Action Plan Essay

There are so many other food businesses around here that are competition, in order for us all to keep this restaurant open we are going to have to step up our game. First we will get new signs, next some of us are going to have to put of fliers around the town, and thirdly we are going to have to come up with a reason for people to want to come to our restaurant. HMM why do people come to places that they have never been before? Why do people go to other peoples restaurants? What is this place known for? What can we change? why do people go? People go to places, restaurants, stores, and other things because of what they have been told, we have a good reputation here but let us go beyond this town. In stores people go into the store because of the display on the outside. People go to things because of appearance, what they have been told, and who has gone. Our place is well fixed up and we have a good reputation in this town and the mayor has been here as well. The real question is why aren’t people coming here? How do we? How do we get people to become attracted or drawn to come buy our food? What is there to do here in this town? There is the movies, arcade, stores, mini golf, and the theater; why don’t we have one of the stores or other fun places donate something and we have a drawing or we give out gift certificates, it would be free advertising for them and get us costumers. Tuesday’s kids under 12 could possibly eat free or maybe kids under 12 could get a free dessert. People love free stuff and people will be drawn to seeing something that has a free on their sign. I know as a small child the restaurant Denny’s had a children eat free on a specific week day and my grandmother would take my sister and I there and order food and what not because she liked the idea of free food for her kids. Having hand out gift certificates will have them build business and have people try our food, like our service, and every single moment of it and then they will come back for more. When we do the raffling off items it will seem like we are having a second grand opening with the publicity from the newspapers, signs, and fliers.

Universal Moral Wrongs and Relativism

Universal Moral Wrongs and Relativism Lori-Ann Racki SOC120- Intro to Ethics and Social Responsibility Dr. Megan Reid November 12, 2012 Universal Moral Wrongs and Relativism In the article â€Å"Some Moral Minima†, Lenn Goodman argues that there are certain moral wrongs that are universal. He describes four areas he believes are areas of universal moral wrongs in detail. Morality has been an issue that many societies all over the world have been trying to understand and contend with for a very long time.In this paper I will explain how I agree with Goodman on the belief that certain things are and should be considered simply wrong universally. I will also explore the challenges Goodman presents to relativism by using specific examples of these challenges. I will discuss how I think there should be such universal moral requirements and defend these answers. I will then be concluding that although I agree with Goodman’s argument, the theory of relativism makes one reconsi der the logical reasoning of moral minima and if it is possible to have universal moral wrongs accepted by all societies and cultures.In Goodman’s argument he confirms four universal and fundamental things that are considered not acceptable and wrong in society- moral minima. The first is genocide which also includes politically induced famine and germ warfare. The second is terrorism which also includes kidnapping and child labor force including using them as child warriors. The third category is polygamy which can encompass slavery and incest. The final category he covers is rape and female genital mutilation (Goodman, 2010, p. 8). I would without a doubt agree and share these same sentiments as Goodman describes. I would say that most of what Goodman has outlined in his arguments would be considered by most civilized societies as acts that deny human beings their rights to live a comfortable life and these acts would be considered wrong and immoral to these societies. Ther efore, I would say that Goodman was right and accurate to create this list of moral wrongs that can and do affect many societies.Of course, Goodman’s statements have and will be questioned with critical thought by those who attempt to challenge the facts he has presented. We do live in a world where everything is subject to different types of interpretation, or relativism which as described by Mosser is â€Å"relativism is the idea that one’s beliefs and values are understood in terms of one’s society, culture, or even one’s own individual values† (2010, chap. 1. 8).Therefore, some of Goodman’s beliefs contradict some of the current cultural customs and traditions that have been considered acceptable in some societies. For instance, terrorism, to the ones that are involved with this act it is not wrong because they are doing it in some cases to win a kind of moral pass by risking self-immolation; they are willing to ask of themselves what th ey take from others. These terrorists think that they are getting offered glory and God’s garden for their act in order to erase their past and simplify their future (Goodman, 2010, p. 9). Another example would be to say that polygamy is universally wrong, would be very controversial because in many countries it is not only accepted but promoted within their culture. In the United States, polygamy is considered wrong and is illegal, but in a village such as Northern Ghana, the village chief has 11 wives and this is acceptable in his culture (Mosser, 2010, chap. 1. 8). In this example the perception of right and wrong is dependent on the person contending with it and the cultural beliefs they belief in.Another similar example would be Goodman’s statement that female genital mutilation is simply wrong is subject to different interpretations dependent upon cultures and customs in different societies. In some African societies this act is done to a young child to prepare h er for womanhood and is considered an act of virtue. This act is considered a rite of passage that has been deeply entrenched into some of these African customs and societies.Therefore, regarding this act as immoral is very controversial and is subject to a wide range of interpretation depending upon the culture and society trying to interpret it. When considering the examples within this paper, it is clear that there is not a simple answer to whether there should be universal moral requirements. For me, I do believe we should have some universal moral requirements as human beings, but when you study other cultures and societies it can be shocking to find out that what we consider to be wrong in general is practiced in some cultures as normal behavior.As described terrorism would be considered wrong and immoral to many people in the world because the human life is considered sacred, but for those who do this to fulfill what they consider their religious obligation, it is not wrong b ut expected. Polygamy would also be considered by many as a wrong thing to do because it demoralizes and dehumanizes woman, it makes woman objects of ownership and not an individual human being. Yet for those that live in societies such as the Muslim society and the Northern Ghana village, it is not just accepted as the right thing to do but it can also be encouraged by the society members.Female genital mutilation is another area that many civilized societies would consider wrong and immoral to do because it hampers all sexual satisfaction for the female, and could cause sickness or even death if not done properly. Yet for those born into these African and other societies, they consider this act a rite of passage as well as a way to prevent woman from being promiscuous and/or having extra marital affairs and therefore it is the right thing to do.In conclusion, although I do agree with Goodman that there are certain things that are simply wrong, it is almost impossible to believe th at there can be such universal moral requirements or moral minima. Logically I believe that there should be universal moral requirements throughout the world because of the cultural and society beliefs that I have gained throughout my life. Thinking objectively though, I think we need to accept the fact that no one man or woman can stipulate the rules of right and wrong for all cultures and societies throughout the world because of the accepted theory of relativism.If we were to give one human being the right to determine what is universally wrong, and what universal morals should be then we would be giving up all the rights of individual’s to live by their own cultural beliefs. It is human nature to question what is morally right or what is morally wrong, but no one person can really ever be one hundred percent perfect. Therefore, does it make sense for us to accept the ideas and beliefs of what is right or wrong given to us by one person? I don’t believe that we can agree to this either logically or morally.I believe that relativism is ultimately one of the main reasons why universal moral minima will not be able to be accepted by the world as a whole. References: Goodman, L. E. (2010). Some Moral Minima. Good Society Journal, 19(1), 87-94. Retrieved from: http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=e88efb93-bef5-4563-96c8-5c37daa7eb0e%40sessionmgr115&vid=4&hid=105 Mosser, K. (2010). Introduction to ethics and social responsibility. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education,  Inc. retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUSOC120. 10. 2/sections/ch00

Odysseus (Epic Hero)

Will Rodgers, an American humorist and social commentator, once remarked that â€Å"Being a hero is about the shortest lived profession on earth† (atd. in carnival of wit 222). While this may be literally true, most heroes live on figuratively in the recorded stories of their exploits, and in many cases they model characteristics that can inspire readers to emulate they're behavior. One obvious example is Homer's Odysseus the fictional king of Ithaca whose courage, strength, and quest for immortality define him as the prototypical epic hero.His encounters with the Trojan war, the Cyclopes, the land of Aeolia with the bag of winds, a witch that accidentally turned his men to pigs and more. Odysseus manages to maintain the delicate balance between hubris and humbleness all throughout his ten year journey home from the Trojan War. This shows that he has potential in being a hero. Homer established the fact that Odysseus was willing to take help in addition to friendship from Athe na when he wrote, â€Å"For I never knew the gods to show such open friendship and Pallas Athene standing by Odysseus. † (The Odyssey, Homer, 23).The meaning of courage is a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear, and that's where Odysseus comes in. Odysseus has been through so much just to get back home to his family. From being in the arms of his loving wife to risking his life at war and the sea adventures with his men. Odysseus is faithful to those whom he loves and is determined to return to his home of Ithaca. As he was on the island with Calypso and she asked him to stay with her, he responded to Calypso by stating, â€Å"Every day I long to travel home and see my day of coming. † (Homer, 49).

Comparative Environmental Law on Oil Spills Essay

Comparative Environmental Law on Oil Spills - Essay Example Climatic changes and economic losses are a characteristic of many nations in the current global arena. Funny enough, these problems are directly congruent to environmental pollution reducible through proper laws, rules, regulations, and measures. The following discussion entails comparative environmental law on oil spills. This paper provides the history of oil pollution and control under international law, which have been in existence from the classical period to contemporary world. In addition, the paper also focuses on the BP Gulf and Exxon Valdez Oil spills. While discussing these two, these paper attempts to provide a synopsis, environmental impact, developed laws both federal and state, as well as lawsuit that resulted from the same. On a different perspective, the paper also identifies similarities and differences between the two main oil spills whilst trying to create an understanding of the various laws that came into play soon after the spills. The conclusion of this paper includes ending judgments, concluding laws and regulations, as well as the author’s personal opinion in regards to environmental laws helping in controlling oil pollution. Introduction on oil spills †¢ History of oil pollution liability and control under international law The US and many other European countries have fought oil pollution through enacting of regulations against the same since the 1800s. The worst oil spill ever experienced in the world history, Torrey Canyon spill in 1969 significantly enlightened the international community in enacting international liability regime against all oil pollution especially from oil spillages. It is surprising that despite the fact that US was a party in signing the CLC of the 1969, it was never involved in practicing the enacted policies. According to US, its decline to join the same was because CLC had inadequate damage liability hence enacting her own liability scheme, OPA in 1990. Ironically, many scholars had reservations against OPA of 1990 citing evidence of its inadequate damage liability caps that made US to decline being party to CLC (Read 129). Pre 1960’s oil pollution control Amongst the global nations, UK was the first ever to enact water pollution rules and legislations in 1814. The US followed suit 52 years later when they developed the Refuse Act of 1866. Refuse Act of 1866 aimed at prohibiting or controlling the act of discharging water pollutants into the New York Harbor. 33 years later, 1899 the US decided to expand the Refuse Act to include all navigable waters taking into considerations that its initial aim was to protect New York Harbor. Demand for oil increased considerably due to advancing technology, which called for greater energy needs especially in the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently, the world had to extract more oil to meet the increased energy needs. This led to increased oil pollution forcing the US in 1924 to develop Oil Pollution Act of 1924. The Oil Pollution Act of 1924 was to make it illegal for any individual to dump oil into all coastal waters within the United States of America. Moreover, 24 years later, US developed another legislation known as the Federal Water Pollution

