Why I want to study fashion design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I want to study fashion design - Essay Example This is one area that really helps me to exploit my creative urges and gives a huge satisfaction when my designs are liked by people. I have therefore decided to go for professional degree in fashion designing so that I could further explore the intricacy of the business. I believe that the degree from this college would help me to grow not only as a person but also as a professional who would be able to meet the challenges of the contemporary world. My family and friends have been the major motivating force. My passion of ethnic design and use of fusion technique in my design is my strongest point. As a child I was much enamored with the fashion magazines which use to showcase the clothes of leading fashion designers of Milan and Paris. As I grew up, I realized that while I am fascinated with the contemporary fashion designers, I am equally amazed at the variety of ethnic designs across the culture, color and nationality. The multicultural society therefore has been a very vital par t of my creativity which I believe needs to be used for exploiting my potential as a designer. In the contemporary environment of globalization, the professional degree in fashion designing would equip me with wider options to expertly exploit the opportunities and help gain a competitive advantage within the fashion industry.

Cocaine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cocaine - Essay Example To understand those who use it, one must understand that cocaine is a stimulant drug that is primarily metabolized by the liver. So much of the drug is metabolized by the body, that less than 1% of the drug is secreted through urine. As stated by Maureen Coombs, â€Å"Cocaine is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant and induces a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. It can be chewed, insufflated, smoked or injected and has both medicinal and recreational uses†. With this information in mind, one can understand why individuals who use this substance do so. The purpose is not to experience a high, as it is with individuals who smoke marijuana. Instead, cocaine users seek the euphoric feeling and high level of energy associated with its use. Reports that have come out in past decades have indicated that deaths from cocaine use are not caused by overdose. Such reports may have caused a reduction in concern over its very real dangers. The reality is that cocaine c ontinues to kill thousands of individuals every year, and most of those deaths result from long-term damage caused by extensive abuse. According to Karch, â€Å"It is important to understand that death from acute cocaine toxicity is a relatively rare event, essentially only seen in ‘body packers’ or ‘body stuffers’ who find themselves exposed to massive, multigram quantities of cocaine. Otherwise, the only cocaine users likely to become seriously ill or die are the chronic users†. That is to say, fatal overdoses from cocaine do not occur from users â€Å"over indulging† in the user’s illegal substance of choice. Rather, the overdoses result in something going awry when individuals attempt to use themselves or allow themselves to be used as a drug mule. Packages of immense amounts of cocaine in their body are supposed to be sealed, but occasionally the packages become broken down enough to allow the cocaine to absorb in to the body. One of the reasons why cocaine users do not overdose through regular use is that the amount of cocaine required to produce an overdose is not possible via that method. The user would have to make themselves sick to achieve an overdose. When the purpose of using the drug is to achieve euphoria, to make oneself sick would be counterproductive. In terms of usage, â€Å"Nasal inhalation is the most popular method of cocaine administration certainly because of its discretion† (Blaise, pg. 1262). There are also the options of injecting the drug, or smoking it. As Blaise wrote, snorting cocaine is typically the primary method chosen because of the ease with which one can hide it—at first. Extended cocaine use has the unpleasant side effect of causing nasal lesions, which are all but impossible to hide. When officials want to test for cocaine, often they will take hair, blood, or urine samples. A little known fact about hair is that it essentially acts like a tree core. Where on a tree, each ring represents a year of life, hair shows signs of illegal substance use up to 90 days later. Urine tests can be used to screen for cocaine use 2-5 days after use, with the exception for those with certain kidney disorders. Finally, blood tests can be used accurately within 2-5 days. Individuals who indulge their drug habit with cocaine will find that at first, all may seem well and good.

