The Simple Past in German (Preterite)

First and foremost you need to understand this one vital difference between English and German when it comes to the simple past:The simple past is the most frequent tense used in both conversational and written English to describe an event that has happened in the past. On the other hand, the simple past is usually not expressed in spoken German – in fact in some southern German dialects, â€Å"das Prà ¤teritum† has been completely eradicated. The simple past in German is mostly used in written works, such as in stories:Es war einmal ein Ehepaar†¦ (There once was a married couple.)Der Junge schleichte sich langsam zur Tà ¼r hin und wartete einen Moment. Dann riss er die Tà ¼r plà ¶tztlich auf und fing an laut zu schreien... (The boy quietly crept to the door and waited for a moment. Then he suddenly flung the door open and began to scream†¦) Quick Facts About the Simple Past The simple past is used mostly in written German to describe an event or action that both started and ended in the past.The simple past in German is also identified as das Imperfekt.Special case: Modal verbs and the verbs haben (to have), sein (to be) and wissen (to know) are exceptions – they, unlike other verbs, will be used mostly in the simple past tense in spoken German.The common verb mà ¶chten (to want) has no past tense. The verb wollen is used instead:Ich mà ¶chte einen Keks (I would like a cookie.) - Ich wollte einen Keks ( I wanted a cookie.)The Formation of the Simple Past Tense in German German verbs are divided into weak and strong verbs and are conjugated into the simple past tense accordingly:Weak Verbs: As with other tenses, weak verbs follow a predictable pattern here as well.Verbstem -te Personal endingTake note: When the stem of a weak verb ends in either d or t, then –ete will be added:Ich rede zu viel (I talk too much) - Ich redete damals zu vie l. (I spoke too much then)Er arbeitet morgen. (He is working tomorrow) - Er arbeitete stà ¤ndig jeden Tag. (He worked steadily each day)To a beginner, this double te â€Å"stutter† sound may seem odd at first, but you see it so often in text that it will soon become second nature to you.lachen (to laugh) nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp sich duschen (To shower)Ich lachte nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ich duschte michDu lachtest nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Du duschtest dichEr/Sie/ Es lachte nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Er/Sie/Es duschte sichWir lachten nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Wir duschten unsIhr lachtet nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ihr duschtet euchSie lachten nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Sie duschten sichStrong Verbs:  As with other tenses, strong verbs do not follow a predictable pattern. Their verb stem changes. It is best to just memorize them. Sometimes the consonants change too, but thankfully not as drastically:ß-ss nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp schmeißen - schmissss-ß nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp giessen - goßd- tt nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp schneiden - schnittThe simple past tense of some common strong German verbs:fahren (to drive) nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp stehen (To stand)Ich fuhr nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ich standDu fuhrst nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Du stand(e)stEr/Sie/ Es fuhr nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Er/Sie/Es standWir fuhren nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Wir standenIhr fuhrt nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ihr standetSie fuhren nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Si e standenA small number of strong verbs have two simple past tense forms. Some of these are common verbs:erschrecken (to get scared/ to scare)- erschrak/ erschrecktehauen (to hit) - hieb/ haute (more common)stecken (to get stuck) – stak/ steckte (more common)Mixed Verbs: Mixed verbs are those verbs which have elements of both strong and weak verbs. In the case of the simple past that would mean that the stem vowel changes and the endings follow the pattern of weak verbs. A good example of mixed verbs is modal verbs. They are conjugated as follows:  Ã‚  Ã‚  kà ¶nnensollenwollenmà ¼ssendà ¼rfenmà ¶genIchkonntesolltewolltemusstekonntemochteDukonntestsolltestwolltestmusstestkonntestmochtestEr/Sie/EskonntesolltewolltemusstekonntemochteWirkonntensolltenwolltenmusstenkonntenmochtenIhrkonntetsolltetwolltetmusstetkonntetmochtetSiekonntensolltenwolltenmusstenkonntenmochten

