Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Quidelines for Communications Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quidelines for Communications - Research Paper Example The controller is mainly nominated by the state or even the society law. It is essential and mandatory to ensure that the EU citizens are never in a position where their privileges to privacy are compromised. Therefore, there must be a satisfactory and valuable means of scrutinizing the dispensation of the personal identity data by an appointed controller. Thus, the EU member ought to assign a competent controller to do the work. When private data are accumulated, they are mainly used in a variety of ways. An individual can give his personal data when he for instance, records for a library tag, or when he signs for gymnasium association, or even opens a depository account. Therefore, personal data can be gathered unswervingly from the individual or from an existing database. This information may afterwards be utilized for other reasons and further shared with extra parties. Personal data can be any data that recognizes an entity, such as a person’s name, an individual’s telephone number, or moreover an individual’s photo. The idea of development in computer knowledge and also in telecommunications system is permitting personal data to go across borders through superior simplicity. As personal data is collected and exchanged more frequently, regulation on data transfers is necessary (Bennet & Raab, 2007). The Specific Role of the EU Member State Controller with regards to EU Citizen Privacy Protection The controller is chiefly appointed by the government body. The key roles of the controllers in the EU include a variety of duties. For instance, they must be able to ensure limited types of personal data are collected from the member states of the EU. For instance, the data that is capable of revealing an individual’s ethnic, or the race, the political conviction, religious beliefs, or even the health as well as the sexuality is not to be collected unless the individual collecting that information has the right to do so in the member co untry. For example the government body or the employers are an example of those who have full rights and privileges to collect an individual’s personal data. Secondly, the controller must guarantee accuracy of the data collected. The controller ought to ensure accuracy of data and any data without accuracy must be deleted. This is to enable the availability of correct data and therefore the inaccurate data must be removed or updated and rectified. Additionally, the controller of the EU members must further ensure that the data collected from the individuals is kept securely and safely. Moreover, the data controllers must further ensure that they have implemented appropriate technical and also organizational measures so as to protect personal data against any forms of accidental loss, or even the alterations, or from any unauthorized disclosure or even access. Furthermore, the controller’s role is also to fully guarantee redress of the personal data. This is an independ ent mechanism that ensures individuals have recourse if they want to and feel like their rights to their personal data has been interfered with or infringed. Eventually, the controllers must ensure that the individual has a right and access to the power to investigate claims of data protection violations. They must also have a right to intervene and further stop the collection of any personal data and further initiate a legal procedure against any violators of the data protection rights (Staples, 2001). The Required

Monday, October 28, 2019

Wine Making Essay Example for Free

Wine Making Essay Winemaking is the production of wine, starting with the selection of grapes and other produce, and ending with putting the delicious wine into bottles! Although wine is usually made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruits! Winemaking can actually be divided into 18 different categories†¦.. Harvesting, destemming, crushing, primary (alcoholic) fermentation, pressing, pigeage, cold stabilization, heat stabilization, second fermentation, bulk aging, Malolactic fermentation, laboratory tests, blending, fining, preservatives, filtration, and last but not least, bottling! Lets now find out how to make wine! Harvesting Harvesting is the picking of the grapes and the first step in wine production. The grapes are either harvested by hand or mechanically, the decision lies on the winemaker. Before harvesting, the winemaker checks the grapes for ripeness, flavor, seed color and taste, and lastly, the sugar level! Mechanical harvesters are large tractors that straddle grapevines, and with a rubber rod, strike the vine to get the grapes. Mechanical harvesters have the advantage of picking grapes in a short amount of time. The disadvantage is all the leaves and stems come with the grapes. Some smart winemakers take off the leaves with another machine before harvesting. Destemming Destemming is the process of removing the stems from the grapes. This process may take place before, or after crushing, depending on the winemaker. If you harvest by hand, you can just skip this step altogether! Crushing Crushing is when gently crushing the grapes and breaking the skin to start getting flavor. In traditional and small wineries the grapes are sometimes crushed by stomping on them. However, in large, more upscale wineries, the grapes are crushed by a large, mechanical, wine crusher. Primary (alcoholic) fermentation Have you ever wondered what the powdery coating around grapes is? So have I! Yeast is what the powder is, which is useful for alcoholic fermentation. Since this can give unpredictable results, cultural yeast is added to the mix. During fermentation, the yeast cells feed on the sugars and multiply, creating carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. The tempeture affects both the taste of the product and the speed that fermentation is over. For red wines, the temperate is typically 72-77 F, and for white wine, the normal tempeture is 59-64 F. For every gram of sugar that is converted, about half a gram of alcohol is produce, so to get a 12% alcohol concentration, the product has to contain 24% of sugar. Pressing Pressing is the act of applying pressure to grapes in order to separate wine from grapes and grape skins. Presses act by positioning the grapes or grape skins between a rigged surface and a movable surface and slowly decreasing the volume between the two surfaces. As the pressure increases, the amount of tannin extracted from the skins into the juice also increases. Pieaege Pieaege is a French winemaking term for the traditional stomping of the grapes in open fermentation tanks. To make different type of wine, grapes are put through a crusher and then poured into open fermentation tanks. Once fermentation begins, the grape skins are pushed to the surface by carbon dioxide gases, released in the fermentation process. The layer of skins at the top is called the cap. The cap needs to mix with the liquid each day for flavor Cold and Heat Stabilization Cold stabilization is a process used in winemaking to reduce tartrate crystals that’s in wine. These crystals look like grains of clear sand, and are formed by acid and potassium. The temeture of the wine is dropped close to freeing for 1-2 weeks. This will cause the crystals to separate from the wine. During heat stabilization, unstable proteins are removed by absorption, preventing them from being in the finished bottle of wine. Second Fermentation. This process takes three to six months, and is very valuable! The wine is kept under airlock, and proteins from the grapes are broken down, and the yeast cells that are still remaining and other particles are able to settle. In this process, the wine goes from being cloudy, to clear! Secondary fermentation usually takes place in large stainless steel vessels or large oak barrels. The oak gives wine a very good finished taste, but if the winemakers decide to put the wine in stainless steel, oak chips are added! Malolatic Fermentation. This process occurs when lactic acid bacteria mixes with malic acids and produces lactic acids and carbon dioxide. Malolatic fermentation can improve the taste of wine that has large amounts of malic acids. Malic acids creates an unpleasant, harsh, and bitter taste sensation. All red wines go through malolatic fermentation to lessen the amount of acid in the wine, and to remove the possibility that malic acids may be in the bottle. On the other hand, many white wines do not go through fermentation, because they don’t have a lot of acid. Laboratory Tests. Whether wine is stored in vessels or barrels, tests are done regularly. These tests are done to test sugar level, alcohol level, pH level, and many other factors. Theses tests are performed throughout the making of the wine, from the first step through the last! Blending and Fining Different wines can sometimes be mixed together to achieve the desired taste. This process is as simple as the tests the wine have, every now and then. Fining is removing the chemicals and particles that make the wine cloudy. Gelatin has actually been used in many wines for centuries, as a traditional method for wine fining! Usually, no gelatin actually remains in the wine, as it mixes with other chemicals. Also many fining agents will use milk, eggs, bone char, bulls blood, an animals bladder, honey, and a skim milk powder. Preservatives The most common preservative in winemaking is sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide has one main reason, and that is that its an anti oxidant. If sulfur dioxide is added before alcoholic fermentation, it may damage the effects of oxygen, and the wine will go bad! Without the use of sulfur dioxide, wines will suffer bacterial spoilage. Some winemakers practice natural winemaking where no preservatives are added. The wine is then put in a freezer with the temperature being 5 C. Filtration Filtration in winemaking is used to accomplish two objectives: clarification and stabilization. In clarification, large particles that effect the visual appearance of the wine are removed. In stabilization, organisms that effect the stability are removed, therefore killing all possibilities of the wine going bad. The wine is then put in the refrigerator at a low temperature. Bottling. Finally, the last step in winemaking! A final does of sulfite is added to help preserve the wine and to prevent unwanted fermentation going on in the bottle. Once the wine bottles are filled,, they are traditionally sealed with a cork. The final step is adding a capsule! The wine is now ready to be shipped off, and then sold to buyers that will greatly enjoy the taste! Many people actually don’t know how much work is put into making the wine! That’s why its so expensive, nowadays! I hoped I helped you to understand the process of†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. WINEMAKING!!!!!

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning :: Genetic Engineering Essays

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning The concept of cloning is not new. Organisms ranging from microbes (for example bacteria) and animals (such as aphids and even certain species of shrimp and snails) have practiced asexual reproduction for millions of years, where the offspring are exact duplicates of the parents. It is also not uncommon to encounter identical twins among the more complex life forms like mammals. Twins are in essence clones as they share the same genetic blueprint. What then is so significant about Dolly? In the research paper published by I. Wilmut, W.A. Ritchie, J. McWhir and K.H.S. Campbell (1), Dolly was described as the first known mammal to be cloned by nuclear transfer from a cultured cell line. This technique is revolutionary as it dispelled a dogma in biology that upholds the notion of differentiated cells, being highly specialized, are irreversibly altered to an extent that would render them unable to inter-convert between cell forms (i.e a lymphocyte is not able to produce a nerve cell and vice versa). Dolly is living proof that a differentiated cell, such as one in the udder of sheep, has not only the potential of creating other tissue forms, but the entire living being. The evidence gathered from Dolly also went one step further to establish that organisms produced in such a way were not disadvantaged in their general physiological or reproductive function. Thus the new age of cloning was born with Dolly as its flagship. The success of Dr Ian Wilmut and his team in creating Dolly sparked global interest. This has greatly benefitted science as it has accelerated the rate at which knowledge is assimilated in the field of cloning. Many attempts have been to clone other mammals (for example cows or pigs). However they do not always yield fruitful results. Dolly can be considered to be a success among 277 failures. Indeed of the 277 oocytes used in the experiment, only one yielded a success. The techniques used in cloning would have to be refined before it can be universally applied. We have now uncovered other interesting facts about Dolly and cloning. For example, Dolly is considered to be "older" than her natural counterparts by a measure of the length of her telomeres that was found to be relatively shorter. However Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) of Worcester, Massachusetts, using different techniques than Dr Ian Wilmut and his team, pro duced calves that were found to have longer telomeres (2).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Where Are The Americans?

