Do Endogenic Processes Influence Global Climate Systems Environmental Sciences Essay

Do Endogenic Processes Influence Global Climate Systems Environmental Sciences Essay All processes that take place inside  Earth  (and other  planets) are considered endogenous. They make the  continents  migrate, push the  mountains  up, and trigger  earthquakes  and  volcanism. Endogenous processes are driven by the warmth that is produced in the core of Earth by  radioactivity  and  gravity. The geography and movement of tectonic plates is a key influence on global climate as it determines the form of the ocean basins, Patterns of heat ransfer in the oceans, large scale atmospheric circulation and the geometry of mountain chains. The movement and geometry of the lithospheric plates is a key long term influence on global climate and hea transfer and plae movements can be both vertical e.g the formation of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau or horizontal e.g sea floor spreading or the closing of the panama seaway and the development of the north atlantic gulf stream. Internal energy drives endogenic processes such as plate tectonics, volcanic activity, seismicity. The geography of the tectonic plates is a key influence on a global climate, this influences: the form and size of the ocean basins and land masses, patterns of heat transfer in the oceans thermohaline circulation, large scale atmospheric circulation and vertical heat exchange, the location and elevation of mountain chains and plateaus, the amount of elevated crust. The formation of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau that began 52 to 44ma key events that led to a step change in the climate system and long term global cooling. Horizontal crustal movement the closing of the panama seaway around 4 ma and the development of the north atlantic gulf stream taking warm water to higher latitudes a key factor in the formation of ice sheets in the northern hemisphere. The closing of the panama seaway around 4ma and the development of the north atlantic gulf stream taking warm water to higher latitudes. The movement and geometry of the lithospheric plates is a key longterm influence on global climate and heat transfer, vertical crustal movements are most rapid at plate boundaries and we will be exploring their potential impact on weathering rates and carbon cycle. Location and elevation of mountain chains and high plateau landscapes across the earths surface is a key influence on climate over a range of timescales. The essay is about the last 65 million years, so the Big Bang theory is not really relevant. You need a nice range of examples to show how endogenic processes can influence global climate (long and short term). We covered some in the lectures (i.e. vertical and horizonatal crustal movements). We did not really look at volcanic processes, but you need to mention them too (short and longterm impacts) we mentioned other controls too (not related to endogenic processes) so you can mention them briefly to round things off. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines June 15, 1991, an estimated 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide and ash particles blasted more than 12 miles (20 km) high into the atmosphere. The eruption caused widespread destruction and loss of human life. Gases and solids injected into the stratosphere circled the globe for three weeks. Volcanic eruptions of this magnitude can impact global climate, reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earths surface, lowering temperatures in the troposphere, and changing atmospheric circulation patterns. The extent to which this occurs is an ongoing debate.  Large-scale volcanic activity may last only a few days, but the massive outpouring of gases and ash can influence climate patterns for years. Sulfuric gases convert to sulfate aerosols, sub-micron droplets containing about 75 percent sulfuric acid. Following eruptions, these aerosol particles can linger as long as three to four years in the stratosphere. Major eruptions alter the Earths radiative balance because volcanic aerosol clouds absorb terrestrial radiation, and scatter a significant amount of the incoming solar radiation, an effect known as radiative forcing that can last from two to three years following a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions cause short-term climate changes and contribute to natural climate variability, says Georgiy Stenchikov, a research professor with the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University. Exploring effects of volcanic eruption allows us to better understand important physical mechanisms in the climate system that are initiated by volcanic forcing. Stenchikov and Professor Alan Robock of Rutgers University with Hans Graf and Ingo Kirchner of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology performed a series of climate simulations that combined volcanic aerosol observations from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) available from the Langley