Use of Ethanol as a Fuel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Use of Ethanol as a Fuel - Research Paper Example Unfortunately, inside an automobile engine, fuel undergoes incomplete combustion and as a result unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and compounds of sulphur are released, which are extremely dangerous to mankind (Rao, 1989). Many organizations all over the world are participating in developing awareness and making such standards that are environment friendly. Among them is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA which is constantly trying to make such standards and regulations which can lessen the effects of the exhaust of the automobiles on the environment. An Energy Policy Act has been passed by EPA which is considered to be an attempt in fighting energy problems. It contains a national renewable fuel standard program RFS, developed to make use of a certain amount of renewable fuel within transportation fuels. Ethanol is one of the environment friendly gas or liquid recommended in EPA and RFS programs. It is, in actual, the ethyl alcohol found in drinking beverages and it is being used as a transportation fuel too for decades. It is termed as an oxygenating factor for gasoline and is used purposely for oxygenating fuel in many parts of the country. It is blended as an alternative fuel to the gasoline of about 5-10% concentration initially, but now it is mostly in the form of E85 and E100 which contains 85-100% concentration of ethanol alcohol (Renewable Fuel Standard Program. 2011). Using Ethanol as E85 has quantitatively replaced the gasoline in flexible fuel vehicles, which have engines designed for this special purpose so that they are compatible with the high concentration of ethanol. It has a high octane rate than gasoline and thus provides good performance and engine efficiency, but at the same time it has lower energy content and thus it gives less mileage as compared to gasoline of the same amount. United States was the world’s top producer of ethanol with 50 billion liters out of 86.9 billion liters all over the world in the year 2010. Every other car or automobile in US uses a blend of gasoline ethanol up to 10% as it is considered mandatory by the RFS program. There are also a great number of flexible fuel vehicles which use E85 and E100 as a fuel, but it can b e affirmed that more energy is consumed as compared to gasoline (Lichts. 2010). As ethanol is a biofuel, it is mostly seen to be produced from the natural sources and products. Agricultural feed stocks such as sugar cane or corn which are considered renewable are being processed into ethanol by fermentation, distillation and dehydration, when after they undergo the process of photosynthesis for their growth. Petroleum is also a source of ethanol production in the world. About 5% of world’s ethanol is produced by the catalytic hydration of ethylene which is obtained from oil, gas, coal and other petroleum resources. Apart from sugar cane and corn, other feed stocks can also be used for the production of bio-ethanol, which include bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum, grain, switch grass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, molasses, stover, grain, wheat, straw, cotton and other biomass and cellulose harvestings. The only condition is that the process of photosynthesis should completely occur, i.e., plants absorb sunlight for their growth and all the minerals they produce like phosphorus etc should return to the land (Ethanol. 2012). Apart from its

Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina Essay When an electrical power outage occurs from a storm, we are instructed to have flashlights, battery operated radios, a generator, survival gear, food, etc. But what happens when the power outage is long-term? What happens when the generator runs out of fuel and we can’t get more fuel? What happens when the batteries run down? For those who did not endure Hurricane Katrina, the consequences of loss of power combined with catastrophic flooding cannot even be imagined. The event of Katrina was not a mere inconvenience, it was a disaster of epic proportions. Much of the failure of first responders and ensuing rescue workers to operate efficiently was due to lost communications. Additionally, family members and friends could not find each other, nor could they find any information for quite a while. This particular storm was a nightmare for communications people as well as the victims. Simply the massive loss of power rendered the Gulf Coast without the basic tools to function. Today’s technology in communications is unparalleled and becoming even more sophisticated by the week; yet without power, even the most high-tech systems are useless (Donny Jackson, 12-01-2005). To review what happened during the storm that shattered communications networks, it is important to look at the emergency communications systems available and explain what failed and why. In the 35th largest city in the U. S. , how could so many people be suddenly disconnected? What happened to the cell phones, instant messaging, satellite technology, broadband, wireless and other forms of everyday communication that are largely taken for granted? Even in the horrendous disaster of 9/11, communication was still taking place. Even Hurricane Andrew didn’t knock all communications systems out. What was different about Hurricane Katrina? As Donny Jackson points out in Mobile Radio Technology (12-01-2005), all communications systems are designed with the notion that power is available. Backup generators and batteries are equipped to keep equipment running for a few hours at the most, which is usually ample time for the electrical grid to be back online to some capacity. In an earlier article by Donny Jackson (11-01-05), the floodwaters were to blame for most of the communications failures. The commander of police communications in New Orleans, Stephen J. Gordon, put it succinctly: â€Å"The wind was almost inconsequential†¦ It was the water that was the killer. † Herein was the problem: most wireless towers are designed to withstand hurricane force winds. The cell towers survived the winds, as in Florida’s hurricanes, but the power to drive the networks was knocked out by the unprecedented floodwaters in the city of New Orleans. There was also damage to a generator when flying debris punctured the radiator on the backup generator. When sudden damage of this type occurs, there is little that can be done to overcome the massive loss of communication. However, IT was still working, and emergency personnel were using the Internet to send out instant messages when all other communications failed. Of course, this was only possible with emergency power available until the fuel in the generators was gone. Since the roads were impassable and there was widespread damage to gas stations and roads to the gas stations, generator fuel swiftly dwindled. When communications are cut off to first responders in a disaster, chaos ensues as victims assume help is on the way and when it fails to arrive, the emotional aftermath is seen. First