Transport in the Industrial Revolution

Transport in the Industrial Revolution During the period of major industrial change known as the ‘Industrial Revolution’, the methods of transport also changed greatly. Historians and economists agree that any industrializing society needs to have an effective transport network, to enable the movement of heavy products and materials around in order to open up access to raw materials, reduce the price of these materials and the resulting goods, break down local monopolies caused by poor transport networks and allow for an integrated economy where regions of the country could specialize. While historians sometimes disagree over whether the developments in transport experienced by first Britain, then the world, were a pre-condition allowing for industrialization, or a result of the process, the network definitely changed.   Britain Pre-Revolution In 1750, the most commonly used start date for the revolution, Britain relied on transport via a wide-ranging but poor and expensive road network, a network of rivers which could move heavier items but which was restricted by the routes nature had given, and the sea, taking goods from port to port. Each system of transport was operating at full capacity, and chaffing greatly against the limits. Over the next two centuries industrializing Britain would experience advances in their road network, and develop two new systems: first the canals, essentially man-made rivers, and then the railways. Development in Roads The British  road  network was generally poor prior to industrialization, and as pressure from changing industry grew, so the road network began to innovate in the form of Turnpike Trusts. These charged tolls to travel on especially improved roads, and helped meet demand at the start of the revolution. However, many deficiencies remained and new modes of transport were invented as a result. Invention of Canals Rivers had been used for transport for centuries, but they had problems. In the early modern period attempts were made to improve rivers, such as cutting past long meanders, and out of this grew the canal network, essentially man-made waterways which could move heavy goods more easily and cheaply. A boom began in the Midlands and Northwest, opening up new markets for a growing industry, but they remained slow. The Railway Industry Railways developed in the first half of the nineteenth century and, after a slow start, boomed in two periods of railway mania. The industrial revolution was able to grow even more, but many of the key changes had already begun without rail. Suddenly the lower classes in society could travel much further, more easily, and the regional differences in Britain began to break down.

Pros and Cons of Joining a Teachers Union

Pros and Cons of Joining a Teachers Union One decision that a new teacher may face is whether or not they should join a teachers union. In some cases, it is not a choice at all. In eighteen states, it is legal to force teachers to support a union by requiring teachers who are not members to pay a fee to a union as a condition of continued employment. Those states include Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. In the other states, it becomes an individual choice as to whether or not you want to join a teachers union. It ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe the pros of joining a teachers union outweigh the cons. Advantages There are many valid reasons that you should consider joining a union. Those can include: Teachers unions can provide legal protection and advice. In todays lawsuit-happy society, this protection alone can be worth becoming a member.Teachers unions provide support, guidance, and advice. Most teachers unions have a helpline that its members can call to seek counsel in a variety of areas.Teachers unions allow you a voice in hot educational trends, debates, and topics that you feel strongly about.Joining a teachers union gives power to the bargaining position of the union for contract and labor negotiations.Teachers unions provide several discount program opportunities, including life insurance benefits, credit card opportunities, mortgage assistance, etc.They often offer terrific professional development opportunities for members. Even if you live in a state where they cannot legally force your hand to join a union, you may find yourself being pressured to do so by other teachers. This is because teachers unions are a powerful entity. There is strength in numbers. The more members a union has, the bigger voice they have. Unions to Join Deciding what union you join is typically dictated by the district in which you work. Usually, when you join a local union, you join the state and national affiliated with that union. Most districts are entrenched with one affiliate and so it can be tough to join another one. The two biggest national unions include: National Education Association (NEA) - It is the largest education union in the United States. It is typically referred to as Democratic in its ideology. It was formed in 1857.American Federation of Teachers (AFT) - It is the second largest educational union in the United States. It is typically referred to as Republican in its ideology. It was formed in 1916. Not Just for Teachers Most teachers unions offer membership to a variety of roles within schools. Those include teachers (including higher education faculty/staff), administrators, educational support professionals (custodians, maintenance, bus drivers, cafeteria personnel, administrative assistants, school nurses, etc.), retired teachers, college students in education programs, and substitute teachers. Disadvantages In states where you are not essentially forced to join a teachers union, then it becomes an individual choice as to whether you want to join a union or not. There are several reasons that an individual may not choose to join a union. These include: You dont agree with union politics. As mentioned before, the NEA is typically a Democratic association while the AFT is typically a Republican association. Sometimes individuals do not agree with those political stances or a particular stance the union takes on an issue that often does not have anything to do with education. Teachers who have political views contrary to the positions taken by unions may not want to support the union.Union fees are expensive. Most teachers are already cashed strapped, particularly first-year teachers. Every little bit can help, so many teachers feel like the value of joining a union and its benefits are not worth the monetary costs.You don’t believe you need it. Some teachers believe that they do not need the services provided by a teachers union and that there are not enough benefits to warrant holding membership.

Global warming Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global warming - Term Paper Example This essentially means that anything that is rich in carbon content and emits CO2 directly contributes to the global warming. There is a unique way in which the greenhouse gases interact with the sunlight that enables them to increase the temperature of the atmosphere. Sunrays reach the Earth but are not allowed to escape by the greenhouse effect. The sunlight is rich in energy and heat. As more of it is trapped in the atmosphere, the heat directly adds to the temperature of the atmosphere and the environment heats up. This is the fundamental reason why every successive summer is hotter than the preceding one. To much an extent, the natural disasters that have occurred in the recent years including the Katrina hurricane and the Tsunami can be attributed to the global warming. It so happens that with rise of temperature on the surface of Earth, the glaciers melt up. The water directly adds to the volume of water in rivers and seas. There has been a considerable increase in the water l evel in sea over the years as a result of the action of global warming, The added water becomes the root cause of tsunamis, floods and similar natural disasters. In addition to that, global warming is also causing several animal and plant species to become extinct. One such animal specie is polar bears that totally depend upon glaciers for their food, shelter and survival. They can only live in the habitat of a glacier. As the glaciers are melting away because of the global warming, so is the habitat of polar bears. Their life is endangered because of loss of habitat. If the carbon dioxide levels continue to increase at the present rate, it will not take the world long to become too hot to live in and the future generations would have to face the consequences of our environment-unfriendly practices. Since man is the fundamental cause of global warming, it is only man who can take measures to reduce it. In order to reduce the global warming, each and every individual assumes certain responsibilities. The easiest and indeed, the most effective way of reducing the global warming is more plantation. Trees are the biggest blessing of nature and have the most important role to play in reducing the global warming. In addition to planting more trees, it is equally important that we reduce the use of wood. A lot of wood is consumed into such unimportant purposes as making decoration pieces, making furniture or decorating the houses. All of these purposes can be achieved without the use of wood. In addition to growing plants, we can reduce the global warming by reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. This can be achieved by making use of solar energy instead of the conventional fossil fuels. Greg Craven, a high school teacher has written a book that has explored the issue of global warming in a unique way which is totally unlike the conventional way in which the issue has been discussed. The book shows a polar bear’s sad face on the cover page, which when fli pped over, shows the polar bear sitting in the chair which is burning on the back and the sides. In his book, (Craven) has explored the misunderstandings regarding global warming. In the start, Craven discusses whether people are panicked activists or mere skeptics of the global warming. Instead of relying on evidence to prove global warming a problem, Craven makes use of â€Å"confirmation bias† because it is a more objective way of showing global warming as a problem as compared to evidence. Craven believes that