DAAC, with Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) data from the Goddard Space Flight Center DAAC. The research team ran a general circulation model developed at the Max Planck Institute with and without Pinatubo aerosols for the two years following the Pinatubo eruption. To study the sensitivity of climate response to sea surface temperature, using data from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory DAAC, they conducted calculations with climatologically mean sea surface temperature, as well as with those observed during particular El Nià ±o and La Nià ±a periods. By comparing the climate simulations from the Pinatubo eruption, with and without aerosols, the researchers found that the climate model calculated a general cooling of the global troposphere, but yielded a clear winter warming pattern of surface air temperature over Northern Hemisphere continents. The temperature of the tropical lower stratosphere increased by 4 Kelvin (4 °C) because of aerosol absorption of terrestrial longwave and solar near-infrared radiation. The model demonstrated that the direct radiative effect of volcanic aerosols causes general stratospheric heating and tropospheric cooling, with a tropospheric warming pattern in the winter. The modeled temperature change is consistent with the temperature anomalies observed after the eruption, Stenchikov says. The pattern of winter warming following the volcanic eruption is practically identical to a pattern of winter surface temperature change caused by global warming. It shows that volcanic aerosols force fundamental climate mechanisms that play an important role in the global change process. This temperature pattern is consistent with the existence of a strong phase of the Arctic Oscillation, a natural pattern of circulation in which atmospheric pressure at polar and middle latitudes fluctuates, bringing higher-than-normal pressure over the polar region and lower-than-normal pressure at about 45 degrees north latitude. It is forced by the aerosol radiative effect, and circulation in winter is stronger than the aerosol radiative cooling that dominates in summer. Man-made, or anthropogenic emissions can make the consequences of volcanic eruptions on the global climate system more severe, Stenchikov says. For instance, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere start a chain of chemical reactions on aerosol surfaces that destroy ozone molecules in the mid-latitude stratosphere, intensifying observed stratospheric ozone depletion. While we have no observations, the 1963 Agung eruption on the island of Bali probably did not deplete ozone as there was little atmospheric chlorine in the stratosphere. In 1991 after the Pinatubo eruption, when the amount of CFCs in the stratosphere increased, the ozone content in the mid-latitudes decreased by 5 percent to 8 percent, affecting highly populated regions, says Stenchikov. NASA and the National Science Foundation have funded Robock and Stenchikov to study the Pinatubo eruption in more detail, and to conduct another model comparison with the volcanic aerosol data set. They plan to combine SAGE II data with available lidar and satellite data from various DAACs to improve their existing data set. By understanding the impact of large volcanic eruptions on Earths climate system in more detail, perhaps scientists will be in a better position to suggest measures to lessen their effects on people and natural resources. Both technological change and economic growth are seen as major determinants of future global energy demand levels, the associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and global climate impacts Until recently, however, the modelling of energy-economy-climate interactions has largely regarded technological progress as an exogenous process, rather than as endogenous technological change. Energy Economics Volume 24, Issue 1, January 2002, Pages 1-19 a momentary glance at a map of the world today to realise that the disposition of the continents has a marked effect on both local and global climate. Not the least of these effects results from the difference in the thermal properties of land versus ocean a continental region will be colder in winter and warmer in summer than an oceanic region at any given latitude. Moreover mountain belts formed as a consequence of plate tectonic activity dramatically modify rainfall through the effects of  orography   the development of a rain shadow on the leeward side of mountain belts. Global climate is also strongly controlled by ocean currents. For example, northwestern Europe is significantly warmer than other regions at similar latitudes because of the warming effects of the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift. The reversal of oceanic currents in the equatorial Pacific a phenomenon known as El Nià ±o has a far-reaching effect on climate around the Pacific. Ocean currents depend on the geometry of the oceans and this is controlled by plate tectonics. Hence, over geological timescales the movement