From Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley: Soil Degradation and Desertificati

From Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley: Soil Degradation and Desertification Desertification has many definitions, encompassing both the physical and social consequences of the transformation of land into desert-like conditions. In all cases, the impacts of human activity are indelibly linked to desertification. In 1977, the United Nations Conference on Desertification proposed a definition: "Desertification is the diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land, and can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. It is an aspect of widespread deterioration of ecosystems, and has diminished or destroyed the biological potential, i.e., plant and animal production, for multiple use purposes at a time when increased productivity is needed to support growing populations in quest of development." (Mainguet, 1994, 3) In addition, Monique Mainguet cites Kates et al. (1977) as noting that, "Unlike drought, which is usually a short-term diminution of available moisture, the physical processes involved in desertification are long-term, chronic, and pervasive" (1994, 2). Mainguet considers "soil deterioration as the most critical component of land degradation and, in the framework of irreversible land degradation, as the main factor of desertification" (1994, p. 151). Soil degradation "is expressed as water and wind erosion, salinization, loss of soil fertility, and soil compaction" (Dregne, 1985, p. 19). Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil may bring severe famine to a previous fertile area. Desertification has destroyed past civilizations, such North Mesopotamia, and is currently degrading vulnerable lands around the world, such as the Nile Valley of Egypt. The most important... ... Hulme, Mike and Kelly, Mick, 1993, Exploring the Links Between Desertification and Climate Change: Environment (St. Louis), v. 35: 6, p. 4-11. Kishk, M. A., 1986, Land Degradation in the Nile Valley: Ambio, v. 15, p. 226-230. Mainguet, Monique, 1994, Desertification: Natural Background and Human Mismanagement: New York, Springer-Verlag, 314 p. Mitchell, D. J. and Fullen, M. A., 1994, Soil-Forming Processes on Reclaimed Desertified Land in North-Central China: In Millington, Andrew C., and Pye, Ken, eds., 1994, Environmental Change in Drylands: New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 393-412. Sabadell, J. Eleonora, et al., 1982, Desertification in the United States: Washington, D. C., U. S. Government Printing Office, 277 p. Weiss, H., et al., 1993, The Genesis and Collapse of Third Millennium North Mesopotamian Civilization: Science, v. 261, p. 995-1004.

Did Attitude Shape Catharine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie Success as

Back in the 1830’s when it was unimaginable to journey for months to a foreign country so uncultivated; two naà ¯ve sisters did just that. The Backwoods of Canada is a straightforward, realistic account complied of letters written back home of Catharine Parr Traill’s first years in Canada. Roughing It in the Bush is a witty, autobiographical memoir written by her younger sister, Susanna Moodie. Their attitude to becoming pioneers was shaped by their temperaments and circumstance. Catharine’s attitude is one quiet acceptance and is reflected in her no-nonsense writing, whereas Susanna’s attitude first appears to have an edgier, less optimistic outlook on her new homeland, but she covers it up with a dry sense of humour in style and dialogue when reflecting on her Canadian experience. Upon examination, we first must look at the sisters’ temperament and attitude towards life. Their attitude on life comes out in their writing and we can sense how they would perceive their new homeland, Canada in the 1832. Catharine, the elder by 23 months was considered to be the â€Å"sweet-tempered and placid, was her father’s favourite child,† and Susanna, the youngest, â€Å"was the impulsive and defiant [one], with a wicked sense of humour† (Gray, 17, 18). Both sisters’ traits are clearly exposed in their approach to starting a new life in Canada. Even before moving to Canada, it was Susanna’s passion for life and her new baby that energized Catharine and Thomas to ‘get involved’, get married and to emigrate with Susanna and her family, but it was Catharine’s methodical calmness that got Susanna through the valleys and peaks in actually moving to Canada ( 48). Catharine and her husband were at an advantage over her sister when they first arrived in Canad... ...arine wrote with a no-nonsense positive style to assist women embarking on immigrating to Canada. Susanna wrote with humour and frankness to cover up her disgust and disappointment and to warn genteel women of the hardships of becoming pioneers. After researching these two sisters’ biographies, I realize that they both had fortitude beyond what I would be able to endure if I were in either of their shoes. Works Cited Parr Traill, Catharine. â€Å"The Backwoods of Canada.† An Anthology of Canadian Literature in English. 3rd ed. Ed.Donna Bennett, and Russell Brown. Don Mills, ON:Oxford, 2010, 102-108, Print. Moodie, Susanna. â€Å"Roughing It in the Bush.† An Anthology of Canadian Literature in English. 3rd ed. Ed.Donna Bennett, and Russell Brown. Don Mills, ON:Oxford, 2010, 102-108, Print. Gray, Charlotte. Sisters In The Wilderness. Toronto: Penguin, 1999. Print

