Calgon Water Softeners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Calgon Water Softeners - Essay Example Johann A. Benckiser set up a chemical business ten years later to Colman setting up his business and the two companies became rivals for two centuries. Isaac Reckitt in around 1840 also setup a company that dealt in starch, polish, washing blue and other household products. His company went international within forty years. Colman and Reckitt merged in 1938 and formed Reckitt & Colman Ltd. Reckitt Benckiser is divided into two sections, the fabric care and surface care. The fabric care deals with products such as water softeners, pre wash treatment products, easy ironing aids, fabric softeners, etc. The Surface care section deals with all types of surface products like specialty cleaners, lavatory cleaners, surface polish, etc. Water containing high quantities of magnesium, calcium and other dissolved minerals is called hard water; hard water leaves layers of mineral deposits on surfaces that come in contact with it this deposit is generally termed as "limescale". It reduces the cleansing power of soap. "Water is described as "hard" when it contains too much calcium. This can be a problem, because the calcium prevents soap from lathering properly, and it also clogs up pipes" (Thomas 19). Due to this nature of hard water it causes failure of detergent to foam which reduces the performance of the detergent and initiates use of more detergent. The limescale gets deposited on the fabrics and it makes the fabric feel rough and due to this the cloth looses its natural suppleness thus leaving the fabric rough and uncomfortable. It also leaves deposits on the inner surface of washing machine pipes which causes failure of the equipment and shortened overall life. A chemical that reduces the hardness of water is called a water softener; these chemicals reduce the quantities of dissolved magnesium, calcium and to some extent the ferrous iron and manganese concentration in hard water thus softening it and the most common water softener is sodium carbonate. "Calgon has a unique formulation with active ingredients being polycarboxylates which softens hard water, preventing limescale from forming in the first place" (Calgon Water Softener). These ions that cause hardness in water cause three kinds of major problems. As mentioned above these ions react with the components present in soaps and detergents affecting the performance of the detergents, they form precipitates and hinder the detergents in forming lather. Other than this the second point is magnesium and calcium carbonates precipitate as hard deposits on heat exchanger surfaces and pipe surfaces. This is fundamentally caused either due to the thermal decomposition of the ions of bicarbonates or even in their absence. Due to this deposition the flow of water is restricted in the pipes. The flow of heat into water is also affected due to these deposits in boilers because they act as insulation, which overheats the components of the boiler and therefore reduces the heating efficiency. This results in the failure of the boiler in a pressurized system. "Calgon has the property of holding calcium and magnesium salts in solution, even when boiling" (Anchell 20). The third point is if the ions are present in the electrolyte which happens in this case, it may result in galvanic corrosion of hard water when one metal is corroded by another when it comes into contact, especially

Urban Planning and 19th Century Essay Example for Free

Urban Planning and 19th Century Essay For many within the modern movement, the marriage between town and country represented the means of achieving an ideal form of settlement. Discuss the 19th century origins of this concept and how it was interpreted in different ways by modernist architects and urbanists in the 20th century. If architecture could change a person’s wellbeing; an architectural movement could create an ideal society. The modernists were not original in seeking an urban utopia. Architects of the 1800s had designed their ideal settlements to improve workers lives through the built environment. Modernism implies historical discontinuity, a rejecting of history and tradition, yet these 19th century projects, unknowingly, influenced the urban proposals of the ‘International style’. Through this century of proposals from 1830-1940s, lies a recurring theme of ‘utopia’; a rational, clean city with massive green areas, where both the convenience of the town and beauty of the countryside unite. The beginning of the convergence between ‘town’ and ‘countryside’ is due to the socialist thinkers of the 19th century, with their belief that one’s environment affects one’s character. The concept of architecture changing a person was explored dramatically by the socialist and radical thinker, Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). The totalitarian design of his ‘Panoptikon’ was to â€Å"grind rogues honest†. It was built as a cylindrical prison and could be applied to schools and hospitals. The principle behind this machine-like institute was that the incarcerated would believe they are under constant surveillance, thus minimising chances of misbehaviour. This perceived scrutiny would allow the inhabitants to become better citizens. Due to rapid industrialisation in the 19th century, larger city populations exploded, and squalor was rampant. Many of the old cities had seen their populations double. Around 1800 about one fifth of Britain’s population lived in the countryside, but by 1851 half the population of the country was housed in London. This lead to uncontrolled housing developments, where the private sector responded to the population boom by building poor quality, high density housing for workers. The thinkers of the 19th century, like the modernists of the 1930s believed a planned urban form could solve these social problems. In its earliest form, the marriage between town and country is subtle; placing of private gardens or greenbelts, yet this soon grows into an entire ‘Garden City’ movement. Like Bentham, industrialist Robert Owen (1771-1858) believed that a person’s morale was affected by their surroundings. However, he believed less in the social engineering of Bentham and more on socialism, striving for better conditions for the working class. His mill at New Lanark, Scotland, was to become â€Å"the most important experiment for the happiness of the human race that has yet been instituted in any part of the world.