Creative Writing: Continue the Story of “The Other Time” by Peter Appleton

Creative Writing : The Journalist’s visit Continue the story (The other time, by Peter Appleton) †¦ â€Å"Yes. † she answered blankly. At first sight, the man standing in front of her wasn’t impressive, nor a surprise. â€Å"Hum, yes uhm, my name is Scoop, Scoop Appleton. And, uhm, I am here as a journalist from the Sunday Blare. You see, we find your†¦ story†¦ very intriguing, interesting. I am sure you have had other people come and ask you for details, but we are extremely serious in this relevant loss and we know that for you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What. That it’s horrible for me? That I should want to kill the judges? That I should want fight my sadness by shouting injustice?! Look. Talking drama will not change a thing. Your offer does not interest me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She said this staying calm and not caring but still with an incredible force in her voice. Scoop was still under shock of her beauty and character. He only managed to get a few words working their way out of his mind. â€Å"Yes I understand, but I am sure our offer will cover the emotional difficulty this would imply†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Paul is dead. That’s basically it. Your money will not get him back, and I don’t see how your article will be beneficial for me or change other’s point of view. † â€Å"It must be hard to be like this on your own now. We can help you to have an easier time. We know that it is during mourning that people need some help, support. And we can give you that. We think people need to know the truth, the injustice here. This might change everything! All we want is your story† â€Å"We surely have never been rich, and now I need money more than ever. But I am not interested in your money. † She said firmly. Surely she has her principles, Scoop thought, but her loss must be raging inside her. â€Å"We understand. We know it must be hard for you. But we are not looking for problems. We think you are an intelligent woman who has the right to be heard. I’m sure your husband was a good man, and your life must have been lovely in your lovely home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He could see from where he was standing that the furniture inside was neat and classical. No particular style elements, just a random English house like any, maybe even neater than the rest. â€Å"Let’s not stay standing here if you’re planning to talk a lot. She suddenly added, interrupting him in his maybe-too-obvious peaking. Scoop, shaken up by the surprising invitation calmly followed her. He could hear that behind the hard side she was showing, there was maybe a desperate need to talk, to have a human contact. He tried to grasp as many details as he could, walking towards the lounge area. â€Å"Sit here, Ià ¢â‚¬â„¢ll make some tea† She said calmly, walking to the little kitchen bloc. There was nearly a friendly tone in her voice. But Scoop tried to stay in his professional attitude, even if he seemed more clumsy than at ease. Sitting down, he noticed how this sitting chair had used fabric. This must be someone’s chair. Maybe it was her husband’s. He could picture the man sitting here, resting after a hard day of work, while she would be making dinner for her love. The few words she had said about her husband had made it clear to Scoop that she loves him, that he had been a good husband. There seemed to be a special light coming in the house. A warm, orangy light, giving a cozy home feeling. But also a feeling like the one you get when you’re in your grandparent’s old home, after they have left the world. A feeling of silent memories, of peace but also of emptiness. â€Å"Mrs. Rhiannon. It’s important that you understand that we do not seek for drama. We don’t want do abuse your story or your name in any way. We just consider your loss as a relevant tragedy and want to understand at best what kind of man your husband was. † â€Å"Yes. Surely I understand Mr. Appleton† she said, sitting down with two cups of tea in the opposite chair. Scoop was surprised she had remembered his name. â€Å"But you see, I don’t want any more fuss. Some things will just remain as they are. My man was a good man. I have learnt a lot from him. And one thing his personality has taught me is that there’s no need to do something un-useful. And I think causing another stir will only make me and you loose credibility and respect. I am sad, but I don’t want anger words to be shown as my story. He was a good man, we had plans, we had a future. But things happened and now it’s all changed. And I’ll just have to adapt. † â€Å"But telling your story will make people reconsider the trial. Maybe this could change the country’s legal system and stop injustice from happening! â€Å"I don’t think there is a problem in our legal system. I don’t think we will make anything better by showing a picture of me looking at his picture and tell how devastated I am now. One of the only things I still have is my pride. And as a principle, drama would not make me or my husband proud of myself. † â€Å"Ok, I understand Mrs. Evans. â⠂¬  He noticed the way she looked at her husband’s picture hanging on top of the chimney. It was like he was still there to watch her. Everything in the room was tidy and clean. She must have made time pass by cleaning up everything. He could see though that there was an unusually big pile of papers on the corner of the desk behind her seat. Maybe she had been busy organizing some things, a job or maybe a closer investigation on the case†¦ â€Å"I was wondering Mrs. Evans, if you don’t mind telling. How has it been for you since, uhm, since Mr. Evans’ uhm, departure. Do you know what really happened? Why there was a fight? † â€Å"I have to say, I have mostly stayed here since. I don’t like the way people look at me now. They think my husband was a violent psychopath. But I don’t blame them, they didn’t know him and they don’t know what happened, but nor do I really. I think it’s all in the past and that I should start moving forward now. When I’ll start my new job things will get going again. † Scoop could feel this was coming to an end. He wasn’t going to hear much more. But he still had so many questions. And his boss would hate him to not get a story back. â€Å"So, thank you for the offer, but no matter what amount of money, I just don’t want a story about me. Thank you for coming by. † â€Å"It was a pleasure Mrs. † He said standing up. He had been so attentive for every little detail that he hadn’t even touched his cup of tea. When she took the cups back to the kitchen, he saw that there was a distinctive ring mark on her annular but no ring to be seen. â€Å"I don’t mean to be intrusive Mrs. Evans, but what have you decided to do with your wedding ring? I can see you took it off†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Uhm, that was when I was washing the dishes. Yes. Uhm. And then you rang at my door. So uhm, yes. † He could see how uncomfortable she suddenly was. Maybe she had had to sell it to get some living money. It must be a sensitive subject anyway. â€Å"Oh yes of course. Thank you again for letting me in. But you know that if any time you change your mind, we are the first you can trust! † â€Å"Right, right. † She said with the same not blank but not curious tone she had when she opened the door. Clearly talking in the entrance made her somewhat emotion-less. She still had some suspicions about the press, Scoop thought. Suddenly his eyes caught something on his way out. Above the mantel, hanging on the wall in the hall, there was a tiny gold box with blue velvet inside and a gold, shiny medal. He turned around to ask her while pointing at the shiny thing. â€Å"What is this beautiful metal? Did you win it? Was it your husband’s? What did he get it for? † He asked, maybe with a little too much enthusiasm. â€Å"Oh that. They pinned that on him the other time he killed a man. † Scoop was speechless. She walked him to the door, said another goodbye and closed it. For her he had been quite a revelation. He wasn’t so talky and intrusive as the others. And he left her space to be human, not just a drama storyteller. Now she wasn’t going to tell anything, but she could see he had an eye for detail, unlike some others. She’d have to keep the story well hidden to not get any more fuss. And she’d start by taking of the medal. The one reminder for how things had started to go bad for Paul. He was too nice to kill when he left. And war had made him go very far away from who he used to be. If only he was still sitting on his chair, as he used to. He was still walking at the same speed to his car, and just couldn’t stop wondering, how much there is behind this whole story. He was now very intrigued. The intelligent irony, the pride, the strength of the beautiful queen had fully fascinated him. He felt a sudden need to find more about her. She looked strict but still so naturally smashing. He could see she was trying to hide she was having a hard time accepting the death. By keeping the photos, the seats, the medal exactly as it was before, she has to face it each day, alone. As if she was waiting for him to come back. But she knew. Her eyes, as beautiful as they were had been crying and her ring had been taken off. And there was her intelligence, her rationality that had stroked him too. She knew what was best to do. That’s why she hadn’t accepted their offer. He was now sitting in his car, looking at the house. He would have to go soon, he knew she’d watch him leave. But something was just making him stay, he felt the need to wait a bit, as if waking up fro a dream. The house was simple but very tidy, she took good care of it. But she must be feeling lonely, vulnerable, with no family, no surroundings and no people to be there for her, even though she seemed so loving. The love with her husband must have been strong, from her reaction in court. But Scoop was thinking there must have been something he or she was hiding. A good man wouldn’t suddenly have killed another because of alcohol, he had fought for our country! But maybe that was the problem. Maybe killing men there had changed his way of living, being, seeing things and people†¦ But this will be something for which he’ll have to dig deep to find the answer. Will she one day change, get on with her life, tell her story? How is she going to live? She seems so out of this world. Her beauty, her strength, her voice,†¦ so surnatural and oh so enchanting! He could see the lace curtains move up, it was time for him to leave. He didn’t want to scare her forever. She might always cal back. One thing for sure is that there was a lot more to find out about Mr. Evans. M. P.