Children in the Third World Essay -- World Poverty Essays

Children in the Third World We live in an imperfect world where poverty is a reality. Forty thousand children die per year of starvation. Over 1 billion cities face unemployment and poverty day to day. Three-fourth's of the world's largest poverty population live in the Third World Countries, which includes underdeveloped countries, mainly Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Originally the term "Third World" meant all those not supporting communism and the Western countries. Now, it is a term used to describe the poor countries of the world. These countries face hunger, diseases, illiteracy, and poor health care on a day to day basis. They have high population increases, the death rates have lowered over the years, but the birth rates are still high. Because of these increases in population and the low amount of resources available to accommodate these people, hunger is a rapidly increasing problem for the Third World. "The average spending per capita is $660 in a developing country, $13,100 in a developed country, and $19,800 in the United States." "60% of the Third World lives in extreme poverty." "I knew that poverty exists, but it never occurred to me that most of the people in this world live in poverty." (Junior Padma Krishnan) That is the problem with people today, many do not realize what a reality poverty is. That is the key word, "Reality." Many sit back and watch the commercials on children starving in Kenya or the bloated stomachs of the malnourished or undernourished in Somalia, but how many actually think about what a problem this is? What is being done to help these people? Is it fair for those in America who make millions of dollars a year to ignore this and allow these children to starve? Children by far suff... ...s imported from the poor countries, and we buy more food from 36 of the 40 countries. Is this something that we , as Americans, can be proud of? The horrific conditions experienced by the people of the third world are conditions that we can only begin to try to understand. Twenty five percent of children will die before their fifth birthday, and those who live will live without many things they need and are entitled to. Children are the future," they need to be tomorrow's solutions, not tomorrow's problems. There are many people out there working to eliminate poverty and improve living conditions for those in the third world countries, but they cannot do it alone. Everyone should take it upon themselves to do something. It may seem like an impossible to solve, but if everyone would work together, poverty would be lost and the third world would be a better place. Children in the Third World Essay -- World Poverty Essays Children in the Third World We live in an imperfect world where poverty is a reality. Forty thousand children die per year of starvation. Over 1 billion cities face unemployment and poverty day to day. Three-fourth's of the world's largest poverty population live in the Third World Countries, which includes underdeveloped countries, mainly Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Originally the term "Third World" meant all those not supporting communism and the Western countries. Now, it is a term used to describe the poor countries of the world. These countries face hunger, diseases, illiteracy, and poor health care on a day to day basis. They have high population increases, the death rates have lowered over the years, but the birth rates are still high. Because of these increases in population and the low amount of resources available to accommodate these people, hunger is a rapidly increasing problem for the Third World. "The average spending per capita is $660 in a developing country, $13,100 in a developed country, and $19,800 in the United States." "60% of the Third World lives in extreme poverty." "I knew that poverty exists, but it never occurred to me that most of the people in this world live in poverty." (Junior Padma Krishnan) That is the problem with people today, many do not realize what a reality poverty is. That is the key word, "Reality." Many sit back and watch the commercials on children starving in Kenya or the bloated stomachs of the malnourished or undernourished in Somalia, but how many actually think about what a problem this is? What is being done to help these people? Is it fair for those in America who make millions of dollars a year to ignore this and allow these children to starve? Children by far suff... ...s imported from the poor countries, and we buy more food from 36 of the 40 countries. Is this something that we , as Americans, can be proud of? The horrific conditions experienced by the people of the third world are conditions that we can only begin to try to understand. Twenty five percent of children will die before their fifth birthday, and those who live will live without many things they need and are entitled to. Children are the future," they need to be tomorrow's solutions, not tomorrow's problems. There are many people out there working to eliminate poverty and improve living conditions for those in the third world countries, but they cannot do it alone. Everyone should take it upon themselves to do something. It may seem like an impossible to solve, but if everyone would work together, poverty would be lost and the third world would be a better place.

