The Global Village

The Global Village The global village is characterized by widespread use of advanced information and communication technologies .American physiologist, Manuel Castells has termed it ‘network society’ whereby we run our lives using â€Å"computers, network technologies [] telecommunication [tools] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ (152).This has greatly changed our social structures (151).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Global Village specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the global village, government influence and control has weakened in economic, cultural, political and social dimensions unlike in the past. This has been attributed to novel information and communication technologies ( Castells 155). The powers of most government have been decentralized to local and regional levels â€Å"in an effort to regain legitimacy visvis, their citizen† (Castells 155). This shift in power base is claimed to have been brought about by  "mobile and liquid† capital that has been made possible by advanced information and communication technologies (Sassen, n.pag). It is claimed nations are ‘giving up’ their sovereignty in preference to ‘shared’ sovereignty, mainly through international bodies (EU,NATO ,UN Organizations etc), with other states that results in a collective and stronger influence over other nations (Castells 155). Cities: With increased globalization, some cities are increasingly taking a significant role in running of world affairs than national governments. Saskia Sassen, a professor of Urban Planning at Columbia believes that major cities of the world have the potential to create â€Å"economic geography†. She further states that cities are critical due to the fact that they are the hearts of the telecommunication infrastructure, the driving force of globalization and will continue to serve as â€Å"centers for coordination, control and servicing of global capi tal†. Globalization has also brought about great changes in structures of cities and urban centers in areas such as workforce, settlement, size and design (Hall 144). The effects of globalization are much visible in cities. This has made the issue of the future of these cities to come under close scrutiny. Global economy: The economy of the global village is a large network of small economies in which financial markets are major player (Castells 155). This economy is dynamic, rides on information technologies and is â€Å"heavily dependent on knowledge and information† (154).The global economy is a said to be a network of â€Å"firms, segments of firms, segments of governments, segments of public sector and non-governmental organizations† (Castells 154). This type of economy is also characterized by â€Å"flexible work arrangement† (Castells 155.)Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Culture: Global cities are multicultural, owing to among other factors, deregulation and privatization of economies that has attracted foreign workers and traders setting in a wave of immigration all over the world (Sassen, n.pag). Corporate culture is emerging to be dominant over other cultures and identities. Previously localized cultures in western countries are fast spreading (Sassen, n.pag). Major global cities share similar cultures. The global village is increasingly facing challenges in terms of unequal development especially widening income disparity, unemployment ,collapse of small businesses as a result of multinationals ‘international monopoly’ ,shift of attention from manufacturing to financial services among others (Sassen, n.pag).Their causes ,however, remain debatable. Conclusion: With emerging superior information technologies every day, change is inevitable. Such changes may sustain the global villages as we currently kn ow it but it may be in a very different scale and proportion. More research is needed on this topic. Castells, Manuel. â€Å"The Contours of Network Society†. Foresight 2.2. ( 2000). Camford Publishing. Web. Hall, Peter. â€Å"The End of The City?†City7:2(2003).Carfax Publishing. Web. Sassen, Saskia. â€Å"Global City: Strategic Site/New Frontier.† Global Tension Conference. 2001 Web.

