Can Sustainable Development Address The North South Divide Politics Essay

Can Sustainable Development Address The North South Divide Politics Essay The North-South divide, is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, it can also be seen as a critical factor for achieving global sustainability. During the course of this text, key ideas and actions related to this issue, will be considered. Sustainable development and the North-South divide will be introduced, followed by an overview and discussion of the situation and status quo. The divide and its solution will be summarised and the text will conclude, with my perspective on the issue. WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? The word sustainable means to sustain, to keep from failing during stress or difficulty. Therefore, an action can be considered sustainable, if it has the capacity to sustain. So what does this mean for our society? Plainly speaking, any instance were actions as a result of our survival, sustain, leave intact or protect the environment, from the stress of our existence within it, can be considered to be sustainable. The most commonly recognised threat, albeit debatable by some, is the impact of climate change on the environment (Carter, 2001). This and other environmental problems such as biodiversity and overconsumption, have resulted in sustainable development becoming a prominent and central issue in international politics (Carter, 2001). The ability of the present generation to meet its needs without undermining the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Carter, 2001) The definition of sustainable development quoted from Carter (2001), arose to suggest that, it is possible to have economic development and protect the environment at the same time. The definition above is as abigious as the concept, which is still being debated. Notwithstanding, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in 1992, to oversee and implement the concept in different countries (Carter, 2001). Sustainable development, gives priority to the worlds poor both in the North and in the South, providing the opportunity to live a good life to all. It also recognises, the need to moderate our demand on resources, from the enviornment (Carter, 2001). THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE The International Monetary Fund (IMF), was developed to reach a goal of an internationally managed economy. However, the fund is much smaller than the original proposed in 1942, by Keynes and together with the World Bank, it served to aid primarily the global North (Raffer and Singer, 2001). The current system is an incomplete version of the Bretton woods system, lacking Keynes International Trade Organisation (ITO), among other pillars of support. The general idea of the system, was to sustain the economy and prevent another great depression, both in the global North and South (Raffer and Singer, 2001). In addition, the system intended for the IMF and the World Bank to be agencies of the United Nations (UN), guided by the UN General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council, to achieve its goal. As a result of the incomplete system being modified and implemented to suit, countries in the global south experienced balance of payments crisis and the subsequent debt crisis (Raffer and Singer, 2001). However, it left intact and in some cases fuelled the growth of economies in the North, driving a biased development. The quote below, puts into perspective the current issue and the reason for a need of consensus between the North and South, bridging the divide on the issue of climate change mitigation. For the next decades, we are locked-in to an unavoidable rise in global mean temperatures by virtue of our past emissions, due to factors such as the large thermal inertia of the earths oceans. This is unlikely to pass wihtout creating serious climate hazards (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) under BaU conditions the number of people affected by weather related disasters in 2030 would be somewhere between 220 and 860 million in the worst case () (Muller, 2002) During the percieved economic growth, globalisation and the IT revolution, swept the world. This wave created a division between the countries that, successfully took advantage of the revolution and those that did/could not (Kawaguchi, 2002). Taking advantage of the scenario, the subsequent economic growth that followed in the North -which was driven by fossil fuel- further widened the economic divide between the North and the South (Koehn, 2004). This divide and the following growth and development experienced by the North, can be seen as a catalyst or root cause, of the current North-South divide on the climate issue. The divide between the North and South on the issue of mitigating global climate change has been confirmed, it was stated that the most important issue for developing countries (the global South) is the dissproportionate human impact burden, which has until recently largely been ignored by the North (Muller, 2002). For example, consider for a moment the agenda for emissions mitigation, which has been firmly set by the industrialised world (Muller, 2002). This agenda, places disportionate burden on countries around the world. Especially those that cannot afford it and those more concerned with other immediate issues (Evans, 2009). The nature of the climate change equity problem, clarifies the stance both North and South side take, in dealing with the current climate crisis. In the North, it is regarded as a need to allocate emission mitigation targets, while in the South it is regarded as a need to assign responsibility for and the sharing of climate impact burdens (Muller, 2002). In addition, it is the perspective of the South, that the proposals for reductions in emissions do not account for disporportionate historical contributions of developed countries. Further adding, that the in effect the structural inequities embedded in the current international economic order, have been extended (Koehn, 2004; Evans, 2009). The Norths response to this perspective, is to disregard historical contributions and system inequities, focussing instead on gross emissions and future projections (Koehn, 2004). The reason for this is that, climate change in the eyes of the North is seen as a problem of polluting the environment and while impacts on human welfare are regarded as potentially life-style-threatening, they are seen to be deserved (Muller, 2002). This presents an overriding moral purpose of environmental integrity. To put it plainly, there is the acceptance of pollution from industralisation, being the cause of the climate crisis. However, there is also denial of the disproportionate nature of the proposed solution, resultant burden