Going to Disney World Essay Example for Free

Going to Disney World Essay I had been planning our trip for three months for me and my five children to go to Disney World. I had gone and got book and done research on the computer, I wonted everything to be perfect and organized. We were going to go the week before Christmas and be there for a week. Has it got closer to the day before we would be leaving the excitement been building in all of us. Four days before we were going to leave I got the dreaded stomach flu. All I could think about was I had to get better before we would be leaving. Has the days went on I was feeling better and started packing and getting everything together for my first family trip since my divorce. I packed the car up the night before we were going to leave and it took hours, first the suitcase, then car seats and then checked the list so we would not forget anything that we might need for our adventure. The next morning woke the kids up at four am, with sleep still in their eyes, got all situated in the car and we were off to Disney World. The kids were so excited, they all was talking at one time about what they wanted to see and what the wonted to do. About lunch time they all settled down enough where I could understand what they were saying. I decided that we would take our nine hour drive and make a two day drive out of it so we were not in the car all day, so our first stop would be Birmingham, Alabama. I told the kids to look out the windows and the first hotel that they see that they would like to stay yell and we would go check it out. My oldest two at this time was tired of sitting in the car so it did not take long for them to really start looking for something nice and that would maybe have an indoor pool so they could get out of the car for at least for a while. We had passed two exits by now and I was thinking I hope one of them would yell soon, because I was getting tired of driving for the moment. Then out of Jackson’s mouth he yelled â€Å"There is one and it looks really nice Mom†, so off the next exit I went to check it out. Has we pulled up to the Hilton I knew this was going to cost me, but not saying a word I went through the front doors and ask if I could get a room for a night. Has we went to our rooms they kids was trying to get in the bags to get their bathing suit to go to the pool. That night we swam, played game in the arcade and ordered pizza for dinner. Knowing we had to get up early I started trying to settle the kids down for bed a nine o’clock, but they were so full of excitement and anticipation to get to Disney World none of them wonted to sleep. Midnight came and I looked around they all had fell asleep, Jackson on the floor where he had been watching television, Briar in the chair were he had been coloring , Summer had curled up in a ball in the bed, and the babies was safe in their travel cribs. At that moment I knew we were going to have a great and amazing time when we got to Disney World. Has the sun come up in the morning it was shining through the window right in my eyes and I could hear the kids already up and ready to leave. We loaded back into the car, four hours to go to we got to Florida. Has we arrived in Florida we had to find the house that my mother and rented us for the week, that was our entire Christmas gift. Finally, we found it and when I drove up it looked like a castle. Has the kids could not wait to jump out and check out the house I was overwhelmed that my mother would have rented us this house for a week, that was so gorgeous. Has we walked in the house it was like a house you would see in the movies, seven bedrooms, five baths and it had its own pool that was shaped like Nemo. The kids was running and yelling saying â€Å"This room is mine and I claim this one†. As we got all unpacked and settled in, we started making a plan for the morning, it would be our first day a Disney World. We got out our book of How To Do Everything You Wont To Do At Disney World In A Week. We had made reservations for breakfast with Mickey for in the morning; to start our first day and then we would be going to Magic Kingdom the rest of the day. The morning had arrived for us and we were all smiles and full of excitement. Has we rode through the gate at Disney World all the kids yelled â€Å"We made it†. I wanted to cry, because I knew I could never replace this memory. We could see the parks and some of the rides has we pulled close to where we would be eating breakfast. I had set it up where I could valet park, because I did have five kids by myself and I knew that it would not be easy trying to get everybody settled in strollers by myself. Breakfast was very hectic, feeding the babies, taking pictures and trying to eat all at the same time. The kids really enjoyed the waffles shaped like Mickey Mouse and loved to see all the charterers has they were eating. People was looking at me like I was crazy, but I did not care I was with the five most important people in my life and I was enjoying every minute of it. Jackson pulled out our map and planning book, he was our event planner for the day; he said it was time to go if we wanted to stay on a schedule for the day. Tickets were our first stop, and then here was the moment we had been waiting and planning for. It was a warm day in December, there was a feeling of mist in the air as the sun was coming up and we could already smell cotton candy in the air. Our first stop was going to be the Dumbo ride, they say that is the most popular ride for little kids, and our goal was to do all the baby rides first and when they took a nap for the day the big kids would be able to ride space mountain and many more big roller coasters that we have read about. We stood just 45 minutes in line to ride the Dumbo ride, It is flying elephants and they go up and down, the babies giggled the whole time we were on the ride and their eyes was shining like diamonds was in them. After hours of line waiting and ride the teacups, it is a small world and see all the princess, the babies had fell asleep in their stroller. Has we made our way to the big kids rides there was a parade and Jackson could not resist his self to get right in the middle of it, I could not get to my camera fast enough. He danced and sang as we stood on the side of the path of the parade and cheered him on. I could not how planned this most memorable moment if I would have tried. As the sun was setting, the park was lite up with a million Christmas lights and it was a beautiful sight. We were trying to make it to the fireworks, which are shot off Cinderella’s castle. As we were walking we went down a street that looked like a small town. Stores on both sides, vendors selling popcorn, and then we started to see it snow. They were blowing fake snow on the street. It was a feeling of Christmas, without it being cold and stressed. At the end of the street you could see the castle lite up and it changed colors with every firework that was shot off. As we are standing there watching fireworks my three oldest children put their arms around me and said â€Å"love you mom and thank you for being the best mom ever†. It was at that moment I knew Disney World was the place were dreams come true. As we got back in the car that night to go back to the house the kids ask† we are coming back tomorrow aren’t we mom.† I replied â€Å"Yes, and I cannot wait to see what memories we can make then.†

