Hybrid Cars Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Hybrid Cars In my basic presentation, I examined the practicality of HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), otherwise known as hybrids. The presentation gave some background about laws pertaining to emissions but at the same time was designed more to educate the consumer as to what a hybrid actually is. You do not plug it in! Current Emission Standards are confusing. At this point in time, we are at a major transition as to what will be the future of combustion vehicles. Present day standards do not call for the kind of emission requirements that will account for the current rate of global warming. To fix this problem we must either cut back on the number of vehicles on the road (not likely to happen) or use less fuel. There are many advantages to efficient fuel consumption. These advantages range from saving money to saving the environment. It will also make the United States stronger as a nation in that we can reduce dependency on foreign oil. The first question we ask ourselves: what is a hybrid? A hybrid is a vehicle that has both a combustion engine as well as an electric motor. With the batteries of today it is not possible to make a practical vehicle that will run solely on electric. These cars need to be recharged after a range of approximately 60 miles. This limitation does not make the car practical by today?s standards. Although, the number of hybrids on the road today is limited, in the future we should see most, if not all, passenger vehicles available with the hybrid option (an option that might very well become a requirement). The primary goal of the hybrid vehicle is to cut down on global-warming. The only way in which we can effectively reduce green house gas emissions is by burning less fossi... ...eir combustion counterparts. However, this will change once they become popular and, in actuality, the additional cost up front can quickly pay for itself with increased fuel savings. There is also the question of all these batteries. If the nickel metal hydride batteries aren?t disposed of properly, there could be environmental side effects. Who will fix these cars? Currently, a hybrid will have to be brought back to the dealership for maintenance and that could prove to be more expensive than a private mechanic. However, as hybrids become more popular and costs drop, so will the associated maintenance fees. With the benefits weighed against the drawbacks, it is clear that hybrid vehicles are a plausible measure in controlling greenhouse emissions. Bibliography www.epa.gov/greenvehicles www.fueleconomy.gov www.ott.doe.gov/hev www.insightcentral.net

El Tonto Del Barrio Essay

A cursory look at the conclusion of El Tonto Del Barrio would show that there are no clear winners or losers in the story. There are reasons for this perception. Romero Estrada might be a little â€Å"touched† or an oddball, but his relationship with the community of Golden Heights Centro could be considered cordial and harmonious, even mutually beneficial. As the author aptly puts it, there appears to be an agreement, albeit unwritten, between Romero and the community for him to clean the sidewalks in exchange for the people looking after most of his needs. For instance, the barber (Barelas) gives him an occasional haircut, the produce market provides him with fruit (although overripe), and the Tortilleria contributes bread and a viand called â€Å"menudo. † Even his occasional beer in the evenings is usually free. Both parties are clearly satisfied with the unwritten agreement as evidenced by the fact that Romero is a respected citizen of Golden Heights Centro in spite of his mental state and has in fact fitted well into the life of the community. The peace is however disturbed with the arrival of Seferino, Barelas’ son who has just graduated from high school and is about to enter Harvard University. Seferino raises the issue of Romero’s dignity and starts paying him for his labor, an arrangement which his father opposes without success. Barelas fears that paying Romero might prove damaging to Romero’s stability and unduly injure the harmonious relationship that exists between him and the community. As it turns out, Barelas has correctly read the situation. The salary that Romero receives from Seferino finally gets into his head and radically alters his outlook and consequently his behavior. He starts feeling self-important. A mere couple of weeks into his new arrangement with Seferino and Romero is already applying for credit with the grocery store. Seferino interprets his action as a sign of growing self-confidence and boasts to his father that he has done right with Romero. However, on the fourth week Romero shocks Seferino with his demand for a wage hike. When he is turned down by Seferino, the trouble in Golden Heights Centro begins and the peace is shattered, as Barelas has predicted. Romero gets mad at Seferino for turning him down and severs his arrangement with him. Very soon after, behavioral changes are observed in him. He continues to sweep the sidewalk but excludes the portion fronting the barber shop. He withdraws into himself, becomes irritable, and neglects his hygiene. He even starts disturbing the peace by the rather high volume of his television, stops traffic in the streets, and pulls at the passing women’s skirts as he sits by the curbside. The Romero of old – cheerful, helpful, and peaceable – ceases to exist. The disturbing change in him forces the townspeople to consider having him confined in a mental facility for fear that he might harm himself. They want Barelas to initiate a petition for the purpose. However, Barelas refuses to give in to their demand. Just as he has disagreed with Seferino in altering the state of things in the community because he knows that money will corrupt Romero, he also disagrees with the plan of the townsfolk because he believes that the day will come when Romero will revert to his old cheerful and helpful self. It turns out that Barelas is again accurate in his reading. When Seferino leaves for Harvard, Romero miraculously returns to his old self. He goes back to his self-assigned task of sweeping the whole sidewalk and resumes singing with gusto. In other words, because of the departure of Seferino, the old Romero is back, peace reigns once more in the community, and the residents of Golden Heights Centro are once again secured in the company of a crazy on whom they could depend. As to the question whether there are clear winners or losers in the story, the answer is yes, there is one clear winner in the person of Barelas, the town barber. He is the only character in the story who has accurately predicted that paying Romero will corrupt him. He is also alone in his belief that Romero will revert to his old personality in due time.