and welfare issues relevance. In the South however, the situation is very different (Muller, 2002). Climate change is seen as a human welfare problem, with the people as its prime victims. In addition, there is also the issue of equity between the human culprits and the human victims (Muller, 2002). There is compelling evidence that human-induced climate change is warming the earths atmosphere. The global heat poses a threat to ecological sustainability in the North and South (Koehn, 2004; Evans, 2009). In higher lattitudes this will cause rising sea levels and increase the likelihood of natural disasters, as well as increasing the vulnerability of human populations (Koehn, 2004). This presents a scenario of the inevitibility of climate change impact and its associated burdens, both in the global North and the global South. As an obvious consequence, there is the need to make ready and present innovative and effective solutions by the collective nations, for climate change impacts in the near and medium-term. This will provide the oppourtunity to mitigate and reduce the inevitable impact, in the North and in the South (Evans, 2009). The report, Bridging the Divide: Redressing The Balance, argues that we have reached a point where we must face the inevitability and begin to prepa re disaster responses (Muller, 2002). Notwithstanding, there are nations that are still in disagreement. Gurdial Singh Nijar who represented the Asia-Pacific group, says that without fair and equitable access and benefit-sharing (ABS) protocol, there will be no agreement. Leahy (2010) in his press release goes on to say that, there is concensus that countries, which supply valuable resources to the industrial world should be compensated. However, the situation may not be as straight forward as it seems, since the national representatives have been undergoing complex negotiations for six years (Leahy, 2010). So far, the negotiations have played along the traditional North-South divide, posing the danger of turning them into a sort of collective bargaining. Furthermore, as a result of current rise in economies of some developing countries, this approach has become obselete (Kawaguchi, 2002). To put it all more simply, the problem is the inability to agree on a soltuion, for the inevitable unfair distribution of climate imp act burdens (Muller, 2002). In one of the preparotory sessions, a delegate from the North and one from the South were discussing the form of the Charter. The Northern delegate offered that the Charter should be a short, poetic statement that could be reproduced on posters (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) on the walls of childrens bedrooms (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) as a message of inspiration (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The Southern delegate responded that most children in the South do not have their own bedrooms and many of them are unable to read. (Wapner, 2003) THE JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT IN BRIEF The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg supported the sustainable development concept, which suggests that the environment can be cherished without sacrificing economic growth, especially in southern (developing) countries (Kawaguchi, 2002). In addition the summit recognized that poverty alleviation cannot come by safeguarding the natural environment alone, but requires actively intervening in the economic system. Futhermore, this can be best achieved, by rigorously considering networks and partnership models of economic development, which are linked to empowerment drivers (Kawaguchi, 2002). The WSSD also recongnises, that access to natural resources plays a major role in development, while in developing countries it also under pins Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Petrie, 2007). A key contribution of the WSSD, was to establish partnerships. Thereby, translating overall principles into hands-on actions, towards adressing specific challenges of sustainabl e development (Wapner, 2003). It is the perception, that sustainable development has failed to bring together the North and the South. As a result, a lot of effort has gone into modifying the concept, so that it can meet interests of both sides (Wapner, 2003). One example of such efforts, is Kawaguchi (2002) proposal of the concept of global sharing, which encourages the sharing of strategies, responsibilities, experiences and information. I understand the importance of fossil fuels to the American people. Dick Cheney understands that. The president understands that Frederick D. Palmer, Executive Vice President for Legal and External Affairs at Peabody (Koehn, 2004) A SOLUTION IN SIGHT? The UN says that without an ABS (access and benefit-sharing) agreement, countries have shut down their genetic resources. As a result, a species of fly attacking mango populations in Kenya, cannot be properly controlled since the flys natural predator in Asia cannot be obtained (Leahy, 2010). The solution to a problem of this magnitude is not simple, made harder still by the lack of sufficient hands-on action to mitgate the threat. Although, there are some schemes, strategies and innitiatives, these should not wrongly be seen as being able to sufficiently sustain the weight of the climate change impact. The task is still very much incomplete, after all, the goal is to create a system that will sustain us (and the environment) through the climate threat. For that to happen, action must be taken. Actions like a complete UN inspired by Keynes or actions like bridging the divide between the North and the South. There have been a few attempts in the past to bridge the divide. The first was a Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism, which was based on the concept that transferring clean technologies to other nations, towards reducing green house gas (GHG) emisssions, could count towards obligations of the nations suppling the technology. The JI mechanism was meant to lower the compliance costs for Northern nations under the Kyoto protocol (Evans, 2009). To the South, this is clearly biased as the benefits will almost surely fall soley in the North, giving Northern nations the oppourtunity to force weaker nations to meet obligations for them. In the end JI was incorporated as a mechanism used amongst Northern nations (Evans, 2009). The second attempt, dubbed the Brazilian proposal was the Clean Development Fund (CDF), designed to provide financing for emissions mitigations projects in Southern nations (Evans, 2009). This would be done by allocating funds collected from Northern nations, who failed to meet their Kyoto requirements. However, Northern nation opposed this structure arguing that it is politically toxic, going on to create a more positive