of plates and continents has a profound effect on the distribution of land masses, mountain ranges and the connectivity of the oceans. As a consequence, plate tectonics has a very direct and fundamental influence on global climate. http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=172207 The climate of modern Antarctica is extreme. Located over the South Pole and in total darkness for six months of the year, the continent is covered by glacial ice to depths in excess of 3 km in places. Yet this has not always been the case. 50 Ma ago, even though Antarctica was in more or less the same position over the pole, the climate was much more temperate there were no glaciers and the continent was covered with lush vegetation and forests. So how did this extreme change come about? The modern climate of Antarctica depends upon its complete isolation from the rest of the planet as a consequence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that completely encircles Antarctica and gives rise to the stormy region of the Southern Ocean known as the roaring forties. The onset of this current is related to the opening of seaways between obstructing continents. Antarctica and South America were once joined together as part of Gondwana and were the last parts of this original supercontinent to separate. By reconstructing continental positions from magnetic and other features of the sea floor in this region, geologists have shown that the Drake Passage opened in three phases between 50 Ma and 20 Ma, as illustrated in Figure 32. At 50 Ma there was possibly a shallow seaway between Antarctica and South America, but both continents were moving together. At 34 Ma the seaway was still narrow, but differential movement between the Antarctic and South American Plates created a deeper c hannel between the two continents that began to allow deep ocean water to circulate around the continent. Finally, at 20 Ma there was a major shift in local plate boundaries that allowed the rapid development of a deep-water channel between the two continental masses. The coincidence of the change in motion of the Pacific Plate with changes in plate motions between S. America and Antarctica shows how the motions of all the plates are interconnected a change in the true motion of one plate leads to changes in the true motions of many others. While these plate motions were taking place the effect on Antarctica was profound. By 34 Ma the climate cooled from the temperate conditions that previously existed. This was sufficient for glaciers to begin their advance, and was followed by a period of continued cooling until at about 20 Ma, glaciation was complete. Even though the Drake Passage first opened at 50 Ma it was not until it opened to deep water at 34 Ma that glaciation really took hold Today, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest deep ocean current and its strength is responsible for the icehouse climate that grips the planet. The opening of the Drake Passage had both a local and a global effect, initially cooling the climate of Antarctica from temperate to cold and ultimately playing an important role in the change from global greenhouse conditions 50 Ma ago to the global icehouse of today. This example shows how plate tectonics, continental drift and the opening and closing of seaways can have a profound influence on both local and global climate. Throughout the Phanerozoic there were long periods when the Earth was much warmer than today often called a greenhouse climate and other times when it was cold called an icehouse climate. These cycles, like the Wilson cycle, occur over periods of 100 Ma, reflecting the timescale of plate movements and the growth and destruction of oceans. Given the clear link between ocean circulation and climate, and the similar timescales of global climate change and plate motions, it is inescapable that one of the chief controls on long-term changes in the global climate must be plate tectonics. Every two to seven years a climatic disturbance brings floods to California, droughts to Australia, and famine to Africa . Known as El Nino, it is essentially a warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific near the equator. Although scientists understand the mechanics of El Nino, its origins have yet to be determined. Most believe that the interaction between the atmosphere and the sea somehow generates this climatic disturbance that wreaks havoc upon those regions of the world that lie in its path. But now a new theory on the origins of El Nino has been proposed and, surprisingly, it has very little to do with the atmosphere or the sea. The new theory suggests that the primary mover behind El Nino is hot magma welling up between tectonic plates on the Pacific sea-floor. The upwelling magma heats the overlying waters enough to affect the ocean surface, initiating the cascade of events that brings on the wrath of El Nino. Volcanic Ash Eruptions, like that pictured above, throw tons of ash into the atmosphere, and have short term affects of the climate. If