Analysis Of The Prospects Of Solar Energy Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis Of The Prospects Of Solar Energy Environmental Sciences Essay We all know that the discovery of new oil rich deposits have gone down drastically over the past decade. These fossil fuels are the main reason behind the global warming gripping the world today. So increasing number of Governments and researchers are turning to renewable sources of energy to make it more affordable. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing sources of energy in terms of electricity generation. Solar energy was never looked at for mass production of energy until recently. This change in perception is due to the reduction on prices of the material required for setting up of a solar power plant and also a lot of incentives from various agencies around the world. In India wind power has been taken up in major way but due to high prices of raw materials in India production of solar power based energy is very slow to evolve. The distributions of various sources of renewable sources of power around the world are given below in the pie chart. Here in the pie chart we have solar energy sources being split into two aspects. One being solar collectors (solar thermals) and the other being through the photo voltaic(PV) cells. Lets have a look at the various aspects from how much sun ray we receive and how electricity is generated from it Solar Energy Solar energy is produced from the sun rays received from the sun. The upper atmosphere of Earth receives 174 petawatts(PW) of solar radiation. Approximately 30% of the incoming solar rays are reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the Earths surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet. The total solar energy absorbed by Earths atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year. In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year. There are two ways in which suns ray are used to generate power: Solar thermal Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy (heat). Solar thermal collectors are defined by the USA Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat swimming pools. Medium-temperature collectors are also usually flat plates but are used for creating hot water for residential and commercial use. High temperature collectors concentrate sunlight using mirrors or lenses and are generally used for electric power production. STE is different from photo voltaics, which convert solar energy directly into electricity. While only 600 megawatts of solar thermal power is up and running worldwide in October 2009. There are broadly two technologies under solar thermal: Parabolic Trough About ten large scale parabolic trough plants have been operational since1984 and producing power for commercial use. The California Mojave Desert plant being the oldest among them. There are fields in which parabolic trough are placed in series one beside the other. The get the heat from the sun and transfer it to the turbine (Rankin turbine) these plants produce daily in the range of 14 to 80 MW and overall 354 MW. The trough is usually lined up on a north to south axis, and rotated throughout the day with the movement of the sun across the sky. Solar Power Tower Solar power towers are huge towers erected in the middle of large reflective mirrors (called heliostats) which concentrate the solar radiation to this tower. The heat is then transferred to generate steam and produce electricity. These types of plants generally produce in the range of 30 to 400 MW range. Worlds largest concentrating solar thermal power stations Name Country Capacity(MW) Technology Used* Solar Energy Generating Systems USA 354 Parabolic Trough Navada Solar One USA 64 Parabolic Trough Andasol1 Spain 50 Parabolic Trough PS20 Solar Power Tower Spain 20 Solar Power Tower PS10 Solar Power Tower Spain 10 Solar Power Tower Photo voltaic (PV) array In this system an array of photovoltaic cells are put in series and parallel configuration to achieve the necessary voltage and each are connected to invertors to directly generate AC type of electricity from the DC type. These photovoltaic arrays are made up of multiple interconnected solar cells. The design is such that they can take any load required. The power of a single photovoltaic cell is usually enough for a home or a standalone business. Solar arrays are usually measured by the peak electrical power throughput in watts, kilowatts, or even megawatts. Worlds largest photovoltaic (PV) power plants Name Country Capacity(MW) Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park Spain 60 Strasskirchen Solar Park Germany 54 Lieberose Photovoltaic Park Germany 53 Puertollano Photovoltaic Park Spain 50 Moura photovoltaic power station Portugal 46 Global Scenario Going by the current growth rates of the solar power source, it is being predicted that energy generated from these sources would be the biggest power source for the world in a few decades. A few years back in 2008 it was just about 0.02 percent of the total energy supply in the world. This is the amount to shift we would be witnessing in the energy sector. The total number of PV installed worldwide has been going up rapidly. The PV installations went up by a huge 7.3 GW last year which was just 6,080 MW installed during the earlier year 2008. Currently the solar power has a very small share in the world energy market. Totally its productions accounts for not more than 0.01% of total demand for power or energy around the world right now. Solar Energy demand has grown at about 30% per annum over the past 15 years (hydrocarbon energy demand typically grows between 0-2% per annum).Research confirms that the Asia Pacific, European and United States all are expected to put in very good nu mbers in terms of installed capacity and also the contribution to their respective grids over 5 to 10 years. Lets look at the cost involved of these PV cells. With the process of solar Energy (PV cells) coming down gradually over the past decade or so this is one technology which is looking better every day. We have seen over the past decade that process have been going down by four percent every year. Progressive and manufacturing economies of scale are the major driving for the same along with a healthy growth in conversion efficiencies. By early 2006, the average cost per installed watt for a residential sized system was about USD 7.50 to USD 9.50, including panels, inverters, mounts, and electrical items. Close to 2 billion people around the world have never seen electricity or are in far corners where its where difficult to supply. For most of them, solar PV would be the cheapest electricity source, if they can afford it. List of top five counties as per generation of solar energy Grid-Connected Solar PV Capacity till 2009(MW) Country Capacity Germany 9830 Spain 3250 Japan 2600 United States 1200 Italy 1032 Global trends European nations are ahead from the rest of the world in terms of the installed capacity and also in terms of projects under construction. If we look at the above given table we would see that three out of 5 countries belong to the EU. Germany and Spain have taken it up very aggressively. Renewable energy contributed 10.3% of energy consumption in the EU. Half of Swedens electricity demands are met by solar power followed by Finland at 30%. India has started its Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar plan which has a target to generate 1000MW of solar energy by 2013. Japan is the third largest producer of solar energy producer in the world. In December 2008, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan set a goal of 70% of newly built homes should have solar power instruments installed, and Japan would be spending $145 million across 2009 to encourage solar power in homes. All renewable resources of power put together including solar, wind, etc provide about 12 percent of the nation s power supply in United States of America as of now. The Department of Energy in US has set the goal of producing 10-15% of US total power need from sources of solar energy by the year 2030. Solar power has been expanding rapidly in the past 8 years, growing at a very impressive average rate of 40% per year in USA alone. The cost per kilowatt-hour of solar photovoltaic systems has also been dropping, whereas the power generated out of renewable energy is becoming costly. As a result, the report projects that solar power will reach cost parity with conventional power sources in many U.S. markets by 2015.With the growing demand for the PV modules around the world, the PV module suppliers are making hay while the sun is shining. In India Tata BP Solar is the market leader. Around the world following is the list of major suppliers. List of Major Global companies supplying PV Module: First Solar Suntech Sharp Yingli Trina Solar Sunpower Corporation Kyocera Corporation Canadian Solar Inc. SolarWorld AG Sanyo Electric The market for clean energy is growing at a very healthy rate and as the solar power has the most abundant source of energy (the sun) so the prospects for these suppliers looks very good. There are various tax incentives from various Governments which are encouraging the use of solar energy. Potential of Solar power in India Indian being located in the sunny regions of the world receives about 3000 hours of sunshine every year which is equivalent to 5 trillion kWh of energy. This solar energy can be tapped to meet the growing energy needs of country. Also with increasing pressure from the developed country to lower the pollution levels, it has become imperative for India to look for non-polluting sources of energy. Solar energy could emerge as one of the best options for clean energy. Most of the villages in India are not connected to the power grid. It is less expensive to install Photo Voltaic (PV) modules in these home and villages rather than making the grids longer or setting up a power plant nearby. So for electricity production in rural areas, solar energy could be a cheaper alternative. Present Status Solar power generation has lagged behind other renewal sources of energy like wind, hydropower, and biomass. As per Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), solar energy currently account  for only 0.1 percent of the total capacity of renewal energy installed in the country which stands at 13,242.41 MW. Though India is in the top 10 worldwide for both solar photovoltaic (PV) cell production and solar thermal power production, the solar power produced in India is only about 0.4 % as compared to other energy resources. The current usage of solar energy in India is as follows: Solar street lighting systems: 55,795 Home lighting systems: 342,607 Solar lanterns used in India: 560,295 Solar PV power plants: 1566  kW Solar thermal production: 140  km2  of collector area Solar cookers: 575,000 Solar PV pumps: 6,818 The main hindrance in the use of solar energy is the high cost which is about Rs 15-30 involved in deployment whereas its Rs 5-8 for thermal power.  