cooperative mechanism. This is how the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) came to be (Evans, 2009). Kyoto protocols Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), is currently the only policy initiative linking developing nations emissions to international cooperative efforts on climate change. It has been hailed as the grand compromise of the North-South divide over climate change mitigation (Evans, 2009). CDM is a market based mechanism, which allows Northern nations with binding emissions reduction commitments under the Kyoto protocol, to earn credits towards meeting their commitments. They do so by implementing emission reduction projects in Southern nations, where it is most cost effective. Southern nations in exchange, gain from the transfer of project related sustainable development benefits (Evans, 2009). However, what a benefit is in terms of sustainable development under CDM is left undefined, creating vagueness and subsequent conflict of interests. As a result, Southern nations place more emphasis on the development aspect of susatianable development, while the North tends to focus more on the GHG related definition of sustainability when assessing the benefits of CDM (Evans, 2009). This serves to drive continued tension over the issues of compensation for historical debt and equity of the South, and the Northern proirities of cost-efficiency and free markets, even with CDM in place (Evans, 2009). It is also thought that instead of facilitating enviornmentally sustainable development efforts in Southern nations, CDM can deter them from pursuing sustainable development paths, as doing so would decrease their ability to attract CDM investment in the future (Evans, 2009). The current means of evaluating the efficiency of CDM is synonymous with cost-effectiveness, however CDM is not meant to just facilitate low-cost emissions reductions. Rather it is designed to engage Southern nations in the global effort to reduce emissions (Evans, 2009). As a result it is more important to focus on factors of the mechanism that concern the South. The efficiency therefore should be, synonymous instead with mitigating the North-South divide, towards reconciling the interests of both sides. Despite the existsence of North-South cooperation in CDM today, the divide nonetheless spreads throughout the mechanism, resulting in divergent demands and expectations based on different priorities and perceptions of what the CDM should offer (Evans, 2009). The earth is a complex geo-biochemical entity whose precise functioning, as well as the complex interactions that occur among its myriad elements, we are yet to understand fully. Its fragile self-regenerative systems (e.g. the carbon cycle) have limited capacity for processing anthropogenic environmental contamination (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) the excess accumulates to disrupt or disable the systems themselves (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) this is the main reason for the mounting environmental predicament confronting us today. (Nath, 2004) ONE WORLD INTRICATELY CONNECTED Under the current regime, the old has been abandoned and the North no longer only care about the environment, neither do the South only care about development, both unable to concieve of one factor deviod of the other (Wapner, 2003). However, Northern governments are letting fall environment issues in favour of economic development (Wapner, 2003). The UNFCCC says that, developing countries will play a significant role in determining the success of multilateral climate change regime. It is accepted that there is a need for increasing attention towards accomodating Southern interests in the CDM specifically (Muller, 2002; Evans, 2009). The economy has been seen to drive growth and development. However, it is also the problem and the best solution towards our survival, is to embrace growth via knowledge and science. It will be necessary to abandon the driving psyche of the economic bottom-line, as well as the excessive consumption of our resources, otherwise our survival is forfiet. The brundtland report stated that, the adoption of less-consumptive and less-polluting life-styles, is required to progress towards global sustainability (Nath, 2004). However, since the rich and powerful are as unlikely to renounce their wealth, as the poor are unlikely to rein in their developments towards a better life, there is a fundamental problem. Ideas in the North, like sustainable consumption a concept which provided policies and strategies in the Netherlands, to curb levels of consumption, attempt to reduce the nations impact on the environment (Spaargaren and Martens, 2005). On the other hand, even though the role of the resources sector in sustainable development is disconnected from the social fabric of life in the developed world, it is seen as the lifeblood of the economy in developing countries (Petrie, 2007). Once again the bottom line inhibits our progress and survival, it is not the economy or planet that needs saving, it is us. Although they are important, if we are not around to support the economy it will crash and the planet, well it will survive whether we do or not. Our prime directive in this crisis should be human welfare and welfare growth/development; charity they say begins at home. You Americans raped your environment in order to develop your country and raise your standard of living. Now we Jamaicans reserve the right to do the same. Jamaican Official (Evans, 2009) CONCLUSION It is reasonable to conclude that an abandonment of market mechanisms may be necessary to facilitate the substantive perticipation of Southern nations in global emissions abatement efforts which is required by the severity of the climate crisis. After all, a crisis of this magnitude will undoubtedly drain the piggy bank, those who do survive will be more valuable than abstract numbers and values, especially when it comes to rebuilding. Therefore, it is imperitive we accept that, protecting the economy in favour of the environment and/or human welfare is detrimental to our survival. It is clear that the crisis is inevitable just as it is clear that we are entangled with the fate of the planet, for better or worse. Where sustainable development has failed CDM seems to fair better, even though it too has not completely solved the problem. The solution does not lie solely in the realm of policy but also in the state of mind of the people. Just like a train changes from a dead end track to a clear one, so also do we need a change of paradigm. In addition, science, knowledge and a true, unified UN will be indispensible tools in our efforts. Furthermore, these tools will aid to bridge the Nouth-South divide on the climate issue, putting both sides on the same page.

