Wednesday, November 27, 2019

SUICIDLE essays

SUICIDLE essays Teens Suicides in the United States Suicide is a serious problem in today's society. It is the 3rd leading cause of death among humans between the ages of 15-25 years old in the United States. It is the 6th leading cause of death among children 5-14 years of age. Every day more and more people are taking their own lives. The problem of suicide occurs all over the world. Statistics show that in the United States alone, 13 teens out of 100,000 take their own life (Teen Suicide, an epidemic). Suicide has become a major problem among youths in the countries. As often stated, depression is the factor of suicidal adolescents. The more depressed a person to be, and the more closely this person approximates the condition of major depression, the more likely they are to be suicidal. Depression in its milder forms, however, is quite commonly seen in adolescents. Many teenagers are faced with much adversity that they sometimes find very difficult to handle. Unfortunately, there are some teens who find that suicide is the answer to their problems. Depression can be a result of many different things. Like the death of a loved one, separation from a loved one, loss of a familiar way of being, loss of self esteem, or failure in achieving certain goals. It is said to be a psychopathic disorder, which is not uncommon, and is very serious when not dealt with as soon as possible. I think that the best solution for the problem is not to solve the reason why adolescent commit suicide but to increase the awareness of the teenagers. Get to them before they fall victim to suicide. So let us proceed in dealing with the vast teen suicide problem by first recognizing their symptoms for suicide, then talk about it with them, and finally by providing treatment for them. There are about seven general warning signs that reflect where trouble may be beginning in suicidal victims. The first one is depression. They may be depressed about getting ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Chinese Customs for Meeting New People

Chinese Customs for Meeting New People When it comes to making friends or meeting new clients, knowing the proper Chinese customs will help you make the best first impression possible. Tips for Meeting New People 1. Learning a little Chinese goes a long way. While it’s not necessary to master Chinese, learning to say a few phrases will help break the ice. Say ‘Hello’ on the telephone in ChineseSay Hello in Chinese.Say ‘How Are You?’ in ChineseSay â€Å"My Name is ___† in Chinese 2. While the Chinese prefer to bow at the waist for formal ceremonies and special events, a handshake and hello are becoming more and more popular. Always stand when being introduced and remain standing until introductions have been completed. You are expected to shake hands with everyone even if the delegation is rather large. 3. Immediately upon introduction, present your name card. Use two hands to present the business card to the person you are meeting. You name should be facing the person you are greeting. Most Chinese and foreign business people have bilingual business cards with Chinese on one side and English on the other. You should present the side of your card that is in the person’s native language. Be sure to give everyone in the room your business card so be sure to have plenty of hand at all times. 4. Once you receive your new acquaintance’s business card, do not write on it or shove it in your pocket. Take a minute to read it and look it over. This is a sign of respect. If you are seated at a table, place the name card in front of you on the table. If you are standing and will remain standing, you may place the card in a cardholder or discreetly in a breast or jacket pocket. 5. Remember that Chinese names are in reverse order of English names. The last name appears first. Until you become close business partners, address a person by their full name rather than their first name, by their title (for example, Managing Director Wang), or Mr./Ms. followed by the person’s surname. Learn More About Chinese Etiquette Chinese Banquet and Dining EtiquetteChinese Business EtiquetteEtiquette for Visiting a Chinese Home

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Offer and acceptance in english contract law Essay

Offer and acceptance in english contract law - Essay Example The agreement is one of the fundamental elements of a valid contract. It depicts the coming to terms of the parties to the contract through consensus over terms of a contract. The agreement is a product of existence of offer and acceptance. An offer is a promise made by one party to another in which the promisor intends to be bound by terms of his promise. Some of the elements of an offer include the intention to be bound by the offer if it is accepted, and the existence of terms that creates rights and liabilities in the event of acceptance. Acceptance on the other hand, refers to the promisee’s intent to be bound by the promisor’s terms of offer. Once an offer is accepted, an agreement is deemed to have existed between the parties forming ground for a contract. The offer and acceptance are however subject to a number of principles ... An advertisement is for example a presentation of information over the subject matter and only acts as an invitation to a customer to make an offer. In the case of Partridge v Crittenden (1968), the court held that an advertisement that indicated the price of goods in a vendor’s shop does not amount to an offer. Similarly, exhibition of goods for display does not amount to an offer. The owner of the goods is therefore not bound by the information displayed in an exhibition, as an offer for the good has not yet been made. Such was the ratio decidendi in the case of Pharmaceutical society of Great Britain v Boots cash chemists (1953). The defendant was accused of offering to sell commodities to the public contrary to prescriptions by regulatory bodies. It was held that the display of drugs on the shelf does not amount to an offer (Rush and Ottley, 2006, 47). Similarly, response to question for provision of information does not amount to an offer. This was held in the case of Har vey v Facey (1893) in which a defendant’s statement of the lowest price that could be accepted for sale of a piece of land was considered not to amount to an offer (Rush and Ottley, 2006, 48). The doctrine of invitation to treat is however exempted in some cases under which an advertisement can constitute an offer. In the case of Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co Ltd (1893), it was held that the defendant’s advertisement amounted to an offer. The defendant stated in its advertisement that a reward would be offered to any person who contracted influenza after using its medicine as prescribed. The advertisement further indicated that money had been deposited for the rewards. The court, in its judgement, held

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Beethoven Interpretations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beethoven Interpretations - Essay Example Originally a dedication to Napoleon Bonaparte Eroica was changed once Napoleon declared himself Emperor. I chose Eroica for the symbolism, beliefs and ideas that are represented with the symphony. Eroica has become one of the most analyzed musical pieces in history, filled with concepts such as heroism, death, apotheosis and revolution (Beethoven’s†¦). Because the Eroica was longer than most pieces it was generally performed towards the start of most concerts and was also known as Symphony No. 3 in E Flat. The Eroica consists of four movements with the first movement being the ‘Allegro con brio,’ the key is E Flat major in Sonata form (The Symphony†¦). Though Eroica has been performed by many composers and symphony’s Anton Rubinstein recorded and released his performance or Eroica of June in 1994. He included four movements as well, and in listening to the first movement it is easily evident that Rubinstein employed a slower tempo. It is easy to distinguish among the instruments in the orchestra and when the tempo begins to build there is a feeling of expectation and excitement as the listener waits to find out what other musical delight will be provided. Rubinstein’s Eroica is almost whimsical and would fit well in a children’s dramatic scene as soundtrack accompaniment (Featured†¦). I almost prefer the tempo used in the Rubinstein piece as it produces a much more calming and tranquil effect. The instrument that most stand out is the strings and of course the piano, though it is blended well with the other instruments in the arrangement. It is also possible in one of the calm periods to hear what may be a flute or some other delicate instrument that would otherwise be overpowered during the rest of the arrangement. The Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra also recorded the Eroica in June of 2007. Budapest Orchestra recorded each movement of Eroica in E Flat major. Movement one, Allegro Con Brio, sounds quite a bit

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Fast food restaurant Essay Example for Free