† Owen’s humane regime was a stark contrast to the slums present in cities. At his mill, he built communal buildings and gardens for leisure and exercise, a â€Å"complete ideological systems for small communities†, where the workers children were also educated. This new high standard of living encouraged workers’ productivity. His New Lanark model encouraged him to build this environment of mutual co-operation at a larger scale. Owen devised a ‘Plan for an Ideal Village’, an area with specific size and population, of between 500 to 1500. This plan was similar to structures of towns found in ancient Greece; there was a geometric layout and a focus on agriculture to become self-sufficient. This theory became a development called ‘New Harmony’, which was to be situated in the US, with an estimate population for five thousand designed as a quadrangle with sides of thousand feet. The design was never realised. Owen was called a ‘Utopian socialist’ by the revolutionary communist Karl Marx, and Owen shared this title with Charles Fourier (1772-1837). Fourier believed that co-operation was key to have a successful community, and to achieve this phalanxes’ should be established. This ‘phalanstery’ would â€Å"1) Discover and organize a system of industry; (2) Guarantee to every individual the equivalent of their natural rights; and (3) Associate the interests of rich and poor.† These ‘natural rights’ included the ‘gathering of natural products’ and fishing, and these communal hotel-like settlements facilitated this with laid-out gardens and grounds for exercise. Jean-Baptiste Godin (1817-1888) modelled his iron foundry at Guise on the Oise on one of Fourier’s ‘phalanxes’, with prevalent communal values. The residential buildings at the foundry were ‘familistiere’. The merge of buildings and landscape was similar to the ideal Palladian relationship between the inside space and the exterior. Living standards of workers vastly improved, and by combining industry and nature the ‘familistiere’ provided its inhabitants with â€Å"les à ©quivalents de la richesse â€Å"(the equivalent of wealth). Figure 2-E.Howards Three Magnets Though Owen, Fourier and Godin believed in the ‘ideal settlement’, all projects were too small a scale to eliminate urban hardship. The Public Health Act of 1875 was the first legal action to resolve the appalling living conditions and preventing the spread of cholera in cities. The expanding sprawl of the city had pushed the countryside further away from workers in city centres. In 1898, Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928) wrote the â€Å"Garden Cities of Tomorrow†, which was the first realistic sign of a marriage between town and country to form an urban utopia. His â€Å"Three Magnets† diagram, showed the pull of the idyllic fresh air and low rent of the countryside, merged with the opportunities and convenience of the city into one ‘Garden City’. This utopian settlement noted the economic independence of the factory towns of Owen; each city would have its own industries and farms as to be self-sufficient. The settlements would have an optimum 32,000 inhabitants on 2,000 hectacres. It had a circular periphery enclosing a population of 30,000, the remaining would live on the agriculture belt which was ran only electrified industry. Six principal streets ran to the centre, where the main public offices were surrounded by four one-acre parks. In all, this ‘Garden City’ seemed â€Å"to blend, by rational means, the various demands of an expanding capitalist society and the nostalgia for communities on a human scale.† Howard believed these garden cities could be built on the peripheries of a central city and be connected by rail; he was opposed to the idea of these being identified as ‘garden suburbs’. After the success of the â€Å"Garden Cities of Tomorrow†, Howard founded the ‘Garden City Association’ in 1899. His first project was for a town 80 miles from London called Letchworth, with architects Barry Parker (1867 – 1947) and Raymond Unwin (1863 – 1940). In 1904, the town was realised. Unwin and Parker were associated with the ‘Arts and Craft movement’ of J.Ruskin and W.Morris, which opposed machine-like design and opted for picturesque ornament rooted in tradition. Letchworth was a family orientated settlement, where â€Å"the monotony of street fronts was broken by the turning of houses on their lots so each could command the sunniest and pleasantest view.† With an amicable architecture, a high-quality street system, it had ample space with â€Å"twelve houses to the acre.† The basic model by Howard had a centre of parkland and a lacked a commercial centre of a city. This design was developed by Unwin, who saw the ‘Garden City’ as a proposal for satellite towns of major cities. He based his first design on the city of London, and with Parker developed Hampstead Garden Suburb (1905), later to be followed by Welwyn (1920). Howard’s model inspired builders in Sweden, the US and Australia, where the layout of the capital Canberra was influenced by this ‘Garden City’ movement. It is in post-World War I that we see the 19th century ideas of Howard influence on European city planners. In mainland Europe socialist reform through housing was taking place. With a shortage of living space in the liberal city of Amsterdam, and the election of the SDAP (Socialist Democratic Worker’s Party), the State took control of all municipal building. The Woningwet Housing Act (1902) had been a result of â€Å"investigations into the living conditions of workers, the first hygienic regulations, and the interventions of scientific and philanthropic associations†. The most notable developments in Amsterdam are apartments built for two socialist housing societies, Eigen Haard and De Daagard. They were both designed by Michel de Klerk (1884-1923), who had studied under H.P. Berlage (1856 – 1934), and who was influenced by Bruno Taut (1880-1936). De Klerk is seen as a link between the Traditionalists and the Modernists and had been interested by Unwin’s model. He was a member of the ‘Amsterdam school’, a team who built a garden suburb project in Rotterdam. He became one of the leading Dutch architects in the Expressionism movement â€Å"which reached for a romantic, soulful symbolization of reality†.

