Alternative energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative energy - Research Paper Example solution to the most critical problems that the world has today, especially in reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which deteriorates global warming (International Energy Agency, "Solar Energy Perspectives"). Solar energy is, by far, the most experienced form of energy due to its accessibility, and the ease of converting solar energy to electricity. Many solar energy conversion technologies present sustainable and promising potentials in providing renewable energy that does not only reduces the cost of electricity but could also deliver effective mitigating solutions to the environmental problems we have today. The International Energy Agency expresses its confidence over the positive impacts that solar energies could bring to the world. The agency states that the creation of low-cost, unlimited and untainted solar energy technologies will have "huge longer-term benefits" (International Energy Agency, "Solar Energy Perspectives"). The energy agency adds that the stable generation of solar power through the use of solar energy conversion technologies will ensure energy security in many countries; and will cut dependence on power plants that use radioactive materials, which are potentially pernicious to human health. It will also lower down the energy cost, improve sustainability, will help reduce pollution, and will lessen the effects of climate change. Therefore, the agency stresses that since this innovative approach requires substantial amount of financial investments, a careful planning must be employed for an efficient expenditure of financial resources (International Energy Agency, "S olar Energy Perspectives"). Normally, the Earth obtains a sizeable load of radiation from the sun. On average, our planet takes at least 174 pent watts of solar energy (Smil 240). Of this, 70 percent is absorbed by the Earth by the clouds, oceans, and ground forms including the mountains and the plains among others. The sun’s rays could either be

Capitalism and Marxism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Capitalism and Marxism - Essay Example (Elson 1998, p. 53) In view of the Marxist globalization has been seen as an expansion or development of capitalism in the world. Like other traditional works that were seen to fit in a loose framework of anti-globalization, Marxism may not be described as a single movement nor can it be described as following a unitary intellectual practice from a theoretical perspective. In this case we should understand that Marxism as whole has been engaging with contemporary phenomena in a way that the manner and the mindsets that it has been postulating in the past has been evidence in class, political economy, labor, capitalism and in many other socialism concepts and revolution described as the central axis of globalization. (Ollman 1998, p.87) With the end of communism in Eastern Europe in the 1990s, and the consequent embrace of the capitalism like in the Peoples Republic of China, has been expressed as the end of the Marxism's period. Regardless of the fact that the world has embraced the capitalism economies, Marxism still present a poignant and painful way of accounting for globalization. This has been witnessed in what is happening in the aftermath of the wave that took the world from 1990s. Marxism has been expressed in many areas like the free-markets, oppressed and exploited labor, modernization, and many other reforms that have been carried out in the political, social and economic systems of the world. Globalization has been described as increased interaction of the world or the opening up the world. In the last few decades there has been increased movement of people and goods. There has been emergence of new market. Therefore globalization has been a tendency to create a unipolar world though it has been expressed mostly in economic terms. It is increased integration of the political, social and economic factors. (Beams, 19980 Marxism and globalization in view of capitalism Capitalism which was so much argued about by Marxism has been one of the most important pivots that have led to the wave of globalization. There have been increased movements of capital across borders leading to immense change in the way we do things and the way we produce things. Globalization therefore can be seen as a cosmopolitan character which signifies production and consumption in all countries. Globalization places the local and the national conditions in terms of self sufficiency and the creation of the universal system of interdependences. As capitalism takes over the world under the nose of globalization, it has led to smash the border of feudalism and mercantilism. Capitalism is therefore ever moving and ever-changing. It forces human being to change their reality and their own role in the world. (Fredrick 1975, p. 4) According to Marxism socialist revolution was described to occur out of development of the product forces which run into conflict with the social relations of capital. In this case Marx explains the negative effect that can be brought about by the forces of capitalism. Marx tried to show the creative-destructive forces of capitalism which is very well tied together with reason of economic advancement of the world. Therefore Marxism expressed that these creative destructive forces goes beyond history of establishment of the socialism society. One