the eruption is potent enough, the ash will stop some of the shortwave radiation coming in from the Sun. This, in turn, will lead to a decrease in the global temperature. The reason for this is that the shortwave radiation that comes in from the Sun and reaches the Earths surface, gets absorbed in the the Earth. About 4 to 6 hours later, the Earth reradiates that energy in the form of longwave radiation. This is where the temperature comes from. So if some of the sunlight is shut off, then this will lead to a decrease the global temperature. With the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 (image above), about 22 million tons of ash was thrown into the atmosphere. This was enough to block a fraction of the sunlight from reaching the Earths surface, which cooled the global temperature on Earth by as much as 0.5 degrees C. The most powerful eruption in recorded his tory, the eruption of the Tambora Volcano in Indonesia in April of 1815, threw up so much ash that the global temperature on Earth fell by as much as 3 degrees C. Europe and North America know this time as the year without a summer. The volcanic ash does not keep the temperatures down for a very long period of time geologically speaking, so its impacts are on a short term basis. Rain-Shadow Effect The long term impacts of volcanoes come from a look at simple geography. Volcanoes are gigantic mountains, so their affect on climate is the same as a normal mountain. This leads to the rain-shadow effect (explained in the  Continental Movement  section), which comes into play with volcanoes just as it does with mountain building. Until that volcano can be eroded away, it will continue to have some sort of impact on climate. This can last for thousands of years. Volcanoes have quite a bit of affect on climate. And this affect can be rather short term (volcanic ash) or long term (rain-shadow effect) in nature. Again biology can be affected by this too. For example, a desert area may quickly develop on the leeward side of a new volcano. If life is not able to adjust, extinction will become a significant threat. http://www.djburnette.com/projects/volcanoes.html

Nelson Mandela Essay -- Essays Papers

Nelson Mandela A transformationals Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla, South Africa's first black president. Mandela was widely revered by blacks throughout Africa as a symbol of black liberation. He gained almost legendary status through the 1980s as South Africa's leading antiapartheid figure, assuming the forefront of the black struggle after his release from prison. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918 near Umtata in Transkei, in the Eastern Cape, into the royal family of the Tembu, a Xhosa-speaking tribe. He was educated at a British missionary boarding school and at Fort Hare University, from which he was expelled in 1940 for leading a strike with Oliver Tambo. He returned home, but ran away to Soweto in Transvaal province, giving up his hereditary chieftanship to avoid an arranged marriage. He eventually obtained a law degree from the University of South Africa. Helped by Walter Sisulu, Mandela and Tambo set up South Africa's first black law firm. In 1944, the three men formed the African National Congress Youth League, which came to dominate the ANC in 1948. He became president of the league in 1950. Meanwhile Mandela married Evelyn Ntoko, with whom he had three children. The couple later were divorced. Mandela was arrested in 1955 and was acquitted of treason in 1961. After the trial, Mandela took up armed insurrection, traveling abroad for military training. Upon his return to South Africa, he went underground and formed the ANC's military wing,...

The Picture of Dorian Gray

English Essay Oscar Wilde’s novel is an extended metaphor that reinforces his idea that ‘There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book’. In The Picture Of Dorian Gray his view is very contradictory. His theory is reinforced through the changes in Dorian’s personality, the ‘yellow book’ A Rebours (‘against nature’) which was one of the most important novels during the decadence period, which was given to Dorian Gray by Lord Henry. Consequently, leading us to the corruption of Dorian Gray and his inevitable death. Dorian’s change in personality reinforces Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Dorian is living a double life, and in regards to the novel elements of his good and bad side is shown. This is shown with hints in the novel and shows the cautionary tale of the novel. As his friends, such as Lord Henry attempted to â€Å"spoil† his â€Å"beautiful nature† one of his closest friend Basil was cautious this was going to turn young Dorian from good to evil. Wilde does this to show how Dorian’s lifestyle can be corrupted morally and immorally, as things such as the painting make him accomplish the things he always wanted accepting pleasures moral or immorally. In spite of this, Lord Henry threatens Dorian’s fear of the painting losing beauty. Wilde uses this scenario