Industrial Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay

Industrial Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay The contamination of the atmosphere by any toxic or radioactive gases and particulate matter as a result of human activity defines air pollution. (EMA State of the Environment Report 2000) Over the years Trinidad and Tobago has focus on industrialization developing several industrial estates but greater focus was made to the energy sectors. They current have three major energy based industrial sites. The Point Lisas industrial estate, Point a Pierre petroleum refinery and Liquefied Natural Gas plant (LNG) located in Point Fortin. Trinidad and Tobago is considered to be one of the most industrialized countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean region. We have been blessed with a vast array of natural resources ranging from oil, natural gas and asphalt to manufactured petrochemicals. Despite the fact that oil production and refining is one of our main industry, petrochemicals and to a lesser extent steel plays great importance in the company economic growth. Trinidad Tobago is worlds leading exporter of both methanol and ammonia, currently they supply the largest source of LNG is exported to the United States. Early views and realization of Air Pollution To the general public air pollution was considered to be chemical emissions and that suspension and secondary pollutants will just dissipate with the aid of the wind and rain. As the country moves into a second wave of industrialization with several proposed plans of building the next economic hotspot in the Caribbean (Invest in TT Downstream Energy), concerns has been made toward the quality of air what we live and breathe. It was only years later when technology began to play an important part in analyzing pollutants and air quality that it was realized that air pollution was just as important as water pollution. The industrial sector in Trinidad Tobago is one of the most dynamitic in the Caribbean and this is reflected in the diverse nature of its pollutants. Table 1 illustrates the numerous industry classes, commodities produced, production process and resulting in air pollutants. Map 1: Existing Proposed Energy Base Industrial Estates in Trinidad Table 1: Industry in Trinidad Tobago and air emission they emit INDUSTRY PRODUCTS SOURCES AIR POLLUTANT Petrochemical Menthol, ammonia, urea, ethanol, liquefied natural gas Fossil fuel processing, industrial processes Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Carbon Monoxide Manufacturing Metals, cements, consumer products Manufacturing and extraction process, stock piling of raw materials, fossil fuel burning Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter PM (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals). Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Transportation vehicles Incomplete combustion Carbon Monoxide, particulate matter Petroleum Refineries Refined oil, oil base products and sulfur /acids production Fossil fuel burning, extraction process, transportation process, storage process, Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, particulate matter (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals) Agriculture Animal waste, plant waste Animal waste disposal/processing, rice paddies and wetlands, plant metabolism, land clearing Methane, Carbon monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, particulate matter (dust), VOC Electrical Power generation Electricity Fossil fuel burning, Particulate matters, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, VOC Mining Quarrying Aggregate Blasting, mining, washing, extraction process Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Wholesale and Retail All consumer products Service station operations, truck filling stations VOC Locations of Main Industrial Sectors With industrialization comes a need for people to benefit with the high level of employment in these areas. The demographic transition cycle in Trinidad and Tobago is fairly predictive with many of the populated areas following the same paths along the industrialized map. (Map 2)In the initial stages of industrial development focus was made on establishing industries in sparsely populated areas. The intention was also to take advantage of the favorable wind direction which would direct most of the air pollutant west ward over (for the most part) approximately 5 miles of uninhabited land space and then to the Gulf, with the intension that the vegetation would be affected in a minor way during the dry season and would be assisted by run off during the rainy season. This idea inadvertently leads to another pollution problem. This proved to be a short term imitative, as these areas soon became an attractive alternative to the long commute thus encouraging the establishment of make- shift villages and shanty towns. This was also fueled by the fact that the southern and eastern main road were in close proximity to these estates. Over time these villages soon became establish resistances acquiring basic utilities and official mailing addresses. The