Kite Runner Essay Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Essay Essay Betrayal lingers like a curse, haunting its way into consciousness, injecting its poison of despair and loneliness. The action of Betraying is mostly associated with hate. However, there are some exceptions. Betrayal is not always done by evil people neither it is necessarily a closed end to a strong relationship between individuals. In khaled Hosseini’s novel The kite Runner, it is illustrated through character and setting the situations where betrayers were put under hard situations which causes them to commit actions that oppose their ethics. The goodness that exists in betrayers’ hearts in this novel indicates how everything can be betrayed, but hate could still be replaced by love. In the novel, the relationship status between individuals and the situations involved the betrayal were illustrated through character. Even though Baba betrayed his friend Ali when he slept with his wife, the relationship between Baba and Ali stayed the same due to Baba’s morality and love for his childhood friend. This is indicated when Baba said â€Å"He is staying here with us, where he belongs. This is his home and we are his family. †(Page 95). Throughout the novel, Baba is portrayed as generous, kind and loyal person. However, his betrayal to Ali created an oxymoron between his loyalty and betrayal. Despite his treachery to Ali, Baba’s morals continued to be alive and his love for Ali continued to be brotherly . In other words, the betrayal did not end the strong relation ship that was built between Ali and Baba throughout the years. This is because the actions committed by Baba don not reveal to his evilness or hate to Ali. It was the human desire that conquered his mind and led him to perform a disloyal action and a mistake that he paid the price for. Baba believed that there is always a chance for redemption and forgiveness as long is there is an existence of conscience. That is why he treated Ali as part of the family and insisted to have them living by him forever to prove that betrayal is not the death of loyalty. Also, Hassan’s reaction toward Amir’s betrayal shows that friendship and love beat betrayal and protects a strong relationship from collapse. Hassan demonstrates this when he confessed that he stole even though he did not as Baba asks â€Å"Did you steal that money and Amir’s watch† â€Å"Yes† Hassan replied. (page111). The heavy blow of betrayal was when Amir planted a watch and money in Hassans mattress to drive him away from his home. This was very harsh for Hassan but his innocence, devotion and sweet heart caused him to prevent the erasing of beautiful memories between two intimate friends. That is why he decided to admit something that he didn’t carry out. This proves the disloyalty is not the end of a strong relationship since Hassan kept respecting and loving Amir after he was betrayed by him. Furthermore, Amir’s betrayal to Hassan is not the result of Amir’s evilness or hate for Hassan, but it is the outcome of Amir’s felling of guiltiness. Therefore, the characters and in this novel changed the common idea that suggests how betrayal is done by sinful people which as result leaves the relationship in disappear. The novelist emphasizes the factors that cause people to betray each other despite their goodness though the setting. The story takes place in Afghanistan where Hazaras were persecuted which led Baba to betray both of Amir and Hassan by hiding the truth regarding their brotherhood. The suffering of Hazaras in Afghanistan is mentioned at the beginning in the book when the novelist said â€Å"Pashtuns had quelled Hazaras with unspeakable violence. †(page9). This quote indicates that anything associated with Hazaras was treated cruelly and forbidden in Afghanistan. That is why Baba could not admit that Hassan the Hazara is his son. If he told the truth, many conflicts could have developed and fanatical people in Afghanistan could have harmed Hassan. Baba’s conscience made him remember everyday that the biggest sin he has done is hiding the truth from people who have the right to know that truth. This indicates that Baba’s lie does not refer to his evilness, but it indicates his consciousness of the place he was surrounded in. In Afghanistan, blood at that time was everywhere and death of Hazaras was everyday’s scene. Amir became very upset after finding the truth. Nevertheless, the betrayal caused by Baba did not lead Amir to hate his father, but he tried to seek reasons for why his dad has done that. Moreover, the miserable and most exclusive betrayal of Hassan in the novel done by Amir signifies how even if the betrayal destroys the victim, the betrayer might not be evil and the victim could still have no hate for the betrayer. This is shown when Amir said â€Å"Everywhere I turned, I saw signs of his loyalty, his goddamn unwavering loyalty† (page 94). Amir watched Hassan becoming raped by Assef and does nothing to stop it. This is the biggest betrayal in the novel that left both Amir and Hassan in the dark side. However, the location of the raping scene greatly contributes to the betrayal’s status. The raping scene was set up in a place where only Asssef and his friends were standing in the alley at the time of sunset while they were abusing Hassan. The terrifying setting of the scene led Amir to be afraid that if he steps in, they would harm him. So, Amir decided to escape and betray Hassan by leaving him alone facing the disaster. Even thought it was a horrible betrayal, this does not point out to Amir’s evilness or hate . It is the setting that influenced Amir’s reaction. Besides, the betrayal was not the end of their friendship. Hassan kept being loyal until the last minute, and his loyalty was seen everywhere in Amir’s eyes even after the raping event. Redemption and fogginess were the keys of the continuous brotherly love between Amir and Hassan. In summary, it is evident that the places events occur in could be the reason for actions that oppose the individuals’ goodness. In conclusion, the novel The kite Runner incorporates Character and setting to prove that for every betrayal there is a cause, and every betrayer has reasons for their actions. The novelist conveys that betrayal must not be categorized under antipathy. The end of the novel indicates that redemption could solve the problem no matter how complicated it is. Anything may be betrayed, anyone may be forgiven, but not those who lack the courage of their own greatness. Strong relationship and love can solve any problem. There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love. Therefore, disloyalty is not the path toward hate.

Energy Crisis In Pakistan And Its Solutions Environmental Sciences Essay

Energy Crisis In Pakistan And Its Solutions Environmental Sciences Essay An energy crisis is any great shortfall in the supply of energy resources to an economy. It usually refers to the shortage of oil and additionally to electricity or other natural resources. The crisis often has effects on the rest of the economy, with many recessions being caused by an energy crisis in some form. In particular, the production costs of electricity rise, which raises manufacturing costs. For the consumer, the price of petrol and diesel for cars and other vehicles rises, leading to reduced consumer confidence and spending, higher transportation costs and general price rising. ENERGY CRISIS IN PAKISTAN Crisis  is one word which has become part of ordinary Pakistanis vocabulary like nothing else. First  we have sugar crisis, then wheat followed by electricity and to add more fuel to the fire now we are going through the worst gas shortage in our history. In Punjab this crisis has hurt the most with every person suffering its consequences. Thousands of daily waged workers have become jobless in industrial areas like Faisalabad, in homes women folk is suffering to feed their children, passengers wait for hours as the public transport has no CNG while those having personal transport wait for hours in order to obtain much required CNG refilling. Our innocent executives like their predecessor have a bucket full of excuses in order to justify this mismanagement. For price hike and declining economy they have the common tag line of market mechanism and global slowdown to justify this phenomena. In case of electricity and gas load shedding they can find no good reason but to curse increasing demand. The reality which they never accept is the fact that this shortfall is depriving our state from billions of rupees by not availing this opportunity of earning revenue, instead of wasting time on IMF imposed RGST and much more. Some conspiracy theories have floated for quite some time blaming this shortfall as a dirty mean to maximize their benefits. Like in electricity crisis they have managed to pull out the much debated Rental Power Projects while in case of gas shortage they are earning billions from taxes imposed on petroleum products and LPG. In short this recklessness can only be justified by only one reason, which is that our plans on day to day basis rather than planning in years as done in the developed countries. Energy resources have depleted! Whatever resources are available are simply too expensive to buy or already acquired by countries which had planned and acted long time ago. Delayed efforts in the exploration sector have not been able to find sufficient amounts of energy resources. Nations of the world which have their own reserves are not supplying energy resources anymore; only the old contracts made decades ago are active. Airplanes, trains, cars, motorbikes, buses and trucks, all modes of transportation are coming to a standstill. Many industries have closed due to insufficient power supply. Price of oil has gone above the ceiling. At domestic level, alternate methods like solar, biogas and other methods are being tried for mere survival.   The above is a likely scenario of Pakistan and around the globe after 25 years. A pessimistic view, but realistic enough to think about and plan for the future. But are we doing anything about it? Lets have a look at the current energy situation of Pakistan and the world.   Pakistans economy is performing at a very high note with GDP growing at an exceptional rate, touching 8.35% in 2004-05.In its history of 58 years, there has been only a few golden years where the economy grew above 7%. This year official expectations are that GDP growth rate will be around 6.5 7.0%. For the coming years, the government is targeting GDP growth rate above 6%. With economy growing at such a pace, the energy requirements are likely to increase with a similar rate. For 2004-05, Pakistans energy consumption touched 55.5 MTOE (Million Tons of Oil Equivalent).   