Governments Role In Ensuring Environment Protection Environmental Sciences Essay

Governments Role In Ensuring Environment Protection Environmental Sciences Essay Wide spread on climate change and global warming has been immensely forced the nations to the sustainable development. Environmental challenges in various bio diversity in balances has been wide spread more over the world. Improper Land Use Planning and Bio diversity in balances to the Conservation of Micro ecosystems is challenging to whole nations. Sri Lankan challenges however have been land degradation due to Soil Erosion, depletion of Coastal Resources, Waste Disposal, Loss of Biodiversity and Inland water Pollution, from where Sri Lanka is poor on waste disposal as a matter of priority. Some LAs, NGOs, the private sector have initiated waste treatment practices such as composting of waste at household level, recycling of waste materials, incineration and landfills. International conventions protocols treaties on environment has been keeping strength to conservation prevention of the environment. Role of government as the policy maker is crucial in the context of conservation prevention of the environment. In Sri Lanka post conflict era has been the Elysium for the sustainable development. Various naming programs authority bodies urge to impose policies practices on conservation prevention of the environment. While laws policies imposed, Sri Lankan government is boosted on all the blooming programs.. However common conflicts on human nature issues still and prevailing situation in most of the rural areas. Also government should consider on the international bodies come in the face of nature lover whether they have the genuine interest or other motives Most importantly, the government should be very careful whether it would affect the sovereignty of the country. Many more responsibilities to be taken and practices to be monitored by the Sri Lankan government to ensure conservation and protection of the environment. Introduction Environmental conservation is the maintenance of the habitat, or preservation of the environment. Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and (or) humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has been recognized and governments began placing restraints on activities that caused environmental degradation Global warming climate change is in a whistle blowing topic in the present world. By decades passed by all the high powering technological movement has vastly blind the human nature and the future resources remain in the world. While men stepping in to the moon by one hand on the other hand vastly destructing the natural environmental balance. Though all the regulation bodies trying to get into the one table to get on unite on the conservation protection of environment, some the main world hasnt been able to pull their genuine effort towards the reality, as an example British petroleum oil leakage is a significant moment where invaluable marine species has been polluted destroyed due to the oil leakage. Increasing human pressure on the environment increases the counteraction the quest for designation of more land and sea areas for protection. The boosting trend of designating more sites of protection has been noticed in the last years in the world. The area that could be designated as protected to balance the economic pressures is becoming scarce. Identified key challenges in this sector have been mainly broad down as follows. Environmental Challenges Today the challenges in this sector have been identified materialize in all ends through out the world. Therefore number of environmental threats challenges is on the air Improper Land Use Planning Inappropriate planning of usage of Land Depreciation of Forest Cover (Deforestation) Reduction of remaining forests Land Deprivation ( Soil Erosion, River Sedimentation; Desertification,) Insufficiency of Drinking Water to the humans Environmental Pollution (Air, Water Soil ) Loss of Biodiversity ( Degradation and loss of Natural Habitats ) Ozone Layer Reduction Green House Gas Emission and Climate Change Natural Disasters and Earth Slides Lack of Responsibility towards Values Accounting of Environment Increasing risk to rare species Unsound Management of Natural Resources Unsustainable Development Activities (Unsuitable Agriculture Expansion and Settlements) Misuse of sea coral reef and inland earth mining. Uncontrolled Mining of Sand and other Minerals Spread of Alien/ insidious Species Introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms Hard, unsafe and Industrial Waste generation Health Hazards Related to Environment Pollution. Wildlife reduction In the context of the above unbeatable challenges human beings have been more more victims of the nature. As an example Tsunami 2004, damaged mostly South Asian countries. Therefore it should be the one and only challenge where all nations fight for. From from the Eighteenth century to the Twentieth globally known practices regulations have been imposed. International conventions, protocols treaties on environments have been powering bodies of this. International Conventions, Protocols Treaties on Environment Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat (]971) Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973) Convention on the conservation Of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS 1979) United Nations Convention on The Law Of the Sea Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985) Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989) Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) United Nations Convention To Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought And / Or Desertification, particularly In Africa (1994) International Plant Protection Convention International Convention for the Preservation of Pollution of the Sea by Oil Convention on the Continental Shelf Convention on the high seas International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil pollution Damage International Convention Relating to intervention on the high seas in cases of oil pollutions casualties The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from the ships (MARPOL)- 1973 Bio safety Protocol ( Cartagena) Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Key Challenges for Sri Lanka Land Deprivation Due to Soil Erosion Agriculture the major contributor to the Sri Lankan GDP is affected by the degradation of land due to soil. From the total lands usable Land area is about 31% only . Production based on Land to GDP has declined to 18% compared to 26% in 1978, due to expand action of the economy. Many agricultural practices of past and present have reduced the productive capacity of soil and land in the country. Some direct and indirect factors, that add to soil erosion, are : Traditional cultivation Methods ( Chena cultivation) Insecure land occupancy with alteration of cultivation methods also causes ruin of land because land is broken down to number of plots without considering the conservation measures. The increasing rate of clearing forestry cover. Some of the crops cultivation in the hill country such as potatoes, tobacco and vegetables has led to severe erosion. Fast developments on infrastructure. Reduction of Coastal Resources Sri Lankan beaches are blessed by coastal resources where ecological processes of both land and maritime environments become interlinked and are influenced by human activities. Minus impacts on the coastal resources include: Erosion of coastal area (about 1 meter per year) due to river daming, sand mining, collection of coral rubble and removal of coastal vegetation) Reduction of flood buffering capacity of mangroves, in lagoons. Removal f coral reefs as a result of human activities