Sunset on a Beach

The sun peaked through the horizon, if saying a final goodbye to this California beach bed. Before leaving she gave me a gift of pure peace and serenity. Holding my eyes prisoner to the heavenly sight she put in front of me. While my feet were held into the grainy sand in desperate need of warmth and the smell of salt invading my nostrils. The beach is warm, with a captivating view, and has pure peace. The beach is where my problems and stressed are released, where nothing goes wrong, it all just fades away along with the sunset.The struggle to open ten pound eyelids after a nap leaving you drooling and wanting more especially for what feels like the worst day is the worst possible feeling, and to the most irritating ringing noise makes it even harder. Once you remember the reason for this makes you eager to wake up quicker than realizing you have five minutes to get to school, and school is a fifteen minute drive. Stepping out of the bed to feel the unforgiving wood under my feet, t ip toing as if waling on ice, my body soon got used to floor. In search of a black and white bikini this room has become the aftermath of a tornado.In the middle of the disaster something sticks out at the corner and see there lies the bikini. Attempting to rush out of the house the clock tells there is still enough time till sunset. Throwing on shorts over the bikini and a black hoodie, trying to balance an apple in my mouth with keys entwined with my fingers, and hopping on one foot trying to force a shoe onto the wrong foot. Finally, making it to the car and putting the keys in the ignitions the car roars to life, beginning the ten minute drive down Sunset Blvd.  which is quick.A smile begins to erupt my face when the view of the ocean is seen, then pulling up to the perfect parking spot in view of the ocean. The chaos and failures of today begin to fade and the peace begins. Getting out of the car the sun’s rays instantly hits my eyes indicating she is getting ready to leave. Looking on the phone it reads six-thirty, the sunsets today at six forty-eight, having almost only thirty minutes before she goes to enjoy alone to have with her.Taking off my shoes so sand will have no chance at irritating my feet later, the warm beady sand gets in-between my toes sending them cozy vibration, along with the smell of the sea invading my nostrils. Walking in search for a seat, my eyes spot children running alongside each other playing and building castles, while couples stroll along the waves that invade their toes every eight seconds. While walking you can see their footprints imprinted into the sand temporarily before being taken back by the ocean. Laying a plaid red blanket so sand will not creep into my clothes, my body collapse onto the sand.Pulling my knees to my chest and laying my head onto my knees and begin to let all the stress and negative energy flow gently with the wind capturing them like a dream catchier sending them off to be killed by the sun ’s rays. Closing my eyes envisioning at this moment the beach reminding me of a sweet grandmother, there is no need for speaking because she already seen and felt the pain from past experiences that mom and dad had forgotten. When you cry she gently wipes away and tells you stories from her past mistakes so you feel like someone understands and makes you laugh at her past altercations.When you have anger she shows you peace with a simple smile that warms the heart. Opening my eyes and hear again the beautiful sound of giggles coming from children running along the sand with the waves violating the shores, and seagull’s scavenger hunting for their next meal. Soon people begin to sit in their towels or blankets holding each other smiling and laughing, all comes to a halt when the sun begins to return to rise in her new home, but not before she leaves us all with a breathtaking view of her heart that holds us prisoner till she finally leaves.What seems like hours the stre et lights finally begin to flicker on, and that is when everyone begins to pack their belongings to leave yet another beautiful sunset at a California beach. Packing my belongings and taking one final glance of where once shined a light of pure passion and serenity, a smile again tugs on my lips to remember that feeling of getting a gift. A gift to which that is imprinted into my memory till my death bed. Putting my belongings in my car a thought pops in my head.That everyone has their place of peace where nothing can go wrong, where you can smile for no reason but for the memories that no camera could capture, and to unwind and surrender to a place of tranquility, for some it is home or their mind, but for me it is the beach. The atmosphere the beach has from the weather, the feeling, and the view is what draws one in like a melody. The weather ever so warm with a gentle breeze that blows hair like a blow dryer on cool. The feeling of pure peace and serenity, having a full body cle anse from all the negative energy.Then a view that can captivate any onlooker’s eyes, like an angel falling out of the heavens to disappear as if nothing happened. Putting instant memories with family and friends like a video tape in a VCR replaying the laughs and smiles. The beach can always leave you with a smile on anyone’s face no matter the stress or torment the dealt with that day. The beach is like a gift; something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present. It might not be in your hands but it can always be felt, and never seems to fail at satisfying.

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I still hear a screech suddenly exerted from the fancy convertible making an unceremonious turn, piercing the dusk, still fog of night. The periodic fear of tomorrow, dreading what society had in stall for me. A vision of â€Å"my world† was painted bit by bit, colour by colour and section by section; a world of drifting into the crystalline sea far beyond human sight. It shimmered into this blazing, crimson sunset that protrudes colours of red, white and tinted blue clashing and smashing, latticing over and over again, against one other only to produce an amalgamation of beautified hope and warmth, resulting in this augmentation of sanctity, safety and assurance. A world I longed to belong†¦ I always questioned myself, repeatedly over and over and over again about my identity, destiny and independence. Was it really necessary to do what I did? To precariously determine my own destiny, where life was to be lived unknowingly? To see my father tremulous and mother on her knees, with her hands drenched in tears. A sudden emotion of fear and regret struck my heart in its centre, but also a sigh of relief. I was suddenly brought back to reality by the roar of the motor. The consistency of ripples flowing causes my reflection to distort with the scaly and incandescent rays from the schools of fish and the sun’s protruding rays of warmth and somewhat, hope. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to relax and enjoy this free moment†¦ 1|Page Jason Chan Year 12 Ms. Sake However, I felt a drop of water plummet on the right side of my cheek. My heart froze for a micro -second, dreading to open my eyes as I assumed for the worst. I hear the deafening silence of the waves, on the brink of a complete halt in their tranquil motion. No longer did the extravagant light shower the crystal sea, nor did the birds flourish over the sky. Foul-coloured fluffs of clouds conquered the remaining essence of light the sky had to offer. Cataclysmic roars of thunder clashed in every direction, ringing my ear drums heavily like lava and debris suffocating the mountain sides. â€Å"My world† I belonged to flashed for one second and I saw the usual back gate with a pathway leading my innate mind to the cataleptic regret. It was then I compelled myself up knowing it was and is finality. I remember clearly tilting my head to the side, seeing the sun’s arms reaching through the minute openings of my curtains, greeting my face and mind, pondered with thoughts and feelings of beggaring description. My face heated up, my hands trembled, my fingers shook hysterically as I held the key to freedom, and a drop of water plummeted from the right side of my cheek onto the pure, hue labelled, â€Å"Father and Mother†. That final tear symbolised the very last essence of me, only to distribute out and smudge the ink. Nevertheless, I told myself my world is and always will be created by me, so I relieved myself of intense emotion and wiped my tears away, got my bag and strode with pride to my new world. The sight flashed again, bringing me to a world of catastrophe, as lightning collapsed from the sky as if Zeus had deliberately done so. My fear multiplied as fast as the rain drops fell. I felt a gush of aggravated wind fly past my hair at a ghastly speed. A continuation of heaviness impeded my stability as the turbulent sea rocked like an exacerbated avalanche. It was as if the glistening, crystal sea has become the enemy, the hardship, a hurdle to overcome – my world had become my enemy. I grasp the sides of my capsule with my sweat-bear hands, clenching in fear for my life. Spontaneously, words of my cataleptic regret begin surging in and out, left, right and centre of my mind†¦

Dreams as Narrative Pullers Essay Example for Free

Dreams as Narrative Pullers Essay Eminent film makers have used many of the unreciprocated phenomena’s of human life as a device to construct their quality narratives. Buddhaded Dasgupta’s use of dreams (rather than dreaming sequences) as a device to pull off his narratives need a special mention , for its holding power of the central premises and establishing lucid presentations, also making the distinction between manifestations and reality. An analysis of his placement of dreams to the central characters also gives us a picture of how effectively he uses it as a metaphor of emerging culture and human conditions as a whole. The present article is an exploration of how the diverse characters of Dasgupta’s films- ‘Mondo Meyer Upakhyan’ and ‘Kalpurush’ are loaded with pivotal dreams that force them to jump out of their existential problems, thereby acting as able narrative pullers. ( Sudheer S Salam, Lecturer, Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism , University of kerala) See more: how to start a narrative essay There are hundreds of studies on dreams and their purposes to mankind. While some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, many others believe that it is essential to dream for a proper mental, emotional and physical well being. Freud was fond of repeating that dreams provide a royal road to the unconscious activities of the mind. In his masterpiece, The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud makes consistent use of the metaphor of a journey. Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams suggested that dreams were a representation of unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations. According to Freud’s psychoanalytic view of personality, people are driven by aggressive and sexual instincts that are repressed from conscious awareness. While these thoughts are not consciously expressed, they find their way into our awareness via dreams. (Freud,2000) While this theory suggests that dreams are the result of internally generated signals, Hobson(1999) does not believe that dreams are meaningless. Instead, he suggests that dreaming is †¦our most creative conscious state, one in which the chaotic, spontaneous recombination of cognitive elements produces novel configurations of information: new ideas. While many or even most of these ideas may be nonsensical, if even a few of its fanciful products are truly useful, our dream time will not have been wasted† Ernest Hoffman, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Boston, Mass., suggests that a possible (though certainly not proven) function of a dream is to be weaving new material into the memory system in a way that both reduces emotional arousal and is adaptive in helping us cope with further trauma or stressful events.(Hartman, 2006) Though the discourse over the actuality of dreams is yet to find proper resolve, they are made use of and interpreted in multitude of ways in various art forms propagated by humans. Filmmakers use dreams as essential helping points in their narration of their plot. Narrative is such a way of comprehending space, time, and causality. Since in film there are at least two important frames of reference for understanding space, time, and causality, narrative in film is the principle by which data is converted from the frame of the screen into a diegesis a world that frames a particular story, or sequence of action, in that world; equally, it is the principle by which data is converted from story onto screen (Branigan, 1992) Dreams often can be used to mislead the audience by making them believe that some events are actually taking place but in reality are only dreams. The films often illustrates in dramatic fashion that our dream environments (composed of, say, buildings, natural scenes, or fantastical landscapes) are all creations of our brain, somehow. Some of these creations are as enchanting as a science fiction film by Lucas or as dramatic as a tragedy by Coppola. In our dream world, we do not consider such landscapes and other creations to be self-generated, though of course both the dream setting and the image of ourselves within the setting are fabricated by the same brain. Other components of the dream world, such as decisions, preferences, and action selection can be construed as self-generated. Aspects of these self-generated processes resemble those of waking life: Deciding which alley to run down when escaping a foe is a similar deliberation in a dream or in waking life. (Morsella, 2010) By expressing a life problem metaphorically, the dream impels the individual toward his goal (often an unsocial goal) with increased emotional power. For illustration, the writer interprets dreams of falling, flying, paralysis, examinations, and other common dreams. The dreamer, self-deceived, does not recognize the purpose of his own metaphor. When he does, dreams have no further danger for him. The more courageously and realistically one meets the problems of life, the less one dreams, but absence of dreams may also be due to lack of imagination (Alder, 1936) Many film makers around the world has used dreams as a device to pull on the narratives and built on it. Budhadeb DasGupta, one of the most renowned filmmaker of India is one who presents dreams as a narrative device to hold the movie and to ‘pull’ the narrative through a chain of events. His two recent surrealistic films ‘Mondo Meyer Upakyan’ (Life at the Throw of a Dice) and ‘Kaalpurush’(Memories in the mist) which also won the highest accolades of India, the National awards for best films, rightly exemplify how this technique can be wisely used by the filmmakers of caliber, extraordinary. In all of his films, the poetic notion of dream has a prominence, rarely if ever to be found in the political or social film. Every character are planted with a definite dream, much varied from their immediate materialistic circumstances, one which is quite difficult to attain, the struggle for which propel the entire plot to a more phantasmagoric finale. The moon landing to flare up child dreams ‘ Mondo meyer Upakhyan’(2002) tells about the fourteen year old Lati’s pursuit for liberation from a type of life that has been programmed for her by her mother Rajani, the mistress of unfashionable brothel. Rajani on the other hand is not wicked or ruthless as you expect of her. She is but is trying to give her daughter a better living status than that of any usual whore residing in the brothel. She locates a wealthy middle-aged man named Natabar Paladhi, who finds it the most lovable hobby to watch pornographic films in his own theatre. Paladhi is also hoping to take the adolescent Lati as his mistress, along with her mother in a house that has been built especially for her. The girl is but disgusted at the options of a life offered to her where she is remain as a plaything of a man who is more than four times her age. She is more focused on her own ambition of pursuing her education than to approve such an agreement. However, Rajani has already taken Lati out of her school as a first step in preparing her for the new career. But Lati tries to keep in contact with her learning exercises with the help of her young friend Shibu and the teacher Nagen whom she greatly admires. Her desperate attempts to learn, finally forces her to renounce a life of prostitution and to run away to Calcutta with her teacher who has been promoted to a school there. The most interesting aspect of the movie is its narrative technique where Lati’s story is narrated parallel to the man’s attempt to land on moon and finally her liberation from the village and the brothel is interestingly placed on the same day as the man’s first moon landing. In two of the subplots of the movie are three young prostitutes who are also seeking to break free from a profession that binds them in thraldom, and an infirm elderly couple who are forced to be on Ganesh’s Jeep (driver of Paladhi), travelling around hidden in its dickie to find a hospital. It is more than a poetic connotation to say that for Lati’s dreaming of being in Calcutta for pursuing her education from a distant, isolated village is more like what had been the dream of being in moon to Neil Armstrong and the entire mankind. It even seems further away and harder to get into Calcutta than the moon landing itself. Also depicted are the other moons to be reached for by the other characters on screen, such as the promotion in Calcutta to which the country School master is headed. Interestingly, in the entire film, the school teacher of Lati is shown always in a bicycle travelling across frames, but never is he shown teaching in some school. The three young prostitutes is the movie realize of their ‘ moons’ only in the finale of the narratives- the desire of ultimate freedom from exploitation where there is reciprocal love and wholesome satisfaction. The entire characters in the movie, except Lati and Rejani does not seem to have solid ideas of how to reach their moons (dreams) and the journey to it’s fulfilment is likely to be as subjected to probabilities and chances, as the elderly couple finally settle down in excitement and fulfilment with the play of ludo rather than looking for proper medication. They were traveling far and wide hiding in the jeep in the dreams of locating a distant hospital, the possibility of which is mentioned intermittently but never ever shown. But it seems that the entire travelling for days, the rarest of the things that may have happened in their life, has transformed them from ailing seniors at decrepitude to young minds who could even enjoy the childish games. Whether they are ultimately successful or not is of no interest; what matters is that they from their adverse conditions are human enough to dream and courageous enough to realize their fulfilment and their dreams in a Ludo board. The sphere of acquisitiveness and venality that is Rajani’s moon depends entirely on others for its attainment. It can be reached only if circumstance out of her dreams can change, but Lati’s journey to her moon is clearly determined. (Hood,2005) Perhaps Nadaber Paladi enriched in his world of fantasy and drowsiness is altogether unaware of his definite moon and so is comfortable, remaining in his cinema hall repeatedly dosing in front of the pornographic loop, which doesn’t in fact bore him even after repeated views, and in him the filmmaker suggests the possibilities of a subtle moon(dream) which goes satisfied with his repeated vision of the same stuff. Nevertheless, the capriciousness of the world in which Dasgupta has placed this young girl, Lati, is hardly minimized by the execution of her intention, for the most prominent determinant in this film is chance. Film advances the idea that maybe life does progress by chance as though it is determined by the throw of a dice. The importance of chance as a determinant in the life is determined in a number of ways, across all the characters in the movie. Mystic memories around an American dream Kalpurush’ is all about the life of Sumanto, a selfless and generous government servant, who eventually wins over the grim circumstances of his life. Belittled professionally and betrayed in his marriage and treated as a figure of ridicule by almost all he meets in life, Sumanto but make adjustments to life suprisingly different from the regular ones.(Mehta,2008) The movie opens in a tram at night with Sumanto and Ashwini seated on different chairs. And when the tram comes to a stop, Sumanto gets down followed by Ashwini down the deserted lanes of this para city. Ashwini begins to narrate the story where we understands that Sumanto is his son and that he has yet to tell him a lot. An element of suspense creeps in as the audience is left in doubt whether Ashwini is real or apparitional. The narrative, almost immediately, jump-cuts to a rugged village where Ashwini is seen talking to his wife Putul, under a leafless tree that has gathered the twilight grey. Ashwini tells her about his meeting with their son and asks about how she is keeping these days. Ashwini’s conversation with Putul gives us a feeling of dejavu: they seem to have met after a separation of a few days, or a few days, or may be a few months. The suspense deepens as the narrative leaps back to Sumanto’s routine life of a plain and honest Govt. employee married to a school teacher, Supriya -a visibly irritable lady without any respect for Sumanto, who she believes, epitomizes failure. She converses with her lover over the land phone, evenwhile Sumanto is in the vicinity. It is, however, not made clear whether she is aware of Sumanto’s presence or she underestimates him so much that she does not care whether he is in-the-know or ignorant of her extra-marital liaison. If honesty defines Sumanto’s basic nature, a loveless world around forces him into worshipping human bonds. He appears naà ¯ve and open up to his father Ashwini about how his eyes were up tears as he sees someone wiping the tears off the cheeks of someone else. Very submissive and docile, he almost makes a fool of himself as he admiringly gazes at a couple making love in the public park, and even surprises the television news reader whom he mets on street by asking him immature questions about the business of news reporting. Even when Supriya almost blandly tells him that he is not the father of his children, he hardly reacts and never let this information dwindle his love for the two kids. We are often made to think that Sumanto has already known about this information, which has no effect on his equation with them. Sumanto appear irritable and upright while he upset the hierarchy by not penning a favorable inspection report to support one of the business men. Making his unconventionality, a mode of rebellion, he with a greedy and cruel world around is shown with a penchant for connecting with love. This aspect of his character recalls the network of electric cables with which the film open, this network metaphorically signifies the importance of human bonding. The sequential convergence of two separate historically and personally relevant time periods of Sumanto and Ashwini also helps Dasgupta to reveal Sumanto’s and Ashwini’s behavioral pattern of anonymous affairs, emotional isolation, and inner chaos, paralleling their self-destructive behavior with the national crisis of identity, and cultural disconnection. There are two dreams that act as the primary determinants of the narrative routes of ‘Kalpurush’. The first is Supriya’s obsession with â€Å"America’ –a land to which her longing is so much intense that she hardly recognizes the routine bests available around her, including Sumanto or her kids. From the opening reels Supriya is obsessed with her impending two-month sojourn in the United States at her brother’s. And towards the end, Supriya is shown to have reached her dream winning a prize to be in her dreamland.