Research on Hybrid Cars Essay

I. Introduction: ? Overview Of The Project: This project is based on the latest technology in automobile (car) industry- HYBRID TECHNOLOGY. In this project we are going to discuss about the hybrid technology in cars, the impact of hybrid technology on Indian automobile (car) industry, the companies which have adopted and benefited through this technology and the findings & the conclusion. ? Hybrid Technology: A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. Power sources include: ? On-board or out-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) ? Gasoline or Diesel fuel ? Hydrogen ? Compressed air ? Human powered e. g. pedaling or rowing ? Wind ? Compressed or liquefied natural gas ? Solar ? Coal, wood or other solid combustibles The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. ? HYBRID CARS: Hybrid cars are one among the promising types of new generation cars. In the present era, the motor vehicle industry is going through a transition phase, which is to meet the pace of the growing world. Cars are now become inevitable assistants for the travel and it is not uncommon to have 2 or 3 cars in a home. And, motor vehicles are now facing the next generation problems of the conventional cars. Moreover, many environmental and energy utilization issues are coming cross. Hybrid cars are developed with an intention to answer much of these questions, and the success of it in the road make it a favorite choice of many. Although any car, which has a combination of two different ideas can be called as a hybrid, but the cars, which combine two energy sources for its running is popularly named as hybrid car. To be simple, the conventional cars run on a single fuel source such as gasoline, petrol and diesel. The energy efficiency of the cars was insufficient to meet the future needs, in the highly energy depleting situation. The search for alternative resources is intensive and one of them, electric cars were a success, but its limitation was the inadequacy for a long drive and difficulty for frequent recharges. Hybrid cars were a better solution since it combines the benefits of both types of cars. Now, most of the hybrid cars use the engine that work in combination of gasoline and electricity. Hybrid cars are much appreciated by the experts because of its energy efficiency. As the car has two energy sources, the car will in effect, use up only reduced energy and the most beneficial attribute is that the batteries in the car for electrical transmission will be spontaneously charged, along with the working of the car. However, the success of the hybrid cars among the motorists relies on mainly on its performance on the road. Despite of the great fear, whether the new car could give out the performance as of a conventional car, hybrid car gave out adequate performance, with aid of its sophisticated technology and aerodynamic design. The utility of hybrid cars for the society was proved, when Government adopted particular measures for its promotion. Now, as part of its preferred usage, tax credits are available, which are changed yearly, according to the prevailing market conditions. Government was impressed with the two important advantages such as improved mileage and reduced tailpipe emissions, which can attribute low environmental pollution and reduced non renewable fuel consumption. Now many companies such as Toyota, Ford, Honda and Lexus are competing in the market of hybrid cars with their latest versions. Any how, a comparison of different models is advised before the purchase. Hybrid cars are thus the present phase of car industry. The advancements are going on continuously in its fuel selection and structure, to persist it to a future car, and motorists are looking forward to the best out of it. ? History of Hybrid Vehicles The history of hybrid cars dates back to the late 1800s and 1900s. In 1905, Mr. H Piper filed a patent for a gasoline engine-electric motor powertrain. According to him, the electric motor would augment a gasoline engine, allowing a vehicle to accelerate from zero to 25 miles an hour in 10 seconds, much faster than the gasoline engines of that time. Ironically, when finally Mr. H Piper was granted the patent a few years later, normal engines were capable of producing the same kind of acceleration. Due to rapid advancements in the gasoline engine, the popularity of a hybrid car slowly diminished untill again in the early to mid 1970s, the time of oil crisis. Many companies poured funds to build experimental Hybrid Electric Vehicles. But as the oil became available again, the surge for HEVs died down immediately. The Europeans and Japanese researching on reducing production costs and making HEVs more salable. Companies like Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi came up with ways to reduce emissions and better the mileage. Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997 (in Japan and in 2000 in the US) which proved to be a huge success. Recent sales figures indicate that well over 300,000 units of Toyota Prius have been sold the world over justifying the concept of a clean family car. In 1999, Honda introduced its first production hybrid car, the Insight and then the Civic Hybrid in 2002. Ford came up with the first hybrid SUV, the Escape, which hit the road in 2004. Quick on their path are several other contestants such as Dodge with their hybrid pickup, the Ram, and chevrolet’s Silverado. ? How Hybrid Cars Work? Hybrid Cars integrate the power of the conventional gasoline engine with that of an electric motor. A high powered battery pack provides energy to the motor which itself gets recharged when the car is decelerating. This is called as regenerative braking. The gas engine can also assist the battery in recharging. This kills the need to plug the car to an external source of energy. As of now, there are two types of hybrid vehicles. In one type, the electric motor acts as a side-kick to the gas engine, assisting it whenever surplus power is needed. The electric motor alone is incapable of independently operating the vehicle. Honda’s Power Assist technology in its hybrids, Civic and Insight is an example. Such vehicles are termed as Mild Hybrids. In mild hybrids, the gasoline engine provides the main source of power, and the electric motor provides additional power whenever needed. The second type of hybrid can be termed as a Full Hybrid, where the gasoline engine and the electric motor can operate the vehicle saperately. In this type, the electric motor can drive the vehicle at lower speeds. In need of more speed, the gasoline engine kicks in. The Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape implement the same techonology. Be it mild hybrids or full hybrids, both are capable of providing lower emissions and better fuel efficiency. The Internal-Combustion Engines (both gasoline and diesel) installed in Hybrid cars are often smaller than those in normal cars for a simple reason that Hybrids have the electric motor for assistance. The motor can take care of city travel which poses stop and go conditions as well as power-consuming add-ons such as the A/C or power-windows and power-steering. At high speeds, the gasoline engine supplies power. This switching of power sources is computer controled and nothing needs to be manually done. Power to the electric motor comes from the battery-pack. Recharging of the battery is automatic and need not be done by external sources. When the car is in uniform motion or when it is decelerating, it generates power which charges the batteries which utilises the valuable kinetic energy. As with any other battery, the Hybrid car battery also has a limited life span. Auto makers however, put the battery life at around 200,000 miles which roughly comes around to 7-8 years, depending on the kind of travel it endures. Thus, It pays to take extra care of your vehicle and travel when necessary. ? Hybrid Car Technology: With the prices of gasoline and fuel always on the increase, car manufacturers have today found a new form of car technology that is fuel efficient and low in pollution. This technology is called the hybrid car technology where the cars have a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) found in the vehicle, along with some fuel propulsion source. Hybrid cars don’t produce much pollution and consumes minimal fuel; and its different propulsion systems have either common parts or systems. Hybrid cars are generally designated to vehicles running on a combination of petroleum and electricity. These vehicles are called hybrid-electric vehicles where electric cells are used to power electric engines, along with an internal combustion engine. The advantage of these cars is that they sort of extend their battery charge through the kinetic energy they catch in regenerative braking. Moreover when such cars cruise, or move on a small thrust, the combustion engine generates energy with the running of a second electric motor. This is done to either recharge the battery or to provide energy to the motor for driving the car. This is unlike the conventional electrical cars where they avail of their battery charge through external sources like the grid. Today, most of the hybrid cars run on either gasoline or diesel as their main energy source while there are some cases where other fuels like ethanol or plant based oils are used too. There are also some cars that use hydrogen fuel. Sometimes, hybrid cars are also referred to the cars that are flexible-fuel vehicles where they run on a combination of different fuels like gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel. The main reason people prefer to use hybrid cars is because of its hybrid technology of a combination of technologies. With this, a lot of gas fuel is saved which is of course, beneficial to the car buyer. With the passage of time, hybrid car technology has improved in the different hybrid cars. This is because with time, hybrid cars have also become popular and the manufacturers have been working on more means to make the car more feasible to the prospective car buyer. With hybrid car technology, the motion of the car is designed in such a way that the engines in these cars have a smaller size that is used when drifting and driving leisurely. It is usually the battery source that provides the additional power like going uphill or accelerating whenever needed. To couple things, when the hybrid car is stopped, the hybrid fuel engine gets switched off to run off the electric motor. Hybrid cars are built lighter and are designed more aerodynamically for better speed. And its tires are usually stiffer and have a higher inflation so that the drag of the car is reduced. So it can be seen that with hybrid car technology, a car has become more efficient. Though the rates of these cars may initially be a bit high, they are very much worth it in the long run during its lifespan. ? Hybrid Car Pro and Cons. The pros and cons of hybrid car is one of the widely discussed topics since hybrid car is a trend among the new generation vehicles. Hybrid car is the type of car, which utilizes two different energy sources to meet the energy requirement. Even though the hybrid technology was prevailing for many purposes such as train engines and submarines, its well-liked use among the people was begun only with the incorporation of the idea in the motor vehicles. Hybrid car became soon accepted among the customers, however, its increased popularity arise the need for a cross analysis since it is a fact that every factor will have two sides. ? Pros of Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid cars carry with them a bundle of advantages. o Hybrids combine clean energy of the electrical motor with the power of the gas-powered engine which results into lower emissions and better mileage. o Thanks to the ever improving technology, hybrids perform at par with the normal ga-powered vehicles, if not better. o Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as any traditional car and they have a tax benefits(only till 2006). o There are purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). o Hybrids are much cleaner cars than normal vehicles with lesser CO and other greenhouse gas emissions. o Hybrids provide a better mileage. o The future for hybrids looks bright with rapid developments in hybrid technology to improve engine efficiency. o Due to the Regenerative Braking technology, the batteries need not be charged by an external source. o o Special warranties are provided for the battery pack, the electric motor other costly items. o Hybrids help reduce the dependency on fossil fuels which directely affects fuel prices. Hybrid cars are often refereed to as the ‘car of the era’. The unique advantages of the hybrid car will be sole basis for such recognition in the market. The motor industry was always in the effort to develop most beneficial model and the disadvantages of the conventional model might be the triggering factor for the formation of advantageous models. Usually, anything to be considered as advantageous will make benefit only to its owner, and to the maximum, the family of the owner. The specialty of the hybrid car enhances in this situation since its advantages can attribute benefit to not only the owner or his family, but to the entire society, nation and the mankind. The advantages of the hybrid car start right from its difference in the basic pattern. Hybrid car is type of car that utilizes two energy sources for its movement. The popular hybrid cars in the market are manufactured in such a manner to combine the benefits of an internal combustion engine and electrical motor. The shortening level of gasoline in the world as it is a non-renewable energy was the major drawback of the conventional cars, which was rectified in the electrical cars, but it also had its own disadvantages. The advantage of the hybrid car is that it can rectify the complaints in the both systems and balances the use of electrical energy and gasoline engine, in their optimum levels. In the hybrid car, the electrical energy is used while starting up of the car and its low speed ranges, which will help to impart a check to the tail pipe emissions. As the automobiles is increasing, world is at the threat of toxic pollutants and global warming, due to their exhaust ingredients. The decrease in the tail pipe emission will be a great advantage for the environment as well as the society. However, gasoline engine will take up the transmission, when the speed goes up since, it is essential to attribute the pace for the drive. While the traffic stops and steep slopes the electrical energy will be again activated, which will help to reduce the gasoline utilization. The aerodynamic design, lighter materials and smoother tyre will help for better energy consumption. The striking technological advantage of the hybrid car is that the energy loss, while braking is re-channeled for the electrical battery charging, called as regenerative braking, and a separate energy for battery charging is not required. The advantages of the hybrid car are multifaceted since it attributes economical, technical and economical benefits. Despite of the owner, the country as well as, is benefited from the gasoline saving as the oil prices are steeping very high, and its effects the country’s whole economy. This advantage is also a benefit to the customer as government has decided to give reductions and tax credits for the hybrid car buying. In addition to Federal exemption certain states also provide local exemptions to promote the use of hybrid car. Hybrid car is thus an advantageous car, which helps to over come much of the crisis related to the motor world. ? Disdvantages Of Hybrid Cars Hybrid cars, though useful, have some disadvantages. The point to be noted here is that the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. o High cost: hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more their non-Hybrid versions. o More weight due to battery packs. o Some states charge additional fees for registration. o In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a risk of exposure to high voltage wires. o They have a complicated system which needs to be taken care of by experienced mechanics only. o Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly. o Usually, hybrids have a lower acceleration than that their normal counterparts. II. INDUSTRY PROFILE: ? HYBRID TECHNOLOGY IN INDIAN AUTOMOBILE (CAR) INDUSTRY: ? INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AN OVERVIEW: The manufacturing of automobiles commenced in India 60 years ago, since then, the journey of the Indian Automotive industry can be classified into three main phases. Touching upon them briefly: The first phase till mid 1980s could be termed as one of protection for the Indian automotive industry. There were restrictions on the manufacturing and import of automobiles and the Indian automobile market was a seller’s market. The second phase, post 1991, could be termed as a phase of liberalization as the Indian automotive market was the beneficiary of the opening up of India’s economy. This phase was marked by the entry of foreign automobile players and increase in the availability of automotive financing. The Indian automotive market became a buyer’s market during this phase. Coinciding with the second wave of liberalization, the third phase from early 2000 till date could be termed as a phase of globalization of the Indian automotive industry. This phase has been marked by the removal of most import controls, entry of many more foreign players in the Indian automotive market and Indian companies gaining a global identity and acquiring foreign companies. The year 2008 is an important year for the Indian automobile industry. Today, the Indian automobile industry is ranked first in the world in the production of three wheelers, second in the production of two wheelers, fourth in the production of commercial vehicles and ninth in the production of passenger vehicles. With a production of nearly 10. 