and increased sea temperature. Unplanned fishing practices. Infrastructure construction. Loss of Biodiversity Loss of biodiversity is due to several pressures arising from the following activities: Population increase and conversion to other land uses Removal of materials/species from the wild Competition between foreign species and native species Lack of understanding of scientific management Under-valuation of biodiversity Inequity in ownership, in balance distribution of benefits to community Legal and institutional systems that promote activities detrimental to biodiversity conservation Environmental interlinking system known as Bio diversity is mainly reduced due to ruining of natural eco system, loss of genetic species material. Waste Disposal Number one conflict in Sri Lanka is today the waste management. Especially urban areas are flooded with waste. Lack of management of the authorizing bodies and also the human behavior and attitude towards the waste disposal is very poor in main city limits. This risk has cause major health issues where number of people has been killed by dengue recent months. Although many talks waste disposal is not only a governments duty. Government can implement policies formalize but the governing agencies has to over see the practical situations. Community has a major responsibility towards the solid disposals. Risk arises in the area where hospitals industries located. Governing agencies has major issue on lack of resources to overcome tones of waste mountain management. On the other hand during the rainy days urban areas are flooded within seconds due to poor waste management methods block of drainage system. This also causes pollution of ground water and natural habitats. Major issue is f acilitating insect breeding such as mosquitoes Inland water Pollution Misuse of agro chemical fertilizers has polluted inland water ponds, reservoirs, streams and rivers. Sri Lanka is proud on having man made reservoirs where most international engineers are surprised by the ancient technology we owned. Development in the industrial sites urban areas has caused water pollution in many ways. Recent International Conventions, Protocols Treaties on Environment Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985) Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989) Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) United Nations Convention To Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought And / Or Desertification, particularly In Africa (1994) International Plant Protection Convention International Convention for the Preservation of Pollution of the Sea by Oil Convention on the Continental Shelf Convention on the high seas International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil pollution Damage International Convention Relating to intervention on the high seas in cases of oil pollutions casualties The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from the ships (MARPOL)- 1973 Bio safety Protocol ( Cartagena) Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Role of government By reasoning out the convention and protection of environmental issues it is the National governments who has important role in this context. Policy making to the powering agencies educating community many more activities lies on them.Internationaly most of the developing countries has imposed rules on clean environment. National government can impose rules policies while provincial authorities can practically implement the good environmental practices.International monitoring agencies also playing major role by funding environmentally sound projects. This has been the practice and it has been added to the accounting practices where feasibility reports are combine to a sustainability reporting. Environment protection is another important role where governments responsibility is to codify laws regarding pollution, convention and sustainable uses of natural resources. As the funding agent for low enforcement there role is immensely crucial. Though huge technical measures are been world spread on climate change global warming individual countries can contribute on their own to reduce the impact. Alternate energy generation projects are the new industrial practices which add numerous values to the enviromental issues. Now developing countries urge to buy carbon credits from poor countries where new economical intangible market has been created. This has lead to huge cash generation project, where timber plantation forestry cover of one acre would approximately generate US dollars 1000/ per year or so. Therefore ultimate governance lies on global interconnection of the countries. Developing risk management strategies are the other responsibility to a government where major natural disasters can be overcome by minimum damage to the community. Earth slides, floods, volcanoes, hurricanes other natural disasters can be estimated by professional bodies and necessary steps could be undertaken. As an example taking hurricanes : the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The strongest hurricanes in the present climate may be upstaged by even more intense hurricanes over the next century as the earths climate is warmed by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.USA is harshly criticized by the nations on emission of green house gases in the atmosphere. Common example is USA failed to respond to the Katrina Hurricane wrought on New Orleans: poor management plan for the natural disaster also illustrates the risk management strategies are very poor. Considering Sri Lanka though there were many issues facing and transforming after Tsunami disaster is some what appealing to the western world. By proper strategies imposed on natural disaster Sri Lanka too can win this unbeatable challenges within few years. Though we are blessed with the tropical climate our responsibility towards the environment is not linear. As an example compare to other countries we have comprehensive legal system on coastal zone management laws alone, to safe guard coastal resources. But the appreciable improvement has not bought due to lack of political will on taking effective mechanisms required for implementing and monitoring such laws. Sustainable Way Forward On the challenges Sri Lanks is facing through out there have been various community programs social activities going forward. While been a friend to the environment nation can be build in economically viable too. In the context of these ideas following programs has been imposed by the ministry of Environment. Pilisaru Waste Management programme Piyakaru Purawara Green Cities Programme Ran Derana Programme Gaja Mithuro Programme Wana Senasuna Programme Haritha Gammana Eco Village Programme Jeewa Jawaya Programme Dewa Jawaya Programme Haritha Niyamu Programme Hela Thuru Viyana Programme Major Policies Developed by the Ministry While urging towards the programs Sri Lankan government has imposed practical national policies aiming sustainability National Environment Policy 2003 This aims to promote sound management of Sri Lankas environment balancing the needs for social and economic development and environment reliability. It also aims to manage the environment by combining together the activities, interests and perspectives of stakeholders and to assure environmental accountability. National Forestry Policy 1995 This gives the clear direction to protect remaining natural forests of the country in order to conserve biodiversity, soil and water resources. The forests under the law enforcement of the Forest Department is being reclassified and placed under four management systems ranging from strict conservation, non-extractive use, management of multiple use forests for sustainable production