Battle of the Marne

ww2 The Battle of the Marne By Owen Fish In September 1914, the First Battle of the Marne took place. It is called the Battle of the Marne because it took place at the River Marne outside of Paris France. The German forces were attacking the French capital after invading places like Belgium and North Eastern France. The Germans were expected to win this battle and because of that, the French government fled Paris to Bordeaux.The Weapons used during this battle and many battles of this time was bolt action rifles, with the Germans using the Mauser Gewehr 98. When the Battle began the French Commander in Chief, Joseph Joffre, launched a counter attack by attacking one side of the German line. When he attacked the one side, part of the line helped out the people on the side, creating a gap between the two German armies. When this gap formed, the French troops forced it wider and wider by attacking the other side of the gap.On September 8 1914, French troops launched a surprise attack on the second German army, further widening the gap between the two armies. On September the 9th, the German chief of staff, Helmuth Von Moltke, ordered a retreat by the two German armies because of poor communication between them. When they retreated the Allied forces followed them, but not too quickly. After approximately 40 miles of retreating from the Marne river, the Germans camped out and dug trenches, that eventually led to trench warfare.The French armies lost about 250,000 soldiers at the Battle of the Marne and the German armies are believed to have lost about the same numbers, but no official numbers are available. The British BEF, which helped the French armies throughout the battle lost about 12,733 men. The Allied Victory at the Battle of the Marne not only was an Allied Victory, but it ended any German hopes of ending the First World War quickly. French Soldiers at the Battle

Angels Demons Chapter 9-12

9 The corpse on the floor before Langdon was hideous. The late Leonardo Vetra lay on his back, stripped naked, his skin bluish-gray. His neck bones were jutting out where they had been broken, and his head was twisted completely backward, pointing the wrong way. His face was out of view, pressed against the floor. The man lay in a frozen puddle of his own urine, the hair around his shriveled genitals spidered with frost. Fighting a wave of nausea, Langdon let his eyes fall to the victim's chest. Although Langdon had stared at the symmetrical wound a dozen times on the fax, the burn was infinitely more commanding in real life. The raised, broiled flesh was perfectly delineated†¦ the symbol flawlessly formed. Langdon wondered if the intense chill now raking through his body was the air-conditioning or his utter amazement with the significance of what he was now staring at. Angels & Demons His heart pounded as he circled the body, reading the word upside down, reaffirming the genius of the symmetry. The symbol seemed even less conceivable now that he was staring at it. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† Langdon did not hear. He was in another world†¦ his world, his element, a world where history, myth, and fact collided, flooding his senses. The gears turned. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† Kohler's eyes probed expectantly. Langdon did not look up. His disposition now intensified, his focus total. â€Å"How much do you already know?† â€Å"Only what I had time to read on your website. The word Illuminati means ‘the enlightened ones.' It is the name of some sort of ancient brotherhood.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Had you heard the name before?† â€Å"Not until I saw it branded on Mr. Vetra.† â€Å"So you ran a web search for it?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And the word returned hundreds of references, no doubt.† â€Å"Thousands,† Kohler said. â€Å"Yours, however, contained references to Harvard, Oxford, a reputable publisher, as well as a list of related publications. As a scientist I have come to learn that information is only as valuable as its source. Your credentials seemed authentic.† Langdon's eyes were still riveted on the body. Kohler said nothing more. He simply stared, apparently waiting for Langdon to shed some light on the scene before them. Langdon looked up, glancing around the frozen flat. â€Å"Perhaps we should discuss this in a warmer place?† â€Å"This room is fine.† Kohler seemed oblivious to the cold. â€Å"We'll talk here.† Langdon frowned. The Illuminati history was by no means a simple one. I'll freeze to death trying to explain it. He gazed again at the brand, feeling a renewed sense of awe. Although accounts of the Illuminati emblem were legendary in modern symbology, no academic had ever actually seen it. Ancient documents described the symbol as an ambigram – ambi meaning â€Å"both† – signifying it was legible both ways. And although ambigrams were common in symbology – swastikas, yin yang, Jewish stars, simple crosses – the idea that a word could be crafted into an ambigram seemed utterly impossible. Modern symbologists had tried for years to forge the word â€Å"Illuminati† into a perfectly symmetrical style, but they had failed miserably. Most academics had now decided the symbol's existence was a myth. â€Å"So who are the Illuminati?† Kohler demanded. Yes, Langdon thought, who indeed? He began his tale. â€Å"Since the beginning of history,† Langdon explained, â€Å"a deep rift has existed between science and religion. Outspoken scientists like Copernicus – â€Å" â€Å"Were murdered,† Kohler interjected. â€Å"Murdered by the church for revealing scientific truths. Religion has always persecuted science.† â€Å"Yes. But in the 1500s, a group of men in Rome fought back against the church. Some of Italy's most enlightened men – physicists, mathematicians, astronomers – began meeting secretly to share their concerns about the church's inaccurate teachings. They feared that the church's monopoly on ‘truth' threatened academic enlightenment around the world. They founded the world's first scientific think tank, calling themselves ‘the enlightened ones.' â€Å" â€Å"The Illuminati.† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon said. â€Å"Europe's most learned minds†¦ dedicated to the quest for scientific truth.† Kohler fell silent. â€Å"Of course, the Illuminati were hunted ruthlessly by the Catholic Church. Only through rites of extreme secrecy did the scientists remain safe. Word spread through the academic underground, and the Illuminati brotherhood grew to include academics from all over Europe. The scientists met regularly in Rome at an ultrasecret lair they called the Church of Illumination.† Kohler coughed and shifted in his chair. â€Å"Many of the Illuminati,† Langdon continued, â€Å"wanted to combat the church's tyranny with acts of violence, but their most revered member persuaded them against it. He was a pacifist, as well as one of history's most famous scientists.† Langdon was certain Kohler would recognize the name. Even nonscientists were familiar with the ill-fated astronomer who had been arrested and almost executed by the church for proclaiming that the sun, and not the earth, was the center of the solar system. Although his data were incontrovertible, the astronomer was severely punished for implying that God had placed mankind somewhere other than at the center of His universe. â€Å"His name was Galileo Galilei,† Langdon said. Kohler looked up. â€Å"Galileo?† â€Å"Yes. Galileo was an Illuminatus. And he was also a devout Catholic. He tried to soften the church's position on science by proclaiming that science did not undermine the existence of God, but rather reinforced it. He wrote once that when he looked through his telescope at the spinning planets, he could hear God's voice in the music of the spheres. He held that science and religion were not enemies, but rather allies – two different languages telling the same story, a story of symmetry and balance†¦ heaven and hell, night and day, hot and cold, God and Satan. Both science and religion rejoiced in God's symmetry†¦ the endless contest of light and dark.† Langdon paused, stamping his feet to stay warm. Kohler simply sat in his wheelchair and stared. â€Å"Unfortunately,† Langdon added, â€Å"the unification of science and religion was not what the church wanted.† â€Å"Of course not,† Kohler interrupted. â€Å"The union would have nullified the church's claim as the sole vessel through which man could understand God. So the church tried Galileo as a heretic, found him guilty, and put him under permanent house arrest. I am quite aware of scientific history, Mr. Langdon. But this was all centuries ago. What does it have to do with Leonardo Vetra?† The million dollar question. Langdon cut to the chase. â€Å"Galileo's arrest threw the Illuminati into upheaval. Mistakes were made, and the church discovered the identities of four members, whom they captured and interrogated. But the four scientists revealed nothing†¦ even under torture.† â€Å"Torture?† Langdon nodded. â€Å"They were branded alive. On the chest. With the symbol of a cross.† Kohler's eyes widened, and he shot an uneasy glance at Vetra's body. â€Å"Then the scientists were brutally murdered, their dead bodies dropped in the streets of Rome as a warning to others thinking of joining the Illuminati. With the church closing in, the remaining Illuminati fled Italy.† Langdon paused to make his point. He looked directly into Kohler's dead eyes. â€Å"The Illuminati went deep underground, where they began mixing with other refugee groups fleeing the Catholic purges – mystics, alchemists, occultists, Muslims, Jews. Over the years, the Illuminati began absorbing new members. A new Illuminati emerged. A darker Illuminati. A deeply anti-Christian Illuminati. They grew very powerful, employing mysterious rites, deadly secrecy, vowing someday to rise again and take revenge on the Catholic Church. Their power grew to the point where the church considered them the single most dangerous anti-Christian force on earth. The Vatican denounced the brotherhood as Shaitan.† â€Å"Shaitan?† â€Å"It's Islamic. It means ‘adversary'†¦ God's adversary. The church chose Islam for the name because it was a language they considered dirty.† Langdon hesitated. â€Å"Shaitan is the root of an English word†¦Satan.† An uneasiness crossed Kohler's face. Langdon's voice was grim. â€Å"Mr. Kohler, I do not know how this marking appeared on this man's chest†¦ or why†¦ but you are looking at the long-lost symbol of the world's oldest and most powerful satanic cult.† 10 The alley was narrow and deserted. The Hassassin strode quickly now, his black eyes filling with anticipation. As he approached his destination, Janus's parting words echoed in his mind. Phase two begins shortly. Get some rest. The Hassassin smirked. He had been awake all night, but sleep was the last thing on his mind. Sleep was for the weak. He was a warrior like his ancestors before him, and his people never slept once a battle had begun. This battle had most definitely begun, and he had been given the honor of spilling first blood. Now he had two hours to celebrate his glory before going back to work. Sleep? There are far better ways to relax†¦ An appetite for hedonistic pleasure was something bred into him by his ancestors. His ascendants had indulged in hashish, but he preferred a different kind of gratification. He took pride in his body – a well-tuned, lethal machine, which, despite his heritage, he refused to pollute with narcotics. He had developed a more nourishing addiction than drugs†¦ a far more healthy and satisfying reward. Feeling a familiar anticipation swelling within him, the Hassassin moved faster down the alley. He arrived at the nondescript door and rang the bell. A view slit in the door opened, and two soft brown eyes studied him appraisingly. Then the door swung open. â€Å"Welcome,† the well-dressed woman said. She ushered him into an impeccably furnished sitting room where the lights were low. The air was laced with expensive perfume and musk. â€Å"Whenever you are ready.† She handed him a book of photographs. â€Å"Ring me when you have made your choice.† Then she disappeared. The Hassassin smiled. As he sat on the plush divan and positioned the photo album on his lap, he felt a carnal hunger stir. Although his people did not celebrate Christmas, he imagined that this is what it must feel like to be a Christian child, sitting before a stack of Christmas presents, about to discover the miracles inside. He opened the album and examined the photos. A lifetime of sexual fantasies stared back at him. Marisa. An Italian goddess. Fiery. A young Sophia Loren. Sachiko. A Japanese geisha. Lithe. No doubt skilled. Kanara. A stunning black vision. Muscular. Exotic. He examined the entire album twice and made his choice. He pressed a button on the table beside him. A minute later the woman who had greeted him reappeared. He indicated his selection. She smiled. â€Å"Follow me.† After handling the financial arrangements, the woman made a hushed phone call. She waited a few minutes and then led him up a winding marble staircase to a luxurious hallway. â€Å"It's the gold door on the end,† she said. â€Å"You have expensive taste.† I should, he thought. I am a connoisseur. The Hassassin padded the length of the hallway like a panther anticipating a long overdue meal. When he reached the doorway he smiled to himself. It was already ajar†¦ welcoming him in. He pushed, and the door swung noiselessly open. When he saw his selection, he knew he had chosen well. She was exactly as he had requested†¦ nude, lying on her back, her arms tied to the bedposts with thick velvet cords. He crossed the room and ran a dark finger across her ivory abdomen. I killed last night, he thought. You are my reward. 11 â€Å"Satanic?† Kohler wiped his mouth and shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"This is the symbol of a satanic cult?† Langdon paced the frozen room to keep warm. â€Å"The Illuminati were satanic. But not in the modern sense.† Langdon quickly explained how most people pictured satanic cults as devil-worshiping fiends, and yet Satanists historically were educated men who stood as adversaries to the church. Shaitan. The rumors of satanic black-magic animal sacrifices and the pentagram ritual were nothing but lies spread by the church as a smear campaign against their adversaries. Over time, opponents of the church, wanting to emulate the Illuminati, began believing the lies and acting them out. Thus, modern Satanism was born. Kohler grunted abruptly. â€Å"This is all ancient history. I want to know how this symbol got here.† Langdon took a deep breath. â€Å"The symbol itself was created by an anonymous sixteenth-century Illuminati artist as a tribute to Galileo's love of symmetry – a kind of sacred Illuminati logo. The brotherhood kept the design secret, allegedly planning to reveal it only when they had amassed enough power to resurface and carry out their final goal.† Kohler looked unsettled. â€Å"So this symbol means the Illuminati brotherhood is resurfacing?† Langdon frowned. â€Å"That would be impossible. There is one chapter of Illuminati history that I have not yet explained.† Kohler's voice intensified. â€Å"Enlighten me.† Langdon rubbed his palms together, mentally sorting through the hundreds of documents he'd read or written on the Illuminati. â€Å"The Illuminati were survivors,† he explained. â€Å"When they fled Rome, they traveled across Europe looking for a safe place to regroup. They were taken in by another secret society†¦ a brotherhood of wealthy Bavarian stone craftsmen called the Freemasons.† Kohler looked startled. â€Å"The Masons?† Langdon nodded, not at all surprised that Kohler had heard of the group. The brotherhood of the Masons currently had over five million members worldwide, half of them residing in the United States, and over one million of them in Europe. â€Å"Certainly the Masons are not satanic,† Kohler declared, sounding suddenly skeptical. â€Å"Absolutely not. The Masons fell victim of their own benevolence. After harboring the fleeing scientists in the 1700s, the Masons unknowingly became a front for the Illuminati. The Illuminati grew within their ranks, gradually taking over positions of power within the lodges. They quietly reestablished their scientific brotherhood deep within the Masons – a kind of secret society within a secret society. Then the Illuminati used the worldwide connection of Masonic lodges to spread their influence.† Langdon drew a cold breath before racing on. â€Å"Obliteration of Catholicism was the Illuminati's central covenant. The brotherhood held that the superstitious dogma spewed forth by the church was mankind's greatest enemy. They feared that if religion continued to promote pious myth as absolute fact, scientific progress would halt, and mankind would be doomed to an ignorant future of senseless holy wars.† â€Å"Much like we see today.† Langdon frowned. Kohler was right. Holy wars were still making headlines. My God is better than your God. It seemed there was always close correlation between true believers and high body counts. â€Å"Go on,† Kohler said. Langdon gathered his thoughts and continued. â€Å"The Illuminati grew more powerful in Europe and set their sights on America, a fledgling government many of whose leaders were Masons – George Washington, Ben Franklin – honest, God-fearing men who were unaware of the Illuminati stronghold on the Masons. The Illuminati took advantage of the infiltration and helped found banks, universities, and industry to finance their ultimate quest.† Langdon paused. â€Å"The creation of a single unified world state – a kind of secular New World Order.† Kohler did not move. â€Å"A New World Order,† Langdon repeated, â€Å"based on scientific enlightenment. They called it their Luciferian Doctrine. The church claimed Lucifer was a reference to the devil, but the brotherhood insisted Lucifer was intended in its literal Latin meaning – bringer of light. Or Illuminator.† Kohler sighed, and his voice grew suddenly solemn. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, please sit down.† Langdon sat tentatively on a frost-covered chair. Kohler moved his wheelchair closer. â€Å"I am not sure I understand everything you have just told me, but I do understand this. Leonardo Vetra was one of CERN's greatest assets. He was also a friend. I need you to help me locate the Illuminati.† Langdon didn't know how to respond. â€Å"Locate the Illuminati?† He's kidding, right? â€Å"I'm afraid, sir, that will be utterly impossible.† Kohler's brow creased. â€Å"What do you mean? You won't – â€Å" â€Å"Mr. Kohler.† Langdon leaned toward his host, uncertain how to make him understand what he was about to say. â€Å"I did not finish my story. Despite appearances, it is extremely unlikely that this brand was put here by the Illuminati. There has been no evidence of their existence for over half a century, and most scholars agree the Illuminati have been defunct for many years.† The words hit silence. Kohler stared through the fog with a look somewhere between stupefaction and anger. â€Å"How the hell can you tell me this group is extinct when their name is seared into this man!† Langdon had been asking himself that question all morning. The appearance of the Illuminati ambigram was astonishing. Symbologists worldwide would be dazzled. And yet, the academic in Langdon understood that the brand's reemergence proved absolutely nothing about the Illuminati. â€Å"Symbols,† Langdon said, â€Å"in no way confirm the presence of their original creators.† â€Å"What is that supposed to mean?† â€Å"It means that when organized philosophies like the Illuminati go out of existence, their symbols remain†¦ available for adoption by other groups. It's called transference. It's very common in symbology. The Nazis took the swastika from the Hindus, the Christians adopted the cruciform from the Egyptians, the – â€Å" â€Å"This morning,† Kohler challenged, â€Å"when I typed the word ‘Illuminati' into the computer, it returned thousands of current references. Apparently a lot of people think this group is still active.† â€Å"Conspiracy buffs,† Langdon replied. He had always been annoyed by the plethora of conspiracy theories that circulated in modern pop culture. The media craved apocalyptic headlines, and self-proclaimed â€Å"cult specialists† were still cashing in on millennium hype with fabricated stories that the Illuminati were alive and well and organizing their New World Order. Recently the New York Times had reported the eerie Masonic ties of countless famous men – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Duke of Kent, Peter Sellers, Irving Berlin, Prince Philip, Louis Armstrong, as well as a pantheon of well-known modern-day industrialists and banking magnates. Kohler pointed angrily at Vetra's body. â€Å"Considering the evidence, I would say perhaps the conspiracy buffs are correct.† â€Å"I realize how it appears,† Langdon said as diplomatically as he could. â€Å"And yet a far more plausible explanation is that some other organization has taken control of the Illuminati brand and is using it for their own purposes.† â€Å"What purposes? What does this murder prove?† Good question, Langdon thought. He also was having trouble imagining where anyone could have turned up the Illuminati brand after 400 years. â€Å"All I can tell you is that even if the Illuminati were still active today, which I am virtually positive they are not, they would never be involved in Leonardo Vetra's death.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No. The Illuminati may have believed in the abolition of Christianity, but they wielded their power through political and financial means, not through terrorists acts. Furthermore, the Illuminati had a strict code of morality regarding who they saw as enemies. They held men of science in the highest regard. There is no way they would have murdered a fellow scientist like Leonardo Vetra.† Kohler's eyes turned to ice. â€Å"Perhaps I failed to mention that Leonardo Vetra was anything but an ordinary scientist.† Langdon exhaled patiently. â€Å"Mr. Kohler, I'm sure Leonardo Vetra was brilliant in many ways, but the fact remains – â€Å" Without warning, Kohler spun in his wheelchair and accelerated out of the living room, leaving a wake of swirling mist as he disappeared down a hallway. For the love of God, Langdon groaned. He followed. Kohler was waiting for him in a small alcove at the end of the hallway. â€Å"This is Leonardo's study,† Kohler said, motioning to the sliding door. â€Å"Perhaps when you see it you'll understand things differently.† With an awkward grunt, Kohler heaved, and the door slid open. Langdon peered into the study and immediately felt his skin crawl. Holy mother of Jesus, he said to himself. 12 In another country, a young guard sat patiently before an expansive bank of video monitors. He watched as images flashed before him – live feeds from hundreds of wireless video cameras that surveyed the sprawling complex. The images went by in an endless procession. An ornate hallway. A private office. An industrial-size kitchen. As the pictures went by, the guard fought off a daydream. He was nearing the end of his shift, and yet he was still vigilant. Service was an honor. Someday he would be granted his ultimate reward. As his thoughts drifted, an image before him registered alarm. Suddenly, with a reflexive jerk that startled even himself, his hand shot out and hit a button on the control panel. The picture before him froze. His nerves tingling, he leaned toward the screen for a closer look. The reading on the monitor told him the image was being transmitted from camera #86 – a camera that was supposed to be overlooking a hallway. But the image before him was most definitely not a hallway.