Democracy Essay examples - 821 Words

Traditionally, the purpose of democracy is to prevent the accumulation of too much authority in the hands of one or a few. It rests on a balance of giving enough power for what Alexander Hamilton called quot;vigorous and energetic governmentquot; and avoiding giving out so much power that it becomes abused. Democracy is believed by some, such as Winston Churchill, to be the quot;least badquot; form of government. By creating a system where the public can remove administrations, without changing the legal basis for government, democracy aims at reducing political uncertainty and instability, and assuring citizens that however much they may disagree with present policies, they will be given a regular chance to change those who are in†¦show more content†¦The threat of coercive power is still the main cause for concern. A historical example would be Hitler in pre-Nazi Germany, who was elected in 1933 by the German people with the largest minority vote. For this reason, some cou ntries have created constitutions/laws that protect particular issues from majoritarian decision-making. Generally, changes in these constitutions require the agreement of a supermajority of the electednbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; representatives, or require a judge and jury to agree that evidentiary and procedural standards have been fulfilled by the state, or, very rarely, a referendum. This means a majority can still legitimately coerce a minority, but such a minority would be very small and, as a practical matter, it is harder to get a larger proportion of the people to agree to such actions. On the other hand, proponents of broader democracy wonder what gives a small minority of people the right to impose their will on the majority. â€Å"Democracy has failed to eliminate social inequality, and this seems a permanent and structural failure. It is undeniable that all democratic societies have social inequalities - substantial differences in income, in wealth, and in social status. These differences have persisted: there is no indication that inequality will ever disappear in democracies. In the stable western democracies, inequality is apparently increasing. The pattern established in the United States is, that the lowest incomes do not grow:Show MoreRelatedDemocracy Is Not A Democracy1297 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.† said by John Adams Defines our country s government to a tea Democracy commonly refers to a type of political system in which the people or their representatives lawfully go vern themselves, rather than being governed, say, by a military dictatorship, totalitarian party or monarchRead MoreDemocracy : Democracy Vs. Democracy1589 Words   |  7 PagesDemocracy is a Greek invention, first practiced in the ancient Greek city of Athens. In the late 20th century, Democracy triumphed over all other major ideological systems, so overpowering was its victory that former critics now began to advocate their own democratic credentials. The vigorous rise of democracy has continued ever since and today there are over 112 self-proclaimed democratic countries around the world(Kekic 2007), whether all these countries are truly democratic or not is debatableRead MoreDemocracy And Its Impact On Democracy965 Words   |  4 Pages How are they related to democracy, concepts discuss the procedures that make democracy possible. Democracy related to our lives by looking for the right thing to do, for every one of us have equality and freedom of speech, we could have multiple ideas it might change the ideology of the country, we also could related the democracy by looking at the facts. The facts are Free Elections, Political Participation, Civil Liberties, and Functioning Government. The democracy is one of the most common typesRead MoreDemocracy And Its Impact On Democracy1329 Words   |  6 Pages Democracy is a particular form of government the means, â€Å"ruled by the people†. The Greeks are widely credited for the concept of democracy, around six B.C. Many political science experts consider the early Greek government, to be a perfect for of democracy. People had the ability to decide various government issues, and the right to suffrage. Through out time, the concept of democracy was established by many nations. The United States, is widely credited on making democracy widely used aroundRead MoreDemocracy : A Perfect Democracy1398 Words   |  6 PagesDemocracy at its purest form is a system of government, which allows each and every citizen to participate actively and equally in the decisions being made. In a perfect democracy, the decisions made the government are perfect representations of what the people want. In reality, a perfect democracy is nearly impossible, especially when dealing with a population as large as the United States, but there are still techniq ues and systems that can be implemented into a society in which democracy can beRead MoreDemocracy Vs Democracy1193 Words   |  5 Pagesthat I think has created the most success for the government and its people is democracy. The definition of democracy is a â€Å"political system of mass participation, competitive elections, and human and civil rights (Roskin 88).† This is the clear definition of democracy, but there are many different forms for example there is a representative democracy and illiberal democracy. These follow the same guideline of democracy, but have there own individual definition. Unfortunately, there is no perfectRead MoreDemocracy And Its Effect On Democracy894 Words   |  4 PagesDemocracy in its most basic form is a type of governing system ruled by the citizens of a particular society. The first form of democracy can be found in ancient Greece, and the modern form of Democracy was established in part by the French revolution because it brought bac k the idea of rule by the people. Although, for most of history democracy was not viewed in a positive light. According to Mintz, Close, and Croci many people feared democracy because they thought the masses would not act withRead MoreDemocracy And Its Effect On Democracy Essay2111 Words   |  9 PagesOver the past quarter-century, democracy has stood at the center of political debate in many countries and it is a constant concern of the political and social sciences. Since its origins in ancient Greece, democracy was seen as a form of government where power was exercised by the people, that is, where political decisions were made by the majority. Today, democracy enjoys great recognition, but it is important to bear in mind that where democracy is now the preferred constitution, we can not forgetRead MoreDemocracy And Its Lack Of Democracy2099 Words   |  9 Pagesoligarchy, democracy, and tyranny. Most shocking critique throughout the discussion is about democracy and its ineff ectiveness to rule. Plato’s disagreement of democracy does not involve of what we are acquainted with today, but rather the idea of democracy. Plato explores the central strain of the government that is acknowledged with liberty and fairness. Also, this form of government known for its embracement of freedom and equality. Plato’s description and disagreement about democracy is correctRead MoreDemocracy843 Words   |  4 PagesDemocracy Essay 1 Democracy is a means for the people to choose their leaders and to hold their leaders accountable for their policies and their conduct in office. The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life. Democracy is also a system of rule by laws, not by individuals. Democracy is not a government. It is a way of thinking and a responsibility