that challenges his idea, because as Dorian is in constant fear of his loss of beauty this links in with Wilde himself as he wants â€Å"to be like Dorian† Wilde is always cautious of presenting his homosexuality within the book because the society didn’t practice it. Nevertheless he clearly states his desires for men in the book which doesn’t reinforce his idea as they are immoral feelings that are represented. The influence of the ‘yellow book’ is fundamental to Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Lord Henry gives the book to Dorian Gray and once Dorian has read this book he starts to get thoughts in his head which corrupts his mind. Thus shown in the novel as the yellow book as Dorian is now starting to become influenced by it showing the book has a moral, but the feelings in the novel that are present are immoral. Wilde uses this ‘poisonous’ yellow book to represent his aesthetic sensations without the concern of what the society will think, as the yellow book reveals aesthetic sensations that links to decadence because the end of novel ends in gothic fashion due to the influence of the yellow book. By doing this, this doesn’t reinforce his idea because it shows that if you believe in something it’s bound to have a moral like the moral book so his idea is yet again contradicted. The corruption of Dorian Gray is consequent to the things I have identified and challenges Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because as Oscar Wilde starts to show the reader Dorian’s corrupt soul more and more throughout the book as he commits crimes and makes the one he ‘loved’ commit suicide. By showing us Dorian’s corrupt soul more through the book it gives the reader a sense that there is a moral to it because no one can be once an almost ‘perfect’ human being to a criminal almost who neglects his close friends without a meaning behind it. Thus going against Oscar Wilde’s idea because his book was based on getting homo erotic views across so he must be presenting something that has meaning for example Dorian’s beauty and how it lead to his corruption. All of these elements contradict Oscar Wilde’s approach towards this book. His constant use of Dorian and his changed personality and the yellow book doesn’t reinforce his idea very well at all. In spite of this perhaps Oscar Wilde could be presenting these ideas on purpose to give his analytical side to his idea. A good example is the â€Å"yellow book† once Dorian read the book his mind state changed because he believed the words and the moral behind the book. Therefore this could lead to Oscar Wilde’s intention that books are influencing to people if they believe it from the start. He wants to tell us that if you think books are moral you’ll be influence by them. This is a result to why Oscar Wilde’s novel is so contradictory today he uses all the elements in the book which makes people believe in the book thereby creating a moral and some others who don’t agree with his view and his explicit behaviour won’t believe in the book meaning the novel has no meaning making it have no moral which is why he presents Dorian, the â€Å"yellow book† and his corruption in such a way. The Picture of Dorian Gray English Essay Oscar Wilde’s novel is an extended metaphor that reinforces his idea that ‘There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book’. In The Picture Of Dorian Gray his view is very contradictory. His theory is reinforced through the changes in Dorian’s personality, the ‘yellow book’ A Rebours (‘against nature’) which was one of the most important novels during the decadence period, which was given to Dorian Gray by Lord Henry. Consequently, leading us to the corruption of Dorian Gray and his inevitable death. Dorian’s change in personality reinforces Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Dorian is living a double life, and in regards to the novel elements of his good and bad side is shown. This is shown with hints in the novel and shows the cautionary tale of the novel. As his friends, such as Lord Henry attempted to â€Å"spoil† his â€Å"beautiful nature† one of his closest friend Basil was cautious this was going to turn young Dorian from good to evil. Wilde does this to show how Dorian’s lifestyle can be corrupted morally and immorally, as things such as the painting make him accomplish the things he always wanted accepting pleasures moral or immorally. In spite of this, Lord Henry threatens Dorian’s fear of the painting losing beauty. Wilde uses this scenario that challenges his idea, because as Dorian is in constant fear of his loss of beauty this links in with Wilde himself as he wants â€Å"to be like Dorian† Wilde is always cautious of presenting his homosexuality within the book because the society didn’t practice it. Nevertheless he clearly states his desires for men in the book which doesn’t reinforce his idea as they are immoral feelings that are represented. The influence of the ‘yellow book’ is fundamental to Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Lord Henry gives