Climate Changes Snowpack

Climate Changes Snowpack One of the Most Urgent Environmental Issues Environmentalists have been trying to draw public’s attention to the problems associated with the climate change for decades. Nonetheless, people used to turn their backs on this problem as they kept saying that scientists were exaggerating. Now lots of people can literally feel the changes which have been taking place.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Climate Changes: Snowpack specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most conspicuous illustrations of the climate change is the amount of snowpack in the world, and in every part of the globe. According to a variety of surveys and researches, snowpack is steadily declining due to a number of reasons. Importantly, even those, who claim that some estimates are erroneous and somewhat exaggerated, admit that the problem exists and it needs to be addressed. Thus, snowpack is steadily declining and this has a number of effe cts as it negatively affects such businesses as ski resorts and, what is more, it has a negative impact on farming as water supplies are decreasing. Declining Snowpack A hundred years ago, people could hardly predict that their descendants would lack for snow. In the twenty-first century, it is an alarming reality. For instance, the USA has been witnessing a dramatic change in snowpack throughout the last 50 years (see Fig. 1). Thus, Oerlemans claims that glaciers have retreated significantly since the beginning of the twentieth century (â€Å"Worldwide Glacier Retreat† n.p.). It is possible to take a closer look at a particular example. A glacier on Mt. Baker, which is in Washington D.C., can be such an example as the increase of temperatures of only 1 °C results â€Å"~2 km retreat of the glacier terminus† (â€Å"Worldwide Glacier Retreat† n.p.). Another estimate is also quite alarming. According to research conducted by an Oregon State University, the †Å"average snowpack in the Cascades has declined 50 percent since 1950 and will be cut in half again in 30 years† (â€Å"Has Pacific Northwest Snowpack Declined?† n.p.). Notably, the estimate has raised a lot of questions as it focused on a specific (and quite limited) territory and only a few variables were taken into account. However, researchers agree that the trend does exist and it is vital to start addressing the problem.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 1. N. American Summer Snowpack (1967-2011) Kunkel et al. also note that the extreme snowfalls have been changed as extreme low-percentile snowfalls become a norm for many US states (6215). The researchers note that the estimate is rather rough and the data obtained can be regarded as statistically insignificant (Kunkel et al. 6215). Nevertheless, the research reflects certain trends which e xist in the USA as well as in other parts of the globe. Therefore, it is important to start addressing the problems associated with the decrease of amount of snowpack. Possible Causes for the Snowpack Decline Admittedly, many people keep saying that global warming (or rather the level of carbon dioxide) is the major reason of the snowpack decline. However, the problem is more complex and there are many factors contributing to the decrease of snow. Of course, increased global temperature is one of the major reasons of the change in the amount of the snowpack. Clearly, temperatures have increased since the beginning of the twentieth century (see Fig. 2). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Climate Changes: Snowpack specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fig. 2. National (Contiguous U.S.) Temperature It is necessary to note that the increased level of carbon dioxide has a significant impact on the snowpack as the rise of temper atures leads to snow melting. The temperatures have increased considerably since the middle of the twentieth century and it is impossible to ignore the increase in carbon dioxide emissions (see Fig. 3). The correlation between the global warming and the level of carbon dioxide is obvious. Fig. 3. Global Average Temperature and Carbon Dioxide Levels It is necessary to note that the change had started long before the 1950s as such periods as the Industrial Revolution and especially the beginning of the twentieth century were characterized by the increased levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Though, it is also necessary to note that increase in CO2 emission has never stopped and started rocketing in the 1960s (see Fig. 4). Many argue that the increase of the level of carbon dioxide is not caused by human activities but is rather a consequence of certain global processes. However, many researchers claim that though the amount of carbon dioxide emission produced by people is not crucial , deforestation has contributed to the aggravation of the problem (Le Quere n.p.). Admittedly, there are some global processes that lead to carbon dioxide emissions, but forests are global tools to diminish the negative effects of this increase. People’s activities have led to considerable decrease of forests, which, in its turn, has contributed to the increase in the level of carbon dioxide on the global scale.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 4. Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxide It is also necessary to note that the decrease of snowpack is also caused by some natural processes. For instance, researchers note that in the Middle Ages there was the so-called â€Å"Medieval warm period† which was characterized by warm temperatures (â€Å"Worldwide Glacier Retreat† n.p.). Therefore, a variety of possible causes for the change should be taken into account. However, it is also clear that it is no time to hesitate as people are now experiencing negative effects of the decrease of the amount of snowpack. The Impact At present, people feel the lack of snow. Such businesses as tourism and business offering some leisure activities are vulnerable to the change of the snowpack (Callaghan et al. 38). Thus, people who run ski resorts have losses due to the lack of snow. Researchers and business people agree that it is crucial to be able to analyze the existing trends and try to foresee the amount of snowpack in f uture. Clearly, if there is no snow, people will not go to the ski resorts, which will lead to bankruptcy of many ski resorts. However, the lack of snow has even more serious implications as it can lead to shortage of drinking water. This is already a problem in the USA and many other countries; it can become a serious issue in all parts of the world. The lack of water will also negatively affect farming and people will be unable to produce enough food. Conclusion To sum up, it is necessary to note that the amount of snowpack has declined significantly since the beginning of the twentieth century, and this decrease can cause many serious issues in such sectors of economy as tourism, recreation business and farming. Researchers provide rather different estimates and make a variety of predictions. However, the researchers agree that it is time to start addressing the problem as it exists and can lead to really serious issues. People should understand that if snow vanishes, it will be the end of life on the planet. Callaghan, Terry V.; Johansson, Margareta; Brown, Ross D.; Groisman, Pavel Ya.; Labba, Niklas; Radionov, Vladimir; Bradley, Raymond S.; Blangy, Sylvie; et al. Multiple Effects of Changes in Arctic Snow Cover. AMBIO 40.1 (2011): 32-45. Print. Has Pacific Northwest Snowpack Declined? Yes. 2007. Web. Kunkel, Kenneth E., Michael A. Palecki, Leslie Ensor, David Easterling, Kenneth G. Hubbard, David Robinson, and Kelly Redmond. Trends in Twentieth-Century U.S. Extreme Snowfall Seasons. Journal of Climate 22.1 (2009): 6204-6216. Print. Le Quere, Corinne. How Much of the Recent CO2 Increase Is Due to Human Activities? Real Climate 2005. Web. Worldwide Glacier Retreat. 2005. Web.

Free Essays on Tragedy Of Macbeth

â€Å"The Tragedy of Macbeth† In Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†, many things go wrong that lead up to such a great tragedy. Macbeth was persuaded to make many wrong decisions and was said to be seduced by the devil. Because of his change of character from good to evil, Macbeth’s attitude towards other characters is significantly affected. The character in a perfect tragedy should be of high status. This is true of Macbeth because throughout the length of the play his status never drops because he ascends from being Thane of Glamis to Thane of Cawdor and finally, to King of Scotland. Macbeth is very ambitious, courageous, and a moral coward: all these things lead to his tragic death at the end of the play. Through the development of this tragedy, Macbeth has turned from a fine-natured person to an evil person. The witches predictions of Macbeth are what led up to Macbeth’s tragedy. If Macbeth would have never ran into the witches who told him of his future, he would have never thought to be king. His evil side was established after he knew he was going to be king, and he didn’t have patience, he had to kill everyone in his way to the throne. His ambition and strong belief in witches had brought him to a tragic end of his life, and caused many people to lose their lives. Macbeth’s ambition defeated his good nature. Macbeth wanted to ensure that he would reach his ambition without problems. It’s fine that Macbeth knew he was going to be king, but the way he chose to get to the throne was the wrong way. He let the fact of becoming king get in his way and change his life for the worse. Macbeth’s life would have been much happier if he let what was said to happen just happen how it was supposed to. He would have lived a much happier life and not a life filled with regret and guilt. All of Macbeth’s actions of getting to the throne backfired on him and led to his downfall. Macbeth would have never guessed that Macduff wou... Free Essays on Tragedy Of Macbeth Free Essays on Tragedy Of Macbeth â€Å"The Tragedy of Macbeth† In Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth†, many things go wrong that lead up to such a great tragedy. Macbeth was persuaded to make many wrong decisions and was said to be seduced by the devil. Because of his change of character from good to evil, Macbeth’s attitude towards other characters is significantly affected. The character in a perfect tragedy should be of high status. This is true of Macbeth because throughout the length of the play his status never drops because he ascends from being Thane of Glamis to Thane of Cawdor and finally, to King of Scotland. Macbeth is very ambitious, courageous, and a moral coward: all these things lead to his tragic death at the end of the play. Through the development of this tragedy, Macbeth has turned from a fine-natured person to an evil person. The witches predictions of Macbeth are what led up to Macbeth’s tragedy. If Macbeth would have never ran into the witches who told him of his future, he would have never thought to be king. His evil side was established after he knew he was going to be king, and he didn’t have patience, he had to kill everyone in his way to the throne. His ambition and strong belief in witches had brought him to a tragic end of his life, and caused many people to lose their lives. Macbeth’s ambition defeated his good nature. Macbeth wanted to ensure that he would reach his ambition without problems. It’s fine that Macbeth knew he was going to be king, but the way he chose to get to the throne was the wrong way. He let the fact of becoming king get in his way and change his life for the worse. Macbeth’s life would have been much happier if he let what was said to happen just happen how it was supposed to. He would have lived a much happier life and not a life filled with regret and guilt. All of Macbeth’s actions of getting to the throne backfired on him and led to his downfall. Macbeth would have never guessed that Macduff wou...

