Global Business

Global Business Assignment Elecdyne Student ID: 11071850 Name: Qingyuan Lin Submission Date: 09/01/2013 Word account: 2585 Contents 1. 0 Introduction3 1. 1 Background3 1. 2 Objective3 2. 0 STEEP table analysis4 3. 0 Country Analysis6 3. 1 country select and compare6 3. 2 Porter’s Diamond Theory7 3. 3 SWOT analysis8 3. 5 Summary of data13 3. 6Discussion13 4. 0 Type of method to internationalize13 5. 0 Conclusion15 1. 0 Introduction 1. 1 Background Elecdyne is a Tokyo corporation founded in 1990, which dedicated themselves to markets a series of televisions, CD Players, DVD players, MP3 players to their wide range of domestic customers.In recent years, with the deepening of domestic electronics market competition, the company's profit declined in the last two years, and now it is facing the uncertain outlook. Moreover, the company has to confront the chief designer leaving, growth of technological licenses fees and loss of product price advantage. It is evident that Elecdyne doe s not have the capacity to afford the license fees and recruit new R;D graduates. In order to relieve the internal and external crisis of the Elecdyne, the board of Elecdyne has decided to go international. As the European Commission (2010) views that a immediate elation between internationalisation and increased SME performance: international activities strengthen development, improve competitiveness and sustain the long-term sustainable development of companies. With regard to Elecdyne, the management team focuses on the production cost reduction, license for patent technology and market access; and cultural diversity and uncertain risk will be also considered. Though the company has never touched with overseas markets, all of the top management teams have learnt foreign language, and some of them held the oversea university diploma.But what is certain is that the Elecdyne will get the chance to redevelop its business in the globalization. 1. 2 Objective The objective of this repo rt is to analyse the global environment for the electronics industry by using the STEEP and SWOT theory for the three potential countries. The three considerable countries compared in this report are China, Thailand and the United States respectively. The report based on data comparison and pragmatic theoretical analysis, to determine the most suitable country and the optimal way to enter new markets. . 0 STEEP table analysis In order to analyse the environment of Elecdyne more thoroughly, the STEEP table will be utilized. As Venture Navigator (2008) mentioned, The STEEP model is a tool to help the user think about the broader issues that have an influence on the industry or service field as a holistic study, including five main factors: Socio-cultural factors, Technological environment, Economic environment, Ecological environment and Political factors. The following diagram illustrates a comprehensive business environment of the Elecdyne.Socio-cultural factors| 1. As Weil (2008) e xplains that after 2008, electronic products are consisting in our lives ubiquitously. People who likely to choose the electronic products to acquire external information from their Mobile phones or television. 2. Favourable population structure, rising discretionary incomes of consumer, and developing more relevant lifestyles is expected to facilitate the global consumer electronics industry. (Lucintel, 2012) 3. With the proliferation of broadband, accessing the media has become easy and rewarding for consumers.And suppliers of the electronics are constantly updating their technology innovation to keep up with consumer requirements. (ALTERA, 2012)| Technological environment| 1. With regard to electronic, technological innovation has become indispensable to adapt new marketplace competitions and cater to consumer preferences. (Accenture, 2010) 2. According to Accenture (2012) reported Smartphones and tablet PC are the â€Å"star† in electronics products market, and consumers use the virtual network to access a great deal of information. 3.With the striction in the electronics industry, producers are under enormous pressure to create new products. Since product development cycles shorten, the electronics industry is still pumping out better products. | Economic environment| 1. As Weil (2008) views the electronics industry has weathered the most recent economic recession with relatively effortless, especially when compared to other industries. 2. With the Consumer Electronics Association reports global spending on technology facilities will exceed $1 trillion in 2012, increasing by 5% over 2011’s figure of $993 billion. CEA, 2012) 3. According to Weil (2008) mentioned, Jim Feldhan said enterprises see tremendous value in electronics, and the electronic products become an extremely popular consumption product. | Ecological environment| 1. There are thousands of scrap electronic products are dumped in landfills or burned in smelters, and these discar ded electronic products have potentially serious damage to adjacent resident. (GREENPEACE, 2012) 2. Through regulation, enterprises will be required to get more used electronics back, which will improve the recovery ratio and reuse more devices. SCRC, 2012)| Political factors| 1. According to European Commission (2012) mentioned, the investment policy of European Union (EU) is emphasized to providing entire investments with legal certainty and a reliable, predictable, impartial and proper regulated environment in which to conduct their business. 2. With Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows have increased dramatically, the investors look at stable, predictable macro economic policy, an effective and honest government and intellectual property protection. 3.As International Trade Administration (2012) views Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have proved to be one of the best ways to enter into foreign markets for American exporters. Trade Agreements reduce trade barriers to U. S. exports, and protect U. S. interests. | 3. 0 Country Analysis 3. 1 country select and compare 3. 11 China As BBC News (2012) reported China's Economic expansion accelerated remarkably in the 1990s due to mass privatization, reforming and the opening up of the country to overseas investment. A large number of multinational corporations crowded into this world factory to take advantage of its cheap labour force.To this day, the government of China has claimed that it welcomes foreign investment. Especially China gives incentive to investors to invest in higher value-added industry, including high-tech research and development, advanced manufacturing, and select modern services sectors. (State, 2011) 3. 12 France As the big EU member states, the French possess remarkable technology, broad market and good infrastructure, and central location in Europe. The French government affirms foreign investment is a positive method to create employment opportunities and stimulate growth.Investment regulati ons are unconstrained, and a large number of financial encouragement are available to foreign investors. In addition, the French government also utilizes fiscal subsidies and tax concessions to attract the attention of investor to France's underdeveloped regions. Preferential policies are available equally to French and foreign investors and eligibility requirements are the same. (State, 2012) 3. 13 The United States (US) The US owned the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world. Not only do foreign investors have the freedom to make economic decisions within the U.S. economy, but also enjoy relatively low levels of regulation and taxation. Moreover, the US provides a foreseeable and transparent legal system, excellent infrastructure, and the most profitable consumer market. (AmCham, 2012) To compare with Japan, China own cheap labour power and attractive investment incentive; France has an investment preferential policy as well as remarkable technology; in add ition to above, the US offers an impeccable legal system, excellent infrastructure and the most profitable consumption market. 3. 2 Porter’s Diamond TheoryPorter's diamond model, which offers a comprehensive way to realize the competitive position of a nation in the global competition scale. And business leaders may use this model to assess in which counties to invest, and to assess which countries are most likely to be able to continue growth and development. Porter's model includes 4 determinants of national advantage, which are shortly described below: Factor Conditions For the company, the Highly skilled workforce is the key success factors. Since it will affect the development of the company.The sufficient linguistic abilities of the staff could make the operation become more effective. Cheap labour and minimum wages can greatly reduce the cost of production. Demand conditions The per capita disposable income will directly affect the demand of market. Whether the product s cater to customer requirements, it will impact the company’s performance. Related and Supporting Industries The existence or non-existence of internationally competitive supplying industries and supporting industries. Firm Strategy, Structure, and RivalryIn different nations, management structures, working attitude, or interactions between companies are shaped diversely. This will offer advantages and disadvantages for special industries. 3. 3 SWOT analysis Previous suggested by Albert S Humphrey in the 1960s, SWOT analysis is an effectively useful instrument for all sorts of situations in business and organizations to understand and make decisions. The management team could use the SWOT analysis in order to fully use the advantage and opportunities as well as weaken the threat.The detailed strengths and weakness of factor is formulated in following table. (Businessballs, 2004) Strength| Weakness| * The brand of Elecdyn has 20 years experience in producing electronics * Exp erienced employee (could speak English), some of them have a broad education background * Producing a range of electronic products * Low cost production * Elecdyne owns abundant experience competing in a large and strongly competitive market, which proves the competitive capacity ofElecdyn| * Lack of key innovation * 5% cut down on price * No growth in the last two years, and lead to key employees leaving * Increasing expenses of technological licenses * Unable to recruit R;D graduates * Lake of experiences to manage an overseas business * Elecdyne is currently at a loss . This means that the limited financial resources. | 3. 