Fast food restaurant Essay Introduction Fast food is very common in Hong Kong. We can find at least one fast-food restaurant nearby. McDonald, KFC, Burger King, Triple O’s, Cafe de Carol can be found everywhere in Hong Kong. Fast food means that the food can be prepared and served very quickly. It can save us time and is convenient. [pic][pic][pic] The aim of this report is to investigate fast food culture in Hong Kong nowadays. Firstly, trend of fast food culture in Hong Kong would be given in order to get further understanding of fast food. Secondly, negative impacts of fast food would be discussed. Thirdly, despite the fact that Hong Kong people are more aware of their health, fast food restaurants have emerged. Lastly, comparison between fast food shops and fast-service shops would be mentioned to find out how these two types of shops affect customers’ choice of catering. Mr. Victor Chan, the Managing Director of the Triple O’s, Hong Kong franchise, was interviewed to find out the answer. Current situation [pic]Fig. 1 Top 10 Global Markets for weekly Fast Food. According to the survey from ACNielsen (Refer to figure1), Hong Kong has the highest percentage of eating fast food in the world, with 61 per cent of people eating fast food at least once a week. The survey was conducted in October 2004 over the internet in 28 countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US. It showed that more and more people are obsessed with fast food. Nine per cent of Hong Kong people visited fast-food restaurants at least once a day; 86 per cent of people visited at least twice a month. In the first nine months of this 2004, Hong Kong people visited fast-food restaurants on average seven times a month and spent $ 160. The survey revealed fast food has become a part of Hong Kong people’s lives. Hong Kong people are in fast pace of life. People have less time to eat and are busy to work. It makes fast food become more and more popular because it is convenient and comfortable. It replaces the position of traditional restaurants and these fast food shops have dominated our society gradually. Negative impacts of traditional fast food There are thousands of fast food shops in Hong Kong. They have totally changed eating habit and daily life of Hong Kong people. Albeit fast food is delicious and tasty, it brings several health problems. Fast food contains lots of fats and high calories. For example, McDonald’s provides a Big Mac, large fries and a large Coca-Cola drink which have 1430 calories. In fact, 2000 calories is the maximum amount a person needs in each day. Big Macs in Hong Kong contains more fat and cholesterol than those in the world. According to nutritional information on the companys website, each Hong Kong burger weighed 560 calories but 80 calories is more than Australia, 67 calories more than Britain and 60 calories more than the Middle East. Obviously, fast food leads to obesity and diabetes, and increases the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Apparently, fast food contains high calories and lack in nutrition. Fast food is not proper meal that people can eat every day. Besides this, facing the influence of mass media and the trend in Hong Kong, slim body figures are encouraged. Therefore, Hong Kong people realize the importance of health. They are willing to eat healthy food with low calories and fats. In order to meet the demand of healthy and higher nutritional food from Hong Kong people, fast food shops start to provide healthy food to customers. For example, McDonald’s try to give more choice to customers by providing healthier food, likes fresh salad and low fat yogurt. Fast food culture in Hong Kong has changed. Emergence of Fast-service food shops in Hong Kong Interview with Triple O’s – White Spot Because of the rise in living standard and change in eating habits of Hong Kong customers, traditional fast food shops, such as McDonald’s and KFC, can no longer meet the demands of customers. The emergence of a brand new type of catering choice – fast-service food shops, introduces a new dining experience to Hong Kong customers, thus, bringing a positive and striking impact to the catering industry. One of the most successful fast-service food shops in Hong Kong is Triple O’s – White Spot, which was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1928, best known for its hamburgers In 2003, Triple O’s expanded its business to Hong Kong, setting up the first shop in the Great food hall in the basement of Pacific Place, Admiralty. Until 2010, there are already 5 Triple O’s established throughout Hong Kong, in which the franchises each record more than twice as many sales as the average location in BC. In order to know more about fast-service food shops, an interview has been conducted with the managing director of the Triple O’s, Hong Kong franchise, Mr. Victor Chan. [pic] [pic] Triple O’s – White Spot aims to provide high quality, home-made and healthy fast food and family-friendly services to create a new kind of dining experience to customers. According to Mr. Chan, Triple O’s’ in Hong Kong have to follow strictly the menu and ingredients set by the Canadian headquarters to ensure its high food quality. For instance, unlike traditional fast food shops that only focus in lowering their production cost, Triple O’s’ milkshakes are made of fresh milk and premium ice-cream. Burger beef is from Australia, delivered fresh to Triple O’s in Hong Kong, not frozen. Mr. Chan added that Triple O’s’ menu will not change in order to suit the appetite of Hong Kong customers, therefore resulting in a limited choices of food in their menu compared to other fast food shops. In order to provide freshly made burgers, it usually takes up to 5 to complete a whole meal set. That is why customer-friendly service is provided in Triple O’s. Instead of ‘self-help’ service in traditional fast food shops, waiters will deliver meals to customers in person, offering customers efficient dining services. Besides that, because of the insistence of high quality ingredients, price of food is again higher than that of fast food shops. Yet, it does not affect customer’s choice of catering since they are now enjoying a higher living standard, willing to spend more for the return of good food and nice service. Triple O’s’ success is also a result of change in eating habits and perceptions of Hong Kong customers. The idea of ‘thin is in’ is widely spread by the mass media, people are getting more conscious about their physique and health, leading to the rise of a new kind of eating habit – healthy eating. Believing that traditional fast food shops’ only provision of deep-fried food, customers tend to look for healthy, yet, delicious fast food for substitution. Triple O’s hit the exact demand of customers. ‘Food in Triple O’s is generally low in fat and that no preservatives and artificial flavours are added in. Vegetarian burgers and lots of vegetables are included in every meal set in order for customers to achieve a balance diet,’ said Mr. Chan, ‘healthy cooking methods are also used, such as roasting and grilling of burger beef and chicken stripes with refined olive oil rather than deep-frying. Fries with potato skins are again intended to provide dietary fibre for better digestion of customers. † Customers are free to choose according to their personal preference, having a custom-made burger in any way they want, like whether to add in any dressing in their burgers. Another special feature of Triple O’s is that there is no advertisement about it at all. â€Å"We rather spend our money in purchasing high quality ingredients than wasting them on advertising. We believe that with our food and service, reputation can be build up in no time. Once again, we prove ourselves right! † said Mr. Chan. Marketing is clearly not the major concern of Triple O’s. â€Å"From the fast food shops’ point of view, we (fast-service food shops) have become a huge competitor to the traditional fast-service shops. Like McDonald’s, they are, in fact, following our way in preparing food and provision of service. However, since there is vast difference between us and traditional fast food shops, we don’t treat them as a direct competitor. Our aim is not only to provide fast food to customers, but a new dining experience, which makes us unique in the catering industry. † Mr. Chan concluded by the end of the interview. Comparison between Fast food shops and Fast-service food shops Fast food shops have always been one of the dominating choices of catering. Yet, in recent years, there are a definite increasing number of fast-service food shops in Hong Kong, which result in an intense competition between the two. In the following table, we use the example of McDonald’s (fast food shops) and Triple O’s (fast-service food shops) to show the major differences between fast food shops and fast-service food shops, which affect customers’ choice of catering. [pic] [pic] |Differences |Fast food shops (McDonald’s) |Fast-service food shops (Triple O’s) | |Quality of food |Low |High | |Ingredients used |Use of low quality ingredients to cut off production cost| Strictly follow the Canadian headquarters’ use of high | | |e. g. |quality ingredients e. g. | ||milkshakes – milk, water, and milk |milkshakes – fresh milk and premium | | |powder |ice-cream | | |burger meat – organ meat mixed with |Burger meat – Australian imported, | | |bread crumbs and onion |pure beef | |Method of cooking |Deep-frying |Grilling and Roasting | |Health consciousness |Less |More | | |- lack of vegetables and fruits in the menu |- inclusion of vegetarian food choices | | |- unhealthy cooking method used |- healthier cooking methods used | | Flexibility of ordered food |Standardized food |Immediate, Custom-made e.g. | | |- Burgers are pre-made for purchase, which follow a |- Customers may add in more vegetables in their burgers or | | |uniform standard. |choose not to add any dressings at all. | |Food choices |Wide variety |Limited as it must follow the menu of their headquarters in | | |- Burgers, fries, ice-cream, different types of |Canada | | |fried-food, soft drinks, pies†¦ |- burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken stripes, milkshakes | |Characteristics |Fast, convenient | High quality of food, | | | |brand new type of dining experience | |No.of shops in HK |More |Less | |Cost |Low |High due to the high quality of ingredients used | |Services |Less |More | | |- provides only ordering services in the cashier |- provides not only ordering and packing up services, but | | | |also delivery of meals to customers like restaurants | |Advertisements |More |None | | |- wide coverage via the mass media (e. g. TV ads, the |- building up reputation by customers’ word of mouth | | |Internet, newspaper) |- money used in quality ingredients rather than in | | | |advertisements | From the above comparison, we can see that fast-service food shops introduces a brand new kind of catering experience to Hong Kong by providing high quality of food and efficient, customer-friendly services. As customers are being more health conscious, fast-service food shops seem to have hit the market, drawing enormous attention from customers of other types of catering choices, especially those of fast-food shops. Customers also enjoyed the idea of ‘immediate and custom-made’. Customers are able to order in according with their preferences. Burgers are freshly made with A-grade ingredients immediately upon order, which freshness of food can be completely guaranteed. Together with the efficient and friendly service provided, fast-service food shops seem to fulfill and satisfy the demands of picky customers. The success of a few fast-service shops in Hong Kong is inevitably bringing in a competitor to traditional fast-food shops. Conclusion In the past two decades, Hong Kong has inevitably been an international city under the great influence of fast food culture. As the only demand for food is efficiency, the mere provision of fast and convenient food could already satisfy the demands of most customers. Yet, with the improvement in economic level, living standard and change in eating habits of customers, fast food shop could no longer provide them with what they want. Customers are more willing to enjoy quality and healthy food and nice service when dining, thereby, leading to the introduction of fast-service food shops to Hong Kong. Fast-service food shops bring in huge impacts and brand new ideas to the fast food world. Not only efficiency, quality of food, provision of service and health consciousness should be brought into considerations in order to fulfill the demands of customers. The emergence of fast-service food shops provides a new choice of catering for customers, which leads to intense competition between fast food shops and them. Competition between the two definitely brings positive impacts to the catering industry. Traditional fast food shops seem to realize their shortcomings and need of change, now even McDonald’s follow the way of fast-service food shops by providing immediate-made burgers instead of pre-made ones. Because of the vast difference between fast food shops and fast-service food shops, it is difficult to determine at this stage that which one of them can dominate the fast food industry. The only thing for sure is that customers are, always and forever, the winner in this match, having to enjoy the great food! Reference OWikipedia OOfficial homepage of Triple Os Hong Kong OSouth China Morning Post OHong Kong Yahoo OACNielsen OHKUSPACE [pic] [pic] [pic] Vocabulary Sheet – Fast Food Culture |Word (parts of speech) |Meaning | |Dietician (n) |a person who is an expert in nutrition or dietetics | |Fast-food addict (n) |a person who is addicted to fast-food | |Americanization (n) |assimilate to the customs and institutions of the U. S. | |Delicacies (n) |something delightful or pleasing, esp. a choice food considered | | |with regard to its rarity, costliness | |Sedentary (adj) |characterized by or requiring a sitting posture | |Coronary (adj) |of or pertaining to the human heart, with respect to health | |Superficial (adj) |shallow; not profound or thorough | |Standardize (v) |to bring to or make of an established standard size, weight, | | |quality, strength | |Unpalatable (adj) |not palatable; unpleasant to the taste | |Franchise (n) |the right or license granted by a company to an individual or group| | |to market its products or services in a specific territory | |Variant (adj) |tending to change or alter; exhibiting variety or diversity | | Proliferate (v) |to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively | |prominent (adj) |standing out so as to be seen easily; conspicuous; particularly | | |noticeable | |Prevalent (n) |widespread; of wide extent or occurrence; in general use or | | |acceptance | |Ubiquity (n) |the state or capacity of being everywhere, esp. at the same time | |Detrimental (adj) |causing detriment; damaging; harmful | |Umpteen (adj) |innumerable; many | |Flavor-enhancing (adj) |enhancing the flavor of food | |Paramount (adj) |chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent | |Consumer-friendliness (n) |products of non-harmful elements to consumers |

