The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1145 Words

Why is sin important? It is believed that sin is important to people because their deity places guilt on their wrongdoings to show that those actions are not to be repeated. In contrary to this belief, there are people with religious views that hold no importance with sin. Depending on the individual’s religious views, sin can be a conflict between oneself and a â€Å"higher† being or it can not affect the individual at all. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale is an ordained Puritan priest that had committed a grave sin in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He had committed adultery with a married woman, Hester, the woman that is married to Roger Chillingworth. After Chillingworth has heard about this news, he seeks†¦show more content†¦And the worst part of his sin was that he had to keep it a secret because of the religious viewpoint of the Puritan community that would judge him. Hawthorne writes: Else, I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have shown myself to mankind as they will see me at the judgment-seat. Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am! (Hawthorne 174) In contrast to Dimmesdale, there was Chillingworth, the legal husband of the woman Dimmesdale sinned with. Disguised as a healer, Chillingworth waits and observes, trying to discover the identity of the father of Pearl, the child of Hester. When he discovers that Dimmesdale was the lover, he moves in with Dimmesdale to torture him. Chillingworth uses his position as a healer to do the opposite of his occupation, to hurt Dimmesdale’s mind, tormenting him psychologically, and ultimately poisoning his mind. He tortured Dimmesdale throughout the whole novel and not once showed remorse for his horrible sin. He was never confused about his sin; he never questioned if it was right or wrong. This was a result of his religious views; he wasn t religious at all in fact, he was referenced as the Devil. Symbolism was cleverly used by Hawthorne to show the effect of sin. To illustrate, the scaffold was an object

The Apostle Paul And The New Testament - 1425 Words

Writings of the Apostle Paul populate the canon of the New Testament. The rawness and earnestness found within spring from the pages igniting a wonder in the reader of who Paul the Apostle was. Paul went to great lengths to spread the name of Jesus and one cheers anxiously from the sideline waiting to see if he ever gets the upper hand. Attacked, insulted, beaten, discredited, and victimized are just a few adjectives that could describe daily life for Paul. He becomes a model of devotion and fervor to continue the cause. Today, the same occurs in a less physical form. An abundance of scholarship of Paul exists at the tip of any pupil’s hand. However, seemly, many authors do Paul a disservice by misinterpreting his teachings or marketing a†¦show more content†¦Yet, it will suffice to say this simply does not get to the root of interpretation according to Wright and he discredits both. he goes a step further by saying that at the center of Paul’s writings is Jesu s (Wright, 11-25). It is that simple. Analysis of Paul’s ‘Jewish’ state of mind prior to his conversion is important to note before one reaches Wright’s conclusion. Paul, Saul of Tarsus at this point, â€Å"was not interested in a timeless system of salvation, whether of works-righteousness or anything else. He wanted God to redeem Israel† (pp. 32). He, like other Jews, desired to see their God, Yahweh, finally fulfilling his promise of raising all Jews to the new Israel, or new world. He was ‘zealous’ for God, but as one can see, he was zealous in the wrong manner. Following the story in Acts, Saul is drastically converted on the road to Damascus. Paul claims to have seen Jesus in this drastic divine occurrence. This is of utmost importance. Once Saul saw the resurrected Jesus it was not that he lost his Jewish heritage, but there is now a cognitive understanding that â€Å"God had done for Jesus of Nazareth, in the middle of time, wh at Saul had thought he was going to do for Israel at the end of time† (pp. 36). Thus, there is a realization that Jesus was the intercessor for God’s promise, the one who took on the curse of Israel. The resurrection proves that the claims by Jesus’ followers were indeed right. Now it isShow MoreRelatedThe Foundations Of The Canons1702 Words   |  7 PagesThe early church had the writing of the Old Testament but did not have a formal set of canonized books regarding the Messiah to draw their inspiration from. Though they had letters from Apostles there were many heretical writings that were circulating throughout the lands that were teaching doctrine different from those who knew Christ personally. Josephus stated that no one