4 Weighting table – Opportunities and threats Factor weighting| Japan| Other countries| 1 to10| 0| -10 to 10| Ps: 1 = not important, 10 = very important 10 = worse than Japan, +10 = better than Japan PEST table Political| Japan| China| France| The US| Source| Corporation tax % 6| 40. 69(0)| 25. 005*6=30| 33. 333*6=18| 40. 001*6=6| Nationmaster| Political | Japan| China| France| The US| Source| Tariffs % 7| 0(0)| 10-10*7=-70| 6-6*7=-42| 5-5*7=-35| WTO| Political risk medium/long term 5| 1(0)| 2-2*5=-10| 10 *5=0| 10*5=0| ONDDA| Political stability 7| 86. 42(0)| 46. 83-6*7=-42| 82. 22-1*7=-7| 72. 84-2*7=-14| ONDDA| Regulatory quality 6| 76. 62(0)| 45. 88-6*6=-36| 85. 702*6=12| 87. 42*6=12| Global innovation index| Total| | -128/5=-25. 6| -19/5=-3. 8| -31/5=6. 2| | Economic| Japan| China| France| The US| Source| GDP growth rate % 4| -0. 80(0)| 9. 28*4=32| 1. 71*4=4| 1. 81*4=4| CIA| GDP per capita(USD) 5| 39578. 07(0)| 2634. 71-10*5=-50| 23016. 85-4*5=-20| 37691. 00-1*5=-5| CIA| Minimum Hourly Wage ($) 10| 11(0)| 2. 256*10=60| 17-4*10=-40| 15-3*10=-30| Minimum- wage| Working hours(per week) 6| 40 hours(0)| 40 hours0*6=0| 38. 4 hours-1*6=-6| 40 hours0*6=0| Prospects| Economic| Japan| China| France| The US| Source|UnemploymentRate % 6 | 4. 6(0)| 6. 52*6=12| 9. 24*6=24| 94*6=24| CIA| Interest rate 8| 0. 00(0)| 6. 00-6*8=-48| 0. 75-1*8=-8| 0 . 25-1*8=-8| Tradingeconomics| Market size Ranking 8| 4(0)| 22*8=16| 7-4*8=-32| 14*8=32| Global innovation index| Disposable income $ 8| 23,458(0)| 3,384-10*8=-80| 27,7893*8=24| 37,7089*8=72| OECD| Inflation Rate% 4| -0. 30(0)| 5. 50-5*4=-20| 2. 30-2*4=-8| 3. 10-3*4=-12| CIA| Total| | -78/9=-8. 66| -62/9=-6. 88| 77/9=15. 4| | Social| Japan| China| France| The US| Source| Population in (million) 8| 127. 6(0)| 1343. 2310*8=80| 65. 63-1*8=-8| 313. 843*8=24| CIA| Individualism 4| 46(0)| 205*4=20| 71-5*4=-20| 91-7*4=-28| Geert-hofstede| Power distance (culture) 4| 54(0)| 804*4=16| 682*4=8| 40-1*4=-4| Geert-hofstede| Social| Japan| China| France| The US| Source| Expenditure on education 8| 27. 22(0)| 11. 15-2*8=-16| 48. 792*8=16| 45. 922*8=16| Global innovation index| Uncertainty Avoidance 6| 92(0)| 306*6=36| 862*6=12| 465*6=30| Geert-hofstede| Total | | 136/5=27. 2| 8/5=1. 6| 38/5=7. 6| | Technological| Japan| China| France| The US| Source|R;D expenditure 8| 80. 53(0)| 34. 07-6*8= œ48| 51. 88-4*8=-32| 65. 00-2*8=-16| Global innovation index| University/industry research collaboration (Rank) 6| 15(0)| 28-6*6=-36| 34-8*6=-48| 36*6=36| Global innovation index| Global Innovation Index 7| 51. 7(0)| 45. 4-1*7=-7| 51. 80*7=0| 57. 71*7=7| Global innovation index| Quality of scienti? c research institutions 6| 75. 75(0)| 55. 20-4*6=-24| 72. 470*6=0| 80. 451*6=6| Global innovation index| Total| | -115/4=-28. 75| -80/4=-20| 33/4=8. 25| | 3. 5 Summary of data Japan| China| France| The US| Political| 0| -25. 6| -3. 8| 6. 2| Economic| 0| -8. 66| -6. 88| 15. 4| Social| 0| 27. 2| 1. 6| 7. 6| Technological | 0| -28. 75| -20| 8. 25| Totals| 0| -35. 81| -29. 08| 37. 45| 4. 6 Discussion Based upon the results of data analysis, the best choice for Elecdyne is the US, which having the highest mark in the result. The scores of China and France are significantly lower than America, even if they emerge slightly advantage in some items. As for China, though it had highest GDP real gro wth rate 9. % in 2011, due to the large population, the per capita GDP is dramatically lower than America. That means Chinese citizens are having not enough disposable income to consume. The French government although utilizes preferential to attract investment, the Minimum Hourly Wage is the highest than China and the US. It will be greatly increased the cost of production. On the contrary, not only the US government provides favourable policy and huge consumer market, but also the appropriate R&D expenditure and reasonable scienti? research institutions. To sum up, the US market has greater potential than the other two countries. 4. 0 Type of method to internationalize With regard to internationalize, the Elecdyne could choose the most compatible method to enter a new market. The advantage and disadvantage of the way to internationalize should be analysed rigorously by the management team on the basis of established expansion strategy. The proper methods are joint ventures, Greenf ield sites, mergers or acquisitions respectively. Joint VentureThe Joint Venture means that the cooperation of two or more individuals or businesses in which each approve to share profit, loss and control in a specific company. (Investopedia, 2012) Greenfield Sites An area of agricultural or forest land, or some other undeveloped site earmarked for commercial development or project engineering. (Businessdictionary, 2012) Mergers and Acquisitions A merger is incorporated between two similarly sized companies, which is combined to shape a new company. An acquisition occurs when one company lawfully purchases another and becomes the new owner. Investinganswers, 2012) The following table indicates analyse the advantage and disadvantage of these three methods. Type of method | Strengths| Weaknesses| Joint Venture | * The opportunity to gain new capacity and expertise * Sharing of risks with a venture partner * Access to greater resources, including specialized staff and technology| * The objectives of the venture may not fully clear and executed to each participant. * Different cultures concepts and management styles may affect integration and cooperation. Imbalance in levels of expertise| Greenfield Sites| * The environment changed from rural to urban use * Good policies of local government * Wholly owned and fully control| * More expensive housing * Demand excessive cash * Undertake full risk * High initial investment| Mergers and Acquisitions| * A merger does not require cash * A merger may be achieved tax-free. * The merger allows the acquirer to avoid many of the costly and time-consuming aspects of asset purchases * Form a scale of production and reduce production cost * Increase product awareness, enhance corporate image. * Diseconomies of scale, which may give rise to higher unit costs. * Conflict of culture between different businesses, may reduce the effectiveness of the integration. * Make a part of workers unnecessary, this may have a bad effect on moti vation. | According to the situation and background of the Elecdyne, the best option is incorporated with other electronics. In short, it will be changeover current plight, increasing profit and lower the risks. In the long run, it will be good for the company to gain prestige and more agile development space. 5. 0 ConclusionThe findings indicate that the Elecdyne confront the challenge and opportunity according to STEEP analysis. And the report also analyses the external and internal environment of Elecdyne based on the SWOT and Porter’s Diamond Theory. Through the PEST analysis, makes a compare between three countries, and finally concluded the US was the best choice for the Elecdyne to exploit the overseas market. This paper has finally advised Elecdyne to mergers or acquisitions with other countries. Reference Accenture (2010) Growth through Innovation in the Electronics and High Tech Industry.Available online at: http://www. accenture. com/us-en/Pages/insight-growth-inno vation-electronics-high-tech. aspx (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) Accenture (2012) The 2012 Accenture Consumer Electronics Trends Study. Available online at: http://www. accenture. com/us-en/Pages/insight-2012-consumer-electronics-products-services-usage-report. aspx (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) ALTERA (2012) Industry Trends in Consumer Electronics. Available online at: http://www. altera. co. uk/end-markets/consumer/industry/csm-industry. html (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) AmCham (2012) Benefits of Investment in the US.Available online at: http://amchamfrance. org/theme1. php? idcontenu=110;idpage=144;idmenu=110 (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) BBC (2012) China's economic miracle. Available online at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-asia-china-20069627 (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) BBC News (2012) Japanese electronics giants suffer. Available online at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/20163754 (Accessed: 01 Jan 2013) Businessball (2004) SWOT analysis method and examples, with free SWOT template. Available online a t: http://www. businessballs. com/swotanalysisfreetemplate. tm (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) Businessdictionary (2012) greenfield site. Available online at: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/greenfield-site. html (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) CEA (2012) Global Consumer Tech Device Spending to Surpass $1 Trillion in 2012. Available online at: http://www. ce. org/News/News-Releases/Press-Releases/2012-Press-Releases/Global-Consumer-Tech-Device-Spending-to-Surpass-$1. aspx (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) European Commission (2010) Small businesses benefit from internationalization. Available online at: http://ec. uropa. eu/enterprise/magazine/articles/smes-entrepreneurship/article_10487_en. htm (Accessed: 01 Jan 2013) European Commission (2012) Investment. Available online at: http://ec. europa. eu/trade/creating-opportunities/trade-topics/investment/ (Accessed: 02 Jan 2013) Geert-hofstede (2012) What about China? Available online at: http://geert-hofstede. com/china. html (Accessed: 02 Jan 2 013) Globalinnovationindex (2012) Japan Vs China. Available online at: http://www. globalinnovationindex. org/gii/main/analysis/headtohead. cfm

