Robert Lee Essays - American Civil War, Fitzhugh Family Of Virginia

Robert Lee Robert Edward Lee is considered one of the greatest generals in the history of the United States. Lee was opposed to many views of the south, including succession and slavery, yet his loyalty to his native state of Virginia forced him to fight for the south and refuse command of the Union armies during the Civil War. Because of this, he was respected by every man in America including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. Robert Edward Lee was born to parents, Henry Lee of Leesylvania, and mother Ann Hill Carter of Shirley, in Stratford Hall near Montross, Virginia, on January 19, 1807. He grew up with a great love for country living and his state, which would be instilled in him for the rest of his life. He was a very serious boy and spent many hours in his father's library reading as many books as he could get his hands on. He loved to play with his friends, swim and hunt. Lee looked up to his father and always wanted to know what he was doing. George Washington and his father, "Light-Horse Harry Lee," were his two heroes and he wanted to be just like them when he grew up. In 1811 the Lee family moved to a larger home in Alexandria, Virginia. The next year his father received injuries in a Baltimore riot from which he never fully recovered and that also caused his leaving of Alexandria for a warmer climate. He died six years later at Cumberland Island, Georgia when Robert was only 12. Robert was forced to become the man of the family and cared for his mother and sisters because his father and elder brothers had left. Robert would stuff papers to block cracks in the carriage and go driving to help his mother get out during her failing health. Years later, when Robert left for West Point, Ann Lee wrote to a cousin, "How will I ever get on with out Robert, he is both a son and a daughter" ( www.stratfordhall.org/rel.htm 1). In 1825, at the age of 18, Lee entered the United States Military Academy at West Point where his classmates admired him for his brilliance, leadership, and love for his work. West Point was not his first choice for a school, but there was no money left to send him to Harvard because his older brother, Charles Carter, had used it for his own studies at Harvard. He graduated from the academy with high honors in 1829 and was ranked as Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers at the age of 21. He headed for home at the age of 22 with $103.58 (Thomas 54). Lee served for seventeen months at Fort Pulaski on Cockspur Island, Georgia. In 1831 the army transferred Lee to Fort Monroe, Virginia, as assistant engineer. While he was stationed there, he married Mary Anna Randolph Custis, Martha Washington's great-granddaughter. They lived in her family home in Arlington on a hill overlooking Washington D. C.. They had seven children, three sons and four daughters. On September 16, 1832, Mary gave birth to George Washington Custis Lee. Later in 1835 they had their second child, Mary Curtis. They had five more children, William Henry Fitzgerald, Annie, Agnes, Robert and Mildred. Lee served as an assistant in the chief engineer's office in Washington from 1834 to 1837 and spent the summer of 1835 helping to lay out the boundary line between Ohio and Michigan. In 1837 he got his first important job as a First Lieutenant of engineers. He supervised the engineering work for St. Louis harbor and for the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers. His work there earned him a promotion to Captain. In 1841 he was transferred to Fort Hamilton in New York harbor, where he took charge of building fortifications. When war broke out between the United States and Mexico in 1846, the army sent Lee to Texas to serve as assistant engineer under General John E. Wool. All his superior officers, including General Winfield Scott, were impressed with Lee. Early in the war, Lee supervised the construction of bridges for Wool's march toward the Mexican border. He then did excellent work on scouting trips. Lee later was helping General Winfield Scott plan a great battle. The Army was about to attack Vera Cruz, a large Mexican town on the sea. Soldiers fired huge guns at the walls of Vera Cruz. One of the men at the guns happened to be Robert's brother, Smith Lee. When he could,

Gun Safety for Children essays

Gun Safety for Children essays In 1992, guns were the leading cause of brain damage in children next to automobiles . In the year 2000, there are as many guns in this country as people, over 250,000. Over onehalf of all households in the US have guns. Did you know that in the United States a child is killed every two hours by a loaded gun? This adds up to 14 children under the age of 20 that are killed every day. The children that are not killed by guns will have serious brain damage, which will cost 14,000 per child to treat. This amount is enough to pay for one year of private college. (Gun Safety) There are several ways to stop this tragedy from happening in our communities. The first is to teach our children what guns are and what guns can do. Gun safety advocates preach that children should know gun safety at a young age. The advocates say that there are four rules that children should use when they see a gun: STOP!; DONT TOUCH; LEAVE THE AREA; TELL AN ADULT. If a child does these steps successfully it would cut accidental shootings by 30%. The next way to keep your children safe from guns is to keep your gun unloaded, and ammunition locked separate. When there is a loaded gun in the house it raises the rate for suicide and accidental shootings by 50%. There are gun vaults that you can purchase for your firearm. They come in all sizes, from revolver to rifle. There are some extremely sophisticated vaults out there. One is the GV 1000 Standard Mini Vault. It holds your gun in a little storage unit that has a tamper proof system. You access the gun by a special no look finger key code. If someone tries five times to open your safe, and is unsuccessful, a tamper-proof alarm goes off. It also has a key entry for those who dont care for combination locks. It is also important to keep the keys to gun safety equipment hidden and out of reach of children. Another way to keep your children safe is to have a lock for your unloade...

Cold war 1989-1991 under Bush's Administration Essay

Cold war 1989-1991 under Bush's Administration - Essay Example The barometer to consider whether or not to intervene was different in each case. The important characteristics of post-Cold War conflicts were that they did not relate to superpower completion. U.S. interests did not face severe threat, as it was in the Cold War calculus. The strife at far-off places was not of consequence to the national security of U.S. and the vital interests were more or less secure, with no compelling reasons to intervene. There was no confrontation with Soviet Union who was once the dangerous contender for U.S. interests. With the end of the Cold War, trouble fomented at various spots leading to a series of events of inter-state aggression. U.S. had no decisive platform to intervene, either political or legal. Its foreign policy was against, â€Å"interference in the internal affairs of others." U.S. could not pursue a policy of isolationist, it needed active political and economic support from governments and U.S. was averse to set forth precedents which affected their relations with other countries. Another important consideration was a bout adherence to international law governing interventions. Without the correct international legal rationale, any intervention would be termed as an act of self-seeking, with motivated desires and with hidden agenda. Decisions for intervention needed to be taken, explained and defended. The break-up of the Soviet Union was an important development, but no American interests were threatened. Besides, it was an ideological conflict and power-struggle between two factions, both owing allegiance to Communism. Intervention decisions have far-reaching economic implications, besides the need for solid domestic support. In the confusing world scenario, with many set of actions taking place simultaneously in different parts of the world, the decision-making process cannot be expected to be orderly and well-structured. That the issue

