Industry Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Industry Analysis - Essay Example Other significant competitors in this segment include Polaris, BMW, and Triumph. Honda is the world’s biggest motorcycle producer, followed by Yamaha, and Suzuki. In the U.S., Harley has the biggest market share. Heavyweight Motorcycle Producer Approximate Worldwide Market share Ranking Honda 1st Yamaha 2nd Suzuki 3rd Harley-Davidson 4th Kawasaki 5th BMW 6th Polaris 7th Triumph 8th # 3 Strengths One of the prominent strengths of Harley-Davidson is the power of its brand. Harley-Davidson attracts a strong following from its loyal customers worldwide due to its commitment to the delivery of a unique experience. The ability of Harley-Davidson to deliver unforgettable experiences is the biggest attraction to Harley-Davidson customers worldwide. The engagement offers a platform to other stakeholders to experience Harley-Davidson lifestyle, environment, people, and products. In addition, Harley-Davidson strength also emanates from its strong after sales service, which is exhibited b y its â€Å"family† concept exhibited by Harley Owners Group (HOG). Harley-Davidson’s marketing efforts such as dealer promotions, customer events, and advertising have consolidated the company’s brand. ... Harley-Davidson derives a lot of strength for its customized products that appeal to the customer’s specifications. In offering a range of customized bikes, the company is assured of aligning its products with the prevailing consumer needs and expectations. The continuity of a unique culture of letting customers share their adventure and experience of the company’s products has made Harley-Davidson an American icon. Harley-Davidson initiatives such as building of a museum in Milwaukee in 2008 have pursued to build a unique experience that reinforces bonds between the company and the company. Weaknesses Harley-Davidson faces challenges in keeping in touch with an ever growing advancement in the design of motorcycles. Although Harley-Davidson motorcycles embody an innovative design and high performance, keeping up with an ever growing innovation by the competitors are challenging as the company has constantly invested in research and development (David, 2011). In addition , some of the prominent competitors of Harley-Davidson strategic alliance between Suzuki and Kawasaki in the fields of product development, design, engineering, and manufacturing may have heightened competition. Another weakness that befalls Harley-Davidson is competition from established heavyweight motorcycle dealers such as Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. The heavyweight motorcycle market is highly competitive, especially from competitors based outside the United States. Most of Harley-Davidson competitors are diversified in the automotive market and other fields. The diversification reinforces the competitors’ operations while Harley-Davidson remains exposed to aspects such as economic

Measuring the Impact of Stress on Physical Health

Measuring the Impact of Stress on Physical Health Psychologists are very interested to understand the many ways in which stress can make us unwell. Before psychologists can get to the point of very significant real-life benefits to be had from understanding this relationship, they need valid and reliable way of measuring stress first. There are two main categories of measurement that has been developed and they are self-report and physiological methods. One psychological measurement of stress is self-report scales and they include the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS). The Social Readjustment Rating Scale was developed by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rache in 1967 and is a well-known self-report method of measuring life changes that go on in an individuals life. Both Holmes and Rache studied the medical records of patients, picking out the events that occurred in the patients lives not long before they fell ill. Within the SRRS, it presents a list of 43 life changes and each one of the 43 stressful life events was given a Life Change Unit (LCU). Obviously this unit depended on how traumatic the event felt to be by a large sample of participants. The researchers calculated averages for each life event and further divided these numbers by ten. This gave the overall LCU score for each change and these changes were put into rank order from highest to lowest. It was found that if an individual has less than 150 LCU, they have a 30% chance of suffering from stress. Between 150 and 299 LCU, it equates to a 50% chance of suffering from stress, and finally over 300 LCU it means the person has an 80% chance of developing a stress related illness. The downside of this measurement of stress is that it doesnt take individual difference into consideration. The scale just assumes that each stressor affects people the same way but this is not true, for example some people may say that divorce is very stressful however for others it may even be a relief or amicable. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is the most commonly used psychological instrument for assessing the perception of stress. Items were made to assess how overloaded, uncontrollable and unpredictable respondents find their lives to be. Also within the scale, it has a number of direct queries about current levels of stress that the person experiences. The questioned asked in the (PSS) are about thoughts and feelings during the past month. In each case, people completing it are asked how often they felt a certain way. Another psychological measurement of stress is the Hassles and Uplifts Scale (HSUP). It is a self-report measure of the stress associated with everyday irritations known as hassles and of the small pleasures of daily life that are thought to partly offset the negative effects of hassles known as the uplifts. It is a more comfortable way to identify the pros and cons events that happen in each persons daily life. Also, Allen Kanner et al put forward that the combined effects of daily hassles and uplifts would be a more useful indicator of stress therefore he then developed this scale. The HSUP has three different forms: Daily Hassles Scale Daily Uplifts Scale Combined Scale The Daily Hassle Scale consists of 117 items and includes seven categories which are family, friends, work, environment, chance occurrences, health and practical considerations. Examples of hassles include disliking work colleagues, troublesome neighbours and too much responsibility. The scale measures how severe each hassle is on a three-point scale: somewhat, moderately or extremely severe. Based on the severity measure, it will reflect on the fact that the psychological meaning of each hassle to the individual is more important than how often it occurs. On the other hand, the Daily Uplifts Scale was constructed by a similar process that consisted of 135 items that were processed from the same content areas as the Hassles Scale. Examples of uplifts include relating well with friends and meeting responsibilities, liking fellow workers, and getting enough sleep. The individual identifies all of the uplifts that apply, followed by how often they have experienced them over a specific period of time. After many years of research with the Hassles and Uplifts Scale, some limitations were identified and so it was updated by Anita DeLongis et al and became the Hassle and Uplifts Questionnaire. The Skin conductance response (SCR) is a physiological measure of the degree of sweating associated with arousal of the autonomic nervous system. ANS arousal activates the bodys fight or flight response when a stressor occurs. Small increases in sweating can be detected as greater electrical conductance across the skin. To detect sweating, electrodes are attached to the index and middle fingers of one hand. A very small current that cannot be felt is applied to the electrodes in order to measure how much electricity is being conducted. Since human skin is a good conductor of electricity, the more we sweat, the more conductance there will be. There are two types of skin conductance. One is tonic conductance and this is skin conductance when we are not experiencing a stimulus. It is used as a baseline measure against which to compare phasic conductance. This type occurs when something happens like for example when someone asks you a question or we are shown a picture. The whole response can take from four to five seconds. Along with respiration, blood pressure and heart rate, the SCR makes up a polygraph, more commonly known as the lie detector test. Another physiological measurement of stress is by testing the persons blood pressure. Blood pressure is a measure of the force that exerts on the walls of blood vessels. When blood is measured by a sphygmomanometer, two numbers appear like for example 135/85mmHg. The first number, 135, represents the systolic pressure which happens when the heart pushes blood out of the arteries, whereas the second number, 85, represents the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure of the heart at rest. Salivary alpha-amylase is another physiological way of measuring stress. Alpha-amylase is an enzyme thats made under sympathetic innervations and can be collected in the individuals saliva. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that the level of salivary alpha-amylase increases with physiological stress, such as exercise.

George Eliot, Pseudonym of Marian Evans :: George Eliot Writers Authors Essays

George Eliot, Pseudonym of Marian Evans George Eliot, pseudonym of Marian Evans (1819-1880) This article appeared in The Times Literary Supplement and was reprinted in The Common Reader: First Series. Virginia Woolf also wrote on George Eliot in the Daily Herald of 9 To read George Eliot attentively is to become aware how little one knows about her. It is also to become aware of the credulity, not very creditable to one’s insight, with which, half consciously and partly maliciously, one had accepted the late Victorian version of a deluded woman who held phantom sway over subjects even more deluded than herself. At what moment and by what means her spell was broken it is difficult to ascertain. Some people attribute it to the publication of her Life. Perhaps George Meredith, with his phrase about the ‘mercurial little showman’ and the ‘errant woman’ on the daà ¯s, gave point and poison to the arrows of thousands incapable of aiming them so accurately, but delighted to let fly. She became one of the butts for youth to laugh at, the convenient symbol of a group of serious people who were all guilty of the same idolatry and could be dismissed with the same scorn. Lord Acton had said that she was greater than Dante; Herbert Spencer exempted her novels, as if they were not novels, when he banned all fiction from the London Library. She was the pride and paragon of her sex. Moreover, her private record was not more alluring than her public. Asked to describe an afternoon at the Priory, the story-teller always imitated that the memory of those serious Sunday afternoons had come to tickle his sense of humour. He had been so much alarmed by the grave lady in her low chair; he had been so anxious to say the intelligent thing. Certainly, the talk had been very serious, as a note in the fine clear hand of the great novelist bore witness. It was dated Monday morning, and she accused herself of having spoken without due forethought of Marivaux when she meant another; but not doubt, she said, her listener had already supplied the correction. Still, the memory of talking about Marivaux to George Eliot on a Sunday afternoon was not a romantic memory. It had faded with the passage of the years. It had not become picturesque. Indeed, one cannot escape the conviction that the long, heavy face with its expression of serious and sullen and almost equine power has stamped itself depressingly upon the minds of people who remember George Eliot, so that it looks out upon them from her pages.