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International Dimension for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Dimension for Business - Essay Example With the opening up of world economy, nearly all the business entities big or small, old or new are getting inspired in taking their business to the international level (Aswathappa, 2010, p.6). Companies are getting determined in their decision to operate across the globe. The shifting of organisations from a domestic viewpoint to a level of internationalization gives rise to a number of challenges for the firm (Turner & Johnson, 2009, p.2). The challenges may be in the form of setting up of infrastructure in the foreign market, purchasing the materials from overseas suppliers and the biggest challenge is to sell it to the foreign customers. One of the biggest trends of the recent times has been the lowering of international trade barriers. Different organisations such as World Trade Organisation, GATT and IMF are constantly working towards the intensification of globalised trade. In the recent past globalisation has been a catchphrase for the business organisations. Globalisation is a global phenomenon which can be defined as the movement of goods, services, resources, funds and labour around the world in a harmonized and synchronized way. In this process a global relation among the countries gets developed and ensures efficacy in using the scares resources of the world (Milward, 2003, p.10-16). The present study deals with the international dimension of business or in other words the other avenue to conduct business apart from the local listings. The study will reveal the international market entry strategies such as foreign direct investment, franchising, licensing and exporting. The study will also try to analyse the foreign market entry strategy of Volkswagen. The reason for choosing this organisation for conducting the study is because it is amongst prime multinational companies. A multinational company is described as the company which operates in its home country as well as in foreign market. The factors which contributed towards choosing this company a re its rich history, brand image and also considering the fact that it is the biggest car manufacturing & marketing company of the world. Company History The history of the company dates back to 1937, when the company was known as ‘Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH’. In the next year the company is renamed to ‘Volkswagenwerk GmbH’. The construction of the plant for manufacturing cars started on 1938 at Wolfsburg, Germany. During the period of 2nd world war the production of the company switched to weapons and arms. At around 20000 forced labours, prisoners were working at the plant. After the end of World War II the responsibility of Volkswagenwerk was placed on to the hands of British military government. During that era mass production of volkswagon beetle was started. During the 1950s the product line of the company was increased. In the meantime the production of Volkswagon bus was initialized. The bus is still popular even in this century for its multi-functionality and is popularly known as VB bully. As the wheels rolls on the company slowly touched the milestone of producing one million Volkswagon beetle cars. The employees and dealers from the country and overseas celebrated this memorable day in a special comportment. In 1972 the company has broken the all time record of car production with the figure touching mammoth 15,007,034 units. The company slowly moved towards the production of new age cars during 1973 with its model ‘passat’. With that initiation the company moved towards the production of varieties new age cars. That was the time when Golf was built inside the industrial units of the company. The

Making Communication Count Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Making Communication Count - Assignment Example Therefore, while she was attempting to illustrate the proposed changes to me, I kept on nudging my head as if I was agreeing to her. At one point, she asked me if we have enough funds assigned to use ICT in our coming classes and I answered, â€Å"I think that would help students†. The statement was self-explanatory about span of my attention at that particular point in time. Once she clarified what she meant I responded by saying, â€Å"I don’t know if students from ethnic minorities are up for this kind of advancement.† A visible expression of dismal was visible on her face as she was actually an Asian American herself. The statement was based on the workshop that I had attended a week earlier about discrepancies in our educational system about which she did not knew anything. Analyzing my non-verbal and verbal communication during this meeting, there are few changes that would be required to make this conversation better. Firstly, there should have a complete display of focus and undivided attention. If not possible, the meeting should have rescheduled as it is unethical not to exercise self-discipline during a dialogue. Furthermore, there was also a lack of responsibility and consideration for values of the respondent in this situation. Perhaps, use of culturally sensitive language and explanation for my statement would have made the overall conversation more effective. Part 2 Description of the Scenario Leaders in educational settings need to be aware of the responsibility that is inherent to their organizational status. Being a head of department makes faculty members responsible for their statement as their views and inputs are being examined by school’s management whereas the same piece of information can have a significant impact on the behavior and strategies used by junior faculty members. In a meeting with school principal, Mr. James and a junior teacher named Ms. Rachel (Pseudonym) who had recently joined and was suppose d to be supervised by me, there were some mixed responses and directions given by Mr. James that later on created difficulty for me and Ms. Rachel. The meeting began with principal being over occupied with domestic telephone calls which made us question if the meeting bears any importance to him. Once done with that, Mr. James kept on leaning back and forth on the chair which further projected an impression that he is not even considering it to be an important conversation despite the fact that it was Ms. Rachel’s first official encounter with him. While addressing the new teacher, Mr. James kept on addressing her as â€Å"Newbie† and mentioned that we have many students from you people i.e. the teacher was Iranian. I believe that instead of showing racism, he was just attempting to make her feel that her presence in the faculty will further help students. While continuing discussion about the curriculum and division of classes, he just mentioned that all the instructi ons are available on your portal and I will be providing directions to Ms. Rachel in day to day proceedings. However, instead of using the word ‘direction’, he said ‘helping’ which projected an impression that I will not be responsible for new teacher’s performance evaluation which was against organizational policies. When

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Company Law - Essay Example Act 1985 codified this criteria by dictating that directors owe a duty of care to act in the best interests of both the members and the employees of the company.3 In the context of the problem company, Backup was persuaded to advance a loan to EL by Connie and Darshani, two of EL’s directors who also happen to be on the board of directors of the parent company ISL. There is clearly a question of a conflict of interest in that Connie and Darshani have the interests of the parent company and two subsidiaries, which may be competing interests. Moreover, in assessing the duty of care owed by Connie and Darshani and the remaining directors of Backup, the standard of care is relevant. That standard is the measured by reference to the reasonable skill and care that is generally expected of a business man possessing the relevant skills and training.4 The directors of Backup appeared to have reservations about the utility of the loan after hearing of EL’s impending financial problems from Connie and Darshani. Even so, they went against their own business instincts and acted for what appeared to be the best interest of the parent company and each of its subsidiaries. Although Connie and Darshani may have been confronting a conflict of interest, their position as directors of the parent company, a shareholder in EL, a subsidiary provides a means by which they may escape liability. In Re Southard &Co Ltd T where Templeton LJ said that: â€Å"A parent company may spawn a number of subsidiary companies, all controlled directly or indirectly by shareholders of the parent company. If one of the subsidiary companies, to change the metaphor, turns out to be the runt of the litter and declines into insolvency to the dismay of its creditors, the parent company and other subsidiary companies prosper to the joy of the shareholders without any liability for the debts of the insolvent subsidiary.†5 Drawing on the reasoning by Templeton, LJ in Re Southard &Co Ltd T Connie and

