Alternative methods of work Essay Example for Free

Alternative methods of work EssayTelecommuting or working from the house, thanks to advanced communication technologies like wireless Internet, has grown staggeringly across the United States in recent years. Today, American commute in cars, buses, planes and trains while travel thanks to the possibility to send and submit files to and from the social function. Many reasons leave been advanced for the growth of this practice, and some of them include high transportation costs, ageing work force and technological advancements. This paper is going to examine a arrive of reasons why it is beneficial for employers to use alternative work schedules and telecommuting. Some of the reasons this paper leave examine include, but are not limited to, the cost of zipper and transportation, more productivity, work safety and ageing workforce Although qualification utilization go away continue to grow as we expand our industry and improve our prototype of living, efficient use of energy will always be of prime importance. By telecommuting to work instead of using more conventional methods, at that place is a great potential to save energy. Telecommuting brings about increased productivity and commitment from employees (Edmondson, 2001).The flexibility working from home offers to employees who have to care for children or other relatives allows them to perform better at their job. They require less time off, and are generally better focused and more productive. Many employers will burst their employees are accomplishing more and better quality work. Employers can establish goals and benchmarks that employees must meet and there are in any case ways that employees can be monitored online to plug they are working during agreed upon hours. Good managers can come up with excellent plans to measure employee performance.One of the major advantages of telecommuting to employers is the reduction of office renting and real estate expenses. The company subscribe tont m aintain the overhead costs of offices and in many instances actual real estate. ATT for example saved approximately $550 jillion dollars simply by eliminating or consolidating office space alone with their telecommuting program (Hamer, 1991). It besides minimizes parking requirements. In addition to office space savings, companies also can reduce parking requirements. Telecommuting also leads to a reduction in benefits expenses.For companies that choose to work with independent contractors plane more expenses such as benefits and social security may be eliminated. In fact, employers are likely to find that the majority of their employees would choose telecommuting over pay raises (Christensen, 1990 PP. 5). There is also an easier and even more effective recruitment process. There is a much larger pool of applicants for jobs that human resources has to choose from. Many well qualified applicants wont apply for a job simply based on location and companies have no choice but to hire applicants that arent the the right way fit for the job.The practice leads to better employee retention success. When a good employee needs to relocate due to personal circumstances, the company is much more likely to be able to retain their service. A tremendous amount of energy is required to produce transportation equipment such as automobiles, buses, trains and jet aircraft. If telecommuting is promoted, there will be less use of this equipment and less energy will be required for production, maintenance and come to of this equipment.Fuel resources needed to operate this equipment will be reduced, as well The edifice and repair of highways and maintenance requires a large consumption of energy, not only in the operation of the highway construction and repair equipment, but also in the manufacture and transportation of the required materials (Janal, 1991 PP. 4). An increase in the circumstances of people telecommuting to work will decrease the need for expanded highways and associated road maintenance. The first two areas related to getting to work.Once a person arrives at work in a central office location, he or she represents another energy consumer ofttimes times magnified many times over what would be required at home. The office building has heating, cooling and lighting needs, and the materials to build it and maintain it require energy in their production and transportation. Working from home requires only modest incremental demands on energy for heating, cooling and lighting needs, and makes effective use of existing building space and facilities.It helps employers to preserve our environment by reducing land use requirements for highway expansion and by reducing slow-moving automobile emissions. Highways and parking lots are continuing to consume large quantities of our land surface area. If a larger percentage of people telecommute to work, existing highways could be reduced in size and parking lots could be converted to parks. One of the la rgest sources of pollution is the automobile. This is especially true of slow-moving automobiles that often exist in heavy, congested rush hour traffic (Resnick, 1991, PP. 2).Of course, one solution to this problem is increasing the size and number of our roads, but an even better solution is to encourage those who can to telecommute, so we will not need additional highways, parking lots, and airports in the future. And, when we do choose to drive our cars, it will be in fresh air, on less crowded streets, when we are not in a hurry to get somewhere. Telecommuting promotes safety by reducing highway use by people rushing to get to work. There are thousands of traffic-related deaths every year and thousands more people severely injure trying to get to work.In addition there is substantial property loss associated with traffic accidents that occur as people take chances in couch to make the mad dash from home to the office (Crabb et al, 1991 PP. 6). Often, people have made the trip s o often that they are not really alert, often fall asleep and frequently become impatient by traffic jambs and slower travelers. More and more people are becoming frustrated by the insistence that they come into the office every day, when, in fact most, if not all of their work could be accomplished from their home or sites much approximate to their home (Huws, 1991 PP. 11)

Story Murderers Walk Essay Example for Free

Story Murderers Walk EssayIn the story murderers fling, Gary Kilworth conveys his ideas on law and arbiter truly effectively by using narrative voice, narrative structure, setting, use of language, plot and characterisation. The central premise of this story is that lifelike arbiter should and will always prevail. The plot of this story is a gage. You are introduced in the exposition to murderers walk, a free city state with no law. Kilworth explains about the stir feelings of criminals that have escaped the law, which leads on to an explanation of the game they feed in the inns. Groups of nine murderers play a card game to decide their own wipeout sentences. The loser, the player receiving the ace of spades must commit suicide within 24 hours. We are introduced to our main character that remains nameless throughout. He is a newcomer, who begins to play the game to feel that rush of adrenaline at escaping death again. We reach the climax as he loses. 24 hours of pure hel l, thinking about death, to begin with his life is over. Then denouement, just before death another player enters with two jokers and the game is declared void.The resolution being you are dragged kicking and hollo to play another game and relive the torture. The narrative voice of the story is quite unconventional. It is t mature in second person, and in the present tense, which makes it direct and involves the reader which is very effective as it makes the reader want to continue reading the story. The unconventional way in which the story is told conveys how unconventional the nicety system is in Murderers walk. thither are no laid out laws further justice is still carried out by nature.Narrative structure in Murderers Walk is in the port of the rules of a game which is ironic because in the story there are no rules, this suggests that Gary Kilworth believes rules are needed in society. If there are no rules indeed human beingsity will simply create some showing the power of imagination and that natural justice will prevail regulartually. The story usurps the readers expectations. At the ascendant of the story, in the first paragraph, the last line says it is not unusual to see a man or woman being dragged, or driven, or forcibly carried. Sometimes they are screaming sometimes they are stiff with fear. This reader automatically assumes that the character in question is being taken to their death but this is wrong and only as you reach the end of the story do you discover this. The last paragraph says They have stolen your death from you That is when they drag you along the highway kicking and screaming, like a man being led to his execution. This clearly conveys Kilworths opinion on law and justice. Natural justice will always prevail, even though the criminals can escape death they go through a worse torture having their deaths stolen from them as they were ready to die.Now they have to play the game again and undergo all the stress and tension again. During the whole of Murderers Walk there is no mention of dates or times. There is a mention of cobbled streets and old houses that overhang the alleys which suggests it may be set in Tudor or Stuart times but then there are still many streets at a time that have Tudor/Stuart buildings in them so it is quite possible it could be set anytime. It is like the sharpen has been frozen in time. Because its a lawless place it doesnt keep up with everyone elses time, its a law unto itself.This emphasises the eeireness and the feelings of terror and fear. This shows Kilworths view of the law and its failings. It cant control everything, and it never