Eric Schmidt Leadership Qualities Analysis

Eric Schmidt Leadership Qualities Analysis 1. Introduction: In this assignment, I am going to analyze the leadership style of Eric Emerson Schmidt which one was the CEO of the famous internet company Google comprehensively. Over the period of 2001 to 2011, Eric Schmidt leaded the Google company to become one of the most variable companies and the most popular companies in the world. The initial Google is just a searching engine website company, Eric Schmidt likes a magician made a miracle in this company that build up as a industry pioneer. The business philosophy of Eric Schmidt: As Harold Koontz said: â€Å"Management is an art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and individuals and can cp-operate towards attainment of group goals. † The full title of CEO is chief executive officer, a important responsibility of CEO is to management the whole company in a positive direction. Every large companies have a evident style as same as their CEO, the CEO runs the company in their own personal style. Eric Schmidt used socio-human approach in his organizational process. And this style was not only used in Google company, but also he used in his first company-SUN which is a same internet technological company as Google and it is famous of JAVA. Because Eric thinks both are same type company, he can use similar style to lead the company. The socio-human approach is a opposite way to technical rational approaches, it is more flexible and humanized to treat employees. the Google is not a traditional company, it depends on its power of innovation. In order to let the employee have better innovative thinking, Eric used this solution to make more advantages for the company. In detail, Eric use a mode which is small team managemen t mode. He made each team have different duty in every areas. That mode is more effective than the old school management mode in real business practice. This approach has following favors :Frist one is that it allows the company to have bigger possible to attempt, let the company has newborn things as much as possible, so the change of success will be lager. There are many famous companies dying because lock of innovation such as Yahoo and IBM. Secondly, this approaches can make employees build up their sense of responsibility as the masters of this company, let them not feel working in a big company. And Eric give the decision-making power to the team, in the process of development, the team mates can have their right to change and improve the product, that also is a benefit thing for their customer. As the famous management education master Peter Ferdinand Drucker said â€Å"The man who focuses on contribution and who takes responsibility for results no matter how junior is in th e most literal sense of the phrase, ‘top management’†. This is also Eric’s goal for using this mode. Thirdly, to reduce the cost of internal coordination, they believe that fast is better than slow in the Google company. The small team management mode can develop more products in shorter time because the team can use their decision-making power to make quick decision, to the failure of adjustment will be repaired easily and quickly. Comparing with other IT companies like Microsoft. When the Microsoft company developed the new windows system, there was a large group members which is several hundreds people to join this subject, it lead to take over years and progress slowly. This is a major point of the Google company can exceed the Microsoft company. The small working team can improve effectively and it is better than the large working group in this specific industry. A good idea will not become effective unless the action commitments have been built into t he decision from the begining. This kind of organization structure is organismic and duo to the Google is a information technology company, duo to that situation, Eric thinks it can help company have better advantage in IT industry environment. The faster update is Google’s powerful weapon to win their competition. The leadership of Eric Schmidt: The definition of leadership is ‘Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement ‘(Stogdill. 1950). The effect of leadership is that make strong motivated to the staffs, let staffs work in unity and achieve goals. According to trait theories of leadership, the leadership is relate to leader’s personality, In Stogdill’s five traits Model: Intelligence, Dominance, Self-confidence, High level of energy, and Task-relevant knowledge. Based on Eric Schmidt’s career , cover news and public speech, Eric at least has intelligence, dominance, and Task-relevant knowledge, these three models can find obvious evidences from his business career. It also can mean Eric has agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Firstly, it is clear to see his self-confidence because he believe his employees, he can give the right of decision-making to every teams. Secondly, his openness to experience is also easy to find, during his