Research paperessay of Paul Robeson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research paperessay of Paul Robeson - Essay Example In 1915 he won a scholarship to Rutgers College, New Jersey, and was also educated at Columbia University law school, where he graduated in 1923. An outstanding athlete as well as scholar, Robeson was selected for the All-American college football team as the finest player in his position. For a short time thereafter he played professional football and semi-professional basketball. In 1921 he married his lifelong partner, Eslanda Cordozo Goode (1896-1965), an analytical chemist in a hospital pathology laboratory. She would later manage Robeson's career, and even though their relationship was often stormy and included periods of separation, she was initially a major influence in his life and the author of an early biography, Paul Robeson, Negro (1930). Robeson began his acting career in 1920, appearing in Simon the Cyrenian in Harlem, New York, and played his first professional part in 1922 in Taboo. It was in 1922 as a member of the cast of this play, now renamed Voodoo, that Robeson made his dbut in Britain. In later years he recalled that it was during his performances in Voodoo at the Blackpool Opera House in 1922 that he first realized he had the talent to make a career as a singer. In 1923 he briefly worked at a law firm in New York, but his experiences of racism in the USA persuaded Robeson that he might have more success as an actor than by attempting to practise as a lawyer. In the United States, Robeson continued to develop his singing career, and with Lawrence Brown, who was to be his accompanist for many years, he performed the first ever concert comprising entirely African-American secular songs and spirituals in New York in 1925. Later that year he began his legendary recording career, and during the next thirty-five years made over 450 recordings, mainly in Britain and the United States. The previous year he had made his first film, Body and Soul, directed by Oscar Micheaux. During the next twenty-five years he starred in ten films and twelve plays and musicals. As an actor he always strove to break away from the demeaning roles often played by black actors.(Boyle ,79) By 1947 he had decided to leave the professional stage in the United States altogether; he had already ended his film career because of his dissatisfaction with the roles he was offered. Robeson made numerous recordings and some of his most memorable films in Britain, including Song of Freedom (1936) and The Proud Valley (1939). In the latter he played a black American stoker who helped Welsh unemployed miners reopen their pits. In retrospect Robeson believed that his time in Britain had a profound influence on his personal and political development. As a result of his many contacts with students and other African residents, his serious interest in African cultures and languages developed. It was during this period that Robeson became patron of the West African Students' Union and, as he put it, 'discovered Africa' in London. He also began his comparative study of African, African-American, and other folk cultures, and in 1934 enrolled as a student of linguistics and African languages at London University.

Pollution Prevention Essay Example for Free

Pollution Prevention Essay In the article written by Chris Wiant entitled â€Å"What is the P2 trend all about, and how are environmental health professionals involved? ,† discussed the history, objectives and significance of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s pollution prevention (P2) program to the environment and public health. In the early 70s, there was already a conscious effort in protecting the nation’s vital natural resources which was pioneered by Congress. But EPA wanted to expand their strategy in environmental protection which resulted to the birth of the P2 program. The main thrust of the pollution prevention program is to encourage companies to get involve in the community level by taking the initiative in becoming leaders in protecting the environment. In addition, the application of the program has facilitated the identification of its â€Å"potential for significant economic benefits by avoiding the need for treatment at the end-of-the-pipe. † Since P2 has been well received by businesses and its positive benefits are eminent, the next challenge is â€Å"how to institutionalize P2 as a standard business practice, and 2) how to get businesses and communities to see that P2 can be a pathway to a new partnership between them† (Wiant, 1997, p. 24). Moreover, the pollution prevention program is not only a directive that is focused on conservation and preservation of the natural resources. It is more directed on the sustainable maintenance of the activities that were already started by companies and the EPA but in a bigger scale. The certainty of the success of the program can only be guaranteed if all sectors of the society will work hand in hand in order to achieve a single goal which is to reduce the damage inflicted to the environment. Another aspect of the P2 program that is very appealing is its emphasis on preventive measures. Its design of â€Å"reducing the emission of toxic substances into the environment, focusing on the manufacturing process as the point in which to control toxin emissions,† is an innovative idea that will dramatically