had been bold enough to add, take away, or change the wording in the Old Testament scripture (), this was what the Church wasRead MoreGod s A Perfect Law Of Liberty1337 Words   |  6 PagesFurther evidence can be found throughout the B ible to support that the â€Å"perfect† is referring to the New Testament. In James 1:25, God’s word is referred to as the â€Å"perfect law of liberty†. The New Testament contains â€Å"all things that pertain to life and godliness† (2 Peter 1:3), which shows that it is perfect and complete. God’s word is capable of making man â€Å"complete† or â€Å"perfect† (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). Another context that is very similar to 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 is Ephesians 4:7-16, which helpsRead MoreThe Lord Of God Essay1656 Words   |  7 PagesAn â€Å"apostle† in Greek means â€Å"a sent one.† Strong defines it as â€Å"a delegate, a messenger, one sent forth with orders.† Sent by whom? And what orders? In the New Testament context, the One who sends is the LORD Jesus Christ, and the order of the LORD is to â€Å"[equip] the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of GOD† (Eph 4:12-13). This work of the LORD had been planned and appointed beforeRead MoreThe Influence of Paul the Apostle663 Words   |  3 PagesPaul the Apostle is considered to be the most influential of the early members of the Christian church, along with Simon Peter and James the Just. Saint Paul is said to have been born around AD 5, and considered to have died about AD67, though the Bible does not record his death specifically. The epistles written by Paul to the churches were plainly and sharply worded. Pauls writings make up a good portion of the New Testament and demonstrate his position of prominence as an apostle of the earlyRead MoreThe Foundation Of Orthodoxy And The Canon1188 Words   |  5 Pageshistory, but ultimately all who contributed to the New Testament understood that Jesus was the main influence. Our Christian Orthodox founder is Jesus and His word. After Jesus’s death and resurrection he promised the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them in their missionary tasks. As promised, the beginnings of Jesus deity began to a new growth and height of worshipers. The Age of the Apostles began the shaping of our New Testament Cannon in our affirmation of the deity of Jesus andRead MoreThe New Testament791 Words   |  4 PagesThe New Testament The second part of the Christian Bible is the sacred books of the New Testament. It is the recordings of Jesus and his earliest followers’ lives and teachings. The New Testament only covers several decades unlike the Old Testament, which covers thousands of years. The earliest manuscript we have containing all the books of the New Testament comes from 300 A.D however it included books that are not in the Bible today (Schenck, 2010, p. 27). â€Å"The Council of Carthage in A.D. 397Read MoreThe New Testament925 Words   |  4 Pages5215218 In the center of the New Testament a centric theme is present -- Jesus is the Messiah and He has helped bring salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. In order to understand this theme throughout the New Testament it has to be through the scope of the culture that Jesus was brought in and in of each section of the New Testament. Jesus came a time when the Jewish culture was prospering, but also under pressure from the Roman Empire. The Gospel’s tell of the story of Jesus and how he proved toRead MorePauls View On The Church1480 Words   |  6 PagesPAUL S THEOLOGY ON THE CHURCH __________________ A Paper Presented to Dr. Presley Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for NTS 3213 __________________ by Jin Hyun July 27, 2015 PAULS VIEW ON THE CHURCH Apostle Paul is one of the most beloved follower and author of 14 books in the New Testament. One of the most prominent teachings of Paul is regarding on the subject of the church. Not only did he write letters to churchRead MoreEssay on Forgiveness and Sin1092 Words   |  5 PagesChrist, to die for mans sins in a final act of forgiveness. Both of these acts are seen through the life of a single person, the essential founder of the Protestant faith and one of the primary founders of Christianity through the ages - the Apostle Paul. Paul was raised as a Roman Jew from Tarsus known as Saul. He was a free born Roman citizen who was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, as prescribed by Jewish law. His father was a Pharisee, and he would eventually become one himselfRead MoreMrs : 325 Authorship, Purpose, And Literary Structure Of Acts876 Words   |  4 Pageshistory through the oldest era of the church appears to have been that Luke, an associate of the apostle Paul, authored both the Luke and Acts (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11). Luke’s name was mentioned 3 times in the New Testament. We could conclude that Luke would have been a Gentile. And naturally this fits what we deduced previous: the writer was obviously a knowledgeable person who had been not an apostle however, who had previously been affiliated with them. There are also other evidences that proves