Identification, Collection and Preservation of Trace Evidences Research Paper

Identification, Collection and Preservation of Trace Evidences - Research Paper Example Most fiber piece contains similar physical nature with majority of such pieces found in crime scene are either made from polyester or nylon. The class characteristics includes weave pattern, dyes present, cordages, fabric impressions and tears (Brown, 2001). Thus, fiber in a crime scene is hard to identify without using microscopic and a combination of chemical and instrumental tests. Fibers are normally found in fabric abrasions with some trapped within torn material. In scenes involving hit-and-run motor vehicles fibers occur on scratched sections, and in burglary incidences they are normally found in tattered screens, clothing and broken glass (Brown, 2001). Collection is based on length of the fibers, such that if the fibers are undersized or few in numbers, the investigator is required to wrap the region or the entire product comprising the fibers in a paper (DuPre, 2013). However, if the fibers are large or in greater numbers, the investigator should place them in a bindle that is then placed in a sealed and marked coin envelope (Dutelle, 2011). The fibers should be picked up on tape if the lab in that jurisdiction permits it but with defined requirements. All clothing of belonging to an individual from which the fibers are found to have come from should also be picked for comparison purposes. Every garment should be placed on uncontaminated sheet of paper before separately rolling it up after marking the exhibit. Loose fibers should not be positioned directly into mailing wrapper since they can be lost (Buckles, 2010). Firearms Class characteristics found in firearms largely arises from the impact of bullets fired from the firearm, s uch as number and width of grooves, course of twist, or bullet diameter, in addition to the caliber and rifling patterns inside the barrel (DuPre, 2013). The cartridges and casings also have class characteristics like breech marks, impressions created by firing pin, in addition to extractor and ejector marks (Buckles, 2010). Firearms are easy to identify when there is transfer of the individual distinctiveness, chiefly striated marks left from the firearm to bullet and cartridge ammunition component (Brown, 2001). In terms of collection, the firearm should not be picked up through placing any other object in the barrel terminal. Unfired cartridges should not be left inside the magazine if the magazine is separated from the gun even as the rifles and shotguns must not be dismantled (Buckles, 2010). The investigator should not clean the firearm bore, chamber, or cylinder until they are submitted or even try to fire the firearm before it is evaluated in the Lab. Moreover, firearm havin g a cartridge inside the chamber must never be transported by any method since the firearm is not cocked or on-safety (Brown, 2001). The investigator should also record serial number, model, the firearm make, in addition to the weapon caliber (Hess & Orthmann, 2009). Marking should be done using an inconspicuous method that does not detract from its value, since copy serial numbers are sometimes on different firearms of a similar make and general-type. Nonetheless, model numbers and the firearm patent numbers should

Research paper - stdent Absences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research paper - stdent Absences - Essay Example Health related problems for children at school have always been a relevant social issue and the steps to reduce the impact are not new. The use of the nursing profession in school environments to reduce the impact of health related problems goes back by more than a hundred years. The focus of such activity was to reduce the spread of communicable diseases and diseases that have their origin in poor hygiene. The focus of activities and programs related to reducing health related problems of children at school remains the same even today (Wolfe & Selekman, 2002). Frequently encountered causes of health problems related to school absence by students find their origins in gastrointestinal and respiratory infections (Sandora, Shih & Goldman, 2008). According to Moonie et al 2008, absenteeism from school results in lower grades for the students and reduced psychological, social and educational interaction for these students. These factors cause schools to be alert to emerging health problems that could cause children to keep away from classes and to take steps to evaluate any such evolving causes and initiate action to remove the source or reduce its impact (Moonie et al, 2008). The band master of Truman Middle School in his report to the Principal has observed that on Wednesday, May 20, one-third of the students who were supposed to attend the band class did not attend the class. The Principal is reminded of an earlier occasion, when students absented themselves from school activities due to an outbreak of flu and requests assistance in determining whether a heath related problem exists and the possible measures to be taken to address it (Messages). Truman Middle School does have a health problem that may be either an outbreak of viral infection or from gastrointestinal infection that originates from the poor food hygiene practices at the food

Bernard Lawrence Bernie Madoff Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bernard Lawrence Bernie Madoff - Assignment Example Ultimately, Madoff’s sentence of 150 years in prison demonstrates the gravity of the crimes he committed. Madoff is primarily known for his use of the Ponzi scheme, a strategy that takes money from investors and pays them returns from their own money or from money paid by other investors. By avoiding any actual investment of funds, there is no real profit being made by the investments. Because earnings for the Ponzi scheme operator are usually less than the payments made to investors, the scheme is unlikely to be sustained for long periods of time. In Bernie Madoff’s case, by using consistent and somewhat believable returns to investors he was able to maintain his practice for decades. The first charge levied against Madoff was a criminal charge of securities fraud. This is defined by encouraging investors to make investment decisions with false information that results in losses to the investor. This is the case with Ponzi schemes such as the one operated by Madoff, because investment returns are financed by later investors and estimated return information given to potential investors is fraudulent. This behavior is unethical and illegal because the investor doesn’t gain real returns on their investments; and because it cheats subsequent investors out of the money they invest to pay falsified returns to earlier investors. This can cause bankruptcy and financial ruin to common stock holders. Investment adviser fraud is another crime Madoff pleaded guilty to. This type of fraud involves when investment advisers, such as those in Madoff’s firm, give false information to investors. This practice became illegal in 1940, when all investment advisers were required to register themselves with a federal Securities and Exchange Commission. This practice is unethical and illegal because, like securities fraud, it unfairly impacts investors and undermines the security of the stock market

Motivation Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation - Outline Example This is mainly influenced by individual needs that have to be satisfied. These motivation strategies needs vary from individual to another individual. The hard work one tries to do on a particular task is created by the kind of motivation provided; thus, increasing the output. A person’s motivation characteristics can affect the business outputs and is mainly concerned of quality and quantity, in that, a company depends so much on production activities to increase production. If these employees lack motivation the production rate will decline leading to very precarious consequences in business (Berlyne, 2006). Due to the changes that are taking place in the engineering firm the workers might feel demotivated to work in the long run. As indicated earlier, motivation can be achieved using different factors within an organization. Increase in motivation can be achieved by financial rewards. This method is widespread in almost all business (Baumeister, 2006). For the labour force within the engineering firm to produce effective results, they have to be motivated by increasing their salaries and if this is achieved, the business profits will increase (Blinitton, 2009). Introduction of benefits within an organization can also be considered as a form of motivation. This can be achieved by giving organizational carriages, health facilities, providing loans to its workers and offering company shares to its workers. Quality related bonuses can also be used to motivate the workers. Non financial incentives can be used to motivate workers within an organization. These forms of motivation include aspects such as giving staff members more work than their job description; this makes them feel more significant (Khaliq, 2001). The managers can also perform job rotation between staff members. The staff members can be provided with job enlargement where they perform more work than what is expected of them. Lastly, the manager can

Aircraft Icing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aircraft Icing - Research Paper Example Icing does not spare any type of aviation. In extreme cold conditions, ice forms naturally. An aircraft, despite its size and shape, has no control over formation of ice over its surface. Deicing and anti-icing treatment helps ward off icing on aircraft surface. But even with these treatments, it is necessary to be on the lookout for sneaky icing to happen unobtrusively. No region in the world can boast of ice-free aviation condition. Icing is not known as the silent killer for nothing. It has taken heavy toll arising from complacency and lack of vigilance. Early in the 1940s when the problem of icing began to get noticed, people in the aviation industry did not view it very seriously. Aviation was not a huge industry then. However, when the industry began to grow in leaps and bounds in the late 1970s, icing problem began to get noticed. Customer base grew. It became a demanding market. It became necessary for flights to be frequent and time adherent. It was then that problems such as icing began to get noticed in the way it should. On 13 January 1982, the Air Florida flight 90 accident at Washington National Airport sounded alarm bells to the lethal hazards of ground icing (William M. Leary). The clear and smooth ice with air pockets that has the lumpy and translucent appearance. The more the accretion, the less the glazed ice takes the form of the wing. This ice is clear and hard to break and is more transparent. Mixed ice Rime ice and clear ice together form the mixed ice. Conditions that cause icing High humidity and the low winter freezing levels are the main causes of icing. The airframe icing are caused when planes are flying through visible cloud, rain and drizzle and the temperature reaches at a point zero or sub zero. The aerodynamic danger The weight of ice on the body of the plane causes accretion; the accretion occurred is asymmetrical that causes higher uncontrollability to the plane and aircraft movements. The visibility in front of the plane is also lost because of the ice. The propeller blades of the plane if iced causes reduction in thrust and may result in danger by causing imbalance to the movements of the plane; surface movement may be cut down because control of the plane may be lost, causing flutter. The antennae of the plane that helps in bridging communication may render ineffective. The speed of the plane may be stalled because its flaps may be extended. Technology of icing detection Anti icing technology The technology is used at a pre icing stage, to avoid ice to shape form on the body of the plane. Various areas of plane are heat up including carburetor heating, prop heating, pilot heating, fuel vent heating, and wind shield heating, etc. Deicing This procedure is used after the icing conditions have engulfed the plane. Surface deicing equipment is to prevent any ice from inhibiting the