Solar energy usage has been mainly limited to villages which do not have proper power distribution networks to fulfill their basic needs of lighting, heating and cooking. Major players Tata BP Solar Tata BP Solar is the largest solar company in Asia. It is a joint venture between Tata Group and BP Solar. To generate electricity from sunlight, the company manufactures silicon cells and solar modules. Tata BP executed a project in which they electrified 350 villages in the state of Chhattisgarh which had never seen electricity before. The company plans to revamp its supplies to the market by bettering its manufacturing capacity of PV cells from 84 MW to more than 180 MW this financial year. Moser Baer Solar Limited (MBSL) The company has leveraged its core competency in optical media to produce high quality solar cells. It is one of largest manufacturers of Photo Voltaic (PV) modules in India. It has current production capacity are as follows: Type Produces capacity(MW) Crystalline Cells 50 Crystalline Modules 50 Thin Films 90 Moser Baer provides wide range of solutions which include site analysis, system design, erection and commissioning, operation and maintenance of solar equipments. SELCO Solar Pvt. Ltd SELCO is a social enterprise which uses solar PV cells to generate enough electricity to light the houses, pump water from wells and power various communication devices. It manufactures products for Solar lighting (CFL and LED), Solar Thermal (Water heaters). SELCOs cook stove initiative is a major boost to rural sector which has targets to improve quality of life and control pollution by providing advanced technology at affordable prices. Reliance Solar Group The company offers a wide range of products, systems and  solutions ranging from solar lanterns, home lighting systems, street lighting systems, water purification systems, refrigeration systems to air conditioners. Reliance Industries (RIL) has the experience of implementing a number of solar projects in the various parts of India. For the Commonwealth games, Reliance Industries Solar Energy Group set a huge rooftop energy system which can generate 1 MW  solar at the Thyagaraj Commonwealth Stadium in New Delhi in April this year, making it the largest solar rooftop of its kind in India. They are currently working on another huge project of a solar farm having a capacity of 5 MW in Western part of India which is slated to be the largest of its kind in India. The company  currently  sources solar panels from other companies for setting up power plants but in future the company could even venture into the solar cell/module manufacturing business. RIL has also implemented 2.6 KWp solar PV power plants for each of the three tennis courts at the R K Khanna Tennis Complex. For the Commonwealth Games Village, it has installed 34 back up solar PV systems of 3 KWp each, 180 solar LED street lights and 500 garden lights. The entire solar initiative is to compensate for CO2 emissions to be released through the game. NTPC NTPC has completed or planning to setup the following solar power projects in the country: Capacity (MW) Technology Location 15 Solar thermal Rajasthan 25 Solar thermal Uttar Pradesh 6 Solar PV Andaman Nicobar 5 Solar PV Uttar Pradesh 5 Solar PV Haryana 10 Solar PV Uttar Pradesh 10 Solar PV Chhattisgarh 25 Solar PV Andhra Pradesh Government incentives and subsidies The Government is doing its bit to spread the growth of solar energy. It has declared as part of official policy a 100% tax holiday to any PV plant pr solar thermal plant which are installed and up and running by the year 2020. They have also declared to let go excise duty and decrease the custom duty if products are imported from OEM and not to mention the cheap loans. Additionally, under the Generation-Based Incentive (GBI) programme, the plant developers will be offered financial assistance to reduce the production cost by offering of Rs 12/unit to producer in case of solar PV and Rs 10/unit if the use the solar thermal for the next 10 years. For this the plant must produce more than 1MW and contribute it to the central grid. The government has also announced a number of sops under a special incentive package to improve spread of solar energy .Under the governments scheme to create solar cities in India, all the local governments of the 60 cities would be provided an assistance of Rs 50 lakh, of which Rs 10 lakh would be for drafting of a master plan, Rs 10 lakh for installation of solar modules in the the various city council buildings, Rs 10lakh as an incentive to complete the project over 5 yrs and the rest for promoting this(Rs 20lakh). State governments are also providing rebates in property tax to house owners and commercial establishments for using solar water heating systems. Future growth Prospects in India Under the Jawaharlal Nehru  National  Solar Mission (JNNSM), India plans to generate 20,000 MW grid connected solar power by 2022. In the first phase of JNNSM, 1000 MW capacity will be added by March 2013, half based on solar PV equipment and rest on solar thermal technology. Following are the suggestions of a Ajay Shankar committee which if accepted by the central government will b a shot in the arm for JNNSM and a huge booster for solar energy sector in India: Up to 2013: Mandatory use of PV cells and modules made in India for all grid connected solar power plants. 2012-2013: Mandatory use of Power Conditioning Units (PCUs) which are manufactured in India. 2013-2014: Review for probable extension to various products used in solar power generation like wafers and silicon which are manufactured in India. On the state front, the Gujarat government has already signed a MoU with Clinton Foundation which would help then install the worlds biggest solar energy plant in Gujarat. The 3 GW plant would be one of four mega solar plants planned by the foundation to promote the use of renewable energy. The other proposed sites are in California, South Africa, and Australia. The government has proposed to develop 60 solar cities during the 11th Plan period. The solar cities would be based on the lines of New York in USA, Tokyo in Japan and London in UK. This initiative will again act as a boost to the solar industry. After the announcement of the JNNSM, which aims at a huge jump in solar power generation capacity in the country by 2022, it has met with a huge response. It was proposed by the some 25 companies that they would be interested in putting in a total sum of a thousand cr over the next 3 -5 yrs. From the figures, one can say that the future of solar energy in India looks to very bright. CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS HIGH CAPITAL COST One of the biggest challenges that solar energy faces is that competing energy sources have always been cheaper in terms of dollars per kilowatt-hour (a standard measure). Compared to electricity from coal-fired power plants, solar is more expensive. Lets take India as a country into consideration. The hunt for better, cheaper Solar cells is due in India. Despite the fact that the price of Solar Photovoltaic technology has been coming down over the years it still remains economically unviable for power generation purposes. The average cost of Solar PV modules was around Rs. 2 lakhs per kW. However, the estimated unit cost of generation of electricity from Solar Photovoltaic and Solar thermal route is in the range of Rs. 12 -20 per kWh and Rs. 10 15 per kWh respectively in India. With present level of technology, solar electricity produced through