This will explain the problems and obstacles the South African gold industry is facing. It will also look directly at their main competitors which in this case is Indonesia. It is really interesting and educational so take a look.
Friday, 1 November 2013
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Is Climate Change Our Fault?
If you were to look only at what is
above you would feel very worried and guilty. There are mechanisms throughout
the planet that exacerbate the problem which were kicked off by humans. This
shows that a small temperature rise can lead to a massive temperature rise. An
example of this is the increase in temperature has caused the snow and ice over
dead vegetation to melt. These plants, once they have died, release methane -
this is known as permafrost
. This methane was trapped and
therefore not released into the atmosphere. The snow melts and the methane is
released. Methane is four times more potent than CO2 which makes it more of a threat. As the
temperature rises more methane is released and this continues indefinitely.
This is called a mechanism and makes it obvious why a small temperature rise
can lead to global climate change.
The surface of the Earth reflects
some of the Sun’s light. White surfaces reflect more light than other surfaces.
The reflectivity of an object is called albedo. The seas are warming which is
melting the Arctic from beneath. The Arctic is white because it is made out of
ice. The reduction of the ice has lead to the global albedo being reduced. This
then causes the Earth to warm up and the North Pole melts even further. Glaciers
are also retreating which also reflect a lot of the sun’s light. This is
occurring almost everywhere on the planet such as the Andes. The Peruvian
glaciers have lost one fifth of their mass in less than 35 years. The ice turns
into water and the glacial melt water goes down through valleys which may cause
more floods when the river begins to meander (bend). This is because the river
slows down and the excess water has nowhere to go apart from sideways. A lot of
farm land would be affected and so would settlements. When the water reaches
the sea the levels would rise as well. As more ice melts the higher the
temperature goes.
Other factors that are not
controlled by humans can account for climate change. A Serbian Scientist called
Milutin Milankovitch. He stated that the Earth’s orbit around the sun was not
always the same. Due to the gravitational pull of other planets over the Earth,
the Earth changes its course around the sun. The amount of solar energy
reaching the Earth varies according to this.
Inter-stellar dust prevents sunlight
from reaching the Earth. This causes the Earth’s temperature to change or to
change its normal patterns. The dust would decrease the Earth’s temperature and
could cancel out the effects of global warming.
Sunspots are dark spots on the sun’s
surface and they are large bursts of magnetic energy. The sunspots go up and
down on an 11 year cycle. We have a cooling effect when we have large amounts
of sunspot activity. In the last 10 years we have had a lot of sunspots but the
Earth’s Global temperature has remained around the same. This could mean that
the effects of Global warming have been balanced by sunspots.
Volcanic emissions also are a major
factor in climate change. Scientists say that increased volcanism several
million years ago may have lead to the downfall of the Dinosaurs. This is
because volcanoes when they erupt they release soot and dust. This then could
increase the atmospheric albedo. It would have to be a very large eruption and
could lead to the temperatures going dramatically down.
The Earth is on a cycle in which
there are short peaks and troughs over thousands of years. The temperatures
fall and rise extremely rapidly. Many factors can effect the global climate
such as volcanism and the reflectivity of the Earth. A small temperature rise
which may have been kicked off by humans may rapidly increase due to all these
natural mechanism which give us positive feedback.
There are also natural factors on
the Earth that will bring down the temperature or slow down climate change. An
example of this is the forests are are getting smaller and vegetation reflect
the least amount of light. As the forests disappear, they are replaced by
deserts which have the highest albedo on the Earth. This may bring the
temperature down therefore it is negative feedback.
Overall, humans are to blame for the
initialising climate change but the other factors may exacerbate the problem.
Positive feedback will drive the temperatures upwards like seen in the past.
Humans have not been to blame for climate change as all the cycles have been
kicked by something. This time it has been humans, other times it has been
volcanoes.
How does Climate Change affect Mankind?
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 1880’s, humans have released millions of tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases. These gases are given off by factories burning fossil fuels, car emissions and agriculture. The burning of fossil fuels give off gases that allow radiation from the sun to pass through it but not to return back into space. This in turn causes the warming of the Earth. Car emissions are also a contributor to the rise in these gases. Agriculture burns rice and biomass which causes it to be the sector that releases 30% of the world’s total methane emissions. Indigenous people of the Amazon practice slash and burn which gives the soil nutrients for farming. Foreigners also do this but it is common that the fires go out of control or the use the land for too long thus depriving a region of a forest of nutrients. This leads to more CO2 emissions and less O2 being taken out of the atmosphere since trees perform photosynthesis.
