Immanuel Velikovskys Claims free essay sample

An outline of Immanuel Velikovskys hypotheses of wonderful occasions. A contention against a portion of his thoughts. A gander at Immanuel Velikovskys hypotheses of the defense of inexplicable occasions which he asserted had been brought about by major galactic occasion. The writer centers predominantly around the cases laid out in his famous book, Worlds in Collision. Immanuel Velikovsky, writer of Worlds in Collision, was perused when it went to the writings of old societies. In his book he contends that our close planetary system has changed drastically inside the most recent couple of centuries, affecting impressively on the course of history on Earth. I will endeavor to show that his announcement, in light of these old compositions, is defective. He doesn't scrutinize the veracity of the writings and takes everything said as exacting, leaving them enormously not entirely clear. I will likewise outline how Velikovskys hypothesis is refuted by geographic proof, which he neglects to examine. We will compose a custom paper test on Immanuel Velikovskys Claims or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page

BLOOD AND BELONGING :: essays research papers fc

     This is an investigate of the book, Blood and Belonging, by Michael Ignatieff. This paper will clarify the subject of the book and its significance, examine Michael Ignatieff's techniques and ends on the subject lastly incorporate an individual investigate of the book by the creator of this paper.      The writer of the book goes on what he terms "the six journeys." On these "journeys" he experiences various societies, as he goes to six distinctive corresponding zones of the world. He looks at the special articulation of patriotism that every people shows by meeting different individuals from that specific culture. The six regions that he goes to are explicitly picked for the lucidity which patriotism is communicated in the public eye. Patriotism is a factor contributing toward both present conceivable future precariousness in these territories.      These territories are previous Yugoslavia (explicitly Croatia and Serbia), Germany, Ukraine, Quebec, Kurdistan and Northern Ireland. As indicated by Ignatieff, in Croatia and Serbia there is a craving for a separate character between the two countries. The dread of losing one's national character has caused ethnic contempt. A fear so solid and truly steady, it has driven individuals to an edgy state to do anything. This is an enormous supporter of the explanations behind the extraordinary viciousness present there today. The creator states, "A Croat, subsequently, is somebody who isn't a Serb. A Serb is somebody who isn't a Croat." This citation significantly communicates the shallow attitude present in their contention.      In his movements in Germany, the creator calls attention to a significant question. Does the country make the state, or the express the country? This inquiry by a long shot doesn't stop here, particularly when Germany is the subject. The embodiment of the German individuals is seen by some as forceful what's more, hostile, in this manner the presence of the German issue. On the off chance that the country makes the state then Germany will consistently be a danger. On the off chance that the state makes the country, at that point the forceful idea of the German country, which lead the world into two worldwide wars, can be outfit and diverted. The inquiry has its underlying foundations and replies in the ongoing reunification of Germany.      The Ukraine is worried about not being Russian. It is here Ignatieff gets a total vision of what patriotism is. He states, "I comprehend what patriotism truly is: the fantasy that an entire country could resemble a gathering; singing similar songs, tuning in to the

New Student Photo Series 2010 Entry #1 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

New Student Photo Series 2010 Entry #1 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Today the blog kicks of the second annual new student summer photo series.   We welcome recently admitted students to submit photos and details about how to do so and what to include an be found in this entry. The first set of photos come from Zhang Bingyuan, an incoming MIA student from China. ___________________________ The first photo shows my home in Suzhou city in the province of Jiangsu. It’s a very traditional Chinese garden and we raise lots of fishes in the pool. They often get mad about food, which is shown in the second photo. This photo is my aunt Yuan Aihong. She is a Beijing Opera singer and that was her performing Drunken Yang Guifei, a renowned beauty of the Tang dynasty. _______________________________ The next photo comes from Karin Vazquez, an incoming MIA student that will focus in Economic and Political Development.   Her comments are below. _______________________________ Just like you, one day I will devote some time to taking photography classes. In the meantime I would be glad to share the photo attached with other SIPA students. Believe it or not, it was taken by accident during my honeymoon trip to Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) last year. I was trying to focus the road sign when the poor little boy came up to the car window begging for money. A quick note: in Boznia-Herzegovina road signs are in both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. Due to the continuing ethnic disputes, however, the cyrillic scripts in the road signs close to the countrys border with Croatia are all spray-painted out. The opposite happens in the border with Serbia, where the Latin scripts in road signs are covered with spray-paint. Reconciliation is clearly another generation or two away. Begginers luck or human tragedy? I would say both, unfortunately. ___________________________ And the final photo today comes from Anoushavan Hambardzoumyan, an incoming MPA student. ___________________________ This photo taken by me at the central Armenian village of Bazmaberd. The man in the photo is a worker at the local stone-cutting factory. The photo was taken in 2009.