the Photovoltaic conversion route is 4-5 times costlier than the electricity obtained from conventional fossil fuels. MANUFACTURING PROCESS Solar PV cell manufacturing is a technology-intensive process requiring high expertise and know-how. Besides, the technology landscape in the solar industry PV space is changing quite rapidly with innovations and RD. It is challenging for new entrants to replicate the success of companies having a long standing in the Solar PV market. SITE SUITABILITY Many sites dont receive enough solar energy to make the production cost effective. Cloudy areas with frequent rain are often not well suited for solar panels because typically solar panels need direct sun to produce power. STORAGE Another major challenge is storing solar energy. Cloudy weather and night time darkness interrupt solar energys availability. At times and locations where sunlight is plentiful, its energy must be captured and stored for use at other times and places. The most important disadvantage about solar energy is that the access on a short-term basis can be uncertain. The total incoming radiation normally doesnt vary much from year to year (typically  ±5 per cent), but it is not easy to predict on a day-to-day basis. Incoming radiation has seasonal variations that are in an anti-phase with the energy demand for important areas of applications, for example space heating. If one is to trust solar energy as the only energy source, either one has to adjust to the variations given by nature, store. The first alternative is impractical, the latter are expensive. Energy storage makes up a substantial part of the cost for both solar heating installations and systems for the production of electricit y for remote buildings and plants. Improved energy storage will therefore mean a lot for the solar energys possibility to compete with conventional solutions. ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS Another concern area is installing Solar cells on the land area. The large amount of land required for utility-scale Solar power plants approximately one square kilometer for every 20-60 MW generated poses an additional problem. RAW MATERIAL AND WASTE PRODUCTS Some of the materials (like Cadmium) used for producing Solar PV cells are hazardous and other raw materials like plastics used for the packaging of the cells are non-biodegradable, thereby impacting the environment. Although some of the waste generated during the manufacturing process is recyclable (silicon), not all other materials are recyclable and disposal of the same is a challenging process. AESTHETICS AND DESIGN Another barrier to wider adoption of solar cell and solar module products and systems among commercial and residential consumers is aesthetics and design. Historically, consumers have resisted solar products for aesthetic reasons. Established solar products are heavy, rigid, fragile and non-modular. Solar cell and solar module manufacturers can improve aesthetics by developing products that can be more attractively integrated into building structures, and that are lighter, flexible and modular and hence more feasible. Growth in future and driving factors Concentrated Solar Vs Photovoltaic Solar Solar energy utilization technologies can be broadly classified into two categories as Concentrated Solar Technology Photovoltaic Solar Technology In Concentrated Solar Technology the solar energy converts heat liquids into steam, which is then used to drive turbines to produce electricity, heating and cooling purposes, providing hot water etc. In PV Solar, solar panels are used to produce electricity. The Concentrated Solar technology provides a good alternative to PV solar, one that is less expensive and more versatile. Benefits of concentrated solar technology are: It uses existing resources like generators, piping and mirrors. Due to which the production costs are much lower than PV solar In producing solar energy no hazardous materials are used. Thus it is free from production hassles that could arise due to future government laws or policies. It can also store the heat that is generated during the day, and use it at a later time when the electricity is needed. Storing heat is much more efficient than most forms of storing electricity, and does not require expensive equipment or large tracks of land. Due to the aforementioned benefits Concentrated Solar Technology is currently a more sought after method. But the potential for PV Solar Technology is higher and is being worked over across all countries. Government incentives Major percentage of the solar energy production has been backed by the government world over. Few of the government incentives in the following ways are: FIT (mainly in Europe) Direct Subsidy on panels Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS, in US) ITC (Investment tax credits, in US) Some of the goals with respect to solar energy of different countries driven by government initiatives are: The  European Union  has linked goals to get 20% of its energy from clean sources by 2012. Chinas Renewable Energy Law aims to raise the total percentage of renewable energy used in the country to 15% by 2020. The U.S. Stimulus Bill of February of 2009 included $60 billion in loan guarantees for companies building solar and wind plants with the goal of doubling renewable energy production from 2009 to 2012. In June of 2008, Germany approved a law cutting its solar subsidies by 10%. Further, under the law subsidies will fall another 8%-10% each year for the next three years. The Spanish Government cut its solar subsidies by 30%. Renewable energy demand Shifts in renewable energy demand are a major driver for the solar market. Two major drivers of this shift are climate change  and  peak oil. Climate Change With more people than ever being aware of global warming and its potential effects, and fear of the repercussions of a carbon-based energy scheme is driving consumer demand for alternatives like solar. With increasing number of people being aware of global warming and its harmful effects, rising fear caused due to carbon based energy production, the demand for alternative energy resources are in demand. The number of awareness campaigns to promote the use of alternative resources has increased tremendously over the past few years and will continue to rise in the future. Wind and Solar energy are the first potential step taken into consideration. Peak Oil and Energy Independence The ever rising oil prices and the scarcity of finding the mines and oil reserves are a growing concern. It is predicted that the oil resources will dwindle to such an extent that the growth of any country will be a standstill if measures are not taken today to curtail the dependence. Furthermore, a large part of the world oil supply can be found in politically turbulent countries; with OPEC having dominant control over world oil supply (and, therefore, prices), many countries desire energy alternatives in order to break dependence on geopolitically unstable nations. Technology and Silicon Supply Silicon was previously used extensively by the semiconductor industry. But, with the advent of solar power and its rapid growth the demand for them has increased exponentially, resulting in an under-supply of silicon unable to meet the current demand. Thus the higher prices in silicon mean higher production costs for solar companies and lower margins. For a sustainable growth and control in costs of production in the future the demand-supply equilibrium must be in check. In recent years the technical advancements in the field of solar power has been rapid and tremendous. Everyone across the value chain, manufacturers and suppliers are working towards producing more solar energy out of the existing solar equipment. Advancements have included increasing cell energy efficiency, using thinner wafers, and increasing generating power in low-light (generation of energy even on a cloudy day). The advancement in two new manufacturing processes namely string-ribbon technology and thin-film technology, designed to drastically reduce the  silicon  required to make PV cells, could dramatically decrease the cost of new PV cells. The use of a new nanotechnology based approach using Tetrapod Quantum Dots (TQ-Dots) is being considered. It is an economical alternative to replace the silicon wafer based solar cells with flexible TQ-Dot solar cells and has the advantage of generating electricity from UV and infrared wavelengths allowing generation 24/7. Government Regulation As the solar industry continues to grow at 25% per annum, the government is faced with the challenge to regulate the industry to allow for equitable distribution