Causes of World War One :: essays research papers

Causes of World War One -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Economic Imperialism at home and abroad - In one generation Africa - direct possession (1902: only Liberia, founded by former American slaves remains independent) Asia and Near East: economic and diplomatic pressure Economic concessions and extra-territorial privileges: Ottoman Empire - most vulnerable; China - most vulnerable; Japan - modernizing rapidly; India - firmly in British hands; Importance to Europe: keeps fat on European economy; colonial rule a reproach to democracy; encouraged feelings of national and racial superiority; "Pan" movements - a form of imperialism Technology and science: materialism B. Social Human welfare: serfdom gone (except in Russia); surgery and anesthetics perfected; life span longer; Victorian middle class morality in decline; spread of literacy. Peace movements: "pipe dream of peace". Aristocratic remainders. Neglect of the proletariat. C. Intellectual 1. European cultural heritage 2. Ideologies of progress: conservatism - delaying action not progress (aristocracy) liberalism - freedom, law, representative government (upper middle class) radicalism - remove class distinctions, anti-clerical (lower middle class) socialism - collectivist doctrine (city workers) new left - syndicalism D. Political 1. the nation-state: language and race 2. parliamentary government 3. parties: tied to class and ideology lack of responsibility too many of them 4. Differing forms separation of powers only in the USA king or president a figurehead in Britain and France search for majorities in parliament Britain: the cabinet held the whip France and Italy: parliament held the whip 5. Extension of the suffrage 6. Exceptions to democratization Germany: only has external form of it, the Reichstag is a "debating chamber" Austria-Hungary: maintaining monarchy in polyglot confusion Russia: a struggle between Duma and Ministry E. Military 1. popular militarism Boer War naval building race: Admiral Tirpitz - risk theory Three-year army law: France 1913 Tripoli campaign in Italy, 1911 2. Comparative figures on army increase, 1870-1914: 1870 1914 Russia 700,000 1,300,000 France 380,000 846,000 Germany 403,000 812,000 Austria-Hungary 247,000 424,000 Britain 302,000 381,000 Italy 334,000 305,000 Japan 70,000 250,000 U.S.A. 37,000 98,000 3. military expenditure

Hinduism religion Essay

Hinduism is the religion of the great majority of the people of India. The word comes from the Sanskrit sindhu, â€Å"river,† and originally referred to the Indus. Hinduism is actually a collection of many native Indian religions, past and present. It is responsible for the social structure of India, especially for the caste system (a hereditary class system). Hinduism has some 684,000,000 adherents, most known of whom live in India. The rest live in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and countries with Indian settlements. The oldest of the world’s great religions, Hinduism is the only one without a founder. It has never tried to win converts by force and has always tolerated other religions and absorbed ideas from them (Chaudhuri 291). Hinduism has about 20 sects, with beliefs that range from primitive forms of animism to the highest reaches of mysticism and philosophy. Many of the sects and cults seem to be separate religions. Yet all have a family relationship since they spring from common traditions and thrive on the conditions peculiar to India. Most have a mystic strain and all stress nonviolence. Hinduism began to develop about 1500 B. C. while the Vedas were being composed and collected. Vedic Hinduism, or Vedism, had many nature gods, who were appealed to and appeased by prayers and sacrifices. A second stage, called Brahminic Hinduism, appeared about 1000 B. C. In this stage religion had fallen under the control of the Brahmins, or priests, who used magic rites in efforts to influence and control the gods (Wilkins 114). A third period opened about 800 B. C. with the speculative philosophy of the Upanishads. Salvation was sought, not through sacrifices and rites, but through knowledge. Six schools of Hindu philosophy arose, the most important being those of Yoga and Vedanta. In the sixth century B. C. Jainism and Buddhism arose as reform movements within Hinduism but both became separate religions. Moslem invaders conquered India after the 10th century A. D. Hinduism withstood the rival religion Islam but absorbed a few features from it. The clash between the two religions led to the founding of Sikhism in the 19th century. In the 19th century Christian and western ideas presented a new challenge. Several Hindu reform movements borrowed from Christianity and the West. When India became independent in 1947 the conflict between Hindus and Moslems forced a division of the country, the Moslem section becoming Pakistan (Wilkins 121)). II. Discussions A. Beliefs and Practices of Hinduism. Nearly all the sects and cults respect the Vedas (â€Å"revealed knowledge†), the ancient collections of religious writings. The Rig-Veda, whose origins probably go back to before 1500 B. C. , consists of about 1,000 hymns and prayers addressed to various deities. Later Vedas are the Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Atharva-Veda. The philosophical portions of the Vedas are the Upanishads (â€Å"approaches†). These are speculative treatise dealing with the nature of man and the universe. The fundamental doctrine is that of the identity of the individual soul with the universal soul (Brahman), or God (Kinsley 205). Brahman exists through a trinity of gods. Brahman is the principle of creation, Vishnu