The Baisakhi Festival Is a Seasonal Festival Essay Example for Free

The Baisakhi Festival Is a Seasonal Festival Essay The Baisakhi festival is a seasonal festival. It is celebrated all over the Punjab and Haryana by all classes of people. Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs all take part in this celebration. It falls in he first day of baisakh. It falls every year in the 13th of April. On this day people put on new clothes. They prepare Halawa and several tasty things at home. Baisakhi Fair A fair is held everywhere in connection with the Baisakhi festival. The site of the fair is a place which is religiously famous. Generally the fair is held by the side of a river. The religious body is in charge of the fair. A day before the fair there seen a regular bazaar. There are stalls of sweet, toys fruits on either side of it. On Baisakhi day there is great rush in the fair. There is no place in the fair without visitors. In the fair the crowd is so great that you cannot meet with it even in the over crowded cities. You cannot elbow your way through it easily. Description On one side of the bazaar merry-go-rounds attract the people. They whirl in the air with children and boys of all ages sitting them. The boys enjoy their rides. Near them are the rope dancers. They do their feats on the rope. The moneys men make their monkeys show the same feats as were shown by their forefathers about a hundred years ago. Country Dance On the other side of the bazaar crowd of people can be seen standing on a circle. In the middle there is a group of villagers. They are mostly farmers. They are giving a show of their country dance with the beating of drum. Each one of these villagers has a stick in his hand. These sticks are raised in the air as the dancers lift both hands and raise their legs. They cry,. Gone is Baisakhi, Gone in Baisakhi. The sight is worth seeing. The excitement and enthusiasm of the dancers are very great. So many of onlookers forget there sense of shyness and join the dancers. The dance is wild indeed. Shamianas of Religious Parties Side by side with these means of amusement arrangement are made for the elderly people who are serious and religious minded. Hindus, Arya Samajist and Sikhs have out up their Shamianasunder which they are giving lecture on religion and are signing hymns. The number of the people who are listening to them is small. It is much smaller as compared with huge crowd gathered around the dancers to enjoy the dance. Those people who gather under the Shamianas do not care for the worldly attachments. They go on with their duty. Conclusion By the time evening drawn near, people get tired. They are glad to return home with sweets, toys and fruits for their children for the next day.

Case Study Of The Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam Environmental Sciences Essay