The energy consumption is expected to grow at double digit if the overall economy sustains the targeted GDP growth rate of 6% by the government. Pakistans energy requirements are expected to double in the next few years, and our energy requirements by 2015 is likely to cross 120MTOE. By 2030, the nations requirement will be 7 times the current requirement reaching 361MTOE. Pakistans energy requirements are fulfilled with more than 80% of energy resources through imports.   On the other hand, international oil prices have not only broken all records but are touching new height every day directly or indirectly affecting the black gold industry. Moreover, speculators all around the world expect oil prices to touch $100 per barrel in medium term. With concerns over Irans nuclear program, terrorist issues in Nigeria and high economic growth in China India and their ever rising energy requirements, oil prices dont see any another way but to shoot upwards.   BACKGROUND OF CRISIS FEARED IN PAKISTAN Power crisis feared by 2007 The country may plunge into energy crisis by the year 2007 due to rising electricity demand which enters into double digit figure following increasing sale of electrical and electronic appliances on lease finance, it is reliably learnt Thursday. The country may face energy crisis by the year 2007 following healthy growth of 13 per cent in electricity demand during the last quarter, which will erode surplus production in absence of commissioning of any new power generation project during this financial year, informed sources told The Nation. As per Pakistan Economic Survey 2003-04, electricity consumption has increased by 8.6 per cent during first three-quarter of last fiscal year. However, a top level WAPDA official maintained that electricity demand surged up to 13 per cent during last quarter. The survey said household sector has been the largest consumer of electricity accounting for 44.2 per cent of total electricity consumption followed by industries 31.1 per cent, agriculture 14.3 per cent, other government sector 7.4 per cent, commercial 5.5 per cent and street light 0.7 per cent. Keeping in view the past trend and the future development, WAPDA has also revised its load forecast to eight per cent per annum as against previous estimates of five per cent on average. Even the revised load forecast has also failed all assessments due to which Authority has left no other option but to start load management this year, which may convert into scheduled load shedding over a period of two year, sources maintained. The country needs a quantum jump in electricity generation in medium-term scenario to revert the possibilities of load shedding in future due to shrinking gap between demand and supply of electricity at peak hours. According to an official report, the gap between firm supply and peak hours demand has already been shrunk to three digit (440 MW) during this fiscal and will slip into negative columns next year (-441 MW) and further intensify to (-1,457 MW) during the financial year 2006-07. The report maintained that the difference between firm supply and peak demand is estimated at 5,529 MW by the year 2009-10 when firm electricity supply will stand at 15,055 MW against peak demand of 20,584 MW. Chairman WAPDA Tariq Hamid at a Press conference Chairman WAPDA Tariq Hamid at a Press conference early this year warned about the possible energy crisis and stressed the need for quantum jump in power generation. The experts say it could only be possible through a mega project of hydropower generation; otherwise the gap between firm supply and peak demand will remain on the rise. QUEST FOR ENERGY SECURITY Energy has become an important prerequisite for the economic development of a country. On one hand it is used for the industrial and agricultural purposes and on the other hand it is required for domestic use of the citizens. Natural gas is the fastest growing primary energy source. Globally Energy Crisis in Pakistan 5 consumption of natural gas is projected to increase by nearly 70 percent between 2002 and 2025, with the most vigorous growth in demand expected among the emerging economies. Consumption of natural gas worldwide increases in the forecast by an average of 2.3 percent annually from 2002 to 2025, compared with projected annual growth rates of 1.9 percent for oil consumption and 2.0 percent for coal consumption. The electric power sector accounts for almost one-half of the total incremental growth in worldwide natural gas demand over the forecast period. SOUTH ASIA IS IMPORTANT TO WORLD ENERGY MARKETS South Asia is important to world energy markets because it contains 1.3 billion people and is experiencing rapid energy demand growth. After India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the next largest South Asian countries in these categories. Economic and population growth in South Asia have resulted in rapid increases in energy consumption in recent years. The major energy issues facing South Asian nations today are keeping up with rapidly rising energy demand. Agency for energy consumption has projected that by the year 2010 South Asian countries shall be consuming more than double the current levels of primary commercial energy. THIRD LARGEST COUNTRY IN USE OF NATURAL GAS Pakistans largest energy source is natural gas, with demand and imports growing rapidly. Currently, natural gas supplies 49 percent of Pakistans energy needs. According to the Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ), as of January 1, 2005, Pakistan had 26.83 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves. Pakistan is looking to increase its gas production to support increasing consumption through Pipelines from Iran and Turkmenistan. Currently, Pakistan ranks third in the world for use of natural gas as a motor fuel, behind Brazil and Argentina. In addition, Pakistan hopes to make gas the fuel of choice for future electric power generation projects. Pakistan ambitiously seeks to increase oil production through new alliances with foreign companies. Pakistans net oil imports are projected to rise substantially in coming years as demand growth outpaces increases in production. WASTE TO ENERGY IS NEEDED IN PAKISTAN Electricity generation from Wastes Recent increase in pollution due to the human and industrial waste has forced the man to devise ways to use it as an energy source. Energy from the waste is a recycling process known as  incineration. The process of incineration is the combustion of waste material to generate electricity or heat at large. This trend of generating electricity is more popular in underdeveloped countries because they are facing the severe pollution hazards. Incineration reduces the waste and proves helpful in generating energy. Recent studies have shown that a pack of solid waste contains approximately 548 watts of energy which is equal to one barrel oil. As the world is getting polluted day by day and important energy resources are scarce waste energy can be a useful technique in many ways. First of all the solid waste from the industry and household can be controlled. Secondly it can be used to generate electricity. Waste from energy process not only helps reduce waste but also is a cheap and affordable way of generate energy. Many developed countries in the world are selling their useful solid industrial waste to the third world countries. Energy from waste is utilized to charge electric batteries as well. The heaps of garbage in the world are spreading diseases. All the populated countries in the world are thinking of transferring their garbage waste to barren lands in the world by paying a little fee. It may help those countries but can be fatal for the people living near those lands. Therefore the ultimate solution is to utilize this garbage to generate energy. Many forms of fuel can be generated through the recycle of waste material which includes biofuel, ethanol from wasted water, hydrogen from garbage and electricity. The various forms of waste can be utilized to overcome the energy crises as well. This can also prove to be a way of earning money. Waste energy power plant can provide electricity to many power projects, and one can actually sell electricity to hospitals, fountain homes and small enterprises. Energy waste power plants are also environment friendly.   The use of sanitary landfill techniques has immensely dropped form 8000 to 1,767 in United States alone in the recent years. USA also produces 2500MW energy each year with the help of waste energy only. Many other countries in the world are making use of the waste energy. Recently Sweden, Japan and India has implanted energy waste power plants at large. Underdeveloped countries like Pakistan have also started an energy waste power project with the cooperation of Apex civic authority. This power project has been started with a view to counter the severe energy crises in coming years. The increasing trend of urbanization and a change in the living style has led to the piles of waste in large cities. as mentioned earlier the waste to energy power plants can also create jobs for many. This energy can also be exported to poor countries. Waste energy can help us fight the extreme conditions of global warming due to industrial waste. Biggest benefit that this waste energy power plant gives is that we have a way to use alternative fuels to run cars and vehicles also. We can lower our dependence on basic fuel such as oil and gas. The rising prices and scarcity of oil and gas has diverted the attention of the world towards the use of waste energy projects. Rawalpindi to have solid waste converter technology RAWALPINDI, Jan 8: A private company was on Saturday given the task to generate fuel from garbage after buying it daily from the city government, with the hopes that Rawalpindi will have a cleaner look. The Waste Management of Pakistan (WMP) was declared successful bidder to install the first solid waste converter technology in Rawalpindi, generating refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from municipal waste such as plastics and biodegradable items. A high-powered committee, chaired by Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Zahid Saeed, and comprising DCO Rawalpindi Imdadullah Bosal, representatives of Planning and Development (PD), Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, and Urban Unit, Punjab (UUP) announced the WMP as successful company for installing RDF plant. Two companies- Maple Leaf Ltd and WMP- had submitted proposals before the committee. Rawalpindis district administration will sell garbage to the company at Rs50 per ton. The total generation of waste in Rawalpindi city is around 800 tons daily, which means the district administration would earn Rs 40,000 a day once the company starts its operation. Mohammad Usman, a consultant of UUP, told Dawn that the cost of RDF plant was Rs80 million and it can separate combustible wastes from non-combustible ones. Importantly it can convert the entire garbage in the city into energy on daily basis with fertilizers as byproduct. Officials said the RDF plant would help reduce random disposal of garbage in the city besides helping the municipal authorities in timely lifting the trash from streets. It would be a major source of revenue for the local government on daily basis. The more the district government lifts garbage, the more would be its value. The company would daily pay money to the municipal agencies at transfer stations, Usman said. He said the garbage could be converted into gas, coal, fertilizer, fuel and electricity on the pattern of plants installed in Iran and other European countries. The idea to install the RDF plant in Rawalpindi came after Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Iranian city Mashad previous year where waste was converted into energy. The RDF is not only a source of energy and revenue but also helps maintain cleanliness in the city. The municipal authorities would now try to lift maximum quantity of garbage and the streets will remain clean round the clock, an official said. WIND ENERGY PROJECT A Project funded by Ministry of Science Technology Wind Energy is clean renewable source of energy and is also the worlds fastest growing energy resource. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) with the financial collaboration of Ministry of Science Technology (MoST), has completed its project entitled Wind Power Potential Survey of Coastal Areas of Pakistan (Phase-I) in June 2005. Phase-II consisting of Wind Mapping of Northern Areas of Pakistan is own going since July 2005.The demand for energy has increased in tremendous proportions in the last few decades in Pakistan; the same is expected to increase further in the coming years. The primary sources of energy available in Pakistan are oil, natural gas, hydro and nuclear Power. At present oil accounts for approximately 45% of total commercial energy supply. The share of natural gas is 34% while that of hydel power remains roughly at 15%. The increase in cost of fossil fuel and the various environmental problems of large scale power generation have lead to increased appreciation of the potential of electricity generation from non-conventional sources. This has provided the planners and economists to find out other low cost energy resources. Wind and Solar energies are the possible clean and low cost renewable resources available in the country. The potential, for the use of alternative technologies, has never been fully explored in Pakistan. Wind power provides opportunity to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel and at the same time expands the power supply capacity to remote locations where grid expansion is not practical. Recently conducted survey of Wind Power Potential along coastal areas of the country by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), indicates that a potential exists for harvesting wind energy using currently available technologies, especially along Sindh coast. Gharo, one of the sites in Sindh where the wind data have been recorded and studied by PMD, has been selected for using the measured wind data the annual gross energy production by an 18 MW wind farm consisting of thirty 600 kW turbines will be 45 million kWh. Taking into account the wind turbine availability, net losses and wake effects in the wind farm the net annual energy production is estimated to 31 million kWh per year corresponding to a capacity factor of 28%. The total investment will be Rs: 850 million and pay back period will be 7-8 years. The capital cost of wind power projects ranges Rs 4 to 5 crore per MW. This gives a levelised cost of wind energy generation in the range of Rs: 2.50 to 3.00 per kWh, taking into consideration the fiscal benefits extended by the government. Wind Power Production There are two terms to describe basic electricity production. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Efficiency, 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capacity factor. Efficiency  refers to how much useful energy (electricity, in this case) we can get from an energy source. A 100 percent energy efficient machine would change all the energy put into it into useful energy. It would not waste any energy. There is no such thing as a 100 percent energy efficient machine. Some energy is always lost or wasted when one form of energy is converted to another. The lost energy is usually in the form of heat, which dissipates into the air and cannot be used again economically. How efficient are wind machines? Wind machines are just as efficient as most other plants, such as coal plants. Wind machines convert 30-40 percent of the winds kinetic energy into electricity. A coal-fired power plant converts about 30-35 percent of the chemical energy in coal into usable electricity. Capacity  refers to the capability of a power plant to produce electricity. A power plant with a 100 percent capacity rating would run all day, every day at full power. There would be no down time for repairs or refueling, an impossible goal for any plant. Coal plants typically have a 75 percent capacity rating since they can run day or night, during any season of the year. Wind power plants are different from power plants that burn fuel. Wind plants depend on the availability of wind, as well as the speed of the wind. Therefore, wind machines cannot operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A wind turbine at a typical wind farm operates 65-80 percent of the time, but usually at less than full capacity, because the wind speed is not at optimum levels. Therefore, its capacity factor is 30-35 percent. Economics also plays a large part in the capacity of wind machines. Winds machines can be built that have much higher capacity factors, but it is not economical to do so. The decision is based on electricity output per dollar of investment. Capacity Factor, The annual energy output from a wind turbine is to look at the capacity factor for the turbine in its particular location. By capacity factor we mean its actual annual energy output divided by the theoretical maximum output, if the machine were running at its rated (maximum) power during all of the 8766 hours of the year. Example: If a 600 kW turbine produces 1.5 million kWh in a year its capacity factor is = 1500000: (365.25 * 24 * 600) = 1500000: 5259600 = 0.285 = 28.5 per cent. Capacity factors may theoretically vary from 0 to 100 per cent, but in practice they will usually range from 20 to 70 per cent, and mostly be around 25-30 percent. Pakistans first Wind Power Plant Pakistan has a considerable potential of wind energy in the coastal belt of Sindh, Balochistan and as well as in the desert areas of Punjab and Sindh. This renewable source of energy has however, not so far been utilized significantly. So far, large wind turbines for power generation have not been installed in Pakistan. However, about 30 wind mills for pumping water have been installed for experimental purposes in different parts of Sindh and Balochistan. In addition to the development activities in wind energy field for on grid electricity production, the wind energy is also being used for the electrification of remote off grid villages in the southern coastal areas of Pakistan. So far more than 18 villages have been electrified using micro wind turbines. Indigenous development of micro wind turbines has also commenced in Pakistan. Pakistans first ever Wind Power Plant of commercial scale was inaugurated by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on 19th April 2009 at Jhimpir, District Thatta, Sindh. PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY Nuclear technology for peaceful purpose is traditionally divided into five parts: Mining and processing of nuclear raw materials Mining and processing of nuclear raw materials, the production of enriched uranium, the fabrication of nuclear fuel elements, the design construction and operation of nuclear reactors and fuel reprocessing. Use in agriculture, medicine, industry, biology and hydrology Apart from the use of nuclear energy to produce electricity from power reactors, it has also been used extensively in agriculture, medicine, industry, biology and hydrology. Radiation is finding widespread use, like to improve the present varieties of fruit, vegetables and crops. The radiations given out by atomic reactors are sometimes used for the treatment of diseases like cancer. These radiations are also used to kill dangerous germs and insects in foods and cultivated fields. For the good of society The peaceful application of nuclear energy is one of several factors contributing to the process usually described as automation, more precisely perhaps: the process of rationalization, or the fusion of science and production in industry. Scientists have started using it for the good of society. Nuclear energy can be used for destruction as well as for construction Nuclear energy can be used for destruction as well as for construction. The world needs nuclear power and will need it more in the years to come. We can see the nuclear applications in industry, nuclear radiations and radioactive materials are providing more accurate control in the production of better and cheaper things. Produce electricity on a very large scale Another thing where Pakistan is lacking behind is the electricity. Nuclear energy can help is the supply of cheap electricity. Small amounts of radioactive materials are used in these plants to produce electricity on a very large scale. It can help in easy generation and regeneration of water to produce electricity. The best use of the nuclear energy is in the field of medical sciences, the diseases of the thyroid have been classified with the use of radio iodine which the gland absorbs far more easily. Other countries are also making efforts to produce electricity at cheap rates from atomic power plants. COAL TO GET ENERGY Coal is the cheapest and the most common fuel used directly or indirectly to produce electricity and heat in the world today. Global coal consumption was about 6.7 billion tons in 2006 and is expected to increase 48% to 9.98 billion tons by 2030, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). China produced 2.38 billion tons in 2006. India produced about 447.3 million tons and Pakistan mined only about 8 million tons in 2006. 