Oedipus the King and Things Fa Essay Example For Students

Oedipus the King and Things Fa Essay Oedipus the King and Things Fall ApartThe poem Oedipus the King and the novel Things Fall Apart, there is some differences between these two stories. These two stories were very famous in the ancient time. Things Fall Apart has won the following awards: Nigerian National Trophy, Commonwealth Poetry Prize, Nigerian National Merit Award. Things Fall Apart and Related Readings becomes a complete literature unit with the Teachers Source Book which includes author information, background, chapter notes and 15 reproducible pages for student use (Things Online).Oedipus the King was also prized: Aristotle prized Oedipus the King so highly that he used it to illustrate many of his principles of tragedy (Sophocles 906). The background of Oedipus the King was also well-known. Many Americans have already known what is the poetry is about. Although these details were commonly known, there was disagreement about the outcome of Oedipuss life (Sophocles 906). The author of Oedipus the King, Sophocles, was born between 500 and 494 B.C.E. into an affluent Athenian family. He began acting and singing early, and her served as a choral leader in the celebrations for the defeat of the Persians at Marathon in 480 B.C.E. (Sophocles 906). He was a very famous author in the around in ancient time: Because of his dramatic and public achievements, he was venerated during his lifetime, and after his death in 406-405 B.C.E., a cult was established in his honor (Sophocles 906). The author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, was born the son of Isaiah Okafo (Culross Online). He married Chrisitie Chinwe Okoli, and now has four children: Chinelo, Ikechukwu, Chidi, and Nwando (Culross Online). Achebe wrote this novel to reflect the African cultures: He also fiercely resents the stereotype of Africa as an undifferentiated primitive land, the heart of darkness, as Conrad called it. Throughout the novel he shows how African cultures vary among themselves and how they change over time (Chinua Online). However, Sophocles used a lot of irony in poetry, especially dramatic irony. For example, Oedipus the King killed his own father, Lauis, is major dramatic irony in this poetry. However, Chinua Achebe, has been able to avoid imitating the trends in English literature. (Culross Online). He rejecting the European notion that art should be accountable to no one, and needs to justify itself to nobody, as he puts it in his book of essays, Morning Yet on Creation Day (Culross Online).The characters of Oedipus the King and Things Fall Apart, Oedipus and Okonkwo, they were both experienced difficulty when they achieved their goal. That is really a tragedy for each a matter of their own personal failing and also a tragedy each experiences caused by outside forces over which they have no control. Indeed, they both a short temper. Oedipus is a person who gets angry easily. We can prove by examining his conversion with his brother-in-law: What is our trouble? How shall we cleanse ourselves? (Sophocles 910).However, Okonkwo is also with the same personality. Okonkwo has a very short, violent temper that is immediately triggered in response t actions that he deems to be weak. Okonkwo is a man who afraid he did not hold a title and he would be described as a woman; thus being an outcast of this society. That was how Okonkwo first came to know that agbala was not only anther name for woman, it could also mean a mean who had taken no tiltle. And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passionto hate everything that his father Unoka and had loved (Achebe 13). Okonkwo basically lived by the phrase, act first and think it thought later. Unfortunately, almost every time that Okonkwo lets loose his violent temper in his manly way, he brings trouble upon himself, as well as those around him. One way to explain his actions and the misfortunes that usually follow is to conclude that Okonkwo has bad luck. Another way of looking at this fact is to say tha t the events are a result of coincidence. However, I disagree with these views, and instead assets that Achebe deliberately made sure that after each of Okonkwos outbursts, a tragedy befell him and those around him. I think that Achebe could have been trying to hint to the reader that placing too much emphasis on acting manly is bad. Women role in and Africa in the ancient time is also discussed in