Impact of the Increasing RMB Exchange Rate Changes - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2479 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Introduction With the advent of the G20 Summit, the future change of the RMB exchange rate becomes the hot topic. In respect that China is characterized for the great amount of the exporting business which accounts for the large proportions of the Gross Domestic Product, the impact caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate will destroy the competency of the Chinese products. But to the petroleum industry in China, the increasing RMB exchange rate might give some positive impact on the Chinese national petroleum companies especially under the condition that the crude petroleum import increases every year. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Impact of the Increasing RMB Exchange Rate Changes" essay for you Create order In order to find out the possible impact of the increasing RMB exchange rate on the Chinese national petroleum companies, this essay will firstly discuss the relationship between the operation of the Chinese national companies and the increasing RMB exchange rate. Following that, it will analyze the benefits and risks that might be caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate. Lastly, it will discuss the feasible measures that can be adopted to eliminate the negative impact given by the increasing RMB exchange rate. Since the major Chinese national petroleum companies are CNOOC, CPI and CNPC (Rice, 2010), these companies will be illustration used in the analysis of this essay. Relationship between the operation of the Chinese national petroleum companies and the increasing RMB exchange rate The value china of the petroleum business consists of the segments of petroleum prospecting, petroleum production, petroleum product refining, petroleum product processing, sales and distribution (Petrostrategies, 2010). In respect that China is not rich in the petroleum resource and has the difficulty in exploiting the petroleum, the emphasis of the Chinese oil companiesÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ business is focused on the middle and lower reaches of the value chain such as the petroleum product refining and processing, sales and distribution (CNOOC, 2010; SINOPEC, 2010; CNPC, 2010). What is more, the rapid economic development boosts the great demand of the energy and the petroleum products. China has to rely on the increasing crude oil import to satisfy the increasing needs. As the state owned enterprises, most of the crude oil of the CNOOC, SINOPEC and CNPC is imported from the foreign countries such as the petroleum production companies in t he Middle East. Therefore, the changes of the RMB exchange rate certainly influence the manufacturing costs of these national oil companies. If the RMB exchange rate is increased, the Chinese national companies will have the advantage in bringing on the costs expended in the upper reach of the petroleum value chain (Jin, 2010). In addition, even though the proportion of the petroleum prospecting and production is not as large as the other parts, the Chinese national petroleum companies still engage in the research and develop of these two segments of the business. Due to the intensive large capital required in the research and development as well as the introduction and cooperation with the international petroleum, the increasing RMB exchange rate does good to bringing down the cost caused by these activities. In the overall perspectives, similar to the upper reach of the value chain, the activities of the petroleum sales and distribution in the lower chain also benefits from the increase of the RMB exchange rate. In terms of the international competition, after the final processing, the crude oil will be ultimately turned into the different types of chemical products. And some of these chemical products will be exported and sold in the international market. As the part of the overall product cost can be attributed from the cost of the crude oil, the decreasing crude oil cost caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate will be brought down accordingly (Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2010). Other things being equal, the increasing RMB exchange will result in the increase in the competency of these chemical products within the international market. However, the increasing RMB exchange rate acts like a double-edged sword on this issue. In the long term perspective, the increas ing could increase the manufacturing and labor cost. In the end, the increasing cost would be equal to the cost saved, leading to the absence of the product competency caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate. At the same time, this product competency increased can also help the Chinese national petroleum companies prevent their market shares from losing to the internal petroleum companies within the domestic market. However, as for the petroleum product refining and processing activities of the Chinese oil companies, the increasing RMB exchange rate does not have much influence. This is because that the cost of the petroleum product refining and processing activities is influenced by the internal management capability in a greater extent. Moreover, the refining and processing technique is relatively mature that the Chinese national petroleum companies do not need to seek the international collaboration in this field. As it can be seen, due to the different relation between different parts of the Chinese national petroleum company value chain and the RMB exchange rate, the influence given by the increasing RMB exchange rate will be varied along of different segments of the petroleum value chain. The benefits caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate In light of the relationship analysis between the operation of Chinese national petroleum companies and the RMB exchange rate, it can be found out that the increasing RMB exchange rate brings more advantages than disadvantages to the competency of the Chinese national petroleum products. Besides, there are some other benefits brought to the development of the Chinese national petroleum. In terms of the corporate strategy realization, the increasing RMB exchange rate gives positive impact on the sustainable development of the Chinese national petroleum companies. Since the petroleum is the scarce but unsustainable resource and the research and development of the related production is at the great cost and time consuming, the increasing RMB exchange rate brings the advantages of bringing down the cost of technology introduction and international collaboration. In terms of the actual petroleum operation, the strategy petroleum reserve is so important in the current days that the Chinese government implement this strategy via the action of the Chinese national petroleum companies. The strong purchasing power of the RMB favors the decrease of the petroleum bought from the foreign countries. Even though there might the belief that the this advantages might be eliminated in the long run, the petroleumÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢s attributes of being scarce but unsustainable makes it necessary and significant to reserve the petroleum. Furthermore, the increasing RMB is good for satisfying the great demand of petroleum caused by the rapid development of China, decreasing the chance of economic disturbance caused by lack of adequate petroleum. The risks caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate In respect that the Chinese national petroleum companies also have business operation with the international industrial counterparts and customers, the increasing RMB exchange also brings the risks to the operation of the Chinese national petroleum companies. The major risk brought by the increasing RMB exchange rate lies in the accounting perspective. This accounting risk shows in two aspects. Firstly, some assets of the Chinese national petroleum companies are recorded in the foreign currency due to the convenience of international business operation. Switching the