CEO career in Google these ten years, the Google company developed many newborn product not only in their search function such as Chrome, Android, and so on. Third one is his conscientiousness, as a survey about 313 private company choosing their CEO, there are 215 successes, in these 215 CEO, Almost of them have conscientiousness. That means how conscientiousness important to a successful CEO. Eric Schmidt has been a leader in three big IT company, all of them become famous and successful in their profession area especially these companies have a higher maker value. Eric’s conscientiousness is proved by he having a strong sense of organization, and word hard. He organises the google engineering team in 70:20:10, it means seventy percent group focus on their product in th e area of search function, twenty percent team work on product in other development area like Android, then the least ten percent team works in newborn things like pilotless automobile. Until now the Google still use this structure when they develop product. In the other hand, there has another theory about leadership:Behavioral of theories of leadership. There are two fundamental types of leader behaviours : ‘Initiating structure’ and ‘consideration’. Initiating structure refers to behaviour which focuses on the achievement of objectives and includes clear supervision and role clarification, planning of work and a results orientation. Consideration includes behaviours which encourage collaboration and focus on supportive network, group welfare and the maintenance of job satisfaction. (Brooks, 2009) Eric Schmidt is a consideration structure in this theory. There are some points to prove that. Primarily, Eric give a wonderful and comfortable working environment, this working environment has been first most popular working environment in the world for four years at American Fortune magazine. This is a evident welfare for employees. Secondly, Eric insists to give the power of decision-making to each work team, he is highly trusted to his professional employees, at mean time, the employee get a stronger sense of encourage than a good working environment. Eric get a vehement support from his employees during company developing time virtually. Above two theories of leadership can not explain the leadership style of Eric Schmidt well, in order to give more thoughtful explanation. We appoint the third theory-Situational theories. One of situational theories is Fiedler contingency theory. This model asks the estimate of both the leader’s style and three broad characteristics of the situation:leader-group member relations, task structure, and position power. Primarily, In leader-member relations of Eric and his employees, it easy to prove they are real great, as the organization structure which Eric made, he and his employees have highly trusted with each other. That also can relet to situational leadership theory, his subordinates have enough ability to achieve his requirements, and he do not need to give too much guide to them. Secondly, the task structure is very clear in Google until now, Eric insists his 70:20:10 structure for the engineering development group. Thirdly, the position power of Eric is not very stong, because he give a part power of decision-making to every engineering development teams. Conclusion: All in all, Eric Schmidt is a intelligent, professional, and accommodating leader. As we know that the Google culture is freedom and innovation since two originator of Google Sergey Brin and Larry Page starting the Google company until Eric been invited to be a CEO of this company, this culture never change. Eric’s experience is also perfect for the Google, first advantage is that he has a B. S. degree in electrical engineering at Princeton University and a phd degree in EECS at the university of California, Berkeley. These professional knowledge makes big different with normal CEO for the Google company. Second one is his ideal working experiences, before he came to the Google, the companies that he worked are all IT companies. Effectiveness is a habit, that is a complex of practices. The most significant thing is that he can run these companies very well and make outstanding achievement. Eric Schmidt makes the two originator believe he is the prefect role for The Google CEO. No matter using what theories to analyse the leadership of Eric Schmidt, he has proved that he is a suitable leader for this company during his career of Google CEO. Comparing with the famous Steve Jobs, Eric is not charming and distinctive as Jobs, but his leadership style is more appropriate for the Google Company. References: Koontz H. The management theory jungle[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1961, 4(3): 174-188. Drucker P F. People and performance: The best of Peter Drucker on management[M]. Routledge, 1995. Stogdill R M. Leadership, membership and organization[J]. Psychological bulletin, 1950, 47(1): 1. lan Brooks (2009). organisational behaviour. 4th ed. Essex: Person Education Limited. p167.