Making People to Vote

I believe there are many ways to get people to vote, but I believe the main way is through education. When people are educated on a subject, they know about it and what to do with it. A lot of people are uneducated on voting, so they don't know things, like how to register and where to vote. If we educate the public on voting and the benefits of it, more people would vote. This essay will discuss some of the possible ways of educating the public on voting. One way would be to make an educational commercial aimed towards the younger people in our society. Kind of like what Rock The Vote did, but more informational. My commercial would inform people how to register, how to find out where the voting booth is, along with all the set backs of not voting. I would talk about how you're giving up your freedom by not voting, because you're letting someone else decide who should be in charge. I would also make it very clear that everyone's vote matters! That's another big problem, each individual feels that they can't make a difference, because â€Å"they're only one vote†. I would also talk about the importance of knowing the people running in the elections and what they stand for, because if you're uneducated, you really won't make a difference. This is basically what I would talk about and it would definitely be aimed towards younger people. Another way to get people to vote would be to have a required educational program in high schools, that teaches kids every thing they need to know in order to vote. This would work very well, because it would teach younger people how and why to vote. You could also discuss candidates, how to find out about them, and what they stand for. Another way would be to educate people through fliers and brochures. This would be a lot harder and wouldn't reach as many people, but it would still educate some. A better way would be through a national magazine that talked about the importance of voting and the candidates that are currently running. This would work very well, because you would be educating people and getting them excited to vote. Overall, there are many ways to get people to vote, but I personally believe that voting comes through education. I believe the best way to increase the voting, is to increase the education of it among younger people.

Free Essays on Life Journey Of The Odyssey

Life Journey of The Odyssey The Odyssey is an epic story of one man’s journey as well as the trials and tribulations that he encounters while trying to make it back to his home. Along the way, this story not only follows the guidelines of many other hero stories, but also applies to our everyday struggles both internally and externally. It seems like everyone can look at a story from the odyssey and somehow relate it to a difficulty or a problem that they had to overcome to reach their goal of being happy. These heroic stories have been told throughout the years to help us learn lessons about ourselves and to learn how other people have been able to shine through the hard times to reach happiness. In the book Life Journey: Literature and the Search for Meaning in the Stages of Life by Milt Ford, the ways these books teach us these lessons are analyzed and explained using his theory. Mr. Ford explains that there are three experiences that make up a persons life, they are identity, relationships, and acc omplishments. He goes even further as to apply each one of these experiences into stages of our life such as, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adult. It in interesting to see how this theory not only applies to The Odyssey but to our lives as well. In The Odyssey there is a young man by the name of Telemachus who is the prince of Ithaca, and the son of the books hero, Odysseus. Though he does not get very old in the book, he does go through some very important times in his life journey, discovering for himself whom he is and what he is made of. In the early stages of the book we see the birth of Telemachus and then hear of things going on at his home. As in Ford’s theory we know that during the identity experience of Telemachus’ childhood, he is experiencing himself. He begins to find out who he is as a child and that is when he begins to develop all of the traits that are going to follow hi... Free Essays on Life Journey Of The Odyssey Free Essays on Life Journey Of The Odyssey Life Journey of The Odyssey The Odyssey is an epic story of one man’s journey as well as the trials and tribulations that he encounters while trying to make it back to his home. Along the way, this story not only follows the guidelines of many other hero stories, but also applies to our everyday struggles both internally and externally. It seems like everyone can look at a story from the odyssey and somehow relate it to a difficulty or a problem that they had to overcome to reach their goal of being happy. These heroic stories have been told throughout the years to help us learn lessons about ourselves and to learn how other people have been able to shine through the hard times to reach happiness. In the book Life Journey: Literature and the Search for Meaning in the Stages of Life by Milt Ford, the ways these books teach us these lessons are analyzed and explained using his theory. Mr. Ford explains that there are three experiences that make up a persons life, they are identity, relationships, and acc omplishments. He goes even further as to apply each one of these experiences into stages of our life such as, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adult. It in interesting to see how this theory not only applies to The Odyssey but to our lives as well. In The Odyssey there is a young man by the name of Telemachus who is the prince of Ithaca, and the son of the books hero, Odysseus. Though he does not get very old in the book, he does go through some very important times in his life journey, discovering for himself whom he is and what he is made of. In the early stages of the book we see the birth of Telemachus and then hear of things going on at his home. As in Ford’s theory we know that during the identity experience of Telemachus’ childhood, he is experiencing himself. He begins to find out who he is as a child and that is when he begins to develop all of the traits that are going to follow hi...