In spite of the fact that the American Government Led NATO against Serbia and that the American military is here, and their largest military base outside the United States is in Kosova, Kosovars are still asking: â€Å"Where Are The Americans? † Of course, a more complete elaboration on the basic question is: â€Å"Where Are The Americans? Why aren't Americans supporting our full Independence? Why hasn't their government recognized the full Independence of Kosova? Why aren't the big American corporations coming to Kosova? Why do they let the EU run everything in Kosova? Why isn't an American the Special Representative to the Secretary-General of the UN in Kosova? They went against European opposition and convinced NATO to go to war against Serbia and liberate us from oppression, but where are the Americans now? † Certainly the Americans are here, but the answer to many of the questions rests with the Kosova people, and the politics of Europe. Kosova is in Europe, and it is only natural that the European Community has the central concern and input regarding the status of Kosova. Under the current circumstances, any proclamations by the United States would be viewed as interfering with the European Union, and this would be diplomatically improper. Currently, the official communications regarding the situation in Kosova, and the issue of â€Å"final status† is limited to UNMIK and the European Union, as these are the entities that have UN delegated responsibilities regarding Kosova. The Americans are stronger in their influence within KFOR, which is separate from UNMIK Administration. However, when Kosovars clearly declare their Independence from Serbia, and demand that the UN fulfill its obligations in accordance with 1244(1999) for Kosova to have: â€Å".. provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo. † Then, and only then, can the United States and other nations respond to a direct request by Kosovars for support in the establishment of an independent democratic process within Kosova! The Americans and others would then be able to question the EU more directly, as to why the European Union is against the full Independence of Kosova, when the history of the Serbians has been one of repeated aggressions, and an absence of any remorse. It is a logical question to ask, why after so many conflicts and so many losses by the Serbs, does the European Union continue to appease Serbia, rather than imposing harsh consequences? We must learn the process of politics and diplomacy. We have been great leaders and warriors, but we must not forget that we have never had a leader in peace. We are physically and morally strong, we are intelligent but we are not experienced in politics and diplomacy. However, we cannot let this situation continue, and we must now use any and all means to become as effective in Politics and Diplomacy as we have been in war. Kosova's political leaders have been active, but we must accept the reality of Kosovar limitations and ensure that all leaders quickly become truly adept in politics and diplomacy. Another response to â€Å"Where Are The Americans† is that the American people are at home in the United States, working, playing, studying, watching Television, listening to the radio, reading newspapers; and all of these things are being done in English. It is true that there are a few thousand Americans who speak Albanian, but how many are in positions of authority and how many are actually doing anything effective to bring the â€Å"message† the â€Å"truth† about Kosova to the American people? How can the average American care about Kosova, if they know nothing about Kosova? Americans are paying close attention to world events, such as the terror threats and the issue with Iraq, and they are paying attention because they are being communicated to in English. Why should American journalists pay attention to Kosova when anything of importance has to be translated from Albanian to English by them? We speak out, and demonstrate, but nothing is said or written in English. If we want to get Americans interested in Kosova, we must speak and publish in the English language in addition to Albanian. Every key speech given; every key event; every meeting attended must be also presented in English. Our daily newspapers should have at least one page in English presenting all the headlines and a brief about the story, and our television news and key presentations must also be done in English. If we want people to listen to us, then we better speak their language! Our periodicals should contain English features, and every major press release by any organization of influence should be prepared in good English. This last statement is important, for if we present English copy that is poorly done, we will look uneducated in the eyes of those reading the material. In the few instances when our business and/or government organizations have provided English versions, they appear to the reader as having been done by a child just learning to speak and write in English. We must utilize the skills of professional translators in any and all areas that affect our future, especially if we wish to reach and involve the American people. We certainly do not provide a good image if we cannot express crucial issues in good English to the world. In business and politics, it is the English language that predominates, and we better catch up fast! Just about every adult Kosovar knows that the European Union is â€Å"concerned† about the unification of ethnic Albanians; the development of a Kosovar military; and the potential for a significant American business, monetary and political influence in the Balkans. But as long as We Kosovars remain silent in English, and the citizens of America remain ignorant of the truth, the EU has nothing to worry about. In the eyes and minds of Americans, it appears that â€Å"everything is OK† in Kosova, and they believe that if everything is going well, why should Americans continue to support the American Military being in Kosova? Americans believe: If â€Å"everything is OK,† let Europe bear the costs of taking care of Kosova and we can move our troops to where they are needed! American politicians respond to the will of the American people, and Kosova politicians and the Kosovar people need to recognize this fact and reach out to the Heart of the United States, the American people! We must have the courage to make strong and timely Diplomatic moves, such as the publicly restating our Independence, and request direct assistance from particular nations in order to counter the current negative intent and actions of the European Union and Serbia to keep us within and under Serbian Dominance. We Kosovars need to â€Å"wake up, and stand up† and speak out, in a loud, firm, clear and unified English Speaking voice, against the effective Serbian Propaganda, The Manipulation of The Hague, and the Appeasement efforts of the European Union. They are making their propaganda in English, and it must be countered in English!

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

British National Identity Among Ethnic Minorities

British National Identity among Ethnic  Minorities Identity is something many of us don’t think about, but it is the main force behind our daily decisions. Britishness is defined as the state or quality of being British. This means that Britishness involves habits, behaviors, language, culture, and symbols that are common, recognizable, and iconic to the United Kingdom. Sometimes however, it is hard to define Britishness because it cannot be defined as one thing, like many identities, it evolves and transforms ever so often.British identity has been a subject of many debates since the 1960s, prompted initially by â€Å"the loss of empire, then by the rise of the welfare state, postwar black and Asian migration and entry into the European Community, and more recently by the devolution of power to Scotland and Wales† (Parekh, 1). â€Å"Some claim that the most challenging minority integration in contemporary society is immigrant-origin non-white communities† (Max well, 2), but this is becoming a false claim. The British national identity has been on a decline with more Britons claiming their identity as English, Scottish, Irish, or Welsh.This however, is not true for ethnic minorities in the UK. Headlines around many newspapers read â€Å"Ethnic minorities are now more likely to feel British than white people† There was a study done by the Institute for Public Policy Research that resulted in 51 percent of blacks and Asians describing themselves as British compared with just 29 per cent of whites. Data shows that in 1996, â€Å"52 percent of respondents to a poll said they saw themselves primarily as British. By 2005, this had fallen to just 44 per cent. The IPPR study said that Scottish and Welsh devolution had damaged British feeling† (Daily Mail).Professor Platt stated that â€Å"Given the current anxiety around immigration and concerns that it is challenging a unified national identity, it is interesting to find that minor ities in fact hold stronger British identities on average than the majority, we also see that they frequently manage dual identities, rather than opposing one to the other. Among the majority, individual country identities such as Scottish or Welsh can be held alongside a British identity, but in many cases seem to substitute for it† (CLS).Many believe that the desire for minorities to integrate into society is not enough to create a sense of belonging and ultimately the feeling of Britishness. â€Å"The desire to be integral to society has to be reciprocated too, in terms of the opportunity to belong to the national community, as well as in terms of socio-economic inclusion. So the long-term intergenerational decline in racism in British society is also an important and necessary condition for integration and patriotism† (Katwla, 1). Minorities in Great Britain are very active in British society.Katwla claims that â€Å"there is a strong pro-integration preference amo ng minorities – for civic and political participation, democracy and the rule of law, and most recognize the importance of the English language for social, economic and civic inclusion. † The acceptance about being British could also be because of the shared history between Britain and the immigrant’s home country. In places such as India and Africa, the empire was deeply rooted into their history. Katwla goes even further to say that â€Å"The issue is not just claiming a voice in helping to shape a common future.It is also about reminding ourselves that complicated and contested though it certainly was, we have shared more history than we think. You can look for and find British Muslim patriotism in reports from the First World War trenches, and not only in the last few years. † There is however, a negative side to this, as the ethnic minorities are claiming a British identity, many white Britons are claiming another. There is a growing fear that the ris e in English national identity is also a rise in hostility towards cultural diversity. So some express the fear that a return to the traditional â€Å"blood nations† will leave the ethnic minorities as the last Brits standing, rallying around a flag that indigenous Brits have deserted† (Katwala). There is a weaker sense of British national identity among white Britons. This presumed decline in Britishness can be seen as â€Å"resulting from one or both of two processes, on the one hand, the English appear to be becoming more â€Å"English† at the expense of being British. Secondly, the Scots are seen as becoming more Scottish.And a consequent decline in Britishness is assumed† (Bechhofer, 252). Devolution has contributed in the decline of a British national identity. â€Å"The largest marginal effect by a large distance is the effect of being born in Northern Ireland – this reduces the probability of reporting a British identity by 24%. It is almos t certain that this is driven primarily by Northern Irish Catholics among whom there remains a strong demand to be part of Ireland and not the UK and who think of themselves as Irish rather than British† (Manning, F79-F80).Many white Britons are not claiming a national identity and it seems that, for white Britons, the local identity is more important than the national identity. For minorities, it is easier to identity with the national identity because there are no negative connotations associated with it. The British identity allows for the foreigners to keep their home identity which they can maintain their ethnic identity. â€Å"British is a label that unites all peoples living in Britain today regardless of color, creed, and nationality† (Bechhofer , 256).Immigrants who become UK citizens are much more likely to report a British identity and the take-up ofcitizenship might be influenced by a number of factors. â€Å"First, there are a number of practical advantage s to citizenship – one has the right to work and vote in the UK and one can travel into the country without the need for a visa†¦ Apart from the practical advantages, there may be more emotional advantages to adopting a British identity. In particular we hypothesize that immigrants may be more likely to express a British identity if Britain compares favorably with the country from which they came† (Manning, F93).Minorities in Britain have also assimilated into the culture of being British. â€Å"There is a large amount of variation across country of birth in the fraction of immigrants reporting a British identity. For those from Slovakia it is less than 5%, for those from Malta more than 80%. But there is, for the most part, a simple explanation for these very large cross-country differences – the average amount of time spent in the UK† (Manning, F84). It seems that the longer the person stays in the country, the more they will think of themselves as British, Britishness just seems to grow on people. Benedict Anderson defines the nation as ‘an imagined community’ that is territorially limited and united by a ‘deep, horizontal, comradeship’ between its members. Adam Luedtke defines social identity ‘an affective (emotional) state of belonging in a social group†¦that stems from extended socialization, and is not easily changed. A ‘national identity’, therefore, is the emotional state of belonging felt by citizens towards, and within, the ‘imagined community’ of their nation† ( Kerr, 1).Over the decades there has been an overall decline in the proportion of people who define themselves as British and nationally characterize themselves as Britons. On average, a higher proportion of non-white ethnic minorities tend to call their selves British and relate to the British national identity. In conclusion, assimilation into the British culture has brought about a strong identity for ethnic minorities. The opposite is true for the white British population.On average there has been a decline in claiming the British national identity and this decline can be pointed to devolution taking place around the United Kingdom. Works Cited BECHHOFER, FRANK, and DAVID McCRONE. â€Å"Being British: A Crisis Of Identity?. † Political Quarterly 78. 2 (2007): 251-260. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 July 2012. â€Å"Centre for Longitudinal Studies. †Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ CLS. ESRC, n. d. Web. 26 July 2012. . â€Å"Ethnic Minorities More Likely to Feel British than White People, Says Research.   Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd, 2007. Web. 26 July 2012. . Katwala, Sunder. â€Å"Why Do Non-white Brits Feel That Little Bit More British? †Ã‚  British Future. British Future, 30 June 2012. Web. 26 July 2012. . Kerr, Steve. â€Å"The Decline of British Identity. †Ã‚  E-International Relations. E-international Relations, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 0 Jul y 2012. . Manning, Alan, and Sanchari Roy. â€Å"Culture Clash Or Culture Club? National Identity In Britain. † Economic Journal 120. 542 (2010): F72-F100. Business Source Premier. Web. 30 July 2012. Maxwell, Rahsaan. National and Minority Identification among Non-whites in Britain: Where Is the Tradeoff? Publication. University of Massachusetts, Amherst Department of Political Science, n. d. Web. 26 July 2012.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