will, nature will always be a law unto itself eventually. Kilworths uses powerful language to great effect. He uses strong words to create powerful images, for example the pallor of your distended face purple perhaps? Your eyes, spacious balls easing out of their sockets? Your tongue hanging long between blue lips? You weep. Your head i s full of a thousand active thoughts, each one a nightmare. These words create a powerful atmosphere of fear. Showing how natural justice can be just as bad, worse even than human laws. Gary Kilworth uses numerous words relating to law and justice, like refuge, justice, law, escaped, rules, execution, guilt, fear, sanctuary, victims, and innocent. These words are repeated all through the story hinting at the theme of the story and continuously suggesting Kilworths views on law and justice. It is ironic how Murderers walk is described as a sanctuary. Leave the city-state and the sanctuary of Murderers Walk to take Sanctuary means safe and holy whereas Murderers walk is perhaps the exact opposite, it is a haven for criminals and its quite dangerous considering the games they play. This adds to the dark atmosphere Kilworth is trying to create. The setting he creates is dark and sinister. Its cobbles, slick even on dry days, tread the malefactors who have run to its shadows to escape the rope He tries and succeeds to put across a hostile setting to show that natural justice can be just as effective and worse than normal justice.No attention is condition to character details in this story. We arent even given names. This adds mystery to the plot. Only one character is mentioned singly, the main character. All we are told about him is that he is a murderer that has escaped the law, we dont know who he hit or how. All the other characters in the story are only mentioned collectively. During the story the characters dont interact at all except through the game. Its as though theyve become nothing, they live only for the adrenaline rush of the game and theyre all just waiting to die.Kilworth lets the reader get to know the character through his emotions quite a than letting the reader know all the details of the characters life and the reader immediately stereotyping him. Its a very effective way of writing. It emotionally involves the reader or else than them jus t learning about the characters, he tries to bring the reader into the story. The place is empty of emotions yet at the same time full of them. The limited impost of characterisation makes the place seem hostile and uncaring which simply re-emphasises that natural justice is just as bad as human law and that justice will always prevail.Gary Kilworth conveys his ideas on law and justice effectively from the beginning to the end of the story. He uses many words throughout Murderers Walk relating to law and justice, such(prenominal) as execution, guilt and death. He uses narrative voice in an unconventional way. He directly involves the reader by using second person, drawing them into the dark, dank, grand underworld of criminals. He structures the story like the rules of game, like societies rules, except theyve created their own.He creates a hostile setting which is very effective in proving his point that natural justice can be worse than government law. He effectively puts across that natural justice will prevail. He blends a mix of be pictures and dark meanings to show everything resolves itself in the end. Although the justice is very unconventional, the criminals in the story get what they really deserve in many ways. Their torment forces them to try and chess death until they are released by death. So in Murderers walk, Kilworth shows an innovative and effective way to show that justice finds its own way in the end.

Enterprise Rent A Car Case Analysis Commerce Essay

first step Rent A Car Case Analysis Commerce seekWith a vast network of over 6,000 renting locations and 850,000 elevator cars, first step car rental is the largest rental car come with in the United States. In fact, based on these statistics alone one can evaluate green light as a success story. Indeed, the confederacy scissures a unique and customer friendly service much(prenominal) as picking up customers and fetching them to the rental office. Enterprise has developed many assets that add competitive advantages, much(prenominal) as proprietary computer applications. The smart set c atomic number 18fully cultivates and trains its employees in a methodology that is highly useful for its business while also receiving accolades from peer organizations. By concent value oning on local rental opportunities, Enterprise has boffoly progressd growing its business against rivals such as Avis and round, while keeping up with current trends. At the same duration, the all iance has been adapted to open up more opportunities finished its recent addition of the car sharing securities constancy. Additionally, the business model that Enterprise runs can be deemed largely successful as it has been able to accomplish many of the goals that Enterprise has established.Moreover, as popularized through its now famous commercials, Well pick you up Enterprise has been able to portray its philosophy to its customer base. This slogan clearly states that at its core, Enterprise is all about customer service, making rental easier for its customers by picking customers up and taking them to the rental office. Yet this only scratches the surface in terms of understanding the broad and effective customer service programs that Enterprise employs. In fact, through big research, Enterprise has learned that customer loyalty was driven not only by just the idea of customer merriment, but by ensuring that customers were indeed all told satisfied.This distinction bet ween satisfaction and complete satisfaction was as result of Enterprises customer service researched that revealed local renters ranked ratings for completed satisfaction based on three criteria such employees attitude and helpfulness, speed of the transaction as well as the cleanliness of the vehicle. If 70% of the customers were all told satisfied ( freezeing off all three criteria) so such customers were deemed as completely satisfied and promising to be repeat customers where as if the satisfaction figure was at 22%, this meant these customers are less likely to be repeat customers of Enterprise. Thus in this way, complete satisfaction meant repeat business for Enterprise. In fact, a total commitment to complete customer satisfaction is engrained within the Enterprise culture, and is best exemplified by the Enterprise Service Quality Index, a proprietary evaluative tool designed by Enterprise to appreciate customer satisfaction.Enterprise also has sought competitive advantag e by developing tools and assets that its competition failed to duplicate. In fact, from early in its history, Enterprise has chosen to focus on local rentals, leaving airport rentals as the focus of a large number of its rental competitors. Enterprise has dominated the indemnification rental market not only by applying for and becoming preferred providers, but also because the company has provided its clients amends companies a direct interface into Enterprise reservation system, empowering the insurance companies to make reservations for their customers. Thus, in this way, the company essentially has invested heavily to create its clients insurance companies their own proprietary software reservation system, allowing them to supply the detail features most mandatory tailored to their needs while also avoiding the licensing fees and other challenges associated with a third party software application.The company is very choosy with the types of employees it hires, and considers its employees and training program to be of critical importance. The training of personnel by Enterprise begins at enlisting, with an expectation that for each one employee will slowly rise through the ranks of the company by earning each step they take. This provides the employees with a full understanding of how Enterprise prefers to do business and a full commitment to the eight founding values of the company. in that respect is a clear promotion path that is laid out before them, so employees understand at all times that they have a future with the company as long as they are willing to work for it. Employees are empowered at Enterprise, as the company views each branch location as a separate, semi-autonomous little company within their network. Although a high turnover rate would be of concern to most companies that experience the level of turnover that Enterprise does, the Enterprise business model is such that because the company places its employees in such a competitive e nvironment, higher turnover is expected and is accounted for through additional recruitment efforts. Thus Enterprise feels that this makes its employees more driven to succeed, in that locationby attaining higher levels of performance as a result.From a competitive standpoint, both Avis and Hertz have make efforts to enter the local car rental market that Enterprise dominates. It is hard to see how these two companies can be nearly as successful in this market as Enterprise because of the companys unique positioning with insurance companies as a preferred provider. As long as Enterprise maintains this position and continues to woo into brisk growth strategies such as shared car rentals, it should be successful in maintaining its leadership status within the local rental category.In addition, car sharing is a current growth market that many companies such as Enterprise and Hertz and investing into in order to grow. There are multiple considerations that explain the interest of thi s segment to customers, such as environmental considerations of reducing car ownership, less expense for renting a a couple of(prenominal) hours versus days, and convenience for those who do not wish or need to have a car full time. In areas such as large cities or college