Death Among the Ibo Essay Example for Free

Death Among the Ibo Essay Although the book Things Fall Apart and The Joys of Motherhood cover about seventy years, the difference between life in 1880s Nigeria and Nigeria in the 1950s is extreme. The Ibo people change from a clan and tribal people to a much less closely knit people much like Europeans or North Americans. The change should not necessarily be construed as an improvement in the life of the Ibo people. When Things Fall Apart begins the Ibo people are much the same as they have been for presumably centuries. They are an agrarian people living close to the land without lives that have isolated and sanitized from death. Death is a natural part of life and is common. They have rules and traditions that have taught them how to deal with death. Although many of their beliefs may seem strange to people in the twenty-first century North America the seem to work well for the Ibo until their traditions are interrupted by European Christian missionaries. The Ibo beliefs have a certain innocence and simplified world view that is remarkably refreshing when compared to todays efforts to remove death away from society and to prolong death and aging as long as possible. There is a matter of fact character in the Ibo approach to death that makes death both real and normal. There are rules to be followed. When a man dies with a swollen abdomen and swollen limbs, he is not to be buried in the earth because his body would pollute the land (Achebe, 14-15). When an Umuofia girl is murdered, the leaders meet to decide what to do. After discussion they decide they should request compensation for the girls death. They elect Okonkwo a young leader who is a self-made man to visit the tribe of the man who has killed the girl and demand that a girl be sent to the Umuofia to replace the girl and another youth be given to the Umuofia as punishment for the murder. There is a balance here that lacks the vengeance of an eye for an eye of the Judeo-Christian culture. Instead it is more of a tit for tat response. Okonkwo visits the neighboring tribe and presents them with the demands of the Umuofia. Clearly there is the threat that war will result if their demand is not met, but it is not made in the do it or else manner common in the twentieth and twenty-first century western civilization. The tribe agrees to the demands of the Umuofia and gives a young girl who is given to the father of the murdered girl. A second youth, Ikemefuna sent to the Umuofia where he is given to the charge of Okonkwo with whom he lives for three years where he is treated like a son Three years later the leaders decide Ikemefuna should be killed to satisfy justice about the girls murder. Despite his having treated Ikemefuna as a son, Okonkwo participates in the slaying. He does this in spite of a warning of an elder not to participate because Ikemefuna calls Okonkwo Father. Okonkwo seems surprised about this warning. The decision has been made by the Umuofia leaders and therefore must be followed. There are several interesting attitudes about death and children. Certainly infant death is common among the Ibo. When a child survives infancy and it appears will live to become an adult, the child is said to be staying (Achebe, 42). Similar to this is a belief that some children are reluctant to be born into this world and retain a iyi-uwa that allows them to die so they can be reborn to their mother to torment them. To stop this cycle a medicine man will take the body of the deceased infant and mutilate it so that it will be unable to return, though some have been know to return with a missing finger or mark from the medicine mans action. Okonkwo who is a renown and admired member of the Umuofia accidentally kills a youth, he and his family are banished. When this happens Okonkwo appears to accept his sentence stoically because it is the established rule. During his banishment European, Christian missionaries move into the area and begin to civilize the Ibo. Laws are made and enforced by hanging and imprisonment. Ibo who suffer such punishment lose their dignity and are no longer the man he had worked to be. When Okonkwo knows that he is going to be killed by the Europeans, he hangs himself rather than submit to the white mans law. As one might expect from the title Emechetas book, The Joys of Motherhood ¸ is more concerned with childbirth and motherhood than with death. It is interesting that the perspective of this book is decidedly written from the female point of view and is concerned with life, instead of the masculine point of view expressed in Things Fall Apart where death is a more prominent concern. In this book death is treated much like it is today. The characters in this book no longer live in the tribal or clan community that Okonkwo lived in where death is considered a normal part of life. Instead they move to the city, Lagos, where they work for low wages doing the chores the more wealthy white people consider beneath them. Here death is not so common and not accepted so easily. When Nnu Egos son dies in infancy and she attempts to commit suicide, she is judged as insane until she is able to move on and continue her day to day life. Her dead sons body is taken away soon to be replaced by the birth of additional children. Death is less acceptable and hidden from the people because the British people dont want to think about it. Instead they sanitize it and move it away from day to day life. This happens to the Ibo as well as they move into the twentieth century British colonial lifestyle. Unlike the deaths occurring seventy years earlier where the clan is aware of each death and is able to accept it for the sake of the clan, Nnu Ego dies lying at the side of the road unrecognized. She is not missed by her clan or her people who are scattered throughout the country. The lack of concern about the rights of the individual regarding death in Achebes book is disturbing. Given todays sensibilities where the individual is more important than the society the idea of   replacing one murdered girl with another girl to take her place and the idea of offering a hostage as a response to having committed a crime is troubling. People today   want to move on and get on with their lives after death, almost as if they were to acknowledge death, they will be stricken with some horrible contagious disease. Acceptance of death is still a societal problem today. Americans today seem unable to accept it. However, after reading these books, one if forced to wonder which of the approached to death, the 1880s Ibo, the 1950s Ibo, or that of Americans in 2006 is best. In some ways the 1880s version with its innocent and almost nostalgic response to death seems to the best.

Physical hazard

Physical hazard Can physical hazard really cause harm to consumer? Food hazard: A Food hazard can be defined as presence of undesirable matter in food which can cause negative effect on consuming it. There are three types of hazard in food industry: Physical, Chemical and Biological. Physical hazard is any foreign matter in food stuff which can cause injury or illness to a person consuming the product. These could be anything like bits of bone, piece of metal, packaging material, insects, etc. A physical hazard can enter into the food at any stage of the food production. The sources for these contaminants are raw materials, poorly maintained facilities and equipments, untrained employees, poor production procedure. To eliminate these hazards it is important to implement HACCP along with the Pre-requisite programmes such as good manufacturing practice, good hygiene, etc. It is considered to be quality issue and not as safety. A person consuming a food with physical hazard could be subjected to various risks. It can cause lacerations to mouth or throat. damage to teeth or gums. damage to stomach or intestine. How do they enter into foods? Physical hazards can enter into any stage of the production. Below are the listed out few examples. Metal: sources could be from machineries, hair, bits from knife, broken needles, and parts from vessels. Glass: sources can be broke bulbs, window panes, glass containers. Plastic: sources can be from packaging material, chopping boards, storage containers, gloves etc. Soil and stone: main sources can be from the field crops and also from the floors and ceiling of the factory. Classification of physical hazards: These are classified on their level of risks to the consumer. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has categorized physical hazards into three: Category I Category II Category III The category I expresses high risk, category II with a moderate risk and category III with the low risk of any cases due to physical hazard. The low risk zone expresses that there are good control measures in place but minor infractions occur. The moderate risk zone results in average control measures established and inconsistencies occur. The high risk results in due to little or no control and has major infractions occur. Every food has its own levels of risk and every food stuffs have to be monitored and made sure that appropriate control measures are in place to eliminate the hazard to an acceptable limit. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Objects which are hard or sharp of size 7-25mm in length represent potential physical hazard in food. Natural hard or sharp components like shells can cause injury to consumers if they do not know that they are a natural food component. Natural hard and soft objects which are usually removed in foods but are 100% effective such as presence of bone in fish fillets. Elimination of Physical hazards: There are systems and methods to eliminate physical hazard to an acceptable limit. HACCP and pre requisite programme is very important and effective. But to focus on the point of entry of hazards would be more effective, which are raw materials, storage and specifications. Inspection of raw material and food ingredient for any contaminants Eg: stones in rice. Storage Good storage practice and evaluation of potential risks in storage area Eg: Bulbs, insects, wooden pallets, etc. Could be prevented using bulb cover, prevention of insects. Specifications and control for all ingredients and components including raw materials and packaging materials. The specifications must comply with the rules. Eg: A limit of detection should be established to avoid false detection. Installing effective detection device and eliminating physical hazards. Eg: Metal detectors, filters etc). Periodic checking and upgrade of equipments in facilities to avoid source of physical hazards such as nuts and bolts from worn out equipments. Employment training on shipping, storing and handling of food materials will also help reducing physical hazards. How can physical hazards be detected and eliminated? There are different types of methods to detect physical hazards. Metal detectors will help in detecting metals in food stuffs. They can set up to products from the production line if metal is detected. It is also essential to check the detectors frequently to be accurate. X- Ray machines can also be used on food production lines to detect hazards such as stones, plastics, bones and metals, etc. Visual inspection could also help in a few cases of physical hazards. Chicken manufacturing factory: Let us consider process of raw breast chicken factory and the physical hazards involved. The process starts by getting the raw chicken from the primary producer. This is exercised by relying on supplier quality assurance (SQA) and this guarantee the supplier is meeting the specification of the buyer and the product is safe from hazards till the time of delivering it to the buyer. The chicken is cut; the skin is removed and cleaned. At this stage, physical hazards involved are pieces from the chopping board, chipped bits of knife, bones, feathers, etc. The hazards caused by these can be prevented by having good maintenance of the equipments along with proper training for the staffs. SSOPs (Sanitation Standard operating procedures) can help very much in cleaning of the machineries and equipments. This holds all records for cleaning routines in a daily basis and is signed off by a staff stating that the machine is free from any debris from the previous routine and is working up to its l evel. This is made mandatory in Meat and poultry operations from 1997 because of the products lower threshold of getting spoilt. The chicken is then packed and stored below 4C. Packing itself has high probability for physical hazards to be introduced, for example the packaging material, the labels used etc. Packing material can be a hazard and hence visual inspection can be done to ensure the packing. A detailed example for SSOP is given below to sanitize automated labelling machine. This is done on a daily basis and weekly once for cleaning the inside parts. Removal of all debris and physical matter. Wiped by a clean cloth dipped in soap water. A thin spray of QUATS (Ammonium compound) solution is applied and made to dry. Visual inspection is done to ensure that the machine is clean. If anything is broken it is always compulsory to call maintenance team to fix it. Once a physical hazard has been detected, an effective program should be exercised immediately to eliminate these threats or bring it to an acceptable level. HACCP will help to bring down the risk to an acceptable level or clear out every physical hazard from the system. Auditing process would bring out the area of weakness in the production cycle. Make sure that the CCPs (Critical control point) are covered by the respective critical limits. All the process is to be written into a record for future use in case of emergencies. A regular auditing will help the production within safe limits and not leading to any disaster. More assistance can be obtained from consulting services, trained HACCP professionals, on-site training for workers etc. Therefore to prevent any risk of food incidents to consumers and from economic downfall, it is obvious to identify and understand the prone hazards. Make sure effective control measures are in place that would reduce or remove any hazards entry sit uation. A well developed HACCP plan will help solve most of the possible hazard situation and a well controlled quality control system will be of a good support. Taking up these steps would ensure that a food produced in a factory is safe from any possible physical hazards. Reference: 1) http://foodsafety.unl.edu/haccp/start/Identifying%20Hazards%20Physical%20Hazards%20July%202003.pdf 2) http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/foodsafety/processor/pdf/cfs02s74.pdf 3) http://foodsafety.unl.edu/haccp/start/physical.html 4) http://www.foodsafety.com/haccp.html#five 5) http://cnx.org/content/m33333/latest/ 6) http://www.jphpk.gov.my/Agronomi/KAV/5HACCP1.pdf 7) http://foodsafety.unl.edu/haccp/prerequisites/sop.html