Principle and Effectiveness of the concept Rule of Law in the UK Essay

Principle and Effectiveness of the concept Rule of Law in the UK - Essay Example The principle behind the rule of law is that there ought to be sureness in law, such that every person can regulate his or her own dealings accordingly. Even though in UK, it is often argued that it seeks to prevent any arbitrary law making by governing officials or inferior courts, critics argues that it is a complex mixture of principles and sub-principles, with the major contention being on what extent the law allows discretionary powers to be applied. Nevertheless, individual liberties extremely depend on the rule of law, such that its effectiveness hinges on the undertaking of trials through jury or the lack of prejudice from judges. Critics also observe that the success of the rule of law principles hinges more so on its prerogative orders, such that it offers the executive the opportunity to rewrite the principles, in order to attain supposed exigencies of a given political situation as recently. Thus, the aim of this paper is to discuss the principle and effectiveness of the concept Rule of Law in the UK. ... out limiting any exercise of discretionary authority whereby laws are founded on standards with significance given to procedures such that it only allows the implementation of Parliament legislative powers while limiting implementation of legislative authority by the executive. Therefore, legislations are prospective instead of retrospective with an underlying moral foundation for every law. Focus is on having rules and procedures, which can make certain that laws are applied in safeguarding rights instead of being avenues of legitimising exercise of powers. Thirdly, the UK notion of justice is based on interpersonal adjudication and judicial precedent, as the rule of law is not about individuals having to account to arbitrary pronouncements made by governmental officials, but it is about individuals guiding public officials actions by referring to what is barred by plainly defined laws. Hence, decisions made by those in authority or any other public official are exercised based on t he powers that have been reasonably conferred to them, and in good faith. In particular, it calls for the government to offer adjudicative procedures, which are fair, and that avenue that have no prohibitive expenses or filled with inordinate delays are offered in resolving disputes5. Effectiveness The effectiveness of the rule of law has been achieved in UK is because freedom is about accounting only to well-defined and earlier developed laws instead of answering to arbitrary or discretionary proclamation of those in administrative powers. Notably, the separation of powers principle is the one that safeguards the principles, since it calls for admission to courts and those in authority to observe intentions judicial review. As such, disputes are settled based on the law and not the

Trip to the Museum of Brands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trip to the Museum of Brands - Essay Example I will concisely examine the past and current campaigns of Coca-Cola in order to reinforce its connection with its brand communication strategy. Given the massive popularity and influence of Coca-Cola, it can be claimed that the brand ultimately stands for fun, freedom and refreshment. Its focus on imparting the benefits of strong familial bond, as well as the advantages of having genuine social relationships have elevated the value of the brand from mere functional to emotional. Drinking Coke does not only mean consuming a beverage, but also adhering to what the brand stands for. Firstly, Coke’s trademark cursive script logo was in 1886 by Frank M. Robinson. As later on claimed by Robinson, the use of two Cs in the logo will help the product stand out from its competition. Since the same logo has remained for the past 120 years, it is estimated to cost $67 billion. Introduction Visiting the Museum of Brands has truly helped me understand the role of branding in not only furthering business growth, but also in influencing people’s lives. For this paper, I would like to critically analyze Coca-Cola as a brand. In this regard, I shall first provide a brief background on what I deem the overall branding strategy of Coca-Cola is, To provide a short outline of this report, I wish to start with a brief review of what branding is and how it relates to owning a specific image in the consumer’s minds. Then, I shall discuss the brands that struck my interest during the trip to the Museum of Brands. After this, I will conclude this report by sharing my insights on my experience. Branding, as Stine (2010) highlighted in his paper entitled â€Å"The Nine Principles of Branding†, is essentially about communicating the unique differentiation of one product in relation to its competitors. Through the proper combination of striking statements and creative visuals, branding is able to elevate the relevance of the highlighted product in the daily lives of the consumers.