universities, the appeal is very clear and significant. With the largest network of local car rental offices, Enterprise should have easier access to this new market since the can easily offer car sharing option as an added service to customers from their existing locations. In fact, both Hertz and Enterprise are developing contracts with universities, corporate campuses, and municipalities. Therefore, Enterprise should continue this expansion in order to achieve a leadership status within this rental category.In order to properly evaluate the Enterprise Rent-A-Car business model and stop its success, the Enterprise Service Quality Index (ESQi) was developed through extensive customer research. ESQi evaluates ea ch location branch in its ability to deliver complete customer satisfaction. This index provides a specific measurement for each location branch through surveying of customers. In this way, the branches are essentially put into competition with each other, and compensation is based partially on performance criteria. Enterprise strives to achieve balance across its branches to remain pursuant(predicate) with respect to customer service. The main goal of the company is to increase the number of customers who are described as completely satisfied. Therefore, based on both criteria, Enterprise is considered to be effective in its customer service efforts. In fact, within a ten year period, the ESQi index increased from 67% to 80% for those customers considered completely satisfied. In addition, the gap between the best service and worst service branch locations narrow from twenty eight points to nine points over the same time period.Moreover, tools and assets can be evaluated based on the success of sales and achievement of customer satisfaction. Human resources methodology such as hiring and training were also assessed through employee computer storage, industry accolades and employee achievements. Furthermore, Enterprise has continued successfully in forging ahead in the local car segment based on the companys market growth and penetration. Of course, how effective Enterprise will be in the growing car sharing market remains to be seen, although at this point the success rate can easily be determined by what has been accomplished, and how well Enterprise is positioned to move forward. Based on the current evaluation, the company has been successful thus remote in these areas as well.Other tools and assets that are considered to have made a difference at Enterprise such as linking and empowering insurance companies that use Enterprise as its preferred provider to the companys reservation system, proprietary software that runs the Enterprise reservation system, and the companys focus on customer service through proprietary software applications. Enterprise holds a dominant position in the insurance car market, enabling insurance companies to better serve their customers. The proprietary software better serve customers as it is totally customized to the Enterprise business model. This proprietary software also provides additional services to the insurance companies by providing direct access to the status of secureness work on vehicles, notifying them when repair work is complete and lowering their car rental expenses as a result. In these ways, Enterprise has indeed effectively reached its objective.Employee retention is a potential issue for Enterprise. While the company does compensate through additional recruitment efforts, twenty five percent of new hires leave the company after six months, undoubtedly increasing recruitment costs. On the other hand, Enterprise is considered among the top 50 companies to launch a career by Businessw eek magazine, and the company has articulated a clear career track that provides employees with knowledge that there is a future at Enterprise. Another important consideration is employee achievements. The company does provide many awards and recognition for those employees who are considered to have achieved excellence and it is notable that many of the companys service innovations were created by branch managers and their teams. One such innovation that was created in the area is what arguably Enterprise is best known for, which is picking up customers and bringing them to the rental office. Enterprise is considered effective in this category as well, although it would be a good idea for Enterprise to increase its effectiveness by exploring ways to increase employee retention, perhaps through additional management training and conducting internal surveys to determine the right course of action in this realm.Additionally, Enterprises continued success in the local car market is vi rtually ensured through its close partnership with insurance companies and status as a preferred provider. The additional services Enterprise has provided to the insurance companies, such as access to its reservation system and the ability to check on the status of car repairs, augment their position in this market. Indeed, in this way Enterprise has a fundamental strength in the local car segment and its business model has been very effective.Moreover, the car sharing market has proven to be an area of growth for Enterprise, having successfully brought on dozens of partners such as universities, corporate campuses, and cities. There are competitors such as Zipcar that are larger in this segment, yet such competitors are currently not profitable. Hertz is also growing in this area and they appear to have a larger presence at this point than Enterprise. Of course, although Enterprise has been effective at expanding into this new area whether the company can continue to be effective s till remains to be seen.While not a direct part of the evaluation, there are other tangible advantages within the business model of Enterprise. As the largest rental car company in the United States, Enterprise enjoys the status of industry leader, and perceptually there are advantages to this status. Historically Enterprise has maintained very low overhead in many types of expenses, which is achieved through limited national advertizing and employee incentives to keep operational costs down. Finally, in conjunction to insurance local rental market, Enterprise also has enjoyed a large share of the leisure discretional rental market. Enterprises fleet management program is also unique and advantageous, as this program handles the sales of its own used rental cars without being locked into a specific car manufacturer for new car purchases like most of competitors.

Microwave Remote Sensing in Forestry

Microwave Remote Sensing in ForestryBACKGROUNDMicrowave remote signal detection at wavelengths ranging from 1 cm to 1 m has gained a lot of importance over the past decade for a wide range of scientific applications with the availability of active radar imaging sy melodic themes. Its emf in spatial applications has been scientifically established in various sectors like woodsry, agriculture, convey determination and estate cover, geology and hydrology. A variety of applications energise been carried out world over using microwave data like inequality of crop types, crop condition monitor, crap moisture retrieval, delineation of quality openings, attachment of tone in a higher place argument biomass, quality mapping forest structure and fire scar mapping, geological mapping, monitoring wetlands and snow cover, sea ice identification, coastal wind handle cadencement, wave slope measurement, ship detection, shoreline detection, substrate mapping, slick detection and ge neral plant life mapping (Kasischke et al., 1997).There is an rising interest on microwave remote perceive, as microwave sensors can image a surface with very fine resolution of a a couple of(prenominal) meters to coarse resolution of a few kilometers. They brook imagery to a given resolution independently of altitude, limited only by the transmitter forefinger available. Fundamental parameters like polarization and look angle can be varied to optimize the system for a specific application. SAR imaging is independent of solar illumination as the system gives its own source of illumination. It can operate independently of brave out conditions if sufficiently long wavelengths be chosen. It operates in a spate of electromagnetic spectrum different from the rings employ by visible and infrared (IR) imageries.Microwave applications in ForestryApplications of microwave remote sensing in forestry perk up in like manner been report during the recent past. Recent reviews on the application of radar in forestry show that SAR systems have a good capability in discriminating various types of (tropical) forest cover using multi-temporal and multi-frequency SAR data (Vander Sanden, 1997 Varekamp, 2001 Quinones, 2002 Sgrenzaroli, 2004). These studies showed that the biomass dependence of radar backscatter varies as a function of radar wavelength, polarization and relative incidence angle. Alsorecent studies have demonstrated that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be apply to portend to a higher place- res publica standing biomass. To date, these studies have relied on extensive ground-truth measurements to construct relationships surrounded by biomass and SAR backscatter (Steininger, 1996 Rignot et al., 1997). galore(postnominal) studies demonstrated the use of semisynthetic Aperture radio detection and ranging (SAR) remote sensing to retrieve biophysical characteristics from forest targets (Richards, 1990). Although radar backscatter from forest is in fluenced by their morphologic properties (Imhoff, 1995), earlier studies derived reclaimable relationships between backscattering coefficients and the to a higher place-ground biomass (Baker et., 1994 Le Toan et al., 1992 Dobson et el., 1992 Imhoff 1995). These relationships may provide a method of monitoring forest ecosystems which play much(prenominal) a vital role in deoxycytidine monophosphate storage and NPP.Microwave remote sensing has the advantage of all weather