Beloved Essay

To prevent and weaken the strength of racial tension, the citizens of the United States must be educated about racial problems before being released into the real world. The best approach towards racial equity begins in the classroom and through literature which is where the book Beloved comes into the picture. Beloved fits ideally into the UCLA principles of community one being â€Å"We acknowledge that modern societies carry historical and divisive biases based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and religion, and we seek to promote awareness and understanding through education and research and to mediate and resolve conflicts that arise from these biases in our communities. † The first standard of the Critical Race Theory is the critique of liberalism. Critique of liberalism claims that the liberals have not done enough to aid the African Americans in the fight for equal rights since racism continues to exist in the American society. This can be seen through the Garners, who are owners of a plantation called â€Å"Sweet Home† in Beloved. â€Å"In Lillian Garner’s house, exempted from the field work that broke her hip and the exhaustion that drugged her mind; in Lillian Garner’s house where nobody knocked her down (or up), she listened to the white woman humming at her work; watched her face light up when Mr. Garner came in and thought, It’s better here, but I’m not. The Garners, it seemed to her, ran a special kind of slavery, treating them like paid labor, listening to what they said, teaching what they wanted known. And he didn’t stud his boys. Never brought them to her cabin with directions to ‘lay down with her,’ like they did in Carolina, or rented their sex out on other farms† (Morrison 165) As seen in this quote, the Garners were kinder to their slaves compared to many other slave owners. However, the Garners refused to give up slavery and continued o participate in the slavery industry. Just because the Garners are pleasant to their slaves does not justify the righteousness to own and dehumanize another person. Another example would be when Baby Suggs was required to work for the Bodwins in order to be able to stay in House 124. â€Å"’She’s the best cobbler you ever see,’ said Mr. Garner. ‘Cobbler? ’ Sist er Bodwin raised her black thick eyebrows. ‘Who taught you that? ’ ‘Was a slave taught me,’ said Baby Suggs. ‘New boots, or just repair? ’ ‘New, old, anything. ‘Well,’ said Brother Bodwin, ‘that’ll be something, but you’ll need more’† (171) The Bodwins put on a kind front by offering a house of theirs to Baby Suggs. However, by asking Baby Suggs what jobs she can fulfill, the Bodwins expose a bit of their own selfishness of requiring Baby Suggs to provide a service at her own expense in order to be able to live in the â€Å"given† House 124. This shows that even with purchased freedom and the â€Å"help† from liberals, Baby Suggs still struggled as a â€Å"free† African American in society. Speaking of the Bodwins, the abolitionist siblings provide yet another example of why liberals are critiqued. †¦ Denver left, but not before she had seen, sitting on a shelf by the back door, a blackboy’s mouth full of money. His head was thrown back farther than a head could go, his hands were shoved in his pockets. Bulging like moons, two eyes were all the face he had above the gaping red mouth. His hair was a cluster of raised, widely spaced dots made of nail heads. And he was on his knees. His mouth, wide as a cup, held the coins needed to pay for a delivery or some other small service, but could just as well have held buttons, pins, or crab-apple jelly. Painted across the pedestal he knelt on were the words ‘At Yo Service’†Ã‚  (300) Even though the Bodwins are helping Denver find a job, having a statue of a black boy erected in their home goes to show the reader how hypocritical the Bodwins were in that they did not see African Americans as true equals to whites. Especially with the phrase â€Å"at yo service,† it implies that the Black boy statue represents Blacks are those who are always serving; if the Bodwins really wanted to help abolish slavery and move closer to racial equity, they would not have had that degrading statue in the first place. The second standard of Critical Race Theory is Interest Convergence. Interest Convergence is defined as an illusory â€Å"improvement† towards racial equity which means that those who helped the African Americans did not do so out of pure kindness, but because of other motives that were fueled by selfish intentions. In the beginning of Beloved, an instance of interest convergence appears when Mr. Garner brags about his slaves on Sweet Home plantation. â€Å"‘Y’all got boys,’ he told them. ‘Young boys, old boys, picky boys, stroppin’ boys. Now at Sweet Home, my niggers is men every one of em. Bought em thataway, raised em thatway. Men every one’† (12). By bragging about his slaves, Mr. Garner fools his slaves into thinking that he is bragging because he is genuinely proud of his slaves; however, Mr. Garner’s true intention for bragging about his laid-back treatment for his slaves is that Mr. Garner wants to present himself as a friendly and generous man to those outside of his plantation which would raise his status. Mr. Garner displays interest convergence once again when he teases other slave owners about their style of treatment. â€Å"‘Beg to differ, Garner. Ain’t no nigger men. ’ ‘Not if you scared, they ain’t. ’ Garner’s smile was wide. But if you man yourself, you’ll want your niggers to be men too. ’ ‘I wouldn’t have no nigger