The slaves moment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The slaves moment - Essay Example Life in the barracoons was indeed very tough for the slaves; two important aspects to understand here are that a number of slaves had to live together in a single barracoon and thus often felt suffocated because of the lack of space and terrible living conditions. Moreover, illnesses were widespread due to the lack of sanitation within these homes, if they could be called so. Due to the number of tics and rampant potentiality of sickness, the slaves were living under terrible conditions. Hill writes, ‘the masters wanted the barracoons to look clean outside so they painted them with whitewash.† (p.23) this helps the readers to understand the mentality of the masters and how badly they treated their slaves while making them live in horrible homes which looked neat from the outside so as to provide a different picture to the rest of the world. Esteban tried to leave escape the plantation in order to taste freedom however since he had never been anywhere else other than the p lantation, he was a little lost upon entering the woods. The reason why most slaves did not bother to runaway was because they feared being caught and then being treated in an even worse manner by their masters; Esteban thus wanted to taste a slice of freedom and act carelessly; he was not afraid of being caught because of the sole reason that he did not know worse fear than having to bow down to other human beings and do as they say without uttering a word. For a long time, he hid in cave and ate pigs in order to not be found and whenever he heard dogs barking, he immediately took off his clothes to prevent the animals from picking up his scent. – That was one of the methods of his survival. â€Å"The cave was big and dark like the mouth of a wolf.† (p. 45) 2. The second section is entitled ‘The Abolition of Slavery’ and talks about Montejo’s life until his emancipation in the year 1886. He worked in the sugar mills for a long time as a free worker and laboured his years away, working hard at the machines as well as performing manual labour acts of cutting and harvesting sugar cane. This helps in an understanding of the harsh lifestyle that peasants were forced to lead and the difficult work that goes into the forming of sugar and cane and the hard work required to sell it in the market at terribly low costs, not taking into account the labour that has been put into it. â€Å"There were masters, or rather, owners, who believed that blacks were made for locking up and whipping. So they treated them the same as before. To my mind blacks didn't realize that things had changed [with emancipation] because they kept on saying 'Your blessing, Master'.... [The white man] believed they were the owners of humanity† (p.62) He was highly critical about the life that the blacks and the mulattos were forced to lead and the lack of education that they were subject to, thereby ruining their chances of ever having the opportunity to le ad a better lifestyle. Further, he also spoke very lowly about the Catholic priests who treated women like whores and forced them to have sex with them and procreate as many children as they could. The workers enjoyed themselves as they often entertained themselves by playing games in the barracoons. They played games like tejo (p.26) where they used a corn on a cob to flip a coin and win coins from one another. Playing games was the only source of fun that they had and an aspect which took them to another world for sometime,

