Friday, January 31, 2020

Sound Pollution Essay Example for Free

Sound Pollution Essay It focuses not on the cliched environmental problems such as Global warming, but on an issue that is quite exceptional in nature- Noise Pollution. Its name quite clearly outlines its aim and purpose of existence*- ‘Awaaz’ is a Hindi word that means- Voice. Sometimes, in everyday language, it is also used in reference to noise. Voice, noise. Perfect. Its aim is to counter noise pollution. It may sound weird, but noise pollution is one of the most prominent environmental pollutants in India. It is quite exclusive to the metropolitan cities in India-Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Bengaluru etc. Literally: Noise pollution is encountered almost every day in such places, whereas in the rural areas, it occurs periodically- noise pollution peaks during festivals- the beating of drums, trumpets, loud speakers, fire crackers, bombs etc add to the high-decibel noise made by the people during the harvest festivals and other religious festivities. In the cities and other urban sites, we can note that noise pollution is higher than usual during election times- the politicians about a hundred from each political party, which itself count up to seven hundred fifty from all over the nation, use loudspeakers that cross the maximum noise limit approved by the Supreme Court of India. The maximum decibel limit ranges between 125 and 145 db (db- Decibel; unit to measure the noise level) Especially during Diwali- a famous festival of light celebrated all over India by Hindus- involves bursting of firecrackers and bombs. These explosions and lights are mainly incorporated into these festivals to express joy and festivity. However, when a test to check the noise pollution caused by the firecrackers, was performed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Awaaz Foundation before Diwali, it was found that at least 8 crackers crossed the decibel limits by considerable amount. Following many such incidents, the Awaaz Foundation has been quite active in spreading awareness of the ill effects of noise pollution by helping to shape up the government policies on the same. It has also organized two seminars: The first on the pollutant – Loudspeaker on October 2004 and the next concentrates on noise pollution caused by traffic and construction sites- the latter was conducted on February 2006. To talk about the actual effect that Awaaz has managed to create in the lives of the Mumbai citizens a) Several strategies and policies suggested by the Awaaz Foundation were accepted the Government of Mumbai and were implemented such as: Incorporation of noise parameters in the construction sites of the Mumbai- Nhava Trans Harbor Sea Link. Also it has agreed to be a Silence Zone after completion of the construction. Silence zone: region around a noise-producing source in which the noise is not audible. b) Under the foundations influence, a ‘No Horn’ day has also come into practice. c) Noise Barriers have been introduced in the roads of Mumbai. d) Under its efforts, many other places have been declared Silence Zones. e) Monitoring of sound levels, especially during festivals and Political rallies have led to considerable decrease in noise pollution in Mumbai.Other activities undertaken by this foundation to gradually improve the environment of Mumbai are: Banning of Sand Mining in several Beaches, organizing a Workshop that discusses alternative methods on building and construction that do not use sand and participation in the Mumbai Tree Association are also its other initiatives. However these are not that prominent compared to their role in preventing Noise Pollution. Reference http://www.indianexpress.com/news/decible-levels/703669/

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Dulce et Decorum Est An Emotional Appeal :: essays papers

Dulce et Decorum Est An Emotional Appeal War brings with it countless tragedies. Many of these tragedies only a veteran could fully understand. All too often the ugliness of war is glorified, and even worse, glamorized. In the poem Dulce et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen, the glorification of war is sarcastically refuted. Owen’s anger is eminent, as he graphically describes war in terms only a veteran or embattled soldier could comprehend. Dulce et Decorum Est, means â€Å"It is sweet and becoming to die for one’s country†(Arp 566). The title is used satirically, which the speaker defines within the very first phrase in the poem: â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†(565). The speaker continues the description of the once young and healthy boys: â€Å"Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, /Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs†(565), if the war enthusiast was not yet feeling guilty—now would be the time. The emotion that illuminates from these statements is powerful and intense. It is now clear, that one who has lived through war, could not possibly glorify it. The speaker vividly describes the hell soldiers endure while desperately trying to stay alive. Exhausted, injured, and â€Å"Drunk with fatigue†(566), the men go on—terrified, yet brave, the men go on. These men are not just a bunch of nameless men going to battle, the y have names, and families, and beating hearts. The author of Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense, Thomas R. Arp, asks the reader to â€Å"List the elements of the poem that seem no beautiful and therefore ‘unpoetic.’ Are there any elements of beauty in the poem?†(566). Although this is an extremely dark poem, and reveals some very ugly realities, I find it beautiful. It may not be about flowers, and the sun, and the gleaming ocean, but it is beautifully expressed—the way it ought to be. It encourages thinking and feeling, while removing ignorance. The intensity grows as the length of the poem grows. First, the speaker told of the men, and how they trudged towards distant rest (566). Now, further in the poem he singles out a single man. He also mentions himself as he explains â€Å"I saw him drowning†. He is referring to the one man who could not get his gas mask on in time to prevent death. During this passage, I could not help but to visualize the one young man who was left â€Å"flound’ring†, and maintaining dry eyes became near impossible.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Engineering Failure Case Study