responders themselves are traumatized by being rendered almost as helpless as the victims they are hired to rescue and protect due to being cut off from each other. In the case of Katrina, it turned out that satellite and internet technology helped enormously in the days following the disaster, when families needed help finding each other and victims needed medical attention or evacuation. It seems that satellite technology had the edge over terrestrial communications systems, yet satellite communications are not yet sufficiently integrated into emergency communications networks, according to Satellite Industry Association (SIA) chairman Tony Trujillo (Peter Brown, 2006). Agreeing with this statement was the FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, stating that: If we learned anything from Hurricane Katrina, it is that we cannot rely solely on terrestrial communications (Brown). IT technology was utilized to patch together a system of tracking evacuees in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Several IT companies met two days after Katrina had struck and agreed to set aside competition and focus on helping the victims (Bart Perkins, 2005). Within five days, IT companies began executing networks for shelters, finding families, financial assistance and infrastructure. This mammoth effort was undertaken doing a lot with a little. Linking databases to larger organizations using what means were available was no small task, given that there was no power supply to speak of. In this case, the private sector possessed a greater ability to render assistance than the emergency or government agencies due to their skills and mobility. The Hurricane Katrina tragedy was ironic in that the entire world was more informed than the victims, evacuees and rescue workers regarding what was needed in the stricken areas, due to television, print and Internet media (Diane Mermigas, 2005). The observance of these phenomena has prompted the investigation into the further development of new bandwidth-rich services that go beyond media and entertainment and imbed themselves into emergency services. As a result of the losses and lack of preparedness in terms of emergency communications for a storm that was possible but not probable enough to prompt a major beefing up of communications networks, new measures are being taken to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Flagler County in Florida is investing $10 million to install an 800 MHz radio system, which will suitably serve multiple channels of communications and heavy user traffic through one network (Michael Reed, 2005). New Orleans had an 800 MHz system, but it was knocked out by the floodwaters. However, the terrain of Flagler County is different and the county also has two satellite phones available as a backup. Satellite equipment works well as long as one has a clear view of the southern sky, but in a city or indoors, they are ineffective (Jackson, 11-01-2005). Two satellite phones may not seem like much, but the county can simultaneously call for help and stay in contact with emergency officials if need be. Moreover, where Flagler County’s radio signals currently fail in the western part of the county, the new 800 MHz system will enable signals to 95 percent of the county. In New Orleans, when the 800MHz equipment was rendered inoperable by the water, the statewide system was insufficient in dealing with the new traffic of users in the form of out-of-area emergency workers (Jackson, 11-01-2005). The resulting demand now is for redundant forms of connectivity, networks capable of re-routing traffic around the point of failure, better protection for equipment in terms of casings, and alternative power sources. In the works now are packets of emergency communications networks that operate on satellite technology and are able to seamlessly interface with terrestrial technology (Brown). One of the acknowledged problems with the communications infrastructure was that in the areas stricken by Katrina, these systems were not in place prior to the storm. Had they been strategically placed, response would have been more efficient and effective. One of the problems with first responders dealing with satellite equipment is the time; first responses are time-critical and while the team is trying to get to the victims, it is not likely that having to keep repositioning the receiver on a mobile satellite communication system would be an attractive idea. There are alternatives that had been considered dubious prior to Katrina, but are now gaining interest. One such communication network is being developed by Space Data, based in Arizona. Almost laughably simple, the Sky Site Network uses weather balloons to fly base systems up to heights of 65,000 to 100,000 feet above the earth (Jackson, 12-01-2005). This system could be deployed in advance of an oncoming hurricane or in the event of a disabled network. The balloons can remain aloft for about a day and are reusable when they fall to earth. Another possibility is a combination of solar, fuel cell and wind powering towers instead of terrestrial electricity. While this combination has largely been dismissed as environmentalism driven pseudo-science, one company has gained great interest after Katrina and has installed the towers at an airport in West Virginia to run the video surveillance cameras (Jackson, 12-01-2005). Knowing that it is only a matter of time before another disaster strikes, whether it is natural or man-made, it is prudent to shore up communications systems and develop different networks, both terrestrial and satellite, that can be compatible. Due to the human condition, it is more likely that such systems will be developed in the private sector focusing on entertainment or gaming rather than emergency preparedness. It seems that new technology becomes quickly taken for granted and integrated into daily life so much that many forget how to function without it. Yet designers and officials would do well to think outside the box by finding multiple purposes for such communications devices, in the event of an emergency. Past disasters such as the London transit bombings of July 2005, the tsunami in Indonesia in 2005 and now Hurricane Katrina have shown the value of videophones and camera equipped cell phones. Yet these devices require terrestrial networks to operate as well as electrical power to recharge them. While some small items such as cell phones, calculators, etc. are solar powered, the sun is not always reliable. Nothing is. This fact should demonstrate the importance of multiple power sources, both conventional and alternative, in order for equipment to function for extended periods of time even when the main power is disabled. In any emergency, effective communication is critical. Making communications networks better can be the difference between life and death in future disasters. Works Cited Brown, Peter J. â€Å"Crisis On The Gulf Coast: When Satellite Was The Only Game In Town. † Via Satellite 21. 1 (2006): 1. Jackson, Donny. â€Å"Without power, but not powerless. † Mobile Radio Technology 23 (12-01-2005).