Great Barrier Reef :: essays research papers

One topic that came to mind while researching this paper was the Great Barrier Reef, which I had wanted to research for my presentation, but information was more abundant for the topic I did choose. The size of the reef and its tourist potential are great in their respective ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reef is the largest of its kind extending 2300 km along the North East Coast of Australia from Cape York to the northern part of South Queensland. Most may believe that the reef alone is one large organism, but is amazingly a network of roughly 2900 individual reefs to form one large reef that is roughly the size of the U.K.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The remains of what are called polyps form the reef. New polyps grow everyday, which means that the reef is growing still today. The dead polyps form the white structures of the reef while the live polyps give it its color. For the reef to survive, the waters around it must be greater than 18 degrees Centigrade, the sunlight must be able to penetrate the water, and the water must be clean and salty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I stated previously, this is the most extensive reef system anywhere in the world. It is also the largest structure that is made completely of living organisms. It is the breeding area of a number of marine life and endangered species. The humpback whale travels here from the Antarctic to give birth to their young. Also, six of the seven species of sea turtle travel here to breed on the reef.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The entire ref is a marine park with zones that have different uses of water activities with the exception of fishing or collecting. These activities extend to the actual life in the reef. The corals are an animal in the jellyfish family, but they contain a solid limestone skeleton. During the day, the coral put themselves into the form of the skeleton to camouflage as a rock to hide from their predators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plants of the reef are not very visible, but are important food to the life that lives on and around the reef. They produce sugars through photosynthesis, which the coral absorb for up to 90% of their food. The corals provide shelter for the plants and are a good source of carbon dioxide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are also over 1500 different kinds of fish that call the reef home, and each had their own job to keep the reef healthy.

In this assignment I will discuss how fate and superstition contribute :: English Literature

In this assignment I will discuss how fate and superstition contribute to the final Tragedy. I will also consider other elements in the play, such as social class, education, poverty, and coincidence, which are highly significant to the story. In the play there are many references to the devil and the bogeyman, both figures representing evil and control. Most of the characters are strongly influenced by these; the "kids," who believe in the bogey man, and incorporate him into their games, "will he get me mummy?" and their mothers, who are influenced by the devil. The Narrator, who plays an integral part in the play, can be interpreted as the devil or bogeyman, following Mickey Eddie and Linda around and taunting their mothers, "Now you know the devils got your number" in this manner controlling the main characters and making the events (stated in the prologue) come to pass. The Narrator adapts the roles of many minor characters reinforcing the idea that the narrator is in control, because he is featured in all the significant turning points of the story, taking the parts of the milkman, gynaecologist, bus driver and the police man. The narrator is an ambiguous character, so he can also be portrayed as neutral, just telling and observing the story, or someone understanding and sympathetic, watching the events unfold. The prologue introduces the play, making the audience feel like the story is already written and Mickey and Eddie are destined to die. "An' did you never hear how the Johnstones died?" This is yet another reason to believe that fate is in control. However, there are powerful arguments to suggest that it is more coincidence and class that causes the deaths of the twins, for example, when Mrs Jhonstone has twins when she might have been able to cope with just one baby, and when Mr Lyons fires Mickey. As small children, Mickey and Eddies friendship isn't greatly affected by the difference in class, they are both envious of the other, showing that neither really has a better childhood, although one has more money, so has a higher chance of being successful in life. But inevitably, as they get older, Mickey is more directly affected by the poverty he lives with, and when Eddie moves on to university, a barrier develops between them, illustrating the contrasts between their lives and making their futures seem even more decided. Some characters are also affected by superstition, especially Mrs Jhonstone, who, although she denies, it is very superstitious "The shoes". This explains partly why she gives one of the twins away, because it is Mrs Lyon's manipulation that forces her, rather than fate or