trim down the production of harmful substances. Through this approach, a potential problem can be addressed at its initial stage. Instead of using the end-of the-pipe strategy, businesses can already start with prevention during the manufacturing process. As a result, massive damages to the environment can be avoided and it can also eliminate the risk of inflicting impairment to the public’s health. Also, it can significantly reduce the cost for businesses in decreasing their toxic emissions. It is like shooting 2 birds in 1 stone because companies can save a lot of money and time by just implementing the P2 program in their business procedures. By mandating business to utilize the P2 program, changes in common business practices will occur. But this alteration would be for the overall improvement of the policies and procedures of a company. Moreover, in a community that practices such programs, the quality of life of the people will greatly improve and the relationship of coexistence between man and nature will continue to flourish for the better (Wiant, 1997, p. 24). However, the only concern for the P2 program is its standardization and the assurance of having a productive relationship between the community and businesses. It is essential that companies follow a set of standard procedures in order for the end results to be predictable. Institutionalizing P2 as a standard business practice will eliminate different interpretations and implementations which will boost the focus in protecting the environment and public health. On the other hand, this can only be put into reality if environmental health professionals as well as business leaders who utilize the P2 program will get involve in an intensified information campaign to promote the concept, benefits and practicality of the program. Overall the P2 program is a notable undertaking that is very much necessary in the modern society. Through this, the environment and the public’s health will be safeguarded from the destructive products brought by development or progress. Works Cited Wiant, C. J. (1997). What is the P2 trend all about, and how are environmental health professionals involved?. Journal of Environmental Health, 59, 24.

Low Pressure Mercury Vapour Electronic Discharge

Low Pressure Mercury Vapour Electronic Discharge A common discharge lighting luminary for use in an office environment would typically be a low-pressure mercury-vapour electronic discharge (fluorescent) lamp. The lamp is constructed from a hollow glass tube with an aluminium cap at each end. Within the tube are two electrode coils, one at either end. The inner surface of the glass tube is coated in phosphor, and the tube, containing a small amount of mercury vapour, is filled at low pressure with an inert gas such as argon or krypton. Construction of a typical fluorescent lamp http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/FL%20Introduction.htm Block diagram showing fluorescent lamp and associated circuitry http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/files/root/Images/ballast/Grundschaltung_e.GIF An automatic starting switch (starter) is used to initialise the flow of electrons from a coated filament cathode, which then collide with mercury vapour atoms, exciting their electrons to a higher energy state. This higher energy state is unstable and returns to a lower, more stable level, and in so doing produces a very small amount of blue-green light and a large amount of ultraviolet radiation. When the UV radiation comes into contact with the phosphor coating it causes the phosphors electrons to reach a higher energy state, which when returning to a normal level give off visible light; the colour of which is dependant upon the chemical composition of the phosphor. Fluorescent lamps are negative resistance devices, meaning that as the current increases, the electrical resistance decreases, allowing further increase in current flow. If the rise in current flow were to be uncontrolled the lamp would quickly self-destruct. To prevent this, a ballast device is used in order to regulate the current flow. Fluorescent lamps are a well established standard for general lighting in industrial, commercial and domestic applications. They come in a range of standardised sizes, power ratings, white colours, and colour temperatures. Other benefits of using fluorescent lamps compared to, for example, incandescent lamps, is that they are more energy efficient and have a longer life, typically 10 20 times longer than an incandescent lamp. When switched on they illuminate almost immediately, there is no waiting period whilst they warm up to their operating temperature, which for a fluorescent lamp is room temperature. When switched off, they can be restarted immediately, unlike high pressure sodium lamps which must cool down. One disadvantage of fluorescent lamps is that in some circumstances they may flicker at twice the supply frequency, causing a stroboscopic effect which, in a workshop type environment, may cause rotating machinery to appear stationary. One way to overcome this is by using lamps with a high-frequency electronic ballast. A common discharge lighting luminary for use in an indoor sports environment would typically be a high-intensity discharge (HID) type lamp, such as metal halide or high pressure sodium. High Pressure Sodium Sodium vapour at high pressure and temperature is