Belonging – the Simple Gift’ by Steven Herrick and Ort – the Ugly Duckling’ by Hans Christian Anderson

To belong is to fit in, or to be rightly placed in a specified position or environment. The idea of belonging is a dynamic and an essential aspect of human life which can come through, due to the connections made with the concepts of identity, place, relationships, acceptance and understanding to oneself and other people. These aspects of belonging are demonstrated through the free verse novel, ‘The Simple Gift’ by Steven Herrick, and the fairy tale of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ by Hans Christian Anderson. In the very early stages of ‘The simple gift', Herrick displays sixteen year old, Billy Luckett’s, sense of alienation by using his first person character to highlight social issues such as hostility within his family, leading it to break down, and his feeling of loneliness and worthlessness of identity. This is conveyed in the poem ‘Long lands Road’, where billy’s internal conflict is shown through his un-satisfaction of his original community in which he lived in and was a part of, leaving him disappointed and also a sense of embarrassment towards his identity. He states this clearly with the words, ‘My Street. My Suburb. ’, showing terms of ownership of the place in which his identity currently belongs too, but does not like, giving us a sense of in closure and displacement. This continues as he describes his street, as he throws rocks on the roof â€Å"of each deadbeat no-hoper shithole lonely downtrodden house in Long lands Road, Nowheresville†. The use of colloquialism of Billy’s vulgar language, further demonstrates Billy’s displacement, dislike and disappointment towards long lands road, symbolising a decaying and depressing environment. Billy then ends up taking control of himself and moving out of home. Billy then finds himself on a freight train, in search of a new place to go to, to try and gather a feeling of belonging. After travelling â€Å"two kilometres down the track†, he finds himself freezing cold. The harshness of the cold on the train indicates billy's insecurity about belonging and this indicates that Billy desires to feel warm and needed instead of cold and isolated. He then encounters the train driver, Ernie. Ernie see’s billy and has a conversation with him. He tells him to â€Å"make a cuppa if you want, and here’s some sandwiches, too much salad for my liking†¦ Keep warm; I’ve got a train to drive. † This making Billy feeling accepted and belonging, and being made feel at home by Ernie and a sense of warmth. Herrick has used juxtaposition to demonstrate how Billy has gone from being cold, to feeling a sense of warmth that he is now being comforted with Ernie to the town of Bendarat. Herrick also creates a contrast between billy’s dad and Ernie, â€Å"There are men like Ernie and there are other men, men like my dad. emphasizing Billy’s like for Ernie’s character, as Ernie makes Billy feel like he belongs. In the chapter of ‘Locks and Keys’ Old Bill gives the keys to the old home to Billy and Caitlin. This scene symbolises Old Bill giving over ‘the simple gift’ to Billy. It also gives Billy the feeling of being accepted by Old Bill and belonging. He also learns no t only to understand himself but to also understand Old Bill and Caitlin. Billy also understands how to identify his identity and sense of placement by realising â€Å"I can decide what I really want to do here in Bendarat†. In the last chapter, Denouements have been made, and loose ends have been tied up, where the relationships between Caitlin and Old bill are now stronger and reconnected. The relationship is symbolised through the motif of Old Bill and Bill sharing the Weet-Bix for breakfast. The words â€Å"and I looked up into the sky, the deep blue sky that Old Bill and I shared†, demonstrate that belonging can go far, and the relationship between Old bill and Billy can grow together stronger, as well as the identities of both characters are enabled to grow further, to enrich the self-worth, self-esteem and self-growth of the individuals. Similarly, In ‘The Ugly Duckling’, when the last duckling was hatched, the other ducks took a look at him and stereotyped and judged the duckling, â€Å"It is very large and not at all like the others. I wonder if it really is a turkey†. The duckling was left out of society, with the same sense of loneliness and displacement, because it was not the same as the rest of society. The mother duckling then took her ducklings down to the moat, to prove that the ugly duckling was a normal duckling. Despite all the judgment of the others, the mother took pride of her son, â€Å"see how nicely he uses his legs, and how straight he holds himself. The mother then tried to include her son into the community, â€Å"I’ll lead you out into the world and introduce you to the duck yard. † But there too, the duckling got mocked and taunted, â€Å"what and ugly looking fellow, He’s too big and strange†, lowering the ducklings self-esteem and self-worthiness. And again the mother stuck up for her son, â€Å"let him alone, He isn’t doing any harm. † The ugly duckling that, â€Å"looked so ugly was pecked and pushed about and made fun of†. Anderson has created a sense of sympathy from the audience from using emotive anguage and alliteration. It got so bad, that the ugly duckling got â€Å"chased and buffeted† by everyone including his brothers, sisters and even his own mother. He was â€Å"nipped†, â€Å"pecked†, and â€Å"kicked by the girl who fed him†. â€Å"So he ran away; and flew over the fence. † The use of action verbs create the scene of the duckling being a defenceless creature being forced to flee, as a result of the social rejection on all fronts. Similarly to Billy, as he left home as he was abused by his drunken father as well. After running through a great hunt, the ugly duckling had encountered a flock of birds that appeared out of the reeds. â€Å"The duckling had never seen birds so beautiful. They were dazzling white with long graceful necks. They were swans. They uttered a very strange cry as they unfurled their magnificent wings to fly from this cold land, away to warmer countries and to open waters† The use of bucolic language used by the composer to describe the swans triggers us to gain an insight of how much love the ugly duckling has for the creatures. Like the change in temperature Billy experiences on the train, the magnificent birds fly from the cold land that the ugly duckling is stuck on as it experiences unacceptance by others and not being able to belong in society, as the swans move into a more accepted, belonging environment together. He then had to go through â€Å"the hardships and wretchedness† of the cruel winter, to make it into the â€Å"beautiful springtime†. He swept through the air much strongly than before. He flew over the water and re encountered the â€Å"splendid swans†. Bowing his head, thinking he would be attacked and killed, seeing his mirrored self. And was â€Å"no longer the reflection of a clumsy, dirty, grey bird, ugly and offensive. He himself was a swan! † The composer has shown us that after all the hardships the ugly duckling had endured that, he finally found where he belonged. It was a place of acceptance amongst the other swans. After a life time of torcher and alienation he could be happy, because he belonged where he was loved. Belonging is not a set list that must include a connection to people, places, objects and to the wider world, but everyone’s idea of belonging is different but it involves a deeper emotional sense of fulfilment and connection made with yourself, the relationships you have, and with the wider world, but this is different for each person depending on their needs and life experiences, thus forming the foundation of an individual’s self-image, self-worthiness, self-esteem and self-growth.

