Exploring the Debate Surrounding The Investment of Solar Energy Develop

As part of the Kyoto Protocol international efforts to combat climate change have seen signatory nations commit to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of mechanisms (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008). The Australian government as part of its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol implemented the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme that would see a minimum 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply being delivered through renewable sources by the year 2020 (Australian Government: Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2012). In developing a renewable energy strategy a range of issues arise concerning the feasibility, reliability and policy in implementing solar as a source of renewable energy. Instead of examining the technical specifications of current solar technology efficiency this essay aims instead to provide a general overview to the current levels of investment by government in the Australian solar industry and explore the debate involved with the implementation of solar power as part of Australia’s energy landscape. Due to the world’s abundant supply of solar energy there is an additional recognition by developed countries that solar has tremendous potential in resolving the global dilemma of increasing energy consumption and climate change. Solar energy has obvious advantages compared to other energies in part to it having minimal environmental and ecological hazards associated with its production (Solangi, Islam, Saidur, Rahim, et al. 2011). Solar energy technologies have shown the highest growth in clean energy finance and investment, increasing 44 per cent to $128 billion in 2011 (The Pew Charitable Trusts 2012, p. 3). Recent price drops in solar module pric... ...direct.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111000220 [Accessed May 19, 2012]. The Pew Charitable Trusts 2012. Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? Report 2011 Edition. Available at: http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedFiles/PEG/Publications/Report/FINAL_forweb_WhoIsWinningTheCleanEnergyRace-REPORT-2012.pdf [Accessed May 19, 2012]. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008. Mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available at: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/mechanisms/items/1673.php [Accessed April 30, 2012]. Wright, J. 2009. The contribution of renewables in Australia’s future energy mix. Australian Academy of Science. Public Lecture Series: Australia’s Renewable Energy Future. Available at: http://science.org.au/events/publiclectures/re/wright.html [Accessed May 20, 2012].

Italian and Northern European Renaissance

Italian and Northern European Renaissance The Italian and Northern Europe Renaissances were both an important mark in history by changing the ideals of life, thought, culture, and art of the people’s of this time. In this paper I will explain the motive for change in these cultures, including the similarities and differences of the two cultures. The Italian and Northern European Renaissance was the marking point for leaving behind the old ways and moving into the more classical ideals and civilizations for Italy and Northern Europe. However, Northern Europe developed their ideals more slowly then Italy did. For one thing, the north held on to Gothic (or â€Å"Middle Ages†) art and architecture with a tighter, longer grip than did Italy† (Esaak, 2010). Both the Greeks and the Romans found they needed to reinvent the classical ideals through their literature and philosophical writings, making art an important factor in their decisions. The Renaissance period for the Italians and the Greeks was more focused on the ideal of an individual person, the importance of classical art, literature, and the laws of the country. The Italian Renaissance played a large role in how individuals viewed and thought about themselves.The idea of a person thinking of themselves of an individual instead of a group became a large focus in philosopher’s writings. Individualism was celebrated and encouraged during this time. Early Italian Renaissance also marked the changes in social, political, and economical changes. The development in political stability was due to the increased contact with other civilizations, and urbanization hit its climax. The arts of the Italian Renaissance reflected the confidence of the people of this time. This confidence is noticeable in paintings by Donatello, and Michelangelo.Even though the paintings still reflected Christian, and secular subjects, the classical ideals were woven into the art work. The architecture during the Ita lian Renaissance was based upon the appearance, theory, details, and measurements of classical world architecture. The classical aspects were used to humanize the Christian and secular buildings. The High Renaissance in Italy, although short lived, was extremely important on the influences of future Italian art. During the High Renaissance the main focus on Florence, for the arts, shifted to Rome due to the power and wealth from the popes.Because of the move from Florence to Rome, the two most important factors of this time, Classicism and Christianity, were merged into one. â€Å"Italian ideas were also brought northward through trade and commerce into Europe, where they had a tremendous amount of influence on the artistic traditions there as well† (Benton & DiYanni, 2008). Both the Italian and Northern European Renaissance had interest in changing their ideals in individualism, humanism, and classicism, which has a large impact on their cultures, and arts.Many of the litera ry works of this time expressed the same interests between Italy and Northern Europe. Examples can be seen in the writings of Petrarch (Italian) and Michel de Montaigne (Northern European). Both of these writers expressed the importance and idealism of humanism. The literature during this time was a wonderful looking glass into the similarities and differences of Italy and Northern Europe. After looking at the Italian and Northern Europe Renaissances, one can see the many similarities between the arts and cultures, but the differences of these cultures are not as easily noticeable.One difference between Italy and Northern Europe was the decline of the Catholic Church in Northern Europe. Europeans began to discover new religious practices, and not follow the normal Catholic traditions. Italy on the other hand, continued to have a strong hold on the traditional Catholic traditions, and practices. Another difference between the two cultures, as mentioned before, was the architecture. I taly moved from the Gothic architecture and decor while Northern Europe held onto the Gothic style for a longer period of time.When comparing the similarities and differences between the Italian and Northern Europe Renaissances, one can see both cultures held many of the same beliefs, motivations, and move for change. Art and culture were both very important for these cultures and helped lead the way for future development of the cultures. References Esaak, S. (2010). The Renaissance in Northern Europe – Art History 101  Basics. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://arthistory. about. com/cs/arthistory10one/a/north_ren. htm Benton & DiYanni, (2008). Arts and Culture, Combined Volume (3rd Edition). Retrieved June 6, 2010, from

