Venice region Essay Example for Free

Venice region Essay An American archeologist who studies the history of Venice suggested a multi-billion dollar floodgate to be built to save the city from rising waters knowing that science often rest on chance discovery. A 10 feet deep and more than 30 feet wide pit has been dug next to an ancient Basilica. It was below sea level and to keep it from filling with water, a pump was put in it. In that dug, a stone walk dated around second century lay. It is one of the oldest sign of human habitation in the Vatican archipelago. The lost world artifacts would let Dr. Ammerman and his colleagues to estimate the past of the city. It is also important in determining the rate of past and future subsidence of the city. With their findings, it is planned to propose a floodgate that will keep the city from disappearing into the sea. The structures will cost from $2 billion to $4 billion composing of 79 mobile floodgates. Everyday, the tide goes up to 3 feet. The tide on 1966 caused wide damage and economic losses. Tidal surges that are driven by heavy rains, winter weather patterns and southerly winds that blow Adriatic water northward caused the said destruction. Corrosive sea salt weakens the red bricks of the ground floor of the many old buildings. Some doors are rotten because of past flooding. Raised walkways are set in winter floods and some tour books suggest a high boots. On the other hand, many are the cause of Venice’s subsidence; local industries pumping of water from beneath the Venice region, the oxidation of peat that forms as part of the substrate, the compaction of spongy sediments caused by the weight of buildings. From time to time the rates of subsidence become bigger. This is due to the rate of growing population; in what way? Population is growing not linearly but in a parabolic manner, in that case the rate of weight the underlying soil is carrying is also increasing and so with the rate of water needs. Weathering also contributes to the sinking of the city. Rocks beneath are exposed to chemical weathering due to the chemicals that human thrown. Mechanical weathering on the other hand plays smaller role than chemical weathering. Also, the melting of the ice due to global warming causes the sea level to raise thus making Venice sink. Many plans are proposed on the case of Venice. What I can suggest to prevent the city from sinking is to nourish the city with a harder material that will serve as a foundation at the bottom. Also floodgates will help, and, the population, quantity of tourist, and the building construction should be controlled and above all control the cause of global warming. In this way the city’s beauty will be preserved.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 20 Analysis :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

In chapter 20 of â€Å"To kill a Mockingbird†, Harper Lee wrote about the great divide between black and white people in Maycomb County, and why the public should not judge them too harshly. The Author explains all this through Atticus who is fighting on Tom Robinson’s behalf, that Tom did not rape Mayella Ewell. Atticus tried to persuade the jury beyond reasonable doubt, that Mayella was simply claiming Tom had raped her, to cover up for her wanting to kiss and tempt Tom Robinson (A black man). Atticus explained that Mayella had obviously broken no law, but â€Å"a rigid and time-honoured code of their society† and whoever broke this code would be â€Å"hounded from their midst as unfit to live with† (page.224). Atticus explains that guilt was her motivation, Mayella was just one among thousands that would be ashamed to have any relationship with a black man, other than him being a â€Å"servant†. Mayella simply did not want to be tormented or seen as a â€Å"Negro lover†, so she decides to get rid of the evidence, Tom Robinson’s life. It is also clear, that Atticus believes in Tom Robinson’s innocence with a passion. Atticus is not defending the man just because judge Taylor appointed him, he is defending him out of his own moral principles. Not because he has to, but because he wants to and its what he believes is right. Atticus refers to Tom as a â€Å"quiet, respectable, humble Negro† (page.225). Even though Atticus tries to be on good terms with all people, he has a dislike for people who fall under the category of â€Å"white trash†. However his view on people like this is incredibly different to the stereotypical view, which is shown more by his sister Alexandra. Alexandra, like many others, believes that if people are from a poor family or a family that had a â€Å"bad streak†, then they are not worthy to be friends with people like the Finches. Atticus’ view is completely opposite. He sees people for their qualities and not possessions, people like Bob Ewell, he sees as trash, because of the way he abuses his children and the way he abuses the law. So it is clear why Tom is even respected by Atticus, because he is polite and would never harm another human being unless in the defence of someone. So, in Atticus’ point of view, sentencing Tom Robinson as guilty and to receive the capital punishment, would be similar to killing a mockingbird, something he believes, is a sin.