Case Study Of The Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam Environmental Sciences Essay The construction of Akosombo dam on the Volta river basin in Ghana created Volta Lake the largest man-made lake by surface area in the World. The purpose of this study was to examine the benefit and consequences of the dam on social, environmental and health issues. Critical analyses of primary literature over five decades were reviewed and some management solutions were outlined. The Akosombo hydroelectric project (HEP) contributed to accelerating of Ghanas economic development through industrial and mining sectors as well as for providing cheap electricity for domestic and commercial consumer. Fishing, transportation and tourism were positive benefit from the dam. However, negative impacts like the resettlement of 80 000 people, increase in health problem like the high rate of HIV, socio economic deprivation and injustice and destruction of the ecosystem. The greatest challenge facing Akosombo is management and lack of research on the aquatic systems at the basin. Key recommendatio n includes environmental compensatory approach and research into environmental flows of the Volta River. Ultimately, it is important for future HEP in Ghana be precede and adheres to EIA reports and involves stakeholders from planning to post construction stage to maximize overall development benefits, encompassing economic, social, and environmental impacts INTRODUCTION Hydro-electric power is an important source of energy for many countries especially in the tropical countries without advance technological development. In 2007, 3.2 % of global energy consumption and 20% of electricity generated came from hydropower (IEA, 2010). In many countries especially in Central America and Sub-Sahara Africa over half of all electricity generated comes from HEP (Anderson et al. 2006a and Gyau-Boakye 2001). The major advantages of HEP which makes it a preferred renewable energy sources are cost, zero air pollution, longer life span of plant, the low level of expertise for running and maintenance of HEP and lack of post production storage problems. Perhaps the biggest advantage hydropower enjoys over other sources is the fact that the cost per unit of electricity generated from hydro is cheaper than any other source. Globally, the trend of newly constructed hydropower has shifted from the temperate region to the tropical regions in the last two decades (Pringle et al., 2000). Dams construction is expected to double in developing countries due to expanding human populations, increasing rural electrification, and growing demands for electricity in the developing countries (Anderson et al. 2006a). Although the bulk of hydrodams constructed recently have been in the developing countries with China leading the number of newly constructed dams, the recent announcement of a major dam to be constructed in Alaska indicate the pull of hydro even as undaming of major rivers is taking place. It is projected that hydropower production would grow by nearly 60% in 2050 if the current rate of construction is maintained.(dams.org, 2010) Despite the numerous advantages, hydro-electric power (HEP) causes more ecological damage than all the rest of the renewable energy put together. The damage done to the natural flow system of rivers and associated impact on the ecosystem are documented in many studies (Anderson et al., 2006b; Pingle et al., 2000; Craig, 2000). They include natural flow alteration of a river, destruction of hydrologic connectivity, impeding the migration of fish and other aquatic biota effects. Asides the ecological impact, there is also the issue of social impact on the communities which includes changes in the landscape leading to flooding, displacement of local residents, increase in health risk factors as a result of the dam and reported deaths from dam failures. The Volta River Basin is located in West Africa and covers an estimated area of 400,000 km2 and is spread over six West African riparian countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cote dIvoire and Mali). There are a number of dams located within the Basin of which three large ones, Akosombo, Bagre and Kompienga, are solely for hydropower purposes. The Akosombo dam, which was constructed from 1962 to 1966 in Ghana, is by far the most significant structure built in the basin since the resulting lake is the one of the largest man-made lake in the world (Barry et al., 2005) and covers 4% of the surface area in Ghana however, the actual reservoir only has a surface area of about 8500 km2, an average depth of about 18.8m and a shoreline of about 5,500 km (Barry et al., 2005). The formation of the lake led to the generation of economic activities like transportation, fishing and tourism along the lake (Kumi, 1973). Although the primary purpose of the Akosombo hydrodam was to supply electricity for Volta Aluminum Smelting Company (VALCO) located 80km from the dam at Tema, Ghana, it contributed to accelerating of Ghanas economic development through industrial and mining sectors after its construction as well as for domestic and commercial consumers. Currently the dam supplies around 85% of Ghanas electricity need providing an average annual output of 6100 GWh. Despite the benefit of the dam to the country the long term environmental and social cost has been staggering. This paper seeks to review the impact of hydrodams in the Volta Basin with primary focus on the Akosombo dam. The aim of this study explores the biodiversity challenges facing the basin as a result of the HEP construction and review the impact on the social and the ecological aspects of the basin. Primary literature would be used to assess how the dam has positively or negatively affected the socio-environment aspects [the ecosystem (physical components, the biological community and water quality), social, health and economic impacts] of the basin. The study would focus specifically on the Akosombo but inference would be drawn from other dams across the basin in the analysis. Based on the study, outlined recommendations and solutions would be made for existing and future dams that might be constructed on the Volta River THE AKOSOMBO HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT The Volta Basin lies within latitudes 5 °.30 N and 14 °.30 N and longitudes 2 °.00 E and 5 °.30W. It is located in West Africa with six riparian countries (Ghana (42%) and Burkina Faso (43%) and the remaining 15% in Mali, Cà ´te dIvoire, Togo, and Benin) with Ghana occupying the downstream of the basin (figure 1). The building of the Akosombo dam follows almost a period of two decades of planning which began in 1947 when the first feasibility studies were conducted on the potential for volta river as a hydropower source. The bulk of the funding for the project estimated $ 260 million. was secured by Kaiser Aluminum from a US bank under persuasion from President Eisenhower in face saving from public relation disaster (GW 2010) The HEP was directly linked to efforts made to develop the huge Ghanas integrated bauxite to aluminium industry. The actual construction of the dam took place within1962-1972 under the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) who were legally manda ted by the Act 46 to be caretakers of all Volta River related activities in Ghana. The Volta River Authority (VRA), a government owned utility, is largely responsible for electricity generation and transmission in Ghana. There were three phases of the project, phase one was the installation of 588MW unit of electricity which was completed in 1966m. The second phase involved an addition of 304MW electricity which resulted in total of 912 MW at the Akosombo dam. The last phase of the project was the setting up of a smaller HEP dam, 21km downstream, at Kpong. In terms of dam classification, the Akosombo dam is often classified as large dam whiles that of Kpong is classified as small hydro dam. Today a total of 1072MW of electricity is generated by the Akosombo HEP (VRA, 2010). The first phase of the projected resulted in the creation of Lake Volta (man-made lake) which is the most significant water body in the Volta basin. The lake covers an estimated area of 8500 km2, a length of 400 km and a shoreline of 5500km (Gyau-Boakye 2001) but rather shallow with a maximum depth of 113m. It receives flows from three rivers Oti, Black Volta and White Volta and discharges into the lower Volta river and then the Atlantic Ocean. The maximum capacity is around 150,000 million m3 of water at its peak of 278 feet. (VRA 2010) The main objective of HEP production is to make VALCO energy sufficient so that its activity which is mainly aluminum smelting would be proceed without interruption. The other objectives were to supply electricity for both domestic and industrial use and also export to the basin sharing countries (Benin and Togo). The Volta River Authority (VRA) a government owned entity was established in 1961 under the Volta River Development Act 46 and tasked with the management, maintenance and sustainability of the Volta River and HEP production. The act also gave the VRA the responsibility to generate and transmit electricity as well as safe-guarding the health and socio-economic well being of the inhabitants of the communities alongside the lake. Prior to the flooding stage of the dam, the VRA had to relocate people inhabiting traditional, administrative and all other lands that were to be inundated. BENEFITS OF HYDROPOWER FOR GHANA The construction of the Akosombo HEP and the creation of the Volta Lake have provided several positive benefits. The Akosombo HEP provides over 85% of all electricity generated in Ghana (Winston et al., 2006). The electricity generated has encouraged economic and industrial development in Ghana. Prior to the construction of the Akosombo HEP, Ghanas total power usage was around 70MW and this was isolated with individual standalone power supply system which was owned by industrial establishment such as the mines, factories and other major institutions (Aryeetey, 2005).and assess to electricity was restricted to less than 3% of the population. Today an estimated 60% of the population has access to electricity including 20% of the rural communities (ECG, 2008). Over two-thirds of all the electricity generated goes to industries and commercial entities; this led to rapid expansion and immigration of industries into Ghana from other West African countries to take advantage of the cheap ele ctricity available from the HEP. As a result Ghanas economy is twice the average of the West African sub region (IMF, 2010). In years of drought where HEP energy generation has been poor, unemployment rate rises exponential attesting to a positive externality of the Akosombo dam. The creation of the Volta Lake led to increase in fishing stock thereby making fishing a lucrative business to the inhabitants along the lake. Similarly, farming activities also intensified along the 5500 km shoreline especially locations downstream of the lake as a result of water availability for the purposes of irrigation and more importantly alluvium sediment deposition which is very fertile and has high content of organic matter. Also the navigation on the Volta river has changed significantly serving as a mean for transportation for goods and people across the lake where road are poor or unavailable. To the inhabitants creation of the transportation route on the lake which stretches from south to north has been one of the important benefits to the communities. The direct tourism impact resulting from the lake includes opening up part of hitherto inaccessible attractions (because of the location of the dam, the sight of the lake the environment, etc.) to both local and internati onal travelers. The lake and its designated national park Digya located at the west shore of Lake Volta and the resort island have provided a popular holiday destination. CONSEQUENCES OF AKOSOMBO HYDROPOWER Like all hydropower dams constructed the Akosombo HEP have had a social, environmental and physical impact on the communities upstream, downstream, the project site and even beyond the extent of the dam. On the social front the most prominent problem that is directly linked to the HEP is the displacement of 80,000 people across 700 villages in low lying areas and resettle them into 52 new villages (Kalitsi,2000). The lost of the original communities resulted in many socio-physiological problems in the communities including high death rate among the aged, breakdown of cultural practices and breakdown of traditional law and order (Gyau-Boakye, 2001). The higher death rate is attributed to the grieving for the lost land syndrome (Okoh, 1986). The Volta lake creation leads to a loss of 3.6% of the total land surface of Ghana including forest land to the reservoir.(Fobil et al. 2001) The lost land lead to decline in the primary economic activities of crop and livestock farming for most of the communities both downstream and upstream of the dam. As a result of less arable land to farm the men switch to fishing while most of the women (a taboo for women to fish in Ghana) were involved in pr ostitution as a profession to satisfy the male workers whom were building the dam. (Suave et al. 2002) In terms of the standards of living the inhabitant of the project site Akosombo enjoy the best living condition not only in the entire Volta basin but better than the major urban centers in Ghana. Surprisingly, the upstream communities and downstream communities are among the poorest in the country lacking access to basic necessities like hospital, roads, proper sanitation and water facilities. Perhaps the most ironic social injustice to the communities upstream and downstream is that it took three decades to be connected to the national electricity grids. The HEP have increased the health related issues among the communities living around lake except in the town of Akosombo (Zakhary, 1997). Sam (1993), in his survey concluded increases in diseases such as schistosomiasis (bilharzia), malaria, onchocerciasis are directly due to Akosombo HEP. This is dues to the presence of aquatic weeds and increase in the population of water-born vectors like mosquitoes, black fly and snails.(Gyau-Boakye, 2001) Specifically, Urinary schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) has seen the increase of the incidence from 2% to 32% at Mepe,( downstream) and 0.5% to 27.4% at Adawso/ Okradjei, (upstream) along the lake (Zakhary,1997). Malaria has increased by an average of 10% both upstream and downstream since the construction of the dam. The fly, Simulium damnosum which cause Onchocerciasis (river blindness) also increased downstream in Kpong between 1970 to 1980 due to the new breading grounds created by the Akosombo dam, however the fly was not found again after compl etion of the smaller dam in Kpong in 1982 (Gyau-Boakye, 2001). As stated earlier The period between after the construction of the dam (1970-1980) coincide with the worst economic period in Ghana and the associated political uncertainty forcing the migration of the young women whom were inducted into prostitution during the dam construction to the various neighboring countries. Sauve ´ et al 2002 concluded that the high HIV prevalence rate (14.1% compare to 3% for the country) in Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo districts located west and south of the Akosombo dam to a greater extent, a consequence of construction of the Akosombo dam in the 1960s prompted economically driven migration, specially to Cà ´te dIvoire, where many migrants became infected with HIV. This is surprising and rather peculiar to find a prevalence of HIV in semi-urban area that is much higher than those found in the countrys major cities. (Sauve ´ et al 2002). In terms of the physical geomorphology, the dam have created physical environmental problem. The most obvious is the increase in seismic activities around the dam since the construction of the lake. 4 major earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher have been recorded in the area. Since there is no geological fault zone present in the lake, it is believe the earthquakes are due to the overloading of the geological bedrock underlying the lake with which is triggering the active Akwapim fault (Gyau-Boakye, 2001). Kumi (1973) concluded that the earthquakes might be due to readjustment associated with the lake in-filling. Another physical observation is that, sediments load have decrease by about 60mg/l downstream of the dam as a result of the impoundment (Barry, 2005). The lack of sediment has lead to the erosion of the coastline in the neighboring Togo and Benin at a rate of 10-15m/y (Gyau-Boakye, 2001). Another evidence of change is that the morphology of the delta have shifted 12 km eastwa rd from the original lower Volta entre point to the sea leading to coastal erosion at Ada.