foreign currency to the national currency might cause the book loss in light of the increase of the RMB exchange rate (McKinnon, 2009). Take CNPC for example, CNPC buy the crude oil as its inventory. In year 1995, the exchange rate was 8.31 Yuan for one dollar and the price for each barrel of crude oil was 15 dollars which was equal to 124.65 Yuan on average (China National Petroleum Corporation, 2010). In year 2008, the RMB exchange rate was raised that the official exchange rate become 7.8 Yuan for one dollar and the price for each barrel of crude oil was 60 dollars which was equal to 468 Yuan on average. Ignoring the influence of the crude oil price changes, the increasing RMB exchange rate can make the company lose at least 6.12% if the crude oil was recorded in the value of US dollar. And the increasing crude oil price would enlarge the book loss. This typically demonstrates the exchange risk occurred in the accounting perspective. The size of the risk caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate will be varied in light of the currency used in the book keeping. Secondly, the Chinese national petroleum companies have affiliated agencies established in the international market and these business entities also have their own financial statements. Combining these financial statements into the financial report of the parent company will probably cause the book loss because of the exchange rate changes (Bradley Moles, 2002). Another risk caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate will be shown in the economic perspective (Ahmed Omneya, 2007). This is the economic risk, which is the uncertainty lying in the changes of the interest rates, products, labor cost and the market demand. And the changes of the exchange rate are the ultimate cause of inducing these uncertainties. The increasing RMB exchange rate will bring up the price of the Chinese chemical products that are the one of main income sources relied by Chinese national petroleum companies. The increasing price will weaken the productÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢s competency, which results in the decreasing demand towards the Chinese chemical products. What is more, the lower demand of the lower downstream product might lead to the lower demand of the upstream material that is the crude oil (Commodities, 2010). The last risk caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate will show in the perspective of the transaction exposure (Sohnke Gordon, 2007). This is because that the Chinese national petroleum companies engage in many investment and financial activities all over the world. The contracts of these activities are signed without paying attention to the exchange rate changes over the contract term. In addition, these situations also occur in the international as to the oil and gas and the international engineering service collaboration. The variation of the exchange rate happening after signing the contracts or before finishing the account settlement might let these companies suffered from lose increasing or income decreasing. What is more, the Chinese national petroleum companies also engage in the business of foreign exchange trading which is aimed at decreasing its potential loss caused by the changes of the exchange rate. The uncertainties lied in the foreign exchange trading might bring the risk exposure caused by holding the foreign currency. In the recent years, the emphasis paid to the financial system and related regulation by the Chinese national petroleum companies such as CNPC and SINOPEC proves the fact that the risk exposure of foreign exchange trading can have huge impact on the financial performance of these companies (Chen, 2010). The measures adopted to handle the risks caused by the changes of the increasing RMB exchange rate In order to avoid the negative impact given by the risks caused by the increasing RMB exchange rate, there are two types of measures should be taken. One is taken in advance while the other is taken afterwards the issues. In terms of the measures taken in advance, these measures mainly focus on adopting the measures to prevent the risks caused by the exchange rate when the company is signing the contracts. These measures are taken according to the willingness of the business entities. To be specially, the Chinese national petroleum companies should conduct analysis on the exchange rate. The Chinese national petroleum companies should adopt the flexibility of pricing about their products and service in light of the exchange rate by making good use of the information system. In making the tender, these companies should take the changes of the exchange rate into consideration. Furthermore, the company should choose the currency of denomination in a proper manner. These companies should choose the currency that has stable exchange rate or the trend of appreciation in recording the income while they should choose the currency that has the trend of depreciation in recording the expense. Besides, these compa nies should stick to the principle of carrying out the financing and spending by using the same type of currency so as to prevent themselves from the exchange rate risk. In addition, in collaborating with the international counterparts in terms of the petroleum or gas exploitation and engineering technology service, these companies should try their best to match the foreign exchange claims and debts in terms of currency type, size and time. Adjusting the types of currency used in debt obligation, bringing forward or defer the time period of repaying the debts are the major means to realize the match mentioned above. Lastly but not the least, these companies should learn to share the exchange rate risks with cooperation partners. In terms of the measures taken afterwards, these measures refer to the practices to be taken only if the utilization of contracts fails in eliminating the influence caused by the exchange rate. First of all, making good use of the foreign trade financing tools helps the Chinese national petroleum companies to avoid the exchange rate risk. Besides, using these financing tools does good to improving the turnover rate of the corporate working capital and shorten the period of exchange settlement. Moreover, the Chinese national petroleum companies should use the derivatives such as futures and swaps to limit the changes of exchange rate within the acceptable scope so as to determine the income and cost in the future. This practice is widely used in CNOOC and help the company avoid the unnecessary book loss (Credit Suisse, 2010). There are several aspects that need special attention particularly the proportion of the hedge. The utilization of derivatives requires the mangers have strong u nderstanding on these complicated financing tools. Otherwise, the risks of using these tools will be greatly excel the benefits brought by them. Hence, for realizing the purpose of reducing the risks caused by changes of the exchange rate, it is advisable for the Chinese national petroleum companies to use the simple financing tools such as ordinary option and forward. Conclusion By reviewing the possible impact of the increasing RMB exchange rate on the Chinese national petroleum companies, it can be found out that the influence given by the increasing RMB exchange rate will be varied along of different segments of the petroleum value chain. The increasing RMB exchange rate will bring the benefits that consist of short-term advantages in obtaining resources and long-term sustainable development to the Chinese national petroleum companies. However, this also brings the risks to the companies, which are shown the aspects of accounting, economics and transaction. In order to reduce the influence caused by these risks, two types of measures can be adopted. The measures to be taken in advance consist of proper analysis on exchange rate change, choosing suitable currency in exchange settlement, match between the foreign claim and obligation, sharing the exchange rate risk. The measures to be taken afterwards emphasize the importance of using suitable financing too ls to engage in risk hedging.