of wood and management of forests with community participation. The National Policy on Wild Life Conservation 2000 The policy urge the commitment of the government to conserve wildlife resources through promoting conservation, maintaining ecological processes and life sustaining systems, managing genetic diversity and ensuring sustainable utilization and sharing of equitable benefits arising from biodiversity. It emphasis the need for effective protected area management with the participation of local communities. National Air Quality Management Policy 2000 The purpose of this policy is to maintain good air quality to reduce morbidity due to air pollution and in turn reduce national health expenditures. National Watershed Management Policy 2004 Policy aims to conserve, protect, rehabilitate, sustainably use and man ­age the watersheds while managing their environment characteristics with the involvement of people. Cleaner Production Policy 2004 The objective of this policy is to incorporate the cleaner production concept and practices into all development sectors of the country. To implement the policy sectoral policies were developed for health and tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tourism. National Biosafety Policy 2005 The policy on biosafety set the overall framework in which adequate safety measures will be developed and put into force to minimize possible risks to human health and the environment while extracting maximum benifits from any potential that modern bio technology may offer. National Air Quality Management Policy 2000 The purpose of this policy is to maintain good air quality to reduce morbidity due to air pollution and in turn reduce national health expenditures. National Policy on Wetlands 2005 This policy seeks to give effect to National Environment Policy and other relevant national policies, while respecting national commitments towards relevant international conventions, protocols, treaties and agreements to which Sri Lanka is a party. National Policy on Sand as a Resource for the Construction Industry 2006 This policy statement reflects Sri Lankas constitutional, international and national obligations, including the Mines and Minerals Act No. 33 of 1992, the National Environmental Act of 1980, the Coast Conservation Act of 1981 and other relevant legislation, regulations and policy statements. This dignifies the effectively manage sand resource on the construction and keeping a better reserve for future generations. National Policy on Elephant Conservation 2006 Widely knowing conflict of elephants enforced the government to implement this policy. This natural creature interconnected with Sri Lankas history, culture, religions, and even politics that it would be difficult to imagine the island without it. Therefore the present policy was developed to ensure the long-term survival of the elephant in the wild in Sri Lanka through the easing of the human-elephant conflict. National Policy on Solid Waste Management To handle the serious issue of solid waste management ministry recognized the need for a national approach to handle this. Therefore National policy on Solid Waste Management has been prepared to ensure economically feasible environmentally sound solid waste management for the country through provincial and local authorities. This policy focuses on areas to ensure environmental accountability and social responsibility of all waste generators, waste managers and service providers, to actively involve individuals and all institutions for sound solid waste management practices, to maximize resource recovery with a view to minimize the amount of waste for disposal and to minimize adverse environmental impacts due to waste disposal to ensure health and well being of the people and on ecosystems. Sri Lankan Implementing Agencies Department of Forest Conservation The Forest Department (FD) was established in 1887. Over the years many initiatives have been taken to minimize the rate of deforestation by effective application of the provisions in the Forest Ordinance. Department of Wildlife Conservation The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) was established in 1949 and entrusted with the overall conservation of fauna and flora of the country and the maintenance of its diversity. Central Environmental Authority The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) was established in August 1981 under the provisions of the National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980, which was later amended in 1988 and 2000. Marine Pollution Prevention Authority Marine Pollution Prevention Authority contribute to protect the marine environment from ship based and shore based maritime related activity, to comply with International and national obligations by promulgation of laws and regulations. Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) was established in 1993. It is mainly involved in promoting the conservation and management of the mineral resources of the country. It seeks to ensure that the mineral potential is realized for the benefit of the country and the minerals are extracted in an efficient, safe and environmentally sound way. State Timber Corporation The State Timber Corporation was incorporated in 1968 under the provisions of State Industrial Corporation Act No. 49 of 1957 for the purpose of extracting timber from the forests, conversion of such timber into sawn timber and finished products, sale of logs, construction of forest roads, operation of timber and firewood sales depots, and manufacture and marketing of any by-products from timber. Sri Lanka Wildlife Trust (WT) The Wildlife Trust of Sri Lanka (WT) is registered as a charitable Trust, in 1991 under the Trust Ordinance No. 1552 and the Code of Intellectual Property Act No. 52 of 1979. Conclusion While laws policies imposed, Sri Lankan government is boosted on all the blooming programs. However common conflicts on human nature issues still and prevailing situation in most of the rural areas. What we can think after all the authorites acts imposed? Some of the other issues created by the Convention Protection of Natural forests in Sri Lanka due to poor fund requirements. Therefore government should please the international bodies agencies to gain aid for the environmentally sound projects. Normally it is a norm that Sri Lankan government will not enforce forest conservation if it didnt come under a condition of a grant. But Non government agencies also impact some of our natural genetic resources by way of many projects developments. Some countries are strict on most of there genetic materials and keep the biodiversity sites under military support. As an example The killing of two Indonesian tribals who tried to enter to COMODO National Park is a popular story to show how they treat the people in biologically valuable sites. But some of the their approach of removing people from the forest and buffer zones are not an applicable option for Sri Lanka. In they recent past it has been noticeable while the laws regulations there people will act on the same manner where there need filled. Governement t therefore can be a practical partner in all ends take part on the conservation protection the environment where immensely keep pressure on the authoriting agencies to inject the attitude to the people. As a country we have to have policies and laws to protect the alienation of forest resources to stop pirating the genetic material, plant serum, plant species or the traditional knowledge. Therefore government should ensure above main objectives before entering into any agreement. Sri Lanka has many more way towards a clean nation. By overcoming spreading challenges on environments Sri Lanka is no sooner be the South Asian Miracle.