The Piper Oil Field Engineering Essay

The Piper Oil Field Engineering Essay Introduction On the night of June the 6th, 1988, an explosion took place on the Piper Alpha oil and gas production platform. It led to a series of fires that eventually melted the platform into the waters of the North Sea, killing a hundred and sixty seven men, and resulting in insurance losses of U.S. $3.4 billion. To date, it remains the worst offshore disaster in the history of the Petroleum industry, defined in terms of both human and financial loss. The images of horror broadcasted from the disaster site, the final tally of human lives lost, and the enormous financial loss shock Occidental Petroleum, the operator of the platform, violently. It has since become worthy of thorough examination, to fully assimilate the numerous lessons it has to offer. Ronin Advanced Systems investigated the events leading up to that night, pinpointing the deficiencies in the fragile Safety Matrix then applied by Occidental Petroleum, in order to provide viable recommendations that can help prevent such accident s from happening in the future and increase the overall Operational Safety of offshore installations. Purpose and Scope The impact of the Piper Alpha disaster on the Petroleum industry was huge. It was on such an unprecedented level that every oil company made it an absolute requirement to document it as a Case Study. The purpose of this research is to isolate the faults and errors carried out by both the management of Occidental Petroleum as well as the crew of Piper Alpha, which directly resulted in the disaster. This report will cover several topics regarding the Piper Alpha offshore production platform, including its location, construction, modification, Safety Matrix and Record, as well as the timeline of the disaster and its aftermath. Throughout the report, we do not include any on-site research from the Piper oil field. Assumptions Our recommendations are based on the assumption that the Piper Alpha disaster could have been completely avoided. This is in turn based on the fact that its management made a series of wrong decisions, which seriously compromised the safety level on board the platform and rendered its crew helpless in face of accidents. The failure of the crew to act appropriately with respect to the sequence of events of the disaster can only be attributed to the failure of Occidentals management. The assumption is also based on the factual and documented deterioration of the safety level on board the platform after its modification to produce gas. Several gas leaks were recorded and a research commissioned by Occidental to investigate the newly installed Gas Lines which found them of extreme risk was ignored. At the end of this report, we will prove without a shred of doubt that the assumption holds; thus, deeming our recommendation worthy of being put into action as soon as possible. Methods The information in this report was compiled from various sources including Lord Cullens Public Inquiry, numerous printed and electronic publications, video footage from the British Royal Air Force helicopters, as well as the numerous support vessels, that were present on site during rescue operations and the accounts of the survivors. Limitations As mentioned earlier, this research is limited to materials and information available in the Public Domain via the Internet, various publications, and recorded video footage. In addition, Ronin Advanced Systems was not able to send any personnel to the disaster site to perform on-location examination due to the following main reasons: The incident happened on July the 6th, 1988. The Piper Alpha offshore production platform melted down to its core. Furthermore, its remains were later detonated and removed by Occidental Petroleum. Piper oil field A hundred and twenty miles from Aberdeen, beneath some of the fiercest waters of the North Sea, lies the Piper oilfield. A joint venture of four companies, known as the OPCAL (short for Occidental Petroleum Caledonia) and led by Occidental Petroleum, obtained a license to explore those waters in 1972, after the British government allowed offshore exploration licenses in 1964 (Miller, 1991). The Piper oil field was discovered in the early months of 1973, prompting OPCAL to commission the construction of the Piper Alpha platform, as well as the pipelines and Onshore Support Installations. Oil production started in late 1976. At its peak, the Piper oilfield produced 30,000 tons of oil daily. Nearby, two more fields were discovered; those were the Tartan and the Claymore oilfields. Two more platforms were commissioned and named after the two fields respectively. The three vast oilfields Piper, Tartan and Claymore are usually referred to collectively as the Piper oilfield. Figure 1: Location of Piper Oilfield with respect to Aberdeen and Flotta Oil Facility As shown in Figure 1, OPCAL built the Flotta oil terminal on the Orkney Islands to collect and process oil from the three massive fields. As the development of the three platforms progressed, more oil and gas lines were laid, resulting in Piper being at the heart of a busy network of pipelines. Its platform acted as both a communication systems hub as well as an oil and gas collection point, before relaying it all onto shore on one main line, namely the Main Oil Line or MOL, which is the line seen connecting the Piper field and Flotta in Figure 1. This report will dedicate an entire subsection to further examine the pipeline network surrounding the Piper oilfield and its neighbouring counterparts. It will also discuss the impacts that network had on the level of Operational Safety on board the Piper Alpha platform and how it actively contributed to its tragic and total eradication off the waters of the North Sea. Piper Alpha Piper Alpha, the platform that exploited the Piper oilfield, stood tall at two hundred metres above seabed. Its sheer size made it seem almost indestructible. It was originally designed for oil production, but was later adapted to produce natural gas as well; a decision that proved to have tragic consequences. Producing almost ten percent of Britains North Sea oil and gas in 1988, Piper Alpha was highly productive. It was deemed a lucrative investment for Occidental Petroleum, shoring millions of dollars annually. It is assumed that at the time of the accident, the platform was the heaviest offshore production rig operating in the North Sea. Figure 2: Piper Alpha Offshore Oil Gas Production Platform Piper Alpha was a fixed platform constructed by McDermott Engineering at Ardesier and UIE at Cherbourg, with sections united at Ardersier during 1975 (Wikipedia, 2010). The platform consisted of four modules (A, B, C and D) separated by Fire-Proofed walls, and arranged such that the most dangerous works such as drilling were as far as possible from the Accommodation Block. At the time of the accident, the platform operated thirty-six well heads using various technologies that were then available. Figure 3, an East-side Elevation of the platform, illustrates its modular design and the locations of the areas of interest to the scope of this report, mainly Modules C, D and the Oil Separation Compartment in Module B. Figure 3: East Elevation of Piper Alpha the impacts of the 1980 Gas module fitting Impact on the platform Layout I Production Level 84 In 1980, a Gas Recovery Module was installed on the Piper Alpha platform. This decision left an unfortunate legacy in its design, as some of the gas compression works had to be sited in Module C, which was later called the Gas Compression Module. Figure 4 illustrates the layout of Production Level 84. It clearly shows how the compression works in Module C were close to many sensitive areas in Module D, such as: the Control Room, the Electrical Power Gas Turbine Generators, the Emergency Diesel