Critical or Transitional Temperature - 1690 Words

BASIC CONCEPT Critical temperature: The temperature at which the resistance of a material suddenly drops to zero is termed as critical or transition temperature. Superconductors: The phenomenon of disappearance of electrical resistance below a certain temperature is termed as superconductivity and the material in this state is termed as superconductor. The resistance of a metal decreases with decrease in temperature and reaches a certain minimum value but the process of cooling down a material in order to convert into a superconductor is very costly and hence a lot of research was undertaken for this purpose. They have zero resistance and perfect diamagnetism. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqUWD_mZmMFri_68IDz0XPxJunW7iX8uje1M3cmbVvdPtyCKl6wA Meissner effect: When a superconductor is cooled below critical temperature in an external magnetic field then the lines of induction at transition are pushed out of the material and this phenomenon is termed as Meissner effect. Application of strong magnetic fled results in breakdown of the superconductor and loses its superconducting properties. Based on the breakdown superconductors are of two types, they are: †¢ Type 1: Superconductivity is destroyed with the application of magnetic field greater than a certain value, Hc1. . †¢ Type 2: Superconductivity of the material reaches a mixed state with the application of magnetic field greater than a certain value, Hc1. where the magnetic field can penetrate theShow MoreRelatedTemperature Mediated Moose Survival1389 Words   |  6 Pages Lenarz et al. 2009 Summary Complete citation. 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The Evaluation And Possible Solutions Of Egypt’s Current Energy Crisis Free Essays

Egypt, one of the cradles of civilization, is distinguished by its tourist industry due to its mysterious cultural attributes and long history. Its abundant touristic resources and attractions made Egypt an admiration of travelers all over the world. Consequently, the tourist industry has become an essential role of Egypt’s economic foundation. We will write a custom essay sample on The Evaluation And Possible Solutions Of Egypt’s Current Energy Crisis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Moreover, Egypt is also regarded as the largest non-OPEC (organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) country in the continent of Africa (Payne, 2012). According to Payne (2012), Egypt’s daily yield of crude oil is approximately 700,000 barrels, and since the year of 2008, Egypt has discovered 7 crude oil and natural gas deposits. Among them, the largest detection produces around 58000 barrels of crude oil and 2. 8 million cubic feet of natural gas every day. (Graeber, 2013). Norton Rose Fulbright, an international business organization, has also indicated that Egypt possesses a total capacity of 4. 4 billion barrels of crude oil and 78 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in its deposits. Ironically, even with such unique financial advantages and bountiful domestic natural resources, Egypt is now undergoing the most severe energy crisis in its history. This tremendous energy scarcity has already resulted in a soaring of food prices, and regular blackouts of household electricity, if this deficiency continues it could further threaten the livelihood of Egyptian citizens or even lead to serious social security issues. Kirkpatick (2013) pointed out in his report that because diesel machineries are the most common apparatus Egyptian use to irrigating and harvesting their crops, the insufficiency of fossil fuel has disabled numerous famers from yielding crops in the harvest season. It is not only the farmers who are despairing, the employees who need to commute a long distance for work also feel miserable due to the fact that the scarcity of gasoline has doubled the fuel price and caused a long queue in every gas station. Furthermore, the electricity blackouts have made the electricity in vital public facilities such as schools and hospitals unstable, thus tremendously impaired the quality of medical and educational affairs. More seriously, an evaluation of International Crisis Group has revealed that the fragile political stability accompanied with the growing public panic (concern) toward the inflating of fuel price could ultimately result in the withering of Egypt’s hard-earned democracy (Kirkpatrick, 2013). Before the government can take any action to appropriately resolve this severe energy scarcity, it is extremely crucial for them to be acquainted with the principal causes of this problem. Although several speculations have been made toward the root of this devastating energy crisis through different perspectives, it is generally believed by experts that Egypt’s energy insufficiency is the ultimate result of its incompetent refining technologies, inappropriate subsidizing policies, leaky energy allocating systems, and teetering social security. First of all, the initial element that put Egypt in this vulnerable circumstance is its inadequate refining technology. According to Kirkpatrick (2013) and Payne (2012), Egypt has very restricted capability in refining crude oil into petroleum products such as diesel fuel. Therefore, despite the fact that Egypt holds a considerable amount of domestic energy, they have to rely heavily on the import of petroleum products, and export their crude oil at a much cheaper price. The other primary preexisting factor that contributes to the energy crisis is Egypt’s burdensome subsidizing policy of energy. According to Ragui, an official of Egypt’s Economic Research Forum, nearly 30% of Egypt’s governmental expense can be attributed to the energy subsidy. Moreover, Ragui also pointed out that subsidized fuel cost less than one fifth of its original price (Kirkpatrick, 2013). Although this program is very beneficial to civilians especially in the condition when 40% of Egyptians are below the poverty line, the economists in Egypt have already doubted the practicability of this policy even before the crisis, according to Kirkpatrick’s report (2012), many experts considered this policy untenable. Even though, Egyptian government expended a great effort on subsidizing energies, the leaky distributing system has played a major role that not only negated the benefit of subsidizing policy, but also indirectly resulted in the present energy scarcity. As pinpointed by Hakim’s report (2013), only 20% of subsidized fuels were allocated to those who deserve it, and the other 80% of them did not go to where they were supposed to. Since the Egypt government has difficulty on tracking their fuels, many tanker trucks sell subsidized fossil fuels to black markets for better profit. In addition, because