Water Resource Should Be Nationalized

WATER RESOURCES SHOULD BE NATIONALIZED INTRODUCTION: Water resources are sources of water that are useful. The world is fast running out of usable water. Anthropogenic activities are depleting and polluting this finite well spring of life at a startling rate. The present ineffective management of water ignores the potential of conservation and embraces the chimeric alternative of increasing supply. Degraded watersheds, drying local pond systems, shrinking canal networks, and wetland degradation as a result of anthropogenic activity and climate change relegate water to the status of â€Å"scarce commodity. The ever-increasing stress caused by population growth and concomitant increased agriculture and industrial demands for water has created an apparent scenario of water shortage that requires augmentation. The assessed needs could be met with more efficient utilization of intra-basin resources, except in case of Cauvery and Vaigai basins where limited water transfers could take plac e by transferring water from Godavari River. Despite this report, plans were floated to combat water deficits by conveying surpluses to water deficient locations.Various political parties and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in Tamil Nadu felt that linking river water resources could enhance the realization of water needs. These political pressures pushed the proposal forward, leading to Supreme Court direction to the government of India demanding that the government take steps to interlink certain major rivers of the country by the year 2012, spelling the beginning of the â€Å"Interlinking of Rivers Project†. WHAT IS NATIONALIZATION OF WATER RESOURCES?The rivers flowing from the north to south are not hundred per cent utilised by the individual states efficiently. Because some state may need water and some may not need depending upon the geographical location, requirement, agriculture etc. So the unused water from these rivers are directed to the sea. So what the govern ment has planned is to nationalize the rivers by constructing a water channel from north to south , like how the national highways are there in our country , we will have the water highway routes in the form of the channels. INTERLINKING OF RIVERS:All ancient civilizations over world were born, bred, flourished and advanced by the river banks. Rivers are, therefore, an integral part not only of human existence but the very existence of life on our planet â€Å"The Earth†. Indian culture owes its supremacy to the rivers which are the life and blood of the nation. That is why they are worshiped as goddesses all over the country. Role of rivers in human life and now in national development, progress and prosperity, development of agriculture, science, technology or industry is beyond description.In olden days when there was no problem of overpopulation water resources provided by these rivers were sufficient for the population living by the banks. But with the ever increasing bu rden of population and multiplicity of demand for water for various purposes ranging from agricultural needs to industrial needs and for generation of power judicious utilization of this natural resource has become an absolute necessity. India is a country with vast population with extremes of climate, different topography, varied types of soils, annual rainfall ranging from 5 cm to more than 1000 cm. ome parts facing the havoc of floods and other parts thirsty for rain drops. Hence a scheme for effective and efficient management of water resources was prepared which envisages interlinking of 37 national rivers through 30 links across 9600 km with 32 connecting dams. The apex court of India has issued a directive to the government of India to interlink these rivers within a period of 10 years. The government on its part has set up a task force under former power minister, Suresh Prabhu to build national consensus, work out detailed plans and to see that the entire work is completed by the year 2016.In view of the director general of National Water Development Agency (NWDA) the interlinking of rivers should be based upon- INTER-BASIN TRANSFER: Inter-basin transfer is an outstanding example of effective and efficient management of water resources on the basis of need of the people; Interbasin transfer or transbasin diversion are (often hyphenated) terms used to describe man-made conveyance schemes which move water from one river basin where it is available, to another basin where water is less available or could be utilized better for human development.The purpose of such designed schemes can be to alleviate water shortages in the receiving basin, to generate electricity, or both. The national water development agency (NWDA) has estimated that the project would cost Rs. 5, 60,000 cores at 2002 prices. The project Inter basin transfer aims to deliver 173 billion cubic meter of water through a 12,500 km maze of canals which would irrigate 34 million hectares of la nd and would supply drinking water to 101 districts and five metro cities. THE NWDA HAS DIVIDED THE INTERLINKING OF RIVER PROJECT INTO TWO PRIMARY COMPONENTS: 1.THE HIMALAYAN COMPONENT PROPOSING A CONSTRUCTION OF 14 CANALS: The project intends to link the bramaputra and its tributaries with the ganga and the ganga with the Mahanadi river to transfer surplus water from east to west. The scheme envisages flood control in the ganga and brahmaputra basins and a reduction in water deficits for many states which is estimated to cost Rs. 3, 75, 000 core. 2. THE PENINSULAR COMPONENT WITH A PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF16 CANALS. River interlinks are envisaged to benefit the states of Orissa, Karnataka,Tamil nadu,Gujarat,Pondicherry,and maharastra. he linkage of the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers is proposed to feed the Krishna,pennar,cauvery,and vaigai rivers. Transfer of water from Godavari and Krishna entails pumping 1200 cusecs of water over a crest of about 116 meters. Interlinking the ken wit h the Betwa, Parbati, Kalisindh, and Chambal rivers is proposed to benefit Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The river links to cost Rs. 1, 85, 000 cores. It is planned to transfer 141 km3/yr through peninsular India and 33 km3/yr Himalayan links essentially for redistribution in the Ganga basin and to Western India.Only small volume of water can be transferred from the Brahmaputra basin. Thus in totality 1660 km3/yr of development water resource can be created which can take care of any exigencies. THE BENEFICIARIES OF RIVER LINKING: The politically important consideration for drawing up the river linking plan was the emergence of major national and transnational industries and rapid urbanization in many of the ‘low water availability’ natural regions of the west and south. It was purported also to help the commercial farming lobby for sugarcane.A case of ‘mortgaging the nation’s future for a miniscule affluent population. The plan is aimed at ending the flood problems of the Gangs and Brahmaputra and at the same time solving the drought problem in southern India by diverting surplus water of the snow-fed rivers to the rain fed Peninsular river. Help prevent floods in north and east, drought in south and west of the country. India depends heavily on monsoon. Interlinking will help irrigation, which in turn will help increase the crop yields by making farmers less dependent on monsoon and ensuring a year long water supply.These worlds bring an extra 35 million hectares under irrigation whereby per capita food grain consumption would be doubled in spite of the increase in population. This interlinking of rivers will provide food security to the country. Additional 34,000 k. w. electricity will be generated against the present 24,000 k. w. I. e. it will be more than doubled. This would give an impetus to the industrial sector as well. It will not just be a linking of rivers but a linking of lives. It will promote national integration. River transports is not only cheaper but also a non-polluting transport alternative.This has been a success in Europe. Experts suggest that even canals can be used for moving cargo between the states. Interlinking of rivers will generate employment opportunities all over the country especially in agriculture sector, power, transport and construction works. This project alone can enhance the GPD by 4%. Above all migration from rural areas will reduce which would reduce congestion in urban areas. Decentralization of industries would be a natural phenomenon with the availability of water and power. HURDLES IN INTERLINKING OF RIVERS:Undoubtedly, interlinking of rivers would provide innumerable facilities and comforts but certain hurdles are bound to arise in the implementation of the project. In the first instance many canals will pass through national parks and sanctuaries and many people may be displaced by the building of dams and canals. The construction of reservoirs and dams may swallo w up the natural habitats of wild life and the ecology of the country may be subjected to unknown consequences. Large areas under forests may be submerged under water.According to some scientist’s monsoon rains come all over the country at one and the same time, hence interlinking rivers may cause floods. Then rivers like Ganga and Brahmaputra are international rivers, hence consent of adjacent countries like Nepal and Bangladesh would be a necessity for the completion of the project. Country is already facing a dispute over sharing of Kaveri river water. Further conflicts may arise between the states on the issue of sharing of water between them. Dams tend to sometimes aggravate he condition of floods They cause water logging and soils become saline and unsuitable for crops if floodwater from the east is transferred to other areas the biodiversity of these regions will be affected; the plants growing in these regions will die, many animal and bird species that live there wil l become extinct. the severe drought during summer in many parts of the country is due to mismanagement of water and not because a lack of it. Steps should be taken to conserve water at the local level instead. Finally financing of the project will not be so easy.FUDAMENTAL OBJECTIONS TO RIVER LINKING: 1. Linking of rivers violates the natural laws governing the life support system, and natural dynamics; and discounts the bounties provided by river systems. 2. The loss of flood plains and spill basins by human interference has caused devastating floods. River linking shall enhance this situation. 3. Man-made dams, reservoirs, and artificial lakes that are to be project ingredients would rob the rivers of their energy potential. 4. In fact, stupendous energy would be needed for the rivers to jump over the natural water divides and topo-barriers. . Rainfall and water availability is regulated by the monsoons, resulting in a highly bimodal annual river flow and moisture regime with con sequential seasonal lows (droughts) and highs (floods). River linking shall certainly aggravate both droughts and floods by superimposition of the situation in each of the linked rivers. 6. Such linkages could possibly be thought of in more temperate latitudes with a more homogeneous annual moisture/flow regime. However, the Soviet experience of river diversion has even then been catastrophic, resulting on the devastation of the Aral Sea. . A river is not a mere flow channel, but a holistic system encompassing the whole basin — water divide, catchment, valley and outflow point. Any alteration shall affect the whole system and even induce microclimatic changes. 8. Inestimable loss of natural biodiversity, wild cultivars and plant gene banks shall inevitably follow river linking to disrupting the regional food chain operation. 9. Monsoonal rainfall on the degraded catchments shall cause excessive siltation-related problems in the linking systems. 10.Careful scrutiny of the stat e of environmental health of various rivers should have been first made before clean rivers are linked very filthy rivers. 11. River linking shall inevitably lead to an alteration of the seasonal water availability pattern; and the possibility of upsetting the evapo-transpiration balance. 12. An inevitable change in the cropping pattern from excessively irrigated lands after river-linking shall cause a major increase in methane and other gases that contribute to global warming. 13. Land degradation shall also be inescapably aggravated. 4. The colossal estimated cost will surely jeopardise the national economy for decades and force diversion of funds from the more essential needs of the vast majority of rural poor. 15. The inter-state and international ramifications of shared riparian systems would certainly open the floodgates for a civil war situation and serious discord with India’s neighbours. Not only is any such proposal for inter-basin transfers totally repugnant to all natural and economic logic, but shall alter the subcontinent’s geographical configuration.In the ultimate analysis, the proposal shall signal the death knell of our river systems that provide the principal source of sustenance; and encompass social, cultural and religious traditions. INTERLINKING MAJOR RIVERS WILL REDUCE FARMER SUCIDES: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hasdrawn out a blue print for implementing the project with the help of images collected from the Remote Sensing and Cartosat satellites launched by it in 2007 and 2008.Though the UPA government which came to power in 2004 had included the inter linking of peninsular Indian rivers as one of the top priorities in its Common Minimum Programme nothing was heard about it afterwards. India and Pakistan are locked in water war over the construction of power projects on Jhelum on their respective territories. Snow-fed rivers like Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra, which originate in the Himalayas, and their t ributaries are perennial. They continue to flow throughout the year. During monsoons, they tend to overflow and inundate large flood prone areas and cause loss of ife, livestock, crops and property. Rain-fed rivers like Luni in Rajasthan remain dry for most part of the year because the rainfall is scanty in that area resulting in drought like conditions. The volume of water in the west flowing rivers of Central Highlands, Narmada and Tapti is directly proportional to the amount of rainfall received during the monsoon season. Hence, there is a always an element of uncertainty in availability of water. To the North of the Vindhyas, the Malwa Plateau and the Chhotanagpur Plateau of Jharkhand are comparatively better placed as they are drained by steady Ganga and Yamuna.But due to the absence of adequate river valley projects a large quantity of water wastefully flows into the Bay of Bengal through Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. In the peninsular region too, the rainfall is uneven, While the Western Ghats receive high rainfall, the Eastern’ Ghats receive very less. States like Tamil Nadu lie in the r tin shadow area and get little rainfall from advancing South West monsoons. The East flowing rivers of the Deccan Plateau-Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery drain this area. SEASONAL RIVERS OF THE SOUTH:To overcome the problems of flood and drought a whopping Rs. 5,60,000 crore river linkage project has been envisaged. The perennial and often inundating rivers of the north will be connected with the dwindling: and rather seasonal rivers of -the south through a network of canals so that the former are stopped from overflowing and the latter are regularly replenished, curbing floods and famines at the same time. The project will also ensure regular, adequate and timely supply of water to all parts of the country for agriculture, industry and consumption. Of the three big Himalayan rivers, Indus has been left out because there is a natural connectivity in the shape of its tributaries like Sutlej, Beas and Jhelum which drain and well cater to the needs of the Indian part of the Indus basin. Water from Brahmaputra shall flow into Ganga. Two main headwaters in the ,Himalayas the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda join at Devprayag and flow as Ganga thereafter. It enters Northern plain at Haridwar. â€Å"Yamuna joins it at Allahabad. Yamuna, in turn, is joined by its tributaries like Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken. Sone joins Ganga directly andDamodar joins its distributor Hooghli. As the Ganga river system drains the States of Haryana, Southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand’ and major parts of West Bengal many times its water falls short of the required quantity. Linking Ganga with Brahmaputra shall solve this problem. Brahma- putra carries ‘a tremendous volume of water. When it enters India at Namcha Barwa the undercutting done by this powerful river is of the order of 5;500 meters. With the eastern States receiving heavy ra infall during monsoon, season the danger’ of floods looms large in many areas of Assam and Bihar almost every year.The linkage will mean diversion of . excess water from Brahmaputra into Ganges ,and this problem of floods shall be taken care of automatically. Ganga will be connected to Mahanadi and Godavari. This, will boost agriculture in the States of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Godavari will be further linked to Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery replenishing their depleting, waters. It will help Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and many parts of the Eastern ghats and the rain shadow areas of the South which get little rainfall from the advancing monsoons.This will bring smile on the faces of the farmers of the’ South many of which committed or contemplated suicide due to crop failures. This may also solve the dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing of Cauvery waters. Narmada will flow into Tapi helping mainly the farmers around Satpura range. Yamuna will flow into Sabarmati which, in turn, will be linked to Luni. It will benefit many areas of Gujarat and the desert state of Rajasthan. Thar desert of today may become the prosperous Sahara in future, who knows?