capability coverage overcoming the persistent problem of cloud cover in satellite images like in opthalmic data. Optical remote sensing is being used very successfully in various applications related to nation resources studies and monitoring of the environment. However, optical remote sensing is not adequate for all atmospheric conditions. It cannot penetrate through clouds and haze. In some(prenominal) vault of heavens of the world, the frequent cloud conditions practically restrain the acquisition of hig h-quality remotely sensed data by optical sensors. Thus, radar data has become the only feasible way of acquiring remotely sensed data within a given conviction framework because the radar systems can collect Earth feature data irrespective of weather or light conditions. Due to this unique feature of radar data compared with optical sensor data, the radar data have been used extensively in many fields, including forest-cover identification and mapping, discrimination of forest compartments and forest types, estimation of forest stand parameters and monitoring of forests. In areas where vegetation cover is dense, it visually covers the underlying governance and it is very difficult to detect structural limiting the use of optical sensors. microwave radar however, is mass medium enough to topographic variation that it is able to discern the structural expression reflected in the steer top canopy, and therefore the structure may be clearly defined on the radar imagery.Based on this background, the authorized thesis work has been carried out to explore the potential of microwave data in addressing core areas of tropical forestry viz., vegetation assortment, above ground biomass estimation etc., and to provide the users/researchers a meaningful data base of SAR applications in tropical forestry, specifically over the India region.Research questionsWhich SAR wavelength/frequency band is appropriate for vegetation assortment in tropical forests?To what extent above ground biomass can be measured in tropical forests?Which frequency band and polarization are suitable for above ground biomass estimation?Is there any enhancement in vegetation potpourri with polarimetric / interferometric data than stand alone amplitude data?Research speculationBased on the previous studies and earlier mentioned research questions, we understand that the backscatter increases with the increase in above ground biomass and depends on wavelength bands, polarizations used and on the fill area, topographic variations and species composition. So, the present study attempts to derive the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, twain as a complementary and supplementary role to optical datasets. Different techniques much(prenominal) as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence characterize different biomass ranges of the judge sites and classification of major(ip) land cover classes. This study would facilitate scope for future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques.OBJECTIVESBased on this background, the present study aims at the fol showtimeing objectivesVegetation type classification using polarimetric and interferometric SAR data.Forest above-ground biomass estimati on using multi-frequency SAR data and ground inventoried data.Vegetation classification is necessary to understand the diversity of species in a given area which gives above ground biomass with measured parameters. Hence, vegetation classification enhances the estimation of the above ground biomass.Forest biomass is a key parameter in understanding the snow cycle and determining rates of carbon storage, some(prenominal) of which are large uncertainties for forest ecosystems. Accurate knowledge of biophysical parameters of the ecosystems is essential to develop an understanding of the ecosystem and their interactions, to provide infix models of ecosystem and global processes, to test these models and to monitor changes in ecosystem dynamics and processes over time. Thus, it is a expedient measure for assessing changes in forest structure, comparing structural and functional attributes of forest ecosystems across a wide range of environmental conditions.Knowing the spatial distrib ution of forest biomass is important as the knowledge of biomass is required for calculating the sources and sinks of carbon that result from converting a forest to cleared land and vice versa, to know the spatial distribution of biomass which enables measurement of change through time.Field sampling is the around followed conventional method for vegetation type classification. The identification of different species in field yields good results in the estimation of the above ground biomass. It is very time consuming, expensive and very complicated.With the use of multiple sensors, varied data collection and interpretation techniques, remote sensing is a versatile tool that can provide data about the surface of the earth to suit any need (Reene et al, 2001). Remote sensing approach for vegetation classification is cost effective and also time effective. Though the identification of the tree species is possible only from the aerial imagery, major forest types can be identified from the airborne and the spaceborne remote sensing data. Visual image interpretation provides a feasible means of vegetation classification in forests. The image characteristics of shape, size, pattern, shadow, tone and texture are used by interpreters in tree species identification. Phenological correlations are useful in tree species identification. Changes in the appearance of trees in different seasons of the year some times enable discrimination of species that are indistinguishable on single dates. The use of multi-temporal remote sensing data enables the mapping of the different forest types.SAR has shown its potential for classifying and monitoring geophysical parameters both locally and globally. Excellent works were carried out on the classification using several approaches such as polarimetric data decomposition (leeward et al., 1998), knowledge based approaches considering the suppositious backscatter modeling and experimental observations ( Ramson and Sun , 1994) Backscat ter model-related inversion approaches ( Kurvonen et al., 1999), neural ne cardinalrks and data fusion approaches ( Chen et al., 1996). Dong et al. (2001) have shown that the classification accuracy of 95% for the vegetation classes could be achieved through the segmentation and classification of the SAR data using Gaussian Markov Random Field Model (GMRF).Many methods have been employed for classification of polarimetric SAR data, based on the maximum likelihood (ML) (Lee et al. 1994), artificial neural network (NN) (Chen et al. 1996, Ito and Omatu, 1998), support vector machines (SVMs) (Fukuda et al. 2002), fuzzy method (Chen et al. 2003, Du and Lee 1996), or other approaches (Kong et al. 1988, Lee and Hoppel 1992, van Zyl and Burnette 1992, Cloude and Pottier 1997, Lee et al. 1999, Alberqa 2004) Among these methods, the ML classifier (Lee et al. 1994) can be employed for obtaining accurate classification results, but it is based on the assumption of the complex Wishart distributi on of the covariance matrix.Assessing the resume aboveground biomass of forests (biomass density when expressed as dry weight per unit area at a particular time) is a useful way of quantifying the tote up of resource available for all traditional uses. It either gives the quantity of total biomass directly or the quantity by each component (e.g., leaves, branches, and bole) because their biomass tends to vary consistently with the total biomass. However, biomass of each component varies with total biomass by forest type, such as natural or planted forests and closed or open forests. For example, leaves provide about 3-5% and merchantable bole is about 60% of the total aboveground biomass of closed forests.Many researchers have developed various methods based on field inventory and remote sensing approaches for the estimation of above ground biomass (Kira and Ogawa, 1971). Traditionally, field-measured approach is considered as the most accurate source for above-ground biomass est imation. It has been converted to lot, or biomass, using allometric equations that are based on standard field measurements (tree top and diameter at breast height).Different approaches, based on field measurement (brown et al. 1989, Brown and Iverson 1992, Schroeder et al.. 1997, Houghton et al., 2001, Brown, 2002) remote sensing (Tiwari 1994, Roy and Ravan 1996, Tomppo et al., 2002, Foody et al., 2003, Santos et al., 2003, Zheng et al., 2004, Lu, 2005) and GIS (Brown and Gaston 1995) have been employ for AGB estimation. Traditional techniques based on field measurement are the most accurate ways for collecting biomass data. A sufficient number of field measurements is a prerequisite for developing AGB estimation models and for evaluating the AGB estimation results. However, these approaches are often time consuming, labour intensive, and difficult to implement, especially in remote areas and are generally limited to 10-year intervals. Also, they cannot provide the spatial distr ibution of biomass in large areas.For the above reasons, the perspectives of using remote sensing techniques to estimate forest biomass have gained interest. Remote sensing data available at different scales, from local to global, and from various sources, optical to microwave are expected to provide cultivation that could be related indirectly, and in different manners, to biomass information. The possibility that aboveground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods (Hese et al., 2005).The advantages of remotely sensed data, such as in repetivity of data collection, synoptic view, digital format that allows fast processing of large quantities of data, and the high correlations between spectral bands and vegetation parameters, make it the primary source for large area AGB estimation, especially in areas of difficult