English leaving cert comprehension Essay

Write a personal essay in which you explore the storytelling evident in music and song and its impact on you as a listener. Music; The art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. There are many things in the world that I am mildly passionate about, including sports such as golf and swimming, animals, family, friends and school. But there is only one thing that I am extremely passionate about and that is music. There is something about music and how it can have such a significant effect on my everyday life. Music is something everyone hears at least once a day. Our world is filled by music. I have a great passion for music. It provides me with satisfaction that I don’t really find in other activities. Listening to it disconnects me from the outside world and releases some stresses in life. When I’m tense or when my other activities drain all my energy, I can just retire to my room, plug in my headphones and just listen to my favourite songs. I believe music has the ability to change any persons mood. It can be used to let out anger, sadness and happiness. The specific song I listen to can affect how I feel, it may make me cry, laugh, or even feel angry. Throughout history, people have used song to convey their messages. Songs are a powerful way to get your message across. They are our fears, our desires, our hopes, our dreams, our losses, our celebrations, our memories and our experiences. Each and every one of them are a story. The stories musicians tell and the themes that they communicate through music have a long lasting effect on the audience. Musicians and composers have the unique opportunity and responsibility to portray their stories that can empower and enable their listeners and fans to believe and relate to their own personal experiences. Take the National anthems for instance, singing ones National Anthem may it be in a stadium, hall or even at school has the absolute power to reinforce the feeling of pride and accomplishment of that nation. It has the ability to bond every single person of that nation together. When people are representing their country and singing their national anthem anyone can notice the power of emotion it bestows on them. National Anthems are a portrayal of a countries history and culture and it presents their ambitions for the future. To some extent, a songwriter can be seen as a storyteller, singing about their experiences or feelings. Most songs revolve around a certain theme, such as friendships, love, pain, etc. Each song tells a different story, love songs can either be about falling in love or breaking up. Rap is a powerful example of how storytelling can be evident in music and song. Rappers are famous for rapping about an event that has happened to them or something they feel strongly about. Marshall Bruce Mathers, known by his stage name Eminem world wide is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and rapper. Eminem bases the majority of his songs on his family, in particular his daughter Hailie, drug issues and legal troubles. One of Eminem’s songs that has the most effect on me his is song Mockingbird. I feel Eminem was referring to the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ where the mockingbird portrayed someone who is innocent but is a victim of circumstance and prejudice. In this song, Eminem’s daughter Hailie is the mockingbird as an innocent young girl, but she is unfortunately a victim because of the harsh circumstances surrounding the situation between her parents. Eminem blames himself for Hailies situation and he tries to comfort her telling her that he will always be there for her even when ‘mommys not there’. I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now But hey,  what daddy always tell you? Straighten up little soldier Stiffen up that upper lip What you crying about? You got me I feel that the words to this song hold a strong and emotional effect on me and I would presume that it would have the same effect to anyone else listening to it. Eminem is only one example of a particular artist that has a storytelling aspect in his songs that have an impact on me. I could name many more also, but I just want to end in saying I know music will always be important in my life because of how it has the power to change any mood.