buy custom Barry Long essay

buy custom Barry Long essay Barry Long is a 49 year old African-American male. He lives in Chicago, Illinois. Born and grew up in Hawaii, United States. He is an American nationality who subscribes to Christianity and attends United Church of Christ. He is married and has two daughters. In his growing years he was schooled at Jakarta, Besuki and St. Johns of Assisi School. He then proceeded to the college as at his fifth grade until he finished high school. After high school, Barry attended a second college for one and half years. He thereafter transferred to a University in Canada, where he pursued his bachelors degree. He proceeded to join a Law school to pursue a doctorate degree. After his studies, he worked temporarily as an administrator to oversee the development of projects in the community. This included religious based projects in New York City and other cities whereby he worked as a community coordinator. He helped to put up a profession program of training and a tenants' rights association in Chicago. Barry also served as a consultant and trainer for a community organizing institute. In addition, Barry served as a don at a Law school in Chicago for period of ten years whereby he taught law. Later on, he joined a 15 legal representative law enterprise in the field of civil rights legal action and locality economic development. Thereafter, he served duties in directors boards of the Economic Fund in the state of Colombia, where he served as head of directors and as founder and chairman of the panel of directors. With the experience gained while working for various organizations and institutions Barry continued to embrace as many opportunities as he could to lead. He then continued to show excellence in the performance of his duties in the positions he served in which earned him the trust of the larger public. He has had an upward trend in rising in ranks and positions. He has had quality leadership skills that promoted him duly. Traumatic events. Barrys parents separated when he was two years old and finally detached later on. The father, who is a Kenyan native, remarried and left Barry under the care of his grandparents from the mothers side. The mother also married a student who was attending college at Hawaii. Barrys mother later passed on from sarcoma while the father died of a car accident. This exposed him to social stigma which resulted from the multiracial heritage that surrounded him. Barry has struggled to quit smoking over the years and administers nicotine surrogate therapy to date, though he has admitted that he has not quit entirely. Barry has had to encounter numerous psychological issues, social, environment and relationships that have defined his life to date. He began as a society coordinator before graduating with degree in law then helped put up a working position in a training program, a college introductory training program, in addition to rights of tenants association that is in Chicago. Barry also worked as guide and trainer for one of the foundations present in Chicago, which was a society organizing institute. He traveled to various countries where he met and interacted prominent people. While at the University, he was appointed the editor of Law Review in addition to the leader of the journal. He also worked with law organizations in Chicago. Barry served as the head of Health plus Human Services agency when Democrats, after ten years in minority, recovered popularity. In these bids, he proposed a list of bills which include; The Safety and Systematic colonization Act. Together with other related sta keholders, he introduced follow-up legislation, Escalation Simplicity plus Liability in the context of National Expenses Act in the year 2008. As the first African American landmark leader, he has fought for a law that allowed nuclear firm owners to alert the state on the danger of chemical emissions. He further voted for the division deed fairness Act and the gender equality Amendments Act. Barry came up with a business spurt prerequisite candid management and Open regime Act. Barry later on introduced change to the Protection Authorization Act toting up safeguards for traits disorder military discharges. He also sponsored the Sanctions Act on war prone countries supporting divestment of state annuity funds from the industries dealing with oil in addition to gas and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism. Barry also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year job protection for family members caring for soldiers with injuries that were related to combat. He also proposed an extension of the coverage of insurance on health to cater the people who are not insured, in an attempt to cut down the increase in level of premiums in addition to facilitating for the maintenance of coverage in the situation of change in occupation or termination of office tenure. These are some of the bills he proposed during his early years in leadership. He has also brought change in the collapsing motors company by renewing loans for these corporations so that they could continue with operations. In 2009, Barry approved the concern that adding too much debt could cause the financial system to run into a "twofold dip" recession. As head of state he has proposed awarding instructors for excellent work from normal merit reimburse systems, assuring workers organizations that change will be realized through mutual bargaining system. It was because of his proper management that the economy of the state expanded by a significant percentage hence helping to stop recession and reducing cases of unemployment. During his performance, he has been in support of the issue of eliminating of levy on senior citizens with incomes of not more than $60,000, and raising levy on earnings over $200,000, in consideration to the capital gains, and on dividends. He has also backed the idea of making taxation systems simpler and eliminating loopholes. As an environmental initiative, Barry proposed a restriction and trade auction scheme to hamper the issue of chemical emissions like carbon and further introducing a long term investment program in energy sources to safeguard the state from depending on foreign fuel and alternative resources. According to polls conducted, Barry was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure that most people would pin their hopes on to pull the world out of the present day economic recession. Barry's international appeal has been described as a defining factor for his public image. The polls also indicate tremendous support for Barry in other countries. Moreover, he has interacted with renowned world distinct figures. This implies that the future hold much for this personality making his life to be prosperous and outstanding internationally. He has written two books that are bestsellers in the bookshops and bookstores allover the world. Buy custom Barry Long essay

Monday, October 21, 2019

U.S. Foreign Policy essays

U.S. Foreign Policy essays No one country or nation in the history of the world has ever held as much power, influence, and control as the United States does now in our present day. Within the last century that has passed us by, our country has accumulated so much of its wealth, knowledge, and power because of the simple fact that we have such a melting pot of people. This massive potpourri of ideas from all over the world has lead to such a quick progression in all aspects of our nation: the economy, government, and culture. However, we did not always have such a strong effect on other countries. During the youth of our nation, much time was spent practicing isolationism mainly because of our inability and lack of power to have much authority throughout the rest of the world. Through time, as immigrants arrived from all over the globe, the United States gained prosperity and power. It would be impossible for us to remain isolated from the rest of the globe especially with the great amount of influence t hat had been accumulated. One of the first instances where we began to involve ourselves in foreign affairs was during the First World War. With no desire to enter the war in Europe, we attempted to remain merely an outside observer. Even though we eventually entered the war later on, while the Allies were fighting, we actually supplied them with different types of equipment such as food and ammunition. This type of involvement is somewhat strange merely because of the initial stance of neutrality that the United States took. Was it right for America to support the Allies? That question is somewhat difficult to answer. Some might say that helping our European counterparts was the right way to proceed, but this type of decision making recently has gotten us into some quandaries. If the United States wants to help the world, then in doing so, we should attempt to treat each situation equally. Any sort of favoritism toward one particular group or s...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Marooned Ice Breaker Party Game for Adults