68.7% of Chinas electricity comes from coal. The United States consumes about 14% of the world total, using 90% of it for generation of electricity. The U.S. coal-fired plants have over 300 GW of capacity. Thar desert region in Pakistan is endowed with one of the largest coal reserves in the world. Discovered in early 1990s, the Thar coal has not yet been developed to produce usable energy. With the devastating increases in imported oil bill and the growing shortages of gas and electricity  in the country, the coal development is finally beginning to get the attention it deserves. Coal contributes about 20% of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions but it is the cheapest fuel available, according to  Pew Center  on Global Climate Change. It can provide usable energy at a cost of between $1 and $2 per MMBtu compared to $6 to $12 per MMBtu for oil and natural gas, and coal prices are relatively stable. Coal is inherently higher-polluting and more carbon-intensive than other energy alternatives. However, coal is so inexpensive that one can spend quite a bit on pollution control and still maintain coals competitive position. It does seem that Pakistan is finally getting serious about utilizing its vast coal resources to produce electricity and gas. Talking recently with GeoTVs Hamid Mir, Pepco Managing Director Tahir Basharat Cheema shared the following list of coal projects being launched: 1. The Sind Government has awarded a 1200 MW project to extract Thar coal and produce electricity to Engro Power. 2. A similar 1200 MW project is being undertaken by Pepco in Thar. The Pepco project also includes a 700 Km transmission line to connect Thar plants with the national grid. 3. An experimental project for underground coal gasification is being built by Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr. Mubarakmand to tap underground coal to produce 50 MW. 4. Another experimental 50 MW project using pressure coal gasification is planned by Pepco. Thar Coal Power Project Pakistan, Gasifications and Deposits Today Pakistan is facing severe shortage of energy and electricity.  Pakistan energy crisis and its solution  is much debated issue in Pakistan and coal is important part of that debate. Pakistan is not using coal for the energy production and only 1% of energy is obtained from coal. Overall theglobal share of coal in power generation is 38%, the share of coal in energy production of China is 72% while 56% for India and more than 59% for US. Coal is found in all four provinces of Pakistan and especially Sindh has huge reserves of coal located in Lakhra, Sondra, Thar and Badin. The Thar coal deposits alone estimated at 185 billion tones.  Thar coal deposits were discovered in 1992 and it is irony that even after 18 years Pakistan fails to use this great source of energy production. Bureaucratic red tapism and centre-province tussles are main  reasons of failure of Thar coal   Pakistan project. The only viable project so far remains the coal-based 450 MW power plant in Lakhra. Lakhra coal Development Company has 44 mines fully developed. Recently  Dr. Mubarakmand who is appointed the member of Planning Commission of Pakistan  launched the Underground  Coal Gasification  UCG project for the conversion of underground coal into gas without bringing it above ground. Coal gas will be used to generate electricity which is badly needed in country. But  Thar coal deposits  will take another three to four years before they start generating electricity. With initial projects Pakistan can produce over 10,000 MW of electricity for 30 years and this capacity can be enhanced up to the 50,000 MW in future. Critics of  Thar coal project  says that the quality of coal is not good and due to this inferior quality of Thar coal it is not possible to generate electricity. Their other objection is that soil of those areas is also not suitable and can cause many technical problems. Thar coal project is of great importance for Pakistan. The electricity produced from the Thar coal project will cause only rupees 4 per unit and it will drastically improve the situation of electricity in country. Although due to climate change now world is against the coal-based power generation but major world powers are using coal as major source of energy generation. Pakistan can still opt for coal-fired power plants because it is not a big polluter and its contributions to gas emissions are hardly one per cent.  Coal reserves in Pakistan  are huge and  coal gasification in Pakistan  in new phenomenon which can help Pakistan to come out of this energy crisis. HYDRO POWER The most frequent way using in Pakistan is the hydro power, as electricity is one of the major problem now a day for Pakistan, because most of the business and other factory work or local work is done with the help of electricity. So its a major source of energy for the Pakistan and hydro power is one of the important and frequently used method used by Pakistan for the production of the electricity. Hydro power is generated by using electricity generators to extract energy from moving water. Historically people used the power of rivers for agriculture and wheat grinding. Today, rivers and streams are re-directed through hydro generators to produce energy, although there arepros and cons  as far as local ecosystems are concerned. The articles on this page explore the use of water to generate electricity. Solutions Short term solution Solution of current losses in the system is 24% The methodology that will provide immediate relief is the conservation and judicious use of whatever little energy is being produced in the country. The current losses in the system are 24% of the total power generated. These include losses incurred during transmission and distribution as well as due to theft. Wasteful consumption such as businesses remaining open till late at night and unnecessarily brightly lit also contribute to losses. By reducing these to 10 % we can save up to 300 MW of energy. The government should enforce shutting down businesses and forbidding excessive and unnecessary lighting during late hours. Zoning should be enforced in cities. Power switched off at scheduled hours in market zone Market zones can have their power switched off (load sh

Impact of Social and Sexual Changes on Art

Impact of Social and Sexual Changes on Art Hair has traditionally been cited as a discernibly female expression of sexuality and beauty, an aesthetic composition that exacerbates a womans ability to attract members of the opposite sex while acting as a visual demarcation line between the male female divides. Conversely, the fact that men often begin to lose their hair during the middle stages of their life adds further mystique to the power of female hair in popular western culture. Like her sexuality, a womans hair is unrelenting burning bright like the female passion that has so unsettled male artists for centuries. Symbolically, the difference between male and female hair has been ephemeral versus eternal; short lived as opposed to everlasting, a fantasy constructed entirely in tandem with a lack of knowledge or even interest in female sexuality within intellectual and artistic circles in the past. The notion of female hair working together with her sexuality as a tool to make a mockery of men was first cemented artistically during the ancient era, where Greek mythologys most famous exponent of the power of seduction of female hair, the Gorgon Medusa, stands as a warning to all men: to beware the hidden power of a beautiful woman. The punishment inflicted upon Medusa by the Goddess Athena because of her famous beauty and charm was to transform her sensual hair into a nest of snakes: for mortal man to even look at her would cast him, quite literally, into stone. With such a powerful, traditional starting point, it is little wonder that the issue of women, hair, art and society would continue along a broadly similar pattern for so many years, where stereotypically beautiful women were seen by men as constituting the front line of the ongoing cultural and sexual war – an object to be simultaneously admired and feared. However, according to James Kirwan (1999:73), it is not female sexuality which is destructive but rather male desire for that beauty. â€Å"The passion of the lover is not extinguished by the sight or touch of any body, for what he truly desires and unknowingly suffers is the splendour of God shining through the body. It is a desire like that of Narcissus that can never be satisfied.† Within the specifically subjective realms of art and visual art, female hair has a long history of conforming to the accepted image of the compliant, recipient woman due to the pervasive, dominant nature of men in art and society. Until the second half of the twentieth century women had become so accustomed to viewing their world through the eyes of men that they had lost sight of the individuality of women as a separate gender and as singular, autonomous human beings. Yet after the 1960s, visual art and aesthetics became increasingly interested in the views of the first wave of feminism, continuing along more radical, left wing lines with the introduction of the second wave during the 1970s. Women were embraced within the artistic community and encouraged to vent and express their sentiments regarding the suppression of the feminine in popular culture. As feminist critic Lucy Lippard (1980:352) details, the true power of feminist art was, logically, in the polar opposite image that it portrayed of modern societys creative achievements. â€Å"Feminist method and theories have instead offered a socially concerned alternative to the increasingly mechanised evolution of art about art. The 1970s might not have been pluralist at all if women had not emerged during the decade to introduce the multi coloured threads of female experience into the male fabric of modern art.† Moreover, women began to change their appearance for the first time in direct protest at the shackles of uniformity that male society had put upon them and hair was at the centre of the re moulding of the image of femininity in the West. The more radical, younger women changed their clothes, re adapted their attitudes and cut their hair in line with the more liberal males of the period who did likewise and grew their hair as a signal of their refusal to conform. The dissertation aims to examine how traditional social and sexual mores have changed in recent times in order to detail what this means for the visual artistic community, in particular the consequences for female artists in the wake of post modernity. In light of the obvious split in feminist art and culture that has been witnessed since the sixties, the dissertation will necessarily be divided into four main sections. The first chapter will provide an analysis and definition of the broader socio political framework of contemporary female sexuality so as to provide a better understanding of the power of feminine symbolism in a male dominated culture. The second chapter will look at the history of female hair and portrayals of female sexuality over the broader history of art; the third chapter examines modern visual art and culture paying particular attention to the use of hair as a medium for communicating with the spectator. The fourth chapter will analyse outsider arts views of female sexuality and hair, as defined by technology and race respectively. A conclusion will be sought only after taking into account each of the above headings as well as the necessary citations that must be employed to back up theory with example along the way. Contemporary Female Sexuality in Post Modern Society Female subversion in cultural affairs has led to womans alienation in the creative world with the result that her sexuality has only very recently been considered important enough to be the inspiration behind a growing body of academic literature. While feminism in the 1970s saw to it that gay women were represented in culture and art as much as heterosexual women, the movement of lesbians into the avant garde community only served to act as a dividing line between straight and gay women whereby many heterosexual female artists were seen as traitors to their own sex. Recent popular works of art and literature have sought to re introduce complexity into an area where theories about the nature of sexual liberty, manufactured largely by men, had become overtly simplistic. The most extreme exponent of the contemporary debate about female sexuality comes from Paris Curator for Conceptual Art, Catherine Millet and her 2002 memoirs, The Sexual Life of Catherine M. In an interview with The Observer (2002:13) newspaper, the French art critic notes that: â€Å"Sexual mores have evolved recently; nevertheless some sexual practices are only tolerated if they are kept hidden. I look forward to a democratisation of sexuality where anyone can reveal their true nature without suffering socially.