Influence Of Humanism During The Renaissance Period Music Essay

Influence Of Humanism During The Renaissance Period Music Essay The influence of Humanism during the Renaissance period gave an enormous impact on the development of western music, where the revival in the study of Greek and Latin literature took place that result in new styles of music composed. The word Humanism is derived from the fifteenth century Italian term called umanista, which may be referred to as a scholar or teacher. This includes professions in all divisions such as poetry and philosophy, and thus the gaining of those intellectual properties and knowledge was the main focus of the humanities studies. This intellectual expansion in culture and secular ideologies was the humanism influence that covered vast aspects of peoples perspectives towards their lives during the Renaissance. One of the areas that were certainly affected by Humanism was music, where towards the sixteenth century more and more composers saw music as artistic works rather than mathematics equations, and they should be consisted of individual expression and delight senses. These ideas were supported by humanists and scholars such as Pietro Bembo, who stood as a vital figure on explaining how important the use of sonority in words and also words within the whole phrase was. This greatly affected the way Renaissance composers chose the amount of balance between music and words and the way they interact with each other. Therefore this influence brought up a new dimension in music writing that resulted in a new vocal style, the madrigal. It was one of the most popular music styles of non-religious music in the sixteenth century, and it certainly depicted what the heart of humanism was. The poems that were taken into the use of composing madrigals were secular material that demonstrated human nature, such as love poems. Also the quality of life, living fully and human interests, which were all, part of the secular attitudes that dominated this genre of music. There are plenty of examples from the composers in the sixteenth century that wrote music in the style. One of the most famous madrigal composers was Lucy Marenzio from Italy, and most of his madrigals were about secular topics such as desire and love. In his Hor pien daltro desio composed in 1582, it tells us the love and affection of the Italian poet Luigi Alamanni towards a female called Amaranta. Marenzio cleverly used music to support the individual words and lines to highlight the emotion. For example in this five voices madrigal, the Tenor part begins with a perfect consonant with the Canto part, then falls down a semitone to the F sharp where the word Pien (full) is stressed, in addition it also acts as the leading tone to G. The next word dal-tro meaning (of another) is held for twice the value so that even each of the syllables length various. Moreover, the frequent use of imitation where every voice enters at different times but similar motif as the composer thought suitable. The use of repetition can also be found when the womans name Amaranta is sung as va-ga, A-ma-ran-ta (vague (beauty) Amaranta) which is also almost like a sequence in terms of the melodic contour. At measure 24, all parts arrived on the third line Che dolce suona e canta (Who sweetly ings and plays), which this fulfilment in the texture unleashes the power of vocal harmony completely. Interestingly, when the top voice reaches the word Can-ta (sing), the two syllables spread across three bars are where the running quavers emerge, and plus the F sharp to G figure reappears. As a result, it portrays the beautiful melismatic singing by Amaranta that the poet could die for. This is a great example of showing how effective the use of music on only a single word could give nice additional flavours to the entire line. Next to the end, at line if my dying would increase her life is also another similar example on the word mio (life), which both the Canto and Basso parts are extended over three bars on the tied semibreves suggesting the wish of a longer life. The composer successfully achieved and enhanced the meaning of the poem, whereby usingtechniques to organise the melodic lines working both vertically and horizontally. This level of intellectual and practical manipulation on composing was extremely exceptional and really showed how humanism influenced composers on the way they approached madrigal writings. The second example is from a later date in 1592 by Claudio Monteverdi in his third book of Madrigal called O come à ¨ gran martire, a poem written by Giovanni Battista Guarini. He was one of the most well known poets during the Renaissance, due to the effectiveness of words in his texts that madrigal composers loved to use. In this five voices madrigal starts of at Canto with a long note valued the entire bar on the higher E followed by a short rest, then falls right down to a G sharp. This diminished 6th interval almost paints an actual image of a person saying Oh, how great the suffering is to hold desire on both the first two words as well as the entire line. The word Mar-ti-re (martyr) is also stretched out the longest in the line to emphasize the state of suffering. Furthermore, Monteverdi uses a canon like effect with consecutive entries from the first voice down to the third voice. It is not until third line O soave mio ardore when all voices joins up exposing the ardour feeling from the poet. Also the sense of cadences and starting points are a lot more obvious throughout the piece comparing to Marenzios example, such as at the repetition point in the third line and at the end of that line. Another remarkable point in this madrigal is the call and response that happens on the fifth line between all voices that divides into two parts with Alto alternating between the upper and lower half for over fifteen bars. The fifth line is divided into two parts as sognun ama il suo core and e voi sete il cor mio so that the lower half usually follows what the upper half just sung. This compositional device is rather convincing when it comes to the appearance of the lines over and over again that deeply prints the poets emotion onto the music. The entire madrigal is fulfilled with Monteverdis thoughtful ideas to further embellish the poem, and it has a stronger sense of homophonic texture than Marenzios example. However both composers utilisation of word-painting, imitation and through-composed form, were undoubtedly a revolutionary style that all madrigal composers strived for and This original experience begins early in the madrigals, where it is consciously at work trying to build up a musical style which should be the emotional counterpart of the poetic expression, and truly this collective knowledge is a critical component of what the intention of Humanism was, which of Those who earnestly desire and seek after these are most highly humanized. This movement greatly impacts not only on madrigals, but also the overall development of music as well as the Renaissance society on the whole. The success of madrigal brought its popularity even further, when the advance in music printing took off that drastically increased the speed of music spread, and as a result many international style appeared in their vernacular, and the English madrigals were one of the most directly influenced examples. Thomas Weelkes was among the greatest English madrigal composer around the sixteenth century and in his Lady your Spotless Feature, it seeks to satisfy his perfect image of the lady. The text of this madrigal is derived from the madrigal Donna, il vostro bel viso of another famous Italian madrigal composer named Salamone Rossi. This shows how close the link is between Italian and English madrigalism where Thomas Weelkes was able to interpret the lines into English smoothly and re-through-compose the entire music to suit the local taste. This madrigal is set for five voices with two sopranos, tenors and a bass, starting with a homophonic texture, where the first top three parts form a triadic chord and this gives a strong sense of tonic. When the word fea-ture is sung at the end of the first line, it divides into a descending scale like pattern quavers in thirds with soprano II. This sighing like effect shows how the composer is fascinated by the beauty of the lady. Following that immediately is a short motif based on a crochet, two quavers then four crotchets, distributed at different times on different voices to create the polyphonic texture that contrasts with the first line. This imitative device easily creates an impression into our mind which again reinforces the image of the lady. The strong sense in the use between polyphony and block harmony also appears on the last two lines, where the second last line moves mostly in crotchets aligned with the words building up vertical harmony. Then similarly, the last line creates an eight crotchet notes figure that repeats in various parts of every voice. Surprisingly, at the end of every polyphonic variation, the bass rhythm is always augmented until the start of the next homophonic part, which is almost like a basso continuo used at the end to strengthen the dominant to tonic feel, which in this example is the long sustained A to D. Comparing to the previous madrigals mentioned, this piece has a stronger systematic gesture where the structure is defined not only by the text but also the texture in music especially. The poem itself is also more of a light-hearted and delightful musical setting, which is a fairly popular taste amongst the English madrigal composers. This style of secular composition, which was sometimes set to words of a light and humorous character, found a good deal of favour with many of the most prominent English composers, although serious and pastoral works often appeared also in Weelkes madrigals. Nevertheless, knowing the contrapuntal parts in relation with one another, and also seeing the underlying harmony is the complex but crucial elements in madrigal writings and astonishingly, all three madrigal composers have not only managed to write music for the words but also stretching the meaning of them by exploring the possibilities that suited this genre. This cultivation of secular vocal music was in no doubt, a phenomenal musical development during the sixteenth century. Therefore, the influence of Humanism on madrigal was aimed to uplift the level of emotion and meaning derived from literal materials, and from a teleological perspective it did not only fulfilled its purpose but also set a model for many vocal music genres that came later in the music history such as opera. For that reason the madrigal is undeniably the quintessential humanist musical genre in the sixteenth century.