Marooned Ice Breaker Party Game for Adults If you were marooned on a deserted island, who would you want with you? This ice breaker is a great game to play when people don’t know each other, and it fosters team building in groups that already work together. I have always found peoples choices to be very revealing about who they are. Ideal Size Up to 30. Divide larger groups. Use for Introductions in the classroom or at a meeting, and as a team building exercise. Time Needed 30 minutes, depending on the size of the group. Materials Needed None. Instructions Give people a minute or two to think about this question: If you were marooned on a deserted island, which three people would you want with you? They can be dead, alive, or imaginary. Ask participants to introduce themselves and share their choices with the group. Start with yourself so they have an example. Example Hi, my name is Deb. If I were marooned on a deserted island, I would want Tim with me because he’s smart, strong, and fun, and I love him. He would know how to make a shelter and find food, and we’d have wonderful conversations. My second choice would be someone who tells great stories, like Garrison Keillor or Eoin Colfer. And my third would be Solomon Burke, the blues singer, so we’d have soulful music. Debriefing Debrief by asking if there were any surprises in the group and if anybody has a question for another participant. You will have listened carefully to the introductions. If somebody has chosen a person related in any way to your topic, use that person as a transition to your first lecture or activity.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Marketing Communication and Branding Case Study

Marketing Communication and Branding - Case Study Example Consequently, the initial objectives that intend to be achieved with effectively implemented marketing plan are the following: Raising people’s awareness of the necessity to follow healthy and active lifestyle; Inducing of the community to benefit the society; Forming moral principles and awareness of own importance and consequence for the social problem-solving; Developing mutual assistance and intention to help other people; Providing full information about donorship centers, opportunities and conditions to become a donor and possible privileges for new donors; Showing benefits of donorship to public; Substantiating the safety and hygiene of the donorship procedures; Providing confidentiality of test results; Cutting number of drinkers and accordingly increasing number of donors by 50 per cent during a scheduled period; Proposing new effective methods of donors’ stimulating and attracting. Achieving of the defined objectives should give results in three main aspects. First of all people must understand the importance and necessity of the donorship for the society and particular individual. It is essential to develop mutual assistance and feelings of responsibility in peoples’ deeds. Secondly, population of United Kingdom has to realize that the procedure of donorship is totally safe and harmless, if donor complies with required regulations. And the last urgent direction that is defined by mentioned objectives will be elaborating of the effective methods, which are aimed to raise the number of volunteers due to the demand of the hospitals and clinics. Answer 2. Taking into account all stated goals, several areas of the future performance should be outlined. In this respect, it is recommended for the National Blood Service, first of all, to make an emphasis on safety of the blood donorship. For example, it could be essential to ensure future donors with preliminary consultations, accentuating the usage of sterile needles and gloves by medic al workers. It can help to convince people of a thought that they will not get infected with any disease during the procedure. The second crucial aspect of the strategy is to work out the most attracting motives for the future donors. With this aim it can be suggested to stimulate the rate of donors with financial support. The obligatory payment for each donor should be nominal, though easy money will be able to pull a lot of students and unemployed people into donorship. For the first time new donor will get minimal award, but for the following procedure organization may increase its payments. In addition, it can be important to reward each donor with a small bar of chocolate that helps to restore the haemoglobin level. From one side it is just a trifle, but on the other hand this sign of care will improve donors’ conditions and the process of rehabilitation. Moreover, to enhance number of volunteers for giving blood the NBS may guarantee them to be served in the local hospi tals fully or partly free of charge. Also people may become more available for donorship if, for example, one of the benefits of being a blood donor will be a privilege and right to make appointment with dentist or laryngologist out of turn. For those people who cherish their time this benefit is going to be influential. To attain mentioned goals it is urgent to use special marketing tools that form push and pull strategies. First strategy can be implemented by means of mass

Friday, October 18, 2019

Environmental Geology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental Geology - Research Paper Example In his speech delivered on June 16, 2010, the President said that we needed to break our â€Å"addiction† to oil and that will be possible when, â€Å"†¦we seize the moment.   And only if we rally together and act as one nation –- workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the public and private sectors (Obama, 2010).† As much as I would like to see this happen, I feel that there are three fundamental realities that will prevent this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from becoming some sort of catalyst that will change our energy policy as a nation and as individuals. The first fact is that most American thing regionally about their citizenship, and it takes an event such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to really unite the nation as a whole. Americans surely feel for one another, as is shown by the volunteers that rush from all corners of the nation to clean-up after a hurricane or and earthquake. This sort of empathy, while wonderful in the most basic human sense, does little to change people’s choices. We still will build our homes in hurricane and earthquake prone areas after the mess is cleaned up. Everyone feels badly about the fishermen than are going to lose their homes and boats, but that isn’t going to make the guy driving 60 minutes each way to work to suddenly quit his job so he can burn less fuel each day. These are the choices that need to be made if we are going to become less dependant on oil, and most people won’t change because of the oil spill. The second regional issue is the economic roll oil plays in the Gulf of Mexico. The people that need to call for less oil consumption now is the residents most affected by the spill. They have the attention of the nation this summer. Unfortunately, they are not making these calls. The fact is, many are employed by oil companies in the region and the taxes generated by the oil

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics - Auction Theory Essay

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics - Auction Theory - Essay Example The first type of open auctions is called English or ascending bid auctions, where the auction is usually done in real time. In this case, the seller usually sets a low price as the beginning price, after which the price is increased gradually as the bidder offer their prices. The bidders drop out of the auction as their true values are exceeded until the last bidder gets the item at her intrinsic value. The second type of auction is called Dutch or descending bid auctions, where the seller starts the auction at a high price and then gradually drops until the first bidder states the price and takes the item at the stated price (Easley and KleinBerg, 2010). The main area of focus for this paper is sealed bid auctions, which are divided into two types; first-price sealed bid auctions and second-price sealed bid auctions. The first-price sealed bid auction is one where all the buyers submit simultaneous sealed bids to the seller, who opens them and sells the item to the highest bidder a t the stated price (Easley and KleinBerg, 2010). Conversely, second-price sealed bid auctions refer to a case where the buyers submit sealed bids to the seller, who opens them and sells the item to the highest bidder, but at the second highest price. This type of auction is also called Vickrey auctions (Koutsojannis and Sirmakessis, 2009). Informational asymmetry in auctions usually affects the bidding decisions of both the seller and the buyer (Koutsojannis and Sirmakessis, 2009). To describe seller monopoly, consider an auction where the seller attaches a price of x on the item, and the bidder attaches a price of y to the item. In this case, the surplus to the seller and the buyer is...This essay outlines key concepts of the auction theory and stresses the importance of the game theory advances in choosing the right bidding strategy. This paper mainly focuses on first-price and second-price sealed auctions. The types of auctions are usually dispersed between open and sealed auctions, both of which need different types of bidding strategies . The first type of open auctions is called English or ascending bid auctions, where the auction is usually done in real time. The second type of auction is called Dutch or descending bid auctions, where the seller starts the auction at a high price and then gradually drops until the first bidder states the price and takes the item at the stated price The first comparison is between descending bid auctions and first-price auctions, where we know that, in a descending bid auction, the seller lowers the price until the first bidder gets the item at the highest price. Conversely, second-price sealed bid auctions and ascending bid auctions are similar. In the case of first-price sealed bid auctions, the value of the bid affects both the winning fact and how much the winning bidder pays for the item. The game theory setting for this kind of bid is to set up the bidders as players, where a bidder i assigns a value v to the item and bids at a price b. The dominant strategy in the case of second-price sealed bids is a truthful strategy, where the bidder bids the price of her true value as assigned to the item, since deviations from the price does not increase the payoff earned

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Uberrimae Fides in Marine Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Uberrimae Fides in Marine Insurance - Essay Example This has left the concerned authorities to critically analyze the nature, history, application and scope of Uberrima Fides in Marine Insurance. In broader terms Uberrima Fides is used to disclose all the material that is to be traded through marines. For instance, as per this law both the parties i.e. issuer and receiver has to mention all the peculiar details to the insurer in order to certify that the traded material does not violate any of the marine insurance laws. Furthermore, there is full duty to the facts and figures of the disclosed material because majority of the information about enclosed material is kept hidden by the two parties. However, under this law they are obliged to mention each and every detail of the materials enclosed3. A lot of goods including machines, plants, household or commercial products are transported either by land, sea or air4. This merchandize incurs some transportation cost commonly known as fright charges and the law which covers all the indemnit y or destruction of cargo is the Marine Insurance. The Marine Insurance companies either operating privately or in association with the government agencies have to make certain that the goods they are transporting are not violating the rules and regulations of the marine transportation through any means5. For this purpose they make use of Uberrima Fides in order to seek details of the disclosed material from the applicants of marine insurance. Though it seems very simple to mention details about the disclosed material from the insurer’s point of view, yet it is a very complex and highly law governing procedure which needs to be done under the obligations set by Uberrimae Fides6. The duty of Uberrima Fides in Marine Insurance The Duty of Uberrimae Fides in Marine Insurance was created hundreds of years back by the British Marine Forces in order to keep check and ascertain the insurance of transported material through marines. As per the Marine Law, vestigial insurance is used so as to define Uberrimae Fides7. Since insuring the risk of damage and destruction during the cargo transportation is a crucial matter and involves high level of complexities therefore historically Uberrima Fides were used to insure that highest standards of Good Faith are maintained between both the parties. Moreover, on the economic grounds Uberrimae Fides provides protection to the insurers through which they are no longer in danger due to insuring some poor or damageable material8. For instance, when centuries ago British Marines were used to allow transportation of goods through sea there was no law to certify the risks of damage and the associated agencies were forced to rely upon the information provided by the issuer of goods. Hence, if during the sail some damages occurred then insurer had to compensate those damages. Therefore it was found necessary to make laws in order to obtain peculiar information related to the goods to be transported9. Nature of Uberrima Fides The n ature of Uberrimae fides is of pre contractual duty. It is an obligatory procedure by which both the parties have to make certain that the good they are issuing or receiving through marine transportation will not incur unnecessary damages and compensations to the marine insurance companies10. Uberrimae Fides is functioned somewhat in the same way as the misrepresentation is operated in fraudulent