Analysis Of The Prospects Of Solar Energy Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis Of The Prospects Of Solar Energy Environmental Sciences Essay We all know that the discovery of new oil rich deposits have gone down drastically over the past decade. These fossil fuels are the main reason behind the global warming gripping the world today. So increasing number of Governments and researchers are turning to renewable sources of energy to make it more affordable. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing sources of energy in terms of electricity generation. Solar energy was never looked at for mass production of energy until recently. This change in perception is due to the reduction on prices of the material required for setting up of a solar power plant and also a lot of incentives from various agencies around the world. In India wind power has been taken up in major way but due to high prices of raw materials in India production of solar power based energy is very slow to evolve. The distributions of various sources of renewable sources of power around the world are given below in the pie chart. Here in the pie chart we have solar energy sources being split into two aspects. One being solar collectors (solar thermals) and the other being through the photo voltaic(PV) cells. Lets have a look at the various aspects from how much sun ray we receive and how electricity is generated from it Solar Energy Solar energy is produced from the sun rays received from the sun. The upper atmosphere of Earth receives 174 petawatts(PW) of solar radiation. Approximately 30% of the incoming solar rays are reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the Earths surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet. The total solar energy absorbed by Earths atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year. In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year. There are two ways in which suns ray are used to generate power: Solar thermal Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy (heat). Solar thermal collectors are defined by the USA Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat swimming pools. Medium-temperature collectors are also usually flat plates but are used for creating hot water for residential and commercial use. High temperature collectors concentrate sunlight using mirrors or lenses and are generally used for electric power production. STE is different from photo voltaics, which convert solar energy directly into electricity. While only 600 megawatts of solar thermal power is up and running worldwide in October 2009. There are broadly two technologies under solar thermal: Parabolic Trough About ten large scale parabolic trough plants have been operational since1984 and producing power for commercial use. The California Mojave Desert plant being the oldest among them. There are fields in which parabolic trough are placed in series one beside the other. The get the heat from the sun and transfer it to the turbine (Rankin turbine) these plants produce daily in the range of 14 to 80 MW and overall 354 MW. The trough is usually lined up on a north to south axis, and rotated throughout the day with the movement of the sun across the sky. Solar Power Tower Solar power towers are huge towers erected in the middle of large reflective mirrors (called heliostats) which concentrate the solar radiation to this tower. The heat is then transferred to generate steam and produce electricity. These types of plants generally produce in the range of 30 to 400 MW range. Worlds largest concentrating solar thermal power stations Name Country Capacity(MW) Technology Used* Solar Energy Generating Systems USA 354 Parabolic Trough Navada Solar One USA 64 Parabolic Trough Andasol1 Spain 50 Parabolic Trough PS20 Solar Power Tower Spain 20 Solar Power Tower PS10 Solar Power Tower Spain 10 Solar Power Tower Photo voltaic (PV) array In this system an array of photovoltaic cells are put in series and parallel configuration to achieve the necessary voltage and each are connected to invertors to directly generate AC type of electricity from the DC type. These photovoltaic arrays are made up of multiple interconnected solar cells. The design is such that they can take any load required. The power of a single photovoltaic cell is usually enough for a home or a standalone business. Solar arrays are usually measured by the peak electrical power throughput in watts, kilowatts, or even megawatts. Worlds largest photovoltaic (PV) power plants Name Country Capacity(MW) Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park Spain 60 Strasskirchen Solar Park Germany 54 Lieberose Photovoltaic Park Germany 53 Puertollano Photovoltaic Park Spain 50 Moura photovoltaic power station Portugal 46 Global Scenario Going by the current growth rates of the solar power source, it is being predicted that energy generated from these sources would be the biggest power source for the world in a few decades. A few years back in 2008 it was just about 0.02 percent of the total energy supply in the world. This is the amount to shift we would be witnessing in the energy sector. The total number of PV installed worldwide has been going up rapidly. The PV installations went up by a huge 7.3 GW last year which was just 6,080 MW installed during the earlier year 2008. Currently the solar power has a very small share in the world energy market. Totally its productions accounts for not more than 0.01% of total demand for power or energy around the world right now. Solar Energy demand has grown at about 30% per annum over the past 15 years (hydrocarbon energy demand typically grows between 0-2% per annum).Research confirms that the Asia Pacific, European and United States all are expected to put in very good nu mbers in terms of installed capacity and also the contribution to their respective grids over 5 to 10 years. Lets look at the cost involved of these PV cells. With the process of solar Energy (PV cells) coming down gradually over the past decade or so this is one technology which is looking better every day. We have seen over the past decade that process have been going down by four percent every year. Progressive and manufacturing economies of scale are the major driving for the same along with a healthy growth in conversion efficiencies. By early 2006, the average cost per installed watt for a residential sized system was about USD 7.50 to USD 9.50, including panels, inverters, mounts, and electrical items. Close to 2 billion people around the world have never seen electricity or are in far corners where its where difficult to supply. For most of them, solar PV would be the cheapest electricity source, if they can afford it. List of top five counties as per generation of solar energy Grid-Connected Solar PV Capacity till 2009(MW) Country Capacity Germany 9830 Spain 3250 Japan 2600 United States 1200 Italy 1032 Global trends European nations are ahead from