this leaky distributing system made illegal access of fuel more effortless, once the rumor of impending fuel shortage spread out, the inappropriate hoarding of fuel from panicked citizens has increased tremendously, and that, according to Kirkpatrick’s report, is the other significant factor that worsened this energy crisis. The trigger that linked every preexisting factor together and ultimately resulted in Egypt’s energy crisis is the instability of Egypt’s social security. Before the â€Å"2011 Egyptian revolution†, with its thriving touristic industry and expanding foreign investments, Egypt was prosperous. As the growing of the energy demand for their rapidly developing economy and fast expanding population, they put more budgets on importing fuels and subsidizing energy. However, according to Kirkpatrick (2013), after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, who has been the president of Egypt for more than 30 years, violent protests and mayhem from his advocates have collapsed Egypt’s tourism and unnerved its foreign investors. Without those two essential sources, the economy of Egypt soon contracted and withered to almost one third of its annual income in 2010. Nevertheless, with such a severe economic contraction, Egypt’s energy expenses remained the same. Consequently, the new government was incapable of affording the heavy subsidization, and energy import, therefore, triggered the national wide energy crisis. According to the different perspective, there are various opinions concerning the possible solutions of this energy crisis, however, only few of them are considered as realistic and practical regarding the urgent circumstance of Egypt. Among them, the most practicable solution of Egypt’s energy crisis is to reform the government policy, to improve the distribution system, to accept the loan from the I. M. F. (International Monetary Fund), and to advance the next democratic election date. Although it has been mentioned by several organizations that improving Egypt’s refining technology may be a long-term solution that could terminate Egypt’s demand of importing petroleum products, it is not a preferable solution base on the current circumstances. According to Payne (2012), if Egypt can refine its domestic crude oil, it would produce adequate petroleum products to sustain Egypt’s own energy consumption in a much lower cost. However, the advancing of refinery requires years of development and the investment of foreign technology: the two elements that Egypt is lack of. The turbulent social security of Egypt has unnerved most of its foreign investors (Graeber, 2013), and the deterioration of economy and political stability has urged government to  take immediate action. The other controversial solution is the development of renewable energy. It is highly recommended and encouraged by many energy experts that Egypt should allocate funds to invest in renewable energy technology instead of subsidizing the fossil fuel. Due to its geographical distinction, Egypt possesses massive potential for sustainable energy such as solar energy, wind energy, or geothermal energy. (Norton Rose Fulbright, 2013). The advocates of renewable energy claimed that due to the flawed allocation system, the subsidization policy is an extremely inefficient way to spend funds. They further affirmed that through a specific solar energy project, which can generate about 3-giga watts within 18 months, Egypt’s energy insufficiency will be resolved easily. (Hakim, 2013) However, many economists considered this method unrealistic due to its time consumption and expensive initial expense. They pointed out that it would take at least 3 to 5 years of transition time to invest on the new energy including building new supply chains, setting up generators, and establishing new infrastructures. (Watson, 2012). Moreover, due to Egypt’s abundant crude oil deposits, it is not advisable to invest more currency on developing the other alternative energies, especially in this vital period when the government is already in deep deficit. It is crucial for Egyptian administration to reform their heavy energy subsidization policy in order to alleviate the unbearable burden on their economy. As indicated by Kirkpatrick (2013), by implementing a reduction on energy subsidy, it will not only give the government sufficient funding to import energy, but it will also restore Egypt’s credibility for more international loans and finish this energy crisis even faster. However, reform in policy can be very problematic, especially when subsidy is involved. The teetering political stability of Egypt could be too vulnerable to afford any big change in society. According to the reports of Kirkpatrick (2012,2013), the administration of this reform could be extremely challenging due to the fact that 40% of Egyptians are under the poverty line and most of them possess resentments against the government already because of the existing energy scarcity and the soaring price of food. Kirkpatrick further indicated the difficulty of this reform by stating: â€Å"any potential increase in fuel prices or the price of other basic necessities could spur renewed unrest. † Moreover, even if the government can successfully implement the reform on  its subsidization policy, it is possible for the positive effects to be nullified if the leaky energy distribution system, which is currently preventing Egyptian citizens from purchasing fuel at its original price, stays the same. In order to monitor the allocation of subsidized energy more effectively and make it more accessible to the people who deserve it, the Egyptian government has developed a smart card system that can effectively track the gas trucks and ensure that they reach their destination with whole shipments (Kirkpatrick, 2013). Although this new technology is not nation wide it has received a great success in the villages that adopted it. Moreover, according to Kirkpatrick’s report (2013), Egyptian civilians possess a great hope in this new system. The other factor that could contribute to the solution of Egypt’s energy insufficiency is a $4. 