Hum105 Week 1 Questiona Essay

1.The word myth, as used popularly is an accepted popular misconception accepted by many as truth. The academic definition as given in our texbook is, â€Å"Ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways?† (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 1). In other words, in this sense, myths are the storys that give reason to the questions we have about our social beliefs and moral values. 2.Myths seem to cross cultural barriers in their similarities due to a similar set of questions that we have no scientific answer for. Though religion and mythology give reasons as to why we act the way we do, where we began and what is right and what is wrong in our behavior, we do not have solid proof as to the reasons that these rules for living come from. From the beginning of time for any society, there has been the need to establish a set of rules for establishing acceptible ways of living, and without giving a historical reason based in peoples’ own history, there is no real way of not having the argument that a people can make up their own set of values based on their own current, individual wants. 3.There is a strong tie between belief, knowledge, myth and religion. Belief can be described as knowledge based on faith, rather than factual data. Myth is story that gives reason as to why we live the way that we do and why we accept the set of values that we live by. Religion is belief in a reasoning as to how and what we believe as fact, and the the history of how we came to be as a true happening. Religion is also what gives rules and consequenses for the ethics and moral rules in which societies use for their way of living. 4.I believe that mythology has a place in contemporary culture as it has been a tremendous part of our history and explains many actions and reactions that our ancestors used in their decision making. From various ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, to old sayings, songs and stories, myth has been an important way in which tradition has been carried down through the generations and across borders into mixed societies. In both teaching their own young, and explaining to and entertaing members of other groups, mythology is a way of telling the story of the history of a culture in a way that is easy for most to understand. Leonard, S., & McClure, M. (2004). Myth and knowing. An introduction to world mythology . : McGraw-Hill Company.