Poetry Analysis If by Rudyard Kipling

English 113 9 November 2012 Poetry Analysis by Rudyard Kipling â€Å"If† As I analyze this poem, I  get a sense of life’s challenges and how someone can overcome those who refuse to take  accountability for their own actions. Considering the poem using point of view, I wonder whether it is being told from the point of  view of Rudyard Kipling or not. Is â€Å"If† the story of Kipling himself? Is it an ideal he aspired to or something he attained? If he did  attain it, is it something he attained and knew he attained it, or something he attained and still didn’t realize it?Perhaps the answers  to some of those questions are beyond the scope of this paper, but Kipling’s life can help us understand the poem more completely. Kipling was born in Bombay, India, in 1856. He always had tales that he was writing for children, including his own children  (Poetry Foundation). Sadly one of his children died at the age of eighteen, fighting the Irish Guards (Bhaskart, Rao). Kipling himself suffered bullying growing up and was often punished by his parents.This poem expresses the importance of an individual taking and accepting the responsibility for their own lives—including their  mistakes—and not blaming others. The poem has two important lessons. The first is that we are all equal. Don’t put yourself above anyone else, but know that you are just as good as everyone else, so don’t let anyone else put themselves above you. The second is that you should believe in yourself, even when everyone doubts you. Don’t believe in lies people say about you—or about anyone else. Tell the truth, believe the truth, and behave truthfully, not matter what those around you do.These lessons come from the point of view of a father instructing his son; naturally, we could also look at it as coming from the point of view of any older man to any younger man—an emotional or spiritual father-son rela tionship—but it seems the intent of the author was clear that this poem was directed to his physical son. This poem is a beautiful personal goal and an inspiration for anyone who wishes to be a better individual; it acts as light on a dark night. It is exactly the kind of talk a father might give to his son about growing into a good man.People sometimes talk about becoming productive members of society, but Kipling seems to take a different approach in this poem. Making â€Å"one of of all your winnings† and risking â€Å"it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,† and then losing it all and having to â€Å"start again at your beginnings† (lines 17-19)—this kind of encouragement hardly seems like it’s rooted in productivity being the measure of a man. Instead, Kipling talks about the importance of making the right choices, and how those choices can have a huge effect on someone’s life.The poem also says to have confidence in your actions and t o not allow anyone to say that you cannot do it. Don’t let anyone push you down, Kipling says, or doubt your competence, and don’t let those people stop you from reaching your goals. â€Å"If you can dream and not make dreams your master† talks about daring to dream; yet not letting that dream control your life (Paul, Halsall). Accept your dreams as yours; however, don’t mistreat others to get there. Again using lines 17-19 as our evidence, we see that Kipling also suggests that we must always learn from our mistakes and not ignore them.Line 20 describes his interpretation of this kind of behavior: â€Å"Never breathe a word about your loss. † We all have a lot to learn. We can learn from bad choices, by not committing the same mistake again, but complaining about our mistakes or our losses does no one any good. If there are roadblocks in your path of life, it is okay to make adjustments to your course and sometimes even to make U-turns; however, u se it as learning a lesson for what is to come: If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools. (13-16) The most important lesson here is to never give up. It is very hard to get back on your feet after life has beaten you into the ground. If circumstances throw you off, get back on your feet and don’t let that cheat you out of reaching your goals. Instead, put all the broken pieces together to make you a stronger person. When you are stronger it is easier to encounter life’s challenges. In two sections, the poem also talks about recognizing the truth and speaking the truth, and how the truth can affect both you and those around you.In the first, Kipling addresses the mindset he wanted his son to have when doubts and lies were directed at him: If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise. (3-8) Believe in yourself, Kipling says, even when everyone doubts you; don’t believe the lies people say about you or anyone.The second section that deals with honesty deals more with a person being honest with himself: If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools. (11-14) Kipling continues this theme in the fourth stanza: â€Å"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, / Or walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch. † Strive to be successful, but don’t let being successful fool you. Continue to help others and be nice to them.Don’t get lost in the world of money and luxury. Help others who need you. Don’t be selfish and concentr ate only on your needs and wants (Paul, Halsall). We might use the phrase today, â€Å"Be true to yourself. † As Shakespeare in one of his plays had a father (Polonium) advise his son (Laertes): â€Å"This above all: to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man† (Hamlet 1. 3. 78–82). Being kind and true to yourself, your family or anyone that walks in your life, can bring you many rewards.My analysis of this poem might be different from other analysis that you may have read, but it is my understanding of it and how I took this poem and put it on my life. Kipling was very realistic and clear in his words, and everyone can learn something from it. This poem was written in 1910 and it still applies today. No matter how many years have passed since it was written, it can always be applied to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. This poem, in general, is about living by what is often called the golden rule : Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Think about the bad you don’t want for yourself and don’t do it to others.Above all odds—and above his troubled childhood—Rudyard Kipling became a courageous and honest man. He knew how hard life can be, so he wrote this poem to his son teaching him solutions  to life’s problems. That was the main reason he wrote this poem: He wanted his son to become a good man (poetry foundation). According to Kipling, getting through this life with all the challenges, good or bad, and making the right choices and being proud of yourself, being happy with your winnings, and learning from your mistakes these will help you achieve the best reward: to be a man (Geofrey, Wansell).Work Cited Geofrey, Wansell. â€Å"The Remarkable Story Behind Rudyard Kipling’s If. † Daily Mail. 15 Feb. 2009. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Paul, Halsall. â€Å"Modern History Source Book. † Rudyard Kipling: If. July 1998. We b. 8 Nov. 2012. Poetry Foundation. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Rao, K. Bhaskara. â€Å"Rudyard Kipling. † Critical Survey Of Long Fiction, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-7. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Ethical Perspective: the Role of Social Media in Recruitment and Selection Essay

Ethical Perspective: The Role of Social Media in Recruitment and Selection â€Å"A† is a Bangladeshi holding company that conducts its business all over the world. The company aims to be recognized as a global brand and is currently in the process of expanding its operation. To achieve its goal of global expansion, â€Å"A† is looking to hire new executives who are young, energetic and outgoing. The executives should have good communication skill as they will have to correspond with potential clients from all over the world. They should also possess a likeable personality as their work will be people-oriented. The executives should be technologically competent as they may have to communicate online. Mr. Rahim is a senior manager who wants to use social media as a tool to collect more information about the potential recruits. He argues that, as the candidates themselves shared the information on public, it will be completely legal and ethical to use that information in their recruitment and selection process. Look more:  google recruitment process essay As the candidates themselves shared their personal information on a public website, it would not be a breach of privacy to use that information either. He also argues that, when people are asked to share information in a job interview, they are more like to only share the information that make them look good and conceal the information that make them look bad. Thus, the information collected from their personal Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts should help the company judge the candidate from an unbiased point of view. Mr.  Karim, another senior manager, is however against the use of social media to collect personal information. From his point of view, it will be an invasion of privacy to collect information from their social media accounts as the candidates intended their accounts for personal use. He also believes that the company should only use the information provided by the candidates themselves in the recruitment and selection process. He thinks that the data collected from social media sites are more likely to be biased as the candidates may not have been serious when posting them. He argues that although the potential recruits shared their personal information on a public website, they did not give them the permission to use it as a criterion to evaluate their job effectiveness. If this information relates to some aspect of a candidate’s background that could not be requested in an interview, such as age, cultural background, sexual orientation, etc, they could be contravening discrimination law. As the job requires good communicative skills, Mr.  Rahim believes that the company should look into the social media presence of their potential recruits. He argues, that if someone doesn’t have a social media account in this age, they are most likely to be backdated and quite incapable of working in a global company. Also, people who have more friends or followers in facebook and twitter are more likely to be outgoing. As the company is looking for outgoing people to join the organization, it should be a valid and reliable selection tool. Mr. Karim is strongly against this view. He argues that a person’s personality cannot be judged by looking at their social media profile. Just because someone has more friends or followers on social media sites, it cannot be said for certain that person has a more likeable personality. It will be unethical and discriminatory to exclude quality candidates just because they are not active on social media sites. Mr.  Rahim believes that people who post sexist, racist, homophobic remarks on facebook may damage the business reputation of â€Å"A†. Some international business partners of â€Å"A† may even stop doing business with them. So, â€Å"A† has every right to discriminate against employees who post controversial content on their social media accounts. People, who identify with extremist religious or political groups on social media sites, should not be selected as employees. Mr.  Karim argues people’s behavior on social media may not be a true reflection of their views. Just because someone appears sexist, racist or homophobic on social media, that doesn’t mean that that’s how they are in real life. Also, a person’s religious and political views are completely his own. It is certainly not ethical to judge a candidate simply based on what they do in their own time away from work. â€Å"A† cannot discriminate against potential candidates just because they shared their views strongly on social media sites.

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Aquinas and Aristotle's Perspective on the American Government - Essay Example America was colonized by Britain and after independence, founders of the American society introduced federal system of government. This paper will analyze Aristotle and Aquinas view on the American style of governance and on allegations that the British occupation was unjust under the law of nature and God. The question that this paper will seek to answer is what the wisdom and justifications of these words in regard to Aristotle and Aquinas view of Governance in America are. Based on this question, the main objective of this paper is to analyze the teachings of Aristotle and Aquinas on Governance and apply them on American perspective. Thomas Aquinas observed that there are two types of governments, just and unjust. The three kinds of a just government are; monarchy, oligarchy and democracy. Aquinas states that monarchy is the best form of government, since one leader, known as a king is made to rule; his heart needs to be kind and just. The reason advanced by the philosopher is tha t no obstacle can come on the king’s rule. Oligarchy refers to rule by an elite group of people. Aquinas views this as second to monarchy since it is not efficient and ideal as a monarch in its operations. Aquinas argues that with oligarchy, there might be a different view which affects the functioning of the state. The least, in Aquinas view is a democracy, and he refers it as rule by the masses. Aquinas views this as the most inefficient since decisions are not implemented with speed. Basing on these teachings, the American claim of independence from British is not wise. They were against the King of England who was a monarch, and in his belief, monarchy is the best style of governance. Americans had the intention of creating a democratic government based on the concept of equality and unalienable rights. Aquinas argues that democracy can turn to be unjust (Lord, 47), for instance, when people turn out to be selfish and greedy, and, in a democracy, the unalienable rights of individuals can be looked down upon. The American system of governance is composed of the senate, the House of Representatives and the presidency and in Aquinas’ view; this is a just form of governance since the three organs control the excesses of each other. This hybrid style of governance was proposed by Aquinas, where the monarch, i.e. the presidency will be in check by a group of Aristocrats i.e. the senate and House of Representatives who are elected by the masses. For Aristotle, democracy is not the best form of government. He believed that the most efficient form of governance should be made using the concept of policy which embraces rule of law, personal freedom and dependent upon the middle class. The American style, though it’s a democracy was condemned by Aristotle, borrowed heavily from Aristotle’s teachings which are: Governments should enact policies which are for the benefit of the people. A stable regime is made of mixed regimes. The best form of government involves the balancing off the kingship, aristocracy and democracy. A pure democracy can turn into a tyranny of the majority. The rule of law should be the foundation of governance (Lord, 47). Basing on these teachings, the American constitution acknowledges the rule of law as one of its tenets which borrows heavily on Aristotle’s teach