Year Round Education Essay - 862 Words

Year Round Education For more than twenty years the educational and economic benefits of year round schooling have been debated in the United States. Experts agree that year round schooling may not be the answer to the problems of all school districts. However in more than 205 districts nation wide, problems have been resolved by year round schooling. First I need to explain that this is different from extending the school year; on a year round schedule, students attend school the same number of days-180-as students on the traditional nine-month calendar. The difference is that year round education (YRE) students have several short vacations rather than one three-month summer break. Most year-round schools operate on a multi-track†¦show more content†¦These countries typically require longer instructional days and more of them than most American schools, where the eight-hour-per-day, 180-day-a-year model is standard (Worsnop,96). This type of schooling may be the answer to the decades-old conce rn that American students are being ill-prepared to compete with their counterparts overseas. By the most objective measure, test scores, year-round education seems to be working. For example, before switching to its new schedule, Socorro schools had some of the lowest test scores in the country. Now Socorro students outscore the state average on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (Blackman,99) For many school administrators, the most persuasive argument in favor of YRE is that it offers a cost-effective way of relieving classroom overcrowding. Instead of renting commercial space, portable classrooms or constructing new schools-- administrators can enlarge the capacity of existing facilities by converting them to year- round operation. Implementing a year-round calendar extends the capacity of a school by 33 percent, according to NAYRE (National Association for Year-Round Education.) The Oxnard Elementary School District is considered the pioneer of year round educational syst ems. Oxnard first reorganized their schedule in 1976. The driving forces behind the updated schedule were the increasing number of students in the buildings and lack of funds. Oxnard has had success with this arrangement. BuildingShow MoreRelatedYear Round Education1308 Words   |  6 Pages Have you ever wondered what the difference between traditional schooling and year-round education is? Maybe you didn’t know that there are more than one type of year-round education. A year-round school schedule can benefit educators, students, and even families. Year-round schooling is where the breaks in school are on a balanced schedule. Instead of having a three month summer break, there would be 60 days off and then the students would be back to school. If on a multi track schedule, teachersRead More Education at a Year-Round School Essay3139 Words   |  13 PagesEducation at a Year-Round School Consider the following situation: A car is driving past the local elementary school on a hot and sunny July afternoon. As the car approached the school the driver notices some unusual things. Students are outside with the teachers for recess, and it looks as if school is in session. The school is on a year-round schedule. The driver is intrigued and decides to do some research. From the research, this person found that students are achieving more academically andRead MoreEssay about Year Round Education839 Words   |  4 Pages01 ­14 ­15   Why  Take  on  Year  Round  Schooling?  Ã‚      â€Å"Pop  quiz,  lets  see  what  you  remember.†Ã‚  Often  people  realize,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shoot!  I  forgot   everything  from  last  year!†Ã‚  Why  go  through  that  I ­have ­no ­idea ­how ­to ­do ­this  kind  of   stress  when  year  round  education  can  fix  that  so  simply.  Even  though  year  round   schooling  is  uncommon,  it  will  make  a  positive  impact  on  society.  In  the  United  States   there  are  only  3,181  year  round  schools  that  exist,  but  the  number  is  still  continuing  to   grow.  