Industrial Raw Materials Resources Essay Example for Free

Industrial Raw Materials Resources Essay Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources. Considering Political problems and Economic growth and Development of the Country, The Nuclear Power Plant should be the most appropriate for Nigeria. Due to the factors above, and concentrating on the abundance of Natural Resources of the Country (presence of Natural water bodies), I’ll recommend for Nigeria, the Hydropower as source of energy. This is due to the fact that construction of newer Dams in specific locations with higher Water bodies will bring about job opportunity, Encouragement of Agriculture (in the area of irrigation), Fish rearing amongst others. And also, low cost of maintenance, compared to nuclear power Plants. HOW TO GENERATE HYDROPOWER ENERGY Hydro-electricity, or hydro-power, is usually generated by turbines in a dam in a river. The dam means that a great body of water builds up in the river valley behind the dam. This is released through the turbines when electricity is needed. Smaller than dams are barrages across the mouths of rivers which capture water from high tides and release it to generate electricity. Smaller still are turbines in river and tidal streams which do the same thing. MODE OF OPERATION According to Wood and Wollenberg (1996) and Batut and Renaud (1992), the complexity of hydropower plant operation is so high that so far there are no unique principles devised for their management that could be applicable in  all situations. The reasons for that are: The inflow of water into hydropower plants depends upon a series of parameters that are difficult to forecast, so the plants have to adapt quickly to the actual situation, Water is a resource that is not used only for electricity generation, but also for water supply, melioration and other purposes, Hydropower plant operation is coupled with numerous limitations related to the environmental protection, valuable objects in the vicinity of the storages and Watercourses etc. The role of hydropower plants in the electricity generation and transmission system often dictates their dynamic operation (relatively frequent starts and shutdowns of their operation). The main source of uncertainty in planning of development of an electricity generation and Transmission system is the stochastic nature of availability of the units in thermal-power plants, as well as the water inflow into hydropower plants. The value of 95% is assumed as the limit for the probability of the fulfillment of the demanded electricity generation plan, because the design of an electricity generation and transmission system that would have the probability of fulfillment of electricity generation plan equal to 100%, would be economically unjustified, (Milić, 2000). The greatest influence upon the fulfillment of the electricity generation plan has the usable discharge of the water flow, while the key factors regarding the fulfillment of the Demands related to power are rated discharge, head and, particularly, the size of the hydropower plant storage. Hydropower plants also have a great significance regarding the attaining of a stable operation of the electricity generation and transmission system. This is valid particularly for the formation of the operating reserve (covering of all non-planned ceases of electricity generation in the system before the start of the cold reserve) and a part of the cold reserve (covering of longer non-planned ceases of operation of the thermal-power plant units) in the system. ADVANTAGES †¢Does not depend on costs of uranium, oil, or other fuels †¢Pollution is rarely created †¢It doesnt require as many employees †¢It can be set up in many sizes †¢Stations can operate and run for long periods of time †¢Reduces greenhouse emissions †¢Relatively low maintenance costs †¢Can be used throughout the world †¢It is renewable †¢Hydroelectricity produces no gas emissions or waste. †¢Hydroelectric stations are inexpensive to operate. †¢Makes barely any pollution compare to other ways of creating electricity †¢Hydroelectric power is one of the most responsive (easy to start and stop) of any electric power generating source. †¢The conversion of the forces of water to electric energy can be up to 90 percent efficient. †¢Hydroelectric power produces no chemical or waste heat pollution. †¢Hydroelectric power plants require little maintenance. †¢Reservoir lakes can be used for recreation, and can provide considerable flood protection to downstream areas. †¢Groundwater reserves are increased by recharging from reservoirs. †¢Plants usually have an expected life span two to three times longer than conventional thermal power plants. †¢Hydroelectric installations can be used to breed fish and other aquatic products †¢It is more reliable than solar and wind power because water can be stored and there is more of it, more often. Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at constant rate. †¢If electricity is not needed, the sluice gates can be shut, stopping electricity generation. The water can be saved for use another time when electricity demand is high. The build up of water in the lake means that energy can be stored until needed, when the water is released to produce electricity. †¢Dams are designed to last many decades and so can contribute to the generation of electricity for many years / decades. †¢The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for water sports  and leisure / pleasure activities. Often large dams become tourist attractions in their own right. †¢The lakes water can be used for irrigation purposes. †¢When in use, electricity produced by dam systems do not produce green house gases. They do not pollute the atmosphere. DISADVANTAGES †¢High investment costs †¢Dependent on precipitation †¢Sometimes messes up wildlife †¢Loss of fish species †¢Change in river or stream quality †¢Cost for construction †¢Hydroelectric power production require flooding of entire valleys and scenic areas. †¢Disrupts natural seasonal changes in he river, and ecosystems can be destroyed. †¢Ends flooding that help to clean out the silt in rivers, causing them to clog (Energy Laboratory). †¢The silt that usually flows down to the Beaches and Estuaries is block by the dam. †¢Studies show that the plant decay caused downstream of major dams produces as many greenhouse gasses as more conventional methods of producing electricity. †¢Dams are expensive to build, and due to drought may become useless, or produce much less power than originally planned. †¢A dam being build in Quebec will end up flooding an area as large as Switzerland (Energy Laboratory). †¢Dams can break in a massive flash flood †¢Construction costs of large-scale hydroelectric projects are high. †¢Damming rivers causes changes in ecological cycles and surrounding landscapes; self-regulating ecosystems are changed into ones that must be managed. †¢Sedimentation can progressively curtail a dams ability to store water and generate energy. †¢There are a limited number of feasible sites for large dams. †¢Damming can cause loss of land suitable for agriculture and recreation. †¢Drought can affect power production. †¢River channels downstream from dams are more susceptible to erosion. †¢A disadvantage of hydroelectric power stations is that it destroys wildlife and habitats of any creatures living in the area. †¢Dams are extremely  expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard. †¢The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many decades to become profitable. †¢The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment is destroyed. †¢People living in villages and towns that are in the valley to be flooded, must move out. This means that they lose their farms and businesses. In some countries, people are forcibly removed so that hydro-power schemes can go ahead. †¢The building of large dams can cause serious geological damage. For example, the building of the Hoover Dam in the USA triggered a number of earth quakes and has depressed the earths surface at its location. †¢Although modern planning and design of dams is good, in the past old dams have been known to be breached (the dam gives under the weight of water in the lake). This has led to deaths and flooding. †¢Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country usually means that the water supply from the same river in the following country is out of their control. This can lead to serious problems between neighboring countries. †¢Building a large dam alters the natural water table level. E.g., the building of the Aswan Dam in Egypt has altered the level of the water table. This is slowly leading to damage of many of its ancient monuments as salts and destructive minerals are deposited in the stone work from rising damp caused by the changing water table level. †¢Hydropower dams can damage the surrounding environment and alter the quality of the water by creating low dissolved oxygen levels, which impacts fish and the surrounding ecosystems. They also take up a great deal of space and can impose on animal, plant, and even human environments. †¢Fish populations can be impacted if fish cannot migrate upstream past impoundment dams to spawning grounds or if they cannot migrate downstream to the ocean. Upstream fish passage can be aided using fish ladders or elevators, or by trapping and hauling the fish upstream by truck. Downstream fish passage is aided by diverting fish from turbine intakes using screens or racks or even underwater lights and sounds, and by maintaining a minimum spill flow past the turbine. CONCLUSION. Hydropower as a renewable Energy, which can be built and also comes with a low level of maintenance and with the presence of water bodies as a Natural resource of Nigeria, it is advisable to have more and encourage construction  of Dams for Hydropower Energy.