8 million vehicles in FY07-08, the Indian automotive industry has shown an outstanding resilience after the last down cycle about a decade back. In the last few years, the Indian automotive industry has grown at a healthy rate by reducing costs and improving efficiency. With its new found confidence, it has gone beyond the shores of India and is creating a noteworthy footprint in different geographies in the world. The Indian automotive market with a healthy growth rate of 13% in the last 7 years was a source of attraction to many foreign automobile companies whose entry in the Indian market not only increased competition, but also raised customer expectations about product quality and reliability. This forced the Indian companies to introduce new and interesting products and innovation has now become a noteable feature of the Indian automotive industry. The innovation story of the Indian automotive industry would not be complete without mentioning the NANO, which has evoked worldwide interest, curiosity and confidence in the competency of Indian talent. It has not only brought the automobile industry, but also India into focus. The NANO and other similar products have the potential to change the paradigm of the automotive industry worldwide. To maintain a high rate of growth, retain the attractiveness of the Indian market and to further enhance competitiveness in the market place, the Indian automotive industry has been working in a collaborative manner with the government and has drafted an Automotive Mission Plan 2006-16. Some of the key initiatives which have been pursued as per the Automotive Mission Plan include: †¢ Establishment of National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure development Project (NATRIP) †¢ Initiatives for creation and fulfillment of automotive demand †¢ Initiatives towards the betterment of society and the environment, and †¢ Initiatives to become a catalyst for generating an additional 25 million jobs. In the last five years, sales in various segments of the Indian automobile market have grown at a healthy rate of 15% to 27 %. This growth provided encouragement to various players and nearly Rs 78,000 crores of investment has been planned, out of which more than 50% has already been committed. However, today the Indian automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges. On one hand, demand is shrinking because of the lack of availability of consumer finance, high interest rates and the high cost of fuel, and on the other, cost of input materials has witnessed massive increases. e. g. in the last two years, steel price has increased by almost 40%, copper prices are up by 45%, natural rubber has risen by 40% . The impact of steel price increase alone on various segments of automobiles is quite significant. These factors are having a catastrophic impact on the bottom line of the Indian automotive industry and are resulting in withdrawal, scaling down or deferment of capital investment which would hurt the objectives of the Automotive Mission Plan in the long run. Two other long term challenges are faced by the Indian automotive industry. The first one is climate change due to global warming which would have an impact on all. Contribution of carbon dioxide emissions giving rise to global warming by various sectors are – Public Electricity and Heat Production: 53% Manufacturing Industries & Construction21% Internal transportation (Road,rail,air)12% Others14% (Source: International Energy Agency-2005 Report based on 2001 data for India) Reduction in carbon dioxide emission would require a holistic and an integrated approach. However, the automotive industry is aware of its 10% contribution and is conscious and determined to pursue initiatives to reduce the same. This could be implemented by adopting an integrated and a partnership approach. Some of the initiatives that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions include introduction of new and more fuel efficient vehicles, a mandatory inspection and maintenance regime, the removal of old vehicles as they contribute to a larger portion of carbon dioxide emissions, efficient traffic management, use of alternative fuels like CNG, LPG, bio-diesel etc and the introduction of electric vehicles / hybrid. The second challenge which the Indian automotive industry is facing today is in attracting and nurturing talented manpower not only for the creation of better and reliable products but also for servicing and maintenance throughout the life cycle of the product. More than 60% of the additional 25 million jobs that is projected to get created as per the Automotive Mission Plan, would be in the skilled category. ? INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AND HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: [pic] ? WHY HYBRIDS IN INDIA: [pic] [pic] [pic] CONCLUSION: [pic] III. COMPANIES PROFILE: Hybrid technology has become a latest trend in the automotive industry. There are a number of companies which have adopted this technology. The list of the companies which have launched their hybrid vehicles are: ? TATA ? Hyundai ? Honda ? Mahindra & Mahindra ? Ford ? Toyota ? BMW ? Nissan Motors A brief profile of these companies and their hybrid car versions are discussed in the following pages: [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea’s largest and the world’s fifth largest automaker in terms of units sold per year. Headquartered in Seoul, Hyundai operates the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1. 6 million units annually. The Hyundai logo, a slanted, stylized ‘H’, is said to be symbolic of two people (the company and customer) shaking hands. In 1998, after a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10. 5 percent stake for $900 million. Hyundai has invested in manufacturing plants in the North America, China, Pakistan, India, and Turkey as well as research and development centers in Europe, North America, and Japan. In 2004, Hyundai Motor Company had $57. 2 billion in sales in South Korea making it the country’s second largest corporation, or chaebol. Worldwide sales in 2005 reached 2,533,695 units, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. Hyundai has set as its 2006 target worldwide sales of 2. 7 million units (excluding exports of CKD kits). Hyundai motor vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5,000 dealerships and showrooms. After a recent survey of global automotive sales by Automotive News, Hyundai is now the tenth largest automaker in the world in 2007. [5] Hyundai Motor Company’s brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and Business Week survey. Brand value estimated at $4. 5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. ? HYBRIDS IN HYUNDAI: Hyundai plans to begin producing hybrid electric vehicles in 2009. The Avante will be the first vehicle to be produced. Since 2004, Hyundai has supplied about 3,000 hybrid versions of its Getz and Accent small cars to government fleets as part of a testing program. The automaker cites a lack of local tax benefits for purchasing hybrids as a barrier to its hybrid development program. But Hyundai expects the tax situation to change in 2009. The new hybrid electric Sonata will make its debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November 2008. Hyundai expects to release it in the U. S. market in 2010, featuring lithium-ion battery technology ? HYUNDAI HYBRIDS IN INDIA: Hyundai is getting increasingly aggressive these days. If Genesis sedan assault wasnt enough, Hyundai is now seriously looking at another Japanese stronghold, the Hybrids. The company is planning to go full steam in developing its own hybrid technology. The company will start off with the hybrid variants of Accent, Sonata and Avante sedan while the research and development center in India will be given the go ahead to develop the technology for small cars. Currently, Hyundai provides Verna (Accent) hybrid models to government agencies as pilot projects. The plan is to expand the line-up to mid-sized sedans and beyond for mass production, starting from 2009. Seok San Jang, a senior vice president for Hyundai’s international business operations saysâ€Å"We have been slow in the field so far but have aggressive plans given the fact that high oil prices have made hybrids almost a necessity now. From next year, we will sell hybrid cars in Korea and by 2010 we will be selling them all over the world, India is our hub for small cars and hybrids for smaller cars will also eventually come from there. † ? HYUNDAI HYBRID MODELS: |[pic] |[pic] | |HYUNDAI ACCENT |HYUNDAI GETZ | [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: Tata Motors Limited, formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company), is a multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is India’s largest passenger automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company. Part of the Tata Group, and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles. The OICA ranked it as the world’s 20th largest automaker, based on figures for 2006. Tata Motors was established in 1945, when the company began manufacturing locomotives. The company manufactured its first commercial vehicle in 1954 in collaboration with Daimler-Benz AG, which ended in 1969. Tata Motors was listed on the NYSE in 2004, and by 2005 it was ranked among the top 10 corporations in India with an annual revenue exceeding INR 320 billion. In 2004, it bought Daewoo’s truck manufacturing unit, now known as Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, in South Korea. It also, acquired a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera SA, giving it controlling rights in the company. Tata Motors launched their much awaited Tata Nano, noted for its Rs 100,000 price-tag, in January 2008. In March 2008, it finalised a deal with Ford Motor Company to acquire their British Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business, which also includes the Rover, Daimler and Lanchester brand names. The purchase was completed on 2 June 2008 Tata Motors has its manufacturing base in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune. ? HYBRIDS IN TATA The world’s cheapest car, Tata Nano, may also turn out to be world’s cheapest hybrid version as well. Tata Motors intends to offer micro-hybrid version of Tata Nano with micro-hybrid technology that allows the vehicle to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 10 percent. According to a leading Indian news channel, Bosch shall provide the micro-hybrid technology to Nano also known as Start-Stop System. This system allows the engine to automatically turn off when the vehicle is not moving. This additional technology may cost another Rs. 4000 to Rs. 6000 to the overall cost but this technology is definitely the cheapest hybrid technology most suitable for the world’s cheapest car. Most of the countries around the world are getting stricter with fuel consumption and emission norms including Europe and the US. This micro-hybrid technology can b deployed to the vehicles at much lower cost than full hybrid systems. The micro-hybrid technology will also be available in diesel and electric variants of Nano. [pic] TATA NANO [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), (English: Bavarian Motor Works) is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916. It also produces motorcycles, is the owner of the MINI brand and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. ? HYBRIDS IN BMW: ? BMW H6 ACTIVE HYBRID: BMW ActiveHybrid is a particular highlight of BMW EfficientDynamics, BMW’s trendsetting development strategy for today’s world. Introducing this technology, BMW is taking the next step in the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption and emissions. BMW ActiveHybrid is based on a modular concept following the strategy of â€Å"Best of Hybrid† to integrate the most appropriate, optimum components in each case in different concepts. The concept is running a new BMW drivetrain that integrates the batteries, electronics systems and power inverter all within the transmission. Compared with the non-hybrid model, the new Active Hybrid is said to improve fuel-economy by up to 20%. The two-mode hybrid system, co-developed with General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, uses twin electric motors which can either be used to boost acceleration, charge the batteries or as a generator to mutually power each other. The two-mode active transmission is based on an ECVT electrical continuously variable transmission. The two operating modes, one of which has been optimised for low, the other for high speeds, are supplemented by fixed transmission ratios. Fitting in with BMW’s new EfficientDynamics focus, the modular hybrid system can be easily adapted to other models and should make its way across more cars in coming years. [pic] BMW X6 ACTIVE HYBRID ? BMW DIESEL X5 HYBRID VERSION: BMW will be presenting a new eco-friendly concept touting the latest in EfficientDynamics technology at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. BMW has given a preview of the upcoming concept, a twin-turbo diesel X5 with a hybrid system. As has been the trend in Europe of late, carmakers are developing ultra-efficient hybrid models by combining frugal diesel engines with electric powertrains. BMW X5 SUV is fitted with a 2. 0L turbodiesel and the carmaker’s mild ActiveHybrid technology plus an eight-speed automatic gearbox and even roof-mounted solar panels. All of these technologies combine to deliver the best fuel economy and lowest emissions of any fullsize SUV currently on sale. The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics delivers 43. 5mpg on the combined cycle and just 172g/km of CO2 emissions. Despite its green credentials, the X5 ActiveHybrid is no slouch. Output from the diesel stands at 204hp and 400Nm of torque, and the hybrid systems adds a further 20hp and 210Nm of torque under acceleration.