Political science two essay questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Gender Revolution in the Latin America Research Paper - 1

Gender Revolution in the Latin America - Research Paper Example Preservation of status quo in Latin politics and economic expansion provided social justice amidst the political crisis. Few revolutions contributed to significant political changes in the 20th century owing to major alterations in economic and social matters. Â  Revolution in the Latin America States arose subsequently to two major occasions which include the Mexican Revolution and the World War I. Despite other nations maintaining the status quo through this major events, the Great War caused the realignment of economies of nations and disrupted the economies of the region. Prior to the war, Europe exported Latin American agrarian revolution products and, as a result, demand for the products kept rising. After the World Wars, the Latin American economy slowed and unending political unrest made a better deal of the region. Heavy and uncontrolled immigration led to alarming rates of population growth. As a result, the urban regions experienced high rates of congestion and therefore increased social problems. As If that did not serve to destabilize the countries, the region arose to the emergence of a newer and dominant superpower, the United States. Â  Unrelenting economic problems in Latin America brought down military governments to the control of the civilians. The resultant human torture and massacres and political killings in the region grabbed the international attention which in turn reinforced the concept of natural law in human rights. However, differences in political opinions and cultural opinions made the enforcement of the law are quite hard due to the different interpretation of components of human rights. Changes in the Latin America society took place gradually over the 20th century. The changes took place because ethnicity, economic class, and gender remain influential. Â  The status of women and their rights changed over time in three phases in the fight for political power.

Energe sources Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Energe sources - Research Paper Example Generally unlike fossil fuels which are considered to be expensive, pollutants and non-renewable energy, the new alternative energy sources like wind and solar energy should be encouraged and supported by the federal government in an attempt to curb the nation’s increased demand for conventional fuel. This paper proposes the development and support of solar energy and wind power as some of the best alternative sources that should receive government assistance to enable the country address some of its energy related challenges. Solar energy Solar energy refers to the clean energy that is derived from the sun in form of solar radiation. Generally the current technology primarily harnesses solar energy either through the use of solar thermal collectors or the more complex photovoltaic cells. Although currently only 1% of the total energy consumed in America is derived from solar energy, the renewable energy source has got immense potential in the future and is consequently one of the best energy sources that should receive federal funding and support. ... According to Bradford â€Å"this is a relatively large area with an untapped potential to produce up to 76,000MW of clean photovoltaic electricity.†(106). On the other hand, there is also a huge energy potential in solar thermal power plants. Although critics argue that such plants often occupy large tracks of land, a comparison of their electricity output verses land size reveals that solar thermal plants use significantly less land than hydroelectric power or coal plants. It is also worth noting that adopting solar energy will significantly help the government in its efforts to reduce the emission of green house gasses that have been largely associated with the fossil fuels. This is particularly because solar power is a clean energy source that does not produce any green house gases, smoke or other chemical by products. Consequently as a green energy technology, assisting the development of solar energy will also help the United States to be a leader in addressing the issue of climate change and curbing emissions. Lastly solar energy is a decentralized power source that does not need to be transported from one place to the other within the country or internationally and therefore its adoption will bring additional benefits such as reduced pollution due to transport as well as less tear and wear of our roads (Scheer, 67). Generally the role and purpose of the federal government in the development of solar energy include the provision of incentives such as loan guarantees and tax credits, funding researches on solar energy and developing policies that support investment in such renewable energy sources. Wind power Wind power is another

Contract and Procurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contract and Procurement - Essay Example On a counter view of the project, the evidence stated should be indicated and given in the section as this would help in validating the information given. Moreover, for a project to be successful all the internal project documents should be well document and the information in those documents used otherwise the project will not be successful (Ramakrishna 2010). Amber color should have been used to indicate that there are significant issues which need the management’s attention despite a successful delivery. 2. Summary of report recommendations The recommendations given by the review time are worth while as they provide a clear explanation of the situation in the entity. The recommendation time frame could either be Recommended, Critical and Essential. The review uses the â€Å"Recommended† time frame. â€Å"Recommended† means that the recommendations given should be beneficial to the project and should be linked to the project milestones, and this should be befor e the contract is signed. On a critical point view, the recommendations given by should be based on the three time frames given the other two are based on the successful outcome of the project depending on how fast action is taken a situation which affects the project. 3. Background and business case The background of the project is clearly stated with the project name and the programme. The problems facing the stated projects are also indicated which explains why the stated project are in need of improvements. The cost estimates for the improvements, the procurement delivery status including the start and expiry date, current position in regard to the OGC Gateway Review and conduct of the OGC Gateway Review have been well stated in connection to the business case (Marks 2012). Enough has been provided about the background of the project, that is, the background is explicit. However, including the current position in regard to the OGC Gateway Review without sufficient information ab out the past reviews is absurd. The reviewer should have obtained all information from the previous four Gateway Reviews before embarking on writing his or her review. The previous review would help the reviewer to fully understand all the problems facing the project and the improvements which have been done on the projects. 4. Findings and recommendations The findings for the project have been given explicitly with all parameters well stated. All the strengths and weaknesses of the project including lack of proper documentation and sufficient commitment to staff training and knowledge of training delivery amongst the main project teams have been elaborated. Validity of the project in connection to the business case has also been elaborated. The reviewer has done excellent in the elaboration of the findings of the project. The reviewer has gone further ahead to give the plans for the ongoing improvements in performance and innovation which include the continuous improvement and plan ning and performance measures. The reviewer has also gone a head to provide the organizations learning and maturity targets and its readiness for the future or the plans for any service provision in the future. However, the

IMPROVING BUSINESS Performance 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

IMPROVING BUSINESS Performance 2 - Essay Example Each division is independent of the others and does have its own profit and loss account besides their own balance sheets. Each division’s balance sheet and profit and loss and account are then merged with the others to form a single balance sheet and profit and loss account for the group’s final accounts. Due to the problems brought about by some internal factors in each division, the most recent final records for the company show a turnover of 700 million pounds and a pre-tax profit of 35 million pounds. This compares dismally to the previous years when the amalgamated records were better than this (Dresner, 2008, p. 78). Pipework Plc has great potential as far as its business model is concerned compared to what the market and its competitors. Its diversity in both the drainage and boilers businesses give it an edge on the competition where most of the companies competing with it. There are several areas that this company can improve to gain even a greater edge in the three business divisions it focuses on. These improvements all aim at ensuring that the business outdoes the rest while improving its operations in the pipes and boilers businesses. Some of the areas to be improved include; The Stores Function – the stores function is one of the main areas to focus on for Pipework Plc. The fact that it has an excellent employee by the name of Wise does not make it indomitable since there are many problems associated with the division. There is the case of its budget for further training of its personnel always being rejected in favor of other divisions. There is also the stock turn on materials that is poor. If the correct methods are used, this area will have less problems and more contribution to the firm’s well being (Baxter and MacLeod, 2007, p. 74). Transport – this department has great potential if only the correct procedures are followed and the United Kingdom and European Law are followed. Drivers would be more transpar ent as to the number of hours worked and thus their correct remuneration. Engineering – this department is quite fine in its operation save for the lengthy period required to churn out a new product. If this time is reduced by half, it would match that of Pipework Plc’s main competitor and generally improve the business. Sales and Marketing – this department of the company does quite well since it has ensured a great market presence for the company though its personnel and the department’s head. It should be known though that there is need to reduce the number of days and the general amount of time used to process orders from customers. Finance and Administration – this department needs to follow the required accounting procedures and reduce the number of days taken to clear invoices to ensure a more transparent department (Andersen, 2007, p. 100). Personnel – the fact that Lynette promotes those under her division based on personal observat ions raises questions as to the validity of these promotions. Payments and rewards for staff should also be normalized to eliminate unnecessary disparities. The widespread favoritism should also be eliminated to allow for a harmonious motivation of the department and the company as a whole. PIPEWORK PLC With the correct methods in place, Pipework Plc is poised to make the most of its market presence and get better returns on its investments. As identified above, there are several

European History Essay Example for Free

European History Essay How did Bismarck’s system of alliances help maintain peace? Bismarck’s system of alliances was the goal of keeping France isolated and not to have any military allies. Also, he wanted to keep Russia and Austria-Hungary from going to war. France was still bitter over the losing Alsace-Lorraine from the Franco-Prussian War. Both Russia and Austria-Hungary desired territory from the weakening Ottoman Empire, which was the Balkans. The Three Emperors League was an alliance with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia. This was against radical movements. With the Congress of Berlin, Austria got Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Balkan states ended up becoming independent. The Triple Alliance was Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy was a defensive alliance protection against Russia. The Reinsurance Treaty was between Germany and Russia. If one of them were to be attacked, they promised neutrality. Germany was concerned about war between Austria and Russia. Plus France and Russia being allies. William II ended this treaty and dismissed Bismarck. 2) What were the reasons for Britain and Germany’s love-hate relationship? Between the 1700 and 1800’s, Germany and Britain had a common enemy, which was France. Their racials ties of Anglo-Saxon and Germanic people as well. The rivalry was of course power. Germany was on the rise to power. Economic wise was the colonie and the world market. For the military component, Germany expanded their navy with battleships. Great Britain is known for its naval supremacy and it was threatened by Germany. It ended up being a naval race between the two nations. For the political factors, Great Britain wanted alliances with France, Russia, and the United States. At the Algeciras Conference, Germany attempted to break the friendship between Great Britain and France. They failed and brought them closer. 3) Why was the Moroccan crisis of 1905 a turning point in European diplomacy? France and Great Britain agreed over North Africa. Britain got full control over Egypt and France got full control over Morocco. The Anglo-French Entente was closer relations between France and England. Germany as always wanted to try and break the treaty between France and England. Germany didnt act diplomatically though. They were now viewed as an international bully. Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States saw Germany as a common threat. These four nations became closer. Austria became Germany’s main ally as well. 4) What impact did the Congress of Berlin (1878) have on the Balkan area? What were the origins and causes of the â€Å"Third Balkan War†? With the Congress of Berlin, Austria-Hungary had power over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Romania and Serbia won independence. Bulgaria won a somewhat say in their government. Austria-Hungary and Russia wanted to control the Balkans. With nationalism, Serbia wanted to expand by gaining Bosnia and Herzegovina. Austria-Hungary ended up annexing both of their wanted territories. Serbians were furious. The First and Second Balkan Wars consisted of fight within Serbia, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire about territorial gains. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was on a visit to Sarajevo and ended up getting assassinated by Serbians. It was the Black Hand which was a Serbian terrorist group. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia which was the start of the Third Balkan War. Austria-Hungary wanted to stop nationalism that threatened their empire. 5) Which of the major powers do you believe were most responsible and least responsible for the war? Explain. Austria-Hungary had imperialism in the Balkans and declared war on Serbia. They were also Germany’s main ally. Russia had total support of Serbia. They allied with Serbia and France. All three of them mobilized against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany wrote a â€Å"blank check† to Austria-Hungary. William II’s poor control of international diplomacy lead to the Moroccan crisis and naval build up. In addition, Germany invaded France through Belgium. France became permanently mad at Germany and seeked for revenge. They ended up allying with Russia. This meant the support from Russia meant also from Serbia. Great Britain had a naval build up and entered an alliance with France. This disrupted the balance of power and made it point toward France now. 6) What impact did the war have on the economy and the people at home? How cooperative was the population? The economy changed from a free market system to a state run economy. The government organized price and wage controls, quotas, production and what to be produced. The food and resources vital for war had to be rationed. Due to nationalism, the population was supportive of the â€Å"total war† efforts of their governments, in the beginning of the war. 7) Did the war have any effect on the power of organized labor? On women in society? The labor unions cooperated with governments on production and wages. The government gave back by allowing labor leaders in policy making councils. The unions were accepted in the European countries as legitimate organizations. Women were now in demand for labor because men were off at war. Women became a more visible part in society and this gave a boost for the modern women’s rights movement. 8) What evidence is there that the strain of the war was beginning to take its toll on the home front in Russia, Austria, France, and Germany by 1916? Russia had a lot of war casualties. The population was vital of the czar’s leadership. Nicholas II went to the front to lead the troops. While he was away, Alexandra and Rasputin were in charge. Austria’s chief minister was assassinated. Frances Joseph died as well. The Czechs and Yugoslavs called for autonomous democracies. France and their troops refused to fight. There were labor strikes during the war. Clemenceau ruled practically as a dictator. Germany had Karl Liebknecht, who was a radical social leader, spoke out against war. This had the radicals to protest. There was an expanding anti-war legislation in the Reichstag and massive break strikes in Berlin. 9) What were the reasons for the Russian Revolution in March 1917? Who were the Soviets? The war demoralized troops which led to mass desertions. Many peasant soldiers returned home and angry with weapons. Also the war produced massive food shortages and there were bread riots in St. Petersburg. These riots spread like wildfire. Nicholas II ended up stepping down and leaving Russia. The Soviet and the provisional government ended up trying to rule Russia. The social classes were going for political liberty. The upper middle class were expecting better results from the war. Workers demanded better wages and good. Peasants asked for land reform. The Soviets was a political organization in St. They were against the czar’s government and operated separately from the Kerenskys provisional government. For example, Army Order #1. 10) What were the reasons for the Bolshevik victory in the civil war? The democracy ended up turning into an anarchy. Not one individual group or person had clear dominance to take power. Lenin and Trotsky were talented leaders who competed for power. Trotsky created an organized and centralized army that was able to outperform the whites. While Lenin was able to appeal to the urban workers and soldiers who were for socialism, successfully. The Bolsheviks ruled the center of Russia while the white were scattered out over thousands of miles. There was a secret police and the use of terror. The â€Å"White Armies† were decentralized and didn’t organize movements. They didn’t have a clear political objective that rallied the enemies of the Bolsheviks into an united front. Foreign military aid was too late and little and rallied nationalistic Russian against the whites. 11) What happened to the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish empires after 1918? Austria-Hungary became Austria. They lost land to Italy which was Tyrol. They became independent states which were Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Hungary. Austria ended up becoming a small, militarily insignificant European nation. The Ottoman Empire ended up becoming Turkey. France got Lebanon and Syria. While Britain received Iraq and Palestine. The empire was diminished and Turkey’s borders were the Anatolian peninsula and the Bosporus. Both of these nations were once dominant in power and now were put down to secondary status, which is ironic. 12) What were the goals of Wilson, Lloyd George, and Clemenceau at the Versailles Peace Conference? President Wilson of the United States created the Fourteen Points. He wanted national self determinations, rights of small countries, and League of Nations. David Lloyd George was focused on restoring Germany to a reasonable economic strength. He perceived that Germany could be a balance to the communist Russia. Georges Clemenceau seeked revenge against Germany for the two invasions in the last forty years. He wanted to create a buffer state between France and Germany. He wanted protection against future attacks and permanent demilitarization of Germany. Germany had to pay large war reparations and it weakened them, yet gave France a chance to rebuild.

Democracy Is A Political System Politics Essay

Democracy Is A Political System Politics Essay Nowadays we can always hear the word democracy in everywhere. What is actually democracy. Democracy is a political system which involves multiparty elections, representative government and also freedom of speech. In other words, we can say that it is a form of government that the citizens are directly or indirectly participate in the state ruling. The citizens in democratic countries have the equality and freedom in social, religion, culture and economic. They are also allowed to elect the state representatives whom they more preferable through elections. Origins of democracy can be traced back to the Greek of sixth century B.C. The word originated from the combination of two Greek words, demos which means the people and kratein means to rule. This system was first appeared in the Greeks politics in the city state of Athens. Cleisthenes was the one who started this democratic system. He was known as the father of Athenian democracy. The Greeks seen dictatorship as the worst form of government, so they evolved to a totally opposite system which is democracy. The political system in Greek was the true perfect democracy in our worlds history. The Greeks civilization was broken down into smaller city-states with small population. The citizens were directly involved in the state government. The citizens were selected randomly to occupy the seats in government, judiciary offices and legislative assembly. They voted on all issues through regular assembly which means that they actually controlled the entire politics of their state. Although t his was a total democracy system, women and slaves were excluded from the system. They were not considered as the citizens and not allowed to vote. Male below 20 and foreigners were also not counted. The idea of democracy was implemented in the politics of Roman but with some different extent. The Roman Empire took the democracy concept from the Greeks government but they were representative democracy. Their system actually worked in the way which had representatives from the wealthy and noble families in the Senate and representatives from the commoners in the Assembly. The Roman Statesman, Cicero was one of the politicians who fond of democracy. In Athens, the right for individual was not secured by the Greeks constitution. In the ancient Greeks, there was no word for right. They were just enjoyed the liberties which not opposed to the government but also not subject themselves to the rules of another person. Cicero suggested that all people have certain rights that should be preserved. He and other political philosophers of the time taught that governmental and political power should come from the people. After the trend of democracy was started by the Greeks and carried on by the Romans, it has been seen in many later governmental systems throughout history. Today modern democracy imitates the Roman model more than the Greeks model as the people believe that there has to be an elected leader or representative. The democratic ideas in the Middle Ages were started to be understood by the people and instituted through Christian. Christianity taught the people that men are all equal. This thinking was deeply ingrained into the society of Middle Ages. In 1215 , the Magna Carta started a more democratic system in England. English Parliament was created, the written laws held a higher power than the king, thereby limiting the power of the Royal family and giving some of that power to the people. The power of Parliament increased in stages over the succeeding centuries. Parliament gradually gained more power until the monarch became largely a figurehead. In North America, the English Puritans who migrated from colonies in New England whose governance was democratic contributed to the democratic development of the United States. (Barr, Rankin, Baird) Most of the countries tend to be democratic due to several reasons. On the path to modern democracy, the American Revolution and the French Revolution were some of the major events. In America, the pursue of democracy was the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which was written by Thomas Jefferson. While in France, the people overthrew the king and set their right to liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. In the following years, revolution began to rise up against monarchy and the democracy government started to develop all around the world. With the growing success of democracy in the United States and in other countries throughout the world, democracy became more and more popular. In this 21st century, there are 25 countries listed as full democracy according to Democracy Index 2011. The examples are United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and so on. While there are another 53 countries are categorized under Flawed democracy such as Malaysia, Thailand, Slovakia and many others. Although democracy is said to be the best political system, there are still countries which practice authoritarianism or even totalitarianism due to the conditions of their countries. Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time, said by Winston Churchill during the speech in the House of Commons on 11th November 1947. One of the issues of democracy is freedom of assembly. Freedom of assembly is forming of associations and organizations gather together peacefully in order to protect their human right. Freedom of assembly is usually occurs as there are some displeasure among the people which have mutual interest and goals. There are some country like Canada, France, India, and United States allows their citizen have freedom of assembly. Under freedom of assembly, people have the right to having public meetings as it does not influence public safety and usually some fees is need in order to get the permits. By having the right to assembly, people can gather in a group sharing and debating on certain issue and exchanging their opinion as long as there are not create any disturbance to the society. (Smith) However, there also still have communist countries such as China, Laos, and North Korea except from given their citizen freedom of assembly. The political system in China is totally different from de mocracy as they are strongly emphasis on total control to their people. Therefore, there was group of people wishing to organize demonstration during the 2008 Summer Olympics. (Gammon, 2012) We have choose freedom of assembly to be discuss in our assignment as this topic seems to become one of the hot political issues discuss by the citizens and the same goes to politicians in our country as well as other countries. Our fourth prime minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad also gave his own opinion to the issue. There are few points to support his opinion. Government must liable to a minority group and same goes to majority group. When there is full freedom given to people will form issues on other will lose their freedom as they are encroached by the freedom one. Government will loss control their citizen as they are given fully freedom. Although it is good to giving the right for people assembly but it cannot use as a force to the government as it will influence the quality of decision they make. (Freedom of assembly should have limits, says Dr Mahathir, 2012) Although the citizens have the rights to assemble freely, there is also a law to restrict them. The Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) is the law introduced on year 2012 in order to handle the demonstrations or public protest in Malaysia. (Lim, 2012). This Act contains 27 Sections and 4 Schedules to provide restrictions deemed necessary or expedient relating to the right to assemble peacefully and without arms in the interest of the security of the Federation or public order. This act has replaced the Section 27 of Police Act. The permit of police for mass assemblies is no longer needed. (Gathering in Peace, 2011) Maina Kiai, a Kenyan lawyer who is a United Nations of special rappoteur said that it is important to have freedom of assembly to give chance for the citizens to voice out their opinion. However, he criticized that the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) is more toward control instead of facilitating the assembly. (UN special rapporteur pans Peaceful Assembly Act, 2012). Besides, thi s PAA is being opposed by the Bar council, civil leaders and also the opposition. In Malaysia, there are few cases such as LYNAS and BERSIH relevant to the freedom of assembly. Same goes to other country like United States and Taiwan. In United States, there are thousands of people gathered in Wall Street, New York in order to oppose their government to protect their own economic interest as their government just support system reward for rich class people. Besides, there are demonstrations named Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go led by Taiwan politician, Shih Ming Te. The purpose of the protest is pressured the President Chen Shui Bian to resign due to the corruption. These cases will be further discuss in the following parts. 2.0 Rally In Malaysia 2.1 Case 1: Bersih 2.0 Bersih 2.0 also shows the individual right such as human right, political right and civil liberty. The  Bersih 2.0 rally was a demonstration that held at Kuala Lumpur on 9th July 2011 to protest for  free and fair elections. Bersih demonstration was agitated to build a better electoral system that will enable Malaysia to elect a better future leader. Bersih also known as Walk for Democracy. There were around 20,000 to 50,000 people attended the Bersih 20.0 rally. The rally was organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Election. Why did Bersih establish? What did they want and what were their objectives? There were 8 demands that claim by the Bersih. These demands have also become the objectives of Bersih that successfully injected into all Malaysians mindset. The 8 objectives were shown below: Clean the electoral roll The electoral roll is spoiled due to some irregularities such as deceased person or multiple persons registered under a single address. Therefore, the electoral roll must be updated from time to time. Next, Bersih 2.0 also demand that Election Commission (EC) to implement an automated voter registration system to prevent any irregularities. Reform postal ballot The current postal ballot has to be reformed to make sure that all nations are able to vote includes Malaysians citizen that living abroad, police, military and civil servants. Use indelible ink Indelible ink should be used in all elections to prevent voter fraud. In the past, voters may accidentally smudge the ballot paper with ink, and hence casing the ballot paper to be invalid. Other countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt and Iraq also practice using this kind of ink. Minimum 21 days campaign period A longer campaign are able to provide more time for voters to gather information, more time to consider and more time to vote. Free and fair excess to media Bersih 2.0 suggests that EC press on all media agencies such as radio, television, newspaper and magazine to promote the objectives for all parties. Strengthen public institution Public institutions must act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights as Malaysia is a democratic country. Stop corruption Bersih 2.0 insists to end corruption. The only way is serious action is taken against all allegation of corruption, such as vote buying. Stop dirty politics Bersih 2.0 demands to wipe out all dirty political parties and politicians in order to build a better society and country. 2.1.1 What were the governments views on this and what actions they have taken? On 2nd July 2011, Barisan Nasional government has announced that Bersih was an illegal organization because it is a convergence of Non-Government Organization (NGO) group whereby it formed by many registered group who come together and share the same agenda and purpose. Therefore, they were not allowed to do any demonstration. During that day, Malaysians polices claimed that they vowed to stop any illegal rallies in which without police permission. At first, Bersih planned to march through the streets of Kuala Lumpur with some propaganda such as Walk of democracy, We want fair democracy, We hate the Government, Say no to Corruption, Reformasi and others more, but then Bersih decided to congregate at Merdeka stadium to have a peaceful demonstration. No one was out to throw stones, burns cars and injuries which result in Bersih rally 1.0 in 2007. However, the protestors were still not able to gather successfully at Merdeka Stadium because many of the people were forced by the police who were heavily deployed throughout the city. Police act violently by arresting around 1,600 peaceful demonstrators, hurling tear gas and firing water canon directly towards protestors just to stop the Bersih 2.0 gathering in the stadium. There was a case that a 56-years-old man, which is a participant of Bersih 2.0 and also a protestor, collapsed near the Petronas Towel while fleeing tear gas and was announced dead later in hospital. Next, many protestors were beaten by the police and officers of the Federal Reserve Unit to suppress mass public assembly. It also found out that the police fired tear gas near the hospital compound which put the health of patient at risk. Bersih 2.0 results that almost all protestors arrested during 9th July 2011 now have been released without charge. But there are still 40 people facing prosecution. For those protestors who caught wearing Bersih T-shirts have been charged under Section 49 of the Societies Act for possession of illegal material. 2.1.2 Oppositions stand The opposition, Pakatan Rakyat which comprises Democratic Action Party (DAP), The Peoples Justice Party (PKR) and Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS) has expressed their approval to the Bersih 2.0. In their opinion, it is a new way for Malaysian to voice out their dissatisfaction on corruption and to tell the government not to rig the election again and again. Lim Guan Eng, the secretary-general of DAP said that DAP has reiterated its support to the Bersih 2.0s eight demands. Besides, DAP strongly condemned the actions and warnings by the government, especially Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, to ban this peaceful sit-in protest by instilling fear of untoward incidents (Chooi, 2012). He also mentioned that it is time to ensure a bright and clean future for free from fear. Apart of this, PAS also gave their full support to the rallty. Their president, Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang has urged all the party members to take part in the Bersih 2.0 for demanding a real free and fair election. Nearly all of the leaders from opposition parties joined the rally on 9th July but most of them were arrested on the spot. 2.1.3 NGOs stand Overall, there were 24 non-gvernment organizations (NGO) which expressed their objection towards Bersih because they felt that it may cause chaos. They also declared about the stubbornness of the organizer which backed by the opposition to involve in the demonstration. Some of the NGO that against Bersih include Yayasan Pendidikan Cheras (YPC), Persatuan Teksi Eksekutif Malaysia, Persatuan Penjaja Kuala Lumpur, Pertubuhan Suarakan Kehendak Rakyat Malaysia (Sedar) and Pertubuhan Gerakan Memartabat Pejuang Negara Malaysia. Next, the NGOs also submit a memorandum to the Home Ministry to act against the organizers who support Bersih. There is a case in Kampar, Perak where the president of Malaysian Youth Council (MYC) Mohamad Maliki Mohamed Rapiee claimed that the council would take action towards the members who take part in the gathering. We urge youths to guard against being influenced to participate in the gathering, he told the reporters. However, there are also some of the NGO which support Bersih. For example, All Womens Action Society (AWAM), Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisations (PRIMA), Persatuan hak asasi manusia (hakam) and Womens Aid Organisation.The participants that support Bersih are required to wear yellow clothes or yellow items. 2.1.4 The role of mainstream media The mainstream media which were controlled by the government have not focused their report on the rally. Like TV1, TV2 or TV3, it was very hard to find out the detail about the rally on their news, even the print media also hided some truths. It has made Malaysians disappointed and has felt the rate of media freedom was down-grading. 2.2 Case 2: anti-Lynas protest Another example which shows the individual right which includes human right, political right and civil liberty in Malaysia is Lynas cases. The Lynas Corporation Limited (LYC)  is a rare earth mining company from Australia. It mainly focused to become a global rare earths producer and supplier by focus on RED (Rare Earths Direct) branding. Their main asset is Mt Weld rare earths deposit in Western Australia. They digging the rare earth ore from ground at Mt Weld, then process a bit at Laverton and tricking to Fremantle. Lastly, it will be shipping to Gebeng Industrial Estate, Pahang, Malaysia. for the final process. The product, which means the rare earth oxides, will be selling to other country such as America. Why Malaysia has been chosen to be the destination to further process of the rare earth ore into rare earth oxide rather than in Australia? Actually, Lynas came to Malaysia is based on economic reasons and also its proximity to customers. The availability of cheap skilled and unskilled labour, chemicals and fresh water make the company choose Malaysia. It also makes better business sense to be close to global customer because they meet all the regulations and approval to build Lynas plant in Australia. 2.2.1 The reason of having rally Remove of radioactive element from the rare earth mineral by Lynas processing plant in Pahang can produce those electronics such as  iPhones, iPads, hybrid cars and wind turbines. In result, the remaining will become as a dangerous waste which resulting in a humongous amount of radioactive to be released in form of gas, liquid and solids. The bad effect all disposed in Malaysia, and cause nothing toward Australia country and thus make most of the Malaysian assemble to against the approval of government. This action makes a strong rebound from most of the Malaysia citizen. The trust of Malaysian towards government was spoiled and might cause political risk in Malaysia. Voters will tend to vote against the ruling party during election held every five years. Besides, Australians are becoming quietly  hated  by Malaysians. (Ryan, 2012) The aim of the anti-Lynas campaigns and demonstrations formed is most of the Malaysian want to expel Lynas out from Malaysia. On their opinion, this Lynas plant will bring a lot of bad effect which includes humans health and also destroy the environment. They stand out and assemble together to speak out their view and hope the government will be further consider about the built of a uncontrollable time bomb within the country. 2.2.2 Oppositions stand The Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party (DAP), Lim Guan Eng has opposed the build of Lynas. That the BN government has no hesitation to issue the TOL to Lynas even before the general election showed its commitment towards Lynas and profits over the peoples health, he said (Guan Eng: Vote out BN to shut Lynas plant, 2012). He claimed that the government did not concern about the bad effect for citizen that caused by this Lynas plant while just concern about the profit of the country gained. 2.2.3 The views of NGOs For some of the non-government organization which is involved in developing the states business and entrepreneurial sectors, they actually supported the approval of the government that allowed the Lynas built within the country (LYNAS PLANT: Study can silence opponents, 2011). It is because they were more concern about the economy of the country. They thought that the Lynas project did not have harmful health risks based on the evident from the feedback that have been received from local entrepreneurs which were involved in the plant from the start (Lim, 2012) . But for some other non-government organization, for example, Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS), Center Policy Initiative (CPI) and Lawyers For Liberty (LFL), they opposed the Lynas by supporting the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) to immediately delay the license issued to Lynas and to limit any shipment of rare earth ore concentrate into Malaysia. 2.2.4 The governments actions The police usually use tear-gas grenade to deploy the protesters. The protesters really dissatisfied with the actions of the government that are trying to ignore and prevent them to resist the decision that they have made. They claimed that government has not listening to the people at all. 2.2.5 The effect of the rally As a result, the citizens have assembled for at least five times to oppose the build of Lynas plant. This create riot within Malaysia and it shows unstable of the country. But from other view, it shows that all the citizen have their right to oppose government decision. Citizens have their authority to evaluate the decision which make by the government. Is the Lynas plant will bring more advantages or disadvantages? This is an intricacy question for all of the Malaysian. Every people have their own view to make their decision. Citizen can speak out what they need, what they think and what they want. It is one of the characteristic of democracy country which strongly shows that the freedom of people. 3.0 Rally in foreign countries 3.1 Freedom of assemble in United States The right of the people peaceably to assemble for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a redress of grievances, or for anything else connected with the powers or the duties of the National Government, is an attribute of national citizenship, and, as such, under the protection of, and guaranteed by, the United States. The very idea of a government, republican in form, implies a right on the part of its citizens to meet peaceably for consultation in respect to public affairs and to petition for a redress of grievances.  (Supreme Court, United States v. Cruikshank, 1876) .In America, governments are accepting the people to have freedom of speech and religion; they have the rights or freedom of assembly to voice their opinion out to the government. They have rights to resist the commands of government they deem wrong or unreasonable. In United States, government officials cannot prohibit all demonstrations in public forums during controversial events. Police only can have a protecti on to avoid the violence happen during the event for the interest of public. The official cannot refuse the constitutional rights for protesting on public streets, public parks, and other public venue. People can have a demonstration outside a federal courthouse but the leader needs to discuss their plan with the U. S. Marshall. This shows US country is democratic to accept the view of citizen. The government may not restrict the actual content of speech place, and manner of speech. When the people face by law enforcement, they still need to obey their orders even people believe their action is improper. In large protest activity, people can have fair legal observers to be present. Legal observers cannot participate in the demonstration, but they only can go under some action by demonstrators and by law enforcement. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The right to peaceable assembly is a right cognate to those of free speech and free press and is equally fundamental. (Supreme Court,  De Jonge v. Stat e of Oregon, 1937). Assembly is a way that people show support for an idea or dispute from the government. America that support the democracy not only promote for people freedom or worker right, it also create a more stable and blooming arena which United State can get its national interest. Citizen creates a non-government organization (NGO) or interest group loyal to single issues. The NGO will be an effective way to focus people interest in the country. The group use to demand something and politicians generally listen. 3.1.1 Tea Party movement (USA) For example, tea party movement in United State is one of the organizations or parties represent the voice of people. They try to oppose the high taxation, immigration and government intervention in private sector. Speaking by the floor of Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Santelli heatedly stated that the bailout would subsidize the losers mortgages and proposed a Chicago Tea Party to protest government intervention in the housing market. Tea party uses the power of social media such as Facebook to coordinate the protest event. This prove that the country is under the free mass media, people can have their individual right to share the information or news about protest government. The first action of tea party movement was a nationwide series of assembly on April 15, 2009, more than 250,000 people take part this protest event. Tea means Taxed Enough Already. All the party members at congressional town hall meetings to protest the proposed reforms to the American health care system. 3.1.2 Occupy Wall Street American people are trying to against the financial mafia that taken their country and protect their own economic interest by taking people welfare and lives. They are fight for truth democracy, people empowerment, an equality and fair society. Citizen in United State voice the dissatisfied that they have keep in silence for long. Citizens hope their government can have a real change that they can believe in, the right of people are not trampled under the feet of money and power-wielding financial elite of the Wall Street silk. The movement, thousands of people gathered on September 17 in Wall Street, New York which is the centre of American banking and finance industry started the Occupy wall Street . The movement has now spread to other cities across the United States and inside the U.S. and across the world has got the attention of people. The system of government that unfair and unjust to the citizen cause they feel despair toward the government. In economics of US, the system an d government only support system reward the people in super rich class and ignore the middle class and the poor. The inequality of national wealth distribution and people income in United State are worse than other country. Since 2008, economic condition of USA has a sharp turn for worse. The middle class of American are stay in high rate of unemployment, rising cost of living and decreasing incomes. The political system of American increasingly failing short of challenge of the time and this cause the government cannot give an effective solution to the problem that face by American and America. For example, Obamas job creation plan which broke to pieces as a result of the Republican-Democrat animosity. The high unemployment level in United State cause destruction of people, families and some Americans who cannot even afford their daily food spend. American people against the financial mafia because the acknowledged fact is that the growth and rise in power of finance capital over the years particularly in the U.S. has meant that the whole economies and societies have been taken hostage by a predatory financial oligarchy. In Middle East, people are against their oppressive dictatorships. In United State, their government, economic, society and their very lives are taken as a hostage and this are now against by people. They are fight for individual right, social and economic equality. 3.1.3 Non- government organization stance toward the America protest activity U.S. and international NGOs (non-government organization) actually represent every conceivable political cause, religion, social issue, and interest group. About 1.5 million NGO operate in United State. NGO in America are engage in some activity such as election, women rights and economic development. NGOs always feel they cannot ignore the immediate practical problems of people in their policy domain. Human rights NGOs and womens NGOs will end up having programs to assist the victims of discrimination and injustice. Some of the NGO are support people to have rights of protest government activity. For example, the tea party government also involved the Occupy Walk Street to support the people fight for their economic interest. 3.1.4 Effect of media to protest activity Media is one of the things that can influence the democracy of America. Ask by a sociologist Herbert Gans, What can Journalists actually do for American Democracy? the point of journalism to journalist is an important thing to democracy. The role of democratic journalist is to inform citizen and allow more citizen participate politically because the more participate of citizen will come out a more democracy country. The journalist only can show the truth of politic to the citizen. But the tea party in the United State is criticizing the media of country try to coverage the Occupy Wall Street protest activity. Media are try to ignore negative point of the Occupy Wall Street protests while it play up suspicious charges against conservative activists last year. The co-founders of the Tea Party Patriots Mark Mecker say that when the tea party protest begins, they are ridicule, ignored and attack by the media. Media are using Astroturf, fringe, racists and Nazis word to describe them. Fro m this event, we can know that sometime United State also will have a limit freedom of media because they want to cover the bad image of America to other country or citizen. 3.2 The Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go protest in Taiwan In Taiwan, there was a protest named Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go in 2006 which led by Shih Ming Te, the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, to pressure President Chen Shui Bian to resign due to corruption. President Chen and the DPP came to power in 2000 promising reform and an end to money politics, or black gold, after more than half a century of one party rule by the Kuomintang (Gluck, 2006). However, lots of his supporters were disappointed as there are scandals that indicated his son-in-law, Chao Chien Ming, was accused of insider trading. The same year, his wife, Wu Shu Chen, was charged with corruption and forgery. It was proven that she had wired $21million in campaign funds to banks in Singapore, Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, There were charges that Chen himself had misused his authority as well (the Editors of Publications International, 2007). 3.2.1 Peoples responses The mass protest was obviously fully backed up by Taiwanese. It can be seen when Shih has decided to launch a fundraising campaign to finance for the rally, a lot of people gave their quick response and donated a symbolic NT$100 as requested. Within six working days, more than a million people signed up to support him (Gluck, 2006). The speed and scale are surprised to everybody, including Shih. On 9 September 2006, the rally started in front of the Presidential Building. The protesters dressed in red to highlight their anger, gestured thumb down and chanted Ah Bian step down! to show their disapproval and dissatisfaction. The organizers said that more than 200,000 people had joined the rally but the police put the number at 90,000. They also said that the protest was the first mass grassroots movement to remove a president that had not been organized by ma