Value Chain Analysis-Army Recruiting Company

Value Chain Analysis: Army Recruiting Company Foundation for Business intelligence Before he passed away in 1999, satirical novelist, Joseph Heller, wrote in his book Catch-22, â€Å"I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service† (Heller, 282). While in this instance, the individual was missing a leg and therefore not eligible for service, this quote has been used at times by those that have a fear or misunderstanding of the United States Armed Forces.Despite this, there is a requirement to maintain the volume of Soldiers within the United States Army and that recruiting companies develop a desire to join within the communities where they are located. Understanding the Companies valued processes allows for analysis of what operations are already being performed well and what areas can be improved to increase desire to join. As an Army Recruiting Commander it is my job to ensure that the Company I lead is producing the best product for our customers. It is described as customers because there are two entities that this company serves.The more obvious of the two is the United States Government. We receive a mission for the year, as to the Government’s goals for the quantity and quality of new enlistments to the United States Army. While it is important to this customer to receive a certain number of these enlistments at various phase lines through the year, the type of enlistment is just as vital to customer satisfaction. For best results, the enlistee should not only show educational aptitude, but also be a malleable or trainable product before they arrive to Basic Training.This customer’s requirements for success require that the company provides them an on time, quality product, in determined quantities. The other customer that this Company serves is in fact those very people that are enlisting to serve Customer Number One. Less than one half of one percent of the American population has chose n to serve in the Army during the past decade (Miles, 3). Though this number is likely to remain low, growing pressure from competing Department of Defense Agencies such as the U. S. Navy or National Guard, requires us to illustrate to the customer exactly why they should choose us as a provider.Where Customer Number One requires a high tempo turn over for their product, it is more important to this customer that service meets their specific timeline. Some customers need to begin their Army Career as soon as possible due to financial or familial responsibilities. Others have requirements to complete, such as graduating from high school or college, therefore requiring a suspended leave date. In addition to a customized timeline, it is important to understand the specific reasons why they would choose to enlist in the first place.Understanding this allows the Company to tailor the right package of benefits and job selection that meets the customers desires and replaces the need to see k opportunities with other Department of Defense Agencies. In order to meet the requirements of the Companies two customers, there are certain activities that must be accomplished. Though there are other processes that support the Company’s operations, the critical activities for mission success are marketing and research, prospecting, input management, and output management.These activities are necessary to complete services for both sets of customers and are continuously being completed. It is generally likely that many of these activities are being conducted simultaneously in order to reach final goal of a quality Soldier prepared to ship to Basic Training with a customized package of job and benefits. It is said that the first rule of sales is that people must like and trust you (Klivans, 1). Though we typically try to distance Military Recruiting from sales, this principal still applies.For many people there is a negative connotation when considering the Armed Forces as a career choice for themselves or those that they influence. Generally, this is due to lack of knowledge of what the Army or other Department of Defense Agencies is like aside from aggrandized portrayals of violence from movies, television, and news. In order to combat this ignorance, the Company has become very successful at utilizing marketing within the local area. We effectively utilize advertising and public affair in order to engage the population and inform them about the military, its benefits, and the opportunities that are available.More than 43 percent of the recruiters for the entirety of Department of Defense within the area belong to my Company. Due to this, we are able to conduct branding operations across a larger swath of area than the other services. Participation in schools and providing branded materials for on the spot dialogue or future appointments at a recruiting center allows the company to diverge potential applicants away from other services increasing com pany production.Finally, utilization of friendly influencers such as, coaches, guidance councilors, and church leaders adds to our value as they provide the message about the Army’s worth without the supposed bias. These marketing and branding activities lay the framework for mission success and market domination, but prospecting is where the literal rubber meets the road. As with the marketing, the number of recruiters in the area allows for a larger area to be covered and more school visits per day, but its knowing where and how to target potential applicants that allow for greater success.Company recruiters conduct no less than four school engagements and multiple days either calling or visiting qualified leads identified from responses to our area marketing. Each phase line, which is generally about a month, we utilize historical data to identify key â€Å"must win† zip codes. By looking back at the last two years of recruiting data, we identify these key areas whe re enlistments are more likely to come from as well as what time of the year is generally the best to prospect in these areas. The analysis of historical data also helps with understanding the approach that should be utilized when discussing a potential enlistment.We utilize this to understand when to offer the action and adventure of the Combat Services or money for college and medical degree programs. This alone plays a significant part in our success and claiming more than 40 percent of the total market share of all enlistments in our key areas. At this point we should have satisfied all of the requirements for customer number two. They are given the red-carpet treatment and provided with the specialized bonuses, job placement, and Basic training dates that meets their aptitude and preferences.They then become the input for fulfilling the obligation to Customer Number One. Though each enlistee has the customized packet and has general satisfaction from the process, it is still po ssible to have an enlistee change their mind about shipping and is taken as a loss. The acceptable standard for loss rate from the United States Army Recruiting Command is ten percent with no losses inside of 35 days (USAREC, 7). Losses that occur are generally due to pregnancy, police record, drug use, or loss of influencer support.To combat losses, Future Soldier Leaders are assigned and conduct weekly training with the enlistees. During the training these leaders provide enlistees with information and training necessary to become successful at Basic Training and in their military careers. At the end of each training the enlistees are given a safety brief to remind them of potential risks to shipping and what mistakes will cost them. This action has reduced the loss rate of the Company to approximately eight percent with significant reductions in pregnancy, drug use, and police record losses.However, loss of influencer support continues to be the primary reason for loss and genera lly result in a loss being taken well inside of the thirty day window. Losses taken before ship date due hurt the overall effectiveness rating of the Company. What also becomes a challenge is getting the enlistee to ship on time to basic training. The most important part of getting an applicant out the door is time flow management. There is an expectation that the Company can enlist a Soldier, prepare him or her for basic training, and get them out to their unit in a few weeks.Currently, the average â€Å"flash to bang,† amount of time between initial contacts during prospecting to shipping to Basic Training, is just under 50 days. Though this is above the standard timeline for stated Command policies, this timeline is faster than all other recruiting Companies in this area. Issues that extend the flash to bang timeline typically are contract renegotiations for individuals that are unsatisfied in their specialized package. Also, individuals that fail to complete school requir ements at the expected graduation time require an extension to their original ship date.In order to increase the success of the Company it is important to understand not only the areas where success is being achieved but what items can be adjusted to maximize efforts as well. For instance, though having a higher recruiter share allows for us to cover a larger area during the marketing and prospecting phases, the Marine Corps and Air Force manage to recruit a significant number of high aptitude Seniors even in our â€Å"must win† zip codes. Both services supply one specialized message and target specifically those individuals looking for careers in technology and engineering.Providing more focus on Army careers in STEM, (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) is needed to lessen efforts by other services. Also, adjustments need to be made during the input management phase in order to diminish losses inside of 30 days to include more involvement with enlistee influencers to en sure no loss of support. Finally, contract renegotiations should be kept to a minimum. Ensuring that a thorough understanding of our customers motivators and fully address in initial package and limiting renegotiations that would extend Flash to Bang timeline are needed steps.Engendering support to join the United States Army will continue to be a daunting task. In order to make certain continued satisfaction from the two customer groups requires understanding of working processes and potential areas to improve. Through utilization of higher recruiter numbers to cover larger area, developing good marketing and prospecting processes, ensuring proper training and management through Basic Training ship date and applying fixes to deficient areas, the Army Recruiting Company can continue to meet the demands from our customers.Works Cited Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1961. Print Kilvans, David. â€Å"The First Rule of Sales. † Ezine Articles. N. P. , 03 O ctober 2007. Web. 02 March 2013. . Miles, Donna. â€Å"Survey Shows Growing Gap Between Civilians, Military. † American Forces Press Service. Department of Defense, 28 November 2011. Web. 02 March 2013. . USAREC Regulation 601-95. (2002). Delayed Entry and Delayed Training Program. Washington DC. Department of the Army. 12 August 2002. PDF File.

Health and Safety in Social Care Essay

The mission : The prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities. †¢ Shocking failures – it’s why we need to obey the law We know it’s an extremely important aspect of care. We know there’s been a lot of debate about how to improve it. We know there have been high-profile cases where it’s failed miserably. But do we really understand what safeguarding means on a day-to-day basis for everyone involved in providing or receiving care? And there’s been much discussion about whether ‘adults at significant risk’ is better. Sometimes there’s confusion between safeguarding and adult protection, which relates to investigation of abuse rather than it’s prevention. †¢ Health and social care workers – protecting the vulnerable The terminology can be an issue in itself. We now refer to ‘adults at risk’ after the Law Commission’s report on adult social care pointed out that the previously acceptable term ‘vulnerable adult’ could suggest that the cause of abuse was located with the victim, and didn’t place responsibility with the actions of others. The commission found that people saw the term as â€Å"stigmatising, dated, negative and disempowering†. †¢ Part of a system  Legislation, regulation and guidance are becoming clearer and more consistent, with the implementation of the Law Commission recommendations on adult protection and making safeguarding adult boards – which already exist in most local authorities – mandatory.But there’s still a lot to learn, not least about what constitutes a safeguarding issue and what relates to everyday management, staff practice, quality and safety. Without that clarity, people may worry about over-reacting or taking the wrong action.

