Summer Season Dates and Weather

Grab your shorts, swimwear, and SPF 30 because summer is here! But what does that mean season- and weather-wise? What is summer? Summer, in a nutshell, is the warmest season of the year worldwide (with the exception of one or two tropical locations that also see balmy weather at other times of the year). When is Summer? The Memorial Day holiday is considered to be the unofficial start of summer here in the U.S. But summer isnt officially declared until the summer solstice, which occurs every June 20, 21, or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere (December 20, 21, 22 in the Southern Hemisphere). It runs until the next season, fall, begins with the fall equinox. On this date, Earths axis points its innermost towards the sun. As a result, the suns direct rays strike at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 ° north latitude) and heat the Northern Hemisphere more efficiently than any other region on Earth. This means that warmer temperatures and more daylight are experienced there. When is the summer solstice? See the table below for a list of 2015 to 2020 summer solstice dates. These are the summer start dates youll see marked on your calendar. But if you want to celebrate summer like a true meteorologist (or just want it to start as soon as possible) youll want to observe its start on June 1. Meteorological summer not only begins earlier, but it ends sooner too. It lasts for the 3-month period of June, July, and August (December, January, February in the Southern Hemisphere) and ends on August 30 (February 30). Year Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere 2015 June 21 Dec 22 2016 June 20 Dec 21 2017 June 21 Dec 21 2018 June 21 Dec 21 2019 June 21 Dec 22 2020 June 20 Dec 21 (Astronomical) Summer Solstice Dates More: Astronomical vs. Meteorological summer - whats the difference? Summer Weather Summers most treasured weather type is of course its higher temperatures. But even summer, a seemingly cheerful season, has a severe side. Extreme HeatHeat IndexDroughtsHail stormsThunderstorms One of the reasons storms become more intense during this time of year is because of the high amount of heat in the atmosphere which works to fuel convection (the heat exchange between the ground and air).   Now that you know what summers about, youre ready to enjoy its activities, including swimming. But before you cannonball into the nearest pool, I should warn you about this...

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - 878 Words

In a dystopian society where life consists of television walls and the burning of books, deep, underlying themes surface throughout the course of the novel. These themes can be connected to each other with one thing: fire. Ray Bradbury uses fire to show the intellectual discourse in this futuristic society overrun with technology by using characters and other symbols to show the downfall of a society where entertainment and â€Å"snap endings† are increasingly valued. At the beginning of the novel, Montag meets a young girl, Clarisse McClellan: the symbol of innocence. She represents how technology has destroyed most of the innocence within the world. The phoenix, as explained by Granger, represents mankind, rising from the ashes, in a way representing the transformation Montag goes through. A symbol represented throughout the whole novel is the parlor walls. They represent a distraction from reality so people don’t need to have independent thought. Ironically, they end up getting burned down by none other than the fire. Clarisse McClellan is introduced at the beginning of the novel as a young girl who thinks differently than everyone else in this society. She is considered strange because her and her family go on walks together and she asks questions rather than sitting inside watching T.V. all day. When Montag asks Beatty about Clarisse’s disappearance, he gets a chilling response. â€Å"She didn’t want to know how a thing was done, but why. that can be embarrassing. You askShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury719 Words   |  3 PagesThe flash point of paper, or the temperature at which paper will burst in flames, is 451 degrees Fahrenheit. In Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Guy Montag, is a â€Å"fireman† in a futuristic society where he and his coworkers start fires, rather than put them out. Books are banned and burned, along with the owner of the book’s house and sometimes even the owner of the book, upon discovery. Technology has taken over in a sense that social interaction between the average personRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1952 Words   |  8 Pagesis clearly displayed in the plight of Ray Bradbury’s novel about a dystopian American society, Fahrenheit 451, which contains many ideas and bits of content that some people believed should be censored. In fact, one of the reasons that this novel was censored for