Monday, January 27, 2020

What Is Green Diesel Environmental Sciences Essay

What Is Green Diesel Environmental Sciences Essay Green Diesel, often called renewable diesel or second generation diesel, refers to petrodiesel-like fuels derived from biological sources fuels derived from biological resources (bio-resources) that are chemically not esters and thus distinct from biodiesel. The green diesel is chemically same as petrodiesel but it is made from bio-resources. Bio-resources refers to the living things (plants, animals, and others aspects of nature). It is important to society for the various services they provide, as well as problems they may create. Biological resources are grouped into those that affect agriculture, such as cultivated plants, pollinators, and pests those that are sources of scientific inputs, such as agricultural plant varieties that provide genetic resources and those that provide natural goods and services, such as wildlife, fish, and scenic beauty. Traditional measures of agricultural productivity do not capture all the benefits of preserving biological resources on private lands . Because of this, private landowners may not have adequate incentives to consider the full range of goods and services produced by the biological resources under their control. Since green diesel is produced by bio-resources, thus it is the eco-friendly and sustainable sources of fuel for vehicles. Green diesel blends follow the same nomenclature as biodiesel. Green diesel in its pure form is designated R100 while a blend comprised of 20% green diesel and 80% petrodiesel is called R20. Because green diesel is chemically the same as petrodiesel, it can be mixed with petrodiesel in any proportion but users may need to add an additive to address lubricity issue associated with compounds with no oxygen. The characteristic of green diesel compared with other fuel are shown below: Biodiesel Diesel Oxygen, % 0 11 0 Specific gravity 0.78 0.88 0.84 Sulphur, ppm Heating value, à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C 44 38 43 Cloud point, à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C -20 to 20 -5 to 15 -5 Cetane 70-90 50-65 40 Table 1.1(1) : Characteristics of Green Diesel compared with other fuel. Green diesel can be made from the same feedstock as biodiesel since both are required the tricylglycerol containing material from bio-resources. Figure 1.1(1) : Brief Renewable Fuel Creation Process Pathway However the terms green diesels have been further distinguished based on the processing method to create the fuel. The primary differences between green diesel and biodiesel are the technologies used to make the fuel and the molecules that are ultimately produced. Whereas, biodiesel is made using a chemical reaction called transesterfication. There are three different processes for creating green diesel, hydrotreating, thermal depolymerisztion, and biomass-to-liquid (BTL). Green diesel blends follow the same nomenclature as biodiesel. Green diesel in its pure form is designated R100 while a blend comprised of 20% green diesel and 80% petrodiesel is called R20. Because green diesel is chemically the same as petrodiesel, it can be mixed with petrodiesel in any proportion but users may need to add an additive to address lubricity issue associated with compounds with no oxygen. The differences between green diesel and biodiesel are shown below: Green Diesel Biodiesel Pure hydrocarbon Oxygenated hydrocarbon Production process: Hydrotreating Thermal depolymerisation Biomass-to liquid (BTL) Production process: Tranesterfication Chemically same with petrodiesel Chemically different than petrodiesel. Table 1.1(2): Comparison of Green Diesel and Bio-diesel The hydrotreating process is a process utilized by petroleum refineries today to remove contaminants such as sulphur, nitrogen, condensed ring aromatics, or metals. 1.1.2 Importance of Green Diesel from Malaysia Chemical Industry Point of View Diesel oil has good commercial value as it serve many purposes. It has many functions as below: To move the heavy road vehicles such as buses, lorries and trucks. To move motors and cars For overland shipping To move military vehicles, such as tanks Can be used in the water transportation as an alternative energy sources to move engines such as in the ships, boats and yacht As electricity backup energy sources Power generation Construction and farming equipment Removal of tar from bitumen burns They derived the diesel from crude oil, which is called petrodiesel. With sharply rising use of non-renewable feedstock (crude oil) to derive diesel has a significant impact on the production of biofuels based on the conventional method. A projected future shortage of crude oil coupled with the growing worldwide demand for transportation fuels has raised the interest in the green diesel, which chemically has the same properties as the petrodiesel but with better cetane number, which mean reduce the emission of CO2 and NOx, emission, and thus brings significant improvement on greenhouse effect, global warming and pollutions. Figure 1.1(2): Current and Future Trend of Production for Petroleum For recent studies and development of technologies show that the production of green diesel can be competitive or cost less than petroleum fuels; yield more oil per hectare of land; sequester CO2 from the flue gases emitted from fossil fuel power plants or other resources; able to similar or even outstanding performance than petroleum fuels; improvement of cold flow properties so that it cause least problem to use during winter. The advantages of green diesel compared with others type of diesel can be summarised as below: Green diesel does appear to have many advantages over the other bio-based diesels. Some of these potential advantages are summarized below: The process utilizes existing refining operations thereby eliminating the need for the immense capital investment required in the United States to produce a significant amount of biodiesel capable of truly displacing significant amounts of petroleum diesel. The fuel is produced by refineries with a long track record of safely producing high grade products thereby eliminating the uncertainty of a fuel produced by a large number of independent producers with limited experience in fuels production. The producers can utilize existing transportation and storage capacity (pipelines, tankage, trucks, etc.) thus eliminating the need for establishing a separate system. It should be noted that due to the detergent character of biodiesel, it cannot be transported or stored