the rest of the world in terms of the installed capacity and also in terms of projects under construction. If we look at the above given table we would see that three out of 5 countries belong to the EU. Germany and Spain have taken it up very aggressively. Renewable energy contributed 10.3% of energy consumption in the EU. Half of Swedens electricity demands are met by solar power followed by Finland at 30%. India has started its Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar plan which has a target to generate 1000MW of solar energy by 2013. Japan is the third largest producer of solar energy producer in the world. In December 2008, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan set a goal of 70% of newly built homes should have solar power instruments installed, and Japan would be spending $145 million across 2009 to encourage solar power in homes. All renewable resources of power put together including solar, wind, etc provide about 12 percent of the nation s power supply in United States of America as of now. The Department of Energy in US has set the goal of producing 10-15% of US total power need from sources of solar energy by the year 2030. Solar power has been expanding rapidly in the past 8 years, growing at a very impressive average rate of 40% per year in USA alone. The cost per kilowatt-hour of solar photovoltaic systems has also been dropping, whereas the power generated out of renewable energy is becoming costly. As a result, the report projects that solar power will reach cost parity with conventional power sources in many U.S. markets by 2015.With the growing demand for the PV modules around the world, the PV module suppliers are making hay while the sun is shining. In India Tata BP Solar is the market leader. Around the world following is the list of major suppliers. List of Major Global companies supplying PV Module: First Solar Suntech Sharp Yingli Trina Solar Sunpower Corporation Kyocera Corporation Canadian Solar Inc. SolarWorld AG Sanyo Electric The market for clean energy is growing at a very healthy rate and as the solar power has the most abundant source of energy (the sun) so the prospects for these suppliers looks very good. There are various tax incentives from various Governments which are encouraging the use of solar energy. Potential of Solar power in India Indian being located in the sunny regions of the world receives about 3000 hours of sunshine every year which is equivalent to 5 trillion kWh of energy. This solar energy can be tapped to meet the growing energy needs of country. Also with increasing pressure from the developed country to lower the pollution levels, it has become imperative for India to look for non-polluting sources of energy. Solar energy could emerge as one of the best options for clean energy. Most of the villages in India are not connected to the power grid. It is less expensive to install Photo Voltaic (PV) modules in these home and villages rather than making the grids longer or setting up a power plant nearby. So for electricity production in rural areas, solar energy could be a cheaper alternative. Present Status Solar power generation has lagged behind other renewal sources of energy like wind, hydropower, and biomass. As per Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), solar energy currently account  for only 0.1 percent of the total capacity of renewal energy installed in the country which stands at 13,242.41 MW. Though India is in the top 10 worldwide for both solar photovoltaic (PV) cell production and solar thermal power production, the solar power produced in India is only about 0.4 % as compared to other energy resources. The current usage of solar energy in India is as follows: Solar street lighting systems: 55,795 Home lighting systems: 342,607 Solar lanterns used in India: 560,295 Solar PV power plants: 1566  kW Solar thermal production: 140  km2  of collector area Solar cookers: 575,000 Solar PV pumps: 6,818 The main hindrance in the use of solar energy is the high cost which is about Rs 15-30 involved in deployment whereas its Rs 5-8 for thermal power.  Solar energy usage has been mainly limited to villages which do not have proper power distribution networks to fulfill their basic needs of lighting, heating and cooking. Major players Tata BP Solar Tata BP Solar is the largest solar company in Asia. It is a joint venture between Tata Group and BP Solar. To generate electricity from sunlight, the company manufactures silicon cells and solar modules. Tata BP executed a project in which they electrified 350 villages in the state of Chhattisgarh which had never seen electricity before. The company plans to revamp its supplies to the market by bettering its manufacturing capacity of PV cells from 84 MW to more than 180 MW this financial year. Moser Baer Solar Limited (MBSL) The company has leveraged its core competency in optical media to produce high quality solar cells. It is one of largest manufacturers of Photo Voltaic (PV) modules in India. It has current production capacity are as follows: Type Produces capacity(MW) Crystalline Cells 50 Crystalline Modules 50 Thin Films 90 Moser Baer provides wide range of solutions which include site analysis, system design, erection and commissioning, operation and maintenance of solar equipments. SELCO Solar Pvt. Ltd SELCO is a social enterprise which uses solar PV cells to generate enough electricity to light the houses, pump water from wells and power various communication devices. It manufactures products for Solar lighting (CFL and LED), Solar Thermal (Water heaters). SELCOs cook stove initiative is a major boost to rural sector which has targets to improve quality of life and control pollution by providing advanced technology at affordable prices. Reliance Solar Group The company offers a wide range of products, systems and  solutions ranging from solar lanterns, home lighting systems, street lighting systems, water purification systems, refrigeration systems to air conditioners. Reliance Industries (RIL) has the experience of implementing a number of solar projects in the various parts of India. For the Commonwealth games, Reliance Industries Solar Energy Group set a huge rooftop energy system which can generate 1 MW  solar at the Thyagaraj Commonwealth Stadium in New Delhi in April this year, making it the largest solar rooftop of its kind in India. They are currently working on another huge project of a solar farm having a capacity of 5 MW in Western part of India which is slated to be the largest of its kind in India. The company  currently  sources solar panels from other companies for setting up power plants but in future the company could even venture into the solar cell/module manufacturing business. RIL has also implemented 2.6 KWp solar PV power plants for each of the three tennis courts at the R K Khanna Tennis Complex. For the Commonwealth Games Village, it has installed 34 back up solar PV systems of 3 KWp each, 