Since there is more radiation
trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, this makes the probability of cyclones
occurring increase. This is because of the radiation heating the Earth, the air
temperature near the ground increases and then the warm air rises. This
condenses to form clouds which could cause more rainfall and floods.
Thunderstorms increase in frequency due to the convectional rainfall.
Once the moisture of the storm
evaporates, huge amounts of heated warm air are twisted in the atmosphere. This
is the formation of a hurricane and is a reason why they have become more
frequent in recent times. In 1980, there were 45 hurricanes, they have been on
the rise and in the year 1997 there were 105 hurricanes. More cyclones would
destroy homes, businesses and cause the death of many people. A recent (2005)
example of a hurricane is Katrina, the main road to leave the area collapsed
although there has been a mass evacuation beforehand. All sorts of power
failures occurred and most importantly water was in short supply. People were
trapped on their roofs and even in their houses. The official death toll was
around 1,400 which is a huge amount considering it was a rich country
economically (USA). This is a very worrying prospect as the countries that may
suffer the most are poorer than the US such a Bangladesh and the countries
around the Gulf of Mexico.
Although there is some goods news
which is that the number of cyclones has decreased substantially in the past
couple of years (1997-2000). They have gone down from 105 to 75 but it does
seem that there is a cycle in which the number of hurricanes go up and down.
Floods ,on the other hand have risen
recently, this may have been caused by climate change. The melting of the polar
ice caps has made the sea levels rise which causes more floods especially in
low countries such as Bangladesh. The North Pole is losing 150 to 250 cubic
kilometres of ice annually. Bangladesh is a LIC (low income country) and relies
heavily on agriculture (rice). The success of a season is down to the monsoon.
Since the number of cyclones have increased more rain makes the crops rot and
therefore useless. Too little rain causes the crops to die because of lack of
water. If the season is a total failure not only would the people left hungry
but they will not be left with any seeds for the following season. To add
insult to injury the sea levels are rising and the risk of flooding is becoming
more threatening. They have already experienced floods before with devastating
consequences but more floods might even wipe them off the map. The Government
needs to borrow money but if the natural disasters continue to occur they will
not have any money to spend on improving the country’s defences and
infrastructure. This is a vicious circle which seems to have no end. In a three
year period (1996-1999) the floods have increased by about 60. They are also
declining but this could be because it is on a cycle as well.
There is also a serious problem on
the other end of the spectrum. This lack of water known as droughts. Where
places are getting more water, others are receiving less. Heat waves and
extreme droughts have occurred more often in places such as Southern
Spain. The young and elderly would be
hit the hardest as they are more susceptible to suffer from heat waves and
deprivation of water.
Humans pump out huge amounts of
Carbon Dioxide which in turn reacts with the water making it become more
acidic. The natural process in which the Oceans are neutralised is algae. They
photosynthesise so they remove CO2 and give back O2. The ratio of oxygen in the
water may be vital to some living creatures. The seas are warming and in the
125 years they have increased in temperature by around a degree Fahrenheit.
This makes it harder for the algae to survive as they do not have their ideal
temperature. They can go to cooler waters by going deeper but then they do not
have sunlight. Less oxygen may cause species of fish to move away from their
normal habitats, they may go to depths that they cannot be fished and they may
even die. This could occur if their natural food died out which then would
affect the food-chain entirely. Humans consume a lot of sea creatures every
year and if it were to be in short supply there would be a problem with food
distribution. If the algae die then the sea would become more acid. As the sea
becomes more acid it becomes increasingly difficult for algae to survive.
Humans will suffer from climate
change and we are not sure what will be the consequences. We should prepare to
stop humans from the poorer countries from getting hit hardest by this. But we
are not to worry so much as we humans are extremely adaptable and have thrived
in several different environments. We have survived the last Ice Age with
primitive techniques and technology.
Climate Change?
This is my presentation on climate change I hope it is useful for people who want to know more about the subject.
Top 10 Films of 2000s
This information is courtesy of IMDb.
No. 10 WALL-E
Info
WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL·E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future. He eventually falls in love with another robot named EVE, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the destiny of both his kind and humanity
Review
Personally I hated this film but I know many people who absolutely loved it. For me, it just wasn't that engaging. But I guess that if it is good enough to come 10th then some people must like it.
No. 09 The Lives of Others
Info
The Lives of Others (German: Das Leben der Anderen) is a 2006 German drama film, marking the feature film debut of filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The film involves the monitoring of the cultural scene of East Berlin by agents of the Stasi, the GDR's secret police. It stars Ulrich Mühe as Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler, Ulrich Tukur as his chief Anton Grubitz, Sebastian Koch as the playwright Georg Dreyman, and Martina Gedeck as Dreyman's lover, a prominent actress named Christa-Maria Sieland.