of the industry benefits. The Union Ministry has set up a separate Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources later renamed as Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The government is trying hard to bring India to the number 1 level by introducing grid based incentives and providing concession at various levels of manufacturing and distribution in its recent budget 2010-11. Effect on the Environment: There is an ongoing debate on how Concentrated Solar Plants especially are affecting the environment. There is a concern how the use of vast amounts of public land for Solar Energy development will affect local inhabitants. Local Government and Environmental bodies have raised concern for reliable regulatory measures to be setup to understand the affect on the operations of such large plants on the environment. It is expected that the government will frame certain special energy zones, where concentrated solar plants will be setup. Permitting: The permit fees to set up Solar Plants varies in different areas in the countries, which causes variations in the setup price causing a dilemma in the minds of prospective investors.The cost of Solar Installation in a city varies from Rs.15,000 to Rs. 50,000.Many countries that used to face such issues are now migrating to a uniform permit fees system to encourage investment in this field. Regulating Solar Energy Providers: As part of JNNSM, government has dedicated NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, for the purchase of Solar Energy by independent solar plants, the prices of which are fixed by the Central Regulatory Electricity Commission for a given period of time. The power distribution companies will purchase the power generated from these plants at the prices set by the regulator. They would also follow the below mentioned norms: CERC has announced tariff of Rs. 18.44 per unit for solar PV power and Rs. 13.45 per unit for solar thermal power for 25 years; Zero or concessional duty to be applied on import of some specific items; Zero Excise duty on manufacture of many solar energy devices within the country; NTPC VVN will purchase solar power for a period of 25 years at fixed tariff announced by CERC; CERC will review the costs every year and fix tariff accordingly for new projects. Union Budget 2010-11: Government has announced an allocation of $10bn for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The budget also provides incentives to private solar companies by reducing customs duty on solar panel by 5% and exempting excise duty on photovoltaic panels. Conclusion

Essays --

The CMOS technology plays a major role on the performance of microprocessors on very large scale integrated circuit chips. The rapid growth in CMOS technology with the shrinking transistor size towards 16nm has allowed for placement of several billions of transistors on a single microprocessor chip. This also leads to reduce the delay of logic gates in the order of pico seconds. One such method to improve the performance of microprocessor is to optimize the timing performance of dynamic circuits. In this paper a full adder circuit is designed and simulated using rate sensing keeper technique with L=0.12ÃŽ ¼m technology and VDD=1.2 V for improving the timing and noise tolerance also the noise tolerance characteristics of the full adder circuit designed using rate sensing keeper is compared with twin transistor based full adder circuit. Keywords— Bias,Domino logic, noise tolerance, rate sensing, timing optimization. I. INTRODUCTION HE rapid advancement in semiconductor technology with the shrinking transistor size towards 16nm has allowed for placement of several billion transistors on a single microprocessor chip[1]. CMOS technology plays a major role on the performance of VLSI microprocessors [2].The timing performance of the microprocessor can be improved by using dynamic circuits in microprocessors [3]. However the usage of dynamic circuits in microprocessors is limited due to many challenges including transistor sizing, charge sharing, leakage current, noise immunity and environmental and semiconductor process variations etc [4].Timing optimization of dynamic circuits can be achieved through several methods such as transistor sizing, using multiple threshold voltages etc.[5],[6],[7].The aggressive scaling of transistors and interc... ... and the experimental results shows that the full adder circuit designed using rate sensing keeper transistor technique gives superior performance compared to the other alternatives such as Conditional Keeper (CKP) and current mirror-based keeper (LCR). Fig.22. Output noise Vs Vbias characteristics of full adder using Rate Sensing Keeper technique IV. CONCLUSION In this paper the performance of a full adder circuit designed using rate sensing keeper transistor technique is analyzed in detail and its performance is compared with other full adder circuits. The full adder circuit is simulated using L=0.12ÃŽ ¼m technology along with supply voltage VDD=1.2V. The experimental results shows that the full adder circuit designed using rate sensing keeper transistor technique gives superior performance compared to full adder circuits designed using conventional domino techniques.

Computer Addiction Essay -- essays research papers

Computer and internet have become daily features of our lives. Some people have displaced work, school, friends and even family with computer. When too much time is spent on the computer that it reaches a limit where family, social relationship, school and work life is interrupted, that people may be caught in addiction. Like any other addiction, computer addiction had replaced the importance of life with internet. Computers are bad for your health and decrease attachments with your true life. There are many signs and symptoms of computer addiction. A person might have a guilty feeling while on the computer, they might feel very sad and depressed when computer time is minimized or disturbed. That person might lose control of time when on the computer and are enable to quit or cut down computer time, use the computer often to replace their depression or sadness with happiness. They also ignore their family or responsibilities to be online, lie to other people about the time spend on the computer, may get tempted in a relationship with a stranger which may end up into victimizatio...

Walking Across Egypt :: Walking Across Egypt Essays

Walking Across Egypt Mattie Rigsbee is the main character in Clyde Edgerton's southern style novel, Walking Across Egypt. Mattie is a seventy-eight year old widow with two middle-aged children. Living alone in a small house, she makes sure that everything is taken care of. Although begins to display some signs of aging, and her family is trying to convince her to slow down her lifestyle, Mattie's character and mind setting prohibits her from becoming the stereotypical elder. She must make a decision in which direction to turn.       "I'm too old to keep a dog," she says to the dogcatcher as he is leaving with a brown fice that showed up on her doorstep. "Besides, I'm slowing down," she says to her son during lunch. The stereotypes of the elderly are influencing Mattie's life. She is telling herself not to do things because of her age whether or not she is physically able to do them, simply because people associate age with inability and dependence upon others. Her family and friends are expecting and encouraging this dependence.Elaine and Robert, Mattie's two unmarried children, along with other family and friends, are encouraging her to be what they expect a seventy-eight year old woman to be. They talk about how she needs to get rest because she is slowing down and can't keep going as steady as she seems to think. When she decided to try and help a young juvenile, Wesley Benfield, become a better person by taking him to church and offering him to stay the night with her, Robert thought that Mattie was sick.         Ã‚   Pearl Turnage, Mattie's older sister, has given in to the stereotypes that are now plaguing Mattie, and insists that she do the same. In fact, she invites Mattie to accompany her to the funeral home where they will each pick out a casket that they are to be buried in. Pearl pushes the subject, as if to force Mattie into realizing that she doesn't have much time left to live. Pearl also begins talking to Mattie about the past and the fun that they once had, as if to tell Mattie that those days are over and that it is time for her to begin a new chapter in her life. The future that Pearl has planned for herself,however, is totally contrary to the lifestyle that Mattie has chosen to pursue.