Culture and disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture and disease - Essay Example 30 and above is considered obese. There are a variety of physiological conditions which can result from obesity. There is greater susceptibility to diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory illness, as well as certain types of cancers. A psychiatric condition which has comorbidity with obesity is depression. This could be caused by the inability to deal with the stresses of life or with self-esteem issues due to the inability to achieve the healthy lifestyle demanded by society. As a result, there is a circular effect when dealing with obesity and depression. As a worldwide view on obesity, Americans seem to have the most. According to a survey done by the National Health and Nutrition Survey (2003-2004) showed that about 32.2% of adult Americans are obese (Ogden et al., 2006). With such a large portion, approximately one out of three people are obese, it is important to look at the sociological aspects of dealing with this condition. Obesity is not a disease that can be caught, howev er there are some genetic components which suggest that certain genes may regulate metabolite levels which can impact whether a person becomes obese or not. Stress and overworking due to lack of a stable economy leads to poor eating habits. As Americans, we live in a fast paced, progressive environment which often requires a quick and specific fix to problems.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Uberrimae Fides in Marine Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Uberrimae Fides in Marine Insurance - Essay Example This has left the concerned authorities to critically analyze the nature, history, application and scope of Uberrima Fides in Marine Insurance. In broader terms Uberrima Fides is used to disclose all the material that is to be traded through marines. For instance, as per this law both the parties i.e. issuer and receiver has to mention all the peculiar details to the insurer in order to certify that the traded material does not violate any of the marine insurance laws. Furthermore, there is full duty to the facts and figures of the disclosed material because majority of the information about enclosed material is kept hidden by the two parties. However, under this law they are obliged to mention each and every detail of the materials enclosed3. A lot of goods including machines, plants, household or commercial products are transported either by land, sea or air4. This merchandize incurs some transportation cost commonly known as fright charges and the law which covers all the indemnit y or destruction of cargo is the Marine Insurance. The Marine Insurance companies either operating privately or in association with the government agencies have to make certain that the goods they are transporting are not violating the rules and regulations of the marine transportation through any means5. For this purpose they make use of Uberrima Fides in order to seek details of the disclosed material from the applicants of marine insurance. Though it seems very simple to mention details about the disclosed material from the insurer’s point of view, yet it is a very complex and highly law governing procedure which needs to be done under the obligations set by Uberrimae Fides6. The duty of Uberrima Fides in Marine Insurance The Duty of Uberrimae Fides in Marine Insurance was created hundreds of years back by the British Marine Forces in order to keep check and ascertain the insurance of transported material through marines. As per the Marine Law, vestigial insurance is used so as to define Uberrimae Fides7. Since insuring the risk of damage and destruction during the cargo transportation is a crucial matter and involves high level of complexities therefore historically Uberrima Fides were used to insure that highest standards of Good Faith are maintained between both the parties. Moreover, on the economic grounds Uberrimae Fides provides protection to the insurers through which they are no longer in danger due to insuring some poor or damageable material8. For instance, when centuries ago British Marines were used to allow transportation of goods through sea there was no law to certify the risks of damage and the associated agencies were forced to rely upon the information provided by the issuer of goods. Hence, if during the sail some damages occurred then insurer had to compensate those damages. Therefore it was found necessary to make laws in order to obtain peculiar information related to the goods to be transported9. Nature of Uberrima Fides The n ature of Uberrimae fides is of pre contractual duty. It is an obligatory procedure by which both the parties have to make certain that the good they are issuing or receiving through marine transportation will not incur unnecessary damages and compensations to the marine insurance companies10. Uberrimae Fides is functioned somewhat in the same way as the misrepresentation is operated in fraudulent

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Management of Carotid Artery Stenosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management of Carotid Artery Stenosis - Essay Example The result can be ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. These occur because of hemodynamic compromise, embolization, or thrombosis (Greelish, Mohler, Fairman, 2009). The review by Greelish, (2009), includes major trails which evaluate the efficiency as well as clinical variables and risk. There are two major trials discussed in this paper, those are the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial and the European Carotid Surgery Trial. Each of these demonstrate the efficacy of the carotid endarterectomy in patients who have symptoms such as transcient ischemic attack (Greenlish, et.al, 2009). The NASCET cohort is another study done that suggests the benefits of CEA in symptomatic patients may be overestimated, since a number of strokes that occur in the territory of stenotic arteries are not preventable by CEA. 1800 patients were included in this study which was done to assure that we knew what the true risk factors of this group of patients with stroke might be. This study showed that that stroke occurred most often in people that had 60% stenosis. This is well supported in all of the studies that were reviewed. Patients with 60% occlusion whether symptomatic or asymptomatic are at great risk. Risk factors lead to damage in the carotid arteries and th... Secondary prevention of stroke: risk factor reduction by Furie, Wilterdink and Kistler, (2009) review risk factor management of patients with atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease, with a focus on secondary prevention in patients who have had ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. Those risk factors that are discussed in great depth in this paper are hypertension, smoking, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. They show statistical data on those patients that control these risk factors and those that don't as well as how the CEA fits into this care (Furie, et. al., 2009). CEA alone will not forever cure a patient with large number of risk factors. The patient has to be willing to participate in this care, also. Cardiovascular disease, MI or ischemic stroke is still the leading cause of death in patients with metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Haffey, (2009), suggests success in saving lives here is based on effectively treating the whole patient. The author describes throughout his paper, different clinical approaches to achieving this goal. He reminds that treating those things that are risk factors for the disease should be dealt with aggressively. Those include hypertension, smoking, activity levels, dietary habits, obesity, carotid artery stenosis, and atrial fibrillation (Haggey, 2009). Again, as in the previous literature, Dr. Haggey suggests that there be a great deal of follow up assuring that these patients are doing what has to be done to decrease their risk factors. There have been three very high quality clinical trials on patients who need carotid endarterectomy but are asymptomatic. Those trials are the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group, the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study, and the Asymptomatic Carotid

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Work of one Christian Relief Agency Essay Example for Free

The Work of one Christian Relief Agency Essay Christian Aid is an organisation that supplies aid to those in need. It is generally considered to have been the first missionary agency to support indigenous mission boards in countries all over the world. It all began in 1945 when Bob Finley was asked to speak at a rally of Youth for Christ in a Chicago stadium. His testimony was so fresh, unique and powerful that the 25,000 people in the stadium interrupted him several times with spontaneous applause. His words were broadcasted all over the continent and he was sent to speak at rallies throughout the U. S. and Canada. Along with his close friend, Billy Graham, they were enlisted as field evangelists with the Youth for Christ and spoke at youth rallies, churches, public schools, seminaries, colleges and Bible institutes. Between 1948 and 1950 Bob Finley traveled the East China, Korea and Asia preaching the word and lead Korea in the spiritual awakening that took place there in early 1950. Bob Finley returned to America determined to arouse the churches about the need for reform in foreign missions. He said the best way to plant a Christian witness in closed countries was to reach people who were away from home. Then when they would go back to serve Christ in their homelands; get behind them with financial assistance. Following the presentation of his honorary doctors degree, in 1953 he started International Students, Inc. to reach foreign students all over the U.S. and Canada. In 1972 the headquarters of ISI was moved to Colorado Springs, while the AID (Assisting Indigenous Developments) division was spun off as Christian Aid and remained in Washington D.C. with Bob Finley as the President. A competent staff was assembled to travel all over the world searching out indigenous ministries in every country, especially those that were closed to missionaries from America. Christian Aid grew and grew, with a number of new buildings built in co-ordination with the agency. They had a new headquarters with a conference center and more offices. It continued making contact with indigenous missionary groups in closed countries all over the world. Bob Finleys goal was to have a part in planting a witness for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ among every unreached people group on earth. Christian Aid is governed and staffed by evangelistic, Bible believing, born again Christians who uphold the fundamental doctrines of historic evangelical Christianity. The work of Christian Aid is felt in over 60 countries where they try to fulfill its aims of helping people in the long-term. This is achieved in various ways. The first is to raise money that is needed in order to help these people. They gain an income of around 48 Million Pounds a year, which they can use. This is done throughout the whole year where churches may hold collections or some sort of fund raising events where donations go to charity. A considerable amount of this money is collected during one particular week, annually. This is called Christian Aid Week. In 1995, 8.6 Million Pounds was raised in this one-week. Christian Aid has two main policies of donations. They give Emergency Aid and Long Term Aid. Emergency Aid 10% to 15% of their money is when people are in need of some sort of aid, straight away. For example, if there has been a natural disaster, or an influx of refugees to a country then they are in need of emergency aid in order for them to survive. We can see the work of Christian Aid in the Caribbean Sea islands where a 140mile-per-hour Hurricane battered the islands, leaving 20 dead and numerous others in desperate need of attention and shelter. Christian Aid went to the islands to help the suffering people get their lives back on track. Long Term Aid is when Christian Aid helps to set up funds in communities to help them in the future. This is done through churches and community centers. We can see this in place in Bangladesh where Christian Aid workers have been living there to help administer drugs to the people in need of it. They get their money to do this by Christian Aid and have helped many hundreds of people. Bob Finley has now completed 53 years of ministry as an evangelist, pastor, missionary, Bible teacher and Christian statesman. During these years he has traveled over four million miles and preached face to face to more than 20 million people. Additional millions have heard his message through radio, TV, films and videos. His published articles have touched thousands of lives and played a major role in changing the methodology and direction of Christian missions throughout the world. His influence and financial support has been used of God to further the cause of Christ among more than 2000 tongues, tribes and nations. Christian Aid continues to reach out to those who are in the remotest countries and have not heard of our Lord Jesus Christ. They continue to help other struggling ministries to preach the word of our Lord.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