180 solar LED street lights and 500 garden lights. The entire solar initiative is to compensate for CO2 emissions to be released through the game. NTPC NTPC has completed or planning to setup the following solar power projects in the country: Capacity (MW) Technology Location 15 Solar thermal Rajasthan 25 Solar thermal Uttar Pradesh 6 Solar PV Andaman Nicobar 5 Solar PV Uttar Pradesh 5 Solar PV Haryana 10 Solar PV Uttar Pradesh 10 Solar PV Chhattisgarh 25 Solar PV Andhra Pradesh Government incentives and subsidies The Government is doing its bit to spread the growth of solar energy. It has declared as part of official policy a 100% tax holiday to any PV plant pr solar thermal plant which are installed and up and running by the year 2020. They have also declared to let go excise duty and decrease the custom duty if products are imported from OEM and not to mention the cheap loans. Additionally, under the Generation-Based Incentive (GBI) programme, the plant developers will be offered financial assistance to reduce the production cost by offering of Rs 12/unit to producer in case of solar PV and Rs 10/unit if the use the solar thermal for the next 10 years. For this the plant must produce more than 1MW and contribute it to the central grid. The government has also announced a number of sops under a special incentive package to improve spread of solar energy .Under the governments scheme to create solar cities in India, all the local governments of the 60 cities would be provided an assistance of Rs 50 lakh, of which Rs 10 lakh would be for drafting of a master plan, Rs 10 lakh for installation of solar modules in the the various city council buildings, Rs 10lakh as an incentive to complete the project over 5 yrs and the rest for promoting this(Rs 20lakh). State governments are also providing rebates in property tax to house owners and commercial establishments for using solar water heating systems. Future growth Prospects in India Under the Jawaharlal Nehru  National  Solar Mission (JNNSM), India plans to generate 20,000 MW grid connected solar power by 2022. In the first phase of JNNSM, 1000 MW capacity will be added by March 2013, half based on solar PV equipment and rest on solar thermal technology. Following are the suggestions of a Ajay Shankar committee which if accepted by the central government will b a shot in the arm for JNNSM and a huge booster for solar energy sector in India: Up to 2013: Mandatory use of PV cells and modules made in India for all grid connected solar power plants. 2012-2013: Mandatory use of Power Conditioning Units (PCUs) which are manufactured in India. 2013-2014: Review for probable extension to various products used in solar power generation like wafers and silicon which are manufactured in India. On the state front, the Gujarat government has already signed a MoU with Clinton Foundation which would help then install the worlds biggest solar energy plant in Gujarat. The 3 GW plant would be one of four mega solar plants planned by the foundation to promote the use of renewable energy. The other proposed sites are in California, South Africa, and Australia. The government has proposed to develop 60 solar cities during the 11th Plan period. The solar cities would be based on the lines of New York in USA, Tokyo in Japan and London in UK. This initiative will again act as a boost to the solar industry. After the announcement of the JNNSM, which aims at a huge jump in solar power generation capacity in the country by 2022, it has met with a huge response. It was proposed by the some 25 companies that they would be interested in putting in a total sum of a thousand cr over the next 3 -5 yrs. From the figures, one can say that the future of solar energy in India looks to very bright. CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS HIGH CAPITAL COST One of the biggest challenges that solar energy faces is that competing energy sources have always been cheaper in terms of dollars per kilowatt-hour (a standard measure). Compared to electricity from coal-fired power plants, solar is more expensive. Lets take India as a country into consideration. The hunt for better, cheaper Solar cells is due in India. Despite the fact that the price of Solar Photovoltaic technology has been coming down over the years it still remains economically unviable for power generation purposes. The average cost of Solar PV modules was around Rs. 2 lakhs per kW. However, the estimated unit cost of generation of electricity from Solar Photovoltaic and Solar thermal route is in the range of Rs. 12 -20 per kWh and Rs. 10 15 per kWh respectively in India. With present level of technology, solar electricity produced through the Photovoltaic conversion route is 4-5 times costlier than the electricity obtained from conventional fossil fuels. MANUFACTURING PROCESS Solar PV cell manufacturing is a technology-intensive process requiring high expertise and know-how. Besides, the technology landscape in the solar industry PV space is changing quite rapidly with innovations and RD. It is challenging for new entrants to replicate the success of companies having a long standing in the Solar PV market. SITE SUITABILITY Many sites dont receive enough solar energy to make the production cost effective. Cloudy areas with frequent rain are often not well suited for solar panels because typically solar panels need direct sun to produce power. STORAGE Another major challenge is storing solar energy. Cloudy weather and night time darkness interrupt solar energys availability. At times and locations where sunlight is plentiful, its energy must be captured and stored for use at other times and places. The most important disadvantage about solar energy is that the access on a short-term basis can be uncertain. The total incoming radiation normally doesnt vary much from year to year (typically  ±5 per cent), but it is not easy to predict on a day-to-day basis. Incoming radiation has seasonal variations that are in an anti-phase with the energy demand for important areas of applications, for example space heating. If one is to trust solar energy as the only energy source, either one has to adjust to the variations given by nature, store. The first alternative is impractical, the latter are expensive. Energy storage makes up a substantial part of the cost for both solar heating installations and systems for the production of electricit y for remote buildings and plants. Improved energy storage will therefore mean a lot for the solar energys possibility to compete with conventional solutions. ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS Another concern area is installing Solar cells on the land area. The large amount of land required for utility-scale Solar power plants approximately one square kilometer for every 20-60 MW generated poses an additional problem. RAW MATERIAL AND WASTE PRODUCTS Some of the materials (like Cadmium) used for producing Solar PV cells are hazardous and other raw materials like plastics used for the packaging of the cells are non-biodegradable, thereby impacting the environment. Although some of the waste generated during the manufacturing process is recyclable (silicon), not all other materials are recyclable and disposal of the same is a challenging process. AESTHETICS AND DESIGN Another barrier to wider adoption of solar cell and solar module products and systems among commercial and residential consumers is aesthetics and design. Historically, consumers have resisted solar products for aesthetic reasons. Established solar products are heavy, rigid, fragile and non-modular. Solar cell and solar module manufacturers can improve aesthetics by developing products that can be more attractively integrated into building structures, and that are lighter, flexible and modular and hence more feasible. Growth in future and driving factors Concentrated Solar Vs Photovoltaic Solar Solar energy utilization technologies can be broadly classified into two categories as Concentrated Solar Technology Photovoltaic Solar Technology In Concentrated Solar Technology the solar energy converts heat liquids into steam, which is then used to drive turbines to produce electricity, heating and cooling purposes, providing hot water etc. In PV Solar, solar panels are used to produce electricity. The Concentrated Solar technology provides a good alternative to PV solar, one that is less expensive and more versatile. Benefits of concentrated solar technology are: It uses existing resources like generators, piping and mirrors. Due to which the production costs are much lower than PV solar In producing solar energy no hazardous materials are used. Thus it is free from production hassles that could arise due to future government laws or policies. It can also store the heat that is generated during the day, and use it at a later time when the electricity is needed. Storing heat is much more efficient than most forms of storing electricity, and does not require expensive equipment or large tracks of land. Due to the aforementioned benefits Concentrated Solar Technology is currently a more sought after method. But the potential for PV Solar Technology is higher and is being worked over across all countries. Government incentives Major percentage of the solar energy production has been backed by the government world over. Few of the government incentives in the following ways are: FIT (mainly in Europe) Direct Subsidy on panels Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS, in US) ITC (Investment tax credits, in US) Some of the goals with respect to solar energy of different countries driven by government initiatives are: The  European Union  has linked goals to get 20% of its energy from clean sources by 2012. Chinas Renewable Energy Law aims to raise the total percentage of renewable energy used in the country to 15% by 2020. The U.S. Stimulus Bill of February of 2009 included $60 billion in loan guarantees for companies building solar and wind plants with the goal of doubling renewable energy production from 2009 to 2012. In June of 2008, Germany approved a law cutting its solar subsidies by 10%. Further, under the law subsidies will fall another 8%-10% each year for the next three years. The Spanish Government cut its solar subsidies by 30%. Renewable energy demand Shifts in renewable energy demand are a major driver for the solar market. Two major drivers of this shift are climate change  and  peak oil. Climate Change With more people than ever being aware of global warming and its potential effects, and fear of the repercussions of a carbon-based energy scheme is driving consumer demand for alternatives like solar. With increasing number of people being aware of global warming and its harmful effects, rising fear caused due to carbon based energy production, the demand for alternative energy resources are in demand. The number of awareness campaigns to promote the use of alternative resources has increased tremendously over the past few years and will continue to rise in the future. Wind and Solar energy are the first potential step taken into consideration. Peak Oil and Energy Independence The ever rising oil prices and the scarcity of finding the mines and oil reserves are a growing concern. It is predicted that the oil resources will dwindle to such an extent that the growth of any country will be a standstill if measures are not taken today to curtail the dependence. Furthermore, a large part of the world oil supply can be found in politically turbulent countries; with OPEC having dominant control over world oil supply (and, therefore, prices), many countries desire energy alternatives in order to break dependence on geopolitically unstable nations. Technology and Silicon Supply Silicon was previously used extensively by the semiconductor industry. But, with the advent of solar power and its rapid growth the demand for them has increased exponentially, resulting in an under-supply of silicon unable to meet the current demand. Thus the higher prices in silicon mean higher production costs for solar companies and lower margins. For a sustainable growth and control in costs of production in the future the demand-supply equilibrium must be in check. In recent years the technical advancements in the field of solar power has been rapid and tremendous. Everyone across the value chain, manufacturers and suppliers are working towards producing more solar energy out of the existing solar equipment. Advancements have included increasing cell energy efficiency, using thinner wafers, and increasing generating power in low-light (generation of energy even on a cloudy day). The advancement in two new manufacturing processes namely string-ribbon technology and thin-film technology, designed to drastically reduce the  silicon  required to make PV cells, could dramatically decrease the cost of new PV cells. The use of a new nanotechnology based approach using Tetrapod Quantum Dots (TQ-Dots) is being considered. It is an economical alternative to replace the silicon wafer based solar cells with flexible TQ-Dot solar cells and has the advantage of generating electricity from UV and infrared wavelengths allowing generation 24/7. Government Regulation As the solar industry continues to grow at 25% per annum, the government is faced with the challenge to regulate the industry to allow for equitable distribution of the industry benefits. The Union Ministry has set up a separate Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources later renamed as Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The government is trying hard to bring India to the number 1 level by introducing grid based incentives and providing concession at various levels of manufacturing and distribution in its recent budget 2010-11. Effect on the Environment: There is an ongoing debate on how Concentrated Solar Plants especially are affecting the environment. There is a concern how