6. ARTICLES

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

ESSAY 1

Alternative energy is the complex of the sources of energy which can substitute the existing exhausting and harmful sources of energy and prevent the possible energy crisis. The problem of alternative energy is probably the most troublesome and thought-provoking one, because people all over the world understand that the current supplies of mineral resources and sources of energy (oil, gas, coal) will be exhausted in no more than fifty years and the humanity will remain without energy and it will be treated like the collapse of the human civilization. The current situation of the development of the alternative sources of energy is connected not only with the prevention of the energy crisis, but with the unfavorable ecologic condition of the natural environment. The modern sources of energy (oil, gas and coal) are not only very expensive bur also harmful for the natural environment, because they pollute water, air and soil and cause harm to the human health and life. The wastes and pollutants released during the processing of oil and coal are extremely contaminative and the humanity should think about the alternative energy which would be safe, cheap and inexhaustible.

The most effective alternative sources of energy are: the power of the wind, the solar energy and the power of the water. The effectiveness of numerous wind farms and solar energy farms cannot be overestimated. The power of the wind is inexhaustible, as well as the rays of the Sun and the power of seas and oceans. The human being just has to learn to use these powers of the nature in the right way and it will help people live in harmony with nature and reduce their harmful effect on the environment.

Alternative energy is the only solution to the problem of energy crisis which can occur very soon. When the student is working a persuasive essay, he is supposed to analyze the issue on alternative energy in detail and convince the audience in the truthfulness of his arguments. One is expected to prepare a quality description of the problem on alternative energy, provide the list of the advantages or disadvantages proving the usefulness of the alternative energy or its ineffectiveness. The essay has a subjective tone, so the student does not have to bother about the differences in the opinions of various people.

ESSAY 2

It is hard to live without Energy, but it is impossible to find another planet to live in. Energy is everything. It comes in many forms such as heat, electricity, light, mechanical energy. Conventional energy sources such as coal and oil are the main contributors to the global warming. Furthermore, these fossil fuels are not renewable, which means one day we will run out of them. The good news is alternative sources of energy can replace the current technologies we are using. These renewable energy sources are environment friendly as they emit less carbon dioxide, compared to fossil fuels. There are many alternative sources of energies that harness natural forces and resources such as solar power, wind power, and geothermal energy.

From environmental prospective solar power is the best alternative source of energy. It is the light and the heat from the sun which is harnessed to generate power. It is created by converting the sun rays into electricity using solar panels. Additionally, solar panels change the sun light that hit it into heat, which is used to heat homes, water, swimming pools, and for cooking. There is also another energy sources that is safe and natural in the same time.

Wind power is one of the oldest forms of energy that benefited mankind so greatly. It is the use of the wind power to produce electricity. In the past, people used it to navigate water, to pump water and to dry clothes. Today, we use it to produce electricity. In this technology, when the wind blows, it rotates the blades of the wind turbines. This rotation runs electric generators. There is one more source of energy which can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy is one of the main sources of alternative energy. It is the heat of the earth, which is continuously produced in the core of the earth. It is very beneficial to the earth and it atmosphere as it doesn't produce any pollution. In this technology, Wells are drilled to pump heated water and steam. Then, that steam and heated water are purified to drive wind turbines which produce electricity. It works best in sunny climate regions.

Energy is everything. It can be found in many forms. Fossil fuels cause many environmental issues due to the emission of carbon dioxide. However, alternative source of energy can substitute traditional energy sources with almost no negative effects on the environment. One of the alternative energy sources is solar power. In smaller scale, it is used to heat houses, water and in cooking. In larger scale, it is used to generate electricity. Another source is wind power. Older wind turbines used to grind crops, now to run generators and generate electricity. A third source is geothermal energy, in which, heated water and steam are used to run generators.

PARIS ATTACKS: DO NOT CALL CHARLIE HEBDO KILLERS 'TERRORISTS', BBC SAYS

The Islamists who committed (bound or obligated) the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris should be not be described as “terrorists” by the BBC, a senior executive at the corporation has said.

Tarik Kafala, the head of BBC Arabic, the largest of the BBC’s non-English language news services, said the term “terrorist” was too “loaded” to describe the actions of the men who killed 12 people in the attack on the French satirical magazine.

Mr. Kafala, whose BBC Arabic television, radio and online news services reach a weekly audience of 36 million people, told The Independent: “We try to avoid describing anyone as a terrorist or an act as being terrorist. What we try to do is to say that ‘two men killed 12 people in an attack on the office of a satirical magazine’. That’s enough, we know what that means and what it is.”

Mr. Kafala said: “Terrorism is such a loaded word. The UN has been struggling for more than a decade to define the word and they can’t. It is very difficult to. We know what political violence is, we know what murder, bombings and shootings are and we describe them. That’s much more revealing, we believe, than using a word like terrorist which people will see as value-laden.”

Of the Paris case, Mr. Kafala said: “We avoid the word terrorists. It’s a terrorist attack, anti-terrorist police are deployed on the streets of Paris. Clearly all the officials and commentators are using the word so obviously we broadcast that.”

While Mr. Kafala’s comments may surprise some, they are in line with the BBC’s editorial guidelines on reporting terrorism. When reporting an attack, the BBC guidelines say it should use words which specifically describe the perpetrator (culprit) such as “bomber”, “attacker”, “gunman”, “kidnapper” or “militant”.

Mumbai 26/11 Attacks Could Have Been Averted By Intelligence-Sharing Between US, UK, India: Report

Better coordination among the intelligence agencies of India, the U.S. and UK could have averted the November 2008 terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai, which killed over 160 people, an investigation conducted by The New York Times revealed.

According to the investigation, intelligence agencies from the three nations had been monitoring the activities of several operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba -- the Pakistan-based militant group that carried out the attacks over a span of three days in Mumbai -- since the beginning of 2008.  However, the agencies failed to piece together disparate pieces of intelligence and share information until after the attacks had started, according to the report.

The attacks, which lasted about three days before all the militants were either killed or arrested, targeted several high-profile locations in the city, including the main railway terminus, the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel near the Gateway of India monument, another five-star hotel, and a Jewish synagogue (temple) and cultural center run by an American rabbi (title of respect esp. among Jews) and his wife, both of whom were among those killed in the attacks.

According to the report, the intelligence agencies of the three countries had enough information among them to prevent the attacks in Mumbai. However, they failed to piece (assemble) together the complete picture, making it one of the "most devastating near-misses in the history of spy craft."

Profile: Nepal Maoist leader Prachanda

Critics say that the former rebel leader had not realized the extent of his party's unpopularity since its dramatic election win in 2008 and was taken by surprise that the Maoists appeared to have been relegated to third place.

The Maoist leader Prachanda, and some of his top supporters were accused of abandoning their proletarian principles by embracing opulent (deluxe) lifestyles - in some cases complete with palatial (impressive) residences, luxury cars and private medical facilities.

Prachanda, who will be 61 in 2015, is a former agriculture student and school teacher, who was born in the Annapurna region of Nepal. His natural gift for military leadership enabled him to transform the Maoists from being a poorly armed rag-tag outfit into one of South Asia's most feared rebel groups.

More than 13,000 people died in the civil war in the impoverished (Poor enough to need help from others) Himalayan nation, which culminated (climax/end) in the king releasing his absolute powers and being forced to give up his throne in June 2008.

Up until then, very little was known about Prachanda. Nepalese knew him from only a couple of photographs. He was rarely seen in public and was constantly slipping between India and Nepal to escape the authorities.