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis :: Health Medicine

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis There are several diagnostic tests used to detect Multiple Sclerosis (referred to as MS). An MRI (multilple resonance imaging) can confirm a diagnosis by showing lesions and sites of inflammation in the brain. Although the presence of lesions is common in Multiple Sclerosis sufferers, the absence of lesions is not a sign that the disease is not active. An electroencephalogram (EEG) can isolate changes in brain waves when introduced to audio or visual stimuli. The Evoked Potential test measures the speed with which nerve impulses travel. Demyelination significantly reduces the speed of nerve signal transmission and can be detected with this test. Lumbar punctures and spinal taps are also used to test spinal fluids for the presence of certain immuno-proteins present in Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. Facts about Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and is believed to be immune mediated. This debilitating disorder affects at least 350,000 people in the United States. The disease occurs in young adults with the mean age of onset of 30 years. Women make up 70% of the MS population. This gender preference remains unexplained. Clinical Features The symptoms of MS may be mild or severe, of short or long duration and may appear in various combinations, depending on the area of the nervous system affected. Complete or partial remission of symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease occurs in approximately 70% of MS patients. The initial symptoms of MS are often blurred or double vision, red-green color distortion, or even blindness in one eye. However, visual problems tend to clear up in the later stages of MS. Inflammatory problems of the optic nerve may be diagnosed as retrobulbar or optic neuritis. MS patients will have an attack of optic neuritis at some time or other and it will be the first symptom of MS in approximately 15 percent. This has led to general recognition of optic neuritis as an early sign of MS, especially if test also reveals abnormalities in the patient's spinal fluid. Most MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance at some time during the course of the disease.

Steel plant :: essays research papers

Steel Plant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our steel plant will be located where the baseball field and the gymnasium is. We will buy the school’s land off the Board of Education. We plan on tearing down the gym and taking all the bricks and left over materials to the land fill in Princeton. This way more people can keep their homes, and not have to move away. The school will be turned into a hotel for some of the workers who live away from here. If the baseball field and gymnasium isn’t enough room for the plant then we will buy the houses and land behind the baseball field. If anyone else wants to move because of the smoke then we will be able to buy their property and expand our company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our plant will have its own storage dump underground on some other property we own, away from the city. The tanks will be specialized, so the chemicals can’t leak out into the ground. This will keep the chemicals from harming the local wildlife. At the plant there will be a special filtering system for the smoke that is produced, so it won’t effect the air and community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We will use the local coal mines to provide us with the coal we need to produce the steel. The steel plant will make more jobs for the local people. Also the local graduating classes won’t have to go far off to get jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If there isn’t already another school built for the students then we will donate some of the profits we make to build a school. So the kids will have a good and new school ready for them. Also we will setup a scholarship to send students to college, also they can come back and have a good job at the plant if they want.

Mass Media Filling the Moral Void Essay -- Morals Ethics Television En

Mass Media Filling the Moral Void A walk down the streets of D.C. provides more than just exercise and scenery. It is a journey through the stages of Mass Media. The first newsstand one spots is full of every newspaper one could possibly want to read. A couple more steps down the sidewalk, and one can see the televisions flashing through the windows of ESPN Zone, and one is bombarded by the blaring sounds of radios from car stereos and stores alike. It is almost impossible to escape the claw of Mass Media, because there are very few places to which media influence does not extend. Through the beginning of Mass Media during the 1400’s to the present, television, radio and video games have become a large part of every child’s life. With media surrounding more than one’s immediate family, it is hard not to be influenced in everyday life. Experts continue to debate the influence that Mass Media has on the youth of this generation, and whether it is vital to growth or an impairment on a childâ €™s education. The first step when taking a look at Mass Media and its influences is to find out how clearly it can be defined. Mass Media are the mediums or channels through which images, information, and entertainment are sent. As defined by Professor Lawrence Grossberg of Communication Studies, Mass Media is exactly that: media generated from a single point to a large number of points or from a single source to an audience of many people (Grossberg 8). Media can best be explained as communication through television, radio, newspapers or the Internet. Since Mass Media is transported from a single source to multiple sources, it is hard to realize how each person will perceive it. Indeed, the sender of media has little or no contro... ...on, is a topic that will be continually discussed. In any case, no matter which kind of media it is, someone with always find it entertaining. Works Cited: Baker, Karen. "Kick the TV habit for a week." Times-Picayune. 22 Apr. 2004. Lexis Nexis. 13 Feb. 2005 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>. Grossberg, Lawrence, Ellen Wartella, and D. Charles Whitney. Media Making: Mass Media In A Popular Culture. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc., 1998. Guernsey, Lisa. "Tuning Into a Problem." The Washington Post. 9 Nov. 2004. Lexis Nexis. 14 Feb. 2005 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>. Raymo, Chet. "Bach on the Wing." The Boston Globe. 3 Oct. 2004: 34. Lexis Nexis. 13 Feb. 2005 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>. Scheibe, Cyndy. "Television in the Lives of Children." CRETv. 15 Feb. 2005. <http://www.ithaca.edu/CRETv>.