the book to Dorian Gray and once Dorian has read this book he starts to get thoughts in his head which corrupts his mind. Thus shown in the novel as the yellow book as Dorian is now starting to become influenced by it showing the book has a moral, but the feelings in the novel that are present are immoral. Wilde uses this ‘poisonous’ yellow book to represent his aesthetic sensations without the concern of what the society will think, as the yellow book reveals aesthetic sensations that links to decadence because the end of novel ends in gothic fashion due to the influence of the yellow book. By doing this, this doesn’t reinforce his idea because it shows that if you believe in something it’s bound to have a moral like the moral book so his idea is yet again contradicted. The corruption of Dorian Gray is consequent to the things I have identified and challenges Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because as Oscar Wilde starts to show the reader Dorian’s corrupt soul more and more throughout the book as he commits crimes and makes the one he ‘loved’ commit suicide. By showing us Dorian’s corrupt soul more through the book it gives the reader a sense that there is a moral to it because no one can be once an almost ‘perfect’ human being to a criminal almost who neglects his close friends without a meaning behind it. Thus going against Oscar Wilde’s idea because his book was based on getting homo erotic views across so he must be presenting something that has meaning for example Dorian’s beauty and how it lead to his corruption. All of these elements contradict Oscar Wilde’s approach towards this book. His constant use of Dorian and his changed personality and the yellow book doesn’t reinforce his idea very well at all. In spite of this perhaps Oscar Wilde could be presenting these ideas on purpose to give his analytical side to his idea. A good example is the â€Å"yellow book† once Dorian read the book his mind state changed because he believed the words and the moral behind the book. Therefore this could lead to Oscar Wilde’s intention that books are influencing to people if they believe it from the start. He wants to tell us that if you think books are moral you’ll be influence by them. This is a result to why Oscar Wilde’s novel is so contradictory today he uses all the elements in the book which makes people believe in the book thereby creating a moral and some others who don’t agree with his view and his explicit behaviour won’t believe in the book meaning the novel has no meaning making it have no moral which is why he presents Dorian, the â€Å"yellow book† and his corruption in such a way.

Definition and Examples of Plain English

Definition and Examples of Plain English Plain English is  clear and direct speech or writing in English. Also called plain language. The opposite of plain English goes by various names: bureaucratese, doublespeak, gibberish, gobbledygook, skotison. In the U.S., the Plain Writing Act of 2010 took effect in October 2011 (see below). According to the governments Plain Language Action and Information Network, the law requires federal agencies to write all new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a â€Å"clear, concise, well-organized† manner that follows the best practices of plain language writing. Based in England, the Plain English Campaign is a professional editing company and pressure group committed to eliminating gobbledygook, jargon and misleading public information. Examples and Observations Plain English, it turns out, is the product of craft: an understanding of the readers needs, the translation of alienating jargon, establishing an easy pace that readers can follow. Clarity of expression comes most of all from a clear understanding of the topic or theme you are writing about. No writer can clarify for the reader what is not clear to the writer in the first place.(Roy Peter Clark, Help! for Writers: 210 Solutions to the Problems Every Writer Faces. Little, Brown and Company, 2011) Plain English (or plain language, as its often called) refers to: The writing and setting out of essential information in a way that gives a cooperative, motivated person a good chance of understanding it at first reading, and in the same sense that the writer meant it to be understood. This means pitching the language at a level that suits the readers and using good structure and layout to help them navigate. It doesnt mean always using simple words at the expense of the most accurate or writing whole documents in kindergarten language . . ..Plain English embraces honesty as well as clarity. Essential information should not lie or tell half-truths, especially as its providers are often socially or financially dominant.(Martin Cutts, Oxford Guide to Plain English, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2009) Plain Writing Act (2011) The federal government is rolling out a new official language of sorts: plain English. . . .