How Come Hybrid Car Is Used In Malaysia Marketing Essay

How Come Hybrid Car Is Used In Malaysia Marketing Essay Introduction Hybrid car is all the rage nowadays, but lots have mistaken the hybrid for a solar car or an electric car. By definition, a hybrid car is an automobile that have one or more power source, for example an electric motor, battery and fuel cells [1]. To many surprise, the Hybrid car technologies was developed during the 1900s .In fact, the first working hybrid car used a petrol engine, to power the rotation of the dynamo at a constant speed, to charged up the accumulators. It was created by Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of Porsche [2]. Before the increase of the global fuel price [3], hybrid car is just one of the cars that are displayed during auto show as the car of the future. The demand grows and like a snowball effect in conjunction of the increase of awareness in Malaysian society on preserving the environment with the Go green campaign [4]. In the modern hybrid, it is the combination of a conventional  internal combustion engine  (ICE)  propulsion system and an  electric  propulsion system. To enhance it further, electric powertrain is added to increase efficiency, other efficiency-improving technologies which is added is the  regenerative braking, where the vehicles kinetic energy is converted into electric energy to recharge the battery, unlike conventional brakes that waste it as it dissipate heat. Some other hybrid technology uses their internal combustion engine as a motor generator to generate electricity by spinning an  electrical generator [5]. This process has two functions which are to power the car or recharge their batteries. Many hybrids have a similarities which is the start-stop system. The ICE is shut down during idle condition and restart again when the hybrid is moving reduce idle emissions  by  shutting down  the  ICE  at  idle  and restarting it when needed, thus this will produce less emission compared to the normal gasoline powered car. A hybrid-electric produces less emission from its  ICE  than a comparably-sized gasoline car. In other words, it increase efficiency and consume less fuel. Types of Hybrid Car There are 4 terms that are used to describe Hybrid cars: Full hybrid It is also known as a strong hybrid. It is a versatile vehicle that can run with either the engine, or just the batteries, or even the combination of both. For example the Hybrid Synergy Drive by  Toyota Prius,  Ford Escape Hybrid, and  Ford Fusion Hybrid  are cars that are using this technology. However there are downsides to it, as these cars can run on battery power alone thus it need a high capacity battery [6]. Thanks to advance technology, the full hybrid havs a function that allow user more option in choosing the power source of the car, either via the electrical power or mechanical. Mild hybrid It is also known as a hollow hybrid. Different to the full hybrid, a mild hybrid require both electrical and mechanical engine as the electrical power source cant sustain enough energy to power the vehicle. It only features some of the technology of the full hybrid for example greater fuel efficiency. A mild hybrid can be metaphoric describe as conventional vehicle with the start-stop system [7]. Power assist hybrids   The main working mechanism is the ICE. The ICE is used as a primary power source, to increase the torque of the electrical motor that is connected to the powertrain. The electric motor is located in between the engine and transmission, which operates during the engine turned over and also when the driver accelerates [8]. Plug-in hybrid It is a hybrid electric vehicle with  rechargeable batteries. The battery can be recharge when connected to an external power source. A plug in hybrid also share similar characteristic as other hybrids [9]. It has more electrical capacity compared to a mild hybrid and uses combustion engine as a spare when the batteries are out. How Hybrid Cars Work When you get into a hybrid car, youll definitely feel shock and at the same time impress on the quietness of the cars engine. The two most popular hybrid cars (Toyota and Ford) use the technology called internal combustion engine (ICE) [10]. ICE will start operating when the car is started and then it will shut down once the car is warmed up. This process only takes a short period of time. When the ICE is off, the car will operate using the electric motor. The amount of power to draw from ICE and pull from the cars electric motor depends mainly on how fast is the driving speed. The cars computer is in charge of determining this. The cars dashboard will show the driver when is the electric assist is working. Hybrid cars are classified into various types. They are the parallel hybrid such as Ford Escape Hybrid, mid parallel hybrid such as Honda Insight and power-split series-parallel hybrid such as Toyota Prius [10]. There are also Plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle such as Chevrolet Volt and also Fuel cell, electric hybrid such as Chevrolet Equinox [11]. All of these use different types of technology to achieve the same motive which is to be an environmental friendly vehicle. There are 5 main steps taken to achieve hybridization [12]. Firstly, the idle-off capability which acts like a switch of a refrigerator. This switch will automatically turn off when the refrigerators door is closed. By using the same concept, this feature will off the vehicles gasoline engine when the car is in static [11,12 ]. With this, no fuel will be consumed. This feature will also turn on the engine using a very short interval of time when the car is about to move. However, this process consumes large amount of power if compare with conventional vehicles. Secondly, the regenerative braking which uses the electric motor to stop the car. During this process, the electric motor acts as a generator [11,12]. It recovers part of the kinetic energy generated when the car is moving convert them into electric energy. This electric energy is stored in the battery so that it can later be use to slow down or even stop the car. This method comes with few disadvantages which are the vehicle must have a large electric motor which operates with high voltage so that it can capture the breaking energy efficiently and a large battery pack is needed to store the energy. However, this method can help to reduce the consumption of fuel of the vehicle. Thirdly, the power assist and engine downsizing method which truly fulfills the definition of hybrid vehicle [11, 12]. The general definition of hybrid vehicle is is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. Hybrid vehicle uses electric motor and gasoline engine to move [15]. This method actually reduces the gasoline engine demands. Because of this, a smaller size engine can be used and at the same time producing the same outcome as the normal size engine [13]. The fourth method is the electric-only-drive technology which let the vehicle move using solely the electric motor and battery pack [12]. With this, the electric side of the dual system can be fully