(Mehta, 2008) The second dream is a fallen one, about Kusumpur, the imaginative land which Ashwini looks for all his life. Nobody knows the geographical location of this land, suggested as an impossible knowledge. Placing diametrically opposite to Supriya’s realization of her America, the Kusumpur(s) of the mind, appear as a Utopian destination which means different things to different people. As in Das Gupta’s earlier movie Uttara, where a group of illiterate, underfed, haggard old men embarks on a journey by foot to America, the land where nobody starves, here Kusumpur is Ashwini’s America, the land of overabundance, prosperity and nourishment. This highly politicized representation of America as the dreamland, the land of wish-fulfilment, projected so in every popular discourse of an average Indian has etched upon the collective unconscious of the masses, especially of the Third World. Therefore, Supriya, a mundane school teacher almost goes berserk as the invitation of his brother to spend a couple of months in the States. She urges Sumanto to buy her every possible Bengali book available on America. The titles available, to Sumanto’s astonishment, are countless, and underscore the authors’ sycophantic reverence for the country. While Supriya revels in the golden opportunity of flying to this dreamland, which also becomes her Kusumpur, the regional television channel airs news about America’s imperialistic designs almost unemotionally. Only once, does the newsreader lose control and intersperse the news with unspeakable abuses, giving expression to his anger directed to â€Å"butcherng† America. However, all this happens is Sumanto’s imagination/dream, the newsreader’s outrage actually a projection of his feeling. The ‘Other’ as hero Simple, concrete and pictorial images of the poet turned filmmaker in DasGupta, is affected with an economy of language. The presentation of image and idea bears meticulous attention to an appropriate relationship with form; and the piece has a clear integrity which accommodates the emotions as much as the intellect. (Hood, 2005) His Naxalite sympathizing and hope for a class –less equi focal world has created a notion of ‘distance’ in his films, with its ramifications of detachment, alienation and remoteness governed by a poetic perspective. This might be the reason for the formulation of a distanced ‘Other’ that is often the ultimate destination and hoped for in all his movies. Moving close to the setup of neo-sociopolitical and moral binaries America/ the rest of the world, city/country, cinema/other forms of popular art, dishonesty/honesty, so on and so forth, DasGupta’s films offer a lot of codes that stands apart for its placement of oppo sites. (Hood,2005) In ‘Mondo Meyer Upakhyan’, Calcutta with its immaculate freedom, wisdom and knowledge is set as a binary to the isolated brothel housing Lati and Rajani, with hardly any freedom or space for learning. And ultimately, the schoolmaster Nagen is destined to join the ‘other’ with the ever aspiring strong willed Lati, who seems like wrongly placed in the opposite part of the esteemed elements. Even as Neil Armstrong finally clinches his long chased moon, his one of the binary here is the jeep and its driver Ganesh who transverse through isolated unending landscapes, seeking to look for what is not to be found (this case, a hospital).The three young prostitutes, who long for an escape from their life of deceit and humiliation in the brothel is looking for an other possibility of a life without men.(Mehta, 2008) Honest and idealistic, with his root firm on a craggy village with its share of mythological ballads and myths, the protagonist of Kalpurush seldom shows any inclination to America, which his wife finds as the best of the world’s that she can accomplish. That’s enough reason to look upon him as the ‘Other’ . Another similar reference is of an ideal ‘Kusumpur’ a place long ago and far away, which beckons us when life’s complexities beckons us to return to nature’s solidities, the perfect other space than the couple’s, contrasting life . But by Ashwini’s mention about this place that cannot be travelled, DasGupta also cites that life is not that full and perfect, even in the most idealistic ‘Kusumpur ‘or in ‘America’. Dasgupta also travels an ‘Other’ in a typical Bengali folk art ‘Jatra’ with its share of heavy emotions, glittering costumes, and loud make-up, which for ms the central to the narrative of ‘Kalpurush , even while dealing through the most dazzling and powerful of the modern media – cinema. In both these movies the maverick filmmaker seems to have shown his affinity to deficient and entirely unattainable conundrums of our romantic social structures, that is the family. At the risk of generalization, it may be said that DasGupta’ attempts to establish counter-hegemony of the ‘Other’ of complete, well served families with the placement of incomplete fundamental social group in its settings through his films. In fact, DasGupta seems to be looking on for very prosaic conceptualization of ‘concept of lack’. This ‘lack’ is their in Mondo Meyer Upakhyan, as Lati is presented with a mother, but not a father. And Shibu, the child of washerman is presented with a father, but not a mother. Natabar Paladhi makes mention of his wife and family, but is never shown one. There is no reference to the family life of Ganesh or Nakul or Nagen. The old couple is rejected by their larger family and is left now in the mindset of venturing children. Similar is the fate of the inmates of the brothel, whose ‘lack’ is infuriated with every one night stands. In ‘Kaalpurush’, Sumanto is not dissatisfied or regretful with his fate of being alone with adopted children, after his wife walks out of his life. Supriya is more than happy to lead a life with avarice and materialism, even lonely, but in America. Putul and Ashwini’s women friend working with Jatra is also shown isolated and trauma- filled for their existance. Dr.Ashwini continues with his work after being left out of his wife and is attempted to be killed by his son, but in his later spiritual talks ,express his nostalgia for a life that he put an end to without knowing its value. And this remains the only point where Dasgupta constructs the values of form of their relationship more than the relationship itself. However, such an observation is also subject to debate. In the ultimate analysis, what one sees in a Dasgupta movies are welcome minimalism and ordinary individuals with mostly unattainable dreams, shorn of weird dramatization, so regular in Indian cinem a. References Adler, A.(1936) On the interpretation of dreams. Int. J. Indiv. Psychol., 2, 3-16. Branigan, Edward (1992): Narrative Comprehension and the Fiction Film. London: Routledge Ezequiel Morsella (2010), On the Film Inception: Observations about Dreams and in Dreams , Published on July 29, 2010 Freud,S.(1900) The Interpretation of Dreams, Hartman, E. (2006). Why do we dream? Scientific American. Hobson, J. A. (1999). Consciousness. New York: Scientific American Library. Hood, John.W, (2005) The Films of Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Delhi: Orient Longman. Mehta,Anita(2008), On Times that pass and men who live in them, Osian Cinemaya, Vol.1,No 3. Monaco, James(2007) How to read a film: the world of movies, media and multimedia, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Climate Change Problems For The Fiji Islands

Climate Change Problems For The Fiji Islands This paper explores the risks that climate change poses to the tourism development in Fiji islands. It shows the adverse effects of the changing climate and the dangers pose by the tourism activities and also pose a major hazard for the local people in the region. It also deals with the dangerous carbon emissions and CO2 effect on the landscape, food, water, energy. Key words: pacific, climate change, carbon and CO2 emissions. Introduction The pacific is the world`s largest ocean with a surface area of 175 million sq km and constitutes for 40% of the planet`s waters. Located in the tropical latitudes, it covers more than half the globe`s circumference. Temperature of the surface water in the western tropical regions is always more than 28 ÃÅ'Ã…  C over a depth of several hundred meters. This makes up the world`s storage of thermal energy for exchange with atmosphere. Here the interaction between atmosphere and ocean is most extreme and influences the climate not only regionally but planet-wide. The nations of the pacific are obscured human settlements absorbed in this vast fluid universe. The ocean is the most important factor controlling the environment and life. Hence any change in oceanic conditions and climatic changes are important for environment and life (Philander, 1990). The mean climate of a region is defined by the average conditions observed over 3 decades or more, considering all characteristics that makes weather felt by everyone and predicted by meteorologists. The main characteristics are temperature, wind conditions, atmospheric pressure, cloud cover and rainfall. The south pacific is bounded by an area of low pressure near the equator and high pressure around 30 S parallel. North-south pressure creates the regular winds in these two areas known as the south-east trades (Philander, 1990). Any change in earth`s climate has an impact on mankind, biodiversity, health and services provided by ecosystems worldwide. For adapting to such climate changes it is necessary to understand variation of climate, why and how the climate changes, and how it impacts the earth`s ecosystems. Climate mode is an