Diversity ANZ Bank Essay

After analysing the ANZ diversity policy, I have identified two key business objectives they are trying to pursue. The first being the ageing population within Australia and the second being an international expansion into Asian economies. Ageing Population: Statistics show that Australia has an increasing population of seniors from the age of 50 and over. It is estimated to increase to 57% of the customer population by 2021, making it a large and therefore important market segment for the business overall. With this in mind, ANZ have implemented strategies within their diversity policy that will enable them to better understand the ageing demographic and attend to their specific financial needs. By integrating mature age workers within their culture, ANZ are able to retain certain skills and experiences from older employees that the younger employees may not yet have. This provides ANZ with a great advantage by being able to effectively communicate with senior customers and increasing their overall customer base. Furthermore, they have implemented the Career Extension Policy that enables senior employees to keep working on a Part-Time basis, focussing on their senior customer base. To coincide with this policy they have developed a Retirement Banking Specialist Program that provides extensive training for these employees about the 55+ customer demographic and their specific needs. International Expansion (The Asian Century) ANZ’s approach to cultural and ethnic diversity can be directly linked to their segmented markets throughout Australia, New Zealand & Asia – with the Asian economies being the primary focus of attention. The need to expand into the Asian market is a big step for Australian banks, such as ANZ, as reports suggest that the overall Asian output has doubled in just under 60 years. Reports also suggest that this is set to continue well into the  future, presenting huge opportunities for Australian business. By encouraging employees with various ethinicities into senior type roles, they are able to integrate a lot easier within a certain culture which will in turn enable them to better undertstand the people and the market. A policy ANZ have put in place that supports the Asian market integration is the AsianLink Taskforce. This is designed to provide a capable workforce to help advocate the development of an Asian capable workforce, accelerate Asia focused strategies, invest in developing Asia capabilities and also to better educate about the Asian century. Age – Ageing population By employing mature age workers and implementing the Career Extension Program and Retirment Banking Specialist Program, ANZ have been able to gain a competitive advantage over other banks that will allow them to effectively communicate and engage with their senior target market by providing them with the right economic advice to suit their current stage of life. Furthermore, by retaining mature age workers within the company culture, through the extension program, they are minimising staff turnover and retaining their skills by not replacing them with other staff. Cultural Background & Ethnicity As mentioned earlier, ANZ’s cultural & ethnic diversity approach provides them with various benefits that allows them to easier integrate into new markets and cultures, such as the Asian economies mentioned. It’s not only about having a diverse workplace culture, but it is about also promoting people with different cultural backgrounds into senior management type roles to esnure the appropriate leadership is implemented within a specific culture. Recognizing and valuing the diversity of employees within an institution is very crucial. The reason being is that different employees from different areas of the world have different talents and skills which they naturally bring to the table. These differences provide ANZ with a strong and diverse team which gears the operations of the institution in the right direction. As an ANZ customer, I witness this first hand every single time I walk into one of their branches. I truly believe they are doing a great job in creating a diverse workplace. I believe that ANZ’s diversity policy is a good example of how a policy should be structured. It is easily laid out and the sub headings are easy to navigate through to find the desired information someone maybe looking for. It endevours to target a range of key issues that create a diverse workplace that coincides with organisational goals, and provides specific policies and measures that will enbable them to achieve these. †¢Well structured with an easy flow througout navigation. This refers to the actual design of the website. †¢Professionaly written and easy to understand. †¢A continually evolving connection throughout the document. By this I mean that as you navigate through the policies, they naturally seem to coincide with one another, and the measures in place throughout. This can be related to the structure and flow (design of website too), but focussing on the evolvement of policies and measures as you continue to click through the document. †¢Some very forward thinking policies and measures. †¢A complete document with more than enough information for the general public to understand their goals and plans of action. †¢Direct point of contact to Corporate Affairs, providing the general public with a name and address for mail enquiries as well as a direct phone number to this person. Also has a feedback email account and a link to general enquiries. †¢Subscription service to keep up-to-date with all sustainablity and diversity policies. †¢Compared to the other 3 big banks, the ANZ website looks very outdated and almost incorporates a ‘90’s’ style vibe. It is well structured but does lack a modern approach. †¢Social Media hyperlinks look outdated and are not as prominent compared to the other big bank wesbites. I feel ANZ are not  embracing social media enough, which has been proven (especially for banks) to be a successful integration amongst the general public. Also, compared to the other banks Facebook pages, ANZ has the least amount of likes and followers – by a siginificant number. I would highly recommend ANZ do a website overhaul in terms of making it look more modern and culturally fitting as this current wesbite comes across too formal and not engaging enough to the general public. However, I would not change the overall structure as it is quite creative. I would also recommend they make their social media links more prominent on the website to further embrace the modern culture. Overall, ANZ’s diversity policy can be considered very effective. They have really embraced diversity within their organisation’s culture and have set benchmarks in doing so. For example, their inclusivity of sexual orientation within their policy and support for the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intesrex) community is unparallel to any other organisation I have researched. They work closely with a not-for-profit organisation called ‘Pride in Diversity’ that provides Australian organisations with key information in achieving an inclusive policy with the LGBTI community. As well as this, they complete the Australian Workplace Equality Index which helps them gather results to further support their LGBTI agenda. The Australian Workplace Equality Index is considered to be the only external benchmark for inclusivity of the LGBTI community. ANZ have also got an excellent program in place for recruiting and providing opportunities for Indigenous employees through their Indigenous Action Plan. This is a strategic goal for the company, as well as a chance to provide underpriveleged Indegenous Australians with an opportunity for employment. To ensure that the policy is being adhered to, and that targets are being achieved, it is monitored by an Advisory Group, which is part of ANZ’s Australian Division Advisory Council. The group ensures that the objectives are relevant and are being achieved. As a result of these actions, ANZ have been able to employ and retain many Indigenous Australians within their workforce and maintain the organisation’s diversity. The results for 2013 indicate that a total of 93 Indigenous Australians were given traineeship  roles, with a total of 58 being recruited as employees of the organisation.