8 billion loan offered by the I. M. F. (International Monetary Fund). This international loan could enable Egypt to import sufficient fuel to temporarily settle the energy crisis in this urgent period. However, although it can effectively secure Egypt from the damage of this energy crisis for awhile, it is not a long-term solution. Moreover, this loan is offered with a condition of the commitment to increase taxes and cut subsidies. Therefore, accepting this loan could stimulate more civil unrest and worsen an already shaky social security. Under the fear of public reaction, despite the advice of the UN, the Egyptian administration refused this offer repeatedly (Kirkpatrick, 2013). Finally, in order to ultimately resolve this problem, find a way to stabilize the political unrest is inevitable. According to the report of Watson (2012), the whole energy crisis occurred initially after the ouster of the former present Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and climaxed after the first democratic president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Evidently, the Egypt’s energy crisis is closely related to its political stability. Watson also reported that the core factor of Egypt’s social unrest can be attributed to citizens’ resentment against the military regime. Therefore, in order to change this phenomenon appropriately, it is highly recommended to advance the election date from 2014 to as soon as possible. That way Egypt will not only revitalize its tourism but also gain back most of the foreign investment, thus solve the energy crisis once for all. In conclusion, Egypt’s energy scarcity is mainly leaded by its flawed subsidizing policies, deficient energy distribution system, and shaky social security. Therefore,  in order to resolve this energy crisis appropriately, it is crucial for Egyptian administration to focus and reform these problems one by one. According to the research, the most practicable way to result these problems is to first promote the smart card system, which will help government to allocate subsidized energy more effectively to people who need them. After increase the accessibility of subsidized energy, the government can subsequently implement a reduction on energy subsidy. Due to the teetering social security, it is highly advisable to execute this reduction subtly and appropriately. This reform of Egypt’s subsidy policy will not only largely alleviate the burden of its economy, but will also make Egypt eligible to take the international loan offered by the I. M. F. ; therefore, provide Egypt more funds to import fossil fuel for the sake of its energy crisis. Subsequent to the reform of governmental policy, it is advisable for Egypt to advance the date of democratic election due to the purpose of stabilizing its social security. Once the social security is stabilized, Egypt will be able to revitalize its touristic industry and regain its foreign investment, which will resolve the energy crisis once for all. How to cite The Evaluation And Possible Solutions Of Egypt’s Current Energy Crisis, Papers

Buddhism In America Essay Example For Students

Buddhism In America Essay The stresses and intensity of modern American society have influenced manypeople to adopt and adapt the principles of Buddhism and other Easternreligions. Some recent statistics from the US department of Health and HumanServices show that 75% of the General Population experiences at least somestress every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey). Half of thoseexperience moderate or high levels of stress during the same two-week period. Itis common knowledge that stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure,strokes, and other illnesses in many individuals. Stress also contributes to thedevelopment of alcoholism, obesity, suicide, drug addiction, cigaretteaddiction, and other harmful behaviors. It was reported that tranquilizers,antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications account for one fourth of allprescriptions written in the US each year. With so many mental health problems,it is almost reassuring that Eastern religions are steadily growing. Buddhism OnThe Move Easte rn religions have been practiced in Asia and the Subcontinent forthousands of years longer than Christianity. Buddhism, a main religion of Asiahas been practiced in Tibet for Millennia. Buddhism, Zen and Hindu were firstintroduced to the western world in 1893 at the World Religions Conference inChicago. The Dalai Lama represented Buddhism and D.T. Suzuki represented Zen. However, Eastern religions went relatively ignored until 1959, when the Chineseinvasion of Tibet left 1.3 million Tibetans dead and 6,000 Buddhist monasteriesdestroyed. Tibetan refugees escaped to bordering countries and some fled fartherto the US and Europe. Those who fled remembered how the Buddha taught hisenlightened disciples to continue to spread his teachings. With the ChineseInvasion of Tibet, it was as if a dam had burst; suddenly Tibetan wisdom beganto flow freely down from the roof of the world and to the Westand there tofulfill the prophecy come Westerners looking for guidance and eager to developtheir own spiritual lives and transplant the flowering tree of enlightenment totheir own lives.(Das, 29) The first westerners to begin to adopt Easternprinciples were often people on the fringes of society or in the avant-garde ofthe arts, literature, and philosophy. The beatniks in the 50s, the Hippies inthe 60s and 70s. Evidence of eastern thought in the writings of JackKerouac , Hippies ? George Harrison and the Beatles studying with the MaharishiMahesh Yoga. Richard Albert turned his name to Baba Ram Das. In our societytoday, it seems like everyone knows someone into Eastern religion. Frombusinessmen to politicians to celebrities individuals are joining meditatinggroups while still maintaining ties to their traditional faiths to wet theirfeet in more satisfying and less materialistic lives. At retreats yourelikely to find yourself sitting next to a stockbroker or a therapist or aretired social worker who may or may not claim to be Buddhist.(Wood, 3)Unlike the rush of mostly younger Americans to Buddhism that occurred in the1950s and 1960s, the new ranks include a larger percentage of seekers over50(Wood, 2). Now in the West we see many variations of Buddhism, Hinduism,Taoism, and Zen, such as Mahayana, Pali, and Vajpareena. Our new,multi-religious land that combines Eastern and Western religion can be describedas the scientific West arriving at something like the fusion of the Confuciancultivation of virtue through the bonds of family and community, Taoistlaissez-faire and yearning for nature, and Buddhist compassion for mans needfor Nirvana.(Layman, 80) We have adapted religions in many ways to fit ourlives. Buddhism in America is characterized by great diversity, with bothconservative and liberal trends within the same sect and denomination of course,differences in furnishings and hairstyles are superficial, and are eithertangential or irrelevant to the Buddhist system of beliefs and basic way oflife. But fundamental and widespread changes in American Buddhism are occurring. Its priests and adherents are recognizing that Buddhism must be shown to haverelevant approaches to the problems which plague American Society. Accordingly,sermons and lectures delivered by the clergy are making less use ofillustrations recounted by ancient Buddhist saints and are becoming moreapplicable to everyday living in modern American society.