Discuss the relationships between ethnic nationalism and the body Essay - 1

Discuss the relationships between ethnic nationalism and the body - Essay Example Ethnic nationality and the individual’s identity are closely interrelated. Roginsky (34) points out that nations are comprised of sexed objects, a statement which means that sexuality has an important role to play in the social construction of national as well as gender identities. The author argues that the interrelationship between gender, nationalism and sexuality is amoral code which is beneficial one gender, nation, and sexuality over others. In ethnic nationalities, the leaders are normally men, while women normally are given roles to stay in the background and let men run things. According to Roginsky, individuals normally contest or construct â€Å"their ascribed ethnicity within specific social contexts of power and domination based on class and gender inequalities† (44). When looked at from a gender point of view, this statement means that individuals, both men and women, all have a role to play in the creation of states and their ethnic identities. These roles are shaped by the individuals being citizens or members of a nation, or by being members of a certain ethnic group. Nationalism has been known to function with masculine imperatives (Eisenstein 66). Women have so far had very little chance to play national roles, which have all been left to men. When it comes to ethnic nationalism, it is evident in many communities that men call the shots. Men chart their own paths, but they also play a big role in deciding the roles that should be played by women. Ethnic nationalism has in many cases led to conflict and sometimes violence that has seen many people loose lives. The main cause of these conflicts is the lack of inclusion of certain groups of people in the region in the general leadership structures. Ethnicity has the negative effect of dividing people and thus making it hard for them to collaborate to achieve a common objective (Sofos 42). Ethnic nationalism has been one

The Role of the State in Industrial Relations Personal Statement

The Role of the State in Industrial Relations - Personal Statement Example In France, the ‘Collective Agreements Act’ of 1950 provided an all-inclusive official framework for collective bargaining (p. 103). In Britain, until the 1970s IR system was less synchronized by law than other Western countries since there was an enduring practice of ‘voluntarism’ and self-sufficiency by the parties which had become part of the British cultural inheritance (p. 103). As Ron (1994) suggests most IR theory recognizes the limitations on state actions due to the power of other ‘actors’. Independent power can be achieved either through high degrees of concentration through a small number of large firms and large unions (in Germany) or potentially low independent power can be compensated through a large number of small and medium-sized employers (as in Germany) and unions (in Britain) acting through associations to compensate for their relative individual powerlessness (The State, p7). There are perhaps some desires to use the comparative studies for practical experience, or to use the IR systems of particular country which can demonstrate lack of higher success possibilities within the society – by means of rapid ‘rates of economic growth’ or an absence of serious industrial conflict – as ‘models’ to follow and possibly adopt (p.5). Today’s involvement recalls the historical influence of Hugh Clegg, Bill McCarthy, and Allan Flanders when industrial relations were a striking option for academics (Acken & Wilkinson 2003, p. xv). This shows a strapping return of unions although, thanks to the recent slump in these economies, some special effects of Employment relations remain at risk (p. xv) – as unions are united under a single restoration policy, that is, worn to shreds between the claims of adversarial management mixture and agility in bridge-building way of business and management (p. xv).

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Overview of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry - Essay Example ges such as regulatory issues, social concerns, competitive issues, and / or demographic and geographic issues associated with managing a restaurant operation in the State of Maryland. The Maryland government has stricter legal policies on food quality control and staffing. The Food Quality Assurance program implemented by the government poses serious threats to the successful operation of restaurant in Maryland. In addition, Maryland regulators have framed burdensome employment laws that would notably reduce the profitability of restaurant operations in the State. In order to address the regulatory issues better, it is advisable for the organization to become a member of the Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM), which is committed to guiding its members in managing lawsuits and other regulatory concerns effectively. Today’s people are increasingly concerned about social issues like environmental pollution, global warming, climate change, and poor health. It is evident tha t restaurant operations contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, which is a major issue contributing to ozone layer depletion thereby global warming and climate change. Since modern consumers are really aware of the significance of environmental sustainability, they would not support a restaurant business that does not focus on environmental safety. In addition, today consumers are greatly interested to know how businesses execute their corporate social responsibilities. The organization can address this challenge effectively by becoming a socially responsible corporate citizen. Considering the growing scope of hospitality and tourism industry, many new market players have started restaurant operations, and this situation in turn adds to the degree of competitive rivalry. The organization can successfully handle the issue of intense market competition by emphasizing particularly on innovation and efficiency. Finally demographic and geographic issues also raise some pote ntial

Retail Marketing and Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Retail Marketing and Distribution - Essay Example Retailing has been a prevalent activity over the years but its systematic study has been necessitated in the present times because of the alterations in the components of retailing along with the conditions in the marketplace. Marketing is considered to be one of the most significant areas for any of the retail operations because of the fact that retailing tends to comprise the activities that are generally involved in the marketing as well as distribution of the goods and the services. The success of the retailer depends upon the marketing efficiency along with the capability of the retailer to comprehend and to serve the needs and the demands of the customers. Retailers are not only considered to be one of the most essential parts of the marketing channel but they are also considered to be creating an essential association between the customers and the manufacturers. The economic conditions of the countries as well as the economical structures of the communities are shaped by the r etailers. Furthermore, retailing has a direct influence upon the social life. It can be stated that though retailing has its roots in conventional societies by means of trading of goods and services however, it has been formalized and it has become a branded activity in the present times. In the context of demand driven societies, the retailers play a significant role as one of the chains in the channels of distribution. It can be observed that the ways customers tend to dominate the entire marketing as well as supply chain management, similarly the retailers also attain a significant role and they are found to be exerting their power by choosing their brand that they want to sell based upon their marketing demands and their strategies. Retailers are found to occupy a significant position in the distribution channel. The success of the channels of distribution generally depends upon the availability of the right kinds of goods and services, in right amount at the right place at the right time along with the procurement of the product from the right kind of sources. It can be stated that branding can be of great importance in the retail industry in order to impact customer perceptions and hence drive store choices and loyalty. Furthermore, retailer distribution plays a significant role in creating proper brand image among the consumers1. The main objective of the study is to investigate the way retailer branding strategies within retail stores impact the retailer sector. The study shall also aim at comprehending the meaning of retail branding strategies along with the forms of retailer branding strategies and their characteristics. It shall also highlight the role of retail branding in retailing. The study shall further progress with determining the current trends in retailer branding strategies and will discuss regarding the pros and the cons that have been recognized in the literatures regarding the use of the numerous approaches to retail branding. Definitio n of Retail Branding Brand can be considered

Technology Advancements and Stem Cells Research in Hemophilia Paper - 1

Technology Advancements and Stem Cells in Hemophilia Treatment - Research Paper Example Science has technology has made significant progress in the last few years, what looked implausible a few years ago has become plausible today and what looks implausible today will become plausible tomorrow. Several major breakthroughs have been achieved in the last few years. Many new drugs have been invented to combat killer diseases and several lives have been saved because of these newly invented drugs. The invention of Stem cells has made life so much better. Significant progress in the field of stem cells was made by Dr. Ernest A. McCulloch and Dr. James E. They started working in unison in the 1960s and their research laid an ideal platform for the others to take it forward from there and that is exactly what the others did. Stem cells are really useful and they have saved several lives which would not have been plausible had stem cells not been invented. â€Å"Mouse embryonic stem cells treated in culture with a growth factor and then injected into the liver reverse a form of hemophilia in mice analogous to hemophilia B in humans, the new study shows.† (Stem Cells Treated with Growth Factor) The versatility of the stem cells is arguably their biggest strongest point, stem cells can easily grow in certain bodies and they are more than capable of achieving specialized functions. In addition to this, they can also renew themselves on their very own and this versatility makes them really useful. There are two types of stem cells namely, Embryonic stem cells and Adult stem cells. The two are really different from each other and understandably have different characteristics.  

Recruitment and Selection Policies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Recruitment and Selection Policies - Case Study Example referral based, and for fresh positions via campus recruitments. The selection process is more rigorous and depending on the nature and intricacy of the job, competence of the staff involved in the selection, the costs and benefits associated with the position to be recruited for and most importantly, the time factor. The methods for selection includes just sorting through resumes, conducting tests to judge individual's or potential employee's aptitude, intelligence, trainability and personality, group discussion, interviews and also the assessment centers. Each will be elaborated in detail going forward. Some issues also emerge in the selection process, these will be discussed soon. As discussed earlier, recruitment process begins from identification of the need that the organization needs to fill in a certain vacancy up to the point where the organization receives the application forms or has to decide between whom to hire for the position. The firm has option to recruit either internally from within the firm or external sources. Hiring candidates from within the organization has its own advantages. Firstly, hiring from inside saves the organization considerable amount of money and time because individuals within the organization already has an idea regarding what the company is like, an in depth knowledge of its products and services and how a business functions overall. Thus, lesser investments might be required to develop the fit that is required; thus, saving potential time and the money that is required for training a completely new (external) recruit. More important, these internal promotions incentivize people to worker harder and move up the organizati onal ladder, they become more committed and work harder within the organization. Secondly, since a firm very well knows the individual's strengths and weaknesses as the person has served in the organization for quite some time, all the areas are pre-assessed; when in fact, hiring an outsider has risks attached to it and success might only be on the resume and not the person's practice itself. But, obviously, the advantages do not come alone; some of the disadvantages to the internal recruitment practices for the firm starts with replacing the position of the person which has been left vacant due to the promotion. Besides, hiring an outsider might bring in more diversification to the organization's skills, which might otherwise be limited because of phenomenon such as groupthink. As opposed to the internal recruitment, externally recruiting helps firms to hire people who are diversified in talent and in experience; but has its own disadvantage such as the firm may end up hiring someone who is ineffective and unsuitable for the organization. Selection Whereas, recruitment was a one way step, selection is a two way process of communication and establishment of a positive psychological contract; the sole aim being contacting and employing the best people for the job. The selection process results in either of the two outcomes, it either results in hiring of effective employees or rejection or exit of the non competent employees. The selection process is always faced by limitations such as validation, review and organizational constraints. For selection