important way of understanding climate variability, changes and impacts. Earth`s climate is changing and such changes tend to take place with different patterns which may be characterised by one or many modes of the climate systems (Philander, 1990). Fiji is the largest tourism destination in the south pacific but international arrivals are unstable over the last 5 years because of harmful events like political coup in Fiji in 2000, terrorist attacks in United States on 11th September 2001, the Bali attack in 2002, and severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Asia in 2003. Tourism is endangered to natural hazards and disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, flood, droughts, and cyclones. Climate change is an important characteristic in disaster management as it is likely to affect Fiji through sea level rise and storm surge, changing temperature and extreme weather events (Wilbanks, 2003). About 400,000 tourist visited Fiji in 2002 with an average length of stay of 8 days. While most visitors come for rest and relaxation linked to beach environments, current marketing campaigns aim to shift the image from pure beach promotion to a wider experience (Ministry of tourism-Fiji, 2003). The main aim of this journal paper is to analyse effects of climate change in Fiji islands and adapting and minimizing climate change by the tourist resorts. The reason for behind this is that surveys and interviews were undertaken resulting in many operators already prepared for climate related changes and adapt to potential impacts resulting in climate change. Method Tourism in Fiji is largely based on resorts therefore accommodation sector is prominent tourism sub-sector. Tourists spend most of their time at the resorts. For the above reasons it was appropriate to focus on this analysis of accommodation. Effects of climate change on tourism in Fiji Tourism operators are familiar with ecological factors like strong reefs and plain water crucial for tourism in Fiji. Operators were conscious of the climate change associated impacts like cyclones, the thrashing of coral reefs and flooding. Polluted water was related to mounting water temperature and climate change. Increasing sea levels were mentioned by three businesses, two of which lie in low lying Mamanuca Islands. Generally accommodation business had experienced at least one of the climate related impact. The most common impacts were erosion, water availability, and interruption of electricity. Many resorts were affected by cyclones resulting in coral bleaching and property harm (Short, 2004). Climate related impacts previously experienced Frequency out of 25 Comments by respondents Shore line/beach erosion 9 Banks on edge property/beach give way Reduced water availability 9 In recent droughts Interrupted supply chain 8 Power cuts Coral bleaching 8 Noticed by tourists, snorkelling affected Damage to property 5 From sea surge Sea level rise 3 Storm frequency and intensity 3 Maintenance of gardens (Short, 2004). Eight businesses said that they were not affected by any of the factors listed. There are five areas located in the Mamanuca Islands, which are relatively exposed to climate change due to the risk of cyclones, sea level rise, poor water quality, disappearing corals, and inadequate water availability. There is need of understanding of climate change problems and the managers do not share the problems faced by climate change (Short, 2004). Tourist accommodation uses large variety of energy resources with electrical energy created from hydropower or diesel generator being most important for energy use. Petrol and diesel is use for business vehicles and other purposes. Also liquefied petroleum gas is used by most businesses mostly for cooking, hot water and in laundry. Energy utilization and greenhouse gas emissions differ broadly for diverse businesses. The standard of accommodation and geographical location are the two factors that have major influence on energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions (Becken, 2002). Tourist accommodation in the Mamanuca Islands is around 2-3 times as  carbon-intensive as that in  Viti  Levu. The key cause for this is in electricity generation, which is to a great extent less  carbon-intensive in  Viti  Levu. Because of the high quantity of renewable energy sources (hydro and bagasse) compared with diesel production on islands with its natural inadequacy (about 65-70% of e nergy input is lost during the process of generation). Resorts on remote islands run more or less self-sufficiently, and hence have supplementary energy needs (e.g., sewage treatment, freezing rubbish). Transport energy utilization is also high given that not only do tourists have to be transported to and from the resort, but so also do food supplies, energy (diesel and gas), water and other devices required for operating the resort (Becken, 2002). The rough feasible estimate is obtained of energy use and carbon monoxide emissions related with tourism for the Fiji. The total number of visitor nights spent in Fiji was 2,891,295 in 2002 (Department of energy, 2003). 82% of visitor-nights were spent in hotels, 13% in backpacker/budget accommodation, and the remaining nights were being spent in motels, on boats or in other forms of commercial and non-commercial accommodation. Total energy used due to tourist accommodation was calculated at 1,078,373,475 MJ per annum which is equivalent to national energy use of 6.5%. in terms of carbon monoxide the accommodation industry emits 68,219 tonnes per annum.( Department of energy, 2003) Tourism in Fiji is extremely exposed to climate change related hazards such as cyclones, flooding and storms, sea level rise, erosion, transport and communication interruption, and momentarily less water availability. Another most important apprehension for the tourism industry is the deprivation of natural systems, such as coral reefs and forest ecosystems, further exasperated by climate change. Tourism businesses in common are affected in the form of physical damage from a  cyclone  or storm surge, erosion, and coral bleaching. In spite of the high risk linked with tourist facilities built on the waterfront, most new developments spotlight on coastal areas. Mangroves are been cut down in large scale who in turn acts like a protection against climate related changes (Jones, 2003). Tourist accommodation providers adapt to climatic conditions that may affect their business, and in doing so they are also prepared for impacts that may result from a changing climate. Typically, operators focus on relatively concrete and foreseeable high-risk impacts, such as cyclones and storm surges, for example by  cyclone-proofing their structures and erecting seawalls. A number of accommodation providers have insurance cover against cyclones and storm surges. Generally, it seems that the risk of accumulative impacts or more abstract impacts are less recognised and addressed. Pollution control, sewage treatment, and water management are examples of this. The vulnerability to extreme climate-related events can be reduced when climate change adaptation is integrated in the development process from the earliest stages (Jones, 2003). The exact location of the development and design such as building material, orientation, structures and landscaping helps in reducing the vulnerability. There is a opportunity to change tourism development in at destinations less vulnerable to climate change, with current attempts to diversifying Fiji`s tourism product in relation to ecotourism. New and unique tourism products can be developed in Fiji on high land areas using Japanese concept of shakkei (borrowed landscape), where hotel layout, garden landscaping and scenery are mixed together into an overall experience of ecosystem that is different from the typical beachfront (Ayala, 1995). A number of greenhouse gas moderation procedures are in place such as adapting generator sizes, switching off lights, energy efficient light bulbs and solar hot water. There is a huge potential for solar energy and wind-generated power especially on the Coral Coast, the Mamanuca Islands, and Sonasavu, these technologies are taken up slowly, inhibited by lack of knowledge, capital, capacity and government incentives. Often, the energy demand of a single tourist resort is too small to justify investment in a wind turbine. The policy focus and interests of resort operators in Fiji are development-driven, although there is a strong recognition of the concept of sustainable development. Climate change is mainly seen from the perspective of tourisms vulnerability and adaptation. Mitigation seems to be less pressing, although in the medium term increasing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., as a result of increasing tourist arrivals) could undermine Fijis credibility in international negotiatio ns on climate change. The above order of Government and industry priorities has to be recognised when trying to implement any climate-change-related measures (Ayala, 1995). Climate change can be mixed with sustainable development by identifying key problems and then linking those to climate change. In the case of Fiji tourism these major local problems are land use issues, old stock accommodation, lack of new capital and investment, limited air capacity, dependence on air travel, economic leakage, lack of unique selling point, environment degradation and political instability (Narayan, 2000). Environmental problems like pollution, deforestation and excessive use of resources are to be considered. Potential issues in addition to these problems are more likely to be funded by donor agencies, stakeholders and industry members (Hay et al., 2003). Recognizing co-benefits of climate change policies is as important as its effect, for example, heavy use of air conditioning leads to increase in greenhouse gas emissions or the relocation of sand adds to local environmental impacts. Future work would need to take into account technological and economic aspects, as well as the expected amount of reduced or increased greenhouse gas emissions (Dang et al., 2003). Energy is a major cost driver for the operation of a tourism accommodation business, especially when energy is derived from fossil fuels either for transport or electricity generation. The operation of diesel generators is costly, because of inefficiencies, transportation costs (diesel shipment), maintenance, and salaries for powerhouse staff. Thus, managers have an economic interest in keeping electricity consumption low. The crux with diesel generators, however, is that once a generator is purchased, the optimum range of electricity generation is determined at about 80% of the maximum performance. Mini hydropower schemes are less relevant for coastal resorts, but could be an option for tourism ventures operated in inland communities (referred to as ecotourism operators by the Fiji Ministry of Tourism and Visitor Bureau). The capital costs are very high, however, and consequently the uptake is minimal. The Department of Energy currently assesses potential sites for mini hydropower s chemes, and it is also exploring potential for geothermal electricity generation on Vanua Levu, the second largest island of Fiji. Wind energy is not