Competition Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Competition Law - Assignment Example It may be a gadget, technology or pill that would be a panacea to aches and pains. Another strategy is to take over existing business entities or corporate organizations that already possess the technology or business process by way of undertaking1, agreement2 or concentration3, either through merger or acquisition4. It may be undertaken to save a fledgling business or employed by business entities of equal capital assets to further strengthen its holdings and enhance its market viability or simply because it is cheaper to buy the rival company than to compete with it in the open market. One particular study that will be tackled in this paper is the cross-licensing, bundling or tying strategy that increases the role if not the dominance of a commercial organization. Thus this strategy warrants the close scrutiny of the European Commission to protect the interest of the European Market. The European Union advocates not only single market5 but open and free enterprise as well. Business entities or corporations have the discretion or liberty to acquire or join forces with other entities by virtue of agreements, undertaking or concentration but this right is not absolute. It is subject to certain conditions such that it must not prevent, restrict and distort competition6 and more importantly, it should not create, strengthen or abuse dominant position7. The primary objective of competition is to serve the general welfare of the consumers however the growing number of agreements, undertakings, mergers and/or acquisitions had the opposite effect since the main concern of businesses or corporations are increased profits and its bottom-line as well as to protect proprietary rights. The consumers were not protected from corporate greed and adventurism since there were no clear cut policies, standards or measures to regulate or control agreements, undertakings, mergers or acquisitions including collusive or abuse of dominant position by invoking exclusive rights over pat ents or intellectual properties. However, the enactment of Treaty of the Functioning European Union8 and its predecessor, the Treaty Establishing the European Union9 conferred upon competition authorities the jurisdiction not only to scrutinize undertakings within the EU but to ensure competition in the European market is not distorted. It is likewise authorized to determine the economic viability and practicability of the undertakings. It is also within the purview of the competition authorities to conduct due diligence to assess if the intellectual property rights over a product or information technology would significantly impede effective competition and strengthens or abuses dominance. It is empowered to conduct an inquiry to assess whether competition is still functioning effectively and the same is beneficial to the public in general. The TFEU was further supplemented by other regulatory measures such as Merger Control10, Individual11 and Block12 Exemptions and other Regulati ons which target specific industries or sectors. The task of this paper is to determine based on

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Future Research Paper

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Future - Research Paper Example At current consumption rates, we are left with 200 years of coal, 40 years of oil and 60 years of gas. Fossil fuels, Nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants also pose a danger to the environment (Hargreaves, 2011). If we are to address the issue of global warming, brought about through carbon emissions, then we will have to use the right energy sources, and dispose of the waste produced in our day to day lives in an effective manner. The use of solar panels is leading renewable alternative energy source used globally. Solar panels work by harnessing the radiation from the sun and converting it to electricity. Its main advantage is the abundant availability of the sun’s rays and widespread accessibility across the globe. But supply can be variable and intermittent, depending on weather conditions and time frames. These factors would probably underscore why the uptake of solar panels has not been as widespread as would be expected. According to the Pew Center on Global Climate c hange (2010), solar power only produces one percent of the energy requirement of the whole world in 2008. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2010), Americans generated approximately 2.3 million tons of waste, in the year 2009. 53% of that waste was dumped, 33.8% recycled and 11.9% burned. This would seem to indicate that only a small portion of waste actually gets recycled. According to the grassroots recycling network (grrn.org), many of the products that we think are recycled are actually â€Å"downcycled†. For example, newspapers are turned into low-value products like insulation material and cow bedding. The problem with this type of waste management system is that it leads to the continual degradation of the environment, and depletion of natural resources likes forests. A huge part of the waste is constituted by paper products, and if we are not careful how we source for more paper materials, we could end up cutting more trees, and thus furth er compounding the greenhouse effect. The best way to achieve the reduction of carbon emissions is by looking for better and more sustainable renewable energy sources and by utilizing better recycling methods. Enhanced Geothermal Systems This system generates electricity by harnessing the heat naturally generated by the earth (Blodgett & Slack, 2009). To accomplish this, you need to dig into a rock located in a cold area. The fractured network is then improved to make a basin into which supplementary wells are going be pierced in. Chilly H2O is then squirted towards the wells, through the fractured network, gripping the warm temperature from the rock as flows into the rock. The end result is, steam is captured from the resurfacing water, which is then used to power steam turbines. Afterward, it is then redirected to the fractured network to repeat the whole cycle again. This method of power generation produces zero carbon emissions and is currently in use at Copper Basin in Australi a. Smart Grids A Smart Grid is a â€Å"computerized† electricity grid. It involves adding two-way digital communication technology devices to an electricity grid (Williams et al, 2007). Each electronic device on the network can gather data, through sensors, plus two-way digital communication between the field and the utility’s network operation center. This connectivity can then allow the operator to adjust and control each individual device.

Children killers Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Children killers - Annotated Bibliography Example hs Prophet†, the author, Sina illustrates that Kony Joseph proclaimed himself as one of the spokespersons of God before ruling over the Ugandan people. After gaining the trust of the people, Kony Joseph then takes advantage of the children and orders them to become soldiers and participate in child-sex activities. The act makes the Uganda people to hate Kony since he misleads the young children into activity that they dislike. Twesigye, Emmanuel, the author of the book, â€Å"Religion, Politics, and Cults in East Africa: Gods Warriors and Marys Saints† argue that Kony Joseph was a spiritual leader before being brutal to his own people. The author identifies that at first all the Ugandan citizens promoted the works done by the Lord’s Resistance Army movement since it was fighting for the human rights. However, the movement later begun rejecting own people and participated in brutal family murders. In the book, â€Å"Unarmed and in Harms Way, My Obsession with Ending Violence† the author, Hoffman Ben mentions that Joseph is responsible for numerous deaths in the entire east African society. Hoffman later identifies in the book that Kony has contributed to numerous wars in diverse nations such as Southern Sudan, Central African Republic and Congo. For reasons of contributing to the wars, the international criminal court is charging Kony as a criminal. In the book, â€Å"Living with Bad Surroundings: War, History, and Everyday Moments in Northern Uganda†, the author, Finnstrom, identifies that most of the children in Uganda have turned into participating into criminal activity. Since the LRA has recruited almost all the young children into soldiers, the children are forced to participate into wars. Finnstrom identifies that the children that deny the offer of the job are killed or the ears, lips and the nose are cut off. The author of the book, â€Å"Social Torture: The Case of Northern Uganda, 1986-2006†, Dolan identifies that Kony was a raised up Christian by the

Comparison between two books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison between two books - Essay Example This study aims at examining and analyzing the approaches used by two books in explaining criminological issues and the criminal justice system in America. The two books are Criminological Theories and Rebuilding Justice. In the third chapter of Criminological theories, the book discusses biosocial and biological theories of crime. The basis of these theories is the view that it is possible to observe and measure individual differences and that defects in individuals’ genetic and biological make up can predetermine one’s criminal behavior (Ronald and Christine, 2013). Contemporary biological theories have tended to put more focus on differences in genetic and biological factors and how they interact with the external environment. The traditional theories stipulate that crime occurs as a result of biological abnormalities in individuals and the individuals therefore have no choice of their own to avoid criminal acts. Notable proponents of these theories include sociologists such as Cesare Lombroso, Ferrero William, Charles Goring, and Sarnoff Mednick among others. Some of the biosocial and biological theories include the evolutionary theory that states that genetic criminal behavior is p assed down to the next generations through the evolutionary process of natural selection; the biosocial arousal theory states that the level of arousal of an individual works according to the social environment around them (Ronald and Christine, 2013). Individuals with a lower arousal level are less capable of learning fast and moving at pace with the wider society and will thereof resort to criminal activities. Biological theories approach the criminal justice system in a different view. Punishment is viewed as a way of deterring individuals from committing crimes, but it cannot effectively change the individuals’ biological characteristics that predispose them to criminal

Business story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business story - Essay Example Jose found the carcass of the second dog, which had been killed subsequent to being run over by a car. Jose took the carcass to Ahmed who refused to pay for the carcass. Fatima, Ahmed's sister, found the third dog and gave it to Ahmed, who refused to pay her anything whatsoever. Since, one of the dogs was dead and as two dogs would be unable to pull the cart, Ahmed placed posters around the city cancelling the promise of a reward. Susan not noticing the leaflets of revocation returned the dog she found to Ahmed, who refused to pay her anything. The relevant legal position in this respect is that unilateral contracts are one-sided contracts where someone makes a promise in return for an act. In Balfour v. Balfour there was no intention, hence there was no contract though they lived together1; further, in Merritt v. Merritt there was no intention and the parties were not living together, hence, there was no valid contract2. The facts of this case are that The Carbolic Smoke Ball Co placed an advertisement in a newspaper, which stated that a 100 reward would be paid by it to any person getting infected by influenza, colds or any disease resulting from the common cold. After having used the ball three times daily for two weeks according to the printed directions supplied with each ball, an amount of 1000 would be deposited with the Alliance Bank, Regent Street. Mrs Carlill bought the ball and duly caught flu. The company refused to pay, stating that it was not an offer, but a mere advertising publicity stunt. The Court held that the advertisement was a genuine offer, which could be accepted by using the Smokeball and catching flu. Intention was demonstrated by the deposition of money in the bank4. However, if the offeree has commenced performance of the act then the offer cannot be revoked without providing a reasonable opportunity to complete the offeror's requirements. In Abbott v Lance it was held that acceptance must rely upon the offer5. The Cases Williams v Carwardine6 and R v Clarke7, also illustrate this point. The advertisement indicated the promisor's intention to commit himself legally. Susan incurred expenditure and expended her valuable time in searching for these dogs. The first issue to be determined is the effect of Ahmed's advertisement. The decision in Carlill v Carbolic Smokeball Company was that the offer of a unilateral contract can be made by an advertisement and to revoke it the offeror must use a method of communication, which reaches most if not all of the people who had viewed this offer8. The law generally insists on identifying an offer and acceptance as the basis for the existence of a contract. An offer indicates the terms on which an offeror intends to be bound. Offers must be distinguished from invitations to treat or deal, negotiations and auctions. Offers can be made to individuals, a number or class of people or to the world at large. An offer to the world at large usually takes place in reward contracts which are a major application of the concept of unilateral contracts. An offer can be terminated by rejection, counter offers, revocation - unless required conduct has begun - , lapse of a reasonable period of time or in the event of death of the offeror. To prevent revocation of an offer, an