industries were now faced with a new obstacle. They now had to focus their attention to both the environment and the neighboring population. Table 2 identifies the main industrial pollutants found in Trinidad and Tobago and its effects on both the environment and humans. Map 2: Industries and major roadways Table 2: Main Industrial Pollutants and their Adverse Health and Environment Effects POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON HUMANS EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT Carbon Monoxide- CO It is absorbed through the lungs reducing the bloods capacity to transport available oxygen to the tissues. Depending on the exposure level it produces flu like symptoms usually not recognized and may results in death There is minimum effect on the environment. Sulphur Dioxides SO2 Depending on the exposure level it can cause: cause wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, respiratory illness, alterations in the lungs, it aggravates existing cardiovascular disease. When SO2 combines with water, it forms sulfuric acid, which is the main component of acid rain. When acid rain falls it can cause deforestation, acidify waterways to the detriment of aquatic life. It also corrodes building materials. Acid rain changes the physical appearance of vegetation plants metabolism impaired Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)/Oxides of Nitrogen NOx At low levels it has minimum or no effects on human health. However high levels NO2 can cause respiratory problem, increase a persons susceptibility to, and severity of infections and asthma. It can also affect the sensory system. It is harmful to vegetation, can fade and discolor fabrics, reduce visibility. Vegetation exposure to high levels of NOx can be identified by damage to foliage, decreased growth or reduced crop yield. Volatile Organic Carbon -VOC There are no general health effects of VOC because other gases make up VOCs however some gases may be toxic and/or carcinogen. Levels of exposure and time exposed can cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system. It is known to cause cancer in animals. Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Health effects on SPM in humans depend on the particle size and concentration can cause long term exposure increases the rates of respiratory illness and symptoms. Particulates can accelerate deterioration of surface and material. It has the potential to cause modification of the climate and contributes to acid deposition. Control Strategies Physical, Managerial and Legislative to Air Pollution The visionaries of the early industries focus little on health safety and the environment and this was reflected in the level of controls initiated by the industries. Controls were mainly one dimensional and fail to focus on the holistic views of health safety and environment. Public opinion and outburst resulting from the increasing number of medical complaints and the decrease quality of agriculture produce with allegations pointing towards the emission from these industries, prompted management to use technology to assist in the establishment of more stringent controls. This technology was also instrumental in pinpointing the actual adverse effects as a result of these emissions. Physical Controls The physical control represents the processes responsible for acquisition of raw material, storage, manufacturing and distribution processes. Use of Suppression Techniques The numerous pollutants that emit daily, through smokestacks petrochemical and petroleum industries together with major health effects, force industries to reduce the pollutant at the source. One of the proven ways of reducing these pollutants is installing scrubbers and in other cases bagging houses in the emission system. The use of end -of- pipe technology is being adapted by some industries, it is used to remove already formed contaminants in the air however it is proven to be very expensive and many industries internationally would rather pay the fines for higher emission levels than use this technique. In other words it is regarded as the less of two evils. These techniques force industries to adopt generic prevention strategies and solutions, only resorting to the more expensive techniques when face with dire consequences. Environmental Friendly Process With increasing pressure from environmental activists calling for industries to be more sensitive towards the environment, many industries have restructured their processes whereby recycling waste material as a new raw material to produce a second product. This process has been adapted by Methanol Holding Trinidad Limited (MHTL) were they have constructed an AUM plant. This plant is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago being the most environmental friendly of the MHTL family. This plant comprises a diversified petrochemical complex to manufacture Urea Ammonia Nitrate (UAN) and Melamine using feedstock from integrated urea and ammonia plants. (MHTL) The local cement factory adopted several controls strategies to deal with the air pollution problem within its manufacturing process. A change from blasting to stripping of the main raw material (limestone) aided in the reduction of dust emissions that was affecting the neighboring community at their quarrying central Trinidad. The transportation of the limestone was also change from dry to wet thus also reducing the potential dust particles entering the atmosphere during transportation from quarrying to the process plant. At the out skirts of the processing plant itself major landscaping was done to create hills around the factory adorned by buffer trees with sole intension is to reduce the level of dust exposure to the neighboring community. Managerial Controls Self Regulation These controls consist of policies, systems and standards that govern and manage the organization. The establishments of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) help