the use of vast amounts of public land for Solar Energy development will affect local inhabitants. Local Government and Environmental bodies have raised concern for reliable regulatory measures to be setup to understand the affect on the operations of such large plants on the environment. It is expected that the government will frame certain special energy zones, where concentrated solar plants will be setup. Permitting: The permit fees to set up Solar Plants varies in different areas in the countries, which causes variations in the setup price causing a dilemma in the minds of prospective investors.The cost of Solar Installation in a city varies from Rs.15,000 to Rs. 50,000.Many countries that used to face such issues are now migrating to a uniform permit fees system to encourage investment in this field. Regulating Solar Energy Providers: As part of JNNSM, government has dedicated NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, for the purchase of Solar Energy by independent solar plants, the prices of which are fixed by the Central Regulatory Electricity Commission for a given period of time. The power distribution companies will purchase the power generated from these plants at the prices set by the regulator. They would also follow the below mentioned norms: CERC has announced tariff of Rs. 18.44 per unit for solar PV power and Rs. 13.45 per unit for solar thermal power for 25 years; Zero or concessional duty to be applied on import of some specific items; Zero Excise duty on manufacture of many solar energy devices within the country; NTPC VVN will purchase solar power for a period of 25 years at fixed tariff announced by CERC; CERC will review the costs every year and fix tariff accordingly for new projects. Union Budget 2010-11: Government has announced an allocation of $10bn for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The budget also provides incentives to private solar companies by reducing customs duty on solar panel by 5% and exempting excise duty on photovoltaic panels. Conclusion

Media vs. Parenting Essay examples -- Effect Cause Parents Impact chil

Media vs. Parenting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What impact does sex, violence, drugs, etc. in the media have on children? What can we do about it? How do we balance the tension between freedom of expression and the need to protect children? When you talk about the media and whether or not it is harmful on children, you must examine the whole industry and all aspects of its effects on children. It is that the media as a whole is not as harmful to children as some intense other can, but over exposure to certain aspects of certain types of media can be harmful. To say that all media can be harmful to children is a fallacy that must be avoided when examining this topic. Most people when analyzing this issue tend to focus on drugs, sex, and violence in terms of the television media. Although those are some of the main topics throughout the history of this topic, there are more important issues then just that as said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an argument that should indefinitely point out the major impacts on young children. However this will be examining this topic in a much broader sense that will encompass the media as an entity and not focus only on the negative aspects but also the positive aspects of the media to show that the media is not in all ways bad for children. Media affecting children is increasingly rising, and is becoming a big factor among children’s behaviors, but other factors such as parenting will also participate to whether media is harmful to children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the formation of our Constitution, our forefathers had enough foresight to know that one of the most sacred freedoms that a society can have is freedom of the press. They, however, could not envision how many different forms of the press there would be in the years after the Constitution was written. During our nation's formative years, the term press was primarily restricted to media in terms of newspapers and books. Over the years with different courts, congresses, and presidents, we have seen an expansion of the term press. This has been made even more so with advancing technology and the global expansion of the media. Therefore when we examine the media we must take a contemporary approach to this issue rather than looking at the issue based on the past. The media has long been an easy target for the ills of society. If we go back to the times of the beginnings of World War II we can see how man... ...of game has little if any social benefit, to the contrary it in many ways teaches children that violence and objectifying women is ok, just as long as it looks cool. In the long run if games such as these remain popular among children and young adults, we will see a worsening of our already decaying morals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you can plainly see, we as a society cannot place the blame of the problem of today’s children on the media and saying that the media is harmful to children. True the media can be harmful, but if it is carefully monitor and parents use discretion before saying yes to what their children can play, read, or watch then this problem would be greatly lessened. If we blame the media without ourselves taking action then we are just as responsible because we are allowing the media to cause harm to our children with us just standing by and watching. It is true that the media as an industry must ensure that the products and programming that they are putting out is targeted to the proper markets, but in the end it is ultimately up to the parents to decide what is best for their children. It is the parents responsibility to determine what is or is not harmful to their children. Media vs. Parenting Essay examples -- Effect Cause Parents Impact chil Media vs. Parenting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What impact does sex, violence, drugs, etc. in the media have on children? What can we do about it? How do we balance the tension between freedom of expression and the need to protect children? When you talk about the media and whether or not it is harmful on children, you must examine the whole industry and all aspects of its effects on children. It is that the media as a whole is not as harmful to children as some intense other can, but over exposure to certain aspects of certain types of media can be harmful. To say that all media can be harmful to children is a fallacy that must be avoided when examining this topic. Most people when analyzing this issue tend to focus on drugs, sex, and violence in terms of the television media. Although those are some of the main topics throughout the history of this topic, there are more important issues then just that as said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an argument that should indefinitely point out