Develop a two-page response paper that addresses the following Movie Review

Develop a two-page response paper that addresses the following questions (find in order instructions) about the Klute (1971) by Alan J. Pakula - Movie Review Example The advantages of her staying focus on the idea that by doing so she will be able to prove herself and the entire society that she is a self dependent woman who was able to fight successfully for her place under the sun and live a life in the manner that she wants to. However, one of the greatest disadvantages about staying is that the woman in question found herself in the center of rather dangerous events and if she follows this path, her life might be in great risk. Thus, up to a certain extent she is presented with a choice between life and death. When the main character considers leaving, she also sees several advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, if she quits she will be under the protection of the police and will no longer be afraid for her life. Keeping in mind that two of her â€Å"colleagues† died, the odds that she will be the next are rather high. On the other hand, there are other some disadvantages of leaving. Thus, if Daniels returns to the conventional life, she might feel that she failed as an independent woman since she was not able to live life on her own. It is my strong belief that the conflict that the main character experiences is resolved as her new life offers an unexpected aspect that she did not take into account: she develops a romantic relationship with the detective Klute who provokes extremely strong feelings that she is partially afraid of. 2. It would not be a mistake to point out that the movie in question challenges the description of gender in the movies as it was put by Laura Mulveys. There are several points that should be noted. First of all, this feminist argues that the potential viewer of the film would be a white male and the main character is depicted in a typical way that white men would find quite attractive (Humm, 1997). In addition to that, Mulveys argues that a strong women’s agency is partially advocated in the cinema of the end of the century and indeed one of the central

Believe and Culture Build Awareness Research Paper

Believe and Culture Build Awareness - Research Paper Example However, despite this seemingly important trend, many other security concerns are also emerging, which threatens the effective use of these technologies (Erickson 2008). This paper examines some of the challenges being associated with the process of establishing firm security systems in individual and corporate information systems. According to Scambray & McClure (2001), hacking can be described as the unauthorized entry into a person’s information database online. In the need for creating and using technology as a leveraging point for organizational effectiveness, individuals and organisations have developed websites and other online databases where they develop and store their confidential information. In this regard, the information is supposed to be kept away from the reach of unauthorized persons. In order to ensure that this information is secured safely, it is often expected that one uses effective and reliable passwords among other important approaches that can ensure that this information is safely secured (Scambray & McClure 2001). Additionally, the process of hosting these websites is supposed to be done on secure networks, which ensure that hackers and other malicious attackers do not gain entry into these information systems. Just like in normal aspects of life, intruding into someone’s physical space without his/her permission or context amounts to security threat. Culturally, it is important that one seeks permission before entry into a house or an office, in the same way, hacking can be seen to be violating the cultural ties that concern respect for one’s space and freedom. In all societies across the world, good mannerism involves several subsets including observing and respecting people’s physical space among others. In the same way, the development of online systems like websites and social sites is supposed to incorporate this important security concern. Across the world, many issues have so far been raised about the

Spinster and Women Role Essay Example for Free

Spinster and Women Role Essay PART A: Introduction According to the latest statistics reported by the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, the population of single women has been on the rise over the past two decades. The population of women aged 30-39 who have never married has risen from 51,000 people in 1986, to 180,600 in 2009. In recent years, people in Mainland China and Hong Kong started to use the term â€Å" † to describe any woman who remains unmarried beyond the conventional age for marriage. In western culture, words like â€Å"Spinster† and â€Å"Old maid† indicate an older, childless woman who is unwilling and unable to marry. Undoubtedly, traditional Chinese culture has cultivated generations of women who believed that their ultimate and most important role in society was to get married and have children. If a woman cannot achieve those goals, she would be considered eccentric or unfulfilled. The objective of my term project is to change general perceptions of unmarried women. I do believe that there is a wider range of acceptable and alternative lifestyle choices for women, such as living together with a lover without being married, and marrying at an older age. Hence, I produced a short film, and entitled it â€Å"A Love Warrior†. The Choice of Character The character in my short film is Ada, a typical businesswoman who is confident, strong, outspoken and attractive. She represents a large group of modern women in our society. After graduating from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Ada was awarded with two additional master degrees with recognized qualifications in Hong Kong. Although she is in her early-thirties, she works as a senior marketing manager in a German-based sports apparel manufacturer. With a highly educated background, it is obvious that Ada sees herself as a career-focused woman. But like other women, she also enjoys love life. In her most recent long-term relationship, she found out that her boyfriend cheated on her with a younger girl, therefore she made up her mind and ended this eight-year old relationship. After this painful experience, she became very optimistic and joked that she should be calling herself a â€Å" † and sees the world differently, there are many other good men available. Nevertheless, she is still seeking her Mr. Right and asserted her belief of true love and settled down. The Spinster Stereotype According with the Circuit of Culture (du Gay et al. 1997), culture is described as the production and circulation of meaning. On the whole, there are five stations: Representation, Identity, Production, Consumption and Regulation which are connected to each other providing a synergistic impact. Even fluctuation in one station would affect all other elements. Meaning comes from representations from language, photography, painting and ot her media, which uses â€Å"signs and symbols to represent or re-represent whatever exists in the world in term of a meaning concept, image or idea. † (du Gay et al. , 1997). Identity refers to how meaning is constructed or made and internalized by individual person or cultural group when confronted with a text (du Gay et al. ,1997). Production refers to the effort that an entity, for example, an individual, culture or industry goes about representing itself or products to others. Nowadays, meaning is also produced in a variety of different media. The modern mass media in a global scale circulate meanings between different cultures on a scale and with a speed. Consumption denotes that meaning is produced whenever people make use of appropriate cultural stuff to express themselves in. Regulation indicates that meanings help to set the norms, rules and conventions by which social life is ordered and governed. In other words, it is accepted as appropriate if the observed behaviour is pleasing to the individual or group. As long as the behaviour makes one uncomfortable, it becomes inappropriate. The approval or disapproval of texts may be in the hands of individual or groups within a cultural setting. During the early nineteenth century, unmarried women earned a living by spinning cloth at home. It was really the thankless work. The term â€Å"Spinsters† originally identified those women. Nevertheless, people used to associate middle-aged and unmarried women with â€Å"Spinsters†. That was definitely a symbolic representation, and became a social stigma attached to their status.. Feminist reject the stereotype of spinster. They point out that the term â€Å"Bachelor† which is used to label unmarried man, did not have the same negative implication as that of â€Å"Spinster†. Moreover, words like â€Å"Spinster† and â€Å"Old maid† pertain to the sexual as well as marital state of a woman (Schur, 1983). A bachelor could have several partners, yet it would be immoral for a spinster to do the same. People mostly implies that a bachelor is young, energetic, virile and available while a spinster eventually ages to a point where she becomes infertile and never bear children. Obviously, these terms for labeling unmarried man and woman respectively did not parallel in meaning. There are several psychological characteristics associated with the spinster stereotype: abnormal, unfulfilled and pitiful. In the traditional sense, spinsters were viewed as abnormal because they did not have children. Since spinsters would not have husband and children, they were alone in life which were viewed as unfulfilled by traditional definition. Also, people took pity on the lonesome spinsters who could not have true meaning in life without a husband and children. The Contemporary Image of Single Women In my short film, Ada represents a fashionable and cheerful lady although she is unmarried. She is dressed in trendy and sexy clothes, and has her hair bobbed. She looks chic and posh. She is confident to speak what she wants to express. She admits that she is eager to seek for her Mr. Right through online dating websites and marriage agency. During the photo shoot, she struck a posed on the Jacuzzi in the bathroom, and she drank the red wine in an Italian restaurant. These images convey the message that she knows how to enjoy her life and make herself happy, and defy conventional stereotype of unmarried women. Conclusion After completing this project, I think short film production is similar to photovoice. These creative approaches enable people, especially the stereotype group, to identify, define and enhance their community based on their own specific concern and priorities. Furthermore, I believe that in order to minimize the stereotypes for unmarried women in our society, cultural changes and breakthrough must be made. The struggle for these women to become a respected part of the society has been carrying on for centuries. Today, most single women have become sensible and smart on selecting the other half through wide opportunity for dating. (Word Count : 1103) PART B: There are 4 suggestions for improving my work. Firstly, I believe that the target audience of this project is unmarried women sharing a similar background with Ada. Hence, for the representation, I would have Ada encourages these women to follow her attitude towards life, being independent, assuming their femininity, breaking free from conventions and showing confidence with strength in both their career and personal lives. Secondly, having a strong female character as the main focus, the male audiences may feel offended by the tonality. Therefore I would have included various scenes in which Ada shows her femininity side in a traditional way, such as baking cupcakes or planting lavender. In order to seek acceptance from the male audiences, it is necessary to slightly tune down the independent and strong characters of single women. Thirdly, music can be use as a medium to express our feelings. The background music I chose for the short film is in English. The powerful lyrics of these songs illustrate the modern women’s attitudes towards their lives, and they are perfect to show Ada’s point of views, also to add more excitement for the audiences. However, due to language barrier, some audiences may not be familiar with these songs and not easy to be associated with.

Is Astrology A Pseudoscience?