utilized. This is the main reason why the hybrid vehicle can be operated in such low noise condition. This method is launched during low speed and the starting of the engine. Once the car reaches high speed, the engine will take over. Lastly is the extended battery-electric range which is also the final level of hybridization [12, 14]. This is a method where the motors capacity is extended by recharging its battery using a clean energy grid such as plug in. With this method it is possible for the vehicle to operate by using only the battery-electric up to 30 to 100 km. this is definitely a greener method. This methods performance plainly depends on how often the owner plugs in. Above are the brief explanations of the operation of hybrid vehicle. Overall, hybrid technology is definitely a more environmental friendly technology [16]. How come hybrid car is hardly used in Malaysia The Hybrids, a car that consume a tiny bit of fuel and uses both battery and fossil fuel as power source, with an everlasting battery, seems to be very attractive as gasoline prices shoot up past RM10.00 a gallon mark. The hybrid produce less harmful carbon gas thus it pollute less with 2 power source it also consume less fuel, thus it gives us the feel good factor. But is it just too good to be true if sense if you are simply trying to save money? Not yet. [17] However the Hybrids have a misconception that it is the way to save fuel, in fact its the opposite. It is likely that we could never get back our investment in the hybrid even if compared it with a SUV with high fuel consumption rate. Currently, is cheaper to get a smaller car rather than the hybrid at a high price. People have been reluctant to buy hybrid, especially because there are few reasons that show how much the new technologies will cost in the long run which are servicing, battery life, etc. [18] In addition, the higher purchase price really does scare many people off. If you were to compare a Toyota Corolla with a Toyota Prius, for example, some interesting figures come to light. The difference in price between the cars is nearly RM 19  707.79. You can fill a lot of petrol for that kind of money. But how does the difference work out? There are reasons why hybrid cars are expensive. The Toyota Prius has become the trademark or a symbolic car for those who are very passionate about preserving the environment. They willing to go the extra mile or in this case pay the extra dollar to prove how concern they are towards the environment. Unfortunately, if we view it in a more detail manner, the Prius is one of the main culprit of pollution the in United State. The pollution cause by a Prius is greater than a Hummer, a vehicle that most Prius owner sees as the devil. Before judging the hybrid and entering its dark side, we must understand the working mechanism of the hybrid. Thus we take Toyota Prius for example as it is the best selling hybrid car in the market. The Prius is powered by two engines: a standard 76 horsepower, 1.5-liter gas engine that is used in average conventional car and a battery- powered engine that produces and output of 67 horsepower and a 295ft/lbs of torque, below 2000 revolutions per minute. The Toyota Synergy Drive system, the system which is installed in Toyotas hybrid to regulate its start-stop system, propels the car from idle up to 50km/h. It produce less efficiency as more energy are consume to get a car moving from idle position rather than a moving car as inertia plays a major role. Thus the start-stop system requires more fossil fuel to be burned. Another feature of the Prius is the rechargeable battery, which is recharge when break is applied and when the car is running above 50km/h as it would switch to fossil fuel power source. Thus it seems to be an ideal efficient car, right? [18] Sadly no if we put the building process of a Prius under the microscope, we can say that it would bring more harm than the Hummer. This is because the main component in the battery pack of the Prius is made of nickel, which will cost 3 times more damage than a Hummer towards the environment. The nickel plant in Ontario, Canada is dubbed as the dead zone as it damages all the environment surrounding it. The plant is located miles away from civilization as it is hazardous to living thing due to the emission of sulfur dioxide. Sadly, Toyota acquire 1000 ton of nickel from the plant to generate the battery pack for its Prius. The acid rain around Sudbury was so bad it destroyed all the plants and the soil slid down off the hillside, said Canadian Greenpeace energy-coordinator David Martin during an interview with Mail, a British-based newspaper. However, there are more bad news as the nickel from the plant in Canada are shipped to its refinery across Europe and to China to transform the nickel into nickel foam , and finally end up in Japan, to complete its transition into a battery. This transatlantic journey across the world would defy the Prius label as an environmental friendly car as the production of its battery itself brings more harm than producing a conventional car. [18] Through a study by CNW Marketing called Dust to Dust, find that the total combined energy is taken from all the material to build the car and its expected lifetime. The Prius costs an average of RM5.20 per kilometer for driven over a lifetime of 150,000 kilometer which is the expected lifetime of a hybrid. This is compared to the Hummer, the Prius nemesis that only cost Rm 3.11 per kilometer with expected lifetime of 450,000 kilometer. This means that the Hummer is 3 times for efficient than the Prius. [18] The government role and public awareness The government plays a major role in shaping up the nation according to famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. Malaysia is heading towards being a developed nation by the year 2020, thus a lot of policies are been implemented inline of our nations goal to be a develop country in our own mould, without regarding the peoples interest at heart. One of the main government policies is the National Green Technology Policy . The aim for this policy is to tackle the current global warming issues by lessens the carbon emission without neglecting development and preserving the ecosystem [19]. This is in line with United Nation Climate Change Conference where Malaysia pledges to cut down carbon emission by 40 % [20]. This afford by the government have a domino effect on the public, thus creating a greater awareness in the country. This is further justified by various campaigns being launch nationwide to further educate and also implement the policy. One of the active campaign that was launch is the No plastic bag day that been launch by the Penang and Selangor state government [21]. By this policy, consumers are charge 20 cent for each plastic bag on every Saturday. This shows that even government with different political agenda could come together and agree that it is important to create awareness in this country. Cooperate giant like McDonalds too doing their part in the No plastic bag day [22]. With government policy implemented, and the increase of awareness