Region IX †Zamboanga Peninsula Free Essays

Recently we were told by our teacher to pay a visit at our campus on the occasion of a science fair giving each one of us one ticket. Accordingly, I went there and enjoyed a lot. What I saw was a fantastic arrangement of exhibits done by the students. We will write a custom essay sample on Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula or any similar topic only for you Order Now I saw miniatures mostly about agriculture. One of the unique creations was a miniature of Terrace Farming, it is a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming. As we all know, one of the popular terraces is he Banana Rice Terraces (Haggard-Haggard Palatal). Some of the miniature was describing about Contour Plowing it is plowing across a slope following its elevation contour lines. This is the kind of agricultural solution used by most farmers as a tool for weed control, prevent soil erosion, and in some cases to promote plant growth. There was also a miniature about Interloping meaning growing two different vegetables in an area at the same time to save space. On the other miniature it was about how to farm organically. According to a book that I have read, eating organic odds may in fact, reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer for individuals who abstain from consuming products produced by conventional farming methods. I also saw a miniature about animal farming. Mostly the main products of this Industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption. Here’s to other miniature about urban Vile which pictures out the setting of an urban place or what we call a city where you can see tall buildings and establishments and a large crowd of people. In the contrary there was a miniature with details of a Rural place where It Is located outside the city with a low population density and small settlements. And lastly, one object drew my attention. It was about family farming. Like In my hometown we have a small farm at the back of our house, and planting Is one of our ways of bonding during weekends. One of the Important features of family farms Is the Intimate connection between families and farms which creates vital links between a farm and the food being grown. I miss home. I spent full 30 minutes rooming around the science fair enjoying such wonderful creations. How to cite Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula, Papers

Lab creates human embryos for stem cell research Essay Example For Students

Lab creates human embryos for stem cell research Essay top NORFOLK, Va. (AP) Scientists at Eastern Virginia Medical School have created human embryos from donated eggs and sperm for the sole purpose of harvesting embryonic stem cells for research, according to a study published Wednesday. Until now, researchers had derived embryonic stem cells from embryos left over from infertility treatments. Other researchers have derived adult stem cells from sources such as fat cells and bone marrow, although scientists say these types of stem cells are not as useful as embryonic stem cells. In this case, scientists approached donors and informed them that their eggs and sperm would be used to develop embryos for stem-cell research. Embryonic stem cells can mature into any cell or tissue, and scientists say they may someday be used to repair or replace damaged tissue or organs for disorders such as Alzheimers, diabetes, cancer, Parkinsons and spinal cord injuries. The results of the work by researchers at the medical schools Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine appear in the July issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility, the official publication of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. The society believes the researchers are the first in the United States to have created embryos explicitly for stem cell research, and it was impressed with their thorough study of the ethics involved, said society spokesman Sean Tipton. At one level, its cleaner (ethically) than using leftover embryos, Tipton said Wednesday. Theres no question as to what youre going to do with these embryos. Youre going to the individuals upfront. A biotech firm, Applied Cell Technology of Massachusetts, has done something similar since early last year, but while it uses donor eggs it does not fertilize them with sperm cells. Instead, it replaces the nuclei of the donated eggs with genetic material from adult cells, and then clones the results. The company calls the subject of its research an ovumsum, not an embryo. President Bush has said he will soon decide whether to allow taxpayer dollars to be used for research on embryonic stem cells. He is under pressure from patient groups that favor the research and opponents who feel the work is inherently unethical. The Jones Institute work was criticized by religious conservatives opposed to embryo research and from others who have been working to find middle ground in the heated political battle. Its still killing a human being, Mary Petchel, president of the Tidewater chapter of the Virginia Society for Human Life, told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. Scientists who conducted the work said several review panels had assessed the ethical implications and concluded that the approach was at least as ethical as using spare frozen embryos. The institutes ethics committee concluded that the creation of embryos for research purposes was justifiable and that it was our duty to provide humankind with the best understanding of early human development, the team reported in the journal. The researchers extracted eggs from 12 women, who had signed detailed informed consent documents and were paid $1,500 to $2,000 each, said William Gibbons, an Eastern Virginia reproductive endocrinologist who was not involved in the work. Of the 162 eggs collected and inseminated by donor sperm, 50 developed into embryos. The researchers destroyed 40 of those to obtain their stem cells, then isolated three lines, or colonies, of stem cells that were maintained in culture. The privately funded study began in 1997 and ended last July Bibliography: .