International Business- Failure of Joint Venture as a Result of Culture Essay

1. Joint venture between TCL and Alcatel In 2004, TCL Technology Holdings Limited, a multinational electronics conglomerate from Huizhou, China entered into a mobile phone manufacturing Joint Venture with Alcatel, a global corporation in telecommunication equipments, services and applications from Paris, France, in a bid to foray into the global market. The joint venture company – TCL and Alcatel Mobile Phones Ltd (TAMP) – managed research and development (R&D), sales and distribution of mobile handsets and related products and services (TCL 2011). TCL invested 55 million euros to garner a fifty five percent stake while Alcatel put in 45 million euros along with its mobile handset business for the remaining forty five percent share (China Daily 2004). The two corporations each possessed individual strengths that they believed, when joined in partnership, would establish their stronghold in the competitive mobile phone industry and further their geographical reach in sales. TCL is a distinguished brand that fronts the China market and has a vantage point as a low cost manufacturing base in Asia. Alcatel is a leading player in Europe and Latin America and has operations in more than 130 countries. It could contribute an extensive sales network as well as its high aptitude in R&D (TCL 2011). Alcatel also provided patents to TCL, who did not own its own technology, to enable its entry into markets that have intellectual property (IP) rights requirements (Zhu 2005). TCL at that time had faced a waning domestic market and needed Alcatel to help it expand into newer international markets while Alcatel believed that TCL’s lead in manufacturing would improve its product offering that would better meet the varying needs of its customers worldwide. According to Morgan Stanley, a multinational financial services provider, the joint venture (TAMP) had enormous potential to place seventh to become one of the global leaders in the industry (TCL 2011). TAMP began operations in September 2004. However, only 8 months into the joint venture, by the end of the first quarter of 2005, TAMP had reported a loss of 36 million euro (Li 2011). As a result, TCL bought out Alcatel’s 45 percent share in TAMP to solely take over the venture. The TCL-Alcatel (T&A) collaboration had failed. The transaction took place in the form of an exchange of stocks where Alcatel transferred its TAMP shares to TCL in return for a 5 percent share in the latter’s firm. Because the venture had ended prematurely, Alcatel also paid 20 million  euros in compensation to TCL for the withdrawal of IP rights it had rendered to TAMP (Zhu 2005). After the termination of the joint venture, TCL began to draw profits again in the following year (Li 2011). 2. Problems of the joint venture The failure was attributed to high inherent production costs of managing an international corporation and the underlying financial problems of Alcatel that existed prior to the joint venture that impeded TAMP’s profit goals (Zhu 2005) therefore made it hard to revive the business. Ernst & Young’s (2011) financial reports revealed that Alcatel suffered net operation losses of 400 million euro in 2001 and is a plausible reason why it had been eager to sell its shares to TCL in the first place – to rid the loss making assets (Zhu 2005). But to a large extent, stark cultural differences in working styles between the Chinese and French had a role to play in the lead to its eventual failure. Despite their industrious attempt at internationalizing the business, the Chinese had a perennial lack of understanding of the European culture and were inexperienced in managing international human resource (Monks 2012). This caused friction amongst the employees, who are the building blocks of a company, thus eventually eroded the viability of the collaboration. 3. Culture in IB Culture is an integral part of international business. Every country exhibits a unique set of culture that is distinct from another and has a considerable effect on the way people work and function in their workplace. It is a basis upon which organizations strategize and shape their operations and decisions (Reis, Ferreira and Santos 2011) as well as influence the way they negotiate (Graham, Mintu and Rodgers 1994). Therefore it is critical to learn and understand the cultures of the countries in which you are interested to do business because differences in culture potentially give rise to misunderstandings in the workplace where people have inaccurate perceptions  of each other (Wursten,Lanzer and Fadrhonc 2012), so when managers have awareness of differences, they can alter the way they manage their foreign employees. This is supported by Luo (1999), who found that an understanding of host country culture improved overall business performance. Entering into joint ventures with local firms is an advantageous mode of entry that allows foreign MNCs to acquire local knowledge (Makino and Delios 1996) and this was the strategy taken by TCL in its entrance into France. However, the Chinese firm still faced huge problems of ‘culture conflict’ (Yao and He 2005, p.34). 4. Why it faced difficulties Over the past decade, China had been aggressive in reaching out to the world through its outward foreign direct investment (FDI) policies. Figures from the 2006 Statistical Bulletin of China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment show that outward FDI of China increased 18.5 billion from 2002 to 2006 (Ministry of Commerce of China 2007). Declining domestic demand and ailing revenues had been a motivation and the confidence from having many years of international experience from foreign MNCS operating in its country had primed China for its own global advance (Lyles and He 2008). Yet there lay fundamental problems in the execution. 4.1 Cultural Differences between TCL and Alcatel There are distinct differences in working styles of employees in Alcatel and TCL due to the intrinsic cultural differences between these two countries. How will management adapt to it is specific to culture as managers are products of their own culture with its own set of beliefs and values and manners of expression and will go on to organize its people effectively according to this very culture so it follows that what works for a particular culture might not necessarily work for another (Wursten 2008). Some friction was observed in the interaction between TCL and Alcatel employees and cooperation between the two managements due to personal perceptions of each other. In an interview conducted by Li Jing (2011), associate professor at Simon Fraser University, for the vice presidents of TCL – Well Lu (TCL) and Laurent Labbe (Alcatel) -, the issue of cultural differences between the two firms was discussed. 