Is Astrology A Pseudoscience? In order to ascertain whether or not something is a pseudoscience or fake science, one must first know what pseudoscience is. Here, I am going to illustrate the many different points which distinguished philosophers such as Michael Radner, Densie Radner and Paul Thagard have made on what is a pseudoscience to evaluate astrology, which is the study of how the heavenly bodies such as the planets and the constellations affect us and instead offer that Astrology is simply not science, much like religion or poetry is not like science. Already, if one were to look up Astrology in a collection of online dictionaries, there will be definitions such as a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon however wether the writer of such definitions knows why or how astrology is a pseudoscience remains a mystery, perhaps they, like the 192 scientists and 19 noble prize winners who signed the statement against astrology Bart Bok, Paul Kurtz and Lawrence Jerome, support it being a pseudoscience because it goes against their instincts and rational thinking which is really not enough evidence for anything to be classified as a pseudoscience. For example the three most important issues raised by the statement which was signed by these scientists proclaimed that: Astrology originated as part of a magical world view. However so did chemistry (it arose from alchemy) and doctors use to believe that the body was made of humours and today even honour the Hippocratic origins of medicine by still making the Hippocratic Oath. The planets are too distant for there to be any physical foundation for astrology. While the planets are distant, there are certainly ways distant objects can influence our lives. For example if the sun were to explode, that would certainly make an impact upon our daily lives. People believe in astrology out of longing for comfort. While some people believe astrology out of longing for comfort, so they too, believe in religion or the existence of gravity every time they jump so that one does not fear that whenever one jumps one may drift off into space and thus this does not define astrology as a pseudoscience. If there is anything to speak for astrology as a science it would be that astrology uses the scientific method. The scientific method as developed by many scientists like Einstein as well as well known philosophers such as Kuhn, Popper, Feyerabend and Lakatos consists of observation, hypothesis, experimentation and verification. As astrology focuses on observing the location of the sun and the planets as well as their effect on people, which is the basis of astrological charts and readings it clearly satisfies the first condition. When an astrologist makes a chart of someones birth and makes reading upon that of how their life will be like, that is a hypothesis. The subject living his or her life is the experiment and at the end of their life they can verify whether or not the reading came true. Verification is strongly focused on the results not falsifying the hypothesis but even for lack of that, does an experiment falsifying the hypothesis make it unscientific? High school chemist ry experiments were still science experiments even if the results were not what we expected to them to be. Thus we can say, yes astronomy does follow the scientific method, although through experiments such as one conducted by a French psychologist Michel Gauquelin, where he sent the horoscope of a criminal to roughly 150 people as their horoscope and 94% believed it fit them1, we can see that actual verification may be something difficult to achieve when it comes to astrology, most likely because of how vague and all encompassing the readings prove to be. To some of us, the fact that astrology doesnt make sense in that there are no physical forces in play from planets millions of miles away is enough to declare astrology a pseudoscience. However, as is pointed out by various astrologists, Einsteins theory of curved space seemed absurd until it was proven true and many similarly absurd proposals are still considered science. Philosophers through the ages have also debated (although mostly just agreed) that astronomy is a pseudoscience. One of the most famous demarcations of science is Karl Poppers theory of falsifiability; however astrology cant be classified be a pseudoscience using this. Thagard brought up the points very well in his article Why is astrology a pseudoscience that Popper himself said that no observation ever guarantees falsification because the hypotheses can always be changed and thus falsification can only be a category if a better theory is invented2. Thus although no hypotheses made by astrologists can convince them that astrology doesnt work, astrology can technically be replaced by a modern day Ptolemy- maybe the composition of the planets affect us instead of the gods that rule them or something and thus is falsifiable. Speaking of the gods however, therein lays one of the greatest weak points that show astrology as something that isnt very scientific. Science is the same through all languages, hydrogen is still an atom made of a proton no matter whether its name is in English or Chinese. The planets, named after Greek gods are not the same across languages yet names of things appear to be of the utmost importance to astrologers. Venus who is named after the goddess of love deals with the emotional side of things while Mars is the god of war and thus if youre born under the house of Mars you will be evil,  warlike and contentious because of [your] choleric nature3. Even more worrisome is that the 12 zodiac constellations arose from the Babylonians around the same time the Chinese and Hindus had 28 constellations. Furthermore, the names of the constellations appear to also affect people who are born when theyre in the sky, for example people that are born when the sun is in the quadrant of the sky where Aries the Ram is are supposed be aggressive and assertive like the animal itself. This leads us to the various marks of pseudoscience that D. and M. Radner have set out of which being able to satisfy any one of these conditions is considered to be unscientific4. Anachronistic Thinking Their first demarcation refers to reverting to age old theories that once held fruition in the past. Astrology is a fairly age old theory that was the origins of astronomy whereby in the past astrologers were also astronomers and observed the movements of the planets and the stars. As the correlations of the position of the planets and stars appear to have been passed down from the beginning of astrology from observations made on how the planets affect people from thousands of years B.C., this does seem to apply. Furthermore the moon and the sun are still considered planets in astrology and one would think if Astrology was kept up to date, that someone would have removed them from the equation. In comparison, in order to see the effects of drugs on people we have textbooks which would have new editions every few years to show new findings and remove findings that have been proven false. The main textbook of astrology is still Ptolemys  Tetrabiblos  which was written in 200 AD. In Thagards article Why astrology is a pseudoscience Thagard also proclaims that astrology is uncritical and unprogressive because it never tries to solve unsolved problems like what happens in natural disasters where people with many difference charts, star signs, houses all die in the same way2. Looking for mysteries While astrology does not appear to be deal with mysteries of human experience such as UFOs, there are many mysteries associated with something that is supposed to be scientific. If one were to look up the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, one would find the same answer from any knowledgeable chemist. If one were to ask 10 different astrologers for their horoscope, one would find many different readings which opens the questions as to which reading is the correct reading. For example a collaboration of studies show that in a group of 559 astrologers when 5- 30 of them are asked to agree or disagree with a given reading of 762 different birth charts, most of them cant even agree that each chart means the same thing. Appeals to Myths Astrology does not actually appeal to myths, instead a quick browse of the Journal of Astrology website would show that it does appeal to old readings that have come true6, namely those made to estimate political outcomes and lives and deaths. However, absent on the site are indication of the numbers or examples of death predictions that have not come true. The grab-bag approach to evidence Astrology does appear to favour large amounts of evidence in that astrologers refer to how many readings in the past have come true (disregarding those that havent) and this method is helped along through the popularity of daily horoscopes in our newspapers whereby every horoscope can most likely correspond to every person. In fact the collaboration of 54 studies that have tested astrologers by giving them charts and telling them to match their owners showed that the average rate of success was the same as if you or I randomly matched them. Irrefutable Hypotheses While astrology is not irrefutable there are many ways and loopholes which allow it to never reach that point. For example, if a reading is wrong a) the person taking the reading could be deluding themselves and really are what the reading says b) the astrologer could have read it wrong c) The person lied about their location of birth and time d) this particular astrologer made it up but the next may make a true reading. The list of possible causes for already vague readings to be wrong that doesnt disprove astrology in any way can go on and on as there is no possible control to be tested (i.e. someone who isnt under the influence of the stars). It is because of the ease at which these wrong hypothesises can be explained and are explained that causes Popper to claim that astrology is irrational and Kuhn to claim it to be astrologys downfall when it comes to being a science as it means their results will never lead to any sort of further research or progression2,7. Argument from spurious similarity A mark of pseudoscience is that the pseudoscientific has a base of principles which are already part of legitimate science. Astrology definitely has a basis in astronomy however there was once a time where astronomy was based on astrology and the star charts and movements of planets used in astrology would coincide with those used in astronomy. Explanation by scenario Astrology uses its own laws to explain different readings and conclusions. For example Uranus is likely a cooling planet due to its modern rulership of Saturns traditional sign Aquarius . These rules and laws most likely originated from original scientific observations of the ecliptic rotations of the planets when it was believed that everything revolved around the earth (seeing as the moon and the sun were classified as planets) and then further built upon with various theories from the Gods they are named after, for example Jupiter is the chief of the gods and thus can rule over other gods. Research of Exegesis Astrologers are selective in their use of scientific research, they do not as many pseudo scientists do, which is to simply take science as statements instead of looking for the reasoning and facts beneath but they do not take into account all scientific research either. For example Michel Gauquelin in an experiment found that there is a greater than chance association of people who are born under Saturns rising or zenith to be scientists and that example may be used by astrologers as a scientific experiment that supports astrology. However, experiments looking at horoscopes of twins born in the same location and at the same time with drastically different futures lay hidden beneath the carpet. Refusal to revise in light of criticism This mark of pseudoscience is something that relates greatly to astrology. Because the Earth is not perfectly spherical, the axis of the earth tilts back and forth in a 26000 year cycles and due to this, the quadrants the constellations occupy in the sky no longer befit with that of when astrology charts were created thousands of years ago. This is called precession and is a problem that astrologers are yet to answer especially since they continue to make predictions as if the constellations still occupy the same part of the sky they use to. Furthermore with the invention of modern day hospitals and caesarean births that causes the time of birth to be different by many hours and sometimes preserves a baby that would have otherwise died, there presents lots of problems with something that is calculated from ones birth time. Apart from fore filling many of the marks of pseudoscience D. and M. Radner have listed, astrology is a topic that has been criticized by many philosophers. Diesing pointed out that astrologers do not collaborate with other scientists like many of the sciences do8, Feyerabend compared it to medieval astronomy whereby it had interesting ideas but they werent developed through any kind of proper research in order to understand how it worked9. Grey in a summarization points out that astrology has a lack of controls and has ill defined concepts that cant be refined and are hard to test10. Most of these philosophers seem to agree that while science is continuously being challenged by anomalies, new theories and results which allow it to progress; astronomy tends to reject these occurrences and thus becomes stagnant. Criticism for astrology does not only stop here even as far back as 44 BC there existed documented criticism against astrology and example of this would be the critique written by Marcus Tullius Cicero who was a Roman statesman. One of his best points was that people do not expect childrens personality or behaviours to be affected by the weather conditions in which they are born and these conditions obviously have by far more effects on a person than dim lights which shine in the sky. He continues that even if children born in the month of December were in some way to be similar how would one know it is not because they were born in cold weather as opposed to the sun rising while a constellation is in the sky11?   This was a very valid point at the time when it was written and thinking along the same lines creates a variety of problems which would be difficult for an astrologist to answer such as why doesnt the amount and gender of people in the immediate vicinity of the baby being born affect the babys personality instead of the stars. Conclusion While it is clear that astrology is a pseudoscience as described by many famous philosophers like Thagard, Kuhn and Feyerabend, I propose that astronomy ought to be classified as something that is not science as opposed to fake science. Because astrology was the origins of astronomy and thus is somewhat intimately connected with science and yet so obviously not scientific, there has been much debate as to its status. However, I would like to point out that it is the scientists who are concerned with the accuracy and effectiveness of the tests conducted on astrology and that, astrologists, while being dismissive of all negative results and findings are really more concerned with the satisfaction of those that seek their wisdom. Rather, astronomy is really more like a religion where people have faith in things that cannot be seen and is rather successful at making people feel connected to society. It provides a way for us to describe ourselves and realize qualities in ourselves and gen erally there are fairly little negative impacts in believing in something like astrology (apart from maybe an unhappy boy who you dont want to date because hes Aquarius). Even better, while it affords the same degree of actual use as a placebo, tests for the accuracy of astrology show as much or as little result as tests for the effectiveness of prayers and instead of having to pay weekly to fund the Church, all you have to do is get your chart made once and from then on, are able to blame the stars for your failings. As Leahey and Leahey said, astrology provides a means for pursuit of happiness and is in a way like a cheap method of psychology where you can discover yourself while letting the stars take the blame for any bad attributes you have and yet be comforted at the same time since there is no God to judge you at the end.