Macbeth And Metaphysics Essay Example For Students

Macbeth And Metaphysics Essay The Three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are introduced right at the beginningof the play. They tell Macbeth three prophesies, he will be Thane of Cawdor,Thane of Glams and King. These prophesies introduce him to ideas of greatness. Macbeth will eventually follow through on killing king Duncan. This brings intothe play, idea of fate and the role with which it has in the play. The witchescould foretell the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, butthey can not control his destiny. Macbeth creates his own anguish when he isdriven by his own sense of guilt. This causes him to become insecure as to thereasons for his actions which in turn causes him to commit more murders. Thewitches offer great temptation, but it is in the end, each individualsdecision to fall for the appeal, or to be strong enough to resist theircaptivation. The witches are only responsible for the introduction of theseideas and for further forming ideas in Macbeth head, but they are notresponsible for his actions throughout the play. Lady Macbeth is shown early inthe play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose. She can manipulate Macbetheasily. This is shown in the line That I may pour my spirits in thineear. (I,V, 26) Befor e the speech that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scenefive, Macbeth is resolved not to go through with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth says that it would be on his manliness and his bravery ifhe didnt. This then convinces Macbeth to commit regicide. Although Macbethhas the final say in whether or not to go through with the initial killing, heloves his wife and wants to make her happy. She is the dominating individual inthe relationship which is shown in her soliloquy, This have I thought good todeliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose duesby rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promised the. Lay it to thyheart, and Farewell.(I, V, 7-10) Once Macbeth kills for the first time, hehas no choice but to continue to cover up his wrong doings, or risk loosingeverything he has worked so hard for. In the end, it all comes to Macbethhimself. Everyone is responsible for his own destiny. This is an essential themein this tragedy. Macbeth, chooses to gamble with his soul and when he does this,it is only him who chooses to lose it. He is responsible for anything he doesand must take total accountability for his actions. Macbeth is the one who madethe final decision to carry out his actions. He made these final decisions andcontinued with the killings to cover that of King Duncan. The killing of Duncanstarts an unstoppable chain of events in the play that ends with the murder ofMacbeth and the suicide of Lady Macbeth. In the beginning, Macbeth had all ofthe qualities of an honorable gentleman who could become anything. This is allshattered when his spirit overrides his sense of honorability. Although Macbethis warned as to the validity of the witches prophesies, he is tempted andrefuses to listen to reason from Banquo. When the second set of prophesiesMacbeth receives begin to show their faults Macbeth blames the witches fordeceiving him with half truths. While the witches are not totally responsiblefor the actions of Macbeth, they are responsible for introducing the ideas toMacbeth which in turn fired up Macbeths ambition and led to a disastr ous andunnecessary chain of events. .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 , .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .postImageUrl , .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 , .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:hover , .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:visited , .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:active { border:0!important; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:active , .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0 .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucfc5dcd7628d54138f6224321a2bfdd0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Dirty South EssayShakespeare