highly reactive with glass, which would rapidly fail as a result. So, for a high pressure sodium lamp, a ceramic arc tube body, known as translucent polycrystalline alumina (PCA) and manufactured from aluminium oxide, is used instead; and is itself enclosed by a protective outer glass bulb, which is either evacuated or contains an inert gas. High pressure sodium lamp (image from: http://www.hydroyard.com/) The arc tube is evacuated of air and volatile contaminants, a dose of sodium-mercury amalgam and a filling gas of either argon or xenon are introduced. The type of gas filling is chosen for its ability to allow an arc to strike at low pressure. Tungsten electrodes, having a coating of electron-emissive material, connect to the electrical supply and the tube is hermetically sealed. A high voltage pulse causes the gas within the arc tube to ionise, creating an arc between the two tungsten electrodes, and increases the temperature of the gas. Initially, the arc voltage, due to the low vapour pressures, is low. As the amalgam temperature increases so does the pressure, and thereby the voltage, taking a few minutes for the lamp to reach its optimum operating condition. Once the lamp has been switched off, it needs to cool for a short while before being able to restart. The ballast, as with the fluorescent tube, controls the current to ensure stable operation. Diagram showing basic construction of a high pressure sodium lamp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:High_pressure_sodium_lamp.svg Some of the benefits of using high pressure sodium lamps in an indoor sports environment are that they give good colour rendering which is important where teams need to clearly identify each other by their colours. HPS lamps also provide a whiter light which allows players to clearly identify the sports equipment, especially where that equipment is used in fast moving sports such as the ball in a game of squash. Task 20 Escape Route Lighting It is essential that every workplace has a means of egress during an emergency, and this requires a system of emergency lighting be fitted to ensure that evacuation can be done in a safe manner should the normal lighting system fail. BS EN 50172:2004/ BS 5266-8:2004 details the requirements for emergency lighting systems. Legislation requires that lighting be sited in points of emphasis along the exit route, covering areas such as each exit door, intersections, changes of direction and floor level along the route, stairways, fire fighting equipment, alarm points, potential hazards, emergency escape signs, first aid points, equipment and machinery that requires shutting down in an emergency, outside and near to each final exit. The term near is defined as within 2 metres, measured horizontally. Examples of points of emphasis At each exit door At each piece of fire fighting equipment and alarm call point At each intersection of corridors Near each first aid post The escape route must attain a minimum level of illuminance, additionally, every compartment on the escape route must have at least two luminaires in order to provide some light should one fail. BS 5266 Pt 7: 1999 (EN1838) details the Light Level Requirements, a minimum of 1 lux anywhere on the centre line of the escape route for normal risks. A uniformity ratio of 40:1 maximum to minimum must not be exceeded. This illuminance must be provided for the full duration and life of the system. 50% of the illuminance must be available within 5 seconds and the full value within 60 seconds of supply failure. (http://www.cooper-ls.com/dg_emersystem.html) High Risk Task Area Lighting Guidance for the requirements of provision of emergency lighting in high risk areas is given in BS 5266 Part 10: 2008. The provision of emergency lighting in High Risk Task Areas must be sufficient enough to allow the safe shutting down of machinery and equipment in areas such as workshops, control and plant rooms, switchgear rooms, production lines, laboratories, or any other areas where potentially dangerous situations or processes are likely to occur, and which might affect the safety of the workforce or other occupants. It is a requirement that for high risk areas the maintained illuminance should be not less than 10% of the normal maintained illuminance on the reference plane for the task, and not less than 15 lux, whichever is higher. It should have a maximum uniformity ratio of 10:1, and a response time of at least 0.5 seconds. It should also be free from stroboscopic effects. http://www.voltexlighting.co.za/Download/emergency_lighting.pdf, http://www.westyorksfire.gov.uk/departments/fireSafety/nfgs/FS-NFG029-EmergencyLighting.pdf Most emergency lighting systems fall into three types, Maintained, Non-maintained and Sustained. A maintained system is one where the luminaire uses the same lamp for both standard and emergency use, can be switched on or off in the same manner as a normal light, but once the regular power supply is lost the lamp will illuminate, using its back-up battery pack. A maintained system has an M designation and a number indicating the emergency duration in hours, e.g. M2. A non-maintained system is one that illuminates only when the mains supply fails. It is designated NM and, again, is followed by a number that indicates its duration of illumination. A sustained system is a combination of the maintained and non-maintained systems, and