The country of WWTWB (Whichever Way the Wind Blows) is considering implementing a project that will install a windmill farm 10 miles offshore of a rapidly growing beach community. You have been requested to undertake a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the feasibility of the project. Research this issue and list what you perceive to be the:
a) Private Costs of the project.
b) Social Costs of the project.
c) Private Benefits of the project.
d) Social Benefits of the project.
e) What type of uncertainty could exist for such a project? Explain.
f) If you lived in this beach community would you support the project. Explain
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
a) Private Costs of the project:
Cost of constructing and installing the windmill farm
Cost of ongoing maintenance and operation
Cost of acquiring land or leasing offshore space
Cost of connecting the windmill farm to the electrical grid
Cost of insurance and risk management
b) Social Costs of the project:
Potential negative environmental impacts, such as disruption to marine ecosystems and wildlife
Visual impact on the scenic beauty of the beach community
Potential noise pollution from the windmills
Impact on recreational activities, such as boating and fishing
Disruption to local communities during construction
c) Private Benefits of the project:
Revenue generated from selling electricity produced by the windmill farm
Potential tax incentives or subsidies for renewable energy projects
Potential increase in property values for adjacent landowners
d) Social Benefits of the project:
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and contribution to mitigating climate change
Increased energy independence and reduced reliance on fossil fuels
Creation of job opportunities in the construction, maintenance, and operation of the windmill farm
Potential economic benefits for the beach community, such as increased tourism due to the project
e) Uncertainty for such a project could include:
Variability in wind patterns and potential impacts on electricity generation
Uncertainty regarding the long-term maintenance and operational costs
Uncertainty in estimating the potential environmental impacts and their extent
Market uncertainty, including changes in electricity prices or government policies affecting renewable energy
f) Whether or not to support the project would depend on individual perspectives and priorities. Some factors to consider might include:
The importance placed on environmental sustainability and reducing carbon emissions
The potential economic benefits for the beach community, such as job creation and increased tourism revenue
The perceived impact on the visual aesthetics of the beach community and its potential effect on property values
The potential disruption during the construction phase and ongoing maintenance activities
The availability of alternative renewable energy sources that may have less impact on the community