Free Essays on Bullying

-Bullying- Bullying among children is understood as repeated, negative acts committed by one or more children against another. These negative acts may be physical or verbal in nature – for example, hitting or kicking, teasing or taunting – or they may involve indirect actions such as manipulating friendships or purposely excluding other children from activities. Bullying used to be considered a part of growing up - unpleasant but unavoidable. The law now recognizes that bullying at school can cause immense harm and unhappiness. Bullying among primary school age children has become recognized as an antecedent to more violent behavior in later grades. Not only does bullying harm both its intended victims and the perpetrators, it also may affect the climate of schools and, indirectly, the ability of all students to learn to the best of their abilities. Victims of bullying are often rejected by their peers, and are at risk for depression, dropping out of school, poor self-esteem, and other mental health problems, including schizophrenia. It is not only victims who are at risk for short- and long-term problems; bullies also are at increased risk for negative outcomes. Children who are bullies often attend school less frequently and are more likely to drop out than other students. Authors of the survey "Talking With Kids About Tough Issues," by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Nickelodeon, asked 1,249 parents of children ages 8 to 15 and 823 children ages 8 to 15 about their problems and whether they sort them out by talking to each other. Seventy-four percent of 8- to 11-year-olds say teasing and bullying occur at their school, more than smoking or drinking or drugs or sex. As kids get older 12- to 15-year-olds were a separate group in the survey the number rises to 86 percent, still higher than substance abuse or sex. And both age groups called the teasing and bullying "big problems" that rank higher than racism, AIDS... Free Essays on Bullying Free Essays on Bullying -Bullying- Bullying among children is understood as repeated, negative acts committed by one or more children against another. These negative acts may be physical or verbal in nature – for example, hitting or kicking, teasing or taunting – or they may involve indirect actions such as manipulating friendships or purposely excluding other children from activities. Bullying used to be considered a part of growing up - unpleasant but unavoidable. The law now recognizes that bullying at school can cause immense harm and unhappiness. Bullying among primary school age children has become recognized as an antecedent to more violent behavior in later grades. Not only does bullying harm both its intended victims and the perpetrators, it also may affect the climate of schools and, indirectly, the ability of all students to learn to the best of their abilities. Victims of bullying are often rejected by their peers, and are at risk for depression, dropping out of school, poor self-esteem, and other mental health problems, including schizophrenia. It is not only victims who are at risk for short- and long-term problems; bullies also are at increased risk for negative outcomes. Children who are bullies often attend school less frequently and are more likely to drop out than other students. Authors of the survey "Talking With Kids About Tough Issues," by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Nickelodeon, asked 1,249 parents of children ages 8 to 15 and 823 children ages 8 to 15 about their problems and whether they sort them out by talking to each other. Seventy-four percent of 8- to 11-year-olds say teasing and bullying occur at their school, more than smoking or drinking or drugs or sex. As kids get older 12- to 15-year-olds were a separate group in the survey the number rises to 86 percent, still higher than substance abuse or sex. And both age groups called the teasing and bullying "big problems" that rank higher than racism, AIDS...