in existing petroleum facilities. This industry places production of a fuel in the hands of companies with significant experience with the marketing and distribution of fuel products. The process utilizes a high portion of the lipids, such as the glycerin conversion to propane. Currently green diesel appears to have similar processing cost as biodiesel. The resulting fuel appears to have more stable fluid and burn properties at low temperatures Malaysia also has her own biofuel policy. The government has announced the introduction of a National Biofuel Policy on 10 August 2005. The policy is primarily aimed at reducing the countrys fuel import bill, promoting further the demand for palm oil which will be the primary commodity for biofuel production (alongside regular diesel). One of the four strategies in Malaysias National Biofuel Policy is to encourage the use of biofuel among the public, which will involve giving out incentives for oil retail companies to provide biodiesel pumps at stations [6]. From this policy, we can conclude that our country started to pay attention to biofuels. However, with the green diesel stands out to be having more advantages than bio-diesel, the forecast of green diesel in Malaysia would be off the bright one. With all the bio-resources readily available as feedstock in the production of green diesel, definitely green diesel will be one of the most potential alternative energies utilized in the land of Malaysia. 1.1.3 The World Green Diesel Production Plants Green diesel is a new breed of fats-and-oils based renewable diesel is now increasing its presence in the global biofuels market as major players stared up new production facilities this year. Efforts are being made all over the world to replace fossil fuel. We are belatedly realized that non-renewable energy is causing us serious problems and that is the main cause to develop more alternative energy resources. Green diesel can be produced either by hydrotreating process, BTL reaction or thermal depolymerization processes. Its chemical properties are identical to petroleum diesel as compared with bio-diesel. The demand of green diesel is so much interesting but also challenging. In Malaysia, the usage of green diesel is not much significant. But, recently, there is new renewable energy pilot plant being launched by Saham Utama Sdn. Bhd. in Sungai Batu Pahat near Kangar, Perlis. The diesel is made from solid waste plastic. This can reduce the amount of plastic wastes, thereby helping to combat the effect of global warming. They have claimed that the added features would be installed to transform plastic bottles into diesel fuel. The goal is to convert any domestic waste including organic waste and liquid into commercial fuels. The engineering method used could be thermal depolymerization which similar to cracking of crude oil. In Asia, the most nearest country which recently alert about these efforts is Singapore. In November 2010, Finland-based Neste Oil started the world largest renewable diesel plant in Singapore, with a total capacity of 725 760 tonnes per year. The diesel produced is known as NExBTL, a premium-quality product with complex production technology and also more expensive than bio-diesel. It is produced by hydrotreating of the feedstock. The byproducts of the process are bio-gasoline, biogas and water. The feedstock being used is palm oil. However, Neste Oils NExBTL can also use rapeseed oil and waste animal fat from food industry. This make the technology becomes more flexible due to availability of feedstocks in the future. Neste Oil also has an intensive research on new materials for future needs. In Europe, the renewable diesel is experiencing oversupply and Neste Oil exacerbate their plant at Rotterdam in 2011. The renewable plants also could be exacerbated rising fats and oil prices because of the feedstock demand including in US. Researchers claimed that the global renewable diesel capacity totals about 665 million gallon per year today and this will grow up to 2.5 billion gallon per year in 2015, a 33% annual growth. Below is the summary list of companies that produce green diesel (worldwide): Technology Feedstock Product Commercial Entity Commercial Status Outstanding Commercial Issues Hydrotreating Animal fats or vegetable oils co-processed with petroleum diesel Hydrocarbon mixture- meets ASTM D975 Conoco Philips/ Tyson Ireland refinery producing since Dec. 2006. US announced production of 175 million gals/year expected by 2009 EPA registration Toxicity and biodegradability Hydrocarbon mixture- meets national fuel quality standards in Australia BP Australian refinery producing 5% renewable blend Animal fats/ vegetable oils Hydrocarbon mixture- meets ASTM D975 Neste oil First plant in Finland with capacity of 58 million gals/year The largest plant available in Singapore with production of 0.8 million tons/year Also located in US and Netherlands EPA registration Toxicity and biodegradability Marketplace use Hydrocarbon mixture Petrobras (Brazil, H-Bio Technology) Begin at several refineries since end of 2007 Animal fats Hydrocarbon mixture Dynamic fuels (Syntroleum/Tyson) Commercial pilot started I n 2008 Production start in 2010 Standard development EPA registration Economics Life-cycle analysis Toxicity and biodegradability Vegetable oils UOP Technology Plant constructed in 2009 Production of 95 million gals/year Biomass-to-Liquid (BTL) via gasification or Fischer-Trophs Biomass Hydrocarbon mixture JV with Choren/ Daimler-Chrysler/VW Pilot plant opened in 2007 Production 0f 4.7 million gals/year Standard development EPA registration Economics Life-cycle analysis Toxicity and biodegradability Neste Oil/ Stora Enso Pre-commercialization Syntroleum Pyrolysis-Rapid Thermal Processing Biomass, municipal and industrial waste Hydrocarbon mixture In research stage In research stage Standard development EPA registration Economics Life-cycle analysis Toxicity and biodegradability Slaughterhouse waste (animal waste), carbon containing waste Hydrocarbon mixture- meets ASTM D396, can be refined to ASTM D975 Changing World Technologies Commercial pilot plant in Missouri Production of 250 000 gals/moles of slaughterhouse waste Marketplace use Table 1.1(3): Summary list of companies in worldwide that produce green diesel 1.1.4 Emerging Energy Demands for next 10 years Malaysia is currently in the midst of rapid development. One significant sign of rapid development is the increasing trending of energy demands in the future. Not only in Malaysia, the global energy landscape is changing