Year  round  schooling  promotes  higher  levels  of  excellence  for  students  and  Read MoreYear Round Education : The Time Has Come1424 Words   |  6 PagesGrant Coffey Mrs. Mercer Honors English 1 30 January 2017 Year-Round Education: The Time has Come â€Å"A long summer vacation in which students forget much of what they have learned is far from ideal for learning† (Shields et al.). Many educators are beginning to realize the benefits of year-round schooling. Even though year-round education is not traditional, year-round schooling should be implemented because year-round education increases academic achievement, frequent breaks allow students and teachersRead MoreYear Round Education: A Worthwhile Transformation Essay2174 Words   |  9 Pages- twelfth grade (k-12) education calendar is stuck in the stone ages. Composed in a time when children were relied on to work on their families’ farms during the long months of summer, the traditional school calendar did serve a purpose. However, lifestyles have radically changed from the times of the countries’ early development, and it is only rational to adopt a school schedule fitting for the times. Despite being labeled the land of opportunity, current U.S. education is plagued with mountingRead MoreThe Traditional School Calendar and The Introduction of a Year-Round Education1309 Words   |  6 PagesFor as long as most can remember, schooling has been based on a ten-month calendar. Although it was established for an agricultural society it is still extremely common in today’s urban society. The introduction of year-round education, though it clearly makes more sense for todays students, is still a relatively new concept and therefore is subject to a lot of speculation. With benefits such as, remediation, better chances for high-risk and ESL students, economic benefits, and more structure/stabilityRead More Year – Round Education: Alternative Curriculum or Needed Strategy?1982 Words   |  8 Pagesgreatly increased yearly due to the lack of clear support for teachers and students within the Traditional School Calendar. With the implementation of the Year â₠¬â€œ Round or â€Å"Balanced Calendar†, students have been given the opportunity to close those unnecessary gaps between school years and begin to even out â€Å"in-school† time throughout the year. Many parents and teachers consider this division of time conflicting when dealing with scheduling of community programs or additional summer employment opportunitiesRead MoreEssay about Year Round Education: A New Perspective2525 Words   |  11 PagesYear Round Education: A New Perspective Introduction Over the years we have gained aspect to all the new technologies and advancements that have improved the educational system. Each innovation has helped in some way or another to develop better academic programs in schools around the United States. Recently, a proposal has been made to change the traditional school year of nine-months to a year-round program that has sparked controversy all over. Despite controversy though, there areRead MoreThe Benefits of Year Round Education and Extended School Days2809 Words   |  12 PagesYear round education (YRE) is implemented in 436 U.S. school districts with very few complaints. In fact, school districts that have been participating in YRE and extended school days (ESD) are raving about the benefits in pupils achievement level, their new found enthusiasm in learning, as well as the many programs that exist in the extended day promoting the decline in latch key children. Some schools decided to initiate YRE and ESD because of swelling enrollments and lack of student achievementRead More The Benefits of Year Round Education and Extended School Days2729 Words   |  11 Pages Year round education (YRE) is implemented in 436 U.S. school districts with very few complaints. In fact, school districts that have been participating in YRE and extended school days (ESD) are raving about the benefits in pupils achievement level, their new found enthusiasm in learning, as well as the many programs that exist in the extended day promoting the decline in latch key children. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Some schools decided to initiate YRE and ESD because of swelling enrollments