men round my wife. ’ It was the reaction Garner loved and waited for. ‘Neither would I,’ he said. ‘Neither would I,’ and there was always a pause before the neighbor or stranger, or peddler, or brother-in-law or whoever it was got the meaning. Then a fierce argument, sometimes a fight, and Garner came home bruised and pleased†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (12) This quote shows that by gloating about the less harsh treatment his slaves receive compared to other slave owners, Mr. Garner attempts to justify himself as a man. Mr. Garner puts down other slave owners not because Mr. Garner cares about his slaves as human beings, but to protect his masculinity through the less violent treatment he gives to his slaves on Sweet Home. Another instance of interest convergence would be when Baby Suggs was given the House 124 which was formerly owned by the Bodwins. â€Å"It was too big a house for Jenny alone, they said [†¦] but it was the best and the only thing they could do. In return for laundry, some seamstress work, a little canning and so on (oh shoes, too), they would permit her to stay there. Provided she was clean† (171). The reason why the Bodwins had no hesitance to give House 124 to Baby Suggs is because they had bad memories about it; found on page 305, all of Mr. Bodwin’s female family members have died in House 124 like his mother, grandmother, aunt, and older sister. On the outside perspective, one may think that the Bodwins are just being supportive and thoughtful because they just gave a house to a stranger, but they are actually selfish, as the siblings are looking at this opportunity as a way to get rid of their unwanted property by giving it to someone else which in this case happens to Baby Suggs. The third standard of the Critical Race Theory is whiteness as property. Whiteness as property states that those who are white possess more privileges than those of color. These privileges can be sold, shared, or given according to the decisions of those who are white. A scene where whiteness as property is prominent is when Halle purchases his mother, Baby Sugg’s, freedom. â€Å"When Mr. Garner agreed to the arrangements with Halle, and when Halle looked like it meant more to him that she go free than anything in the world, she let herself be taken ‘cross the river. †¦] What does a sixty-odd-year slavewoman who walks like a three-legged dog need freedom for? † (166) In America’s days of slavery, only whites got to enjoy the freedom as written in the American Constitution. It took Halle’s bartering to buy his mother’s freedom because she was a colored woman, something that belonged to the whites was being bought and in this case it was Ha lle’s blood and sweat that purchased Baby Sugg’s â€Å"freedom. † Another scene that illustrates whiteness as property occurs on Sweet Home plantation when Schoolteacher measures Sethe’s body and gives her animal characteristics. Schoolteacher’d wrap that string all over my head, ‘cross my nose, around my behind. Number my teeth. I thought he was a fool. And the questions he asked was the biggest foolishness of all† (226) and â€Å"No, no. That’s not the way. I told you to put her human characteristics on the left; her animal ones on the right. And don’t forget to line them up† said school teacher (228). Through these quotes, one can see that one of the privileges held by slave owners, all being whites, was the measuring of another human’s body. By giving Sethe â€Å"animal characteristics,† Schoolteacher dehumanizes her which is also part of the white â€Å"privileges† during the era of slavery. Whiteness as property is also prevalent in the scene where Paul D. has a flashback to the days where he was a slave. â€Å"Shackled, walking through the perfumed things honeybees love, Paul D. hears the men taking and for the first time learns his worth. He has always known, or believed he did, his value—as a hand, a laborer who could make profit on a farm—but now he discovers his worth, which is to say he learns his price. The dollar value of his weight, his strength, his heart, his brain, his penis, and his future† (267) The job of marking values onto the African slaves was also owned by white slave drivers. By setting a price on Paul D. ’s body parts, this counts as dehumanizing since giving worth to body parts is what butchers do to the animals they slaughtered in this case, the animals were humans being controlled by other humans because of differences in color. The fourth and fifth standards of Critical Race Theory are permanence of racism/ incremental changes and counter-storytelling. These can be linked together because through counter-storytelling, permanence of racism/ incremental change is revealed. An occurrence of this would be the scars that Sethe received from a brutal beating in Sethe’s days as a slave. â€Å"Whitegirl. That’s what she called it. I’ve never seen it and never will. But that’s what she said it looked like. A chokecherry tree. Trunk, branched, and ever leaves. Tiny little chokecherry leaves. But that was eighteen years ago. Could have cherries too now for all I know† (18) and â€Å"After I left you, those boys came in there and took my milk. That’s what they came in there for. Held me down and took it. I told Mrs. Garner on em. She had that lump and couldn’t speak but her eyes rolled out tears. Them boys found out I told on em. Schoolteacher made one open up my back, and when it closed it made a tree. It grows there still† (20) Counter story-telling is seen by Sethe telling the story of how she got her back scars and the back scars