to fill the employment gap. Italy workforce for example, is expected to decline from 60 million to 56 million by 2050 while that of Germany is expected to decline from 82 million to 69 million (P. 4). These are countries which have been known not to entert ain immigrant workers but the demographic trend forces them to. On the other hand, developing countries are faced with the problem of the youth who comprise more than half of the population (Kirton & Green, 2004). Since these economies are growing at a slow pace they cannot accommodate all those youths hence they look for jobs outside borders. Another trend is the growing number of women in the workforce and individualized migration to look for better opportunities without relying on their husbands or family (Bibard, 2011). This has changed the workforce dynamics to a great extent prompting the need to embrace diversity. Various legislations have also been emerging that press the companies to become diverse workplaces. These range from the universal declaration of human rights to the legislations on equal employment opportunity. Inclusive workplace programs have therefore, been instituted in many organizations to tap the benefits of a diverse workforce (Findler, Wind & Mor Barak, 20 07). Companies which do not know how to manage diversity in the workplace risk losing business due to high turnover, absenteeism, and low earnings. Managing diversity is not a simple task. On one hand companies need to appreciate the importance of diversity for organization success and on the other hand, diversity brings about group conflicts which can lead to disharmony and even violence in the workplace (Powell, 2004). Service companies rely so much on diverse customers thus needs to

Analysis of types of claims Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of types of claims - Assignment Example ative American values that are being projected all over the world, the author also emphasizes on the positive values that according to him, represent the true America more accurately. In Fewer Call Themselves Multiracial, the author Nasser conveys credibility and ethos by means of using the strong support of statistics, quotation from authority, and inductive reasoning, and concludes that the decline in multiracial self-identity is because â€Å"there is a lot of pressure from society to choose one race† (Wood, 2008, p.184). Pathos or emotional persuasion of the reader is through quotations from authorities who state that identifying more than one race, opposes racial identity. For this, the solution is to accept being 100% of one race, as well as 100% of the other race as well, rather than being half of each race. Logos or logical reasoning is used by the author. In the 2000 census, people were allowed to check more than one race, as a result of lobbying undertaken by mixed-race Americans urging the government to permit identification with more than one race. Moreover, the movement for grew stronger with multi-racial proclamations from famous celebrities such as golfer Tiger Woods, actress Halle Berry, and several others. However, the census bureau’s survey showed a drop from 2.4% in 2000 to 1.9% in 2005, a small but significant decline in mixed race self-identification (Wood, 2008). In What Sets Us Apart, the author Zuckerman establishes ethos or ethical appeal through giving both the positive and negative cultural impacts that America has over the rest of the world. The author uses pathos to support his argument, through persuading by means of appealing to the emotions of the reader (Durhamtech, 2009). This is evident in Zuckerman’s statement â€Å"So America’s narrative which has waxed for so long is now waning in its universal appeal† (Wood, 2008, p.192) as is obvious from the decline of America’s image in other countries. Grievances have

Assess Kant's ethics of duty and freedom as a response to all previous Essay

Assess Kant's ethics of duty and freedom as a response to all previous ethical theories - Essay Example In his "Critique on Pure Reason" Kant portrays a view of rationalists such as Descartes as being overly concerned with divinity and divine intervention. He felt that the preoccupation with the role of God in the control of human thoughts, feelings and actions posed a very clear contradiction to the inherent will of man. He adamantly opposed the philosophy of Descartes in that he feels that Descartes reaffirmed his existence of God by alluding to the notion that conceptualizing something in one's mind actually makes it real. Essentially his fundamental problem was with the notion of "I think therefore I am" as proposed by Descartes. He argued that making a presumption that something exists and using that presumption as proof of the same bears no merit in arriving at the truth. Moreover, Kant objected to the passivity attributed to the human mind by the rationalists. His objection to the empiricist school of thought can be found in the fact that empiricists such as Locke portrayed an incomplete view of the mind and human motivation. He felt that the empiricist viewpoint was somewhat esoteric in nature in that it was effective in arriving at the notion that the mind was a "blank table" but it failed to expand on its implications. His main criticism could be found in the notion that empiricism often underestimated the role of reasoning in the construction of a knowledge base. He felt that empiricists viewed the mind as a passive entity while in Kant's view the mind was an active entity in which the individual plays a pivotal role in the way in which knowledge is produced. In so doing, perceptions are subject to the assessment of the individual knower and not the reverse as proposed by the empiricists. Kant was very ingenious in his use of the theories of his predecessors for arriving at a distinct theory of his own. He was able to utilize the notion of passivity of the mind in the formation of his clear and concise contradictory theory. According to Kant humans are autonomous beings and as such are capable of real self-governance. He feels that there ought not to be boundaries or limitations placed on the goodness of the human will and the real human freedom to choose. The human propensity to heteronymous influences from emotions and external norms makes them slaves to outside influences which will lead them to act immorally. Heteronomy in Kant's philosophy is the subjection to the imposition of moral choices that are exterior to the autonomy of the human will, for example in response to desires for some benefit, out of fear of unwanted repercussions to an action, or through the influence of others. A heteronymous will is constrained to act from subjective calculations or from rul es that have been set from outside and consequently lacks real freedom. An autonomous will chooses freely from pure principle on its own assessment of the objective goodness of an action that can be judged to qualify as a maxim for universal application. In his duty theory, Kant expresses the notion that there is an underlying moral law that all should adhere to and theorizes that the singular motivation for human actions should be duty and respect for the independent moral good. He maintains that the fundamental principle at the basis of all moral duties is a categorical imperative. He feels that this categorical imperative commands us to exercise our will in a particular way and can be formulated on three aspects. The

Aquaculture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aquaculture - Assignment Example Secondly, an investigation of the probiotics is ongoing. Management of the food webs is being done closely, as well as monitoring the quality of water so as to maintain a sustainable aquaculture (Kipp 5). The video by Thornton focuses on the growing shrimp farming in Belize. She explains that there is need to preserve nature by advocating for sustainable practices in shrimp farming though economic gain is a major aim of the business (Seeking Sustainability, One Shrimp at a Time). She advocates for sustainable shrimp farming. In her opinion, a proper understanding of the factors that allow for environmental sustainability is the only option towards preserving the aquaculture (Seeking Sustainability, One Shrimp at a Time). With the setting of the video giving real examples in the society, one can easily relates to what Thornton aims at conveying as well as the passion she has to ensuring that the aquaculture is preserves at all

Ethics Physical Privacy Burlington Northern Railway case 3 Essay

Ethics Physical Privacy Burlington Northern Railway case 3 - Essay Example Also the use of newer and more innovative technology and equipments, and also services has caused the company to be better recognised. Also the efficiency in usage of the energy and cost of savings and speed has grown the company and has built a history as big as the west. The company has been accused for testing its employees for genetic tests. These tests have been taken without the knowledge of the workers and the test have mainly been undertaken to ensure that the workers do not have any genetic defects. This is a very incorrect step that has been undertaken by the company and it is accounts for actions that are unlawful and also pushes the company into committing the mistake of discriminating the employees based on the disabilities or even unnecessarily. These steps that have been undertaken by the company has cost the company a lot of money to be paid out as compensation to the employees. It is to be noted that the employees who became a part of this and had been victimised, were given a compensation of $2.2 Million to settle the charges of illegally testing the workers for the genetic defects in the case of the government against workplace DNA discrimination. This company is one of the biggest railroad companies in the country and the company h as denied the violation of the law which turned the company to create a new milestone in the world of medical privacy. Also it has created a mark in the DNA based job discrimination. The company has violated the law and has also caused to breach the rules of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Burlington Northern railways have been charged by the EEOC for testing thirty six employees without their knowledge for a specific genetic disorder. This was majorly done for the people working on the tracks to ensure that they did not have carpal tunnel syndrome. The tests have been conducted along with the comprehensive diagnostic exam of the employees. Also a few of the