(Layman, 32) As aresult, The ancient religion of Buddhism grows even stronger roots in a newworld, with the help of the movies, pop culture, and the politics of repressedTibet. (Van Biema, 1) Because of the inroads that eastern religions have madein our country there is an increase in personal reform via retreats,sanghas ? a circle of friends who regularly meditate together, andself-help groups. We are also undergoing social reform, creating a moreaccepting society, and building upon an ancient religion. The number ofEnglish language Buddhist teaching centers coast to coast has grown from 429 toalmost 2,000(Wood, 1). What makes Eastern Th ought so different from WesternThought. What we currently have in the West, which is a sort ofanti-religious, psychological way of thinkingthese psychologies often workagainst our spiritual side. Buddhism, on the other hand, can help by providingpsychological bridges that will reinforce the spiritual side.(Toms, 143)Unlike Western religions, Eastern religions do not teach commandments, rather,natural ways of ordinary human practice. Nor do they teach right and wrong ?correct and incorrect or wise and ignorant. The Buddha is different from a Godor Jesus in that Buddha became perfectly aware of the nature of reality andnature of the self, and he was then able to remove limitations on manifestationand could actually manifest whatever was most helpful to those around him. Hewas known as Shasta, or teacher, and his objective was to remove the cause ofall suffering to find true happiness. The Buddha can be perceived as omnipotent,he was enlightened and awakened, but he was not the creator . Hinduism, Brahma,Buddhism, Zen, and other Eastern religions are consistent in the belief thatthere are many gods and one creator, only, they are not sure of the truecreator. There are no set areas where one must practice, however, quiet, naturalplaces are encouraged and it can be practiced any time one feels necessary. Itcan be a daily, weekly, yearly or once in a lifetime act, there are no rules asto when a student must pray. The basic tenets and ideas of Eastern religions aregenerally very different from those of Western religions. Mindfulness ? theZen practice of embracing the present, is being profoundly aware of each momentso that people can better appreciate their own lives, and being morecompassionate about the suffering of others. Buddhism tries to make sense out oflife without fear and guilt that some other religions induce. You find the waythat you want to live, open up that way, and then pursue that way. The best wayto live the life you want is to actualize what you rea lize. In otherwords, make real your dreams. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches in Zen that, The othermay be a beautiful sunrise. The other may be your friend, your husband, yourwife. The other is love. Mindfulness helps you recognize what is there thatmakes life real, that makes life possible.(Toms, 19). Buddhism doesntbelieve in God, but believes in the nature of god. They are theistic, only notsure of true creator. The Tibetan vision of reality is in a way, the mostsuper-positive vision of human evolution that one could imagine. The Buddharegarded himself as an empiricist, only relying on that which is known andtestable in experience. What is new to Western thinking is the Buddhist ideathat ethics and spiritual development are also governed by universal laws. Inthe West we have a clear sense of personal and group responsibility for thegovernment and welfare of everyone, set forth by Locke, Rousseau, and others inthe late 18th century and developed for the next 200 years in the democraticsoci eties in Eastern Europe and the Americas. As Western Buddhists, we arebuilding on one tradition of social responsibility that has been cultivated inmonastic settings with such a synthesis of traditions, Buddhism in the Westis sure to apply the precepts in a new way.(Aitken ? written by Tworkov,53) The forms of introspection that have, to date, been available to WesternPhilosophers as the raw materials of their craft, have been very limited intheir scope and have consequently produced limited world views. What has madepeople turn to it. Eastern religions have become as accessible as Westernreligions, because they have spread to every corner of earth. If all else fails,the Internet is a wealth of information. One of the key elements in all ofspiritual life is making ourselves available to others. What young men need isinitiation, someone to whom they can show their stuff and prove it ? otherwisethey do it on the street.(Toms, 849) The main ideas and themes appeal tomany, Buddhist beli ef in using the mind to change our lives provides practicalmethods and exercises that we can use every day to change our perception ofreality. Rather than turning us away from what is best in Western Culture,Buddhism can help us return to it, for the west today is in the grip of a majorcultural crisis of confidence.(Kulananda, 210) Buddhism has become so popularin the West, because it teaches one how to be happier and more aware by use of;seeing things as they are, living a sacred life, speaking the truth, loving,attention and focus on what is important to you, and meditation. These conceptswork with us, because they are easily adaptable and understandable to theWestern way of life. Zen can be adapted to be useful I modern times. Likewater it takes the form of the vessel that contains it without any change in itsnature: water remains water whether it is held in a rice bowl or a coffee mug. Experience The Art Paper EssayMany who seek enlightenment in this day and age may not be able to fulfill theirdestiny within a purely monastic lifestyle.(Simpkins, p.61) Another aspect ofEastern religions that attract Westerners is the ability to be independent inthe search of enlightenment. Jakusho Kwong, Soto Priest and abbot of the SotoZen Buddhist Temple in Genjoji, expresses, Theres a lot to read, andtheres a lot to learn. But for me, the most important thing is whatsyours. What can you call your own? And to know that. Not what Suzuki Roshi said,or Maezumi Roshi said, or Katagari Roshi said. What you say. What it means toyou. Thats the only way. (Tworkov, 103) In Zen terms, we are bornalone, we die alone, and we have realization alone.