represent thew mark racism, explaining why the white slave owners beat their slaves. The scars are for life which signifies the permanence of racism and how racism will never really disappear because it is so deeply engraved into society’s mindset. One other occurrence that illustrates permanent racism/incremental change and counter story-telling very well is when Sethe is telling her tale of having to sew her own wedding dress. â€Å"I never saw a wedding, but I saw Mrs. Garner’s wedding gown in the press, and heard her go on about what it was like. [†¦] Well, I made up my mind to have at the least a dress that wasn’t the sacking I worked in. So I took to stealing fabric, and wound up with a dress you wouldn’t believe. [†¦] Seem like I couldn’t find a thing that wouldn’t be missed right away. Because I had to take it apart afterwards and put all the pieces back to where they were† (70) Through Sethe’s story, Sethe proves to be resilient and determined against the unjust economics of slavery. Slaves were not allowed to have weddings or any types of luxury which illustrates the mark of racism. Another occurrence of both permanence of racism/ incremental change and incremental change would be when Stamp Paid reveals a part of his life about having to give up his own wife to a white man slave driver. â€Å"I never touched her all that time. Not once. Almost a year. We was planting when it started and picking when it stopped. Seemed longer. I should have killed him. [†¦] I never touched her and damn me if I spoke three words to her a day. [†¦] She got rosy then and I knowed she knowed. He give Vashti that to wear. A cameo on a black ribbon. She used to put it on every time she went to him† (275) In Stamp Paid’s narrative, Stamp tells Paul D. that he had to sacrifice his wife Vashti to the white slave driver’s will which is a sign of racism. The white man got what the white man wants while the one of color, Stamp Paid, was forced to give up someone dear to him. The content, story-telling techniques and thematic message Toni Morrison makes use of in Beloved aids in the understanding of the Critical Race Theory. First off, Beloved pertains to African Americans in the era of slavery which instantly brings up the topic of racial equity and is bound to include points of analysis for the Critical Race Theory. Secondly, the story-telling technique challenges the reader to be able to put themselves into the shoes of another. â€Å"Beloved, she my daughter. She mine. See. She come back to me of her own free will and I don’t have to explain before because it had to be done quick. Quick. ] Paul D ran her off so she had no choice but to come back to me in the flesh† (236) is an internal monologue of Sethe and then, â€Å"It was a tiny church no bigger than a rich man’s parlor† (257) the story converts back to third person. By switching from internal monologues to a third person point of view, the author makes it known that the story is being told by a person who experienced racial inequity themselves which helps the reader grasp a better idea of the issues that the African American people had to deal with. This also allows the reader to formulate a well-structured position in racial topics and nderstand the Critical Race Theory because the reader will be able to recognize qualities of the Critical Race Theory through the perspective of the African Americans. â€Å"How else except by becoming a Negro could a white man hope to learn the truth. . . . The best way to find out if we had second-class citizens, and what their plight was, would be to become one of them . . . † This quote was stated in the article called White Like Me Race and Identity Through Majority Eyes by Tim Wise; the quote enforces the idea that one must dive deep into the experiences another endured to derive any substantial understanding. The thematic message of Beloved is how the past will always linger and affect one’s mind for a lifetime especially if the event is very traumatic like slavery. The thematic message emphasizes the Critical Race Theory point â€Å"permanence of racism and small incremental changes† through flashbacks and interactions the characters have. The character Beloved is enough to represent the thematic message because she symbolizes the past. Beloved is a past memory that grips Sethe’s mind since she is the ghost of the Sethe’s daughter in which Sethe killed due to the arrival of slave catchers. So by inserting Beloved’s appearance in the storyline, the author metaphorically hints that she, Beloved, is the past resurfacing in Sethe’s life which is permanence of racism. Some may argue that Beloved is not an excellent choice because â€Å"typical† high school students lack the intelligence to understand the context presented in Beloved. That accusation is insufficient because this novel is very mind engaging and is an excellent choice to use as an education tool for high school seniors on the topic of race. Beloved may be a difficult read at first because of the prominent usage of flashbacks in the novel. This can make the storyline a bit jumbled and confusing to the reader since Morrison dishes out the story line in bits and pieces. However, Morrison uses transitions, whether they be abrupt or subtle, that provide hints which let the reader know that the story has transitioned into a flashback for example, â€Å"Once before (and only once) Paul D had been grateful to a woman. Crawling out of the woods, cross-eyed with hunger and loneliness, he knocked at the first back door†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (154). In