How the Macroeconomic Environment Affects Human Resource Essay Example for Free

How the Macroeconomic Environment Affects Human Resource Essay A microenvironment is simply a small environment within the operations of a business in which there are specialized features that make environment different from other business environments. In essence, it is the nearby and surrounding factors that affect and determine this environment. These factors affect the ability of the company in terms of service provision. As a matter of fact, it affects the supplies of the company, marketing strategies, marketing intermediaries, public relations and general company operations. Generally, a business microenvironment refers to the factors or elements within a particular organization and its immediate area of operations that in one way or another, has an effect on the performance of the company as well as the decision making processes of the company or business. CITATION Cal14 l 1033 (Monroe 2014)These elements are among the general public, since they form the bulk of the market, the channels of distribution among others. At the end of the day, this environment is of much importance to the success of a business. This paper gives an in-depth analysis of the microenvironments and macro environments of supermarkets as well as mobile companies thereby giving the empirical and theoretical relationships between the performance and of these business organizations as compared to their environments. The best strategy of analyzing the microenvironment of a business organization is through the SWOT technique in which one analyzes the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats within the company. CITATION Sub07 l 1033 (Subrata Ghatak 2007)The Strengths of a Company greatly determine the success of business organizations. The strength of a business organization can be measured in terms of; technological advancements, economies of scale as well as the availability of resources. The technology of a mobile company determines the amount of their sales. For instance, high levels of technology for a mobile company would reduce the cost of production that a company incurs. Decrease in cost of production simply implies that the company makes super normal profits, that is, profits greater than zero. Technology therefore plays a very key role. Economies of Scale have the same effect as well. Economies of scale simply imply to the company’s or supermarket’s market base. Companies that enjoy economies of scale lower their cost of production, thereby increasing their profit margins. Resource availability is also equally important. As a matter of fact, the importance of availability of resources to any business organization can never be underestimated. Resource availability is could imply human, natural or financial resource. All these are the drivers of the business, both in a mobile company as well as for supermarkets. CIT ATION Arv l 1033 (Arvil Van Adams n.d.)The weaknesses within an organization also determine its level of performance to a very large extent. What matters at the end of the day is how the supermarket or mobile company in question addresses the weakness that it faces in terms of operation. The most common weaknesses in either of these two enterprises are in terms of the prices, globalization and marketing. For mobile companies for instance, it is very difficult to come up with price floors owing to the products they produce. Generally, mobile phones are relatively expensive. As such, they are not the easiest products to market. Globalization on the other hand, is important since it determines the market base and network of a business. Most mobile companies have done tremendously well in this particular area. CITATION Sub07 l 1033 (Subrata Ghatak 2007)Opportunities and Threats play a very crucial role in the microenvironment of a business organization. They either make or break the org anization. The opportunities of supermarkets and mobile companies most of the time come as a result of collaboration. For instance, supermarkets can collaborate with the companies that they sell their products. It is through such strategies that supermarkets can easily give their clients discounts and offers. Discounts and offers are simply marketing strategies in which business organizations attract their customers. Mobile companies, on the other hand, can take advantage of their opportunities through collaboration with other electronic companies. For instance, they could collaborate with network service providers and as such use this platform to market their products. It is very important therefore, for a company to take advantage of whatsoever opportunity that comes their way. CITATION Les12 l 1033 (Leslie Hamilton 2012)A threat is another factor that is prevalent in the microeconomic environment of a business. There are various forms of threats that can affect the performance of a business. Threats may result from social, political or economic sources. However, common threats that mobile companies and supermarkets face are in relation to risks and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties face almost every business and they could be in terms of price fluctuations, the risk of a technology becoming obsolete, market variations and so on. Competition is another threat that mobile companies as well as supermarkets have to deal with. It is a challenge that also comes an opportunity. Competition encourages organizations to come up with more advanced forms of technology for instance of mobile companies. Supermarkets, on the other hand, experience a lot of competition due to the homogeneity of products. CITATION Les12 l 1033 (Leslie Hamilton 2012)The next part of the paper gives an insight on the macroeconomic market. This market environment deals with broader economic issues such as inflation, unemployment, national income and GDP. The Pestel model is the best analy sis to use so as to examine this economic environment. The Pestel assessment basically deals with the political environment, the environmental environment, the social, technological, economic and finally the legal environment that surrounds an organization. Basically, a macro environment defines the conditions that exist in the whole economy as opposed to particular sections or regions in the economy. As such, this environment follows up the trends in the GDP market, monetary policies, fiscal policies, level of spending as well as employment. CITATION Dee06 l 1033 (Deepashree 2006) The political environment generally deals with the political factors that affect the performance of a business. Political factors, more often than not, come with policies. The fiscal and monetary policies for instance, affect businesses to a great deal. This depends on whether they are expansionary or contractionary. The government of a country has control of most businesses. Another way through which pol itical factors affect businesses is through the political environment of a country, that is, whether the political temperatures are favorable for investment. Political instabilities in a country greatly discourage investment. This affects both mobile companies and supermarkets since it raises the question of globalization. With high political temperatures, it becomes very difficult to explore global markets. CITATION Arv l 1033 (Arvil Van Adams n.d.)The environment, on its own affects the performance of a business. The environment of a business is basically determined by the climatic conditions. The climate, or weather, in this case, will mostly affect a supermarket. As a matter of fact, there are goods whose demand rises with temperature. Such goods are among electronic fans. Supermarkets are bound to experience increase in sale of such product in the hot weather. On the other hand, there are other products such as umbrellas whose demand is bound to increase with the onset of cold weather. As such, though to a small extent, environmental factors play a role as factors in the macroeconomic environment. CITATION Sub07 l 1033 (Subrata Ghatak 2007)Social and cultural factors have a major effect as elements in the macroeconomic environment. This segment affects the performance of a business through the traditions, customs and beliefs of a society. It also deals with the issue of aging. Aging has an indirect effect on the demand and supply of a commodity. For the working population, when they age, they are paid handsomely in terms of pension. As a result, most of them might tend to spend more on luxury goods. This is how mobile companies get to benefit. The general consumption for this proportion of population increases and as such, this also affects supermarkets. The beliefs and attitudes of a population also determine the consumption pattern through tastes and preferences. CITATION Cal14 l 1033 (Monroe 2014)Technological factors affect the operations and performa nce of a business to a very large extent. Technology has a direct effect on production costs. This is because high levels of technology imply less production costs. The relationship between technology and consumption is quite simple. Technology is a major factor of production, both for mobile companies and supermarkets. There is low demand of human resource with high levels of technology. This makes production relatively cheaper. The total cost of production reduces as well. The end result of this is that the profit margin increases. Technology may also become obsolete and this has a negative impact on the performance of the business. CITATION Les12 l 1033 (Leslie Hamilton 2012)Economic factors are the other factors that are prevalent in the macro environment of a business. Under this umbrella lie major issues to do with inflation, unemployment, GDP, Per Capita Income and many others. These factors generally create an economic environment and have the same effect on mobile companies and supermarkets depending on their degree of severity. A highly inflated economy means that the general price level of goods be it in supermarkets or from mobile phone companies. As a result, such an economy does not encourage investment by either of the two enterprises. CITATION Dee06 l 1033 (Deepashree 2006)Legal factors; these are legislations that affect the performance of a business. The quota system, for instance, is a legislation that affects the amount of imports. Narrowing down to mobile companies, they are affected by government policies to a very great extent. This is because their transactions mainly involve importation and exportation of products. Most governments have extremely stringent laws and regulations. Governments are often very strict especially with the quality of goods they import. Moreover, with respect to supermarkets, governments may have very strict regulations with regard to importation so as to promote local industries. Such issues affect the performa nce of companies to a very great extent. Taxes, which are stipulated by the government, are other pieces of legislation that both mobile companies and supermarkets have to come to terms with. From the above analysis, we can conclude that both the macro environment and the microenvironment have on the performance of a business, both positively. CITATION Arv l 1033 (Arvil Van Adams n.d.) References l 1033 Arvil Van Adams, ‎Robert S. Goldfarb, ‎Terence Kelly. How the Macroeconomic Environment Affects Human Resource. n.d. Deepashree. Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Environment. Tata McGraw Hill Education, 2006. Leslie Hamilton, ‎Philip Webster. International Business Environment. Oxford University Press, 2012. Monroe, Calvin. An Analysis of the UK Mobile Environment. GRIN Verlag, 2014. Subrata Ghatak, ‎Nige Healey, ‎Peter Jackson. The Macroecoomic Environment. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Source document