VarPhen: Web Based Tool for Genotype-phenotype Association

VarPhen: Web Based Tool for Genotype-phenotype Association Elsayed Hegazy1, Mahmoud Elhefnawi1, 2 1Nile University, Giza, 12588, Egypt. 2National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. Abstract Personalized medicine and the highly attention of next generation sequencing increase the demand of turning the genotype data into meaningful phenotype data. VarPhen is a web based tool used to do such thing. Its written in C# code its based on using RefSeq SNPs ID as a genotype to retrieve the relevant phenotype. VarPhen use ClinVar database as the source of clinical information and phenotypes relevant to specific variant. Introduction Next generation sequencing workflows and pipelines is now available for analyze all row data from quality control and mapping to variant calling but very few tools deals with vcf file to interpret to generate a meaningful reports with the common and rare diseases. One of the biggest servers regarding this issue is ClinVar (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/clinvar/) which provides a freely available archive of the relationships among medically important variants and phenotypes. ClinVar is a huge database for reporting human variation, interpretations of the relationship of that variation to human health and the evidence supporting each interpretation. The database is tightly coupled with dbSNP and dbVar, which maintain information about the location of variation on human assemblies. ClinVar is also based on the phenotypic descriptions maintained in MedGen (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen). Each ClinVar record represents the submitter, the variation and the phenotype. The demand of vcf interpretation to valuable knowledge and phenotype increased day by day with the increasing of personal genome demand day by day. Here we will develop web based application that able to connect to CinVar and retrieve diseases associated with each variant listed in vcf file or sample. Availability and implementation VarPhen available for use on http://www.varphen.com as a web based tool written in ASP.Net with C# code behind using NCBI Database ClinVar API as a source of phenotypes. Review of literature Knowledge is more valuable when shared. By contributing these tools to the big spectrum which is the research community and healthcare as industry, we want to increase the quality and accuracy of genetic data analysis and interpretation available to all patients, physicians and researchers. OpenSNP is a Crowdsourced Web Resource for Personal Genomics. Its based on collecting users or patients vcf files from different sources like 23andme and decodeme plus the normal vcf file then detect variants and all relevant phenotypes. CLINVITAE is a clinically observation database uses the genetic variants aggregated from public sources. It is operated and made freely available by INVITAE which is a service like ClinVar. To make CLINVITAE as informative as possible, CLINVITAE aggregate the data from multiple public databases. CLINVITAE long term goal is to facilitate the search for clinically interpreted variants by creating a single unified resource for all interpretation results. CLINVITAE want physicians and researchers to save their time when comparing variants across multiple platforms and resources, and fully utilize the available data. GWAS Central or the Human Genome Variation database of Genotype-to-Phenotype information which is a database of summary level findings from genetic association studies, both large and small. GWAS actively gather datasets from public domain projects, and encourage direct data submission from the community improving the quality and accuracy of interpretation. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful at identifying some of the variation in traits attributable to genetics. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has begun aggregating results of association studies into a master GWAS catalog. Also, INTERPRETOME is a freely available and secure personal genome interpretation engine analyze vcf file into valuable knowledge for diseases from GWAS. Another database from the big company QIAGEN is The Human Gene Mutation Database represents a good trial to collect the known published gene lesions responsible for human inherited disease. Also, The Diagnostic Mutation Database (DMuDB) is a secure repository of clinical quality variant data collected from diagnostic genetics laboratories. Access to DMuDB is available by annual laboratory subscription, and must be for diagnostic purposes only. Many of databases and tools do such analysis or job but very few tools and databases are freely available or accessible by programming inside your application. Aim Developing web based application for transforming variants from vcf into knowledge by identifying which variant pathogenic and what is the associated diseases with that variant. Methods Technically this web based tool developed straight forward by using one of the most powerful web technologies which is ASP.Net web forms with C Sharp back end code. User asked to upload vcf file then file processing done by manipulating file to discard vcf header and start reading vcf data after the header. After that VarPhen only read the third column which represent the RefSeq of the variant as ClinVar input. Also VarPhen detect if the SNP is novel or not this improve the tool performance because if VarPhen found a novel variant so there no web request created to ClinVar but if the variant not novel so VarPhen create a web request to ClinVar asking for full listed information associated with this variant. After the web request processed ClinVar web response retrieved by VarPhen as XML file. VarPhen start to parse and analyze the resulted XML file. Manipulation of XML file target is extracting the phenotypes which associated with the variant of interest. VarPhen uses C# data structu re Queue which help also to improve the performance of the VarPhen web requests to ClinVar API because its based on the concept of First in first served first out. All phenotypes saved in another C# data structure which is the List data structure as a series of strings. After that its the turn of the presentation layer by populating ASP.Net grid view by the list of phenotypes as a table in the user interface. Figure 1- VarPhen flowchart Figure 1 shows the flowchart of VarPhen tool as it indicated its start with vcf file the check if variant is novel or not. No web request created in case of variant novel. API calling starts only with known variants to retrieve the XML file containing the phenotype data. Conclusion VarPhen is one of the easiest ways to know what phenotypes associated with a specific vcf file is. VarPhen target users with no programming experience. No registration required to use it. So simple by its user friendly interface. Renewable Energy in the UK: Government Role Renewable Energy in the UK: Government Role UK Renewable Energy: Electricity Generation and the governments role in driving CO2 reductions. Business Management EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This dissertation will mainly concentrate on UKs efforts to increase renewables contribution to electricity generation in the UK, which are part of a broader range of government strategies to reduce CO2 to meet global concerns and international obligations. It will also examine the forces driving the development of renewable energy market in the UK, as well as the overview of the governments role in driving CO2 reductions. The governments strategy on renewables includes several different elements, each attacking the problem from a different angle: mandatory regulation, information and education, technology RD support, and establishment of market-based mechanisms. The main findings presented will be based mainly on the literature review, expert opinions and future forecasts. A review of recent literature on this topic highlights the risk of failure due to failure of coordination among the many initiatives and government bodies involved, and the dangers of insufficient data in measuring progress. Also, they reveal the practical limitations of reliance on renewable to fulfill future electricity generation needs. The first part of the main analysis will provide an overview of the renewable energy market in the UK; it will include a summary of the current renewable energy policy and the main instruments which act as a driving forces for the development of renewables in the UK, as well as electricity market overview; second part would specifically concentrate on evaluation of whether the policies and targets set by government are efficient and achievable, the conclusion will summarize the findings and elaborate on future prospects for the renewable energy market in the UK. The available data indicates that the UK is already falling behind on its original plans for the uptake of renewable. However, government policy suggests growing awareness of the limitations of most renewables; and a consequent shift in focus away from renewables towards easier ‘bigger solutions such as nuclear power and carbon sequestration for coal-fired power stations. CHAPTER 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION A sustainable energy future is possible, but only if we act urgently and decisively to promote, develop and deploy a full mix of energy technologies We have the means, now we need the will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Claude Mandil, International Energy Agency (IEA) In the 21st century, there has been a significant increase in energy demand due to factors such as population growth and changes in our lifestyle. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) today 86.5 % of total worldwide energy consumption is generated from fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and coal; which are said to be non-renewable, and are the main cause for increase in green house gases and carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007, rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are the primary cause of global warming since 1950, and are expected to rise due to ongoing burning of fossil fuels and land-use change. As the worlds fossil fuels continue to diminish at an alarming rate, and global energy demand is forecasted to increase by 60% over the next 25 years (G8 Summit, 2005), alternative forms of energy must be developed that are economically cost effective, environmentally friendly, and easily harness ed. The development of renewable energy sources as a solution to these problems is expected to play a major role in the future energy supply and has developed a considerable interest within national government policies, environmental groups and the private sector. The term ‘renewable energy can be defined as â€Å"energy that is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly† (Energy Statistics, 2004). The renewable energy sources are also covered by Europes climate change and energy policy. In March 2007, the European Council set a target of 20 percent of the total EU energy consumption to be generated from renewables by 2020. The policy also commits the EU Member States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and by 30 percent globally (The EC White Paper, 2007 (BERR)). According to BERR renewable energy is an integral part of the UK Governments longer-term aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050. The Government has set targets of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 and 10% of electricity supply from renewable energy by 2010 (Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2007). This raises the main questions addressed in this dissertation: Can the UK expect to meet and exceed the existing targets? What measure will be required to realize this potential and to encourage further investment in renewables? Despite the fact that renewables are seen by many policy-makers as a solution for improving energy security and saving the environment, there is still some uncertainty whether renewables could compete with conventional energy sources. Supportive policies and heavy investments are still needed to promote further development and deployment of renewables in energy markets. The establishment of new renewable energy technologies and their efficiency will depend on the costs and effectiveness. As a result, in order to promote renewable energy technology into the market there is a strong need to identify and analyse the policies which have a direct effect on technology and market development. 