Macroeconomic Situation Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomic Situation Essay The economic situation in the United States today could be considered as one of the deepest crisis the mankind has seen in so many years. The GDP growth rate of the country has decreased and ultimately got in the negative figures. The GDP growth rate in the year 2009 was -2. 4%, the inflation rate of the nation got around at 2. 2%. After the credit crisis and the subprime crisis, the overall economy was hampered with phases of rapid unemployment and bailouts for biggest financial sector companies. The overall trust in the service sector was reduced to a considerable level. The unemployment rate in April 2010 was estimated around at 9.9%. Due to continuous decrease in the growth rate of economy, the level of public debt also increased and reached $12. 28 trillion (January 2010) which is 84% of GDP. (â€Å"National Economic Accountsnd†) But after the deep recession period, the economy is finally showing some signs of relief and recovery now. Though the expected growth rates are still negative, still the cumulative growth rates are expected to be better in the coming financial year. Provided the amount of the economic unscrambling the nation had witnessed in winter 2008-2009, the recovery pattern is still very weak, most importantly in persistent financial difficulties. The US congress and Federal Reserve have taken a number of steps in order to ensure that the current financial condition could be stabilized and active efforts could be made towards recovery and growth. The most extraordinary of those were producing a Primary Dealer Credit Facility and helping the acquisition of Bear Stearns by J. P. Morgan Chase. The Federal Reserve along with the Congress has continued to use the conventional macroeconomic tools in order to combat the current situation. (â€Å"The Current Economic Situationnd†) The bailouts and government intervention into an otherwise free market are indications of such steps initiated by them. Taking account of the steps taken by Federal Reserve, the short term rates have fallen but still the amount of risk in the interbank loan market has not changed much over the time. References: The Current Economic Situation: Retrieved on 5th June 2010 from website: http://www. cbo. gov/ftpdocs/90xx/doc9078/Chapter2. 4. 1. shtml National Economic Accounts: Retrieved on 5th June 2010 from website: http://www. bea. gov/national/index. htm