the major impacts on young children. However this will be examining this topic in a much broader sense that will encompass the media as an entity and not focus only on the negative aspects but also the positive aspects of the media to show that the media is not in all ways bad for children. Media affecting children is increasingly rising, and is becoming a big factor among children’s behaviors, but other factors such as parenting will also participate to whether media is harmful to children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the formation of our Constitution, our forefathers had enough foresight to know that one of the most sacred freedoms that a society can have is freedom of the press. They, however, could not envision how many different forms of the press there would be in the years after the Constitution was written. During our nation's formative years, the term press was primarily restricted to media in terms of newspapers and books. Over the years with different courts, congresses, and presidents, we have seen an expansion of the term press. This has been made even more so with advancing technology and the global expansion of the media. Therefore when we examine the media we must take a contemporary approach to this issue rather than looking at the issue based on the past. The media has long been an easy target for the ills of society. If we go back to the times of the beginnings of World War II we can see how man... ...of game has little if any social benefit, to the contrary it in many ways teaches children that violence and objectifying women is ok, just as long as it looks cool. In the long run if games such as these remain popular among children and young adults, we will see a worsening of our already decaying morals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you can plainly see, we as a society cannot place the blame of the problem of today’s children on the media and saying that the media is harmful to children. True the media can be harmful, but if it is carefully monitor and parents use discretion before saying yes to what their children can play, read, or watch then this problem would be greatly lessened. If we blame the media without ourselves taking action then we are just as responsible because we are allowing the media to cause harm to our children with us just standing by and watching. It is true that the media as an industry must ensure that the products and programming that they are putting out is targeted to the proper markets, but in the end it is ultimately up to the parents to decide what is best for their children. It is the parents responsibility to determine what is or is not harmful to their children.

Cyber security threats Essay

Cyber threats are constantly evolving thus increasing the need to hedge and tighten the security measures to ensure that one is protected while using the cyber space. Cyber threats are made more complex especially due to the increasing globalization and use of cyber space in most of the parts in the world. This has caused a major security threat which calls for better security measures installation to counter some of the threats which are well organized by some individuals. Some of the major cyber threats include phishing, adware also known as spyware, cyber shopping and browsing, data safeguarding and also threats a user faces while using networking sites (AnonIC. org, 2004). Common cyber security threats, how to recognize and how avoid them One of the major cyber security threats is referred to as phishing which refers to the attempt to get access to sensitive information which may include passwords of other users, their user names and even credit cards. This is a criminal offense and is usually carried by individuals who purport to be working with a renowned electronic communication entity which is trusted. Phishing is usually used to obtain credit card and bank account information of a person thus enabling the attacker to obtain money from a person in a fraudulent manner. Installing security and spyware prevention software can help in reducing phishing (Warren, S2005). Spyware also referred to as adware is another cyber security threat that faces the cyber space users. Spyware refers to a form of software that once installed in a computer; it may send an advert which redirects a cyber space user’s browser to some selected web sites. Once one logs into such webs, this enables the attacker to monitor the sites which are visited by the cyber space user. These are usually used by attackers mostly for malicious purposes. Some the symptoms which indicates that a computer has been installed with spyware include pop up windows which are endless, redirection to a web site which is not the original one a person had previously typed in the browser, unexpected toolbars which are new to a web browser of your computer, change of search engine, error messages which are usually random start appearing in the window of a computer and sudden changes in the home page of a browser among other symptoms. To avoid spyware installation to a computer, one should avoid clinking links which appear on pop up windows. This is because most of them are spyware products which once clicked their install the spyware system in a computer. Closing the pop up windows would be essential in avoiding spyware installation. At times, unexpected questions may be posted in the pop up windows. Clicking â€Å"no or cancel† buttons would help in reducing the risk of spyware installation in a computer. Adjusting the preferences of the browser may also be helpful in reducing the pop up windows as well as cookies in the computer (McKenzie, 2008). Social networking sites are also mostly targeted areas by attackers hence they pose great cyber security threats. Instant messaging (IM) and chat rooms are highly targeted networking sites which are used in obtaining personal information about a person. IM is mostly used within companies by employees to ensure constant communication. While IM usually involves one on one communication, chat rooms are more wide and can be used by more that one person simultaneously. As such, while chatting, it is possible somebody else is following your conversations thus posing greater risks of impersonification and also the information is not protected. For a person to hedge himself from such risks, he should install security measures in his browser system. One of the way one can ensure safe chatting, messaging or even browsing is by constantly adjusting the default security setting in his computer. Disabling all automatic downloads and limiting certain interactions to only some users may help in reducing the cyber security threat. A person should also avoid revealing sensitive and vital information to strangers. Verifying the person one is chatting or messaging is also important in ensuring that the information one shares is made confidential. However, this may not be applicable especially in public chat