access. Therefore, remote sensing-based AGB estimation has increasingly attracted scientific interest.In general , AGB can be estimated using remotely sensed data with different approaches, such as multiple regression analysis, K nearest-neighbour, and neural network (Roy and Ravan 1996, Nelson et al. 2000a, Steininger 2000, Foody et al. 2003, Zheng et al. 2004), and indirectly estimated from canopy parameters, such as crown diameter, which are first derived from remotely sensed data using multiple regression analysis or different canopy reflectivity models (Wu and Strahler 1994, Woodcock et al. 1997, Phua and Saito 2003, Popescu et al. 2003).Spectral signatures or vegetation indices are often used for AGB estimation in optical remote sensing. Many vegetation indices have been developed and applied to biophysical parameter studies (Anderson and Hanson 1992, Anderson et al. 1993, Eastwood et al. 1997, Lu et al. 2004, Mutanga and Skidmore 2004). Vegetation indices have been recommended to remove variability caused by canopy geometry, soil background, sun view angles, and atmospheric conditions when measuring biophysical properties (Elvidge and Chen 1995, Blackburn and Steele 1999).Radar remote sensing has potential to provide information on above ground biomass. The information content of SAR data in terms of the retrieval of biomass parameters leave alone be assessed based on an understanding of the underlying scattering mechanisms, which in turn are derived from observations and modeling results. For this purpose, an analysis of data acquired by multiple frequency, incidence and polarisation systems and by interferometric systems is carried out. It has been proved that the sensitivity to biomass parameters differ strongly at different frequencies, polarisations and incidence angles.In general, long wavelength SAR backscatter (P and L band) is more tenuous to forest biomass than shorter wavelength C-band backscatter and the relationships saturate at certain biomass levels ( Imhoff 1995b). The strength of the relationships and the saturation levels are dependent on the type of forest being analysed (Ferrazoli et al. 1997). The saturation levels for the estimation of above ground biomass depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. C-band can measure forestry biomass up to app. 50 tons/ha, L-band can measure up to 100 tons/ha and P-band can measure up to 200 tons/ha (Floyd et al., 1998). The combination of multiple channels and polarizations provides greater advantage for estimating total biomass (Harry Stern, 1998).RELEVANCE OF THE STUDYThe present study is the part of Radar Imaging satellite colligation Experiment Programme (RISAT-JEP) for forestry applications undertaken by Forestry and Ecology Division of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), as a pilot campaign with specific objectives of above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ES AR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India.SCOPE OF THE STUDYThe specific objectives of the present study are above ground biomass estimation and vegetation type classification using airborne DLR (German Aerospace Center) carrying ESAR (Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for Rajpipla (Gujarat) study site and space borne ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) carrying Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) carrying Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) for three test sites viz., Rajpipla (Gujarat), Dandeli (Karnataka) and Bilaspur (Chattisgarh), India.Different techniques such as Regression analysis, multi-sensor fusion, texture measures and interferometric coherence were used to characterize different biomass ranges of the test sites and to classify the major land cover classes using spaceborne C-band ENVISAT-ASAR data and L-band ALOS- PALSAR data. Polarimetric signatures, polarimetric decompositions, multi-sensor fusion techniques etc. were used for the classification of different vegetation types in the Rajpipla study area using the airborne DLR-ESAR data.The study has its uniqueness and gains importance in the application potential of SAR interferometry over tropical regions like India, both in terms of an alternate/substitute to optical data sets due to persisting cloud cover and to the lack of availability of any earlier scientific work over the study region. This study is useful for the applications of to be launched Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) in 2010.The study has amply demonstrated the application potential of airborne and space borne SAR data in the quantification of the forest resources in tropical regions like India, both as a complement ary and supplementary role to optical datasets. The study would facilitate future research in tropical regions to explore the potentials of SAR data in land cover classification and above ground biomass estimation using the polarimetric and interferometric techniques.LITERATURE SURVEYDuring the last decade, many potential applications of SAR in different frequency bands have been studied for forestry applications using data acquired by both airborne and space-borne systems. Various techniques like Polarimetry, Interferometry and Polarimetric-Interferometry enhanced the use of SAR data in forestry applications. The backscatter from vegetation is used to infer information about amplitude data for forest cover mapping and estimation of above ground biomass in renew forests. Use of SAR polarimetric data delineated vegetation classes within the forest and also enhanced the capability in estimating the above ground biomass. The use of repeat pass interferometric data enables to calculate the forest stand height and also used for the land cover classification. The emerging Pol-InSAR technique is used to derive the three dimensional forest structures.Forest cover maps were prepared for the boreal, clement and tropical forests using SAR data. Forest was separated from non-forest regions using multi-temporal C-band ERS SAR data on the test sites of United Kingdom, Poland and Finland (Quegan et al., 2000). The study applied a threshold value to separate forest from other classes. Tropical rainforest of Borneo was mapped from SIR-B data of different incidence angles (Ford and Casey, 1988). Different vegetation covers along with wetlands and clear-cut areas were distinguished. Forest cover mapping was done with JERS-1 SAR data on the coastal regions of Gabon (Simard et al., 2000). The study used decision tree method utilizing both radar amplitude and texture information. Forest cover map was prepared for Southern Chittagong using JERS-1 SAR data (Rahman and Sumantyo, 20 07) and the study separated forest, extravagant forest, shrubs, coastal plantations, agriculture, shrimp-farms, urban and water.Although radar backscatter from forest is influenced by their structural properties (Imhoff, 1995a), many studies have demonstrated useful relationships between backscattering coefficients and the areal density of above-ground biomass within particular types of forest (Baker et., 1994 Le Toan et al., 1992 Dobson et al., 1992 Imhof et al 1995b).Many airborne and spaceborne SAR systems have been used to carry out a large amount of experiments for investigating the forest ecosystems. The airborne systems, such as the NASA/JPL AIRSAR, DLR-ESAR, etc., operating at P, L and C band, has been flown over many forest sites (Zebker et al., 1991 Le Toan et al, 1992 Beaudoin et al., 1994 Rignot et al. 1994 Skriver et al., 1994 Ranson et al., 1996). The experiments of the Canadian CV-580, as well up as the European airborne system, mainly operating at C and X band als o have been carried out in North the States and Europe (Drieman et al., 1989 Hoekman, 1990). Spaceborne SAR is being used from regional to global monitoring in a periodic basis. The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, ENVISAT-ASAR, RADARSAT etc., were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988 Dobson et al., 1992 Ranson et al., 1995 Stofan et al., 1995 Rignotet al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters such as diameter at breast height (dbh) and tree mean height including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992 Pulliainen et al., 1994 Skriver et al., 1994 Ferrazzoli et al., 1995 Ranson et al., 1996).Earlier studies has shown the potential of radar data in estimating AGB (Hussin et al. 1991, Ranson and Sun 1994, Dobson et al. 1995, Rignot et al. 1995, Saatchi and Moghaddam 1995, Foody et al. 1997, Harrell et al. 1997, Ranson et al. 1997, Luckman et al. 1997, 1998, Pairman et al. 1999, Imhoff et al. 2000, Kuplich et al. 2000, Castel et al. 2002, Sun et al. 2002, Santos et al. 2003, Treuhaft et al. 2004). Kasischke et al. (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. Lucas et al. (2004) and Kasischke et al. (2004) reviewed SAR data for AGB estimation in tropical forests and temperate and boreal forests, respectively. Different wavelength radar data have their own characteristics in relating to forest stand parameters. Backscatter in P and L bands is extremely correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB (Leckie 1998). In particular, SAR L-band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sader 1987, Luckman et al. 1997, Kurvonen et al. 1999, Sun et al. 2002). However, low or negligible correlations were found between SAR C-Band backscatter and AGB (Le Toan et al. 1992). Beaudoin et al. (1994) found that the HH return was related to both trunk and crown biomass, and the VV and HV returns were linked to crown biomass.Harrell et al. (1997) evaluated four techniques for AGB estimation in pine stands using SIR C- and L-Band multi-polarization radar data and found that the L-Band HH polarization data were the critical elements in AGB estimation. Kuplich et al. (2000) used L-band JERS-1/SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and conclude that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Sun et al. (2002) found that multi-polarization L-Band SAR data were useful for AGB estimation of forest stands in mountainous areas. Castel et al. (2002) identified the significant relationships between the backscatter coefficient of JERS- 1/SAR data and the stand biomass of a pine plantation. The study observed the improvement in AGB estimation results for young stands, compared to estimation for old stands. Santos et al. (2002) used JERS-1 SAR data to analyse the relationships between backscatter signals and biomass of forest and savanna formations. This study concluded that forest structural-physiognomic characteristics and the radars volume scattering, double bounce scattering are two important factors affecting these relationships. The saturation levels of backscattering co-efficient with respect to AGB depend on the wavelengths (i.e. different Bands, such as C, L, P), polarization (such as HV and VV), and the characteristics of vegetation stand structure and ground conditions. Luckman et al. (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to distract different levels of forest biomass up to a certain threshold, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions. capital of Texas et al. (2003) indicated that forest biomass estimation using radar data may be feasible when landscape characteristics are taken into account.The radar backscattering coeffi cient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992, Israelsson et al. 1994, Kasischke et al. 1994, Dobson et al. 