Critical Pedagogy Is Very Broad Education Essay

Critical Pedagogy Is Very Broad Education Essay The literature of critical pedagogy is very broad indeed and contains dense information. In fact, the political perspective of critical pedagogy towards the curriculum contributes much to creating abundant scholarships in the field. In addition, as many authors perceive, critical pedagogy lacks a set of definite principles; which makes the process of setting a unified definition of its premises so challenging. Still, the implementation of aspects of critical pedagogy in the classroom setting can have wide scale results on the teaching process as a whole. Hence, it is important to give a brief examination of the literature of critical pedagogy, an analysis of its core principles, and an investigation of the critique directed against its assumptions. By virtue of being critical, critical pedagogy and critical thinking share some common grounds. However, despite the existence of the critical stance in both disciplines, there are broad differences between them. One of these differences is related to the expectation of action in each discipline. In its emphasis on analysis and deep interpretation, critical thinking does not necessitate any action to achieve social change. On the other hand, the principles of critical pedagogy aim at creating a social action that comes mainly through educational practices. Another important difference has to do with the scope of interest of each discipline. Critical thinking is, by definition, individualistic and largely ignores the collective relations. Critical pedagogy, on the other hand, is more concerned with corporate action; that is why, as Burbules and Berk suggest, in critical pedagogy individual criticality is intimately linked to social criticality (55-56). Critical pedagogy might also be thought of as an extension of critical theory. Both critical theory and critical pedagogy employ their strategies with view at obliterating the hegemonic collective standards and paradigms. However, critical pedagogy is different from critical theory in the fact that it is mainly an educational philosophy that reacts towards the oppressive systems in the educational arena. The primary concern of critical pedagogy in this aspect is with issues that have to do with maintaining equal opportunities and establishing dialogical mode of discourse. As Burbules and Berk put it in the language of critical pedagogy, the critical person is one who is empowered to seek justice, to seek emancipation (50). Collins also describes the framework of critical pedagogy as being realistically involved in enlarging the sites within our institutions where genuine, noncoercive dialogue and reasonable opposition to oppressive bureaucratic controls can emerge (63). This proves that critical pedagogy involves an entirely new orientation that departs from traditional models of education and embraces a number of principles that may not be familiar in the generic pedagogical systems. The basic characteristic that separates critical pedagogy from other approaches is its celebration of social justice and emancipation. In addition, a critical approach to pedagogy is distinguished by an emphasis on dialogic interactions with view at giving equal opportunities for all voices. Critical pedagogy values the students experiences and locates these experiences at the centre of the learning process. The mission of critical pedagogy is more complex than it seems to be, and its scope encompasses a plethora of pedagogical approaches and practices. In Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Social Foundations of Education, McLaren points out that critical pedagogy aims at investigating, questioning and changing the relationship among different factors in the learning experience. These factors include classroom teaching, the structure of the school, and the social relations with the community. This imposes a great task on the critical pedagogue as he has to take into account a wide range of social and educational variables in his work (26-28). Critical pedagogy has its roots in Paulo Freire who is generally considered to be the inaugural philosopher of critical pedagogy (McLaren, Paulo 1). Although at first Freire dedicated his efforts to issues related to literacy in Brazil, his philosophy expanded gradually to embrace a cornucopia of social and educational issues that have been the object of criticism. In Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage, Freire pointed out that what he called for was not merely a pedagogical method; rather, it was a strategy of living within the educational system (67). McLaren observes that the bottom-line of Freires pedagogy is to establish a non-hegemonic approach that is based on dialogue and interaction (McLaren, Paulo 2). This clearly shows the political dimensions of Freires philosophy. Freire actually stressed the importance of incorporating social and political critiques in the curriculum. This explains why his approach promotes a liberatory form of education that emphasizes emancipation and rejects all forms of oppression and domestication. In The Politics of Education, Freire maintains that the learning process should take into consideration two essential dimensions. The first is the context of authentic dialogue between learners and educators (49). The dialogue will empower students to move toward becoming knowing subjects and they will develop a relationship with the teacher in which one knowing subject [is] face to face with other knowing subjects (49). For Freire, by employing authentic dialogue in the teaching process, education becomes pedagogy of knowing rather than an experience of narration sickness (Freire, Oppressed 57). However, Freire warns that the dialogic process should not be reduced to simple to-and-fro questions that may also become tedious and sterile. Instead, there should be a focus on creating interaction between students and teachers in problematizing knowledge. In this regard, it is the responsibility of the teacher to inspire students to move forward within this critical practice (Freire, Freedom 80). The second dimension that should be considered in the learning process is the social realities in which students live. Freire states that authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about the world is concerned with reality, and does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication (Freire, Oppressed 64). This suggests that earning should be connected to the realities of students lives. Otherwise, by ignoring these realities, educators will be creating divisions that make difficult the construction of our ideals of change and transformation (Freire, Freedom 55). A very influential concept in Freires philosophy is that of praxis. Freires praxis, which delineates critical reflection and action, entails the application of educational practices and philosophies to create a better educational experience. To this end, students should be viewed as active participants in the teaching process and in the formulation of teaching methods. They are engaged in what Simon calls a transformative critique of their everyday lives (Simon, Teaching 60). The teachers role here resides in encouraging students to get involved in reflection on their worlds so as to assist them in engaging in critical consciousness. For Freire, the development of critical consciousness in the student can be attained by means of implementing what he called the problem-posing model of education. Freire proposed this model as a counterpart to the banking system of education dominating the educational institutions. He asserts that the banking system fosters domination and oppression, whereas the problem-posing mode promotes liberation and democracy. He goes on to claim that whereas banking education anesthetizes and inhibits creative power, problem-posing education involves a constant unveiling of reality. The former attempts to maintain the submersion of consciousness; the latter strives for the emergence of consciousness and critical intervention in reality. (Freire Oppressed 68). Freires philosophy of education was adopted and modified by various writers. The most prominent figure in this aspect is Ira Shor, who was mainly influenced by Freire. In his Critical Teaching and Everyday Life, Shor criticizes the institutionalized modes of education which involve undemocratic approaches. He demonstrates that these traditional systems have restricted students from contributing to the learning processes. He calls for implementing learning activities that are democratic in nature. These activities are set against the notions of education that students have from their previous experiences within the traditional pedagogical system. The democratic methods of teaching would change the role of students from passive to active critical subjects in which they become active participants in their own learning (111-113). Shor also pointed out some of the limitations of Freires assumptions. Examining the applicability of the Freirean philosophy, he stressed the difficulties involved in implementing the principles of this philosophy within the classroom setting. In his When Students Have Power, he strongly argues that despite the benefits gained from the implementation of the assumptions of critical pedagogy; these assumptions do not go smoothly when turned into practice in the context of classroom environment (56). However, Freire responded to this claim when he stressed the fact that his educational philosophy was not merely a collection of strategies that could be implemented in all educational environments. Rather, different educational practices should be adapted depending on each individual context. Freire acknowledged that pedagogy is influenced by ideology and since ideologies vary a lot, the existence of a single philosophy of critical pedagogy is not practical. Hence, one cannot speak of pedagogy but must speak instead of pedagogies which respond to particular necessities, interests and conditions (Gaudiano and de Alba 128). The challenges of reaching a definite conception of critical pedagogy brought about different approaches to the philosophy by many writers. bell hooks, for example, supports Freire in promoting the link between theory and practice in order for the student to be the center of the teaching process. However, she does not employ Freires concept of critical pedagogy. Rather, she has introduced what she calls engaged pedagogy. She defines it as a system that combines anticolonial, critical, and feminist pedagogies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for interrogating biases in curricula that reinscribe systems of domination à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ while simultaneously providing new ways to teach diverse groups of students (qtd. in Florence 10). A central feature of this model is the repudiation of the use of sophisticated language; a key feature of traditional educational methods that creates barriers between students and teachers. Roger Simon has introduced another significant approach to critical pedagogy which he calls pedagogy of possibility. In his Empowerment as a Pedagogy of Possibility Simon contends that proposing pedagogy is also proposing a political ideology. Hence, this model of pedagogy aims at enabling a particular moral project, a particular not yet of how we might live our lives together (372). He stresses the fact that such a pedagogy will require forms of teaching and learning linked to the goal of educating students to take risks, to struggle with ongoing relations of power, to critically appropriate forms of knowledge that exist outside their immediate experience, and to envisage versions of a world that is not yet in order to be able to alter the grounds upon which life is lived (375). Like Freire, Simon stresses the importance of not looking at his ideas as mere abstractions. Rather, they should be put into practice in all educational environments. Teachers who would implement the principles of the pedagogy of possibility must not expect a guideline for techniques to be adopted, but rather approach such a task strategically, locally and contextually formulating practice within an integrated moral and epistemological stance (Simon, Teaching 58). This will lead to a possibility for creating counterdiscursive activity that attempts to provoke a process through which people might engage in a transformative critique of their everyday lives (60). The complexities inherent in critical pedagogy have given rise to many critiques of its principles and assumptions. The scope of the criticism directed against critical pedagogy is so vast that it includes critiques from disciplines such as feminism, and postmodernism. It is of high importance to shed light on some these critiques directed against critical pedagogy in order to identify the potential challenges in implementing its practices in classroom environment. The first critique to be considered is that which comes from the very nature of critical pedagogy itself. Critical pedagogy inherently requires a constant investigation of its principles and practices. In this aspect, Giroux and McLaren contend that many current trends in critical pedagogy are embedded in the endemic weaknesses of a theoretical project overly concerned with developing a language of critique. Critical pedagogy is steeped in a posture of moral indignation toward the injustices reproduced in American public schools. Unfortunately, this one-sided emphasis on critique is matched by the lack of theoretical and pragmatic discourse upon which to ground its own vision of society and schooling and to shape the direction of a critical praxis (32). In her The Struggle for Pedagogies: Critical and Feminist Discourses as Regimes of Truth, Jennifer Gores critique of critical pedagogy is based on her contention that there are two distinct versions within critical pedagogy; she identifies these versions according the prominent figures who most contributed to the philosophy of each strand. The first version contributes to what she calls pedagogical practice. She suggests that Freire and Shor represent this strand of critical pedagogy which offers concrete suggestions and examples taken from their own pedagogical practice, and which is intended to help other educators (40). Gores criticism is directed against the other approach which she calls pedagogical project. This approach is represented in the contributions of many significant pedagogues, mainly Giroux and McLaren. Gore claims that their approach relies heavily on an abstract political vision and should not be called critical pedagogy, but critical educational theory (42). She goes on to argue that the major shortcoming of such an approach resides in its failure to delineate a set of practices for classroom teaching. As a result, their pedagogy might be seen to restrict its audience to those readers who have the time, energy, or inclination to struggle with it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and, in so limiting its audience, it subsequently limits its political potential (38). Essentially, Gores criticizes the fact that such critical pedagogues tend to focus on abstract theories that lack the potential for implementation. As an example, Gore cites the concept of empowerment, which is a key principle in critical pedagogy. Within the pedagogical project model, the concept of empowerment has been confined to extreme abstraction that forces teachers to be the agents of empowerment, without providing much in the way of tangible guidance for that work (Gore, What 66). Hence Gore calls for creating guidance for teachers so that principles of critical pedagogy can be translated into reality. However, Gore does not call for creating recipes for educational practices. Rather, she contends that theorists of critical pedagogy should take into consideration the context of the educational process instead of merely adhering to a unified theoretical background (Gore, What 67). As mentioned above, Freire himself rejected an essentialist view of critical pedagogy and called on teachers to adapt the learning process to the context of students experiences. In this regard, a great responsibility lies on teachers in determining the methodologies appropriate for each particular context. Similarly, Elizabeth Ellsworth employs a feminist perspective to refute any essentialist interpretation of critical pedagogy. She goes on to claim that even the term critical is a repressive myth[s] that perpetuate[s] relations of domination and hides the actual political agendas à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ namely antiracism, antisexism, anti-elitism, anti-heterosexism, anti-ableism, anti-classism, and anti-neoconservatism (93). She also believes that theorists of critical pedagogy have failed to launch any meaningful analysis of or program for reformulating the institutionalized power imbalances between themselves and their students, or of the essentially paternalistic project of education itself (98). Moreover, Ellsworth develops a deconstructionist critique of critical pedagogues. She claims that these pedagogues are implicated in the very structures they are trying to change (101). She criticizes the fact that much of the literature of critical pedagogy is the work of the dominant white middle class men. She goes on to argue that a relation between teacher/student becomes voyeuristic when the voice of the pedagogue himself goes unexamined (104). In his Elements of a Post-liberal Theory of Education, Bowers basic criticism resides in his claim that, in a way, critical pedagogy enforces the assumptions and values of Western metaphysics. Although he promoted the contributions of Freire and his followers, Bowers believes that Freires model emphasizes the modernist way of thinking, and thus it reinforces Western values and principles. For Bowers, all Freires pedagogy is based on Western assumptions about man, freedom, progress, and the authority of the rational process (127). He claims that the problem with Freires position is not that he advocates critical reflection but that he makes it the only legitimate source of knowledge and authority (129). Although Freires emphasis on dialogue as a basic component of the educational process has been praised as a democratic strategy, Bowers criticizes the very notion of using dialogue as a tool for emancipation. He contends that relying on dialogue in this aspect shifts the locus of authority from that of community and tradition to the individual who unifies thought and action in a new praxis (129). This focus on the individual on the expense of other collective concerns has lead to the failure of critical pedagogy in addressing issues related to ecology and the nature of the world. As he puts it, The problems of inequality and restricted individual empowerment are not nearly as important as the cultural roots of our alienation from nature. Regardless of how our agenda for social reform is framed, the bottom line has to do with reversing the global ecological deterioration we are now witnessing (159). A very important critique of critical pedagogy that should be highlighted here is that which comes from a postmodern perspective. In their Dialogue across Difference: Continuing the Conversation, Burbules and Rice explore the postmodern critique of critical pedagogy. The authors start their argument by suggesting that there are two versions of postmodernism that hold different positions relative to modernism itself (397). They call these two versions postmodernism and antimodernism. The authors suggest that a basic characteristic of postmodernism is that it goes beyond the norm but at the same time accepts the basic significance of the tradition it proposes to go beyond (397). They cite Giroux and McLaren as examples on postmodernist critics who relish some key democratic assumptions of modernism and yet go beyond them. Antimodernism, on the other hand, defines itself as the antithesis of modernism and is characterized by a strong antipathy to the language, issues, and values of modernism (398). The authors criticize this strand and assert that having deconstructed all metanarratives and radically relativized all possible values, antimodernism is left with no clear way of justifying any alternatives (398). The different positions of postmodernism and antimodernism account for the dissenting views related to the relationship between critical pedagogy and postmodernism. In this regard, some writers strongly believe that critical pedagogy is far from incorporating the premises of postmodernism. In Reflective Teaching in the Postmodern World: A Manifesto for Education in Postmodernity, Parker holds the view that many critical educational practices involve some modernist assumptions and fail to account for a genuine understanding of the process of knowledge construction from a postmodern perspective (16). Similarly, there are other feminist and postmodernist writers who assert that some strands of critical pedagogy do not address such issues which are of high importance in the field. In her Freire and a Feminist Pedagogy of Difference, Weiler explores the conflict she perceives between the modernist orientations of critical pedagogy and postmodernism. As a feminist writer arguing from a postmodern perspective, she claims that her goal is to retain the vision of social justice and transformation that underlies liberatory pedagogies (450). She suggests that the universal goals of liberation do not directly analyze the contradictions between conflicting oppressed groups or the ways in which a single individual can experience oppression in one sphere while being privileged or oppressive in another (450). Accordingly, Weiler believes that the theory that calls for the existence of universal experience of oppression does not take into account the specific contexts of the classroom experience. Hence the focal point of her argument resides in redefining the collective experience in the context of historically defined struggles (Weiler 451). In this regard, Weiler claims that Freire ignored the existence of diverse experience of oppression; hence she calls for a more situated theory of oppression and subjectivity, and for the need to consider the contradictions of such universal claims of truth or process (456). Weiler argues for a feminist-postmodern approach to confront the deficits in Freires philosophy of pedagogy. In this regard, she delineates three major issues where this process can be implemented. She names these as the role and authority of the teacher, the claims for knowledge and truth in personal experience, and the question of difference. Weiler concludes by asserting that the existence of different approaches in this arena does not necessitate abandonment of the goals of social justice and empowerment, but it does make clear the need to recognize contingent and situated claims and to acknowledge our own histories and selves in process (470). On the other side of the spectrum, there are many writers who strongly believe that critical pedagogy strongly incorporates some aspects of postmodernism. In Critical Crosscurrents in Education, Collins sheds light on this link between critical pedagogy and postmodernism as he suggests that, like critical pedagogy, postmodernist critical discourse is about the struggles for power to be heard about the empowerment of other voices' (76). In the same vein, Pinar et al. suggest that there is a possibility for developing a strand of pedagogy that engages in some postmodern principles. This version of pedagogy goes beyond the issues of oppression and suffering that are merely viewed from a class- struggle perspective (305). Other writers share the same view and contend that the philosophy of Freire and other critical pedagogues does incorporate some postmodern dimensions. Most of these writers approach this issue through dividing Freires writing into different phases, stressing that the postmodern orientations appear in his later work. Peters, for example, suggests that there are some postmodern ideas that can be clearly seen in Freires later work. These ideas include Freires emphasis on textuality, subjectivity, experience and culture in addition to his own interpretation of oppression and power (117). Similar to Peters, Roberts asserts that in order to locate the modernist inclinations in Freires writing we should look at Freires work as a whole, and not to focus on his writings during the first stage of his work. Roberts contends that Freire did promote some postmodern techniques in confronting all forms of oppression. He also highlights Freires confrontation with postmodern critics, especially in his later writing. Roberts examination of this issue concluded in his contention that Freire argues for what he called progressive postmodernism. Freire has stressed the fact that educators should challenge modern ways of thinking through becoming more tolerant, open and forthright, critical, curious, and humble (112). Clearly, the above argument proves that any attempt to come up with a clear-cut definition of critical pedagogy is utterly challenging. As mentioned above, there are multiple approaches to critical pedagogy, and there are also variables from other disciplines that are easily accommodated in this literature. All this results in creating critical pedagogies rather than one definite and universally- accepted form of critical pedagogy. These critical pedagogies are always involved in a constant process of redefinition and change, thus imposing great challenge on pedagogues in this regard. Despite these variations and challenges, teachers are always urged to go beyond the mere theoretical background of critical pedagogy. The process of theorizing without action creates no change and goes against the objectives of critical pedagogy. Teachers must promote an integrated approach of theory and practice, or what Freire called praxis. In other words, they should seriously consider the potential for implementing the premises of critical pedagogy in the teaching process. This implementation should go beyond the mere adherence to an essentialist view of a critical pedagogical methodology. Teachers should attempt, to the best of their abilities, to locate the teaching process within the realities of students lives. They should take into account the various variables, realities and experiences pertinent to students lives. Hence, they should adapt their techniques according to the specific variables pertinent to the context in which they work. The critique directed against critical pedagogy maximizes the need for this constant action on the part of teachers. In addition to adapting their educational tools to the classroom context, teachers are exhorted to encourage the involvement and empowerment of the students. Without putting the assumptions, principles and paradigms of critical pedagogy into practice, teachers run the risk of going within the traditional mainstream models of education. As Bahruth and Steiner beautifully put it: in our profession we have two choices; we can succumb to the mainstream and become programmed toward deskilling our intellect, or we can become critical pedagogues and liberate ourselves and those who choose to join in the dialogue (143).