Mission of the IMF Essay Example for Free

Mission of the IMF Essay The primary and most important mission of the IMF is declared to be provision of monetary assistance to countries facing serious economic and financial troubles from the accumulated funds of the IMF from the deposits of the organizations 185 member nations. Although the stated goal of the provided aid is therefore to help the distressed nation sail through their difficulties, simply the fact that these aids are associated with certain conditionalities which essentially make them tied aids, do make the veracity of such an assumption dubious. Although the conditions that are attached with the provided aids are justified as being necessary amendments that the receiving nation has to make to ensure that such distress does not revisit the nation, often the structural adjustments that are suggested and actually imposed seem to have more potential benefits for nations other than the recipient. The fact that the IMF’s judgements and decisions are made through voting in which the members with higher shares of subscription receive higher weightage casts further shadows of doubt on the proper motivations for the Fund’s actions. Therefore, there is reason to believe that the IMF’s true goals are actually masked with justificatory reasoning which attempt to establish it in glorious roles but are actually in line with those of certain economic powers that dominate the IMF’s decision making and reap the benefits of enforcing changes upon nations weakened enough to have no other choice but to accept the conditions and thereby actually cause greater benefit to those economies rather than themselves. When one sees these aids in light of such motives, in spite of the stated motives, the term aid certainly becomes a misnomer. The so called Austerity programs of the IMF which by definition seek to restore a distressed nation to a state so that it is able to repay its debts by advocating reduced government spending and increased taxes have been subject to a lot of controversy. Currency devaluation is often a recommendation of the IMF to distressed countries in these programmes. But, neo-classical supply-side economists claim, to the governments of poor nations with struggling economies which are force to seek foreign aid, such pro-Keynesian policies which are actually tailor made for advanced capitalist economies undergoing depression are destructive to economic prosperity. The IMF also advocates increased taxes as part of these programmes to ensure increased government revenue. But critics point out that such increased taxation implicitly implies recessionary pressure on the economy, some thing it is certainly not in a state to handle being in a distressed enough state to seek foreign aid. The potential economic contraction that is likely to follow has more chances of damaging the economy rather than working in its advantage. In fact Stiglitz (2002) argues that in converting to a rather Monetarist approach, the IMF had lost all valid purpose, of its existence as provision of funds for nations to enable them to carry out Keynesian reflations was what it was designed for. The IMF’s success has been considerably limited in light of the very significant number of failures it has faced. The fact that it has been able to increase overall international cooperation and promote trade openness is a largely highlighted success of the institution. It is also posited that since its inception and more since the Second World War, the IMF’s active intervention has led to enhanced global macroeconomic stability and growth. However, since the 1980s critics claim that more than 100 of the member countries have faced banking collapses which have led to reductions in GDP by four percent or more, a precedent by far since post depression history (Stiglitz, 2002). It is often pointed out that the IMF actually responds to or often causes crises rather than prevent them. The long lag in the response time to any crisis is also noted to be one of the very significant failures of the institution. As direct examples of the IMF’s intervention worsening the situation of a nation we can cite the instance of Argentina, which had been previously considered as a model country by the IMF for its compliance to the Fund’s policy proposals. This nation experienced a severe crisis in 2001, an event mostly attributed to budget restrictions induced by the IMF which significantly reduced the governments ability to maintain infrastructural expenses and it failed to provide even in very crucial and basic areas like health, education, and security. Another example of IMF Structural Adjustment Programmes actually aggravating a problem was the Goldenberg scandal in Kenya. The IMF imposed mandatory regulations on the Kenyan central bank which till then oversaw all currency in and out flows, which required it to permit easier currency movements through reduced regulations in the market for foreign exchange and the capital market. Although this adjustment failed to deliver miserably on its promise of increased foreign investment it allowed, it certainly allowed billions of Kenyan shillings to be siphoned off thereby actually leaving the country far worse off than before the implementation of the IMF reforms (Axel, 2003). References: Dreher, Axel (2003). The Influence of Elections on IMF Programme Interruptions. The Journal of Development Studies 39 (6): 101–120 Stiglitz, J. , (2002) Globalization and its Discontents, New York: WW Norton Company