(Arp and Baumgaertel, 2005). In accordance with the behavior of tropical dam microclimate the temperature and rainfall in the south eastern part of Ghana is higher than the average in other parts of the basin and this is squarely attributed to the Akosombo HEP (Kumi, 1973, Rosenberg et al., 1990 .Opoku-Ankomah and Amisah 1998). The Akosombo HEP impact on the ecosystem unlike social and health issues have not been fully investigated and well. Fish and other aquatic biota are very sensitive to the hydropower operation due to the ability of the dam to alter and or blocking the migration resulting in genetic disconnect between species population (Baxter, 1977 and Pringle et al., 2000). The first compressive study sixteen (16) months after the construction of the dam by Petr (1967) showed that relative abundance of fish in the Lake were compared with those obtained from fish landings on the Black Volta and from the Niger river survey (Petr 1967). However the study did indicate an increase in plankton feeders, shell fish, Tilapia and a decrease Mormydiad and Alestes along the north-south axis of the river (Petr 1967). In 2000, about 87,500 metric tons of fish catch were recorded from the lake representing 98 % of the inland fresh water fish in Ghana (Braimah, 2001).Current fish estimated yield are 42-52 kg/ha/yea r based on catch statistics with Tilapia dominating the catch. However, the current trend of removal of standing timber in the forest which became part of the lake, in conjunction with overfishing, has negatively impacted the fish stocks especially in shell fish. Recent studies involving 165 fish sample covering 9 species in both the Akosombo and Kpong dam with Lake Bosomtwe (a pristine lake in Ghana) for mercury concentration showed levels below World Health Organization limit of 0.5 ÃŽÂ ¼g gà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1.suggesting no mercury in the HEP lakes mercury (Agorku et.al. 2009). Unlike newer dams constructed with EIA both the Akosombo and the Kpong dams do not have any fish ladders available for fish migration. In terms of the damage done to the ecosystem are unique and site-specific but generally the impacts invariably affect biota and biodiversity (Anderson 2006a). The Akosombo HEP is ranked in the top ten in terms of both social and environmental damage index (dams.2010). Flooding in the downstream communities is an annual event. The Afraim plain is a low lying rich farm land area suffers annually from the flow of the spillway river. A river flow is highly circumvented leading break in river connectivity. Although not unique to Akosombo, studies have shown that the large-scale impoundment may eliminate unique wildlife habitats and affect populations of endangered species. The Dibgya National Park close to the lake is a wildlife refuge site and it would be interesting to know how the lakes have affected wildlife in the park. Contrary to popular belief that HEP are emission free, scientific fact indicates that large dam projects and their reservoirs produces very significant greenhouse gas es (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide ) from the rotting of organic matter. The advocacy group International Rivers (formerly known as International Rivers Network concluded from their study Figure 2 that tropical dams in some case might be dirtier then fossil fuel in terms of GHG emission (IR, 2008) .Takeuchi (1997) concluded from his global survey of dams that the damage done to the ecosystem and electricity generated from Akosombo is very disproportionate. These impacts include loss of the actual wetlands as they are modified to suit particular irrigation practices and associated losses in biodiversity. (Takeuchi (1997) CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE AKOSOMBO DAM50 YEARS LATER The Akosombo dam in 50 year of operation has been the cornerstone of Ghanas economic and industrial development. Likewise the HEP has cause and continues to remind us daily of the socio-environmental negative impact of living with dam. The original goal of the project in addition to the generation of electric power for industry urban and rural household was to provide opportunities for large-scale irrigation, modernization of agriculture, promotion of factories and industries, and the establishment of tourist facilities. Fifty (50) years later, it appears that the need at the time for the country to have a cheap source of electricity did have overriding priority over other considerations (Arp and Baumgaertel, 2005). The generation of electricity as stated earlier lead to the positive economic and industrial development along the eastern coast of Ghana. Analysis of the project goal and the implementation of the original blue print indicated that the VRA woefully mismanage the dams activities starting from the original resettlement scheme to their inability to meet the electricity need of the country. The resettlement of the communities and the compensation promised to the inhabitants were not fully paid, farming lan ds were insufficient for the villages while a lot of communities downstream whom were not accounted for were ultimately affected by the dam. According to the available data (ECG 2010) and personal observation the VRA after 50 years of operation have failed to meet its goal of providing electricity to the citizenry especially the social injustice that the majority of the affected people by the project were not connected to the national grid until recently .This undoubtedly showed that the authorities neglected the majority of the people affected by the dam to the benefited of the urban dwellers (Girmay, 2002). To their credit VRA undertook some activities towards the fulfillment of non-generation goals like the creation of the Akosombo Textiles Company, Kpong Farms Limited, the Akosombo Hotel Limited and Volta Lake Transport Company Limited (VLTC) to boast jobs and economic activity within the region. The downside to these projects is that inhabitants did not have the specialized ski lls and education levels required to take advantage of working in textiles industries or operating advanced machinery in the 1960s. The VRA irrigation and modernization of agriculture programs collapsed after at the implementation stage. Such program would have been more beneficial to the communities living along the dam since prior to the construction of the dam the majority of the people were into farming. The Akosombo dam and many others constructed in the developing countries before the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment were without any environmental impact assessment (EIA) plan. In 1974, Ghana was the first country in Africa to establish an environmental governing body to deal with all environmental issues under one agency known as Environmental Protection Council (Appiah-Opoku, 2001). Ironically, the Kpong dam whose construction began in 1976 did not have EIA in place. In order to combat some of the negative environmental impacts of the project the VRA introduce numerous cut and fix approaches. These programs include afforestation program along the banks of the lakes, weed controlling measures to control bilharzia., dredging activities at Volta estuary and the creation of Resettlement Trust Fund for remediation some of the socio-economic impact mitigation (Girmay, 2002, Fobil et.al. 2003,). The success of these programs is difficult to measure since most of them we re subjective in nature. The VRA did have some environmental management programs and policies but they suffered from implementation and enforcement (Girmay, 2002). The question often asked in the view of the social and environmental damage done by the HEP is if this cost is justifiable. To address these issue in the context of Akosombo HEP present a dilemma. Ghana until recently discovery of oil along it shore did not have any fossil fuel or expertise in nuclear energy to produce electricity from these sources. Hence, the HEP project was the lifeline in meeting part of its energy demand. As stated earlier studies have shown that the amount of greenhouse gasses produces by hydropower is lower than the corresponding fossil electricity (Anderson 2006a). Although critics point to the fact that Ghanas overreliance on HEP have hamper the development of alternative renewable energy sources which have affected the country in times of drought. The supply of cheap electricity to neighboring countries like Togo and Benin mitigate their coastline erosion by the project. Ultimately, the amount of electricity produced from the Akosombo/Kpong HEP and the social and environmental damage to the basin is not acceptable. The major destruction of the ecosystem habitats and the negative health and social impact on the upstream/downstream communities is much bigger than comparable dams elsewhere. For example Japan produces 2300MW of electricity from HEP and the damage is a tenth of what occurs in Akosombo (Takeuchi, 1997). Although the HEP have been helpful to the country economically, with proper management and sustainable planning; the level of success would have been higher and the environmental impact greatly reduced. With benefit of time the original proposal should have been implemented and enforced effectively. This would have reversed the trend today which has led to the communities upstream and downstream been among the poorest in the country. RECOMMENDATIONS The positive impacts and the negative effects of the Akosombo have been highlighted in this paper. In view of the negative socio-environmental factors like downstream flooding, resettlement of communities, ecosystem destruction among others it is important strategies are put in place to mitigates these effects and protects the ecosystem from current and future HEP. One way of mitigating the environmental and social cost is through environmental compensatory project approach or offsets. For example, the recent plan of the Brazilian government to build a third world largest dam requires the company who wins for the bid to pay an excess of $800 million to offset environmental damage and relocation. Also in India there is a legal requirement that forests flooded by reservoirs must be replanted elsewhere. Introducing such concepts in the planning stages of the dam would really help ensure that significant and unavoidable adverse environmental impacts are counterbalanced by a positive environmental gain, with an inspirational goal of achieving a net environmental benefit. This approach must be fused with properly developed policies for resettlement and compensation prior to the construction of dam so that all stakeholders know the detail and what to expect or contribute toward the compensated package in cash and in kind. The resettlement costs must c over all inundated properties as well as emotional and psychological cost which is often ignored. The package aside covering individual cost could also be extended to cover basic facilities and infrastructure development such as roads, health centers, schools, potable water, etc. On the other hand environmental damage could always be factored into the price of electricity through ecological tax in order to reflect the true cost of power. This tax revenue could go into a standing trust fund which would be essential to sustain the programs needed to ensure the effective mitigation and compensation of environmental effects of the hydro development. To protect the integrity of the lake, measures should be taken to check deforestation by protecting the original forests. Additional compensatory measures may include either trust fund established through grants from developers (for example Harvey Basin Restoration Trust, Australia) or trust funds that manage parts of the revenue stream and for environmental purposes. This latter model was proposed for the planned Nam Theun II dam in Laos, with the intention of creating and managing a National Park in the catchment. The plan has the potential to benefit both forest ecosystems and the lifespan of the dam through reduce d sedimentation. This approach could certainly benefit Ghanas fight against deforestation. In the planning stages of a dam construction, is very important project teams realize the need to maintain adequate water flows and other habitat conditions to sustain river health and associated ecosystem services in river reaches located downstream of dams. When ecosystem services valued by local communities are fully considered and integrated along with all other management objectives, the prospects for optimizing both dam- and ecosystem-related objectives would be greatly enhanced. Project teams can help avoid the loss of ecosystem services by considering environmental flow needs at the very earliest stages of hydropower dam as part of the EIA development. The specification and provision of environmental flows is key to sustainable hydropower development and water management (Scudder, 2005). When environmental flow needs are assessed scientifically, water managers and hydropower dam planners and operators will understand the extent to which historical water flow patterns can be a ltered by hydropower operations without compromising a rivers health and associated social benefits. Active and early engagement of relevant water managers and dam planners, scientists, and other stakeholders in the planning process will help build a strong and influential constituency and foster a coordinated and consistent vision for the protection and management of a river. (Pingle et al., 2000; Craig, 2000, Anderson et al., 2006a, b Raschid-Sally et.al 2008) With proper input from stakeholders and attention to the needs and values of diverse interests, a tradeoff analysis can be undertaken to explore the optimal balancing of interests (Raschid-Sally et.al 2008) One current approach the VRA and other operator of dams on the Volta basin is the management of flood to limit its impact. New Dams and even old ones must can be designed or altered for multiple purposes such as flood control and HEP generation. By storing some portion of floodwaters on the floodplain instead of a reservoir, the total volume of necessary flood storage space in the reservoir can be reduced. By protecting or reactivating downstream floodplain areas or allowing agricultural areas to be flooded occasionally, the flood storage requirement in the upstream reservoir can often be reduced substantially. The excess water can be reallocated for hydropower use, water supply, or improved environmental flows downstream of the dam. Reflooding of natural floodplains can bring substantial ecological benefits, such as providing additional spawning and feeding opportunities for fish and enabling the floodwaters to fertilize and moisten floodplain areas used for agriculture or grazing.( Craig, 2000) Likewise , the coordinated operations of cascades of dams: on the Volta river can maximize power generation at upstream dams to enable lower dams to serve more of a re-regulating function, thereby minimizing flow alterations in the downstream river. Currently this approach is been developed by the transboundary water management Volta Basin Authority (VBA) and it is hope the implementation of such approach would be beneficial to the basin communities. The VBA IWMR policies would be the key to protecting the ecosystem in the basin. In terms of operational mode management The VRA can increase its generation of electricity from its Thermal plant in Aboase to ease the pressure on operating