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al. 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al, 1999 Fransson et al, 1999 Hyyppa et al, 1997 Israelsson et al., 1997 Kurvonen et al, 1999 Pulliainen et al, 1996), total growing pack (Balzter et al, 2000 Schmullius et al, 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al, 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al, 1998).Le Toan et al., (1992) used multi-polarisation L- and P-band airborne radar data, and found that the dynamic range of the radar backscatter corresponded highly with forest growth stages and is maximum at P-band HV polarization. The analysis of P-band data indicated a good correlation between the rad ar backscatter intensity and the main forest parameters including trunk biomass, height, age, diameter at breast height (dbh), and basal area. Dobson et al., (1992) showed an increasing range of backscatter with changing biomass from C to P-band, as well as higher biomass levels at which backscatter relationships to biomass saturate. Hoekman, (1990) found unworthy relationships between X- and C-band backscatter and volume and other stand parameters.The spaceborne systems, such as the Seasat SAR, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR and ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS, ENVISAT-ASAR and recently ALOS-PALSAR etc. were used for investigations of boreal, temperature and sub-tropical forestry test sites (Ford et al., 1988 Dobson et al., 1992 Ranson et al., 1995 Stofan et al., 1995 Rignot et al., 1995). These experiments and studies have shown that radar is sensitive to forest structural parameters including above-ground biomass (Dobson et al., 1992 Pulliainen et al., 1994 Skriver et al., 1994 Ferrazzoli et al., 1995 R anson et al., 1996).Kasischke et al., (1997) reviewed radar data for ecological applications, including AGB estimation. It is being reported in literature that the radar backscatter in the P and L bands is highly correlated with major forest parameters, such as tree age, tree height, DBH, basal area, and AGB. In particular, SAR L-Band data have proven to be valuable for AGB estimation (Sader, 1987 Luckman et al., 1997 Kurvonen et al., 1999 Sun et al., 2002). Kuplich et al., (2000) used JERS-SAR data for AGB estimation of regenerating forests and concluded that these data had the potential to estimate AGB for young, regenerating forests. Luckman et al., (1997) found that the longer-wavelength (L-Band) SAR image was more suitable to discriminate different levels L-Band backscatter shows no sensitivity to increased biomass density after a certain threshold, such as 100 tons ha-1, indicating that it is suitable for estimating biomass of regenerating forests in tropical regions.The radar backscattering coefficient is correlated with forest biomass and stem volume (Le Toan et al. 1992 Israelsson et al., 1994 Kasischke et al., 1994, Dobson et al., 1995). The sensitivity of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to forest stem volume increases significantly as the radar wavelength increases (Israelsson et al., 1997). The imaging process makes SAR suitable for mapping parameters related to forest biomass, like stem volume (Baker et al., 1999 Israelsson et al., 1997 Pulliainen et al., 1996), total growing stock (Balzter et al., 2000 Schmullius et al., 1997), LAI (Imhoff et al., 1997), or above ground net primary productivity (Bergen et al., 1998).The dependency of backscatter on above ground biomass was observed and related to the penetration of the radiation into the canopy and interaction with the trunk, where most of the volume, therefore, biomass of the vegetation is concentrated (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Dobson et al. 1992). HV polarization in longer waveleng ths (L or P band) is the most sensitive to above ground biomass (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Ranson et al. 1997a) because it originates mainly from canopy volume scattering (Wang et al. 1995), trunk scattering (Le Toan et al. 1992) and is less affected by the ground surface (Ranson and Sun 1994).As forest backscatter in different wavelengths and polarizations originate from separate layers of a canopy, the use of multiple channels or multi-step approaches (e.g., Dobson et al. 1995) could be used to estimate total above-ground biomass (Kasischke et al. 1997). Sun and Ranson (1994) estimated biomass in mixed conifer temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha.Band ratios (HH/HV and VV/VH) were also used for the above ground biomass estimation. However, Dobson et al. (1995) considered these band ratios too simplistic (as the corresponding backscatter will be much higher for the few tall trees than for the many short ones), although effective in estimating biomass at higher ranges. In spite of this, a combination of bands and polarizations in a multi-step approach made possible the mapping of biomass in a mixed temperate forest upto 250 Mg/ha (Dobson et al. 1995). Establishing a strong link between backscatter and forest variables is an important part of the successful estimation of forest biomass from backscatter. Models are often used to explain the relationship between forest variables, scattering mechanisms and SAR configuration parameters (Richards 1990, Kasischke and Christensen 1990). Another approach is the use of statistical analysis, where forest variables are related to SAR backscatter by regression models (Sader 1987, Le Toan et al. 1992, Rauste et al. 1994). The combination of the two approaches, in most cases to assess the results of the predicted biomass or backscatter via regression (Ranson and Sun 1994, Ferrazzoli et al. 1997, Franson and Israelson 1999). Statistical procedures such as stepwise regression analysis were also used to determine the best set of bands and polarizations to discriminate biomass levels (Ranson et al. 1997a).The three-band (C, L, and P) polarimetric AIRSAR sensor has been used in many forest biomass studies (e.g., Green, 1998 Kasischke et al., 1991, 1995 Moghaddam et al., 1994 Ranson Sun, 1997). The strongest correlation between SAR backscatter and forest biomass has been reported in P-band and the weakest in C-band (e.g., Beaudoin et al., 1992 Dobson et al., 1992 Israelsson et al., 1992 Rauste et al., 1992

Sustainable Future Alternative Energy Philosophy Essay

Sustainable future(a) Alternative Energy Philosophy EssayResearch into a Sustainable Future or resource postal code has been going on for roughly 30 years. In the beginning some scientist were faced with challenges by another(prenominal)s who deemed that their work was only for their geographic areas, and non really for the riding habit of all humans. Later, more than rigidly controlled studies were approached to ensure that all of human beings would benefit from this research to prove that it is indeed useful for every champion and not just one general area. Other studies were conducted and it showed that some places indigences more resource zippo than other place, such as poverty places compared to urban areas of America.oer the past 30 years, scientists grow demonstrated that selection might (water, interweave, steam, and heat) resemble fossil fuel abilities more than ever possible. Just how close that resemblance extends, however, has been a matter of some cont roversy. Scientists agree that they have acquired fairly valuable grounds to the success of substitute vim and artificial materials, but they have drawn quite a different conclusions in addressing the following questionsIn an influential article, Laughlin (2010) argued that alternative energy experiments were not just focused on a certain part or group of the world but rather the particular that it based on experiments done for the whole world in general. Laughlin and his colleagues at Petroleum Administration for refutation Districts (PADD) did extensive research of the cost of alternative energy and conventional energy, and what this means for the world to shed light on much needed attention. In fact, sustenance for these experiments were provided by key s orchestrateholders on a voluntary basis to show under jut outing on how the prices compared and what deals the people obtain such resources go forth be getting by of theses resources.In retrospect, the conclusions of Mi chael D. Laughlin seem to have been premature. Although some alternative energy and conventional energy studies had not been rigorously controlled to eliminate cuing, even as beforehand(predicate) as