contains two (or more) lamps within a luminaire. Each lamp is supplied independently, one by the mains supply and the other by the battery back-up for when the mains supply fails. This system is designated S and also has a number indicating the emergency duration. Maintained systems should generally be used in locations such as pubs and bars and other premises where alcohol is served, along with public areas where the lighting levels can be reduced to below the levels required for escape route illumination. Sustained systems can be considered for places that may require safe lighting at all times, e.g. hallways and stairwells in areas of accommodation such as hotels or halls of residence, where evacuation at night may be necessary, even if no power supply failure has occurred. As an energy and lamp-life saving measure it may only be necessary to have the lamps illuminate during night time, or other periods of low ambient light, activated by a motion sensor during normal operation, and automatically in emergency. Non-maintained systems can generally be considered for all other situations. A duration of emergency illumination lasting between 1 and 3 hours can be considered sufficient for most situations. BS 5266 gives detailed guidance regarding which category may be most suitable for a given situation and location. Back-up power supply Providing a source of power in the event of a mains supply failure can be done by one of two main methods; either by battery or generator. There are two distinct types of battery systems, a self-contained system whereby each luminaire contains a battery, charger, and changeover device; and a central system where these items are located in one room and which supply all the luminaires in the system. Using the latter method, it is essential that the wiring be of a high standard as there may be a risk of loss of power due to fire damage, and also poor performance due to voltage drop over long cable runs. Therefore, the former may be preferable to overcome these drawbacks; installation is simpler and requires little maintenance other than routine testing. Where a back-up generator is used, it should be either run at all times or be able to start automatically and run up to provide the required output level in 5 seconds or fewer. Where neither of these conditions can be met, it should be s upplemented by a battery back-up system, that is capable of running the emergency lighting system for one hour. In this situation the generator need not be required to start automatically, but be available to take over from the battery back-up as soon as possible. Signage Cooper Lighting and Safety states that illumination requirements for signage must conform to the colours of ISO 3864, which defines that exit and first aid signs must be white with green as the contrast colour. The ratio of luminance of the white colour to the green colour must be between 5:1 and 15:1. The minimum luminance of any 10mm patch area on the sign must be greater than 2cd/m ² and the ratio of maximum to minimum luminance shall be less than 10:1 for either colour. (http://www.cooper-ls.com/dg_emersystem.html) Example of emergency exit sign conforming to ISO 3864 http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/emergency-exit-signs-143363.jpg Task 3 Number of luminaires required The luminaires require an electrical input of 58 watts and suffer losses of 18%, which result in a power rating of 41 watts. Taking into account a correcting factor for this power rating of 1.04, multiplied by the Utilisation Factorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the number of luminaires required is 50.28; rounding down to 50 to give a common sense workable number. Taking a space/height ratio of 1.7, and the height of the luminaire above the working plane being 3.2 metres, the space between luminaires should be a maximum of 5.22 metres. Arranging 50 luminaires to best fit a room of dimensions 20m x 15m gives an arrangement of 5 luminaires by 10 luminaires, with the length of each luminaire orientated across the width of the room. The spacing between each luminaire across the width of the room would be 1.5 m with 0.7m between the luminaire and the wall at each end. The space between the centre of each luminaire down the length of the room would be 2m with 1m between the centre of the luminaire and the wall at each end. Both of these figures fall well within the maximum spacing determined by the space/height ratio. Although to be mathematically accurate in determining the minimum number of luminaires required, one would usually round up; real world considerations need to be taken into account such as arranging the luminaires to fit the rooms dimensions, and the additional costs involved in adding substantially more luminaires required just to make a nice aesthetic pattern. In the question, no consideration has been given to the availability of natural light, nor the range of commercially available lamps and luminaires which could be more efficient and effective than the given figures suggest. Diagram showing orientation and spacing of luminaires 15 metres 1.0m 1.5m 0.75m 2m 1.5m 20 m

American Imperialism :: United States America Imperialist essays papers