management keep focus in order to sustain established targets. Company policies and procedures acts as guidelines to maintain order and structure within the organization. The introduction of ISO standards advertises the companys procedures to the industrial world thus ensuring that whatever measures initially introduced are sustained by the certification audits conducted annually by an international process auditors. Legislative Controls Currently in TT there is no legislation that refers directly to controlling of air pollutant emitted by industries. This is merely due to the fact that early monitoring system generally focus on water and land pollution the understanding of air pollution did not produce tangible evident because of technological short falls. The existing legislation addresses non specific air pollutants like the Petroleum Act (rev. 1980) section 29 (1) (j) prevention of air pollution and the Public health ordinance (1950), section 70 (1) (m) prohibits blacks smoke from chimneys. Even though the EMA was establish and is the countrys sole environmental body responsible for managing, regulating and coordinating environmental matters. The EMA has only managed to draft the Air Pollution Rules 2001 however to date 2010 these rules have not been made law. Trinidad and Tobago being a member of the Commonwealth and the United Nations has benefited from the research and technological advancement from these more developed countries (MDC). Initiatives such as the Montreal Protocol (1989 the control of CFCs) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997 the reduction of Greenhouse Gases) assisted the legislative process of TT by association. The only way legislative was establish was by piggy backing on the achievement of the more developed countries it seems that this was the only way the law maker could have had any impact on defaulters of air pollution in Trinidad. Only when legislation is pass the country can benefit from some effective control measures where polluters are prosecuted and emission limits are set for all industries. Conclusion Trinidad and Tobago historically is a nation of followers there have been very few instances where we were not promoted or assisted in some way or the other in achieving established goals and the topic of pollution is no exception. Have we ever wonder why the one establish air pollution laws stems from a diplomatic relations within the commonwealth and the United Nations or why we had to wait until the advent of OSHA to enforce existing safety laws in our country. The answer is simple we are still waiting to follow no wonder legislation spear headed by locals are treated with scan courtesy. Had these laws been establish in some first world convention they would have been rooted in the seams of our judicial system years ago? Many of the existing pollution laws governing the more develop countries were mainly as a result of international pressure, sadly Trinidad and Tobago is not view as a major polluting nation because of its geographical location and size. Evidence of pollution aware ness is mainly seen in the new establish manufacturing countries whose parent companies originate overseas. It is only amongst of fellow less develops countries and Caribbean members that Trinidad and Tobago is recognize as a polluting nation sadly these countries have little impact on global view. Despite our shortcomings, internally there has been an intensified effort to effectively monitor record, control and enforce pollution reducing systems and strategies. Internationally the over site of Trinidad and Tobago (a country that can easily fit into the Orinoco River with a population that barely exceeds large town in the United States) has not deterred local efforts to manage the levels of air emissions.

Time in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Time in The Great Gatsby Time is an idea described in different periods and aspects, for example philosophical, psychological, physical and biological. This time flows evenly but is broken into the past, present and future. Since we only live in the present forever planning for our futures and dreams, when we try to live in the past it restricts our future. Throughout Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby wasted time and his life for a single dream, and it was his illusion of his ideal future that made time a key dimension in his life. Gatsby suffers from past memories of Daisy and tries to relive the relationship and in the process Gatsby was murdered. Nick says, "Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams - not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion". Gatsby's idealistic view of Daisy was, she was of pure and perfect form and after he kisses her, his ideal perfect relationship starts to decay, "...and the incarnation was complete". The incarnation meaning Daisy cannot be ideally perfect anymore now that Gatsby's with her. Daisy is not pure and perfect like Gatsby thought she was in the past. From Gatsby's illusions of the past preoccupying all his thoughts, he forgets about the key dimension he exists in which is the present. Although Gatsby was persistent on reliving the past, Gatsby vaguely lived for the present. This is apparent when he cancels his biology by leaving home, changing his name, and leaving his heritage behind which was not done by following the past. In the past Jay Gatsby made, "...a platonic conception of himself". What Nick said about Gatsby's platonic theory of himself was that Gatsby "...was a son of God". From Jay Gatsby's theory he makes a ideal conception of himself, of which he projects himself into the future. Ultimately Gatsby is left with the choices to "...suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder," or kiss Daisy and "...his mind would never romp again like the mind of God". In Gatsby's choices he is to climb "the ladder" to God which represents Gatsby's future or choose Daisy and choose the past.