Marie Ziegler of John Deere Essay

The characteristics of effective sustainable business leadership consist of having a vision of what the business is aiming to attain, seeing the value in the process and providing the leadership to attain the goal. The leadership starts with believing in yourself knowing that your capable of making your dreams come true. John Deere was born on February 7,1804 in Rutland, Vermont. In 1836 John Deere moved to Grand Detour, Illinois to escape from depressing business conditions he had in Vermont. Capable and hard working John Deere used his skills as a blacksmith were instantly in command. John Deere opened his shop in 1837 allowing him to operate as a general repairman as well as a manufacturer of small tools such as pitchforks and shovels. Using a broken saw blade Deere created a plow in the year of 1837. By 1841, Deere produced 100 plows annually. Two years later became an alliance with Leonard Andrus to fabricate more plows to increase demand purchasing a new land for the building of a new two-story factory alongside of the Rock River in Illinois. This factory produced about 400 plows in that same year. Regardless the success, Deere’s alliance with Andrus finished in 1848, when Deere moved to Moline, Illinois which offered advantages of water power, coal and cheaper transportation than to be found in Grand Detour. In 1850, approximately 1600 plows were made, and the company was soon producing other tools to complement its steel plow. In 1858, Deere transferred leadership of the company to his son, Charles, who served as its vice president. John Deere retained the title of president of the company, but now turned his attention to civic and political activities. John Deere was active in public life throughout his career in Moline. Among other roles, he was a founder and president of the National Bank of Moline, was an active member of the First Congregational Church, and served as the city’s mayor for two years. John Deere died on May 17, 1886, at his home in Moline. (â€Å"Past Leaders â€Å", 2014). After the death of John Deere the company was producing a collection of farm tools in addition to plows, plus wagons, corn planters, and cultivators. At the same time the company expanded into the bicycle business during the 1890’s, but the essential focus stayed on agricultural imp lements. Increased  competition during the early 1900s from the new International Harvester Company led the company to expand its offerings in the implement business, but it was the production of gasoline tractors which would come to define Deere & Company’s operations during the twentieth century. After Charles Deere death in 1907, William Butterworth Deere & Company new president started the business expansion into the tractor business. During the years John Deere has been increasing profits as well as production becoming one of the best equipments for farming. According to â€Å"Past Leaders † (2014), (Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land – those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality, built on a tradition of integrity). As of 2014, Deere & Company employs approximately 67,000 people in 27 countries worldwide, including the United States, Australia, Turkey, Canada, United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, Poland, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco and South Africa, among many others and is the greatest agriculture machinery company in the world. Inside the United States, the company’s primary locations are its administrative center in Moline, Illinois and manufacturing factories in central and southeastern United States. (â€Å"John Deere†, 2014). Marie Z. Ziegler is Vice President and Treasurer for Deere & Company, a position she’s held since November 2010. Ziegler is responsible for the company’s worldwide treasury and investor relations activities. Ziegler joined Deere & Company in 1978 as a consolidation accountant and has held management positions in finance, treasury operations, strategic planning and investor and banking relations. She served as Director of Investor Relations, and in May 2001, was appointed Vice President, Investor Relations for Deere & Company. (â€Å"John Deere†, 2014). The John Deere portfolio of businesses is varied, yet interrelated. Two of our businesses – Agricultural and Construction equipment – are in an excellent position to take advantage of global growth. Two additional  businesses – Turf and Forestry equipment – support and enhance worldwide channel development. And additional supporting businesses – Financial Services, Power Systems, Parts Services, and the Intelligent Solutions Group – strengthen and differentiate our equipment businesses. Strategy. (2014). The key for John Deere success is having exceptional operating performance, disciplined SVA growth, and aligned high-performance teamwork. These factors direct success for this company as they are important for the future of John Deere as they leverage and create core strengths.. John Deere future successes will require more people working for them. For that reason, they are creating strength in four additional capabilities: Deep Customer Understanding, Delivering Customer Value, World-class Distribution System, and Growing Extraordinary Global Talent. These additional success factors are critical in order to achieve sustainable SVA growth through global growth. Shareholder Value Added (SVA) – the difference between operating profit and pretax cost of capital – is a metric used by John Deere to evaluate business results and measure sustainable performance. Why Invest. (2014). John Deere tracks their progress as they follow their growth goals by monitoring Performance metrics and Health metrics. Performance metrics is the traditional financial measures based on what they deliver to their stakeholders. Health metrics is based on the company’s success factors such as their qualities, attributes, and actions being introduced to ensure the sustainability of our performance over time. Measures of Success.(2014). The â€Å"How† is represented by John Deere core values of Integrity, Quality, Commitment, and Innovation. Customers can see the value of the products and processes. People recognize how John Deere manage an every day business, including the manner of how employees, customers,suppliers, dealers, and stakeholders are taken care of. John Deere core values define them as they come together and distinguish from competitors. John Deere commitment to these core values is optional, and never waivers. Core values.(2014).