Act of Union Essay

Assess the causes of the Act of Union of 1800, and consider the ways in which the Articles of Union themselves were intended to solve the apparent problems in Ireland’s constitutional, political and religious relationship with England. Your essay must make reference to the relevant document studied in seminar 5. There were several significant causes of the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1800, most notably, the United Irishmen rebellion of 1798, along with the French landing at Killala in North Mayo. The United Irishmen, a radical mixed religious group, had began a campaign against British rule in Ireland in 1798. This rebellion was centered around Wexford, Wicklow and a protestant linen worker rebellion in Antrim. The rebellion was poorly organized and coordinated, and many parts of the country were left undisturbed. Although it was yet another rebellion by the Irish that was defeated, it fast forwarded the long standing idea that a political, constitutional and military union was needed between the two countries to prevent further war, or even worse, for Ireland to become a stepping stone in a French invasion of The British Isles. The worry about a French invasion starting in Ireland was compounded by a small French landing in north Mayo, that led to two battles, at Castlebar and Ballinamuck. The French landing was requested by Wolfe Tone, a protestant who was viewed as the leader of the United Irishmen. Wolfe Tone was influenced by the French and American Revolutions, and passed this influence onto the United Irishmen. The fact that the American Revolution had occurred so recently also had another major bearing on the Act of Union. the British parliament did not want to lose another colony, especially not one this close to home. This most likely would have being seen as a major weakness by the other European powers of the time. The French revolution, which promised freedom to all religions and races, and equal rights to all men would also have being seen as a threat to George III, the current monarch, who’s Coronation Oath held him to uphold and secure the Protestant faith. Article Fifth of the Act of Union combined the Church of Ireland and the Church of England into one central Protestant Episcopal Church. It also made the protestant faith the official religion of Ireland. The unity of the churches would also have bred the hope that more of the Catholic majority in Ireland would be converted. This would have being a vital cause for the union getting voted through the all protestant Irish parliament, as the protestants were outnumbered by Catholics in the general population at a ratio of 3:11. Should the Act of Union pass, they would be on the opposite side, it would be a 3:11 protestant majority. On a related topic, Robert Peel had earlier being responsible for the ending of several of the penal laws, all since the threat of war began in France. In 1793 Catholics could vote and become lawyers for the first time. He also played a part in the repeal of Poynings Law, which allowed the Irish parliament to enact its own laws without influence from London for the first time since the Norman Invasion. However, vitally, he could not hold his nerve to repeal the Penal law that stopped Catholics from holding a place in parliament and many Irish people would have thought this was the most important, as they could only vote for the entirely protestant government. Pitt had supported the Act Of Union in 1800, but had originally planned to follow it with more far reaching ideas, such as Catholic emancipation. However George III, after signing the Act of Union into law in August 1800, refused to support full Catholic emancipation on the basis that it would be contrary to his Coronation Oath. While the Act of Union was defeated the first time in the Irish parliament, it was passed on the second time of asking. Certain peerages, pensions and certain honors were offered to Irish politicians and Irish critics in return for voting for the act in the second time of asking. The first attempt to pass the law was beaten 109 votes against to 104 votes for, but, on the second time of asking in 1800, the results showed 150 for, compared to 115 against. Also, since the repeal of Poynings law, the Irish had being in charge of their own finances, and had bankrupt the country. When much the same thing had happened to Scotland in the 17th century, a Union with Britain had helped the Scottish overcome their financial difficulties. The Act of Union was intended to solve many of Irelands problems in different ways. Article first stated that Ireland and Britain would ‘be united into one Kingdom, by the Name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland’. This essentially made Ireland a sister kingdom to Britain, with the same laws, religion and parliament. However as time showed, these sister kingdoms were not treated