Avatar Essay -- Film Review

Myths are supernatural or religious tales with cultural and historical backgrounds, often containing moral lessons that are valued by the culture they originated from. The movie Avatar is a modern myth, its popularity stemming from the inspiration it draws from familiar and widespread themes found in classical myths. Avatar reuses and refreshes these themes for current audiences. Ancient stories such as those of Icarus, Prometheus, Gilgamesh, and Hercules, as well as contemporary issues, represent many of the same themes that are revealed in Avatar. Avatar is the story of Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine that is sent to the world Pandora to take the place of his dead-brother's job as a Na’vi avatar pilot. The humans on Pandora use these avatars to communicate with the Na’vi and try to convince them to leave the Hometree, which is the pillar of life for the Na’vi; the humans want this so they can mine the element â€Å"unobtanium† the majority of which is located under Hometree. Jake initially pilots the avatar to achieve the military objectives that he is given, but over the course of the movie becomes initiated into the Na’vi culture through Neytiri and begins to disregard his orders. When the military commander finds out of Jake’s treason he gives the order to destroy Hometree and Jake is forced to reveal to the Na'vi his true intentions for piloting the avatar. This results in Jake being cast out of both the Na’vi and human societies. The humans then destroy the Hometree and man y of the Na’vi, Jake realizes that it is up to him to save the rest of the Na’vi and leads the resistance. To regain the trust of the Na’vi, Jake tames a Toruk, the most feared predator on Pandora. Through Jake’s leadership the Na’vi push back the humans and... ...is often seen as an invasion since many cities and innocent lives have been destroyed through this process. The outcome of this war is still being determined but based on the patterns of politics portrayed classical myths and Avatar it is clear that both sides will be greatly affected by the conflict. Avatar has been mocked as being highly derivative of other films and stories, but that merely shows how deep these same themes run in human psyche. Even in ancient times, the legends and tales contained similar issues and their heroes went through similar trials, showing just how important these things are to us as a race. The anxiety of doing too much and becoming too powerful is as widespread today as it was thousands of years ago. No matter the consequences we may face, humans will always try to reach just a little higher, and try to gain just a little more power.

The Importance of Interdependence and International Cooperation Essay

The Importance of Interdependence and International Cooperation We are not a nation alone in the world. We do not make up the beliefs, developmental status, and environment of the entire globe. To act as if there is no interdependence within states is not only ridiculous, but also dangerous. Professor Squibwell draws attention to this issue, and while his views may be a little extreme in the statement that â€Å"the world functions as a single integrated unit,† he is accurate in suggesting that we â€Å"collaborate with other states, strengthen international organizations, and support the humanitarian and educational activities of international civil society.† International relations are dictated, to a large degree, by a set of norms. While some states may, at times, disagree on what actions should be considered â€Å"normal,† the majority of nations recognize the mutual benefits that can be attained through cooperation on generally accepted â€Å"rules†. Some examples of norms include peaceful settlement of disputes and respect of national borders. These expectations are adhered to by most state leaders and are somewhat institutionalized by international organizations (IOs) such as the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Whether they be humanitarian, economic, environmental, or any other form of focal group, each of these organizations is in charge of regulating different standards of behavior. With anywhere from 2 to 100 members, IOs would not exist if there was not a need for nations to lean on each other for a regulation of norms or assistance. The creation and ongoing existence of such groups proves that Professor Squibwell’s call for the collaboration of states is valid. Another trend in world politics that gives legitimacy to Professor Squibwell’s viewpoint is the importance of trade. Annually, close to $5 trillion of trade takes place internationally, making up 15% of the globe’s economic activity. (Goldstein, 351) While mercantillists take the standpoint that it is not the pl.ace of international organizations to set up plans for mutual gains in terms of trade, liberalists hold more practical views on the issue. They believe that states should not be looking at their own, short-term gain as if in competition with the rest of the world, but instead that states should find ways in which to fulfill the long-term, mutual gain of nati... ... that cannot be ignored is the communication and information roles that are creating supranational relationships. Telecommunications have advanced so much in recent history, and is advancing further as we speak. These improvements are bringing people in different states, cultural groups, and mindsets together more closely than the world had ever imagined. While there are still great rifts in beliefs and cultures, common people are able to quickly and easily hear the voices of the people from whom they are so incredibly dissimilar. A sort of global culture is beginning to emerge. Supporting integration of this form would not be putting down the notion of diverse cultures, but rather be adding a sense of understanding and the identification of individuals as human beings as well as members of national groups. As you can see, interdependence is a fact of political, economic, and living life. The world now needs to cooperate to solve pressing problems. With communications and political coordination abilities of today’s global society, it is necessary to take a forward stance on issues, bringing states together in order to relish in the vast benefits that are available to all of us.

Guernica and the Torture of Politics Essay

When Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) painted Guernica (1) in 1937, the painting was not only a pictorial documentation on the horrors that took place on a small Basque town in northern Spain on April 26th, 1937, but a testament to the tragedy of all war that humankind wages upon itself. Picasso says he created the painting to bring the world’s attention to the Spanish civil war and to General Franco’s unusually cruel tactics to try and win this war. In the case of Guernica, this painting has monumental political significance and is still viewed today as greatest anti-war symbol of our time. This massive, mural- sized painting (11 ft. tall by 25 ft. wide) is painted in oil and currently on exhibit at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. Even if we remove the political significance of this nearly monochromatic painting, we are still left with one of Picasso’s masterpieces of cubist composition. The twisted, disjointed figures undulating across the canvas create a tapestry of suffering in sharp contrasts of black, white and blue. The Spanish Republican government commissioned Picasso in 1937 to create a large mural painting to help bring to the light the misery of the Spanish Civil War to an international audience. Rather than seeing this very political commission as a limitation, Picasso embraced this opportunity as a platform to use his mastery of oil painting to affect political and popular opinion. Even those who are Basque or Franco sympathizers can not escape from the deep sadness and despair they are confronted with in this painting. In no way is this painting’s political tie a limitation to its greatness. Picasso’s Guernica has been exhibited throughout the world, viewed by millions, and many would argue that this was Picasso’s greatest achievement. Fast-forward 70 years to 2007; Different artists, different politics, different wars. No longer does the general populous receive its information in newspapers or the radio as they did in 1937. Our access to information is now instant and mainlined. In 2004 accounts of torture, sodomy and rape at the Abu Ghraib army prison in Iraq began to surface. The world, including its artists began to react. Richard Serra (born 1939) created a series of litho-crayon drawings depicting a scene of an Abu Ghraib prisoner being tortured (2), arms outstretched like a Christ figure, with the words â€Å"Stop Bush† on either side of his hooded face. The Whitney Museum of American Art used images of this drawing for posters of their 2006 Whitney Biennial at a time when America was still deeply divided over the continuance of this war. This mass-produced, photographic image had become a symbol of the anti-war movement in the United States. But unlike Picasso’s Guernica, Serra is working directly from a photograph of the actual event, simplifying it into a cartoon like image. Thus, Serra’s anti-war statement does not appear to be a timeless piece of art as Picasso’s did. If we take away the political significance from Serra’s drawings we are left with a compositionally stark subject. The politics must be included in Serra’s drawings for us to have an appreciation (or hatred, depending on your political view) of it. This is, perhaps, intentional on Serra’s part, being a minimalist sculptor, to strip the very concept of torture and war down to its most essential parts. The speed at which Serra created this drawing is parallel to our contemporary, insatiable appetite for news and information. It is possible that Serra wanted this drawing, like the actual photographic image itself, to be ephemeral; viewed and discarded to make way for the next headline. In conclusion, the political art that can align itself with our speed of information will be the political art that is successful in the future. Like it or not, we are all involved in politics in some way and affected by the decisions our governments make. If art is a mirror of our surroundings, then at some point it’s going to cross over into the realm of politics. We can only hope that our contemporary artists will utilize the same care and skills to create political work with mature political significance rather than first-idea, sophomoric vision.