among Malaysian on the importance of preserving the environment, the future looks good for hybrid cars. Although hybrid technology is not new and the initial response from Malaysian on hybrid car have been slow [23]. This is mainly due to high price of the car according a survey conducted by Bernama [24]. However, this problem has been eradicated during the 2009 national budget [25]. With the decrease of 100% on imported tax and 50 % on excite duty on hybrid cars [25]. This certainly would play a significant role in slashing the price of a hybrid to make it more affordable and at the same time it would create more alternative for drivers as the prices of the a hybrid car are now more competitive with the usual conventional fossil fuel powered car. To add to this effort, local automaker, Proton has announced its plan to move into hybrid technology. Proton is going to launch its concept of a hybrid car with enhancement b y its subsidiary Lotus, a t the Geneva Motorshow [26], highlighted their seriousness in developing hybrid car. This would translate to brighter future for hybrid car in the country. Conclusion It is up for debate if the hybrid will bring more harm [18] or will bring good [19] to mankind. The future of hybrid in our country however is looking good, although currently only one type of hybrid is on the market, the Honda Civic hybrid [30]. It will certainly gain momentum in a matter of time, as the younger generations are more environmental conscious, with their participation on environmental awareness activities like the No Plastic bag day [22]. It is a very encouraging trend, and hopefully the younger generation would implement it permanently rather than just a trend. This is important as the younger generations today are more involve in shaping up their future. Although the current price of the hybrid is out of the question for a peanut size salary of a fresh graduate, but the potential of a more affordable hybrid could be realize with the cooperation of the ASEAN government in implementing the AFTA (ASEAN free trade agreement) which could see the price of cars soaring down, especially the leading manufacturer of hybrid, Toyota is based in Thailand. Despite this, we also should not forgetting the effort made by our own local car manufacturer, Proton, who are currently developing their own hybrid with their subsidiary Lotus [26]. With the potential customers, the young one and also the old generation who are currently riding the wave of environmental awareness, are eager to get their hand on their own hybrid, and the relentless effort by local and international carmaker to further enhance the hybrid, adding to the fact of the government effort to promote and cutting the red tape for a greener Malaysia. It is a simple matter of a supply and demand. Thus, there are only one way for the future of hybrid cars in Malaysia, which is up. Analysis on Survey The survey we have conducted on the Future of hybrid car in Malaysia at http://www. surveymonkey.com/s/3YWCM3P. We have set 8 questions for the survey, with 4 of the questions are multiple choice, 2 rating based questions and 2 dialog/feedback type of questions. From the 18 respondent we received, it paints a clear picture of how the future of the hybrid car is looking for our country. Which of these are hybrid car? From the outcomes of this survey, it can be conclude that most Malaysian know what is hybrid car in general, with 77.8% of them know the Toyota Prius is one of the top selling hybrid in the market. With this, we can deduct that most Malaysian actually has the knowledge of the hybrid car model in the market. Honda Jazz hybrid will only be launched this coming autumn in Japan (in the range from October to November) [27]. Honda decided to launch this Jazz Hybrid is because of the high fuel demand by the consumers. Is there any difference between a hybrid car and an electric car? From the data collected above, we found that the public are aware of the difference between a hybrid and an electric car, although there are a lot of misconception that both a hybrid and an electric car is similar, but it does not affect our respondent who majority agree there are difference between a hybrid and an electric car with 88.9% of them agrees. Actually, both the electric car and hybrid car uses the technology that aim to decrease the fuel consumption. The main difference between electric car and hybrid car is that the electric car is 100% electric whereas the hybrid car uses both fuel and electric power to operate. The distance that can be travelled by an electric car totally depends on the amount of time that the car is plugged in and charged. This has limit the distance that can be travelled by the electric car. On the other hand, hybrid car can definitely travel a farther distance due to the gasoline power [28]. In your opinion, why are hybrid car still rare on the road in Malaysia? It seems that price is the main barrier, for the lack of hybrid cars in the country. Factors like high imported taxes play a role to make the hybrid car less affordable to the general public. For example a Prius cost almost the price of a Toyota Camry. Thus those who could afford it would rather opt for a more luxurious car. Other major factor is the lack of expertise in the country for maintenance of the car. A conventional car could be sent to an average workshop for maintenance, but a hybrid with its complex system, only authorized dealer could fix any problem that could occur. In other words it would increase the cost for drivers. It is indeed that the price of a hybrid car is much more expensive than a conventional car. As an example, conventional Honda Civic 1.8 costs around RM113k [29] whereas the hybrid type costs around RM130k [30]. This shows a difference of RM17k in price. This is why the price gives the deepest impact in why consumers choose to drive a conventional car. Do you think hybrid car could reduce the carbon emission? From the result, we realized that most people are also aware of the impact a hybrid car on the environment with 88.9% of them agree it could curb the carbon emission, and the advantage of the hybrid as we quote from the survey A hybrid would reduce fossil fuel consumption thus saving the environment. But the main drawback is the price of the fuel. It is obvious that hybrid car has the ability to reduce the carbon emission. This also depends on the car model. A Toyota Prius only emits 104g/km carbon dioxide which is a 55% reduction compare with a conventional car of the same class [31]. If the price of a hybrid car is as expensive as an ordinary car, would you consider it? In question 3, we found out that the main drawback of the hybrid car is the price. From the result of this question, the answer in question 3 is justified. It is shown that 61.1% of people would definitely switch to a hybrid car if its price is affordable. However, there are people who still want to stick with the conventional car. I believe that this group of people would prefer a more powerful car. So far, hybrid car model is still the family car type. It is less possible to drive a hybrid car