Effects Of Barapukuria Coal Mining On Environment Environmental Sciences Essay

Effects Of Barapukuria Coal Mining On Environment Environmental Sciences Essay The over increasing gap between supply of and energy is problem for many countries around the world. Governments are forced to examine different sources of energy in an attempt to create secure energy supply. The results of these examinations cover a large range of energy sources, not only traditional ones such as oil and gas, also nuclear-power and renewable resources. In addition governments are looking at increasing energy efficiency Because of the pressing need; there has also been a strategic shift in some countries back to using traditional fossil fuels. This has become more prevalent and widespread in developing countries where coal is the most dominant of traditional options used. There are two key reasons for this choice: first, there is abundant supply of coal; it is one of the cheapest ways to create electricity (Jaccard, 2005). The resurgence coal as an energy source may come as a shock to some because of environmental impacts it has had in the past .However, some countries that have remained dependent on coal for energy, such as the United States, have mitigated the environmental impacts with new technologies stringent regulation. The economic development of the country requires different types of fuels and energy. Because of deforestation, supply of traditional fuels are decreasing and becoming expensive day by day. Significant portion of export earning is being used for import of petroleum products and coal (Hamilton 2005). The key to creating reliable sources of energy is diversification. Since there are significant reserves of coal located in the northwest region of the country, and a belief within industry that further exploration may lead to the discovery of additional coal fields, this is a source of energy to consider. However turning to coal brings important concerns of policy makers, particularly about how to balance coal development with environmental concerns. The total national reserves of coal in 5 coal fields are estimated about 2.9 billion metric tons. Recovery rate of coal from reserves depends on the availability of technology and method of mining. Modern mining technology can ensure up to 85% recovery of coal from different reserves (Hamilton, 2005). Coal is a very important but dirty fossil fuel. Coal mining has severe environmental, ecological, human-health consequences. If not done properly, coal mining has potential to damage landscape, soils, surface water, groundwater, air during all phases of exploration and use. Coal mining has some unavoidable negative impacts on humans and the environment. In its review of the mining industry of Bangladesh, the U.S. Geological Survey states that the country has small reserves of coal, natural gas, and petroleum. In May 2011, the countrys overall coal production was around 3,000 tons a day, from the lone operational state-owned Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur. There are five coal field discovered such as Khalashpeer, Rangpur (1995) coal field depth at 257-483 meter which is about 12 Km2 in area and proven reserve coal is 143 (GSB), 685 (Hosaf) in million tones. Phulbari, Dinajpur (1997) coal field which is about30 Km2 in area and depth at 150-240 meter and reserve coal is 572 million t ones. Jamal gong, Jaipurhat (1965) coal field which is about 16 Km2 in area and depth at 900-1000 meter and proven reserve coal is about 1050 million tones .Dighirpar, Dinajpur (1995) coal field is at 327 meter depth and area not yet to known and reserve coal is about 200 (partly evaluated) million tones. The major findings were as under about Barapukuria, Dinajpur Coal Field Reserve of coal 390 Million tones, Depth of coal is 118-509 meter, Nos. of coal layer is 6, Average thickness of coal seam is 36 m, Composition of coal: ash 12.4%, Sulphur 0.53%, Moisture 10%, Rank of coal is Bituminous (high volatile), Calorific value of coal is 25.68 MJ/KG (11040 BTU/lb), Yearly Production is 1 million tones, Coal extraction method is Multi-Slice Long wall, During development of Barapukuria Coal Mine as well as load testing /trial run , coal as obtained from the mine, on the chemical analysis, confirmed composition of coal, Rank of coal and Calorific value of coal as predicted (Petrobangla, G ovt. Bangladesh, 2005). The state-owned company, Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, which is commonly known as Petrobangla, is involved in oil and gas exploration, production, and distribution. It is also involved in the exploration for and production of such minerals as coal, granite, and limestone for the manufacture of cement. Nearly half the Bangladeshi population is food insecure, and nearly one quarter severely food insecure. Local food production should be strengthened, not sacrificed for industrial projects, said the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter. The land under threat is located in Bangladeshs most fertile agricultural region where production of staple crops such as rice and wheat allows subsistence farmers to feed their families, and supports the entire countrys food needs. In addition to the destruction of agricultural land, waterways supporting over 1,000 fisheries and nearly 50,000 fruit trees may be destroyed. The water table may be lowered by 15-25 met ers over the life span of the mine. Access to safe drinking water for some 220,000 people is at stake, stated Catarina de Albuquerque, the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. The mine would cause noise and dust pollution through dynamite explosion. Coal dust will pollute the air. Water will be polluted from washing the coal, risking pollution of surrounding water bodies. Bangladesh has networks of hundreds of small rivers, meaning that water pollution in one area can spread over a large area (Petrobangla, Govt. Bangladesh, 2005). To prevent the mine from flooding, huge pumps would run 24 hours a day for the 30 years of the mining project, pumping up to 800 million liters of water a day out of the mine. Groundwater in an area covering about 500 square kilometers would be lowered. Wells would no longer provide enough water for farmers. Asia Energys solution is to distribute the water pumped out to farmers. Once the mining is finished, Asia Energy plans to create a huge lake, providing fresh water, fisheries and recreation, according to the company. But after 30 years of digging, the water will be toxic. As the civilization has advanced tremendously over the last century, the alternative source of power generation came in effect like nuclear power, which certainly replaced coal in the west. Assessing the coalmine and its versatile impact over the industrial revolution time, the researcher, end of the 20th century revealed that there is huge risk of health, potential air pollution, noticeable change in landscape, political and social problem, overall sustainability of the environment could get seriously affected by coal mine operation. Therefore, it is obvious that an assessment of the local environment should go prior and along the project of Barapukuria before any unexpected consequence over whelms this project. Energy is vital element of our daily lives, no matter where one lives (Petrobangla, Govt. Bangladesh, 2005). Regionally, the Barapukuria coal basin is located in the Dinajpur Shield of Bangladesh and is surrounded by the Himalayan Fore deep to the north, the Shillong Shield/Platform to the east, and the Indian Peninsular Shield to the west. The geologic and structural conditions of the basin were illustrated in details by Islam and Hayashi (Khan, 1991; Khan and Chouhan, 1996; Alam et al., 2003; Islam and Hayashi, 2008a; Islam et al., 2009). Structurally, the Barapukuria basin is a long, narrow, and shallow Permo Carboniferous rift basin. The basin trends approximately north-south for over 5 km, ranges from 2 to 3 km wide, and is over 550 m deep. Below a prominent unconformity, covered by an unstructured Pleistocene through Tertiary classic sequence, steeply dipping normal faults bound tilted half graven fault blocks. The northern, western, and southern boundaries of the basin are also truncated by several small-scale normal boundary faults. The faults and igneous dyke decrease the cohesion and friction angle and reduce the shear strength through fault plane and filling materials. The overall structures of the Barapukuria Basin imply a tectonically active highly disturbed zone (Wardell Armstrong, 1991; Bakr et al., 1996; Islam, 2005; Islam and Hayashi, 2008a; Islam et al., 2009). The Barapukuria half-graven basin is assumed to be related to its tectonic origin. The basin area is very close (about 200 km) to the convergence boundary of the Indian and Eurasian plates. As a consequence, the far field tectonic stress field is highly significant to the structure of this basin. A 5 km long Eastern Boundary Fault of the Barapukuria basin is the best structural evidence for recent tectonic activity. However, the basin geometry and its stress field are directly related to the tectonic displacement gradient. Usually, the Barapukuria type intracrationic half graben basin in a convergent regime is developed due to local crustal weakening, where archeology strongly affects the dynamics of basin formation (Buck, 1991; Cloetingh et al., 1995). In a gross sense, for the Barapukuria type half graben basin, displacement is greatest at the center of the fault and decreases to zero at the fault tips. The displacement of an initially horizontal surface that intersects the fault is greatest at the fault itself and decreases with distance away from the fault . This produces footwall uplift and hanging wall subsidence, the later which creates the sedimentary basin (Gibson et al., 1989; Contreras et al., 1997). It is apparent that the basin geometry is affect-ted by fault propagation and displacement is accumulated on the boundary fault. About 200 m vertical displacement occurred with 73oC dipping. Along the basin the fault length is about 5 km. The fault length: vertical displacement ratio is about 25:1. About 60 m horizontal displacement indicates recent tectonic activity and the basin is developed due to 60 m horizontal displacement of the boundary fault towards the east (Islam et al., 2009). The objectives of the research were: To know the chemical properties of the of the coal, coal water and nearby agriculture field and To know that whether these chemical parameters are polluting the environment of the area or not. Chapter 2 Review of Literature Global Coal Management policy continued to wait for approval from the Government for its Barapukuria coal projects plan of development. The projects environmental impact and feasibility studies had been completed, and mining operations could be done by open pit method. After coal preparation, the final product would be coking coal and thermal coal for both export and domestic use. The bituminous coal resource of 572 million metric tons was large enough for the mine to last more than 30 years at a mining rate of 15 Mt/yr. There are major environmental issues in the mining of coal that include land disturbance, water pollution, and impacts on air quality (World Coal Institute, 2007). There are number of environmental issues linked to both underground and surface mining and they concerns mostly the impacts on water and air quality. First acid mine drainage (AMD). It is caused by the oxidation of pyretic sulphur due to exposure of pyrite (FeS2) to air and water, it can cause acidity (or a decrease in the pH of water) and subsequent elevated concentrations of metals that are associated with sulphide mineralogy (Management Brent, 2005). AMD causes contamination if it gets into the water system. A second environmental concern related to mining is the leaching of metals into the water in the area. AMD and leaching of metals result in fish dying and negatively impact the plant life in the water .A third concern is the emissions of particulates from the mining process that degrade air quality. The primary causes of these particulates are dust due to the movement of vehicles used at all stages of the mining process. A fourth concerns is methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas released from the coal seams. Technology has been developed that captures and uses methane for heating or electricity generations (The Coal Authority, 2007). As of 1994, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) requires that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) be completed (Rajaram et al., 2005). These EIA consist of a two-stage clearance. First, a site clearance, followed by an environmental clearance. The complete process includes the following components: screening; scoping and consideration of alternatives; base line data collection ;impact prediction; assessment of alternatives; outlining of mitigation measures and an environmental impact statement; public hearings; environmental management plan; decision making; and monitoring (MoEF, 2001). In addition to conducting an EIA prior to operations, environmental statements must be submitted on an annual basis. Guidelines for reclamation activities are supplied under the EIA process, and reclamation is expected to proceed concurrently with mining operations. Although the planning of mine closure and reclamation is recognized as important, and thus should be incorporated into the mining plan, in India this is still at the embryonic stage (Rajaram et aI., 2005). The permission of the surface landowner must be sought prior to leasing of the subsurface minerals. There are two main options to obtain this consent: through written consent from the surface owner or a bond posted by the mine operator to cover any damages that might occur to the surface of the land (Hamilton, 2005). Evaluation of possible environmental impacts for Barapukuria thermal power plant and coal mine: In this study, an attempt was taken to conduct environmental impact assessment of Barapukuria thermal power and coal mining project through environmental, socio-economical and meteorological study. The analysis showed that, the Mn concentration was found in the satisfactory range. The pH was found slightly alkaline and surface water was bacteria contaminated. SO4 concentration was in the range of WHO standard. Calculated Sox loading was almost same of monitored emission. Corresponding estimated concentration of Sox was in acceptable range, which may not bring any matter of concern. In the study, an attempt was also made to evaluate the health impacts of SPM (suspended particulate matter) emitted from the combustion of coal in the power plant. The socio economic condition was also considered a dominating factor, for the EIA along with the chemical parameters since increased employment for t he project (Alam et al., 2011). Analysis of orientation of maximum horizontal tensional stress of the Gondwana Barapukuria coal basin, NW Bangladesh: By means of finite element modeling: This paper uses two-dimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) numerical modeling to analyze the orientation of maximum horizontal tensional stress of the Barapukuria coal basin in Bangladesh. An elastic plane stress model incorporating elastic rock physical properties for the coal basin area was used consisting of 2916 elements with a network of 1540 nodes (Md.Rafiqul Islam, 2009).The stress field at any point of the model is assumed to comprise gravitational and tectonic components. The tectonic component is assumed to act entirely in the horizontal plane in the far-field and at the model eastern boundary. Modeling results are presented in terms of four parameters, i.e. orientation of maximum horizontal tensional stress, displacement