America had definitely played its role in its imperialism. First of all imperialism is the control from one country doing to another. America has controlled a lot of countries in its time. In this essay I will talk about the causes and effects that America’s imperialism played a role in. We have really controlled a lot of countries in our time but this essay will focus more on the 19th and 20th century. We play a pretty big influence in the world today as in status wise. A lot of countries respect us because of our integrity and greatness that we have achieved. Overall I will talk about how imperialism existed in the time of American in 19th and 20th century as well as explain the causes by this time and effects that resulted on our lives today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Imperialism is the policy or action by which one country controls another country or territory. Most such control is achieved by military means to gain economic and political advantages. Such a policy is also called expansionism. An expansionist state that obtains overseas territories follows a policy usually called colonialism. An imperialist government may wish to gain new markets for its exports, plus sources of inexpensive labor and raw materials. A far-flung empire may satisfy a nation's desire for military advantage or recognition as a world power. Imperialism has definitely played its role in our lifetime as well as in the 19th century. First of all we attacked Iraq regarding a power issue. We believed they had some powerful items in which could be harmful to our nation so we decided to attack them to ensure our security. Another one is how we attacked Japan because they were becoming to powerful. We have done a lot to these countries just so we could have the security of keeping our power. Military reasons are also another reason for Imperialism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since ancient times, nations have absorbed territory near their borders to protect themselves from foreign attack. This kind of territory could be used as kind of a cushion support. This way they have land around them to help them stay secure. In the late 1800's, many European powers had colonies throughout the world where their ships, both naval and merchant, could take on supplies. Imperialism can also be encouraged by patriotism, religion, and a sense of cultural and racial superiority. During the late 1800’s, a strong feeling of nationalism swept most European countries.

Cost of the Good Life Essay

Overall wellbeing, an extravagant lifestyle, and wealth all come to mind when I ponder the good life but what does the good life actually cost? At first glance, this seems like a loaded question that requires multiple dissertations in order to answer. I even contemplated whether or not the good life had a cost at all. Breaking the good life into separate topics relieves much of the stress when it comes to giving an answer. In terms of consumerism, the good life is damaging to the environment, places too much emphasis on money, and it dwindles the importance of non-market values. According to Annie Leonard’s â€Å"The Story of Stuff†, our current materials economy is a commodity chain in which goods go from extraction, to production, to distribution, to consumption, and finally to disposal. The system sounds stable but it is actually in crisis. Anyone with a simple understanding of mathematics can tell you that you cannot run a linear system on a finite planet in the real world. In order for us, the consumers, to get all of our fancy products and up-to-date technologies, a process that we turn a blind eye to takes place. At the source of the process, there is natural resource exploitation. â€Å"We chop down the trees, blow up mountains to get the metals inside, use up all the water, and wipe out all the animals.† As consumers, we are running out of resources because we have too much stuff! In the past three decades alone, one third of the planet’s natural resource space has been consumed. We are undermining the planets very ability for people to live here. In the United States, less than four percent of our original forests are left and forty percent of the waterways have become unsanitary. When the resources start to deplete, we do the same thing to third world or lesser developed nations. The erosion of the local environments of these nations and economies ensures a constant flow of natives that rely on the little money they can earn while working in factories. We have become a nation of consumers largely due to planned and perceived obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is the art of designing products that don’t last a long time but last long enough for someone to buy the product again. Perceived obsolescence is changing the design of things to follow trends and keep up with the times. The number one example that people can relate to is the iPhone. If you don’t have the newest and  greatest iPhone, you are a social outcast. While this might be a tad over exaggerated, it’s not too far from the truth. In all actuality, polls show that our national happiness is declining even though we have more stuff than ever before. This is because we have less time for the things that truly make us happy like friends, family, and leisure time. At the cost of our planet and environment, are we really even living the good life? Fritjof Capra of â€Å"Qualitative Growth† said that â€Å"human needs are finite, but human greed is not. The major problems of our time cannot be understood in isolation; they are all interconnected and interdependent.