[President Barack] Obama signed the Plain Writing Act last fall after decades of effort by a cadre of passionate grammarians in the civil service to jettison the jargon. . . .It takes full effect in October, when federal agencies must start writing plainly in all new or substantially revised documents produced for the public. The government will still be allowed to write nonsensically to itself. . . .By July, each agency must have a senior official overseeing plain writing, a section of its website devoted to the effort and employee training under way. . . .It is important to emphasize that agencies should communicate with the public in a way that is clear, simple, meaningful and jargon-free, says Cass Sunstein, a White House information and regulation administrator who gave guidance to federal agencies in April on how to put the law into place.(Calvin Woodward [Associated Press], Feds Must St op Writing Gibberish Under New Law. CBS News, May 20, 2011) Plain Writing As for plain English writing,  think of it as having three parts: - Style. By style, I mean how to write clear, readable sentences. My advice is simple: write more the way you talk. This may sound simple, but its a powerful metaphor that can revolutionize your writing.- Organization. I suggest starting with your main point almost all the time. That doesnt mean it has to be your first sentence (though it can be)just that it should come early and be easy to find.- Layout. This is the appearance of the page and your words on it. Headings, bullets, and other techniques of white space help your reader seevisuallythe underlying structure of your writing. . . . Plain English is not limited to expressing only simple ideas: it works for all kinds of writingfrom an internal memo to a complicated technical report. It can handle any level of complexity. (Edward P. Bailey, Plain English at Work: A Guide to Writing and Speaking. Oxford University Press, 1996) Criticism of Plain English As well as the arguments in favour (e.g. Kimble, 1994/5), Plain English also has its critics. Robyn Penman argues that we need to consider the context when we write and we cannot rely on a universal principle of plain or simple English. There is some evidence that Plain English revisions do not always work: Penman quotes research including an Australian study which compared versions of a tax form and found that the revised version was virtually as demanding for the taxpayer as the old form (1993), p. 128).We agree with Penmans main pointthat we need to design appropriate documentsbut we still think that all business writers should consider the recommendations coming from Plain English sources. Unless you have clear contrary evidence, they are the safest bet, especially if you have a general or mixed audience. (Peter Hartley and Clive G. Bruckmann, Business Communication. Routledge, 2002)

Free Essays on Idea Of Masculinity And Physical Condition

Idea of Masculinity and Physical Condition In today's society, there is a lot of pressure on young men to be in the best physical condition possible. The idea of masculinity seems to be related to the picture of a perfect man with bulging muscles that excels in sports. A boy growing up who does not make the football or baseball team is ridiculed and tormented by his classmates and is labeled as a "nerd" or a "loser". These images of the macho man are put in adolescent boys heads mainly by the media. They see the Arnold Schwaztanagers and other muscle men and grow up thinking that is what they have to look like in order to get a good-looking girlfriend or to be popular. Movies portray the big strong man as the one in charge, and the one with all the ladies. Strength has become symbolic of not only Masculinity, but of power and sexuality. The main problem with this image is that not all children can live up to it. A boy with an illness such as asthma or diabetes may look fine, but is not able to perform as well athletically than his classmates. The boy will often end up hating himself and pushing harder than he is physically able in order to perform as well as his peers. This is not only dangerous to the physical well - being of the child, but can also mentally harm him when he realizes he will never be as quick or as strong as the rest of the boys. Along with peer pressure comes pressure from the gym teachers or coaches. They always want to push the extra step, but sometime that extra step is unattainable. The only way that a child with a disability can cope with this is to realize that just because he is not athletic does not make him any less masculine. Some boys that do not even take interest in sports pretend to, just so they are not labeled as "weird" or "gay". They act like they enjoy watching football games with dad or basketball games with his friends, even though he would rather be reading or writing. Ju... Free Essays on Idea Of Masculinity And Physical Condition Free Essays on Idea Of Masculinity And Physical Condition Idea of Masculinity and Physical Condition In today's society, there is a lot of pressure on young men to be in the best physical condition possible. The idea of masculinity