Philosiohy Comparison Essay

Continental philosophy, Pragmatic philosophy, and Analytic philosophy are all three forms of philosophies that are in response to Hegel. The differences began within English speaking countries and European speaking countries, which off-set into two separate traditions. Continental philosophy is the most different in its response to Hegelian idealism in Europe in the 19th and 20th century. The main schools of philosophical thought are existentialism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction, and critical theory, being that existentialism and phenomenology are the two prominent schools. Some of the themes of existentialism include â€Å"Philosophy must focus on the individual in her or his confrontation with the world,† and â€Å"Senselessness, emptiness, triviality, separation, and inability to communicate pervade human existence, giving birth to anxiety, dread, self-doubt, and despair,† (Moore, B. N., & Bruder, K. , 2011, p. 154). Continental philosophers do not agree that science is the best way to describe the ways of life and emphasize on metaphilosophy. To me, Continental Philosophy is difficult to describe because it seems critical instead of expressive. Next, Pragmatic philosophy is the main tradition of philosophy in the United States. Overall, Pragmatic philosophy speaks of the lack of an absolute truth. The truth can change accordingly to any situation depending on the time and place. The three best known pragmatists are C.S Peirce, William James, and John Davey. Instrumentalism, which is Dewey’s product of pragmatism, says that human activity and human thoughts are instruments used by humans to solve practical problems. They believed that truth varied from person to person depending on where he/she wanted to progress in life. Lastly, Analytic philosophy is the main tradition of philosophy in England and later in the United States. Of course the main purpose of Analytic philosophy is analysis, which expresses complex concepts into more simple concepts. A philosopher, Bertrand Russell whose emphasis was mainly in mathematics, related to logicism. Logicism says that mathematical truths can be proved from principles of logic. Russell along with G.E Moore and Gottlob Frege disagreed with Absolute Idealism, but also traditional philosophy all together. Continental philosophy, Pragmatic philosophy, and Analytic philosophy all have quite different concepts but have been conceptualized around the same roots. References Moore, B. N., & Bruder, K. (2011) Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas. (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Emergency Management Essay

The 9/11 tragedy has left a mark on history. In fact, there are many researches and investigative studies that are yet to unveil the truth and flaws behind this tragic event. This unfortunate turn of events has indeed led to controversies and debates on multiple levels hanging too many questions at the back of our minds that are yet to be answered. Yet, this also led to our consciousness in terrorism and how we can effectively prevent it. This research aims to give the readers concise details with regards to the 9/11 tragedy and provide a better understanding concerning this issue. Looking back: 9/11 attacks September 11, 2001– the day when the world witnessed a horrifying and unbearable scene as a terrorist plot was executed to bring terror in the country. Terrorists associated with al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger aircraft and used it as weapons for terrorism acts with New York and Washington DC as their main targets. The first two aircraft, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were plummeted into the twin towers of the renowned World Trade Center in New York City. The third aircraft, American Airlines Flight 77 then punctured a hole at the Pentagon leaving nearly 3000 lifeless bodies on the spot. The fourth airliner, United Airlines Flight 93 on the other hand, crashed into a field near Shanksville after the attempt of passengers and crew members to take control of the plane as revealed on its black box recordings. Sadly, there are no known survivors from any of the flights. Minutes after the appalling attacks, New York City fire companies and crews were sent to the site to give further assistance to the victims and affected civilians. Almost 200 units were deployed by the FDNY and more than 400 firefighters to help them. Paramedics and medical assistance also stand by on the scene. Unfortunately, a total of 411 emergency workers died as they perform their duties. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 341 firefighters and 2 paramedics. The New York City Police Department on the other hand lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department also lost 37 officers while EMS lost 8. It took months to complete the recovery. Amidst the grief of this tragic event, speculations started to arise as to who, why and how this unfortunate tragedy marked the history. Behind the Plot: Revealing the people involved The tragic 9/11 attacks showcased an evident act of terrorism. It was said to be associated with a terrorist group al-Qaeda. Al Qaeda dated way back 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan as headed by Osama Bin Laden. The idea of the 9/11 attacks came from a certain Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who presented the idea to Bin Laden in 1996. During that time, Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have just transferred to Afghanistan from Sudan. In late 1998 to early 1999, the terrorist group leader gave approval to Mohammed to pursue the plot. Together with Mohammed Atef, Bin Laden and Mohammed had several meetings concerning their plot. Bin Laden even provided leadership and financial support for the plot. He was also responsible for choosing Mohammed Atta as the lead hijacker. As many as 27 members of the said group participated in this terrifying plot. The attacks were consistently holding on the mission statement of al-Qaeda, â€Å"Slay the Pagans wherever ye find them† as quoted in the Koran. Bin Laden interpreted the said quote in his â€Å"Letter to America† of October 2002: â€Å"you are the worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind. You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms absolute authority to the Lord and your Creator. † Thus leading to the execution of the terrifying 9/11 attacks. After the attacks, Bin Laden initially denied any involvement in the said incident. But after further investigation, Bin Laden publicly acknowledged Al-Qaeda’s involvement in the said attacks. In 2004, shortly after the U. S. Presidential Elections, Bin Laden stated his direct connection to the attacks via video-taped statement. The Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) The Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) also known as the New York City Fire Department has played a huge role during the 9/11 tragedy particularly in providing emergency medical services and technical rescue. With approximately 11,400 officers and firefighters and over 2,500 EMTs and paramedics, the department pledge to perform their tasks and face challenges the best way possible. This without a doubt clearly reflects their motto â€Å"New York’s Bravest†. New York Firefighters rushed to the scene on that very day of the attack. Brave as they can be, the FDNY deployed their men to snake through stairwells and hallways of the collapsing structure. While the rest of the people are struggling their way out of the building, some firefighters were racing their way up to reach people trapped on the upper floors. They never made it out. More than 300 firefighters and paramedics have lost their lives saving others. It was perhaps the most traumatic respond ever made by the FDNY. The New York City Police Department, which was established in 1844, also extended their help to victims of the 9/11 attacks. Being the largest police force in North America and considered as one of the first â€Å"modern† style police departments in America, the NYPD just like any other department came rushing to the scene to provide assistance needed. They also conduct further investigation after the attacks. What went wrong? During the 9/11 attacks, evident flaws occurred, which definitely created a huge impact in the said incident. Some of which took place due to technical difficulties, unpreparedness and lack of cooperation from the people involved. Take for instance, the flawed radio