rooms which are not restrictive. Updating the security software frequently is also vital in ensuring safe use of cyber space (National Cyber Alert System, n. d). While using social networking sites, one should remember that internet is usually public and unrestrictive. A person should thus give minimal information about his confidential information like addresses and bank accounts. Being skeptical about some information on the mail is also important in ensuring one is safe while using the networking sites. Some of the stories in the cyber space are usually false thus taking precautions is vital. Online shopping has grown tremendously especially due to globalization and the subsequent introduction of e-commerce by most corporations. Online shopping gives attackers a chance of obtain information about a person. Financial position of a person is usually targeted by attackers who use such information to make their own financial gain by selling the information or making other purchases using the information of buyers. Computers which are not protected from viruses are the most vulnerable to manipulation by attackers. It is easier to gain access to a computer which is not protected and obtaining vital information regarding a person. Fraudulent sites and also messages in the emails are also used in obtaining financial information of online shoppers. To ensure safe online shopping, a person should ensure that an up to date anti virus software is installed as well as an anti spyware software. This would ensure that Trojan horses and also viruses do not take away data or modify it in a person’s computer. Updating web browser regularly by installing software patches would help in reducing the vulnerability of being attacked (National Cyber Alert System, n. d). To reduce the risks of password alteration and monitoring by attackers, one should ensure that he evaluates the computers software settings regularly to ensure that the default settings are still in operation. Securing the web browser is also vital in ensuring safer cyber space usage by a person. Sensitive information sent via the cyber space should be protected with a password only known to the users. Passwords should also be updated and reviewed regularly to ensure they are secure and that the information contained in the computer is also secure (AnonIC. org, 2004). Practicing good home computing habits may also help in reducing the risk of cyber security threat. This may be done by ensuring that the computer is locked always when one is using it. This would ensure that no unauthorized person is capable of tampering of with the information contained in the computer. Internet disconnection while not in use at home reduces the risk of virus attacks which are usually to monitor and modify a computer. The home security setting should be updated regularly as well as software updates. One should also ensure that the password being used for computer is not easy to guess by other people. Ensuring that there are no people in the vicinity keying in the password to the computer would help in protecting information contained inside the system (AnonIC. org, 2004). Conclusion Cyber crimes have been on the rise with more and more cases being reported daily. It is thus to take essential precautionary measures to ensue that one is protected from cyber attacks. High technology being used by cyber attackers has also necessitated constant upgrading of the security measures one uses to protect his or computer system and network. Ensuring that a computer is always protected and have updated securing and passwords would help in reducing cyber security threats in the country. Reference: AnonIC. org (2004): Computer Security. Retrieved on 25th March 2009 from, http://www. anonic. org/computer-security. html. McKenzie, G. (2008): Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware. Retrieved on 25th March 2009 from, http://www. nationalcybersecurity. com/articles/144/1/Recognizing-and-Avoiding-Spyware/Page1. html. National Cyber Alert System (n. d): Cyber Security Tip: Good Security Habits. Retrieved on 25th March 2009 from, http://www. us-cert. gov/cas/tips/ST04-003. html. National Cyber Alert System (n. d): Cyber Security Tip: Understanding Hidden Threats: Corrupted Software Files. Retrieved on 25th March 2009 from, http://www. us-cert. gov/cas/tips/ST06-006. html. Warren, S. (2005): 12 steps to avoid phishing scams. Retrieved on 25th March 2009 from, http://articles. techrepublic. com. com/5100-10878_11-5818568. html.

Uniforms eliminate judgment Essay

Whether or not uniforms should be in all schools is a constant debate. Did you know school uniforms have been around for hundreds of years? I believe that uniforms should be in all schools. Uniforms eliminate judgment, distractions and violence. Uniforms eliminate the peer pressure of high school. Wearing uniforms helps to raise self-esteem and gives teens a feeling of belonging. Everyone is seen as equal regardless of their family’s economic status. Uniforms reduce the pressure of being popular and eliminate cliques which revolve around what you wear. It allows teens to experience a feeling of acceptance regardless of their social and economic background. School uniforms create a safer learning environment for students and faculty. They enable school authorities to easily recognize trespassers that do not belong in the school. Violence and bullying is decreased due to all students appearing equal. A fewer number of thefts occur as everyone owns the same apparel. They eliminate gang mentality as they cannot represent themselves. Violence is decreased as everyone appears as one. Studies have proved many positive results of uniforms in schools. Students are less focused on what their wearing, creating less distractions and making it easier for them to learn. Uniforms create a stricter environment which leads to school rules more likely being followed. Teachers do not have to worry about being ‘clothes police’ and can concentrate on their teaching. Not having to pick out an outfit saves time that students can use to sleep and study. This will improve student attendance and punctuality. Uniforms create unity and boosts school spirit and involvement. Uniforms give students a more positive outlook on school and create unity within the school. Clearly, uniforms bring about a positive school atmosphere and enables student’s to focus on their studies. Uniforms help students to reach their full academic potential without the outside distractions of everyday teenage pressures. By learning these skills in high school, teens will become more productive members of society. These skills will advance your self-esteem and further your potential in life. Uniforms can teach teens to be more accepting of others and not quick to judge. Therefore, wearing uniforms in high school is a small price to pay for a life full of acceptance and achievements. Remember, high school is a learning process not a fashion show.