Sample of Short Philosophical Essay

Sample of Short Philosophical EssayIf you are writing a sample of short philosophical essay for university or a professional journal, you will probably find that there are some 'rules' that apply to this task. Although these essays may be varied in length, the style and substance should not be too dissimilar. A short piece such as this can be considered as an ideal method of simply expressing your views on a subject without worrying about the content.In general, you have to go for a long essay when writing a philosophical essay because it presents you better on the subject matter. However, you should avoid going beyond a particular length when composing the sample. And keep in mind that it is an essay so the quality of it needs to be considered.A typical essay consists of four parts; the introduction, the body, the conclusion - that is the critical part. Thus, your first aim should be to organize these parts in the most creative way possible. After that, you will need to come up with an interesting title for your work.An interesting title can also make it more attractive to read. Even if you are only expressing your personal opinion, having a catchy title can make a difference. Just bear in mind that you will not always want to go for the title which is too simple or plain.In writing a philosophical essay for a professional journal, the focus should always be on what is known as the main idea, the main idea of the essay. It is highly recommended that you make sure that you get the major point across in your work. This will make the rest of the essay easier to understand and give the reader the impression that they are reading something worth their time.It is very easy to write a short essay for the term paper or a professional journal. Writingthem is generally a one-day job, and it is never too difficult to write an essay for less than a few hundred words. Sometimes, the goal of the writer is to create a novel that contains the theme of the essay as its main co ncept, which may even be longer and more extensive than the topic of the essay itself.It is true that each of these essays is different from the other but you must still keep in mind that the quality of the essay is also determined by its content. The first of the two steps to developing a quality philosophical essay is being able to make the title work.

Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution Essay Example

Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution Paper Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution in urban areas. Examine the methods to control excessive usage of external lighting. BY aakk1234991 Light pollution is an issue that affects the livability of a city. Although it is not always considered as a serious environmental concern, it Is an issue that has serious impact on the environment, ecology and society. Outdoor lighting Is designed with a purpose. External lighting Is considered as functional lighting. However, over-11th outdoor lamps including traffic lamps and advertisement spotlights have led to 377 implants to various government departments in 2009 (Imaging, 2010). The problem of light pollution have arouse much concerns. Are there any government policies that regulate the lighting at night and protect the dark sky of Hong Kong? This paper argues the main causes of light pollution as well as evaluating current polices on restricting unnecessary lighting In the city. To begin with, the term light pollution must be defined first. According to the International Dark-sky Association (IDA), light pollution is defined as any adverse effect of artificial light including sky low, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste (IDA, 2010). Urban sky glow is defined as the brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas (IDA, 2009). Light trespass is defined as light falling to places where it is not Intended, wanted or needed (IDA, 2009). Clutter is the bright, confusing and excessive groups of light sources commonly found In over-11th urban cycles (IDA, 2009). The combined effects of sky glow, light trespass and clutter leads to light pollution in the city. There are 2 main objectives of outdoor lighting. The first objective is to revive visibility (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). We will write a custom essay sample on Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Traffic light and headlights on motor vehicles are essential to provide a certain amount of visible distance for the drivers to drive safely. Headlights are designed such that the maximum amount of luminous flux Is parallel to the road. However, there Is always light escaped from the designed direction and reach the outer part of the road. As a result, observers standing beside the road can receive a considerable amount of unwanted light (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). The huge amount of traffic on roads therefore is a great cause for eight pollution. The second purpose of outdoor lighting is to decorate the city at night (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Commercial activity at night must come along with a well lit environment. People are attracted by high-quality outdoor lighting on the streets to go shopping and leisure activities at night, Neon lights, outdoor advertisements and spotlights are the characteristics of the night view of Hong Kong. A Symphony of Lights organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board since 2004 is a synchronized laser and light multimedia display which has attracted millions of rigorists (Tourism Commission, 2005). Tourists are also attracted to see the charming view of the Victoria Harbor at night. However, the charming night view of the Harbor has become the cover story of an International astronomy magazine, being an commercial activities at night are another reason for light pollution. Observations for astronomy objects are very difficult to make as a consequence of light pollution. Lighting of industrial sites, airports, building sites, road and street lighting, advertising signs, floodlighting of buildings, lighting of sports facilities may interfere tit astronomical observations (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). A phenomenon called sky glow is the reason for dimmed astronomy objects. The upward light from poorly designed lamps are scattered and reflected downwards by aerosols in the atmosphere, reducing the details of the night sky (Motion 2002). Stargazing activities are therefore seriously affected by sky glow as many of the twinkle stars are covered up by the bright night. Wasted lighting is costly to the environment. The greenhouse gases produced and fossil fuel consumed on lighting is notable. Although street lighting consumed only 0. % in overall electricity consumption in 2009 (Census and Statistics Department, 2008), the overall effect cannot be neglected. Road lamps in Hong Kong are automatic. When the environment reach a certain darkness level. However, the lamps will not be turned off if there is no body nearby. They are kept on for the whole night even though they are not in use. Advertisement boards waste even more energy. A non-government organization Friends of the Earth launc hed a Ridiculous Lightings Vote in 2008. Spotlight outside the Windsor House was elected as the most ridiculous lighting by more than 600 citizens. The luminance level was 10,000 lug, which was 20 times brighter than a normal office (FOE, 2008). High-rise buildings in Hong Kong always use spotlights and LED to make their appearance sharper at night. One can see the advertisement display on the wall of Hopeless Center in Hawaiian across the Harbor. Even worst is that these highly laminated advertisement boards remain bright the whole night long. Another environmental group, Green Sense, conducted a study in 2007 to examine the number of neon lights, advertisement boards and spotlights that are still operating in major roads in Mongo Kook and This Shah Thus at 2300. The study revealed that a total of 1330 spotlights were used for 120 advertisement boards. 91 neon lights were still operating even though the shop concerned was closed (Green Sense, 2007). This kind of decorative lightings are obviously a kind of wastage. Light pollution has a significant impact on individuals health. Human beings are adapted too light/dark regime of 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness depending on latitude and season (as cited in Ashram, 2009, p. 23). According to Ashram (2009), The primary unction of the human circadian rhythm, as set by the internal clock and outside visual reference, is the release of hormones that help to regulate varying bodily functions in response to the internal perception of time (p. 25). Light pollution is a form of annoyance. According to the World Health Organization, annoyance is described as follows, Annoyance is a feeling of displeasure associated with any agent or condition believed to affect adversely an individual or a group (as cited in Marinara Schroeder, 2004, p. 79). Friends of the Earth (HOOK) discovered that more Han 1900 street lamps are mounted on the wall of buildings. These lamps are too close to the residents and cause nuisance to them (FOE, 2009). They are like a kind of free bedside light turned on for the whole night with a strong intensity. A local resident, Mr.. Fond, described, The floodlight here switches off after 1200. The light is floodlight. In order to have good rest, I have to put up three layers of curtain (Sing Tao Ltd, 2007). It is obvious that this kind of wall lamps may cause annoyance to the residents. Nevertheless, the impact on health caused by light pollution is significant ND cannot be neglected. To be frank, there is no single department dealing with light pollution currently. Even worst is that there is no laws and guidelines regulating the problem of over-lit outdoor lamps. The former Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dry Sarah Lila replied to a question raised in a Legislative Council meeting in 2007 as follow: Light nuisance that may result from advertisement light boxes on the external face of buildings for the purpose of advertisement is not subject to control under the existing environmental legislations E light intensity of these facilities and whether they cause nuisance to nearby residents falls outside the current scope of control. (HUSSAR Government, 2007) The government cannot control any of the measures that directly lead to light pollution such as light intensity, direction of the luminous flux and angle of operation. Secretary for Transport an d Housing, Ms Eva Change, expressed that the government would consider the feasibility of legislation to regulate external lighting in the view point of energy wastage in a meeting in the Legislative Council in 2009 (HUSSAR Government, 2009). This suggests that the government would only consider the perspective on energy wastage but not the impact of light pollution on individuals and the ecosystem. As there is no measures that deal with light pollution, what methods can be used to regulate unnecessary external lighting? Light pollution cannot be alleviated solely by private initiative since it is not a problem that directly threatens the health of the general public. Legislation, therefore, is the only way to deal with the problem (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). In some Europe countries like the Czech Republic, Belgium and Spain, legislation have been made concerning light pollution. In other parts of the world, various guidelines and regulations have been adopted (Olivarez del Castillo et al. , 2003). Zoning and hour of restriction (curfew time) are the 2 parameters that are generally used to control light pollution (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Zoning is a method dividing areas into zones. One of the methods is dividing the city into environment sub-zones (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Different standards of restrictions are imposed in different areas. The city would be beautified by a decent environmental zoning scheme. An effective environmental zoning scheme also discourages unwanted light and alleviates light pollution (Aka, 2008). Hour of restriction (curfew time) is a method restricting the operating time of outdoor lightings. The major consideration of setting hour of restriction is to ensure a better resting environment at night. In order to identify the appropriate time for restricting outdoor lightings, working and rest hour are the 2 major considerations. As for the case in Hong Kong, 1 1 pm would be a suitable time. However, switching off outdoor advertisement light boxes may decrease incentives for entertainment at night and even mislead others that the shop is closed. Nevertheless, curfew time would be an effective way of alleviating light pollution (Aka, 2008). To conclude, It can be seen that light pollution causes serious destruction to the society and the environment. Lack of regulations is the main reason that leads to brightened night sky. By taking suitable The aim of achieving sustainable usage of energy and utility can be met. After implementing suitable measures to regulate light pollution, the city would be a more livable place to live in.