communication. This drew problems especially to the part of the firefighters. Troubled radio communications caused commanders to lose contact with many firefighters who waited for evacuation orders inside the building. There was also no communication with the police who had helicopters at the scene. There were claims of fatal confusion regarding command and control. With defective communication, at least 121 firefighters died helplessly when the north tower fell. During the final minutes, most firefighters inside the north tower had no idea that building had started to fall down. They were waiting for orders in the lobby which obviously didn’t come or at least fell short. Mr. Thomas Von Essen, city’s fire commissioner from 1996 through 2001, and a former president of the main fire union, believes that the number of firefighter casualties in north tower is a serious matter. The fact that more than a third of the 343 firefighter deaths were from the north tower even though it stood 29 minutes longer than the south baffles the department Amidst the crisis, the two largest emergency departments barely spoke to coordinate strategy thus creating speculations that tribal feud is also one of the flaws that severely affected the incident. Problems involving the police also arise-jammed phone lines, missing radio, unavailable personnel to pick up the calls to name some. Yet it was pointed out by Chief Pfeifer that there was no police supervisors at the lobby command posts set by the fire department to coordinate efforts. Instead, the police established their command post three blocks away. Not a single firefighter was able to board the police helicopters as well. And when police pilots reported â€Å"large pieces† falling from the south tower, only police officers had seen it and heard their warnings leaving the firefighters uninformed. But police officials blame the firefighters’ lack of paramilitary discipline. Although there were several talks between the police and fire departments during the previous years, there was no final agreement making it more complicated for the two. Another flaw is the lack of concrete plan and control. Although it was not evident in the footages, some firefighters talked about aimlessness of the respond. Obviously, it has exceeded anybody else’s expectation. The report also pointed out that the police department’s disaster plans in large scale measures failed. These technical difficulties and other issues added to the burden of surviving the turmoil of the attacks. After the traumatic incident and the harsh lesson, some changes have been made to at least prevent another disaster. Emergency medical workers can now create contact to the police directly via radio. Fire officials can now use information from police helicopters and law enforcement officers and emergency service agencies came hand-in-hand in holding joint drills at high-rise buildings, jails and the city’s tunnels. After the said attacks, a safe and secure network has become a priority since the Police and Fire Departments could not communicate properly at the rescue. There were plans of improving the technology of communication as well as the improvement of strategic skills in rescuing. In fact, the Fire Department has conducted more than 10 drills in the past two years at high-rise office buildings to practice their rescue skills. Emergency Management or Disaster Management Emergency Management, also known as Disaster Management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks by preparing for disaster before it happens. It also involves disaster response (e. g. emergency evacuation, quarantine, and mass decontamination), as well supporting and rebuilding the society after a certain disaster-whether it is natural or human-made- have occurred. It is a process by which the society manages to at least lessen the burden of the disasters’ impact by taking proper actions. Every activity being conducted at each level is interconnected and might affect each other. There are four phases of emergency management. One is the so-called Mitigation. Mitigation involves exerting attempts to prevent hazards from being disasters or to reduce the effect of a certain disaster when it occurs. Compared to other phases, the mitigation phase focuses on long- term measures for reducing or eliminating risk. Applied recovery process after a disaster can be considered a part of mitigation strategies while actions that reduce or eliminate risk are considered mitigation efforts. In mitigation, measures can be structural or non-structural. Structural measures use technological solutions while the Non-structural includes legislation, land-use planning and insurance. One of the essential activities in mitigation is the identification of risks. It is the process of identifying and evaluating hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and riots which pose a risk to community within the area assessed. Next phase is the so-called Preparedness. In this phase, emergency managers develop plans of action when disaster hits a certain area. Some of the preparedness measures include the communication plans with easily understandable terminology and chain of command; development and practice of multi-agency coordination and incident command; proper maintenance and training of emergency services; development and exercise of emergency population warning methods; as well as stockpiling, inventory, and maintenance of supplies and equipments needed. Aside form the above-mentioned, another efficient preparedness measure is an emergency operations center (EOC) and the development of volunteer response capability among civilians. Since there is an increasing number of volunteers and is neither as predictable nor plan able as professional response, they are deployed on the periphery of an emergency. Also, the Casualty Prediction is another essential aspect of preparedness. The study of the number of deaths or injuries to expect on a certain event gives the planners an idea of what resources are needed. The next one is the Response. This includes the necessary emergency services and responds in the affected area. Emergency services such as firefighters, police and ambulance crews can be supported secondary emergency services such as specialist rescue team. There are also volunteers and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) which may provide immediate assistance such as first aid provision. Next to Response is the so-called Recovery. It is the phase wherein the restoration of the affected area took place. Recovery is concerned with issues and decisions that must be made after being addressed. This may include rebuilding destroyed property, re-employment and the repair of other infrastructure. In line with all of the emergency management measures, some International Organizations also provided their assistance to further utilize the disaster management discipline. The International Association of Emergency Managers is a non-profit educational organization which dedicates itself in promoting the goal of saving lives and protecting properties during disasters and emergencies. The group provides information, networking and professional opportunities and advance emergency management profession to its members. Another international organization is the renowned Red Cross/ Red Crescent. This organization is known for its pivotal roles in responding to emergencies and extending help to those who are in need. They also deploy assessment teams to affected countries and specialize in the recovery component of emergency management framework. The United Nations, another international organization also devotes itself in emergency management. They can provide international response to affected countries as requested by the country’s government, by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN- OCHA) and by deploying a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDC) team. The World Bank is another international organization which has approved more than 500 operations related to disaster management amounting to more than US$40 billion. The said operations include post-disaster reconstruction projects, as well as projects aimed at preventing and mitigating disaster impacts in countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Haiti and India. In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the lead agency for emergency management. FEMA covered one of ten regions of the U. S. and its territories. Emergencies are managed in the most local-level possible but if