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Tommyknockers and Nuclear Energy :: essays research papers

The Tommyknockers and Nuclear Energy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tommyknockers, a book seemingly about an alien ship buried in a small town in Maine that affects the townspeople, has a much deeper message about humans and our usage of nuclear energy. There is much evidence to confirm that King as strong views on nuclear power and is trying to convey them in the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King’s book about himself, On Writing, includes a reference to nuclear war in a passage about his early life. â€Å"I was born in 1947 and we didn’t get our first television until 1958. The first thing I remember watching on it was Robot Monster, a film in which a guy dressed in an ape-suit with a goldfish bowl on his head-Ro-Man, he was called—ran around trying to kill the last survivors of a nuclear war. I felt this was art of quite a high nature.† (34). He later references nuclear superpowers as a fix to overpopulation and a chance to start over (202). Before getting to The Tommyknockers, King seems to have strong ideas about nuclear war. He sees it as the end of the civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word â€Å"nuclear† appears 39 times in The Tommyknockers. The first mention (on page 56) speaks of fear of a power plant during an earthquake. On page 98, one of the main characters, Jim Gardener, thinks to himself â€Å"insanity of nuclear power† and proceeds to ramble on about conspiracies, meltdown cover-ups, and its overall dangers until the end of the chapter on page 114.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet article titled with the quote â€Å"†¦late last night and the night before†¦Ã¢â‚¬  has a lot to say about the dangers of nuclear energy being a motif in The Tommyknockers. The author makes the comparison of the way the ship changes people (known as â€Å"The Becoming†) and effects of radiation poisoning. â€Å"The Becoming† also gives people the power to build tremendous technology, such as a super hot water heater or a mind reading typewriter. However, it neglects to give them comprehension of what they are doing. The comparison to nuclear energy there is â€Å"a society of people playing around with powers they don’t understand.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In On Writing, King says â€Å"I don’t believe any novelist, even one who’s written fortyplus books, has too many thematic concerns; I have many interests, but only a few that are deep enough to power novels. These deep interests (I won’t quite call them obsessions) include how difficult it is—perhaps impossible!—to close Pandora’s technobox once it’s open (The Stand, The Tommyknockers, Firestarter) (207)† One can argue however that nuclear energy is potentially one heck of a Pandora’s box.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Analysis of Self and Architecture