Nihonium Facts - Element 113 or Nh

Nihonium Facts - Element 113 or Nh Nihonium is a radioactive synthetic element with the symbol Nh and atomic number 113. Because of its position on the periodic table, the element is expected to be a solid metal at room temperature. The discovery of element 113 was made official in 2016. To date, few atoms of the element have been produced, so little is known about its properties. Nihonium Basic Facts Symbol: Nh Atomic Number: 113 Element Classification: Metal Phase: probably solid Discovered By: Yuri Oganessian et al., Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia (2004). Confirmation in 2012 by Japan. Nihonium Physical Data Atomic Weight: [286] Source: Scientists used a cyclotron to fire a rare calcium isotope at an americium target. Element 115 (moscovium) was created when the calcium and americium nuclei fused. The moscovium persisted for less than one-tenth of a second before decaying into element 113 (nihonium), which persisted for over a second. Name Origin: Scientists at Japans RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science proposed the element name. The name comes from the Japanese name for Japan (nihon) together with the -ium element suffix that is used for metals. Electronic Configuration: [Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 7p1 Element Group: group 13, boron group, p-block element Element Period: period 7 Melting Point:  700  K  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(430  Ã‚ °C, ​810  Ã‚ °F)  (predicted) Boiling Point:  1430  K ​(1130  Ã‚ °C, ​2070  Ã‚ °F)  (predicted) Density:  16  g/cm3  (predicted near room temperature) Heat of Fusion: 7.61 kJ/mol (predicted) Heat of Vaporization: 139 kJ/mol (predicted) Oxidation States:  Ã¢Ë†â€™1,  1,  3, 5  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(predicted) Atomic Radius: 170 picometers Isotopes: There are no known natural isotopes of nihonium. Radioactive isotopes have been produced by fusing atomic nuclei or else from the decay of heavier elements. Isotopes have atomic masses 278 and 282-286. All known isotopes decay via alpha decay. Toxicity: There is no known or expected biological role for element 113 in organisms. Its radioactivity makes it toxic.

Sustainable Tea at Unilever

Sustainable Tea at Unilever Introduction Market differentiation remains as one of the most reliable ways through which businesses gain market share leadership and outwit their competitors. Sustainability programmes and plans play a critical role in ensuring that brands regain and maintain their market positions against competition onslaught.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sustainable Tea at Unilever specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One company that has applied sustainability programme in its efforts to maintain its market leadership position is Unilever Plc. A world’s top consumer goods manufacturer, ranging from home care merchandise, food products, to personal care goods, Unilever introduced a ‘Sustainable Living Plan’ that intended to achieve a number of strategic goals. Firstly, it targeted improving consumers’ well-being and health, limiting the environmental impacts of its activities, as well as sustainabl y sourcing its entire agricultural raw materials by the year 2020. One area of focus that was of particular interest to the company was its tea product line. Although it registered positive results in some international markets, the sustainable tea program encountered challenges in other markets. This paper seeks to discuss in detail Unilever’s ‘Sustainable Living Plan’, putting more emphasis on its sustainable tea program. Unilever global tea market Unilever sells its processed tea in more than 180 countries worldwide. The tea is sold under different brand names, with Lipton Tea being the company’s largest brand. The brand records an annual sales figure of about â‚ ¬3.5 billion, making it the world’s leading tea brand in terms of sales. Other additional brand names through which the company markets its tea include Lyons in Ireland and PG tips, mainly for the United Kingdom market. India, Pakistan, Poland, and Russia also form part of Unileverâ⠂¬â„¢s extended international tea market. Lipton’s closest competitor in the global tea market is Tetley Tea, manufactured and marketed by Tata Beverages. However, the global market share enjoyed by Lipton is three times that of Tetley (Henderson Nellemann 2011, p. 3). Unilever sold about 350,000 tons of its processed tea in the year 2010. The tea was mainly sourced from external suppliers whose contribution was in the tune of 90%. The suppliers comprise of independent farmers and small-scale traders.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The remainder was obtained from company owned estates located in the East African regions, including its Kericho flagship estate in Kenya and another in Tanzania. In general, the global market is unique in terms of their preferred tastes. This makes specific international markets only reliant on supply sourced from particul ar countries. The sustainable tea plan and its constructs Established good practice guidelines in agriculture were first introduced in Unilever in 1998. These guidelines mainly focused on sustainable farming practices and targeted major crops processed by the company, such as tea, tomatoes, and palm oil. External suppliers were expected to meet specific standards before the company could purchase their produce. The sustainability geared towards 10 important indicators that touched on the environment, society, and the economy. These included social and environmental management system, ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection, as well as water conservation, and fair treatment and improved conditions of working for the workers. Other principles included occupational health and safety, community relations, integrated crop management, and soil management and conservation. To emphasize further on the importance of sustainable agriculture practices, the plan also incorporated integrated waste management. Unilever did not impose these practices on its suppliers, but rather opted to share with them, as well as with the public. According to Michiel Leijnse, Unilever’s global brand director, the sustainable tea plan had its intentions on transforming the industry. There was the looming danger of the company failing to get the right quantity and quality of the tea that they required (Henderson Nellemann 2011, p. 5). Certification The Rainforest Alliance As part of the plans on sustainability, Unilever involved the Rainforest Alliance as its partner in the programme. The latter is the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) founding member. In particular, the Rainforest Alliance’s partnership was sought because it was inclined towards market-based premiums as the prefect way of creating change. Additionally, the Rainforest’s record of accomplishment was good, having won consumer recognition from past campaigns. However, the fact that the company had neither had previous experience dealing with tea nor the African continent was of critical concern for Unilever. Africa is where Unilever has one of its most successful tea estates throughout the world.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sustainable Tea at Unilever specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The certification process required that the whole production area meet the standards. Obtaining and maintaining of the certification required farms to meet at least 50% of each principle’s applicable criteria. Additionally, the farms were expected to meet a minimum of 80% of the entire set of applicable criterion. Certification costs for independent farmers ranged between â‚ ¬3,000 and â‚ ¬4,500 depending on the size of the farm. Unilever chose to buy certified tea at a cost by paying a premium price. It also paid a participation fee to Rainforest Alliance to bear the frog logo of the certifying company on its pack. The rollout of the global certification education cost about â‚ ¬200,000 annually as Unilever assigned people to develop and deploy farmer training. This was in combination with the certifying company Rainforest Alliance.  Because certification of tea had never been witnessed before, meeting the targets that Unilever and Rainforest Alliance had set for the year 2010 was challenging. The company owned tea estates in Kenya and Tanzania became viable options if targeted results were to be met. Equally, the large-scale tea suppliers became the target for initial certification plans. For the long-term plans, Unilever had to set focus in working with the entire supply chain, including the smaller and less organized ones. The challenge, however, lay in the fact that these kinds of suppliers spread across different countries, have their own agricultural practices, and receive varying government support. The pioneer certification process Unilever owns a 13,000-hectare tea esta te in Kenya’s Kericho area. This area of land has been under tea plantation since 1928. The certification process began by leaving tea bush pruning to rot on the field instead of having them removed for other secondary use as cattle food or firewood. This practice maximized the soil fertility and helped in retaining water. The use of fertilizer was carefully managed, bearing in mind its potential threat to the quality of soil. Drying of the tea was done using wood obtained from eucalyptus forests plant grown on the perimeter fence of the estate. Use of pesticides and agrochemicals on the Kericho tea estates was minimized mainly because of the area’s favourable climate. Natural predators also inhabit the land surrounding the estate, making the use of pesticides not necessarily on a large scale.  Unilever shifted focus on the well-being and general health of its 16,000 members of staff and their dependants. The workers’ earnings more than doubled compared to the ir earlier fixed sum compensation on every kilogramme of tealeaves picked.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The workers had free access to company health care and housing, in addition to free education for the workers’ children at Unilever owned schools.  The estate achieved high yields because of the application of the sustainable tea production programme, with each hectare of land producing between 3.5 and 4 tons. Compared to India’s production of between 2 to 3 tons an hectare, the case of Kericho’s estates was far much better. Estates in Tanzania equally applied the same practices, improving in production yields up to 3 tons per hectare. Production in other parts of the country stood at below 2 hectares per ton (Henderson Nellemann 2011, p. 8). Extending the program to cover the entire supply chain With Unilever’s East African estates accounting for about a third of the company’s total tea requirement, the partnership with Rainforest Alliance registered immense success. The involvement of the Kenyan government through the Kenya Tea Development Age ncy (KTDA) supplemented Unilever’s efforts on sustainability. Equally, a Dutch Sustainable Initiative known as IDH helped the programme achieve greater success by training field trainers. The KTDA alone accounted for up to 62% of the country’s total production through its 59 factories. Unilever purchased 40% of KTDA’s total production in 2011. Training of lead farmers by the company in conjunction with the KTDA and Rainforest Alliance increased awareness, including on the premiums paid on certified tea.  Although some changes were easily applied, including convincing farmers to leave cut crop in the farms to rot rather than burning. However, some changes involved expensive practices, such as the use of expensive protective gear for the farmers while spraying the farms. KTDA helped in supporting the programme by setting up a micro-credit scheme that provided financial support to the farmers. With the introduction and implementation of additional sustainable pra ctices, the total yields improved between 5% and 15%. The quality of the tea produced also improved. Promoting the sustainable message to the consumers For Unilever to transform the success of sustainable tea into sales, the company’s commitment moved into informing the market its benefits. The varied tea brands under the company’s larger tea portfolio became a challenge to these plans. Although the ethical position of a brand pleases a majority of users, the idea of ‘green’ brands was difficult to sell. Unilever, instead, looked at the whole idea of sustainability as an innovative marketing message targeting the consumers.  Other Unilever tea brands in Western Europe and Australia benefited from an extensive certification programme launched after the East African pioneer programme. The brands included Lipton Yellow Label, Lyons, as well as PG tips. In the U.K., Unilever’s tea market that represents about 10% of the entire production of the firm w as represented by the PG tips brand. The biggest competitor of Unilever tea, Tetley Tea, shared the market almost on equal proportions with PG tips.  The market lacked interest to purchase the green products at an added cost. Unilever spent â‚ ¬12 million to market the new product in 2008, although it took between 12 and 18 months to tackle mental barriers and pass the message to consumers. The company found challenges in selecting the most appropriate message that would resonate with the consumers thinking while marketing the product. The message selected, ‘do your bit: put the kettle on’ highlighted the optimistic action that buyers could take through their drinking of the PG tips.  The campaigned saw PG tips emerge as the leader in the market, beating the strong competition by Tetley Tea. In particular, PG tip’s market share increased by 1.8 points with the purchase repeat rate increasing to 49% from 44%. The total overall sales of the brand improved by 6% with research attributing the rise to consumers’ changed perceptions. PG tips successfully marketed as an ethical product and the market positively responded to the efforts. Australia The sustainable tea campaign in Australia began in the year 2009. Lipton was Unilever’s leading tea brand in the market, with its total share accounting for about a quarter of the entire sales. Bushell, the other of Unilever’s brand had a market share of about 13%. The marketing phrase read, ‘Make a Better Choice with Lipton, the world’s first Rainforest Alliance certified Tea.’ The marketing campaign cost â‚ ¬1.1 million covering print, television and public relations. Additionally, Unilever adopted in-store promotions to increase awareness further. Premium charge on certified tea served as a barrier to consumption and the company eliminated it. Sales performance increased by 11%, with Lipton brand’s market share improving by 158 basis points. The average purchase value rose to â‚ ¬3.23 from â‚ ¬3.11. Despite the success in sales performance, the Lipton brand failed to improve in as far as perceptions on quality is involved. Italy Unilever tea enjoyed a 12% market share in Italy in 2010. The certification programme cost â‚ ¬3 million and involved awareness creation programmes on television, online, press, packaging up-dates, and in-store promotions. The marketing message adopted read, ‘your small cup can make a big difference’. With the campaigns first launched in 2008, the Lipton sales increased by 10.5%, with its market share also increasing by more than 2 percentage points. The buyer base increased, with the younger consumers mostly from the upmarket segment being attracted to the certified product (Henderson Nellemann 2011, p. 12). France France posed a great disappointment to the sustainable tea programme by Unilever. Lipton’s market share stood at 37% in 2010, with private label brands bei ng the main competitor at between 30% and 40% market share. With a more diversified portfolio, the tea products under Lipton numbered at least 40. The certification message initially was only associated to the black tea product Lipton Yellow Label. This represented only a paltry one fifth of the sales. Campaigns initially focused on public relations to educate the retailers. It also involved journalists and key opinion leaders. The marketing message, ‘your tea can make a difference’ appeared in print advertisements and strategically in cooking and travel magazines. Female users over 50 years old remained the primary market focus of the campaigns. Research findings indicated little success in French consumers’ likelihood to buy certified tea containing Rainforest Alliance seal. However, the company changed stance later on and changed the packaging. Consumers failed to associate the new sales on packaging with any quality certification. Failure to associate Lipton with Rainforest Alliance on the part of the consumers played a big role in the negative results that were recorded by the brand. The USA Unilever launched its campaigns in 2009, mainly focusing on the green tea line. Overall, Lipton’s market share was the second largest. Initial research by Unilever indicated 80% likelihood to buy eco-ethical products, although additional cost could not be justified easily. The only market size willing to forfeit a premium was a paltry 5%. The marketing message adopted read, ‘Your Small Cup Can Make a Big Difference’ and appeared on print, TV, and online content. Sponsored trips to the company’s Kericho estate in Kenya formed part of the marketing campaigns. Challenges to the certified product campaigns Sourcing certified tea from India posed a great challenge as the country’s many suppliers were of small scale. Training the small-scale producers was a challenge because of the numbers involved. Additionally, unlike the Kenyan situation where the government supports tea programmes through the KTDA, the Indian government does not participate in such activities. The Rainforest Alliance’s principles on certification, which involved an age limit on employment at age 15, did not tally with the practice in India. The country’s laws allow for 14 year olds to be employed as labour in the farms. The Paraquat pesticide use in India is also widely practiced, which is against Rainforest Alliance’s principle on reducing toxic substances. Although the sustainable plan is intended to be applied across the board, there are challenges on other products that are not marketed directly to the consumers. Palm oil, for instance, is used as a raw material for processing other finished products. Introducing quality and certification plan for such commodities is a big challenge to the firm (Henderson Nellemann 2011, p. 17). Conclusion Sustainable Living Plan is a marketing programme introduced by Unilever to enhance the performance of its agricultural based products in the market. The programme aims to employ practices that not only aim at improving on productivity, but also the quality of products. The company’s tea products portfolio has particularly seen efforts employed to improve on performance. To enhance the results of sustainability, Unilever collaborated with a certifying company, Rainforest Alliance, a founder member of the Sustainable Agriculture Network. This decision was arrived at mainly because Unilever’s sustainability plan involved similar principles as those of the certifier. These principles include social and environmental management system, wildlife protection, ecosystem conservation, water conservation, as well as occupational health and safety measures. Other principles include integrated waste management, integrated crop management, community relations, and fair treatment of the workers.  The certification plan was the first one of its kind and encountered several challenges. There were no previous existing standards and Unilever had to begin the implementation on its company-owned estates in East Africa, in Kenya and Tanzania. The rollout plan involved leaving cut tea bushes on the farm to rot rather than using as cattle feed and firewood. Lead farmers were chosen and trained on how to implement the programme on their colleagues. Employees had their remuneration improved more than two-folds while working conditions were also improved. Health, education, and housing facilities for the workers and their families were introduced free of charge. In Europe, elaborate marketing campaigns were also initiated with mixed results for the company. In the UK, Italy, Australia, and the USA, the brand registered positive results as sales increased. However, the market was not willing to pay a premium for the certified tea. In France, marketing campaigns failed to achieve any positive results. Despite expensive marketing campa igns introduced by the company, convincing the market to link certification to quality did not succeed. List of References Henderson, RM Nellemann, F 2011, Sustainable tea at Unilever, Harvard Business School Publishing, Bolton, MA.