the emergency is related to terrorism act, it is then declared an â€Å"Incident of National Significance†. The secretary of Homeland Security will then initiate the National Response Framework, which involves federal resources, integrating in with the local, county, state, or tribal group. Another organization involved in emergency management is the Citizen Corp which conducts volunteer service programs, administered locally and coordinated nationally by the DHS. They seek to mitigate disaster and prepare for emergency response through public education, training, and outreach program. The Aftermath After the turn of events of the 9/11 attacks, the United States together with other countries around the globe became more cautious against potential follow-up attacks. Air travels across the United States was almost entirely suspended for three consecutive days. In other countries like the United Kingdom, aircrafts were also prohibited from flying for several days due to the fear of encountering terrorist attacks. Numerous memorials were conducted all over the world. It is as if the whole world became united during the most distressing time. In Berlin, over 200,000 German soldiers marched whole- heartedly to show their condolences and solidarity with the United States. On the other hand, a French newspaper released a front page headline: â€Å"Nous sommes tous Americains†, meaning â€Å"We are all Americans†. A national day of mourning was also held in Ireland on September 14 and the U. S. national anthem was played during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace. All of which aims to show support the best way they can. With all the immediate aftermath, the United States expressed their right to defend themselves gathering support across the world and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368. People in the United States also showcased their support in their own little ways. They started gathering around the popularized phrase â€Å"United We Stand† with hopes of being strong and keeping the American spirit alive. Numerous people never hesitate to extend their help to the victims. They also paid tribute to the brave men and women who risk their lives to save others by wearing NYPD and FDNY hats. Even the rescue dogs were paid a tribute during the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Only weeks after the attacks, blood donations climb to its highest point, greater than the corresponding weeks of the previous year. The economic status of the country was also affected due the attacks. The New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and NASDAQ were closed on September 11up to September 17. It was said to be the longest closure since the Great Depression in 1933. By the end of the week, stock market index fell 1369. 7 points (14. 3%), the largest one-week point drop in the history. United States had lost $1. 2 trillion value for the said week. Health problems also arise after the attacks, mostly respiratory disease. The pulverized concrete on the streets has caused the increased cases of serious lung and cardiovascular disorders as covered in a recent article â€Å"Tracing Lung Ailments that Rose with 9/11 Dust, May 13, 2008†. In 2004, almost 500 screened rescue-and-recovery workers and volunteers were reported to obtain persistent respiratory problems and psychological symptoms. The incident also created a huge emotional impact to children especially to those whose parents are working at the World Trade Center. The U. S. responded to attacks by declaring a War on Terrorism. They launched an invasion of Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban, the place who cater al-Qaeda terrorists. The administration also stick to their goals of bringing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda down to justice and avoid further terrorists network. Other nations also pushed on strengthening their anti- terrorism laws and expanded its powers. The 9/11 attacks also prompted George W. Bush’s job approval rating soaring up to 86%. The same attacks also created a focus on domestic security issues as well as the creation of a new cabinet-level federal agency called the â€Å"Department of Homeland Security†. Also, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 was passed enabling the law enforcement agencies to impose search and surveillance powers over the U. S. Citizens. This has led to the creation of the Information Awareness Office, headed by John Poindexter. The said office has amended a program called Total Awareness in May 2003 which aims to develop technology that would enable the collecting and processing of information that might help in predicting terrorists activities. On the other hand, the Muslim community had a mixed reaction to the attacks. Majority of the political and religious leaders condemned the attacks. The media even picked up on a number of celebrations of the attacks as if enjoying the every minute of the 9/11 tragedy. But there were some less publicized activities such as public displays of sympathy by candle lighting in Iran. The attacks also triggered some incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Middle Easterners and even those who look like one. Discrimination and false accusations were also experienced by those who were believed to be from the Middle East. Almost 762 suspected Muslims were rounded up by the United States. Reports stated that some 60 Israelis were among them. According to the Federal investigators, the said people were believed to be a part of a long-running effort to spy the American government officials for further plans. But none of them were ever charged with terrorism. Following the attacks, almost 80,000 Arab and Muslims immigrants were asked to be fingerprinted and registered under the Alien Registration Act of 1940. The 9/11 has indeed changed the face of national security. It has created a scar not only to the country, but to the victims and their families as well. Terrifying as it could be, the 9/11 attacks are only some of the numerous violent attacks by terrorists not only in the United States but in other countries too. This calls for the immediate action of the appropriate people. Preparations and awareness has to be addressed to prevent encountering yet another horrific incident. With the fast-paced technology, acts that might bring terror to countries become easier. But being cautious, well-informed, and focused during times of terror will definitely prevent severe aftermath. The 9/11 attacks were way over but the sympathy towards each other remains intact. This incident opened doors to show concern to each other. This incident also proved that during times of terror and hopelessness, people-regardless of their nationalities, beliefs and vision- can become united and stand as one. References Kleinfield, N. R. (September 7, 2007). September 11, 2001. The New York Times from http://topics. nytimes. com/timestopics/subjects/s/sept_11_2001/ Fritsch, Jane, (September 12,2001). A day of terror: The Response; Rescue Workers Rush In, And Many Do Not Return. The New York Times from http://query. nytimes. com/html? res=9F06E2DB1238F931A2575AC0A9679C8B63 Hauser, Christine. (July 31,2008) Police and Fire Radios Are Talking to Each Other. The New York Times from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/07/31/nyregion/31comm. html? partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Neilan, Terence (2001-09-11). 2 Planes Crash Into World Trade Center. The New York Times. Dwyer Jim, Flynn Kevin and Fessenden Ford (July 7, 2002) Fatal Confusion: A Troubled Emergency Response; 9/11 Exposed Deadly Flaws in Rescue Plan. The New York Times from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9E05E7DA1E31F934A35754C0A9649C Rashbaum, William (July 27, 2002) Report on 9/11 Finds Flaws In Response of Police Dept. The New York Times from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. htmlres=9A05E6DC163BF934A15754C0A9649C8B63 Profiles of 9/11 – About 9/11. The Biography Channel. A&E Television Networks September 11: Chronology of terror. CNN Full text: Bin Laden’s â€Å"Letter to America†. The Guardian (2002-11-24). How 9/11 changed America: In statistics. 11 September: Five years on. BBC (2006). Glynn, Simone A. Effect of a National Disaster on Blood Supply and Safety: The September 11 Experience. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 2246-2253. George D. ; Jane A. Bullock (2004). Introduction to Emergency Management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-7689-2.