Opinions Of Experts In The Search For Knowledge Philosophy Essay

Opinions Of Experts In The Search For Knowledge Philosophy Essay Experts are those who are specialists and practice a particular profession, therefore many people tend to place a huge amount of trust in the hands of these people as they believe that the expert knows what he is doing, unlike themselves. This trust leads to the belief of everything the experts tell us. Therefore in the search for knowledge, we tend to use experts in order to prove our point, as it is the experts who must know the real truth about the subject that they have been studying and investigating. A simple example would be when we visit the doctor and take the medication he gives us without reading about them first, we trust them because of their credentials. In truth, experts are the people who have been looking into all sorts of beliefs and coming out with truths. Every time we learn something new about space, earth, or the earths inhabitants it is because an expert or a group of experts has finally come out with a truthful result from all his research and work. This is wh at gains our trust in experts, because they tend to be right with what they say, as once they discover an answer to something, it then becomes clear to us when explained, therefore the truth; such as the discovery of a new planet or new species. Though what if are now holding too much trust in experts? Do they sometimes have the ability to take advantage of us with items of proclaimed truths and discoveries? The opinions of experts are what I look for when I am researching a topic or trying to prove a point. Once I have found the opinion I repeat it to others carrying on the apparent knowledge, spreading it as I feel confident and correct, such as the wrongly proven fact that you could only fold a paper seven times or less, or that the ratio of dog years to human years is 1:7. Though all this confidence comes from another human being, as we are all equal I hold my knowledge of apparent truth in the hands of someone who is just as good as I am. Yes, this expert has achieved degrees and maybe some awards for his knowledge, but in this search for knowledge and confidence I do not search for these credentials. I am gullible, and with such a broad use with the internet many misconceptions can be spread due to unqualified, incorrect experts, such as the craze for the bonsai kittens which were grown into jars and the internet told us that it was common in China, this of course was proven to be hoax but it shows us the influence internet has. Therefore the trust that I hold in the name of an expert has now been betrayed. Everything we know about the earth and its surroundings today has been discovered by experts. Those people who have studied in a particular profession for many years and have then ventured into discovering more than they already knew. Once they discover more, new knowledge, it opens more doors leading to an even greater expansion of knowledge such as the recent discovery that a zebrafishs heart can heal itself; this opens doors to scientists as they try to discover if this concept can help humans. The rest of the population are shown the newly discovered knowledge and of course believe it. Experts therefore hold power over the impressionable minds of the rest of the population. I believe that they do have the power to take advantage of people and give them false knowledge because we trust their credentials and their knowledge because we do not know any better than them, especially in this field of study. Though what happens if there is more than one opinion on a piece of knowledge and both sides have proof to back up their argument? A good example of this is whether global warming is increasing due to an increased amount of global warming gasses being released, or whether it is a natural occurrence in nature; those who call global warming a hoax. A documentary produced by Martin Durkin claims that global warming is a government-supported scheme in order to gain publicity and money, proclaiming it to be the biggest scam of modern times.. The film is also backed up by experts including scientists such as Patrick Moore, former member of  Greenpeace  but for the past 21 years a critic of the organization. Whereas the Oscar winning documentary entitled An Inconvenient Truth, written by Al Gore, a previous president of the United States and the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the fou ndations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change, promotes the necessity in the education of the human population about global warming and how to lower green house gas emissions. This is due to the, apparent, drastic effect on the earth we have created ourselves. This information tells us that experts may have different opinions and therefore influence different people giving these people confidence in the belief that what they know is the truth, yet only one can be correct. The novel entitled WRONG: Why experts keep failing usand how to know when not to trust them written by David Freedman reveals the truth about how experts mislead the public due to their high stature, directly discussing what I believe to be true, that it incredibly difficult to not trust your senses when it comes to trusting experts. You may have a different opinion to that of an expert. If so, which would be more important? Who should you trust most, you own senses, or an expert who may have been studying that field for many years? How sure are you that your senses may be misleading you with delusions that can be caused due to factors such as hallucinations or maybe even colour blindness? Would you change your mind if there was more support for the experts evidence than for yours? Though then we must look into the reliability of evidence rather than belief. There is no proof that God exists yet people trust experts when it comes to religion, and many people would say that a priest is an expert in the Christian faith, even though he doesnt have proof, and relies on belief. The importance of an expert therefore relies on your instincts and what your own opinion is. Opinion is the most important part because otherwise we wouldnt get anywhere in life and wouldnt have discovered what we have today. Knowledge should b e backed up by proof and if you have an opinion you should discover that truth. Experts merely provide their own opinions and therefore can be incorrect as they are simply humans. It is your choice whether to believe them or not and you must be reminded that you have the ability to disagree as many people seep in every word given to them by an expert without understanding and viewing the evidence. When looking for an answer the opinion from more than one expert can help discover the truth, such as diagnosing a sick patient, and all minds think differently and may come up with different solutions. Therefore it is very important to get opinions from experts, especially when it is a second opinion but we must not rely on those opinions as they are simply an idea, an idea which needs to be researched more. From a medical point of view, 40% of coma patients in a vegetative state may be misdiagnosed, this tells us that doctors, experts, are wrong 40% of the time when it comes to coma patients proving my point that they can be wrong and their opinion should not be instinctively trusted. In this case though it shows us how a doctors opinion is crucially important as we rely on them with our lives, though the more opinions you get is better. Experts are hard workers who have aims in achieving knowledge and proving what they believe to be knowledge, in doing so they gain the supports from others. Their opinions are incredibly important as they provide us with a different or new understanding though we must learn which points of knowledge are credible and who to believe. In this I think we should investigate their proof and trust our instincts and get the opinions of others in order to confirm your result as instincts can be deceived.