(Toms, 131) Maintaining aclear awareness of our feelings and sensations, we can open out the gap betweenfeeling and craving. This experience strengthens our intuition of how thingsreally are and a series of ever more intensely positive mental sta tes thereforefollow. Hindu promotes the ability to listen when people need to be heard. Whenasked Whats your road man? Jack Kerouac answered, Holyboy road,madman road, rainbow road, guppy road, its an anywhere road for anybodyanyhow. By saying this, Kerouac means that his path in life is to follow hisTaoist religion, be free from others, seek happiness and peace, innocence ofyouth, and that the path he is on can be universally reached. This just showshow conclusive people can be with their words when they learn what the reallyimportant things are. Eastern religions seek to fulfill self and understand thenature of self. They teach the seeker to let body and mind fall away andlook at the greater picture (Toms, 73). In going for refuge to the Buddha onecommits oneself to becoming more than one is now.(Kulananda, 72) Inseeking happiness by clinging to a restricting, ego-identity, again and again wecause ourselves and others to suffer.(Kulananda, 87) More and more publicfigures such as; Richard Gere, Michael Yauch, Steven Segal, Courtney Love,Oliver Stone, and more, practice the eastern religions and praise theireffectiveness. Yauch is slight and soft-spoken, he says Buddhism, ?feltreal, not hokey. Two generations ago, given his milieu he would have been acuriosity, today he is something of a role model.(Van Biema, 8-9) Easternreligions can be a cheap alternative to psychotherapy because they are verysimilar. Given the sophistication of the Buddhist analysis of the mind andits preoccupation with the eradication of suffering, it is only natural thatstrong similarities have come to be seen between Buddhism and the contemporaryWestern Psychotherapy.(Kulananda, 222) As Buddhism and psychotherapy becomecloser acquainted with one another, there is an emerging trend towards a kind ofpsychotherapeutic Buddhism, where the drive towards enlightenment is replacedwith the overriding impulse to simply come to terms with oneself and feel betterabout oneself and the world. Why ha s it become important to our society. Anything infused into our world today about nonviolence can onlyhelp.(Scorsesce) Most people in our society struggle to find the right views. Right views bring us in touch with some of the most important concepts inBuddhist philosophy. How do you perceive life, death, impermanence, suffering,dissatisfaction, and cause and effect? Do we really believe, and know, that wereap what we sow, or do we regard that as just another clich In the west, weare typically conditioned to push these serious matters aside, and deal withthem later. Buddhism says deal with them now, and youll transform yourlife.(Das, 95) Maintaining a clear sense of our feelings and sensations, wecan open out the gap between feeling and craving. This experience strengthensour intuition of how things are and a series of ever more intensely positivemental states therefore follow. Two Buddhist ideas, that there is a naturalhierarchy of values and that reality is perceived in the imagination, containwithin them the seeds of Western Cultural renaissance. What Buddhism most has tooffer Western Philosophy is the notion that ways of conceptualizing areintertwined with ways of being and although one can go about philosophy as if itwere a purely intellectual exercise, there is little value in that ? thoughtalone cannot apprehend reality. Dharma is timeless not culture bound.(Das,378) Dharma, the cosmic law underlying all existence; combines with the Buddhaand the Sangha (the community of believers), to form the Three Treasures of thefaith. It is one of Buddhisms great strengths that it has at its heart theideal of spiritual fellowship. Today, Buddhism is at a critical juncture asit encounters the West. It is no surprise that there have been formidableculture, linguistic, political, and material barriers to overcome in thetransmission of Buddha Dharma from the East to the West and from the past on tothe present and the future. This is a transition through time as well as throughspace, spanning continents and oceans, from a traditional Oriental world to ascientific postmodern Western Culture.(Das, 378) Modern Western culture ismarked by an unprecede nted degree of technological sophistication and materialabundance. It is highly complex and deeply fragmented.(Kulananda, 25) Allover, people seem torn between a sincere desire to conquer ego and the drive tobe doing so. A great benefit to our society has been the increase in people whomaintain less interest in self and more for the benefit of others, as well asthe increase of knowledge of the effects. The majority of Eastern Religionspromote the ability to listen when people need to be heard. Everything thatlives is subject to decay. All conditioned things are impermanent. To be aliveis to change. Without change we would be absolutely inert, but theun-enlightened human condition is to fight change every inch of the way. Afollowing of well known peoples (celebrities, business men, politicians, etc.)has made Eastern Religion appealing to those who were originally skeptical. Apoem that appeared in New Yorker Magazine shows how Buddhism has practicallybecome a household term ? The huge head of Richard Gere, a tsongablossom / in his hair, comes floating like a Macys / Parade balloon abovesnowcapped summit / of sacred Kailas. Some very outstanding people of theEastern religions have reached out to those in need, like Roshi Bernard Glassman,founder of the Bakery Zendo in Brooklyn, who uses what he learns andteaches to benefit his community. He employs the local homeless and unemployedin his bakery, garment company, and building-renovation services, and housesthem in his large suburban New York mansion where they are allowed to study Zenwith the great master. There has been much progression of Buddhism in the USbecause, Americans have always been a do ? it ? yourself culture, andthis is a do ? it ? yourself philosophy.(Van Biema, 8). But it isdefinite that there will be much more progression. As Richard Gere said,There has not been enough time to ferment and intoxicate the culture inAmerica, but our approach, because were so new at it, has a certain eagernessand exci tement that you sometimes dont see in Tibetans. Westerners askquestions, they take notes. Individuals join meditating groups while stillmaintaining ties to their traditional faiths to wet their feet in moresatisfying and less materialistic lives. The progression of Western views toadapt Eastern ideas can be explained as, Combining monastic views withsecular lifestyle has nonetheless served two functions. It has introduced themonastic dimension of the Japanese Zen tradition to the United States, where itmay someday figure prominently. It has also been a skillful means forestablishing the authority of Zen teachings both within and without thecommunities. (Glassman ? Tworkov, 153) Show major impacts on West Lessmaterialistic lifestyle People search to be better Giving Concerned aboutothers People more in touch with reality People become more aware and acceptingShow impact on my life?