Intrinsic value of corporations

The Legalization of Marijuana Pot, grass, weed, hash, and ganja or Just a few of over 200 slang terms used to describe one very important issue in today's society. One of the biggest topics up for debate, which has risen In popularity within the last couple years, is the discussion on the legalization of marijuana. There are several affiliated areas discussed within this essay exposing the arguments, stakeholders, and reasoning for why marijuana should or should not be legalized.Between the state and federal law contradictions, he issue of legalization of marijuana for pharmaceutical or recreational use in the United States affects not only the policy makers and medicinal patients, but also the adolescents and regular recreational users of today's society. By observing a brief history behind what Marijuana actually Is, Including all of the side-effects, voting citizens and politicians can grasp a better understanding of how to approach this issue by first understanding the background behind it.Procom. Org is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated solely to the history and background of marijuana to inform anyone wanting more knowledge about this Issue. To begin, Marijuana comes from the dried blossom tops of cannabis static plants, one of three plants within the genius Cannabis. It consists of chemical compounds known as cannabises, which produce psychoactive and physiologically effects on the user. The most active cannabis compound Is delta-9-thermodynamically, or otherwise referred to as TECH.TECH is absorbed rapidly into the blood stream after inhaling or ingesting. The short-term psychological and physiological effects of this chemical compound are felt within minutes. Slow reaction time, rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, Armenia, euphoria, and an increase in appetite are some of the many effects of TECH. After about three to four hours, these effects wear off; however the chemical compound of TECH remains for up to six months within the body. Procom. Org breaks down the study of cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes for nearly 5,000 years using an easy to understand timeline. Many Americans have no knowledge of the path marijuana has made on our history or why it was even legal. Without the knowledge of why it became illegal, how can one make an informed decision in our Democracy. Marijuana was brought to the United States y the Spanish where It became a major commercial crop unregulated by the United States government and was a common Ingredient In medicines.It was commonly prescribed to patients for minor medical issues such as nausea or labor pains. In the early twentieth century, marijuana began to be used for recreational purposes. During the sass's, the U. S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics, renamed the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, launched a prohibition campaign using the association of marijuana with anti-social behavior and violence to influence United States society towards the banning of th is drug. They tagged marijuana as a dangerous substances.In the sass's, it became widely used as a symbol of rebellion against authority among college students and the so-called â€Å"hippie† generation. Finally, in 1970, The Controlled Substances Act was passed federally making all production and use of marijuana illegal in the United States due to the high abuse with no acknowledged medical use of this classified schedule I drug. The banning of marijuana is evidence that perhaps legalization is not the best idea. The possible ability of it being a â€Å"gateway' drug affects children and their future with drug abuse.Promoting one drug could lead to possibly promoting many more. This aspect to ensure future citizens of America's health may indeed by a right path; however, it could be doing more harm than good. With this said, this is why voting citizens and policy makers need to take into account anything there is to know about the issue before making decisions that could a ffect future society. Today, marijuana production and use remains federally illegal; however, recently, in the last fifteen years, state legislatures in some states are becoming more lenient on the medicinal use of marijuana.In two particular states, Colorado and Washington, recreational use of marijuana has been legalized as well. According to the introduction of Vanderbilt Law Review, â€Å"Congress has the ability to overpower a state's decision when they prohibit a permissible federal law; however, when a state discriminative a prohibited federal law, Congress does not have the ability to overpower them, but they can sway them to see in their favor† (Mikes, â€Å"This two-sided law had been widely overlooked by states until the passing of Amendment 64 in Colorado and Washington.Not only has it conflicted with federal laws, but Congress s trying to keep these states from being able to get licenses to mass produce marijuana and tax it by implementing more detailed federal policies. The White House released several reasons, including effects on adolescents, behind changing their opposition on legalizing marijuana not only for recreational use, but for medicinal use also.There is evidence that the use of medical marijuana to treat certain pain, nausea, and appetite stimulation caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS can relieve or ease the patient of these symptoms temporary and has been suggested that the toxicity of this drug is less harmful then mom of the drugs currently prescribed for these particular illnesses.The Positive Health cohort study consisting of people with HIVE/AIDS between the states of Victoria and New South Wales, Australia concluded that â€Å"Therapeutic use of cannabises, whether through marijuana or synthetic oral TECH, deserves further consideration to clarify the many complex issues related to both the health of people using it and the social context in which PLAYA and health workers are expected to o perate† (Kappa, et al. â€Å"Marijuana as therapy for people living with HIVE/AIDS: Social and health aspects†).The inhalation of marijuana can damage the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system due to the ability of smoke to cause cancer within the body. An alternative solution that is currently being explored is oral TECH or synthetic cannabises, such as traditional and enabling. It is administered through capsules or inhalants; however, as stated in Kappa's article, since natural TECH on the human brain and the immune system is not fully understood, the effects of oral TECH cannot be fully predicted (Kappa, et al. Marijuana as therapy for people living with HIVE Since it is unclear rather therapeutic marijuana use does more harm than good, here are other aspects to consider on this issue. Studies show that adolescent marijuana usage for children under the age of sixteen who are still developing their cognitive and social skills are at a high risk of developing ADSM-IV clinical symptoms, mental health disorders, later on in life.A study done by the institutional review boards of wake Forest University Health Sciences and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio showed that psychological impairments â€Å"may relate to these individuals' increased risk for future psychiatric conditions, including psychotic ND affective disorders as well as more severe substance use disorders† (Achaeans, et al. , â€Å"Impulsively, attention, memory, and decision-making among adolescent marijuana users†).Considering all the negative effects on an adolescent's brain, research for recreational purposes is viewed by many as unnecessary. The argument is to consider the growing minds of our children so we can have a productive society in the future. Negative effects found on adolescents' causes disapproval from the voters and can negativity affect the medical research by keeping it completely illegal. Addiction to marijuana arises more often today in adolescents and adults due to the more relaxed attitudes of the risks involved as stated in â€Å"Marijuana Legalization. As stated in Cohesion's analysis, an article published by Cambridge University Press mentions that marijuana addiction is not as recognized because typically it does not ruin one's health or life; however, addiction to a scheduled class 1 substance, rather or not it is bad for you, is still an addiction that needs to be treated (Achaeans, et al. , â€Å"Impulsively, attention, memory, and decision-making among adolescent marijuana seers†).Marijuana, within the last couple years, has become more accessible to the general public than ever before causing increasing awareness of the topic of legalizing marijuana. It has been proven, through multiple tests, analyses, and researches, that marijuana does indeed have specific reasons for recreational use. There are those that believe that no good can come out of legalizing marijuana and therefore s trongly advocate their position on banning the notion.Drug abuse and the harm it inflicts on others is a popular topic among marijuana controversies. In order o bring awareness to the risks involved when using marijuana â€Å"the Office of National Drug Control Policy is working to reduce the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs through development of strategies that fully integrate the principles of prevention, treatment, and recovery†¦ † (â€Å"Marijuana Legalization†, The White House Washington).Not only are there health risks involved in consuming marijuana, other factors that would occur because of ratification include: Increase of use because of lowered price, tax revenue would be offset by higher social costs, and it would further burden the justice system. Taking into account all the facts and medical uses for cannabis, an informed voter can finally make a decision based on logic instead of opinions. The development of the legalization of marijuana is not Just about deciding between being for or against it.It is more or less about being educated and aware of the multiple arguments brought into the debate on this issue that takes into account the effects on adolescents, policy makers, and medicinal or recreational users. As individuals we are given the choice to decide where we stand on the issue. Our own personal choices and decisions, in the end, have the ultimate decision on whether or rugs'! In our history we can only see an ongoing conflict amongst various drug users – and producers† (Sebastian Marigold).