of preservation, and Siva of destruction. In addition to this trinity, most villages have their own godlings, demons, spirits, and ghosts to which the people make sacrifices and prayers. Vishnu is believed to have appeared from time to time in avatars, or divine incarnations, in both animal and human forms. The highest human forms are Rama and Krishna, who are worshipped as savior deities (Chaudhuri 297). Hinduism has many sacred objects and places. The cow is the most sacred of animals and must be protected. Most sacred of all places is the Ganges River, to which millions go each year to bathe and to become purified. Hindus believe in rebirth, or reincarnation, and in what they call the law of karma. Under this law the conditions of each new lifetime are determined by the actions of the preceding life. To the Hindu, salvation consists of liberating the soul from attachment to worldly desires in order to gain union with Brahman. If a Hindu dies liberated he must be born again into this world and again endure its suffering (Chaudhuri 299). The Vedas describe four main castes. 1. The Brahmins exercise spiritual power. (Brahmin is also spelled Brahman). 2. The Kshatriyas are warriors who exercise secular power. 3. The Vaisyas are merchants and cultivators. 4. The Sudras are artisans and laborers. Indian society has thousands of castes and subcastes, each of which identifies itself with one of the four castes in Hindu literature. Membership in a caste is based on family association and occupation. Below the castes are the outcastes, or untouchables, who historically have been denied certain social rights. The Indian constitution of 1950 outlawed discrimination against untouchables. The scriptures do not make the caste system an essential element of Hinduism, but it is perpetuated by tradition (Wilkins 139). Hindu worship for most part takes place in the home. A Hindu temple or shrine is considered an abode of deity and is not used for communal worship. There are kinds of Hindu clergy. Temple priests collect offerings and care for the temples and shrines. Domestic priests perform rites involving births, marriages, and deaths. Gurus are spiritual teachers. Sadhus are monks; most live in monasteries, but many live as wandering mendicants (beggars) (Chaudhuri, 304). B. Jesus Christ and Hinduism The original basic beliefs of Christianity are stated in the Apostles’ Creed. It affirms that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that God sent him to earth to live as a man and to suffer and die for the redemption of mankind. It also states the belief that Jesus, after being crucified, arose from the dead and ascended to heaven, from which he will return to earth to judge the living and the dead. Belief that Jesus was born of a virgin mother and that there is a life for man after death are essential parts of the creed (Kinsley 211-212). Man’s need for help from a higher power was stressed in religious earlier than Christianity. The concept of God as benevolent and forgiving—rather than as vengeful—is a main tenet of the Christian’s faith. Another Christian belief is that even though man has sinned seriously and separated himself from the love of God, he can be saved by repentance and accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior. The necessity, and therefore the possibility, of communion between God and man is accepted by all Christians (Kinsley 211-212). C. Doctrinal Differences At first, the gospel of Jesus was spread by his disciples, followers who remembered his sayings. As Gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews entered the church, the influence of other minds began to be seen in the interpretations of doctrines. In this work, early Christian theologians borrowed ideas from the teachings of the Greek philosophers. At the same time, national traits and customs began to affect rituals and observances. Even within each year of the three great divisions of the Christian church—Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox— there are variations of practice. This is particularly true of the Protestants. The sacrament of baptism provides an example. Baptists hold that the convert must be completely immersed in water; Methodists believe that sprinkling water on head is sufficient. Most denominations baptize infants, but some insists that the individual be old enough to understand the meaning of the sacrament (Wilkins 144). There are other differences. The Disciples of Christ and certain Protestant groups insist upon using the Bible alone as a source of guidance. The doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that God is three beings (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one divine nature—is accepted as basic by most Christians, but is rejected by Unitarians and Universalists (Wilkins 144). III. Conclusion Religion is such a big help in building our faith on God as individuals. Hinduism is a religion where each believer believes on reincarnation. Its followers are hoping to live life again but depending on how they live their lives at present. Though Hinduism has no founder yet believers tend to have strong faith and continuously believe and follow its structured beliefs. On the other hand, for the Christian Church, its faith is built on the Trinity which is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and Christians believe that these three personas are one. Reference: 1. Chaudhuri, N. C. Hinduism: a Religion to Live By (Oxford University, 2003). 2. Kinsley, D. Hinduism: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). 3. Wilkins, W. J. Modern Hinduism: an Account of the religion and Life of the Hindus, 5th edition (Humanities Press, 2005).