Why Car Interiors Get So Hot in Summer

Why Car Interiors Get So Hot in Summer Weve all heard the saying, If you cant take the heat, get out of the kitchen. But during summer, you could insert the word car  into that sentence just as easily. Why is it that your car feels like an oven, no matter if you park in the sun or shade? Blame the greenhouse effect.   A Mini Greenhouse Effect Yes, the same greenhouse effect that traps heat in the atmosphere and keeps our planet at a comfy temperature for us to live is also responsible for baking your car on warm days.  Your cars windshield not only allows you an unobstructed wide view while on the road, it also allows the sunlight an unobstructed pathway inside your cars interior. Just like , the suns shortwave radiation passes through a cars windows. These windows are only warmed a little, but the darker colored objects that the sunrays strike (like the dashboard, steering wheel, and seats) are heated immensely due to their lower albedo. These heated objects, in turn, heat the surrounding air by convection and conduction. According to a 2002 San Jose University study, temperatures in enclosed cars with a basic gray interior rise approximately 19 degrees F in 10 minutes time; 29 degrees in 20 minutes time; 34 degrees in half an hour; 43 degrees in 1 hour; and 50-55 degrees over a period of 2-4 hours.   The following table gives an idea of just how much above the outside air temperature ( °F)  your cars interior can heat up over certain periods of time.   Time Elapsed 70 F 75F 80F 85F 90F 95F 100F 10 minutes 89 94 99 104 109 114 119 20 minutes 99 104 109 114 119 124 129 30 minutes 104 109 114 119 124 129 134 40 minutes 108 113 118 123 128 133 138 60 minutes 111 118 123 128 133 138 143 1 hour 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 As you can see, even on a mild 75 degree day, the inside of  your car would warm to triple digit temperatures in just 20 minutes!  Ã‚   The table also reveals another eye-opening reality: that two-thirds of the temperature spike happens within the first 20 minutes! This is why drivers are urged not to leave children, the elderly, or pets in a parked car for any amount of time no matter how seemingly short because contrary to what youd think, the bulk of the temperature rise happens within those first few minutes.   Why Cracking the Windows is Useless If you think you can avoid the dangers of a hot car by cracking its windows, think again. According to the same San Jose University study, temperatures inside a car with its windows cracked down rise at a rate of 3.1  °F every 5 minutes, compared to 3.4  °F for closed windows. The   just isnt enough to significantly offset the .    Sunshades Offer Some Cooling Sunshades (shades that fit inside the windshield) are actually a better cooling method than cracking windows. They can reduce your cars temperature by as much as 15 degrees. For even more cooling action, spring for the  foil type since these actually reflect the suns heat back through the glass and away from the car. Why Hot Cars are a Hazard A stifling hot car isnt only uncomfortable, its also dangerous to your health. Just like overexposure to high air temperatures can cause heat illness such as heatstroke and hyperthermia, so can   but even faster since because they. this leads to hyperthermia and possibly death. Young children and infants, the elderly, and pets are most susceptible to heat illness because their bodies are less skilled at regulating temperature. (A childs body temperature warms 3 to 5 times faster than an adults.) Resources and links: NWS Heat Vehicle Safety: Children, Pets, and Seniors.   Heatstroke Deaths of Children in Vehicles. noheatstroke.org McLaren, Null, Quinn. Heat Stress from Enclosed Vehicles: Moderate Ambient Temperatures Cause Significant Temperature Rise in Enclosed Vehicles. Pediatrics Vol. 116 No. 1. July 2005.

Law Definitions Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law Definitions Review - Essay Example The essay "Law Definitions Review" presents the review of such definitions as law, policies, guidelines, strategies, and tactics. For example, the law is a rule of conduct established and enforced by the authority, legislation, or custom of a given community, state or nation. And policies govern the way in which public and private resources, eg. land, labor, and capital are used, rather than the kind and quantities of resources used. Policies could be the plans and procedures adopted by the Government for achieving pre-determined objectives for the guidance of decision and actions. This could also be said to be a plan of action adopted by the Government which lays down the parameters of its functioning and the logical reasoning behind pursuing goals, objectives, and plans for the achievement of projects or executive function. Policies differ from laws in the scope of their operationality and adherence. While laws are enforceable mandatorily, policies may be devised and used on a situ ational basis, depending upon the exigencies of the circumstances and the need for enforcing policies. Common examples of policies are Children and family health policies which may, or may not be governed by laws, The policies relating to increasing taxes, taking action for reducing alcohol consumption among young people and rehabilitation of HIV/AIDS victims may all be governed by policy decisions taken by the government. Guidelines are documents produced by the regulatory agencies to accompany the regulations and acts.