4.1.1 Conservatives v Risk Takers The French adopts a more conservative approach when it comes to decision-making. Conservatism is associated with the uncertainty-avoidance (UAI) dimension ( Doupnik and Riccio 2006) and France has one of the highest UAI index at 86 indicating that they are not comfortable with ambiguous situations and will take measures to avoid them (Hofstede 2001). They ‘think a lot before doing something’ (Li 2011, p.3), because in their country, mistakes are unacceptable (Bowie 2008). As a result, Frenchmen are averse to risk (Bowie 2008). Out of 500 employees from Alcatel, only 70 remained in the joint venture company because the perception is that there will be no job security and they cannot afford taking this risk (Li 2011). High turnover rates lower the productivity of a business (BizFilings 2012). Conversely the Chinese are more willing to take risks. This is reflected in their low UAI score of 30. They accept ambiguity, are adaptive to change and make decisions based on a pragmatic approach (Hofstede 2001). However a point to note is that, although China is generally open to risk taking, it tends to embark on lengthy considerations that can notably delay decision-making (RSM International 2010). This would test the patience of its French counterpart and frustrate the relationship. This divergence in attitude and multi-faceted culture causes a struggle in reaching decisions when both parties are set in their own ways about an approach. 4.1.2 Individualists v Collectivists Alcatel’s is a predominantly individualist culture where work relationship is upon the basis of a contract, which underlines the concept of professionalism and have marked definition of an employee’s job responsibilities (Li 2011). TCL, in contrast, is primarily a collectivist culture where people work in the interests of the group (Hofstede 2001). This is reflected in its corporate culture where it wants its employees to feel belonging to the company, to treat it like home (Li 2011). But during the joint venture, as the company grows at an accelerated pace, the nature of the jobs became vague and necessitated a TCL working style. The French are a high-minded group so competition typically prevail teamwork (Kenna and Lacy 1994) at the work place which meant many Alcatel employees were removed from their comfort zone. 4.1.3 Varying degree of acceptance of power Moreover, as France is also an uncertainty avoidance society, there was further disorientation when there was no clear example from top management how they were supposed to work (Li 2011). France and China are both large power distance societies but employ different types of power (Zheng 2010). The French are more accustomed to legitimate power, which is the power that imposes a sense of responsibility or obligation on them (Zheng 2010) and value strong leadership and tight controls (Bowie 2008). But this was not the approach used by the TCL as it tended to be more abrasive and did not agree with a very important aspect of Chinese culture – Harmony. Chinese people manage work relationships with harmony in mind and also the concept of giving everyone ‘face’ (Zheng 2010) so the difference in styles puts the French in discomfiture, and the Chinese in confusion as to why the French was being less than efficient therefore affecting the company’s productivity that would affect the bottom line of the business. 4.1.4 ‘Lazy’ v Driven Individuals Lu admits that he ‘used to subscribe to the stereotype that Frenchmen are lazy’ and ‘are more relaxed’ when it comes to work attitudes (Li 2011, p.3). Laziness is perceived as a negative characteristic and might draw disapproval from other co-workers. However it must be understood that the  French are not really ‘lazy’ but are Polychronic people (Hall 2000). Polychronic people are described in Hall’s cultural theory to have a tendency not to keep a tight structure on their time and work at their own pace, also preferring not to make elaborate plans so (Suntsova 2009) therefore giving the impression of being lazy. The Chinese are, like the French, Polychronic (Hall 2000). But to a large degree they are also a masculine society, according to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (2001), with a high score of 66. In masculine societies, people are motivated to be the best they can be, where great emphasis is placed on achievement and success. Labbe (Li 2011) had described the Chinese as workers with tremendous drive and ambition. On the other hand France is a more feminine society scoring 43, which implies that they are more concerned about the quality of life. For example, France has a liberal welfare system in place that entails short 35 hour work weeks. Labbe (Li 2011, p.3) agrees that the Frenchmen are ‘satisfied with just working for a base salary’. Thus TCL (Chinese) employees who are more masculine, will be disposed to think that their Alcatel colleagues (French), who are feminine and polychronic, are lazy and unmotivated workers, which is a careless observation, because eventually the work is accomplished, only the work is done in a different manner. This misconception leads to resentment amongst employees. 4.2 Lack of international management experience To add to the problem, TCL, like many Chinese firms lack real experience in managing an international business. MNCs’ operating in external markets face liability of foreignness (LOF) where they are at a disadvantage to local firms due to unfamiliarity of host country conditions (Hymer 1976). They have to overcome the liabilities by forging competitive advantages against local firms or fine-tune managerial learning about host markets to reduce LOF while local firms do not have to make as much adjustments in comparison (Petersen and Pedersen 2002). Therefore while many years of having foreign MNCs in China allowed these MNCS to accrue experience from their overseas ventures, the Chinese firms, who although to a large measure were part of the internationalization process, were only at the receiving  end and had not really garnered real managerial experience in operating internationally. When it was down to the actual initiation into international markets such as the US and in this case Europe France, China was confronted by its own set of LOF and was unable to reconcile the divergent national and corporate cultures (Thomsen and Nicolas 2008) between the two countries so it faced difficulties in managing its French employees in TAMP. 5. Solution The general idea one gets from reading related literature about culture in international business is that, differences in culture is a source of misunderstandings and miscommunication that will invariably present itself as a threat to the productivity of business. And the solution would be to understand these differences in culture, to have knowledge of them, so that we can reduce some of these problems (Pilhofer 2011). While it is very useful for us to gain cultural understanding, conventional literature conveys a negative notion in relation to it. It seems to be implying an obligation and necessity to learn about culture to avoid failing the business. Essentially there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this notion but this would only lead to people withdrawing from interaction with other cultures altogether if they fear failure and negative situations (Pilhofer 2011). If I were in charge of the joint venture, I would ensure that the employees gain an appreciation and respect for culture. They need to view cultural learning positively, see it as learning how different others’ cultures are from theirs and use it to adapt accordingly so as to achieve the business objectives (Ferraro 2009). Learn that negative situations such as misunderstandings are inevitable, but even those can be regarded positively in terms of a new experience (Pilhofer 2011). It is not as much the knowledge than what you do with it. To achieve this, management must first introduce this idea of openness to its employees to gradually overcome their innate ethnocentrism (Ferraro 2009). With inculcation and education, over