SAT Score Error Use Hand Score Verification to Correct the Mistake

SAT Score Error Use Hand Score Verification to Correct the Mistake SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you make a weird error in filling out your multiple choice answer sheet that led to a dramatically reduced score? Was your essay scanned incorrectly? Hand Score Verification is a way for you to address and correct these mistakes without having to retake the test. In this guide, I'll describe what SAT Hand Score Verification is, how it can help you, and how it might hurt. What Is Hand Score Verification? Normally, the College Board grades its hundreds of thousands of test answer sheets through automated scanning machines. This is why the SAT instructs you to fill in answers using only No. 2 pencils. If you order Hand Score Verification, the College Board reviews your multiple choice answer sheet or essay again manually (by a human)for a fee. It's $55 for either multiple choice or the essay ($110 for both). If you used a fee waiver for the SAT, the fee is reduced to $27.50 each. If you marked the answer sheet correctly but there was a problem in the scanning or scoring process, your score may change, and the fee you paid for score verification will be refunded. If you made an obvious error in filling in the information on the answer sheet (putting your answers in the wrong section of the answer sheet, improperly recording the test identifying code), your score may change, but you won’t get a fee refund. For the essay, the College Board will determine whether there was an error made in the scanning of the essay or the processing of scores assigned by essay readers. In this situation, your adjusted score will be automatically reported and your fee will be refunded. This is not a way to appeal your essay score if your essay was already reviewed and scanned in correctly.Your essay doesn't get reread and re-scored in the process of Hand Score Verification unless it didn't scan properly.If your essay was written in pen (which messes with the scanning process), your score may change, but you won't get a fee refund. Note that your whole answer sheet will be reviewed, even if you only think there was a mistake on one section. I'll explain why this is important next. When Should You Use Hand Score Verification? Because SAT Hand Score Verification costs quite a bit of money, and your score could potentially change for the worse, there are only a few specific situations where it's a good idea. Scenario #1: Your Overall Score Was Very Different from What You Expected If you ended up with consistently high scores on practice tests but you scored fairly low, you could have reason to question your results. You might have bubbled in an entire section incorrectly, or there might have been a mistake with the scanning. Score verification would fix both of these and raise your score. Scenario #2: You Missed Many Questions That You Would Normally Ace Look at your detailed score report to see which types of questions you missed on the test. The College Board splits questions up into easy, medium, and hard categories on the score report and tells you how many of each you got wrong within each section. If you find you missed a lot of easy questions in your strongest subject areas, there might have been a mistake in the scoring process. Scenario #3: Your Essay Is Blank or Unreadable in the Online Score Report This could indicate a scanning error (especially if you remember writing your essay in pen). In this case your essay will be rescored. Scenario #4: You Can't Find Answers with Other Means of Score Verification The College Board also offers Score Verification services in the form of the Student Answer Service and the Question-and-Answer Service. The Student Answer Service just provides you with the types of questions on your test; their levels of difficulty; and whether you answered correctly, incorrectly, or not at all. The Question-and-Answer Service provides you with a booklet copy of the questions on the test and your answers, the correct answers (including how the questions were scored), and information about the types and difficulty levels of all questions on the test. If your scores still don't make sense to you after wading through all this information, Hand Score Verification may be the way to go. That's deep, bro. When Should You NOT Use Hand Score Verification? In these situations, you should consider against SAT Score Verification, because it's unlikely toimprove your score. Scenario #1: Your Score Is Only Marginally Lower Than Expected Some students will freak out because they got a 700 instead of an 800 on one section of the SAT, thinking there must have been some sort of terrible mistake. I'd say that if your score is 0-100 points lower in a section that you expected it to be (or up to 300 points lower overall), you shouldn't order Hand Score Verification unless you look at your score report and the questions you got wrong make no sense to you at all. Hand Score Verification could actually hurt you in this situation because your scores might go down, and you would lose the $55 fee. Scenario #2: You Aren't Happy with Your Essay Score, but Your Essay Shows up Clearly in the Online Score Report Score Verification doesn’t involve the review or rescoring of essays that were scanned in properly. Even ifyou're convinced your essay was destined to be a defining literary classic for your generation and couldn't possibly have gotten the score it did, don't order Hand Score Verification in this situation. Scenario #3: You Didn’t Fill in Your Answer Sheet Properly Examples of this include circling bubbles instead of filling them in or making tiny unicorn drawings in the bubbles to indicate your answers. If this is the case your score won't be changed, but you might just get a magical imaginary 800 for creativity (not accepted by colleges). How Do You Order Score Verification? After reviewing the pros and cons of hand score verification, you might decide it's the right choicefor you. Here's a link to the form you need to fill out to order Hand Score Verification.You can request Hand Score Verification for up to five months after your original test date. As I mentioned in the first section, there is a fee of $55 for Hand Score Verification for either multiple choice or the essay. However, that fee can be reduced by half if you used a fee waiver