Affirmative Action Overview

Affirmative Action Overview Affirmative action refers to policies that try to correct past discrimination in hiring, university admissions, and other candidate selection. The necessity of affirmative action is often debated. The concept of affirmative action is that positive steps should be taken to ensure equality, instead of ignoring discrimination or waiting for society to fix itself. Affirmative action becomes controversial when it is perceived as giving preference to minorities or women over other qualified candidates. The Origin of Affirmative Action Programs Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy used the phrase â€Å"affirmative action† in 1961. In an executive order, President Kennedy required federal contractors to â€Å"take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed†¦without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.† In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson issued an order that used the same language to call for nondiscrimination in government employment.  Ã‚   It was not until 1967 that President Johnson addressed sex discrimination. He issued another executive order on October 13, 1967. It expanded his previous order and required the government’s equal opportunity programs to â€Å"expressly embrace discrimination on account of sex† as they worked toward equality. The Need for Affirmative Action The legislation of the 1960s was part of a larger climate of seeking equality and justice for all members of society. Segregation had been legal for decades after the end of slavery. President Johnson argued for affirmative action: if two men were running a race, he said, but one had his legs bound together in shackles, they could not achieve a fair result by simply removing the shackles. Instead, the man who had been in chains should be allowed to make up the missing yards from the time he was bound. If striking down segregation laws could not instantly solve the problem, then positive steps of affirmative action could be used to achieve what President Johnson called â€Å"equality of result.† Some opponents of affirmative action saw it as a â€Å"quota† system that unfairly demanded a certain number of minority candidates be hired no matter how qualified the competing white male candidate was. Affirmative action brought up different issues concerning women in the workplace.  There was little protest of women in traditional â€Å"women’s jobs†- secretaries, nurses, elementary school teachers, etc. As more women began to work in jobs that had not been traditional women’s jobs, there was an outcry that giving a job to a woman over a qualified male candidate would be â€Å"taking† the job from the man. The men needed the job, was the argument, but the women did not need to work. In her 1979 essay â€Å"The Importance of Work,† Gloria Steinem rejected the notion that women should not work if they do not â€Å"have to. She pointed out the double standard that employers never ask men with children at home if they need the job for which they are applying. She also argued that many women do, in fact, â€Å"need† their jobs. Work is a human right, not a male right, she wrote, and she criticized the false argument that independence for women is a luxury. New and Evolving Controversies Has affirmative action corrected past inequality? During the 1970s, the controversy over affirmative action often surfaced around the issues of government hiring and equal employment opportunity. Later, the affirmative action debate shifted away from the workplace and toward college admissions decisions. It has thus shifted away from women and back to a debate over race. There are roughly equal numbers of men and women admitted to higher education programs, and women have not been the focus of university admissions arguments. U.S. Supreme Court decisions have examined the affirmative action policies of competitive state schools such as the University of California and the University of Michigan. Although strict quotas have been struck down, a university admissions committee may consider minority status as one of many factors in admissions decisions as it selects a diverse student body.   Still Necessary? The Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement achieved a radical transformation of what society accepted as normal. It is often difficult for subsequent generations to understand the need for affirmative action. They may have grown up intuitively knowing that â€Å"you can’t discriminate because that’s illegal!†Ã‚   While some opponents say affirmative action is outdated, others find that women still face a â€Å"glass ceiling† that prevents them from advancing past a certain point in the workplace.   Many organizations continue to promote inclusive policies, whether or not they use the term â€Å"affirmative action.† They fight discrimination on the basis of disability, sexual orientation, or family status (mothers or women who may become pregnant). Amid calls for a race-blind, neutral society, the debate over affirmative action continues.