and have the thrill of speeding or dragging at the same time. The main purpose of hybrid car is to be more environmental friendly. Excessive speeding would lead to high carbon emission. Because of this, the chance of having a high cubic centimeter (cc) hybrid car model is lesser. How well do you know about hybrid car? From the result obtained, it is obvious that most people have brief idea on hybrid car. This is a very good start for Malaysian to consider driving a hybrid car. However, there are still a small group of people do not have any idea on hybrid car. This problem can be solved if the car manufacturers promote hybrid car more frequently. We believe that if there are more people aware of the advantages of driving a hybrid car, the future of hybrid car in Malaysia would be brighter. Do you know any advantage of the hybrid compare to a normal fossil fuel car? 1. not very clear 2. Petrol consumption is better 3. it can save fuel when the the rpm is under some certain standards i guess 4. It use less fuel (better utilization of petrol) 5. It reduces consumption of fossil fuel, thus saving the environment 6. save fuel!!bla blabla bla 7. it will helps to green the earth 8. Yes, Its more environment-friendly. 9. Less carbon dioxide emission 10. less CO2 The above are the responds given by the public. Most of them agree that the hybrid the hybrid have an advantage over the conventional car. From their feedback, we can conclude that hybrid cars would help in conserving the environment, as it consume less petrol, emit less harmful carbon gases, and it would create a greater fuel efficiency, as the car could be powered via electric source too, lowering the dependency on fossil fuel. Is Hybrid car a way forward to our future? please state reasons 1. less pollution 2. Yes,bcos its a treb 3. Of cos. It indicates we can slowly not using fuel in transportation 4. Yes. It saves the environment 5. No, if possible, people should work towards full-electronic battery powered cars because if you want to save the environment, why do it halfheartedly. 6. mayb,definitely 7. Yes. To avoid global warming. 8. Yes. We should preserve our environment for the future. 9. Yes. new technologies 10. yes.. petrol is expensive Majority of our respondent would agree that the hybrid is the car of the future, although a few minorities are still skeptical about it. Their concern is the hybrid still needs the dependence on fossil fuel. Their preference is to create a full electric power car and also a few concerns about the chemical content inside the batteries used in the hybrid [18]. On a brighter note, the majority are ecstatic and optimistic that the hybrid could play a role in preserving our future. They site that is a way to contribute to avoid global warming and to have greater fuel efficiency as the price of fuel is expensive. References Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hybrid+car Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://www.hybrid-cars-guide.com/hybrid-car-background.html Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/7/31/central/4424155sec=central Retrieved from on 29 March 2010 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/29/merdeka/4582456sec=merdeka Retrieved from on 29 March 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_car Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybridAnimation/fullhybrid/fullhybridoverview.html Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mild_hybrid Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://www.hybridcenter.org/hybrid-center-how-hybrid-cars-work-under-the-hood.html Retrieved on 29 March 2010 from http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_electric_vehicle Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://www.eartheasy.com/live_hybrid_cars.htm Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://www.hybridcenter.org/hybrid-center-how-hybrid-cars-work-under-the- hood.html Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car3.htm Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car1.htm Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car2.htm Retrieved on 3rd April 2010 from http://www.free-engineering.com/road-hybridwork.htm Des Toups. (2006). Hybrid cars: Do they make sense for you? Moneycentral. Retrieved from http://moneycentral.msn.com Hermie. (2009, 9 July). Hybrids- A DANGER to the environment! Ecomoder. Retrieved from http://ecomodder.com/forum Retrieved on 8th April 2010 from http://www.csr-malaysia.org/news/malaysia/opportunities-new-green-businesses-20090724244/ Retrieved on 8th April 2010 from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/24/focus/5423934sec=focus. Retrieved on 8th April 2010 from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/12/nation/5666253sec=nation Retrieved from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/8/nation/6010041sec=nation on 8th April 2010 Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/8/business/1952401sec=business Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://kereta.info/why-hybrid-cars-are-getting-lukewarm-respone-in-malaysia/ Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/29/budget2009/20080829161149sec=budget2009. Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/2/business/5775010sec=business Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://www.post1.net/lowem/entry/2010_honda_cr_z_hybrid_2010_honda_fit_jazz hybrid_models_confirmed Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-electric-cars-and-hybrid-cars.htm Retrieved from http://www.carstandard.com/blog/84/malaysia-car-price-list.html on 9th April 2010 Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://paultan.org/2009/02/10/honda-civic-hybrid-gets-new-price-rm-129980/ Retrieved on 9th April 2010 from http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Hybrid_Vehicle_Emissions R Afroz et al., 2005, Willingness to Pay for Air Quality Improvements in Klang Valley Malaysia, American Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol 1 (3), pp. 194-201

“That’s Life” An Analysis of Holden Caulfield Essay --

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger supersedes the norm by staying painfully in the deepest part of the average, for it contains topics that people can relate to (such as, cynicism, nostalgia, and bitterness of life). One of the grand topics the novel discusses is an individuals identity, and how Holden Caulfields identity is shaped through the adversity he faces. Quentin Crisp once said â€Å"The young always have the same problem -- how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.† Holdens desire to be an individual (a rebel without a cause), hatred of phoniness, and guilt over Allies death creates a substantial conflict. Conformity can be defined in many ways, depending on the person and their situation. In Holdens case conformity is the choice to grow up and move on from childish antics. Holden, however, chooses to be wedged between a world of a child's innocence and the complex world of adulthood. He deities his two younger siblings, Allie and Phoebe, as if the were contenders for sainthood because of ...