novel. They were both married when they were a young lady: Young women were considered marriageable in their mid-teen (Chinua Online). Women were treated as a servant; their duties are cooking for their husbands, taking care everything of the household etc. And as he told them of the past they sat in darkness or the dim glow of logs, waiting for the women to finish their cooking. When they finished, each brought her bowl of foo-foo and bowl of soup to her husband (Achebe 54). The women had gone to the bush to children to visit their playmates in the neighboring compounds (Achebe 55). Howe ver, if they did something wrong, they may be suffered from beating: In keeping with the IBO view of female nature, the tribe allowed wife beating (Chun Online). A good example is found when Okonkwo beat his wife, Ojiugo, only because she went out to plait her hair. He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugos return. And when she returned he beat her very heavily (Achebe 29). Actually, it was really a big fault of Okonkwo since he beat her in the Week of Peace: You have committed a great evil (Achebe 30). But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess (Achebe 30). He was really an irritable man that could not control himself. He had no respect for women. In fact, not only wives were treated badly, mothers were always ignored by their children. They forget their mothers when they were rich and happy; however, they refuge their mothers when they met difficulties and sadness: A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. A man has both joy and sorrow in his life and when the bad times come his mother is always there to comfort him (Chun Online). The importance of respecting mother nature is depicted in a story, for the gods of the sky withheld rain for seven years. He remembered the story she often told of the quarral between Earth and Sky long ago, and how Sky withheld rain for seven years, until crops withered and the dead could not be buried because the hoes broke on the stony Earth (Achebe 53).The earth goddess is to the Ibo people what mother nature is to the westerners, and without balance order is lost. Women were treated unfairly in ancient Greek. In Oedipus the King, Jacasta the Queen is a victim, but not as much as she is a catalyst for Oedipus own victimization. She keeps her faith throughout and tried to relieve Oedipus of his (Boyer Online). She finally committed suicide when the past of Oedipus wa s revealed. Hanging from above, entangled in some twisted hanging strands (Sophocles 938). Because of this, readers may in turn pity her and loathe her (Boyer Online). She However, as we referred to the article of The Goddess Eileithyia and the Role of Women in Ancient Greece, women played an interesting role in ancient Greek culture. While they were considered citizens of the state, they were not allowed to vote or even to compete in the Olympic games (The Goddess Online).That means women in ancient Greek, they were also trapped by the publics; they had no equal rights as men. Oedipus the King and Things fall apart are both tragedy which is form of drama, central to Western literature, in which a person of superior intelligence and character, a leader of the community. Overcome by the very obstacles he is struggling to remove (Encyclopedia Online). Tragedy can reflect another vision of life, again rooted in religious drama-the mystery plays and morality plays of medieval France an d England (Encyclopedia Online). There is also a tragedy when a drama or other literary work that recounts that fall of an individual who, while undergoing suffering, deals responsibly with the situations and dilemmas that her or she faces, and who thus demonstrates that value of human effort. In Oedipus the King, there is tragedy because Oedipus the King unwittingly killing his father and hen marrying his mother, the queen Jocasta. When the past of Oedipus the King was revealed, the queen Jocasta committed suicide and Oedipus decided to blind his eyes. After years of wandering as an exile, sustained by the loving care of his daughter Antigone (Sophocles Online).In the Things Fall Apart, there is also a tragedy because of the exile of Okonkwo in Mbanta: But the missionaries persevered, and in the end they were received by the rulers of Mbanta (Achebe 148). He was exiled since he killed many people. He killed the head of messenger who came to Umuofia to beak up a town meeting in ord er to show he was not weak.The setting of two stories had differences. In Things Fall Apart, the setting in the personal tragedy of Okonkwo. It set in an Ibo village in Nigeria in the late 1800s, this story unfolds like a Greek tragedy as traditional Ibo customs are challenged by new European ways. This classic was the first novel by an African writer included in the