† Women in Western society have become more independent, assertive and culturally aggressive during the past twenty five years so that female sexuality, in 2005, although still a topic in transition, is a force to be reckoned with inside of the male corridors of artistic influence. Yet contemporary feminist art is an amalgamation and result of the prejudices and taboos that went before it; it is, therefore a symptom of post modernity the culture that defines itself as the generation after the initial social liberation of the sixties implicitly and intrinsically linked to both gender and sexuality. As Christopher Reed (1997:276) implies, feminism was the catalyst for the widespread disassociation that is at the root of post modern radicals ground breaking view of sexuality. â€Å"From the outset, postmodernism dislodged the wedge that mainstream modernism had driven between art and life†¦ feminists, in particular, questioned the way the anti authoritarian rhetoric of postmodernism seemed to become itself a form of cultural authority.† However, although it is true that women play a far more integral role than they did barley two or three generations beforehand, modernity has not constituted a complete break with the past. Modern art, as a direct relation of post-modern society, remains a sphere still largely controlled by men. What it has done is to ask questions where previously only traditional lines of argument were sought. In this way it can viewed as a series of separate branches that emanated from the same initial tree – creating seedlings of avant garde, abstract art, conceptual art, minimalist art and pop art to name but the most famous few. The sum of the legacy of the schism that occurred in society after the residue of the minor cultural revolution of the sixties had settled was a general approval of art as inversion: that what was previously long was short, that what was previously deemed as beautiful was altered until it became ugly – until, paradoxically, it was ultimately seen as beautiful once again. According to Donald Kuspit (artnet.com; first viewed 13 September 2005), modern and post modern art is obsessed with perverse images of sexuality as a source of constantly finding ways to push the barriers of societys rigid attitude towards sexuality and the physical form. â€Å"The treatment of (the body) as the be all and end all of existence, and the only thing at stake in a relationship is the source of modern arts perversion. It extends to a preoccupation with the body of the work of the art itself, which also becomes the object of perverse formal acts.† Postmodernism, therefore, implies rapidly increasing parity between men and women in all spheres of western culture best viewed in the sense of a blurring of the traditional boundaries of sexuality as opposed to a complete merger. At this point it should be noted that, in the same way that it was white males that dominated western art, so the feminists who influenced the first stages of avant garde art were predominantly white, educated and middle to upper class. The issue of race and religion is equally as significant in the discussion of feminism as it is within an analysis of society at large; cliques and hierarchies are a necessary by product of modern civilisation and their presence (and influence) should come as no surprise to basic students of sociology. Hair, every bit as much as skin colour, is a visible dividing line between the races and in the West the image of the Caucasian variety of female hair as a symbol of womens sexuality has resulted in a womans movement that is f ractured and splintered, more so given the brevity of the ideology as a whole. The essential link between culture and art, as well as politics and art means that nothing created during the early years of feminism was out of the reach of politicisation and none of it would have been made were it not for the wider advent of post modern society. Or, as Gombrich (1986:11) puts it: â€Å"not all art is concerned with visual discovery †. With the backdrop to the arrival of feminist sexuality and art in place, an evaluation of how one of the most potent symbols of feminine sexuality was used as a tool of womans subordination in art in the past must now be attempted. Female Hair, Sexuality and Symbolism in the History of Visual Art As already outlined, the question of womens hair and artistic expression is deep rooted in all civilisations. As well as the Greek and Roman equations of hair with dormant female sexuality, the pre Raphaelite artists also promulgated the view of feminine hair as seductive conqueror of weak male spirits. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century paintings continued to expand on the association of the snakes or ringlets of the Gorgons Head with male fear of female genitalia; the reversal of roles whereby the sinuous hairs of Medusa were inverted to symbolise the male phallic icon of power of women and nature. These notions were underlined by Freuds analysis that saw the intricate waves of classical female hair as symbolic of female metamorphosis and change – characterised by the uniquely female ability to transcend gender. According to Meghan Edwards (victorianweb.org; first viewed 15 September 2005), the Classical and Romantic image of the female using her hair to devour male libido was a collective and conscious manifestation of fear in Victorian society, one that was transmitted from the ancient period through to the advent of modern visual art. â€Å"The myth of women who carry in their femininity a grotesque vagina with teeth or who have embedded in their being a serpent or snake with the power to castrate took root long before Rossettis Lady Lilith but became increasingly unambiguous, bizarrely personalized, and widespread among the Symbolist poets and painters by the end of the [nineteenth] century. Visual and psychoanalytic connections between hair and serpents become increasingly explicit in Fernand Khnopffs The Blood of the Medusa, Franz von Stucks Fatality, and Edvard Munchs Vampire, wherein we see the complexity and ambiguousness that infused the imagery of earlier artists like the Rossettis, Waterhouse, Tennyson, and many others give way to an unrestrained fear and indulgence in the grotesque.† Rossettis Regina Cordium (Queen of Hearts), which he painted in 1860, began a period of change in artistic perspective on female hair, where it was accented as a means to communicate a womans ultimate fragility and dependence on man: the first realisation of her sexuality as the embodiment of mans annihilation and self destruction. Pollock (1992:132) notes how, â€Å"her hair is loose, a decent and suggestive sign of allowed disorder, conventionally a sign of womans sexuality.† It is of course significant that almost all of the most artistic and visual instances of female hair in painting were created by men. Many male artists, such as Manet, whos Olympia (1863 5) stands as the most obvious popular example, were non apologetic in terms of their bourgeois fascination with lower class women who were able to fulfil the well to do gentlemans most liberal carnal desires. As the prism through which both men and women viewed societys accepted ideal of the female form, these works of art (especially significant in the days before photography and other twentieth century means of visual communication) constituted the only truth that women knew. Artists of the Enlightenment such as Jean Baptiste Greuze, whos Broken Mirror (1773) charts the social struggle of sexually experienced yet single young woman, as well as High Victorian painters like William Holman Hunt, whos The Awakening Conscience (1853) details the plight and unique dilemma of a kept woman, all converged to create the prevailing image of female sexuality that remained the staple diet of western art for much of the twentieth century: a smouldering power that could be easily sedated by the socio political power of man. As Judy Chicago and Edward Lucie Smith (1999:88) testify, the fallen woman was the most popular portrayal of female sexuality for many of the male artists who dominated the pre twentieth century artistic arena with creators highlighting her essential weakness with a minimal visual emotional connection. â€Å"She is the one who has no way out, and the painter contemplates her dilemma with a sort of repressed sadism. With each one of these works one feels a conflict of intention. The artist, will ostensibly sympathising with the plight of his female subjects, in fact enjoys their suffering, and expects the audience to do so as well.