Failure Analysis at DMRC On July 12th 2009 a metro bridge that was under construction collapsed due to negligence by an office in-charge of the Badarpur Metro line. The failure of the bridge killed 6 and injured another 15 when the pier cap sheared from the connecting pillars. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation took major heat from this incident because the roadway was a major milestone of providing a reliable and easy mean of transportation to the capitol of India.The DMRC is considered the most reputed infrastructure organization of India and neglecting roadways to the point where they fail is not an option. During that day the pier cap collapsed causing the collapse of the launching girder, span between p-66 and p-67 piers which had already been erected and pre-stressed, and also segments of the superstructure for the span between p-67 and p-68. The pier cap (p-67) sheared from the connecting point of the pier and pier cap.The top reinforcement of the cantilever beam did not have an y development into the pier itself which caused the shear itself. The launching girder has failed due to the failure of the pier cap. This failure also caused the span between piers 67 and 68 causing it to be inclined supported by the ground on one end and the pier cap on the other. With the failure of the pier cap and span between piers the crane used for lifting the launching girder also failed on July 13th 2009.Bending of the crane shows the clear sign of overloading which was caused by not analyzing the amount of stress the crane could handle. The causes of the failure are many and once one portion of the roadway failed it caused a chain reaction to the entire infrastructure collapsing. The pier (p-67) was initially designed as a leg of a portal frame between piers but then was changed to support the pier cap. The same method was used for piers p-66 and p-68.The top reinforcement was poorly engineered; the pier cap had a reinforcement of 36mm diameter and a length of 500mm which was an insufficient bond length for the structure. During the launching operation the launching girder itself developed a crack that was grouted in crack areas and further strengthened by introducing prop or jacketing. During the launching of superstructure 6 segments where lifted and the whole system collapsed when the seventh segment was hooked up for lifting.It was concluded that the failure of the pier cap occurred to the improper jacketing done when a crack had occurred. This was also coupled with inadequate length of support and reinforcement of the cantilever pier cap. The failure of the cranes was the fact that the capacity of 2 cranes where not able to hold the weight of the superstructure which caused the larger 3rd crane to fail. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation sacked the official in charge of the Badarpur Metro line, Vijay Anand for neglecting his duty.Structural designs should have been proof checked by an experienced structural engineer. Also once failure had been ob served the structure should have been abandoned and a new structure should have been built. Make shift reinforcement to save a failed structure was a major neglecting issue and engineering failure. The lack of professionalism that lead to the superstructure failure started with trying to fix the failed pier cap and neglecting the fact that the cranes used to lift the structure where not engineered to hold the amount of weight that needed to be supported.The support reinforcement should have been checked by an experienced engineer that should have easily seen the reinforcement issue between the pier and pier cap. The information for this case study was found from www. engineeringcivil. com/theory/civil. engineering-disaster. com and www. thaindian. com. The entire structural failure was found on these sites including who was a fault and why the structure failed.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Fourteenth Amendment Essay - 764 Words