Generator, the Fire Pumps Manual Control Panel and some of the Electrical Switch Rooms. The Accommodation Block, where the crewmen lived, was located above Module D, with the Helicopter Pad (or Helideck) on top of it as shown in Figure 3. Figure 4: Production Level 84 Firewalls Hazard: Blast-Proof Walls Since Piper Alpha was initially designed to produce oil, only Fire-Proofed walls were installed to separate its four modules instead of Blast-Proof walls, which are installed on gas production platforms. Figure 4 shows the locations of the Fire-Proofed walls as well as their ratings. The B/C and the C/D walls did not withstand the first explosion. Their failure was the beginning of the end for the platform. Hazard: Fire-Fighting System Piper Alpha was equipped with a state-of-the-art Automatic Fire-Fighting System. It relied on two different sets of pumps for operation; electrically powered and diesel powered. They would suck in huge amounts of seawater via underwater inlets to douse any fires. However, the safety procedures on the platform dictated that the system would be switched over to manual control in case divers were in the water regardless of their locations with respect to the inlets so that they would not get sucked in. That procedure never considered the possibility of a fire or an explosion blocking access to the Manual Control Panel, preventing the crew from operating the pumps and eventually causing the fire to rage unchallenged. ii deck support frame: level 64 Two large gas pumps, designated A and B, were placed in Module C. Those were responsible for pressurizing the produced gas and sending it to the offshore Manifold Compression platform MCP-01, some thirty miles to the North West of Piper Alpha. They were also responsible for providing the gas required for generating Electrical Power that fed the entire platform. They operated in redundancy; i.e. one was operated and the other was put on standby in case the former stopped working. Those two pumps were present on level 68, sixteen levels below production level number 84. Figure 5: Deck Support Frame of Level 68 Location of Pumps A B A pipeline eighteen inches in diameter acted as the Main Gas Line (MGL), carrying the gas production of Piper Alpha to the Manifold Compression Platform, MCP-01. A year later, another eighteen-inch pipeline was extended from the Tartan platform to Piper Alpha, in order to collect gas production from both rigs before sending it on the Main Gas Line to MCP-01. Later on, another sixteen-inch pipeline was extended from Piper Alpha to the Claymore production platform, to feed its onboard Gas Lift System. Hazard: Gas Lines In Figure 5, all gas lines also known as risers were secured with automatic Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs) and Pig Traps to cut off gas flow in an out of the platform in case of emergencies and failures. However, there were no Remotely Operated Shutoff Valves (ROSOVs) on any of the lines that the neighbouring platforms could use in case the ESVs had failed or in case things on Piper Alpha had gone out of control. Moreover, two years prior to June the 6th 1988, Occidental Petroleum commissioned a report to investigate the safety of the platform after the added functionality and pipelines. The report portrayed a fearful image, clearly warning of the dangers of the gas lines. The findings stated that those gas lines would take hours to depressurize, mainly due to their capacities that was defined based on their lengths and diameters. The report went on to speculate that should anything happen to those lines, they could result in a High-Pressure Gas Fire that would be virtually impossi ble to fight. Thus, putting the entire platform at risk, and threatening the lives of its personnel. Impact on the Pipeline network Since the Piper oilfield was the first to be discovered, and Piper Alpha was the first platform to come online, its historic development and that of adjacent fields meant that the platform would become a centre for communication systems, as well as oil transfer, reaching land-based operations (Drysdale Evans, 1998). The belated installation of the Gas Module, and the subsequent extension of Gas Lines, further complicated an already complex network of pipelines interconnecting the three platforms Claymore, Piper Alpha, and Tartan with one another as well as with MCP-01 and the Flotta oil processing facility. Figure 6 shows this complex network of oil and Gas Lines connecting the four platforms and onshore installations. The Main Oil Line (MOL) carried oil from Piper to Flotta. Oil was routed from Tartan to Claymore, via a separate line, and from there it was sent onto the MOL, some thirty-five miles west of Piper. The MOL also carried the main communication cable (originating at Piper Alpha) between the three rigs and Occidentals Control Centre (OCC) on the Orkney Islands. Hazard: Oil Back Pressure The legacy of that design had not only reduced the level of Operational Safety on board of Piper Alpha significantly, but also it had put the entire communication system at risk. The design simply jeopardized losing all cable-based communications with OCC, in case an explosion or a massive rig fire took place. Furthermore, due to the lack of any Remotely Operated Shutoff Valves (ROSOVs) which would prevent the back flow of oil because of pressure differences and/or major failures in the Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs) the design exhibited a Back-Pressure nature that would allow oil from the Tartan and Claymore platforms to flow directly back into Piper Alpha instead of going down the Main Oil Line to shore should Piper Alpha stop pumping oil. That hazard was an important factor in fuelling the oil fire that started in the Oil Separation compartment in Module B on board of the platform in peril. Figure 6: Claymore, Piper, Tartan Pipeline Network spiral to disaster The common image of the disaster can be attributed to a single devastating explosion on board the Piper Alpha. In fact, once it took place, the catastrophe unfolded gradually. During one crucial hour, there were critical moments that it could have been averted. However, an unfortunate series of events led to the total destruction of the platform. On the morning of July the 6th, Pump A was undergoing routine maintenance and its pressure valve was removed for inspection. Another maintenance overhaul, which would have taken two weeks, was scheduled for the same pump but had not begun then. The valve removed was placed between the pump and the gas pipe feeding it. The service crew sealed the pipe with a Blind Flange; a flat metallic disc used to temporarily cover pipes and risers during various routine maintenance jobs. When the Day Shift ended at 6:00 PM, the job was not done. The supervising engineer prepared a Permit-to-Work (PTW) stating that the pressure valve was removed and that the pump should not be started under any circumstance (Wikipedia, 2010). The engineer then headed to the Control Room, where he found the platforms manager busy. He chose not to inform him that Pump A was out of order, and instead signed the new PTW, placed it on the managers desk and left to the Accommodation Block. This was the first critical moment in the timeline of the accident. The failure of the engineer to inform the manager with the serious condition of the pump is nothing but a clear example of terrible lack of communication between colleagues. It showcases a superficial attitude and approach by Occidentals personnel towards Safety. This failure is one of the main reasons of the disaster, if not its main trigger. An hour later, another maintenance job was taking place underwater; divers were carrying out a routine inspection and welding job on one of the pipes. Therefore, and as we explained previously, the Automatic Fire-Fighting System was switched to manual control. This