Heathrow: Terminal 5

Terminal 5 Heathrow London London Heathrow Terminal 5 Project Scope The plans for this project began as far back as 1982, where there was an on-going debate as to whether the aviation industry in the United Kingdom should expand through Heathrow Airport or Stansted Airport. The objective of the operation was to add a fifth passenger terminal to Heathrow to handle the tourism coming into London, also with the intentions of increasing the capacity of Heathrow Airport from 65 million people per year to 97 million people per year. Plans for the building of Terminal 5 began in 1988.The project was given a budget of under ? 4. 5 billion. The main stakeholders in this operation were Willy Walsh (CEO of British Airways at the time), and Tony Douglas (CEO of BAA at the time). Terminal Five was going to be made using the latest technology in order to make the airport experience much easier for the public, and also to keep up with the leading airports in the world. The public were originally ve ry strongly opposing the plans, with local people and local councils claiming it would cause more noise pollution, air pollution and traffic congestion in their area.The first design milestone for this project came in the late 1980's when architect Richard Rogers of ‘Richard Rogers Partnership Architecture Firm' was appointed with the task of designing the structure. British Airports Authority (BAA) officially announced a proposal to expand through building Terminal 5 at Heathrow in May of 1992. Terminal 5 had to fulfil a number of needs as an airport terminal, such as retail facilities, rail terminal, multi-storey car park, production lines etc. Project PlanThe development of Terminal 5 was an extremely time-consuming journey which started in the late 1980's when Richard Rogers Partnership was appointed with the task of designing the terminal. Planning applications were submitted in 1993, and a public enquiry was held from 1995 to 1999 to examine the every need of this new te rminal, and every aspect of the design of the structure that was about to be introduced. Eight years after the initial planning application, the transport minister had made the decision to grant planning permission on behalf of the British government.It was the longest public enquiry in UK history with legal costs reaching 80m pounds and contained over 700 building conditions. At the time Terminal 5 was the largest construction project in Europe and cost a staggering 4. 2bn. Phase one of the project included many systems of systems; it contains two main terminal satellites, car parks with over 4,000 spaces, major tunnelling and excavations, underground bagging system, road rail extensions, air traffic control tower, a hotel containing 600 bedrooms, 60 aircraft stands, as well as transit systems.The British Airports Authority felt they had to upgrade their airport to keep in competition with other main hub airports. Construction of the project went underway in the Summer of 2002 and was originally a five year plan. Five key stages were identified in the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5: * Site Preparation & Enabling Works * Ground Works * Major Structures * Fit Out Site Preparation and Enabling Works A major archaeology excavation took place on the Terminal 5 site, where there were over 80,000 artefacts found during the excavation.Also operations such as levelling the site, laying foundations, extensive tunnelling to cater for the large underground baggage and railway system that was to be put in place for the airport. Groundworks March 2005 also saw the completion of developed road infrastructure (internal airside roads). A new spur road off the M25 was also completed and opened in April 2008 in order to improve access to the terminal. Underground railroad tunnel connections between Heathrow express and Terminal 5 were finally completed in September 2004 after four and half months of tunnelling.Terminal 5 has six platforms, two of which are used for London Underground Piccadilly extension, two for the Heathrow express and the remaining two for additional extensions. The railway service was completed in March 2008. Major Structures Two satellite terminals were built to cater for 30 million extra passengers per year. Phase 1 of building these structures would account for 27 million passengers then a further 3 million on completion of Phase 2. Phase 2 was the further construction of a second satellite terminal