† In our current economy, we have put currency on a pedestal that is far too high for us to reach anymore. Most of the goods that are produced and sold are often unneeded and therefore are essentially waste. Even still, demographic pressure and poverty form a vicious circle that lead to fewer jobs and wider poverty gaps. These are the costs of the good life. Our current global economy is a system striving for unlimited quantitative growth and is manifestly unsustainable as previously stated. Looking again from an ecological standpoint, the bad growth resulting from this system leads to externalizing social and environmental costs, is based on fossil fuels, involves toxic substances, depletes our natural resources, and degrades the Earth’s ecosystems. Harvard professor Michael Sandel adds what I believe to be the most interesting cost of the good life when it comes to affluenza. He argues that over the last three decades, we have drifted from having a market economy to becoming a market society. Although these two seem to be synonymous, they are actually quite different. A market economy is a valuable and effective tool for organizing productive activity while a market society is a place where almost everything is up for sale. By doing this, we have created a way of life in which market values â€Å"seep into almost every sphere of life and sometimes crowd out or corrode important, non-market values.† One of the examples that professor Sandel uses is congressional hearings in Washington D.C.. Lobbyists want to attend these hearings and because the seats are limited, line-standing companies have arisen. Line-standing companies hire homeless people and pay them an hourly rate in order to wait in line just  before the hearing. According to the professor, this is wrong for two reasons. â€Å"In a democratic society, everyone should have equal access to representative government. The other reason it’s wrong is that it demeans representative government.† When it comes to the point where almost everything in our public life is sold off to the highest bidder, something is lost. Money matters more and more in our society. And against the background of rising inequality, money takes a toll on the commonality of our civic life. In other words, we lose a part of ourselves. Do we go so far that we are cheapening important social goods and civic goods that are worth caring about? Society will eventually become a place of narcissistic opportunism where people will be buying their way into and out of positive and negative situations. What is the good life worth? I’ve been struggling with this question a great deal lately. You may or may not be familiar with the term first world problems. They are frustrations and complaints that are only experienced by privileged individuals, typically used as a comedic device to make light of trivial inconveniences. Not having the latest gadget and the newest clothes from a particular store are just a few examples. When I bought something, I failed to realize what I was actually paying. I now know that these consumer goods cost natural resources, valuable money, and so much more. The simplest way I can put it is that the cost of the good life: priceless.

3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure

3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure 3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure 3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, misplacement of a word, or absence of a word, presents an obstacle to comprehension. Discussion and a revision follows each example. 1. These regulations either need to be revised or repealed. When employing an â€Å"either . . . or† phrase, the verb that applies to both choices, which are represented by two words or two phrases that follow either and or, should precede either: â€Å"These regulations need to be either revised or repealed.† 2. Smith, a former journalist and passenger on the flight, said that fellow passengers subdued the man until the plane landed about an hour later. Smith is a former journalist. She is also technically a former passenger, but the relevant fact is that she was a passenger at the time of the incident, not that she used to be a passenger. Therefore, she should be identified both as â€Å"a former journalist† as well as â€Å"a passenger on the flight†: â€Å"Smith, a former journalist and a passenger on the flight, said that fellow passengers subdued the man until the plane landed about an hour later.† 3. They can think more strategically when working with the committee and executive management to formulate plans and analyzing risks. Readers are likely to assume that â€Å"formulate plans† and â€Å"analyzing risks† are parallel and that, therefore, the inconsistent inflectional ending of analyzing must be corrected. However, â€Å"analyzing risks† is parallel not with â€Å"formulate plans† but with the larger phrase that begins â€Å"working with† and ends with â€Å"formulate plans,† so analyzing correctly matches working. To make clear the extent of the phrase equivalent to â€Å"analyzing risks,† repeat when immediately before the latter phrase to match the one before working: â€Å"They can think more strategically when working with the committee and executive management to formulate plans and when analyzing risks.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsFlier vs. FlyerWord Count and Book Length