TO THEORIZE ARCHITECTURE BASED ON ANALYSIS OF SELF & A ; ARCHITECTURE Takaharu Tezuka was born in twelvemonth 1964 in the metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. He received his Bachelors from the Musashi Institute of Technology in Japan and Masters in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States of America. He so worked for Richard Rogers Partnership Ltd from twelvemonth 1990 to 1994 in London. Together with his married woman, they established Tezuka Architects in twelvemonth 1994 and have won legion awards for their broad scope of work from the Japan Institute of Architects Prize and the AIJ Annual Architectural Commendations for Roof House and Kids Design Award, the Ministry Prize Gold Prize for Fuji Kindergarten in 2007. His calling so started blossoming with other undertakings runing from houses, commercial and educational edifices, community undertakings and even universe renowned museums and exhibitions. Designed and built in twelvemonth 2012 to ease drama and kid development based around Montessori rules, Yamamotochou Fuji Kindergarten is an excessive pre-primary school in Tokyo, Japan. The most bewitching component is so its outstanding halo-shaped signifier which accommodates about 600 kids. This design maximises and utilises the full the tight urban site by consciously including the sense of drama, with a roof deck environing the full single-storey construction with a big enclosed cardinal courtyard. â€Å"While we are busy working, besides we are besides inspired by our kids. We found out kids loves doing circles. It is a sort of natural inherent aptitude, so we were inspired to do the edifice unit of ammunition so they can maintain running around† . With its round orientation, the courtyard becomes a cardinal point to run into for the preschoolers, carry throughing a intentional system of togetherness. Tezuka besides designed the kindergarten by integrating bing trees st ick outing from the buiding, which provides a sense of welcoming of nature but besides acts a green canopy. Their thought of The Fuji Kindergarten architectural analysis was based on 3 theories, which is climatic factors, architectural theory and design schemes. As for design schemes, the inside informations are really clean and precise, all the things of what high-end architecture is approximately. There is a sense of graduated table to the bannisters, door grips, floor, ceiling tallness and H2O fountains which are so good considered for the graduated table of the users. To suit different group sizes and different activities, all the furniture can easy be moved and rearranged. As for the chairs and desks for the childs, many wooden boxes are used to divide smaller countries which besides act as extra benches for siting. These boxes are besides used to hive away drama points, larning stuffs and children’s coats and places. This provides great flexibleness, and the interior infinite is often reconfigured through the twelvemonth. Besides, the railings designed harmonizing to kids graduated table. Rail ings are placed at each border of the roof to maintain kids safe. The infinites between the bannisters are besides sufficient plenty to let kids to sit on the roof and swing their legs over the eaves of the roof during assemblies or occasions. As for the fanlights, it allows kids to look down into the suites below. Individual fanlights are designed in each schoolroom to let the natural sunshine to ooze in. Children could besides mount up rope ladders taking up to the fanlight. The three trees embedded in the edifice besides form a drama characteristic. Children can scramble in the subdivisions or drama in the cyberspaces that are placed around the short pantss to forestall anybody falling through to the suites below. In maintaining with the school’s educational ethos of non-directed drama and find, there is no fixed drama equipment on the roof or in the courtyard, with the exclusion of a slide associating the roof to the land. Takaharu believes that this will further regard f or nature, so that kids could play around it and extinguish psychological barriers between in and out. Last but non least is the particularization of ceiling tallness and the usage of traditional visible radiation bulbs. With the consideration of the graduated table of a kid, the ceiling highs are set to 2.1m which stresses an utterly near the land degree to the rooftop. Takaharu Tezuka besides had the thought of utilizing traditional bare visible radiation bulbs with strings attached in this edifice to educate the childs about the manner visible radiation is produced when they pull on and off. ARCHITECTURAL THEORY The Fuji Kindergarten architectural theory was based on 5 Le Corbusier’s 5 points of Architecture which is, the free design land floor program, roof garden, pilotis, free design facade and horizontal Windowss. Based on the free design land floor program, the school is designed to promote kids to mix and weave around the infinite which promotes self-discovery and to research without intervention. It besides encourages societal accomplishments and eliminates hierarchal constructions preschoolers to mix and steer about at will. Besides, no fixed walls are placed between schoolrooms, so the kids can travel in between category freely. As for the roof deck, it is an advanced drama resource. It has a little incline towards the interior perimeter, which at a tallness of merely 2.1m allows staff at land degree to maintain an oculus on kids playing up above. With specific border of a start to an terminal, kids would of course run about the roof without vacillation. This besides boosts t he action and wellness of the children.Based on pilotis, the columns are non merely designed to back up the construction but to extinguish back uping walls that would impact the physical and ocular connexion within the kindergarten. The Fuji Kindergarten free design of facade separated from the outside of the edifice from its structural map. Stilts and thin seeable floor slabs sites absolutely into the bing site. This besides encourages kids to play about and research the construction of edifice. Last, horizontal Windowss run along the full kindergarten to let suites to be lit every bit. CLIMATIC FACTORS During most of the twelvemonth, the big sliding screens that form the interior wall of the edifice are pushed back, opening up the interior infinites to the sheltered courtyard in the centre of the school. This provides unobstructed positions throughout the kindergarten. It ensures that the suites are ever good ventilated and, as a effect, there is no demand for an air conditioning system. Other systems have been carefully designed to work in the unfastened interior infinite. During winter, the sliding screens remain closed and suites are kept warm by utilizing underfloor warming system. Lighting can be adjusted utilizing ceiling-mounted pull chords, leting instructors and kids to command the degree of illuming in their portion of the edifice. As Japan has a long history of holding frequent temblors. The columns are placed somewhat farther apart and specifically designed for temblors. Besides, the edifice is besides surrounded by large trees which shade the roof during hotter period like summer. Throughout his calling, â€Å"Takaharu Tezuka holds a profound belief in the construct of design with a surgical knife instead than a hack saw, and the importance of making functional places unambiguously catered to the occupants populating within.† ( 2014, Levin ) As a decision for his architecture believes, Takaharu Tezuka summarized that â€Å"Our minimal art is non a manner but a effect. We try to do a undertaking where we ourselves want to populate or remain. We believe the reply can be found in our life style. We are seeking to hold a normal happy life, and the life of human being is ever the ultimate intent of architecture† . Architecture is a like a linguistic communication with vocabulary that carries messages and communicates significances. By utilizing this architectural linguistic communication, based on my theory of ego, I think Takaharu tezuka has merely one thought, which is to stress on human activity and connectivity. He is really inventive and demanding when planing architectural inside informations. Architecture imaginativeness is steadfastly rooted into Takaharu’s cardinal apprehension of construction, stuffs and economic sciences. There’s a touch of material elegance in the architectural signifiers and preciseness of the structural solutions. These personal touches are emerged from understanding their client’s life style and aspirations. However, there is no uncertainty that beyond these facets, Tezuka is even more interested in abstract and allusive qualities of architecture like infinite and visible radiation. His work is besides singular for its mutableness, its abili ty to take on different visual aspects depending on the season, clip of twenty-four hours and the activity of the residents. The architecture responds to these conditions freely, largely by changing the grade of closing or openness in taking to hike the quality of architectural mutableness. Tezuka’s work seems like it is tied into a long tradition of Nipponese Common architecture good known for skiding doors, screens and removable elements. These are exactly the elements that most intrigued the early modernist who visited from the West to Japan, such as blunt Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropious. Through the influences of those designers, the impression of flexible spacial boundaries entered the architectural imaginativeness of planetary modernism. Tezuka designs a client’s house which includes elements of sunshine, air current and humidness that has an undeniable touchable freshness. These are places suited to citizens of the 21stcentury which combines and embraces nature into simple life. Mentions MentionsPlaning for instruction. 2011. p48 Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.oecd.org/edu/innovation- education/centreforeffectivelearningenvironmentscele/48533289.pdf on 22 June 2014Design and Trend. 2013. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.designntrend.com/articles/3813/20130412/worlds-best-classroom-japan-fuji-kindergarten-wraps-around-100-year.htm on 22 June 2014Planing for Education: Collection of Exemplary Educational Facilities. 2011. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //edfacilitiesinvestment-db.org/facilities/9 on 22 June 2014