was a safety practice to ensure that divers would not get sucked in through the underwater inlets of the powerful fire extinguishing pumps. It is worth noting that on other platforms Fire-Fighting systems were controlled manually only if divers were very close to the inlets. This practice, which was enforced to ensure the safety of the divers, reduced that of the platform drastically and deprived it from an automated response by the Fire-Fighting System that could have saved it from its fatal doom; yet another critical moment down the course of the horrible disaster. At 9:45 PM, Pump B suddenly stopped and could not be restarted. The pumps were responsible for providing gas to the Gas Turbine Generators, which in turn provided the entire platform with Electrical Power. The sudden stop of Pump B, and the failure to restart it, threatened the total loss of Electrical Power during ongoing drilling operations. This meant that the drilling head could get stuck at enormous costs. The system provided fifteen minutes of backup power, via the Emergency Diesel Generator, during which the only two choices were either restarting Pump B or bringing Pump A online; a crossroads that sent the platform and its crewmen down the spiral to disaster. Pressured as time went by with no success at restarting Pump B, the engineer who was sent down to inspect the pump was forced to consider bringing Pump A online. He returned to the Control Room on level 84 and searched through the PTWs, trying to determine whether Pump A could be started or not. He located the PTW for the General Overhaul that had not started then, yet failed to find the newer one that stated that the pumps pressure valve was removed. He signed off the General Overhaul PTW and returned to level 68 to start Pump A. The reason why the engineer could not find the newer PTW is simple; the pressure valve was in a different location from the pump and therefore its permits were stored in a different box, as PTWs on board the platform were sorted by location. The engineer never checked the PTW box for the location where the pressure valve was. None of the personnel present in the Control Room then was aware that a vital piece of the pump had been removed. The platforms manager assumed from the existing documents that it would be safe to start Pump A (Wikipedia, 2010). In fact, no one noticed that the pressure valve had been removed as it was placed several metres above the ground of level 64. Furthermore, it was blocked from line-of-sight by gas risers. Ten minutes later, Pump A was started, allowing gas to flow into it in the absence of the pressure valve, which quickly resulted in an overpressure the Blind Flange could not withstand. Gas started to leak at very high pressure and in great amounts, with audible sounds that took the crewmen on level 64 by surprise. The leak triggered several gas alarms. However, at exactly 9:50 PM, and before anyone could realize the situation and plan a response, the gas ignited and exploded, blowing through the Fire-Proofed walls. In the initial blast, the Fire-Proofed walls B/C and C/D failed. Panels from the C/D wall were propelled into Module D, destroying the Control Room, the Emergency Diesel Generator, and the Gas Turbine Generators, starting a hydrocarbon fire fed by a mixture of gas and diesel and blocking access to both the Manual Control Panel of the Fire-Fighting System as well as the Lifeboat Entry Points. The platforms manager quickly pressed the Emergency Shutdown button, closing the Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs) on the sea lines and ceasing all oil and gas production, before ordering an evacuation of the Control Room. This should have isolated the platform entirely from the flow of oil and gas. However, Panels from the failing B/C Fire-Proofed wall flew into Module B, rupturing another gas pipe as well as the main oil separation manifolds, starting an oil fire in the Oil Separation compartment, which spread out to all of Module B within a few minutes. Figure 7: The Initial Fire on Piper Alpha. Black smoke indicating an Oil Fire is seen rising from Module B The manager headed to the Radio Room, where he ordered a Mayday call to be transmitted. The Radio Room was then evacuated and all personnel headed to the Fire-Proofed Accommodation Block awaiting further instructions or evacuation by helicopters. Although Occidentals management was aware that a gas explosion on board Piper Alpha would be devastating, the managers on Claymore and Tartan never Shutdown oil production after they received the Mayday transmitted out of the burning platform. Even though black smoke could be seen on the horizon, which meant that there was an oil fire, the managers never suspected the failure of the Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs). The oil fire, fed by oil from Tartan and Claymore, heated up the Tartan Gas Line to the point it failed. The pipeline ruptured, releasing 15~30 tonnes of gas (pressurised to 120 ATM) per second. The gas burst into a massive fire ball that engulfed the entire Piper Alpha platform as well as a Fast Rescue Craft launched from the Multi-purpose Vessel Sandhaven. This situation was exactly what the report commissioned two years earlier had warned against; a High-Pressure Gas Fire that would be impossible to put out. At this critical moment, the fate of the platform had already b een decided, with no viable means of reversing it. The massive fire ball can be seen in Figure 8, as it instantaneously contained the platform and darkened the clear blue sky above it. Figure 8: Sequence of Images taken from a Video Footage captured by a Support Vessel showing the Explosion of the Tartan Gas Line. MV Lowland Cavalier can be seen on the Right As Figure 8 vividly illustrates, the wind was blowing in the direction of the Helideck, which in turn pushed fire and smoke towards it, making any helicopter landing absolutely impossible and an act of suicide. No further instructions were given to the trapped crewmen, who took shelter in the Accommodation Block, while smoke began to penetrate it. Some were seen jumping off the platform and into the water, against what their training instructed. Ironically, those were the ones who survived the tragic ordeal. The actions of two crewmen are worth noting. As the situation worsened, they donned Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and tried to make their way to the Manual Control Panel of the Fire-Fighting System to start the diesel pumps. Those two men were never seen again and their bodies were never recovered. Nearby, and as the situation rapidly escalated, the managers on Claymore and Tartan believed that they did not have the authority to order an Emergency Shutdown of production without first consulting their superiors. The initial explosion knocked off the main communication line with OCC; however, Tartans manager somehow contacted his superior, and was instructed to stay online and continue pumping gas and oil. Meanwhile, Claymores manager tried for more than twenty minutes to raise OCC by satellite phone, but to no avail. When he finally succeeded at contacting his manger, the MCP 01 Gas Line failed and exploded, as they were speaking, at exactly 10:50 PM. It was not until that point that Claymores manager finally ordered an Emergency Shutdown of production, after receiving instructions from his superior, who also instructed him to contact Tartan and tell them to shutdown as well. Figure 9: Sequence of Images taken from a Video Footage captured by a Rescue Helicopter showing the Explosion of the MCP 01 Gas Line. The MSV Tharos can be seen on the Right By the time both platforms had ordered an Emergency Shutdown, there was no turning back for Piper Alpha; the platform was destined to burn for hours more to come, until the pipelines were depressurised, and all the hydrocarbons they