tremendously, but most of it is showing an upward trend. Global energy demands will be about 30 percent higher in 2040 compared to 2010, as economic output more than doubles and prosperity expands across a world whose population will grow by more than 25 percent, reaching to nearly 9 billion people. [1] Global demand for the least carbon-intensive fuels natural gas, nuclear and renewables will rise at a faster-than-average rate. C:UsersDellDesktopDesignfuture trendCapture8.PNG Figure 1.1(3): Global energy demand increases by one-third from 2010 to 2035, with China and India accounting for 50 percent of the growth in the New Policies Scenario [2] In the above graph, the main growth of energy demands more significant in China and Asia due to the increasing population and fast-paced development of the countries. Malaysia falls under the category of Other developing Asia. Similarly it also shows an incline trend due to the rapid development of industrial and economic activities in Malaysia. In order to cope with the high rising of energy, various energy policies and plan were carried out by the government. Go Green is one of the most popular concept practice in the world wide, and the term renewable and sustainable is now related to oil and gas by having renewable diesel (green diesel). Many countries in the world often started on the production of green diesel using various types of technologies such as hydro-treating or thermal depolymerisation. C:UsersDellDesktopCapture.PNG Figure 1.1(4): United State production of petroleum and other liquids by source, 2010-2035 (millions barrels per day) [3] By referring to the graph above, the total production of petroleum and other liquids grows rapidly, from 9.7 million barrels per day in 2010 to 12.1 million barrels per day in 2020. Focusing on renewable sources, prediction shows that the biofuel productions grows by 0.8 million barrels per day from 2010 to 2035 as a result of the EISA2007 RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard Program), with ethanol and biodiesel accounting for 0.7 and 0.1 billion barrels per day, respectively, of the increase in the Reference case. [3] In addition, incline trending of next-generation xTL production (including both biomass-to-liquids and CTL) contributes greatly to the growth in total production of petroleum and other liquids in U.S., especially significant after the year 2020. The significant growth of BTL reflects a good potential in the future market, and yet it is a convincing and promising source of renewable diesel. Not only on the growing capacity of green diesel production giving hopes to mankind, the continuous researches done by scientists also bring upon the increasing quality of green diesel. Before that, economic crisis and technological hurdles delay the start of numerous researches and projects on advanced biofuels, especially on cellulosic biofuel projects. However in the futures, it is expected that, EPA (Environment Protection Agency) will year-to-year evaluate the status of biofuel capacity and also revise on the production mandates for the following year. By the continuous efforts from researchers, it is foresee that BTL will reach the EISA2007 Renewable Fuel Standard after 2030. This providing a better quality or standard of green diesel produced. C:UsersDellDesktopCapture2.PNG Figure 1.1(5): EISA2007 Renewable Fuel Standard credits earned in selected years, 2010-2035 (billion credits) [3] However in Malaysia, a sad scenario is that the production of green diesel still in an infant stage. Researches and developments in experimental scales had been carried out so far, but still the production in large industrial scale is still underdeveloped. By taking reference of the forecast on oil and gas field in U.S., rough estimation on the future hope of green diesel production in Malaysia for the next 10 years can be done. The potential of green diesel in the future 10 years of view in Malaysia is consider as a bright one, and to be believed that it will slowly increasing in demands over the next 10 years. Green diesel production in Malaysia is what we are looking for in the future. Scientists and fuel specialists optimistically believe that green or renewable diesel will be one of the future trends in oil and gas production, not only in Malaysia but also in the nationwide. 1.2 PROCESS ALTERNATIVE Green diesel is being highly looked up to as one of the great hope, with its similar chemical properties similar to diesel. New ways and technologies for improvement in green diesel production are improved as time go by. Of these, three processes of green diesel production will be suggested and discussed from different aspects. 1.2.1 Production of green diesel via biomass to liquid technology and Fisher-Tropsch Process One of the alternative processes is to produce green diesel is by using Fischer-Tropsch process. It is basically a patent to produce liquid hydrocarbons from mixture of syngas, carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen using metal and cobalt catalysts. The liquid hydrocarbon mentioned here is referred to the paraffin. Normally right before the Fischer-Tropsch process is a series of gasification process of feedstock, to convert the biomass into the biogas that can be utilized to become liquid hydrocarbons, the green diesel. Let us take a look at the gasification of biomass to syngas. The biomass may undergo low temperature gasification (800 1000  °C) to produce product gas which later on converted to bio-syngas through reforming and tar cracking steps. On the other hand, the product gas (CO, H2, CH4, CxHy) may be used to generate electricity. When the organic material inside the biomass burned, it may undergo complete combustion to produce carbon dioxide and water, or it may undergo partial combustion to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. What we need for the feeds of the Fischer-Tropsch process is the carbon monoxide and hydrogen and it can be achieved by control the amount of oxygen during combustion process (gasification). Several reactions are used to control the H2/CO ratio. Most important one is water gas shift reactions, in which the water is reacted with carbon monoxide to produce sources of hydrogen that needed in the Fischer-Tropsch process. The chemical reaction of the Fischer-Tropsch process i s shown as below: http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/primary_documents/presentations/acs2001_chicago/slide03.gif Figure 1.2(1): Fischer-Tropsch Process [1] For the Fischer-Tropsch Reaction, it is normally operated with temperature