Sunday, November 10, 2019

One Year MBA Program / Two Year MBA Program Essay

1. Students are requested to go through the instructions carefully. 2. The Assignment is a part of the internal assessment. 3. Marks will be awarded for each Assignment, which will be added to the total marks. Assignments carry equal marks. 4. The completed Assignments of different modules should be bundled together before sending it to the Institute in the address given above or it can be mail to us 2 weeks before the commencement of the examination with the roll number and name of the student. 5. Students who have not received the full set of modules may send the Assignments after receiving the complete set of modules of the semester. 6. Case study project is given based on the Elective Subject selected. Assignments 1. International Law What are your perceptions on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Would you like to amend any of the articles or add a new article to the declaration? 2. Strategic Management Select an appropriate generic strategy to position your printing business unit in its competitive environment (map the environment primarily as a pattern of competitive pressures from rivals, suppliers, buyers, entrants and substitutes). 3. Business English

Friday, November 8, 2019

Global Warming and Carbon Credits

Global Warming and Carbon Credits Free Online Research Papers Global warming refers to the recent increase in the Earths temperature. The effects of this climate change are already being felt around the world. Scientists predict that temperatures will rise up to 6 °C further over the next century. This may cause rises in sea level, extre,e weather events such as hurricanes and heat waves, and war and disease, particularly in developing countries. It is generally agreed that global warming is caused by greenhouse gases emitted by humans into the Earths atmosphere. The biggest contributor is carbon dioxide, which is generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas. Every car or plane journey contributes directly to the Earths change in climate. Most of the worlds electricity is also generated from these fuels, despite renewable alternatives such as wind and solar power. The ideal solution would be an immediate and drastic drop in global carbon emissions. However this is not going to happen in our lifetimes. In fact, rapid economic development in countries such as China and India, as well as ongoing growth in the rest of the world, mean that carbon emissions are still increasing year on year. The Kyoto protocol is a first international attempt to address the issue seriously, but it has met with limited success. Enter Carbon Credits Carbon credits (or carbon offsets) offer an interim solution for companies and individuals. After calculating the quantity of carbon emitted by flying, driving and using electricity, the carbon emitter pays for a project that reduces carbon emissions by this same amount. Since greenhouse gases circulate freely in the atmosphere, this project can be located anywhere in the world. Carbon Catalog lists many different types of carbon project. Those involving solar, wind and hydroelectric power generate energy from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels. By increasing efficiency, switching fuels or generating heat and electricity together. Many projects lower energy requirements via better lighting, materials, building or public transport. After carbon dioxide, the second most important greenhouse gas is methane. While there is much less methane in the atmosphere, every tone causes 20-70 as much warming as a tone of carbon dioxide. Many projects capture industrial or agricultural methane and burn it to generate energy. The money one pays to offset one’s remaining emissions goes to projects that need funding to stop the releasing of greenhouse gases ( like supportable energy developers and rubbish heap gas capturers ) or that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere ( like reforesters ). CO2 emissions emitted anywhere in the world contribute to global warming and climate change. The opposite is also correct, removing or reducing greenhouse gases anywhere helps stop climate change. Kyoto protocol: Launched in the winter of 1997, the protocol was designed to establish a broad agreement between countries around the world to restrict emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Due to the too complex membership process and split ratification standards, it took until first quarter of 2005 before it became enforced. It took a long journey to its enforcement in 2005 since negotiations were not only lengthy and complex but was also factious. Merely signing up to the Kyoto Protocol did not in itself carry any real weight. When a country agreed to ratify Kyoto Protocols conditions, it is then that it would actually come into force, and merely signing it did not mean anything. Ratification ensured that the country would actively participate in reducing emissions against a specified target. Those who were unable to do so would need to engage in emissions trading, buying credits from participating countries which had been able to reduce their emissions beyond the specification. According to the Kyoto Protocol sponsor, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this treaty aimed to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in air at a level that would not interfere with the natural climate system. To this day, 183 parties have ratified the protocol with the latest major standout to sign up being Australia. Launched in the winter of 1997, the protocol was designed to establish a broad agreement between countries around the world to restrict emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Due to the too complex membership process and split ratification standards, it took until first quarter of 2005 before it became enforced. It took a long journey to its enforcement in 2005 since negotiations were not only lengthy and complex but were also factious. Merely signing up to the Kyoto Protocol did not in itself carry any real weight. When a country agreed to ratify Kyoto Protocols conditions, it is then that it would actually come into force, and merely signing it did not mean anything. Ratification ensured that the country would actively participate in reducing emissions against a specified target. Those who were unable to do so would need to engage in emissions trading, buying credits from participating countries which had been able to reduce their emissions beyond the specification. According to the Kyoto Protocol sponsor, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this treaty aimed to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in air at a level that would not interfere with the natural climate system. To this day, 183 parties have ratified the protocol with the latest major standout to sign up being Australia. How does it exactly work? The goal is to stop the increase of carbon dioxide emissions. The Kyoto Protocol presents nations with the challenge of reducing greenhouse gases and storing more carbon. A nation that finds it hard to meet its target of reducing GHG could pay another nation to reduce emissions by an appropriate quantity. The carbon credit system was ratified in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol. For example, if an environmentalist group plants enough trees to reduce emissions by one ton, the group will be awarded a credit. If a steel producer has an emissions quota of 10 tons, but is expecting to produce 11 tons, it could purchase this carbon credit from the environmental group. The carbon credit system looks to reduce emissions by having countries honor their emission quotas and offer incentives for being below them. What is Carbon Trade? An idea presented in response to the Kyoto Protocol that involves the trading of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rights between nations. For example, if Country X exceeds its capacity of GHG and Country Y has a surplus of capacity, a monetary agreement could be made that would see Country X pay Country Y for the right to use its surplus capacity. Credits versus Taxes Credits were chosen by the signatories to the Kyoto Protocol as an alternative to Carbon taxes. A drawback of tax-raising schemes is that, they are not frequently hypothecated, and so some or all of the taxation raised by a government may be applied inefficiently or not used to benefit the environment. By treating emissions as a market commodity it becomes easier for business to understand and manage their activities, while economists and traders can attempt to predict future pricing using well understood market theories. Thus the main advantages of a tradable carbon credit over a carbon tax are: 1. The price is more likely to be perceived as fair by those paying it, as the cost of carbon is set by the market, and not by politicians. Investors in credits have more control over their own costs. 2. The flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol ensure that all investment goes into genuine sustainable carbon reduction schemes, through its internationally-agreed validation process. Key players: Bank of America is a leader in carbon-reduction strategies. The bank recently launched a $20 billion, 10-year initiative to finance emission-reduction projects, invest in green technology, and facilitate carbon-credit trading. BP is among the most well-known companies to implement an internal cap-and-trade system. The company assigned its 150 units an emissions quota and allowed them to buy and sell carbon credits among themselves. The European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the mandatory cap-and-trade program for the EU. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is a U.S. carbon-trading scheme in which companies make a voluntary but legally binding commitment to meet emissions targets. Impact on the environment and society: The carbon credit system, though critical at the moment does pose a lot of advantages: The money from the purchases of carbon credits is used to create renewable energy projects and develop sources of renewable energy from wind turbines and solar panels for example. Energy saving initiatives are also created using carbon credits. People in the developing world are often given investment to help them save energy. The advantages of carbon credits mean that some of the schemes used like protecting rainforest have other environmental benefits. Though schemes like this are clearly flawed because they are not offsetting any carbon like they should be doing, but are merely stopping more being released by the cutting down of trees. Carbon credits system helps in ‘storing’ carbon in the soil which helps in green growth and purification of the atmosphere Energy saved means energy gained, saving energy will gradually put up for gaining it which will increase efficiency, plus make way for better avenues of energy The carbon credits idea greatly aids in putting a cap on the unchecked release of greenhouse gases across the world. Industries that pollute the atmosphere are penalized to do so and those who do not are incentivized. Hence companies and governments are persuaded to use eco-friendly means to ensure that unabated emissions of greenhouse gases don’t occur. An international market for carbon credits makes sure that companies can opt for and practise this system without difficulty. Trading is simple under this system as the regulations and methodologies are clear and simple, and this results in its popularity and effectiveness. More than the penalty awarded to erring companies, the rewards and appreciation given to green firms is what makes this system so popular and exclusive. This means that organizations with limited emissions will come up with strategies to further curtail emissions so that they can sell more carbon credits in the international market and thereby increase their profits. Hence, this system leads to a cleaner and greener environment. A majority of nations across the world have welcomed and embraced the method of carbon credits trading, and this is probably its most important benefit. Many projects fail because they are not able to generate widespread acceptance. By getting this aspect right, carbon credits look all set to bring about a significant improvement in the environment. trading may also allow a relocation of fuel intensive industries closer to fuel sources while maintaining or decreasing the total greenhouse gas output trading allows flexibility to innovate, develop appropriate technologies for developing countries and make technological advances in effective greenhouse gas emission reduction or carbon sinks Disadvantages: The Kyoto mechanism is the only internationally-agreed mechanism for regulating carbon credit activities, and, crucially, includes checks for additionality and overall effectiveness. Its supporting organisation, the UNFCCC, is the only organisation with a global mandate on the overall effectiveness of emission control systems, although enforcement of decisions relies on national co-operation. The Kyoto trading period only applies for five years between 2008 and 2012. The first phase of the EU ETS system started before then, and is expected to continue in a third phase afterwards, and may co-ordinate with whatever is internationally-agreed at but there is general uncertainty as to what will be agreed in Post-Kyoto Protocol negotiations on greenhouse gas emissions. As business investment often operates over decades, this adds risk and uncertainty to their plans. As several countries responsible for a large proportion of global emissions (notably USA, Australia, China) have avoided man datory caps, this also means that businesses in capped countries may perceive themselves to be working at a competitive disadvantage against those in uncapped countries as they are now paying for their carbon costs directly. The biggest drawback of carbon trading is lack of a comprehensive global structure for trading. Since majority of trade in carbon credits is conducted in the global market, it is difficult for regional enterprises to make use of this system. several small enterprises are not capable of affording the expenditure on buying the machinery or implementing sophisticated techniques that would reduce their emissions. As a result, the smaller businesses are made to repeatedly buy carbon credits in this system which leads to lowering of their capability to compete with bigger organizations. Theoretically, this scheme must bring down the overall level of carbon emissions. In reality, what credit trading does at best is to shift pollution from one place to another, in fact from one company to another. In countries where it is a lot cheaper for companies to simply shift to green technology than paying carbon/abatement taxes, companies will keep earning credit. When a substantial number of companies go green and earn credits, the value of credits in the market will go down because of increased supply. Non-green companies will enjoy this supply surplus and simply buy cheap credits. There will be less and less incentive for non-green companies to shift to green technology/practices, the preferred and ideal way to environmental protection. A lot of third parties appear in the system and a global regulatory body lacks Although theoretically, carbon credits system is supposed to reduce the atmospheric pollution by getting rid of the greenhouse gases, practically it does not. It may seem, What a cool idea! But instead of reducing our own carbon emissions, we are paying other people to reduce theirs. Carbon offsets - and emissions-trading schemes, their industrial-scale siblings - are the environmental version of subprime mortgages. They both started from some admirable premises. Developing countries like China and India need to be recruited into the fight against greenhouse gases. And markets are a better mechanism for change than command and control. But when those big ideas collide with the real world, the result is hand-waving at best, outright scams at worst. Moreover, they give the illusion that something constructive is being done. A few fun facts: All the so-called clean development mechanisms authorized by the Kyoto Protocol, designed to keep 175 million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere by 2012, will slow the rise of carbon emissions by 6.5 days. Depressed yet? Kyoto also forces companies in developed countries to pay china for destroying HFC-23 gas, even though Western manufacturers have been scrubbing this industrial byproduct for years without compensation. And wheres the guarantee that the tree planted in Bolivia to offset $10 worth of air travel, for instance, wont be chopped down long before it absorbs the requisite carbon? Nationally managed emissions-trading schemes could do a better job than Kyotos we-are-the-world approach by adding legal enforcement and serious oversight. But many economists have a safer way: a tax on fossil fuels. A carbon tax would eliminate three classes of parasites that have evolved to fill niches created by the global climate protocol: cynical marketers intent on greenwashing, blinkered bureaucrats shoveling indulgences to powerful incumbents, and deal-happy Wall Streeters looking for a shiny new billion-dollar trading toy. So we again come to the point where we ask, credits or taxes? Taxes have the following advantages: 1. Carbon taxes will lend predictability to energy prices, whereas cap-and-trade systems will aggravate the price volatility that historically has discouraged investments in less carbon-intensive electricity generation, carbon-reducing energy efficiency and carbon-replacing renewable energy. 2. Carbon taxes can be implemented much sooner than complex cap-and-trade systems. Because of the urgency of the climate crisis, we do not have the luxury of waiting while the myriad details of a cap-and-trade system are resolved through lengthy negotiations. 3. Carbon taxes are transparent and easily understandable, making them more likely to elicit the necessary public support than an opaque and difficult to understand cap-and-trade system. 4. Carbon taxes can be implemented with far less opportunity for manipulation by special interests, while a cap-and-trade system’s complexity opens it to exploitation by special interests and perverse incentives that can undermine public confidence and undercut its effectiveness. 5. Carbon taxes address emissions of carbon from every sector, whereas some cap-and-trade systems discussed to date have only targeted the electricity industry, which accounts for less than 40% of emissions. 