Essay --

Heraclitus Heraclitus was born approximately at 540 B.C, He is one of the aristocratic families of Ephesus, near Colophon. Heraclitus had a reputation as a deliberately obscure thinker. Heraclitus often referred as â€Å"The Dark† due to the darkness of his writings. Even though there is no adequate English translation of the term â€Å"Logos† based on the writing, it can be seen that the logos was interpreted by Heraclitus as â€Å"The word of God† â€Å"Unity in Oppositeness†. Due to the fact that it is the controlling, magnificent force within nature, Heraclitus could simply classify it (Logos) as the mind of God. The fundamental dogma of Heraclitus’s orderliness is the allegation that there is a balanced structure of the solar system and that this structure establishes and maintain the stability of the universe. In order to understand what is â€Å"Logos† one should have a soul (Seeing, Hearing, Perception). It is said by Heraclitus that God is always better than men. Unity in Opposites could be interpreted as even though there are things which are the total opposites of each other, they are still able to unite in one unity. For example, Sea could be considered as two things, Sea could be the most pure water for fishes, yet sea water could be the most polluted water for men. For fishes it is drinkable and sanitary, while for men it is undrinkable and deleterious. (Fr. 61) Moreover, looking further on Heraclitus â€Å"Logos† we can say that he thinks that antithesis/opposites make unity. For example, God is day night, winter summer, war peace, satiety hunger (Fr. 67). In this writing, it is safe to say that Heraclitus considered fire as the most fundamental and important element in this world. Heraclitus strongly believes that fire is the most essential com... ...equilibrium is a place where everything is constantly changing. Hence, the idea of fire. Based on this paradigm now we could possibly understand why in the first place Heraclitus uses fire as the most suitable metaphor for the logos as fire never stays in one form, it is always changing. It is probably based on the same reason why Heraclitus likes the nature of river as the river is always changing, new water will continuously flows through replacing the old one, and it will remains the same for a very long period, probably forever. Moreover, still in the coverage of the previous theory, Heraclitus expanded Anaximander’s idea of the interaction of opposites. Heraclitus views that the animosity between all the opposites’ things in this world is actually universal; it never end. In fact, animosity might be the reason behind why we could have justice and equilibrium.