range of 150 300 °C. Higher temperature will have high rate of conversion but also lead to the production of methane. Thus, the temperature is always maintained at low to middle temperature in order to remain yield of the green diesel. On the other hand, the pressure of the process is ranging from one to several tens atmospheric pressure. Higher pressure will help the reaction faster but also required more costs of operations such as high pressure equipment. We also need to know that too high pressure also can cause the metal or cobalt catalysts that used in the reaction to deactivate due to coke formation. A variety of catalysts can be used for the process such as iron, ruthenium and cobalt, depending on the aims of the operations. Figure 1.2(2): A simple concept on Fischer-Tropsch Reaction Green Chemistry and Sustainability In term of green chemistry, the use of renewable feedstock such as biomass is a sustainable way to overcome the depletion of crude oil. Biomass can be easily obtained from animal fats, agricultural wastes, soybean, woods, etc. The green diesel produced is ultralow sulfur content and the properties of the green diesel produced is very chemically similar with petrodiesel but better than it. The emission of the hazardous pollutant such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide is also 60-70% lesser. Besides that, the product off-gas produced from the process can be used in two ways; 1) addition recovery process to recover the chemicals from the byproducts and export them to other company, or 2) generate electricity which is sufficient to supply for some operations in within the plants. Environmental Impact Fischer-Tropsch process basically produces ultra clean green diesel which help in reduce the environmental issue such as global warming, greenhouse effect by reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide. It seems to be a great potential of alternatives to the non-renewable energy resources, the crude oil. The side products here are actually light products and also heavy products like waxes which also have high market demand and can be exported out along with the green diesel. Flexibility of Operation The production line is actually not only produce green diesel but also heavy products like waxes and also gasoline. By adjusting the operation condition, we may adjust the need to favor the production of desired products There are two favored reactor types which can be chosen depends on the operator; Multitubular fixed bed reactor with internal cooling and also slurry bubble column reactor with internal cooling tubes. The process not only limited to the oil as feedstock but also may use the renewable feedstock such as biomass and animal fats. Energy Consumption The energy consumption of this technology is mostly depends on the gasification process whereby it consumed 60-70% of the energy of the whole plant. For high temperature mode (HTFT), the operating temperature is between 300 and 350 °C while operating pressure can be ranging from one to several tens of atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, for low temperature mode (LTFT), the operating temperature is between 200 and 240  °C with operating pressure of 1 to 10atm. Advantages No nitrogenous, sulfur compounds formed during the reaction High cetane number can be obtained (75 90% higher than that required for petrochemical derived diesel fuel) Carbon neutral process Products off-gas can be used to generate electricity which enough for the operation of the plant. Disadvantages FT process is very complex in its reaction mechanism and several studies need to be carry out to maximize the productivity of green diesel from the process Large number of species involved in the reaction and extra care is needed in the plant design The present catalyst is not good enough to maximize the yield of the green diesel Extra process needed to convert the waxes formed from the FT process into green diesel (which mean extra cost!) The cost of green diesel produced from the process may be more expensive than the diesel produced from the crude oil Table 1.2 (1): Key Components of Fischer-Tropsch Reaction 1.2.2 Production of green diesel via Thermal Depolymerisation Process Thermal depolymerisation (TDP) is an industrial process that able to break down and convert various type of biomass or other carbon-containing material into a bio-oil product that is then refined into a petrodiesel-like fuel. Thermal depolymerisation involves a depolymerisation process using hydrous pyrolysis for the reduction of complex organic materials (usually waste products of various sorts, often biomass and plastic) into light crude oil. The process is found to be similar to the natural geological processes thought to be involved in the production of fossil fuels. Long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon decompose into short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons with a maximum length of around 18 carbons under the application of heat and pressure. [1] The list of TDP suitable feedstocks are extensive and flexible, including waste plastic, tires, wood pulp, medical waste, and rather unsavoury byproducts such as turkey offal and sewerage sludge. Changing World Technologies (CWT) are currently utilizing this method to process slaughterhouse waste and other carbon containing solid waste to create a fuel that can meet the standards of both ASTM D396 and ASTM D975. [2] c:usersdelldesktopdesigntdtcp.gif Figure 1.2(3): Thermal depolymerisation process to produce renewable diesel. In the method used by CWT, the water improves the heating process and contributes hydrogen to the reactions. The feedstock material is first break down into small chunks, and mixed with water (if it is dry). Then it is fed into a pressure vessel reaction chamber, heated to around 250  °C at constant volume (similar principal to a pressure cooker). Steam naturally raises the pressure to 4 MPa (near the point of saturated water) and is held for approximately 15 minutes to heat the mixture completely. After this, the pressure is rapidly released to flash off most of the water content in the feedstock, resulting a mixture of crude hydrocarbons and solid minerals. The minerals are later removed, and the hydrocarbons are channel to a second-stage reactor to heat up to 500  °C in order to further breaking down the longer hydrocarbon chains. The hydrocarbons are then sorted by fractional distillation, in a process similar to conventional oil refining. CWT claims that 15 to 20% of feedstock energy is used to provide energy