On a date that will be remembered forever as a step forward for our nation, July 28, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment gave a new sense of hope and inspiration to a once oppressed people. It was conceived to be the foundation for restoring America to its great status and prosperity. The Amendment allowed â€Å"equal protection under the law†, no matter what race, religion, sex, sexual preference or social status. It was designed to protect the newly freed slaves. However, it only helped the white race. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment not knowing how it would affect all the other minorities. Minorities were still treated with disrespect and incivility from the white†¦show more content†¦For the greater part of the nineteenth century, black people were slaves for white men. The Fourteenth Amendment was placed into effect to protect the rights of the black community after emancipation. It stated that, â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States† would be supported under the doctrine. However, this article failed to uphold the rights of the newly freed slaves. The blacks, ridiculed and scorned by the public, were greatly suppressed by the white backlash. The states put into effect laws that would suppress the blacks even further, even though they were protected under the Amendment. The states made stipulations on rights the African Americans were granted, like the right to own land, vote, and even hold certain jobs. Voting was a major controversy for the newly freed slaves, they wanted the chance to be heard through politics. Nevertheless, they were still denied the simple right to vote in many of the states if they could not meet the prerequisites for reading or could not pay a voting tax. They made contracts for them to work for white men, just as if they were slaves and nothing changed. Black people were still waiting for their salvation under this new piece of legislation, but were unable to grasp it through the government. African Americans stood for their newly given rights under the Constitution and were denied by the people who putShow MoreRelatedThe Amendment Of The Fourteenth Amendment1416 Words   |  6 PagesRepublican of Ohio had long been a believer in the idea of equal protection of the laws for all people, and was one of the leaders of the effort to pass the Fourteenth Amendment. While aware of the need to prove the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act with the Fourteenth Amendment, Bingham did not actually believe that the Fourteenth Amendment created any new rights. Rather, he believed that it created a new understanding of rights already in the Constitution. Bingham maintained that, â€Å"The†¦equalRead MoreThe Amendment Of The Fourteenth Amendment1875 Words   |  8 PagesThe Fourteenth Amendment stopped unlawful actions by states. It also gave Congress the power to enforce the amendment through new laws that benefited and were fair to everyone. The Fourteenth Amendment represents part of the extension of the power of the national government over the states. It has been cited in more court cases than any other part of the Constitution. It made it possible for new legislation that has protected the rights of many throughout the United States and has helped uphold equalityRead MoreThe Fourteenth And Fourteenth Amendment1018 Words   |  5 PagesThe Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment Want to learn how everyone is equal? On May 17, 1954 the United States Supreme Court came to a decision that had immediate repercussions on the lives of black and white American citizens. Historic moment experiences have continually characterized these people into distinct racial and social entities. The thirteenth and fourteenth amendment had a positive affect on the problem of racism and segregation.The thirteenth amendment was created to abolishRead MoreThe Amendment Of The Fourteenth Amendment1532 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to the thirteenth amendment, â€Å"neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.† The purpose of the thirteenth amendment was to end slavery or any form of involuntary servitude everywhere among the United States. There was new hope for African Americans throughout the country but unfortunately their freedom had a limit and coincidentallyRead MoreThe Issue Of The Fourteenth Amendment952 Words   |  4 PagesThe Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868 and the amendment was put in place to protect former slaves and their rights in life. The most important part of the amendment reads, â€Å"No state shall ‘deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person†¦ the equal protection of the laws.’† This simple statement has one of the most profound and incredible parts of the United States today. The equal protection of the laws show that there must be equal treatmentRead MoreThe Equal Protection Clause Of The Fourteenth Amendment976 Words   |  4 PagesIt was in this case that the plaintiff, Abigail N. Fisher filed suit against the University of Texas with the claim that the University had violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 13th Amendment. The main question that arose in the q uestion was, â€Å"does the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment permit the consideration of race in undergraduate admissions decisions†. The overall decision of the Supreme Court was that the University of Texas hadn’t violated the Equal Protection ClauseRead MoreThe Equal Protection Clause Of The Fourteenth Amendment3764 Words   |  16 PagesThe equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was at first created to protect against racial discrimination, but the Supreme Court later expanded the clause to also providing equal treatment amongst different races. The clause says, â€Å"No state shall†¦deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws† (U.S. Constitution. Art./Amend. XIV, Sec. 1.) A person could not be discriminated upon solely because of his or her race and if the law treated aRead More The Fourteenth Amendment and Equality Under the Law Essay774 Words   |  4 PagesThe Four teenth Amendment and Equality Under the Law The Fourteenth Amendment was adopted in 1868 as one of the longest amendments to the Constitution with five parts in total. The most significant part is section one. In the very first sentence of section one, ? All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, as citizens of the United States and of the state where in they reside? citizenship was universalized. The Amendment was designed to prohibitRead MoreThe Equal Protection Clause From The Fourteenth Amendment1137 Words   |  5 PagesThe Equal Protection Clause derives from the Fourteenth Amendment, which specifies â€Å"no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As a part of the Reconstruction Amendments, the aforementioned clause was meant to ensure racial equality in the Reconstruction Period and has been applied successfully against the affirmative action. Introduced in United States v. Carolene Products Co., the stri ct scrutiny has been applied to the cases, in which a fundamentalRead MoreThe Importance of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution2912 Words   |  12 PagesThe importance of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is such that some have called it the amendment that â€Å"completed the Constitution.† When it was ratified on July 9th, 1868, the amendment became one of legislative cornerstones of the Reconstruction Era, a time in which the Radical Republicans, led by John A. Bingham and Thaddeus Stevens, promulgated a legislative program focused on providing racial equality before the law. Among the laws passed in the Reconstruction Era