Pestle Zara

Pestle Analysis of Zara SOE11108 Sources of Competitive Advantage Assessment 1 Group Presentation PESTEL – Analysis [pic] Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Overview 3 3 Business Environment 3 4 Political 4 5 Economic 4 6 Social 5 7 Technological 6 8 Environmental 6 9 Legislative 8 10 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction The global apparel market is a consumer-driven industry. Also, globalization and new technologies have allowed consumers to have more access to fashion. As a result, consumers are changing, competition is fierce, and companies are evolving to meet these demands.Zara, a Spanish-based chain owned by Inditex, is a retailer who has taken a new approach in the industry. With their unique strategy, Zara has the competitive advantage to be sustainable. In order to maintain that advantage and growth they must confront certain challenges and face traditional retailers in the apparel industry. So, now our group will analysis the PESTLE of Zara Company. (Lopez & Fan, 2009) Ov erview Zara is one of the largest international fashion companies and belongs to Inditex, which is one of the largest fashion retailers worldwide.Inditex operates in textile design, distribution and manufacturing. (Inditex, 2011 b) Zara operates in 78 countries worldwide with 1557 stores in the world’s largest cities. (Inditex, 2011 c) The company is founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega, located in Spain and had in 2010 a net sale of 8. 088 million of euro. (Inditex, 2011 a) The have worldwide 1557 stores in 78 different countries. (Inditex, 2011 a) Aim: democratize fashion, offering latest fashion, medium quality and moderate price (Lopez & Fan, 2009)Structure: customer oriented, satisfaction of consumer needs (Mazaira, Gonzalez, & Avendano, 2003) Business Environment Global textile and clothing industry (Lopez & Fan, 2009) with 900 billion Euro in 200 worldwide (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006). Main competitors: H&M, Gap and Benetton (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006) Dynamic and innovative sec tor (Nordas, 2005) High quality fashion market vs. lower quality products (Nordas, 2005) Production in Europe vs. Production in low cost (Nordas, 2005) PoliticalInternationalisation: The key pull factors that explain the internationalisation of Zara include Spain’s entry into the European Union in 1986, the globalisation of the economy and thus potential economies of scale, the homogenisation of consumption patterns across countries – Zara’s belief is that â€Å"national frontiers are no impediment to sharing a single fashion culture† – and the abolition of barriers to export as well as the development of information technology (Lopez & Fan, 2009). Indian Market:India provided open market for Zara as Indian government is willingly to provide foreign investment in their country, but Indian Govt. Has their own policy which are to be adhered by organizations as Zara formed joint venture with TATA (Shah, 2011). Economic Production NOT transferred to lo w cost locations Zara resisted the industry-wide trend towards transferring fast fashion production to low cost countries like for example China. Zara states that this gives the greater control as it controls most of its steps on the Supply Chain, designing, manufacturing and distributing of products (CNN, 2001).In the UK 50% of the product Zara sells are manufactured in Spain, 26% in the rest of Europe and 24% in Asian and African countries > clothes with longer shelf life like for example basic t-shirts are outsourced to low cost suppliers mainly in Asia and Turkey (Business Week, 2006). Zero Advertising Policy The most unusual company policy is its’ no advertising policy. It is worth noticing that Zara competitors rely heavily on costly advertising campaigns. However, Zara prefers to invest money in opening new stores instead (CNN, 2001). Producer of about 11 000 items annuallyThe product range of Zara company is significant. It produces nearly 11 000 items annually whilst its competitors produce only about 2000 – 4000. Moreover, Zara changes its designs every 2 weeks which encourages customers to repeated visits and builds the brand loyalty. An average high street store in Spain expects customers to visit three times a year. It is 17 times for Zara. (The Guardian, 2002). Shortening Product Life Cycle Additionally, Zara needs just 2 weeks to design a new product and get it to the stores whilst industry average is 6 months (Business Week, 2006).To sum up, Zara breaks all the rules but this strategy proves to be successful as Zara is one of the biggest retailers in the industry. REFERENCES LIST entrys Social Rising of income With the rising of disposable personal income, people began to pursue a high quality and comfortable life. This tendency provides Zara quite wide market share. Personalized consumption become the mainstream of society. The strategy of ZARA, â€Å"a small amount, variety, cheap,† is a major guarantor of its success. Fa st fashionRegarding the design strategy, an article in Business world magazine describes it as follows: â€Å"Zara was a fashion imitator. It focused its attention on understanding the fashion items that its customers wanted and then delivering them, rather than on promoting predicted season's trends via fashion shows and similar channels of influence, which the fashion industry traditionally used. † There will be a 0. 7% depreciation of fashion products every day. A new product, from design to produce, logistics operation and the final sale, only need 2-3 weeks in Zara. Affordable fashionAn increasing number of people pay more attention to fashion. But fashion is a masterpiece of top designers, only a few people can afford it. The designers of ZARA will follow these fashion elements and design their own product, which most consumers can afford it (Baidu, 2010). Technological R&D and Production 1. Fast production: Deliver within 6 weeks instead of 6 months which is the delive ry time from Zara’s competitors (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006). 2. Zara has only 20 suppliers which accounted 70% of their products. The other companies have for example more than 200 different suppliers.Therefore it’s easy for Zara to control their suppliers. Logistic 1. Own distribution centre with an order to delivery time of 24 hour for Europe and 48 hours to USA and Asia (Tokatli, 2007). 2. The shops receive two deliveries from distribution centre. That allows the shops to have low inventory and a high turnaround within the shop (Lopez & Fan, 2009) (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006). Flexible Supply Chain 1. Vertical integrated and controls its entire production chain. One important effect of the control is to re reduce the bullwhip effect. (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006) . Zara has very short lead times. The Agility of their supply chain enables Zara to deliver from product design to sale within 2 weaks for repeat or 5 weeks for new products (Mazaira, Gonzalez, & Avendano, 2003). Envir onmental Zara wants to help the sustainable developments of the society and the environments with which it interacts. This commitment to the environment is a part of the Inditex group corporate social responsibility policy. Objectives and Actions: At the sores: Zara saves energy and lot of care has been given to make the stores eco efficient.Development of efficient management models for their stores that proposes measures to be applied to all processes, from the design of the store itself, the lighting heating or cooling system equipment, to the possible recycling of furniture and decoration. Use of paper or biodegradable plastic bags 90% of the bags Zara gives out to customers are made of paper. 1. Reduction of waste and encourages recycling Millions of hangers and security tags are processed each year additionally both the cardboard and plastic used are recycled. 2. Increasing awareness among the team membersHeighten employee’s awareness of the need for sustainable practic es such as trimming energy consumption, using sustainable transport or modifying habits. With the product 1. Use of ecological fabrics, like organic cotton. Zara Supports ecological agriculture and uses organic cotton in the production of selected items of clothing (100% cotton, completely free of pesticide, chemical agents and bleaches). With a distinctive label these products can be identified very easily at the stores. 2. Producing PVC –free footwear No petroleum derivatives or non-biodegradable materials are used in producing the footwear.In the transport Zara’s fleet of Lorries transport over 200 million items of clothing annually and uses 5% biodiesel fuel, reducing emission of CO2 into the atmosphere by more than 500 tones. Animal welfare policy All the animal products, including fur and leather sold at Zara come exclusively from animal reared in livestock form and never from animal sacrificed for skin sale. (Zara, 2010) Legislative Plagiarism plagiarism in the fashion industry has become a huge issue. Trends are often copied and cheaply as well as illegally sold in the street. Global expansionAs the European market has a well working trade and legal system facilitating business operations in member countries, other countries globally will not offer the same securities, especially in communistic countries the threat of losing a private run company to the local government is very real. REFERENCES ? Conclusion ZARA was just a small Spanish dress shop, but now, the little-known brand has grown into a leader of the apparel market. Now the footprints of ZARA have around more than 60 countries. The big design group, unique strategy, environmental management idea and other operational strategies make ZARA success.