Is There a Real Difference Between a Neurosis and a Psychosis Essay

Is There a Real Difference Between a Neurosis and a Psychosis A major part of clinical psychology is the diagnoses and treatment of mental disorders. This can often be difficult and controversial due to the fact that many of the disorders can be confused with others; there aren’t always clear guidelines in which to follow. An example of this confusion can be seen in the disorders Neurosis and Psychosis. Neither neurosis nor psychoses appear as major categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). The main reason for this is that both categories were fairly broad and included a number of mental disorders with quite dissimilar symptoms. Consequently, mental health professionals did not always agree on the diagnosis for a particular patient. Neurosis is a functional (Psychogenic) disorder consisting of a symptom or symptoms caused, though usually unknown to the patient, by a mental disorder. The four commonest are Anxiety State, Reactive Depression, Hysteria and Obsessive-Compulsive Neurosis. We all know what it is to feel anxious. Anxiety becomes abnormal when it is out of all proportion to the cause, or when it continues long after the cause has been removed. Patients with other mental illnesses often feel anxious from time to time, but the term anxiety neurosis is used to describe the illness in which anxiety is the main feature and the patient feels anxious all the time. Reactive Depression is a form of depression where the cause is known i.e. marriage break-up or bereavement. Reactive depression can be classed as a neurosis as it is an exaggeration of the normal expected response to such situations. In medical language the word Hysteria is used to mean that a symptom is beyond the patients control. If I have to take an examination tomorrow and to get out of it I ring up and say that I cannot attend because I am going to the dentist, I am malingering. I am quite deliberately telling a lie to get out of taking the examination. But if, on the morning of the examination, I wake up with a raging toothache although there is nothing wrong with my tooth, this is hysteria. There is nothing wrong, but the pain is genuine. I am quite truly incapable of sitting the examination. The symptom is out of my conscious control and has become hysterical. Hysterical symptoms always serve to get us out of som... ...ers, neurosis and psychosis, may appear small but they can help in the diagnoses and treatment of patients. It can be very difficult to treat a patient when the cause of their illness is unknown or when the illness itself is difficult to understand. It is for this reason that mental health professionals need to categorise mental disorders as clearly and concisely as possible. The DSM-III dropped the entries of neurosis and psychosis and split them down into subdivisions to try to enable better diagnosis but there is still confusion as to the differences between neurosis and psychosis. There is not only a difference between the two but also a difference in each individual case. Different things effect people in different ways and many people although share the same illness have completely different symptoms. Every case should be looked at individually and treated as such. Instead of looking for the best treatment for neurosis, it would be better to look for the best treatment for an individual. References Introduction to psychology - Atkinson - Hilgard - 1983 The science of mind and behaviour - Gross - 1999 The oxford companion to the mind - Gregory - 1987

Abortion Essay -- Research Papers Pregnancy Papers

Abortion â€Å"Abortion is a procedure, either surgical or medical, to end a pregnancy by removing the fetus and placenta from the uterus.† This definition (A.D.A.M., 2003) is a dry medical definition that lacks meaning. This paper attempts to apply meaning to this dry definition, and in doing so, will show the less known and less published side of abortion; the human side. A Brief History Archaeologists have recently uncovered Roman ruins that contain the evidence of aborted children, abandoned children, and children that were destroyed just after birth (infanticide); all of these bodies were recovered from a brothel. Fast forwarding a few hundred years, Thomas Aquinas wrote on the evils of abortion, and the moral implications of such a practice in a civilized society. These two examples of â€Å"ancient† history show that abortion has been around a long, long time, and has been used as a means of birth control, to end unwanted pregnancies, for some time now; it is not a recent development. The act of destroying the young before birth has been present in the world for a while, however, but it has been only in the last century that this problem has reached an epidemic proportion. In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the first abortion legislation in the United States was proposed, mainly concerned with the application of penalties for illegal a bortions; outlines what abortions would be considered legal. It should be noted, that these early proposals wanted to legalize abortion for reasons including the mental or physical health of the mother, pregnancy due to rape and incest, and fetal deformity (NRLC, 2003). In the late 1960’s forms of the earlier abortion legislation was passed in a few states; the number of states... ... of people out there that are able to think for themselves, based on the given facts and evidence. I would like to commend everyone in the class for giving me an opportunity to enjoy their views on life, for it helped me to better understand my own views. Bibliography The Boycott List. Life Decisions International. Washington. 2002 â€Å"Life and death before birth.† Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life 2003 Pro-life Resource Book. MCCL. Minneapolis. 2002 Heritage House 76. 2003. Arguments of Abortion. [Online]. http://www.abortionfacts.com/parsing_the_arguments/parsing_the_arguments.asp [Dec 14, 2003] Heritage House 76. 2003. History of Abortion. [Online]. http://www.abortionfacts.com/history/history.asp [Dec 14, 2003] NRLC. 2003. Abortion: Some Medical Facts. [Online]. http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf.html [Dec 02, 2003] Abortion Essay -- Research Papers Pregnancy Papers Abortion â€Å"Abortion is a procedure, either surgical or medical, to end a pregnancy by removing the fetus and placenta from the uterus.† This definition (A.D.A.M., 2003) is a dry medical definition that lacks meaning. This paper attempts to apply meaning to this dry definition, and in doing so, will show the less known and less published side of abortion; the human side. A Brief History Archaeologists have recently uncovered Roman ruins that contain the evidence of aborted children, abandoned children, and children that were destroyed just after birth (infanticide); all of these bodies were recovered from a brothel. Fast forwarding a few hundred years, Thomas Aquinas wrote on the evils of abortion, and the moral implications of such a practice in a civilized society. These two examples of â€Å"ancient† history show that abortion has been around a long, long time, and has been used as a means of birth control, to end unwanted pregnancies, for some time now; it is not a recent development. The act of destroying the young before birth has been present in the world for a while, however, but it has been only in the last century that this problem has reached an epidemic proportion. In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the first abortion legislation in the United States was proposed, mainly concerned with the application of penalties for illegal a bortions; outlines what abortions would be considered legal. It should be noted, that these early proposals wanted to legalize abortion for reasons including the mental or physical health of the mother, pregnancy due to rape and incest, and fetal deformity (NRLC, 2003). In the late 1960’s forms of the earlier abortion legislation was passed in a few states; the number of states... ... of people out there that are able to think for themselves, based on the given facts and evidence. I would like to commend everyone in the class for giving me an opportunity to enjoy their views on life, for it helped me to better understand my own views. Bibliography The Boycott List. Life Decisions International. Washington. 2002 â€Å"Life and death before birth.† Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life 2003 Pro-life Resource Book. MCCL. Minneapolis. 2002 Heritage House 76. 2003. Arguments of Abortion. [Online]. http://www.abortionfacts.com/parsing_the_arguments/parsing_the_arguments.asp [Dec 14, 2003] Heritage House 76. 2003. History of Abortion. [Online]. http://www.abortionfacts.com/history/history.asp [Dec 14, 2003] NRLC. 2003. Abortion: Some Medical Facts. [Online]. http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf.html [Dec 02, 2003]

Fundamentals of Rocket Science :: physics rocket science

Liftoff Rocket engines are different from car or jet engines in two fudamental ways. 1. Unlike cars, rockets don't need to "push off" of anything to propel themselves forward. 2. Rockets are self-contained. In other words they don't need oxygen from the atmosphere to provide fuel for energy. Rockets operate using the law of conservation of linear momentum. This law states that whenever two or more particles interact, the total momentum of the system remains constant. In this case the shuttle and it's fuel can be considered separate particles. A rocket moves by ejecting its fuel out the nose at extremely high velocities (approx. 6000 mph). The fuel is given momentum as it is being ejected. To insure conservation of linear momentum, the shuttle must be given a compensating momentum in the opposite direction. Rockets move exactly like Dr. Newman would if he were on a sheet of ice with 3 million pounds of baseballs throwing them at a rate of 22,000 lbs/sec. Actually Dr. Newman would move quite a bit faster, because he has MUCH less mass than the space shuttle. To quickly summarize, thrust is equal to the exhaust velocity multiplied by the amount fuel leaving with respect to time. This is illustrated by the equation: Thrust = ve(dM/dt) This tells us the only way to increase the amount of thrust acting on the rocket, is by increasing the velocity of the exhaust, or the amount of fuel, M, leaving per second. * This is why space shuttles don't hurl baseballs out the back of the rockets. It's takes a lot of energy to accelerate a baseball to 6000 mph! Rocket Scientist (they don't call them that for nothing) prefer to use the ideal gas law: An ideal gas is one for which PV/nT is constant at all pressures. * Fuel and an Oxidizing agent, usually liquid oxygen and hydrogen respectively, are forced into the combustion chamber where they are ignited. The temperature increases which forces the pressure in the chamber to increase to insure PV/T remains constant. Volume inside the chamber is constant so: Pi/Ti = Pf/Tf, => Pf = PiTf/Ti Using Bernoulli's equation we can determine the velocity of the gas exiting the Nozzle: Ve = Ac[2(Pc - Pn)/(p(Ac^2-An^2))]^(1/2) where V = velocity, A = cross sectional area, P = pressure, p = density of the fluid, and n,c = defines Nozzle and Combustion Chamber respectively. The final step is to find the rate the mass is being ejected (dM/dt).