carried were depleted. The fearsome heat ate its way at the machinery and steelwork comprising the once gigantic platform in a tremendous scene that horrified everyone who saw it. The final chapter in the disaster was inevitable and quite expectable. The gas line feeding Claymore finally failed and ruptured at 11:20 PM. The third explosion was the final nail in the platforms coffin. After withstanding the intense heat for more than an hour, the Generation and Utilities Module D, home to the Accommodation Block, finally slid into the sea. Most of the platform soon fell after it. Forty-five minutes past midnight, the entire platform was gone, and only Module A was all that remained. Figure 10: Image from Video Footage taken by a Rescue Helicopter landing on the MSV-Tharos as the Final Explosion of Claymores Gas Line take place The Role of nearby Support vessels The Multi-purpose vessel LowLand Cavalier (mv lowland cavalier) Although the Lowland Cavalier was the closest to Piper Alpha at the time of the initial explosion, she was only equipped as a Diving Support vessel then. She pulled away to safety immediately, after signalling the underwater divers to surface. Her role in the disaster was limited to reporting the first explosion. Figure 11: Recent Photos of the MV Lowland Cavalier The Multi-purpose vessel Silver Pit (mv silver pit) The Fast Rescue Craft MV Silver Pit was a converted fishing ship, with a small Landing Area (yellow circular area seen in Figure 9). It was the first support vessel to respond. The largest number of survivors thirty-seven out of fifty-nine was recovered by her crew. Her coxswain, James Clark, received the George Medal a second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom Commonwealth in recognition of his tremendous efforts in the Search Rescue operation (Scottish TV, 2010). Figure 12: Image taken from a Video taken by a Rescue Helicopter during a Winch-Recovery of a Survivor picked up by the MV Silver Pit the Multi-purpose vessel sandhaven (mv sandhaven) Though her actions show obvious disregard for common logic and safe practices, the efforts exerted by the crew of the Sandhaven were remarkable; they raced against time to rescue Pipers oilmen from the raging inferno. In an insane act of bravery, and in defiance to every safety rule and procedure known in the world of Offshore Rescue Operations, she approached the burning platform to a very close distance, launching a fast rescue boat with three men on board that rescued six of Pipers crewmen. However, when the gas line from Tartan exploded, a massive fire ball engulfed the burning platform as well as that boat, killing two of its crewmen along with all of survivors. The lone survivor on board that boat, Ian Letham, was also awarded the George Medal in recognition of his participation in the relief efforts during the tragic ordeal. Figure 13: The Tharos (Left Background) Sandhaven (Small Red Boat) next to Piper Alpha just as Tartans Gas line exploded the Multi-purpose Support Vessel Tharos (msv tharos) The Tharos was a semi-submersible, multi-purpose support vessel. She comprised several roles such as Fire-Fighting, Construction, Accommodation and Diving Support. She also carried a fully operational hospital and was equipped with a massive Helideck. She was commissioned by Occidental Petroleum precisely to deal with emergencies on offshore platforms. On June the 6th, 1988, and by pure chance, she was anchored close to Piper Alpha. She should have been a Godsend; however, upon approaching the burning platform, her crew started her water cannons too fast, tripping the Fire-Fighting system and wasting ten long minutes before successfully restarting it. Furthermore, those cannons were deemed very powerful, thus restricting the Tharos to as where to use them; since the stream could seriously injure or even kill anyone it hits. Figure 14: Images taken from Video Footage taken during the landing of a Rescue Helicopter on the Helideck on board the MSV-Tharos showing the Vessels powerful cannons engaged in Fire-Fighting Operations Figure 12 shows how close the Tharos was anchored to Piper as well as the locations of the MV -Lowland Cavalier and the MV Silver Pit mentioned earlier in this section. Figure 15: Locations of Support Vessels from Piper Alpha Worse still, the Tharos was equipped with an extensible bridge that could have worked as an escape route for the personnel trapped onboard, but due to flaws in its design it proved useless. The extension mechanism was too slow, taking five minutes to move two feet; so to extend to its full thirty metres, it would have taken over an hour. At 10:50 PM, the Tharos ran out of time; the MCP-01 Gas Line ruptured and burst. A huge fireball burnt brightly in the dark sky over the North Sea, and to date is considered an icon of the Piper Alpha disaster. The gas burning was more than the entire consumption of the United Kingdom. The intense heat threw the Tharos back, forcing her to return the bridge into its storage position, and from then on, her crew could only witness as Piper slowly melted and collapsed (McGinty, 2009). Figure 16: Screenshot from a Video Footage taken by a Surveillance Camera on board the MSV-Tharos showing the Extensible Bridge being extended towards Piper Alpha Figure 17: The Tharos docked to Piper Alpha via its Extensible Bridge Weeks before the Disaster Figure 10 shows the extensible bridge docked to Piper Alpha weeks before the disaster. Had the Tharos attempted to approach Piper to such a close distance, the situation would have turned into a nightmare, and the Tharos would have been engulfed in flames just like the Sandhaven. The Tharos continued fighting the fire from a safe distance until the morning of the following day. Divers from the Tharos recovered many bodies from the sea bed and from the galley area of the Accommodation Block, where most of the crewmen onboard gathered awaiting extraction by helicopter. The vessel supported the Fire-Fighting and Well Kill operations that eventually led to the extinguishing of the burning well three weeks later (Wikipedia, 2010). The Aftermath The Day After With the break of light of the following day, the scale of the disaster was unravelled. The entire platform melted down to its core through the night and sank into the sea. Ironically, Module A, once considered the most dangerous section of the platform, remained fairly intact. That was attributed to the fact that the Fire-Proofed wall separating modules A and B did not fail. Of the massive platform, only what shows in Figures 15 and 16 was what was left. Figure 18: Module A carrying a sign with the platforms number and name Piper A Figure 19 : The Remains of Piper Alpha with the MSV-Tharos in the Background Human Loss A total of a hundred and sixty seven men lost their lives in the disaster; of which, a hundred and sixty five were Piper Alpha crewmen. A hundred and sixty four of them died on site and one died later in hospital. Two crewmen from the MV Sandhaven died, along with six survivors from the platform, when their fast rescue craft was engulfed in flames after the explosion of Tartans gas link. Only sixty one men survived, almost all because they had decided to ignore what little training they had been given and jumped off the burning platform. Financial Loss The total financial loss amounted to U.S. $3.4 billion. It was paid in full by insurance companies that insured the platform and the personnel against operational hazards. The insurance companies also covered the cost of the Clean-Up operation. Damage to Public Image Occidental Petroleum claimed that their Safety Record was impeccable, claiming that it was the first time in twelve years that they had had a causality in the North Sea. However, their statement was challenged when various sources revealed that an oilman died four years earlier on board Piper Alph