African American Essay

On October 23rd, 2006, a then 24 year old Dorothy Webb stood outside her Mississippi home. Fearing eviction from her home for non-payment of rent, Dorothy decided to do something drastic to save the only home she had grown to love. She walked to ‘the bottom’ which was almost 9 miles away, in an attempt to make a deal with a local drug dealer to sell crack cocaine and earn a profit. â€Å" I was truly scared because although I’ve been in the midst of the drug game as an outsider, I knew the consequences of selling drugs down south. They put my momma away for 8 years because my brother was selling drugs out of her house and she wasn’t even involved. I knew that if they could do that to her to and she didn’t even do anything, I was in real danger of getting even more time if I got caught. But it was between eating and living or being on the streets, so I made a choice that I could live with. I wanted to live in my house with food in my mouth. † According to Dorothy, she waited for days before she sold the drugs that she obtained from ‘the bottom‘. â€Å" I danced and danced around the idea in my head many days before I made my first sale, but I finally did it and it didn’t feel bad to me. By the end of it all, I had made ten sales, I had food in my mouth, and my rent was paid up so I could stay in my house,† Dorothy admits. Dorothy states that she only made those 10 sales, which was enough for her to pay rent and buy food until she was able to get back on her feet. â€Å"Almost a year after I sold the drugs, I was doin’ real good†¦ real good. I had kept my house and I had a job and a car all in that one year. I just kept workin’ and workin’ till one day, the police came to my house and arrested me for selling drugs to an undercover officer, and I was devastated. I mean, I know it was wrong to do so and against the law. I knew that I would get in trouble, but I never could have imagined that it would be as long as I was told. I mean c’mon! Murderers do less time than drug dealers do so where does that leave me, this one person tryin’ to live? During my sentencing, I cried until no more tears could flow. I was facing 20 years for the 10 sales that I made in the last year. After my sentencing, I ran to Illinois to be with my family until I was caught last week on a technicality† (D, Webb, personal communication, February, 2008). Dorothy Webb remains in a St. Clair county Illinois jail awaiting transport to Mississippi where she will start serving out her sentence. Dorothy’s story is not unlike many other African American men and women whom face years of their lives behind bars for drug trafficking and other related drug charges. Irreversible effects from drug related racial profiling and disparity should be stopped in relation to the African American community by way of rehabilitation for offenders and judicial officials. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Cocaine is a white powder substance originating from the coca plant dating as far back as the 11th century. It was used in the early 1800s to treat an assortment of common ailments ranging from hiccups to pneumonia. Presently, cocaine has been deemed very addictive and has been illegal in the United States for over 100 years. Cocaine can be snorted through the nose or used to intravenously. Crack cocaine is a free based substance that is used for smoking. It is produced by combining baking soda and cocaine and is cooked to generate a hard, rock-like material. Because the crack cocaine has been altered, using more baking soda than cocaine, it results in being a cheaper drug that requires less to cause a ‘high’ feeling (Lu, Taylor, & Riley, 2001, p. 399). From a socio-economic standpoint, the black community, consisting of mostly the poor or working class can afford crack, while whites whom generally consist of middle class families, thus financially stable, chose cocaine as a drug of choice. It is relatively clear that many users of crack cocaine consist of mostly individuals from the African American community. Many admit to using and selling the drug, however, evidence shows that white Americans produce an even higher population of illicit drug abusers and those whom traffic drugs as well. Although drug abuse among blacks is easily visual in ‘crack houses’ and even effortless drug sales on street corners, whites are not as flamboyant when it comes to drug use, conversely, middle America is now pressed with an overwhelming methamphetamine dilemma. Nevertheless, many professionals concerned with the sociological aspects of drug solicitation in African American communities across the nation scrutinize the domino effect resulting from wide-spread drug quandary such as child abandonment, school dropout rates, and deteriorating homes. In fact, Kennedy states that â€Å"Law enforcement naturally and logically focuses on those communities where illegal drug use has created the most harmful and most visible effects†¦ More generally, illegal drug use is seen as devastating African-American communities in a way that is not seen outside the inner city. People losing jobs, kids dropping out of school, parents neglecting or abandoning their children–all of these social costs are more readily seen in the inner city than in the more affluent white communities where illegal drug use seems to be relatively benign. Even more to the point, illegal drug use in the inner city is seen as crimogenic–the inner -city user of illegal drugs is thought to be more likely to steal or commit some other crime to finance his drug use† ( 2003, p. 154). The theoretical reasoning behind the abuse of crack cocaine in the black community has been speculated as the end result of a people in dire need, monetarily and emotionally, nonetheless, these outcomes resulting from drug infested communities do not constitute the racial disparity that is currently occurring throughout the nation, however, the issues do cause a need for probable concern . The illicit use and distribution of crack cocaine is steadily ricocheting through the African American community. In fact, according to Angeli, â€Å"The increase in the rates of incarceration of young black males is due primarily to the focus of the ‘war on drugs’ on black drug users. For drug offenses, the African American proportion of arrests increased from 24% in 1980 to 39% in 1993, even though African Americans comprise only 13% of monthly drug users. From 1986 to 1990, the number of minority jail inmates increased more than twice as fast as the number of white inmates, and the increase in the number of arrests of minorities for drug offenses was almost ten times the increase in arrests of white drug offenders† (1997, p. 1213). It is undisputable that this jump in the number of incarceration of blacks was initiated due to the passing of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, congress enabled sentencing commissions to guide the legislature of punishments for crack and cocaine possession offences. Subsequently, the commission ruled that â€Å"At every quantity level federal defendants convicted of a crack cocaine offense receive the same sentences as powder cocaine defendants convicted of an offense involving 100 times as much cocaine (Angeli, 1997, p. 1212). It seems that these laws were put into place to purposely capture blacks in the system given that the Judicial system is aware that all crack possessions are in the hands of blacks by a very larger margin than any other race. This can be corroborated with current percentages contrasted to earlier figures from the1920s before these laws were enacted. Compared to the early 1900s, when African Americans only made up less than 20% of the prison population for illicit possession of alcohol and drugs, while foreign-born whites accounted for over 40%. In 1992, 92. 6% of drug offenders were African American and 4. 7% were white and possessed pure cocaine (Elden, 2005). At present, over 1/3 of the total black male population is wedged in the judicial system involving imprisonment, parole, or probation, thus proving that race seems to be the issue in the current war on drugs. In previous combats in the war on drugs, other races were equally targeted just as contemporary matters of racial disparity. In the early 1920s, foreign born immigrants, whom made up much of the American population then were the predominately incarcerated culprits for drug trafficking and or distribution. Contemporary legislature has made the proper amendments to finally put an end to the racial disparity regarding blacks and crack cocaine sentences. In the later part of 2007, in the case of United States v. Kimbrough, Defendant Derrick Kimbrough was initially convicted and sentenced to 168 to 210 consecutive months for three counts of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams of crack cocaine. This decision was lessened by district courts to a total sentence of 120 months for all three charges and 60 consecutive months for possession of a firearm in connection to his arrest for the drug charges. This one case is a landmark case that will begin with the release of those whom have served a significant amount of time towards less severe charges related to crack cocaine and will lessen the amount of time given to those whom are tried and convicted of illicit drug crimes involving crack cocaine. SUGGESTIONS Although the damage has been done, thus forever disparaging the trust of black people in today’s justice system, things can still be done in an attempt to reverse illegitimate imprisonment of blacks for miniscule drug offenses. The war on drugs should simultaneously preserve our country’s promise to liberty and justice to each individual, equally regardless of race, stature, or background. If in fact the war on drugs is to combat all forms of illicit drug use and or trafficking, subsequently, all drugs should be charged consistently relative to quantity. Not only is the 100 to 1 ratio law unfair but it is also racially charged. It is apparent that the judicial system is aware of this racial activity that is continually produced by the members of government and courts, and have thus began to amend laws. However, regardless of these current revisions, more lenient laws should also be inserted concerning all first time offenders. For quantities less than 20 grams, no time should be served at all and incidents should be regarded as a misdemeanors, requiring community service and or fines. Amounts less than 10 pounds should result in months and not years in jail time as well. Additionally, rehabilitation programs for drug offenders as well as court officials should be created. Just as drug rehabilitation programs for drug abusers aid in job placement programs and drug dependency, drug distributors should also have to attend similar programs that are geared towards the rehabilitation of drug dependency as a way of career. If these offenders could understand the fundamentals behind their professions, it would be probable that they would return to their communities, not as an vandals, but as a productive member of society and their community. It may also be a good idea to implement drug addicts into their program as well, in order to reveal insight into the lives of those whom they have destroyed. If these programs could be implemented and utilized, it is very probable that there would be a significantly less amount of repeat offenders as well. Lastly, many officials believe that many members of law enforcement have very little role in the prosecution of crack cocaine holders. However, law enforcement officials are responsible for obtaining criminals. Racial disparity begins in this area first. As stated earlier, officers logically pursue areas where drugs have the most detrimental effects, however If equal focus would be put upon all races to prohibit the distribution of drugs, eventually, all areas of drug distribution would eventually subdue, principally the methamphetamine business. CONCLUSIONS Although the end results of drug use or distribution are riveted throughout the African American community, either through school dropout rates, child abandonment or neglect, and job loss, the effects of unfair drug sentences are equivalently devastating. More than 1/3 of the black male population have been witness to some form of the judicial prejudice through incarceration, parole, or probation, and the number is steadily increasing each year. It is more than probable that race is the intended target for these drug wars that are presently occurring, whilst this has happened previously in an earlier time. During the early 1920s, foreign-born immigrants were the targets during the first war against drugs in the United States, while African American men made up less than 20% of the total incarcerated population. At this time, the judicial system has commenced realization of these racially charged attacks on the African American community, thus lessening the sentencing of crack cocaine offenders. This was proved in a recent landmark case, The United States v. Kimbrough. In this case, Derrick Kimbrough’s lengthy 168 to 210 consecutive month sentence was cut down to a little more than half at 120 consecutive months. Although the court system has made this advancement in this area, further innovations must also be met as well. Progression within drug distribution rehabilitation programs should also be implemented. For instance, former drug distributors should be enrolled in some of the same programs that drug abusers undergo. These offenders should be allowed to hear the testimonies of the many lives that they have destroyed due to drug distribution and dependency as a profession. Additionally, programs should be executed, allowing each offender job placement and job training so that their likelihood of returning to that lifestyle will be greatly reduced. Members of the courts should also be counseled as well to allow insight into the lives of the people that they convict, therefore, sentencing will be fair and relevant to each case, instead of an overall depiction of that type of society. Members of law enforcement should also take rehabilitation classes that will allow them to equally focus on all areas of society that is ridden with drugs instead of primary focus on the black community. If these measures were considered and utilized, United States would be on its way to a less racially prejudiced society.