the ware era of America, the down fall of the stock market has pushed all expensive to a semi-halt, with the increase of buying these energies (Alternative Energy, 2010). Since 2000, researchers have diligently restrained against cuing.Perhaps the evidence that renewable energy is merely a response to cues is that manhood is indeed using more energy than that quite a little be re get upd. the like umpteen of the renewable energy studied, some have been in use for long measure and others are existence experimented with, such as solar energy, wind turbine energy, water energy, and steam energy (Alternative Energy, 2010). At the Alternative Energy Institute (AEI) founded in 1977 at WestTexas State University, Texas, USA, as an outgrowth of wind energy research begun in 1970. AEIs primary emphasis has been placed on wind energy, though certain research and education are also on solar energy. Recognized both nationally and internationally, AEI is proud to be the major information resource of wind energy for the State of Texas (Alternative Energy, 2010). Interesting fact is that this state is slackly known for the gulf and all the oil production that goes on in that respect and to see that this state is taking steps into wind turbines as an effort to produce renewable energy is remarkable.The extent to which alternative energy and conventional energy spontaneously usage may depend on the amount of which it is being produced. Laughlin has been inform many nigh the world about his remarkable break through with the cost of this useful energy and the technique of operant conditioning, so that it is no storm that one day go forth be manufacturing alternative and conventional energy at a lower cost than fossil fuel. umteen other researchers have used conventi onal energy and are now taking an approach that parallels the process by which humans acquire mostly of. In an experimental study, alternative energy and conventional energy have shown signifi squirtt (Alternative energy, 2010) contrasted two techniques, using electricity as their subject. They found that most of the renewable energy usage was signifi fecal mattertly more than what they expected.How will mankind benefit from this research?There is considerable evidence that alternative energy have invented creative ideas. One the earliest and most controversial examples involved the Hoover dam of Nevada. Hoover dam, was a break through with hydropower plants which is capable of producing 24 percent of the worlds electricity and come forth more than 1 billion people with power (Hydro plants, 1998). Researchers suggested that there was no basis for concluding that alternative energy was going to be the next big thing to bechance since the production era Alternative Energy, 2010) . Alternative energy was simply looked at another research project to Just do to get paid and neer taken seriously until now that is.Other examples are not so easily explained away. Laughlin has suggested that by combining alternative energy and conventional energy will result in a cost impressive manner for all of mankind since the discovery of fire (Alternative Energy, 2010). If one could think about all the possibilities of alternative energy and what this means for the future, everyone will know that taking the step into renewable resources can be what everyone will need. It seems as if the way mankind consumes native resources and of movement the daily burning of fossil fuels all result in the idea to expand on alternative energy. Any analyses report will end exhibit results that are all the same and that is production of alternative energy is what everyone will need, and this need will come so fast that it will get one thinking will there be enough of it when demand rocket s sky high? Or is this problem concerning the same problem as conventional energy can we make it?Is alternative energy to solution to the depletion of fossil fuel?The early terms in which recycling can become difficult and easier say than done. However many years of research showed that Environmental Specialist have been through enormous efforts to find ways of acquiring alternative energy. An attempt to detention Hawaii sustainable for our youths of tomorrow depends whether or not everyone will take action to this problem. Factoid 20 did you know that Renewable energy is becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels in the U.S (Sustainable, 2010). What are you going to do?Previous attempts at sustainability have seemed to fail yet there is still another chance to take a smack at it again. This change is possible and truly depends on everyones input to this effort. What needs to happen for this to take place, which is simple and that is to ensure that everyone embracing the idea th at alternative energy is the way to go. This can be different since some people who figure that it isnt their duty to conserve when the in the past mankind has ruined for others in the future. So therefore they dont feel responsible for what is going on today. However everyone is responsible for others actions because its one world and this means we need to police each other if we postulate this world to last, to show the future what it was to preserve it. Such as dependency on fossil fuels to operate mainly everything there is in this world. As time goes on we notice the dramatic increase on the depletion of fossil fuels. However there are alternative ways of power besides fossil fuels. In the turn of the century mankind is research with as many alternative energy as possible to reduce carbon emission given collide with from fossil fuel which adds to the global warming issue. (Sustainable, 2010).MeaningWhat does it mean to obtain a sustainable future is to ensure the safety of al l mankind utmost and wide. The understanding of a sustainable future is related to like having an Army that will protect you no matter what happens but in this case its more like an Army that everyone must put a piece together to ensure that this Army is stand strong. It can only get stronger the more that mankind adds to it. By adding to it, is to ensure that people conserve and recycle their garbage daily. Such ways are make sure that you separate all metal, plastic, and other abscond products in separate containers and dispose of properly. Although everyone will have there own meaning of a sustainable future there is one fact that can be concluded about all these unparalleled definitions and that is that they all comes down to alternative energy. According to Farlex dictionary is states that sustainability is To keep in existence maintain to supply with necessities or nourishment to provide for to affirm the validity of and to keep up (Farlex Inc, 2010) the natural resources a nd recycle to reuse. Therefore a sustainable future is stated more or less as a very serious situation in which we all must pay attention to. However as consort to Investopedia renewable resources mean, A substance of economic value that can be replaced or replenished in the same amount or less timeas it takesto draw the supply down. (Investopia, 2010).Some renewable resources have essentially an endless supply, such as solar energy, wind energy and geothermal pressure, while other resources are considered renewable even though some time or effort must go into their renewal, such as wood, oxygen, leather and fish.Most singular metals are considered renewable as well even though they are not naturally replaced, they can be recycledbecause they are not destroyed during their ancestry and use. What are the implications of the usage of alternative energy?Researchers are so impressed that they may help everyone world wide to come to an understanding of alternative energy. Pointing out that majority of the current extension are seeing this problem on daily basis that alternative energy is the way to go because of natural resources being used up quickly. The evolution of energy is on the breaking point and soon everyone will being producing their own renewable energy and who knows what would be next to replace the renewable energy. For example if everyone is using and reproducing it is there going to be problem of conserving it? However there is no explanation for that situation until we know what will happen. So as for now mankind is exposed to the renewable resource and all there is to do is embrace it for what it is. Renewable energy is all around us however it will take a lot to understand that the resources are very obtainable it more of when mankind will want to use it and when they wont depend so much on fossil fuels as much as they did before.Mankind can benefit from all of these researches conducted because due to the fact that all these researches reall y depend on the geographic locations of where they will be used. Due to the geographic location it can depend on what alternative energy can be produced and used more often than opposed to other locations. For example if a location doesnt naturally have hydro plants and the use of hydro plants are valued then efforts to obtain resources to make this happen will be difficult and therefore this explains everything about how it depends on the geographic location. Modern day systems allow this unique attribute to take shape, because the technology is available to mankinds use. This understanding is true to know that alternative energy is available to mankind because there is reason to believe alternative energy is going become more valuable to the people of the 20th century then ever before. If this could happen to be know to mankind that alternative energy is something that must be looked upon as an important factor of life then everyone would take this aspect of life much more seriou sly.ConsequencesWhen you think about a more reliable future, there are more efficient ways to go about. However efforts to obtain and conserve the importance of a renewable future have only begun. There are many ways in which many around the world are pitching in to do their deeds to help a bigger