The Faerie Queene Essay examples -- Literary Analysis, Spencer

Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene is well known as an allegorical work, and the poem is typically read in relation to the political and religious context of the time. The term allegory tends to be loosely defined, rendering a whole work an extended metaphor, or even implying â€Å"any writing in verse or prose that has a double meaning†(Cuddon 20). In true Spenserian style, with everything having double meanings, both uses of the term allegory are applicable to his writing. Thus, during the course of this essay it is best not to think of allegory in terms of the size of a body of writing, but as writing with a â€Å"second distinct meaning partially hidden behind its literal or visible meaning†(Baldick 6). Whilst reading for political and religious allegory is key in understanding Spenser’s message, reading for moral allegory also provides readers with detailed insight into the text. It is because of this that I have chosen to focus not only on political and religious allegory but also the moral allegory that accompanies episodes in Book One focused on Una and Duessa. The two characters represent a multitude of allegories; truth and falseness, and Protestantism and Catholicism being the most prominent. Una and Duessa represent a binary opposition, and it is because of this that they help to produce a wealth of allegory when read closely. The characters represent conflicting ideas, yet neither of which would be conceivable without the other . Both characters can only function in the poem when supported by one another, if one character were to be removed, the binary opposition would be removed and the allegory drawn from either Una or Duessa would be less productive. The two episodes I will be investigating are Canto I, Stanzas 4... ...ly representing someone or something more true to life. Roberts is right in saying â€Å"Spenser’s allegorical poem demands the active engagement of its reader to produce allegory†(1). Although he never permits to say it directly, he is also right in noting that close reading of The Faerie Queene provides a much broader ranger of allegory. The examined stanzas are somewhat deceptive; they are short seemingly unimportant introductions that do not contribute to plot. However, in keeping with the true double nature of Spenser’s writing they contribute so much more than that to the text. Spenser uses the stanzas as a gateway for us to begin our study of his characters. Each close reading provides the reader with a different allegory, and it is through these multiple interpretations that Spenser manages to reveal part of his overall political, religious, and moral messages.

Self-Defeating Ideals in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and The Pr

Self-Defeating Ideals in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and The Price When people accept an ideal to live by it can be a glorious and noble thing unless they become so obsessed with the ideal that it becomes a yolk and they are unable to realize their dream. This is especially true for two characters in Arthur Miller's plays Death of a Salesman and The Price. In these two plays Miller portrays two lower-middle class men, Willie Loman and Victor Franz, respectively, who each live by an ideal that ultimately is self-defeating. Willie lived to pursue the American dream rather than living the American dream and Victor lived to serve and be decent rather than living a noble and decent life. They pursed their ideal rather than living it and thus they are unable to succeed. Willie Loman, in Death of a Salesman,, has lived his life in pursuit of the American dream. Traditionally the American dream meant opportunity and freedom for all, and Willie believed that. However, hard work could not earn him everything that he wanted or thought he deserved. Willy judged himself and those around him by their material accumulation, as is demanded by capitalism and the protestant work ethic. The ethic demands accumulation and work as signs of favor in the eyes of God. Thus in order to please God and himself he had to accumulate wealth and objects. The consumer oriented society in which Willy lives will not allow him to live the American Dream. Willy is fascinated by accumulating things. His desire for goods makes him want objects that he neither needed nor could afford. Willy thinks that he needs to buy his wife a new refrigerator and new stockings even though she is content with what they have. As he tries to live the America... ...- middle working class. Just as Willy does, Victor too, adopts a quest for himself however, he pursues that quest to the point that he loses sight of his original goal - to please others, and ends up hurting them. Both men have decent and noble intentions however, they both live to fulfill those intentions rather than living and fulfilling the intentions. As a result they both fail to accomplish what they had intended, hurt the ones they love, and themselves. Willy's obsession with acquiring wealth and being a salesman made it impossible for him to do so. Victor's insistence on helping others made it impossible for him to provide the life his wife wanted and deserved. Both men failed because they lived by impossible standards that they were never able to meet. Â  It was to late before they realized the harsh penalties for failure to meet impossible standards.

China Environmental Pollution Control Essay

Report overview: Research Beam adds a report titled â€Å"Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Markets in China† that provides latest market trends and opportunities. The report offers detailed analysis of the Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Markets. China’s demand for environmental pollution control equipment has grown at a fast pace in the past decade. In the next five years, both production and demand will continue to grow. This new study examines China’s economic trends, investment environment, industry development, supply and demand, industry capacity, industry structure, marketing channels and major industry participants. Historical data (2002, 2007 and 2012) and long-term forecasts through 2017 and 2022 are presented. Major producers in China are profiled. Complete report is available at : http://www.researchbeam.com/environmental-pollution-control-equipment-in-china-market Table of contents: I. INTRODUCTION Report Scope and Methodology Executive Summary II. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Economic Outlook Key Economic Indicators Industrial Sales Population and Labor Foreign Investment Foreign Trade Financial and Tax Regulations Banking System and Regulations Foreign Exchange Taxes, Tariff and Custom Duties To Get Purchase Enquiry of Report : http://www.researchbeam.com/environmental-pollution-control-equipment-in-china-market/purchase-enquiry III. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY ASSESSMENTS Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Industry Overview Industry Structure and Composition Market Size Market Growth Drivers IV. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT SALES AND DEMAND Overview Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Industry Outlook Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Sales and Demand Air Pollution Control Equipment Sales and Demand Air Pollution Control Equipment Sales Foreign Trade Air Pollution Control Equipment Market Demand and Outlook Pricing Trend Water Pollution Control Equipment Sales and Demand Water Pollution Control Equipment Sales Foreign Trade V. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT MARKET OUTLOOK Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Markets Outlook Overview Industrial Sales by Region Northeast North Southeast Southwest Northwest VI. MARKETING STRATEGIES Distribution System in China China’s Distribution System Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Distribution Channels Transportation and Freight Infrastructure Communications Market Entry Channels Exporting to China Export Market Overview Chinese Trading Practice VII. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT PRODUCER DIRECTORY Environmental Pollution Control Equipment Producer Profiles Distributors Trading Companies Research Institutions and Associations Get Enquiry About Report: http://www.researchbeam.com/environmental-pollution-control-equipment-in-china-market/enquire-about-report

Interpersonal Relationship and True Friend Essay

Tens of thousands, or one million? How many people will we meet in a whole lifetime, and how many of them do we have relationships with? Every person is born into a family without their choice, so they try to keep a good relationship with all family members to live happily, but sometimes it can be a misfortune for some people to get along with family members. However, we can choose to have good a relationship or not with acquaintances. Ive met with lots of people, sometimes I don’t get the chance to introduce myself, sometimes I had a good time with them, Sometimes I was disappointed by their behavior, and decided to say good-bye forever. There are many characteristics that determine whether a person is a friend or acquaintance. Considering my experiences, there are three types of acquaintances: true friends, ex-friends, and temporary acquaintances. I believe for a person to be considered a true friend they must be trustworthy and loyal. Someone whom will always stick by your side through thick and thin and would not sell you out. A true friend needs to be fair, caring, and loving. A true friend is someone who can make you smile or laugh; a person that will make you happy when you are sad. However, a true friend needs to be honest and must be able to tell you the truth even if it isn’t pleasant to hear. A true friend needs to be able to tell you something that you might not want to hear. At the same time, a true friend needs to be someone who wont try to change the way a person is and needs to be able to accept different personalities and characteristics. A true friend must know that it is very hard to gain trust; however. it is easy to lose it. People might say that a life without a true friend is no life at all. On the other hand there are people who I can’t say are friends anymore, so I consider them ex-friends. I was once close to them because of good times, humor, first impression, or similar interests, but later found out they used me, lied, and were selfish. I sometimes felt resentful, and realized I had better