Merciless Dogs :: essays research papers

Ever wonder why politicians are merciless dogs? Of course you have. Well, here's the answer. Machiavelli's classic text on acquiring and maintaining political power laid the foundation for modern politics, for better or for worse, and remains its bedrock. Machiavelli was an Italian patriot and a long-time member of the Italian hierarchy as a sort of political consultant, having been recently ejected from his position when he wrote this manual. Italy was then in a turbulent political situation, seemingly under attack from all quarters, and very unstable. The author wrote this treatise and sent it to Lorenzo Medici -- the Prince, as it were, who was ultimately responsible for Machiavelli's dispension. Such a loyal patriot was our good author that he actually wrote this book and sent it to him as a gift. Well, what does it contain? Just about everything that anyone would want to know about how to acquire political power, and how to keep it. Machiavelli covers just about every conceivable situation: how to rule a brand new land colonly, or one that has been taken over; how a Prince should bear him or herself; how they should keep faith; how to maintain their army; how to keep tabs on the commoners and the nobles, and much more. He includes many maxims and principles that have been taken up time and time again in the nearly 500 years since the publication of this slim volume. One need only look at the current political landscape to see just how inudated these principles have become in the political philosophies of our world leaders, e.g., Machiavelli's idea that it is better to go to war on your enemy's turf before they come to your own, in order to minimize losses, and his famous statement that it is better to be feared than to be loved -- but try your best not to be hated. Many have condemned the ideas and principles contained herein because they eschew moral and ethical standards in deference to pragmatic political gain. Well, wake up, folks. Politics is a dirty game and always has been. It is viscious, ruthless, and takes no prisoners -- a truly dog-eat-dog world. It is not for the faint of heart. Machiavelli tried to tell us this 500 years ago; it's about damn time we started listening. The writing style used in the book is very, very simple, and it is extremely short. Merciless Dogs :: essays research papers Ever wonder why politicians are merciless dogs? Of course you have. Well, here's the answer. Machiavelli's classic text on acquiring and maintaining political power laid the foundation for modern politics, for better or for worse, and remains its bedrock. Machiavelli was an Italian patriot and a long-time member of the Italian hierarchy as a sort of political consultant, having been recently ejected from his position when he wrote this manual. Italy was then in a turbulent political situation, seemingly under attack from all quarters, and very unstable. The author wrote this treatise and sent it to Lorenzo Medici -- the Prince, as it were, who was ultimately responsible for Machiavelli's dispension. Such a loyal patriot was our good author that he actually wrote this book and sent it to him as a gift. Well, what does it contain? Just about everything that anyone would want to know about how to acquire political power, and how to keep it. Machiavelli covers just about every conceivable situation: how to rule a brand new land colonly, or one that has been taken over; how a Prince should bear him or herself; how they should keep faith; how to maintain their army; how to keep tabs on the commoners and the nobles, and much more. He includes many maxims and principles that have been taken up time and time again in the nearly 500 years since the publication of this slim volume. One need only look at the current political landscape to see just how inudated these principles have become in the political philosophies of our world leaders, e.g., Machiavelli's idea that it is better to go to war on your enemy's turf before they come to your own, in order to minimize losses, and his famous statement that it is better to be feared than to be loved -- but try your best not to be hated. Many have condemned the ideas and principles contained herein because they eschew moral and ethical standards in deference to pragmatic political gain. Well, wake up, folks. Politics is a dirty game and always has been. It is viscious, ruthless, and takes no prisoners -- a truly dog-eat-dog world. It is not for the faint of heart. Machiavelli tried to tell us this 500 years ago; it's about damn time we started listening. The writing style used in the book is very, very simple, and it is extremely short.