Violent Video Games: A Bad Choice for Parents and Children Essay

Violent Video Games: A Bad Choice for Parents and Children A twelve year old boy named Paul sits about three feet from the fifty-two inch screen television with his eyes fixated on his character, a humanlike fox. He is able to use his game controller without looking away from the television. He sits erect and is so focused on what he is doing that he is unaware of everything that is going on around him. Occasionally he will yell out "Die! Die, sucker!" Just then his five year old brother, Skyler, stops beside him. Skyler exclaims with a smile, "What are you playing?" followed by, "Can I play?" The violence has caught his eye. Paul replies, "Sure, but I need to show you how to work the controller." He continues explaining, "This is Star Fox Adventure and see this red thing moving. That is your fox's sight box. What you see in the box is what the fox sees. You aim it at things and you push this 'A' button to make the fox shoot rockets at things and blow them up." Skyler begins to get really excited, laughing and shouting, "T hat's cool!" It did not take Skyler very long to become engulfed by Paul's Nintendo GameCube system to the point of being totally unaware of all the other children running around him. This scene quickly brought to my mind a question: Are video game systems good or bad for children within these age groups? A parent should get educated on this issue before choosing to buy one of many video systems. Parents should be concerned about the effects on their children. Despite the therapists and psychologists who have said that video games can be used as positive teaching tools (Salamander 2), I see that children of all ages, races and genders become addicted to the violence and tech... ...ay Violate Children's Health." http://lists/.essential.org/pepermail/commercial-alert/2001/000079.html. 3 Nov. 2002. Salamander. "Violence and Video Games." Game Zero Magazine. <www. gamezero.com/team-0/articles/features/violenc_92/> 3 Nov. 2002. Stern, Michael and Jane. "Nintendo." Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. New York: Harper, 1992. "Video Games=Good, and Study Proves It!" 2001. Nintendo Village. http://www.nintendo/village.com/press/releases/archives/pr3.asp> 3 Nov. 2002. "Video Games and Their Effect on Youth." <www.bishops.ntc.nf.ca/ct3200/students02/andrewb/term%202%20project.html.> 3 Nov. 2002. Willis, Susan. "Growing Up With TV and Turtles." Rev. of Playing With Power in Movies, Television and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, by Marsha Kinder. Berkeley. Un. of California Press, 1991.

Stone Cold

Stone cold is a book written by Robert Swindells, the plot of the story is set on two people, one who is homeless (Link) and one who kills because he believes that the homeless ruin the place (Shelter).Robert Swindells is clever at writing the story, as he switches between the two characters link and shelter, the characters in the story are all different and lead very different lives, Shelter who used to be in the army left after problems, now he believes that he is still in the army and is on a mission to kill people especially homeless people on the streets, he makes his own recruits and then kills them brutally, he believes that he is making the place look tidier and cleaner.Then there is Link, Link has had a lot of trouble at home, and he has left his family and friends to lead a better life on the streets of London, though he is finding it hard to survive, and has had trouble rationing the money he had. He finds himself in London, he barely survives as he finds a bed mate called ginger, however when ginger suddenly disappears link is all back on his own in the great city of London, then he meets Gail, but then a again like all the people he meets, he finds that she is a reporter.Robert Swindells makes this book interesting, by making the suspense last, and he uses complex vocabulary to create an atmosphere, he brings shelter to life, he creates link by bringing him into shelter and into the insecure street life of London, he makes you feel sad and puts your feelings and puts them in the story, he makes you feel sorry of Link by showing and emphasizing that this boy is now on the streets as he has made a mess of his life.And now at the very end in London alone he lives, with a broken heart, no lover or friend, however he is now more street wise and he understands not to fall into the arms of anyone and get attached to soon.