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Twelve

Elena revolved slowly before the full-length mirror in Aunt Judith's bedroom. Margaret sat at the foot of the big four-poster bed, her blue eyes large and solemn with admiration. â€Å"I wish I had a dress like that for trick-or-treat,† she said. â€Å"I like you best as a little white cat,† said Elena, dropping a kiss between the white velvet ears attached to Margaret's headband. Then she turned to her aunt, who stood by the door with needle and thread ready. â€Å"It's perfect,† she said warmly. â€Å"We don't have to change a thing.† The girl in the mirror could have stepped out of one of Elena's books on the Italian Renaissance. Her throat and shoulders were bare, and the tight bodice of the ice-blue dress showed off her tiny waist. The long, full sleeves were slashed so that the white silk of the chemise underneath showed through, and the wide, sweeping skirt just brushed the floor all around her. It was a beautiful dress, and the pale clear blue seemed to heighten the darker blue of Elena's eyes. As she turned away, Elena's gaze fell on the old-fashioned pendulum clock above the dresser. â€Å"Oh, no-it's almost seven. Stefan will be here any minute.† â€Å"That's his car now,† said Aunt Judith, glancing out the window. â€Å"I'll go down and let him in.† â€Å"That's all right,† said Elena briefly. â€Å"I'll meet him myself. Good-bye, have a good time trick-or-treating!† She hurried down the stairs. Here goes, she thought. As she reached for the doorknob, she was reminded of that day, nearly two months ago now, when she'd stepped directly into Stefan's path in European History class. She'd had this same feeling of anticipation, of excitement and tension. I just hope this turns out better than that plan did, she thought. For the last week and a half, she'd pinned her hopes to this moment, to this night. If she and Stefan didn't come together tonight, they never would. The door swung open, and she stepped back with her eyes down, feeling almost shy, afraid to see Stefan's face. But when she heard his sharp indrawn breath, she looked up quickly-and felt her heart go cold. He was staring at her in wonder, yes. But it was not the wondering joy she'd seen in his eyes that first night in his room. This was something closer to shock. â€Å"You don't like it,† she whispered, horrified at the stinging in her eyes. He recovered swiftly, as always, blinking and shaking his head. â€Å"No, no, it's beautiful. You're beautiful.† Then why are you standing there looking as if you'd seen a ghost? she thought. Why don't you hold me, kiss me-something! â€Å"You look wonderful,† she said quietly. And it was true; he was sleek and handsome in the tux and cape he'd donned for his part. She was surprised he'd agreed to it, but when she'd made the suggestion he'd seemed more amused than anything else. Just now, he looked elegant and comfortable, as if such clothes were as natural as his usual jeans. â€Å"We'd better go,† he said, equally quiet and serious. Elena nodded and went with him to the car, but her heart was no longer merely cold; it was ice. He was further away from her than ever, and she had no idea how to get him back. Thunder growled overhead as they drove to the high school, and Elena glanced out of the car window with dull dismay. The cloud cover was thick and dark, although it hadn't actually begun to rain yet. The air had a charged, electric feel, and the sullen purple thunderheads gave the sky a nightmarish look. It was a perfect atmosphere for Halloween, menacing and otherworldly, but it woke only dread in Elena. Since that night at Bonnie's, she'd lost her appreciation for the eerie and uncanny. Her diary had never turned up, although they'd searched Bonnie's house top to bottom. She still couldn't believe that it was really gone, and the idea of a stranger reading her most private thoughts made her feel wild inside. Because, of course, it had been stolen; what other explanation was there? More than one door had been open that night at the McCullough house; someone could have just walked in. She wanted tokill whoever had done it. A vision of dark eyes rose before her. That boy, the boy she'd almost given in to at Bonnie's house, the boy who'd made her forget Stefan. Was he the one? She roused herself as they pulled up to the school and forced herself to smile as they made their way through the halls. The gym was barely organized chaos. In the hour since Elena had left, everything had changed. Then, the place had been full of seniors: Student Council members, football players, the Key Club, all putting the finishing touches on props and scenery. Now it was full of strangers, most of them not even human. Several zombies turned as Elena came in, their grinning skulls visible through the rotting flesh of their faces. A grotesquely deformed hunchback limped toward her, along with a corpse with livid white skin and hollow eyes. From another direction came a werewolf, its snarling muzzle covered with blood, and a dark and dramatic witch. Elena realized, with a jolt, that she couldn't recognize half these people in their costumes. Then they were around her, admiring the ice-blue gown, announcing problems that had developed already. Elena waved them quiet and turned toward the witch, whose long dark hair flowed down the back of a tight-fitting black dress. â€Å"What is it, Meredith?† she said. â€Å"Coach Lyman's sick,† Meredith replied grimly, â€Å"so somebody got Tanner to substitute.† â€Å"Mr.Tanner ?† Elena was horrified. â€Å"Yes, and he's making trouble already. Poor Bonnie's just about had it. You'd better get over there.† Elena sighed and nodded, then made her way along the twisting route of the Haunted House tour. As she passed through the grisly Torture Chamber and the ghastly Mad Slasher Room, she thought they had almost builttoo well. This place was unnerving even in the light. The Druid Room was near the exit. There, a cardboard Stonehenge had been constructed. But the pretty little druid priestess who stood among the rather realistic-looking monoliths wearing white robes and an oak-leaf garland looked ready to burst into tears. â€Å"But you'vegot to wear the blood,† she was saying pleadingly. â€Å"It's part of the scene; you're a sacrifice.† â€Å"Wearing these ridiculous robes is bad enough,† replied Tanner shortly. â€Å"No one informed me I was going to have to smear syrup all over myself.† â€Å"It doesn't really get onyou ,† said Bonnie. â€Å"It's just on the robes and on the altar. You're a sacrifice,† she repeated, as if somehow this would convince him. â€Å"As for that,† said Mr. Tanner in disgust, â€Å"the accuracy of this whole setup is highly suspect. Contrary to popular belief, the druids didnot build Stonehenge; it was built by a Bronze Age culture that-† Elena stepped forward. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, that isn't really the point.† â€Å"No, it wouldn't be, to you,† he said. â€Å"Which is why you and your neurotic friend here are both failing history.† â€Å"That's uncalled for,† said a voice, and Elena looked quickly over her shoulder at Stefan. â€Å"Mister Salvatore,† said Tanner, pronouncing the words as if they meant Now my day is complete . â€Å"I suppose you have some new words of wisdom to offer. Or are you going to give me a black eye?† His gaze traveled over Stefan, who stood there, unconsciously elegant in his perfectly tailored tux, and Elena felt a sudden shock of insight. Tanner isn't really that much older than we are, she thought. He looks old because of that receding hairline, but I'll bet he's in his twenties. Then, for some reason, she remembered how Tanner had looked at Homecoming, in his cheap and shiny suit that didn't fit well. I'll bet he never even made it to his own homecoming, she thought. And, for the first time, she felt something like sympathy for him. Perhaps Stefan felt it, too, for although he stepped right up to the little man, standing face-to-face with him, his voice was quiet. â€Å"No, I'm not. I think this whole thing is getting blown out of proportion. Why don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena couldn't hear the rest, but he was speaking in low, calming tones, and Mr. Tanner actually seemed to be listening. She glanced back at the crowd that had gathered behind her: four or five ghouls, the werewolf, a gorilla, and a hunchback. â€Å"All right, everything's under control,† she said, and they dispersed. Stefan was taking care of things, although she was not sure how, since she could see only the back of his head. The back of his head †¦ For an instant, an image flashed before her of the first day of school. Of how Stefan had stood in the office talking to Mrs. Clarke, the secretary, and of how oddly Mrs. Clarke had acted. Sure enough, when Elena looked at Mr. Tanner now, he wore the same slightly dazed expression. Elena felt a slow ripple of disquiet. â€Å"Come on,† she said to Bonnie. â€Å"Let's go up front.† They cut straight through the Alien Landing Room and the Living Dead Room, slipping between the partitions, coming out in the first room where visitors would enter and be greeted by a werewolf. The werewolf had taken his head off and was talking to a couple of mummies and an Egyptian princess. Elena had to admit that Caroline looked good as Cleopatra, the lines of that bronzed body frankly visible through the sheer linen sheath she wore. Matt, the werewolf, could hardly be blamed if his eyes kept straying downward from Caroline's face. â€Å"How's it going here?† said Elena with forced lightness. Matt started slightly, then turned toward her and Bonnie. Elena had scarcely seen him since the night of Homecoming, and she knew that he and Stefan had drawn apart, too. Because of her. And though Matt could hardly be blamed forthat , either, she could tell how much it hurt Stefan. â€Å"Everything's fine,† said Matt, looking uncomfortable. â€Å"When Stefan finishes with Tanner, I think I'll send him up here,† Elena said. â€Å"He can help bring people in.† Matt lifted one shoulder indifferently. Then he said, â€Å"Finishes what with Tanner?† Elena looked at him in surprise. She could have sworn he'd been in the Druid Room a minute ago to see it. She explained. Outside, thunder rumbled again, and through the open door Elena saw a flash light the night sky. There was another, louder clap of thunder a few seconds later. â€Å"I hope it doesn't rain,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Yes,† said Caroline, who had been standing silent while Elena spoke to Matt. â€Å"It would be such apity if nobody came.† Elena glanced at her sharply and saw open hatred in Caroline's narrow, catlike eyes. â€Å"Caroline,† she said impulsively, â€Å"look. Can't you and I call it quits? Can't we forget what's happened and start over?† Under the cobra on her forehead, Caroline's eyes widened and then slitted again. Her mouth twisted, and she stepped closer to Elena. â€Å"I willnever forget,† she said, and then she turned and left. There was a silence, Bonnie and Matt looking at the floor. Elena stepped over to the doorway to feel cool air on her cheeks. Outside she could see the field and the tossing branches of the oak trees beyond, and once again she was overcome with that strange feeling of foreboding. Tonight's the night, she thought wretchedly. Tonight's the night when it all happens. But what â€Å"it† was, she had no idea. A voice sounded through the transformed gym. â€Å"All right, they're about to let the line in from the parking lot. Cut the lights, Ed!† Suddenly, gloom descended and the air was filled with groans and maniacal laughter, like an orchestra tuning up. Elena sighed and turned. â€Å"Better get ready to start herding them through,† she told Bonnie quietly. Bonnie nodded and disappeared into the darkness. Matt had donned his werewolf head, and was turning on a tape deck that added eerie music to the cacophony. Stefan came around the corner, his hair and clothing melting into the darkness. Only his white shirtfront showed up clearly. â€Å"Everything worked out with Tanner,† he said. â€Å"Is there anything else I can do?† â€Å"Well, you could work here, with Matt, bringing people in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena's voice trailed off. Matt was bent over the tape deck, minutely adjusting the volume, not looking up. Elena looked at Stefan and saw his face was tight and blank. â€Å"Or you could go into the boys' locker room and be in charge of coffee and things for the workers,† she finished tiredly. â€Å"I'll go to the locker room,† he said. As he turned away, she noticed a slight faltering in his step. â€Å"Stefan? Are you all right?† â€Å"Fine,† he said, recovering his balance. â€Å"A little tired, that's all.† She watched him go, her chest feeling heavier every minute. She turned to Matt, meaning to say something to him, but at that moment the line of visitors reached the door. â€Å"Show's on,† he said, and crouched in the shadows. Elena moved from room to room, troubleshooting. In years before, she had enjoyed this part of the night the most, watching the gruesome scenes being acted out and the delicious terror of the visitors, but tonight there was a feeling of dread and tension underlying all her thoughts. Tonight's the night, she thought again, and the ice in her chest seemed to thicken. A Grim Reaper-or at least that was what she supposed the hooded figure in black robes was-passed by her, and she found herself absent-mindedly trying to remember if she had seen it at any of the Halloween parties. There was something familiar about the way the figure moved. Bonnie exchanged a harassed smile with the tall, slender witch who was directing traffic into the Spider Room. Several junior high boys were slapping at the dangling rubber spiders and shouting and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Bonnie hustled them on into the Druid Room. Here the strobe lights gave the scene a dreamlike quality. Bonnie felt a grim triumph to see Mr. Tanner stretched out on the stone altar, his white robes heavily stained with blood, his eyes glaring at the ceiling. â€Å"Cool!† shouted one of the boys, racing up to the altar. Bonnie stood back and grinned, waiting for the bloody sacrifice to rear up and scare the wits out of the kid. But Mr. Tanner didn't move, even when the boy plunged a hand into the pool of blood by the sacrifice's head. That's strange, Bonnie thought, hurrying up to prevent the kid from grabbing the sacrificial knife. â€Å"Don't do that,† she snapped, so he held up his gory hand instead, and it showed red in every sharp flash of the strobe. Bonnie felt a sudden irrational fear that Mr. Tanner was going to wait until she bent over him and then makeher jump. But he just kept staring at the ceiling. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, are you okay? Mr. Tanner? Mr. Tanner!† Not a movement, not a sound. Not a flicker of those wide white eyes. Don't touch him, something in Bonnie's mind told her suddenly and urgently. Don't touch him don't touch him don't touch†¦ Under the strobe lights she saw her own hand move forward, saw it grasp Mr. Tanner's shoulder and shake it, saw his head flop bonelessly toward her. Then she saw his throat. Then she began to scream. Elena heard the screams. They were shrill and sustained and unlike any other sounds in the Haunted House, and she knew at once that they were no joke. Everything after that was a nightmare. Reaching the Druid Room at a run, she saw a tableau, but not the one prepared for visitors. Bonnie was screaming, Meredith holding her shoulders. Three young boys were trying to get out of the curtained exit, and two bouncers were looking in, blocking their way. Mr. Tanner was lying on the stone altar, sprawled out, and his face†¦ â€Å"He's dead,† Bonnie was sobbing, the screams turning into words. â€Å"Oh, God, the blood's real, and he's dead. Itouched him, Elena, and he's dead, he's really dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  People were coining into the room. Someone else began screaming and it spread, and then everyone was trying to get out, pushing each other in panic, knocking into the partitions. â€Å"Get the lights on!† Elena shouted, and heard the shout taken up by others. â€Å"Meredith, quick, get to a phone in the gym and call an ambulance, call the police†¦ Get those lightson !† When the lights snapped on, Elena looked around, but she could see no adults, no one entitled to take charge of the situation. Part of her was ice-cold, her mind racing as it tried to think what to do next. Part of her was simply numb with horror. Mr. Tanner†¦ She had never liked him, but somehow that only made it worse. â€Å"Get all the kids out of here. Everybody but staff out,† she said. â€Å"No! Shut the doors! Don't let anybody out until the police get here,† shouted a werewolf beside her, taking off his mask. Elena turned in astonishment at the voice and saw that it was not Matt, it was Tyler Smallwood. He'd been allowed back in school only this week, and his face was still discolored from the beating he had taken at Stefan's hands. But his voice had the ring of authority, and Elena saw the bouncers close the exit door. She heard another door close across the gym. Of the dozen or so people crowded into the Stonehenge area, Elena recognized only one as a worker. The rest were people she knew from school, but none she knew well. One of them, a boy dressed as a pirate, spoke to Tyler. â€Å"You mean†¦ you think somebody in here did it?† â€Å"Somebody in here did it, all right,† said Tyler. There was a queer, excited sound to his voice, as if he were almost enjoying this. He gestured to the pool of blood on the rock. â€Å"That's still liquid; it can't have happened too long ago. And look at the way his throat's cut. The killer must have done it withthat .† He pointed to the sacrificial knife. â€Å"Then the killer might be here right now,† whispered a girl in a kimono. â€Å"And it's not hard to guess who it is,† said Tyler. â€Å"Somebody who hated Tanner, who was always getting in arguments with him. Somebody who was arguing with him earlier tonight. I saw it.† Soyou were the werewolf in this room, thought Elena dazedly. But what were you doing here in the first place? You're not on staff. â€Å"Somebody who has a history of violence,† Tyler was continuing, his lips drawing back from his teeth. â€Å"Somebody who, for all we know, is a psychopath who came to Fell's Church just to kill.† â€Å"Tyler, what are you talking about?† Elena's dazed feeling had burst like a bubble. Furious, she stepped toward the tall, husky boy. â€Å"You're crazy!† He gestured at her without looking at her. â€Å"So says his girlfriend-but maybe she's a little prejudiced.† â€Å"And maybeyou're a little prejudiced, Tyler,† said a voice from behind the crowd, and Elena saw a second werewolf pushing his way into the room. Matt. â€Å"Oh, yeah? Well, why don't you tell us what you know about Salvatore? Where does he come from? Where's his family? Where did he get all that money?† Tyler turned to address the rest of the crowd. â€Å"Who knowsanything about him?† People were shaking their heads. Elena could see, in face after face, distrust blossoming. The distrust of anything unknown, anything different. And Stefan was different. He was the stranger in their midst, and just now they needed a scapegoat. The girl in the kimono began, â€Å"I heard a rumor-† â€Å"That's all anybody's heard, rumors!† Tyler said. â€Å"No one really knows a thing about him. But there's one thing Ido know. The attacks in Fell's Church started the first week of school-which was the week Stefan Salvatore came.† There was a swelling murmur at this, and Elena herself felt a shock of realization. Of course, it was all ridiculous, it was just a coincidence. But what Tyler was saying was true. The attacks had started when Stefan arrived. â€Å"I'll tell you something else,† shouted Tyler, gesturing at them to be quiet. â€Å"Listen to me! I'll tell you something else!† He waited until everyone was looking at him and then said slowly, impressively, â€Å"He was in the cemetery the night Vickie Bennett was attacked.† â€Å"Sure he was in the cemetery-rearranging your face,† said Matt, but his voice lacked its usual strength. Tyler grabbed the comment and ran with it. â€Å"Yes, and he almost killed me. And tonight somebodydid kill Tanner. I don't know whatyou think, but I think he did it. I think he's the one!† â€Å"But where is he?† shouted someone from the crowd. Tyler looked around. â€Å"If he did it, he must still be here,† he shouted. â€Å"Let's find him.† â€Å"Stefan hasn't done anything! Tyler-† cried Elena, but the noise from the crowd overrode her. Tyler's words were being taken up and repeated.Find him†¦ find him . . .find him . Elena heard it pass from person to person. And the faces in the Stonehenge Room were filled with more than distrust now; Elena could see anger and a thirst for vengeance in them, too. The crowd had turned into something ugly, something beyond controlling. â€Å"Where is he, Elena?† said Tyler, and she saw the blazing triumph in his eyes. Hewas enjoying this. â€Å"I don't know,† she said fiercely, wanting to hit him. â€Å"He must still be here! Find him!† someone shouted, and then it seemed everyone was moving, pointing, pushing, at once. Partitions were being knocked down and shoved aside. Elena's heart was pounding. This was no longer a crowd; it was a mob. She was terrified of what they would do to Stefan if they did find him. But if she tried to go warn him, she would lead Tyler right to him. She looked around desperately. Bonnie was still staring into Mr. Tanner's dead face. No help there. She turned to scan the crowd again, and her eyes met Matt's. He was looking confused and angry, his blond hair ruffled up, cheeks flushed and sweaty. Elena put all her strength of will into a look of pleading. Please, Matt, she thought. You can't believe all this. You know it isn't true. But his eyes showed that hedidn't know. There was a tumult of bewilderment and agitation in them. Please, thought Elena, gazing into those blue eyes, willing him to understand. Oh, please, Matt, only you can save him. Even if you don't believe, please try to trust†¦ please†¦ She saw the change come over his face, the confusion lifting as grim determination appeared. He stared at her another moment, eyes boring into hers, and nodded once. Then he turned and slipped into the milling, hunting crowd. Matt knifed through the crowd cleanly until he got to the other side of the gym. There were some freshmen standing near the door to the boys' locker room; he brusquely ordered them to start moving fallen partitions, and when their attention was distracted he jerked the door open and ducked inside. He looked around quickly, unwilling to shout. For that matter, he thought, Stefan must have heard all the racket going on in the gym. He'd probably already cut out. But then Matt saw the black-clad figure on the white tile floor. â€Å"Stefan! What happened?† For a terrible instant, Matt thought he was looking down on a second dead body. But as he knelt by Stefan's side, he saw movement. â€Å"Hey, you're okay, just sit up slowly†¦ easy. Are you all right, Stefan?† â€Å"Yes,† said Stefan. He didn't look okay, Matt thought. His face was dead white and his pupils were dilated hugely. He looked disoriented and sick. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"You may not thank me in a minute. Stefan, you've got to get out of here. Can't you hear them? They're after you.† Stefan turned toward the gym, as if listening. But there was no comprehension on his face. â€Å"Who's after me? Why?† â€Å"Everybody. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you've got to get out before they come in here.† As Stefan continued simply to stare blankly, he added, â€Å"There's been another attack, this time on Tanner, Mr. Tanner. He's dead, Stefan, and they think you didit .† Now, at last, he saw understanding come to Stefan's eyes. Understanding and horror and a kind of resigned defeat that was more frightening than anything Matt had seen tonight. He gripped Stefan's shoulder hard. â€Å"Iknow you didn't,† he said, and at that moment it was true. â€Å"They'll realize that, too, when they can think again. But meanwhile, you'd better get out.† â€Å"Get out†¦ yes,† said Stefan. The look of disorientation was gone, and there was a searing bitterness in the way he pronounced the words. â€Å"I will†¦ get out.† â€Å"Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Matt.† The green eyes were dark and burning, and Matt found he could not look away from them. â€Å"Is Elena safe? Good. Then, take care of her. Please.† â€Å"Stefan, what are you talking about? You're innocent; this will all blow over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Just take care of her, Matt.† Matt stepped back, still looking into those compelling green eyes. Then, slowly, he nodded. â€Å"I will,† he said quietly. And watched Stefan go.