syllabus for students in English-speaking Africa (Things Online). In Oedipus the King, the setting in the case of most Greek tragedies, does not require a change of scene. Throughout the play the scene with at least one door represents the faade of the royal palace of Thebes. Even when action takes place inside the palace, such as Jocasta committed suicide and Oedipus blinded his eyes, there is no shift of scene. These interior actions are described in a speech delivered by a messenger rather than enacted before the audience. The messenger speech eliminates the need for scene changes, which, due to the limited resources of the ancient theater, would have been difficult and awkward. Sophocles, like Aeschylus and Euripides, made a virtue of the necessity of this convention of the ancient theater by writing elaborate messenger speeches which provide a vivid word picture of the offstage action. Dramatic irony is much-used literary device in this play. In conclusion, Oedipus the King and Okonkwo should have fought again his manly pride, which reminds them that killing someone should not bother them. However, Okonkwo has trouble accepting this, but must for fear of being considered weak, like a shivering old woman (Achebe 45). Another instance of Okonkwos hot temper arise while he and some other men are locked up in a cell and Okonkwo reaffirms how he believes they should have skilled Mr. Smith. Messenger overhears this remark and beats each of the men on their backs and heads with a large stick. A final illustration of Okonkwos rash actions leading to suffering for himself and hose around him occurs wh en he hastily kills the head messenger. The messenger was only able to speak 2 short sentences, before a furious Okonkwo assassinated him. This brings the ultimate suffering to Okonkwo, who hanged himself, as well as suffering for the rest of the tribe, who may not bury him and some of whom were brought to the curt where Okonkwo and the others suffered earlier. Okonkwos tragic flaw was his constantly flared temper, which was a result of a fear of being considered weak, or womanly. It was this temper that was constantly bringing problems to Okonkwo and others around him. In the end, Okonkwo could fight no more and had to take his own life. I believe that Achebe purposefully arranged the novel in this manner in order to convey that being manly is not as important as some believe it to be. In Oedipus the King, the story warns us against parricide and incest, and may cause its audience to feel guilty about violence against parents and incestuous behavior or desires. The message embodie d in the story is a powerful one, even thought we may not at first find it striking since we have become accustomed to the incest taboo. However, I think the theory about the Oedipus the king may have the same effect as the Oedipus story itself, as expressed in the form of myth, tragedy, and comedy.

Austrailian Civilization essays

Austrailian Civilization essays A countrys foreign policy is only partly the result of decisions made by its government: it is mainly imposed by circumstances. Australia, during the last fifty years, has been a country unsure of its place in the world. She has been bouncing from ally to ally, begging for a place under their umbrella of protection, ignoring and denying her place in the Asian region, and struggling to find a foreign policy that is in the best interest of her welfare and security. Australia truly finds herself, pardon the pun, stuck on a rock in a hard place. The Asian region in the past half-century has been an atmosphere of turmoil and unrest. Communism threatened Australias way of life and the fragile nation that had been preserved so carefully. These threats were very real and right at Australias doorstep. The Australian continent is nearly indefensible, and Australia realized this fact. Ideas such as yellow peril and forward defense dominated the headlines during these turbulent times. Australias small army and enormous size made it a good target for attack. Not to mention the fact that Australia still: ...carried the burden of blame for its past and present racial policies toward Asia. A foreign policy, that could ensure Australias safety, was needed in a hurry. In the following pages I will attempt to show how the Australian foreign policy has evolved due to four different circumstances. First, I will examine the way Australia reluctantly turned away from the United Kingdom and towards the United States for security and protection as a result of turmoil in Asia. Secondly, I will attempt to show how the Communist scare from China and elsewhere, along with the Korean War changed the face of Australian foreign policy forever. Third, I want to show how the Vietnam War was a time of realization and change for Australian foreign policy....