displaying the dangers of censorship, which is both extremely ironic, and telling as to where this society is going. Thanks to several distributors and oversensitive parents and teachers, Fahrenheit 451 has been banned in many schools overRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury954 Words   |  4 Pages In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the author uses allegory (often misinterpreted by readers) to show the dangers of mass media consumption and the decline of reading traditional media. Many readers draw incorrect conclusio ns (lessons learned) from the book due to how generally the book applies its theme. Government censorship, though an important topic, is not the intended focus of the novel Fahrenheit 451. Finally, Bradbury’s original message of the book shows the beauty of traditional media andRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1592 Words   |  7 PagesWhen writing the introduction to Fahrenheit 451, author Neil Gaiman stated that â€Å"ideas--written ideas--are special. They are the way we transmit our stories and our thoughts from one generation to the next. If we lose them, we lose our shared history†. Gaiman is absolutely correct; especially because what he is saying heavily applies to books. Books are a critical aspect in shaping humanity as a whole, they create and share a network of creative ideas, history, and overall entertainment; to loseRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury918 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Fahrenheit 451,† written by Ray Bradbury, is a futurist ic, dystopian novel based upon a society secluded by technology and ignorance. In this future society, books are outlawed and firemen are presented with the task of burning books that are found in people’s homes. Montag, a fireman, finds himself intrigued with the books, and begins to take them home and read them. As the story progresses, Montag learns the truth behind why books are outlawed and flees his city to join the last remnants of age-oldRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury847 Words   |  4 PagesSet Knowledge On Fire The book Fahrenheit 451 is a postmodern work by Ray Bradbury first published in 1951. In Bradbury’s story, all books are illegal and are subject to be burned by firemen. Furthermore, the two predominant themes of Fahrenheit 451 are censorship and ignorance. The censorship implemented over the years removes all information from society that is necessary to learn, which accomplishes to prevent people from questioning anything. The ignorance of society has been fostered and theRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1661 Words   |  7 Pages1.) In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag’s view on life reverses. Two characters the influence the main character Guy Montag are the old lady whose house and books were burnt down and Mildred. The old lady was caught preserving books in her home. Firemen including Montag were ordered to burn the books. The old lady refused to leave her books, so she too was burned. She bravely gave an allusion as her last words, â€Å"Play the man,’ she said, ‘Master Ridley.’ Something, somethingRead MoreFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury818 Words   |  4 PagesFAHRENHEIT 451 BY RAY BRADBURY Important People in Montag’s Life In Partical Fulfillment Of English 2 Ms Irina Abramov By Helen Hernandez November 9, 2012 â€Å"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them† -Ray Bradbury. In the past there were events that affected book writers. People will get together to burn books because they thought it was inappropriate or they were against their literature. Montag is a fireman in a futuristic society who would startRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury863 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel, Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury and it took place in the dystopian future. Throughout each novel, we are able to see a major theme, which is censorship. In this essay, I will explain how this theme are explored in the story by using the literary devices. To begin with, in this novel, censorship is not given a straight description, but we can see how the author shows it through many literary elements, such as using the setting, tone and symbolisms even foreshadowing. This novelRead MoreFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury904 Words   |  4 PagesLiving in a world with no free thought would be bland as cardboard. But, if that cardboard illuminated with fire, would it have more meaning than it did before? The answer is yes. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Montag, finds much meaning behind the simple element of fire. The symbol of fire is used to represent how Montag changes himself and his ideas and thoughts about fire throughout the novel. At first, Montag views fire as destructive, but enjoys burning because