Licensing and Accreditation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Licensing and Accreditation - Essay Example Thus, long-term health facilities are defined, approved by, and maintained according to state as well as federal standards set for this purpose. Besides the two aforementioned authorities, there are other voluntary organizations which are devoted to accreditation and licensing purposes such as the Joint Commission. The Arizona state as well as Federal government embodies certain rules and regulations with respect to health care provisions. Such provisions include licensing requirements of long-term health care services too. The Arizona state rules are contained in the Arizona State Statutes, which includes all the rules concerning different facilities in the state. The law concerning the 'certification, licensure, and monitoring of long-term care facilities, facilities and services' is contained in title 36-409, whose requirements can be summarized in the following points: The Department of Health Services will perform all the essential functions regarding licensing and certification and take care to conform and implement concerned federally approved standards for this health service facility; The nursing care hospices and institutions will have to maintain financial records which they have to show to the Arizona health care cost containment system administration (Arizona State Legislature). The department further holds the right to issue quality ratings too, which help in determining whether the long-term health care facility provides quality service or not. It does so according to the results obtained out of a licensure survey. Further, the licensure granted to a nursing facility depends much on the quality rating it receives (Arizona State Legislature). However in all cases, the state law prescribes that no nursing institute shall hold a license for more than three years. The initial license application for any long-term healthcare service facility shall further require the applicant to submit the following: The application form of the Department which would include the address and other contact details of the health care institution; Tax ID number; The class or subclass as listed in R9-10-102; Owner Information; The details and particulars of governing authority; The details of the chief administrative officer; and others which vary according to the details of the plot and related documents (Arizona Department of Health Services). The Federal government details the requirements for states and long term care facilities in its PART 483 and subpart B (Title 42-Public Health). It requires healthcare facilities in states to meet certain requirements to be considered as long-term facilities such as Medicaid and Medicare. Some requirements such as the facility having a transfer agreement with certain hospital are essential for a facility to gain recognition as a long-term healthcare facility. besides the requirements are based upon other factors such as resident rights, quality of care, quality of life provided, nursing services, physician services, dietary services, and others (Title 42-Public

Capacity in the BeiJing hotel market, after the BeiJing Olympics 2008 Dissertation

Capacity in the BeiJing hotel market, after the BeiJing Olympics 2008 - Dissertation Example Beijing is certainly no exception to this rule. It is important, however, that hotel development not result in a prolonged period of excess room inventory. Hotel overcapacity in China, in particular Beijing, has been a concern since the Chinese borders were opened up back in the late 1970s. Since that time, the number of tourist arrivals has increased nearly every year, providing a boon to nearly aspect of the tourist business. As a consequence, hotel development has escalated as well throughout the past four decades. The issue, however, is that it appears that hotel growth has now exceeded the growth in the overall tourist and business travel segment, resulting in sporadic periods of hotel overcapacity throughout the region. Since Beijing was awarded the Olympic games back at the beginning of this century, new hotel developments quickly drew the interest of tourist officials in anticipation of the record number of visitors that would grace the limits of Beijing during 2008. Hotel de velopment increased in fervour, yet the concern remained about overcapacity. The economic ramifications of such a phenomenon is quite serious. If there are simply too many hotel rooms available for a long stretch of time, hotels must lower rates to fill up existing rooms, which cuts into their bottom line. In the end, hotels fail and shutter their doors, leaving vacant buildings scattered throughout the city. This has occurred in other urban areas throughout China, Asia, and the rest of the world. It is a situation the Beijing is desperately trying to avoid. Now that the Olympics are over, it is time to conduct a feasibility study to determine if the numbers of hotels in Beijing are currently at capacity. At the same time, it is important to discuss what would happen if hotels continue to develop at a rate exceeding the number of visitors to the city. That had been the aim and goal of this project. Beijing is a city that has seemingly limitless potential for tourism operators. From the city itself, millions of tourists can find quality lodging and still be able to explore regions outside of Beijing and return the same day. The variety of tourist attractions, world class shopping malls, entertainment facilities have turned it into a regular holiday destination for people throughout the region, Asia, and internationally. As such, the demand for lodging at in the budget and luxury categories alike continues to grow. Developers, however, must be constantly leery of reaching a situation of overcapacity. As Chapter 2 will discuss, other cites throughout China have already experienced the economic ramifications that come with reaching such a phenomenon, so the industry would be wise to consider this

Humans, Technology, Nature and Spirituality Movie Review

Humans, Technology, Nature and Spirituality - Movie Review Example Spirituality mainly fortifies the link between nature and individuals; hence, someone can interact with nature through religion. Nonetheless, technology appears to destroy the bond between persons and nature. According to the film, Baraka technology appears to destroy nature instead of connecting individuals to it. I, therefore, concur with the movie Baraka, as it shows the unique relationship that individuals share with nature. For instance, the film shows scenes whereby individuals are connecting with nature through worshipping, and this shows a special relationship between humans, nature, and spirituality (Fricke, 2008). Such spirituality connection is seen through the intimacy between the Australian aboriginals with nature. They have an exceptional spiritual correlation that allows them to bond with nature. The Australian aboriginals also preserve nature due to their religious beliefs. Therefore, I also trust that spirituality enables us to protect nature and ensure that no one devastates it. Through our beliefs we can conserve the population, for instance, personally I believe that nature is a special form of healing. I meditate regularly, and due to this, I ensure that the surroundings are well preserved. However, at times our beliefs appear to disrupt us, and we end up destroying the environment (Fricke, 2008). Hence, unlike technology spirituality appears to be the linking force between persons and nature.

Harlem Renaissance Poets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Harlem Renaissance Poets - Essay Example Therefore, Spencer sought focusing upon emotions displayed by people, especially women, concerning their racialist surroundings. Another poet whose works are recognizable during the Harlem Renaissance was Countee Cullen, also an African American. Countee Cullen assumed the role of echoing African Americans for the exemplary achievements they reached besides their skin differentiation (Williams, 2012). In a second light, Cullen also sensitized other writers’ against worsening the racial lift through their works. For instance, he explained that stressing about racial discrimination never ingrained joy to the Afro-Americans, but rather empowered the opponent race. The writers display feelings of wanting to belong on either of the racial extremes. Bethel’s poem talks about white things appearing as rare, which demonstrates that the poet accepts the notion that Americans hold superior rankings compared to the Africans. Though she holds African-American blood, Bethel appreciates the latter race. Besides, heritage also demonstrates double consciousness out of the way that Cullen asks about the meaning of Africa. For instance, Cullen seems to despise his roots by talking of him having cropped by loins of black females. In addition, the mention of barbaric birds that voice their melodies in the African continent shows that Cullen fully disregards African origin. Cullen points at having dark blood constituted within him shows that the poet appears confused about his identity and gets confused of his outward white skin (Williams, 2012). This is further noticeable when Cullen talks about a tree forgetting of its budding and past times, which ex presses that he despises his African descent and embraces the American one. Therefore, these poets appear indifferent of their origins and still believe that the white race appears superior. The Harlem Poems

Coal to Liquid Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coal to Liquid Technology - Essay Example Although, renewable energy is an alternative it takes time and additional resources. Some countries are very poor but have coal in abundance. It therefore means that clean technology has to be found to produce energy from coal. Several methods of transforming coal to liquid are available. Some of these are low yield in comparison to others that have yields of up to 70%. The task is to ensure that the level of greenhouse gas emissions is kept low in order to save the environment for the next generation. 2.0 Coal consumption and reserve of the world and the US According to the EIA (2012) the total coal consumption of the world for the year ended December 2010 was 7,994,703 million short tons. EIA (2012) also provides data for the year ended December 31, 2008 which indicates that the amount of coal reserves in the world was 948,000 million short tons. The tables labeled Table 1 shows comparative figures for coal consumption for those years and four (4) years prior to those years. Table 2 shows figures for coal reserves for 2008. Consumption of Coal Description 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 World NA 7,994,703 7,318,283 7,327,554 7,014,934 USA 1,003,066 1,048,295 997,478 1,120,548 1,127,998 US as a percentage of the world 13.11% 13.63% 15.29% 16.07% Table 1: Coal Consumption USA and the World (source U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)) The table indicates that USA alone accounted for approximately 14.33% of the world’s coal consumption between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 the US accounted for 16%. Although the world’s consumption of coal increased in 2008, coal consumption in the US declined by a small margin. Both world consumption and US consumption declined in 2009. However, while the world consumption declined by negligible amounts (9,271 million short tons) the US consumption declined by approximately 11% (123,070 million short tons). In 2010 the US consumption increased by approximately 6% while world consumption increased by approximately 9%. The US accounted for 13% of the world’s consumption in 2010. Coal Reserves 2008 Description 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 World 948,000 USA 260,551 Table 2: Coal Reserves USA and the World – Source U.S. Energy Information Administration The table shows that in 2008 the US held 27% of the world’s coal reserves. This is a very high percentage and indicates how beneficial coal would be if a way is found to reduce its effect on the environment. 3.0 Arguments against the use of coal Many arguments have being put forward against the use of coal. They include: i. Health and safety hazard ii. Large quantities of water are used in coal mining iii. High levels of pollution (Hansen 2009) iv. Destruction of mountains v. Accidents caused from coal mining 3.1 Health and safety hazard Coal is hazardous to the health and safety of all who come in contact with it, especially coal miners. The Center for Disease Control (2012) indicates that between 1998 and 2007, 8,111 persons died from Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. Most of them were male (8,010), white (7,865) and age 65 years and over (7379). Although the death rate has been declining, it is still cause for concern. A number of accidents have also resulted from inadequate safety measures as miners are left to risk their lives at some mining operations. In fact, in an article entitled Justice for Upper Big Branch, The New York Times (NYT) (2012) indicates that 29 miners died from an explosion at a mine in West Virginia.. In relation to this case a United States attorney filed fraud charges against a Superintendent of the Massey operated Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia of plotting to conceal hazards, doctor’

Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Methodology - Essay Example ancement of a software called sage; the paper was also published again in 198 although it was agreed that the process did not necessarily have to follow the exact procedure as it was initially made. The putting forward of the waterfall model by Winston was as an example of a model that could not work and the term was only used when talking about software development. One of the reasons that I prefer using this model is because the time that is spent in the initial stages of making the model can lead to greater savings in time and money in future (Carlisle, Wilson, Humphries & Hadfield, 2005, p177). For instance a bug that is detected earlier during the design phase of a software will be cheap and will take less time to fix than one that will be detected at later stages in the development of the software. The main idea behind this model is that the much time spent in the first stages of development reduces efforts later. The people behind the making of this process have to make sure that they are more sure and accurate before getting to the following stage they should also assemble all the necessary requirements needed in all the processes before beginning the entire procedure (Navarro & Hoek, 2005, p27). In this model, the members have to make sure that when they start working it is advisable to work thoroughly without any stops this would prevent some of the information getting lost if left unattended, retrieving of this information may not be very easy and may cost a lot of time (Huo, Verner, Zhu & Babar, 2004, p523). If the team or the members are not familiar with the documents ¦, it is advisable to go through them first before starting the entire project. Most of the waterfall model users prefer this method because it is to use and it progresses in such a way that it is easy to understand each phase due to this reason the model has been widely used at the start of the model in writing software engineering text. Big design up and the waterfall model are most

Coal to Liquid Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coal to Liquid Technology - Essay Example Although, renewable energy is an alternative it takes time and additional resources. Some countries are very poor but have coal in abundance. It therefore means that clean technology has to be found to produce energy from coal. Several methods of transforming coal to liquid are available. Some of these are low yield in comparison to others that have yields of up to 70%. The task is to ensure that the level of greenhouse gas emissions is kept low in order to save the environment for the next generation. 2.0 Coal consumption and reserve of the world and the US According to the EIA (2012) the total coal consumption of the world for the year ended December 2010 was 7,994,703 million short tons. EIA (2012) also provides data for the year ended December 31, 2008 which indicates that the amount of coal reserves in the world was 948,000 million short tons. The tables labeled Table 1 shows comparative figures for coal consumption for those years and four (4) years prior to those years. Table 2 shows figures for coal reserves for 2008. Consumption of Coal Description 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 World NA 7,994,703 7,318,283 7,327,554 7,014,934 USA 1,003,066 1,048,295 997,478 1,120,548 1,127,998 US as a percentage of the world 13.11% 13.63% 15.29% 16.07% Table 1: Coal Consumption USA and the World (source U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)) The table indicates that USA alone accounted for approximately 14.33% of the world’s coal consumption between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 the US accounted for 16%. Although the world’s consumption of coal increased in 2008, coal consumption in the US declined by a small margin. Both world consumption and US consumption declined in 2009. However, while the world consumption declined by negligible amounts (9,271 million short tons) the US consumption declined by approximately 11% (123,070 million short tons). In 2010 the US consumption increased by approximately 6% while world consumption increased by approximately 9%. The US accounted for 13% of the world’s consumption in 2010. Coal Reserves 2008 Description 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 World 948,000 USA 260,551 Table 2: Coal Reserves USA and the World – Source U.S. Energy Information Administration The table shows that in 2008 the US held 27% of the world’s coal reserves. This is a very high percentage and indicates how beneficial coal would be if a way is found to reduce its effect on the environment. 3.0 Arguments against the use of coal Many arguments have being put forward against the use of coal. They include: i. Health and safety hazard ii. Large quantities of water are used in coal mining iii. High levels of pollution (Hansen 2009) iv. Destruction of mountains v. Accidents caused from coal mining 3.1 Health and safety hazard Coal is hazardous to the health and safety of all who come in contact with it, especially coal miners. The Center for Disease Control (2012) indicates that between 1998 and 2007, 8,111 persons died from Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. Most of them were male (8,010), white (7,865) and age 65 years and over (7379). Although the death rate has been declining, it is still cause for concern. A number of accidents have also resulted from inadequate safety measures as miners are left to risk their lives at some mining operations. In fact, in an article entitled Justice for Upper Big Branch, The New York Times (NYT) (2012) indicates that 29 miners died from an explosion at a mine in West Virginia.. In relation to this case a United States attorney filed fraud charges against a Superintendent of the Massey operated Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia of plotting to conceal hazards, doctor’

Compare and contrast(difference and similarity)between traditional Research Paper

Compare and contrast(difference and similarity)between traditional Yoruban marriage and traditional Korean marriage - Research Paper Example Of much interest is a deep delve into the understanding by a way of comparison, two cultures (marriage being the common denominator) that reveals elements inherent and unique to a particular community or groups of people. Providing perfect specimens under this study is the Yoruba and the Korean traditional marriages. It will be of interest to learn how communities separated far and wide; living several miles away from each other, with no basis of interaction then, could exhibit similar features in their marriage customs. More so, sharp contrasts in some of the features evident uniquely in either of the two undeniably confirms and gives them their cultural identity as far as marriage processes are concerned. Where everything is equal and normal, records Johnson ,113, a Yoruba traditional marriage involves three stages: an early intimation, a formal betrothal and marriage. In the first stage girls are marked out from childhood with or without their consent as intentioned for marriage to particular young men. No girl would get married without the parents’ consent and such was the basis for the betrothal stage or ‘Isihun’. It was accompanied by a ceremony where the parties involved feasted and offered sacrifices, the ‘Ebo Iyawo’ or the bride sacrifice. The final stage which is marriage could be carried out at any time of the year except during the fasts (Johnson, 114). The Korean traditional marriage on the other hand is a six stage process: Exchange of the letter of four pillars, selection of the wedding day, sending of wedding gifts, the marriage ceremony, the bridal room and the new path (Lee et al, 157) Insight into these stages are illuminated in the p assages below. Unique to the Korean culture is the letter of four pillars (saju) on which the year of birth, month, day and time of the bride or groom were written. Lee et al, 157, notes that the letter symbolized engagement. Arrangements of this nature are clearly absent in the Yoruba