for the plant. The remaining energy is available in the converted product. Working with turkey offal as the feedstock, the process proved to have yield efficiencies of approximately 85%; in other words, the energy contained in the end products of the process is 85% of the energy contained in the inputs to the process (most notably the energy content of the feedstock, but also including electricity for pumps and natural gas or woodgas for heating). The process breaks down almost all materials that are fed into it. TDP even efficiently breaks down many types of hazardous materials, such as poisons and difficult-to-destroy biological agents such as prions. The light hydrocarbons that are produced by TDP can be used fuel sources, filters and fertilizers. It can be used a s a substitute for coal and also in quelling the alarming rise of carbon dioxide concentration in the air. CO2 is one of the chief greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming. Green Chemistry and Sustainability The best part of using thermal depolymerisation (TDP) is that, it can break down substances such as plastic which takes long time to decompose. By using TDP, renewable diesel can be produce from plastic, not only save up waste to be buried, but also getting useful green diesel out of unwanted waste. Methane in the feedstock is recovered and burned to heat the water, or burned in a combined heat and power plant to sell back electricity to the power grid Environmental Impact Emission of foul odors and unpleasant smell to the surrounding area of operating factory, causing nausea and uncomfortable feeling to resident nearby Flexibility of Operation Extensive and flexible choice of feedstocks (waste plastic, tires, wood pulp, medical waste, and unsavory byproducts such as turkey offal and sewerage sludge) Energy Consumption Require high energy consumption. High energy input requirements to produce green diesel made it not favorable among industry. Safety Factor and Waste Management Methane gas produce can be treated by burning to heat up water to produce electricity. The process not only cleans up wastes but also generate new sources of energy. Advantages Able to break down strong chemical bonds of organic poison, making huge benefits to ecosystem balance. Safely deal on heavy metals by converting them into stable oxides of their original ionized forms. Recycling the energy content of organic products while retaining the water content. (avoid drying while producing liquid fuel that separates from water in thermal depolymerisation, energy saving). The vast bulk of waste content can be utilized to produce green diesel. Not only make good use of all the non-bio-degradable waste but also help in producing useful oil. [3] The light hydrocarbons produced can be used fuel sources, filters and fertilizers. Disadvantages Only long molecular chains compound can be broken into shorter ones, so small molecules such as carbon dioxide or methane cannot be converted to oil If taking biomass as the feedstock, most of the biomass is already being used as animal feed or fertilizers and so are not really available in plenty for TDP High processing costs, low yield, impurity of yield, high energy input requirements making the process not feasible and viable for large scale production. Table 1.2(2): Key Components of Thermal Depolymerisation Reaction 1.2.3 Production of green diesel via Hydrotreating Process Production of renewable energy is expanding at rapid pace worldwide. This phenomenon gives increasing petroleum prices, government regulation and commitment in reducing greenhouse gases. In future, renewable dependent could be increasing as a new technology in producing high quality of renewable energy was invented. These new renewable diesel should be compatible to substitute conventional diesel for transportation. One of the available production processes of green diesel is hydrotreating

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Dry White Season Summary Essay

Summary – â€Å"Dry White Season† Adam Simon – CGW 4U1 Dry White Season was what I felt to be an exemplary interpretation of how native South Africans truly condemned the immoral Apartheid political system of the mid 1900’s. Though the film was quite graphic, explicit nature seemed necessary to prove how racial brutality towards the black community really did exist. I enjoyed the whole idea of a narrow-minded white man making the transition from a life of socially superior racial prejudice to become a devoted supporter of black rights. I found this really helped create a strong liberal message to aid viewers in understanding the sick intolerance of the majority of white South Africans at that time. Racial separation was clearly evident to me while watching this video, as I noticed blacks being forced into their own â€Å"homelands† which retained a much more compact living than the whites, as well as Afrikaans being sub-divided into smaller ethnic groups to make whites appear to be the largest authority in South Africa. Blacks outnumbered whites 6 : 1) I think A Dry White season illustrated very well how the whites compromised such a small portion of the country, yet ultimately dominated the South African government, recourses, and economy. I really liked the use of indirect symbols to cleverly make points throughout the movie. For example, the white boy and the black boy happily playing together in the beginning was a interesting way to foresee an ideal future for South Africa that was obviously non-existent at that time. Also, Susanne slipping on her sunglasses was a clever way to show how whenever she was given opportunity to contradict the Apartheid, she simply ignored it. This represented her blindness from the truth well, and how she was ultimately hiding from the light of reality. The film became somewhat predictable as we were given more and more insight into each character though. All main characters seemed to follow the generic arrangement that is seen in various other stories that result in a strictly complete and final moral. Benjamin is the hero; the incoherent individual that learns an unpleasant lesson due to one event that changed the course of all events prior, (Gordon’s death) Captain Stoltz was the villain; the sadistic, power hungry oppressor with manipulative ways that ended up determining his fate, Johan represented the loyal and resourceful character that led the viewer to believe there was a shed of hope throughout any struggle, and Stanley was the character I’ve seen way too often, the random bystander that provides the cathartic