vector, strain distribution, and maximum shear stress contour line within the model. Results show th at the orientation of the maximum horizontal tensional stress axis is almost N45oE, which coincides with the regional stress field as studied by Gown et al. (1992). Coal mining impact on land use/land cover in jainta hills district of Meghalay, India using remote sensing and GIS technique: K. Sarma and S.P.S. Kushwaha conducted their study was undertaken to analyze the process of human-induced landscape transformation in the coal mined affected areas of Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, northeast India by interpreting temporal remote sensing data using geographic information system. The study revealed that most of the areas were dominated by grassland/non- forest in all the time sequence period of the study. Impact of surface coal mining on three Ohio watersheds ground water chemistry: Bonta et al. (1992) conducted a study to determine the effects of surface mining and reclamation on ground-water chemistry in three saturated zones in each of three small East Central Ohio water-sheds. The extensive disturbances of mining and reclamation: i) caused more changes in constituents concentration in the upper zone than the lower zone. Most of which were statistically significant increases, ii) affected ground-water chemistry in lower zones those that were not physically disturbed, iii) tented to increases the frequency of exceedance of regulated constituents in all saturated zones and (4) affected the chemistry of surface base flow water at the watershed outlets. Several constituents were still changing at the end of the project within all sites and zones (Anhaeusser and Maske, 1986). Mine-water chemistry: the good, the bad and the ugly: The mine discharged water and wastes for several times. They collected huge amount of water samples from different mine discharge and worked on them. They found that the discharged water could be useful sometimes but most of the times the nature is ugly (Banks, 1997). Trace elements emission factors from coal combustion: A research on increase in the mobilization of trace elements in the environment especially in the atmosphere. An accurate knowledge of factors related to the mobilization, particularly the enrichment mechanism of trace elements in the emitted particulate, is of fundamental significance for environmental impact assessment studies. In this work an analytical method is presented to calculate the trace element emission factors taking into account the enrichment of trace element (Cernuschi, 1987). Trace metals from coal-fired power plants: Derivation of an average data base for assessment studies of the situation in the European communities. The potential impact on different part of the ecosystem and man from the release of trace element from the coal fired power plants, they use twenty nine coal samples for their research, using the derived main values as well as taking into account of coal to be burnet in power plant of EC. The average trace element mobilization was predicted for fifteen elements for the year 1990, the global release so estimated range from 66.5 to 19,420 metric tons from Hg Zn, respectively (Sabbioni, 1983). Criteria for determining when a body of surface water constitutes a hazard to mining: Kendorsky et al. discussed that there are various criteria for determining the quality of surface water body. They worked hard in determining the water constituents that are exposed in mining activities (coal mining). The surface drainage (acid mine drainage, heavy metal contamination etc.) causes several environmental impact (Molinda, 1999). Various research work carried out on hydrogen ion concentration and nutrient status in soil: Soil pH varied widely from one soil series to another. Soil pH ranged from 4.32 to 7.64 in 0 15 cm depth and the soil pH ranged from 4.55 to 7.81 in 15 30 cm at Sonatala series (Huq, 2005). In dry season the soil pH of coastal areas of Bangladesh were recorded between 6.25 to 8.34 and in the wet season the soil pH of coastal areas were recorded between 5.74 to 7.96 respectively (Alam, 2004) The soil pH of Taras series under AEZ-5 ranged from 5.54 to 5.90 and the pH of Jaonia series were ranged from 4.82 to 6.09 under AEZ-6. Both of the series were in acidic in nature (Alam, 2005). The pH of the old Brahmaputra Floodplain soil ranged from 6.02 to 7.10 and that of Madhupur tract from 6.99 to 7.02 under different cropping patterns and tillage (Hossain et al., 2003).The optimum soil pH for crop production was considered to be between 6.5 to 7.0 (Tisdale et al., 1999). The pH of the soil class high land and medium high land under soil series Amnura was 4.2 to 5.7 and 4.7 to 6.3 respectively in upland which was acidic than wet land (SRDI, 1999). The soil pH of the high, medium high and medium low under Sathi upazila ranged from 7.4 to 7.9, 7.3 to 7.6 and 5.0 to 7.8 respectively (SRDI, 1992). The organic carbon content of soil at Sonatala series ranged from .58% to 1.08% in 0 to 15cm depth the organic carbon content of soil at the same series ranged from 0.58% to 0.89% in 15 to 30cm (Huq (2005). The organic matter content of soil of the Taras series under AEZ-5 ranged from 1.26% to 2.42% and the organic matter content in the Jaonia series were ranged from 1.68% to 2.52% under AEZ-6 (Alam, 2005). In the dry season the organic matter content of the coastal area of Bangladesh was recorded at the ranged between 0.29 to 1.08% and in the wet season the organic matter content in the same areas were ranged from 0.34 to 1.27% respectively (Alam, 2004). Organic matter values of the old Brahmaputra floodplain ranged from 0.64 to 1.77% and that of Madhupur tract from 0.21 to 1.69% under different cropping patterns and tillages (Hossain et al., 2003).The organic matter content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Singra upazila values from 1.31%, 1.89% and 2.59% respectively (SRDI, 2001a). The organic matter content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Madhupur upazila values from 2.45%, 1.24% and 2.31% respectively (SRDI, 2001a). The organic matter content in varied from 0.58 to 2.13% of BAU Agriculture farm and also found that the organic matter contents were relatively higher at the surface layer but decreased at soil depth (Mondol, 1998).The organic matter content varied from 0.79 to 2.35% in ten selected soil series of Bangladesh and also observed that the organic matter contents relatively higher at the surface but decreased at soil depth (Fakir, 1998).Present organic Carbon of some non- irrigated soils of Madhupur upazila ranged from 0.5 to 0.85% (Zaman and Nuruzzaman, 1995). The available P content ranged from 9.8 to 12.75ppm at 0-15cm in depth in Sonatala series and the same series the available P content ranged from 5.75 to 9.24ppm at the depth of 15 to 30cm (Huq, 2005). The available P content of the Taras series under AEZ- 5 ranged from 5.04 to 24.9 mg/kg and the available P content of the Jaonia series under AEZ- 6 ranged from 6.48 to 8.58 mg/kg (Alam, 2005). Available P values of the old Brahmaputra floodplain soil varied from 7.0 to 20.0 Â µgg-1 under different cropping patterns and tillages (Hossain et al., 2003). The available P content ranged from 6.7 to 10.4 mg/kg in Barkol series, 8.0 to 11.9 ppm in khadimnagar series, 9.6 to 13.2 ppm in Subalong series, 13.9 to 16.2 ppm in Tejgaon series, 16.2 to 17 ppm in Belabl series, 10.1 to 17.4 ppm in Sonatala series and 11.9 to 17 ppm in Silmondi series (Ahamed, 2002). The available P content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Mymensingh Sadar upazila values from 32 Â µgg-1, 410 Â µgg-1 and 1150 Â µgg-1 respectively (SRDI, 2001a). The available P content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Singra upazila values from 7.33, 7.20 and 60 Â µgg-1 respectively (SRDI, 2001a). Available P content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Madhupur upazila values from 6, 5 and 8 Â µgg-1 respectively (SRDI, 2001a). The available P content of the non-irrigated surface sub surface soil of Ghatail and Kalihati upazila were 4 to 4.2 ppm and 2 to 26 ppm respectively (Razzaque et al., 1998) The P content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Shahzadpur upazila values from 7 Â µgg-1, 9 Â µgg-1 and 6 Â µgg-1 soil, respectively (SRDI, 1997). Available P contents in Soan River valley soils of lower Shiwaliks of Himachal Pradesh were 2.0 to 29.0 mg Kg-1 (Kumar et al., 1995). The P content of high land, medium high and medium low land under Sathi upazila values from 34Â µgg-1, 34 Â µgg-1 and 17 Â µgg-1 soil, respectively (SRDI, 1992). The Exchangeable Potassium content ranged from 0.09 to 0.93me/l00gm soil at 0-15 cm depth in the Sonatala series and the same series the Exchangeable Potassium content ranged from 0.08 to 0.71me/l00gm soil at the depth of 15-30 cm (Huq, 2005). The Exchangeable K of the Taras series under AEZ-5 ranged from 0.14to 0.27cmol/kg soil and the Exchangeable K of Jaonia series were ranged 0.33to 0.50cmol/kg soil under AEZ-6 (Alam, 2005). In dry season, the potassium concentration of coastal area of Bangladesh were recorded at the ranged between 0.20 to 1.17me/l00g soil and in wet season the potassium concentration of the same areas were recorded at the ranged between 0.08 to 0.83me/ l00g soil respectively (Alam, 2004). The available K content of the Brahmaputra flood plain soil varied from 0.10 to 0.27meq 100-1 soil and that of Madhupur Tract soil from 0.10 to 0.21meq 100-1 soil under different cropping patterns tillages and depth (Hossain et al., 2003). The K content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Singra upazila values from 0.27meq l00g-1 soil, 0.30meq l00g-1 soil, and 0.34meq l00 g-1 soil, respectively ( SRDI, 200la). The K content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Madhupur upazila values from 0.21meq l00 g-1 soil, 0.13meq l00g-1 soil, and 0.16meq 100 g-1soil, respectively (SRDI, 200Ib).The K content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Singra upazila values from 0.16meq l00g-1 soil, 0.19meq l00 g-1 soil, and 0.13meq l00g-1 soil, respectively (SRDI, 200Ic). The exchangeable K of old alluvial soils of some basin was 0.04 to 0.87meq l00g-1 soil (Singh et al., 2000). The series with high clay content required higher level of exchangeable K than a sandy soil to reach the same concentration of soil solution (Ray chaudhuri and Sanayl, 1999). An experiment on some soil properties and found that the water soluble K positively and significantly correlated with exchangeable K (Yadav et al., 1999). The available S content of the Taras series under AEZ-5 ranged from 16.8 to 17.8 mg/kg and the available S content of Jaonia series were ranged from 12.8 to 19.8 mg/kg under AEZ-6 (Alam, 2005). The available S ranged from 4.20 to 33.9 ppm at 0-15 cm depth in the Sonatala series and the same series the available S content ranged from 1.30 to 30.70 ppm at the depth of 15-30 cm (Huq, 2005). The available Sulphur (S) of soil decrease with increasing the depth of soils. The available S of the Old Brahmaputra Floodplain soil varied from 4.00 to 20.00 Â µgg-1 (Hossain et al., 2003). A laboratory experiment conducted on selected ten soil I series and reported that the available S of Barkol, Khadimnagar, Subalong, Tejgaon and Belabo series ranged from 12.11 tol3.39 ppm, 11.55 to 13.85 ppm, 13.00 to 15.76 ppm (Ahamed, 2002).The S content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Mymensingh upazila values from 16Â µgg-1, 16 Â µgg-1and 13 Â µgg-1 soil, respectively (SRDI, 200Ic). The S status of the non-irrigated surface and sub-surface soils of Ghatail and Kalihati upazila were 2.5 to 47.5 and 2.0 to 30.00 mg/kg, respectively (Razzaque et al., 1998). The S content of high land, medium high land and medium low land under Shahzadpur upazila values from 13Â µgg-1, 23 Â µgg-1 and 7 Â µgg-1 soil respectively (SRDI, 1992). The Exchangeable Ca2+ content ranged from 5.74 to 8.23me/l00gm soil at 0-15 cm depth in the Sonatala series and the same series the Exchangeable Ca2+ content ranged from 4.13 to 6.16 me/l00gm soil at the depth of 15-30 cm (Huq, 2005). The Exchangeable Ca content of the Taras series under AEZ-5 ranged from 5.50 to 14.7cmol/kg soil and the Exchangeable Ca content of Jaonia series were ranged 12.7 to 14.0cmol/kg soil respectively under AEZ-6 (Alam, 2005). The exchangeable Ca content of higher land, medium high land and medium low land under Singra upazila values from 10.20meq l00g1, 15.21meq l00gl and 19.41meq 100g! soil, respectively (SRDI, 200la). The exchangeable Ca content of higher land, medium high land and medium low land under Madhupur upazila values from 0.8meq l00/g, 1.3meq l00/g and 1.3meq l00/g soil, respectively(SRDI, 2001b). The Ca content in non-irrigated surface and sub-surface soil of Ghatail and Kalihati upazila were 1.34 to 6.66meq l00/g and 1.9 to 5.62meq l00/g soil, respectively (Razzaque et al., 1998). Available calcium (Ca) content in some non-irrigated soils of Madhupur ranged from 0.37 to 3.73meq l00/g soil and the mean value was 2.52meq l00/g soil (Zaman and Nuruzzaman, 1995). The cation such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ at the concentrations of 0.68 to 1.98meq l00/g and 0.62 to 3.45meq l00/g soil, respectively (Matin and Anwar, 1994). Exchangeable Mg content in the non irrigated surface and sub surface soils of Ghatail and Kalihati Thana were 0.53-1.35 and 0.5-1.16emol/kg respectively. Portch and Islam (1984) reported that 21% soils of Bangladesh contain Mg below critical level and 25% below optimum level (Razzaque, 1995). Sewage sludge containing domestic wastes can have significant amount of Zn and Cu. The accumulation of Zn was found to affect microbial pollution in soils (McGrath et al., 1995). The range of available Zn content in some non-irrigated soils of Madhupur was 1.05-3.57 Â µgg-1and the mean value was 1.94Â µgg-1 (Zaman and Nuruzzaman, 1995). The Fe status of some soils of Rajasthan (Udaipur district) was 1.32-20.5 ppm (Mehra, 1994). An observed that 8% soils of Bangladesh contain Fe below optimum level (Porch and Islam, 1984). A general and specific investigation conducted across China soil and crop heavy metal contamination. He investigated Cd level in soil in contaminated areas throughout 15 provinces of the country. The results indicated that levels of Ch, Hg and Pb in soils were greater than the governmental standards. Cadmium ranged from 0.45 to 1.04 g/kg on average in the four cities and was as high as 145 mg/kg in soil (Wang et al., 2001). An experiment conducted on the status of separate components of natural ecosystems in the impact zone of the Nizhnekamsk industrial complex in the Tatar Republic, Russia. It was found that the contents of heavy metals in soils and plants of the impact zone were low. However, negative effect of heavy metals on the growth of lichens was observed. Changes in the degree of moistening of the study the Nizhnekamsk industrial complex have resulted in the transformation of the plant cover structure (Changes in species composition of the grass dwarf shrub later, appearance of hygrophytes, increasing role of mesohydrophytes in the phytocenosis, and the decay of trees) and in changes of population characteristics of common red backed vole (Morozkin et al., 2001). The total and available Pb concentrations of road dusts at city areas varied from 57.7 to 212 mg/kg and 0.030 to 2.03 mg/kg but from rural areas 6.2-1.7 mg/kg and 0.02-0.06 mg/kg, respectively. Usually, low Pb was observed from rural areas (Sattar and Blume, 1999). An studied on 30 soil samples from different parent materials in Bangladesh to determine the usual range of the quantities of trace elements and reported that DTPA extractable copper and iron ranged from1.0 to 14.2 mg/kg and 7 to 296 mg/k