Bill of Rights Essay

The Bill of Rights is the ten amendments of the United States Constitution. They were first introduced by James Madison in 1789. These amendments protect the fundamental rights of citizens by restricting the powers of the federal government. These rights provide freedom of speech, religion, bear arms and freedom from search and cruel punishment. Congress can also cannot impose the death penalty or seize the property of any individual without the due process of courts. The Bill of Rights remains the fundamental document of the American government and legal system. It also embodies the freedom and culture of the nation. The First Amendment of the United States prevents Congress from making legislation that establishes any religion, prohibits freedom of religion, restricts freedom of speech and press or limits the right to assemble peacefully. The founding fathers did not want an official Church to be established in the new nation. The British had established the Church of England as the official church of Britain. This Church was also the official church in some of the colonies. The founding fathers believed that this limited their freedom of religion. They also believed that government should not favor any one religion because it would lead to religious intolerance. Indeed the primary function of migration to North America was to escape the religious and economic persecution present in Europe. Anti British publications disseminated information regarding abuses of the colonial rule. Further anyone with pro British sentiments was silenced or intimidated. The founding fathers therefore passed this amendment in order to ensure that tolerance of different ideas and expression were allowed (Hoffman, 1997). The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution allows the creation of a militia and the right of people to keep and bear arms. The creation of a militia was taken from England which had passed a law in 1689 giving the right to bear arms. The right to keep arms protected the American colonists from Indian attacks and European enemies of Britain. These arms would also be useful for the colonists when they declared their independence from Britain. The founding fathers also believed that the English law restricts the citizens of England to bear and keep arms to Protestants. Poor people cannot use weapons for hunting purposes. Further they also believed that a universal militia is the best defense against foreign aggression (Hoffman, 1997). The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution helps protect the citizens from illegal searches and seizures conducted by political authority. The British used writs of assistance which were general search warrants after its navigation laws were being ignored by American colonists. The founding fathers did not want this type of illegal search and seizure to be conducted by the American government. This was the reason why the Fourth Amendment was passed (Hoffman, 1997). The Third Amendment prohibits the government from allowing soldiers to be lodged into the private homes of civilians. The founding fathers wanted to prevent the government from allowing this as the British had done before the American Revolution. According to the Quartering Act, British troops could lodge in private homes and use whatever resources were needed to maintain discipline and morale (Hoffman, 1997). The Eight Amendment prohibits cruel punishment and excessive fines. In England, the power to grant bails to criminals was in the hands of sheriffs. This would lead to abuses in power. Despite a law passed by the English parliament, the law was still subverted. The founding fathers sought to curb this English law after independence to prevent the government from imposing excessive fines and cruel punishment (Hoffman, 1997). The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution allows accused criminals to be provided with due process of law and forbids double jeopardy. It also prevents the forcible testimony of a person against himself or herself. The British colonial legal system was flawed as it did not give criminals the due process during legal proceedings. It did not protect the individuals from political or religious enemies. It was misused by anyone who wanted to settle scores with anyone. The founding fathers of the United States of America did not want this to occur. This Amendment therefore calls for the establishment of impartial grand juries which would protect criminals from false accusations or abuse of law. It also prevents the conviction of a person again if he has served prison for one crime. The Amendments of the US Bills of Rights which were incorporated into the US Constitution are the foundation of the country’s legal system, government and culture. They ensure the protection of the rights of individuals and restrict the ability of the Federal government to impose laws which would infringe on the civil liberties of the people. References: Ronald Hoffman. The Bill of Rights: Government Proscribed. University Press of Virginia for the United States Capitol Historical Society, 1997.

Trifles Symbolism

For centuries people have been writing dramas, but witnessing the drama of a story is a different kind of experience. There are many elements that make up dramas, including sets/setting, plot, conflict, symbolism, point of view, irony etc. Symbolism is something that can be hard to look for in a drama. A symbol is something that represents more than itself. In a drama props, clothing, or sets could all be used as symbols. When symbolism is added to a play it becomes more sophisticated. A symbol can put a play on a whole new level and get an audience to think of the play in a whole new way. Symbols are often hard to find and many times you have to re read work to find them. In an article by Hickett she helps readers understand ways to find symbols â€Å"There are several ways to recognize symbolism in literature. One is the frequency an object or character is mentioned in a piece of literature–if it is mentioned often, it is probably important. Another way to find a symbol is to look at how much detail is used in describing an object† (1). Susan Glaspell uses many symbols in her play Trifles. Glaspell uses symbols such as a canary, quilt, birdcage, rocking chair, cherry preserves all have symbolism given to them by Glaspell in the play. She uses her props very well to give them dual meanings that could easily pass ones eye. Each thing has a meaning to help solve the case, and even show who Mrs. Wright really is. One of the main symbols in the story was the canary. The dead canary shows that Mrs. Wright is capable of murder. Since the bird had a broken neck it shows that it did not die of natural causes. This means that the birds death could also symbolize Mr. Wright’s death. It is up to a reader to determine if Mr. Wright killed the bird so Mrs. Wright killed him, or if Mrs. Wright were to kill both. The Canary could also symbolize the life and happiness Mrs. Wright once experienced but how it was killed by Mr. Wright. Another key symbol in this story was the bird cage. It symbolizes a guard. Mrs. Wright had a guard up of how her life really was and the way Mr. Wright treated her. She could not show what she was actually going through. It shows how after marriage her life became secluded, like a bird in the cage would be. The next symbol found in Trifles is the rocking chair. The chair symbolizes calmness. It shows throughout everything that Mrs. Wright is going through and how nervous she may be, while Hale is questioning her she can still remain calm. It shows that the chair was a place of tranquility, somewhere she could spend her time and be in peace.