this excerpt, Toni Morrison uses a time reference phrase â€Å"once before† to alert the reader of a flashback in which she goes into elaborating the flashback. The reader should be able to realize he or she is reading a flashback due to a shift in setting and (possibly) different characters. One should not disregard a novel due to the language because with guidance, an effective teacher can help his or her students comprehend the message that Toni Morrison is conveying through Beloved. Toni Morrison offers plenty of valuable examples on racial tensions that would be a shame to pass up just because the novel may be complicated to fathom. The novel Beloved by Toni Morrison provides that sense of racial awareness which is why the novel should be in UCLA’s high school book selection. Beloved is rich with examples of all five principles of the Critical Race Theory that are easily absorbed by high school students with the assistance of Beloved’s content, story-telling technique, and thematic message. When students learn about Critical Race Theory and the experiences of those who encountered extreme racial hostilities, students will have a more broad perspective. Students will have a new outlook on situations that deal with race and know that one must put themselves into another’s shoes in order to genuinely understand the hardships and feelings of the other. Work Cited Keating, Catie. Race Analysis of Toni Morrisons Beloved. Yahoo! Contributor Network. News Network, 3 Nov. 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2013 Martinez, Inez. Toni Morrison’s Beloved: Slavery Haunting America. rd ed. Vol. 4. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. The Jungian Society. 2009. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. Monique. The Pulitzer Project.   Beloved by Toni Morrison (1988) Review by Monique. Blogger, 5 Feb. 2009. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. Morrison, Toni. Beloved: A Novel. New York: Knopf, 1987. Print. Smith, Valerie. Chapter 3 Beloved.   Toni Morrison: Writing the Moral Imagination. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. N. pag. Google Bo oks. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Supernatural Realism.   Tripod. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. UCLA.   Mission amp; Values. N. p. , n. d. Web. 1 Mar. 2013

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Finance - Assignment Example A firm with more contractual obligations i.e debt but insufficient cash or marketable securities to repay the debt definitely faces liquidity problems. The circumstances turn grimmer with more and more liquidity crisis in the organization when the firm becomes completely unable to repay its obligations, thus the firm in such situations become insolvent or faces solvency problems. Thus with more amount of liquidity crisis with not much fresh cash or marketable securities in the system, the firm tends to borrow more from the banks and financial institutions thereby increasing its obligations of repayment more. But with high debt to equity ratio sometimes it becomes difficult for organizations to obtain debt from the financial institutions. This definitely hampers the operational activities of the organization. In such a situation with deep crisis of liquid cash to carry out business and with difficulty in getting loans from the banks, the sustainability of the firm in the long run gets hampered. In certain cases the firm becomes insolvent and may go out of business. (Burnside, 2005, pp.87-90; Course material, pp.112-118) Different approaches to Financial Asset Valuation: One of the major approaches designed in the financial valuation process includes valuation of Equity. The major forms of equity valuation include- 1) Dividend discount modeling- Under this method of valuation, the valuation of the firm is determined by the dividends paid out by the firm. Using the  projected growth rate in dividends in the next 5 years with an estimated growth rate and then using a constant growth rate for the rest of the years, discounted by the required rate of return by the shareholders’  the valuation of the firm is determined. 2) 2) The free cash flow modeling approach- The valuation method is performed using the free cash flow. The free cash flow is the cash flow available to the firm after meeting the necessary capital expenditures and necessary short-term worki ng capital requirements. In this method also, the valuation is performed using the projected free cash flow in the next 5 years using a projected growth rate and then a constant rate for the rest of years after the 5-year period, discounted by the required return for the shareholders. 3) 3) Price earning model- This equity valuation method is a market based method which calls for the market price an investor wants to pay for 1 rupee earning by the company. Higher Price-Earnings ratio designates that the company is overvalued in terms of its market compared to its earnings. Besides equity valuation, we have valuation for fixed income securities like bonds. Bonds, which have fixed coupon rate attached to them, pay fixed interest every year. The fair value of the bond is calculated by the annuity approach which is calculated by the summation of the net present value of the fixed coupon interest over the maturity of the bond with a discount rate as required by the bond holders. (Pinto, Henry, Robinson & Stowe, 2010, p.1) 1B)   On the Capital and Liability side of the Balance sheet of different organizations, the different types of capital and liabilities have different features. These are categorized under the major head ‘Financial capital’. The different classifications include the following: 1) Senior debt, 2) Mezzanine debt, 3) Subordinate debt, 4) Preferred Stock and 5) Common Stock. In case a company goes bankrupt, the company has to first pay back its obligations to the debt holders and finally to