seems to be related to the picture of a perfect man with bulging muscles that excels in sports. A boy growing up who does not make the football or baseball team is ridiculed and tormented by his classmates and is labeled as a "nerd" or a "loser". These images of the macho man are put in adolescent boys heads mainly by the media. They see the Arnold Schwaztanagers and other muscle men and grow up thinking that is what they have to look like in order to get a good-looking girlfriend or to be popular. Movies portray the big strong man as the one in charge, and the one with all the ladies. Strength has become symbolic of not only Masculinity, but of power and sexuality. The main problem with this image is that not all children can live up to it. A boy with an illness such as asthma or diabetes may look fine, but is not able to perform as well athletically than his classmates. The boy will often end up hating himself and pushing harder than he is physically able in order to perform as well as his peers. This is not only dangerous to the physical well - being of the child, but can also mentally harm him when he realizes he will never be as quick or as strong as the rest of the boys. Along with peer pressure comes pressure from the gym teachers or coaches. They always want to push the extra step, but sometime that extra step is unattainable. The only way that a child with a disability can cope with this is to realize that just because he is not athletic does not make him any less masculine. Some boys that do not even take interest in sports pretend to, just so they are not labeled as "weird" or "gay". They act like they enjoy watching football games with dad or basketball games with his friends, even though he would rather be reading or writing. Ju...

American Airlines Flight 191 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Airlines Flight 191 - Case Study Example This maintenance procedure is believed to have led to the engine separating from the wing. The procedure was carried out because McDonnell-Douglas issued a service bulletin requiring that the "upper and lower spherical bearings that attached the pylon to the wing" (Failure Analysis, 2008, pg. 1) be replaced. Instead of carrying out the procedure according to the accompanying directions, American Airlines decided to replace the assembly via a cheaper method that involved less time and effort to undertake. The aft bulkhead could have been brought into contact with the wing-mounted clevis via a number of different ways. Either during or after the hardware in the aft bulkhead fitting was removed, a load could have been applied that would have been sufficient enough to produce a crack. When attaching the pylon, the maintenance personnel had to be extremely careful because of the small distance between the pylon and wing attachments and the structural elements. It would only take a minor error for the forklift operator to damage the bulkhead and its upper flange (Failure Analysis, 2008). the airlines contributed to this accident" (Failure Analysis, 2008, pg. 1).

Retail at the speed of fashion (case study) Essay

Retail at the speed of fashion (case study) - Essay Example On the other hand, Zara has individually owned manufacturing units in and around Spain. It has full control over the manufacturing facilities giving them better flexibility. Only the raw materials like undyed fabric are purchased from countries like India and Morocco. The dependence on the suppliers is minimal for Zara. Buyer Power- An industry like fashion is characterized by very high buyer power. The power of the buyers is not in terms of bargaining but in terms of taste and preferences, which can change very swiftly. Zara has a well-dedicated designing team, which produces about 12,000 styles per year. This helps Zara to respond to changes quickly. Threat of Substitutes- Trends in fashion lasts for a very short period. It is substituted by a newer trend. Zara has maintained its position in the industry because it continuously changes to newer trend. It reacts faster than that of the other companies in the business. Barriers to entry- A new company coming into the industry will need a lot of time to be successful. The Capital requirement is high in the industry and one of the most important factors is the Brand identity. These factors create barriers to entry in the industry and there will be very few new competitors in the global scenario. Degree of Rivalry- Zara is a globally accepted brand, which is targeted to all sectors of the society. Brands like Gucci and Armani are more coveted brands not affordable to all. The other companies falling in the category of Zara are Gap, Hennes & Mauritz etc. The competition among these brands is not intense. Moreover, Zara has the competitive advantage of the least response time. The generic strategies developed by Porter states that the profitability of the firm depends on the industry attractiveness. Strengths of a firm can be categorized mainly under two heads- cost advantage and differentiation. By applying