neighbouring to the original Terminal 5 structure and was completed in June 2005.March 2005 was a pivotal point in the construction of Terminal 5; the air traffic control tower was fully erected and stood 87 meters tall, which makes it one of the largest in Europe. Fit Out Key elements of the fit out comprise of specific electronic systems. These electronic systems involve new check-in technology. It uses a face recognition system on arrival to reduce waiting time for boarding passengers. The service also includes the Rapid Transit System, which is a personal people mover carriage which links people from the car park to the main Terminal 5 building.It was completed in April 2011 and then opened to the public in September 2011. The baggage handling system is the largest of its kind in Europe and it has two main integrated systems; fast track and main baggage sorter. The systems were designed to handle more than 70,000 bags per day. Working Breakdown Structure Risks Capital Issues Many factors had to be taken into account upon undertaking the Heathrow Terminal 5 build. This at the time was Europe’s largest construction project in its history and was also the British Airport Authority (BAA) largest and most expensive project undertaken.This project would tie up much of BAA’s working capital (4. 3 Billion). Taking up all off this was a huge risk for BAA as any major cost overruns would severely break the budget and would lead to huge exposure to BAA as a company itself rendering them out of money an d needing extra finance. To overcome this BAA set out a new no blame culture Construction Risks The construction site of the Terminal posed huge risks to the project as it was determined the site would be built on an area of wetlands west of the original airport.The site was previously occupied by a sewage works and these wetlands had two main rivers running through them which would need to be relocated in order for any construction to go ahead. The two rivers – The Longford River and The Duke of Northumberland River. BAA came up with a twin Rivers Diversion Scheme to re route these rivers operating under strict time constraints established from the inquiry. The scheme achieved a Civil Engineering Environmental Quality (CEEQUAL) award for maintaining high environmental standards and quality during design and construction.Constraint Issues Being the largest free standing building ever to be built in Europe coupled with the fact that Heathrow had to be fully operational through out the construction project special cranes had to be custom built in order to erect the building while not interfering with air space and possibly causing havoc amongst the airport. Many constraints were also put on the builders, workers and architects of the project from the lengthy inquiry – one of the main issues being that only one access road would be allowed to service the site.This forced BAA to create and off site set up area where the pre fabrication was done for the project and then brought on site when needed. Costs We as a group believe that this project was extremely good value for money although it came in over budget by over â‚ ¬200. T2 received 3 accolades for its structure and design and scored exceptional high in areas of efficiency, cost, aesthetics and innovation. It has won these awards for its smooth operation’s during construction.Terminal 2 was over budget because it was seen as an investment for decades to come rather than a quick solution for an outdated airport. Terminal 2 was a key infrastructural venture, tourism decimated since the onset of the recession and that has had a significant impact on footfall at Dublin Airport. With its new technologies it lays the path for future prosperity and growth within the Irish tourism sector. We believe that the planning of the budget was the problem here and not enough consideration was taken into account about unforeseen circumstances – leading to the budget being hugely unrealistic.The Enabling works along with site logistics & phasing was originally budgeted at â‚ ¬5,925,000 but final cost turned out to be â‚ ¬9,135,000. The works & logistics involved diversion of utility services and the unplanned extensive reconstruction of Corbalis House a post medieval house dating back to the pre 1700’s. REFERENCE Upon reaching our judgement that T2 was a construction success we referred back to and compared Heathrow’s T5. DAA managed to build and Internatio nal Terminal with a final cost of â‚ ¬609 whereas it took BAA â‚ ¬4. Billion to service only double the amount of yearly passengers as Dublins T2. Below are some other stark comparisons where we believe T2 was a massive success as they managed to spend 7 x times less than BAA’s T5. ————————————————- | ————————————————- BAA T5| ————————————————- DAA T2| ————————————————- FINAL COST| ————————————————- â‚ ¬5. 