Essay --

How Seizures affect Brain Activity A seizure is a short occurrence of symptoms that is caused by a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Customarily, a seizure lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. There are different types of seizures not just one. Depending on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance will determine which type of seizure will occur. Experts divide seizures into five generalized seizures, these include: partial seizures, epileptic/non-epileptic seizures, status epilepticus, gelastic seizures and dacrystic seizures. Partial seizures occur when a strong surge of electrical activity affects only a specific area of one cerebral hemisphere. This kind of seizure is subdivided into two categories: Simple Partial Seizures and Complex Seizures. In a simple partial seizure, the effected person will still be conscious and his/her awareness will be retained. In a Complex Partial Seizure however, the subjects’ consciousness is impaired and in some cases maybe even lost. Even though Partial Seizures are mild, they may progress to a much more severe seizure. More people suffer from partial seizures than any other kind. Literally any kind of sensory, movement or emotional action can be altered, including intricate optical hallucinations. Typically in a Simple Partial Seizure, the episode of sudden jerking, sensory phenomena, and transient lethargy would only last half to a full minute. In a Complex Partial, the episode may last up to two full minutes and no less than one. Also in a Complex Partial, the affected may be unaware of setting (surrounding environment), amnesia and confusion may occur and may begin to wander about. Although Partial Seizures affect different emoti... ...y medication used to treat people with epilepsy. One of the studies I went over portrayed that over 10% of patients attending clinics for Epilepsy encounter themselves having suicidal thoughts within the first two weeks. Mild-to-threatening behavior, loss in cognitive skills, amnesia, loss of control, felling fatigued, depression, anxiety, and irrevocably suicidal thoughts are (but not limited to) the affects of Epilepsy on the brain. I personally do not know anyone that suffers from Epilepsy and I am truly grateful for that because after doing all this research I had a life changing epiphany. There is an abundance of people who do not deserve to suffer from epilepsy and there is not ever enough help going on for them. I will definitely be seeing how I can help our fellow brothers and sisters and be a true benefactor for the all, for is this not the ultimate goal?

Reasons for Inequalities of Women?s Health Care in India Essay

India- An overview of the Country India, a country in South East Asia, has the world’s second highest population. Out of the one billion people residing in the nation, 120 million of its women live in poverty. The male to female birth ratio is 1.05 males to 1 female. The life expectancy of the average person is sixty-four years of age. They have a literacy rate (people over the age of fifteen that can read and write) of 59.5 percent, with 70.2 percent of males being literate and 48.3 percent of females that are able to read and write (cia.gov). India's economy is based mainly on traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. It is a patriarchal society, which means that men are the head of societal and familial matters. Women are not thought of as equal to their male counter parts and are expected to be obedient of males. Because of the large, unfavorable shift of power, women face injustices and inequalities in almost every aspect of their lives. A main issue that has always been present and continues to be problematic is the inequalities women must deal with when it comes to health care. What types of services are available to women when they are pregnant and what types of conditions result from these limited services?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The common belief when it comes to pregnancy is that it is an ordinary part of every woman’s life. Even though child birth is an extremely exciting and happy moment for a family, â€Å"the mother and child are considered `impure' and `polluting'† (Hussain, 2001). When a woman is pregnant, she is given special treatment in her family, often not expected to do housework and is fed much better, but only if the expected child will be a son. Often, if it is known that the woman will have a daughter, she will still be expected to perform all of her domestic duties, no matter how dangerous it may be for the fetus. Prenatal and post-natal health care are usually not given to a women. Most women, more than 50 percent, give birth to their child in their own homes. The times when she is taken to a hospital is when she will be delivering a male child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the article, â€Å"Do Women really Have a Voice? Reproductive Behavior and Practices of Two Religious Communities,† Sabiha Hussain (2001) tells the story of a woman... ...ctober 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Improving Women's Health in India. Retrieved October 28, 2004, from www.worldbank.org Johnson, Katherine. (2003). Sweating it Out for Nothing. Women's Feature Service New Delhi. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Kasturi, Leela. (Dec 31, 2000). Greater Political Representation for Women: The Case of India. Asian Journal Of Women's Studies Seoul:. Vol. 4, Iss. 4, p. 9. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Slugget, Catherine. (Apr 30, 1999). Women for Women in India: Two Unique Projects Catering to Women in India. Trikone Magazine San Jose: Vol. 14, Iss. 2, p. 11 Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Women and Health: India; The 'Male Factor' in Women's Reproductive Ill-Health Win News Lexington: Winter 2000. Vol. 26, Iss. 1, p. 19. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Women and Health. Win News Lexington: Autumn 1992. Vol. 18, Iss. 4, p. 21. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. India.(2004). World Fact book. Retrieved November 2, 2004, from www.cia.gov. Zucker, Jessica. (2001). A Snapshot of Women’s Reproductive health in India. Global Reproductive Health.