Review
It's a very interesting film different from the usual, but do I think that it is good enough to be in the Top Ten. No.
No. 08 Amelie
Info
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Its original French title is Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain meaning "The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain". Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. The film was an international co-production between companies in France and Germany.
Review
I have only watched this film in french and without subtitles. So my understanding of the film will be quite limitewd but I must say it's a bit messed up. A thing to note : this is the second foreign film on the list.
No. 07 Spirited Away
Info
Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi?, literally, The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro) is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows a sullen ten-year-old girl who is in the process of moving to a new neighborhood, and chronicles her adventures in a world of spirits and monsters
Review
Well I am an anime fan myself and this is one of the best english animes I've seen. I would encourage any anime fan to see it if you haven't already.
Unrelated Note
I just want to take this moment to pay my respects to the Japanese people affected by the earthquake and tsunami, I encourage everyone to give what they can to help them.
No. 06 The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers
Info
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is the second film in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy that was preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and concluded with The Return of the King (2003).
Review
So the first of the LOTR series on the list, and I can agree with that. The LOTR series is one of the few films which I can say the director and producers really tried. You can see this in the finished product.
No. 05 Memento
Info
Memento is a 2000 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, adapted from his younger brother Jonathan's short story "Memento Mori". It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia which renders his brain unable to store new memories. During the opening credits, which portrays the end of the story, it is shown that Leonard kills Teddy (Joe Pantoliano). The film suggests that this killing is in vengeance for the rape and murder of his wife (Jorja Fox) based on information provided by Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss).
Review
A film by Christopher Nolan, one of my favourite directors. This is a really good film and this should be an example to all directors of what a psychological thriller should be.
No. 04 The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Info
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955). Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is seeking the One Ring. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions form the Fellowship of the Ring, and begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.
Review
I am a fan of all LOTR films and they are probably the best fantasy films ever.
No. 03 City Of God
Info
City of God (Portuguese: Cidade de Deus) is a 2002 Brazilian crime film directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. All the characters existed in reality. The story is based on real events. It was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins. It depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the '60s and the beginning of the '80s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and criminal Knockout Ned. The tagline is "If you running the beast catches, if you stay the beast eats."
Review
Personally I can say that I have NOT seen this film and I don't particularly want to. But I guess if it is good enough for No. 03 then it must be something good.
No. 02 The Lord Of the Rings: Return Of The King
Info
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is the concluding film in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, following The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Two Towers (2002).
Review
I completely agree that this was the best of the whole series. I can't say anything else apart from; the last in the Lord Of The Rings series.
NO. 01 THE DARK KNIGHT
WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL·E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future. He eventually falls in love with another robot named EVE, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the destiny of both his kind and humanity
Review
Personally I hated this film but I know many people who absolutely loved it. For me, it just wasn't that engaging. But I guess that if it is good enough to come 10th then some people must like it.
No. 09 The Lives of Others
Info
The Lives of Others (German: Das Leben der Anderen) is a 2006 German drama film, marking the feature film debut of filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The film involves the monitoring of the cultural scene of East Berlin by agents of the Stasi, the GDR's secret police. It stars Ulrich Mühe as Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler, Ulrich Tukur as his chief Anton Grubitz, Sebastian Koch as the playwright Georg Dreyman, and Martina Gedeck as Dreyman's lover, a prominent actress named Christa-Maria Sieland.
Review
It's a very interesting film different from the usual, but do I think that it is good enough to be in the Top Ten. No.
No. 08 Amelie
Info
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Its original French title is Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain meaning "The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain". Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. The film was an international co-production between companies in France and Germany.
Review
I have only watched this film in french and without subtitles. So my understanding of the film will be quite limitewd but I must say it's a bit messed up. A thing to note : this is the second foreign film on the list.
No. 07 Spirited Away
Info
Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi?, literally, The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro) is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows a sullen ten-year-old girl who is in the process of moving to a new neighborhood, and chronicles her adventures in a world of spirits and monsters
Review
Well I am an anime fan myself and this is one of the best english animes I've seen. I would encourage any anime fan to see it if you haven't already.
Unrelated Note
I just want to take this moment to pay my respects to the Japanese people affected by the earthquake and tsunami, I encourage everyone to give what they can to help them.
No. 06 The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers
Info
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is the second film in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy that was preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and concluded with The Return of the King (2003).
Review
So the first of the LOTR series on the list, and I can agree with that. The LOTR series is one of the few films which I can say the director and producers really tried. You can see this in the finished product.