3 BILLION| ————————————————- â‚ ¬609 MILLION| ———————————————— PASSENGERS PER ANNUM| ————————————————- 30 MILLION| ————————————————- 15 MILLION| ————————————————- SQ METRES| ————————————————- 350,000| ————————————————- 75 ,000| ————————————————- CONSTRUCTION LENGTH| ————————————————- 6 YEARS| ————————————————- 3 YEARS| ———————————————— NO. RETAIL OUTLETS| ————————————————- 112| ————————————————- 40| Terminal 2 Terminal 2 as a project in our group’s opinion was value for money, even though it came in at 200 million over budget it has r eceived 3 accolades for its structure and design and scored exceptional high in areas of efficiency, cost, aesthetics and innovation. It has won these awards for its smooth operation’s during construction. Terminal 2 was over budget because . t was seen as an investment for decades to come rather than a quick solution for an outdated airport. Terminal 2 was a key infrastructural venture, tourism decimated since the onset of the recession and that has had a significant impact on footfall at Dublin Airport. , with its new technologies it lays the path for future prosperity and growth within the Irish tourism sector. Bibliography * http://centrim. mis. brighton. ac. uk/research/projects/t5 * http://www. economist. com/node/4300209 * http://www. hacan. org. uk/resources/briefings/hacan. briefing. heathrow_terminal_5. pdf

Emily Dickinson’s “A Certain Slant of Light” Analysis Essay Essay

In her poem, There’s a certain Slant of light, Emily Dickinson uses metaphors and imagery to convey the feeling of solemnity and despair at winter’s twilight. The slanted light that she sees, is a metaphor for her battle with depression. Anyone who is familiar with Dickinson’s background will have a better understanding of what she is trying to say in this poem. Dickinson was known as a recluse and spent most of her life isolated from the outside world. The few people that she did come in contact with over the years are said to have had a major impact on her poetry. Although, her main muse of her work seems to be despair and internal conflict. What’s interesting about the poem is that Dickinson uses metaphors to describe depression, as well as religion. It is clear that the poet intends to highlight the light in the afternoon with its heaviness and solemnity. The time of year that the poet is describing is winter, while the time of day is twilight, or the afternoon, as said in the poem. Often times, and how I’ve interpreted it, the season, plus the time of day can be considered a metaphor for death. In Dickinson’s, There’s a certain Slant of light, she used a metered rhyming scheme that follows the pattern of ABCB. Since the poem uses rhyming, it’s closed form. There are four stanzas that almost have a hymn-like rhythm. It’s unclear if that was intentional or not due the religious metaphors within the stanzas. Dickinson used trochaic and iambic meters through out the poem. She also used stressed and unstressed syllables. The opening line of the poem, states the title and at the same time, introduces what the poem is essentially about. The poet goes on to say that the winter light, which slants in through the windows, weighs upon the speakers soul like â€Å"the Heft of Cathedral tunes.† Organs, with their multiple pipes, strike ears and fill Cathedrals with a sound that often leaves you with a feeling of unwelcome solemnity and grandiosity. This can leave listeners with an overwhelming feeling that lays heavy in their being. The image of winter, as well as the organ music, adds gloom to the poem. There’s a sense of anguish that the speaker is feeling and you believe that a certain slant of light might connote hope, but not even sunshine on a winter afternoon could bring happiness into the speaker’s life. Winter itself is a symbol of death and decay, opposed to summer, which is characterized by sunshine and joy. Like the Cathedral tunes, the light reminds her of desolation. The feeling of despair is transported into an auditory feeling, which is where the organs come in. The word â€Å"heft† has two meanings, weight and significance. It can refer to the cathedral tunes, and also the speaker being weighed down by despair. In the second stanza, the light oppresses her soul; it gives her a â€Å"Heavenly Hurt.