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SUPERVISOR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SUPERVISOR - Essay Example The supervisor should honor employees by setting aside time to attend them on weekly or daily basis and share with them if there is any problem, if there is any, the supervisor must find a way on how to help. Engage in regular meetings; hear employees’ triumphs and grievances. Use meeting sessions to discuss the organization’s success and find solutions to any new problem. Conflicts in the work place are common, and they may occur between a supervisor and employee or a client and the worker. Being a problem solver and an effective controller, the supervisor should remain to the facts and creatively think on how to handle the situation (Rue, 2010). The supervisor should at all the time avoid focusing on blame and emotions. Come up with the necessary steps to help solve the problem and let employees regain and resume to duties. As part of an effective supervisor, one should assist workers to transform their weaknesses to strength and competences. The supervisor should create awareness of the department which requires improvement. The supervisor should avoid showing unnecessary attention to weaknesses. Too much focus to employees’ weaknesses may result to reduced employee morale and discouragement. Appreciate employees’ work, which displays desired results (Rue, 2010). To be an effective supervisor one should design documents, which outline employee’s duties and responsibilities and who is to carry out which task. This delegation of responsibilities will save workers’ time and eliminate errors on tasks. Schedule sessions for training to employees. Create training manuals to help workers on performing tasks and at the same time allow sessions for question and answer for employees to learn new tasks (Rue, 2010). Planning is the key management function. It involves chalking out the future level of action and advance decision making. It closes the gap between where we are and where

Effective Spring Constant Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Spring Constant - Lab Report Example We calculate the percentage error to find out how similar our predictions were to our experimental results. It can be assumed that the percentage errors are very less and thus, it proves that the experiment was conducted with lot of precision and care. These errors are less if you consider the fact that an error of 5 cm in measuring the displacement would have changed the error percentage drastically i.e. 35.71% from 10.00% The relatively less percentage error can be accounted to systematic error or aberration in springs. Also, we must not forget that the experimental value of k’ and k† is obtained from the values of k1 and k2 from the previous lab experiment’s results so if there was an error in the results of the experiement it would have carried over into this lab. Our predicted results would have changed slightly due to the error and our experimental data would be off by even more. Another source of error could have been in measuring the relative displacement of the spring after the masses have been hung. A change in the angle or the stick not being held vertical could have resulted in a large deviation from predicted values. Taking into account all of these possible sources of error, we can safely assume that our percentage errors were sufficiently small. Conclusion The objective of this lab experiment was to calculate the effective spring constants of two different configurations. We obtained the effective spring constants using the equations from the predictions section.... (N) Initial h (m) Final h (m) Displacement (x) 0.05 0.49 0 10 10 0.07 0.686 0 10 10 0.09 0.882 0 12 12 0.11 1.078 0 15 15 0.13 1.274 0 20 20 The slope of the graph obtained is . Table-4 k† (End-To-End) Mass (kg) Weight (N) Initial h (m) Final h (m) Displacement (x) 0.05 0.49 0 29 29 0.07 0.686 0 42 42 0.09 0.882 0 54 54 0.11 1.078 0 67 67 0.13 1.274 0 80 80 The slope of the graph obtained is . We calculate the percentage error to find out how similar our predictions were to our experimental results. It can be assumed that the percentage errors are very less and thus, it proves that the experiment was conducted with lot of precision and care. These errors are less if you consider the fact that an error of 5 cm in measuring the displacement would have changed the error percentage drastically i.e. 35.71% from 10.00% The relatively less percentage error can be accounted to systematic error or aberration in springs. Also, we must not forget that the experimental value of kâ€⠄¢ and k† is obtained from the values of k1 and k2 from the previous lab experiment’s results so if there was an error in the results of the experiement it would have carried over into this lab. Our predicted results would have changed slightly due to the error and our experimental data would be off by even more. Another source of error could have been in measuring the relative displacement of the spring after the masses have been hung. A change in the angle or the stick not being held vertical could have resulted in a large deviation from predicted values. Taking into account all of these possible sources of error, we can safely assume that our percentage errors were sufficiently small. Conclusion The objective of this lab experiment was to calculate the effective spring constants of two

African Americans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African Americans - Assignment Example The fact that I chose the incorrect answer to half of the questions on the quiz shows that my knowledge of Native American history, culture and contemporary living conditions could be much better. This might reflect something of an ignorance about these issues in society generally. The figures for suicide attempts among young people were shocking. However, perhaps more surprising still was the fact that within a century of Columbus’ landing in the Americas, over 95% of the Native American population had been wiped out, both through violence and infectious diseases. The inhumane treatment of the existing American population by the first European settlers was quite obviously a terrible and dark period at the beginning of modern American history. That Columbus ordered all those on Haiti who failed to provide sufficient quantities of gold to be killed, and the enslavement of many Native Americans, demonstrates a perception on the part of those early settlers that the Native Americans were inferior beings – a perception which we, living in the 21st century, quite rightly find disturbing and incomprehensible. Perhaps the main thing I learnt is that, while terrible injustices were committed against the Native American populations in past centuries, in many ways the deplorable living conditions in which many of their successors live today means that the period of oppression has not yet been brought to an end. It is sobering to consider that this painful era in our nation’s history continues in some sense. Completing this quiz, and reading the historical and social information it provided, makes me consider myself fortunate to live in an America where all Americans really are citizens. While serious injustices remain, we can at least be confident that the modern US provides a better environment in which they can be resolved. As a business person, I am struck by the inequality of opportunity in our country, with Native American young people

Ethnography of a Group or Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethnography of a Group or Community - Essay Example The instructor pinpoints his disappointments of the way the international students in the class are performing compared to the Americans despite of issuance of similar lectures and notes. The issue of the level of English among the foreign students comes up with the instructor indicating that some of the members require attending English classes and threatens not to mark the poorly written papers that are submitted. The instructor furthermore called on an African student called Antony, Asking whether the English he had written to answer the assessment questions is the one that Kenyans use. He claims that where he instructs students is in the United States and not in Kenya; hence, all students that come from similar places where English is a second language required to improve accordingly. American students joined the lecture explaining how the international students do not know to speak to them in a pure English and categorically the Americans in the class indicates that the do not p refer interaction with the international students.† There has been an increased interconnection of different areas of studies globally in different education sectors (Bevis and Lucas). Subsequently, many international students have enrolled in American universities following the demand of higher and high quality higher education. Researchers have indicated that more than 10 billion international students are enrolled in the American universities. However, the diversified cultural backgrounds of the international students’ lead strains in adjusting to the new environment. The environment becomes unfavorable due to factors such as the international students language constrictions, social behaviors, and cultural differences. The environment that the International students face once in a foreign country has a totally different cultural background owing to the fact that most of the students come from different geographic regions and backgrounds. Consequently, most of the int ernational students in the United States universities are prone to unique challenging situations such as probable prejudice and discrimination, language barriers and various aspects evolving from the different cultural backgrounds. The level of English proficiency for the international students is a main aspect related to how well the student will cope with the new environment. English proficiency has a great impact on the level of stress that the students face while trying to adjust to the new environment. The international students who show an improved level of English proficiency easily adapt to the new environment with ease compared to those with low English adeptness. In addition, English proficiency clearly manifests in the students’ studies results accordingly. Recently, this factor on language has had increased attention globally; leave alone in the United States, to help the international students improve levels of English fluency to avoid the depressive feelings ass ociated with limited communication with other students and instructors in the universities because of low levels of proficiency. Consequently, this raises the issue of whether the international students should attend English lectures as an additional program. Most students, in particular the international students, have a sense of feeling intimidated or perceives themselves as outcasts on advise to take English classes. These indicate that the aspect of language

Jeffersonian Political Idealogy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jeffersonian Political Idealogy - Essay Example Jefferson’s influence was instrumental from the beginning. Having authored the Declaration of Independence, he objected to the wording of the Constitution on various points, among these that it made no provisions for individual freedoms, that there were no term limits for the chief executive, and that there was no guarantee of state rights. These objections led to the first Ten Amendments, also known as the Bill of Rights. The last of these amendments stated specifically that "all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people," which came to be a focal point for much of Jefferson’s following political career. With the United States so newly founded, there were many matters of governance still to be addressed. One of the first issues to arise involved Alexander Hamilton’s proposed fiscal plans, which involved the creation of a federal currency and banking institute. The creation of this agenda would ultimately give the national government control over the economy, creating a balanced unification throughout the country while at the same time removing the states’ rights of minting their own currency to control inflation. Because this would help centralize the federal government position of authority, Hamilton and his supporters became known as the Federalists. Jefferson fought this plan, fearing that by all power being given to the Capitol, it would negate the system of checks and balances that had been designed. The Bank of the United States was established in 1791 over Jefferson’s objections, but was given a twenty year charter of operation. The charter, when reviewed at that time, was not renewed, primarily for the initial reasons of contention. More important than fiscal matters, however, was the establishing precedent of opposing political parties. Thomas

End Stage Renal Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

End Stage Renal Disease - Essay Example A number of healthcare programs have come to the aid of ESRD patients in the United States, among them Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance (Sullivan 47). Through these programs, it is evident that healthcare provision is an expensive undertaking. As healthcare costs in this line exacerbates, the different forms of ESRD treatment do not seem to have a significant difference in terms of costs. Hemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis exhibit significant differences in the mode of treatment employed, but the costs incurred are roughly the same. This implies that the choice on the mode of treatment to use on patients remains a critical decision that nephrologists have to make. Another critical aspect to capture in addressing ESRD concerns is reimbursement. Despite the relative treatment differences in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (CAPD and CCPG), the reimbursement structure is the same (Sullivan 49). The government, through its various healthcare programs, and insurance companies continue to direct funds and resources to the coverage of qualifying patients and subscribers respectively. The reimbursement structuring has remained relatively the same, characterized by an ever rising trend in healthcare costs. Both nephrologists and ESRD patients have had substantial decisions to make regarding the reimbursement structure and the various treatment options available. There are a number of economic concerns that revolve around ESRD patients and their daily lives. To start with, these patients can hardly maintain permanent employment, meaning that their income earning continuity is relatively curtailed. This translates to a financial challenge to the patient and his/her dependents if any. Secondly, government healthcare programs and insurance companies do not necessarily provide 100% coverage. This means that the patients have additional costs to meet, especially in terms of acquiring ancillary drugs. Resulting to dialysis or kidney

Considering the Climate of the IT System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Considering the Climate of the IT System - Essay Example If a system is designed such that it will remove autonomy or authority from the end user and place it in the hands of the system, it is important to plan for that. In an organization that has a traditional management style, workers may be more accepting of relinquishing control to a more bureaucratic system. However, in an environment where the organization is more empowered, failure to consider this can result in resistance to the implementation. A successful system design will involve the organization and not significantly disrupt the hierarchy or alter the perception of control. While it is important that people's perceptions and attitudes be considered, it's imperative to keep in mind that the organization will have to use the system. Any problems in the organization such as arrogance or disinterest will be magnified when implementing a new system. One of the most important factors affecting a new system or modifications to an existing system is employee acceptance. Many system implementations fail because the system designers did not consider the behavioral climate resulting in a lack of acceptance (Headrick and Morgan). It is also important to consider the social environment of the organization prior to implementing a new system.

Instructional Design Essay Example for Free

Instructional Design Essay Task analysis is often considered the most critical component of instructional design. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Task analysis is a critical component in the instructional design process because it provides important information about the content and/or tasks that will form the basis for the instruction being developed. Careful consideration must be taken to ensure that there is a clear understanding of what learners are to know or are able to accomplish by participating in instruction. Coming to this understanding requires the identification of the type of content that will make up the instruction and in what sequence this content should be provided (Brown Green, 2005). I must agree that a task analysis is very critical in the instructional design process. It serves as a guide for teachers and learner of which to lead each to the end product-successful implementation and application. Support your response with examples. The mathematics teacher knows that she needs to conduct a task analysis to determine the steps her students need to take in order to master the skills taught. With following the procedural analysis approach, she analyzed the task of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators by identifying the various steps required to successfully complete the task. In conducting the procedural analysis, the teacher went through the each step sequentially. Once they had the steps listed, the student performed the task through practice and eventually became more comfortable with the skill. The process helped the teacher identify if there were any missing steps. The result of the procedural analysis was a flowchart that identified the different sub steps that needed to take place in order for the students master the skill when different scenarios occur, such as regrouping when subtracting fractions. The flowchart was compared to the implementation of the skill the previous year. The teacher determined that the previous implementation left out important steps and that new implementation proved that needed to be developed.

The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay From Unsustainable to Sustainable development; Urban problems related to energy; Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, watershed management, Resettlement and rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns. Case Studies; Environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions; Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust. Case Studies; Wasteland reclamation; Consumerism and waste products; Environment Protection Act; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act; Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act; Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act; Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation; Public awareness. 6.1 Unsustainable to Sustainable development Sustainable development is not a new concept. It means living in harmony with the nature in full recognition of the needs of all other species. It is no just the survival of the fittest, we must help even the weakest of the species to survive because each species has a role to play that is ultimately beneficial to the earth and all its human population. Our forefathers preached us the need to coexist with the environment in a balanced manner. The needs of the people in different parts of the world may be different, but our dependence on the Nature is similar. The most important thing to remember is that we have only one earth and if we destroy it by our actions, our children will not have a place to live. The first comprehensive definition of sustainable development was given by the Brundtland Commission in 1987: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. [Brundtland, G (ed) (1987). Our Common Future: The World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford: Oxford University Press]. Any development activity can be sustainable, if it is .. a dynamic process which enables all people to realize their potential, and to improve their quality of life, in ways which simultaneously protect and enhance the Earths life support systems. (Forum for the Future, Annual Report 2000). In short, if we care for the comfort of the present generation only and do not think of the needs of the future generations, and we damage the environment by various development activities, these activities will be termed as unsustainable. In taking every action, small or big, the possible damages to the environment must be given full consideration and the action must not leave behind a degraded environment. Technically, sustainable development is defined as a path of development in which no permanent and irreparable damage is done to the environment and the resources are kept intact for the future generations. The earth has everything for each generation, but it depends on the proper use. The present generation can survive very well on the resources available, but they must also leave behind enough resources for the future generations. It is necessary that a sustainable development path do not have any negative factor that is responsible for causing adverse impacts on the environmen t. A sustainable development programme is friendly to the ecosystem in all respects and has the capacity to absorb abrupt changes of the present and the future. Sustainable development has also a strong element of socio-political development. Thus, sustainable development programme must have equal concern for all sections of the society with a balanced economic development and environmental protection. The programme should have a log-term view of future consequences of any action taken today. In short, sustainable development has become the cornerstone of development planning today and has also become a principal tool of negotiation in international aid packages to the countries. The sustainable development can be broadly classified into three different kinds, viz., environmental sustainability (no permanent damage to the environment), economic sustainability (economy remains stable with equitable sharing of resources) and sociopolitical sustainability (maintaining social harmony and political stability). Historical milestones The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The commission was created to address growing concern about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development. In establishing the commission, the UN General Assembly recognized that environmental problems were global in nature and determined that it was in the common interest of all nations to establish policies for sustainable development. The Commission was asked to focus mainly on the following: To propose long-term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development to the year 2000 and beyond; To recommend ways in which concern for the environment may be translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between countries at different stages of economic and social development and lead to the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives which take account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment and development; To consider ways and means by which the international community can deal more effectively with environmental concerns, in the light of the other recommendations in its report; To help to define shared perceptions of long-term environmental issues and of the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, and a long-term agenda for action during the coming decades. The need to protect and enhance the human environment within a common framework and principles led to the Brundtland Report and subsequently, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), more commonly known as the Earth Summit, took place in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. This conference was designed to help governments to rethink economic development and find ways to stop pollution and the destruction of natural resources. The conference documents included: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Statement of Forest Principles Agenda 21 Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development At the Earth Summit in 1992, an agenda on worldwide sustainable development was formulated. This agenda, known as the Agenda 21, is a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable into the next century. It addresses economic and development issues and the conservation and management of the worlds resources. The implementation of Agenda 21 has been made the responsibility of Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry and also the general public. Agenda 21 provides a global framework for tackling global environmental problems like climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, desertification and deforestation. The Earth Summit was followed by a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 where the stakeholders from international institutions and corporations to national, regional and local governments have accepted that the principle of sustainable development will be at the core of all policy making. A few of the areas highlighted by the Agenda 21 are: (i) Combating Poverty. Poverty and environmental degradation are directly related to one another and it is imperative on the part of the governments that they should focus on poverty alleviation in order to protect the environment. The national programmes should aim at sustainable use of resources and should enable the poor to earn a living without destroying the environment. It is envisaged that the people should have a say in the development process and that local groups should be involved in the planning and execution of anti-poverty programmes. In this way, the people will become a party to sustainable development and environmental protection. (ii) Changing Consumption Patterns. Agenda 21 calls for a change in the existing patterns of production and consumption so that the damages to the environment may be minimized. For this purpose, the industrialized countries have been asked to play a leading role. National programmes should give more emphasis to more efficient production processes so that emissions and waste generation are brought down to minimum. All processes of production and consumption should conform to the principle of sustainable development i.e. no harm to the environment. The Governments should discourage all production processes which are not environment-friendly and should levy taxes on goods that are produced through such processes. The use of eco-labels on appliances should be encouraged and efforts should be made to raise public awareness on energy efficiency and recycling of wastes. (iii) Population and Human Health. The rapidly increasing population has created much pressure on natural resources, employment, social and health services. Sustainable development is not possible if the population is not appropriately controlled. Agenda 21 calls for the governments to adopt measures that take into account the links between population dynamics and sustainability, and identify carrying capacities. Poor health is often a result of poverty, especially in developing countries. Agenda 21 recommends that every national health programme should provide for the development of basic health care facilities with emphasis on training of doctors, nurses and other personnel, strengthen immunization programmes to control communicable diseases, and provide specific healthcare measures for the most vulnerable groups, including infants, women and indigenous peoples. (iv) Human Settlements. Migration towards the urban centers has been continuously increasing and the towns and cities are overcrowded with people. Slums have expanded and basic facilities such as supply of clean drinking water, sanitation and sewerage facilities, healthy living conditions, etc., are becoming scarce. Traffic congestion, poor air quality, waste dumping and unhygienic conditions have multiplied in most cities. Agenda 21 calls for appropriate urban renewal projects and transportation strategies, the provision of access to land, and credit and low cost building materials for the poor. Migration to big cities can be reduced only by improving living conditions and employment opportunities in rural areas and Agenda 21 lays stress on the development of the rural areas. (v) Atmospheric Protection. The atmosphere can be protected by reducing emissions to it. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for action in the energy production sector, transport and industry, through the promotion and development of energy efficient programmes, regional energy plans, public-awareness campaigns of environmentally sound energy systems, and research into more fuel-efficient transport systems. (vi) Ecosystems. Ecosystem conservation and protection is considered as a major item in sustainable development. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for governments, business houses and NGOs to introduce programmes of afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable land use and water resource management. The education programmes should be reoriented towards environmentally sustainable resource management. (vii) Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. While agriculture should yield enough food for the rising population, the farming practices should not lead to land erosion, desertification and deforestation. Current methods of farming, particularly in developing countries, should be carefully examined and unhealthy practices should be discontinued. Agenda 21 urges the development of long-term land conservation and rehabilitation programmes, by encouraging people to invest for the future through land ownership. (viii) Conservation of Biological Diversity and Management of Biotechnology. Habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution and introduction of foreign species are recognized as the main factors behind loss of biodiversity. Agenda 21 calls for governments to undertake national biodiversity assessment programmes and formulate strategies to conserve the existing biological diversity without further damage. (ix) Protecting and Managing the Oceans and Fresh Water. Agenda 21 calls for nations to develop policies, which address unsustainable fishing practices, the creation of marine protection zones, and the surveillance and enforcement of fisheries regulations. The agenda further requires that the National water management practices are integrated into economic and social policies. Agenda 21 sets 2025 as the realistic target date for ensuring universal water supplies, and to develop low-cost services, which can be built and maintained at the community level. (x) Managing Wastes. Agenda 21 calls for an international strategy to manage the production and disposal of wastes, including hazardous waste, solid waste and sewage, and radioactive waste. Governments should encourage and assist industry in achieving cleaner production technologies, and promote changes in lifestyles, production and consumption, through recycling and fund public education initiatives. Countries, which generate nuclear waste, should adopt an integrated approach to the safe management, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes. (xi) Implementing Sustainable Development. All nations will have to make political, social and economic commitments to ensure that the Agenda 21 can be properly implemented and that necessary resources are available for the same. The Agenda asks international funding organizations such as the International Development Association and the Global Environment Facility to help developing countries in meeting additional expenses in implementing all measures required for sustainable development. Developed countries should help promote the transfer of technology to developing countries. It is necessary to monitor the implementation of Agenda 21. Laws should be enacted to secure a balance between the needs for development and environmental protection. The main objectives should include: international standards in environmental protection taking into account the different situations and abilities of individual countries; review of all environmental laws making them more effective; and measures to avoid or settle international disputes. Meeting the aims and objectives of Agenda 21 within the time frame established by the 1992 Earth Summit will pose great social, economic and technological difficulties, both for developing and developed nations. The development that has been witnessed during the 20th century has brought unprecedented changes to biodiversity, the atmosphere and global climate. These are to be reversed. The new challenge for todays society is to ensure that future development and the use of the Earths resources is managed in a sustainable way, and in every action, the quality of life is preserved for generations of the 21st century and beyond. For sustainable development, human population growth has to be controlled. Otherwise, no invention and development in science and technology will be able to prevent irreversible degradation of the natural environment and to alleviate continued poverty in large parts of the world. The natural and social sciences will be crucial in developing new options for limiting population growth, protecting the natural environment, and improving the quality of human life. These should be the perspectives in all short and long term planning for all governments so that the challenges of the present and the future can be adequately addressed. 6.2 Urban problems related to energy use With massive urbanization occurring on a global scale, the state of the environment and human health in the cities of the world has become a prime concern. It is estimated that by the year 2025, over five thousand million people will be living in the cities. In the developing countries of the world, already more than 200 cities have populations of one million or more. Living in cities has many positive benefits, such as increased job opportunities and better access to essential services and facilities. However, many environmental, health and development problems have reached near-crisis dimensions in cities all over the world. Urban growth has exposed populations to serious environmental hazards and has outstripped the capacity of municipal and local governments to provide even basic amenities (water, sanitation, power) and essential health services. Millions of people in the urban areas of developing countries are living under life- and health-threatening conditions. Cities have a s ignificant impact on the broader hinterland and global environment and the fate of cities will have a major influence on the fate of nations and of the planet. Poverty and health Despite the unprecedented creation of wealth worldwide in the past two decades, the number of people living in absolute poverty is growing steadily. Poverty remains the number one killer, with the poor bearing a disproportionate share of the global burden of ill health. The poor live in unsafe and overcrowded housing, often in semi-urban and urban slums, with practically no access to safe water or to sewerage. These people are also exposed to pollution, traffic and industrial and other risks at home, at work or in their communities, much more than the wealthy people living in the same cities. They have insufficient food that too of poor quality from the point of nutrition. Even in rich countries, the poor suffer worse health than do the better off. Children are particularly affected in the poorest regions of the world, one in five children dies before his or her first birthday, mostly from environment-related diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhea and malaria. Not only are children more heavily and frequently exposed to threats to their health in the environment, but also they are more vulnerable to the ill effects on health. For example, in the USA and parts of Europe, lead poisoning illustrates the unequal burden of risk borne by poor inner-city children, who are more heavily exposed to sources of lead in and around the home and are also more affected by the toxicity of lead. Energy consumption Compared to the rural areas, people in towns and cities consume large amount of energy. For example, the old type of Indian houses were made of wood, mud and unburnt bricks which required very little temperature adjustments and consequently very little energy was required for heating and cooling. The present buildings in towns and cities are mostly made of concrete, cement, steel, aluminium, marble, well-burnt bricks and glass. These materials are energy intensive and the houses made with them require a lot of power to keep them comfortable during the winter and the summer and also for lighting and decoration. The process of manufacture of these materials also consumes enormous amount of energy in different forms. At earlier times, people used fuel wood or charcoal in kitchens for making food and also in the living rooms for heating. This did not create any environmental problem such as that of smoke because the houses had separate kitchens at a distance from the main living quarters and the houses were tall having provision of chimneys. This is no longer possible in todays housing blocks where the living quarters are not separated from the kitchens; the RCC structure does not allow having tall roofs and also chimneys. Therefore the fuel type has to be changed as otherwise there will be serious smoke and associated health problems. Kerosene replaced firewood and charcoal as the favourite fuel for the urban homes. Later kerosene gave way to natural gas and electricity during the 1970s. The dependence on firewood has continued in the rural areas particularly for people living in the far-flung areas of the foothills and the forests. Newer tools of comfort came to be used in the urban centers. The use of electric fans during the summer has become a common practice but the effluent has gone for air-conditioning in their houses. As the houses have become almost like glass towers and since glass is a very bad conductor of heat, this has created problem of large temperature difference between outside and inside of a house requiring much energy to be spent on air-conditioning. Additional energy need has become necessary for running the lifts and operating a large number of other gadgets of modern life The other major urban energy need is for transport. The towns and cities are roaming with buses, trucks, cars, two- and three-wheelers all of which depend on fossil fuels, namely petrol and diesel. The number of vehicles has increased at a very fast rate during the last few years despite the higher price of fuel. Small, narrow and improperly maintained roads and overcrowding have further aggravated the problem. Traffic congestion has become a serious problem in all urban areas. Slower moving vehicles burn more fuel and thereby the energy efficiency is further reduced. This has also given rise to problems of carbon monoxide pollution, smog and other environmental problems affecting peoples health particularly through various respiratory diseases. Time has come to design an efficient public transport system, which will lead to substantial energy saving, minimize congestion and reduce pollution problems. 6.3 Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and watershed management All living organisms need water, plants use it in photosynthesis, humans and other animals drink it, and aquatic plants and animals live in it. Water also plays an important part in many natural and human processes and is a critical component of countless physical and chemical reactions. It also supports many economic activities. The amount of water in the world has remained constant. In fact, water hasnt changed in amount or nature for millions of years. It just keeps cycling and recycling from atmosphere to earth and back again. Freshwater is a precious resource as it makes up less than 3% of the earths total water resources. Because freshwater is so limited and plays such a key role in world health, economies, and environmental stability, it must be conserved and used in a sustainable manner. The efficient use of water implies doing more with less. Efficiencies can be gained in all sectors, including agriculture, municipal, domestic, and industry. Central to a successful water conservation program are an understanding of The water resource itself (baseline data and monitoring) How, when, and why water is used (water audits and metering) The full cost of providing water of suitable quality and disposing of wastewater Alternative water-efficient technologies, processes, and practices Attitudes and values related to water and the environment. Public education and awareness are necessary in implementing water conservation. However, they may need to be supplemented by appropriate legislation and regulations and economic incentives and disincentives, including consumption-based pricing. Demand for more water has been very common. This demand can be reduced by careful planning. This involves the following measures: More-efficient irrigation systems Drought-resistant cultivars and crop rotations More-efficient livestock watering systems Water metering and charging for water Use of effluent and wastewater for irrigation Household water conservation. The water resources have to be carefully managed through the following steps: Dividing water resources into various divisions for effective supply Laying a network of supply pipelines Building reservoirs for storing water Increasing water availability through groundwater extraction Treatment of wastewaters and making arrangement for their reuse Reducing losses through seepage and evaporation. Managing Excess Water. Sometimes, more water is available than the actual need. In such cases, the management of the excess water can be achieved by taking it to deficient areas through drainage: Many agricultural areas are low lying or located in flood plains and require drainage to be profitable. Good drainage improves plant growth and crop productivity, helps to reduce soil salinity and erosion, and allows farmers a wider selection of crops and a longer growing season, all of which help to reduce the costs of production. There are two types of artificial drainage system: surface and subsurface. Surface systems may contribute to declining water quality in watercourses by releasing drainage water containing sediments, nutrients, and chemicals. Subsurface systems release substances that leach through the soil, such as nitrate, pesticides, and bacteria. Drainage systems can also alter the environment by draining wetlands, removing riparian zones, increasing runoff, and changing a regions hydrology. Proper design and maintenance of drainage systems may alleviate some of these effects, but lost riparian and wetland systems are usually difficult and expensive to replace. On-farm drainage systems are not able to handle large volumes of stormwater received from developed uplands. Properly designed regional drainage systems may be needed to protect lowland agricultural areas. Even so, damage from major floods cannot always be prevented. Maintaining Reliable Water Supplies A sufficient supply of good quality water is needed for agricultural activities such as irrigation and livestock watering, as well as for domestic, municipal, industrial, recreational, and other uses. Water needs to be conserved for the lean periods such as drought. Droughts are very common but difficult to predict. They occur most often in dry regions, but other regions may also have shorter, less serious periods of drought. Drought threatens both crop and livestock production. With the potential threat of global warming and increasing trends in population, urbanization, and consumptive use, the impacts of drought can become more serious. The development of storage reservoirs is essential for maintaining adequate year-round supplies, particularly during the dry season. Groundwater is an important source of water and although the groundwater level goes down during the dry season, sufficient water can be extracted for meeting different needs. Sustainable use of groundwater resources depends on withdrawing water at rates that do not exceed recharge rates. Deep aquifers recharged only by water filtering through overlying materials are particularly at risk of over-withdrawals. Measures have been taken throughout the world for reuse of wastewater at least for irrigation and other non-drinking uses. An adequate supply of good-quality water available round the year is essential for all human activities. Concerns continue to mount regarding the availability of water as demands and competition for water grow in all sectors of society. Management of water supplies must consider all competing uses of water, including those associated with agriculture, industry, municipalities, recreation, and aquatic ecosystems. Drought Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather that depletes water resources. Because most human activities and ecosystems are dependent on reliable and adequate water resources, the impacts of drought are far reaching. Drought affects our lives by Putting stress on water and food supplies Degrading the environment through poorer water quality and more forest fires, soil erosion, and insect infestations Affecting the economy by reducing the capacity for agricultural production, power generation, transportation, and manufacturing, Causing soil moisture deficit in farmland soils and thereby threatening both crop and livestock production resulting in severe financial losses to farmers. Global warming scenarios predict that unless the warming is controlled, the frequency and severity of drought will increase and the occurrence will be unpredictable with respect to time and location. Three basic types of drought may occur separately or simultaneously: Meteorological drought occurs when precipitation is significantly below normal over a long period. Agricultural drought occurs when low soil moisture and scarce water supplies stunt crop growth, reduce crop yields, and endanger livestock. Hydrological drought occurs when a lengthy meteorological drought causes a sharp drop in the levels of groundwater, rivers, and lakes. The timing of a drought may determine its effects. For example, summer drought usually causes more problems because it coincides with the time of highest water demand. It is to be noted that drought is the result of several factors such as Below normal precipitation Extended hot dry air Already low soil moisture. Because of this complexity, a large range of climatic and hydrological variables are needed to monitor and detect drought, including temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, stream flows, and water supply conditions. The serious impacts of drought call for an integrated effort from the physical, biological, and social sciences to develop effective responses. Surface water management Surface water management requires effective measures to control the extremes of floods and droughts, while maintaining a reliable water supply to meet the basic needs of human life and the demands of economic development. Because of the high degree of variability of precipitation, water storage is a must to provide a year-round supply of water. The storage in the form of reservoirs, dams, dugouts, and natural lakes has been a common practice. A significant challenge to water managers is locating surface water supplies relative to that of water users. Water users (domestic, municipal, agricultural, and industrial) usually require a number of resources and services and are not always located near the water sources. Providing a reliable supply of water to users often requires distribution networks consisting of canals and pipelines. Wetlands Wetlands are areas saturated with water for long enough to significantly alter soil and vegetation and promote aquatic processes. The five main types of wetlands-bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, and shallow water-are characterized by A seasonal or permanent covering of shallow water A water table at or near the surface for most of the growing season Saturated organic soils, or peat, the productivity of which depends on the nutrient status and the pH of the site Water-loving plants, such as cattails, rushes, reeds, sedges, dogwood, willows, and cedars. Wetlands provide a number of environmental benefits, i.e. they provide habitat for wildlife, improve water quality by serving as biological filters and mechanical settling and filtering ponds, which help to remove impurities from the water, recharge groundwater, augment low flow in watercourses, serve as a buffer against drought, reduce the risk and damage of flooding by storing large volumes of water during heavy rainfall, rapid thaws, or runoff events, and stabilize shorelines. The other important services rendered by wetlan

Food Consumption Among American Teenagers :: Health Nutrition Diet Exercise Essays

Food Consumption Among American Teenagers American teenagers eat many different types of food. Some teenagers today are starting to pay attention to health warnings about what they put into their bodies. Those that do not will greatly impede how healthy they are later in their lives. There are so many food choices that can be made throughout each day. Lack of time due to homework, sports participation, and social lives can hurt healthful eating. This is not necessary though. So many foods are available to us. Speaking from experience, college students (in their freshman year) can be placed in a couple of dietary categories. Some teens are stereotypically what one may consider to be normal. These students usually just pick up whatever food is convenient. Teens eat what looks appetizing at the moment that they feel hunger coming on. This youthful portion of the population completely disregards all fat, sodium, and calorie content of the materials that they place in their mouths. There are many foods that the casual consumer will automatically obtain. The main items of consumption include sugar-laden colas, candy bars, and chips. Fried foods such as hamburgers and French fries, as well as Mexican foods, are especially popular treats. Pizza is a large component of this food group as well. A second class of eaters lies at the opposite extreme from the casual consumer. These students, the "health nuts", have paid attention to what their mothers have tried to convince their children to eat since childhood. In the long run, these students will be better off than the casual consumers. In their later years, the healthful consumers will have fewer myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) and their arteries will be much less likely to be clogged. Bagels, fruits, and salad (with little or no oily dressing) are the foods of choice among this healthy bunch. A third class of teens may include the students who eat a combination of nutritious and unhealthy foods. These teens may eat poorly at one meal and will turn around and eat sensibly at the next. Mood plays a large part in what these students choose to eat. Because life is so busy for everyone in the `90s, our diets, including those of teenagers, have gone downhill quickly.

The U.S. and The S.O.A. :: Essays Papers

The U.S. and The S.O.A. In its dealings with foreign nations, the government of the United States has repeatedly rushed past seeking diplomatic solutions to problems and utilized its military superiority or money to achieve the outcome it desires, regardless of civilian casualties that might occur along the way. Time and again, it has violated human rights or contributed to such violations. In some cases, the actions of the government have backfired and an ally that the U.S. was assisting at one point in time to achieve its own ends reverses itself and becomes an enemy. Whether that happens or not, many well-informed citizens are concerned for the welfare of the peoples in other nations and what the United States government is doing to them. In a democracy, where majority rules, issues such as U.S. involvement in human rights violations needs to be brought to the attention of more citizens. For issues pertaining to Latin America, this is all too apparent. It is too often overlooked, yet the U.S. maint ains a strong influence on most, if not all, of its nations. All over the world, the United States government uses its influence to achieve its own goals, even when those goals harm the peoples of foreign nations. The solutions which the U.S. uses to solve its foreign problems are generally temporary and have many negative consequences in the long run. The two most noteworthy occurrences which show these results are the two most difficult issues facing America in the present day. The opponents that the United States now faces were originally assisted by the U.S. during the 1980s. The two foes are Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Osama bin Laden gained assistance from the CIA in 1979 in what has been called â€Å"the largest covert operation in the history of the CIA.†[1] This was during the Cold War period when the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan, causing an uproar by the Afghani people, who began a jihad against the Soviets. In order to stop the spread of Communism, the United States wanted to rid Afghanistan of the Soviets.[2] So, the CIA, using the Pakistan's military Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as a middle-man,2 assisted the Afghani fighters by dramatically increasing arms supplies -- a steady rise to 65,000 tons annually by 1987, by training them in guerrilla techniques, and by maintaining a "ceaseless stream" of CIA and Pentagon specialists who traveled to the secret headquarters of Pakistan's ISI.

Psychoanalytic Approach to Little Red Riding Hood Essay -- Little Red

Psychoanalytic Approach to Little Red Riding Hood Although there are numerous approaches employed in understanding literature, the psychoanalytic interpretation most significantly attempts to utilize the symbolic mysteries of a work. In exclusive contrast to the formal approach, which focuses entirely on the wording, the fascinating aspect of the psychoanalytic investigation is that it searches for a purpose beyond that which is strictly in the text. By insinuating the existence of innate and hidden motives, it allows for a broad range of abstract and creative possibilities. When applied to Perrault's, "Little Red Riding Hood," it appropriately suggests evidence toward underlying sexual motivations and tensions. Additionally, this analysis unfolds a constant interplay between forces of the human psyche. Sigmund Freud pioneered the introduction of the psychoanalytical concepts behind his principle theory that all human behavior is primarily motivated by sexuality. Throughout Perrault's version of "Little Red Riding Hood," veiled sexual implications are in abundance. In fact, the moral suggests that the entire purpose of the story is to caution against the "smooth-tongued†¦dangerous beasts" which like to rob young ladies of their innocence. Likewise, the hungry wolf does not simply eat the grandmother. Instead, Perrault distinctly portrays that before consumption, "he threw himself on the good woman." And furthermore, before digesting the young girl, he invites her into bed. At which point, she "took off her clothes and went to lie down in the bed." After she thoroughly inspects and comments on nearly every aspect of the wolf's "big" body parts, the wolf then "threw himself upon Little Red Riding Hood" to consume ... ...l, she then goes into the woods to encounter the id. There she disobeys her mother's instructions, and becomes "the poor child." In the moral, these "pretty, nicely brought-up young ladies" turn "foolish" upon talking to strangers. As "elegant" as they were once considered, it is a child's own fault if she leans to far to the irrational id. Furthermore, Freud dramatically insinuates that this struggle can only end in death, which is the exact fate of Little Red Riding Hood. Despite the fact that the psychoanalytic approach is the most controversial interpretation of literature, it proves to be utterly intriguing. In stories such as this, the sexual undertones are clearly evident, and thus substantiate the intricacies behind the approach. Perhaps it is a bit untraditional. However, this investigation remains both thought provoking and brilliantly compelling.

The Justice Game – Truth Essay

†¢How does the prosecution and defense each represent the truth? †¢Values and attitudes of the participants? †¢Robertson’s values and representation of the truth? Truth can be represented in differing ways according to the values and attitudes of the persona whose representation of truth is being expressed. Throughout Geoffrey Robertson’s The Justice Game the responder is convinced to accept the composer’s representation of truth through the use of composing techniques such as the short story structure, Robertson’s social status, various language techniques, symbolism and the use of examples and quotations to back up Robertson’s statements. The perspective on truth held by the other participants in each trial is however also included. The term ‘truth’ refers to accurately placing information in accordance with fact or reality. The ‘truth’ in The Justice Game is essentially about revealing to its readers â€Å"What is kept from the public, and what the public wish to be kept from†. Each case was chosen by Robertson to provide different representations of the ‘truth’ based on different values and attitudes. The short story structure allows many themes relevant to society to be coherently included in one text. Through the eyes of Robertson people have the opportunity to see the ‘truth’ in these highly publicised cases from the perspective of a learned and involved man. Robertson is assumed to be a reliable source of truth by the average reader, because he is a celebrated lawyer and has been chosen to represent people as high profiled as the â€Å"Princess of Wales†. The genre and format of the text represent certain qualities to the reader, along with the social status of Robertson which in turn, act to convince them that what is written is true. The Trials of Oz† is a case that took place in 1971 against Richard Neville, Jim Anderson, and Felix Dennis, editors of the infamous underground Oz magazine. The controversy arose from the prosecution’s perspective that the material in the magazine was detrimental and corruptive to society of that time. In particular the comic strip satirizing Rupert the Bear elaborately renamed Rupert the Bare, and a small adverti sement titled Suck. The prosecution represents the truth through a traditional method of attack that shows Leary’s Victorian image. Brian Leary representing the prosecution draws on the jury’s traditional background to make them empathize with his perspective of the truth that the Oz magazine was an indecent article. Leary discredits witnesses with his â€Å"insinuatingly effective† cross- examinations. The defense and Oz magazine were branded as the ‘alternative society’ in order to alienate them in the jury’s mind, and to make the jury feel unwilling to belong to the defence and therefor the ‘alternative society’. The prosecution feels that the ‘alternative society’ has no respect for the accepted values and attitudes of ‘normal society’. The ‘alternative society’ is described to worship sex until it reaches the ultimate stage of â€Å"fucking on the streets†. This is an example of the generalisations made which portray the ‘alternative society’ as unattractive and distasteful to be a part of. The Defence on the other hand, use high profiled witnesses and statistics, such as the pornography survey conducted on married couples, to highlight the harmless nature of the Oz magazine. John Mortimer representing the defence, undermines the seriousness of the trial through his permissive attitude towards life. The defence lightens the atmosphere with comical jokes such as when Leary asked Dixon how old he thought Rupert the Bare was, he replied â€Å"I’m not an expert in determining Bears’ ages†¦ maybe you are more familiar in the field? † This aids in reducing the seriousness of the accusations. He trivialises the magazine by referring to it as a â€Å"schoolboy prank† or â€Å"cheeky criticism†, and thus considerably plays down the charges. The language technique of using humour makes the whole trial appear as a joke. The composer states that â€Å"Perhaps the best thing about Oz is that they just don’t have trials like that anymore. † Robertson’s representation of the truth toward the Oz magazine is that he sees it as cheeky but not harmful. Experts are used as witnesses to portray the defendants as essentially guiltless, and to make the prosecution’s arguments appear groundless, based on confusion tactics and unreality. Robertson constantly undermines and discredits most people who hold power in the establishment. This is represented in his ridicule of Judge Argyle as he points out the mistakes he made when sentencing, and how he portrays judge Argyle as narrow minded and unreasonable. The composer shows himself as an advocate of new society through his belief that the trial is merely a â€Å"collision of cultural incomprehension†, with the older generation symbolised by Judge Argyle, being unable to understand the revolutionary notions held by the younger generation. This is shown by his constant criticism of the judge, whose inability to comprehend contemporary vernacular and general knowledge is stressed repeatedly, effectively conveyed through the misunderstanding of the phrase â€Å"right on† and the sexual act of â€Å"cunnilingus†. Robertson aligns himself with the values of his target audience, the working class and lower middle classes, allowing the reader to identify with him. Consequently the reader is content to allow Robertson to represent their opinions as they are convinced that the authors representation of ‘truth’ is correct, although being subjected to other representations of the ‘truth’ as well. Robertson’s main argument in â€Å"Michael X on Death Row† was that â€Å"the death penalty was, in itself, a cruel and unusual punishment† Robertson’s representation of ‘truth’ in this instance is that prolonged stay on death row amounted to cruelty and was contrary to the Bill of Rights. Robertson, a Civil Libertarian, believes that there is only hope in the courts and not in politics, and that his strong stances on humanity can only be achieved through battling the government to change the law, in court. Robertson states that he is â€Å"passionately in favour of the incorporation into British law, the European Convention on human rights. † This fact and Michael’s ordeal are what brought about the battle to save death row inmates, that Robertson endured for twenty- years. Robertson repeatedly reminds the reader of the longevity of his battle to abolish capital punishment in commonwealth countries, which reflects his slightly egotistical nature but also symbolically reminds the reader of the many years spent by inmates on death row. As a young lawyer when Robertson took up this case, he was highly idealist and his interest in the case was genuine. The prosecution refutes the defences statement that â€Å"prolonged stay on death row is inhumane† arguing that in many cases the reason for long delays before executions are the self- induced delays of last minute desperate appeals on their behalf from their lawyers. The prosecution continues that innocent people were never convicted and â€Å"All murder convictions are approved by the finest judges in the world,† and deserved their sentence. The defence represents the ‘truth’ of capital punishment being â€Å"unbecoming to human dignity. † They evoke emotion and sympathy from the reader and the courts through phrasing death with terms such as â€Å"human sacrifice† and using emotive language. Robertson aids this cause through colourful analogies such as comparing his visit to see Michael X to that of seeing the rarest species of animal at the zoo. The defence believes that although their immediate client Michael X cannot be saved, they are helping countries through the progression of their constitutions. Robertson presents this case in a very biased manor, creating a strong sympathetic feeling in the reader towards the â€Å"solemn, vulnerable member of the living dead† Michael X. Throughout the story Michael X is referred to as simply â€Å"Michael† establishing that the inmate is a changed man. Robertson presents Michael X to be the victim and the state to be the villain, which once again portrays his distain for authority evident in his other stories. A detailed description of the process of execution is given which adds to Robertson’s view that capital punishment goes against the European conventions of humanity. The crime committed by Michael X is only referred to a whole ten pages into the story, after creating a sense of innocence to the character of â€Å"Michael†, and the crime itself is not given any real importance by Robertson. This is a technique used to portray other ‘truths’ as such, whilst convincing the reader to conform to Robertson’s representation of the ‘truth’ and not letting the reader believe the alternate ‘truth’. All the descriptions of death row are negative, prejudiced by Robertson’s opposition to capital punishment. As the subject matter is a serious one dealing with capital punishment, Robertson has chosen the use of an objective and serious tone of voice in contrast to â€Å"The Trials of Oz† which is presented in a more light- hearted tone to emphasise the undermining of the charges. The first person narrative structure allows the ‘truth’ to be told from a different and more reliable source than â€Å"The Trials of Oz† as Robertson is more learned in this case, as he was personally involved. This however, brings about the technique of employing one- sided story telling to build the character of Michael X as a victim of the out dated death row execution system, and emphasises that â€Å"He was a different man; four years on. † Through the technique of careful positioning of facts, Robertson persuades the reader to agree with his representation of the ‘truth’. He appeals to the readers humanity and convinces them to sympathise with Michael X, by showing the inhumanity and immorality of the execution system through illustrations of exaggerated cruelty of the ghoulish rituals performed before and during execution. In Sylvia Plath’s poem The Mirror, the personification of the mirror stands as the objective endorser of truth. The mirror tells the responder that it is â€Å"not cruel, only truthful,† that it has no other purpose but to â€Å"reflect† the physical appearance of the female body, as a lake would do. This is expressed through the metaphorical statement â€Å"Now I am a lake. † Personification allows the â€Å"mirror† to make unbiased and â€Å"exact† observations and through these we come to understand the importance of appearance to the woman. The woman â€Å"searches my (mirror’s) reaches for what she really is†, conveying Plath’s representation of the ‘truth’ that to the woman, her true self is based purely on her external appearance. The â€Å"mirror† describes itself as having no â€Å"preconceptions† allowing it to simply reflect the unbiased reflection of a woman’s physical appearance, unlike candles and the moon, which are said to be â€Å"liars† as they cast mellow lights that can distort the reflection from the truth of daylight. Plath metaphorically likens the mirror to â€Å"The eye of a little god†, emphasising the power that it has over the emotional state of the woman who ironically â€Å"rewards (the mirror) with tears and an agitation of hands† acknowledging the importance of the mirror to her, and its â€Å"faithful† reflecting of her true physical appearance. The poem is a comment on society’s fixation on image. Plath exposes the truth about aging: the resentment and rejection of it, especially through the continuation of the water imagery that the â€Å"mirror† asserts that in it the woman has â€Å"drowned a young girl†, and â€Å"an old woman/ Rises†, to devour the ageing woman â€Å"like a terrible fish. † This simile provides a grotesque image of old age. The use of the mirror in the poem is in fact an extended metaphor with the mirror possessing the power to reflect image. The poem endorses the importance of image that rectifies the truth about oneself as it best sees fit. Unlike â€Å"The Trials of Oz,† The Mirror is not written in a comical and light- hearted tone. It is written in an objective tone of voice as Plath takes on the persona of a mirror to seriously describe its value to the woman. Both texts are however, are relatively unprejudiced in their representations of the ‘truth’. The reflective essay Southpaw by Ken Willis, portrays a representation by a â€Å"side-lined† left- hander that left handed people are discriminated against by contemporary society. The persona sees himself as â€Å"discriminated against† because he is a â€Å"southpaw†. The essay is light- hearted and satirical, but nonetheless the â€Å"left- handers are forced to live in a world designed for right- handers. † A series of humorous anecdotes are included to portray the disadvantages faced by the left- handed â€Å"subordinate group. † The accepted values and attitudes of the right- handed society include the acceptance of the downgrading of the â€Å"subordinate group†, as common phrases used in everyday speech are coined with an underlying prejudice against the left side. Colloquial phrases among Australians such as â€Å"she’ll be right† are used as examples within this reflective essay to support the notion that left- handers are discriminated against by the â€Å"Right handers, as members of the dominant group. † In this phrase however, the literal meaning of the word ‘right’ is to be correct, not the right side as Willis has understood it. This shows that the absolute truth in the Australian phrase has been distorted to reveal Willis’ representation of the ‘truth’. The literal meanings of the word ‘right’ in Latin and French, is however included to reiterate Willis’ perspective that right- handers are able to enjoy the sub- conscious discrimination of left- handers. The word ‘right’ means â€Å"endowed with dexterity† in Latin, and â€Å"adroit and experts in the use of hand and mind† in French. Willis takes his case of accusing society of discriminating against left- handers by bringing in Christian religious connotations. He describes right- handers as â€Å"sit(ting) at the right hand of God† whilst exclaiming that â€Å"those who sit on the left are ‘cursed into the eternal fire. ’† These expressions are once again taken out of the context in which they are used, and are exploited by Willis to aid in his representation of the ‘truth’. The biased qualities seen in this reflective essay is not unlike â€Å"Michael X on Death Row† as both Robertson and Willis attempt to distort the absolute truth into evidence to support their own representations of the ‘truth’. The tone of voice however differs greatly as Southpaw is written in a more comical manor than the serious tone of â€Å"Michael X on Death Row. † Through the study of the above named texts, different representations of the ‘truth’ can be identified with depending on the influence of certain values and attitudes possessed by the participants involved with the text. It is shown that the absolute truth, in terms of information that is accurately placed in accordance with fact or reality, can be manipulated and twisted by the composer in order to portray their representation of the ‘truth’. A certain enlightenment is provided in dealing with prejudiced and biased material, as persuasive techniques employed by the composers are also revealed. As a Civil Libertarian, Robertson passionately believes that the Law can humble the most powerful: governments and wealthy private litigants such as the Princess of Wales. The law permits justice, meaning the side with the best case, to be gained through equal opportunity. Robertson presents his representation of the ‘truth’ about what he elaborately coins â€Å"The Justice Game†.

Conflicting Principles of Life in William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”

William Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† presents the conflict between two forms of justice: (1) justice based on kinship and (2) justice based on human dignity. The conflict between these two forms of justice was presented within the text through Sarty’s perspective of Ab’s actions who sought to achieve ‘freedom’ from his previous agreements by defiling the rights of other individuals. Set after the period of the Civil War, the text presents Sarty’s conflicts as he tried to understand his father’s motivations for the actions that have led his family to further hardships in life. It is important to note that Ab, Sarty’s father, has a led a life geared towards self-fulfillment as his actions throughout his life have been motivated by his desire to attain material wealth. Note for example that even if Ab was considered as a ‘soldier’ in the ‘fine, old, European sense,’ of the term, his motivations for choosing to join in the battle was neither to save the South from the Northern invasion nor to protect his region’s views regarding slavery (Faulkner 1743). This is apparent if one considers that as Ab and Sarty reached the De Spain mansion, Ab ironically tells his son, â€Å"Pretty and white, ain’t it†¦. That’s Nigger sweat. Maybe it ain’t white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it† (Faulkner 1737). This statement was neither motivated by Ab’s disgust for slavery nor by his disgust in the African American’s position in life. His statement was motivated by his sense of outrage against the wealth and power symbolized by the plantation. His outrage statement was thereby meant to be a bitter view against the wealth and power that he could not achieve in life. The conflict, within the text, thereby arises as a result of Sarty’s inability to understand his father’s motivations and reasons for his actions. As was mentioned above, his father chose to defile another individual’s rights in order to free himself from his obligations. This is apparent as his father burned the barn of the man who has slighted him. Sarty recognizes the harm that was inflicted upon his father however he does not consider this a sufficient reason to defile the right of another individual. As a result of this, he was placed in a position where he will either amend the harm inflicted on the other individual in order to protect his father and thereby maintain his loyalty to his family or he will refuse knowledge of his father’s actions thereby allowing his father’s misdeed but enabling justice for the other individual. The conflict is thereby defined by the necessity to choose, on Sarty’s part, what he considers to be ‘the right’ decision within the text.