time I believe it will form part of the company’s corporate culture. When work is done in a more positive and respectful atmosphere, performance can be more productive (Ferraro 2009), than in a stressful environment. Going forward, TCL needs to gain more experience in managing people internationally by undertaking more international endeavors. However they cannot enter heedlessly and will need to study the new markets and their cultures and create a plan. Some difficulties would still be faced but they could learn from it. 6. Conclusion The joint venture between Alcatel and TCL failed chiefly due to its existing financial situation. However for the most part, the friction experienced by employees from both companies because of 1. lack of understanding of cultural disparities in work styles and 2. inadequate international experience of TCL’s management had undermined the potential effectiveness of the joint venture, inevitably leading to its failure. Culture is a very elemental factor in International Business today. Business partners face challenges in working with people from other cultures. If there is no knowledge and understanding, firms would not be able to make adjustments accordingly to best achieve their business goals. But cultural knowledge should be learned with a positive motivation rather than attaching negative consequences to it. People need to gain an appreciation and respect for other cultures to be able to work in them effectively. Word count: 2640

The Discovery of Electronics

The first practical application of electricity was the telegraph, invented by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1837. The need for electrical engineers was not felt until some 40 years later, upon the invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell and of the incandescent lamp (1878) by Thomas A. Edison. These devices and Edison's first central generating plant in New York City (1882) created a large demand for men trained to work with electricity. The discovery of the â€Å"Edison effect,† a flow of current through the vacuum of one of his lamps, was the first observation of current in space. Hendrick Antoon Lorentz of The Netherlands predicted the electron theory of electrical charge in 1895, and in 1897 J. J. Thomson of England showed that the Edison effect current was indeed caused by negatively charged particles (electrons). This led to the work of Guglielmo Marconi of Italy, Lee De Forest of the United States, and many others, which laid the foundations of radio engineering. In 1930 the term electronics was introduced to embrace radio and the industrial applications of electron tubes. Since 1947, when the transistor was invented by John Bardeen, William H. Brattain, and William B. Shockley, electronics engineering has been dominated by the applications of such solid-state electronic devices as the transistor, the semiconductor diode, and the integrated circuit. the branch of engineering concerned with the practical applications of electricity in all its forms, including those of the field of electronics. Electronics engineering is that branch of electrical engineering concerned with the uses of the electromagnetic spectrum and with the application of such electronic devices as integrated circuits, transistors, and vacuum tubes. In engineering practice, the distinction between electrical engineering and electronics is based on the comparative strength of the electric currents used. In this sense, electrical engineering is the branch dealing with â€Å"heavy current†-that is, electric light and power systems and apparatuses-whereas electronics engineering deals with such â€Å"light current† applications as wire and radio communication, the stored-program electronic computer, radar, and automatic control systems. The distinction between the fields has become less sharp with technical progress. For example, in the high-voltage transmission of electric power, large arrays of electronic devices are used to convert transmission-line current at power levels in the tens of megawatts. Moreover, in the regulation and control of interconnected power systems, electronic computers are used to compute requirements much more rapidly and accurately than is possible by manual methods Electrical phenomena attracted the attention of European thinkers as early as the 17th century. Beginning as a mathematically oriented science, the field has remained primarily in that form; mathematical predication often precedes laboratory demonstration. The most noteworthy pioneers include Ludwig Wilhelm Gilbert and Georg Simon Ohm of Germany, Hans Christian Orsted of Denmark, Andre-Marie Ampere of France, Alessandro Volta of Italy, Joseph Henry of the United States, and Michael Faraday of England. Electrical engineering may be said to have emerged as a discipline in 1864 when the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell summarized the basic laws of electricity in mathematical form and predicted that radiation of electromagnetic energy would occur in a form that later became known as radio waves. In 1887 the German physicist Heinrich Hertz experimentally demonstrated the existence of radio waves. The first practical application of electricity was the telegraph, invented by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1837. The need for electrical engineers was not felt until some 40 years later, upon the invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell and of the incandescent lamp (1878) by Thomas A. Edison. These devices and Edison's first central generating plant in New York City (1882) created a large demand for men trained to work with electricity. The discovery of the â€Å"Edison effect,† a flow of current through the vacuum of one of his lamps, was the first observation of current in space. Hendrick Antoon Lorentz of The Netherlands predicted the electron theory of electrical charge in 1895, and in 1897 J. J. Thomson of England showed that the Edison effect current was indeed caused by negatively charged particles (electrons). This led to the work of Guglielmo Marconi of Italy, Lee De Forest of the United States, and many others, which laid the foundations of radio engineering. In 1930 the term electronics was introduced to embrace radio and the industrial applications of electron tubes. Since 1947, when the transistor was invented by John Bardeen, William H. Brattain, and William B. Shockley, electronics engineering has been dominated by the applications of such solid-state electronic devices as the transistor, the semiconductor diode, and the integrated circuit. The functions performed by electrical and electronics engineers include (1) basic research in physics, other sciences, and applied mathematics in order to extend knowledge applicable to the field of electronics, (2) applied research based on the findings of basic research and directed at discovering new applications and principles of operation, (3) development of new materials, devices, assemblies, and systems suitable for existing or proposed product lines, (4) design of devices, equipment, and systems for manufacture, (5) field-testing of equipment and systems, (6) establishment of quality control standards to be observed in manufacture, (7) supervision of manufacture and production testing, (8) postproduction assessment of performance, maintenance, and repair, and (9) engineering management, or the direction of research, development, engineering, manufacture, and marketing and sales.