Climate Change Impact On Agriculture In Pakistan Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate alteration is a phenomenon that arises due to emanations of nursery gases from fuel burning, deforestation, urbanisation and industrialisation, ensuing fluctuations in solar energy, temperature and precipitation. ( Upreti, 1999 ) . It is a existent menace to life which mostly affects H2O resources, agribusiness, coastal parts, fresh water home grounds, flora, woods, snow screen, and geological procedures such as thaw, land sliding, desertification and inundations all of which have long-run affects on nutrient security and human wellness. ( G.Malla.2008 ) . Climate alteration is a planetary issue ; debated on at all foreparts whether it ‘s political, economic or scientific. Climate must be prevented from farther harm. Before the terminal arrives, there is a demand on all degrees of society to understand clime, the factors behind alteration and its impact on our agribusiness and economic system. It is a good known fact that agribusiness is the anchor of Pakistan. Agriculture and agri-related activities form 80 % of the state ‘s economic system. Agriculture is relatively more sensitive to alterations in clime, and can be impacted badly due to events such as ill-timed rainfalls, utmost temperatures and carbondioxide concentrations. A demand arises to closely detect the environment and take up necessary steps for undertaking these challenges. This research work is an effort to turn to the issues and jobs faced by Pakistan ‘s agricultural sector and happen the necessary solutions.2. Statement OF THE PROBLEM:Pakistan ‘s economic system and prosperity is closely linked to its agribusiness. Pakistan ‘s economic activities relate straight or indirectly to agricultural sector. Agricultural sector is dependent on nature. The unsure alterations in nature i.e. altering in precipitation form, highly high and low temperatures, cyclones, electrical storms, fluctuati on in H2O degree, impurification of air, H2O and dirt, have made agribusiness and agri-production a ambitious issue. Unusual heavy rain storms in 2010, which resulted in inundations and deformation of agribusiness and belongings, are an illustration of clime alteration. The loss to the economic system and the people agonies are still remembered and unforgettable. It is the demand of the twenty-four hours to carefully detect clime alteration, the causes of utmost conditions events and happen the necessary solutions to the jobs. Issues sing susceptibleness to extreme climate conditions should be addressed with earnestness to salvage Pakistan ‘s agricultural sector and accordingly the national economic system. This research survey is an effort in turn toing and finally work outing the jobs faced by Pakistan ‘s agribusiness sector due to unsure climate revolutionization.3. Aim:Sing the importance of agricultural sector for the economic system and nutrient demands of Pakistan, there is a demand for dependable estimations of major harvest production under varied clime alteration commissariats and fortunes. Although clime is an unmeasurable fact that is affected by assorted factors i.e. Carbon dioxide concentration in ambiance, temperature fluctuations, precipitation rates, H2O degree, dirt eroding, salt etc. The factors that are straight set uping harvest production are temperature and precipitation rates. This research survey will analyse harvest production with temperature and precipitation rates. The nucleus intents of this research survey will be as under ; 1. To detect the tendency of clime alteration from the last three decennaries i.e. from 1980 to 2010 ; 2. To analyse temperature and rainfall, as the cardinal factors set uping agricultural production, with the major hard currency harvests and nutrient harvests in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa ; 3. To look into the likely impacts of recent and predicted future clime alteration on different harvests production ; 4. To size up different adaptative schemes in get bying with the ruinous conditions of environment and bettering the entire harvests yield ;4. Significance:Pakistan is an agricultural state ; climate alteration impact on agricultural sector is a serious issue that demands immediate attending. This research survey chiefly focuses on the impact of clime alteration on agricultural sector of Pakistan such as ill-timed rainfalls and temperature fluctuations that finally consequences in either drawn-out drouths, unalarmed inundations, addition in dirt erodings and lessening in land productiveness, which finally consequences in the migrations and desertification. The state ‘s socio-economic apparatus suffers the most that leads to a weak state. The most recent impact of clime alteration was seen in July 2010, when inundations destroyed 1000s of small towns all over Pakistan. The greatest hit among them was Khyber Pakhtunkhawa ( KPK ) . The nucleus intent of this research survey is to analyse the temperature and precipitation effects on agricultural green goods in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa. Major harvests will be taken up in this respect, to analyse them in relation with temperature and precipitation from 1980 to 2010. Predictions of temperature and precipitation will assist us accommodate in the hereafter with utmost cropping and harvest home seasons. Prevention can be done before catastrophe work stoppages to safeguard the involvement of a hapless husbandman.5. RESEARCH Question:This research survey will endeavor towards happening replies to the undermentioned inquiries ; 1. Be at that place any possible harm caused by clime alteration to Pakistan ‘s economic system as a whole and agribusiness sector in peculiar? 2. What are the impacts of 2010 inundations on the production of major harvests in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa? 3. Are at that place any adaptive schemes to climate alteration that can assist rural communities strengthen their capacity to get by with catastrophes? 4. What should be the future land-management accomplishments of husbandmans to climate alteration? 5. What measures should be taken in the hereafter to diversify the support of the hapless husbandmans?6. Methodology:The methodological analysis to be adopted for this survey will be as under ; Major factors set uping clime alteration on agricultural sector are temperature and precipitation rates. Harmonizing to the works physiology literature, works development is a additive positive map of temperature, within a scope of temperature between lower limit and maximal thresholds ( Ritchie and Smith, 1991 ) . Keeping this in head, the econometric theoretical account used for analysing the clime impact on agricultural sector will use both maximal and minimal temperatures, which are positively related to harvest ‘s output. Furthermore, precipitation rates set uping harvests outputs will be captured by the relevant econometric and mathematical equations. The information sing the temperature and precipitation variables will be obtained from Pakistan Metrological Department. The information for the entire output of assorted harvests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ( KPK ) will be attained from the Pakistan Federal Bureau of Statistics. Climate alteration tendency will besides be observed by prosecuting different econometric and statistical techniques and processs. The econometric theoretical account used in the research survey will be analyzed with the aid of econometric package ; SPSS or SAS. The elaborate analysis of the econometric theoretical accounts will be explained and decisions will be drawn from it. The socioeconomic impacts on people every bit good as on the development of state will besides be addressed. Future recommendations every bit good as the adaptative schemes for hooking with utmost environment conditions will besides be given.7. PROVISIONAL Chapter STRUCTURE:The proposed chapter construction of the survey will be as under ; Chapter I ; Agriculture sector and its importance to the economic system of Pakistan. Chapter II ; Climate alteration and its impact on Pakistan agricultural sector. Chapter III ; Agricultural production in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa as affected by the alteration in climatic conditions ; Reappraisal of the major harvests over the last three decennaries. Chapter IV ; Analysis and probe of the major harvests of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa with climate alteration factors, utilizing Econometric techniques. Chapter V ; Reasoning the survey ; assorted adaptability and compatibility schemes in relation to climate alteration will be discussed.8. LITERATURE REVIEW:Agribusiness is highly vulnerable to climate alteration. Higher temperatures finally cut down outputs of desirable harvests while promoting weed and pest production. Changes in precipitation forms elevate the short-term harvest malfunction and declines long-term productions. Although there will be an addition in some harvests production in some parts of the universe, the overall impacts of clime alteration on agribusiness are expected to be negative, intimidating planetary nutrient security. International Food Policy Research Institute ( 2009 ) conducted a survey that concentrates on assorted agricultural sector issues in Asia and the Pacific. It presents indexs of exposure, sensitiveness, and adaptative capacity of agribusiness sector in the part. Those indexs underline the exposure of the agribusiness sector as a beginning of support and nutrient security for many people. This survey besides represents huge heterogeneousness in farming systems across Central, East, Southeast, and South Asia and the Pacific Islands. It besides highlights many other facets of exposure to climate alteration across the part that includes undernourishment, poorness and decelerate productivity. , all of which are aggravated by the effects of clime alteration. Neil Leary and Jyoti Kulkarni, ( 2007 ) , work is based on a combination of instance surveies from different parts of the universe. These surveies have debated clime exposure to impacts from clime fluctuation and alteration. The possible results from exposure to climate jeopardies and clime alteration are identified as high-ranking concern in these studies.. It includes H2O scarceness that retards advancement towards development ends, losingss of full ecosystems and their species, more frequent and greater loss of life in coastal zones, land debasement, nutrient insecurity and dearth, loss of supports and increase in infective disease epidemics. All of these are possible results of exposure to climate jeopardies. It is a beginning of greater information as it has addressed clime alteration impacts on all foreparts of life whether it is societal, economic or political. Santiago Olmos ( 2001 ) provides an lineation of version issues, capable to climate exposure literature and clime treatments. This paper covers appraisals of clime exposure in assorted parts of the universe and developing states in peculiar. The paper besides discusses some of the bing resources that can be used to carry on clime exposure appraisals and version work. The current research work is alone in the sense that it will indicate out the impacts of clime alteration on the agricultural sector of Pakistan. More specifically, major countries of concern will be the climate impact on harvests outputs in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa over the last three decennaries. The direct and indirect societal and economic impacts of clime alteration will besides be analyzed in this survey. Adaptive and preventative steps in hooking with utmost clime conditions will besides be given in this research survey.