† Where hair was employed as a tool to reference female sexuality, it was used to derisory and derogatory effect, as witnessed in the 1934 sculpture by Renà © Magritte entitled, Le Viol (The Rape), which transforms a mould of a womans torso into a distorted image of her face; her breasts are made into eyes, the hair covering her genitals becomes the mouth, while locks of coarse wavy hair protrude from the neck, conforming to the male stereotype of female hair as an instantly recognisable feature of her fertile sexuality. Clearly, female artists, although very much in the minority were by no means obsolete and painters such as Louise Marie Elizabeth Vigà ©e Lebrun, Rosalba Carriera and Angela Kauffman are but three of a long history of richly talented women artists who showed the intellectual and artistic communities the muted side of female sexuality, beyond the narrow conceptual borders imposed by man. However, in relation to the issue of hair as a vehicle through which to transport female sexuality to the viewer, few of these artists, male or female, made substantial in roads into a deeper philosophical exploration. It is important to note the significant socio economic shift that beset Europe and the United States after the end of the Great War in 1918. Because of their contribution to the labour force, in addition to the nascent political bodies such as the Womens Institute (founded in 1915) and the Suffragette Movement, females in the West were for the first time able to exist, albeit nominally at first, outside of the control of a patriarch. Gradually at first, more completely after the end of the Second World War in 1945, women were able to embrace independency, which necessarily brought with it tremendous consequences for the artistic community. Whereas women artists previously had to pander to male taste in order to sell as well as fund their work, women artists of the second half of the twentieth century were more able to create for the sake of creation as opposed to as a means to fit into male structured society. As Anne Sheppard (1987:97) details, the significance of the release of the socio economic weights of expectation inherently means that essence of the artistic endeavour must change. â€Å"Among an audiences expectations of a work of art are expectations concerned with artistic forms and conventions. The Greeks of the fifth century BC would expect a chorus in a tragedy. Shakespeares contemporaries would expect a Fool in a comedy. Mozarts contemporaries would expect harpsichord music to be played with trills and grace notes. Giottos contemporaries would expect saints to be painted with haloes.† As a broad rule of all artistic behaviour, artists had traditionally been bound by the expectations of the paying audience. Thus, the revolution concerning female sexuality and the way in which she has been visually portrayed came via economic emancipation first. Attention must now be turned to instances of female hair as a means of expression of sexuality in modern visual culture after the creative liberation of women. Female Hair as a Medium in Modern Visual Culture The above background to the advent of the age of modernity, and of the arrival and acceptance of women within the upper echelons of the artistic community in the West, highlights the male dominated nature of notions of female sexuality. Hair was expressed as one of the most seductive of all of womans charms – an intricate part of the parcel that was created by God solely for mans destruction. Even when woman is portrayed as life giver in art, the act is more often than not displayed as ugly and confrontational, as Jonathan Wallers Mother No. 27 (1996) testifies. Indeed, the ongoing negative reaction of museums to child birth and maternity reveals more about the still dominant attitudes of females as sex objects as opposed to life enablers – as destructive rather than constructive, which is to the detriment of the art community as a whole. It naturally follows that while the majority of the (male) art community continued to associate flowing female hair with her ubiquitous sexuality, women artists tied to the first and second waves of the international feminists movement would wish to convey a hidden, alternative image. One of the most universally celebrated of twentieth century female artists was without doubt Frida Kahlo. She is famous not only for the wealth of talent and technique that was at her disposal but also for her independent, analytical and honest view of women, given added significance due to her prominent position in Mexican society. Her self portrait with cropped hair (1940), which is housed in New Yorks Museum of Modern Art constituted the first mainstream attempt to castrate the pervasive female sexuality as characterised by the iconography of ubiquitous long hair. It should be recalled that this painting was created at a time when uniformity of sexuality was the cultural norm: women were meant to hav e long hair, which meant that the subtle question Kahlo posed to women who viewed it was magnified all the more. Two decades later, at the dawn of the watershed decade of the 1960s, the impact of the famous Beatles haircut, first styled and professionally photographed by Astrid Kircherr (who exhibits the cropped blonde look in a self photograph in 1961) was universal within western culture and was noteworthy for its inversion of traditional sexual roles. As, during the sixties, young men grew their hair longer so young women were more inclined to cut their own, highlighting a deliberate cultural means of rebelling against the tired sexual mores of the time. Gay women, in particular, began to associate short hair with sexual freedom. Although contemporary Western society views the stereotypical butch woman with short hair as symptomatic of the lesbian underworld, it was indeed a bold move in the sixties and seventies for a woman to cut her hair in such a symbolic gesture. In this way, women such as the avant garde artist Harmony Hammond (who famously came out via cutting her previously long, feminine hair in New York in 1974) were using their own hair and body image as their art, to make a statement that, visually and aesthetically, woman was no longer the lens through which man peered at his own vision of beauty. As per all cultural de constructions of popular mythology, the actual look of a womans hair was the only the first building block of conformity to be removed in the first phase of feminist expression. Harmony Hammond, furthermore, was one of the most prominent users of hair as an artistic material. Whereby hair was previously used to express female sexuality via depicting or painting the length, texture and contours, Hammond and the burgeoning abstract sect of North American artists sought to incorporate hair into their work to bring attention to the social and sexual constraints by which we all live. She used her own hair in the construction of a hair blanket as well as utilising animal hair to make hair bags. Hammond used materials such as hemp, straw, thread and braids to reference the equation of feminine hair with sexuality throughout her body of work. As Paul Eli Ivey (queerculturalcenter.org; first viewed 21 September 2005) explains, Harmony Hammond exhibited the greatest abil ity to manoeuvre female hair away from its association with beautiful heterosexual objects of male desire, combining ideology and aesthetics in a discernibly feminist manner. â€Å"In the 1990s, Hammond combined latex rubber with her own hair and the hair of her daughter or friends, to suggest landscapes of gendered and sexualised bodies. The braid and the pony tail also took on a life of their own as personified characters: the braid relating to an integration of mind, body, and spirit; the stylised ponytail becoming a flirtatious, sexualised persona.† Her sculpture, Speaking Braids, plays on the difficulty in forming a singular feminine voice in such a diverse culture, where lesbian and bisexual women still feel cut off from the socially acceptable heterosexual females of the twenty first century. The head is disconnected from the body, mirroring societys view of woman as an object of passive desire. The most shocking element is the vomit of light brown braids that extend from the remorseless face of the head of the woman, designed to engage the audience in contemporary thought about the disembodied cries of women to whom marriage and conformity are not available. Hair was therefore used to point out essential moral and ideological divisions within female sexuality and, according to Joan Smith (1997:165), the failure of society to recognise the fundamental differences amongst the various sectors of the broader female sex has been to the detriment of feminism and, ultimately, western culture as a whole. â€Å"Women are expected to be different from men but the same as each other. While there is general agreement that women are unlike men in numerous ill defined ways, there is enormous reluctance to accept the idea that women might not be broadly similar to each other. The issue that exposes this distinction most sharply is motherhood, so that a woman who chooses not to give birth is characterised not just as unnatural but as a traitor to her sex.† Mille Wilson is another feminist artist who has used the symbolism of hair to state a valid view on female sexuality by employing it as the central theme of persuasion. In her ambitious visual art project, The Museum of Lesbian Dreams (1990 2), Wilson speaks to her audience through the fetish surrogates of the typical view of the female body in this instance using female hair in the form of a series of womens wigs to underline the essential similarity of heterosexual and homosexual womans dreams and deepest aesthetic desires, relying on the long, luxurious manes of the artificial hair to symbolise the traditional notion of hair as standard bearer of vivacious feminine sexuality. As Whitney Chadwick (2002:396) notes in her expansive study of women, art and society; â€Å"her work articulates the historical inaccuracy, often absurdity, of social constructions of lesbianism within dominant heterosexual discourses. Such discursive formations often to work to fix identity within, and o utside, normative paradigms.† It should be apparent that much of the artistic arguments pertaining to female hair and sexuality emanate from the perspective of the historical outsiders, namely gay and bisexual women. All great art is created from passion and in terms of damaging sexual stereotyping relating to female icons of beauty the avant garde art community has felt the greatest reason to voice concerns over the prevailing attitude of society towards womens sexuality. However, the real outsiders within the broader feminine artistic debate need to be analysed in order to underscore how hair is culturally understood as one of the most important foundations of mainstream notions of female sexuality. Female Hair and Visual Expressions of Sexuality from the Perspective of Outsider Art Beyond the set boundaries inherent within sculpture and painting, photography and performance art have been the most likely to make a physical statement pertaining to female sexuality. Whereas most other forms of modern visual art minimalism, conceptual art and pop art concentrate on extracting the content rather than moving towards a lifelike representation of the female body, photography recreates the human form as an artistic facsimile. It must be noted that photography and visual performance art highlight the issue of female sexuality via concentrating on the entirety of the hair on her body as opposed to detailing only the stereotypical view of female hair emanating from her head. Indeed, no examination of the subject of sexuality and hair can be complete without an analysis of the art worlds view of female body hair per se, which is culturally speaking – hidden, shaved and moulded in a far more stringent and severe way than any style of hair upon the head, a fact that Germaine Greer (1999:20) expands upon. â€Å"Women with too much (i.e. any) body hair are expected to struggle daily with depilatories of all kinds in order to appear hairless. Bleaching moustaches, waxing legs and plucking eyebrows absorb hundreds of woman hours.