to pay for SAT registration.If you have information that you think could affect the results of the verification process, you should report it to Customer Service (contact info listed on the form) at the same time that you submit the form. The exact check you will receive in the event of a fee refund for Hand Score Verification. A Final Word About Hand Score Verification If you aren’t 100% sure that you want to order Hand Score Verification, don’t do it until you have exhausted all other score verification measures. These include Student Question-and-Answer Services or Student Answer Services depending on when you took the SAT. If you order Hand Score Verification, you won't have access to the Student Answer Service or Question-and-Answer Service for your hand scored answer sheet. You also won't see the full online score report for this new round of scoring. This time you'll only receive your score report in the mail, just like teenage cavemen did when they took their first SATs. Hand Score Verification is the most rigorous score verification process the College Board offers, so there are no score appeals beyond it.Once Hand Score Verification results are reported, they are final for that version of the test. Don't worry though, you can still take the SAT again if you are unhappy with your results. You should get a letter back within five weeks with your new scores and, depending on whether there was an irregularity in the scanning and scoring process, cold hard cash in the form of a fee refund. Well, it'll probably be a check, but you get the idea. What's Next? If you're reading this article, chances are you're not too happy with your score. We're here to help. Read our in depth guides on earning a perfect score on the SAT, along with strategy guides for reading, math, and writing. Maybe you don't need to aim as high as you think. To come up with the ideal target score for you, and you alone, this article will help you figure out what you should be aiming for based on your top choice schools. If you're unhappy with your score, you can still take the test again! Check out our article onhow many times you should take the SAT. You can also take a look at test dates for2016-2017. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Free Essays on My Opinion About Frank OConnors “My Oedipus Complex“

My responses to Frank O’Connor’s â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† In Frank O’Connor’s short story â€Å"My Oedipus Complex†, we get a chance to explore the world of a little boy. In this story, Larry, a five-year-old boy obsessed with his mother suddenly sees a drastic change in his life when his father returns home from war. With abundant humour and considerable pragmatism, O’Connor depicts in this story the ‘Oedipus stage’ of a boy’s life alluding continuously and wittily to Freudian psychoanalysis. The focus of the story is the relationship between Larry and his father. It is witty and ingenious in the way it depicts the oedipal phase. The conflict arises when his father comes back from the war. Larry views his father as a stranger who suddenly steals his mother’s love and attention away from him. Larry is a very possessive, self-cantered and selfish boy. He despises the fact that his mother is paying more attention to his father. He becomes extremely jealous of his father and starts competing with him as only a five year old would know how. This creates a very hilarious situation and the readers are constantly amused by the absurdity of his actions. He is typically babyish and childish in his behaviour towards his father, mother and his brother Sonny. However, at the end, he finally comes to terms with his father and Larry moves from rivalry with his father over possession of his mothers love to reconciliation with him. The denouement or the unravelling of the plot of t he story is prompt but very plausible. The story is written by the older man who looks back and tells the story from the little boy’s point of view. The older narrator knows what the boy does not know. This gap creates an irony throughout the story. Larry thinks that he is in the right, never realising that he is the selfish one. The author is brilliant in recreating the boy’s world. He explores the mind of the young boy and gives a vivid portra... Free Essays on My Opinion About Frank O'Connors â€Å"My Oedipus Complexâ€Å" Free Essays on My Opinion About Frank O'Connors â€Å"My Oedipus Complexâ€Å" My responses to Frank O’Connor’s â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† In Frank O’Connor’s short story â€Å"My Oedipus Complex†, we get a chance to explore the world of a little boy. In this story, Larry, a five-year-old boy obsessed with his mother suddenly sees a drastic change in his life when his father returns home from war. With abundant humour and considerable pragmatism, O’Connor depicts in this story the ‘Oedipus stage’ of a boy’s life alluding continuously and wittily to Freudian psychoanalysis. The focus of the story is the relationship between Larry and his father. It is witty and ingenious in the way it depicts the oedipal phase. The conflict arises when his father comes back from the war. Larry views his father as a stranger who suddenly steals his mother’s love and attention away from him. Larry is a very possessive, self-cantered and selfish boy. He despises the fact that his mother is paying more attention to his father. He becomes extremely jealous of his father and starts competing with him as only a five year old would know how. This creates a very hilarious situation and the readers are constantly amused by the absurdity of his actions. He is typically babyish and childish in his behaviour towards his father, mother and his brother Sonny. However, at the end, he finally comes to terms with his father and Larry moves from rivalry with his father over possession of his mothers love to reconciliation with him. The denouement or the unravelling of the plot of t he story is prompt but very plausible. The story is written by the older man who looks back and tells the story from the little boy’s point of view. The older narrator knows what the boy does not know. This gap creates an irony throughout the story. Larry thinks that he is in the right, never realising that he is the selfish one. The author is brilliant in recreating the boy’s world. He explores the mind of the young boy and gives a vivid portra...