The Plastic Waste And Management Methods Environmental Sciences Essay

The Plastic Waste And Management Methods Environmental Sciences Essay This dissertation contributes new and unique evidence to the debates surrounding plastic waste management options and their effects on the environment. A recurring theme in the debates around plastic waste management system is the extent to that whether the plastic waste disposal options give genuine benefits to the environment. Often, criticizers of the strategy drive towards larger plastic recycling assert that the act of recycling could be in fact has less or no benefit to the environment, consuming extra energy in the collection and transportation of plastic waste to the recycling facilities than is saved by the procedure of recycling. In order to notify this debate in details, this dissertation commissioned a key international LCAs studies. By reviewing considerable international studies, and employing rigorous criteria to filter out those studies that have less robust methodology and assumptions, after the number of studies screened 11 state of the art LCAs were selected for methodical study, including disparate scenarios. The result is more objective oriented analysis of the environmental encounters of different waste management methods for Plastics waste than one single study can deliver. Through the use of past LCAs, it investigates both plastic waste disposal options and environmental effect of the activities of plastic waste management by using meta and statistical analytical methods. Research methodology also considered, setting up a framework to review and selection restricting criteria for LCA studies. In so doing it provides the waste management methods performances with regards to environmental indicators. Persuading plastic methods have been chosen to comparing options :Landfilling, recycling, incineration and pyrolysis performances with regards to perusing environmental impact indicators: climate change, depletion of natural resources, energy demands and water consumption. This dissertation focuses on recycling, incineration, landfilling and pyrolysis that are plastic waste disposal methods and their performance concerning climate change, depletion of natural resources, energy demand, and water consumption that are environmental impacts indicators. By reviewing past LCAs, it investigates plastic waste management options and environmental effect of the activities involved. For selection of LCA studies restricting selection criteria are developed. Meta analytical methods were adapted to synthesize and codify the findings of LCAs. Codified data were statistically analysed to calculate mean size effect. It provides the best, intermediately and the worst option concerning environmental performances of plastic waste management methods. The results are clear that all of the studies prop the following conclusions:. after comparison between of recycling, land filling, incineration and pyrolysis of waste plastic, Recycling appears to be a preferable management option over alternatives. Whereas, pyrolysis method emerged as a promising option for plastic waste disposal. INTRODUCTION This study grew from a meeting of two interests The authors academic interest in the environment and development issues, and work experience in the field of Polyethylene (PET) plastic. The main objective of this dissertation is is to contribute to the debate concerning the causes of environmental impacts of plastic waste management methods The following section introduces the background and significance of choosing this study area and context of the study. It also outlines the aim and objectives of the dissertation. Additionally, organisation of the whole study will be informed. Finally, justification of the undertakings the present study will be given. Plastics waste, need of a better waste management method and sustainability and plastic will be discussed. 1.1 Plastic waste and management methods Plastic is a durable, versatile material and relatively inexpensive. Plastic products have brought benefits to society in many ways such as quality of life, jobs, and economic activities. However, waste plastic also imposes environmental impacts. In view of the fact that plastic is non-biodegradable, it can remain in the atmosphere for a exceedingly long time and so plastic poses risks to the environment and human health, It is also difficult to reuse and/or recycle in practice (European Commission, 2013a). Many countries are trying to incorporate different strategies to increase plastic recycling rates. According to the Environmental agency (UK), statutory recycling targets have been given to all the local authorities in Wales (2012a). Whereas, in Scotland waste regulations operates without statutory recycling targets, and here funds are available for local authorities to help increase recycling rate(2012b). By making recycling mandatory or funding recycling a difference can be made to global environmental issue that exists because of waste. This dissertation focuses on recycling, incineration, landfilling and pyrolysis that are plastic waste disposal methods and their performance concerning climate change, depletion of natural resources, energy demand, and water consumption that are included as environmental impacts indicators. By using past LCAs findings, it investigates plastic waste disposal options and environmental effect of the activities involved in plastic waste management. 1.2 Aim and objectives of the study: The aim of this research dissertation is to identify environmentally sustainable management options for waste plastics. There will be an attempt to achieve the aim of this study by undertaking following three objectives. Objective 1: By reviewing, the relevant literature to address environmental issues related to the recycling, landfilling, pyrolysis and incineration. In addition to environmental indicators that are included in the study: climate change, depletion of natural resources, energy demand, and water consumption evaluating international processes to recommend the best legislation, policies and practices. Objective 2: Objective two is to set up a framework for LCA selections. Once LCA studies are retained Meta analytical methods will be applied to synthesize the findings of selected LCAs. Further, use of Meta synthesis for the codification of the LCA findings. Finally, statistically analysed the data to calculate mean effect size using Microsoft excel tool. In order to assess the environmental viability of recycling, landfilling, pyrolysis and incineration for waste plastics through appraisal of included environmental indicators. Objective 3: The presentation of the codified data sample will take place in this objective. Codified data will be statistically analysed using Microsoft excels (2010). To present in the form of histograms and charts, four management options will be assessed under each environmental indicator based on the results of each selected LCA study. To find out which one of the four waste management methods emerges as the best option regarding each or environmental indicator performances. 1.3 Justification of the study: Plastic waste management and its environmental implications are a majorly important issue and one of the major research topics of many governmental and environmental entities such as NAPCOR, DEFRA, WRAP, Recoup, Environmental Protection Agencies(EPAs) of majorities of countries and United Nation(UN). WRAP (2006) and Villanueva et al (2004). For instance,published a major preliminary environmental impact analysis of a different type of waste materials including plastic and comparison of recycling, incineration and land filling by reviewing international LCAs and the conclusion of that research is recycling offers more environmental benefits than alternatives. This research considered as high quality and information shared by UN and US EPA. However, there have been many waste management option emerged since WRAP report been published such as pyrolysis and gasification, Efw informs Jowit (2010). What is different in this study is the inclusion of pyrolysis, which as a new method was not included in WRAP (2006) and Villanueva et al (2004). Second gap that is addressed is the inclusion of one of the environmental indicators -water consumption in the impact studies, this indicator previously ignored by WRAP (2006) where the concentration is on Climate Change, Energy demand and Depletion of natural resources. To investigate and address these gaps the author will undertake past LCA studies. Findings of LCAs will present this in a new way. Additionally, the decision to use a meta- analysis approach originated from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report on review of past LCA using Meta analysis (2012).however, LCA selecting criteria were not used in UNDP research, which is otherwise adopted in this present study to ensure quality of the result. This study will also try to find out whether recycling is environmentally, sustainable option for plastic waste as claimed by past studies or will emerging technologies will prove to be a better option. This report will also attempt to identify data gap in the literature review and recommend if there is a need for further research in the specific area for future researchers. 1.4 Organisation of the study: The research structure includes four sections. Firstly, Literature review section that will review the existing literature that is related to four waste management options, continuously building towards the significance of environmental sustainability of plastic waste management methods. Additionally, to give broader understanding of included environmental indicators will be studied. Review of international policies, legislation and measures that are pertaining to plastic waste management methods and environmental indicators. The main purpose of this section is also to identify a data gap in the literature. Secondly, by reviewing waste management methods author will try to find out which is the acknowledged environmentally sustainable plastic waste disposal option. Secondly, methodology section will describe adapted methods for data collection where data will be collected for this study to illustrate the broader issues of preceding sections concerning environmental impacts of existing waste management options. This section will explain rigorous criteria applied for selection of data sample. Meta analytical method steps used for codification will be outlined. Followed by systematic adaptation of statistical analysis using Microsoft excel to calculate mean effect size will be informed. Thirdly, presentation and interpretation of the results that are obtained from the analysis of data will take place. Based on the findings, discussion will take place in this section followed by recommendations to future researchers. Finally, the conclusion will employ findings of the dissertation and discussion as a reference in this section and research questions will be answered. More importantly, main aim and all the objectives in connection with the findings of this dissertation will be addressed in the conclusion section. Summary This section provides information that undertaken study area is vital and problematic. Justifications have been given for undertakings of this study along with the gap in existing knowledge have been addressed where evidence has been given of previous studies further role of this dissertation findings was informed. Organisation of this study has been informed. This section also informed the significance sustainability to justify inclusion of environmentally sustainability in this study area. Following section will review the known literature in accordance with existing plastic waste management methods and identify its environmental implications. It will also assess proposed policies, proven strategies those are originally introduced to help enhance present environmental conditions; summarisation of real life case studies and learned examples will be noted in the following section by introducing and reviewing items of previous research in the area. LiTeRATURE REVIEW This section is an attempt to achieve the objective one. The following section divided into three parts, First section addresses plastic waste management methods: landfilling, recycling, pyrolysis and incineration. Secondly, environmental indicators: climate Change, depletion of natural resources, energy demands and water consumptions that are used in the study as a benchmarking to compare each waste management method performances. Finally, provides an overview of the international strategies and policies applied in practice. Key sources used for this study are reports of Government Agencies: WRAP, DEFRA and EU and internationally United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) along with published international scientific databases and journals from Springer, International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment and ScienceDirect. This represents a combination of sources including Governmental Agencies and academic authors. In addition, the webpage of the European Commission was searched for studies commissioned as input to EU policies. Plastic waste problem description: Broulidakis Martà ­nez (2012) noted that waste is not treated as worthless garbage anymore, it is instead believed as a re. Nevertheless, what is happening with the resources? Treating waste sustainably is a crucial issue. Identifying whether or not waste is been managed in a way that is betterment for environment, society and it should be economical as well. This chapter will find an answer to those questions by reviewing already known literature. It will also try to identify which one is the known environmentally sustainable method for plastic waste by reviewing published articles, studies and set of research. It was stated by Tehrani et al., in 2009 that there is no a solitary knowledge of a single technology that can resolve the waste associated issues. In order to provide a broader understanding of this issue, following section will discuss the existing plastic waste management options to gain a better understanding of the processes related to waste management and their environmental effects. 2.1 Waste management methods and their environmental impacts The following section addresses methods that are in use for the management of plastic waste include Landfill, Incineration, Pyrolysis and Recycling along with their environmental impacts are discussed now in details. 2.1.1 Landfill A landfill is a one of the waste management methods in which solid wastes are disposed in a manner that limits their encounter on the environment. According to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Landfilling is the complex system of interrelated material and sub system that act together to break down and stabilize disposed waste overtime (2004). Landfill is extremely old disposal method, but yet one of the utilized one for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management. Apart from taking large area of land it also generate odour, bio-aerosols, visual disturbance and lead to the release of hazardous chemicals through the leachate which is the liquid that drains or leaches from a landfill sites. Emission of greenhouse gas through landfill is due to organic breakdown of disposal of biodegradable including bio plastic waste. European Union Low informed in 2008s issue on the management of bio-waste in the EU countries that Landfill of waste usually entails non-recoverable loss of resources and land. Since landfill, sites can normally not be used after closure for scientific engineering and/or health risk reasons and in the medium to long term. This review of literature found that landfilling is not considered a sustainable waste management solution. 