† Feminist adherents in the art world have inevitably challenged the claustrophobic views of society towards female body hair with pictures created to shock and induce academic debate about a needlessly taboo topic. Sally Mann made a series of explicit photographs of herself and her daughters during the 1990s, including Untitled (1997), a photograph that focuses the viewer upon the dense vaginal hair of the artist, whose legs are spread open in a bathtub with the subtext of highlighting how women enjoy exactly the same bodily functions as men, however much society shuts itself off to biological reality. Moreover, by making the camera concentrate on the nexus of pubic hair the spectator is likewise advised to consider the cultural reasons as to why women must shave every other part of their body where hair grows naturally. The most shocking and moving of all photographic imagery involving female hair tied to the notion of sexuality is Hannah Wilkes self image taken during her demise from cancer, the disease having robbed her of her hair though not of her female organs, as the naked photo in a wheelchair, selected from the Intra Venus collection (1992 3), graphically illustrates. The power of the visual focus is centred upon the artists wish to show how hair does not make a woman feminine – and that the human spirit is more powerful than any facet of the physical body. Visual art enactment reserves the greatest power of persuasion and audience manipulation. Post Porn Modernism, a performance art show that was exhibited in New York in the late 1980s, is the most obvious example of a visual exposition of contemporary female sexuality devised to shock the audience, concentrating in this instance, on the artists pubic hair and genitalia. Playing on the historical artistic obsession with the female whore, Rebecca Schneider (1996:161) declares that Post Porn Modernism was merely another way to de mystify the myth of female sexuality, in particular highlighting the fragile nature of consumer capitalism where the prostitute is both buyer and seller merged into one. â€Å"In theory, the real live Prostitute Annie Sprinkle lay at the threshold of the impasse between true and false, visible and invisible, nature and culture as if in the eye of a storm. As any whore is given to be in this culture she is a mistake, an aberration, a hoax: a show and a sham made of lipstick, mascara, fake beauty marks, hair and black lace.† However, the art most likely to capture the absurdity of the persistent link between granted notions of female hair personifying womans innate sexuality is that which is created by African women: artists who have to cross strict racial as well as gender and sexuality lines in order to portray women from their culture in an aesthetically acceptable light. These women are the true outsiders of Western artistic expression. Leslie Rabine (1998:127), for example, declares that: â€Å"western slave culture and economics invested the arena of skin, hair and make up with political struggle,† with the result that African women born in the West have had their body image dictated by colour and gender, which creates a kind of schizophrenic effect on the black women to the extent that the naturally curly, short African hair has been usurped in fashion by wigs, extensions and artificially straight hair. Typically, it has been left to the avant garde community to ignite the backlash against the marginalisation of black female sexuality. Alison Saar, daughter of African American feminist artist Betye Saar accented the widely accepted view of natural black female hair as the cultural antithesis to feminine sexuality in her sculpture entitled, Chaos in the Kitchen (1998). Saar used coarse iron wiring to mimic indigenous African hair, on top of a female face that has been deliberately denied eyes to highlight the cultural blind spot that black women have towards their own vision of female beauty. She means to state that, in attempting to copy white mans image of feminine beauty via hair, black women have only succeeded in hollowing out their historical selves. African American artist and photographer Renà ©e Cox made an even more challenging alternative to the prevailing paradigms pertaining to female sexuality and race when she made, Yo Mama (1993). The photograph places the artist standing up naked except for Western high heels the stereotypical twin symbol of hair as the autograph of heterosexual female sexuality. The hair on he

Relations Between Turkey and America Essays -- Cold War Turkish Americ

Relations Between Turkey and America INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to look for the relations between Turkey and America from the cold war to current issues I will study on the situations that are developed between America and Turkey starts from the end of the cold war such as â€Å"Truman doctrine†, â€Å"missile crisis† and â€Å"gulf war†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The policies of United States and the reactions of Turkey’s against that policies will take part in this paper. COLD WAR The Soviet Union and the United States, after World War II, began a military competition. The Soviet Union, after the end of World War II, wished to expand the buffer zone between itself and the Western world. In addition to the original Polish territory, the USSR established communism in Rumania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. The Kremlin felt that The United States was going to try to spread its capitalist ideals into all of Europe and eventually, the Soviet Union itself. Also, the United States saw the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe as the beginning of a plan to spread Communism throughout the world. This misconception was the beginning of the Cold War. The relation ship between America and Turkey has improved from 1947. In this relation the geopolitical position of Turkey plays a big role. The Truman Doctrine The first United States anti-Communist action was, in 1947, to begin providing economic aid to countries pressured by outside powers. When Britain announced that it would withdraw aid to Greece and Turkey, the responsibility was passed on to the United States. America was afraid of spreading of communism because of that President Harry S. Truman asked military and economic aid for Greece and Turkey and established a doctrine named as the Truman Doctrine that would guide U.S. diplomacy for the next forty years. The United States had also been following events in Turkey. The weak government of Turkey faced Soviet pressure to share control of the strategic Dardanelle Straits. Also Turkey could prevent the expansion of Soviet Union to the Mediterranean and Middle East and it could be a set for the Soviet Union in a probable war. Also Turkey had an important geopolitical position for USA, Turkey could provide an important geopolitical advantage for USA in a war with Soviet Union. These were the most important reasons for USA to help Turkey... ...all in 21st century they have good relations).Especially after September 11 attacks, declaration war against terrorism by USA, Turkey decided to be with the USA side. Turkey had lots of problems about terrorism (especially PKK). Turkey had important geopolitical position because of that USA would not want to lost turkey. As long as the economic crisis exists in turkey the Turkish foreign policy will be more depended on USA and IMF. But at the and when we look at the current events in international arena, especially the visit of president of Turkey Ecevit to united states in January 14, 2002 we see that the USA- Turkish relations becoming better. REFERENCES: Baskà ½n Oran, TURK DIÞ POLITIKASI, Iletià ¾im yayà ½nlarà ½, Istanbul,2001. Idris Bal, TURK DIÞ POLIIKASI, Alfa basà ½m yayà ½m daà °Ãƒ ½tà ½m, 2001. Doà §.DR. Oral Sander, TURK-AMERà KAN ILIÞKILERI, Ankara, 1979. Dr. A. Haluk ÃÅ"lman, TURK-AMERIKAN DIPLOMATIK MUNASABETLERI, Ankara,1961. Kamuran Gà ¼rà ¼n, DIS ILISKILER VE TURK POLITIKASI,Ankara,1983 William Hale, TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY, Frank Cass publishers, britain, 2000. http://www.Turkey.org http://www.turk-yunan.gen.tr http://www.yale.edu

Penn State Crew :: Rowing Regattas Sports Athletics Essays

Penn State Crew Penn State Crew is a completely student run organization dedicated towards preparing its members towards rowing competitions, called regattas. Since its inception in 1994, the team has seen periods of immense growth. No longer is the day when Penn State Crew is struggling to compete for dead last. Instead, we are bringing home the hardware as evidenced by our very successful fall and winter seasons (for complete results, please visit the team's homepage.) The team just recently purchased two eight-man Vespoli shells and a new boathouse is currently in the design phase and is planned on being constructed at the team's home lake, Bald Eagle Lake, located about thirty plus minutes from the University Park campus. Penn State Crew is very fortunate because it is one of a few club sports here at Penn State that has actual, paid, highly qualified coaches who bring an immense rowing knowledge base to the team. We are looking forward to this Spring 2003 season as one filled with much pr omise, lofty expectations and phenomenal competition with some of the nation's premier rowing squads. Please follow our progress all season at the team's homepage, http://www.clubs.psu.edu/psucrew/. The Reason We Do This... A fierce shriek pierces the serene darkness of night. Snoring is still heard from the football players who live next door as a figure stirs in the lofted bed. Groggily, without glasses or contacts, a calloused hand reaches out towards the annoying sound that all non-morning people have come to hate. Suddenly complete, utter silence is restored as the alarm is shut off. A yawn and swing of the legs soon lands bare feet on the cold floor of a dorm room in Hartranft Hall at Penn State. Eyes are rubbed and open and shut five or six times rather rapidly as they try and focus on the iridescent green digits that stare back. â€Å"4:37† reads the alarm clock and radio contraption designed with an alarm loud enough to wake Satan from deep slumber in the bowels of hell. Without any warning, a whirlwind of action commences and within fifteen minutes, the rower emerges from the shadows and is on his way to another Penn State Crew practice. Craziness. Sheer craziness is how the athletes on the crew team are most commonly described by anyone at all who resides on this campus.