6. Carbon tax revenues would most likely be returned to the public through dividends or progressive tax-shifting, while the costs of cap-and-trade systems are likely to become a hidden tax as dollars flow to market participants, lawyers and consultants. How can carbon credits help improve the environment and society? Carbon credits can provide a country with both monetary and non monetary benefits. Currently, carbon credits are valued at approximately â‚ ¬ 30 per metric tone. Even if a country generates 100,000 metric tons of carbon credits a year it can generate an additional â‚ ¬ 3 million which is a quite significant amount especially for a debt ridden country like India. However, if we look at the non monetary benefits, carbon credits are a gold mine as they lead to positive changes in the soil property and environmental quality. Carbon credits, in general, leads to improved soil structure, with surface structure becoming more stable and less prone to erosion. Especially significant is the subsequent increase in soil organic matter. As soil organic matter increases, soil water and nutrient capacity increases significantly. And crops will fare better during drought because infiltration and water holding capacity have improved. Also, organic matter and the associated soil biological population will increase in vigor and numbers with more diverse crop rotations. Organic matter also may bind pesticides, suppress disease organisms, and improve crop health and vigor as soil biological activity and diversity increase. These changes could become a boon for agricultural economies. With respect to environmental changes, improvements can be expected in air quality as dust, allergens, and pathogens in the air decline; in water quality as sediment and nutrient loads decline in surface water from better soil aggregation; and in agricultural productivity. Wildlife habitat also is improved with higher residue levels. However, benefits always come at a cost and these should be analyzed before the benefits are praised. COST OF CARBON CREDITS Carbon credits is not an investment free avenue. Though generating carbon credits incur very low production costs, the subsequent costs can be high. The major challenge is in measuring the quantity of carbon in trees. A range of simple to complex techniques is available for the purpose. In general, the techniques are more reliable for plantations of species such as radiata pine and certain eucalypts, but less so for plantations of other species or of mixed ages and mixed species. Other things remaining the same, measurement of carbon with higher statistical accuracy results in higher cost for the grower. Growers also incur costs in the steps leading to the sale of the carbon credits. The steps form a lengthy and costly process. Some of the key points in the process include aggregation of individual growers’ carbon into a sizeable pool; verification of the pool; issuance of carbon credit certificates by an independent agent; registration of certificates and their lodgment with an authorized market clearing house for sale; and exchange of the certificates and the monies. Also as the cost of services and transactions associated with selling carbon are subject to economies of scale; small scale growers end up paying higher cost per unit of carbon. Recently concerns have risen over the long term effects of carbon credits. Kyoto forests consist of big trees which use a lot of water. Water use by plantations, cause a reduction of approximately 38 per cent in the stream flow. This may prove fatal in the long run, especially in populated areas. Shortage of water will start a cycle which will ultimately lead to the rotting of the forests themselves thereby defeating the purpose of the effort. In spite of the multiple problems and issues, the carbon credits market is growing at a very fast rate. WORLD CARBON CREDITS MARKET The world carbon credits market is the one fastest growing market in the world. According to estimates, the market is expected to grow to between â‚ ¬ 4.6 to â‚ ¬ 100 billion by 2010, with the former estimate based on purchases of carbon credits limited to compliance only, and the latter estimate subject to international political developments. However, the Kyoto deadline of 2012 for compliance is being pegged as the accelerator for market growth and estimates say that as end of the compliance period approaches, trading will go up exponentially with the market capable of reaching as high as â‚ ¬ 150 billion. The largest current market is the European carbon credits market (EU ETS) which opened on 1st of January 2005 and began trading at â‚ ¬ 6.7 per ton of CO2. Both, prices and volumes have gone up since then and currently carbon credits are being traded at approximately â‚ ¬ 30 per ton of CO2. The volumes are expected to rise up with massive demand coming from US, Germany, China and Japan in the near future. US which has not yet ratified the protocol is one of the largest generators of emissions, generating up to 25 per cent of the world CO2 emissions every year. INDIA’S PROSPECTS India has a huge advantage when it comes to the carbon credits market. In the new regime, the country could emerge as one of the largest beneficiaries accounting for 25 per cent of the total world carbon trade, says a recent World Bank report. The country’s dominance in carbon trading is expected to be driven, not so much by the domestic industry, but more by its huge tracts of plantation land, estimated to be over 15 million hectares, much larger than Australia which aims to be a major player in emission trading by adding 2 million hectare plantation by 2020. Seeing the importance of the prospects in the Indian market, World Bank entered into an agreement with Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) in 2002 wherein IDFC was given the task of handling carbon finance operations in the country for various carbon finance facilities. World Bank also earmarked an initial investment of $ 10 million aid carbon finance to IDFC-financed projects that meet all the required eligibility and due diligence standards. Identifying the opportunities the Indian industry has already taken proactive measures. A large number of domestic companies have initiated projects in diverse areas such as energy efficiency, co-generation, natural gas alternative fuels and hydel power. But the potential is still untapped. Currently, there are only about 225 projects in India which are moving towards taking advantage of this concept as compared to the current global requirement of 350-500 million tones of additional carbon credits. Much depends on how well India can capitalize on the current scenario. If the Indian industry and government cooperate Indian stands the chance of creating a $ 5 billion carbon credits market in the next seven years. PROTOCOLS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC: No matter who does what, it is advisable for general public to do small things that would definitely help fight the climate crisis and purify the environment. Drive Smart! A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline- cutting pollution and saving you money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take public transit, walk, or bicycle when you can. Buy Local and Organic vegetables. Did you know the average urban Indian meal travels more than 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate? Think of all the energy wasted and pollution added to the atmosphere not to mention all the pesticides and chemicals used to grow most produce! So go to your local organic farmer to get your fruits and veggies. Support clean, renewable energy. Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulb: Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last ten times as long. Each switch you make helps clean the air today, curb global warming, and save our money on our electricity bill. Become a smart water consumer. Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and youll use half the water without decreasing performance. Then turn your hot water heater down to 120 °F and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50 percent. Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances. Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model will save you money on your electricity bill and cut global warming pollution. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances. Plant a Tree, protect a forest. Protecting forests is a big step on the road to curbing global warming. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide, but slash-and-burn farming practices, intensive livestock production, and logging have destroyed 90 percent of the native forests in the United States. And you can take action in your own backyard - planting shade trees around your house will absorb CO2, and slash your summer air-conditioning bills. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70 to 90 percent of the energy and pollution, including CO2 that would result if the product came from virgin materials. Recycling a stack of newspapers only 4 feet high will save a good-sized tree. Pleasebuy recycled products! As the clichà ©s go â€Å"Better late than never† and â€Å"Better safe than sorry†, think about the fact that these very banal statements were thought of for a reason in the first place and were based on common observations. Thus, it is now time to be prudent rather than judgmental. CONCLUSION: The carbon credits market is a liquid market as of now. And there is nothing to support the fact it will remain the same in the time to come. But India needs additional sources of revenue to finance its infrastructural requirements and feed its ‘100 billion’ population. Even if the market stops growing in the future or ceases to exist, the non monetary effects for an agricultural economy like ours are huge enough to make the risk worth while. Considering the environmental benefits of carbon credits system, the idea is still in smoke, there is no clear picture as there lacks a global regulatory body that would control all activities and hence monitor every trade that happens and provide a much clear picture whether results are coming out of it or not. I would say that the world should start off with carbon taxes as it would initiate the seriousness and the thought process, and in the meanwhile, create a global general regulating body omitting majority of third parties and come up with a strong regulated and networked body of the carbon credit system. If proper monitoring is done, and positive results are indicated, the carbon credit system can pave way for a great future. Research Papers on Global Warming and Carbon CreditsRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andDefinition of Export QuotasThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductGenetic EngineeringOpen Architechture a white paperAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Twilight of the UAW