Anne Bradstreet

Leonard Anger toes: â€Å"For the Puritan, of course, every personal trial had its theological significance† (100). However, In dealing with the deaths of her grandchildren, It Is her intense grief and overwhelming sense of loss that compel her to question, and at times challenge, the meaning of God's will, consciously knowing this is against the Puritan doctrine. The elegies reflect Breadbasket's effort in trying to balance her struggle to accept, understand, and define her devotion to her family and the physical world against the spiritual definition of God and the expectations of her that.Anne Breadbasket's poetry, both in style and substance, embodies who she Is as a person: a Puritan, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a poet. Anger notes, â€Å"Broadsheet was aware that she was a woman poet, not just a poet,† (114) and that â€Å"She wrote of her family and of the issues that touched her closely at home† (1 15). The â€Å"domestic† poem allows Broadsheet more freely to express her feelings. Kenneth Require claims Broadsheet a better poet within her personal work because it most truthfully represents how she relates to the world-?as a woman, wife, and mother.Require believes the results are evident In Broadsheets private poetry and that â€Å"speaking as a private poet Is so sufficiently close to her domestic vocation that she Is comfortable in the private role† (1 1 Breadbasket's comfort level in writing about personal experience is apparent, and as Wendy Martin notes, this allows her to be â€Å"considerably more candid about her spiritual crises, her deep attachment to her family, and her love of mortal life† (17). Broadsheet reserves her personal poems for a small, trusted audience of family and close friends.Writing for this audience rates a safe environment In which she can reveal her thoughts and feelings without the threat of Judgment or criticism. It Is within this â€Å"comfort zone† that Broadsheet wr ites these three heartfelt elegies and expresses the deeply personal and spiritual conflict she suffers in trying to understand the meaning of her grandchildren deaths. The first elegy, â€Å"In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Broadsheet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old,† Anne Broadsheet begins with tender emotion and sorrowful farewells.Her tone is melancholy, her sadness apparent. Beyond Breadbasket's poignant farewells, there is the actual physical structure of the poem to consider. Anger states, â€Å"It is clear that the structure of the stanzas is meant to be symmetrical,† (109). He describes what he believes Breadbasket's desired effect: â€Å"In both [stanzas], the first four lines capture human confusion and sorrow. The last three [lines in each stanza] locate the spiritual essence that provides consolation† (109).Anger considers this symmetry effective in representing Breadbasket's attempt of trying to find logic in Elizab ethan death and her realization at n â€Å"One cannot reason Trot experience to Beginning Witt the first stanza, the pattern of human confusion and sorrow appears in the first four lines when Broadsheet writes repeated farewells and reveals her uncertainty in understanding Elizabethan death: Farewell dear babe, my heart's too much content, Farewell sweet babe, the pleasure of mine eye, Farewell fair flower that for a space was lent, Then eaten away unto eternity (lines 1-4).Broadsheet is sad that her beloved granddaughter, Elizabeth, should have such a short time on earth and is confused when suddenly and inexplicably she is forever taken away. Looking at the second stanza, in the first four lines Broadsheet focuses on the life cycle of nature, speaking in terms of mature growth-?a contrast to the short life of Elizabeth: By nature trees do rot when they are grown, And plums and apples thoroughly ripe do fall, And corn and grass are in their season mown, And time brings down what i s both strong and tall (8-11).Broadsheet finds it logical that trees eventually rot; ripe fruit falls; corn and grass mown-?their life cycle complete and death expected. What Broadsheet cannot comprehend is why God would not allow Elizabeth a full and long life as He allows tauter. Enveloped within this confusion, Broadsheet reveals her shy question of God's will. As Anger indicates, it is within the last three lines of each stanza Broadsheet accepts her human frailty and receives comfort from accepting God's will.This expressed in the first stanza when Broadsheet writes the last three lines: â€Å"Blest babe, why should I once bewail thy fate, / Or sigh thy days so soon were terminate, / Sits thou are settled in an everlasting state† (5-7). In terms of religion, Broadsheet understands her granddaughter's fate-?to be with God-?is much greater than engaging on earth. Martin comments that Broadsheet is aware of the Puritan woman's duty is â€Å"to assist her family in the serv ice of God,† (69) and â€Å"To love them for their own sake would indicate a dangerous attachment to this world† (69).However, Breadbasket's heart aches for the physical being of Elizabeth, illustrating the conflict she has in quelling her tendency to place a higher importance on physical life than on spiritual life. In the second stanza, Broadsheet expresses in the final three lines a spiritual comfort and understanding when she accepts God's acts as beyond the OIC capable of mere human beings. She ends the poem: â€Å"But plants new set to be eradicate, / And buds new blown to have so short a date, / Is by His hand alone that guides nature and fate† (12-14).Broadsheet understands that God needs no reason. His authority so great, He alone chooses the fate of all living things. According to Puritan theology, God's will is unquestionable, and she at last defers to the wisdom of His ever-knowing power. This pattern, a tug-of-war between the devotion to her faith an d her human need for rational explanation, is successful in contributing to the motional power of this elegy. Four years following the death of Elizabeth, Broadsheet is again grief-stricken by the loss of a second grandchild, Anne.In the elegy Broadsheet dedicates to her, â€Å"In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Anne Broadsheet, Who Deceased June 20, 1669, Being Three Years and Seven Months Old,† seen Decodes more Torturing In tone, out again Tints nearest consulting to ten greater power of God. However, Broadsheet does not begin this poem with tender farewells, her accusation put forth immediately: â€Å"The heavens have changed to sorrow my delight† (2). She directly charges heaven for her sadness and in doing so indirectly blames God.Accusation alternates with retraction as Broadsheet then deflects that statement by later in the poem calling herself a fool: â€Å"More fool then I to look on that was lent / As if mine own, when thus impermanent† (13-14). Broadshe et places the blame back on herself for her foolish expectations of thinking that Anne belongs to this life, when in fact she belongs to God. This is another example of the great effort Broadsheet puts forth in trying to reconcile her feelings between the natural world and the spiritual world.In the closing lines Broadsheet writes: â€Å"Meantime my throbbing heart's cheered up with this: / Thou with thy Savior art in endless bliss† (17-18). Through rote obedience, Broadsheet claims comfort by the thought that Anne is now with God; although, this attempt to balance her grief against her trust in God expressed with reluctant resignation. Tragically, Breadbasket's grandson, Simon, dies Just five months following the death of her granddaughter, Anne.It is this third poem, â€Å"On My Dear Grandchild Simon Broadsheet, Who Died on 16 November, 1669, Being But a Month, and One Day Old,† hat is most powerful in illustrating the culmination of Breadbasket's deep sorrow and int ense frustration in her continued search for the meaning of her grandchildren deaths. Breadbasket's anger is palpable. Her grief is acute and raw. She now intends her accusations to be understood and deliberately ends the alternating pattern of shy questioning and submissive acceptance of God's will, a method used in the two previous elegies to mask her challenge of God.Broadsheet barely contains her anger and outrage when she blatantly charges God for her grandchildren deaths and penny questions his goodness when she writes: â€Å"Three flowers, two scarcely blown, the last I' the' bud, / Cropped by the' Almighty hand; yet is He good† (3-4). She cannot find wisdom or greater meaning in God's decision. She cannot reconcile the supposed goodness of God with the tragic deaths of her three grandchildren: a good God would not inflict such pain and sorrow.Breadbasket's voice is marked with strained piety that barely conceals her contempt of a God who would intend the death of a ch ild to serve as a lesson to her. Pamela Shelton comments on this when rites, â€Å"In poems mourning the deaths of grandchildren, she finds it more difficult to accept the God that she, as a Puritan, must love and obey: she writes with bitter irony about a God who kills children in order to test adults. † Broadsheet fills her lines with dark sarcasm and takes less care in her attempts to mask her accusations.Shelton notes what she considers the most powerful lines in this elegy: â€Å"Later, mourning her grandson Simon Broadsheet, the word ‘say is chillingly ironic: ‘Such was [God's] will, but why, let's not dispute, / With humble hearts and mouths put in the dust, / Let's say he's merciful, as well as Just. Here Broadsheet cannot connect her roles of grandmother and Puritan; she can only go through the gesture-? write the poem in which she tries to trust God-?of reconciling her personal experience with her religious faith. In this elegy, Broadsheet seems not as cautious in camouflaging her accusations; in fact, her tone is unmistakably condescending. However, she strategically constructs her phrases and carefully snoozes near words, stressfully conveying near sense AT Dearly walkout crossing ten dangerously thin line that separates piety and heresy within the Puritanical society. She demonstrates this by naming him merciful and Just, albeit without sincerity or In Breadbasket's closing lines, it is revealing that she does not refer to conviction.Simon being with God. Instead she writes, â€Å"Go pretty babe, go rest with sisters twain† (11). Broadsheet finds comfort not from the thought that Simon is with God, but that he is now with his sisters. Here she is outright refusing to accept comfort from a God who she deems unjust and unfair. Anne Broadsheet reveals through these three moving elegies dedicated to her beloved grandchildren the emotional and virtual Journey she traveled in seeking answers to her questions of faith.These poe ms symbolize Breadbasket's mourning the loss of her grandchildren and the conflict she experiences in attempting to define her faith in God and in the Puritan religion. According to Martin, â€Å"Anne Broadsheet finally managed to believe in God,† (76) but, â€Å"her faith was based on a profound desire to remain connected to life, whether in this world or the next† (76). I declare the Honor Pledge. Works Cited Martin, Wendy. An American Triptych: Anne Broadsheet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. 17, 69, 76. North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984.