Why Is It so Difficult to Define Poverty free essay sample

Why is so difficult to define poverty In general, the term poverty refers to a social and economic condition which is undesirable for any individual or group in society. This essay will discuss different approaches used to define poverty. First is absolute poverty, this approach looks at the lack of income in order to satisfy the essential requirement for physiological survival. It then goes on to discuss the relative approach which is lack of income in order to reach the average standard of living in society in which one live. This essay also addresses the consensual approach this is based on the lack of socially perceived necessities, it also incorporate an income measure to the extent that it is used along with deprivation. It also look at social exclusion which describe the lack of access to basic service whether in the home or outside, the different ways through non-participation in common social activities, isolation, and discrimination. Absolute poverty is define as not having the basic means to live adequately, it also measure a set poverty line. The problem and limitation of defining poverty by use of poverty are many. It has encouraged a tendency to define poverty at an extremely low level of income necessary to ensure physical survival. An absolute measure of poverty will remain the same regard of the social circumstance is an impossibility. Even the attempt to calculate absolute nutrition requirement for substance (for example: the poverty line which the USA is base on a dollar a day) fails once we appreciate that even necessary minimum levels of nutrition will vary with such changeable factor as life expectancy. Such measure are even less realistic when consider the need for clothing or shelter, for what we consider necessary minimum can never be fixed absolutely. Other concepts of absolute poverty go beyond the notion of substance and materials poverty by introducing the idea of ‘basic cultural needs’. This broadens the idea of basic human needs beyond the level of physical survival. The life style of the poor differs in certain respects from other members of society, although life styles in different societies share common characteristics. The circumstances of poverty are similar, in many respects, where similar circumstances and problems tend to produce similar responses, and these responses can develop into a culture, that is learn, shared, and socially transmitted behaviour of a social group. Cultures are develops to give people a guide as to how they should behave, and cope with their surroundings. Cultures are always changing; however, the broad outlines are passed on from one generation to another by parents and others who influence people when they are young. Even those who support an absolute definition of poverty tend to relate necessities to their own society, for example, even Rowntree accepted that the choice of food to make up a person’s diet was related to the cultural expectations of food in a society, not just any mixture of vitamins, calories, ect (Stephen Moore, 2002). However, most politicians have adopt a relative approach to poverty, to argue that poverty can never be defined or measured in absolute terms, but always relative to the society in which it occurs. This approach has also encouraged a wider imprecation of the standards against which poverty is measured, that it is not enough simply to measure the minimum requirement for food, clothing, and shelter in any given society at any given point in time. Another definition of poverty is relative poverty. This measurement of poverty is based on working out the income needed to attain an accepted standard of living in a society. Relative deprivation occurs when people cannot obtain, the basic amenities and services which allow them to play their role, participate, and follow expected customary behaviour in their society. In a rapidly changing world, definition of poverty based on relative standards will be constantly changing. In Western society, products and services such as hot and cold running water, refrigerators and washing machines, medical and dental care, fulltime education and motor cars have or are travelling the road from luxuries, to comforts to necessaries because any definition of poverty must be related to the needs and demands of a changing society. It is necessary to discuss poverty in terms of life styles, although it is not sufficient to see poverty as lack of material possessions and facilities necessary for material well-being. Poverty also exists where members of society are excluded from the life style in the community to which they belong. Peter Townsend, pioneer of modern poverty research, devised a scale to determine the minimum necessities for maintenance of merely physical efficiency. Those whose income falls well below this minimum level were said to be in poverty. Anyone with an income of less than a certain amount a week would be considered impoverished and consuming goods less than a monetary value would also be classed as being poor. To view poverty primarily in material and most often monetary terms is un-measurable, because poverty is not just a lack of material goods; it is also a matter of social relationship in the way the poor are treated by those around them. Often those are other in position of authority and power in their dealings with the poor; they may treat the poor with sympathy, with condescension, with difference, with suspicion, or with hostility. To be poor is usually to have little or no influence over how you are treated, such experience cannot be reduced to or measure by a poverty line. The two strong arguments against this definition are, if we go beyond the biological necessities, who is to say what should count as something which everyone ought to have? Secondly is, if income support is used as the measure of poverty, the absurd situation occurs that the higher the level of income support the more people counted who are in poverty. Generally, its disputes like these, on the issue of poverty that reinforce the point that there is no agreement over what the term poverty should mean. Next is the consensual approach, or method which is used when measuring deprivation. It is a simple and straight forward way of getting information on people’s standard of living. This method was first devised in 1985 for the television program Breadline Britain. This approach has been tried and tested in Britain and other country and shown to produce reliable and repeatable result. By directly measuring standard of living it will be possible to identify the numbers of people suffering from material deprivation, social deprivation and social exclusion. Those who are excluded because of financial constraints, lack of services or lack of other resources can be distinguished from those who exclude themselves out of choice. A good success measure is needed to be able to distinguish constraint from choice if cost efficient polices to alleviate poverty and social exclusions are to be developed and maintained. An approach to alleviating poverty is promoting efficient and sustainable growth, tackling unemployment, evaluating efforts to develop the poorest human resources and expansion and diversification of economic activities in rural areas. Then the quality of live will improve. The realistic and appropriate target would be, not only to eliminate relative poverty, but to raise the level of welfare of the poorest citizens. Finally is social exclusion, this is a new term used by the government when discussing poverty. Social exclusion is a process where by individuals are pushed to the edge of society and prevented from participating fully by virtue of their poverty, lack of basic need, and life long learning opportunities or as a result of discrimination. This distances them from job, having an income, and education opportunities as well as social and community activities. They have little access to decision making and often feel power less and unable to take control over the decisions that effect their live day to day social exclusion is underlain by dynamics, a consideration of the future as well as the present. People and their family are excluded not just because they have low income or no job, but because they have little prospect of improving their situation. For these reason, social exclusion cannot be measured only by looking at income levels and cannot be summarised by figure in the same way that poverty line can. Understanding the need of poverty understands the human need. How needs are understood is critical both to absolute and relative poverty, It is said that Townsend’s argues that even physiological needs, such as nutrition, cannot be divorced from social, historical and cultural context. Defining poverty as a necessity item, such as a refrigerator, washing machine, telephone and, activities such as celebrations on special occasion, visiting friends of family or leisure pastime not being able to afford these items classed as poverty. Rowntree did not, himself, believe that only those living in substance primary poverty were poor. However, he used this standard as a device to convince the wider society that a significant number of those in poverty could not meet their basic physical, never mind their social needs. Therefore the life-style of the poor was at least in part caused by low income and not by improvidence as was widely believed. In conclusion we have looked at different approaches to poverty, and argued that it is crucial to consider poverty in relation to standards of the rest of society. to do with out the things that the rest of society regards as essential, such as a fridge, washing machine, or being able to give birthday present, is to experience real poverty. We have seen how difficult it is to define poverty and that there are important consequences in terms of policy of the difference definitions and explanations. Poverty does not strike randomly across the population, some group are much more likely to be in poverty than others. There is no one set measure for poverty with the different definitions and explanations in terms of inability to participate in society, absolute, relative, consensual, standard of living, different suggestions and policies have been implemented to combat and eliminate poverty which shows that there is no one set measure that gives a complete definition of poverty.