The 3 Stages of a Spiders Life Cycle

The 3 Stages of a Spider's Life Cycle All spiders, from the tiniest jumping spider to the largest tarantula, have the same general life cycle. They mature in three stages: egg, spiderling, and adult. Though the details of each stage vary from one species to another, they are all very similar. The spider mating ritual also varies and males must approach a female carefully or he may be mistaken for prey. Even after mating, many male spiders will die though the female is very independent and will care for her eggs on her own. Despite the rumors, the majority of female spiders do not eat their mates. Egg, the Embryonic Stage After mating, female spiders store sperm until they are ready to produce eggs. The mother spider first constructs an egg sac from strong silk that is tough enough to protect her developing offspring from the elements. She then deposits her eggs inside it, fertilizing them as they emerge. A single egg sac may contain just a few eggs, or several hundred, depending on the species. Spider eggs generally take a few weeks to hatch. Some spiders in temperate regions will overwinter in the egg sac and emerge in spring. In many spider species, the mother guards the egg sac from predators until the young hatch. Other species will place the sac in a secure location and leave the eggs to their own fate. Wolf spider mothers carry the egg sac with them. When theyre ready to hatch, they will bite the sac open and free the spiderlings. Also unique to this species, the young spend as many as ten days hanging onto their mothers back. Spiderling, the Immature Stage Immature spiders, called spiderlings, resemble their parents but are considerably smaller when they first hatch from the egg sac. They immediately disperse, some by walking and others by a behavior called ballooning. Spiderlings that disperse by ballooning will climb onto a twig or other projecting object and raise their abdomens. They release threads of silk from their spinnerets, letting the silk catch the wind and carry them away. While most spiderlings travel short distances this way, some can be carried to remarkable heights and across long distances.   The spiderlings will molt repeatedly as they grow larger and theyre very vulnerable until the new exoskeleton forms completely. Most species reach adulthood after five to 10 molts. In some species, the male spiders will be fully mature as they exit the sac. Female spiders are always larger than males, so often take more time to mature. Adult, the Sexually Mature Stage When the spider reaches adulthood, it is ready to mate and begin the life cycle all over again. In general, female spiders live longer than males; males often die after mating. Spiders usually live just one to two years, though this does vary by species. Tarantulas have unusually long life spans. Some female tarantulas live 20 years or more. Tarantulas also continue molting after reaching adulthood. If the female tarantula molts after mating, she will need to mate again, because she sheds the sperm storage structure along with her exoskeleton. Resources and Further Reading Cranshaw, Whitney, and Richard Redak. Bugs Rule!: An Introduction to the World of Insects. Princeton University, 2013.Evans, Arthur V. National Wildlife Federation: Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. Sterling, 2007.Savransky, Nina, and Jennifer Suhd-Brondstatter. â€Å"Spiders: An Electronic Field Guide.† Field Biology, Brandeis University, 2006.

Sony PlayStation Network security breach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sony PlayStation Network security breach - Essay Example On April 20, the Sony did off the affected systems and left to restore the PSN services for the users in U.S until 14th May. Users were asked to change their usernames and passwords till mid of the May. Sony had to do the page down as temporarily because attackers exploited the URL of Sony’s website (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2011). A series of attacks on the Sony’s online entertainment services on the PSN and Online Entertainment services were carried by the attackers in the same period. Other victims of attackers concerning the Sony were as the â€Å"Sony BMG Greece†, â€Å"Sony BMG Japan†, â€Å"So-Net ISP in Japan, and servers of Sony in Thailand. The attackers also hit official version of the Sony Ericson Eshop in Canada (McMillan, 2011). Personal information of more than 77 million Qriocity and PSN users more than 24.5 million Online entertainment users stolen. The attackers rummaged through a wealth of information concerning the users, and their attributes such as names of users, their addresses, email addresses and birth dates. Attackers also approached the login information of users such as usernames, and passwords. Kazuo Hirai, who was head of the board of Company â€Å"Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC†, told the U.S. lawmakers in a May 3 letter (Colvile, 2011). Attackers worked so sophistically that Sony hired the forensic consultants to check, and confirm the extent of the stolen data. It took more than a month to discover whether credit card information was stolen or customers’ data. It was told that only credit card information was stolen as attackers encrypted the credit card information (Carstensen, 2011). It was noticed on April 19, that Sony’s PSN servers were rebooting, and no process was rescheduled on these days. The next day, it was identified that someone had intruded the Sony’s severs and accessed the data. It turned out that