Articles in Contrast

It can be interesting how two different newspapers will report the same news in a slightly different manner. This can be viewed in the following two articles that were recently published: â€Å"New commander for Mideast says ‘time is short' on Iraq future† [International Herald Tribune (IHT)] By Brian Knowlton (Published: January 30, 2007) and â€Å"‘Time is short’ for Iraq turnaround: US commander† [Agence France-Presse (AFP)] by Jim Mannion (Published: January 30, 2007) In summation, both articles inform the public that in Admiral William Fallon’s testimony to the US Senate, he stated his belief that a turnaround for success in Iraq is possible if a new strategy is implemented, but the window of opportunity for success is very small. There are two similar photographs that accompany the articles. The AFP stresses a long shot photo of Admiral William Fallon testifying before the US Senate while the IHT uses a similar photo, but one that is a closer, tighter shot. In both photos, the Admiral holds up his hands in a gesture of emphasizing his seriousness. The photos complement the story well as they provide a clear image of the Admiral. Both articles provide the basic facts of the situation that relates to the headline, but then segue into different subject matter. The IHP drifts into a discussion on the dangers that Iran poses to US and Western European interests while the AFP article drifts into reports about civilian casualties and loss of life/ While both articles are factual, it is obvious that both articles also have a certain bias to them. The IHP article clearly tries to label Iran as the main villain in the conflict while the AFP uses the article to make the US war effort look like a grim failure. Granted, Fallon touched on both issues in his testimony, but it is curious how both papers â€Å"cherry picked† what to report and how to report it. To a great degree, the IHP article was far more enjoyable because it had a glimmer of hope in its contents. The AFP article was downbeat and gloomy, emphasizing death and destruction. While the situation in Iraq is dire, there should always be a sense of hope present for the future. Bibliography Knowlton, Brian.   30 January 2007. â€Å"New commander for Mideast says ‘time is short' on Iraq future.† International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 30 January 2007. URL http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/30/news/policy.php Mannion, Jim. 30 January 2007. â€Å"‘Time is short’ for Iraq turnaround: US commander† Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 30 January 2007. URL http://news.yahoo.com/ s/afp/20070130/pl_afp/usiraqmilitaryfallon_070130204955   

God’s lift is out of order Essay

What is it like to be left behind by someone close to you? Everywhere you will find people who have lost somebody near them – it is only natural. But what makes a person want to loose their own life? Life is not always easy to be a part of and some choose to leave by committing suicide without thinking about those who are close to them. Perhaps suicide seems the only way to solve someone’s problems, but it is a selfish act and it is the people left behind who are suffering. In the short story by Karen McCarthy â€Å"God’s lift is out of order† we read about these matters. The first-person narrator of the story is a girl, a black girl from Jamaica who lives in England. She has a boyfriend, Ed, who she is in love with, but even though he is mentioned in the story, we do not hear much about him. The story centres around a whole other man named Aaron, who is a friend of the female narrator. Her story begins with a dream. It is a dream about this Aaron, who we later hear about in reference to some things the two of them have done together. After having had this dream she cannot stop thinking about Aaron and about two weeks after on Christmas Eve the narrator is getting ready for a big birthday party. This is when she accidentally finds a Valentine’s day card from Aaron, but does not have the time to read it. Without further notice she does not realise that Aaron probably was thinking of her as more than just a close friend – he could be in love with her, but does not want to interfere with what she has with Ed, so he keeps his feelings to himself. Later arriving at the party she meets Kevin, who asks her if she has heard what happened to Aaron. Kevin, not realising that the narrator does not know anything, tells her that Aaron has committed suicide. The girl is left in shock and cannot move. Throughout the story we hear about Aaron and the girl. A certain episode at a hospital is worth mentioning. Here they often go and have a cup of hot chocolate before going back home, but at this time the elevators are not working. Above them a sign reads â€Å"Goods lift is out of order† which the main character mistakenly reads as â€Å"God’s lift is out of order†. This situation in reference to Aaron’s suicide gives the title of the story. The fact that God’s lift is out of order agrees with Aaron’s early death. He dies too young because of some kind of ‘mix-up’ in God’s order. In the end of the story the main character goes to the party earlier mentioned, where she hears what has happened to Aaron. She seems to be feeling guilty, especially because of what happened the last time she talked to him and said: â€Å"mum should never have given you this number and don’t call here again† (p. 3, l. 120) She now knows exactly why things ended as they did. And the truth is that she actually did not mean the things she said, she really missed him. Her reaction towards these information’s shows that she appreciated the friendship of Aaron’s, but also that she might have had a feeling that Aaron wanted more than just friendship with her and therefore tried to keep a distance. On the one hand because of her relationship with Ed, but on the other hand she also knows that Aaron has gone too far with his drug abuse. The main themes in this story are premonition and the feeling of regret. The dream we hear about in the beginning of the story is set as a warning to the main character and afterwards she keeps thinking about Aaron. She sees him fall to his death whilst screaming out her name and she wakes up calling out his. But as any other she only sees it as a nightmare and not as a bad omen. You can think of the sign â€Å"God’s lift is out of order† as a hint to. As mentioned before it represents the wrongness of Aaron’s death – he dies too young. And had the narrator only read the Valentine’s card from Aaron, when she received it, she might have been able to prevent him from killing himself. Talking to Aaron on the phone at the incident described earlier makes her feel bad, but not nearly as much as she does after his death. The things she told him were the last words he heard from her. There is no worse feeling of regret than letting someone die without letting them know how you really feel about them. The fact that she let Aaron die thinking that she disliked him and never wanted to talk to him again is most likely unbearable and she regrets not having told him how much she would like to have kept him in her life. â€Å"Not Waving but Drowning† is a poem written by Steve Smith about a man who is drowning while crying out for help. It is a very dark poem and it can stand as an example for Aaron’s situation. Slowly the drugs are killing him and the main character does not hear his cry for help. He feels as if he is being ignored by his best friend and the woman he is in love with, but she does not know that he is depressed and has not recognised his cry for help: â€Å"I was much further out than you thought† (l. 3) After the death of Aaron the main character feels a great deal of guilt and sadness which the photo by Mick E. Westerlund expresses well. She is walking alone in dark surroundings showing a lot of sadness and pressure. The way she is walking and the feeling of guilt the main character has adds up to this girl who is walking through a gate as if ending a chapter in her life. The loss of Aaron is very hurtful and even though it is not her fault she comes to blame his death on herself. Whatever reason is given for committing suicide it cannot be justified. There are always people who get hurt and not only the one doing it. The people left behind are the ones hit the worst. However, these people do not realise that there is a better way out, that whatever problem one might have they can be solved differently if only trying hard enough. 2. Give a brief account (200-300 words) of the devices used en Edward Munch’s painting The Scream and compare it to Mick Westerlund’s photo. The Norwegian artist Edward Munch painted the world known painting â€Å"The Scream† in 1893. It is an expressionistic oil painting that centres around a screaming person. Using dramatic lines in the background draws attention further to the screaming person who is in direct focus this way. Also that the point of view is almost in human perspective makes a stronger impression. The use of warm colours in the sky in contrast with darker bluish colours gives a dramatic effect. Comparing the painting to the photo by Mick E. Westerlund is difficult because of the different devices used in these two images. â€Å"The Scream† by Edward Munch is a painting while Mick E. Westerlund’s is a photograph. To create the effect as desired he uses only black and white colours. So the only real comparison between the two images is the perspective of a human point of view and that the person in both pictures wear dark, if not black, clothes. In â€Å"The Scream† it symbolizes the chaos and frustration the person seems to be feeling and in the photo it relates to somewhere of an ending for the girl walking through the gate.