west side stadium :: essays research papers

West Side Stadium   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a lot of controversy over the plans for a new West Side stadium. The mayor says the stadium is necessary to win the honor of being the Host City for the 2012 Olympics. The stadium will also be home of the Jets. His opinion is that the stadium would do nothing but good for the city despite criticism from people saying the money should be added to the education budget. I believe the stadium should be built.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One thing that the stadium would do that I feel is important is that if we were to get the Olympics it would give the world something besides 9/11 when they think of New York. That is very important to me because I am tired of every time I’m on a trip some one telling me there sorry when they find out I live in New York. The money the Olympics will bring into the city will also be pretty substantial. It could really help to boost the economy. There will be many wealthy people visiting the city, some for the very first time. Athletes but trainers, hardcore fans, camera crews and reporters from all over the world. Their personal spending alone will probably add up to at least a million dollars. The West Side stadium is a terrific idea for a lot of other reasons as well. The West Side stadium project will create hundreds of jobs bringing down the unemployment rate. Which is especially good in a city that has had an on going problem with its unemployment rate. The West Side Stadium will also put an end to the monopoly that cablevision has over sports entertainment in this city. The same company that funds the ads bad mouthing the mayor and the plans for a West Side Stadium.

Benefits of Risk Management Essay

1. More effective strategic planning  Effective strategic planning means the objectives set by the companies suit the company’s operations capabilities and the planning helps the company preserve its values and seek improvement. Risk management means coordinates activities to direct and control the organization with regard risks. The coordination between activities helps the company to communicate and understand the business activities as a whole, this will let the company understand the operation capabilities better and enable the company implement realistic strategic plan into organization 2. Better cost control – risk management set a objective acceptance of risk level. Company has a guide to manage risk and control negative consequence. – The cost benefit thinking is addressed by the risk management. In the past , companies think they have unlimited resources. Companies tend to transfer risks by buying insurance. Nowadays, risk management does not think transferring all the risks by insurance is enough as the competitiveness is increasing . Risk management provide more solutions, such as , avoiding risks, loss control, transfer part of risks not only by insurance but also by hedge funds and retain some risks( active retain is advocated). Company can save a lot of money by compare cost and benefit of different ways. – The risks management requires forward thinking. This will help the company to prevent downside risks and its bad consequences; also this will help company to catch opportunities to avoid opportunity cost . – greater trust, openness and transparency can be obtained by the company by applying risk management .Risk management requires company communicate with stakeholders(suppliers ,customers ,government, employees and shareholders) and different levels in the company. This will increase the supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. Also lower financing cost and regulation cost ( carbon tax) would be obtained. 3. Increased knowledge and understanding of your exposure to risks -The risks management requires the companies continual plan and manage its risks. Continual evaluation and monitoring control and environment is required. This process helps the company to learn more about itself as more experiences of dealing with same risks ,also it help the company forward looks its downside risks and capture opportunities. – Communication between different levels are required( risk management culture). 4. More systematic and thorough method of decision making -The risks management manage risks in a decentralized way by a centralized policy. – risk management set process of individual company to manage risks. The process enable company think in a complete way to manage risk. 5. Prevention rather than reaction to risks * The risk management requires the company to manage risks proactively rather than simply only reacting to the risks they face. This principle would help the company predict the risks and implement preventative control to prevent risks. * Risks management impose great emphasis on risks management culture. Each individual in company should pay attention to the risks. The effective communication between employees and management should be obtained. 6. Better preparedness for external review -Risks management aligns accountability to top managers . The managers have more pressure to work hard and act carefully. – The risk management processes greatly require communication with stakeholders and different levels within company. this will greatly improve the company’s understanding of different parties needs, concerns and issues . in this way , company can better meet expectation of external parties

Handguns Kill essays

Handguns Kill essays Imagine enjoying a movie at Cinema 10, eating a meal at Taco Bell, or even sitting in class at school while people all around you are carrying loaded guns! Although this may seem unbelievable, it is possible because the second amendment of the United States Constitution gives citizens the right to possess and carry guns. It is understandable that Americans would want to possess guns such as shotguns and rifles for the popular sport of hunting. However, it is ridiculous that our government would allow people to carry handguns. Handgun possession should be strictly limited, because they are made solely to kill people, they have increased the murder rate in the U.S., and they have even allowed children to easily kill other children. The first reason handguns should be outlawed for ordinary citizens are because their main purpose is simply to kill other human beings. Why would our country allow us to have the right to own an object that is deadly? Our government seems to want to protect us. For example, seatbelt laws and motorcycle helmet laws were created to protect our lives. The EPA enforces pollution laws to keep us safe and healthy. The FDA inspects food and tests drugs to make sure American citizens are not harmed by nasty food and dangerous drugs. Yet, our government allows just about anybody to own and walk around with guns. It does not appear our government really cares about our safety. If it did, handguns would be outlawed for the general public, because their only purpose is to kill people. Second, we should ban the possession of handguns, because the homicide and robbery have such a high crime rate. We always listen and watch the news where a robbery or homicide involved gunfire or a police officer being wounded or killed. Obviously, there was a gun involved. This contributes to our high crime rate, and is another reason handguns should be banned. The third and maybe biggest reason that citiz ...

hfd essays

hfd essays The story of Jekyll and Hyde explores the concept of both good and evil existing at the same time in the human being. Although both are present, one of the two usually prevails. Like Robert L. Stevenson's novel, Macbeth explores this concept as well. Although good and evil exist in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, we see the two at different times. When Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth to murder Duncan, her "evil" side was conquering his "good" side. In this way, "evil" prevailed over "good." Throughout the play, we see Macbeth and his wife in a constant struggle between the "good" and "evil" within In the conclusion of Macbeth, the final battle between Macbeth and Macduff is encountered, where in conclusion goodness prevails o'er evil. Macduff holds Macbeth's head, in a final declaration of success, whereby the evils are punished, and the good are rewarded. This signifies the final power shift of the play, in the event that goodness finally Finally, this play teaches some quite important moral values: that one should never let power influence rational decisions; that honesty eventually prevails; that ambition can be extremely dangerous; and that ultimately, good always overcomes evil. Darkness prevails until the final painting of light morning skies over the hills I find this story striking, powerful and terrible. In this tragedy, prevails a climate of a cursed fatality. There is a deep feeling of mystery. We feel an atmosphere of fear all along "Macbeth". And Macbeth is such an interesting character ! In fact, it's an infernal charm who will take him in a trap and this victorious and ambitious warrior will succumb to temptation. All along this tale, we experience the presence of the three witches of the night. I think Macbeth's crime wasn't very necessary ...