release by ultimately giving the villain what he deserved. Despite some predictable qualities, the characters were still interesting. I thought Donald Sutherland played the part of Benjamin superbly. His air of seriousness and integrity really keep me interested in his character. Sure, he was naive before the death of Gordon, and it was â€Å"best to just let it go† at first, but he grew from being pessimistic and cynical, to an entirely optimistic, likeable person to me the end by going neck deep into the mystery of Gordon‘s disappearance. My favourite character of all though, was no doubt Mr. McKenzie. Though he only was vaguely present, he absolutely dominated the screen during the courtroom trial. I found his use of sarcastic remarks in the courtroom hilarious, yet so fittingly applicable to his realist character. He clearly is a trail blazer in the sense that he is a white man fighting for black rights, yet he does so anyways, just to wittingly prove his point so well. This film helped me see how cynical the South African government really was. Their response to any criticism was basically that they had their own right to pursue its own domestic policy as it sees fit. I though it was interesting how South Africa was also quick to point out how blacks in South Africa had the highest standard of living amongst all blacks in Africa. It’s ironic that they do not admit that this is still an absolute garbage living standard, and blacks here were still innocently imprisoned and couldn’t even educate themselves in English to gain better chances at surviving in the workforce. Countries like Canada could do a number of things to show their unacceptance of Apartheid policies. First, they could employ trade sanctions against South Africa and refuse to remove these sanctions until all Apartheid policies were destroyed. Also, they could remove South Africa from major events such as the Olympics (recently in Vancouver, Canada) and furthermore decline their entry until these policies are abolished. Canadian business people, activists and clergy also played parts in bringing about all-race elections in 1994, and a surprisingly peaceful end to apartheid. I think Canada is also involved in major discussion at UN and related meetings, which allows them to converse with other countries along with adding innovating suggestions of their own, to help diminish racist policies altogether. As a whole, after seeing this movie for the second or third time now, I can honestly say I have a sincere appreciation for what black South Americans went though in the apartheid times, and that I entirely oppress any association with these obscene policies.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Learning Analysis

I wanted to apply for a job maintaining databases; however, the company I was applying for used a different program which I needed to learn before being considered for the application. Although I had no assurance of being hired, I bought the program and the book and resolved to learn the program on my own. Whether I get the job or not, I have learned something new to add to my rà ©sumà ©. In my Human Resources Management class, we were taught that the best way to gather information about the prospective applicant is to look at their rà ©sumà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s and that it is often the most used preselection tool. A rà ©sumà © that is complete and presents current information about one’s qualifications and skills will get the most points during selection (Newell & Scarborough, 2002). Moreover, it is also important that when a skill or expertise is listed on a rà ©sumà © it is actually verifiable and that one could demonstrate it if needed.This meant that if I really wanted that job, I should be able to master this program or be able to work with it before I submit that application letter. I approached the task with a sense of urgency since the deadline for the application was in a week. I recalled that in the recruitment process, it is important to have a time frame of the recruitment activities as sometimes the need for an applicant to the position is immediate (Newell & Scarborough, 2002), since the time frame for the application process was in a week, I figured the company must really be in a hurry to fill the job vacancy.A vacancy in the company can be brought about by external turnovers, where the employee voluntarily leave the company, or an internal turnover, where the employee is promoted to a higher position (Mathis & Jackson, 2006). Database administrators usually work alone and it is a very specific job that its job description is basically about how to enter and update information in the company’s database and based on this, I deduced t he former employee of the company I was setting my eyes on resigned. Voluntary resignations often occur because of the need for better paying jobs, job dissatisfaction, disagreement with the management and a whole lot more. However, it would be too much of me to think so far ahead about the reasons why the former database administrator left; it’s the case of counting the rotten eggs even before finding the hen.I was in the middle of my thoughts when I realized that I was not yet working on the program. So I proceeded to install the program on my computer and scanned the guidebook to familiarize myself with the icons and the layout of the interface. Setting up the program on my computer was easy; I followed the instructions carefully and installed the software tutor to help me. Then, I had the book of instructions and proceeded to punch out some commands and clicked on the icons on the screen in front of me. Then after 10 minutes, I realized I was not learning anything!I could not make heads or tails about what the program was about really, and it was like a tangle of senseless letters and numbers. Besides, my head was spinning from straining my eyes at the monitor and then looking at the guide book and asking help from the program tutor. In this predicament, I found myself looking back at the human resource management theories that I took up this semester at the university. HR concepts and theories are actually valuable instruments that would help organizations become productive (Ulrich& Brockbank, 2005)I remembered that motivating people to learn something new or to have them attend skills training is one of the most difficult tasks that an HR manager have to face. Research had found that employees willingly attend trainings and workshops since it would free them from their daily work routines, however, whether they learn anything