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Metal

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Metal The United States recycles 150 million metric tons of scrap materials annually, including 85 million tons of iron and steel, 5.5 million tons of aluminum, 1.8 million tons of copper, 2 million tons of stainless steel, 1.2 million tons of lead and 420,000 tons of zinc, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Other metals such as chrome, brass, bronze, magnesium, and tin are recycled as well. What Are the Benefits of Recycling All That Metal? By definition, mining metal ores and refining them into usable metals is unsustainable; the amount of metals present on earth is fixed when considering (at least when considering any useful geological time scale). However, metals are easily recycled and reused, providing renewed opportunities for their use without having to mine and refine more of it. Thus, issues associated with mining like can be avoided, like  acid mine drainage.  By recycling, we reduce the need to manage extensive and potential dangerous piles of mine tailings.   U.S. Exports Recycled Metal In 2008, the scrap recycling industry generated $86 billion and supported 85,000 jobs. The recycled materials that the industry processes into raw material feedstock every year are used for industrial manufacturing around the world. For example, 25% of the steel used in production car panels (doors, hood, etc.) is obtained from recycled materials. For copper, used in the home building industry for electric wires and plumbing pipes, that proportion surpasses 50%. Each year, the United States exports staggering amounts of scrap metals - called scrap commodities  -  contributing significantly to U.S. trade balances. For example, in 2012 the U.S. exported $3 billion worth of aluminum, $4 billion of copper, and $7.5 billion of iron and steel. Metal Recycling Saves Energy and Natural Resources Recycling scrap metal reduces the substantial amounts of  greenhouse gas emissions  produced during the various smelting and processing operations used when making metal from virgin ore. At the same time, the amount of energy used is also much smaller. Energy  savings using various recycled metals compared to virgin ore is up to: 92 percent for aluminum 90 percent for copper 56 percent for steel These savings are significant, especially when scaled up to large production capacities. Indeed, according to the U.S.Geological Survey, 60% of steel production comes directly from recycled iron and steel scrap. For copper, the proportion coming from recycled materials reaches 50%. Recycled copper is almost as valuable as new copper, making it a common target for scrap metal thieves. Metal recycling also conserves natural resources. Recycling one ton of steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone. Water is also used in great quantities in the manufacturing of many metals. According to an industry source, through recycling steel the amount of energy conserved would be enough to power 18 million homes for an entire year.  Recycling a ton of aluminum conserves up to 8 tons of bauxite ore and 14-megawatt hours of electricity.That figure does not even account for shipping the bauxite from where it is mined, generally in South America.  The total amount of energy saved in 2012 by making aluminum from recycled material added up to 76 million megawatt hours of electricity.​ Edited by Frederic Beaudry.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - Research Paper Example Born in a provincial and remote city on the shores of the Sea of Azov, Chekhov experienced philistine poverty under the supervision of a suppressed mother and tyrant and religious zealot father who was a grocer and son of a serf.Chekhov’s grandfather bought freedom for himself and his three sons in 1841 and taught himself reading and writing. Chekhov’s early life is shadowed by his father’s suppression and strict behavior. Frenzied father forced his sons to sing in evening church choirs. He not only tormented Chekhov and his brothers with late-night rehearsals but also asked them to play their roles as â€Å"master’s eyes and ears† in his shop. Antonsha was soon discovered to be more reliable than his brothers; therefore, father relied on him frequently. However, this compulsion proved to be productive for Chekhov and the world in the form of stories like; â€Å"The Sacred Night,† â€Å"The Sacred Mountains,† â€Å"The Student,† â€Å"Perhaps,† â€Å"and The Archbishop.†Chekhov would have never aware of the religious services and people with simple souls without these exercises. (Bunin 4). Chekhov's Education and Profession Chekhov attended a Greek school in Taganrog (1867-68 and then Taganrog grammar school (1868-79).Hid father’s bankruptcy forced the family to migrate to Moscow. Tutoring made Chekhov independent enough to support himself and spend some time alone in his hometown. In 1879, Chekhov got enrolled in Moscow University Medical School. He supported himself and his family by publishing hundreds of comic stories. Subjects of Chekhov’s stories were nonsensical social situations, marital issues, absurd encounters between husbands, wives, lovers, and mistresses, and whimsical young women. Though Chekhov had much knowledge of these issues, he was shy even after his marriage (Liukkonen). Chekhov worked as a physician in most of his life as adult. He gave credit to his medic al profession for his power of observation and sense of direction in literary work (Loehlin viii).He often stated that, â€Å"Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress† (qtd. in Loehlin viii). Writing and Achievements Nenunzhaya pobeda (1882) was Chekhov’s first novel, written in Hungarian context, this novel parodied famous Hungarian writer Mor Jokai’s novels. Jokai was also ridiculed for his ideological optimism during that time period. Chekhov established himself as a famous writer by 1886. The Shooting Party, Chekhov’s second full-length novel was translated into English in 1926.Its characters and atmosphere was also used by Agatha Christie’s mystery novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in 1926(Liukkonen). Chekhov’s first story book was a success which transformed him into a full-time writer. His denial to join ranks of social critics annoyed liberal and radical intelligentsia. Their wrath appeared in the form of criticizin g Chekhov for dealing ad raising social and moral issues and avoiding answers. However, Chekhov won the support of

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Coca Cola Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Coca Cola Company - Research Paper Example We will be looking at several types of financial ratios available in assessing the financial position of The Coca-Cola Company: Liquidity Ratios, Asset Management Ratios, Profitability Ratios and Gearing Ratios. The quantitative findings in this segment can be found in the Appendix section of this report. The results show that The Coca-Cola Company has a good Liquidity Ratio. The company's Current Ratio is 1.12 (0.95 in Q1 2008) and its Quick Ratio is 0.94 (0.80 in Q1 2008). This means that The Coca-Cola Company is still able to generate enough cash to settle its short-term liabilities. There has been a slight improvement in its Liquidity Ratio compared with the previous quarter. As a guide, a current ratio of 2 is ideal. However, in the company's case, 46% of its Current Assets (42% in Q1 2008) are made up of cash and cash equivalents. At a glance, the company's assets are being managed efficiently. Its Inventory Turnover is 1.13 (1.07 in Q1 2008), which shows that company is trading better. Its inventories declined by 6% in the first quarter of 2009 whereas its sales increased by 3% in the same quarter of 2008. Nevertheless, the company should take note that over increasing its inventories may adversely affect its business performance. This is because costs associated with holding inventories for too long can be very expensive. As such, managing its inventories well is recommended. There is a slight improvement in the Average Collection Days of 39 (43 Days in Q1 2008). Although the company is able to meet its short-term liabilities; it should still make an effort to improve the collection of its debts. The credit term given to its customers is not stated; however, as a guideline, 30 days is recommended. In this case, the company's customers are enjoying slightly more than the normal credit terms and this should be monitored. The profitability of The Coca-Cola Company is sound. Its Gross Profit Margin of 69% (64% in Q1 2008) is quite high. This is a 4% drop compared to the first quarter of 2008, due to the lower sales in the first quarter of 2009. Although, its sales performance shows a slight improvement from the previous quarter, the comparative results from the first quarter of last year did not fair as well. The company should analyze further the cause of this decline - whether the efficiency of its production dropped resulting in lower finished goods or simply experiencing slower sales due to consumer choice. The Return on Assets and Return on Equity ratios show similar results. At 3.2% and 6.4% respectively (3.2% and 6.5% respectively in Q1 2008), these can still be improved on. The Gearing Ratio is quite low at 24% (14% in Q1 2008). Although it has nearly doubled, the results should not cause an alarm. The estimated cost of capital of the company is 12.75%. This measures the opportunity cost of the investors that their investment is creating value. It measures what it costs to raise capital. It is advisable to have a balance between debt and equity sources. This balance should be the mix that gives the lowest possible cost of capital consistent to the attributes of the company. 3 COMMENTARIES Considering the sluggish economic situation across the world, The Coca-Cola Com