American Centennial Exposition

The Centennial Exposition of 1876 was America’s first official world’s fair. This fair was held in Philadelphia for celebrating 100th anniversary of the â€Å"Declaration of Independence†. This fair was really important in the history of America as it portray an image of progressive American society, culture and economy on an international platform. This Centennial Exposition was not only celebrated America’s hundred years of independence, but it was also held to showcase the recovery of the country form its reconstruction phase after its independence and the emergence of the nation as an internationally significant industrial super power.This paper will make an attempt to analyze how the Centennial Exposition of 1876 represented the identity of America and how this exposition provided a narrative of American history. The main focus will be on the nature of the exposition which is known better known as a platform where America’s image transformation was made. Thus the thesis statement of this paper can be as follows: The Centennial Exposition of 1876 gave the country a new progressive image in socio-cultural and economic field of America.This thesis statement will be illustrated throughout this paper using several primary sources relating to the American Centennial Exposition of 1876. The focus will be on how the exposition portrayed America’s emergence as a big economic power in world, and how it depicted socio-cultural progress of the nation in terms freed slaves and increasing women contribution in the society. Apart from these, this paper will also discuss how the exposition highlighted the future of America. American Centennial Exposition:The American Centennial Exposition was actually an official exhibition of Manufactures, products of mine and soil, and arts on an international platform. A large section of American population attended the fair. Approximately twenty percent of the population at that time visited t he fair. While in one hand, the fair is memorable for the publication of various Centennial and other poems and music, on the hand, this exposition was designed to showcase America’s innovative progress in the industrial arena. The planning for this exposition had taken as many as ten tears to give it its final shape.The primary sources relating to the American Centennial Exposition including guide to the Centennial, its images, its roadmap, and various articles like â€Å"illustrated History of the Centennial exhibition, held in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of American independence† by McCabe portray the features of the exposition and how the exposition had captured the American history and created a new image of the nation to the world. From the photos, Centennial souvenir, and guide to the exposition, it is found that the focal point of the exposition was to showcase its industrial progress.The main attraction of the fair was its Machinery Hall whi ch was decorated with excellent engineering wonders of that age. It showcased electric lights, strongly powered elevators, printing presses, locomotives, mining equipments, magic lanterns, along with introducing some completely new engineering products to the public like mechanical calculator, typewriters, the telephone which was invented by bell, and the telegraph invented by Edison. All these engineering products show the bright industrialized future of the country. Apart from the Machinery building, there were also a number of other attractions in the exposition.For example, significant number of visitors used to visit the Main Building of the fair which was devoted to manufactures of different nations including America. Apart from this, there were also the Memorial which showcased fine arts and the Horticulture Hall which was actually a conservatory for displaying of various native and exotic plants. One of the most excellent things about this first international fair of America was that it presented everything in a very systematic way in the sense that every item was classified in the exposition by departments, like Manufactures, Horticulture, Agriculture, Mining, Education and science and so on.Not only that, there were also various sub-classifications, and sub-sub-classifications on the basis of a logical scheme. The Centennial Exposition produced significant impact on the image of the United States. Prior to 1876, the US was generally considered as a not-so-developed country which was not yet entitled for joining the category of first-class nations. The people living in America in the post Civil War period had gone through a very difficult phase as all those years were marked by various heinous political scandals along with inferior leadership. Although progress in the field of agriculture, industry, etc.had been taking place remarkably on the land of America, it had never been highlighted to the rest of the world. It was the Centennial Exposition whic h for the first time gave an opportunity for the visitors as well as businessmen from other nations to have a close look and get astonished at the sparkling industrial productivity of the America along with its creativity and progressiveness in the field of industry and agriculture. It was only after this fair, when America was started to be hailed as the land of progress which was also thought of becoming one of the most significant economic superpower in future.The exposition gave the people living in America at that time pride in their present situation and lots of confidence on their even brighter future. (University of Delware library, 2009). The American utilized the platform of the Centennial to highlight their innovations in industrial and agricultural areas as at that time they were on the verge of beginning its global economic presence amidst the then economically powerful nations. Representatives of other countries, who came to the fair to showcase their own thing, also g ot the opportunity to purchase things from American firms.The engineering marvels created by Native Americans impressed the visitors. Americans showcased huge engines and machines having complex system that would become the economic future of America by producing industrial products. Primary sources like the photos and Guide to the Exposition show that American did not participate in the fair only to represent America as a whole; instead in a number of cases they represented various states of America. For example, there was Delaware Building in the fair which represented this various crafts of this state.Delaware put its focus on its potentials for developing with a strong economy. It emphasized towns, its transportation facilities along with educational facilities. (University of Delware library, 2009). As far as the socio-cultural field is concerned, this fair also showcased its culture to the rest of the world by introducing around 53 native tribes. They were brought to the fair and they made their camp within it and became one of the most popular display of the fair. The motive behind showcasing them was to introduce the original inhabitant of the nation and their mode of life.These tribal people were considered to be the most deprived and backward segment of the population. But without their progress, the overall economic progress could not have been achieved. The purpose of putting special focus on them was to send message to the rest of the world that the American government was quite aware of the progress of these native people without exercising any bias towards a particular advanced group of people only. (â€Å"People & Events: The Centennial Exposition of 1876†) Finally, the exposition also represented the contribution of women to the American society for the first time in the history of America.Various primary sources like the articles, such as â€Å"illustrated History of the Centennial exhibition, held in commemoration of the one hundredt h anniversary of American independence† by McCabe, â€Å" Declaration and Protect of the Women of the United states† by National Woman Suffrage Association , etc showed that at the time of planning of the fair a committee for women protested the male dominated nature of the fair and lobbied for creating a women’s building in the fair. This committee also raised fund and gained support for constructing their own building.They also showcased women’s contribution in the areas of arts, science, humanities and so on. The members of National women Suffrage also made an attempt to read a declaration or their rights. But they were not permitted to do so for which they showcased huge protest. Conclusion: The American Centennial Exposition can therefore be characterized as a platform where Americans tried to change their image to the rest of the world. In practice, the Americans were able to properly utilize the big platform of the fair to create their new identity as a progressive economic power which had a bight future.The wonderful narratives of its historical development through exhibiting its progress in industrial, agricultural, and socio-economic sector attracted huge number of visitors across the world and changed their vision regarding the nation. Reference: 1. UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE LIBRARY. (2009). PROGRESS MADE VISIBLE: THE CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION, PHILADELPHIA, 1876. Available at http://www. lib. udel. edu/ud/spec/exhibits/fairs/cent. htm ( accessed on 26th August, 2010). 2. People & Events: The Centennial Exposition of 1876. Available at http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/amex/grant/peopleevents/e_expo. html ( accessed on 26th August, 2010). :

The Non Dredged Reclamation Method Environmental Sciences Essay

With the rapid economic and population growing, assorted economic, societal, lodging and conveyance demands of the community are increasing, ensuing in increasing demand for land supply. Due to the limited land supply, renewal is normally used to undertake the job in Hong Kong. However, renewal does non merely lend to the economic development but besides the environmental debasement. In this essay, jobs caused by renewal and possible solutions will be discussed. As mentioned in Environmental Impact Assessment Report ( 2001 ) , dredging, disposal of Marine clay and majority filling activities may give rise to many possible impacts on H2O quality. First, solids may be suspended in the H2O column. Second, as clay moving ridges and turbulent flow will be generated, by perturbation, organic and inorganic substances e.g. ammonium hydroxide, heavy metals and sulfides may be released into the H2O column. Third, during the compacting and settling procedure in site formation, contaminations and leachate may be given out from pore H2O and deposits severally. As a consequence, the marine H2O quality will be deteriorated. 2.2 Marine ecosystem Harmonizing to Chan ( 2000 ) , dredging and disposal of waste involved in renewal will convey inauspicious effects to the marine ecosystem. First, remotion of deposit may take to the loss of home ground. Second, marine beings may entrain during dredging. Third, dissolved O will be depleted and foods will be released into the H2O. In peculiar, if there is a important rise in the alimentary degree, algal productiveness will increase which may ensue in & A ; acirc ; ˆ?red tides & A ; acirc ; ˆA? . 2.3 Air quality The job of air pollution will originate during the operation period of renewal as a big sum of dust will be emitted where the & A ; acirc ; ˆ?dust & A ; acirc ; ˆA? here refers to general suspended particulates. Among assorted sorts of beginnings of air pollution, earthmoving ( lading, droping and bulldozing ) , haul route traffic on unpaved roads and wind eroding of the unfastened site country lower the air quality the most ( Chan, 2000 ) . Solutions 3.1 The non-dredged renewal method Traditionally, the soft Marine clay in the ocean floor is replaced by sand fill to do a strong foundation for seawall building. Dredging and disposing of Marine clay are therefore involved. As the dredging procedure in renewal is the cardinal cause for the environmental impacts mentioned above, the non-dredged renewal method is advocated for the future renewal undertakings. Making mention to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong Kong Projects ( 2011 ) , this renewal method does non necessitate dredging the soft Marine clay in the ocean floor before backfilling. Alternatively, inert building and destruction stuff is used to make full many big interlocked steel cells. The steel cells will so drop in the H2O and remain on the alluvial sediment, organizing the margin wall. ( Items, 2011 ) As found in Items ( 2011 ) , the non-dredge renewal has many benefits over the conventional dredge breakwater building method. For case, dredging and dumping of Marine clay can be about wholly avoided. Besides, merely 30 % of the original suspended atoms will be released during renewal and merely half of the backfilling stuff will be needed. Thus the building Marine traffic can be decreased by about 50 % . It can be concluded that the non-dredge renewal method will convey less environmental impacts and therefore it is a better pick for renewal. 3.2 Development of belowground infinite Enhanced usage of belowground infinite is an effectual and executable option to increase land supply as Hong Kong is cragged and abundant with strong volcanic and flinty stones. This geographic characteristic favors the development of belowground infinite in Hong Kong. Rock caverns can be developed for assorted land utilizations such as crematory, substation, sewerage intervention installations etc ( Hong Kong Underground Space Study Executive Summary, 2009 ) . While both steps can alleviate the job of deficiency of available land, developing belowground infinite has some advantages over renewal. For illustration, some unwanted utilizations like garbage aggregation point can be built underground so that the impacts on the occupants populating nearby can be minimised. Furthermore, developing belowground infinite does non do much pollution or take away natural resources, which means that the natural environment can be preserved. Decision Though renewal can supply for the demands of the economic development, the conventional renewal method causes H2O pollution, air pollution and adversely affects the marine ecosystem, which is non an ideal act for the society. In order to strike a balance between economic growing and environmental preservation, the non-dredged renewal method should be adopted for future renewal undertakings as it is more environmentally friendly. In add-on to renewal, development of belowground infinite should be considered which can move as an option to increase land supply and reserve our valuable seaport.