2.1.2 Incineration Incineration is a significant method that avoids the problem of landfilling space problems. In this method, thermal waste treatment procedure takes place where raw or unprocessed plastics waste can be utilized as feedstock. Plastic waste is combusted in different temperature according to the type of plastic and in this period plastic waste modified to carbon dioxide, water and non-combustible materials alongside solid residue state leaves incinerator bottom ash (IBA) that always has contain a small amount of carbon residual (DEFRA, 2012). Published report of the Environment Agency (2002) on the safety of incinerator ash confirms that IBA can be safely used as an aggregate in construction as it contains dioxin levels similar to those found in soils. However, friends of earth review reports argued that the government should give guidance on acceptable contamination levels in construction materials (2002). International Journal of Environment in Comparative study of municipal solid wast e treatment technologies using life cycle assessment method stated that incineration as one of the competent strategies to resolve waste association problems (Zaman, 2010) and its ability to generate heat and energy from the plastic waste. However, considering incineration of plastic waste is solely depending on whether or not energy is recovered (Weiss et.al ,2012)along with other aspects such as quality of fuel and efficiency of energy which varies considerably depending on whether incineration plant delivers electricity, heat or both along with the used technology, for instance, higher efficiencies can be achieved in fuel gas condensation method. However, according to the EUs report (2010) on waste management, the environmental impacts of incinerating plastic waste included greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, Pilz, et al. (2010) in their report on The impact of plastics on life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission in Europe informed that in some circumstances, incineration of plastic waste in MSW can result in a net increase in CO2 emissions. It is certain that this process can be helpful in avoided some of the plastic waste problems, but it also has environmental impacts. 2.1.3 Pyrolysis Pyrolysis is an advanced thermal treatment. Interest in pyrolysis has heightened over the past decade, and there is considerable anticipation that this technology will prove to be viable alternatives for dealing with residual fractions municipal waste to assist in compliance with the Landfill diversion elements of the EC Landfill Directive (DEFRA, 2004). Pyrolysis is the thermal degradation of waste in the absence of air to produce gas, diesel like pyrolysis oil) or solid (mainly ash, char, and carbon). Zhiru (2001) pointed out difference in pyrolysis oil and diesel and noted that diesel cannot be assumed compatible with pyrolysis fuels (p.80) and remarkably few reports related to the behaviour of materials in pyrolysis fuels are available. Findings of research by Alston and Arnold (2011) informs that pyrolysis is a strong compromise method as compared to Landfill, Recycling and Incineration with their environmental impact categories. As the gases and oil produced in pyrolysis could be used as fuel and so provides significant resource saving without high impact on climate or landfill space. Additionally, Scheirs and Kaminsky (2006) noted, the main advantage of pyrolysis is that allows process of plastic waste which is otherwise difficult to recycle. This process produces reusable products with unlimited market acceptance (p24). This book is helpful in understanding pyrolysis process. However, does not assess environmental impacts of pyrolysis, nevertheless, it has been noted that unlike incineration, there are no environmentally harmful emissions in pyrolysis process (p.598). 2.1.4 Recycling Recycling is considered as one of the classic goals in sustainable waste management system (Bohma et, al 2010). Collected waste plastic are being sent to various market ,due to growing market for recycled plastics which includes closed loop systems for PET bottles. Plastics are also exported to abroad for recycling purpose (Defra, 2012), but it is argued environmental benefits of export overshadow the impact of transportation. Environmental impacts of transportation involved in exportation are high. Recycling can prevent an enormous amount of virgin production, which leads to saving energy, depletion of raw material, reducing GHG emissions including acidification even after considering transportation. However, WRAP (2006) argued that, The accurate impacts are depending on the virgin material being replaced and life span of replaced product. PET is one of the plastics types which is collected the most for recycling (DEFRA,2011b) this type of plastic is been included in the present stu dy. Recycling protects resources embodied in waste plastic however, it is argued by many about the requirement of energy inputs for the transformation process, this lead to environmental impacts. Besides that, not all of plastic types can be recycled. The PET bottle has strong advantages in recycling, however, complex products like composites, low weight articles or those that are contaminated with other products are less favourable to recycling. 2.2 Health impacts of plastic waste recycling There is a risk involved in plastic waste recycling affecting local populations in countries with less rigorous regulations than in the EU (Mudgal et.al 2010). Wong et.al noted that the majority of the cases companies fail to provide appropriate facilities protecting the environment and human health (2007). Such as chipping and melting of plastics in unventilated areas that are not seen in European practice can have negative consequences on human health. One specific case study showed due to incomplete combustion of Waste Electrical, and Electronic Equipment(WEEE) from plastic materials such as PVC and plastic chips there was higher concentrations of heavy metal found in the air of the China (Guiyu region). The study showed high concentrations of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PDBEs) in the air, released from the melting of polymers that contain brominated flame-retardants. Admittedly, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of America have informed that high exposure to PDBEs, which found in the human body, has been linked to, hormone disruption, thyroid permanent learning and memory impairment, behavioural changes, hearing deficits, fatal malformations and possibly cancer (Herbstman et al., 2010). However, human toxicity issue is ignored by environmental impact studies those are based on qualitative studies and the same confirmed by Wollny and European Environmental Bureau (EEB) Brussels(2013) 2.3 Environmental Impacts Indicators The following table explains each of indicators that are included in this study; it also critically analyse policies and measures taken to prevent environmental impact. Indicator Description of Environmental Indictor Description, impact and related worldwide policies Climate Change Climate change is also addressed as globe warming. Globe warming is the rise in the average temperature of the earth surface, due to a possible rise in the greenhouse impacts, provoked by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. Research published in the journal PLoS Medicine (2012) informs according to a group of European public health experts that climate change could alter patterns of food availability, physical activity and in some cases might bring direct physical harm. Friends of Earth (2007) reported that waste prevention is the most beneficial option from a climate point of view, followed by reuse and recycling; Warhorse and Watson confirm (2006) landfill and incineration are the worse options (p.6) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC, 2013) an international treaty joined by 195 countries, except America. To follow up from Kyoto protocol green house gas emission is seen as the most crucial issue within the field of climate change policies. BBC informed back in 2009 that The America accounts for almost 25% of the worlds total CO2 emission and have received a large amount of criticism for its stance on climate change. Depletion of natural resources Resource depletion described as the cutting potential of all natural resources. The resources believed in this study are mineral and fossil resources. Plastics are made from oil, coal and gas, which are limited natural resources (Australia EPA,2013).majority of plastic bags are made from polyethylene, made up of natural gas, and Plastic is not biodegradable, so all the plastic that has ever been made is stilexist around us today. Most of it is in landfills, if not then floating in the sea. University of Cambridges report on plastic recycling informed that the production of 1 kg of polyethylene (PET or LDPE), requires the equivalent of 2 kg of oil for energy and raw material. Although plastics only consume around 4% of the worlds oil, supplies are becoming depleted. Once depleted these resources cannot be replaced. The depletion of natural resources is becoming a key focus(Karen,2008) This is evident in the UNs Agenda 21 Section 2 which provides the necessary steps to be taken by all countries to sustain their natural resources (2002) Schilling chiang confirms the depletion of natural resources is a sustainable development issue (2011).furthermore, Salvati and Marco (2008) noted in regards to natural resources, depletion is of concern for sustainability as it poses the ability to degrade current environments(p.218) and potential to impact the needs of future generations(p.523) Energy demand Primary energy is obtainable raw energy in nature and is separated into renewable and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  renewable primary energies. The non renewable are: atomic energy, usual gas, coal, and oil, Renewable is wind energy, solar, biomass and hydraulic. UK department of Energy and Climate Change (2012) informed that the UK has developed Pathways analysis and calculator tool which will help policy makers. Gervet (2007) in his captivating report on the use of crude oil in plastic making contributing to the global warming pointed out that energy consumption in total worldwide plastic production from 1939 till 2004 is 0.59 10 14 kWh (p.5). Plastics Europe informed in order to produce plastic products, energy resources are consumed(2013). Currently energy resources are majorly obtained from non-renewable sources, and when used; greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are produced. Nevertheless, it was established in a study undertaken by GUA/denkstatt in 2004/2005 even more energy would be consumed along with more GHG emission, if plastic products were to be substituted by alternative materials. [Pilz et al., 2005]. Water consumption Water consumption symbolizes to the removal of water from the various origins (rivers, seas, and groundwater) for use by humans. This water is not returned to the origins and sources. According to the UN World Development Report, up to 500 Million Tons of wastes accumulate each year from Industry; most of it goes into the fresh water supply. Also informed some of the developing countries dump 70 % of industrial waste into untreated waters where drinking water gets polluted (2013). Professor Grossman noted back in 2004 that Industrial water use is about 22 %. According to Centre for Science and environment- India, countries all over the world set standards and target for water consumption for industries. China, For instance government push companies to save as much as 6 billion cubic meters of water per year informed in China water conservation Agency report in 2005. Proposed and implemented governmental strategies and policies targeting plastic waste will be discussed in details in the following part of this chapter. 2.4 Policies on plastic waste Plastic waste management goes across a numerous policy fields: along with sustainable management of resources and habitat protection, climate change, agriculture, soil protection and energy, biodiversity. Purpose of this section is to provide an overview of measures taken by Government agencies and environmental protection bodies to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic waste.According to Science for environmental policies ,European commission, (2011) Municipal waste collection and separation is a vital part in all waste management methods, for countries such as Germany, Austria and Sweden where waste management systems are more advanced, and source separated collection rates are already high(Waste Management World, 2013 b).waste management world (2013) reported European Union as the most advanced waste management system. The European exports of plastic waste rose by 250%, reaching 2.27 million tonnes approximately 5 million tonnes are annually recycled in Europe. Some selected counters, policies and measures related to the waste management are discussed in following table Country and Government Agency Introduced, Implemented Policies, Legislation and measures Netherlands Dutch Waste Management Association (DWMA) The Netherland recycle no less than 64% of its waste and the remainder are incinerated with generation of electricity, and a small percentage ends up in landfill. This is a country that is practically unique when consider recycling. Separating waste is the popular environmental measure activity among Dutch people that account for more than 90% of Dutch people involved in this sort of activities. Source: http://www.dwma.eu United State of America National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) According to a recent study by NSMWA Privatised, waste services signifies cost savings and lower financial risks for municipalities than public sector counterparts d Experiment of using fly ash(recycling toxic)as an additive to produce light weight composite that can be used in the automotive industry is taking place in the New York university. The university researchers claim that it has the potential to keep tons of toxic waste out of landfills while lowering the cost of some of the expensive raw materials. Source: www.environmentalistseveryday.org Qatar Ministry of Environment(MOE) An integrated solid waste treatment in the Qatar, that is the first of its kind in the Middle East. This facility centre has a capacity of treating 2300 tonnes of solid waste per day, along with 5000 tonnes of CD waste. Source: www.moe.gov.qa United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) UK is home to the worlds largest plastics recycling plant. The  £15 million venture by Coca-Cola, WRAP and ethical plastic bottle recycle, ECO Plastics is going to be the worlds largest plastics reprocessing facility. The plant will save about 33, 5000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per Annum that is the equivalent of taking 15,715 cars off the road. Source: www.defra.gov.uk Taiwan EPA Taiwan is planning to excavate about 400 landfills for energy and material recovery, additionally, add bio-energy capacity to its incineration facilities. Environmental Protection administration (EPA)Taiwan Source: www.epa.gov.tw Australia Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Stewardship Bill have been introduced by the Australian government and of the aim of helping to manage the environmental, and human health. This will demand manufacturers and importers of computers, and TVs to fund and implement national collection and recycling of these products. Source: www.environment.gov.au Example of failure of advanced waste management systems:The increasingly recognized problem of plastic floati