Annotated Bibliography Of John Steinbeck

Annotated Bibliography Of John Steinbeck East of Eden is John Steinbeck’s most famous novel. This book published in 1952 has won international critical acclaim, and propelled Steinbeck to international glory. Critics, both positive and negative, often describe the book as the most ambitious literary project of Steinbeck. The book talks about the intricacies of two families that live in the Salinas valley. The families are the Hamilton’s and the Trasks. The two families have interwoven stories. The book originally addresses the author’s two young sons, Thom and john. The book describes in detail the Salinas valley in California where the story is set. The story also involves other places like Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Salinas valley in central California is aptly described as it is the setting of the book. The story begins with the Hamilton family that has emigrated from Ireland. Samuel Hamilton raised his brood of nine children on some infertile patch of land until they are able to fed for the mselves. As Hamilton’s children begin to leave home, a well-off stranger buys the best ranch in the Salinas valley. The stranger is Adam Trask, and he has come to his riches after discovering that his father left him and his brother some worthwhile inheritance. Adam has fallen in love, and married Cathy Ames, a girl who is described as a monster. This is because she has been a manipulator of men, and she has left home after killing her parents. After giving birth, Cathy shoots Adam in the shoulders and flees. Adam has to rear his twin boys with the help of Samuel Hamilton and Lee. Lee is a Cantonese servant of Adam. The three men make good companionship and engage in lively biblical debates. Cathy turns to prostitution, and through murder, manages to acquire a brothel. The boys grow up, and Samuel Hamilton dies. Adam loses his fortune in a business misfortune. One of the boys chooses to farm, and the other twin becomes a priest. Caleb the farmer gets to be successful. During thanksgiving, he gives his father a gift of $15,000, which his father rejects. Meanwhile, his brother, Aron wants to drop out of college. The book ends with Adam bedridden, and Lee pleading with Adam to forgive his son. Benson.J. (1977). John Steinbeck: Novelist as Scientist. Novel, Vol. (10):6. It is important to note that, during the publication of East of Eden, the book did not get positive acclaim. It was rejected for many literary and biblical allusions that did not auger well with the critics of his day. East of Eden has been loved by the general readership worldwide. One of the failures of the East of Eden is that the book has borrowed heavily from Author Gunn’s book, New family physician. The borrowing is used to deepen the creative legacy and artistic portrait of Samuel Hamilton. John Steinbeck, in writing East of Eden, has strayed from his literary style and adherence to realism and naturalism. This is because of his habit of what he has referred to as creative read ing. Creative reading can be related to creative writing. Only in this case it is the opposite, for the creative reader reads to write. The implication is that Steinbeck has immersed himself in various documents, some of them scientific to come up with East of Eden. The book has been superimposed with so many allusions that it loses the fictional ability with which it is supposed to command the reader of fiction. The result is that the book borders on non fictional work. In many respects, the book is drawn from the author’s background. This makes it an autobiographical stretch of his life. For example, Samuel Hamilton, the benign farmer is a representation of Steinbeck’s grandfather. His execution of form (Steinbeck’s) is heavily influenced by other works. The problem is not the heavy borrowing, the problem is the way he has failed to disguise his borrowing. It is a fact that all great literary work is some form of copying, or stealing. Shakespeare plagiarized n inety percent from ancient Greek writing. He plagiarized in mastery disguise, and what we have of him are great works. East of Eden is blatantly plagiarized.

Development of Sexual Orientation Research Paper

Development of Sexual Orientation - Research Paper Example The main influences of nature (genes and biology) and nurture (the surrounding where an individual develops) and certain orientations are the main issues in the psychological world. This paper will investigate the main factors behind the development of varying sexual orientations, developmental differences between men and women, and the key factors for persistence of varying sexual orientations in humans throughout evolutionary history. Discussion Evidence indicates that different factors account for the development of different sexual orientations for various people, (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005). Diamante and McAnulty asserts that â€Å"Even though various studies have investigated the potential hereditary (genes), developmental, hormones and socio-cultural factors influence the development of sexual orientation† p. 33, no generalizations have developed to allow scientists and theorists to construe that sexual orientation development is attributable to any certain factor(s). La rge numbers of scientist suggest that both â€Å"nature and nurture play a dynamic function; a large percentage of the population experience little evidence and choice concerning their sexual identity and orientation† (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005 p. 40). In the sexual orientation debate, different individual narratives and evidence have validity for the person, but cannot be simplified broadly. Sexual orientation is largely influenced by genes and unsystematic environmental aspects, based on results from the global extensive twin's study, (Omoto & Kurtzman, 2006). Sexual orientation is attributable to biological factors. The biological account has extensively gained recognition amongst the scientific society even the though; it is merely anchored on speculations. Scientists argue â€Å"Development of sexual orientation is attributable to factors that the take place during sexual identity of differentiation† p. 52. The prenatal subjection hormones such as androgens and the impacts on human brain development perform a crucial function development of sexual orientation in humans.        Ã‚