Free Essays on Security on the Web

Security on the Web, By Sina How do you secure something that is changing faster than you can fix it? The Internet has had security problems since it’s earliest days as a pure research project. Today, after several years and orders of magnitude of growth, it still has security problems. The Internet is being used for a purpose for which it had never intended to be used for. It is somewhat ironic that the early Internet was design as a prototype for a high-availability command and control network that could resist outages resulting from an enemy attack, yet it cannot resist college undergraduates. The problem is that the attackers are on, and make up apart of, the network they are attacking. Designing a system that is capable of resisting attack from within, while still growing and evolving at a rapid pace, is probably impossible. Deep infrastructure changes are needed, and once you have achieved a certain amount of size, the sheer inertia of the installed base may make it impossible to apply fixes. The challenge for the security industry is growing. With the electronic commerce spreading over the Internet, there are new issues being developed everyday such as non-repudiation that will need to be solved. Financial institutions will have both technical concerns, such as the security of a credit card number or banking information, and legal concerns for holding individuals responsible for their actions such as their purchases or sales over the Internet. Issuance and management of encryption keys for millions of users will pose a new type of challenge. While some technologies have been developed, only an industry-wide effort and cooperation can minimize risks and ensure privacy for users, data confidentiality for the financial institutions, and non-repudiation for electronic commerce. With the continuing growth in linking individuals and businesses over the Internet, some social issues are starting to surface. The society may take t... Free Essays on Security on the Web Free Essays on Security on the Web Security on the Web, By Sina How do you secure something that is changing faster than you can fix it? The Internet has had security problems since it’s earliest days as a pure research project. Today, after several years and orders of magnitude of growth, it still has security problems. The Internet is being used for a purpose for which it had never intended to be used for. It is somewhat ironic that the early Internet was design as a prototype for a high-availability command and control network that could resist outages resulting from an enemy attack, yet it cannot resist college undergraduates. The problem is that the attackers are on, and make up apart of, the network they are attacking. Designing a system that is capable of resisting attack from within, while still growing and evolving at a rapid pace, is probably impossible. Deep infrastructure changes are needed, and once you have achieved a certain amount of size, the sheer inertia of the installed base may make it impossible to apply fixes. The challenge for the security industry is growing. With the electronic commerce spreading over the Internet, there are new issues being developed everyday such as non-repudiation that will need to be solved. Financial institutions will have both technical concerns, such as the security of a credit card number or banking information, and legal concerns for holding individuals responsible for their actions such as their purchases or sales over the Internet. Issuance and management of encryption keys for millions of users will pose a new type of challenge. While some technologies have been developed, only an industry-wide effort and cooperation can minimize risks and ensure privacy for users, data confidentiality for the financial institutions, and non-repudiation for electronic commerce. With the continuing growth in linking individuals and businesses over the Internet, some social issues are starting to surface. The society may take t...