cause. Therefore is an on going effort in which the cure has yet to come. The result of this is alternative energy. When mankind depletes natural resources faster than it can be replaced will result in the use of alternative energy (Renewable, 2005). A Sustainable future is one that now mankind are seeking knowing willing that the gases and carbon emission that came from factories in the past have tolled a dramatic affect on todays climates and weather patterns.Many can justify this as another multibillion-dollar project in which taxpayers will end up in the end paying out of their pockets because money is near dead squat just due the economical crisis. Understanding the meaning of conserv ing to many is just to simply look at the person next to you and say, hey that person isnt recycling or if that person doesnt do why should I do it and others will think that it is just another scam to just people to pass by crazy about cheaper and better products when in the end they end up paying or more for the same product in which they recycled.Many can say that even if they recycle, use electric instead of gas, or even use renewable energy that the effort will fall shy of its think goal to universally change the world. However this concept is more gear to a different times. However these generations that it is geared to are somewhat paying for the dept of the generation that came before them. Take a step back into history when America was in the production period of products, the so-called Manufactured period. In this era production line rained supreme, and anything that was being build was build with chemicals and harmful particles in which at the time wasnt known to the people as the people werent so educated upon the substances being added to toys to cars and even to your everyday values.This understanding comes from many years of research as to where history repeats itself. All throughout the existence of mankind, people never had a detention on the importance of these harmful additives were going to impact the future. Now that the damage has been inflected in todays society todays generation are now paying the debt from the generation in the past. Considering the changes over the years and how modern technology has globalize and unify the world to come to an understanding that now we need to take a stand and ensure that alternative energy is a key concepts of mankind to survive. Now that generations are being more or well educated upon the sources and procedures they can take to ensure alternate energy is attain, this can ensure a brighter and better future.Such as electric cars, to hybrid cars, and even to hydro cars are one of many examples o f how alternative energy can be embraced and be globalized to the modern society. The future has yet to be told and there are many reasons as to why the mankind race is the way they are. Billions of years later and there have been a tremendous expedition towards technology to find better ways of the use of alternative energy. To include all is to know it all many will disagree but to come to an understanding of alternative energy people will need find ways to get themselves well educated with the subject at hand. There are so many programs out there in the efforts of inform the people of the world that a sustainable future is a bright future in which we all can live in.Many today are pushing to find more alternative energy to ensure a better and brighter future for tomorrow. Just like the ethnicities of the world mankind has become so diverse that even in finding ways of alternative energy or renewable energy scientist want to find all or many diverse ways to share the concept of a sustainable future for Hawaii. Hawaii is well known for its natural beauty, and because of its natural beauty a sustainable future is the key to a bright future for tomorrows generation. In another walk of life trying to bring knowledge to the people has proven effective but yet not to complete, due to the fact that not everyone will be informed or educated well enough and just do because its the right thing to do, however to give them glance at what a sustainable environment will look like if one encountered.Many things can be taken out about this and that is no matter what happens there is a meaning for it and why it happened to be that way. No matter what though there hasnt been enough information passed along to ensure that a sustainable future is what we will see.However according the Sustainable Energy Coalition (SEC) brings together more than 60 national and state-level business, environmental, consumer, and energy policy organizations. Founded in 1992, the Coalition promot es increased federal support for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and reduced federal support for unsafe or polluting energy resources (Sustainable, 2010)

Epic of Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulfs Christian Tone          Beowulf is an epic about a larger than life hero, who becomes leader of his people. The overall tone of Beowulf is predominantly Christian, "owe to a vision of evil in the world, a belief in the military group of Fate to rule human destiny, and resignation to the certainty of death." Parallelism in the midst of quite a little and providence, constant battling between good and evil, and the virtues of affection of others, moderation, and unselfishness all support this overall Christian tone.          "Beowulf is more than a conflict involving monsters, but it is an emblem depicting the constant battle between the forces of Good and Evil." The Evil in this case is Grendel. Grendel is portrayed as Gods antagonist, Satan. "Out from the marsh, from the foot of brumous hills and bogs, bearing Gods hatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill anyone he could tr ap on this trip to high Herot." Grendel is cursed with every feature rejected by God. "He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born to Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abels death."          Beowulf is the protagonist in this epic. He is the coercive Good. No man can match his qualities. "But the truth is simple no man swims in the sea as I can, no effectiveness is a match for mine." Beowulf was the ideal warrior everyone believed in him. "Hrothgar believed in Beowulfs bold strength and the firmness of his spirit." Beowulf was also very determined. "I ordain fight until he (Grendel) dies or Ill die trying." His main purpose in Beowulf was to gain glory and fame in order to distinguish himself. And by doing so he proves to be a man of wisdom and integrity who has fought the good fight and has defeated the inferior evil.   & nbsp      Another important Christian principle, which was emphasized, was the constant parallelism between fate and providence. There was a belief in wyrd, a belief in the power of Fate to rule human destiny balanced by the power of God, who is ultimately in control. "God must decide who will be given to deaths cold grip." Your fate was impossible to change. "Fate will unwind as it must" The future of a person was destined by their fate. "Fate saves the living when they drive away death by themselves"           The virtues of consideration for others, moderation, and unselfishness are also depicted and appreciated.

What is Asbestos? Essay -- Environment, Minerals

INTRODUCTIONAsbestos has been used since prehistoric times and there is archaeological recount from Finland, pottery containing asbestos fibres dating from 2500 BC (Mcculloch, 1986). Where asbestos fibres were mixed with clay to form stronger ceramic utensils and pots (Benarde, 1990), the ancient Greeks used it to make lamp wicks and other fireproof items. However, the romans wove asbestos fibres into fabrics to make towels, nets and even compass point coverings for women (Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, 1995, p.10). The substance was known to be inextinguishable or unquenchable. Though, asbestos had been around for thousands of years, mass use of the product became popular in the 1800s (Mcculloch, 1986). It was made up of non-flammable fibres and was real sturdy. Also, it was used in homes, businesses, and schools. Asbestos is a dangerous fibre, because its fibres become airborne and can be inhaled or swallowed (Lu & Kacew, 2009). Over time, it can cause both chronic lung conditions and disgraceful forms of asbestos cancer. (Benarde, 1990 Mcculloch, 1986).In the early 1900s to 1980s doctors in Europe discovered that workers were suffering from the respiratory diseases (Benarde, 1990), for the reason that they worked in heavily polluted asbestos containing atmospheres, excessive numbers of them became cases of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, because the workers were exposed directly or indirectly in virtually any occupation, even those who worked in offices (Benarde, 1990 Mcculloch, 1986). Furthermore, employees who worked for asbestos ship building, construction, mining, and other factories whose products used asbestos were also getting nauseous (Mcculloch, 1986), asbestos fibres were also being brought home on employees cl... ...ially in asbestos mining. A lot of the victims of the disease had worked directly with asbestos nevertheless, these the great unwashed got their exposures in the shipyard, construction trades, and buildings a s well as from the contamination of their homes and communities. As a result it occurred that nearly the uncontrolled use of asbestos progressively increased the population at risk from few thousand asbestos workers to millions of people in the general population.The employers and employees who worked in the asbestos reduction industry continued to alert on the handling of the human carcinogen. However, the rules and regulations were put in place to ensure gumshoe and protection of the workers. Sufficiency protective equipment and training were provided, medical surveillance programs by conducting routine examination of all the workers who worked with asbestos.