No. 05 Memento
Info
Memento is a 2000 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, adapted from his younger brother Jonathan's short story "Memento Mori". It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia which renders his brain unable to store new memories. During the opening credits, which portrays the end of the story, it is shown that Leonard kills Teddy (Joe Pantoliano). The film suggests that this killing is in vengeance for the rape and murder of his wife (Jorja Fox) based on information provided by Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss).
Review
A film by Christopher Nolan, one of my favourite directors. This is a really good film and this should be an example to all directors of what a psychological thriller should be.
No. 04 The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Info
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955). Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is seeking the One Ring. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions form the Fellowship of the Ring, and begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.
Review
I am a fan of all LOTR films and they are probably the best fantasy films ever.
No. 03 City Of God
Info
City of God (Portuguese: Cidade de Deus) is a 2002 Brazilian crime film directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. All the characters existed in reality. The story is based on real events. It was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins. It depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the '60s and the beginning of the '80s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and criminal Knockout Ned. The tagline is "If you running the beast catches, if you stay the beast eats."
Review
Personally I can say that I have NOT seen this film and I don't particularly want to. But I guess if it is good enough for No. 03 then it must be something good.
No. 02 The Lord Of the Rings: Return Of The King
Info
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is the concluding film in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, following The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Two Towers (2002).
Review
I completely agree that this was the best of the whole series. I can't say anything else apart from; the last in the Lord Of The Rings series.
NO. 01 THE DARK KNIGHT
Info
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role. The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale), District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and Police Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and their struggles and journey in combating the new rising threat of a criminal calling himself the "Joker" (Heath Ledger).
Review
The Dark knight is probably the most EPIC film ever, apart from Inception. But the thing to note is that they are both directed by Christopher Nolan. I probably have the world record for seeing this film the most times. I do not know how many essays I have missed the deadline for because of this film. And I just want to say Heath Ledger, what an actor.
The Printed Word is in Decline!
Newspapers and Magazines are in decline due to the direct competition of the internet. A newspaper , you used to buy it to find out what was going on around the world but now the internet has changed everything. You can just walk over to your computer and search for whatever news you are interested in. This can range from sport to more serious issues such as the Arab Uprisings. The Newspaper cost money whereas when you search on the computer it is completely free. Newspapers only give you the view of one journalist but the internet allows you to read the opinions of many people through blogs and other similar innovations. The newspaper businesses future looks bleak but they can do something to prevent their companies from going bust. They could shift the entire company on line. All the articles could be placed on a website and gain money through advertising.
Magazines on the other hand look a bit stronger as many of these magazines are all about gossip. Many people love to read about things like this but it is not safe from potential competition either. They face the same problems as newspapers but since the latter started before it might be their end. Magazines are newer than Newspapers therefore it will take longer for a change to occur. This is simply down to human laziness and unwillingness to change!
Magazines on the other hand look a bit stronger as many of these magazines are all about gossip. Many people love to read about things like this but it is not safe from potential competition either. They face the same problems as newspapers but since the latter started before it might be their end. Magazines are newer than Newspapers therefore it will take longer for a change to occur. This is simply down to human laziness and unwillingness to change!
What is Evernote?
This is a program which can be downloaded onto both mac and windows computers. It can even be found on smartphones such as iphones. It facilitates a rapid and easy way to make clear and concise notes which can range from something huge to something small. It is also free to download which makes it even more accessible to the public. The free version allows you to make over 500,000 notes and on the other the possibilities are limitless. It is extremely useful if you think of something very good or an excellent idea you can simply jot it down regardless of where you are. It is also very useful if you come across something truly inspiring. This can be a sound or an image which you can record or take a photo of respectively.
It also works like a sort of album in which you can organise your notes in any particular way you wish. These notes can be organised into different notebooks and you can even put tags on the notes as well. When you name a notebook it immediately becomes searchable and extremely easy to find. You do this by typing in keywords or titles and as if by magic the note that you intended to find appears.
This may all seem amazing stuff but I believe that it is no different to a notebook or camera. They do the same thing and are a convenient as Evernote. A phone performs these exact functions without this program or application. On the other hand, you can never lose it which is very likely with small cumbersome notepads. You can enter Evernote from any computer in the world as long as it has a decent internet connection available. You can reproduce it by printing several times and you can also send your outstanding ideas to friends, family and co-workers. I have downloaded it and it may seem very helpful but in the full week I have possessed it I have found no possible need for it. I think it is a good idea but I just don't believe it will be a successful one as it is simply mimicking the functions that other devices do already and probably to a much higher quality.
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