Documentary Video Analysis review Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Documentary Video Analysis - Movie Review Example The time was one of increased curiosity about China in the wider world, and this documentary was no doubt conceived as a way of informing western audiences about the background to the unfolding protests in China. The main message of the film appears to be a to give a linear narrative starting with the end of the old feudal system and the beginning of a new struggle for control in China in the year 1911. The neck and neck battle between Nationalists and Communists is shown, with some quite graphic old black and white moving pictures of what life, and in some cases death, was like for many people. Very early on there is an indication of the ultimate goal of the documentary, which seems to be to explain to the viewer how China â€Å"became the largest communist state on earth.† The dramatic way this is sad, and the deep, male American narrative voice, make this sound like something dramatic, and at the same time somewhat frightening. In fact this pro-American tone is carried on t hroughout the whole documentary and constitutes something of a bias. All of the English language voices which are used to translate the passages in Chinese are very American, and it is an interesting choice on the part of the director to use this kind of speaker and not seek out speakers with more international or Asian sounding voices. The film is very effective at conveying the struggle between Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Tse Dong for the heart of the Chinese people. The trouble for the Western viewer is, however, that there does not seem to be much difference between the nationalist and the communist camps. Both go about their business with quite extreme brutality, making this quite a harrowing film to watch in places. Executions, piles of corpses in the streets, and tales of vicious torture bring home the atrocities carried out by both sides, and the human cost to the ordinary people who made up both the armies and the victims of pillaging across a landscape that is already dreadful ly poor. The film would have benefited from pause from visual narrative, in order to explain some of the ideological differences between the two. Mao is shown writing out some of his greatest works, for example, but there is no indication what it was he was writing about. The analysis of events was not at all sophisticated, and in fact some of the graphics were beyond basic. For a production in the late 1980s, it shows remarkably little sophistication in the maps and visual effects that it uses. Arrows and flags denote troop movements and foreign country involvement, but it is all done on a scale that makes china look like a tiny marginal state. There is no impression of the vastness of the territory, or the great differences in terrain and culture that existed across this whole nation. The best features of the film were a) its use of authentic old silent films, and b) its interviews with eye-witnesses who knew some of the leading figures in China in this period. The son of Chiang K ai-shek is interviewed, for example, presenting a disconcertingly western appearance in his shirt and tie, along with many soldiers and a few women who were involved in the Long March or in some of the Communist or Nationalist youth movements. Several of these interviewees give remarkable testimony to the dangers that they themselves faced, and several pronounce

How to Reduce Environmental Pollution Using Alternative Energy Sources Essay

How to Reduce Environmental Pollution Using Alternative Energy Sources - Essay Example Nature not only exists for humans alone but also for all species and as such, argues Miller et al. (2008 p, 17) there is need to encourage environmentally friendly forms of economic growth and development and discourage earth degrading forms (such as toxic emission from fossil fuels). It is here that the renewable sources of energy come in to help avert the dangers posed to the environment by the fossil fuels. To what level, it should be asked, do alternative energy sources help arrest the situation? And how ‘clean’ are the alternative sources? The benefits of alternative sources are well known, authoritatively asserts Renewable Energy Resources (2007, p, 207). They produce little or no pollution emissions and reduce dependency on the finite resources. The National Atlas of the US website (2012) also confirms this, but is quick to point out that even though the renewable sources are non-polluting, the structures built to harness them are two edged: they impact both posit ively and negatively on the environment. The intensity of the environmental impact or emissions caused by power generation depends on a number of factors such as the electricity generation technology used, how much electricity is generated, air pollution control devices used, the geographical location among other factors( US Environmental Protection Agency ,2012). A closer look at each of the renewable sources in many ways tries to answer the questions asked above. Solar Power Solar power is arguably the best thing going, at least from the environmental perspective. With it there are no acid rains, no urban smog or pollution of any kind (Alternative Energy, 2013). Clean and sustainably energy, that’s how the US Environmental Protection Agency (2012) describes solar power. Solar... As such, environmental impacts differ depending on the conversion and cooling technology applied Hydropower refers to the use of water to produce electricity. The hydroelectric power plants use dams to store water which is released from behind the dam flowing through a turbine. The water then spins the turbine, turning a generator to produce electricity. It is one of the least expensive sources of electricity. Not only does the dams provide power but also other substantial benefits such as recreation opportunities on upstream reservoirs, habitat for aquatic and terrestrial organisms, diversion of water for irrigation and control of destructive flooding. The environmental impacts of dams vary widely, but current regulations and policies have attempted to address the issues. For example, fish migration has been having been addressed with the use of fish ladders and other structures.In conclusion, renewable sources of energy provide a better alternative to the conventional energy source s, at least with the aim of curbing global warming and pollutant emissions. A shift from the fossil fuels to the renewable sources, therefore, promises a healthier environment. However, there seem to be other factors such as economic growth, population, and consumption of the energy and other resources that are proving to be hindrances in this mission of relieving the overburdened Mother Nature. Unless there is a reduction in energy use and other resources, renewable energy alone cannot achieve this mission of combating global warming.