Menu project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Menu project - Assignment Example chopped fresh seeded red chili 1 bunch of fresh basil with its leaves picked and stalks chopped 2 cloves 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper ? cup red wine vinegar ? cup of soft brown sugar Sea salt Directions Place the vegetables, ginger, chili, basil stalks, olive oil, coriander seeds, cloves and garlic in a saucepan. Stir the mixture often while cooking in moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes until it softens, seasoning these mixtures with a pinch of salt and the pepper. Add the tomatoes and 1? cups of cold water and bring this to boil, gently simmering it until it reduces almost half fold. Add basil leaves and using a hand blender, whiz the mixture before pushing twice through a sieve. Put this sauce in a pan and add the vinegar and sugar. Heat the pan allowing the mixture to simmer until it thickens. The seasoning can then be corrected to taste. The now ready ketchup (see Appendix I) will then be introduced to jars and allowed to cool before t ightening the lid. Store the ketchup refrigerated for up to six months. Ingredients Comparison This homemade ketchup contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives. All the ingredients are natural. Even Heinz tomato ketchup is made of natural ingredients but uses them in their processed form (Heinz, 2013). Additionally, in both tomato ketchups, vinegar has been used as the tenderizer. Even so, it would be important to note that its tomatoes come as concentrate and not in the natural form as harvested from the farms. The production of tomato concentrate involves artificial processes and preservation that could therefore nullify the claim against incorporation of artificial ingredients. Most of the other ingredients including onion powder and garlic powder would also have undergone processing hence affirming the reservation on naturalness of Heinz tomato ketchup ingredients. The homemade tomato ketchup largely depends on the tomato for flavoring though pepper and coriander also p lay an important role in flavoring. On the other hand, Heinz tomato ketchup includes various undisclosed natural flavorings in addition to the undisclosed spices. Comparison of Eating Quality Both the homemade and Heinz tomato ketchups have almost the same viscosity. Even so, the homemade ketchup has a rougher texture and tastes salty due to the salt used as preservative (Williams, 2011) than the Heinz ketchup whose smoothness is even and tastes more artificial. The Heinz variant appears deep red more than the homemade tomato ketchup which tends to appear more of orange (see Appendix I and Appendix II respectively). This appearance could vary greatly depending on the kind of tomatoes used, with very ripe tomatoes giving deeper color than the slightly ripe ones. Whereas the color of Heinz tomato ketchup remains stable over its shelf life, the homemade tomato ketchup seems to fade in color over time. The shelf life of homemade tomato ketchup kept in normal clean containers would be 3 months and 6 months if kept in sterilized containers, both refrigerated (Hornby, 2009). The Heinz tomato ketchup on the other hand has a shelf life of up to 15 months. Conclusion Homemade tomato ketchup gives the assurance of the naturalness of the ingredients noted to have medicinal value such as celery noted to be an

Investment Banking in 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Investment Banking in 2008 - Essay Example This paper demonstrates the result of deregulatory measures initiated by the authorities of the United States in the decade of 1990s.The reason for such hype of the deregulatory measures has been primarily the universal bank model. The deregulatory measures allowed the investment banks to participate in the depository functions. The supporters of the deregulations believed that modern day clients preferred to do all of their business ranging from life insurance to commercial lending, from mergers and acquisition advisory to retirement planning, under one roof. And only a deregulated market could allow this to happen. Therefore, replacement of Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 (which prevented depository and brokerage functions) by the Gramm-Leach Bliley in 1999 opened a whole lot of opportunities for the bankers. With the approval to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act in 1999, investment banks, insurance companies and commercial banks were equally placed in respect to the products and the markets. This led to the concentration of financial power in fewer hands and soon the investment banks were being absorbed by the commercial banks. The deviation led to the rise in pressure on investment banks to create return on equity compared to the universal banks like Duetsche Bank and as a result investment banks laid more emphasis on the traditional services like M&A, underwriting, sales and trading. Also, the intense competitive pressure led to the withdrawal of Net Capital rule. and SEC allowed unlimited and unregulated leverage (in way of debts) to their brokerage units which proved to be fatal in the long run. Remaining Competitive Against