Energy Alternatives: Oil Essay -- Iraq Oil War Energy Essays Papers

Energy Alternatives: Oil Every day the world burns more that 80 million barrels of oil. By 2016, estimates believe that oil consumption will rise to around 100 millions barrels a day. (Oil Facts) The United States was responsible for 25% of the world oil consumption in 2002, and those numbers are rising. (Oil Demand) As demands increase and the supplies of oil continue a rapid depletion, large political powers in the US struggle to keep their heads afloat. Many conspiracy theories have dabbled in the pool of scandal within the Whitehouse’s knowledge of September 11 before it happened, and George W. Bush’s master plan to wage a â€Å"War on Terror†, with a backdrop of draining the last of the oil supplies from the mid-East. Every conspiracy theory needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but it is important to remember our past. It was only until long after the Vietnam war that people were told of the pre-knowledge of utter lack of any possibility for them to win the war, yet officials still pressured our armies into Vietnam until near extinction. In 50 years, we will all know the real deal behind September 11th and George Bush’s strong motives to pursue the War on Terror (even when the rest of the world advices against it.) The US is a country with one of the most unhealthiest addictions possible: oil. Just as a heroine addict who is running low on fixes, the US is running low on supplies, and drastic, unwise measures are being taken in order to sustain this addiction for just a bit longer. This enters the Enron-Cheney-Taliban Connection, which has startling information that aligns a bit of history prior to September 11. The mother of all oil support and scandal rests with Enron, however, witho... ...ependency on the mid-East, bring our troops home, and make for a better future for our children. â€Å"Is the White House covering up that it was molding foreign policy as well as energy policy to suit Enron? Did the Bush Administration know that Enron's collapse was coming as early as August? If any of these are true, the largest bankruptcy in American history may well connect with the greatest political scandal in American history.† (Callari) Bibliographies: Callari. The Enron-Cheney-Taliban Connection. 28 Feb 2002. 14 Feb 2007. Albion Monitor. Oil Demand. 2006. 14 Feb. 2007. Interesting Oil Industry Statistics. Oil: Facts Behind the Fiction. 25 May 2006. 14 Feb. 2007. BBC News.

A Christian View of Suffering Essay -- The Value of Suffering

The concept of suffering plays an important role in Christianity, regarding such matters as moral conduct, spiritual advancement and ultimate destiny. Indeed an emphasis on suffering pervades the Gospel of Mark where, it can be argued, we are shown how to "journey through suffering" (Ditzel 2001) in the image of the "Suffering Son of Man" (Mark 8:32), Jesus Christ. Although theologians have suggested that Mark was written to strengthen the resolve of the early Christian community (Halpern 2002, Mayerfeld 2005), the underlying moral is not lost on a modern reader grappling with multifarious challenges regarding faith in the face of suffering. In his article "A Christian Response to Suffering", William Marravee (1987) describes suffering as an "experience over which we men and women continue to stumble and fall". The way we view God is crucial to the way we view suffering according to Marravee, who delineates the disparity between a view of God as an ‘outsider’ and the biblical image of God – where God is an ‘insider’ who suffers with us in our struggle. This essay seeks to explain the Christian view of suffering and the purpose suffering can have in our lives. Suffering is an individual's basic affective experience of pain or distress, often as a result of one’s physical, emotional or spiritual circumstance (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy 2006). Suffering can be classified as physical; for example pain caused by a dislocated knee, emotional; for example one’s grief over the death of a loved one, or spiritual; which is described as the state of being separated from the blissful nature of your divine self (soul). To suffer physically or emotionally is often unavoidable; however it can be argued that spiritual liberation... ...s distributed in Theology 101 at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle on 22 April 2008. Marravee. W, 1987, â€Å"A Christian Response to Suffering†, Review for Religious, no. 46, pp. 256-260. Mayerfeld. J, 2005, Suffering and Moral Responsibility. New York: Oxford University Press. Pope John Paul II (1984), Apostolic Letter: SALVIFICI DOLORIS, [Online], Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Available at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jpapl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html [27 April 2008]. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (2006), Suffering [Online], Metaphysics Research Lab, Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pleasure/ [3 May 2008]. Trip, D. (1999), â€Å"The Christian view of suffering† [Online], Exploring Christianity. Available from: http://www.christianity.co.nz/suffer4.htm [Accessed 18 April 2008].

Computer Impact on My Chosen Profession :: Technology Technological Society Essays

Computer Impact on My Chosen Profession My chosen profession that I am going to college for is Computer Information Systems. I am not quite sure of the exact job title I would like to get from this. I do know that I would like to be in charge of a business’s technology, be in charge of keeping the systems working, training employees how to use the programs and deciding which new programs would be best for the business. Computers have had a very positive effect on this. For inventory businesses, computers allow the business to immediately know when new products are available by looking on the internet. They are provided many valuable pieces of information about the product, such as quality, price, and so on. The business can quickly and easily buy inventory over the internet and track it as it is being shipped. Once the business receives their inventory they then sell it individually to their customers. Many businesses have websites which allow the consumer to go to the business’s website and do similar to what the business did to get the inventory. They can view product information, see the newest products, and quickly order online. The customer is given an order confirmation number that allows them to check the status of their purchase as it is being shipped and see if there are any delays due to backorders or other problems. IBM is soon going to be marketing middleware that will help enhance these aspects of the business . The middleware will allow a business to manage their product information that exists over a variety of systems. The software will allow for product attributes and locations to be more accurately shared. Many companies still give out inaccurate information about their products because of insufficient technology. This middleware will help solve this business problem allowing businesses to enhance their performance and customer service. This will very positively affect businesses (Beth Bacheldor-InformationWeek.com). Many businesses such as health insurers pay for outsourcing services that run their servers and help with any problems and questions about the systems. Now businesses are demanding much more from their outsourcers.

Outcome Unit

A task like this would usually take me 10 minutes in the morning to do a cash count up and an hour in the afternoon in which I set myself from pm until pm to get this completed on Monday- Thursday.On a Friday however I set myself 2 hours (pm -? pm) as I have to go back over the week, input all outgoings on to the petty cash spreadsheet, calculate how much of our float we have spent and how much needs to be requested, make sure all figures equalize, photocopy everything so that the originals go to our head office and the photocopies stay in the centre for our records, package and get ready to send second class recorded to Head-Office that afternoon. See evidence ‘Ross Handwriting – Witness Testimony. 3. – It is ally important that I priorities my time throughout my working day to ensure that I get as much done as possible and use my time effectively. At the beginning of each day I like to make myself a ‘to do list' on Outlook. I do this so that know exactly w hat need to get done and I can also set myself targets on time slots to get the task done in so that all my time is used efficiently. If I was to be given another task throughout my working day would add this to my to-do list amending it depending whether the task is high-priority or not.This is extremely helpful and helps me keep on top of all of my tasks as can rack how much of the task I have completed and what is still yet to complete. When click in to the task I have set myself specific tasks which help me to break down my job even more: like to keep both an electronic check list as well as a hard copy to make sure keep on top of my tasks. The hard copy is useful for me as I can physically see what needs to be done however the electronic copy notifies me on my desktop in case am involved in other tasks to keep me from losing track of time.See evidence To do list – Outcome 3. 2 Evidence' & ‘Ross Handwriting Witness Testimony'. 3. – am able to confirm effectiv e working methods with my colleagues and managers. For example, when planning my diary and allowing myself time to complete my apprenticeship/NV work I was concerned that wasn't allowing myself enough time to complete my work in the time that my assessor had asked and expected. I expressed my concerns to my line manager and together we confirmed a more effective way Of working in order to complete my NV coursework.See evidence ‘Unit 201 Outcome 3 – 3. 3 Email Evidence'. 3. 4 – I am able to indemnify when I have made a mistake or there has been a problem with my own work. As well as this, can also report these concerns to others and go to them for support when needed. An example of this would be when dealing with petty Cash; there was a time when calculating and finalizing petty cash, the balance in bank and tin and total weekly outgoings didn't add up to equal our weekly float.This meant that we were ‘missing' money is somewhere or something that we have pa id out during the week was not accounted for. Expressed my concern to my line manager and together we found the ‘missing' deficit of money. See evidence ‘Unit 201 Outcome 3 – 3. 4 Email Evidence Reporting Problems occurring in own Work'. 3. 5 – It is important to keep other people informed of your progress. For example, recently I was given the opportunity to oversee the creation and contact a printing company for our Kennedy Scott 25th Anniversary company invitations.The task was given to me by my Business Manager and it was important that I kept her informed of the progress of the creation, quotations and completion dates from the printing company as we was both working to a deadline. See evidence '25th Anniversary Invites Evidence'. 3. 6 -? I am able to complete tasks to agreed deadlines and re-negotiate timescales and plans in good time. As explained in 3. 5, when carrying out the task of having the KS Anniversary invites created, printed and sent out m anaged to keep to the time scales given and complete all tasks to my deadlines.However, when creating the design for the invitations, needed extra time to do so and also different resources (Photos). Because of this, after discussing with my business manager, we negotiated timescales and plans in which she let me go home an hour early to work on the invites at home on my laptop which had Photos. See evidence ‘Employers Fair Mudstone 24th September 2014 Re-Negotiate Timescales Evidence'. 3. 7 – I am able to take responsibility for my own work and accept responsibility for any mistakes that I make.By writing myself an Individual Learning Plan this shows that I am able to take responsibility for my own work. In my II-P have set myself short, mid and long term SMART targets to complete over the course of my apprenticeship. My short term target has now been completed as this was to sit online tests for my technical certificates; originally I wanted to achieve this by mid-Aug ust 2014 however I only completed 3 of my Technical Certificates by this time after failing one.