widely used in Fiji, but the Coral Coast, Mamanuca Islands, and Sonasavu are promising locations for wind-powered generation. Wind energy systems are available at different scales, ranging from small 1-kW ones to 100-700  kW schemes (medium scale), or even larger ones (UNEP, 2003). Tourist resorts would need small- to medium-scale wind systems if they want to meet their whole electricity demand by wind power. Small islands are unlikely to erect wind turbines because of lack of space and noise pollution. Resorts on larger areas are in a better position to pursue wind energy. No renewable energy sources are currently seriously discussed for transport, although one resort looked into wind-driven boats, and there are explorations into replacing fossil fuel with bio-fuel, for example derived from  coconut  (copra) oil (Sopac, 2004). Steps to minimize the effect of climate change in Fiji Reforestation is the most important means of reducing climate change. Trees minimizes vulnerable nature of cyclones, improve microclimate and enhances landscapes which are used in tourism activities. Trees reduce carbon content in the air and are useful in adaptive measures like erosion control and watershed management. Forest protection and plantation should be done under adaption policies. Developing small scale technologies for wind and solar energy on the remote island would help reduce the dependency on imported fossil fuel and economic leakage (Dang et al., 2003). Adaptation Impact on mitigation Impact on environment Tree plantation Reduces net CO2 emissions through carbon sinks Benefits biodiversity, water management, soils Water conservation Reduces energy costs for supplying water Positive in areas where water is limited Renewable natural resources Reduces CO2 emissions Overall, less polluting than fossil fuels Natural building materials Small carbon footprint for locally produced materials Depends on sustainability of plantations Reducing water pollution Increased energy used for sewage treatment Positive for coral reefs and marine life Marine protection Neutral Positive for marine biodiversity Rain water collection Saves transport energy for supplying water Possibly interrupts the natural water cycle Guest education Neutral Increases awareness Setting back structures Neutral Positive when structures built away from beachfront Diversifying markets Positive if markets are eco-efficient Depends on environmental impacts of new markets Weather proofing tourist activities Depends on the type of activities Depends on the type of activities Water desalinisation High energy costs Takes pressure off freshwater resources Increasing beach conditioning Increases CO2 emissions Air pollution in case of diesel generation Beach nourishment Energy use for mining and transportation Disturbs eco systems Reducing beach erosion with sea walls Neutral Disturbs natural currents and cause erosion (Dang et al., 2003). There is no common strategy to address interactions between climate change and tourism in Fiji, nor is there a sector-wide industry association that could promote any climate-change-related initiatives. However, there are isolated examples among industry members that reveal a high understanding and advanced use of technology and management to address climatically unfavourable conditions. Those operators are also best prepared for increased risks resulting from climate change. Also, a number of operators engage in wider environmental management, energy conservation, and therefore climate change mitigation, although the greenhouse gas emission aspect is rarely the reason for the mitigating measures undertaken Overall, there is a need for tourism-specific information on what climate change is, how it will affect tourism, and what operators could do to adapt and mitigate. In the medium term it would also be important to include climate change in the curricula of tertiary education for students in the field of tourism, resource management engineering and architecture. Since the scope and costs for many adaptation and mitigation measures are largely determined by the design of tourist facilities, the incorporation of these aspects into architectural courses is particularly important. Alongside information and education initiatives, the Government could assist businesses in undertaking energy audits, facilitating the implementation of Environmental Management Systems (e.g., Green Globe 21), and providing incentives, for example for the uptake of renewable energy sources. Climate change could form part of a wider risk management plan for tourism. Such an initiative is currently being discussed between the Ministry of Tourism and the Disaster Management Office. A two-level approach could be possible, where guidelines are provided for tourism operators to develop their own risk or disaster management plan at the business level, while Government covers wider issues beyond individual businesses, such as tourism infrastructure and larger evacuation plans. The current attempt by the Fiji Visitor Bureau to diversify the product could be seen as part of national-level risk management, as they attempt to spread risk across different markets (e.g., event tourism, sport tourism, nature tourism) and seasons. Fewer initiatives exist to weather-proof tourism, as suggested for tourism in Phuket, Thailand (Raksakulthai, 2003). Another important step towards implementing a nation-wide risk management strategy for tourism and climate change would be the mapping of all tourism infrastructure, as well as the risk of various hazards in different locations. The Department of Environment in their climate change policy or the Ministry of Tourism in their risk management plan are best advised to pursue measures that offer win-win situations, namely for adaptation, mitigation, wider environmental management and development. Examples of such measures are reforestation, water conservation, and the use of renewable energy sources. It is recommended that the synergies between adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development be explored further and that the effects be quantified where possible; i.e., how much  carbon  can be saved as a result of a particular measure and what costs are involved. This is even more important given the lack of resources in Fiji, which requires maximising benefits from any implemented measure (Dang et al., 2003). Reducing the consumption of hot water for laundry and showers and reducing the water temperature are saving measures. Other energy use reductions measures in accommodation are lighting, including energy efficient light bulbs, sensor lighting in the garden, solar panel lights, and room keys used to operate lights inside the room. Although energy efficient bulbs are good option they are expensive and do not last long because of the fluctuating supply of power from generators. In the smaller islands the energy costs of shipping are higher, so the managers tend to increase the ship load with passengers on board with food, waste or water. One way of saving fuel is to minimize shipping trips. The increase in global mean temperature to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels is necessary to keep the risk of dangerous climate change at an acceptable level and to limit climate impacts. Temperatures increase certain level of atmospheric concentration. The results indicate that in order to have a good chance of limiting global average temperature in the long run to 2 degrees atmospheric concentration of all greenhouse gases needs to be stabilised. Intergovernmental policy on climate change i.e. IPCC indicates that keeping concentration in the range of 445-490 ppm requires global emissions to peak by 2015, and to fall by between 50-85% by 2050. Current trends would result in much higher concentrations and high risks of catastrophic climate change. The clean development mechanism means to make compliance with easier target commitments , the Kyoto Protocol allows using offset credits from emissions reduction projects in developing countries, under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Governments can propose and implement emissions reductions on a project-by-project basis under CDM. The resulting credits are bought by governments that are under emissions reduction obligations. Large projects categories are renewable energy mainly using hydropower instead of fossil fuels, reduction of methane emissions from landfills and coal mines, emissions from cement production, and destruction of potent industrial gases. There were over three thousand CDM projects underway in may 2008, which, is implemented and approved, would yield expected emissions reductions of 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide. The Asian Pacific region accounts for 80 per cent of the CDM credits that expected to be generated. The World Bank cites supply estimates of 1 .4 to 2.2 billion credits by 2012 Conclusions and recommendations Global concern over climate change impacts and risks has increased greatly in recent times, and climate change is recognised not only an environmental challenge but also an economic challenge. The Pacific region is home to the fast growing, large economies in the world and the dominant source of growth in greenhouse gas emissions. To limit and reduce emissions action is required in developing countries. There is large number of opportunities to reduce emissions but most of these are expensive and cannot be implemented unless policy settings change. More ambitious policies will be needed to turn emission trends around in developing and developed countries. The international dynamics are of the mutually reinforcing type: one country`s action depends on other countries doing their bit. The more countries commit to significant policies, the easier it will become to draw others in. In contrast, if some countries refuse to take part in collective action, others will also refuse to do so. A n effective response to global climate change will need to involve bilateral deal or multilateral agreement. Large and medium sized economies will need to be a part of it. For an agreement to succeed, the door must be kept wide open for developing countries to engage fully in policies, with the support of high income countries. Climate change analysts predict that within the coming decades, sea level will rise gradually. So the affecting nation might have begun identifying the effects of climate change on tourism activities and overall people living in that region. Small islands are at risk to adapt to the adverse affects of climate change because of high costs as well as benefits. Not only just people but unique human cultures are also at high risk. Migration is another option for local people but again the cost factor is crucial, as most of these people are illiterate and unemployed. They will have to relocate unwillingly. Survival is the main concern in this case. It is also highly impossible for any recipient nation to grant asylum to an entire country. The larger impact of climate change will challenge the capacity of the country. The secondary impacts will be water scarcity, food security, health services, land scarcity. At some point many land areas will become incapable of sustaining life and people will be forced to migrate.

Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century :: American America History

Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century Expansionism in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century shared many similarities and differences to that of previous American expansionist ideals. In both cases of American expansionism, the Americans believed that we must expand our borders in order to keep the country running upright. Also, the Americans believed that the United States was the strongest of nations, and that they could take any land they pleased. This is shown in the "manifest destiny" of the 1840's and the "Darwinism" of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Apart from the similarities, there were also several differences that included the American attempt to stretch their empire across the seas and into other parts of the world. Throughout history, the United States had come off as a stubborn nation that would take what they wanted at any cost. This was prevalent in both cases of expansion as the Americans risked war and national safety for the sake of gaining land, or even merely for proving a point. During the early years of expansion, the Americans had pushed aside the Native Americans and whoever else inhabited the land they wanted. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs and that every one else was merely squatting on their territory. This idea was continued into the early twentieth century as the Americans looked to the oceans for new territories to their kingdom. This idea is greatly exemplified in document 'E', in which Senator Albert J. Beveridge delivers a speech to Congress, saying that, "...and thanksgiving to Almighty God that He has marked us as His chosen people, henceforth to lead in the regeneration of the world..." In contrary to America's earlier beliefs, however, the race for expansion became more of a global competition than that of controlling the surrounding lands. Other countries were quickly scooping the remaining uncontrolled territories up, and America felt that they needed to stake their clam in imperialism around the world. The cartoon presented in document "A" shows how all the European countries were picking away at the lands still open for taking. In addition to the sense of "catching up" with the other nations around the world. America also felt that they were more powerful than ever, with the addition of an improving navy, turning their attention to the seas for conquer. During the earlier attempts of expansion, America had virtually no navy, which made oversea conquest out of their reach, leaving them only the surrounding areas for taking. Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century :: American America History Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century Expansionism in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century shared many similarities and differences to that of previous American expansionist ideals. In both cases of American expansionism, the Americans believed that we must expand our borders in order to keep the country running upright. Also, the Americans believed that the United States was the strongest of nations, and that they could take any land they pleased. This is shown in the "manifest destiny" of the 1840's and the "Darwinism" of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Apart from the similarities, there were also several differences that included the American attempt to stretch their empire across the seas and into other parts of the world. Throughout history, the United States had come off as a stubborn nation that would take what they wanted at any cost. This was prevalent in both cases of expansion as the Americans risked war and national safety for the sake of gaining land, or even merely for proving a point. During the early years of expansion, the Americans had pushed aside the Native Americans and whoever else inhabited the land they wanted. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs and that every one else was merely squatting on their territory. This idea was continued into the early twentieth century as the Americans looked to the oceans for new territories to their kingdom. This idea is greatly exemplified in document 'E', in which Senator Albert J. Beveridge delivers a speech to Congress, saying that, "...and thanksgiving to Almighty God that He has marked us as His chosen people, henceforth to lead in the regeneration of the world..." In contrary to America's earlier beliefs, however, the race for expansion became more of a global competition than that of controlling the surrounding lands. Other countries were quickly scooping the remaining uncontrolled territories up, and America felt that they needed to stake their clam in imperialism around the world. The cartoon presented in document "A" shows how all the European countries were picking away at the lands still open for taking. In addition to the sense of "catching up" with the other nations around the world. America also felt that they were more powerful than ever, with the addition of an improving navy, turning their attention to the seas for conquer. During the earlier attempts of expansion, America had virtually no navy, which made oversea conquest out of their reach, leaving them only the surrounding areas for taking.

Symbolism In The Veil Essay -- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Symbolism In The Veil The veil that the minister wears in "The Ministers Black Veil", by Nathanial Hawthorne represents the emphasis on man's inner reality, and those thoughts and feelings which are not immediately obvious. As Hawthorne explored this inner nature, he found the source of dignity and virtue, and certain elements of darkness. When the minister first walks out of his home wearing the veil, everyone is astonished. This one man in this village decides to be a nonconformist and wear this veil without explanation. No one understands why the minister would wear such a veil for no reason at all. This is where all the assumptions begin to linger. All of the villagers have a story for why the veil is there. These people are not trying to understand it. These villagers are just trying convince themselves that the veil is hiding something, like a deformation of the ministers face. Others think that Mr. Hooper is hiding something else, like a secret no one is supposed to know about. This black veil conflicts with everyone in the village in some way. Is this veil a problem only because everyone is afraid of what they might be hiding? Perhaps this veil is a symbol of the mistrust Mr. Hooper has to those people closest to him or maybe he is trying to show this society that there is a greater lesson to be learned from this black veil than just an apparent one: That mysterious emblem was never once withdrawn. It shook with his measured breath as he gave out the psalm; it through its obscurity between him and the holy page, as he read the scripturesÂ… Did he seek to hide it from the dread Being whom he was addressing? (1281) After seeing the black veil upon the face of Mr. Hooper, every person in the villag... ... tremble at me alone? Â…Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pityÂ…only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friendÂ…when man does not vainly shrink form the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and lo! On every visage a black veil! (1288-89) The black veil is a symbol, something that Hawthorne uses to stand for the blocked wall between all human souls. Hawthorne is simply suggesting that every person wears his own "black veil". On the other hand, if people are willing to acknowledge the darkness in themselves, there will come a time when everyone shall set aside their veils.

Aids/Hiv Essay 6

Kimberly S. Johnson SOS 313: Social Implications of Medical Issues Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Its Deadly Effects Deanna Swinford March 14, 2010 Over the past few decades Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection & Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention strategies has focused on helping high risk individuals including individuals uninfected with HIV. The responsibility of National programs is to inform the public regarding prevention strategies, identify priorities, plan, and implement disease prevention strategies. It’s common knowledge all over the world that HIV infection is the leading cause of death. â€Å"Human immunodeficiency virus HIV and AIDS remain the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. As of December 2004, an estimated 944,306 persons had received a diagnosis of AIDS, and of these 529,113 (56%) had died† (Center for Disease Control, 2010). Approximately 40,000 new cases of HIV infection occur each year and 40 million people worldwide are now living with HIV† (Falvo, 2010, pg. 318). Everyone knows, or should be aware that there’s no way to restore their damaged immune system, and no cure for HIV, nor for AIDS. Advances in medical systems today have shown improved life expectancy. â€Å"Since 1995, the number of deaths from AIDS in the United States has declined so sign ificantly that HIV/AIDS is no longer treated as a terminal illness but rather as a chronic condition to be managed† (Falvo, 2010, pg. 18). â€Å"A virus is an infectious organism that cannot grow or reproduce outside living cells. To survive, it must enter a living cell and use the reproductive capacity of that cell for its own replication. Consequently, when a virus enters a cell, it instructs the cell to reproduce the virus† (Falvo, 2010, pg. 313). Normally the body recognizes these as foreign, this is how a healthy immune system is suppose to work, as I remember from anatomy and physiology, then will destroy the foreign cells. Some will remain dormant, sometimes for long periods of time, and without causing problems, but still will remain in our body with other cells and can replicate at any time. â€Å"HIV infection is caused by a retrovirus called HIV. A retrovirus uses a complicated process called reverse transcription to reproduce itself. This process uses a viral enzyme called reverse transcriptase to integrate the virus’s genetic material into the other cells. HIV essentially takes over these cells—primarily the CD4 cells to produce more HIV. They multiply extremely rapidly and some errors caused by this rapid generation of ells are not corrected, so there are constant mutations of the virus. Some of the cells containing the virus burst, releasing HIV directly into the blood stream. Consequently, there can be both infected cells and virus in the blood traveling to other sites† (Falvo, 2010, pg. 313). This rapid generation of cells explain why some patients who may have been somewhat stable, then they rapidly deteriorate or their medications do not seem to work anymore. The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary depending on the phase of the infection. â€Å"Early infection—when first infected with HIV, you may have no signs or symptoms at all, although it’s more common to develop a brief flu-like illness two to four weeks after becoming infected. Signs and symptoms may include: * Fever * Headache * Sore throat * Swollen lymph glands * Rash Even if you don’t have symptoms, you’re still able to transmit the virus to others. Once the virus enters your body, your immune system also comes under attack. The virus multiplies in your lymph nodes and slowly begins to destroy your helper T cells (CD4 lymphocytes) —the white blood cells that coordinate your entire immune system† (Mayo clinic, 2010). In my opinion, this phase is when most HIV is transmitted, sexually people don’t know they have it, they are engaging in unprotected sex and it’s just too late. This among others is a priority needed regarding informing public awareness. â€Å"Later infection—you may remain symptom free for eight or nine years or more. As the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may develop mild infections or chronic symptoms such as: * Swollen lymph nodes-often one of the first signs of HIV infection * Diarrhea * Weight loss * Fever * Cough & Shortness of Breath This phase is scary in itself; it could be a multitude of conditions, an individual wouldn’t know, depending on their lifestyle, probably have a clue that they have aides. I do not think any of our physicians would guess HIV infection either. Thinking back, I have taken care of a few HIV patients, and if I didn’t already know they had the infection, I don’t think I could have guessed it! But they do have a dark circles around their eyes, deathly look, and very pale. A number of the signs and symptoms are just what you would guess for the flu, or respiratory infection. Just think for so many years, they are carrying the virus, and not knowing! â€Å"During the last phase of HIV—which occurs ten or more years after the initial infection, more serious symptoms begin to appear, infection may then meet the official definition of AIDS. In 1993 the CDC redefined AIDS to mean the presence of HIV infection as shown by a positive HIV antibody test plus at least one of the following: * The development of an opportunistic infection-an infection that occurs when your immune system is impaired. Such as: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) * A CD4 lymphocyte count of 200 of less (normal 800-1200) By the time AIDS develops your immune system has been severely damaged, making you susceptible to opportunistic infections. The signs and symptoms of some of these infections may include: * Soaking night sweats Shaking chills or fever higher than 100*F for several weeks * Dry cough and Shortness of Breath * Chronic diarrhea, Headaches * Persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth * Blurred or distorted vision, Weight loss You may also begin to experience signs and symptoms of later stages HIV infection itself, such as: * Persistent, unexplained fatigue * Soaking night sweats * Shaking chills or fever higher than 100*F for several weeks * Chronic diarrhea, persistent headaches Everyone should get tested especially if they are engaging in high risk behavior, like IV drug use, unprotected sex. Every community should also make their people knowledgeable about services available to them. High risk individuals also need to know these test are private and not released to anyone else, including the federal government, employers, insurance companies and family members, unless of course the individual gives permission or consent to do so as stated by the Mayo Clinic. (2010). There are several ways to become infected with HIV: Sexual Transmission: Vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body. * Infected blood: Since 1985, American hospitals and blood banks have screened the blood supply for HIV antibodies. * Needle sharing: Needles and syringes contaminated with infected blood. Sharing intravenous drug paraphernalia puts individuals at high risk * Accidental Needle sticks: HIV positive people and health care workers through needle sticks are low. Experts put the risk at far less than 1%. Mother to child: Each year nearly 600,000 infants are infected with HIV, either during pregnancy or delivery or through breastfeeding. If women receive treatment during pregnancy, the risk to their babies is significantly reduced. â€Å"In the U. S. most pregnant women are prescreened for HIV, and antiviral drugs are given. Not so in developing nations, where women seldom know there status, and treatment is limited or nonexistent. When medications aren’t available, Caesarean section is recommended instead of vaginal delivery. Other options, such as vaginal disinfection, haven’t proven effective† (Mayo clinic, 2010). Other sources of transmission can be sexual devices that are not washed or covered with a condom. The virus also can be present in vaginal tears or the rectum, which places the person at greater risk of developing HIV. Needle users also should be informed that some communities have a needle exchange program where they can trade used needles and syringes for new ones. Most individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS use a test to predict their prognosis called viral load. This measures the amount of virus in the blood, of course the lower the load the better their prognosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages adolescents and adults ages 13 to 64 as a part of their routine medical care for these ages. Yearly testing should be done. Several tests can be done, including ELISA, and Western Blot tests. ELISA looks for antibodies to the virus in a sample of your blood. If the test is positive, meaning you have the antibodies to HIV, they would repeat the test, and then do the western blot test, which checks for HIV proteins, combining the two tests confirms the diagnosis† (Mayo clinic, 2010). There are home tests in which you mail in a drop of your blood, and call a toll free number to receive the results in three to seven business days. This test is marketed by Home Access Health, is as accurate as a clinical test, and if positive, they are all retested. We all know, there is no cure for HIV, nor for AIDS, which was first identified sometime in the 80’s. Since that time a number of drugs have been developed to treat both HIV, and AIDS. The other problem, and a big one, with this condition, is the secondary infections that come along with HIV/AIDS. According to current guidelines, treatment should focus on achieving the maximum suppression of symptoms for as long as possible. This aggressive approach is known as highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). The aim of HAART is to reduce the amount of virus in your blood to very low or even nondetectable levels, although this doesn’t mean the virus is gone. This is usually accomplished by three or more drugs . The first anti-retroviral drugs developed: Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI’s). They inhibit the replication of the HIV enzyme called reverse transcriptase. They include zidovudine (Retrovir), Iamivudine (Epivir), didanosine (Videx). A newer drug emtricitabine (Emtriva), which must be used in combination with at least two other AIDS medications, treats both HIV and hepatitis B† (Mayo clinic, 2010). Treatment should be also aimed at quality of life in my opinion, as most of these drugs cause a number of side effects, including the most common nausea, and diarrhea. Another drug, the Protease inhibitor, which interrupts HIV replication at a later stage in the life cycle by interfering with an enzyme known as HIV protease. It causes HIV particles in your body to become structurally disorganized and noninfectious. Protease inhibitors are usually prescribed with other medications to help avoid drug resistance. â€Å"A clinical trial with a Chemokine co-receptor inhibitors (CCR5 antagonists) make up a new class of drugs used to treat a type of HIV infection call ed CCR5-tropic HIV-1. The only drug in this class—maraviroc (Selzentry) was used in this trial , approximately twice as many people with CCR5-tropic HIV-1 infection who received maraviroc had undetectable viral loads after 24 weeks as did those who received more standard therapy in the control groups. The side effects of maraviroc may include liver and cardiovascular problems, as well as cough, fever, upper respiratory infections, rash and abdominal pain. â€Å"The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the most recent international social program instituted by the U. S. Government to combat HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 2003, this foreign policy initiative has dedicated $63 billion for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in foreign countries. Despite PEPFAR’s many accomplishments, it continues to promote controversial prevention strategies† (Barney, Buckingham, Friedrich, Johnson, Robinson, Sar, 2010, p. 9). The most important thing to remember, and to be able to implement is to get individuals, and doctors to coordinate HIV testing into routine medical care. The CDC has initiated several strategies for prevention: Strategy 1: Incorporate HIV Testing as a Routine Part of Care in Traditional Medical Settings. CDC will issue recommendations strongly encouraging all health care providers to include HIV testing, when indicated, as part of routine medical care, like other routine medical tests by: * Promoting removal of real and perceived barriers to routine testing, including â€Å"de-coupling† HIV tests in the medical setting from extensive, pre-test prevention counseling. In some jurisdictions, statutory requirements, e. g. for pretest counseling, can serve as barriers to testing. * Working with professional medical associations and others to promote adoption of the recommendations. CDC will work with public and private payors to promote appropriate reimbursement incentives. Strategy 2: Implement New Models for Diagnosing HIV Infections Outside Medical Settings. * Encouraging the use of HIV rapid test—Some persons do not have access to traditional medical settings * Funding pilot projects in 2003, aimed at identifying the most effective models for HIV diagnosis and referral for medical and preventive care which CDC grantees can employ outside traditional medical settings Strategy 3: Prevent New Infections by Working with People Diagnosed with HIV and their partners. CDC will promote preventive and treatment services within and outside traditional settings by: * Working with HRSA to reach those who have been diagnosed with HIV but who are not receiving treatment and care * Conducting demonstration projects through health departments to provide prevention case management and counseling to people living with HIV. * Standardizing procedures for prevention interventions and evaluation activities to ensure that such measures are appropriate and effective. * Ensuring that requirements related to partner notification in grant guidelines are fully met. Piloting new approaches to partner notification, including rapid HIV testing for partners and using peers to conduct appropriate partner notification, prevention counseling, and referral. Strategy 4: Further Decrease Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission: Treatment of pregnant women and their infants can substantially reduce the number of babies born with HIV infection. * Promote screening of every pregnant wom an for HIV, using the â€Å"opt-out† approach. Make prenatal HIV screening a routine part of medical care. * Promote screening of newborns whose mothers HIV status is not known (Center for Disease Control, 2010). Historically, HIV and AIDS have been treated differently from other diseases or conditions. Since the last decade or so, it has changed, as far as how it is viewed medically. No longer is AIDS viewed as a deadly condition, rather it’s more looked at as a chronic, long term condition, that is treated like other diseases, we treat the symptoms, and the secondary infections. The problem with AIDS/HIV is the public doesn’t have the knowledge that the medical community has, and will probably never understand, or believe the real ways of contracting the infection. We as health care professionals need to continue to inform the public regarding prevention, and encourage more public awareness of the need to be tested before it is too late. References: Barney, R. , Buckingham, S. , Friedrich, J. , Johnson, L. , Robinson, M. , Sar. , B. (2010, Mar). The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): A Social Work Ethical Analysis and Recommendations. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 37(1), 9-22. Retrieved from Ebscohost database. Bashook, P. , Linsk, N. , Jacob, B. , Aguado, P. (2010, Feb). Outcomes of Aids Education And Training Center HIV/Aids Skill-Building Workshops on Provider Practices. Aids Education and Prevention. 22 (1), 49. Retrieved from ProQuest database. Center for Disease Control. (2010). A Career with the CDC Global Aids Program. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/globalAIDS/johs. html Falvo, D. (2009). Medical & Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness & Disability. Boston: Jones & Bartlett. HIV/AIDS: ALL. (2010) . Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. com References Insert References Here.