equally, with very little worry being given to the Great Famine of 1845-49. Although it may initially have being seen to calm some insurgency in Ireland, it was not a suitable long-term arrangement unless great measures were taken to assimilate the large Catholic majority. These measures were not taken, and Catholic Ireland still felt like it was being given the short straw without emancipation. Article Second simply stated that the continuation of the Imperial Crown ‘shall continue limited and settled in the same manner as the Succession to the Imperial Crown of the said Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland’. This was to ensure that a protestant was always going to be in power as a monarch in Great Britain, and that the new Union with Ireland would not have an influence on the process of picking a new king or queen. The third article was perhaps the most important in terms of change, as it was the article that fully combined the two parliaments into a single entity. This was the most influential article, as it caused many of the upper class representatives that Ireland would have to move out of Dublin and over to London, to be closer to political affairs. This caused a decline in the importance of Dublin as a major European city, and shifted most of the influential Irish people out of the country. It may also have lead to the idea of Absentee landlords, another thing that was seen by the Irish as a cause of the Great Famine. Article Fourth was simply involved in the representation of Ireland in the new parliament. The election of 28 Electoral Lords for life would have guaranteed a continuation of protestant ascendancy in the British House of Lords. This would not have went well with the catholic majority of Ireland as they would have zero representation in the House of Lords, which had the ability to veto any laws passed by the House of Commons. Any chance of a law hat passed a pro-Catholic law would have being immediately put down by the protestant powers in the House of Lords, so even if George III did not veto the hopes for Catholic emancipation then the House of Lords would surely have. The 8th article was a constitutional article that ensured the continuation of all laws from before the act, in both Britain and Ireland. It stated ‘That all Laws in force at the time of the Union, and all the Courts of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within the respective Kingdoms, shall remain as now by Law established within the same’ This was a safety mechanism to prevent any problems with the transition between separate and united kingdom’s. If this article had not being put in place then, theoretically the parliament in London would have had to enact new laws that could potentially damage the political and hostile situation in Ireland. As you can see, the Act of Union was hoped to be a permanent solution to the problems in Ireland, and planned to consolidate the British Isles under one rulership. The Articles in the Act of Union attempted to promote the protestant faith, in particular the Anglican faith, in Ireland, and in the long term hoped to transform the rebellious Catholic majority into equal citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Although it was unsuccessful in the long run, it was a historic event that worked in other parts of the empire, such as Scotland.

Utopia Viewpoint in B.F. Skinners Book, Walden Two

In 1948, B.F. Skinner published his novel, Walden Two, based on an utopian viewpoint that once arose from a dinner conversation with a friend. Skinner shared his thoughts with his companion about soldiers returning from war. Skinner was curious as to how soldiers could abandon adventure only to tie themselves down to pursue the â€Å"American Dream† when they could be exploring the world caught up in their own personal experiences (Altus Morris, 2004). However, Skinner’s utopian viewpoint was not a newly-found idea, but a correlation of ideas from early childhood reading. Skinner wanted to use his own dissatisfactions in life as a piece of his motivation. Discussing openly with people how he felt when he watched his own wife print â€Å"housewife† in current occupation spots, made him come to the realization that people were struggling to save themselves from domesticity. After finishing a paper due soon, Skinner began to implement his current thoughts into the book, Walden Two (Altus Morris, 2004). The book, Walden Two, sold a little over 700 copies a year. In later years, ideas from the book were evident in new societal problems. Sales then soared to over 250,000 copies a year. Skinner used this book throughout his career as a heavy context reference to his ideologies about utopian and humanistic themes. Practices today show evidence of this books context popping up throughout society in our ever evolving modern world. These practices are commonly organized into three groups: