Gas Price Warning as Cold March that Leads to Short Supplies Essay

Gas Price Warning as Cold March that Leads to Short Supplies - Essay Example This has generated a decrease in the supply of the gas in the UK resulting in an increased demand for gas. This increase in demand is mostly expected during March, the coldest seasons in Britain. Due to an increase in demand, prices of inputs also go up which leads to the increase in the production cost. Secondly, the electricity blackout is the other key point where the supply and demand cost of production concepts are applicable. The article illustrates â€Å"there was a very real risk of the lights going out within the next three years† (Harvey, 2013, p.1). This was so because SSE intends to shut down its power plants due to high operation cost making the stations uneconomical, which would result in electricity shortage. This will reduce the supply of electricity to the nearest 2million homes that are being supplied by SSE. The shortage in power supply will lead to a rise in demand for alternatives such as gas leading to increase their prices. Due to this increase, input prices will also go up, which will, in the long run, create a foundation for a rise in the cost of production of goods and services in Britain. Thirdly, another issue is the outsourcing or importation of gas from the outside UK. With the encroachment of the cold season in March in the UK, The demand for the gas increases, but due to low supply from UK suppliers, the prices will go up making the country import gas from other countries like Russia and Norway. As illustrated by Spulber (2009), this will increase the cost of the production as the importation of the gas will lead to increase in the cost of inputs, which will further lead to increase in the input prices hence higher cost of production. Lastly, the cold snap, which is expected in the month of March, is a key point in the article with two economic concepts applicable to it. During this cold season, most people keep their houses warm  throughout the day by using various heating mechanisms. This cold season always leads to increasing the demand for various heating mechanisms.  

Sales & Sales Management in this current climate Assignment

Sales & Sales Management in this current climate - Assignment Example Internationally, the profitability of the traditional banking activities has been declining on the past few years. This has been accompanied with massive growth in the financial market owing to globalization of the market, increasing innovation and technology, abundance of new financial products and adoption of enhanced risk management strategies. These developments have enabled the international financial industry to experience immense growth even in the face of decline in the traditional services profits. The Bank of Ireland Finance (BIF) offers various finance packages for its clients. The introduction of the motor finance service by the bank has greatly contributed to its growth. This product is not regulated by the central bank policies allowing for the bank to be flexible. The Irish economy has experienced tremendous growth for the past 15 years. This has created an opportunity for the banking industry to offer improved services and products to the market. The motor finance service is a product by the bank that lends money to their clients to pay for their motor vehicles. This product offers the client the advantage of acquiring the vehicle without liquid cash. They are thus able to repay the loan in installments at an interest. The innovation of such services has lead to the development and growth of the banking industry in Ireland. The banking industry has undergone tremendous growth with the globalization of the market. The formation of the European Union market for the banking sector has increased competition in the market. Furthermore, other lending firms in Ireland have come up increasing the competition facing the bank of Ireland. The increased competition is accompanied by a change in the consumer needs. This has prompted the banks to offer other services in order to retain it market position (Best, 2012). However, this industry has been facing various challenges facing some of the

Mercury Contaminated Fish

Mercury Contaminated Fish Summary: This is a 7 page paper on, Effects of Mercury Contaminated Fish on Consumers Health. The paper further summarizes how mercury contaminated fishs effects on consumers health, and results of this contamination due to consumption. Running Head: EFFECTS OF MERCURY CONTAMINATED FISH ON CONSUMERS HEALTH Effects of Mercury Contaminated Fish on Consumers Health Effects of Mercury Contaminated Fish on Consumers Health Mercury is found naturally in environment and exists in different forms. These forms can be divided into three categories, metallic mercury, organic mercury and in-organic mercury. Metallic mercury is a shiny silver white metal and is liquid at room temperature; it is the pure form of mercury. The organic form of mercury known as Methyl mercury (MeHg) found in fish and caused neurological problems in children bare in the womb and females. Burning of coal in power plants containing mercury is the major source of environmental pollution. The only assessment of health risk from mercury is for neurodevelopment effects. The National Research Council (NRC) estimated that â€Å"60,000 newborns annually might be at risk for adverse neurodevelopment effects form in uterus exposure to methyl mercury†. Fish is afar evaluate as a source of many nutrients very important to the developing newborn, some of which may in fact increase growth of the nervous system in newborn and young children. Prevalent infectivity of fish with toxic mercury, though, has cast a shadow over the nutritional benefits of fish. (Cook) Exposure in uterus can cause many problems such as, delay in mental development of child, lower memory and neurological problems. A contaminated fish which is consumed by a pregnant woman can seriously damages the brain of her baby. As a National Academy of Sciences panel definitively warned last year, some children exposed in uterus by their mothers fish consumption are at risk of falling in the group of children who have to struggle to keep up in school and who might require remedial classes of special education. (Cook) In past years, many companies have used mercury to manufacture a wide variety of consumer products including thermometers, thermostats and automotive light switches. While the metallic mercury in these products hardly ever poses a direct health risk, industrial mercury contamination becomes a serious threat when it is released into the air by power plants, certain chemical manufacturers and other industrial facilities, and then settles into oceans and rivers, where it builds up in fish that we eat. Children and pregnant women are most at risk. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) Formerly mercury enters into oceans and rivers; naturally stirring bacteria take in it and convert it in to a type called methyl mercury. This transition is particularly important for humans, who absorb methyl mercury easily and are especially defenseless to its effects. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) Mercury then works its way up the food chain as large fish consume contaminated smaller fish. Instead of dissolving or breaking down, mercury accumulates at ever-increasing levels. Predatory fish such as large tuna, swordfish, shark and mackerel can have mercury concentrations in their bodies that are 10,000 times higher than those of their nearby habitats. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) Humans risk ingesting hazardous levels of mercury when they eat polluted fish. Since the toxic is unscented, unseen and accumulates in the meat of the fish, it is not easy to spot and cant be avoided by trimming off the skin or other parts. Once in the human body, mercury acts as a neurotoxin, snooping with the brain and nervous system. Exposure to mercury can be particularly harmful for pregnant women and small children. During the first several years of life, a childs brain is still budding and quickly absorbing nutrients. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness. Even in low doses, mercury may have an effect on a childs development, delaying walking and talking, restriction attention span and causing learning disabilities. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) In adults, mercury poisoning can harmfully affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and may cause of memory loss, tremors, vision loss and lack of sensation of the fingers and toes. A growing body of facts suggests that contact to mercury may also lead to heart disease. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) A July 2005 report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that one in 17 women of childbearing age have mercury in their blood above 5.8 micrograms per liter of blood a level that could pose a risk to a developing fetus. This is an improvement from the prior report in 2003 which showed that one out of 12 women had mercury in their blood at this level. Newer science indicates, however, that mercury actually concentrates in the umbilical cord blood that goes to the fetus, so mercury levels as low as 3.4 micrograms per liter of a mothers blood are now a concern. Nearly one in 10 women of reproductive age in the United States has mercury in her blood at or above this level, according to the new CDC study. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) Dr. Jane Hightower, a doctor of internal medicine at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco also linked fish consumption to high mercury levels when she tested her own patients. Her 2003 study found that 89 percent of the participating patients chosen because of their fish-heavy diets had high mercury levels. Many had levels as much as four times that which the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe. (Learn About Mercury and Its Effects) An international group of scientists issued a world wide warning about the risks to health for the consumers who are using mercury contaminated fish frequently. However, British scientists argue against it, last month they found pregnant women who ate the most fish had children who were more advanced, with higher IQs and better physical abilities. (Laurence, 2007) They said that while mercury is known as it preventing the brain of infants to be developed, fish also contain omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients which are necessary for brain development. They studied 9,000 families taking part in the Children of the 90s project at the University of Bristol and concluded, in The Lancet, that the risks of eating fish were outweighed by the benefits. (Fish contaminated with mercury pose worldwide threat to health By Jeremy Laurence, Health Editor, Thursday, 8 March 2007) The US scientists paying attention on the risks of mercury which they say now represent a public health problem in most regions of the world. In addition to its toxic effects on the human fetus, new verification shoes that it may increase the risk of heart disease, particularly in adult men. (Laurence, 2007) The nervous system is highly attractive to mercury contamination. In this type of poisonous incidents that occurred in other countries, some people who consumed fish contaminated with large amounts of methyl mercury or seed grains that are affected with methyl mercury or other organic mercury compounds developed severe damage to the brain and kidneys. Permanent damage to the brain has also been shown to occur from exposure to adequately high levels of metallic mercury. Whether exposure to inorganic mercury results in brain or nerve damage is not as certain, since it does not easily pass from the blood into the brain. (Public Health Statement for Mercury, 1999) Mercury is also severely affect to the kidneys of consumers of mercury contaminated fish, because it accumulates in the kidneys and causes higher exposures to these tissues, and thus more damage. All types of mercury, whether they are organic or in-organic can cause kidney damage if sufficient amounts enter the body. If the harm caused by the mercury is not too great, the kidneys are likely to recover once the body clears itself of the contamination. In addition to effects on the kidneys, inorganic mercury can damage the stomach and intestines, producing symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, or rigorous ulcers if swallowed in large amounts. Effects on the heart have also been observed in children after they accidentally swallowed mercury. Symptoms included rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure. There is little information on the effects in humans from long-term, low-level exposure to mercury. (Public Health Statement for Mercury, 1999) Mercury contaminated fish are not just dangerous for children and pregnant women but it is also dangerous for adults. The toxic destroys the nerve tissues and affects the visual cortex and the cerebellum, a brain part that manages complex movements and balances. It also effect attention and language deficits, seriously disturb the memory of consumer and he or she is unable to quickly call memory, and impaired visual and motor function. Adults who frequently use mercury contaminated fish may have decrease concentration, deftness and verbal memory. Women who eat severely contaminated fish may give birth to children with birth defects including cerebral palsy and mental retardation. (Mercury-Contaminated Fish Poses Health Risks to Adults, 2003) Researches shows that fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, that helps reducing the risk of heart diseases, though a new study questioned that consuming fish contaminated with mercury may increase the risk of heart diseases in addition to reduce other healthy benefits. It is found that men who had heart attack had 15 percent higher mercury levels that men who dont yet experienced heart diseases. A research shows that men with higher level were more than twice as likely to have had a heart attack as compared with men with the lower mercury levels. Children might be at risk due to consumption of mercury contaminated fish, consumption of mercury contaminated fish is that enters into pregnant women can also pass into the developing child. Mercury can also pass from mothers body into breast milk and into a nursing infant. The amount of mercury in the milk varies, depending on the exposure level of and the amount of mercury that enters into pregnant women body. Mercury can also gather in an unborn babys blood to a concentration higher than the concentration in the mother. The harmful health affects seen in children are similar to the affects seen in adults. High exposure to mercury causes lung, stomach and intestinal damage due to respiratory failure in severe cases. Mercury problems are very serious, but the solutions are fairy simple one have to watch his consumption of mercury contaminated fish, and also help force power companies and other big users of mercury to find substitute of mercury to help prevent environment from pollution. Children and women who are pregnant and are likely to get pregnant in future are the most in danger to mercurys harmful affects. They should avoid using certain fish from their diets, including mahi or big eye tuna, tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy and fish caught in water that are polluted by mercury. The above discussion shows that consumption of mercury contaminated fish is very dangerous for consumers health. It is the source of different diseases especially in children and pregnant women. Mercury is not just dangerous for children and pregnant women it also dangerous for adults. Consumers have to control their fish diets. It is recommended that they regularly check their mercury levels and if they found their mercury levels higher they have to consult with their doctor immediately. Exposure with mercury cause disease like, destruction of nerve tissues, it also affects the visual cortex and the cerebellum. It also effect attention and language deficits, seriously disturb the memory of consumer. Adults who frequently use mercury contaminated fish may have decrease concentration, deftness and verbal memory. It also affects the blood pressure and fertility in adults. Women who eat severely contaminated fish may give birth to children with birth defects including cerebral palsy and mental retardation. It cause delay in mental development of child, memory problem and neurological problems. Fish provide important health benefits to the developing fetus, and pregnant women should be encouraged to eat fish with consistently low methyl mercury levels. Authorities need to take much stronger steps to protect a far greater portion of the population. They must move beyond their antiquated safeguards designed to protect an average woman from an average amount of methyl mercury in fish and take a realistic and protective stance against dietary exposure to methyl mercury. References Jeremy Laurence, (8 March, 2007) Fish Contaminated With Mercury Pose Worldwide Threat to Health, The Independent Retrieved on 24th March, 2008. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/fish-contaminated-with- mercury-pose-worldwide-threat-to-health-439267.html Ken Cook, (2001) Retrieved on 23rd March, 2008 Mercola.com http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/04/25/mercury-fish-part- one.aspx Learn About Mercury and Its Effects, (2006) Natural Resource Defense Council, Retrieved on 23rd March, 2008.http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/effects.asp Mercury-Contaminated Fish Poses Health Risks to Adults, (2003) Mercola.com Retrieved on 25th March, 2008. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles /archive/2003/06/21/mercury-fish-part-six.aspx Public Health Statement for Mercury (March,1999) The Encyclopedia of Earth, Retrieved on 24th March, 2008. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Public_ Health_Statement_for_Mercury

Chocky - Tv Vs The Book :: essays research papers

Chocky The Novel Chocky was written by John Wyndham and was later adapted into a TV drama by the BBC. The producers, Pamela Londale and Vic Hughes, kept the same title for the TV series as the Novel, and named it Chocky, but the Film text had some changes in events, different character interpretation and alternative way of showing foreshadowing. The Film version differs quite a lot from the Novel. There were a number of changes to the plot, but most of these were only little issues. One of the major differences in plot was Matthew’s relationship with Colin. Colin was Matthew’s next door neighbour in the Novel, but there was no close friendship or relationship between them. However in the Film, Colin is Matthew’s best friend, classmate and neighbour, whom Matthew was always visiting and playing with. One of biggest changes occurs in the character Piff. Piff was Polly’s long gone imaginary friend in the Novel who was only talked about, whilst in the Film Piff was still around and living. Another change from the Novel was the way in which Chocky helped Matthew. Chocky gave Matthew the ability to draw properly, helped him to swim and then save Polly, and taught Matthew to do the binary code in both texts. However in the Film Chocky also gave Matthew super strength to play cricket, develop fast reflexes to play computer games and do the rubix cubes at amazing speeds. The Film Editor, Oscar Webb left out some scenes and added some different ones. One of these new scenes included the visit to the planetarium. Later we saw Chocky entering Matthew’s body during a Maths class, along with other scenes in the class rooms, such as biology, not previously mentioned in the Novel. Also Matthew visited Colin’s house on numerous occasions and we saw Matthew’s Mother and Father shopping for a new car and then Matthew winning a cricket game. The editor also added more detailed facts about the holiday at the Cottage. All of these extra events added more to the Film than the original Novel. n 2 - The two texts had quite a few different character interpretations. One of the major differences being in the interpretation of Chocky. In the Novel Chocky was only a voice in Matthew’s head which Matthew would translate to other people, whilst in the film she had an actual voice which was presented by the Actor, Glynis Brookes’ voice.

An Analysis of Freytag’s Five Steps in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Essay

In this essay I will analyze William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tempest† using Gustav Freytag’s five phases which are: exposition, point of conflict, rising action, climax, and denouement.   I will first begin with the exposition phase.   The exposition phase includes a description of the chief protagonist and antagonist as well as a description of their conflict and setting.   I will also pinpoint the inciting moment, which is an incident that must occur for the story to happen. (www.reference.com)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chief protagonist of the play is Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan.   The main antagonist is his brother, Antonio, the usurping duke of Milan.   Antonio overthrew Prospero and sent him and his young daughter Miranda out to sea.   They land on an island, which will be the central setting of the play, where Prospero learns magic and frees a spirit named Ariel who is indebted in servitude to him.   Prospero uses his magic to stir up a storm and moor a ship that his brother Antonio is on.   Ariel makes sure that the occupants of the boat arrive on the island unscathed.   The inciting incident is the arrival of Antonio and the rest of his party on the island.   The main conflict is between Prospero, who wants his dukedom reinstated, and Antonio, who wants the dukedom for himself.   Next, I will describe the rising action in the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rising action includes related secondary conflicts. (www.reference.com)The first of these secondary conflicts occurs between Antonio and Sebastian, the king of Naples brother, and Gonzalo, a counselor, and Alonso, the king of Naples.   These gentlemen had been traveling together on the boat, but when they come to the island Antonio and Sebastian plan to murder Alonso and Gonzalo so that they can seize the power of the crown for themselves.   Alonso believes his son, who had been traveling with them as well to be dead and Antonio and Sebastian see this as a chance to eliminate Alonso and usurp the crown.    Alonso’s son Ferdinand really isn’t dead and is busy falling in love with Prospero’s daughter while this is happening.   The last secondary conflict begins with Caliban, Prospero’s unwilling slave, and Stephano and Trinuculo, a jester and a drunken butler who were traveling with the party on the boat, meeting each other on the island and deciding to kill Prospero.   Ariel hears this and informs Prospero thus avoiding catastrophe.   Now, I will discuss the falling action, climax, and denouement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The climax takes place in â€Å"The Tempest† when Prospero charms the party from the boat and Caliban, Stephano, and Trinuculo into immobility.   Prospero, who is joyous at the thought of his daughter’s upcoming marriage to Ferdinand, has a change of heart and releases everyone from the spell.   They are all repentant and the falling action occurs at this point with a monologue from Prospero chastising the king of Naples and Antonio for the part the played in the usurping of his dukedom. He also chastises his slave and the butler and jester for trying to kill him.   The denouement encompasses the happy marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand and the reinstatement of Prospero’s dukedom.   The play ends happily with the protagonist better of at the end than at the outset because it is a comedy rather than a tragedy.   Thus, I have analyzed â€Å"The Tempest† and have discerned Freytag’s five phases within the play. Bibliography www.reference.com

Encountering conflict essay ‘A Separation’ Essay

Conflict is an integral part of human nature, in which we all experience in our daily lives. The responses to conflict determine whether a resolution takes place, or whether the conflict at hand is perpetuated and escalated, to the point where a resolution is impossible. Persistence of conflict can occur due to religion and moral values. Intrapersonal conflict may arise, as one may seek to defend their religious values and morality, which can perpetuate a situation and cause the onset of other forms of conflict to result. The influence of gender roles in society can also cause a persistence in conflict to occur. Due to these factors, conflict generally persists and escalates, as opposed to being resolved. However, in some cases, individuals can prevent the persistence of conflict by employing rational and peacemaking strategies when encountering issues. Those who hold strong religious and moral values, react in stern and desperate ways, causing an exacerbation and escalation of conflict. The religious conflict between Palestinian’s and Israelites is very much affected by the religious beliefs of the various sides. Such tension has caused territorial disputes and physical conflict to occur in the middle-east. Moreover, disputes between Jews and Palestinians has escalated and translated to other parts of the world, France in particular. Acts of conflict between Jews and Arab’s has resulted reported issues of acts of violence against Jews in France to increase from one in 1998 to nine in 1999 to 116 in 2000. This escalation of physical conflict on a broader global scale has ultimately been caused by the religious conflict initially present in the Middle-East. Similarly, Razieh’s religion causes the onset of other forms of conflict to occur and escalation to result. The internal conflict experienced by Razieh involving her religious values enforced a maintenance of her moral high ground as a religious woman. Nader’s accusation upon Razieh of theft, caused the onset of physical conflict to occur, whereby Razieh’s persistence to reason with Nader that she didn’t steal the money in order maintain her morality made him furious, as she pushes her out of his apartment. This resulted in Razieh accusing Nader of murdering her baby, which escalated their interpersonal conflict manifest into a complicating and damaging legal matter. In the midst of conflict, religion can play a vital role in the exacerbation and persistence of dispute. The characteristics of gender roles in society can result in a persistence of conflict to occur.

How Knowledge and Learning Survived in the Middle Ages

How Knowledge and Learning Survived in the Middle Ages They began as men alone, solitary ascetics in wattle huts in the desert, living off berries and nuts, contemplating the nature of God, and praying for their own salvation. It wasnt long before others joined them, living nearby for comfort and safety, if not for conviviality. Individuals of wisdom and experience like Saint Anthony taught the way to spiritual harmony to the monks who sat at their feet. Rules were then established by holy men like  Saint Pachomius  and Saint Benedict to govern what had become, in spite of their first intentions, a community. Monasteries, abbeys, priories- all were built to house men or women (or, in the case of double monasteries, both) who sought spiritual peace. For the sake of their souls people came there to live a life of strict religious observance, self-sacrifice, and work that would help their fellow human beings. Towns and sometimes even cities grew up around them, and the brothers or sisters would serve the secular community in a variety of ways- growing grain, making wine, raising sheep- usually remaining separate and apart. Monks and nuns played many roles, but perhaps the most significant and far-reaching role was that of the keepers of knowledge. It was very early in its collective history that the monastery of Western Europe became the repository for manuscripts. Part of the Rule of Saint Benedict charged its followers to read holy writings every day. While knights underwent special education that prepared them for the battlefield and the court, and artisans learned their craft from their masters, the contemplative life of a monk provided the perfect setting in which to learn to read and write, and to acquire and copy manuscripts whenever the opportunity arose. A reverence for books and for the knowledge they contained was not surprising in monastics, who turned their creative energies not only into writing books of their own but into making the manuscripts they created beautiful works of art. Books may have been acquired, but they were not necessarily hoarded. Monasteries could make money charging by the page to copy out manuscripts for sale. A  book of hours  would be made expressly for the layman; one penny per page would be considered a fair price. It was not unknown for a monastery to simply sell part of its library for operating funds. Yet books were prized among the most precious of treasures. Whenever a monastic community would come under attack- usually from raiders like the Danes or Magyars but sometimes from their very own secular rulers- the monks would, if they had time, take what treasures they could carry into hiding in the forest or other remote area until the danger had passed. Always, manuscripts would be among such treasures. Although theology and spirituality dominated a monastics life, by no means were all of the books collected in the library religious. Histories and biographies, epic poetry, science and mathematics- all of them were collected, and studied, in the monastery. One might be more likely to find a bible, hymnals and graduals, a lectionary or a missal; but a secular history was also important to the seeker of knowledge. And thus was the monastery not only a repository of knowledge, but a distributor of it, as well. Until the twelfth century, when Viking raids ceased to be an expected part of everyday life, almost all scholarship took place inside the monastery. Occasionally a high-born lord would learn letters from his mother, but mostly it was the monks who taught the oblates monks-to-be in the tradition of the classics. Using first a stylus on wax and later, when their command of their letters had improved, a quill and ink on parchment, young boys learned grammar, rhetoric and logic. When they had mastered these subjects they moved on to arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. Latin was the only language used during instruction. Discipline was strict, but not necessarily severe. Teachers did not always confine themselves to the knowledge taught and retaught for centuries past. There were definite improvements in mathematics and astronomy from several sources, including the occasional Muslim influence. And methods of teaching were not as dry as one might expect: in the tenth century a renowned monastic by the name of Gerbert used practical demonstrations whenever possible, including the creation of a forerunner of the telescope to observe heavenly bodies and the use of an organistrum (a kind of hurdy-gurdy) to teach and practice music. Not all young men were suited to the monastic life, and though at first most were forced into the mold, eventually some of the monasteries maintained a school outside their cloisters for young men not destined for the cloth. As time passed these secular schools grew larger and more common and evolved into universities. Though still supported by the Church, they were no longer part of the monastic world. With the advent of the printing press, monks were no longer needed to transcribe manuscripts. Slowly, monastics relinquished this part of their world, as well, and returned to the purpose for which they had originally congregated: the quest for spiritual peace. But their role as the keepers of knowledge lasted a thousand years, making the Renaissance movements and the birth of the modern age possible. And scholars will forever be in their debt. Sources and Suggested Reading The links below will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links. Life in Medieval Times by Marjorie Rowling Sun Dancing: A Medieval  Vision  by Geoffrey Moorhouse The text of this document is copyright  ©1998-2016   Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/cs/monasticism/a/keepers.htm