Ladies Detective Agency Essay

1.Conventional mystery novels usually contain one long and riveting mystery throughout the course of the whole story. This may or may not be successful in many cases based on the author’s interest in that one mystery. With this book containing many different mysteries and crimes to solve it allows readers to become more engaged in each one instead of one mystery carrying out through the whole story. This made the pacing of the novel much more concrete and enjoyable. The author also did a nice job on emphasizing one big crime that carried out throughout most of the story. This kept the readers engaged throughout the story, as they were able to bounce back to that original story without getting bored of it. 2.Precious Ramotswe is an extremely warm and loving character. She is such a charming protagonist because of her positive attitude and determination towards all of the obstacles thrown at her in life. She is so different from other detectives because she is a woman, a person that has gone through an enormous amount of hardships in her own life, and she is a detective because that is what she loves. She doesn’t just do it for the purposes of making money. She feels that all African people are her brothers and sisters and it is her job to help them with their troubles. 3.These cases that Mma Ramotswe deals with, are cases that police cannot solve. This factor drives suspense in the views of the reader ad from Mma Ramotswe’s perspective, as she cannot go to the cops for assistance in these riveting cases. The readers know how a police officer would handle certain situations, but in this case it was more of a mystery as we learned how Mma Ramotswe would handle these situations. 4.Mma Ramotswe view on men was ruined by her first experience with a man. Ever since she got pregnant with her husbands baby and then he left she has looked at men in a very stereotypical and our way. Throughout this story, every bad quality Mma Ramotswe has said about men is proven to be valid in this book as most of her cases involve snoopy and cowardly men who leave and cheat on their wives. 5.It expresses her roots and sets the tone of her values and her culture. It gives the reader an idea of how the people live in her area and throughout Africa. His life reveals a lot of history including apartheid and the inequality of blacks in South Africa. His story reveals that mines shorten your life span and it is sad how you work so hard to make a living for yourself and your family, but in the end the mines will cause you to live less. 6.Most of Mma Ramotswe’s cases involve a person lying about something that she needs to solve. She uses intuition and the people’s hunch to crack those mysteries that they are hiding from her. She can solve this based on the behavior of the person. This played a huge factor in the first case as she was trying to figure out whether a man was a girl’s father or a fraud. 7.She is right in many cases that women have more perspective in men. She is able to prove this from the fact that most of her cases involve men doing something to or hiding something from a woman. In the novel she uses her woman perspective and observation to crack the secret from a man cheating on his wife. She was able to do this because of the experiences she had been through with men. She comically undercut’s the lawyers arrogance by saying how she has observed more that he hasn’t observed like his fly being unzipped. 8.She is articulating that thinking and getting worked up over something is not worth it. People just need to move on or fix these problems that they have. This will better your life making it easier to move on. Even though Mma Ramotswe has an extremely busy and tense life, that motivation gives her peace and stability because she knows she will fix it and move on towards a positive direction in her life. 9.Mma Ramotswe marries Note because she feels that he is an interesting man that you do not come around everyday. She also feels that she can solve all of his problems and make him a better person. His smooth talk really got her to fall for him. This makes her a much deeper and more complicated character because she brings so much controversy and stupidity. This makes her deeper because she now seems more like a real person who makes mistakes just like everyone. Her abusive marriage with Note changes her outlook on men and the trust that she has in each one. As bad as the relations were, it helped her in the long run as the experience gave her perspective on many men she was dealing with. It really ruined her interest in marrying any other man because of the fear. 10.Mma Ramotswe is not stereotyping about white people when she says this. In the culture of white people, some work and make money, but just keep on working to keep bringing in the money. That’s how their lives work. She is completely correct when she says they don’t enjoy because these people do take the time to enjoy it every now and then, but they cannot just stop what they are doing because all that money will slowly go away. Mma Ramotswe lives her life to bring happiness to herself and to her family. Life to her is more than just money. What is most refreshing to her is happiness and the beauty of the world around her. Other differences in white and black cultures that are shown in the book are the relationships between men and women. In the black culture, choosing a wife or a husband is an extremely fast process while in white culture it takes a long time to make that decision. 11.The aspects of traditional Africa that contradicts her are the status and lack of power control that women have. They do not get a say in things like marriage and family duty. There is such a contradiction with her and old Africa because her whole lifestyle is based on the power that women are given in the modern era. Without that her whole career and a huge aspect of life would not exist. 12.When Mr. J.L.B. Maketoni proposed to Mma Ramotswe the first time, I knew that this relationship would come up again in this book. I wasn’t surprised went she said no the first time because of all she has been through but as the story went on and their relationship grew, I knew they were going to end up getting married. It was the perfect ending to that novel. 13. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency draws upon this knowledge through Mma Ramotswe’s observation skills and actions while solving a mystery. The tactics she uses are explained in-depth and are helpful in learning about detective work. In this book lawyers and the police did not play a big role in this private detective work. They only played a role when charges were being made and when the case was almost closed. 14.I do not believe that this is a feminist novel whatsoever as these stories are compelling to all genders. I do not believe it depicts men, but gives many different example of true actions men take part in. It doesn’t say that woman are always right and do not make mistakes because they do make mistakes and take part in wrong acts as well. I believe the author did a great job of representing Mma Ramotswe as I was shocked to find out a man wrote this book. I felt like Mma Ramotswe was telling me the story. 15.This story shows basic story telling by the usage of many different mysteries Mma Ramotswe solves in this book. It is sophisticated for her outlook on certain situations and the power of observation of woman. This book teaches you to not give up on a dream based on a certain limitation or social status’. It teaches you to pursue your dreams and make the world you’re involved in positive at the same time. It also teaches to cherish happiness and what is given to you in this world.