from it or not has not been established (Kraiger & Ford, 2006). Although, researchers agree that an employee who have posit ive attitudes towards the training program would likely benefit more from the training while a negative attitude towards the training sessions would mean that the possibility of learning has already been blocked. Designing an effective training program should be based on motivation theories and adult learning.Motivation theories indicate that in order for the individual to accomplish a task, the goal itself should be one that the individual values (Mathis & Jackson, 2006). This would mean that the training should be one that is related to the work tasks of the employee and that it could be perceived as an opportunity for growth and development. Training activities should also be designed to provide opportunities for the participants to succeed and feel that they are competent, thus, if the skills training is about making performance evaluation instruments then the participants could be asked to make their own instrument and input can be given in how to make performance evaluations w hich would either validate the participants skills or teach them new ones.The needs theory of motivation also says that trainings should answer a need; this means that the employee will perceive the training as personally important to him/her if it satisfies a need. The need for growth, for achievement, for competence and for affiliation is answered by training programs. When an employee is required to attend a training workshop, it tells him that the company wants him to become better at his job, that they care about his personal quest for professional growth, and that the company is looking after their employees (Pfeffer &  Veiga, 1999). Aside from motivation, a key factor in effective training programs is adult learning theories.The effectiveness of trainings and workshops is measured by the amount of skills transferred from the training to the actual job (Kraiger & Aguinis, 2001). However, literature says that training effectiveness in terms of learning transfer has not been a dequately studied due to the difficulty of monitoring learning in the workplace. Adult learning theories suggests that adults learn experientially, that is by doing and applying what is being taught (Nkomo, Fottler & McAfee, 2005). Thus, if the skills being taught are customer service courtesy, it would be more effective if the skill is taught using role playing techniques and applying it to real life situations than if it was just taught using lectures.Moreover, learning happens in a continuum, one being effective learning and remembering and the other is end is forgetting and decay. Thus, trainings should be given periodically, it should not be a one-shot deal where you would expect that everything is learned and that it should not be repeated (Salas,  Cannon ­Bowers,  Rhodenizer  &  Bowers, 1999), however it makes no sense to train employees on something that they do not need or one that is not relevant to their jobs. After, this musings and theoretical exercise, I went back to my database program and begun learning it in a different approach.First off, I delegated a time for my learning schedule that is on the same time everyday, then I chose between the guide book or the tutor to help me since using both would be confusing and exhausting. From what I learned on adult learning, the training session should be interactive, one that I can work on and see concrete results or outputs, so settled for the tutor and ditched the guidebook. Second, on my first session, I read the introductory part of the program and had the tutorial run to give an overview of the program, because the HR texts said one must first understand what the training is for and where it could be used to make the person’s job easier or more meaningful.The tutorial was interactive so I got to associate the different commands with its specific functions and I remembered it easily because I could visualize the icon, no wonder programs have icons, it makes the manipulation of the program simpler. After several tutorials I then proceeded to work on the program on my own, I printed the sample exercises and then proceeded to work on the database using the exercises and if I could not make sense of it, I then asked the tutor for help.The best thing about the activities was that it worked on an actual data, although it was fictitious, I had something to work with and could treat them as real. What was gratifying was that every time I was able to complete an exercise and produce the output exactly as it was presented in the training program, I felt I accomplished something and I was sure that I was really learning. At present, I am still on the third chapter but it has been a good run, and that job application seems to be on the positive side since many of those who applied are also not familiar with the program.ReferencesKraiger, K. & Ford, J. K. (2006). The expanding role of workplace training: Themes and trendsinfluencing training research and practice.   In L. L. Koppes (Ed.), Historical perspectives in industrial and organizational psychology.   Mahwah, NJ:   Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Kraiger, K. & Aguinis, H. (2001). Training effectiveness: Assessing training needs, motivation,and accomplishments.   In M. London (Ed.), How people evaluate others in organizations:   Person perception and interpersonal judgment in I/O psychology.Mathis, R. & Jackson, J. (2006). Human resource management 11th   ed. Boston:Thomson/Southwestern.Newell, H. & Scarborough, H. (2002). HRM in Context – A Case Study Approach. London:Palgrave.Nkomo, S.,   Fottler, M. & McAfee, R. (2005). Applications in human resource management:Cases, Exercises, and Skill Builders 5th   ed. Boston: Thomson/Southwestern.Pfeffer,  J.,  &  Veiga,  J.F.  Ã‚  (1999).  Ã‚  Putting  people   first  for  organizational  success.   Academy  ofManagement  Executive,  13,  37 ­48.Salas,  E.,  Cannon ­Bowers,  J.,  Rhodeniz er,  L.,  &  Bowers,  C.  (1999).  Training  inorganizations:  Myths,  misconceptions,  and  mistaken  assumptions.  Research  in  Personneland  Human  Resources  Management,  17, 123 ­161.Ulrich, D.& Brockbank, W. (2005). The HR Value Proposition. Boston: Harvard BusinessSchool Press.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Prayer Of The Holy Spirit - 973 Words