How the Visual Media Affect People

In modern society, media Is everywhere, and It Is almost Impossible to avoid. The mass media have become such an ordinary, everyday part of society that many people fail to realize the immense impact which the mass media have on all aspects of society – including political, economic, and ideological aspects. The mass media influence the way we vote, the things we buy, the way we act, the values we hold, and the way we perceive reality. The media can be very helpful to people and their children who carefully choose he movies and shows that they watch.With high-quality programming in various fields of study-?science, medicine, nature, history, the arts, and so on-?TV and videotapes increase the. Knowledge of the average and the well-educated person; they can also improve thinking ability. Moreover, television benefits elderly people who cannot go out often, as well as patients in hospitals and residents of nursing faceless. Additionally, It offers language learners the advantage of ‘real-life' audiovisual Instruction and aural comprehension practice at any time of day or night.And of course, television and video can provide almost everyone with good entertainment-?pleasant ways to relax and spend free time at home. Nevertheless, there are several serious disadvantages to the visual media. First of all, some people watch the tube' for more hours In a day than they do anything else. In a large number of homes, TV sets-?as many as five or more In a single household – are always on. Instead of spending time taking care of their kids, parents often use the tube as an ‘electronic baby sitter. As a result, television and video can easily place family communication as well as physical activity and other interests. Secondly, too much TV-?especially programming of low educational value-?can reduce people's ability to concentrate or reason. In fact, studies show that after only a 20. Minute minutes or two of visual media, a person's mind ‘rel axes' as It does during light sleep. Another possible effect of television and videotapes on the human brain is poor communication. Children who watch a lot of TV may lose their ability to focus on a subject or an educational activity for more than ten to fifteen 24. Mute minutes. Maybe it is because of the visual media that some kids-?and adults too-? develop attention deficit disorder ADD, a modern condition in which people are unable to pay attention, listen well, follow Instructions, or remember everyday things. A third negative feature of the media is the amount of violence or horror on the screen-?both in real events in the news and movies or TV programs. It scares people and gives them terrible nightmares; the fear created by media images and language can last for a long time.On the other hand, frequent viewers of ‘action programming' unusual about violent crime, fight, killing, and other terrible events and behavior. Studies show that certain personality types are like ly to have strong emotional reactions or dangerous thoughts after some kinds of ‘entertainment. ‘ They may even copy the acts that they see on violent shows-?start fires, carry and use weapons, attack people in angry or dangerous ways, and even worse. Because of the visual media, some people may become dissatisfied with the reality of their own lives.To these viewers, everyday life does not seem as exciting as the roles actors play in movies or TV dramas. They realize they are not having as much fun as the stars of comedy shows. Furthermore, average people with normal lives may new famous media personalities, who seem to get unlimited amounts of money and attention. Also, media watchers might get depressed when they cannot take care of situations in real life as well as TV stars seem to. On the screen, they notice, actors solve serious problems in hour or half-hour programs-?or in twenty- second commercials.Yet another negative feature of modern television is called tras h TV. ‘ These daily talk shows bring real people with strange or immoral lives, personalities, or behavior to the screen. Millions of viewers-?including children-?watch as these ‘instant stars' tell their most personal secrets, shout out their angry feelings and opinions, and attack one another. TV watchers seem to like the emotional atmosphere and excitement of this kind of programming-?as well as the tension of the real but terrible stories on TV ‘news magazine' shows.What effect does frequent viewing of such programs have on people's lives? It makes television more real than reality, and normal living begins to seem boring. Finally, the most negative effect of the tube might be addiction. People often feel a strange and powerful need to watch TV or play a CD even when they do not enjoy it or have the free time for entertainment. Addiction to a TV or video screen is similar to drug or alcohol dependence: addicts almost never believe they are addicted. Even so, tr uthful media addicts have to give yes answers to many of these questions.