1.2 Renewable energy in the UK The United Kingdom is one of the worlds most globalized countries with the second largest economy in Europe and a population of 60 million. The UK currently contributes about 2 percent to global emissions, which, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, were estimated to be 38 billion tones carbon dioxide in 2004. UK energy industries are the main contributors to UK greenhouse gas emissions; according to statistics CO2 accounted for about 85 per cent of the UKs greenhouse gas emissions in 2006. In order to reduce emissions, the 2007 UK Energy White Paper sets out an objective to cut the UKs carbon emissions by 60% by 2050, with real progress by 2020. One way of achieving those targets would be by generating our energy from sources that produce very low or zero levels of greenhouse gases such as renewable energy sources. Renewable energy is â€Å"an integral part of the Governments strategy for reducing carbon emissions as renewable energy resources produce very li ttle carbon or other greenhouse gases†. (Commission, 2006) In 2006, about 75 percent of UK electricity was generated from fossil fuels, about 19 percent from nuclear power, and the remaining 4 percent from other renewables (Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), 2007). The UK has one of the most suitable markets for the development of renewable sources of energy due to its geographic location; especially in wind, wave and tidal energy. However, the UK is also rich in fossil fuels and until the climate change issue became evident the successive governments have neglected renewable energy as an alternative source of our main energy supply. The UK Government initially started to show support for development of renewable energy sources in 1990, when renewables became a part of the so-called non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), originally set up to protect nuclear power. The issue of climate change and high levels of greenhouse gases has given a new drive to the development of renewable energy in the UK. As part of the Climate Change Programme, in June 2000 the UK government replaced NFFO by the Renewables Obligation (RO) in England and Wales with the main aims to encourage further the development of the UK renewable energy industry and to achieve a 10 percent share of renewables in electricity generation by 2010 (Environmental Policy Integration). Overall the renewable energy contribution is increasing. Total electricity generation from renewables in 2006 amounted to 18,133 GWh, an increase of 1,263 GWh (+7 ½ per cent) on 2005. The main contributors to this substantial increase were 1,072 GWh from onshore wind (+43 per cent), 248 GWh (+62 per cent) from offshore wind 134 GWh (+3 per cent) from landfill gas and 119 GWh (+12 per cent) from municipal solid waste combustion (UK Electricity Statistics,2007). One of the other main drivers for the development of alternative energy sources in the UK aside from climate change issues is the security of energy supply. The UK continues to heavily rely on the diminishing sources of fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, which are increasingly sourced in geopolitically unreliable areas, such as Venezuela, Nigeria and Russia. According to the UK Energy Statistics 12 percent of the UKs gas supply came from gas imports (Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), 2007). Therefore further development of alternative energy sources in the UK will reduce the amount of imported fossil fuels, as well as have a key role in resolving the climate change issue. In order to maintain the UKs energy supply and to achieve the carbon dioxide targets set in the Kyoto Protocol under which the UK has committed itself to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 percent by 2012 (Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket, 2007), as well as longer term goal set out in Energy White Paper to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent by 2050, it is vital to sustain further development of energy sources that produce low or zero levels of greenhouse gases, such as renewable energy. Figure 1, shows the Kyoto target and CO2 emissions, 1990 to 2012. Figure 1: Defra, BERR, â€Å"Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket†, 2007 The Governments policies together with the White Paper made proposals to help increase the sources of renewable energy in the UK. The initial proposals set out in the Energy White Paper 2007, concentrate on three main areas: Electricity generation, by strengthening and modifying the Renewables Obligation, by reforming the planning system and by removing barriers to the growth of decentralised electricity generation; heat, by publishing a Biomass Strategy which identifies opportunities for increasing the use of renewables in energy production and by announcing further work to develop a more strategic approach to heat; and Transport, by requiring through The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Programme (RTFO) that an increasing proportion of our transport fuel should come from renewable sources. (Energy White Paper , 2007) According to the recent study undertaken by the Poyry Energy (Oxford) LTD, by 2020, renewable energy supply is expected to account for around 12 percent of EU total energy demand, where 59 percent of this volume will come from electricity generation, 32 percent from renewable heat and 9 percent from transport (Compliance costs for meeting the 20% renewable energy target in 2020., 2008) This paper will mainly concentrate on electricity generation through renewable energy sources, as consistency of electricity supply is fundamental to a robust UK economy, and renewables appear to be a suitable solution to improve security of electricity supply in the UK. The UK Government has set a target in order to promote the generation of electricity from renewable sources, by 2010, 10% of UK electricity should come from renewable sources (BERR, UK). The costs of electricity production from renewable energy sources presented in the figure below demonstrate that generation costs depend on the resource conditions in different countries or regions, particularly the EU Member States (Compliance costs for meeting the 20% renewable energy target in 2020, 2008). Therefore, in order to establish and sustain the competitiveness of renewable energy sources it is essential to analyse whether renewable energy technologies can compete with conventional sources. Figure 2: Electricity generation cost of renewable energy technologies (EU Commission 2005: 24, Support of electricity from RE sources). To support the new energy strategy there was a significant development to the UK Renewables Policy, the government has established key elements such as Renewables Obligation, which is driving force for the investment and consumer interest in renewables and it does so by obliging electricity suppliers to source a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources. It has also launched strategies which allow UK to identify its main strengths and to develop world-leading capabilities in renewable energy sector. The main drivers of UK Renewable Energy Policy include: Renewable Obligation (RO) The RO is the main support scheme for renewable electricity projects in the UK. It places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources. Suppliers are required to produce evidence of their compliance with this obligation to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). Evidence can be via certificates, referred to as Renewable Obligations Certificates (Renewable Obligation, 2008). UK renewable electricity has increased considerably since the introduction of RO. In 2006 electricity supplied from RO eligible sources stood at around 4% of the UKs total electricity, up from 1.8% in 2002 (Energy White Paper , 2007). Climate Change Levy (CCL) Exemption The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is â€Å"an environmental tax levied on the supply of certain taxable commodities, for example electricity, gas and coal, and charged by energy suppliers to final business consumers. Domestic, and most charitable, consumers do not pay CCL (Microgeneration and the Climate Change Levy, 2007). In order to support further development of renewables and to encourage consumers to use environmentally friendly sources of energy, renewable electricity supplied to non-domestic consumers is exempt from CCL. Research Development Programme The Government has constantly introduced programmes for renewable energy sources to remove obstacles which stood in the way of the development of renewables by furthering research and gathering information as well as assist industrial activities in the UK. Such programmes support the Renewable Obligation and the exempt renewable from Climate Change Levy. The programmes will also require cooperation with in the industry between the government and environmental organisations to maintain a steady approach to the growth of the renewable energy sources in the market. The programmes also set out plans to address the key issues together, with the concentration divided between technology development as well as non-technological issues, such as raising finance and obtaining planning permission. Each technology is set to be tested though several stages, which include assessment, RD, demonstration and market entry, full-scale industrialization and competition (Challenges Ahead for UK Renewable Energy Program, 2007). Strategies for individual technology programmes also include this operation at the different stages of technology development. An exit strategy will also contribute to the competitiveness of the industry without creating a subsidy. Green trading can play a major part in electricity generation strategy to move to a system of renewables which operates strictly in the commercial market. The Government will carry out several actions together with the industry in order to encourage the development of renewable technologies in the UK, such actions include technological and environmental assessment in addition to resource assessment ;demonstration; the industrialisation of the market; removing legal and administrative obstacles; dealing with planning and development control issues; promoting research and marketing and education. The set priorities for the development of renewable technologies depend on their cost effectiveness and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that can be reduced on different timescales. The priorities for the development of the renewable energy sources are set in time scales and include: Near Term includes most competitive renewable technologies in the UK. (Geothermal (heating and cooling),waste and some biomass residues, landfill gas, onshore wind, hydro, passive solar) Medium Term (by the year 2010) includes renewables that show maximum contribution by 2010, as well as assist to achieve the target of 10 percent.(Some biomass residues, energy crops, offshore wind) Longer Term (after 2010) includes renewable technologies that show longer term potential under the RD programme. (Fuel cells, photovoltaics, wave) Very Long Term (after 2050) includes renewable technologies which at this stage are only worth pursuing through the basic research. (Tidal barrage, hydrogen, ocean thermal currents) (UK Renewable Eneegy Policy , 2007) The Department of Trade and Industry will divide the budget allocated for the development of renewables according to the priorities table set above, particularly between the short, medium and longer term periods. The renewable technologies which are included in short and medium term will benefit from the market simulation under the Renewable Obligation. 1.3 main aim: The mixture of the issues introduced briefly in the first Chapter leads to the overall aim of investigating the governments role in achieving the targets set and through analyzing the market and the economic forecasts concluding whether these targets are achievable. Following chapter will review the existing literature that has investigated UK Renewable Market and Policies, critically evaluated the UK performance in renewables sector and consist of relevant data in order to set out the specific objectives for this study. United Kingdom has one of the most suitable potential markets for the development of renewable energy sources and could act as a leading example for the rest of the world, but the main question remains whether the UK will adopt the right approach to support the new technologies or is it just an ambitious set of targets based on wrong evaluations? CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Global Perspective Today, the rising issue of climate change can be identified as â€Å"the biggest challenge facing humanity† (International Socialist Group, 2006). The UK Prime Minister has said climate change is â€Å"probably, long-term the single most important issue we face as a global community†. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that â€Å"global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must be reduced at least 70 percent over the next 100 years to stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentrations† Considerable technical change will be needed to maintain growth in economy combined with large CO2 emission reductions at a cost as low as possible (Grubb, 1997), however the timeframe is not clear as many ways lead to certain CO2 stabilization levels which correspond to fixed increasing amounts of CO2 that can be released during the target year. Furthermore, economic arguments were raised favoring deferred emission abatement pathways (Wigley, 1996). There is a possibility that unexpected political objectives may trigger the need of short-term investments in long life capital stock, this leads to high costs due to the early retirement of long life capital stock units. Additionally, there is a high risk of only focusing on short-term emission reduction targets while creating technical change policies in relation to climate change which may result in a framework unable to achieve long-term future targets (Sande ´n, 2005). The increasing concerns of climate change has played one of the key roles in supporting the development of renewable energy sources, which are environmentally friendly and impose low or zero carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. In order to sustain the development of renewables it is essential to meet the stabilization scenario for carbon dioxide reduction and show that they can be competitive in cost with energy from other sources (Houghton, 2004, p.306). Houghton also stated that â€Å"under some circumstances renewable energy sources are already competitive in cost (e.g. local sources of energy), however where there is a direct competition with fossil fuel energy from oil and gas, many renewable energies at present compete only marginally†. Conversely, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas have limited resources and â€Å"at some time between 2010-2020 the worlds supply of oil and gas will fall below the level required to meet international supply† (Oil and gas running out much faster than expected, 2003). As the result the costs of fossil fuels will increase which will unveil the opportunity for renewable energy sources to compete more easily (Houghton, 2004, p.306). A recent report from the UN environment programme said â€Å"investment in renewables such as wind, solar and biomass jumped 43% last year and may be about to increase by much more substantial amounts†. It also predicted that renewable energy sources could supply approximately a quarter of the worlds electricity by 2030. This fast development of renewable energy sources occurred as a result of rising demand for energy, security of energy supplies and the environmental and the dangers associated with the burning of fossil fuels (Sawin, 2004, p.5). The additional drivers for the rapid expansion of renewables incorporate the political support for renewable energy around the world, dramatic cost reductions and significant technology advances (Sawin, 2004, p.5). However, Karl Mallon in his book â€Å"Renewable Energy Policy and Politics: A Handbook for Decision-Making† has set out several challenges which can affect the development of renewable energy sources. Mallon mentioned that renewable projects usually have a long lifetime (20 years or more), but the investment and the main industrial activity occurs at the beginning. Therefore in order for investors to get a return on their investment, the developers on their end will try to make the projects as long as possible and try to establish capacity as early as possible in the scheme to yield the maximum return time (Mallon, 2007). As a result, generation schemes with targets that run less than 20 years will create a market with increasing activity and a massive industry growth for the first few years, and once a capacity meeting the long term target is in place downturn of activity will take place (Mallon, 2007). Mallon also stated that a â€Å"boom-bust† activity cycle is terr ibly inefficient form of industry development; if targets are used they must be dynamic to provide a constant but steady pull on industry. Another challenge which faces the development of renewables is the governments concentration on the economic side, namely where â€Å"the desire for economic certainty overrides the objectives of industry development or climate mitigation† (Mallon, 2007). Furthermore, according to Mallon, effective climate mitigation will require not less than 50-100 years transition to zero-emissions, therefore the schemes with deadlines ending 2010-2015 will make no contribution to solve in the climate change problem. Such schemes only provide economic certainty and tell investors that this is only a short term engagement rather than a long term, ignoring the fact that the prices of renewables and conventional energy change all the time. Finally, Mallon emphasized on the fact that â€Å"it is important to recognize that renewable energy policy consists not just of a driver but rather comprises a complete framework, ignoring or overlooking parts of that framework will undermine the entire vision†. 2.2 UK Perspective The energy policy of the United Kingdom fully supports targets for carbon dioxide emissions and is committed to achieve mandatory 60 percent cut in the UKs carbon emissions by 2050 (Carbon Abatement Technology for Fossil Fuels, 2005). The current interest in renewable energy in the UK reflects the global view in relation to the shortage of the existing energy sources and the necessity of finding alternative energy supplies to meet the future energy demand. The need for securing energy sources as an alternative to the current energy sources, mainly fossil fuels, lies in the uncertainty of such fuels which is diminishing over the years. This is particularly pertinent to the UK as it is estimated that by 2020 the UK could be importing 90% of its gas (which currently produces 41% of energy consumed) (DTI 2006). Additionally, the rising concerns over global warming and climate change also played a major role in ‘shedding the light on renewable energy sources. By 2050, global energy demand could double as populations rise and developing countries expand their economies (World Energy Organization, 2008). The UK Government started to tackle such concerns in 1999 when it introduces its first strategy â€Å"to help deliver a better quality of life through sustainable development† (Tony Blair, The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, March 2005). The Governments 2003 Energy White Paper sets a direction towards achieving low carbon economy, by attempting to resolve the issue on domestic basis first and to influence the major players in the global community to follow the same footsteps. The UK Government has committed itself to cut down greenhouse gas emissions, as mentioned above the government; according to its 2003 Energy White Paper, declared that its mission is to move to a low carbon economy and set out its target that by the year 2050 carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 60 percent in addition to the Kyoto Protocol target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 percent by the year 2012, and the ambitious national goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent below the 1990 levels by the year 2010 (The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, 2005). However, the UKs CO2 emissions rose in the period 2002-04 (levels in 2004 showing a 1.5% increase over 2003) (DTI 2005a). These issues are arising at a time when large numbers of the UKs coal and nuclear-fired power stations are also reaching decommissioning age. This presents the UK with an opportunity to re-structure the fuels in its energy mix. According to the British Wind Energy (BWEA) the UK could face some challenges in meeting the renewable energy target of 20 percent by 2020 if it increases the amount of electricity generated under its Renewable Obligation, but puts on hold â€Å"financial penalties for utilities that help fund the program at 2015 levels† (Challenges Ahead for UK Renewable Energy Program, 2007). The BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery has commented on reform proposal: The RO has been highly successful in bringing forward the cheapest renewables: onshore wind, landfill gas and biomass co-firing. The Governments plan to band the RO could allow more technologies to share in this success, particularly offshore wind but this cannot be at the expense of onshore winds current strong growth. Accommodating the more expensive technologies whilst trying to get to a 20% target in 2020 using the same amount of money as a 15% goal is like trying to extract a quart from a pint pot. It just doesnt add up. E ssentially, said BWEA, â€Å"the government is attempting to get a third more renewable power with a mix that includes significant quantities of technologies that are not economic under the current system for the same amount of money† (Challenges Ahead for UK Renewable Energy Program, 2007). John Loughhead, the Executive Director of the  UK Energy Research Centre  (UKERC)  said: Achieving these targets will be challenging, since the UK currently obtains less that 2% of its energy from renewable sources. It is probable that electricity production will have to bear a disproportionate share and initial estimates from the European Commission and others suggest it may need to produce about 40% of all electricity from renewable sources by 2020 if the overall targets are to be met. Additionally, the recent study â€Å"Renewable electricity generation technologies†, January 2008, issued by Institute of Physics (IOP) has outlined further barriers to the development of renewable energy sources. According to the study, one of the main challenges facing the renewables is â€Å"the liberalisation of the UK energy market, the current price of electricity is so low that it is not economically viable to develop and introduce new generating technologies to the market, unless they can be developed at a low cost and can provide electricity predictably at competitive wholesale prices† (Renewable electricity generation technologies, 2008) 2.3 UK Renewable Policy Targets Karl Mannon regards the renewable energy policy as a framework rather a single driver and emphasized that all the parts forming this framework must operate jointly in order for us to achieve the highest benefit of this policy (Mannon, 2007). As to the influence such policies may have on the market, Mannon added that there are unknown factors in these policies which can affect the size of the market, the prices paid for renewable energy or the duration of the scheme. Some of the factors which control the growth of the market include: the level of support, the duration of support eligibility, the duration of support schemes and the quantity of renewables required under the scheme. (Mannon, 2007, p.37) However, Adrian Smith in his report â€Å"Multi-level governance: Towards an analysis of renewable energy governance in the English regions†, December 2006, has identified challenges for governance in promotion of renewable energy systems. Smith, 2006, has outlined that â€Å"governments policy objective of transforming existing energy systems into ones with greater renewable energy content requires coordinated efforts and changes amongst many different actors, institutions and artifacts. Renewable energy systems are complex, and their construction is far from straightforward. It is consequently difficult to direct them into being exclusively through hierarchical government measures like planning† (Smith, 2006). John Sauven, the Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, in his article â€Å"Its rip-off Britain, even when it comes to climate change†, October 2007, has stated that the targets set by Renewable Obligation which were set for electricity suppliers have all been missed and â€Å"the governments own projections show that the final target of just 15 percent in 2015 will also be missed†. Additionally, Dave Toke, in his academic paper, has concluded that â€Å"RO is relatively inflexible in that it effectively sets a single level of payments for all renewable-energy generators, which is relatively generous for onshore wind power, barely sufficient (even with capital grant supplements) for offshore wind power, and not enough for much else. The target of supplying 10% of UK electricity from renewables by 2010 is not likely to be achieved some 7% is a more likely level† (Toke, 2005). Toke, D., also noted that â€Å"the more ambitious the targets are, the more expensive w ill be the incentives (or penalties) needed to ensure compliance with these targets†. The analysis of renewable energy policy carried out by the Carbon Trust, â€Å"Policy Framework for renewables†, July 2006, states that â€Å"overall, the existing renewable energy policy suffers from inefficiencies, resulting in a unit cost of renewable energy to consumers that is higher than necessary given the current technology cost†, as well as â€Å"given the renewable and carbon reduction targets and the 2015 gap, diversity of investment in renewable energy is needed†. The UK policies are not created to determine what a sustainable energy system i