† The experience of slanted light is a metaphor for ideas and how it feels to experience depression. This kind of heavenly hurt leaves no scar behind, but it creates an internal difference that brings a change in demeanor. The phrase â€Å"Heavenly Hurt† brings together a feeling of elation and the reality of what the speaker is feeling. The alliteration of this phrase is used as an emphasis. In the third stanza, the first two lines are, â€Å"None may teach it – Any – ‘Tis the Seal Despair -† This is saying that no one is able to teach us what death feels like. We can prepare for it, in the sense of what we believe will come after, but the actual physical and mental feeling is unknown. Death is very unpredictable in the way that we don’t know how our lives will end, but it’s on everyone’s mind. In the line, An imperial affliction, Sent us of the Air – (11-12) the speaker has made a connection with the winter light, the â€Å"Heavenly Hurt†, and the feeling of internal difference and despair. In Dickinson’s poem, an imperial affliction is a metaphor for an all-encompassing despair that comes from the air. Whenever we have a strong emotion, like happiness, we tend to see the world around us in a brighter light and over all it makes us feel joyful. If we’re feeling down, like the speaker of this poe m, we see the world as how we feel inside; things look unpleasant, and grey and dismal. We’re unable to see a ray of hope that is coming through the window in the form of sunshine. In the fourth stanza, when death, or â€Å"it† as the speaker calls it, comes everything listens. When someone dies, those still on this earth sometimes experience stillness in nature, as if the world is on hold and listening to us. In Dickinson’s poem the stillness comes from the slant of light, and the landscape and shadows listen and figuratively hold their breath. The landscape and shadows are personified in this stanza. The capitalization of â€Å"Landscape† and â€Å"Shadows† gives the impression that the speaker is referring to someone she knows. The mood here changes quite a bit compared to the first three stanzas of this poem. You get a sense of anticipation instead of despair, and the oppression that the speaker has felt has lifted and now she’s feeling light and maybe some what alluring. In the final two lines of the poem, the poet uses sort of a morbid imagery. â€Å"When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance, On the look of Death.† (15-16) Dead people have a distant look to them since the life in their being is gone somewhere else. We also see the exit of winter light at the end of the day in the same distant way we might see some deaths. Death is mysterious to those on earth, just as the sunset in the heart of winter is. The day is blanketed in shadows due to the sun’s proximity to earth during this season, and as it sets, it’s a gradual process, that sometimes leaves the world at a standstill, much like death. The dash at the end serves as emphasis that a period wouldn’t leave behind. As readers, we’re left with no definitive answers in regards to the light or the speaker’s internal despair. Dickinson almost made this intentional in a way that the reader might feel an equal despair or oppression at the outcome of the poem, or the â€Å"light† might leave us with a feeling of enlightenment and hope. At the end of this poem, we’re left with a feeling of despair, that Dickinson almost made intentional in order for the reader to better understand how the speaker feels as the light breaks through the windows on winter afternoons. Emily Dickinson’s use of imagery and metaphors highlights her battle with depression and isolation. There’s a certain Slant of light (about 1861) Emily Dickinson There’s a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons – That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes – Heavenly Hurt, it gives us – We can find no scar, But internal Difference, Where the Meanings, are – None may teach it – Any – ‘Tis the Seal Dispair – An imperial affliction Sent us of the Air – When it comes, the Landscape listens – Shadows – hold their breath – When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance On the look of Death – Works Cited Page Kennedy, X. J.. An introduction to poetry. Boston: Little, Brown, 1966. Print.