Defining The Winners And Losers English Literature Essay

Defining The Winners And Losers English Literature Essay Winning isnt everything, its the only thing (Lattterell 210). Spoken by one of the most well-known football coaches ever, Vince Lombardi sums up the value America places on competition in this quote. America is dominated by the cultural assumption that the role competition plays in the United States is to define winners and losers. While the assumption does value hard work, perseverance, and giving all ones got as a pathway to become a winner as well as whoever or whatever one dreams of being in life, the assumption fails to recognize Americans obsessions with the infinite new ways they concoct just to prove themselves as winners. In addition, the assumption does not take into account the way competition can turn into an out-of-control complete loss of civility (Latterell 211-213). Even more so, defining winners and losers causes Americans to value the extrinsic rewards for competing instead of looking at the value of intrinsic motivation and cooperation (Latterell 213-214). Joshua D avis and Alfie Kohn each question the assumption that constitutes almost every aspect of Americans lives and reflects Americas obsession with defining winners and losers. To begin with, Joshua Davis looks at the American cultural assumption on competition in his essay Team USA by looking at how it played a role in his own life. From early childhood, Davis had been influenced by his mother to become the champion she had never become. Ever since his mother place fifth in the 1962 Miss USA contest, she looked to her son to become the champion she had never been. Even after all of her accomplishments, she still saw herself as a loser or just average, and therefore, she wanted her son to become the winner she could no longer become (263-264). As humorous as it sounds, the five-foot-nine-inch, 129-pound data entry clerk looked to fulfill his goal to become a winner in his own right by becoming a professional arm wrestler (262). In the end, Davis made it all the way to the World Arm Wrestling Championships and ended up getting seventeenth in a field of eighteen. Humorously, Davis is now ranked seventeenth in the world for the 132-pound arm wrestling division without even winning one single match (275). Overall, the essay pokes fun at the American ideal that any individual can become a champion and winner if he/she really puts his/her mind to it and give it everything he/she has got. American society is so concerned with being winners that Davis wonders where an average citizen like himself stands out in society (275). The fact that this average citizen, who has been labeled a loser his entire life, becomes an internationally ranked arm wrestler without winning one match reflects Americans absurd desire to prove themselves as winners in any way imaginable. Daviss story is a direct criticism of Americas assumption on the value of competition. It is even essential to take notice of the way Davis criticizes Americas cultural assumption that hard work and extreme effort will get anyone to the top. His essay criticizes the assumption because he became internationally ranked with not one win and not nearly the amount of time and hard work that is needed to reach such a high status. By wri ting about his experience of becoming an internationally ranked arm wrestler through zero wins and no experiences or matches in arm-wrestling in his life prior to the U.S. National Arm Wrestling Championships, the essay further points out the silly, ridiculous, bizarre, and yet comical ways Americans try to prove themselves as winners (265). His mothers disappointment that came from competing in beauty pageants followed by her strong desire to push her own son to the status of champion is a sad representative example of Americas cultural desire to win-at-all-costs for trophies and other extrinsic rewards. The fact that some arm wrestlers had their legs amputated in order to cut off unnecessary weight so that they could have a better advantage at winning the gold is yet another ridiculous extreme people resort to in order to get themselves to the admirable, distinguished status of being a winner (275). Essentially, the essay is a criticism of the value Americans place on being a winn er and the measures people go to in order to become a winner. In No Contest: Play, Fun, and Competition, Alfie Kohn argues against the cultural assumption that competition and defining winners and losers is more enjoyable than play (277). To begin with, Kohn defines play and competition as two separate entities. He sees play as a voluntary and pleasing source of freedom free from being serious and free from the recordings of results and scores because they do not matter in play. Whereas play represents a process orientation (278) that is intrinsically gratifying, competition represents a product orientation (278) that is extrinsically gratifying. Furthermore, competition is strongly regulated with many rules. Motivating Americans for acceptance outside of oneself, competition is very goal-oriented with strong incentives to obtain power, trophies, and/or money (278-280). In competition, someone must end up a loser (286). Kohn makes a very important point in noticing that it is very hard for Americans to enjoy their leisure time when it is filled with competitions that directly resemble corporate America and Americas hierarchical social status system (280). In essence, Kohn is saying that competition especially sports resemble work more than it resembles pleasure and leisure (279). Competitions and sports are mainly getting people ready for a life that is filled with work, competition, and winners and losers (280). One of Kohns most important points is when he states that We have been raised to associate recreation with the win/lose model of our society, to assume that having fun means someone has to end up a loser (286). More importantly is the fact that when a victor is named and receives an external reward for their accomplishment over another person/team, any other gratification that could come from a game is lost. Thus the goal and the focus are only on winning in order to receive societys favor, adoration, and respect (282). In order to give a better expression of what play looks like, it is necessary to at least identify one of the many noncompetitive games cited in his essay. One such example is the cooperative rather than noncompetitive game called Cooperative Bowling. In this example of play, participants try to take down all ten pins in as many rounds as there are players. It is also significant to note that in play others are partners rather than opponents as in competition (288). Overall, Kohns main point he tries to get across is his belief that play not only can be much more enjoyable than the win/lose structure of competition, but that play can also make people an overall better human being than competition can (277). Furthermore, his entire essay helps assert that play has many more benefits compared to the benefits of competition. Kohn uses the unique advantages people think competition offers and shows how they can be just as advantageous if not more when one is involved in play of all kinds. When looking at the unique quality of teamwork, play is more beneficial and enjoyable because teamwork is, simply stated, a cooperative activity aimed at working together towards a common goal. Therefore, since play forces everyone to cooperate together while competition involves one group working against another enemy, play is twice as gratifying as competition is (283). In addition, play can be just as challenging as competition as evidenced by Cooperative Bowlin g (287-288). Play can also involve a determination to beat ones own previous record such as in running to beat ones previous time(s). It is important to note that this example of play does not involve competition because there are no winners or losers; there is only a push to challenge and better oneself rather than compare oneself to others as competition does (284). Every attempt whether failed or succeeded is nonetheless beneficial when a person challenges himself/herself. One key feature of competition is the destruction and disadvantages, that competition, and not play, creates. Competition and play are both similar in that they are supposed to provide large scale participation and enjoyment. However, looking at the rates of participation in North America makes one conclude that competition is not very popular or very much enjoyed. In North America it is not uncommon to lose from 80 to 90 percent of our registered organized sports participants by 15 years of age (285). That statistic alone should stand out as a major drawback of competition since competition is meant to yield vast participation and enjoyment. Even more so, the pervasive competitiveness in childrens athletic programs such as Little League baseball helps one to see the damage competition causes. Angry parents who yell at their children, humiliating them in the process, are such sad sights to see because they only to want to see their children win (286). As a certified soccer referee wh o has refereed for over four years now, I can strongly agree with this statement. Competition and sports are valued and accepted for their hostility, aggression, and violence as well (281). It is hard to correlate competition with fun, enjoyment, and unique advantages with this kind of evidence (286). Findings show that once children are exposed to noncompetitive games they generally prefer these games compared to competitive ones. However, society is socialized and brainwashed into thinking that competition is more enjoyable. When individuals are judged on their own efforts as in play or noncompetitive games and not compared or measured to any other individuals, greater benefits and enjoyment can be obtained (287). Cooperative games offer a satisfaction not only for the success of oneself but also for the success of all involved; sadly, this gratifying advantage is absent from competition (289). In conclusion, America is encompassed with the assumption that the only way to enjoy and benefit from leisure time is to engage in the win/lose model of competition. While competition is unlikely to fade from its high ranks in capitalistic America, it is essential for Americans to look more at play and noncompetitive games as opportunities for fostering social harmony and enjoyment and success for all.

Deception, Fraud, and the Collapse of Enron Essay -- Business Manageme

Deception, Fraud, and the Collapse of Enron Introduction From America’s 7th most valuable company in December 2000, to a company in ruins by early 2002, Enron has been involved in one of the most incredible reverses of fortune ever. With shares riding high on Wall Street at $84.87 on the 28th December 2000, and awards such as â€Å"America’s most innovative company† from Fortune Magazine 6 years running, and â€Å"Energy Company of the Year† from the Financial Times also in 2000, it looked as though Enron were promising to be one of the biggest American companies of all time. Things started going drastically wrong. As large losses were being reported, share prices tumbled, and Enron, within the space of only a year, was on the verge of collapse. I shall be investigating the factors of this collapse, some of them due to business and economic factors, but mostly through deception and fraud. Analysis The timeline of events from when Enron were at the top to the bottom of the business world is quite outstanding. (See Figure 1, Appendix). The collapse seems to span a time of around 5 months, from August 2001 to January 2002. During this time, many scandals have come out, which suggest Enron has played a major part in its own downfall, through unsuccessful diversification to fiddling the accounts. As these things add up, it is no surprise Enron is now in the position it is. In 2000 the company recorded record turnovers of $100m (See Figure 2, Appendix), a $60m increase from the previous year. Shares were selling at a high price, meaning that future expansion would have been possible due to high investment in the company. A collapse at this point seemed absolutely out of the question, it just seemed impossible, with future investment and high turnovers. In October 2001, the third quarter results were published, showing a mysterious loss. This of course set the share price falling, as investors lost confidence about Enron’s long term capabilities. This was the beginning of what was going to be a difficult few months for Enron, as different scandals and information was released. The reasons for this loss have not been explained fully but there are many different possibilities, some through bad business decisions, some through bad accounting, and some from unnecessary purchases. All of these combined meant that Enron was facing debts of around $690m. Enron consists of ... ...e problems, they might not be in the position they are today. With independent audits, financial irregularities might have come to light sooner. Poor communications with shareholders and potential investors meant they were unaware of the situation they were getting themselves in. Enron also spent a large amount of money on unnecessary items where perhaps better investment would have been a safer option. Overall, the factors all combine to the failure of Enron, and at time of writing it is still unclear the exact reasons for the downfall, and how much of the information released by newspapers and the company itself is reliable. Based on the information available at the time, it is clear there are many deceptions and poor business decisions that have meant Enron have a very bleak future ahead of them. Bibliography Websites: www.bbc.co.uk (20th February-10th March 2002) www.telegraph.co.uk (report on 1/12/01) www.enron.com (March 2002) www.observer.com (March 2002) Other Sources: Independent Newspaper 27th February The Economist (December 2001) Nuffield Business and Economics Student’s Book The Money Programme- Inside the Enron Scandal (BBC2 April 4th 2002)

Use of Foils to Illustrate Deceit in Shakespeares Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Use of Foils to Illustrate Deceit in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses a variety of characters from different social backgrounds to paint an elaborate picture of deception. From the opening line of "Who's there?" the reader gets the impression that people are not what they seem in this play. The interrelationships between the royalty and people of the court are developed to illustrate the similarities and differences between the characters. Shakespeare skillfully reveals the deceptive nature of man and the ruin it causes through his use of foils.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foils are integral to this play, because many of the devious plots are revealed to the reader through them. A foil is a secondary character that illuminates certain things about a primary character to the audience. The major character may reveal secrets, such as murderous plots or traps, or feelings, for example, a perspective on death or the love of another character. This can happen if the minor character is primarily a listener on stage. Another scenario is if two characters, major and minor, share similarities, but have distinct differences. These variations in personality will reveal something important about the main character. The "something important" could be a fatal flaw or a good point of their personality. Many foils are used in this play, but there are two important ones which happen to be for the same character.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laertes is a foil for Hamlet and their deceptions are quite painful to all involved. Laertes and Hamlet are the same sex and approximately the same age.   They also both live abroad, France and Germany, respectively. Laertes and Hamlet both deeply love in different ways a maiden named Ophelia. Ophelia is Laertes' sister and receives advice from him about Hamlet. Hamlet proclaims his love and lust for Ophelia many times throughout the play. [Where in the play does he proclaim his lust for her?] For example, on page 659, [Citation] Polonius reads to the king and queen a love letter from Hamlet which states, "Doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love." [This says "love," not "lust"; shame on you.] Laertes tells Ophelia that Hamlet does not love her, that she is just a passing fancy to the prince. Hamlet and Laertes both have meddling parents. Polonius, Laertes' father, sends his servant, Reynaldo, to spy on his son.