A Solution For South African Energy Crisis Environmental Sciences Essay

This study investigates assorted sustainable energy beginnings in order to set up which beginning would be most dependable to run into the electricity demand of South Africa. Hydro-energy, air current energy, ocean current energy and solar energy were studied. Although an substructure already exist, for air current energy the study concludes that solar energy would be the most dependable renewable energy beginning. Modern societies across the Earth are dependent on the handiness of dependable electricity supply for the care of human and economical activities. Worldwide people are hence progressively concerned about the handiness and the sustainability of energy beginnings for the coevals of electricity. Presently in South Africa the topic â€Å" sustainable energy † is besides high on the docket. This study will look into the place of electricity supply in South Africa and the possible solution that sustainable energy beginnings might keep for South Africa. This study will foremost give a historical overview of the origin and the development of the electricity supply industry in South Africa. Then it will look briefly at the complex inquiries that electricity providers have to face. Finally the assorted types of sustanable energy applicable to South Africa, viz. hydroenergy, air current energy, ocean current energy and solar energy will be discussed.2 Historic overviewThe history of the origin and development of the Southern African electricity supply industry is a absorbing topic. The proficient challenges, the interaction with Industry every bit good as political leaders is non new, but has been portion of electricity from the exchanging on of the first street visible radiations on the African continent in Kimberley on 1 September 1882, three yearss before the launching of the first commercial power station in New York. The history of sustainable energy in South Africa is in fact longer than most people would conceive of. Already in 1895 there were attempts to tap the hydro-energy potency of the Victoria Waterfalls. In 1895, forty old ages after Livingstone had discovered the Victoria Falls, Professor George Forbes arrived in Southern Africa. He was the interior decorator of the Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Power Station, which was at that clip the largest power strategy in the universe. With the Victoria Falls, non merely every bit broad as Niagara, but with dual the tallness, he could non neglect to be impressed by its possible as a hydroelectric strategy to provide the Witwatersrand with an abundant and inexpensive supply of electricity. Although the chief obstruction came in the signifier of the 1 000 kilometer distance over which the power had to be transmitted, a subordinate called the African Concession Syndicate was created in 1901. This mob was granted the exclusive right to tackle the Zambezi River for present and future hydroelectric power strategies. In malice of these readyings, the usage of H2O in the coevals of electricity would merely come much later ( Conradie & A ; Messerschmidt, 2000 ) .3 The complexnesss of electricity systemsDuring the argument in the media around the current crisis a few affairs became clear. First, it is non widely understood that electricity can non be stored and in the instance of renewable energy beginnings, that becomes a major challenge. The 2nd complexness that was ( and still is ) non widely understood, is the complex workings of the electricity supply. The coevals of electricity from power Stationss which are largely situated in the northern inside of the sub-continent and conveyed to the client by manner of 28 000 kilometer of high electromotive force and 250 000 kilometer of lower electromotive force lines, is besides hard to understand. The reconciliation of changing supply and demand requires the changeless attending of the National Control Centre and if the demand outstrips the supply, it is possible to see entire electromotive force prostration, similar to the state of affairs in the north eastern American continent on 14 August 2003 when the consecutive tripping of power lines by trees under power lines in three different countries lead to a electromotive force prostration of the transmittal system. This plunged big metropoliss like New York and Washington in partial darkness and metropoliss like Toronto in entire darkness. The full Restoration of the power system took about a hebdomad to finish. The term â€Å" burden casting † ( besides non understood by most ) is used to denote the sloughing of burden or electricity demand in order to forestall the 50 Hz frequence from dropping excessively low, ensuing in under-frequency tripping of power Stationss and entire electromotive force prostration.4 Sustainable energyFor many old ages South Africa has been, and still is, bring forthing some of the cheapest electricity in the universe. This was mostly due to the handiness of really inexpensive low class coal. With the lifting demand in the remainder of the universe for that coal, South Africans will decidedly experience the pinch. Because of this state of affairs the natural response is to look at pull offing the demand for electricity every bit good as investigate renewable energy beginnings. As can be seen in Figure 1, a figure of sustainable energy beginnings have been identified in the universe. These beginnings can be classified harmonizing to the type of energy they produce. The challenge for South Africa is to use those beginnings most fitting for the fortunes here. Figure 1: Sustainable energy beginnings identified worldwide ( Beginning: Renewable energy. The possible and the restrictions. 2008. [ Online ] . Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fraw.org.uk. [ 2009, December 15 ] . ) Two chief issues need to be considered when looking at the viability of alternate energy beginnings. The first is of class the proficient feasibleness of the undertaking. The 2nd is the cost at which electricity can be produced by the alternate beginning.5 HydroenergyOne of the most obvious renewable beginnings is hydroenergy. In many states, particularly in the Northern hemisphere, many electrical public-service corporations produce power in this manner. In the instance of South Africa, the state does non hold big rivers that can be used to bring forth electricity with.6 Current usage of hydroenergy in South AfricaAt this phase Eskom operates a figure of pump storage strategies that pump H2O into keeping dikes during off-peak periods and usage that to bring forth power during extremum periods. As such this is non a renewable beginning as it uses electricity from dodo fuelled power Stationss for pumping H2O.7 The Congo river as the energy provider for Southern AfricaOne instead ambit ious undertaking that Eskom is presently involved in is to use the hydroenergy from the Congo River. Harmonizing to its inaugural one-year study, the Western Power Corridor ( PTY ) Ltd ( Westcor ) ( 2008 ) proposes to tap the rich, big graduated table renewable hydroresources of the Western, Central and Eastern Corridor of Southern Africa finally. When to the full tapped, the magnitudes will transcend 100GW. This joint venture between the take parting national state-owned electricity companies of Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and South Africa was signed on 7 September 2005 in Gabarone, Botswana. Harmonizing to Mr E Nelumba, Chairman of the Shareholders Steering Committee, Westcor was formed to develop the Western Power Corridor which includes the development of the 3 500 MW tally of river hydroelectric power works at Inga 3 in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . It will besides build power transmittal systems to incorporate with the national grids of the participating every bit good as the remainder of southern Africa. The concluding aspiration is to bring forth 10 000 MW at Inga 3. The Congo River has an estimated 100 000 MW capacity with 40 000 M3s per second and all possible sites are under examination to finally make the end of 50 000 MW of Grand Inga. This is larger than the sum installed capacity of the full Eskom system. Angola has besides indicated that their exploitable hydroelectric potency is about 18 000 MW of which merely 810 MW is presently used. One of the great challenges of this undertaking remains the transmittal of the power to the chief clients in the South. In order to reassign the power faithfully and economically it would be necessary to run the 4 000 kilometer power lines at electromotive force between 600 kilovolts and 1000 kilovolt. The engineering to be able to make this is still in its babyhood and is the topic of current research. To add to the quandary the environment that the proposed lines will track includes countries with some of the highest happening of veld fires and these have the ability to do breaks to the flow of power.8 Wind energyThe usage of air current as an energy beginning is likely one of the best known signifiers of renewable energy and successful commercial operations have been around for a long piece. Harmonizing to the IngenierbAA?ro fAA?r neue Energien air current coevals in Germany sums to 39 500 GWh ( Power in Europe, 2008 ) . This accounts for more than half of the renewable energy in that state. The universe ‘s entire installed capacity of air current generators was 94 GW at the terminal of 2007 ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) .9 Wind turbines in usage presentlyEskom commissioned three wind turbines between August 2002 and February 2003 at its Klipheuwel site North of Cape Town. Two Danish turbines and one French turbine, with a combined capacity of 3.16 MW, were installed to enable Eskom to compare the different design and operational features. To day of the month the installation has generated more than 15 GWh, which was fed into the grid at the Klipheuwel 11 kV/66kV substation ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) . The single power, responsibility rhythm and cost features of each of the turbines are being collected in a engineering matrix that will finally incorporate a suite of Renewable Energy engineering options, with air current being the first. The tower dynamic features and quiver status supervising baseline measurings every bit good as the interaction between the grid and the generators have already been done. The production analysis will be used in the future selling of green energy ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) .10 Variability in available energyAs with other signifiers of renewable energy, the variableness in the available energy is an issue that concerns the developers of these systems. Wind is no exclusion and in this instance an accurate finding of air current climatologies is required, based on several old ages of air current informations. A well-known survey carried out by Geernaert et Al ( 1988 ) used information of a 109 old ages ( between 1873 and 1982 ) and showed that fluctuations of up to 30 % from the average value can be expected from one decennary to the following. This information is important if it is considered that the installation may hold a lifetime of 20 old ages and longer. The available air current energy is of class besides influenced by topographical factors every bit good as variableness in air current speed due to height fluctuations. This makes the pick of the appropriate site a really of import issue.11 The hereafter of air current energyWith the valuable research done at Klipheuwel the hereafter for air current coevals seems bright. Eskom announced the building of a 100 MW installation on the West Coast close to Koekenaap in 2007. The EIA and commercial activities are good underway and building is planned to get down tardily in 2008. The installation will dwell of approximately 50 units runing between 1.5 to 2.5 MW and will be integrated into the 132 kilovolt system at Eskom ‘s Juno or Koekenaap substations. Based on the variableness d iscussed above and an energy use factor of 26 % , the installation is expected to bring forth 2 28G Wh per annum ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) . Based on old experience the building of the installation will take about one twelvemonth to finish.12 Ocean current energyThe energy fluxes of the oceans have attracted the attending of applied scientists for a long clip and include the assorted signifiers.13 Continual moving ridge gestureThe continual moving ridge gesture that can power coevals devices. One illustration is the US $ 29.5m experimental installation of Scots Power at the Orkney Islands ( Power in Europe, 2008 ) . The Pelamis system consists of four elephantine metal â€Å" sausages † , each 450 m long, bobbing on the moving ridges and each bring forthing 750 KW by turning the gesture into electricity via the pumping of hydraulic fluid through the articulations. By some estimations Scotland should be able to bring forth every bit much as 1 300 MW by 2020.14 Tidal energyThe gravi tative forces of the Sun and Moon consequence in the surface of the sea changing by about 2 m. This consequence can be amplified by up to 11 m due to the effects of bays and channels. It is this energy that is used by systems such as the tidal energy works at La Range in France with a capacity of 240 MW.15 Salinity differencesAlthough the salt differences between the ocean H2O and fresh overflow represent differences in chemical potency which may be harnessed through a suited membrane, this has merely been demonstrated on a little graduated table.16 Thermal differencesThe thermic differences between surface and deep H2O can be every bit much as 15 grades and a heat engine can be used to bring forth power. This construct, referred to as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion ( OTEC ) has, nevertheless, a thermodynamic efficiency of merely 8 % and Eskom is presently measuring the usage of cold deep H2O as a coolant for coastal power Stationss, where its efficiency will be higher.17 Fast flux ing ocean currentsThe fast flowing western boundary ocean currents can hold speeds of up to 2.5 m/s which could supply a beginning of comparatively high power denseness for power coevals although there are no commercial undertakings presently under development. Eskom is actively involved in research on this topic.18 Energy denseness of H2OBecause the energy denseness of a medium is straight relative to its denseness and is a map of the speed cubed, the energy denseness for H2O is far higher compared to weave at comparable speeds. The denseness of H2O is about two orders of magnitude higher than that of air. This means that an ocean current is far more fecund as a resource compared to onshore air current. Due to the rough environment demands on an ocean current generator, it is assumed that for a commercially feasible undertaking, the energy denseness should be dual of that required of air current. This implies that currents with speeds of at least 1,5 m/s need to be found.19 Solar e nergySouthern Africa has over many old ages used the copiousness of sunlight to market the state as â€Å" Sunny South Africa † . It is hence non surprising that this signifier of energy is regarded by some as the chief beginning that can significantly act upon Eskom ‘s supply side.20 Solar panelsThe work about solar panels both photovoltaic and solar H2O warmers are good known and late Prof Vivian Alberts of the University of Johannesburg announced a discovery in the production of a new photovoltaic panel that will be up to 50 % cheaper than anything else on the market ( Venter, 2007 ) .21 Concentrated Solar Power ( CSP )Another exciting and advanced usage of solar power is presently being investigated by Eskom. The engineering referred to as concentrated Solar Power ( CSP ) uses sun energy to heat a mixture of 60 % Sodium Nitrate ( NaNo3 ) and 40 % Potassium Nitrate ( KNO3 ) to a temperature of 565A °C. CSP is besides regarded as the lone large-scale renewable engin eering with proved energy storage. The heat energy can be stored for up to 14 hours and is used to bring forth steam for the 100 MW reheat steam turbine at a unrecorded steam force per unit area of 125 saloon. This means that the works will be able to bring forth power for a full 24 hours during the summer solstice. An mean expected burden factor of 70 % is expected.22 DecisionAs the demand for electricity rises, a more sustainable energy beginning to replace the dodo fuel energy beginning was investigated. In South Africa research has been done in both the engineering and tackling electricity from renewable energy beginnings. The study showed that hydro energy, weave energy, ocean current energy and solar energy were investigated. Due to the changeless sunlight in South Africa, it appeared like solar energy would be the most dependable energy beginning.