When it comes to anything that has to do with my relationship with God and my love, worship, and praise for Him, I always take my direction from the Word which has all authority in my life and the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Some refer to this as â€Å"Experiential Worship.† Experiential worship in not just another ministry trend, not just another clever skill: it is nothing less than discovering again the â€Å"biblical worship,† worship according to the Greatest Commandment of Jesus (Rognlien, 2005). In my studies I have discovered the importance of â€Å"Praise and Worship† and it being a responsibility of every believer to make it a priority in their lives. Worship has priority in scripture. Take for instance what it says in the book of Revelation 14:7 â€Å"Fear God,† he shouted. â€Å"Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water (New Living Translation, 2008).† The supreme duty of all of God’s creature, including man, for time and eternity, is to worship the creator. Jesus stated all creatures are responsible to worship. Worship is the first and greatest commandment in the New Covenant and the first commandment of the Law under the Old covenant. So it really must be a major priority for God and us alike. So what does worship look like? Worship is an attitude of the heart. An attitude that is expressed in adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. Worship is a love responseShow MoreRelatedBible Notes665 Words   |  3 Pagesway, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for Gods people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27) 1. Grasp the text in their town. Pauls epistle to Romans encourages his audience to pray incessantly. His focus in this passage is on Gods ability to lift up the suffering via prayer. To aRead MoreThe Gospel Is Not Easy !1748 Words   |  7 Pagesof all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age† God commands us Christians to go out into the world and share the gospel to all nations. Sharing the gospel is not easy! Luckily God has sent us help. John 16:13 says, â€Å"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own butRead MoreThe Prayer Of A Catholic Mass1393 Words   |  6 Pagespeople singing into a microphone. Holy water that gives after attending the service as someone I knew that grew up Catholic. After further researching found out it would be similar to the blood of Jesus t hat washed away our sins. The priest provides the blessing over the water which brings in freshness of being renew in the Spirit. To come in and fellowship with the Holy Spirit and provide peace through the time of worship. In Catholic there were two prayer giving that I have heard before andRead MoreRhetorical Analysis : Greeting And Jesus s Departing Speech Essay1232 Words   |  5 Pagesto remind them, in a speech, of the promise of the Holy Spirit. ï‚ ¼ Title: Greeting and Jesus’s Departing Speech ï‚ ¼ Luke’s Acts is a continuation of the Lukan Gospel that he also wrote to Theophilus. In the Gospel, Jesus enters the scene, whereas, in Acts, Jesus is leaving. Luke desires to assure Theophilus, although He is ascending to heaven, He is leaving His Holy Spirit. Title: A Continuation of Luke’s Gospel and Jesus is Leaving, but His Spirit Remainsï‚ ¼ Luke, the writer of both the Lukan GospelRead MoreEssay on Confirmation in the Catholic Church1646 Words   |  7 Pagesonly a few moments before Confirmation (as in many Eastern rites and in our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), whether the Baptism was celebrated six years before (as in those dioceses where Confirmation is celebrated before first holy Communion), 14 years before Confirmation, or even 50 years before Confirmation. Confirmation complements the symbols of Baptism. The historical origins of the symbols of Confirmation are many and diverse. One source of the rituals forRead MoreBaptized By The Holy Spirit, Do We All Speak919 Words   |  4 PagesBaptized by the Holy Spirit, Do We All Speak in Tongues? One of the catechism we have today as followers of Christ is, do we all speak in tongues? The veracity is, we do not all speak in tongues. Among believers, the custom of when an individual is born-again, spiritually leaders gravitate to laying their hands on the individual, praying for them, that the Holy Spirit will baptize them. This act is an experience found of when Peter and John were sent to Samaria. Who, when they were come downRead MoreThe Religious Aspirations Of Judaism1659 Words   |  7 Pagesresurrection are witness to the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. â€Å"But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever.† (Dan 7:18) 1:8 To what are the disciples to be witnesses? What is the Greek origin of the word â€Å"witness† ? From what OT passage does the witness motif come, and what significance does it have there? The disciples are witnesses to the decent and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Then by their witness the are to proclaim the gospel to Jerusalem, JudeaRead MorePrayer Reflection On The Prayer1057 Words   |  5 PagesPrayer is an openness to God. It is a means of being in a continual relationship with God. This prayer reflection report was based on praying earnestly for seven leaders who seemed in need of God’s leading in their roles. The seven leaders chosen were from the following backgrounds: pastors, departmental heads and school administrators. These leaders seem to lack Divine wisdom, vision, empathy and humility. The only solution to see a transformation in leadership is to pray fervently for leadersRead MoreUse Of Prayer And Scripture On Cognitive Behavioral Therapy1160 Words   |  5 PagesUse of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Summary Siang-Yang Tan, a psychologist that has been in the field for over 25 years wrote a journal on the Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. This journal â€Å"covers the appropriate and ethical use of prayer, including inner healing prayer, and Scripture in a Christian approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy† (Tan, 2007). In this journal he expounded on the methods he used through his experience to ethically provideRead MorePrayer On The Life Of A Minister1267 Words   |  6 Pagessubstitute for prayer in the life of a minister. It is something that has to be an intentional part of every day, but this is not always an easy task. Even Jesus had to work to incorporate prayer into his daily routine rising early and going away from the others to spend time with God (Mark 1:35-37). If a minister is not careful, finding time to pray can feel like a burden, yet, it is one of the most precious privileges that was bought for mankind through the blood of Jesu s Christ. Prayer for a minister