About Yang Fudong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About Yang Fudong - Essay Example Just like any other works of art photography in an in-grown skill and the craftiness of photography is essential in determining the quality of a photograph. In this essay, we shall focus on Yang Fudong as the central reference in reviewing different aspects or art. In addition, we shall focus on the location; explore some details concerning the nature of photographs and why his work of art is significant. Yang is an experienced photographer whose birth dates back to 1971 in Shanghai china. Unlike some professional photographers, yang Fadong’s involvement in photography is driven by his interest in films, photographs and video. In all his works, the main focus is to realize the full power of imagery in exploring subjectivity, experience and thought. His ability to draw stylistically important details from the history of Chinese cinema is worth noting. This information is then presented in the form of open ended narratives that combine quotidian ritual with a dream and fantasy. In addition to his undisputable interest in art, yang is a trained painter with credentials from china academy of fine arts in Hangzhou (Ye Jiang, 2011, p.1). Yang has been in the art industry for a long time which explains his experience and the ability to produce quality and moving works of art. His venture into serious photography and art work started in the 1990s where he worked in the medium of film and video. Photographs and pieces of art made by yang Fudong are uniqueand stand out even when theyare put together with other pieces of art. All his works portray a high level of cinematography and clearly prove his mastery of cinematic style. Yang also appreciates the diversity of art. He believes that art is not restricted or governed by a set of rules or conditions. The freedom of expression in art is evident through the various photographs, films and paintings at UC Berkley art museum. The films have two major characteristics. They are open-ended and philosophical. This means t hat the films trigger questions that revolve around both history and contemporary life particularly in issues that affect the young people. The black and white film, seven intellectuals in a bamboo forest, which is adopted from a traditional Chinese tale-the seven sages of bamboo grove- is fantastic and a commendable work of art. He uses a romantic framework cautiously and courteously to preserve Chinese contemporary values to examine the societal and organizational structures in china today. In this piece of art, yang examines china through the eyes of young urban intellectuals and tries to establish their thoughts and feelings. This portray the real potential that art has in expressing peoples thoughts, feelings and grievances or problems that affect them in their daily lives. The Nightmancometh is a single screen work which unveils in the realm of historical fantasy to adequately encompass thought and feelings through the use of immortal characters. This piece of work is very pop ular among the many film, photographs and paintings that yang funding has developed in his lifetime. In developing and presenting this piece of work yang settled for a neo-realism description rather than historical or allegorical one. This method combines current and contemporary social factors in one piece of artwork. This film is a clear expression of the fact that when historical events appear and reappear, they seize being part of history and become part of the present or future. In viewing this film, the writer is taken through a series of changing emotions and thoughts as the warrior faces different circumstances. The view is left to wonder whether the warrior will continue fighting or will quit the battle half way. Yang fundong’

Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Worldview - Essay Example According to Walters, a worldview can be defined as a manner through which an individual comprehends and makes sense of what is around him this means that one’s worldview essentially includes aspects such as reality, emotions, cognition as well as a person’s ability to give meaning to or interpret the happenings of the world (33). An atheistic worldview puts forward the concept of â€Å"naturalism† as its foundation; this notion postulates that the world we see around us is all there is (Walters 36). Therefore, atheism does not advocate the existence of any supernatural or mystical entities nor does it believe in any form of spiritualism. Baggini notes that the definition of atheism is exceptionally straightforward – it is a credence which says that there is no God (4). From this belief stem several ideas, according to which it is understood that there is in fact no life after death and consequently, no heaven or hell (Baggini 6). Therefore, when a human b eing dies that is the end of their life; atheism does not support the existence of spirits or mystical souls. The most important question that arises however is that, if there is no divine creator or Supreme Being, how would an atheist explain the nature of the universe? Dawkins argues that simply relying on the theory that the complexity of living organisms is an evidence of God is not enough. In fact, evolution by natural selection competently elucidates the complexity of all living creations which in turn defines the nature of the universe (Dawkins). Baggini observes that there exists a general perception which implies that since atheism negates the existence of God, consequently, an atheistic worldview might also challenge morality and not hold confidence in doing good and being good to others (5). However, that is not the case. While, atheism views the existence of a divine creator negatively, it does not advocate pessimism in other facets of life (Baggini 5). A sound and solid upbringing that is guided with and shaped by education develops and enhances an individual’s ability to reason, think and distinguish between right and wrong, thereby, instilling morals and ethics to abide by in life. Baggini argues that unlike an individual who follows religion, an atheist is frequently bombarded with questions such as; if there is no God then what is the meaning of life? While, it is believed that the religious do not have problems in defining the purpose of life (84). The meaning, point and purpose of life is to be happy, prosperous and satisfied throughout one’s existence, it is to live with no regrets or disappointments. In comparison with an atheistic worldview, a Christian worldview encompasses the incorporation and integration of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible into one’s life. According to Goheen and Bartholomew the religion of Christianity requires a believer to abide by a Christocentric belief system that comprehensively covers each and every aspect of a follower’s life (14). Therefore, a Christian worldview is centered around accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ, accomplishing salvation and acknowledging the nature of the universe as guided by the Old Testament’s outlook of creation (Goheen and Bartholomew 14). Several prominent writers on the concept of the Christian worldview have suggested that impartial and rational human reasoning which is not barred by any preconceived notions or ideas is most likely to side with Christian ideologies (Goheen and Bartholomew 16) rather than supporting any contradictory beliefs. However, commentators who believe in this idea have failed to present scientific evidence and logical arguments to support their