Life for the young ladies in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” Essay

Life for the young ladies in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† was very different to how life is today in the 21st century. I hope to compare the lives of women living in these times and find if life really was easier in the time of â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. To decide this I will discuss the aspects of class and the social system, education, entertainment and leisure, transport and marriage that affect these young ladies. In the book â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† there are very obvious class distinctions and strict separations between working classes and upper classes. The strictness of this class separation was such that Darcy felt he would be betraying his family to express his true feelings for Elizabeth Bennet, who he thought to be of a lower class than him. It was not acceptable in the upper classes and aristocracy for someone to have to work for their money. The Bennet ladies were in a difficult position as they were still considered to be high middle class, but did not have enough money to support themselves and to be passed down to them from their father when he died. The Bingley sisters scorned those who worked or â€Å"were in trade†, and those who had no â€Å"worthy connections†. All the characters who appear in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† seem to be very sure of what they believe their place in the order of society is. Moving around the classes was difficult and unusual because the status was inherited. Today we no longer have these severe class differences, and so who young ladies mix with has much less to do with class, what your connections are or how much money you have. Education is also another major difference between how young ladies live today and how they were living in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. When Jane Austen was writing middle and upper class girls were taught to read and write and may have learnt another language, usually French. Young ladies would not have been expected to have any further education but would have been far more highly thought of had they been accomplished in music than they would have been if they were well educated. Caroline Bingley when talking about ladies’ accomplishments says â€Å"A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the †¦ word†. Even if a young lady wished to get a better education she would have found it very difficult as universities were not open to women and she would not have been able to further a career. Today everyone is entitled to an education and many young ladies go on to have a further education. There are now many more career opportunities for educated women as they are seen equal to men and an educated woman is not thought unusual. Throughout the book the young ladies seem to have a limited amount of entertainment and leisure activities. The Bennet sisters had no entertainment out of the home unless there was a Ball happening in Meryton, and this would only happen when there were officers in the town. Young ladies were not meant to go anywhere public without a chaperone and so this also limited what they could do. The Bennet sisters amused themselves with reading, embroidery and music, having not much else to occupy their time. In the 21st century there are far more things available to entertain young ladies. Much of their time is taken up by education or paid work, neither of which were applied to the ladies in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. The range of activities available to spend free time doing has greatly increased and with the amount of transport now available, getting from place to place is no problem. Transport appears to have been quite a problem to the sisters in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. Walking was the easiest way to travel, a horse and carriage was used for longer distances. Compared with the transport in the 21st century this was all very slow and moving around the country was a major undertaking. It takes most of two days for Elizabeth to return to Longbourn from Derbyshire after hearing about Lydia and Wickham, â€Å"They travelled as expeditiously as possible; and sleeping one night on the road, reached Longbourn by dinner time next day.† Although we do not know exactly where Longbourn is we know that it would not take that long to complete this journey using todays transport. Almost all the excursions in the book have had to have been planned around transport and how easy the travel is. We would find it strange today for people to have to plan quite short journeys solely on the ease of transport†¦. Communications have also changed considerably. In â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† the only form of communication apart from word of mouth was letter writing. Today we have the telephone, mobile phones, text messaging and e- mails. Most of the views about marriage illustrated in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† have changed. This is what is said about Charlotte’s views on marriage â€Å"Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.† Marrying for love was an ideal, but not always practical. The ladies in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† were unable to support themselves, so often had no choice but to marry someone who they may not have loved but was suitable. Elizabeth Bennet, however, is very strong in the view that she will only marry for love, and condemns Charlotte for marrying for money. In the 21st century it seems expected for ladies to marry for love. I think that one of the reasons views on marriage have changed so dramatically from the writing of â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† to 21st century is that women are now able to support themselves. There is no longer much need for a woman to marry a man only for financial reasons as women can now have a carreer and earn equal amounts as men. I do not think that life for the young ladies in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† was easier than life is in the 21st century, but neither do I think that it is simpler for young ladies living today. I think that aspects of the lives of the Bennet sisters was simpler than that of the lives today, but I also think that in some areas of their lives things were more pressured and difficult. The young ladies in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† were expected to have very simple aims in their lives, to find a good husband and have a family. Today young women are expected to attain a good education, maybe going onto higher education and start a carreer. They are expected to pursue this carreer and get married then start a family. However, transport and communications in the 21st century are far easier and simpler than those in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†.