Globalization in My Community

Globalization can be described in a number of different ways; it can describe the empowerment of decision making of dominant nations at the expense of less powerful nations, it can be defined as a force for economic growth prosperity and democratic freedom; but most notably it’s the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems across the globe. Globalization involves the movement of people, goods, ideas and information throughout the world.It is known to be the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa (Gibbens’ Globalization). In other words it’s a global domino effect of social, economical, governmental and communicative processes; for example a hotdog restaurant chain from the U. S. can be introduced to China, because of the unhealthy ingredients in their food this lead to an increase in obesity throughout their nation affecting their workforce.Due to the increase in health risk manufactures in China began to decline in production affecting other nations including the U. S. This is just one example of globalization, but the effects aren’t always negative their can also be positive influences as well but the outcomes can be rather unpredictable. Although relations between two trading nations can be mutually beneficial and positive it can still have a negative effect to another nation’s economy, culture, and/or commerce or vice versa.Globalization has helped shape the world to what it is now, a global chain of fast paced technological advancements devised and shared to improve multiple processes, lifestyles and livelihoods. My community is comprised of many ethnicities and multi-cultural backgrounds, I’m relatively new to the area but from what I have seen thus far showcases an incredible amount of potential for growth and employment. I’m formally a New Yorker who has fo und a new life in what’s known as the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia).This area is driven predominately behind government contractual funding which is stimulating the economy and making it one of the most prosperous areas to earn a living. With global occurrences such as the war on terror, U. S. global interest, aiding foreign alliances and military expeditions it isn’t hard to conclude why this predominant military area is influenced by the amount of activity and funding that is developing this areas prosperity. I work as a government contractor for one of the agencies servicing the Department of Defense, having inside visibility sheds light on how the U. S. spends American tax dollars.When there is global situation whether it’s the deployment of a military task force, or responding to a global disaster, or political indifferences with other nations it results in America responding by either starting a government project or increasing the amount of activity fo r a current project to take action, aid and counter expected negative outcomes. This results in the government allocating millions of dollars and contracting the work out to government contractors such as Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman who then seeks qualified individuals to perform the duties and tasks required.This type of domino effect has improved the job market, quality of life, promoted growth, and has made this area virtually recession proof for individuals who possess the desired skill set. Nursing, finance/ accounting, security, business, engineering, logistics, and of course information technology are just some examples of specific desired skill set’s that has emerged during a starving recessed nation. A series of chain of events began to occur, home development projects in what use to be low income areas began to grow, construction improvement efforts went underway expanding roads to improve traffic flow, and businesses began to flourish.Recently this chain of event began a small migration of neighboring states along the east coast to seek better opportunities here in the DMV. According to the Census bureau Northern Virginia has reported an increase in population totaling 2. 62 million in 2010 which is a difference of 2. 12 million reported in 2000 (CRA Census Series). That’s a 23. 9 percent increase over a decade in just one section of the state; the state itself experienced a 54. 9 percent increase overall.Most notably Loudon county of Virginia reported the most significant increase, in 2000 the population was at 169,599 and in 2010 it more than doubled that number reaching 312,311; this reflects more than an 84 percent increase. These numbers are staggering but cannot be blamed all on the migration of neighboring states; there has also been a significant increase of undocumented and legal immigrant Hispanic presence that makes up much the figures presented above. Virginia is home to a large percent of immigrants who have come h ere due to natural and man-made isasters that have occurred in their former country and because of that they have received or are eligible for legal status through Temporary Protected Status (The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce). Multinational corporation Nicholas Georgantzas, Giddens’ Globalization: Exploring Dynamic Implications, Fordham University, School of Business http://www. setav. org/ups/dosya/15100. pdf http://www. vahcc. com/? page=legislative_committe http://policy-cra. gmu. edu/census/Population%20Change%20in%20Northern%20Virginia. pdf