Changes in Soviet Values

Changes in Soviet Values Films in the Soviet Union during Stalin's rule were primarily made for propaganda purposes. Some of the most famous films at the time were â€Å"Chapaev,† â€Å"Circus,† and â€Å"Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears,† which were all were aimed at describing Soviet Values during and after Stalin's rule. The film â€Å"Chapaev† was produced in 1934 and was set during the Russian Civil War, and like â€Å"Circus,† which was produced two years later, they both reflected Soviet ideals of Stalin's rule. â€Å"Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears† was produced in 1980, and it showed the changes in Soviet values after Stalin's reign in the 1950's and 1970's. Even though each of these propaganda films is set in different time periods, each one illustrates the changing social values of that time. The movie â€Å"Chapaev† was directed by the Vasilyev brothers and was produced in 1934. The movie depicts the story of a soldier made commander named Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev, who led the Red Army to victory in the Russian Civil War. The main theme portrayed in â€Å"Chapaev† is the idea of â€Å"social realism,† and to show this the producers tell the story of the Soviet principals of equality within society, and the growth of the party. In one scene of the movie, Chapaev's men loot local farmers, and Chapaev's newly appointed commissar arrests the men involved and return the livestock. Initially, Chapaev was angry with his new commissar for arresting his men, as he feels he was undermining Chapaev's power, but he learned to agree with him because the peasants supported him upon the safe return of their livestock. Chapaev's new commissar explained to him that the entire war was being fought for the peasants, and by stealing from them it was hurting their image. This scene shows the equality within society that the Bolsheviks party was going for, and therefore the party gained more support. This scene in particular was propaganda because in war, armies do steal from farms, that's just a fact, but when they return the livestock it makes the Bolshevik party look patriotic and respectful. In this movie Chapaev is portrayed as a flawless example of what a Soviet man should be like. He is a man who believes in every man being equal and in order for a party to strive it has to be focused on the needs of the group not just the individual. In Soviet History Chapaev is considered a hero and rightly so, his stand against theft and sacrifice for the war effort makes him an ideal Soviet man. The movie â€Å"Circus† was directed by Grigori Aleksandrov and was produced in 1936. Similar to the movie â€Å"Chapaev,† the theme in â€Å"Circus† is focused on equality in the society and the growth of the party. The movie depicts the story of Orlova, an American circus artist who is forced to flee the racism in America after giving birth to a black baby. Orlova ends up in Russia and start her circus career there, and she becomes a huge star. In fear of being exposed, Orlova stays in the circus and works for her cruel German boss von Kneishitz. Von Kneishitz is the only person in Moscow who knows about her black baby, but he is also the only person in Russia who cares that her baby is black. The movie climaxes with the revealing of her baby to her beloved audience, but in contrary to what Kneishitz thought would happen, the audience shows the baby love by passing him around and singing a lullaby to him. When Marion asks the Ring Master to explain everyone’s reaction, he says, â€Å"In our country, we absolutely love children. You may have a child of any color here: black, white, red, or even striped like a zebra or polka-dotted. Whatever's your pleasure! † It cannot be denied that this movie is a propaganda film. It portrays that everyone is equal in the Soviet Union and that everyone is antiracist. In fact, in the 1930's Jews were highly discriminated against, as proof through public anti-Semitism. Therefore, we see the films impression of racial equality as false. The movie â€Å"Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears,† (â€Å"Moscow† for short) was directed by Vladimir Menshov and was produced in 1980. The movie begins in the 1950's and goes until the 1970's. Although this film accurately shows a change in Soviet ideals, it is important to note that â€Å"Moscow† does have some levels of propaganda. For example, Katerina's lover, Gosha, is seen as the ideal model citizen, especially when Katerina and Gosha talk about how Gosha is perfect and flawless. It need not be said that nobody is perfect, but the films portrays Gosha as the ideal citizen. This time period was significant in Soviet history because it showed a transition in Soviet values. This movie shows how traditional values in the Soviet Union became modernized as time progressed in the post Stalin era. During the 1970's, the Soviet Union became neo-traditionalist, in the sense that they held on to their old values while attaining new ones. For example, we get a clear understanding of how Russia was adjusting to time with the development of Tonya, Ludmilla, and Katerina's live styles. Of all the three main women in the play, Tonya is the best example of a traditional Soviet lifestyle. She marries at a young age and settles for a domestic life with a man that makes a respectable living. Katerina, on the other hand, marries at a much older age but to a man named Gosha who exhibits traditional Soviet values as well. For example, after Gosha gets in a fight, Katerina forbids him from ever fighting again, and Gosha agrees, but tells Katerina if she ever yells at him again he will leave her. Later in the same conversation, Gosha tells Katerina that it goes against his values that a woman makes more money than a man. This shows that there are still traces of traditional Soviet values in 1970 Russia. Tonya and Gosha both show that there are links to traditional soviet values even though its thirty years after Stalin's reign. In contrast to the way Tonya and Gosha live, the lives of Ludmilla and Katerina give us examples of how Soviet values changed and modernized over time. For example, in the beginning of the film, signs of change in Soviet values are apparent. Early in the film, Katerina and Ludmilla go to the French Film Festival to admire the rich and famous. Ludmilla admits to Katerina how she thinks one of the female actresses is beautiful, and how she would love to live the life of her. This shows how people, especially women, were being exposed to materialism in Russia, and it was socially acceptable to aspire to be rich and famous. Katerina also shows a change in Soviet values for women. She is the head of a corporation after a series of floor promotions, and she lives in a nice apartment providing for her family. This is a perfect example of Soviet values changing from the idea that women in the Soviet Union didn't have rights or power, to the modernized Soviet values where women were powerful. In conclusion, the movies â€Å"Chapaev,† â€Å"Circus,† and â€Å"Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears† are all largely applauded films that show the history and progression of changing Soviet values. â€Å"Chapaev† and â€Å"Circus† were both produced under Stalin’s reign, and they both contain some amount of Soviet propaganda as well as accurate references to Soviet values. They portray the traditional Soviet ideals of equality and unity of the Bolshevik party and how they were foremost in Soviet society. On a different note, â€Å"Moscow† takes place in a much later time, and proves that some Stalin era Soviet ideals were kept, but the attempt for modernization brought a necessary change in the ways people lived. As a result of the two sets of values portrayed through Gosha and Tonya, and Ludmilla and Katerina respectively, we see that Soviet ideals eventually became neo-traditionalistic. The shift in Soviet ideals occurred because Stalin's long and influential reign came to an end. After such a long time of repression, it can be argued that this change was inevitable.

Effects of Acid Rain

Acid Rain Essay Many may ask how acid can just fall from the sky. However, it falls in the form of rain. Acid rain can be described as rain that is more acidic then regular rain. In scientific terms, acid rain has a pH lower then 5. 6, the pH of clean rain. As shown, clean rain has a pH less then neutral; carbon dioxide in the air interacts with rain causing the drop of pH. Acid rain has a couple different causes. However, pollution plays the biggest role in the creation of acid rain. The burning of fossil fuels from factories, cars, and power plants create fumes, which rise in the air and create acid rain.The two main chemicals in the making of acid rain are sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxides. Specifically in the United States, sulfur in coal creates most of the solutions being released by smoke houses. The production of acid rain all starts with reaction with water producing H+ ions. Regular rain, with CO2 as described above, produces one H+ ion and HCO3. When the production of acid rain occurs, the Sulfur dioxide is oxidized and is made sulfur trioxide. The equation of this is: 2SO2+O2 2S03. After oxidation, the sulfur trioxide combines with water to create sulfuric acid that then falls to the ground as acid rain.The equation of this is: SO3+H2OH2SO4. If these reactions just occurred, created acid rain, and didn’t hurt anything when it fell, it would go unnoticed. Too bad it isn’t all that easy. Acid rain doesn’t hurt humans too much, but hurts the environment around us as well as many buildings made of marble. For humans, acid rain’s only impact is that it may irritate our lungs. Also, the acid rain causes poor visibility in certain areas. Acid rain plays a much larger impact on the environment. For example, the effect it has on lakes and rivers. Most lakes have pH’s ranging from six to eight.However, the acid rain that gets absorbed in the soil around the water causes the pH to go lower. In a pond in Franklin, New York the pH got as low as 4. 2. The effect of acid rain is less evident in forests because in some cases acid doesn’t affect the growth of trees. The responsibility we have, is to stop or lessen the amount of acid rain that falls. There are a number of ways this is possible. First is to repair the damage it has already done, second is to clean the smokestacks and our exhaust pipes, and thirdly is to find new efficient and less pollutant fuel sources. The destruction that acid rain as made on marble can always be fixed. There are also techniques to fix lakes by a process called liming, where limestone is added to the water. However, liming is expensive and temporary. Because coal is such an efficient fuel source, it would be hard to change. A different fuel source is the best long-term way of stopping acid rain. Nuclear power is one of the best energy sources but can be extremely dangerous if any accidents occur. If an auto mobile industry were to publish an article about acid rain it would differ greatly from then ones written by environmentalists.The auto industry would steer away from the way cars produce very pollutant gas, and of course would mention how their car is made more environmentally friendly and that the cars they make produce less pollutant gasses. They would do this in order for customers to by their car, and not feel guilty about hurting the environment. For example, many car companies are making hybrid and electric cars in order for people to know they are buying a more environmentally friendly car.