the Trend From the analysis of the case, it appears that Goldman Sachs (and also Morgan Stanley, if not others) could have surely remained competitive without increasing its leverage to boost its return on investment. In fact, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were honest enough at the outset and had written down the losses in residential mortgages and leveraged loans and tried to avoid the excessive exposure to the mortgage industry. But as Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley faced increasing pressure from the investors as their profits eroded and return on equity subsided. Consequently, they decided to be the bank holding companies (under FED regulations) and initiate the depository functions which would allow them to play as commercial banks and have diversified banking operations apart from invest banking functions, which in turn would help them to stay competitive. Collapse of Lehman Brothers but Bear Stearns Saved For the purpose of bail out of Bear Sterns , Federal Reserve lent JP Morgan Chase $ 30 Billion out of which JP Morgan Chase agreed to assume responsibility for $ 1 Billion leaving the charge of other $ 29 Billion to the U.S. tax payers. But when the Lehman Brothers, which had almost 75% higher valuation of the assets (compared to Bear Sterns as on 30/11/2007) approached Federal Reserve they did not get the nod. The prime reason of such a decision by Fed is believed to be the political dominos. The decision makers hesitated to take another bail-out measure

State Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

State Development - Assignment Example State can be and has been the key agent in development The concept of development has been used in different contexts over the course of time. It is often used for positive expressions pertaining to ‘good change’ or ‘progress’. However these two terms in themselves are intricate and need to be thoroughly understood. Refining it further, development may also be availed in the context of being a vision, a historical process of change in society and finally as an intentional process influenced by agencies and government. The aspect of change deliberates that development is a process. Development is a broad terminology and encompasses various subjects and may be used in diverse contexts but here we concentrate our meaning more towards the development of societies and individuals within societies. This process of development is influenced by an amalgamation of both social and political factors. What is more important to understand is that this process of change e ntails a wholesome approach, pertaining to a desirable change that occurs at all levels and is not confined to improvement in one aspect alone. It also goes a step further in that this process is continuous in nature and sustains by regular evaluations and a self-building practice. The smallest unit of this web starts at the level of an individual, while encompassing the society at large, simultaneously. It is individuals that ultimately make up a society. Therefore, change at a large scale is the reflection of change taking place at the smallest of levels. Hence, change in the thought process of an individual, their means of interaction; strategies that they use for making livelihood and their perception of themselves are what form the fundamentals of this change. This brings the fact that development entails both negative as well as positive features. Altogether, what one can at least decipher from this is that development is a product of multiple raw materials and hence can be sp oken of in multiple contexts. When speaking of development and capitalism working together two forms of development must be stressed upon namely; immanent and intentional development. The former states that development is inherently a process of self-building and growth occurring from within, without the influence of any extrinsic factors like policies. The latter, on the other hand involves the influence of policies and state agencies in giving rise to development. If we look at the start of the 19th century we realize that by its beginning capitalism had advanced into being a market society finally culminating into a global process. While when talking of development in the view of state the concept changes into being one that can be measured and analyzed statistically, hence more objectively. Therefore a developed society in this context is one that is modern and industrialized and not just rich in wealth but also one that is becoming economically stronger and striving towards gro wth and improvisation. This entails that GNP per capita is not only high but is always on the rise. This entails a set of characteristics which are mentioned as follows; the use of scientific knowledge, and its application rather than using traditional techniques. Another way of gauging the industrial development is by transition from olden subsistence farming to the commercial production of goods. Third is the evolution from the use of animal and plant power to the application of machines and last is the migration of individuals from villages to urban centers (Smelser 1968, pg126). Hence when we reflect upon the western industrialized countries what we realize is that they have undergone a process of development in their economy coupled with growth. The former includes an improved and augmented capacity and output while the latter implies an increasing GNP or GDP. This results in a higher income per capita. This modernization influences aspects relating to the quality of life by